Chapter 556 - Moon-hung (1/2)

CHAPTER 556

MOON-HUNG

Rather than sticking around, Lino left right after addressing the hall, flashing a faint smile at Hannah and the rest before departing toward the back wing of the fortress, into a small garden, bushes encasing a petite, crystalline clear pond of water at the center. The night had slowly begun to fall, the bright, full moon hanging far above, casting sets of shimmering, faintly silver rays of light onto the world.

He plopped himself against a ragged rock, taking out a gourd of ale and settling it beside himself, averting his attention onto the starlit sky. Flocks of his black hair swayed ever so often in the wind's rhythm, hiding and revealing a pair of black eyes that seemed lost in thought. It was over, Lino knew – at least for now. The warring, the battling, the endless stream of shadow-encased clouds… were all purged. At long last he had accomplished what he set out to do from a long time ago – create for himself, and those he loved, a peaceful world in which they can do whatever their hearts desire without fear of dying.

Yet, eerily so, he found himself somewhat empty, his heart unsettled. For too long had he been in a constant state of alert and alarm, always expecting a battle to pour cold reality over his dreams, that neither his mind nor his heart were quite yet settled on the idea of peace and calm. This sort of restlessness scared him, perhaps more so than any battle he had fought through and prevailed. The possibility that he was simply unable to imagine a warless life anymore left him feeling cold and hollow, distant from the rousing lights, chatter, and songs that he left behind.

Taking a sip of the ale, he slumped further back, nearly lying on the shallow grass beneath him. A familiar set of footsteps echoing behind and, soon, near him awoke him from his slumber and limpidness, causing him to shuffle his gaze sideways and onto the figure that sat just on the opposite end. Between them, a rough, dirt pavement pierced, circling the flower-encased pond and winding around to the other end, extending past the hedges and onward.

He was still the same, Lino reckoned, yet vastly different. Tall, stalwart, muscular, aged… nothing on the surface of things has changed, but the look in his eyes was different. He knew, Lino realized.

”… Hannah talked to you?” he asked, taking a sip of ale and passing another gourd from his void world to Eggor who grabbed it.

”Hm.” He replied, taking a sip. ”Can't believe you relayed it onto your wife, tsk, tsk.”

”… she volunteered.”

”Of course she has,” Eggor said. ”She's an angel.”

”… she truly is,” Lino chuckled. ”More so than I've ever been, I think.”

”… you used to be a lot more like her, at least,” Eggor said. ”But, whether you ever admitted it to yourself or not, years shaved away at your heart, Lino.”

”… I know.”

”… did you really mean what you said inside?” Eggor asked. ”Or was it just a story for them to fret over?”

”… a little bit of both, I suppose,” Lino said, sighing faintly. ”I've tried… I really did.”

”Nobody said you haven't.”

”… I killed her.” Lino admitted, shifting his gaze sideways, back onto Eggor who met it squarely, the black pair of eyes barely flinching. ”She told you even that?”

”… no,” Eggor shook his head. ”But, there was nobody else that could.”

”… there's a special place in hell for the likes of me, I believe. No… chances are, this is all there is to it. I can't quite reconcile it.”

”… some years ago,” Eggor spoke out after short silence. ”Ella confided something in me.”

”Hm?” Lino exclaimed softly.

”She told me that, one day, you two might stand on opposite ends. As she described it, it was just a 'mother's instinct', the sort of gut feeling… the same sort of the gut feeling that was telling her, all this while ago, she didn't belong with this world. To be honest… I was preparing myself for today ever since.”

”…” Lino remained silent, taking a sip of ale.

”You are our son – always were,” Eggor said. ”And parents stand by their children no matter what they do. You're a father now as well,” he glanced at Lino with a faint smile. ”You already know you'd forgive that little devil everything and look the other way. It's just something we do.”

”… there are limits to everything,” Lino said. ”I'd much rather you yell at me and punch me, old man, than try to rectify what I had done in your mind so you don't lash out.”

”… would it help your guilt?” Eggor asked.

”No,” Lino replied honestly. ”It would help yours, though.”

”You don't need to worry about me.”

”Of course I do,” Lino chuckled. ”I'm an old man myself, now. The sides have switched.”