Scarlet.
Wasn't that the color of resilience?
As he walked down what was once a street, smoke burned his eyes.
All that was once tall buildings and small stores were burned to ashes.
All over the ground below his feet were corpses. Everywhere he stepped, he heard weakened bones snapping.
He always looked into those blank eyes, looking for the ones that prominently stuck out. None so far, but relief did not hit him yet.
Blood was everywhere, staining his boots as he walked. The red didn't make him nauseas; he was used to it from the wars he had been in.
Scarlet.
A muffled sound came from a building, half caved in. The voice was hoarse, but recognizable. His own foolishness caused this all to happen. This all was his fault.
Pulling a seared wood panel off of the source of the sound, striking white hair hit the light from the flames.
The body's eyes were not open, and blood covered his face. This was all his fault. Well, most of it. Guilt struck him, and struck him hard.
The eyes finally opened, the shocking red duller than it used to be.
Scarlet.
"B-bruder…"
"I'm taking you home…"
"Y-you think s-so?"
His brother shook his head painfully, but did not resist. Picking the helpless man up, he walked out, back where he came from. Would his brother make it back home? This was his home…
He destroyed his own brother's home. He would have to stay with him now.
He stared down at the weak boy in his arms. His kingdom had lasted, but he was so close to death now…
The only way he'd survive would be to declare himself as part of Germany… But he wouldn't do that willingly. How would he make him?
Scarlet.
Those eyes saw their own people die. Then their own country. And now their owner was falling unconscious in his strong arms. Wouldn't that be enough to convince him to convert?
Maybe he will take his brother back here someday. To show him what happened when he refused first? What the Allies had done to him?
Blood dripped from the former kingdom's silver hair.
What the former kingdom's brother did to him?
"Bruder… bruder, stay awake…"
The man moaned in pain, but was alive.
Scarlet.
He'd survive. He's always been strong enough to survive anything.
Scarlet.
His best allies would help him through it. All he needed to do was make it until they got across the border. Just a couple miles of cracking arms in half and squirting blood across the gravel.
Everything in his brother's world was dyed scarlet. His hair, his towns, his kingdom, his people.
The scarlet eyes had seen all the suffering. As the houses lit on fire, as the tear gas was dropped, as people stumbled with their children to make it alive.
His brother had always been a big believer in God, since his Teutonic Knight years.
What was he to pray to now? His whole life had been burned. He heard the screams. The coughing. Surely his God wouldn't do this to him?
Scarlet.
Scarlet eyes opened and coughing racked the fragile figure.
"L-Luddy…"
"Be quiet. You'll hurt yourself more."
A thin smile stretched the dried blood, cracking it.
"N-not possible…"
Yes.
He'd survive somehow.
After all, scarlet was the color of resilience.