As the sun went down, and the clouds moved in and began a fierce rain, Karsh heard knocking on the door. At this time of night it was very odd to hear knocking, unless it was bad news. He walked hesitantly to the door, and put his hand on the handle. He turned it, hearing the creak of the old wooden door.
"...Glenn!" Karsh said, surprised. Glenn's hair was matted down completely, as he was drenched in the rain.
Standing from under the awning in front of the house, Glenn spoke loudly to overcome the rain. "May I stay with you the night?" Karsh nodded with a smile, and let Glenn in, closing the door behind him. "Where are your parents, Karsh?"
Karsh led Glenn into the kitchen and let out a chair for him. It was a large room, relative to the other rooms of the house. The kitchen table, which sat near the corner of the room, was square, made from a dark wood. Underneath the table was an ordinate rug, with designs of dragons and swords. Next to the door they came through, there was a long counter that went along the two walls opposite the table. Cupboards lay in disarray as if no one had attempted to clean them, and the sink was full of dishes that appeared used. "Zappa's obsessing over finding that 'Master Hammer' and Zippa's with him. I heard they went all the way to Marbule for it." He paused for a moment. "What brings you here, Glenn?"
"Dario is staying the night with Ri---" Glenn began to say, but held himself back, realizing how Karsh would react. Karsh's love for Riddel only turned into jealousy of Dario. "He's away... Colonel Viper wanted to speak to him tonight, so Dario left for the manor." Karsh stood by the sink, pouring something into two glasses. He brought them to the table, and sat down around the corner of the table from Glenn, who was drying himself off with a towel. Karsh nodded to him as if to tell him to drink the concoction. Glenn lifted his glass and sipped from it.
"This is incredible!" Glenn said with his eyes widened. "It almost tastes salty. What is it?"
Karsh let out a hearty chuckle. "It's a family drink. Used with our own purified salt water direct from Termina Beach. It's made with a fruit that I'm afraid will be hard to find in a few years. It came from the Hydra Marshes to the South. Did you know they weren't always poisonous?"
Glenn looked up. "You know so much, sir Karsh. But you are as young as my brother are you not?"
Karsh laughed again to himself. "You make me feel old, Glenn. I have been an Acacia Dragoon for a long time now, and I have been all over this archipelago, believe you me. Sometimes, though, I wonder. Ya know? What would life have been like had I chosen something else to do? I wouldn't be so in love as I am, I wouldn't know you or your brother, and I wouldn't... Gosh, I don't know what I'd be." He looked down at the table, raised up his glass and took a large swig of the drink. "Life presents itself as choices, Glenn. One after another, like waves coming in. The choices we make... they can even mean drastic changes. Had I not gone out to the shop three days ago, my parents might not have left! Strange, but ya never know. Some things change others you might not think about."
Glenn looked at Karsh. His hair, still dripping wet, covered the better portion of his eyes. "I know what you're trying to say. Come out and say it, Karsh."
Karsh let out a deep sigh, as he portrayed a serious look. "I suppose by now you've heard the rumors." Glenn nodded. Karsh took another drink, and set down his empty glass on the table. "I don't think anything could kill your father, Glenn. His spirit is just too strong."
"I feel that is the problem," Glenn said, right before he took his last sips of his drink. "They say the Masamune is cursed, Karsh."
Karsh took the two glasses to the sink and began to wash them out. "That's what I've heard as well. But no sword, man's or god's, would strike down Garai. But you're right, I feel the premonition, and I worry."
Karsh turned to see Glenn, who was now sleeping with his head resting on his arm at the table. Karsh picked him up and brought him into the spare room to let him sleep. "This is too tough," Karsh said to himself. "Why did it have to fall on him?" Karsh let Glenn sleep, and after he cleaned up the kitchen, retired to his room as well.
The night seemed particularly long to Karsh.
"...Glenn!" Karsh said, surprised. Glenn's hair was matted down completely, as he was drenched in the rain.
Standing from under the awning in front of the house, Glenn spoke loudly to overcome the rain. "May I stay with you the night?" Karsh nodded with a smile, and let Glenn in, closing the door behind him. "Where are your parents, Karsh?"
Karsh led Glenn into the kitchen and let out a chair for him. It was a large room, relative to the other rooms of the house. The kitchen table, which sat near the corner of the room, was square, made from a dark wood. Underneath the table was an ordinate rug, with designs of dragons and swords. Next to the door they came through, there was a long counter that went along the two walls opposite the table. Cupboards lay in disarray as if no one had attempted to clean them, and the sink was full of dishes that appeared used. "Zappa's obsessing over finding that 'Master Hammer' and Zippa's with him. I heard they went all the way to Marbule for it." He paused for a moment. "What brings you here, Glenn?"
"Dario is staying the night with Ri---" Glenn began to say, but held himself back, realizing how Karsh would react. Karsh's love for Riddel only turned into jealousy of Dario. "He's away... Colonel Viper wanted to speak to him tonight, so Dario left for the manor." Karsh stood by the sink, pouring something into two glasses. He brought them to the table, and sat down around the corner of the table from Glenn, who was drying himself off with a towel. Karsh nodded to him as if to tell him to drink the concoction. Glenn lifted his glass and sipped from it.
"This is incredible!" Glenn said with his eyes widened. "It almost tastes salty. What is it?"
Karsh let out a hearty chuckle. "It's a family drink. Used with our own purified salt water direct from Termina Beach. It's made with a fruit that I'm afraid will be hard to find in a few years. It came from the Hydra Marshes to the South. Did you know they weren't always poisonous?"
Glenn looked up. "You know so much, sir Karsh. But you are as young as my brother are you not?"
Karsh laughed again to himself. "You make me feel old, Glenn. I have been an Acacia Dragoon for a long time now, and I have been all over this archipelago, believe you me. Sometimes, though, I wonder. Ya know? What would life have been like had I chosen something else to do? I wouldn't be so in love as I am, I wouldn't know you or your brother, and I wouldn't... Gosh, I don't know what I'd be." He looked down at the table, raised up his glass and took a large swig of the drink. "Life presents itself as choices, Glenn. One after another, like waves coming in. The choices we make... they can even mean drastic changes. Had I not gone out to the shop three days ago, my parents might not have left! Strange, but ya never know. Some things change others you might not think about."
Glenn looked at Karsh. His hair, still dripping wet, covered the better portion of his eyes. "I know what you're trying to say. Come out and say it, Karsh."
Karsh let out a deep sigh, as he portrayed a serious look. "I suppose by now you've heard the rumors." Glenn nodded. Karsh took another drink, and set down his empty glass on the table. "I don't think anything could kill your father, Glenn. His spirit is just too strong."
"I feel that is the problem," Glenn said, right before he took his last sips of his drink. "They say the Masamune is cursed, Karsh."
Karsh took the two glasses to the sink and began to wash them out. "That's what I've heard as well. But no sword, man's or god's, would strike down Garai. But you're right, I feel the premonition, and I worry."
Karsh turned to see Glenn, who was now sleeping with his head resting on his arm at the table. Karsh picked him up and brought him into the spare room to let him sleep. "This is too tough," Karsh said to himself. "Why did it have to fall on him?" Karsh let Glenn sleep, and after he cleaned up the kitchen, retired to his room as well.
The night seemed particularly long to Karsh.