Hidden Meanings

Beyond Death [Contest Entry]

For UnchainedHeart's contest entry somewhere back in early June. June 12th, actually. Reposted from the actual thing I posted.

June, the 11th:

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The blood spewing forth from Zygrado's eye as the blade cut into it, Zygrado falling ever-so slowly to the ground. The ground was instantly stained a deep crimson a few seconds after he sprawled out upon it.

"Zygrado!" I screeched, whipping around to do what his enemy did to him- drive my knife into my opponent's eye, a rattling shriek soon following as I abandoned the concept of fighting him.

Zygrado's eyes focused on me for a second, but I noticed how his blue-green eyes, usually reminding me of a spider's web- were so distraught.

The pounding in my ears told me that I was too frantic to calm down, that my heart was beating too fast.

His lips twitched into a smile, despite the circumstances. "What....the hell are you smiling for?" I whispered, and his whole body frame shook- he was laughing. A throaty, hoarse laugh slipped through, barely heard.

Zygrado seemed frail. Usually, when most people and I looked at my brother- he was a pillar, taller then most, and packed more punch in him then he seemed. Now his frame was thin, scrawny, like a huddled-up, half-starved child.

People around me, unaware of the silver-haired teen dying and soon to be gone in less then a matter of minutes, went out with their daily fighting. I could feel the blood splattering my hair and neck, but I didn't care at this point.

"....T-To be hon...honest...I was...expecting I'd die...before you..." between bursts of words, Zygrado coughed, the action shaking his entire body. It just had to be one of the days where he dons a white shirt, which he hardly ever does. The cough sprayed across himself and I, dark dots of scarlet liquid now visible on his shirt. Up towards his neck was stained red beyond belief, since I could see the blood still slowly trickling in massive amounts from his injured eye.

His lower torso was, too, coated in blood. A blade no doubt pierced a vital spot earlier on in the battle.

I could feel bile rising in my throat as I brushed his bangs that was plastered to the sticky wound aside, wincing slightly.

Zygrado drew in another breath before bursting into another fit of coughs, each one further coating him and I in my brother's blood.

"Ow....Zy-Zyi...cho that..hurts..."

I resisted the urge to snap back at him, 'of course it does, you idiot! ', before pressing the heel of my palm to the eye, him thrashing for a few seconds before he inhaled sharply through his teeth, settling down.

"And what the hell are you talking about when you're expecting that you'd die before me?" I demanded, and his lips twitched again, the corners of his mouth twisting upwards.

"You've...always been..." he started hacking again for a moment, and I froze till he was done. "more...skilled then me in...avoiding death..." he gave me a closed-eyed smile.

"Dammit, Zygrado, stop talking about it like you're dying. You still need to help me find Ashita!"

"Mother..." Zygrado mused, his eyes focusing on something behind me- something I probably couldn't see.

I screamed at him to shut up, but he merely shook his head before his fingers slipped into his shirt before producing an ashy piece of wood. I stared at it for a moment before bringing out mine, the soot rubbing off and onto my fingers.