-Chapter 4- (The Old Kingdom - Riot of the Blood Kyo)
The morning light revealed silvern beads in the webs of spiders, and its rays broke the darkness of the sand-ridden castle. Thus revealing a burly red-haired man slamming a door with his fist, and several others standing by, trying their best to be of service to the angry giant.
"Open up, you bastard!!" He shouted at the top of his hoarse lungs.
"Father..." Marle mumbled with a heavy heart.
Lothair turned to her.
"What is it?" He asked, impatiently. His voice was cracking from the perpetual shouting.
Marle shook her head.
Lothair turned back to the door, and gave it a hard slam with his fist. It shook, the only sign of movement since he started four hours earlier.
"Ha!" He barked. "Stand back, everyone!"
The small crowd shuffled away, as Lothair stood poised with his fist ready.
WHAM!!!
The door, as if it were not closed at all, very slowly opened, and wailed a long, quiet creak.
Lothair and Marle peered in, their eyes adjusting to the dark.
There, lying in the middle of the floor, was indeed Fal, his head turned to the side, revealing milky-white eyes that stared into nothingness. His chest rose and fell quickly and carefully, but other than that, there appeared to be no life within his body.
Lothair hurried into the small room, and picked up his brother. Marle quickly followed him.
He cradled Fal in his large arms.
"Brother, can you hear me?" He desparately pleaded.
Marle walked ahead of Lothair and stepped up onto her bed. She recovered the cracked and beaten blade of a sword, and walking to the corner closest to her door, collected its hilt.
She brought its peices to her father.
Lothair broke his gaze from his lifeless brother to the objects in Marle's hands.
"What the devil is that?"
"Fal's sword." She answered. "I told you about it."
Moments later, Fal was put in Lothair's room, as his bed was the most comfortable in the castle. Lothair and Marle were left to discuss what it was that exactly happened.
"I already told you the story." She recounted.
Lothair nodded. "So all those times you said that something was in your room, you were telling the truth."
Marle nodded vigorously. "You never did believe me."
"Well, why didn't they attack you before?" He asked.
"I dunno." She sugarly replied in confusion. "Maybe because there wasn't someone to protect me... They knew it wasn't fair."
Lothair laughed. "I don't think so."
He picked up the shards of Fal's sword.
"My God, look how bloody terrible this blade is!" He ran his fingers along the edge. "This thing couldn't cut cloth!"
Marle giggled. "You know what? I think he's poor."
Lothair glanced at his daughter.
"Now that's not a very nice thing to say!"
"But it's true! He said he had a wife and kids of his own, but when I hugged him, it was like he'd never done it before in his life!" She retorted. "He's a bloody liar."
Lothair gave a hearty laugh.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe this sword-" he picked up the pieces for her to see, " is from when he fought in the western battles."
"That's when people started calling him Fal." Marle added.
"It certainly is. That was a long time ago..."
Contemplation ensued.
Marle snapped her fingers. "I know! We can figure out if he's lying if we can just get someone to fall in love with him..."
Lothair laughed again.
"You're just full of ideas that would torture that man, aren't you?"
"No, I'm just saying! If we could, then she could find out for us if he really had a wife and stuff. People say a lot of things to their loves."
Lothair dismissed the idea completely. "Leave me out of it."
Marle whined. "Awww! C'mon! It'll be fun!" She tugged her father's sleeve.
"Marle, you just can't 'get' people to fall in love with eachother." Lothair replied, uninterested and slightly annoyed.
"Well, if she was pretty enough-"
"Bein' pretty's got nothin' to do with it."
"But my mom was pretty, wasn't she?"
"That's a different story. She was nice, and she just happened to be pretty."
"Well~, if she was nice enough, we could pay her!" Marle exclaimed.
Lothair shook his head.
"Nope. Nuh-uh, no way."
Marle slapped her legs. "Could you just let me try it?"
"Yer' playin' with my brother's emotions, here! No!" He retorted.
"If he didn't fall in love with her, nobody else would have to know. So, pleeeeeeeeeease?" Marle pleaded.
Her father slowly turned his glance to her.
The morning light revealed silvern beads in the webs of spiders, and its rays broke the darkness of the sand-ridden castle. Thus revealing a burly red-haired man slamming a door with his fist, and several others standing by, trying their best to be of service to the angry giant.
"Open up, you bastard!!" He shouted at the top of his hoarse lungs.
"Father..." Marle mumbled with a heavy heart.
Lothair turned to her.
"What is it?" He asked, impatiently. His voice was cracking from the perpetual shouting.
Marle shook her head.
Lothair turned back to the door, and gave it a hard slam with his fist. It shook, the only sign of movement since he started four hours earlier.
"Ha!" He barked. "Stand back, everyone!"
The small crowd shuffled away, as Lothair stood poised with his fist ready.
WHAM!!!
The door, as if it were not closed at all, very slowly opened, and wailed a long, quiet creak.
Lothair and Marle peered in, their eyes adjusting to the dark.
There, lying in the middle of the floor, was indeed Fal, his head turned to the side, revealing milky-white eyes that stared into nothingness. His chest rose and fell quickly and carefully, but other than that, there appeared to be no life within his body.
Lothair hurried into the small room, and picked up his brother. Marle quickly followed him.
He cradled Fal in his large arms.
"Brother, can you hear me?" He desparately pleaded.
Marle walked ahead of Lothair and stepped up onto her bed. She recovered the cracked and beaten blade of a sword, and walking to the corner closest to her door, collected its hilt.
She brought its peices to her father.
Lothair broke his gaze from his lifeless brother to the objects in Marle's hands.
"What the devil is that?"
"Fal's sword." She answered. "I told you about it."
Moments later, Fal was put in Lothair's room, as his bed was the most comfortable in the castle. Lothair and Marle were left to discuss what it was that exactly happened.
"I already told you the story." She recounted.
Lothair nodded. "So all those times you said that something was in your room, you were telling the truth."
Marle nodded vigorously. "You never did believe me."
"Well, why didn't they attack you before?" He asked.
"I dunno." She sugarly replied in confusion. "Maybe because there wasn't someone to protect me... They knew it wasn't fair."
Lothair laughed. "I don't think so."
He picked up the shards of Fal's sword.
"My God, look how bloody terrible this blade is!" He ran his fingers along the edge. "This thing couldn't cut cloth!"
Marle giggled. "You know what? I think he's poor."
Lothair glanced at his daughter.
"Now that's not a very nice thing to say!"
"But it's true! He said he had a wife and kids of his own, but when I hugged him, it was like he'd never done it before in his life!" She retorted. "He's a bloody liar."
Lothair gave a hearty laugh.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe this sword-" he picked up the pieces for her to see, " is from when he fought in the western battles."
"That's when people started calling him Fal." Marle added.
"It certainly is. That was a long time ago..."
Contemplation ensued.
Marle snapped her fingers. "I know! We can figure out if he's lying if we can just get someone to fall in love with him..."
Lothair laughed again.
"You're just full of ideas that would torture that man, aren't you?"
"No, I'm just saying! If we could, then she could find out for us if he really had a wife and stuff. People say a lot of things to their loves."
Lothair dismissed the idea completely. "Leave me out of it."
Marle whined. "Awww! C'mon! It'll be fun!" She tugged her father's sleeve.
"Marle, you just can't 'get' people to fall in love with eachother." Lothair replied, uninterested and slightly annoyed.
"Well, if she was pretty enough-"
"Bein' pretty's got nothin' to do with it."
"But my mom was pretty, wasn't she?"
"That's a different story. She was nice, and she just happened to be pretty."
"Well~, if she was nice enough, we could pay her!" Marle exclaimed.
Lothair shook his head.
"Nope. Nuh-uh, no way."
Marle slapped her legs. "Could you just let me try it?"
"Yer' playin' with my brother's emotions, here! No!" He retorted.
"If he didn't fall in love with her, nobody else would have to know. So, pleeeeeeeeeease?" Marle pleaded.
Her father slowly turned his glance to her.