Sorry for the long update, my holiday is almost over
Lend me your shoulder.. TT3TT
So, multiple updates, so near with Higanbana's arc
I'm really excited! But this chapter..
I just a bit unsatisfied with this
…
I'm not a pitiful clown made of hay and splinter
I'm not a handsome knight in his shining scimitar.
I am a Marionette..
With prosthetic limbs made from wood..
Will you love me so?
when fire turned me into ugly ashes?
…..
Town border of Burrleigh, Leith.
"I fucking HATE caravan ride!" Alfred's face switched back and forth between ugly green and purple before his stomach content thrown out to the ground.
His brother's face was as pale as chalk, with an expression as if he was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, I couldn't buy us any bus or train ticket. There was surveillance in every station too.. "After said that, it was his turn to empty his stomach.
Alfred wiped his mouth with a frown folded between his eyebrow. "If there's anyone to blame, it's that caravan's driver and his crazy cow! Mirabelle what? That one fucking cow run with a speed of a locomotive! Remind me to barbecue that fat cow when we meet them again!"
"At least we arrived fast enough..." Matthew said weakly and continued his violent cough.
"Yeah, and they drained our pocket dry." Alfred handed his water bottle to his brother who received it with much thanks. "Probably 'slow but sure' phrase was invented by people like us."
"The army already mobilized their power to Albion huh... They fear for Mr Arthur's movement."
"... Ifrit that Arthur took in..." Alfred murmured. "Is he really the 'pandora box'?"
"Pandora box?"
"Ah, they haven't told you? Sadiq's little technician told me before our departure. She's an Ifrit too, she said to be careful and not to trigger anything."
"You are implying that... That guy is Mr. Sadiq's target that Arthur took?" Matthew's eyes widened. He bit his upper lip in anxiousness.
"Well.. It's just our suspicion! I mean.. Why PASA would go that far to obtain him?" Alfred just shrugged and walked away although his legs still yet to stood firmly. "We can't waste our time, let's go!"
"Al wait! What if it's true... If that ifrit really... Shouldn't we prepare ourselves better?"
"No." His answer was immediate and sure. The color of his face still greenish but his eyes already shone as bright as usual. "Our objection is still the same. We didn't come for that ifrit."
Alfred didn't stop his steps and so Matthew have to hastily run to chase him. "Mr. Arthur isn't going to be an easy person to be persuaded..."
Alfred gritted his teeth and increased his walking speed. "He will accept. He must! Did you remember what Pieter said? Genevieve... Now I understand why the army never tried to looking for him. Hell.. He never told us that his mother was a spy killer!"
"Even if he does know, is that something one would boast?"
"At least, he should tell us!"
Matthew sighed, he felt do lethargic to argue. "Why they chose Higanbana instead of Genevieve's children to succeed the position?" That question caught Alfred's attention almost instantly. He knows about human and their pathetic nature, he had observed their behavior for so long to understand their flaws, fear, fucked up minds.
"They were afraid Genevieve's seed would bring her mental tendency. That's why instead of succeeding her bloodline, they chose to 'create' Higanbana."
Matthew drew a sharp breath and yelled. "But Mr. Arthur isn't crazy!"
"Never said he is. But you can say it's an advantage, they avoided any direct communication with him after he run from the army... It wasn't only because of himself, they are afraid of Genevieve's shadow."
"But the younger generation rarely know about Genevieve, it always referred as 'phantom'... They didn't know the name refers to two person simultaneously.." Alfred nodded in confirmation and took out a pack of cigarette from his pocket. He looked at the silhouette of pointy towers from afar and felt a sudden chill in his bone. "we should hurry, I got a bad feeling about this place. Lets finish our business and get away from here."
…
It was the usual empty crimson world where he always ended up in his sleeps.
It was the usual emptiness wrapped him that he couldn't breathe.
A voice called for him, he turned his head. What was he hoping to find as he looked back?
The surface where he stood… wasn't it the surface of water?
Those ripples and empty sound of water droplets.
Amidst of the emptiness, quenched the dire yearn
Those petals, a beauty of singularity.
He tried to reach out...
But when he saw his extended hand
Those hands were made from wood.
"...ey... Hey! Wake up!" Green orbs? No, it was a pair of eyes, watched in worry. Antonio rubbed his eyes and tried to stand up. His whole body was wet because of sweat, his eyes were also wet, not from sweat.
"...eh..." He looked at the tears dripped into his lap with strange look
"It's not 'eh'. How many times I should wake you up from bad dreams huh?" Arthur walked away with a scoff. A frown folded on is forehead, he looked at his guest with a thought. "What is it this time?"
Again, those eyes looked blank, vulnerable was the word to describe that look. Either it because confusion or a side effect of his brainwash, Arthur really didn't want to know. Antonio's outburst of power after he got those dreams had settled down but his emotion afterwards still jumbled and messed up.
"What did you saw?" Arthur asked again, normally he would ignore for he had belief that bad things better off ignored and forgotten but aside from the possible information he might gather, at least he wanted to show some compassion. Afterall this guy in front of him have nothing aside from lies, used like a puppet by the person he trust the most and now, the person he thought will help him.
Did he feel bad? The answer is yes. Did he want to stop? No. So at the end all he can do is care, at least made sure nothing will hurt Antonio aside from himself.
The brown haired man still looked blank and confused. His hands still trembled although his breath had come to even. "..I.. It was a reflection.."
He said at least as he messed his hair. He looked at his hand and let out a relieved sigh before he continue. "My hand... Was made from wood.. It had wooden joints.."
"A doll..." Arthur murmured, a little surprised for he was thinking something like that.
"My wooden hands... They were cracked..." Antonio raised his head, made sure he looked right at Arthur's eyes. "From inside of the crack...there are many of them bloomed..." His pupil was still dilated, his fear increased at the end of every sentences.
"Them?"
"Red flowers.. With long nectarines.." Spider lily. Why it wasn't that surprising? The surprising thing was, that Antonio somehow understand that. Deep down below his consciousness, he understood his position and his fate.
He will kill this guy after his business done... And this guy unconsciously knows that... That bastard...
"Arthur.."
He turned his head, surprised with that sudden call. "Hm?"
"Am I going to die?"
Arthur gritted his teeth, he felt his blood boiled. Another person whose life had sealed to end in the hands of that bastard. Wasn't it enough already? His sister might have power to fight.. But this child... A pathetic puppet, a pathetic clown... Much like a Petrouchka. He was going dance although he knows he was inferior, that he was going to die anyway.. In the end...He will gain nothing, die and forgotten.
Are you satisfied Higanbana? What are you after?
"You don't need to do all of this, you know..." Suddenly Antonio spoke. It wasn't out of fear, not a continuation of his series of trance talk. It was sober and sure that at first Arthur didn't notice it came from the man in front of him.
"Pardon?"
"Like... I mean.. You don't need to feel bad for me that you forced yourself to care. You aren't obligated of doing anything for me."
Arthur's frown gone deeper. He darted his sight and surprised with the response he got. That pitiful person, didn't seem so pitiful for he was looking with an incomparable sincerity. Did he understand his position? Then Arthur realised that his state earlier wasn't out of fear, it was a mere shock. Antonio know, he understand, he accepted it.
Probably that's how Petroucka think when he faced the superior Moor. He wasn't fear to lose, he just want to face everything with his all. Who mourned for inferiority, for feeling puny and miserable...was Arthur himself.
"I'm not feel obligated!"
"Then stop avoiding me or give that pitying look!" he snapped, at least. "Tell me what you want to say! Am I look that pathetic that you all hide everything from me? I am an equisitarian too! I can fight!"
Arthur starched his head desperately and glared at the brown haired man. Unlike the usual, this time that man didn't flinch or avoid his glare, he glared back. "You understand nothing.."
"Make me understand!"
"HE KILLED HER! He killed my sister!" Arthur snapped back. Before he could respond, Antonio was dumfounded by the sudden outburst of anger he never saw before. " She isn't weak! She was much stronger than I am! And you know what? He crushed her! What makes you think you can fight, ha? You pathetic child, knows nothing.. Understand nothing!"
BAM!
Before he could realize what happened, Arthur was sent backwards by a fist. He blinked twice, still confused about what happened when another fist barged, only this time, his reflexes able to counter it. It's still felt hazy as they brawled on the floor, at first with their fist until it's choice of attacks expanded into legs, head and even teeth.
They already beaten all over when wt least Arthur sent Antonio flying backwards with a lucky kick and thus ended the savage brawl.
"See..?" His breath still uneven but his mouth smirked in satisfaction. "I also CAN fight!"
"That's not the fight I mean, you bollocks..." Arthur hissed when he touched a quite remarkable bruise near his mouth. That was a hell of brawl that he hadn't get for quite a period. His shoulder hurt when he tried to move it, probably dislocated. That bastard was fighting seriously.
He looked again at the brown haired man who somehow still grinned in his usual stupid grin. He also had bruises all over his body that slowly turned purple and blue, yet he didn't seem to mind. Hell, he rather seemed to enjoy it.
"No is a no. Don't make that stupid smirk. I'm not going to tell you anything."
"That's not fair! You just got a lucky blow! If we fight ag...mff!"
The shadows moved and wrapped Antonio's mouth. Surprised, he instinctively tried to tore the black wrapper with his hand which turned futile.
"Try to say 'I can fight' crap again now." Arthur said in a better mood. He stood with shaky legs and slammed his shoulder into the wall to fix his dislocated shoulder. He looked fiendishly at Antonio struggles to tore the shadow covered his mouth. "Why don't you use your power?" Arthur said after he got bored after watched some unsuccessful attempt.
The olive colored eyes glared in annoyance, stopped struggling and rolled his eye. He made some gesture with his hand as if tried to explain with the move and limited sound from his mouth. Decided the fun had gone, Arthur let the shadow dissolved. Antonio coughed when the sudden airstream flew through his throat and gave another annoyed look.
"It's shadow, you know." He said when at least his cough stopped.
"As a matter of fact, yes of course I know. It's my own power for God's sake."
Antonio rolled his eye and replied sourly. "And I'm not stupid either. I also understand my power." He said while rubbed a fresh bruise upon his cheek and tried to stand straight.
"Oh, you're not stupid. Surprise! Aren't you an ifrit? Just burn it up. Done."
"Can't we just talk nicely?" Antonio glared at the sneering blond. He took a chunk of metal plate. "See here?"
Arthur stepped closer, driven by curiosity. "What?" He looked at the piece of metal with almost apathetic expression. "you're going to melt it?"
"No.." He answered with a smile. The following second the metal combusted into ashes with a blast of light. With a confusion Arthur looked around the room, prepared a rant for an expected mess Antonio created. But aside from floating ashes and a brief blinding light and noise, not a single dust is shaken. "Metal is hard.." Antonio said with an apologizing smile.
"What the.." He mumbled in confusion, glared in disbelief to the brown haired man, looked annoyingly victorious. "What did you do.."
"Um.. Particle breakdown? As I said.. metal is hard.. So the outcome is.. Flashy?"
Flashy is a word that roughly represent what happened. A frown was formed on Arthur's forehead when he touched the metal, or at least what's left of it.
"Particle breakdown. Hah... meltdown? You mean.. Burn right into the atoms?"
"Hmm.. Simply.. No... Object like metal or minerals are hard to applied with.. It's more effective in living creature's cells though... It made cells burn and prevent it to fix the area surrounding the burn, even a normal equisitarian cannot heal it completely. Shadow have no cells or element.. So.."
"So it's also useless against wind user, gravitation, electricity and laser." Ignored the annoyed pout from the other, Arthur hastily cut the explanation.
"Why do I have the hunch that no matter what you're not going to let me fight?" He sourly said. The blond just shrugged and walked away to his desk.
"Well... Isn't that right? It have no defensive value, unless your intent is strike to kill, or at least harm others...it's quite useless."
"Still! It can be used right?"
No..Arthur tried to calm his mind.
Lethal, yes.. It's quite an unusual power. But.. Aside from killing.. Why would one have that kind of power anyway?
And that realization hit him hard.
He turned his head abruptly, the brown haired man still pouted with his usual innocent face.
That can't be...
Well, he know WHO needs that kind of power. Need it so bad until he stir the whole continent, woke the person capable to become his arch-enemy.
And that's how the key fell into his palm. The key to open the theatre where the ball is held.
...
"Blood and tears!" Alfred shouted as they reached the academy's main gate.
Their attempt to avoid anyone from seeing them or worse, recognize them had turned into a kind of unpleasant trip. They chose the slump route to blurred their tracks, decrease any kind of unwanted encounter. However, Albion's slump was proven harsh towards travellers that passed it and after some sucking pool, raccoon bite, bee stings, and whipping branches, they made out with fresh starch and mud all over their body. And to add it up, even radius 3 miles of the academy's gate, they already installed a no joke kind of security, probably avoid any breaking in to occur again.
"Eh.. You were crying?" Matthew asked innocently to receive a ridicule look from his brother. "Uh.. Nevermind."
"Do you ever heard something called... Metaphor?" He looked again at the academy's black tower, from afar it gave the impression of a raven colored spear, now saw it up close, it looked like an ogre with fangs all over it's body. "Now, what kind of sentence represents what we're going to do?"
Matthew followed his brother's trail of gaze and gulped his saliva at the same object of attention. The beautiful but cruel giantess still as menacing as it alluring.
"Walking into lion's den...?"
"Ha. Ha. Ha.." It was a mocking laugh came from his mouth. His blue eyes shone apathetically. "I can't find the better words, Mattie bro.. Even if the old man won't harm us.. We can't be sure another refugees at Leith won't.. This place is their habitat, anyone come from outside are threats."
"It's the last thing I'm worried about..." Matthew muttered unsurely. He glanced at the sturdy concrete wall and the steel bars stood in front of them. "We have to get in first anyway.."
Matthew stepped forward and touched the concrete wall. Not long after, the sturdy wall started to rippled and squirm. His hands that touched the surface started to sunk inside, as if the concrete turned into water like substance.
"We can get in now. Better hurry.. I can't keep it for long." He passed the gel like substance without any difficulties
One blink, one step forward.
They entered the Academy of Leith.
...
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"What if he refused by all means?"
"Ah that.."
"Eh?"
"If that happens..." For a second those blue were pleasant, the following second, it was cruel. "We can resort everything, right?"
...
"We have arrived." He glanced behind, held his smirk with all his might. " What's wrong? You didn't seem to be happy?"
The other man stepped down from the carriage with sour look. "Should I be happy?" There was an obvious sarcasm in his voice.
"I've volunteered to accompany you here. Yeah, you should."
Alfonso tidied his coat and looked at the gigantic structure in front of him with wary look.
"What's wrong? You changed your mind?" Pieter curled a mocking smile. "Just go back? But that's not so interesting don't you agree?"
"I-am-NOT-going-back!" Alfonso hissed. "if you only want to mock me.. I just can't understand why did you decide to even come here with ME?"
"I'm interested."
"In what?"
Pieter just shrugged and approached the sturdy gate.
"We don't have any time. Alfred is approaching this place to. If your story is true... Then hurry and settle it."
He glanced cautiously, clearly didn't trust the guy he was with. "What's with that sudden change?"
"Not really… I never changed. I love dramas and hates absurdities." He walked away with a smug on his face. "Go back to business…Hurry up."
"I know."