Memories
By Dixxy
Chapter Eight: Alarming Discovery
Dario darted through the halls, looking left and right for his little brother. He could hear Glenn's wails of terror. His heart raced and he felt his palms begin to sweat. Glenn! Hold on! I'm coming, baby brother! I swear I'll save you on our mother's grave! I'm not leaving here without you! I'm not going to leave you here! Just hang on just a little bit longer!
He darted to side as two men walked by, one of whom he recognized as he younger brother's kidnapper. Dario looked the man over, mentally trying to remember him. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. You. . . One day I swear I'm going to make you pay, you sick bastard. You hurt my little brother and I will have my revenge on you. Once the men had passed, Dario continued on. If he'd seen Curtis, Glenn must be close by!
The sobs of his younger brother soon became louder and Dario knew he was getting closer. Dario felt the walls, trying to determine where Glenn was being kept by any means he could think of. Please, Glenn, don't be crying because you're hurt- just be scared. Scared is okay- scared will mean a year or so of nightmares. If you're hurt- I can't stand to think of what the consequences will be then!
Soon enough, Dario found an open door and Glenn's sobs were louder than ever. He looked in to see that, sure enough, his little brother was inside. He'd been tied down to a table of some sort with a bright light shinning on him. But from the volume of his wails Dario knew he was alive and a wave of relief swept over him. He was going to be all right. "Glenn! Glenn!" Dario called rushing into the room.
The younger boy heard his brother and began to squirm on the table, struggling to break free from his binds. He grunted and groaned, using what little strength he had left to break free. His brother was here to save him! "Dario! Dario! Help me!" Glenn cried. "I'm scared!"
"Shh, calm. . . oh no," said Dario, slowly to a halt. Now that he was closer, he could see the x-shaped wound on his brother's face, which was starting to pale from lack of blood. "Oh, Glenn." The younger brother sniffled, starting to cry again. Dario gently touched the injured cheek making sure to keep his fingers off the painful looking wound. A feeling of failure washed over Dario. Glenn had been hurt. If I had gotten here sooner, maybe you wouldn't be injured. Dad's gonna freak out! Dario bit his bottom lip. He wouldn't have cared to see his father ground the two of them for a months for disappearing on him like that, but he couldn't stand the thought of what his father's reaction to the wound would be. Anger he could take. Screams he could take. But he knew his father and how much he cared for him and Glenn- the great Garai would break if he saw his youngest like that.
"Dario! Glenn!"
Dario barely acknowledged Karsh's voice. He wordlessly began to un-strap Glenn, letting the hysterical child leap into his arms. The five year old pressed the injured cheek to his brother's chest, trying to make the pain go away as yet another wave of tears overpowered him. Dario gently rubbed Glenn's back, resting his head against his head against his brother's head, hushing him gently as he tried to calm him down.
"Is he all right?" asked Norris.
"No," Dario said quietly, feeling tears beginning to form in his own eyes. "They hurt him!" He looked at Norris and Karsh, both of whom looked surprised at his outburst. Norris looked at Glenn, seeming to mentally confirm that yes, there was a child involved and he'd done the right thing by offering to help rescue him.
"They hurt 'im?" asked Karsh. "What did they do to 'im?"
Glenn's bottom lip trembled. He moved his head away from his brother's chest. Karsh's eyes saw the blood and he nearly turned green from the sight of it. Norris has a stunned look on his face, swallowing in disbelief. Dario's eyes were filled with sadness and pain, almost as if he, too, could feel Glenn's pain.
Norris bit his bottom lip. "Let's get out of here. Now."
No one argued as they wordlessly left the room, Glenn wiping some of his tears away with the back of his sleeve. He felt weak, and his face hurt, but everything was going to be all right. He was with Dario and Karsh and. . . that other kid that was with him. Dario kept an arm around Glenn as they made their way towards the exit.
The boys snuck in Norris' room, all sprawled out around the plainly decorated area. The Porre boy had locked his room and told his guests to be quiet. "If my mother finds out I'm having a sleep-over without permission- while I'm grounded, none the less- I'll be dead," he said. Dario was sitting in the corner, Glenn asleep in his lap with his head on his shoulder, the wounded side facing the world. The boys had managed to stop the bleeding with a rag Norris had provided, but it was still very red and showed the flesh underneath the tender skin. Karsh was by the window, looking out at the building they had just left.
Norris was sitting on his bed, his eyes never leaving Glenn. That giant red "x" was bothering him. Before the younger child had gone to sleep, they'd managed to gather that indeed it was Commander Curtis who had given him the injury and threatened to do "worse". None of them wanted to discuss what "worse" meant- for it to be worse than what had already been done was something that they hadn't wanted to think about.
"They're asleep," Karsh whispered.
Norris nodded. Apon closer inspection, he saw Dario had drifted to sleep as well.
"Ye wouldn't know it half the time, but he really cares about Glenn," said Karsh. "Ahm an only child, so ah dunt understand it and unless me parents have another bebe, I won't know. But sometimes, if the little one fell down and hurt 'is knee and Dario is helping 'im up, ah wonder what it would be like."
"I, too, am an only child," said Norris. He sighed. The Porre youth bit his lip as he continued to stare at the wound. That huge x-mark. . . such an ugly mark on such a young face. The deepness of the wound, and how it had been pulled at. Norris knew what the end result would be. "That wound is going to leave a scar."
"No it won't!" Karsh snapped. "It'll heal and he'll be fine!"
"Yes, it will heal but it will leave a scar," said Norris. "It's deep. Very deep. The skin was pulled apart and even now a scar is beginning to set in. Karsh, that mark is never going to go away- ten years from now it'll still be there. Twenty years, thirty years- it's there for the rest of his life, Karsh."
"Why are ye saying that?" asked Karsh, looking somewhat upset.
"Look at him," said Norris. "Just because his father works for an army that my people are going to go to way with, they hurt him! He's just a child! He's done no harm! Well, not yet, but he's just a kid!" He calmed himself, knowing that if his mother woke he'd have it given to him for sure. "Karsh, my father did this to him. My own father. How would you feel if you learned your father did that to a little boy from Porre? Tricked him, kidnapped him, and tortured him like that?"
Karsh bit his lip. He hadn't seen it that way. Looks like Norris is going to have some scars to deal with as well. His father is a cold hearted bastard and he has to deal with THAT for the rest of his life- people can look past a scar and after a few years Glenn may even stop noticing it and just accept it, but poor Norris . . .. "Ah think ah understand."
"No, you don't," said Norris.
"Well, ah think ah see what ye mean, though yet probably right- ah probably dunt understand it at all and ah can only imagine what you and the little one are going through right now. When he realizes that scar will ne'er go away, he'll be devastated. Ye must be going through a world of emotional turmoil, Norris," said Karsh, scratching his head. "Sort of."
"I'll give you that one," said Norris. He sighed. "You know, like it or not, I'll probably be in the Porre military. If you don't enlist, you'll probably be drafted if you pass the physical examination. Very few escape it. And your dads are Devas- you'll all grow up to be Dragoons, I know it." He looked down. "One day we'll be enemies. And I don't want that."
"Hmm?" asked Karsh.
Norris let a small smile cross his face. "You guys are nice, and Glenn seems like a real good kid. If it weren't for the stupid war, we might even be able to be friends. But no. That can't ever happen." Norris sighed heavily. "As long as the Porre military keeps doing this, we're all doomed."
"Why dunt ye change that?" asked Karsh.
"Hmm?" asked Norris.
"Make yer way through the ranks and try ta halt the war," said Karsh. "It'll save lives."
"Save lives," Norris said slowly. He shook his head. "Unless I get into some really high rank, that won't happen," he said. "I'll probably be a mindless foot soldier." He felt tears coming on. "It never scared me before now, Karsh. I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to hurt innocent people. I, I'm afraid I'll become. . . him."
At first Karsh wasn't sure what he meant, but once he realized what Norris meant, he shook his head vigorously. "No ye won't!" he said. "Ye showed us that ye have morals, Norris. If ye ever find yerself evening leaning towards that path, just remember Glenn. Ye heard his screams and ye have seen what they've done to him." Karsh looked back out the window. "Thanks ta yer dad he as less innocence than Dario and ah do, and we've gotten into a lot of trouble in our time. He knows the spoils of war now. Even Dario and ah know a bit, but he's living it."
"I know," said Norris. He looked at Karsh. "I'd suggest you get some sleep. We're be out of here shortly before dawn. I'll get you as far as Zenan Bridge, but I can't go any farther than that or else I'll be in trouble with the bastard." Karsh's face paled. He'd just called his own father a bastard?
"Ye called yer father-"
"That man isn't my father," Norris said simply as he crawled into his bed. "I have no father."
Daylight began to break over the Zenan Mainland, waking many of it's people, whether they be in Porre or Guardia. Some had been long awake, baking breads and preparing morning deliveries that would fulfill their livelihoods while others were just up to witness the big orange ball climb high into the sky.
Four young boys were nearly on the outskirts of Porre. Norris was in the lead, the figures all hidden under cloaks to hide their identities as they made their escape. Dario kept close to his brother, almost constantly reminding the younger boy that they were almost home free. Karsh was running on Glenn's other side in an attempt to make the boy feel safer.
"There!" Norris announced. The group stopped, seeing the outskirts of the city just ahead of them. He laughed brightly. "You guys are almost home free!" He turned to Glenn and knelt down to his level. "Don't worry, you'll be home soon. You'll be back with your dear old dad and out of this hell hole."
"What about you, Norris? Aren't you coming, too?" asked Glenn.
Norris shook his head. "No," he said. "My place is here."
"But that man Curtis is here!" said Glenn, looking concerned. "He's bad!"
"Uh, Glenn, I don't know how to tell you this but-" Dario started.
"But what, Dario? I don't know any Curtis," said Norris coldly.
Karsh gave Dario a knowing look. Dario shut his mouth, catching the drift. Glenn would be happier now knowing who Norris was in relation to his kidnapper. They weren't sure how the boy would handle such information, and they didn't want to risk a negative reaction- he was traumatized enough as he was.
With that done, the boys began to run for the exit. Once they were out of Porre, they were much, much safer. This city would do them no good- it had done Glenn no good and Norris knew that something worse would happen to Karsh and Dario is they were captured. Perhaps the three of them would die. Even I might die.
Just as they reached the city limit, they heard the clicking sound of a cocked gun. All four boys jolted to a stop, nearly crashing into each other. Norris turned his head to see his father pointing a gun at the boys. "I don't know who three of you are, but I know that little Glenn is with you."
Dario growled, turned to Curtis, and lowered his hood. "You're a bastard, you know that? What did Glenn ever do to you?" asked the elder brother. "He's only five years old. He's done you no harm. He has NOTHING to do with any sort of a war effort and you know it, yet you tricked him off the boat and you hurt him!" Dario pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're hardly a man! You're a shallow, cowardly weakling!"
Curtis chuckled. "You must be Dario, Glenn's older brother. I'm surprised you went after him- you, too, are a young boy. Too big to try and infiltrate a military power like Porre on your own with your two little friends. Too bad, because now we'll be going back to the complex where I can promise the three of you that you'll be punished."
"Ye can kiss me ass before ye do that!" said Karsh, lowering his hood as well. He placed his hand on his hip and eyed the man before him. "Dario is right- yer a bastard, all right!" He clenched his fists closed. "Just so ye know, the Dragoons didn't come here to make plans fer a war- we came here to try and stop a war from starting."
"He's right- if you go through with this war then thousands of innocent people will die," said Dario.
"I don't care about them- we will find the Frozen Flame and rule this world," said Curtis. "None of you have any idea what the Frozen Flame can do, do you? It's the most sacred treasure in the entire world and we, the people of Porre, will have it whether you brats like it or not!"
Norris bit his lip. He didn't want to lower his hood like his two friends had- he'd be tried for treason- his father damn well knew who he was. Karsh and Dario weren't from Porre and couldn't be tried like he'd be tried. What was he going to do? Norris inched his way behind Glenn, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. He had to do something to save his friends!
"Yer a bastard and you know it!" said Karsh.
Norris got an idea. While Dario and Karsh kept his father busy, he could at least get Glenn out of Porre and maybe even as far as Guardia Castle. But could he sacrifice Dario and Karsh to do it? He looked at Dario, who gave him a look. "Get Glenn out of here- we'll be fine," he hushed in a low whisper while Karsh continued to trash out Curtis. He then turned to the Porre commander. "You're a yellow-bellied son of a bitch who's going to rot in hell!" Glenn's eyes widened- last time Dario had used even ONE of those words his dad had stuck a bar of soap in his mouth. He was REALLY angry!
While Dario and Karsh kept Curtis' attention off of Glenn and his son, Norris took the little boy's hand and started to run. He looked behind him, seeing his father still hadn't noticed their departure. Glenn whimpered in slight protest, reaching out for his brother. "Relax, Glenn, they said they'd be fine," said Norris. "Dario wanted me to get you out of here!"
"But what about Dario?" asked Glenn.
"Have a little faith in him," said Norris. They were now running through a grassy field, making a break for Fiona's Forest. Once they were in the thicket, then they'd be able to hide long enough for Dario and Karsh to get out. Norris could see the woods ahead of him and began to run faster, still dragging Glenn along with him.
"Yer a smelly bastard!"
"Would you two just shut up?" said Curtis. "Just admit it- I won and you lost."
Dario looked behind him, and grinned. "Then where's Glenn?"
Curtis paled. "THAT LITTLE BRAT GOT AWAY?"
"Had ye not spent so much time arguing with us ye might still have 'im," said Karsh.
The Porre commander sneered, raising his gun again. "You two die now."
The two boys paled and screamed. He was going to shoot them! They were going to die! Dario closed his eyes, waiting for the worst. Well. . . at least Glenn got away. . . I saved him. . . he and Norris are probably far enough from here by now that they'll be okay. At least, I hope so.
Karsh stared at the gun. He needed an idea fast or else he and Dario were either going to get their brains blown out or Curtis would ensure the two of them meet some other death. He gulped. He had to think or else. . . he could ever chase after Glenn if he wasn't careful!
Karsh moved his hand to his pocket, trying to find anything that might be useful. He discreetly put his hand into the pocket, something clicking in his brain as he felt something. He tried to determine what it was, and mentally smiled to himself as he realized what it was. His mother would kill him if she found out he had one, but it might just save his and Dario's life.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked Curtis, eyeing Karsh suspiciously.
Karsh grinned as he took a brief pose, his body surrounded by a green aura. Curtis blinked, not sure what was going. Karsh then shot his hand forward. The commander felt the ground beneath him shake slightly. Before he could react, he was suddenly trapped in a thorny bush that had suddenly shot up from the ground. In surprise, he dropped his gun.
"That. . . was a BushBasher," said Karsh. He turned to Dario, who looked slightly irritated as he looked for an explanation. "What? Ah borrowed it from Radius." Dario's look didn't falter. "Okay, okay, so 'e doesn't know ah borrowed it, ah admit it, all right? Happy? Let's go before he gets out of there and takes revenge."
Dario nodded and the two ran off. Karsh was pleased with himself for his escape route- he wasn't really sure it would work, but somehow he'd been able to stop the bush from sinking back into the earth and stay up, trapping their adversary. Sure when the adults found out he'd be a dead man, but at least they were all right until his parents got word of it.
Curtis was swearing at them from his trapped position. "You little brats haven't won yet! I'll find you all and kill you one by one! You don't believe me? I promise you that your lives will end! You won't get away with this upset! I am a Commander in the Porre Military! You hear me? I WILL FIND YOU!"
Neither of the boys stopped to look back.