Chapter 1: Albatou Secrets
Everyone was panicked. Folken, my older brother, tried desperately to get Van out of the hallway before he was crushed by soldiers. I was on the other side of the hall, where he couldn't reach me.
But I didn't want him to reach me. I wanted to fight, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop me. My brothers watched in agony as I slipped into the quickly moving stream of bustling soldiers.
At six, I was a master swordsman, though Folken had forbidden me to study. However, he knew I would never listen to him, which is why it never surprised him to see me practicing. Van had also taken an interest in the subject, but because he was a boy, he was allowed to study. Van and I were only two years apart. He was eight, and I was six.
As the soldiers approached the palace doors, I drew my sword. When I looked out the doors, I saw at least a hundred Zaibach soldiers. Most were in blue, with two dressed in red. I hated red—it was the color of blood... When I got out, I went straight for the two red soldiers. I smacked them in the stomach with my sword, knocking them down, only seconds before I was knocked unconscious by a soldier.
*In the Zaibach Vione*
The soldier almost dragged me along, seeing as I was still half asleep. I would have been asleep again had he not pulled me out of my cell by MY HAIR. The soldier wore blue. I imagined the red ones were getting sick about that time. The thought made me chuckle. The chuckle made the guard kick me in the back, which stopped me from chuckling. It must have made him very happy, because it made him laugh, which made me kick him in the shins, which made me laugh, and the cycle repeated itself. In fact, it repeated itself until we came to two large iron doors.
The doors opened, and the soldier said, "Lord Albato, the girl is awake." There was a tall man on a tall chair on a tall platform at the end of the long hallway.
The man sighed. "Show her in." I could now walk on my own, but the soldier still pushed me along. He shoved me to the ground in the middle of the hall. My hands burned with an intense heat. A terrible, cold shiver ran through me. This man looked over me, a cringing figure in his hall, who refused to look at him at all. I only feared to look at him because of the tears streaming down my cheeks. "Leave me alone with her," the man spoke out.
"But, sir-"
"DID YOU HEAR ME?! Leave us alone!" The soldier hesitated. "GO!" He turned and left the hall. "Fucking bastard" He muttered under his breath.
Then he looked up at me. I didn't see him, just felt his gaze. "What's wrong, girl? You have nothing to cry about. You're safe here."
"I'm sorry, but my hands-"
"They're burning?" I nodded. "That was a stupid attempt at revenge from one of the soldiers. Don't worry about them, they'll learn to get along with you just fine, I'm sure." He got up and started walking toward me. "Why won't you look at me?"
I tried to stop crying. "I'm afraid that if I do, I'll see the man who murdered my father..."
The man walked up to me and lifted my head, so that my eyes were level with his. "No, that man is long gone." He looked into my eyes, seeing the concern I kept hidden. "What else troubles you?"
"I- I'm afraid I'll never see my family again..."
The man stood up, and so did I. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that. If you see my brother, don't talk to him He's nuts." The man had short, straight silver hair, green eyes, and pale skin. I nodded.
"What do I call you?"
He smiled. "Albato. It's not my name, but don't tell anyone else that."
I smiled. That was the last thing I did before I fainted again. I figured I fainted from loss of blood, because when I looked, half the skin on my hands was gone...
Everyone was panicked. Folken, my older brother, tried desperately to get Van out of the hallway before he was crushed by soldiers. I was on the other side of the hall, where he couldn't reach me.
But I didn't want him to reach me. I wanted to fight, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop me. My brothers watched in agony as I slipped into the quickly moving stream of bustling soldiers.
At six, I was a master swordsman, though Folken had forbidden me to study. However, he knew I would never listen to him, which is why it never surprised him to see me practicing. Van had also taken an interest in the subject, but because he was a boy, he was allowed to study. Van and I were only two years apart. He was eight, and I was six.
As the soldiers approached the palace doors, I drew my sword. When I looked out the doors, I saw at least a hundred Zaibach soldiers. Most were in blue, with two dressed in red. I hated red—it was the color of blood... When I got out, I went straight for the two red soldiers. I smacked them in the stomach with my sword, knocking them down, only seconds before I was knocked unconscious by a soldier.
*In the Zaibach Vione*
The soldier almost dragged me along, seeing as I was still half asleep. I would have been asleep again had he not pulled me out of my cell by MY HAIR. The soldier wore blue. I imagined the red ones were getting sick about that time. The thought made me chuckle. The chuckle made the guard kick me in the back, which stopped me from chuckling. It must have made him very happy, because it made him laugh, which made me kick him in the shins, which made me laugh, and the cycle repeated itself. In fact, it repeated itself until we came to two large iron doors.
The doors opened, and the soldier said, "Lord Albato, the girl is awake." There was a tall man on a tall chair on a tall platform at the end of the long hallway.
The man sighed. "Show her in." I could now walk on my own, but the soldier still pushed me along. He shoved me to the ground in the middle of the hall. My hands burned with an intense heat. A terrible, cold shiver ran through me. This man looked over me, a cringing figure in his hall, who refused to look at him at all. I only feared to look at him because of the tears streaming down my cheeks. "Leave me alone with her," the man spoke out.
"But, sir-"
"DID YOU HEAR ME?! Leave us alone!" The soldier hesitated. "GO!" He turned and left the hall. "Fucking bastard" He muttered under his breath.
Then he looked up at me. I didn't see him, just felt his gaze. "What's wrong, girl? You have nothing to cry about. You're safe here."
"I'm sorry, but my hands-"
"They're burning?" I nodded. "That was a stupid attempt at revenge from one of the soldiers. Don't worry about them, they'll learn to get along with you just fine, I'm sure." He got up and started walking toward me. "Why won't you look at me?"
I tried to stop crying. "I'm afraid that if I do, I'll see the man who murdered my father..."
The man walked up to me and lifted my head, so that my eyes were level with his. "No, that man is long gone." He looked into my eyes, seeing the concern I kept hidden. "What else troubles you?"
"I- I'm afraid I'll never see my family again..."
The man stood up, and so did I. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that. If you see my brother, don't talk to him He's nuts." The man had short, straight silver hair, green eyes, and pale skin. I nodded.
"What do I call you?"
He smiled. "Albato. It's not my name, but don't tell anyone else that."
I smiled. That was the last thing I did before I fainted again. I figured I fainted from loss of blood, because when I looked, half the skin on my hands was gone...