Chapter 29: Ruby & Cask: Part 3
"Everything changed that day, my way of thinking and living, etc... everything. From living just to survive to living for the victories on the battlefield. From sharing meals with my poor family next to the fire to battlefield full of blood and honor, walking next to Death himself. Since that day... the day I've met Stultus, it's been... a never-ending dream, even now. From that day, I've worship Stultus. As if... he was a founder of a new religion." Cask explain, which Ruby was quiet as she silently listing to her as she continue. "He kinda was... he let anyone to join his army. And fought countless battles, earning victory after victory against the grimm. And he was young for a leader. He wasn't even a rich person, he was just a average person like just us. A miracle, yes, to me... Stultus was a miracle. Eventually, I grew strong enough to be a soldier, at that time, the Steels were serving this business man. He was a well-known business man around the area. He was very rich. He gets whatever he wants. But there was a rumor about him... he had a sick obsession. He would pick up young boys from nearby villages and keep them with him. Only cute little boys; he imprison them in his castle. All the boys had... eyes emtpy of all feelings but fear. Back in the past, things like that are probably common, but today, they're not as I felt a cold chill in my spine. My own horrible and disgusting memory was bothering me. Because once, I almost became like those boys. But just then... he placed his hand on my shoulder as I stop shaking... it was amazing as I smile at him. Later on, after several battles against the grimm... he see a corpse on one of the battlefield... it was a boy who joined the Steels half a year ago to train. He was only about 10. No one cared to look at the corpse of a mercenary in training that died on the battlefield. But... Stultus found him. That was when Steve called; 'Stultus!' 'What is it?' I asked. 'A child toy.' Steve answer me. It was a dirty doll of a knight with one leg broken. 'A doll on the battlefield?' I said as I was confused before put the doll on the corpse before he spoke; 'He must've have like knight alot... I remember him well... he always look at me as if... I were a hero of a story.' That was when he ask himself some questions that nobody can answer; 'Now... he's probably happy. Is he living his dreams in death? Or is death the end of dreams? Is it the failure of hope? The thing that killed this child could have been my dream.' I was unable to say a word as I'v couldn't answer those questions as I didn't know as well. I has never seen Stultus like that before. Stultus in a state of sorrow. But that's when I started to see changes in Stultus. Several days later... I returned to the castle at night. That where I saw Stultus on a balcony before I called him; 'Stul-' But then... I saw the business man appear behind and lead him inside before I saw him looking at me before he want in. I was shocked of what I saw."
Ruby was shocked of what she heard and learn. "You've gonna be kidding me! Someone with such pride... would do such...?"
Cask was silent before she continue to explaining to Ruby. "The next morning... I was walking along a river as I couldn't sleep last night due to what I saw. That was when I Stultus washing and bathing himself in the river. I was nervious of asking him, so I turn around to walk away, but that was when Stultus notice me before he spoke; 'Wanna bath with me, Cask? The water is nice and cool. It is too dirty?' 'NO!' I answered him before I gotten nevious before I asked him; 'Why... why are you with that business man?' He was silent before I spoke to him; 'I... I probably misunderstand last night, you were making plan... so-' 'No' he interrupted me; 'You didn't misunderstand.' I was shocked of what I just heard before I ask him; 'Why Stultus... why are you with someone like him?!' 'Simple, money.' He said, which made me confuse, before he explain it to me; 'An army need money, you know? Soldier's pays, motorcycles repairs, clothing, etc... those aren't free. Especially when the Band of Steels is growing, that's why our army has to have money. That old man was interest in me, but I'm interest in his money, it was a 'quid pro quo.' 'But still... doing that... can't we do what we've been doing? Winning battles? One day, we'll have a enough money.' I said. But then; 'It would too long... beside... each battle we fight against the grimms means the loss of many soldiers.' Then I remember the boy from the last battle before I ask him that; 'Stultus, is it because of that kid?' 'No...' he answered my question as he spoke; 'I did the math... fight the battle or sleep with an old man that is basically a rich pedophilla once... which is more risky? Cask, I... I don't feel responsible when soldiers die following my orders.' That was when he dig his nails into the flesh of both his right and left arms, despite my plea for him to stop it, as he spoke into his madness; 'Because my soldiers chose to fight those battle. That's how I see it. But for them, for those who die, if I could do anything for them, it would be victory. I will continue winning for them even if it means that I'll sacrifce myself for my dreams. The realization of my own dreams... depend on the corpse on my soldiers. It's a dream soaked in blood and yet I feel no sadness or guilt. But... but... what I desire... so hard to reach. Even if I were to trade of the lives of thousand of soldiers... yet perverve my own life.' That was when I got into the water of the river and stop him as I told him; 'Enough... that's enough...' Stultus then around and put his hands on my hands before putting it on my shoulders as he spoke to me; 'It's nothing.' The Stultus that place his on my shoulders to calm down is the same Stultus... it was then that I pitied him... Stultus carried a huge weight on his shoulders in order to fulfill his dream. It's the foolish dream of a boy's willing to sacrifice his past."
Ruby was silent as she continue to listen while looking out of the cave. "But his dream is so pure and grand, we couldn't possibly fathom his burden. To call him a strong-willed person wouldn't be enough because a person with such a great plan must have something others don't. It's not just a strong will, Stultus has a strong will and the strength to see his will done. I want to be by his side. If he's willing to sacrifice anything for his dream, if his dreams means more battles, then I will become his sword."
A/N: Well, I did say that this will have a lot of wall texts like the last previous chapter, but at least there some line breaks, right? Right? Yeah, right. So i'm gonna do the next chapter of TGATW, which is chapter XXIV, and trust me, it will be short, unlike the last previous chapter because there many scene in chapter 23 of FMA, but they're unnecessary really.
