The Knight's Eyes

43: THE LAST CHUCKLE

"Kit?"

He blinked a few times to make sure the boy was truly standing before him. Why was he here?

"Alsindad!" Galiathan shouted from afar. He looked over and gasped. Dangling from the giant's arms was his father.

"Father," he said feeling his chest tightening. He ran to the approaching giant.

"What happened? Father are you okay?"

"He got bit by a frostbiter. His condition has worsened," he said quickening his pace.

"Alsindad," his father muttered clinging onto his chest.

For a minute, Alsin slowed down to a stop and stared at his father dangling in the giant's arms. He saw his mother dangling from his father's arms as he brought her into their house on the hill. Within a day and half, she was gone by the dry-scale plague. Being bit by a frostbiter was much worst and very fast to claim life. Sir Demetri had dried up and stiffened hard during the night. It was history repeating itself.

"Alsindad, come on," Grutsha shouted as Galiathan entered his house.

He blinked back into the horrid reality. The gods must truly hate him for them to free his father, free himself from the witch's hold, only to be reunited for his father to die. He forced his legs to move into the house. Galiathan had placed his thin father on the bed he had occupied some weeks ago.

Grutsha swiftly entered carrying her medical aid bag. "Get him propped. I need to clean the wound the best I can."

Alsin and Galiathan propped his father in a decent position. They removed his cloak and the scarf and opened his bloodied shirt. A blood-drenched cloth was pressed against the wound. Alsin's throat constricted, his eyes flooded with water.

"No," he whined grabbing the armchair and sitting beside his unconscious father.

Galasia entered swooshing pass the sobbing Kit by the wall and placed a basin of hot water and cloth on the nightstand. Grutsha carefully peeled the drenched cloth from the wound revealing a nasty half-bite. Alsin couldn't hold it any longer. The tears poured from his eyes. He clung onto his father's cold hands, pressed them against his forehead, and closed his eyes to pray.

Why? Why are you doing this to me? Have I not gone through enough torture? Don't take him away from me.

He didn't know who was listening or if they truly cared. This was injustice to have both father and son free, only to claim the life of one before they had time to be together.

Grutsha continued working. A deathly silence haunted the room. The warm air grew cold around him as he sat helpless to what was taking place. His mind recapped those many times he had cursed his father or felt ashamed of him. His heart sobbed reminding him of every single day he did not visit his father when he was free to do so. His muscles ached in regret for disobeying his father's only wish for him to stay far away from Edrich Von. Now look where it has gotten him.

He and Galasia had found a piece of a lost and scattered puzzle of royal corruption and misleading information. The one fact, which his father's campaigns were based on. And he ignored them like everyone else.

"I'm sorry," he muttered eyes squeezed closed as if this was a nightmare and all he needed to do was relax himself and open his eyes.

Once Grutsha finished cleaning his father up a bit, she forced everyone out. "Come. Let's give them privacy."

"Wait, I want Kit to stay," his father croaked suddenly, eyes slit open. The crying boy's shoulders slouched a few more inches by this request. Once the door closed, he sat on the bed and grabbed his father's other hand.