-Chapter 10- (The Old Kingdom - Riot of the Blood Kyo)
The next day, Fal crept out of his room, bandages on his arms and legs. He looked towards the exit of the castle.
Too long had he been kept there on account of his brother. The night-terrors were as taken-care-of as they would ever be to him, and this mysterious woman named Hana was embarassing him and hurting his pride far more than he could bear.
Like a child from an abusive parent, Fal would run away. And now seemed as good a time as ever.
He made a run for the door.
"FREEZE!!"
Fal stopped dead in his tracks. He turned.
Lothair was standing in the hall, arms crossed.
"Yer' not gettin' away that easily, brother!" He shouted at him, smiling.
Fal's eyes narrowed. "...What's the meaning of this? Keeping me here longer than I'm due."
Lothair walked over to him.
"You know what? I don't know." Lothair crudely grumbled to him with a devilish grin.
"Liar!" Fal stubbed his finger against his brother's thick chest. "And who is Hana, really? Why is it that she wants to torture me to no end?!"
Laughing heartily, Lothair heavily patted Fal's back.
"Fal, I want you to sleep in Marle's room again." He suggested, ignoring his question.
"What?!" The smaller man retorted. "You're mad!! Never have I seen anything like those shadows in Marle's room! You wouldn't be able to send me back in there with a thousand of the Lord's prayers branded into my flesh!! Never!!"
Lothair shook his head. "I really don't care whether you want to or not! If those creatures exist, there must be numbers of them coming from somewhere, and I want to know where! If suddenly they decided to strike the castle, we would be taken in a matter of hours. There is no way of predicting it."
"Why me?" Fal questioned.
"Because you're the one they attacked. You know what they're capable of. Please, brother! I need you to do this! Just this once."
"Just this once?! I took care of your daughter and got blind from it! What fate would befall me if I were to face this enemy head-on? I will surely be killed!"
Fal took a deep breath from all his arguing.
Lothair sighed. "Don't make me guilt you into it or use blackmail... That seems to be the only way to get you to do anything for me. Brother, please, don't make me use force..."
Fal couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Force?! What, are you going to strike me if I don't follow your orders?"
"Don't be childish." Lothair's speech was hard and cold.
Standing back, Fal realized what this was all about. He was in this all just to be used. Or so it seemed.
"...I refuse to go alone."
Lothair relaxed at this comment. "Hm. That can be arranged. Who is it that you want to take with you?"
Fal thought. Marle would be useless... D apparently had "business" during the night... There was no way of conning Lothair to spend a night in a tiny dark room...
"...Hana?" Fal heard his voice echo against the stone walls and realized how incredibly lecherous the suggestion sounded.
Lothair laughed hard. "Hana? Are you serious?"
"She is the only person who would."
"I know, I know." He giggled. "...Just caught me by surprise..."
Fal began to stalk away.
"She loves you, you know." Lothair told him.
He turned.
"Should I care?"
The next day, Fal crept out of his room, bandages on his arms and legs. He looked towards the exit of the castle.
Too long had he been kept there on account of his brother. The night-terrors were as taken-care-of as they would ever be to him, and this mysterious woman named Hana was embarassing him and hurting his pride far more than he could bear.
Like a child from an abusive parent, Fal would run away. And now seemed as good a time as ever.
He made a run for the door.
"FREEZE!!"
Fal stopped dead in his tracks. He turned.
Lothair was standing in the hall, arms crossed.
"Yer' not gettin' away that easily, brother!" He shouted at him, smiling.
Fal's eyes narrowed. "...What's the meaning of this? Keeping me here longer than I'm due."
Lothair walked over to him.
"You know what? I don't know." Lothair crudely grumbled to him with a devilish grin.
"Liar!" Fal stubbed his finger against his brother's thick chest. "And who is Hana, really? Why is it that she wants to torture me to no end?!"
Laughing heartily, Lothair heavily patted Fal's back.
"Fal, I want you to sleep in Marle's room again." He suggested, ignoring his question.
"What?!" The smaller man retorted. "You're mad!! Never have I seen anything like those shadows in Marle's room! You wouldn't be able to send me back in there with a thousand of the Lord's prayers branded into my flesh!! Never!!"
Lothair shook his head. "I really don't care whether you want to or not! If those creatures exist, there must be numbers of them coming from somewhere, and I want to know where! If suddenly they decided to strike the castle, we would be taken in a matter of hours. There is no way of predicting it."
"Why me?" Fal questioned.
"Because you're the one they attacked. You know what they're capable of. Please, brother! I need you to do this! Just this once."
"Just this once?! I took care of your daughter and got blind from it! What fate would befall me if I were to face this enemy head-on? I will surely be killed!"
Fal took a deep breath from all his arguing.
Lothair sighed. "Don't make me guilt you into it or use blackmail... That seems to be the only way to get you to do anything for me. Brother, please, don't make me use force..."
Fal couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Force?! What, are you going to strike me if I don't follow your orders?"
"Don't be childish." Lothair's speech was hard and cold.
Standing back, Fal realized what this was all about. He was in this all just to be used. Or so it seemed.
"...I refuse to go alone."
Lothair relaxed at this comment. "Hm. That can be arranged. Who is it that you want to take with you?"
Fal thought. Marle would be useless... D apparently had "business" during the night... There was no way of conning Lothair to spend a night in a tiny dark room...
"...Hana?" Fal heard his voice echo against the stone walls and realized how incredibly lecherous the suggestion sounded.
Lothair laughed hard. "Hana? Are you serious?"
"She is the only person who would."
"I know, I know." He giggled. "...Just caught me by surprise..."
Fal began to stalk away.
"She loves you, you know." Lothair told him.
He turned.
"Should I care?"