We desire nothing so much as what we ought not to have. - Publilius Syrus

Chapter 9: The Darker Side of Sygh-Varths

Night had fallen over all of the continent of Rondeval. It was as though the gods had spread a black blanket dotted with multiple shining stars of various hues across the sky.

The plains were bathed in dew in Maryah-Denn. The forests of Inzham were hushed. The oceans whispered on the shore of Gigan-Syip. The moon enlightened the city of Sygh-Varths with a dim blue glow. The traders and beggars were gone from the streets. There wasn't even a silent breeze passing through the city. The area was almost devoid of life. Almost.

A dark shadow slunk away from one of the buildings near the Emperor's palace; it was a stone rectangular building that was used as a pantry to feed the officials of the Empire. The silhouette snuck away from the palace and behind another building. This one wasn't nearly as grand; it likely housed a middle-class family or possibly even two low-class ones. The shadow followed the passageway behind the house, clinging to the dark corners of the other passages and alleys it made its way through. Like a black panther on the hunt, it sifted through the corridors, searching for its prey. At last, locked onto its destination, the shadow picked up speed.

It now stood in the center of a circular plaza. At the center was a simple fountain that had been constructed with complex aqueducts, and at the edge of the circle, stone benches were scattered neatly around the circumference of the plaza. The water released by the fountain sparkled like liquid crystals in the moonlight. The silhouette approached the fountain and sat down on the stone bars that encompassed it. As though amused by the nature of the water, the black shadow reached down to touch the fascinating substance. It turns out the 'shadow' was merely a dark cloak, as a slender hand slipped through and delicately pressed a finger to the surface of the cool water, admiring the smooth ripples that radiated from their light connection.

"Are you waiting for him?" asked a new shadow, standing behind the first one at the fountain.

"Yes," it replied, standing up straight. "He will come with the light of a new dawn."

The second shadow stood still, then reached upward. The "shadow" pulled the dark hood off of its head. A young man's head appeared from underneath the hood, shaking out his long silver hair that flickered in the moonlight.

"Nicely done," he complimented the other shadow with a smile.

The shadow by the fountain repeated suit, pulling off its hood. Underneath was a girl with brown hair that extended just below her shoulders. Finally free of the hood that had engulfed her, she wiped sweat from her forehead.

"Thanks," she replied, a proud gleam in her gray eyes. "I couldn't find any meats or cheeses, but there was plenty of bread, fruits, and vegetables."

The male shook his head.

"Hmmph. Haysheen never leaves anything special in his boring old pantry," he muttered.

"Sorry. I searched every nook and cranny and didn't find any of that stuff. At least we still have some food for a few days. Here you go," she explained, handing him a large black sack she had been carrying on her back. Now she looked much smaller after carrying so much weight.

The young man did not say anything, but he smiled at her in gratitude.

"By the way... I searched very carefully and found a box of strawberries... they're in the small wooden crate that's colored dark red... should be at the top of the sack. Give those strawberries to your sister. I know how much she likes them, Kenshouji." she stated, rolling her shoulders around.

Kenshouji frowned at the girl, earning a laugh from her.

"First of all, it's Shou. Call me Shou. Shou, as in, 'Show me the supplies'. Shou. Shou. Shou!" he insisted, although the girl continued to chuckle. "And second... my sister and grandfather are grateful to you, Athena. As am I."

Athena smiled at Shou, then made a face as she stretched her arms out until her shoulders audibly cracked.

"Whoa... Athena... are you sure you're all right?" Shou asked, startled by the sounds her joints made.

"Yeeeeaaaahhhh..." she groaned, relaxed, shaking her arms loose. "I'm just not used to carrying around so much weight yet. Malairuka and Jussel used to raid the pantries, remember?"

Shou nodded.

"I really miss them sometimes. But they would want us to keep on fighting, and so fight on we shall."

Athena smiled up at Shou. There seemed to be something about her expression though... her features seemed softer and warmer, as though she was trying to tell him something. He blushed faintly. Maybe now he could confess his feelings... maybe now, he could ask her...

"Athena..." he spoke her name gently.

Apparently, he had spoken too softly, as her attention seemed to be focused elsewhere now. She gazed up at the side of a building, where an intricate mosaic was plastered on the side. She stared at it, almost in a hypnotic trance, with a look of longing on her face.

"I don't know why, but I've always felt a strong connection to him..." she commented.

Shou followed her gaze, then turned back to her.

"Well, that explains our passwords." he said with a laugh, then reassured her. "Don't lose hope, Athena. He'll come back. One day... he'll come back. And then we won't have to put up with the suffering and lies Haysheen puts us through. We might have to wait until next year or next month. It could be as soon as next week... or even tomorrow! You never know. But I do know this: One day, he will come back."

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Despite the serenity surrounding the young man and lady at the fountain, not all was peaceful that night. One man came trudging through an alleyway, dirty and scratched up, having spent the entire day traveling on foot or by horse, and traveling alone.

Marthis staggered down the alleyway with a groan. He reached up and tenderly grazed his sensitive jaw, flinching despite the delicate contact. The skin around his mouth and cross-shaped scar was now purple with hints of black, blue, and yellow. Blood was caked underneath his nose and on his lips and chin.

I swear... I'll find that brutish bastard and give him tenfold of what he did to me! He can have bloody marks to match those strange tattoos of his...

Marthis glared at his dusty hands. He clenched them into fists in contempt.

My mask... destroyed... damn them all! Kaiba... Tattoo-Face... as if I didn't have enough trouble with the rebels before!

A rustle around the corner caught the advisor's attention. He quickly ducked into a shadowy corridor of the alley and peered out. A dark form made its way down the alley, heading in his direction. A spirit? No, Marthis decided as he heard a small splash. It was someone's foot that hit a puddle, he deduced. It was a human, and most likely a rebel. Marthis poised himself in the dark corridor, then pounced.

Marthis tackled the shadow against the alley wall. It grunted, finding itself pinned between the brick barrier and the Imperial Advisor. The shadow squirmed uncomfortably in his grasp. Finally having success that day made a grin pass over his bruised lips.

"Well! What do we have here?" Marthis asked, putting on a fake tone of marvel. He grabbed the hood of the figure and yanked it over the head of the shadowed figure. "Why, if it isn't the rebel girl who escapes me so often!"

"Marthis!" Athena gasped, recognizing his voice. Trying to hide her fear, she smirked and taunted in reply, "No wonder you always wear a mask."

Marthis sneered and shoved her harder into the wall, earning a startled grunt from the girl.

"What did you steal this time, wench? Food? Gold? Clothing?" he interrogated.

Athena glared back at him.

"Does it look like I have anything on me?" she asked in reply.

"On you, no. Underneath that cloak of yours... that still has to be determined," Marthis stated, gripping the dark cloak on her shoulders.

Athena panicked and tried to run. However, Marthis's grip was strong, and it only resulted in part of her cloak being ripped off one of her arms. She stumbled in surprise, giving Marthis a chance to catch her again, this time from behind.

"Let - me - go!" Athena ordered, struggling in the man's grasp.

"Of course, of course... after an investigation..." Marthis responded, pulling her closer to him for better control.

In that one moment, something changed within the Imperial Advisor.

His mind shifted focus from delivering a treacherous rebel... to the sensation of having that smaller, feminine body pressed so closely against his. He could feel her hair pressed against his cheek - somewhat oily, yet soft - and something about her natural scent was digging into his deepest, darkest, and most hidden instincts. The only female contact Marthis had ever had was when he killed a female rebel or dragged a female's corpse onto a wagon for later disposal or burial... even if it was against her consent, he had never held a woman in his arms before. He shifted a hand to brush against the skin of her bare arm - there were some spots that were rough and dirty, but the clean areas of her skin were smooth to the touch.

Total fear swept over Athena as she felt Marthis's warm breath against the back of her neck.

"Stop it!" Athena shrieked, yanking her left arm out of the man's grasp. She swung it backwards, striking Marthis squarely in the jaw.

The advisor reeled backwards in pain with a yelp, clutching the side of his face as fresh blood started to leak from his wounds. He had broken out of his trance, and was now distracted by pain. Athena ran out of the alleyway as fast as she could, dodging down odd passageways, hoping that Marthis would not track her down.

The advisor glanced up, noticing that the girl was gone. He spat out some of the blood in his mouth in contempt, and started to trudge down the alleyway, when his foot brushed against something. Marthis glanced down and picked it up from the ground. He held it at eye level and realized it was the part of her cloak he had ripped off.

He glanced back up in the direction the rebel girl had run off in, then back down at the shred of fabric in his hand. Marthis stuffed the black cloth into his pocket, then walked off in the opposite direction to the emperor's palace.

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Athena spotted the small house she had been looking for and picked up speed. Whether or not the occupants were sleeping, she didn't care. She just wanted to get out of the open streets. She felt exposed, as if she had been running naked through the city of Sygh-Varths. She gripped the door handle powerfully and jerked the door open, then slammed it shut behind her. She leaned against the door, panting, still recovering from the events that had happened only a few minutes ago.

A small light made its way from the room further ahead down the hallway. The light drew closer until Athena realized it was a candle being carried by someone.

There were actually two of them; the girl who carried the candle had brown hair like Athena, only much shorter and wavier, and had green eyes. The other girl stood a slight distance behind the candle-carrier... she had attractive features, with long blonde hair and beautiful green eyes.

"Athena?" asked the blonde with a yawn. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I just need to be alone..."

She turned to her right, where a few candlesticks rested in a convenient holder. She took one and dipped the wick against the flame of the first candle, then walked swiftly towards their bathing room. The blonde took a few steps after her, but the brunette stopped her.

"But, Penelope..."

Penelope shook her head.

"Just leave her be. You know Athena... the best thing for her is to be alone."

Athena opened the door to the bathing room, placing the candlestick into the holder on the wall. The room was very simple - no furniture, no plumbing, no windows - there was only a chamberpot in a corner of the room, a basin that held water (often cold water), and a floor that curved downward in a small slope to the center of the room, where there was a small hole that acted as a drain.

She removed her now ruined cloak, the dress underneath, and her makeshift undergarments. That moment with Marthis had left her feeling disgustingly dirty. She stepped over to the basin and removed the small wash-cloth inside. She washed her hair, her face, her torso, her legs, and then her hands and feet. Athena dipped the wash-cloth back into the water, then placed it against her shoulder to bathe.

No good.

That one simple touch reminded her too much of him. Tears fell from Athena's eyes, and when she caught her breath, it was in a heaving sob. She sat there, sobbing for a few minutes, then glanced back at the wash-cloth still held in her hand. She squeezed it angrily, then started scrubbing madly at her arms. It felt like he had left imprints, stains upon her skin... and she had to wash them off. Marthis's mocking laugh still rang in her ears, and she continued trying to wash away his memory.

"Athena?" asked a small voice in the doorway. The blonde girl gasped at the sight of her sister frantically scrubbing her arm. "Athena, what are you doing? Stop! You'll rub your skin raw!"

She dashed over and stopped her sister from scrubbing any more. She sighed in relief when she noticed that Athena's skin was intact... and also very clean.

"Sister..." she whispered, going to get a towel. She draped it around Athena's shoulders. "Athena... what happened?"

"He touched me..." Athena whimpered.

"Who? Shou?" the blonde gasped.

"No, Venus. It was Marthis."

"What?" she gasped. "But... I thought he was away on military duty!"

"Must've come back early," Athena figured, sniffling as she wiped her nose.

Venus placed an arm around her older sister's shoulders.

"Well, you're safe now. You're home, where Marthis can't hurt you."

Athena stood up, and walked over to where she left her clothes. Venus turned to face the corner of the room, allowing her sister privacy as she redressed. After she was completely clothed again, Athena shook her head with a smile, her eyes still red.

"I'm your older sister... I should be the one to comfort you."

"You might be the oldest," Penelope stated, now standing in the doorway. "But as sisters, we still have to be there for each other, regardless of age."

She took a few steps forward and embraced Athena. Venus walked over behind her oldest sister and hugged her too.

"You've worked really hard tonight," Penelope commented, gently releasing her sister. "You ought to get some sleep."

Venus nodded.

"I think we all should be in bed," the blonde remarked.

Athena wiped her eyes again, smiling a little brighter.

"It'll be morning in a few hours... I might as well get as much sleep as I can..."

As she stepped into the bedroom she shared with her sisters and crawled into her bed, she remembered what Kenshouji - what Shou - had said to her.

Don't lose hope, Athena. He'll come back. One day... he'll come back.

Shou didn't have to worry, she promised herself. No matter what Marthis did to her, he could never take away her hope.

We might have to wait until next year or next month. It could be as soon as next week... or even tomorrow! You never know. But I do know this: One day, he will come back.

She smiled and pulled the blankets over her shoulders.

It could be tomorrow, you never know... Athena thought to herself, closing her eyes and settling into slumber.

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This chapter is unique in that it introduces several OCs I created for the story.

In other words, this chapter does not happen in the game. None of these scenes occur in "The Falsebound Kingdom" as a video game, in any of the storylines.

Kenshouji (pardon me, "Shou"), Athena, Penelope, and Venus are all my own characters.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated and greatly encouraged.