Rite of Ascension Pt. 4

	KnightsGM	IT IS THE 41ST MILLENNIUM....
	KnightsGM	The final remnants of the Auxiliary's resistance have been purged from the surface of Mort Veil. Knight-Brother Herbert has gathered his forces in orbit and has left Knight-Brother Mikael with what provisions he can, to allow him to contact vessels and, ultimately, Kleistus.
	KnightsGM	For this reason, Mikael must remain on Mort Veil, as Lord of the planet, and establish himself as its ruler, especially in the reconstruction of the world. For his part, Knight-Brother Herbert intends to return to the Chapter House to gather what resources he can for the next planetary reclamation.
	KnightsGM	The Destroyer commandeered by Knight-Brother Heinrich takes you back to Kleistus with a short warp jump. While Knight-Brother Herbert gathers his contacts and requests a hearing with the Council to inform them of the reclamation, Page Axel is immediately escorted back into the 'care' of Brother-Sergeant Volker...
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Well well, where," and he emphasizes this with a gauntleted finger, "HAVE YOU BEEN, PAGE AXEL!? AND WHAT'S THIS I HEAR ABOUT YOU BECOMING A SQUIRE?"
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"I COULD GIVE LESS THAN A DAEMON'S ARSE FOR YOUR EXCUSE, BUT LET'S HEAR WHAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH, KNAVE."
	Page_Axel	"I was commanded by Lord Herbert to assist him."
	Page_Axel	kneels "I apologize for my absence."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	simply walks over to Axel and grabs him by the collar of his armor and lifts him up to eye-leve. "NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE, SHORT OF THE CHAPTER-MASTER HIMSELF CAN GIVE YOU LEAVE TO DO WHATEVER THE BLOODY ARSE YOU WANT!"
	Page_Axel	"Yes My Lord."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	lets him go and stomps off. He then turns, "return your gear and weapons to the armory and then report to your quarters." He continues to walk off "at least you aren't dead, there's some hope left for your miserable hide yet."
	Page_Axel	returns his gear to the armoury and reports to his quarters, awaiting punishment
	KnightsGM	Sigmund enters the communal quarters, his gaze like steel... he is a changed being since you last saw him.
	Page_Axel	nods respectfully at him
	KnightsGM	"I didn't think you would still be alive," he greets you.
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	Volker comes in shortly after, carrying with him a long pole made of rough-cast iron. "Sigmund! Parade rest! Axel, disrobe yourself, and stand at attention!"
	Page_Axel	does as commanded
	KnightsGM	Sigmund instantly stands at the commanded rest.
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	tosses the pole to Sigmund, and then walks back and forth in-front of the two pages.
	KnightsGM	Sigmund catches it mid-air, and returns to his position.
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Your gross misconduct in the name of 'helping' others in the name of bringing another world to our fold insults the very core of our ideals. I hope, /hope/ that this will teach you the error of your ways."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Sigmund! You are to beat Axel with what you hold in your hands, until I tell you to stop. All of your blows are to target his midsection."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Begin!"
	KnightsGM	Sigmund bows, slowly, and then turns to Axel.
	Page_Axel	stands firmly and tenses himself
	KnightsGM	Sigmund gets into an offensive stance.
	KnightsGM	He takes his first swing at Axel's lower abdomen, with an audible whack.
	KnightsGM	He hesitates for a second, as if to assess the damage to his fellow Page.
	Page_Axel	grunts, but remains stone faced
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"DO NOT HESITATE! IF YOU DO SO AGAIN I'LL DO THIS TO BOTH OF YOU!"
	KnightsGM	At once, he strikes at the Page's abdomen again, and again.
	KnightsGM	He continues the beating with clockwork-like timing, a strike landing every second.
	Page_Axel	begins to buckle with pain, losing track of everything but the rhythmic blows
	KnightsGM	Axel's torso is notably sore, a red pattern marking where the rod has stricken again and again.
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Focus on the pain, let nothing else cloud your mind." Volker intones as he walks a slow circuit around the two.
	Page_Axel	finally falls to his knees with a grunt
	KnightsGM	Sigmund pauses for a moment, and looks at the Brother-Sergeant, unsure of how to proceed.
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	Anger flashes across Volker's face. "CONTINUE!"
	KnightsGM	Sigmund turns once more to his comrade, and continues the brutal beating, trying his best to strike only at his torso.
	Page_Axel	struggles to his feet
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"It seems you will need further tempering if you are to even have a chance of reaching Sigmund's level. Surprising given how you two started. Are you weak now? Is that it?" Volker then scoffs. A look of utter disdain written across his scarred face.
	-->|	Neue-Ziel (chatzilla@sux-C45FC787.lightspeed.sntcca.sbcglobal.net) has joined #knightsteutonic
	=-=	Neue-Ziel is now known as Knight-Brother_Mikael
	Page_Axel	boils with rage and turns, then leaps at Sigmund.He grabs for the pole and attempts to wrench it free
	Page_Axel	wrenches the pole free and attempts to sweep Sigmund's legs
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	attempts to catch the page's pole.
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	Volker catches the pole with his gauntleted hand and grabs the page by the throat with the other. His face is the picture of utter rage, so much so his face is starting to turn red. With clenched teeth he says, "DROP. IT."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	He then lifts the young mortal several meters off the ground.
	Page_Axel	does so
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"You dare, /dare/, DISOBEY ME?!" He starts to slowly choke the man, not enough to break his throat or air-way, but enough to stop him from being able to breathe.
	Page_Axel	goes limp and stares at the Knight
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	winds back his initiate laden arm and throws the page at the nearby wall.
	Page_Axel	crashes into the wall and falls to the ground, unmoving
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Get up, you worm."
	Page_Axel	attempts to stand, but crumples back to the ground
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	sighs. He then motions to Sigmund to get him up.
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"You truly are pathetic, and even worse you cannot even follow /basic/ commands."
	KnightsGM	"My Lord," he says, as he approaches Axel.
	KnightsGM	He lifts the fellow Page from the underarm.
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Take him to the Apothecarium and have him sorted. Afterwards you are to both put on full-combat gear and you will do laps around the docks, until I send a serf to collect you."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Do you think you can follow this /basic/ command, Axel?"
	Page_Axel	nods
	KnightsGM	While the Pages are pushed to the very edge, Knight-Brother Herbert's efforts bring him no further support. The Council, if anything, shows deep concern. The world of Mort Veil had been cataloged as an Administratum - governed planet. The Teutonic Realm's claims all but abandoned.
	KnightsGM	Further, he was chastised for his brokering of an illegal mortality contract between Page Axel and Knight-Brother Mikael, and for interrupting the post-Onyr training.
	KnightsGM	Unwilling to sacrifice any of his manpower, he attempts and fails to find evidence of Mikael's compact with the Page. Without the Knight-Brother present to declare the Mortality Contract (and his willingness to send his Squire into service with Herbert), however, Herbert is forbidden from visiting any incoming Pages. As a result, he decides to show up for the evaluation after your excruciating tour of the docks...
	KnightsGM	Herbert: "Brother-Sergeant Volken, do I interrupt?"
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Brother-Herbert? No, you do not, these whelps are only being punished, as is." He pauses for a moment and then looks towards Herbert. "So I hear you went to the council after you returned from your recent..../conquest/."
	KnightsGM	Herbert: "I have indeed informed the Council of the Redemption of Mort Veil. A successful planetary invasion, and one in which Page Axel took part."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"Took part without my permission you mean." Volker glares for a moment at Herbert. "You know as well as I that Pages are not allowed to participate in reclamations without Master Bruno's or my own permission." He puts his hands behind his back and looks out towards the docks. "I would ask you not go behind me again, /Brother/."3
	KnightsGM	"But was I wrong, Volker? Is he not ready?"
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	folds his arms and sighs. "He seems to have a problem with following certain orders. Otherwise he is fit and able, though I worry about his anger problem. He has yet to temper his anger into a weapon..."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	"If you believe you can continue forming him I will release him to you, are you certain?"
	KnightsGM	"You and I both well know, Brother, that the field of battle is the best instructor. Release him to me, and I will make certain he is instructed properly. Just as he will forge his blade, will he learn to forge his anger into a weapon of war," he looks at the two pages, and then out towards the docks where Volker's own eyes are fixed, "and if there is anyone who understands what that path is like, it is I. Name him fit for Squiredom, declare his Rite of Ascension complete, and I will guide him in the old ways."
	Brother-Sergeant_Volker	nods, convinced. "Very well, brother. He is yours to make into a fitting weapon for the Chapter, and the Emperor."
	KnightsGM	=========FIN========