Glenn never heard from his father again.
Tales, rumors and falsehoods spread around the city like the waves lapping at the shore. Already, two weeks had passed, and no one had heard a single truth about Garai's journey for the Masamune. Was it possible that the sword did not exist? Did he fail his mission? Or does the sword exist, and something worse happen?
Glenn's thoughts trailed everywhere, but his eyes focused on the same deep blue water. The crest of the waves was a glimmering white, and shined just like the blade of the Einlanzer. But that sword was now lost to him. Even if Garai ever returned home, there was no chance to salvage his relationship with his father. Glenn had longed to hold the sword, and had been caught by his older brother a number of times late at night practicing with it.
"What am I thinking," Glenn said to himself. "A piece of metal should not bring about such greed. Not the Einlanzer." He picked up a pile of sand, and let the grains fall through his fingers. This time the sand moved slower, as if time were punishing Glenn for letting the rest of the world move as fast as it had.
Behind him, he heard footsteps muffled by the sand grow louder. "Not one day can I be alone..." He thought, his head lowered.
"Glenn, you and I need to talk," He heard the voice say. Glenn did not turn around. "Your father loves you but he cannot seem to let you go. He knows my destiny as a knight. I am to die in the battlefield with my fellow soldiers. He does not want to lose his entire family."
"Then maybe you might tell me where he is, Dario?" Glenn replied, glancing down to the side as if to acknowledge Dario's presence.
"He is still on his journey for the mythical sword."
"It's been TWO WEEKS, Dario! He is not coming back and you know that!" Glenn said, clenching his fist tightly. "You are just as stubborn as he is!"
Dario approached Glenn clamly, squatted down to his level, and wrapped his hand around his young brother's arm. "You do not understand of what you speak."
"Don't I, though?" Glenn said, with a tear in his eye. "My father is dead after no resolve. My brother denies my existence as if it were of no value to him!"
Dario lowered his head in disbelief. "This grief," He softly spoke, "It is not like the behavior of a real knight." A long pause followed. The water continued to move back and forth on the shoreline, leaving a trail of wet sand every time the water receded.
"Maybe I do not wish to be a knight, brother."
"Now you're being irrational," Dario said, shaking his head. "Our father is not dead yet. He is a strong man, and we are a strong family. And even without him..." He paused and looked at Glenn who refused to return the glance. "We have each other, Glenn. We will always have each other. We will be the legendary heroes we were meant to be: Dario and Glenn! Our names will be famous."
"For now, I suppose... For now, I do not want to call attention to myself."
"Then pay your attention to me, brother. Think of this over the eve. The lord Viper addressed me tonight to stay at the Manor, so I must go." Dario patted the boy on the back affectionately and stood up. His cape moved with the wind, swaying and fluttering as he walked away. By the time Glenn could no longer hear his brother's footsteps, a pure silence returned.
Not long after Dario left did Glenn begin to hear the lullaby again.
Tales, rumors and falsehoods spread around the city like the waves lapping at the shore. Already, two weeks had passed, and no one had heard a single truth about Garai's journey for the Masamune. Was it possible that the sword did not exist? Did he fail his mission? Or does the sword exist, and something worse happen?
Glenn's thoughts trailed everywhere, but his eyes focused on the same deep blue water. The crest of the waves was a glimmering white, and shined just like the blade of the Einlanzer. But that sword was now lost to him. Even if Garai ever returned home, there was no chance to salvage his relationship with his father. Glenn had longed to hold the sword, and had been caught by his older brother a number of times late at night practicing with it.
"What am I thinking," Glenn said to himself. "A piece of metal should not bring about such greed. Not the Einlanzer." He picked up a pile of sand, and let the grains fall through his fingers. This time the sand moved slower, as if time were punishing Glenn for letting the rest of the world move as fast as it had.
Behind him, he heard footsteps muffled by the sand grow louder. "Not one day can I be alone..." He thought, his head lowered.
"Glenn, you and I need to talk," He heard the voice say. Glenn did not turn around. "Your father loves you but he cannot seem to let you go. He knows my destiny as a knight. I am to die in the battlefield with my fellow soldiers. He does not want to lose his entire family."
"Then maybe you might tell me where he is, Dario?" Glenn replied, glancing down to the side as if to acknowledge Dario's presence.
"He is still on his journey for the mythical sword."
"It's been TWO WEEKS, Dario! He is not coming back and you know that!" Glenn said, clenching his fist tightly. "You are just as stubborn as he is!"
Dario approached Glenn clamly, squatted down to his level, and wrapped his hand around his young brother's arm. "You do not understand of what you speak."
"Don't I, though?" Glenn said, with a tear in his eye. "My father is dead after no resolve. My brother denies my existence as if it were of no value to him!"
Dario lowered his head in disbelief. "This grief," He softly spoke, "It is not like the behavior of a real knight." A long pause followed. The water continued to move back and forth on the shoreline, leaving a trail of wet sand every time the water receded.
"Maybe I do not wish to be a knight, brother."
"Now you're being irrational," Dario said, shaking his head. "Our father is not dead yet. He is a strong man, and we are a strong family. And even without him..." He paused and looked at Glenn who refused to return the glance. "We have each other, Glenn. We will always have each other. We will be the legendary heroes we were meant to be: Dario and Glenn! Our names will be famous."
"For now, I suppose... For now, I do not want to call attention to myself."
"Then pay your attention to me, brother. Think of this over the eve. The lord Viper addressed me tonight to stay at the Manor, so I must go." Dario patted the boy on the back affectionately and stood up. His cape moved with the wind, swaying and fluttering as he walked away. By the time Glenn could no longer hear his brother's footsteps, a pure silence returned.
Not long after Dario left did Glenn begin to hear the lullaby again.