-Chapter 3- (The Old Kingdom - Riot of the Blood Kyo)
He lay in a crumpled pile under a lone palm tree outside the castle gates. The kingdom was nothing but a castle surrounded by seemingly endless sands, but civilization was not more than two or quite possibly three hours away in any direction. It was remarkably easy to reach be it by foot or be it by steed. Trees stand scattered by the desert's grace wherever life lay.
Fal slumped to his side and let out a tired groan. There was silence, and no movement but the whistling of the warm winds against the stone and leaf, but then the shuffling of feet could be heard by his restless ears.
"What in the world are you doing out here, brother?" The low booming voice of Lothair signaled for Fal's attention.
However he recognized the fatigued pile of brown cloak was anyone's guess at this point, and Fal indeed rolled over to meet his brother's worn boots and gave a melancholy expression towards his face.
Lothair crouched down and smoothed the stray hair from Fal's face.
"What's botherin' you?"
Fal closed his weary eyes.
"The questions, the bloody questions!" He pouted a moment, then continued. "You bastard, you didn't give birth to a human child, you had a devilish chattering parrot."
Lothair laughed a hearty one.
"That's jus' her way of warmin' up to you, ya' gotta' give her some time." He bellowed, then laughed again. "You're bein' a baby again." He teased.
Then there was a strange sound, like the galloping of a horse.
Fal quickly sat up, his ears searching for any hint of the sound.
"You hear that?" Lothair asked him.
Fal nodded.
From accross the horizon came a black figure on a black horse, and quickly it ran to the front gates and stopped. It was a obsidian-cloaked man with a large hat that pointed in the front and back, the top shaped the outline of his head. There was also a large pearl on the side. Resting on the stranger's shoulders were two horn-like spikes that curved as they jutted out. His horse was unlike any that Fal had ever seen, it's muscular build was intimidating, and it's red eyes resembled those of the black rider's steed.
It shuddered and it's rider climbed from it's back to meet Lothair.
Lothair picked up his brother and set him on his feet. He shook the stranger's hand and they exchainged greetings. He then turned to Fal.
"This is the Knight." Lothair introduced them.
That day'd been a strange one on account of the Knight. There was hardly any sight of his face at times, and this had made Fal slightly interested in his affairs. Why was he so shrouded?
When Fal ate, he ate near the Knight, stealing glances at his face. When Fal walked about the hallways, he walked near the Knight, trying his hardest to overhear a faint mutter that would escape his mouth. Quite interested was Fal.
The night came fast, and the first assignment of the 'helping to protect the princess' was to accompany her in her sleep.
"I am assuming that means I have to share a room with her tonight." Fal guessed.
Lothair nodded. "Certainly, brother. Reassure her that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. You're good at that."
Fal let that compliment roll off his back.
Walking down the hallway, he heard a strange yet faint noise.
He slowly opened Marle's room door.
There she was, curled into a tiny ball, muttering the lord's prayer like a rattled maniac. Fal cocked his head back in confusion, for this was simply no way for a small child to act. Slowly and quietly, he crept over to her disfigured manner of sheets and tapped the quivering body.
Marle quickly unfurlled, and glared fearingly at Fal. Her eyes were red from hours of crying, and numerous streams of tourtured tears were rolling down her porcelin cheeks. She sniffled.
Fal knelt down to her elevation on the bed.
"So..." He let out a tired sigh. "...Why're you crying?"
Marle pouted and hiccuped. "There's a-- a-- a--"
Then throwing her head back down, she bawled again.
Now, if there was anything that bothered Fal as much as being asked questions, it was the crying/laughing of children. He strained his hands, and thought of a way to quiet her.
Finally, he sat next to the sobbing pile of child.
"Marle..." He whispered, clearing his throat.
"...What?" The mound urked.
"If you just tell me what's wrong, I can help you." Fal replied.
Marle stirred, still unsure about her strange uncle. She rolled over to meet his gaze, but his almond eyes were shadowed by the ominous darkness in her room.
"Really?" She asked, still sobbing.
Fal nodded. "That's why I'm here."
Marle shrugged to a sitting position and cast her gaze downward. Wiping her nose, she sighed.
"...I'd really like a hug right now."
Taking this as a suggestion, Fal guided her weakened frame to his and gave Marle a rough embrace. It was obvious to her now that he had not hugged many people in his life, nor had he been hugged.
She was a bit surprised, but seeing this as a rare oppertunity, she lazily cast her tiny arms around his rigid ribs. Marle put her exhausted head against his soft chest and closed her eyes.
She could hear his muffled heartbeat.
Then there was a scratching noise from across the room.
Fal's sensitive ears did not fail him; he heard it too. His head immediately turned to its source.
Marle sat up again and whined, her orange curles swaying in front of her scared eyes.
Fal shrugged her off him and stood, his hand clasping his rusty hilt.
The scratching noise continued, getting louder and louder.
A dark figure rose from the corner of Marle's room. It was slim, and its arms were long and disjointed, disfigured, and not human-like.
Loud whimpers shot out of Marle as the being took shape. Noticing this, Fal turned to her.
There was another body not unlike the other, seeping out of the wall next to the bed.
Fal grabbed Marle's tiny hand and pulled her off the bed to his side.
"Are these... creatures..." His glare raced back and forth between them, "...what's wrong at night?!"
Marle once again broke down and started crying, wringing Fal's hand.
"Stop that!" he shouted, "What in God's Earth do these things want from you?!"
Marle hit the ground, letting out terrified screams and sobbs. Her tiny body was shaken.
"Fine." He muttered.
He brought up his left leg, and put it over the other side of Marle, and unsheathing his cracked sword, he swung at the nearest beast.
It seemed to be cut, but at the very moment it was inside the brute, the creature turned to stone.
Fal's eyes widened. His sword was stuck in a stone shadow protruding from the wall.
He put his foot against the stone and tried desparately to haul his chipped sword out.
There was a loud snapping noise, and Fal landed with a 'fump' behind Marle.
He drew in a wide breath and brought his sword to the moonlight. It was completely snapped in half.
Fal squeezed a small squeak out of his throat.
The shadow by the door stepped out of the wall, and brought its disfigured arm over its 'head'.
Fal gripped his remaining sword (it was sharper at the hilt anyway), and threw it at the monster.
A long booming groan ensued, then a 'splurtch'. It's back arched, and out of the wound sprang black fountains of what seemed to be blood, showering Fal and Marle.
The little girl let loose a horrific screech.
Fal then quickly picked up the terrified child and rushed to the doorway.
He threw Marle out into the stone hallway of the castle, but before he could follow suit, a long black object swung at Fal and struck him straight in the forehead.
He lost counciousness, his body went limp, and he hit the floor like a hundred-fifty-pound log.
Marle raced out the hall, crying and wailing to beat the devil, and she heard a door slam closed.
Panting for air, she turned about.
There was no-one in the hallway, and her room door was closed.
She dropped to her knees, sobbing.
He lay in a crumpled pile under a lone palm tree outside the castle gates. The kingdom was nothing but a castle surrounded by seemingly endless sands, but civilization was not more than two or quite possibly three hours away in any direction. It was remarkably easy to reach be it by foot or be it by steed. Trees stand scattered by the desert's grace wherever life lay.
Fal slumped to his side and let out a tired groan. There was silence, and no movement but the whistling of the warm winds against the stone and leaf, but then the shuffling of feet could be heard by his restless ears.
"What in the world are you doing out here, brother?" The low booming voice of Lothair signaled for Fal's attention.
However he recognized the fatigued pile of brown cloak was anyone's guess at this point, and Fal indeed rolled over to meet his brother's worn boots and gave a melancholy expression towards his face.
Lothair crouched down and smoothed the stray hair from Fal's face.
"What's botherin' you?"
Fal closed his weary eyes.
"The questions, the bloody questions!" He pouted a moment, then continued. "You bastard, you didn't give birth to a human child, you had a devilish chattering parrot."
Lothair laughed a hearty one.
"That's jus' her way of warmin' up to you, ya' gotta' give her some time." He bellowed, then laughed again. "You're bein' a baby again." He teased.
Then there was a strange sound, like the galloping of a horse.
Fal quickly sat up, his ears searching for any hint of the sound.
"You hear that?" Lothair asked him.
Fal nodded.
From accross the horizon came a black figure on a black horse, and quickly it ran to the front gates and stopped. It was a obsidian-cloaked man with a large hat that pointed in the front and back, the top shaped the outline of his head. There was also a large pearl on the side. Resting on the stranger's shoulders were two horn-like spikes that curved as they jutted out. His horse was unlike any that Fal had ever seen, it's muscular build was intimidating, and it's red eyes resembled those of the black rider's steed.
It shuddered and it's rider climbed from it's back to meet Lothair.
Lothair picked up his brother and set him on his feet. He shook the stranger's hand and they exchainged greetings. He then turned to Fal.
"This is the Knight." Lothair introduced them.
That day'd been a strange one on account of the Knight. There was hardly any sight of his face at times, and this had made Fal slightly interested in his affairs. Why was he so shrouded?
When Fal ate, he ate near the Knight, stealing glances at his face. When Fal walked about the hallways, he walked near the Knight, trying his hardest to overhear a faint mutter that would escape his mouth. Quite interested was Fal.
The night came fast, and the first assignment of the 'helping to protect the princess' was to accompany her in her sleep.
"I am assuming that means I have to share a room with her tonight." Fal guessed.
Lothair nodded. "Certainly, brother. Reassure her that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. You're good at that."
Fal let that compliment roll off his back.
Walking down the hallway, he heard a strange yet faint noise.
He slowly opened Marle's room door.
There she was, curled into a tiny ball, muttering the lord's prayer like a rattled maniac. Fal cocked his head back in confusion, for this was simply no way for a small child to act. Slowly and quietly, he crept over to her disfigured manner of sheets and tapped the quivering body.
Marle quickly unfurlled, and glared fearingly at Fal. Her eyes were red from hours of crying, and numerous streams of tourtured tears were rolling down her porcelin cheeks. She sniffled.
Fal knelt down to her elevation on the bed.
"So..." He let out a tired sigh. "...Why're you crying?"
Marle pouted and hiccuped. "There's a-- a-- a--"
Then throwing her head back down, she bawled again.
Now, if there was anything that bothered Fal as much as being asked questions, it was the crying/laughing of children. He strained his hands, and thought of a way to quiet her.
Finally, he sat next to the sobbing pile of child.
"Marle..." He whispered, clearing his throat.
"...What?" The mound urked.
"If you just tell me what's wrong, I can help you." Fal replied.
Marle stirred, still unsure about her strange uncle. She rolled over to meet his gaze, but his almond eyes were shadowed by the ominous darkness in her room.
"Really?" She asked, still sobbing.
Fal nodded. "That's why I'm here."
Marle shrugged to a sitting position and cast her gaze downward. Wiping her nose, she sighed.
"...I'd really like a hug right now."
Taking this as a suggestion, Fal guided her weakened frame to his and gave Marle a rough embrace. It was obvious to her now that he had not hugged many people in his life, nor had he been hugged.
She was a bit surprised, but seeing this as a rare oppertunity, she lazily cast her tiny arms around his rigid ribs. Marle put her exhausted head against his soft chest and closed her eyes.
She could hear his muffled heartbeat.
Then there was a scratching noise from across the room.
Fal's sensitive ears did not fail him; he heard it too. His head immediately turned to its source.
Marle sat up again and whined, her orange curles swaying in front of her scared eyes.
Fal shrugged her off him and stood, his hand clasping his rusty hilt.
The scratching noise continued, getting louder and louder.
A dark figure rose from the corner of Marle's room. It was slim, and its arms were long and disjointed, disfigured, and not human-like.
Loud whimpers shot out of Marle as the being took shape. Noticing this, Fal turned to her.
There was another body not unlike the other, seeping out of the wall next to the bed.
Fal grabbed Marle's tiny hand and pulled her off the bed to his side.
"Are these... creatures..." His glare raced back and forth between them, "...what's wrong at night?!"
Marle once again broke down and started crying, wringing Fal's hand.
"Stop that!" he shouted, "What in God's Earth do these things want from you?!"
Marle hit the ground, letting out terrified screams and sobbs. Her tiny body was shaken.
"Fine." He muttered.
He brought up his left leg, and put it over the other side of Marle, and unsheathing his cracked sword, he swung at the nearest beast.
It seemed to be cut, but at the very moment it was inside the brute, the creature turned to stone.
Fal's eyes widened. His sword was stuck in a stone shadow protruding from the wall.
He put his foot against the stone and tried desparately to haul his chipped sword out.
There was a loud snapping noise, and Fal landed with a 'fump' behind Marle.
He drew in a wide breath and brought his sword to the moonlight. It was completely snapped in half.
Fal squeezed a small squeak out of his throat.
The shadow by the door stepped out of the wall, and brought its disfigured arm over its 'head'.
Fal gripped his remaining sword (it was sharper at the hilt anyway), and threw it at the monster.
A long booming groan ensued, then a 'splurtch'. It's back arched, and out of the wound sprang black fountains of what seemed to be blood, showering Fal and Marle.
The little girl let loose a horrific screech.
Fal then quickly picked up the terrified child and rushed to the doorway.
He threw Marle out into the stone hallway of the castle, but before he could follow suit, a long black object swung at Fal and struck him straight in the forehead.
He lost counciousness, his body went limp, and he hit the floor like a hundred-fifty-pound log.
Marle raced out the hall, crying and wailing to beat the devil, and she heard a door slam closed.
Panting for air, she turned about.
There was no-one in the hallway, and her room door was closed.
She dropped to her knees, sobbing.