Luckily Alex’s accelerated heartbeat lined up nicely with the doctor’s attempt to wake him up and caused no suspicion.

“He’s responding.” The doctor reported, “It’ll take only a minute.”

Alex’s head spun from the amount of smelling salts the guy smeared under his nose. He tried to fake a seizure, but for some reason it was treated as a sign of him waking up and the doctor immediately pulled him in a sitting position.

‘Wtf! How the hell are you treating a patient!’ Alex wanted to scream in protest, but at the last moment held back.

His eyes were watering and he had an urge to sneeze and cough at the same time. In fact, it would not surprise him if he actually got a seizure – the stuff that they used was definitely toxic. But the man with the raspy voice didn’t care.

He said, “Good, bring him to the chamber.”

It didn’t matter if Alex began convulsing and coughing, the second man picked him up by his armpits and carried out from the tent.

Somehow the rays of sun shining in Alex’s face had a calming effect. There was no reason to struggle anymore since he saw no way out.

‘Alright, in that case – I need to find a way for them to directly kill me.’ Alex quickly decided after analyzing the situation.

There was no way he would willingly experience any kind of torture, thus he began to throw glances around trying to find the best way of suiciding without actually committing a suicide since he didn’t intend to be born as an animal in his next life again.

Apart from Alex being the only remaining chosen, there were no changes in the everyday life within fortress. Holy warriors and their assistants went on with their business, not paying attention to the two men in hooded black leather outfits, one of which carried a barely conscious boy. Apparently everyone knew people from the college were doomed from the start.

They walked for several minutes and were already in the part of the fortress Alex didn’t recognize. He continued to wreck his brain trying to generate any feasible ideas, when suddenly someone shouted, “Stop!”

Alex didn’t see who it was since the shout came from the back, but the two investigators got visibly annoyed.

Few seconds later a slightly overweight priest in the typical gray robe ran over. His robe was dirty and sweaty and he was completely out of breath. Obviously the man had ran quite some distance and it took him a while to catch his breath. Strangely enough the two guys in black patiently waited, although their annoyance increased by a second.

“Cardinal … ufff … ufff … cardinal … ufff ... Isidoro ordered … ufff … to bring all the … ufff ... chosen to him.” The priest finally explained while still gasping for air. When he saw expressions of the two men turn ugly, he added, “Don’t … ufff … worry! You’ll get them back! Ufff … ufff … his excellency only needs one. You can have the rest back afterwards.”

While what the priest said didn’t make any sense to the investigators, Alex finally saw a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. The only question was if the two men would comply.

“Don’t think so!” The one with the raspy voice said, trying his best to extinguish Alex’s hopes, “We report directly to his holiness, the pope! Cardinal has no …”

“Who the f*ck do you think you are talking to?!” Suddenly the priest began cursing like a sailor, “Don’t you sons of bitches try to hoodwink me with formalities! If the cardinal will have to come himself here, nothing will save you, c*ck-suckers, even if the pope is your father! Let me tell you, everyone knows about your fiasco in the college and the attempt to cover up your inability to find the perpetrators. And if you think that interrogating this kid, for example, who is at most ten years old would bring you anything, you are stupider than my boot!”

Alex felt how the man who was holding him clenched his hand from anger. A tad harder and his shoulder would easily pulverize, but the fat priest didn’t stop increasing anger of the two man and proportionally Alex’s physical pain.

“What are you staring at, bitches?! Where is the rest? I don’t care about the teachers, bring me to the other chosen, I need to speak to them!” He said.

“Not possible!” The one with the raspy voice hissed through his teeth, “This is the last one!”

“You morons! What have you done!” Priest shouted to the sky. If he was angry a moment before, now he suddenly deflated as if becoming desperate.

A strange silence filled the surroundings. While everyone knew what the men in black have technically done, only the priest understood the significance of it and for some reason the two kept their displeasure in check as well. The one holding Alex even loosened his grip.

“Lord, forgive these two morons for what they have done! Please help your poor servant in this desperate situation! Please, save us!” Priest loudly prayed, his both hands raised towards the sky.

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Then, suddenly, as if he had gotten an idea, he turned towards Alex and asked, “Child, what is your name?”

Alex already had a guess what the man was looking for.

Weakly, as if gathering all his strength, he said, “My name is Bond, James Bond!”

“Oh, Lord!” The priest suddenly grabbed Alex from interrogator’s hands and began checking if he was alright. Of course, Alex wasn’t, but he ‘bravely’ did his best to sand on his own.

“Thank you, Lord! Thank you for your benevolence!” Priest shouted towards the sky and then turned towards the two men, “Pray to the Lord, you two! Thank him for saving your puny lives!”

Afterwards he grabbed Alex’s hand and without saying a word, left. Only after taking few steps he remembered the boy was injured and slowed down. Alex didn’t turn back to see what the two men did, but from what it looked like, his guess was correct and this priest came to look for exactly him – he was the ‘poster-boy’ of the expedition after all.

After taking fifty or so steps, priest stopped and in a worried voice asked Alex, “Are you alright? What happened to you? Can you walk?”

“Thank you for worrying, Sir! The Lord send some challenges my way, but I’m fine now.” Alex looked back at the priest and said with a weak smile, “I think I was asleep, but the Lord talked to me and said that a holy man will come to rescue, therefore I was not worried.”

“Hahaha! Don’t call me ‘Sir’, call me bishop Holer.” The priest, or rather – the bishop, said, “Hmmm, ‘a holy man’ I like it, thank you, Lord!”

The last part he said with a smile towards the sky, but Alex put his palms together and prayed like he always did, “Lord, guide us!”

“Indeed, Lord, guide us!” Bishop joined. Alex was not sure if he really was religious or only when it was convenient.

Finally Alex understood why the two investigators behaved like they did around this man. While being a bishop wouldn’t mean much and them being direct pope’s subordinates placed their standing higher, bishop Holer was most likely the right hand man, or something similar, to cardinal Isidoro, thus he acted as if he was cardinal himself and no one dared to object.

Few minutes later they were about to leave the fortress, when Alex remembered the treasure he was about to leave behind. Earlier he was too excited to get out of this damned place and forgot all about it. While it was a pity to loose the Lord’s seeds, he didn’t care about that. What worried him was the risk of someone finding them if his staff was broken before thrown out – he wouldn’t escape then no matter what.

“Your grace!” Alex stopped in his tracks and said, “My things …”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you new, clean things.” Bishop said with a smile.

“No, your grace, this is important!” Alex shook his head with a serious expression, “On Lord’s orders I departed to bring enlightenment to the western wilderness and I need my sleeping bag and my walking stick, even if they are simple and crude.”

Seeing bishop getting impatient, Alex got another idea.

“And there is one more thing. During my days here I learned how unprepared I was towards the dangers – I was the only one in the college who didn’t receive any combat training after all. Therefore I would like to ask you for a favor, if I may. I know you have done already a lot for me, but …”

“What? Then what the hell did you do there?” Bishop angrily interrupted him. Luckily this anger was not directed at Alex, but, probably, the late teachers and bishop Phelippe.

“Alright, what do you want?” Bishop Holer immediately asked not waiting for an answer to the previous question.

“Your grace, is it possible to appoint a warrior to continue to train me while we are on our way during the expedition? Of course, he’ll have to go easier on me because I can’t walk while injured …” Alex said and bishop immediately interrupted.

“Sure, anything else?”

“No, nothing.” Alex shook his head, but then, as if remembering something, added, “It would be convenient to appoint the young warrior who trained me already. He could grab my things as well so you don’t have to run around this place – you have already done way too much for me!”

Alex’s modesty would be translated as sucking up if he was older, but when bishop saw Alex’s serious, but tired expression, he thought for a second, looked around and called the closest holy warrior who passed by at that moment.

“You there! Call over the guy who taught James Bond!” Bishop ordered, “And tell him to grab Bond’s things as well!”

The holy warrior didn’t argue, but furrowed his brows in confusion, saying, “James Bond?”

Apparently everyone recognized bishop Holer, even if he was dressed as simple and dirty priest.

“Yea! This chosen, right here! Are you blind or something?! Move! I don’t have all day!” Bishop instantly went back to how he was with the two investigators. From what it looked like he simply didn’t like army people.

The holy warrior, just like the men before, didn’t enjoy the attitude, but complied nevertheless.

It took almost quarter of an hour for the young warrior to arrive. This time he was fully equipped with a real sword and in his shiny armor, Alex’s staff and sleeping bag were in his hand and a confusion written all over his face.

“From now on you’ll serve James Bond!” Bishop Holer stated in a voice that didn’t allow any objections.

The young holy warrior furrowed his brows in displeasure, but Alex sighed. This was not how he intended to thank his savior, but for now it had to do.

Alex took his things from the warrior and after seeing bishop’s questioning gaze, explained, “Your grace, I don’t need a servant, but a combat arts teacher. My things – I have to carry myself as far to the west as the Lord will guide us!”

Hearing this bishop only shrugged and a minute later the trio stepped out the fortress.

What Alex didn’t expect was for an extremely large gray colored carriage pulled by eight gray horses to wait for them. From how bishop Holer looked, Alex judged he rushed to the fortress from somewhere far away, but as it turned out – it was his ‘regular’ appearance after running more than twenty meters.

“You two, sit in the back! I need to rest!” Bishop commanded when the coachman opened front door and helped him inside.

Turned out this was some kind of medieval ‘limo’ with two compartments, one of which took three quarters of the total space and, of course, was designated for bishops private purposes.

Alex sighed and got inside the smaller compartment with the holy warrior silently following. It was obvious that the guy didn’t like the current situation even though Alex clearly said he didn’t need a servant, but at least the Lord’s seeds were safe for now and he was out of the hellhole.