FALTER

CHAPTER 6: Who decides what love means?

Falter looked almost comedically out of place in the church. He was staring at the inscription on the front doors. If his helmet wasn't covering his face, everyone would've seen the unbridled distaste forcing a deep scowl to form on his face. Imti had grown up reading these words almost every single day and it still caused knots to form in his stomach.

"Life is the ultimate obstacle in the way of Death"

"Yeah, it sure is."

Imti continued training his eyes on the words on the door. He knew the voice ringing out in his mind, and he had no intention to pay her any attention. Thankfully, he was saved from having to acknowledge her by a woman lightly tapping on his shoulder pad. As Imti turned to his side to face her, causing her to jump back in surprise.

"Ah, um," Her voice was shaky. Imti surveyed her face: it was wide eyed, looking at him in terror. He was used to this expression, of course. Not everybody appreciated being saved by a looming, blood red, spiky demonic form, and most people he tried to help ran away screaming. Still, it hurt his feelings a little more considering the environment he was in. The recollections of the day were really starting to spoil his mood. "Mrs Green is, ah, this way!"

She turned around and started trotting away. Imti followed and, as he looked at the pure white robes she was wearing, his skin itched.

As the timid young woman led Imti inside, his eyes disobeyed him and surveyed the walls of the church. The intricate designs, the scriptures written on the wall, the sermons echoing through the entire establishment - each thing he noticed sent a new wave of shivers down his body. The lump in his throat was now painful - he did all he could to choke down his emotions. It took a lot of effort to not go scurrying out of the church.

The duo reached another set of doors, these ones made of a varnished dark wood. On the other side of it, Imti could hear wailing. He looked at the girl next to him. She was now frowning at the door while bouncing uncomfortably on the balls of her feet. Noticing the yellow eyes watching her, she snapped out of it, gestured wildly at the door then walked away as fast as she could. With a sigh, Imti pushed open the doors. Their creak echoed loudly through the empty room on the other side. In the middle of it was a woman, who seemed to be the source of the noise. Sitting next to her was an oddly still man. Imti could only see his back, but he immediately noticed his complete lack of movement. For a second, Imti wondered if he was a statue, but his attention was whipped back to the crying woman. Her screams were so anguished, Imti felt his heart tighten.

He walked forward, trying to be discreet. His heavy footsteps gave away his presence however, as the woman immediately turned around to face him, robbing Imti of any chance to prepare a speech. He raised his hands defensively in response to her horrified reaction, but before he could say anything, she reached forward to grab them.

"Wh-?" Her voice broke as she said it. "Oh my, it's... it's you, please, please, we need your help."

"I... heard. I'm here to help in any way I can." Imti was trying his best to keep his voice steady, but it was Rachel's mother who gave out first. She buckled and almost fell to her knees, stopped only by Imti's quick reaction. Slowly, he directed her to sit at one of the pew chairs. As she sat there, her sobbing making her entire body shake in waves, Imti shot another look at the man back in the front row. He was still completely motionless.