06-25-2009, 03:52 AM
1)
"What are you staring at boy!" Robin snapped at him, "get the damn spear you worthless sack of-ShutUpShutUpShutUp!"
Daniel took a step back, staring. Robin's last few word seemed to be directed not at him, but at herself.
Robin blinked, looking flushed. "Daniel, I... I'm sorry."
Daniel said nothing. The hostility he'd seen in her a moment before had completely drained away. It was almost like watching two different people.
She sagged against the wall and rubbed her forehead. "I knew I should have told you but..."
"Tell me what?" he asked quietly.
Robin sighed. "You know how... ears run in your family? Well... family runs in my family."
"Huh?"
"Okay um... have you ever heard of Balthus the Black?"
Daniel shook his head.
"He was an alchemist," she explained, "Lived about a hundred years ago, studied black arts, did lots of bad things before the mob finally burned him for his crimes. One of the things he tried to do was discover the secret to immortality."
"Did he?"
"Ha! I wish. Oh, he tried everything, even doing ungodly things to people. To his wife even..." Robin paused. "Emilia didn't know what he was like when they were married. It was a blessing when the mob came and dragged him off."
"Grandmother?
"Great-great-great-great grandmother."
"Ah."
"She's nice, you'd like her."
"Wait, she's still alive?"
"No, her body died a long time ago, but whatever Balthus did... part of her is still here. She talks to us from time to time, my family I mean. Her son too, and my grandfather, and a bunch of others in my family. Sometimes it's pretty crowded at home," she laughed mirthlessly before going on. "They can never rest, they're always around never quite in the world always looking in never part of it. Most of them are resigned to their fate. But not Balthus... He blames Emilia, he blames the king, the people... he's always angry, never stopping, and he gets stronger every year and louder and more...more..."
She rubbed her head again. "He wants his property back, so we made a deal. He'd leave me alone if I got it, but I knew I couldn't do it without help so... I'm sorry I got you into this Daniel. I really am. This was a mistake."
"What are you staring at boy!" Robin snapped at him, "get the damn spear you worthless sack of-ShutUpShutUpShutUp!"
Daniel took a step back, staring. Robin's last few word seemed to be directed not at him, but at herself.
Robin blinked, looking flushed. "Daniel, I... I'm sorry."
Daniel said nothing. The hostility he'd seen in her a moment before had completely drained away. It was almost like watching two different people.
She sagged against the wall and rubbed her forehead. "I knew I should have told you but..."
"Tell me what?" he asked quietly.
Robin sighed. "You know how... ears run in your family? Well... family runs in my family."
"Huh?"
"Okay um... have you ever heard of Balthus the Black?"
Daniel shook his head.
"He was an alchemist," she explained, "Lived about a hundred years ago, studied black arts, did lots of bad things before the mob finally burned him for his crimes. One of the things he tried to do was discover the secret to immortality."
"Did he?"
"Ha! I wish. Oh, he tried everything, even doing ungodly things to people. To his wife even..." Robin paused. "Emilia didn't know what he was like when they were married. It was a blessing when the mob came and dragged him off."
"Grandmother?
"Great-great-great-great grandmother."
"Ah."
"She's nice, you'd like her."
"Wait, she's still alive?"
"No, her body died a long time ago, but whatever Balthus did... part of her is still here. She talks to us from time to time, my family I mean. Her son too, and my grandfather, and a bunch of others in my family. Sometimes it's pretty crowded at home," she laughed mirthlessly before going on. "They can never rest, they're always around never quite in the world always looking in never part of it. Most of them are resigned to their fate. But not Balthus... He blames Emilia, he blames the king, the people... he's always angry, never stopping, and he gets stronger every year and louder and more...more..."
She rubbed her head again. "He wants his property back, so we made a deal. He'd leave me alone if I got it, but I knew I couldn't do it without help so... I'm sorry I got you into this Daniel. I really am. This was a mistake."