This is a *really* short story, but I hope you like it. WARNING: This contains spoilers for Suikoden 1, so if you haven't gotten through the game, I don't recommend reading it until you have. Please review - thanks!
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Terry McDohl snuggled down into the covers, smiling slightly at the babying of his manservant, Gremio. He was a young man now, leader of the Liberation Army, but Gremio still insisted on looking after him, and tucking him in at night as though he were a little boy. In truth, Terry hardly minded; there was something comforting about knowing that Gremio would always watch over him, no matter how old he became.
The army had just taken the Garan Bridge, and would be freeing Liukan the pharmicist from Soniere Prison tomorrow, but now he didn't need to worry with Gremio there.
"There you go, Young Master," Gremio said, tucking the blankets around Terry. "Good night."
Terry yawned and smiled sleepily in return up at his protector. "Thanks, Gremio," he answered softly, closing his eyes. "Good night."
Gremio bent down and gently kissed him on the forehead. "Sweet dreams."
Terry relaxed, all the worries trickling away from him as slumber wrapped him up in its silent embrace. From far away he heard Gremio's soft footsteps leave the room, and he fell asleep with a smile tracing his lips.
~*~
He and his friends were trapped in a tiny room, with no escape. Something was crawling toward them, something evil that he could not see. Stumbling back, Terry realized they were lost.
But then Gremio was shoving him out, followed by Flik, Viktor, Cleo, and Pahn. "Wait - Gremio, what are you doing?" Terry demanded, whirling around. He caught a last glimpse of Gremio's golden tresses before the door slammed shut again, locking Gremio inside.
Then the horror hit him as he realized that Gremio had locked himself in to save him and his friends. "Gremio!" he screamed, beating on the door with both fists, "Open this door! Gremio!" He slid down the wall helplessly, tears slipping off his cheeks, sobbing. "Gremio ... "
"Young Master! Young Master, what ... ?" Gremio's concerned voice, combined with him shaking Terry's shoulders, broke apart the mist of nightmares. Terry came awake with a start, chocolate eyes staring wildly up into Gremio's emerald ones, shadowy in the darkness. It was the middle of the night. "Young Master, what is it? You were calling for me."
Terry stared up at Gremio, trembling, but the nightmare was fading away quickly. He blinked dumbly as Gremio smoothed back his raven colored hair, eyes full of concern.
"Oh, Gremio!" Terry gasped suddenly, sitting up and hugging his manservant tightly. "I had a dream - a nightmare - "
Gremio stroked his hair like he was Terry's mother. "Never mind, Young Master," he murmured soothingly, "It was just a dream. It's over now."
Terry strained to remember the nightmare, but it was like sand slipping through his fingers - it was impossible to recall the details. Letting out a shuddery breath, he closed his eyes and relaxed, leaning against Gremio's chest. "Thanks, Gremio," he murmured. "I'm all right."
His manservant released him and he lay back. Gremio knelt by his bed, eyes anxious. "Are you sure? Would you like a glass of water, Young Master?"
"No, I'm okay. Really." He glanced at Gremio, feeling a strange sense of foreboding. "You know - " The words tumbled out before he had considered what he was saying. "Maybe Viktor was right. Maybe you shouldn't come to Soniere with us."
Gremio blinked, a bit hurt by this statement. "Young Master! Of course I'm going with you. I must be by your side to protect you."
Terry smiled, the feeling having passed. "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry," he apologized.
"It's all right," Gremio answered, smiling sadly, Terry thought. "Go back to sleep, Young Master. See you in the morning."
~*~
Gremio looked down on Terry as he slept. Sighing softly, Gremio murmured, "Young Master ... I, Gremio, have taken care you since you were tiny. Sometimes I feel as if you were my little brother ... no, my son, even. Initially I wanted to repay my debt to Master Teo, but now ... perhaps you no longer need me to protect you."
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Gremio was always my favorite character, and I always thought it was cute how he was determined to take care of McDohl, no matter what. I had the urge to write this little story after I found out Gremio died in Soniere. I wished that McDohl would've had some forewarning of Gremio's death, so I wrote this. Let me know what you think, okay? Thanks! ^_^
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Terry McDohl snuggled down into the covers, smiling slightly at the babying of his manservant, Gremio. He was a young man now, leader of the Liberation Army, but Gremio still insisted on looking after him, and tucking him in at night as though he were a little boy. In truth, Terry hardly minded; there was something comforting about knowing that Gremio would always watch over him, no matter how old he became.
The army had just taken the Garan Bridge, and would be freeing Liukan the pharmicist from Soniere Prison tomorrow, but now he didn't need to worry with Gremio there.
"There you go, Young Master," Gremio said, tucking the blankets around Terry. "Good night."
Terry yawned and smiled sleepily in return up at his protector. "Thanks, Gremio," he answered softly, closing his eyes. "Good night."
Gremio bent down and gently kissed him on the forehead. "Sweet dreams."
Terry relaxed, all the worries trickling away from him as slumber wrapped him up in its silent embrace. From far away he heard Gremio's soft footsteps leave the room, and he fell asleep with a smile tracing his lips.
~*~
He and his friends were trapped in a tiny room, with no escape. Something was crawling toward them, something evil that he could not see. Stumbling back, Terry realized they were lost.
But then Gremio was shoving him out, followed by Flik, Viktor, Cleo, and Pahn. "Wait - Gremio, what are you doing?" Terry demanded, whirling around. He caught a last glimpse of Gremio's golden tresses before the door slammed shut again, locking Gremio inside.
Then the horror hit him as he realized that Gremio had locked himself in to save him and his friends. "Gremio!" he screamed, beating on the door with both fists, "Open this door! Gremio!" He slid down the wall helplessly, tears slipping off his cheeks, sobbing. "Gremio ... "
"Young Master! Young Master, what ... ?" Gremio's concerned voice, combined with him shaking Terry's shoulders, broke apart the mist of nightmares. Terry came awake with a start, chocolate eyes staring wildly up into Gremio's emerald ones, shadowy in the darkness. It was the middle of the night. "Young Master, what is it? You were calling for me."
Terry stared up at Gremio, trembling, but the nightmare was fading away quickly. He blinked dumbly as Gremio smoothed back his raven colored hair, eyes full of concern.
"Oh, Gremio!" Terry gasped suddenly, sitting up and hugging his manservant tightly. "I had a dream - a nightmare - "
Gremio stroked his hair like he was Terry's mother. "Never mind, Young Master," he murmured soothingly, "It was just a dream. It's over now."
Terry strained to remember the nightmare, but it was like sand slipping through his fingers - it was impossible to recall the details. Letting out a shuddery breath, he closed his eyes and relaxed, leaning against Gremio's chest. "Thanks, Gremio," he murmured. "I'm all right."
His manservant released him and he lay back. Gremio knelt by his bed, eyes anxious. "Are you sure? Would you like a glass of water, Young Master?"
"No, I'm okay. Really." He glanced at Gremio, feeling a strange sense of foreboding. "You know - " The words tumbled out before he had considered what he was saying. "Maybe Viktor was right. Maybe you shouldn't come to Soniere with us."
Gremio blinked, a bit hurt by this statement. "Young Master! Of course I'm going with you. I must be by your side to protect you."
Terry smiled, the feeling having passed. "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry," he apologized.
"It's all right," Gremio answered, smiling sadly, Terry thought. "Go back to sleep, Young Master. See you in the morning."
~*~
Gremio looked down on Terry as he slept. Sighing softly, Gremio murmured, "Young Master ... I, Gremio, have taken care you since you were tiny. Sometimes I feel as if you were my little brother ... no, my son, even. Initially I wanted to repay my debt to Master Teo, but now ... perhaps you no longer need me to protect you."
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Gremio was always my favorite character, and I always thought it was cute how he was determined to take care of McDohl, no matter what. I had the urge to write this little story after I found out Gremio died in Soniere. I wished that McDohl would've had some forewarning of Gremio's death, so I wrote this. Let me know what you think, okay? Thanks! ^_^