Fate II

CCXI

"Mama!"

Sikandar frantically rushed to her side as he shook her, his eyes wide with fear and panic. He cast a healing spell but even then, the large, gruesome gash on her back would not heal. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he saw his mother lying there, cold and lifeless. He looked down at his clothes which had been stained with her blood and then at his hands. The world around him began to freeze up and darkness slowly consumed his mind.

"It's my fault...I broke my promise," cold sweat ran down his body as despair filled his eyes. "I didn't stay with Mama like I was supposed to."

He watched as Aegis continued to surround him and the guilt in his heart only increased.

"It's my fault," his body and lips trembled. "It's all my fault."

"Now that I look closely," the man turned Lucy over roughly and cupped her face with his hand, a malicious grin wiped across his face, "she's a rather fine specimen. Had I known, I would've had her for myself. A shame."

Sikandar widened his eyes in anger, disgust filling his heart as he saw the man's dirty hands touch Lucy. His blood boiled with rage as the rukh fluttered wildly around him, his hands balling into fists.

"Well, I suppose some noble will find her corpse enjoyable," he grinned.

Sikandar's stomach churned at the thought of it, his vision now clouded by anger and desperateness.

"Let go of her!" he tried to land a kick on him but was struck down by his sword.

If it were not for Aegis, he wouldn't have survived that blow. He laid there on the ground, bruised from top to bottom. He was unable to do anything. He could only wallow in his own uselessness, hating himself and how weak he was. He had grown arrogant after his fifth birthday, thinking he was no longer a child but, nothing had changed. He was still weak. Uselessly weak. He gazed at Lucy with tearful eyes and the blood which continued to drip from her back. Even in that state, she continued to protect him. The tears spilled from his eyes as he clutched the ground, forcing himself to rise but to no avail.

"M-Mama..." he reached out a desperate hand to her. "Let go of her this instant!"

"Seems like this brat still hasn't learned his lesson," he clicked his tongue and looked down on him as shivers ran down his spine. "But, it'd be a waste to ruin new merchandise so I'll just beat you up a bit. I'm sure you'll sell just as well as your mother he-!"

But, just as he was to strike down again, he stopped midair, his two arms falling flat onto the ground with a thud, the magic artifacts falling along with it. The man stared at his two arms on the floor in front of him and the blood soon rushed forward, gushing out like a fountain as it dyed the stone-paved ground a deep red.

"Arrrghhhhhhh!" he let out a pain-filled scream filled with agony as he stood there, grasping at nothing for he had just lost two arms.

Sikandar stared at him, not knowing what had happened but, as he saw the rukh flutter by, he widened his eyes. But, rather than hope, he was filled with horror as his face paled. With crimson red hair and bright golden eyes, his face was completely dark with anger as he exuded murderous intent and a bloodthirsty aura. Sikandar could not make out his expression but just seeing his eyes alone was enough to make the five-year-old child tremble with fear.

"M-Masrur-dono..." Sikandar gazed at him, his voice trembling.

However, Masrur paid no attention to him as quickly hurried towards Lucy's side. He had run all the way here, relying only on his sense of smell and just as he arrived, he smelled her blood. Seeing her lying there in a pool of her own blood, his world went dark as his vision grew cloudy with anger and bloodlust. Before he knew it, his body acted on its own as he pulled out his greatsword, severing the hands that dared to touch his mistress. He picked her up in his arms and seeing the wound on her back, he snapped.