"Glenn... Glenn! Good morning, Glenn!"
The ashen-brown haired boy slowly opened his eyes and rolled over onto his side. Standing next to the bed was his older brother Dario, all suited up in his white and gold armor. Though the family was well off, the lived only as affluent as they needed. The house was made from the same blue stone as most of the houses in Termina, and on the inside, there were only a few rooms. Glenn's room had been decorated with artifacts that his family brought back from travels, nearly covering any previously open surface. The nightstand next to Glenn's subtle bed was enshrined with a picture of his mother on it, and the rug on the floor was one that his mother quilted herself. Glenn looked up at Dario, who was standing on the blue bricked floor. His face showed affection for his brother, but something was amiss.
"Father leaves today, Glenn," Dario said, trying to get Glenn up from his bed. "You do at least want to say goodbye to him? You never know if he may not come back. It is the way of an Acacia Dragoon."
Glenn groaned and slowly got out of bed. Dario had begun to walk towards the door, his cape flowing down until it nearly slid across the floor. "And remember," Dario said, with his head turned back to Glenn. "Look like a knight, okay?"
Glenn sighed a deep sigh of resignation. To see his father go brought him too many feelings to express so early in the morning. He grabbed his bright brown and green armor that was passed down from Garai's father. Looking at it, Glenn thought to himself of how the armor was only passed down to him because Dario's armor was given to him by the Dragoon Devas at his inauguration as the head. Reluctantly, Glenn put on the suit, and walked outside.
He was surprised when there were no balloons flying, no crowds of people, and no celebrations of any kind for his father, the hero. It was only a time when Garai was leaving on a quest, and the returns were more jovial meetings than the departures. He walked down the 4 stone steps, each with a name of the members of his family.
Garai, his father, a bright white stone step leading into the house
Farrah, his mother, a shimmering block of stone decorated in flowers
Dario, his brother, a grand white marble
Glenn, the white brick at the bottom of the stairs.
As Glenn set his foot on the brick path, he felt a sudden premonition come over him. This ominous feeling left Glenn feeling slightly dizzy and nauseous. He stumbled forward, as quick flashes of images filled his mind, upsetting him as he tried to maintain his balance. The images were of his father dying...
Glenn, seeing these horrendous depictions of his father's death, thought to himself, "What is this? That sword... the Masamune... the sword that hosts evil and drives its wielder insane...! Father..." As soon as the flashes ceased, Glenn looked up to see Dario a few steps in front of him, looking very condescending and impatient.
"Glenn," Dario said with his short-tempered voice. "Our father is leaving. This is no time to pretend to be ill. This is not just about you! It never is!"
"Yes, sir," Glenn replied hesitantly, and regained his pacing. Turning around the corner, Glenn saw the city of Termina as empty as he had ever seen it. The sky-colored buildings had all looked deserted, and the banners that proclaimed the city's name were hardly affected by the wind. Even the flower shopkeeper was not at his post. The flowers sitting on display were withering, dropping petals on the ground silently. Glenn walked up to the flowers and reached out his hand. A beautiful white flower petal fell gently into his right hand, and he closed his fist around it. He glanced around, and finally found his father coming down the blue stone steps in the middle of Termina.
His father stood talking with Dario, and after one embrace, Garai began to walk down the steps as Dario returned home.
Glenn immediately ran to Garai. "Father, do not go," Glenn pleaded, "I foresee that it will be too dangerous. Please."
Garai merely laughed. "My young Glenn," Garai said proudly. "Nothing is too dangerous for the mighty Garai. Besides, I would risk my life to find that Masamune."
Glenn drew his sword and showed his father the family crest engraved on the blade. "Does this not mean anything to you? For what importance does the Masamune serve when our swords themselves are legendary? Does not the Einlanzer bring supremacy to our name?"
Garai looked sternly at his son, realizing that he was actually serious about the matter. "Glenn," He said, putting his large hand on his son's shoulder. "You know that our family means the most to me. Yet the Masamune is a sword older than time. I do this not for myself but for the good of the world." Garai gave Glenn a warm smile and began to walk out of the city.
"Father!" Glenn shouted. "I saw you die! You fall by your own hand, the hand that wields that cursed sword!"
Garai turned around and hastily approached his son. "Never speak ill of your father, do you hear me? This is my decision and you shall do nothing about it! What would you care anyway about me, your own father? Get out of my sight, scoundrel!" Garai turned and with the swing of his cape, walked down the steps and out of the city.
With nothing but silence around him, Glenn fell to his knees. A tear slowly streamed down his face and landed on the ground before him, as the sound of the impact of the drop echoed louder than anything Glenn had heard. He loosened his fists and opened his hands.
A black flower petal fell to the ground.
The ashen-brown haired boy slowly opened his eyes and rolled over onto his side. Standing next to the bed was his older brother Dario, all suited up in his white and gold armor. Though the family was well off, the lived only as affluent as they needed. The house was made from the same blue stone as most of the houses in Termina, and on the inside, there were only a few rooms. Glenn's room had been decorated with artifacts that his family brought back from travels, nearly covering any previously open surface. The nightstand next to Glenn's subtle bed was enshrined with a picture of his mother on it, and the rug on the floor was one that his mother quilted herself. Glenn looked up at Dario, who was standing on the blue bricked floor. His face showed affection for his brother, but something was amiss.
"Father leaves today, Glenn," Dario said, trying to get Glenn up from his bed. "You do at least want to say goodbye to him? You never know if he may not come back. It is the way of an Acacia Dragoon."
Glenn groaned and slowly got out of bed. Dario had begun to walk towards the door, his cape flowing down until it nearly slid across the floor. "And remember," Dario said, with his head turned back to Glenn. "Look like a knight, okay?"
Glenn sighed a deep sigh of resignation. To see his father go brought him too many feelings to express so early in the morning. He grabbed his bright brown and green armor that was passed down from Garai's father. Looking at it, Glenn thought to himself of how the armor was only passed down to him because Dario's armor was given to him by the Dragoon Devas at his inauguration as the head. Reluctantly, Glenn put on the suit, and walked outside.
He was surprised when there were no balloons flying, no crowds of people, and no celebrations of any kind for his father, the hero. It was only a time when Garai was leaving on a quest, and the returns were more jovial meetings than the departures. He walked down the 4 stone steps, each with a name of the members of his family.
Garai, his father, a bright white stone step leading into the house
Farrah, his mother, a shimmering block of stone decorated in flowers
Dario, his brother, a grand white marble
Glenn, the white brick at the bottom of the stairs.
As Glenn set his foot on the brick path, he felt a sudden premonition come over him. This ominous feeling left Glenn feeling slightly dizzy and nauseous. He stumbled forward, as quick flashes of images filled his mind, upsetting him as he tried to maintain his balance. The images were of his father dying...
Glenn, seeing these horrendous depictions of his father's death, thought to himself, "What is this? That sword... the Masamune... the sword that hosts evil and drives its wielder insane...! Father..." As soon as the flashes ceased, Glenn looked up to see Dario a few steps in front of him, looking very condescending and impatient.
"Glenn," Dario said with his short-tempered voice. "Our father is leaving. This is no time to pretend to be ill. This is not just about you! It never is!"
"Yes, sir," Glenn replied hesitantly, and regained his pacing. Turning around the corner, Glenn saw the city of Termina as empty as he had ever seen it. The sky-colored buildings had all looked deserted, and the banners that proclaimed the city's name were hardly affected by the wind. Even the flower shopkeeper was not at his post. The flowers sitting on display were withering, dropping petals on the ground silently. Glenn walked up to the flowers and reached out his hand. A beautiful white flower petal fell gently into his right hand, and he closed his fist around it. He glanced around, and finally found his father coming down the blue stone steps in the middle of Termina.
His father stood talking with Dario, and after one embrace, Garai began to walk down the steps as Dario returned home.
Glenn immediately ran to Garai. "Father, do not go," Glenn pleaded, "I foresee that it will be too dangerous. Please."
Garai merely laughed. "My young Glenn," Garai said proudly. "Nothing is too dangerous for the mighty Garai. Besides, I would risk my life to find that Masamune."
Glenn drew his sword and showed his father the family crest engraved on the blade. "Does this not mean anything to you? For what importance does the Masamune serve when our swords themselves are legendary? Does not the Einlanzer bring supremacy to our name?"
Garai looked sternly at his son, realizing that he was actually serious about the matter. "Glenn," He said, putting his large hand on his son's shoulder. "You know that our family means the most to me. Yet the Masamune is a sword older than time. I do this not for myself but for the good of the world." Garai gave Glenn a warm smile and began to walk out of the city.
"Father!" Glenn shouted. "I saw you die! You fall by your own hand, the hand that wields that cursed sword!"
Garai turned around and hastily approached his son. "Never speak ill of your father, do you hear me? This is my decision and you shall do nothing about it! What would you care anyway about me, your own father? Get out of my sight, scoundrel!" Garai turned and with the swing of his cape, walked down the steps and out of the city.
With nothing but silence around him, Glenn fell to his knees. A tear slowly streamed down his face and landed on the ground before him, as the sound of the impact of the drop echoed louder than anything Glenn had heard. He loosened his fists and opened his hands.
A black flower petal fell to the ground.