NOTES: Alright!!!! Another part to this crazy fic!!!! Ummm...lets
see...there is death, foreign language spoken, Duo cursing, and the
beginning of the action! So get your armor and swords ready, for the battle
is about to start! (I know I ought to be sued for writing something so
lame!) Enjoy!
KINGDOMS' MASKS
PART III
Duo Maxwell lifted his head groggily from the shaky wooden table to the
sounds of someone groaning.
After he had gotten both the boy and the giant to his little cottage, he had
immediately tried to treat their wounds. Duo had learned a lot of the art
of treating wounds from his years in the church, but nothing he had learned
could have saved the giant's life. The giant foreigner had died without
ever waking up. Duo had covered him with an old unused blanket and then
went to treat the boy. He had lost a lot of blood due to the nasty cut on
his head, which Duo recognized as a knife cut, but other than that he was
fine.
After cleaning the boy, and changing his bloodstained and torn foreign
clothes, Duo had crawled to the table and had fallen asleep in exhaustion.
Now it seemed the blond foreign boy was waking up.
Duo jumped away from the table and went to his bed where the boy lay. The
boy was moaning softly, his features set in a frown, and his head shaking
slightly as the boy fought unconsciousness. Duo touched the boy's forehead,
and noticed that he was a little warm, though it was not surprising. Duo
leaned over closer, and gave the boy a gentle shake. "Hey...wake up. You
can do it...just open your eyes."
Duo broke into a relieved smile as the boy slowly opened his eyes,
responding to his voice.
Deep teal eyes met violet eyes for a few seconds. Suddenly, the boy's eyes
went wide in panic and fear, and he sat straight up, only to cry out in pain
and dizziness.
Duo caught him as he nearly fell off the bed. "Hey," said Duo. "Take it
easy. You got hurt pretty bad." When the panic did not leave those large
expressive eyes, Duo continued soothingly, "Calm down, your safe here. I'm
not going to hurt you."
The boy stared at him, blinking slightly, but seeming to calm down. He
gently pushed away from Duo, and sat up on his own, though he was deathly
pale, and looked like he was still in extreme pain. The boy then looked
past Duo, falling onto the covered body of the dead foreign giant. The boy
stared.... and stared.... and stared...
Finally the boy let out a strangled cry, and with surprising strength, he
pushed Duo away form him, stumbling off the bed, and collapsing onto the
body, yanking the blanket away to reveal the dead man's stiff face.
Duo stood from where he had been shoved and stared sadly as the boy shook
the dead giant, babbling in a language that Duo had never heard before:
"Rahid! Rashid! Goom ya Rashid! Goom!" (1)
When the shaking did nothing, the boy stared beating at the man's large
chest, then rubbing the cold hands, sobbing, "La tamoot, ya Rashid! Arjook,
la tamoot! LA TAMOOT!!!!" (2)
At that final shriek Duo dragged the boy to the bed and shook him, "Hey!
Snap out of it! Come on, calm down. Do you understand what I am saying?"
The boy turned sorrowful teal eyes to him and said in perfect common, "I am
alone. They are all dead! They were all killed!" The boy buried his head
into his eyes and wept, "I am lost! What do I do?"
Duo looked away, for the boy's raw sorrow was effecting him more than he
liked. He was followed by death all the time! It shouldn't bother him so
much! "Umm...was he your...father?"
The boy shook his head, taking large gulps of air as he tried to calm
himself. "N...no. He was...m...my escort....my guard....all...all of
them." The boy looked up, blinking away the tears that still threatened to
spill. "And they are all dead. Killed protecting me." The final word was
spat out bitterly, as if it was a bad taste in his mouth.
Duo looked at him, wondering whom this boy was, who spoke in perfect common
yet also spoke in a strange foreign language, who wore fine foreign silk
clothes, and was escorted by foreign guards. Duo was curious...but Duo was
too polite to ask too much.
The boy then turned and looked straight at him, and said in a strong voice,
that now had ceased to shake in grief. "Forgive me. I haven't thanked you
for saving my life...or trying to save Rashid's life."
Duo shrugged.
The boy asked, "My other companions...their bodies...I saw them fall before
I was struck..."
"I buried them." said Duo immediately. "In the forest."
The boy nodded, winced, and touched his bandaged head. He then smiled
weakly at Duo. "I am the Amhir Quatre Raberba Winner."
Duo blinked. "That's a long name. So your name is Amhir?"
It was the boy's turn to blink. He then laughed, the first happy sound
coming out of him since he had woken up. "No...no...my name is Quatre."
Duo smiled. "Then what is Amhir?"
The boy smiled, his eyes twinkling. "It doesn't matter. Just call me
Quatre."
Duo reached and shook the boy's hand, who laughed. "Names Duo, Duo Maxwell.
I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie!"
"That's an excellent virtue, Duo (3)." Said Quatre. Then he frowned and
said seriously. "You are in danger."
Duo stiffened and stared hard at the boy. "What do you mean?" It was not
every day that you saved a person only to have them tell you that you were
in danger.
"The ones who killed my companion...they are after me. They will track me
down to your home, and they will kill you if they find you here with me."
The boy paused and looked away, his face a mask of guilt and distress.
"They will still kill you if they found that you have seen me and saved me."
Duo did not hesitate to grab Quatre by the shoulders and yank him around so
that they stared eye to eye. "Are they going to kill you?"
Quatre frowned and shook his head. "No...they don't want to kill me...they
want to capture me and will kill all that I come across."
Duo demanded, "Why?"
Quatre closed his eyes. "I...I'm not sure. It could be for many
reasons...ransom...it could be because they do not want me to reach the
King, or..."
"Hold it." Snapped Duo. "What do you mean by, 'the King'? What king?"
Quatre opened his eyes and looked at him. "King Miliardo. I was being
escorted to the city of Sank to meet with his majesty, King Miliardo."
Duo pulled back. "The King?! What the hell are you going to meet the King
for?!"
Quatre frowned, and shook his head. "I am not in liberty to discuss that
with you. I am sorry."
"Crap!" Swore Duo standing up and pacing. "Ok...let me get this straight.
You come from wherever you came from..."
"Arabia." Said Quatre softly. "I am form the Kingdom of Arabia."
Duo glared at the small blond, but continued, "You come from the Arabian
Kingdom to meet with the King, and are attacked, your escorts killed, and
you don't know why?"
"There are many reasons...and non are good."
"No kidding!" Duo had relaxed slightly, leaning against the shaky table.
"You said that those who saw you were killed?"
Quatre nodded. "Our guide, you was sent by his Majesty was the first to be
killed. We met some civilians on the road, and when we started back because
we got lost we found their murdered bodies."
Duo swore, and Quatre blushed.
Duo sighed, and went to Quatre and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look. I
am pretty hard to kill. I ain't going to let nobody touch me without them
loosing a couple of fingers or maybe a hand..."Duo thought for a moment, "Or
maybe a head too!"
Quatre looked at him in surprise, his eyes going to his priest collar. "But
I thought..."
Duo grinned dangerously, "Never assume with Duo Maxwell."
Quatre stared at him, and nodded. "Then you will stay here."
Duo barked a mirthless laugh. "Are you crazy?! I am not suicidal! No,
kid, I am going with you."
"Me?!"
Duo leaned forward and grinned devilishly, "You got it buddy boy! I saved
your life, and it'll be over my dead body that someone messes with that life
I just saved!"
Quatre's eyes went wide. "Duo! You will help me reach Sank?"
Duo nodded. "I will. I know how to get there, though I've never been
inside the walls of Sank before. I'm not about to let you out alone,
injured, and lost."
Quatre's features darkened slightly. "I can defend myself."
Duo laughed. "You ain't joking! I got you strange swords over there next
to the fire place."
Quatre gasped, and Duo helped the boy up and toward the fireplace. There
were two odd blades, curved almost like a scythe, but more, and with short
one-hand handle (4). Quatre reached and hefted one easily in his hand. Duo
could tell immediately that the boy was quite familiar with those blades.
Duo left the boy to stare at his weapons as he went to the bed and pulled
out from under it a scythe.
"Is that your weapon?" Inquired Quatre.
Duo grinned and said, "Yup. Meet Deathscythe, one of my oldest friends.
He's saved my life more times than I can count. I guess he'll be helping me
out of this mess."
Quatre looked away, "I'm sorry. Its my fault...its all my fault..."
"Quiet." Said Duo gently. "It isn't your fault that some bastard has it in
for you. You're not alone."
Quatre looked at him, on the verge of tears. "Thank...you...Duo."
Duo went about packing some food, and getting his stash of saved money, all
the time speaking: "We'll bury your friend, then I'll send my messenger
pigeon (5) to my friend, Hilde, to warn her to stay away from here and that
I'm heading for Sank. Then we'll get going. I wanna be as far away as
possible when those killers that murdered your companions find this place."
Quatre nodded, glancing sorrowfully at the body of the giant guard.
When Duo finished packing, both boys dragged the body outside and started
digging. Duo threatened Quatre a painful death if he didn't sit still and
regain his strength. Quatre reluctantly complied and sat watching with a
pale face as Duo buried the large man. Once done, Quatre came to stand over
the mound and started speaking in his language.
"Hey...what are you doing?" Asked Duo as he started writing a quick note
with a piece of charcoal, his messenger pigeon in a small cage next to him.
When Quatre did not respond, continuing to speak in the language of his home
country, Duo quickly finished the message, tied it to the foot of the
pigeon's foot, and let her fly free. Then for ten minutes, Duo watched
Quatre speak, not understanding what the boy was saying, but knowing that he
was praying (6).
Once done, Quatre stepped back and sighed, turning to Duo with sad, grieving
eyes. "Non of them were buried properly (7)."
Duo sighed sadly, and let the boy lean on him a little. "Don't worry. King
Miliardo is a good enough guy...he'll be able to help you."
Quatre looked at him. "I wonder, Duo. Am I leading whoever is after me to
his Majesty? Am I putting your King at risk?"
Duo did not answer...could not answer....had no answer. All he could think
at that moment was that he really...really regretted taking the short cut.
TO BE CONTINUED...0.0
1) Rahid! Rashid! Goom ya Rashid! Goom!: Rashid! Rashid! Get up
Rashid!
Get up! (I got a lot of Arab Muslim friends!)
2) La tamoot, ya Rashid! Arjook, la tamoot! LA TAMOOT!!!!: Don't die,
Rashid! Please, don't die! DON'T DIE!!!!
3) That's an excellent virtue, Duo: In Islam (yes, I made Quatre a Muslim
::glares in defiance::) Lying is considered as a very bad sin. There is
even a saying that say that those who lie then they are not one of them, and
'them' meaning Muslims (as I said, got a lot of Arab Muslim friends!).
4) There were two odd blades, curved almost like a scythe, but more, and
with short one-hand handle: I know the description sucks, so just think of
Sandrock's weapons, miniaturize them and give them to Quatre...I think
they're called sickles...but I'm not sure.
5) messenger pigeon: They had no other form of long distance communication,
so they used to train birds (usually pigeons) to fly to a certain place and
back again.
6) but knowing that he was praying: Duo is actually right in his
assumption. Quatre is praying, or actually reciting a chapter (or sura)
from the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
7) Non of them were buried properly: In Islam, when a person dies, they
clean the body in a certain way. Quatre is saying that non-of his
companions were cleansed before they were buried, and three of them did not
have anyone to recite from the Quran, than is why he is sad.
NEXT TIME...
Trowa stared at the blackened ashes of what used to be the small cottage of
the young Death Priest Duo Maxwell...
Quatre fell to the ground with a strangled cry, only be hauled to his feet
by Duo. "C'mon! They're gaining on us! We have got to keep running!"
Quatre shook his head, "This isn't working!" he gasped desperately, "At
this rate they'll catch us for sure!"...
see...there is death, foreign language spoken, Duo cursing, and the
beginning of the action! So get your armor and swords ready, for the battle
is about to start! (I know I ought to be sued for writing something so
lame!) Enjoy!
KINGDOMS' MASKS
PART III
Duo Maxwell lifted his head groggily from the shaky wooden table to the
sounds of someone groaning.
After he had gotten both the boy and the giant to his little cottage, he had
immediately tried to treat their wounds. Duo had learned a lot of the art
of treating wounds from his years in the church, but nothing he had learned
could have saved the giant's life. The giant foreigner had died without
ever waking up. Duo had covered him with an old unused blanket and then
went to treat the boy. He had lost a lot of blood due to the nasty cut on
his head, which Duo recognized as a knife cut, but other than that he was
fine.
After cleaning the boy, and changing his bloodstained and torn foreign
clothes, Duo had crawled to the table and had fallen asleep in exhaustion.
Now it seemed the blond foreign boy was waking up.
Duo jumped away from the table and went to his bed where the boy lay. The
boy was moaning softly, his features set in a frown, and his head shaking
slightly as the boy fought unconsciousness. Duo touched the boy's forehead,
and noticed that he was a little warm, though it was not surprising. Duo
leaned over closer, and gave the boy a gentle shake. "Hey...wake up. You
can do it...just open your eyes."
Duo broke into a relieved smile as the boy slowly opened his eyes,
responding to his voice.
Deep teal eyes met violet eyes for a few seconds. Suddenly, the boy's eyes
went wide in panic and fear, and he sat straight up, only to cry out in pain
and dizziness.
Duo caught him as he nearly fell off the bed. "Hey," said Duo. "Take it
easy. You got hurt pretty bad." When the panic did not leave those large
expressive eyes, Duo continued soothingly, "Calm down, your safe here. I'm
not going to hurt you."
The boy stared at him, blinking slightly, but seeming to calm down. He
gently pushed away from Duo, and sat up on his own, though he was deathly
pale, and looked like he was still in extreme pain. The boy then looked
past Duo, falling onto the covered body of the dead foreign giant. The boy
stared.... and stared.... and stared...
Finally the boy let out a strangled cry, and with surprising strength, he
pushed Duo away form him, stumbling off the bed, and collapsing onto the
body, yanking the blanket away to reveal the dead man's stiff face.
Duo stood from where he had been shoved and stared sadly as the boy shook
the dead giant, babbling in a language that Duo had never heard before:
"Rahid! Rashid! Goom ya Rashid! Goom!" (1)
When the shaking did nothing, the boy stared beating at the man's large
chest, then rubbing the cold hands, sobbing, "La tamoot, ya Rashid! Arjook,
la tamoot! LA TAMOOT!!!!" (2)
At that final shriek Duo dragged the boy to the bed and shook him, "Hey!
Snap out of it! Come on, calm down. Do you understand what I am saying?"
The boy turned sorrowful teal eyes to him and said in perfect common, "I am
alone. They are all dead! They were all killed!" The boy buried his head
into his eyes and wept, "I am lost! What do I do?"
Duo looked away, for the boy's raw sorrow was effecting him more than he
liked. He was followed by death all the time! It shouldn't bother him so
much! "Umm...was he your...father?"
The boy shook his head, taking large gulps of air as he tried to calm
himself. "N...no. He was...m...my escort....my guard....all...all of
them." The boy looked up, blinking away the tears that still threatened to
spill. "And they are all dead. Killed protecting me." The final word was
spat out bitterly, as if it was a bad taste in his mouth.
Duo looked at him, wondering whom this boy was, who spoke in perfect common
yet also spoke in a strange foreign language, who wore fine foreign silk
clothes, and was escorted by foreign guards. Duo was curious...but Duo was
too polite to ask too much.
The boy then turned and looked straight at him, and said in a strong voice,
that now had ceased to shake in grief. "Forgive me. I haven't thanked you
for saving my life...or trying to save Rashid's life."
Duo shrugged.
The boy asked, "My other companions...their bodies...I saw them fall before
I was struck..."
"I buried them." said Duo immediately. "In the forest."
The boy nodded, winced, and touched his bandaged head. He then smiled
weakly at Duo. "I am the Amhir Quatre Raberba Winner."
Duo blinked. "That's a long name. So your name is Amhir?"
It was the boy's turn to blink. He then laughed, the first happy sound
coming out of him since he had woken up. "No...no...my name is Quatre."
Duo smiled. "Then what is Amhir?"
The boy smiled, his eyes twinkling. "It doesn't matter. Just call me
Quatre."
Duo reached and shook the boy's hand, who laughed. "Names Duo, Duo Maxwell.
I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie!"
"That's an excellent virtue, Duo (3)." Said Quatre. Then he frowned and
said seriously. "You are in danger."
Duo stiffened and stared hard at the boy. "What do you mean?" It was not
every day that you saved a person only to have them tell you that you were
in danger.
"The ones who killed my companion...they are after me. They will track me
down to your home, and they will kill you if they find you here with me."
The boy paused and looked away, his face a mask of guilt and distress.
"They will still kill you if they found that you have seen me and saved me."
Duo did not hesitate to grab Quatre by the shoulders and yank him around so
that they stared eye to eye. "Are they going to kill you?"
Quatre frowned and shook his head. "No...they don't want to kill me...they
want to capture me and will kill all that I come across."
Duo demanded, "Why?"
Quatre closed his eyes. "I...I'm not sure. It could be for many
reasons...ransom...it could be because they do not want me to reach the
King, or..."
"Hold it." Snapped Duo. "What do you mean by, 'the King'? What king?"
Quatre opened his eyes and looked at him. "King Miliardo. I was being
escorted to the city of Sank to meet with his majesty, King Miliardo."
Duo pulled back. "The King?! What the hell are you going to meet the King
for?!"
Quatre frowned, and shook his head. "I am not in liberty to discuss that
with you. I am sorry."
"Crap!" Swore Duo standing up and pacing. "Ok...let me get this straight.
You come from wherever you came from..."
"Arabia." Said Quatre softly. "I am form the Kingdom of Arabia."
Duo glared at the small blond, but continued, "You come from the Arabian
Kingdom to meet with the King, and are attacked, your escorts killed, and
you don't know why?"
"There are many reasons...and non are good."
"No kidding!" Duo had relaxed slightly, leaning against the shaky table.
"You said that those who saw you were killed?"
Quatre nodded. "Our guide, you was sent by his Majesty was the first to be
killed. We met some civilians on the road, and when we started back because
we got lost we found their murdered bodies."
Duo swore, and Quatre blushed.
Duo sighed, and went to Quatre and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look. I
am pretty hard to kill. I ain't going to let nobody touch me without them
loosing a couple of fingers or maybe a hand..."Duo thought for a moment, "Or
maybe a head too!"
Quatre looked at him in surprise, his eyes going to his priest collar. "But
I thought..."
Duo grinned dangerously, "Never assume with Duo Maxwell."
Quatre stared at him, and nodded. "Then you will stay here."
Duo barked a mirthless laugh. "Are you crazy?! I am not suicidal! No,
kid, I am going with you."
"Me?!"
Duo leaned forward and grinned devilishly, "You got it buddy boy! I saved
your life, and it'll be over my dead body that someone messes with that life
I just saved!"
Quatre's eyes went wide. "Duo! You will help me reach Sank?"
Duo nodded. "I will. I know how to get there, though I've never been
inside the walls of Sank before. I'm not about to let you out alone,
injured, and lost."
Quatre's features darkened slightly. "I can defend myself."
Duo laughed. "You ain't joking! I got you strange swords over there next
to the fire place."
Quatre gasped, and Duo helped the boy up and toward the fireplace. There
were two odd blades, curved almost like a scythe, but more, and with short
one-hand handle (4). Quatre reached and hefted one easily in his hand. Duo
could tell immediately that the boy was quite familiar with those blades.
Duo left the boy to stare at his weapons as he went to the bed and pulled
out from under it a scythe.
"Is that your weapon?" Inquired Quatre.
Duo grinned and said, "Yup. Meet Deathscythe, one of my oldest friends.
He's saved my life more times than I can count. I guess he'll be helping me
out of this mess."
Quatre looked away, "I'm sorry. Its my fault...its all my fault..."
"Quiet." Said Duo gently. "It isn't your fault that some bastard has it in
for you. You're not alone."
Quatre looked at him, on the verge of tears. "Thank...you...Duo."
Duo went about packing some food, and getting his stash of saved money, all
the time speaking: "We'll bury your friend, then I'll send my messenger
pigeon (5) to my friend, Hilde, to warn her to stay away from here and that
I'm heading for Sank. Then we'll get going. I wanna be as far away as
possible when those killers that murdered your companions find this place."
Quatre nodded, glancing sorrowfully at the body of the giant guard.
When Duo finished packing, both boys dragged the body outside and started
digging. Duo threatened Quatre a painful death if he didn't sit still and
regain his strength. Quatre reluctantly complied and sat watching with a
pale face as Duo buried the large man. Once done, Quatre came to stand over
the mound and started speaking in his language.
"Hey...what are you doing?" Asked Duo as he started writing a quick note
with a piece of charcoal, his messenger pigeon in a small cage next to him.
When Quatre did not respond, continuing to speak in the language of his home
country, Duo quickly finished the message, tied it to the foot of the
pigeon's foot, and let her fly free. Then for ten minutes, Duo watched
Quatre speak, not understanding what the boy was saying, but knowing that he
was praying (6).
Once done, Quatre stepped back and sighed, turning to Duo with sad, grieving
eyes. "Non of them were buried properly (7)."
Duo sighed sadly, and let the boy lean on him a little. "Don't worry. King
Miliardo is a good enough guy...he'll be able to help you."
Quatre looked at him. "I wonder, Duo. Am I leading whoever is after me to
his Majesty? Am I putting your King at risk?"
Duo did not answer...could not answer....had no answer. All he could think
at that moment was that he really...really regretted taking the short cut.
TO BE CONTINUED...0.0
1) Rahid! Rashid! Goom ya Rashid! Goom!: Rashid! Rashid! Get up
Rashid!
Get up! (I got a lot of Arab Muslim friends!)
2) La tamoot, ya Rashid! Arjook, la tamoot! LA TAMOOT!!!!: Don't die,
Rashid! Please, don't die! DON'T DIE!!!!
3) That's an excellent virtue, Duo: In Islam (yes, I made Quatre a Muslim
::glares in defiance::) Lying is considered as a very bad sin. There is
even a saying that say that those who lie then they are not one of them, and
'them' meaning Muslims (as I said, got a lot of Arab Muslim friends!).
4) There were two odd blades, curved almost like a scythe, but more, and
with short one-hand handle: I know the description sucks, so just think of
Sandrock's weapons, miniaturize them and give them to Quatre...I think
they're called sickles...but I'm not sure.
5) messenger pigeon: They had no other form of long distance communication,
so they used to train birds (usually pigeons) to fly to a certain place and
back again.
6) but knowing that he was praying: Duo is actually right in his
assumption. Quatre is praying, or actually reciting a chapter (or sura)
from the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
7) Non of them were buried properly: In Islam, when a person dies, they
clean the body in a certain way. Quatre is saying that non-of his
companions were cleansed before they were buried, and three of them did not
have anyone to recite from the Quran, than is why he is sad.
NEXT TIME...
Trowa stared at the blackened ashes of what used to be the small cottage of
the young Death Priest Duo Maxwell...
Quatre fell to the ground with a strangled cry, only be hauled to his feet
by Duo. "C'mon! They're gaining on us! We have got to keep running!"
Quatre shook his head, "This isn't working!" he gasped desperately, "At
this rate they'll catch us for sure!"...