Garrance Oneshots

Hellfire

"What's the matter with me?"

Garroth quietly asked himself this under his breath, running a hand through his blonde hair. He turned to look over his shoulder, seeing the guests of the church performing their prayers. His eyes landed on his younger brother, Zane Ro'Meave, who was the High Priest of the Church of Lady Irene. He had been ordered by their father to guard Zane, and the pale priest had had his fair share of protests against the order.

The blonde turned away from the crowd, retreating to the upper levels of the church. He walked up the spiraling stone staircase, keeping his head low the entire time. He opened the door to a secluded chamber, where he and his brother would stay before and after the activities. He approached the fireplace, where a painting of Lady Irene was placed above it.

"Lady Irene, you know I am a righteous man, of my virtue I am justly proud..." Garroth began, his deep voice echoing through the room. "Lady Irene, you know I'm so much purer than the common folk in this town..."

Garroth turned his deep blue eyes up to the painting of Lady Irene, taking in her beauty and grace. He held out his arms, the orange glow of the fire before him on the front of his figure.

"Then tell me, Lady Irene, why I see him dancing there... why his smoldering eyes still scorch my soul." Garroth said aloud to the painting, looking into the fire.

In his eyes, the fire was taking a form. The flames bundled together, growing taller rather than wider. It was taking a figure that resembled a human, a male human at that. A long scarf of fabric was wrapped around his arms, with simple peasant clothes. However, nothing about this male was equivalent to a peasant. He was a balanced mixture of handsome and cute, with a good soul that must have been created by Lady Irene herself.

"I fear him, I see him!" Garroth cried as he hugged himself, as the fire began to "dance". "The sun caught in his chestnut hair! It's blazing me in and out of all control!"

Peering harder at the flaming version of the Shadow Knight, his eyes widened as he recognized what he was. He took a step back, a new type of terror filling his veins. He backed away from the fire, the image and heat overwhelming him.

"Like fire! Hellfire!" He cried, falling to his knees as he turned away from the flames. "This fire in my skin..."

Feeling a pair of warm arms around him, he looked over his shoulder to see that the fiery version of the Shadow Knight had emerged from the fireplace. He stood up with it, mesmerized by the realistic look of the flames. He pulled out a cloth from the creases of his armor, a silk scarf given to him by the Shadow Knight. He wrapped it around his hands, stretching it thin. The flaming version pressed his hand to Garroth's cheek, and the blonde accepted the embrace.

"This burning desire...." He said softly, running a finger over the lips of the flaming version. "Is turning me to.... sin!"

Shouting the cursed word, Garroth turned away from the flaming phantom in rejection. The flames withered away in the air, leaving him all alone in the room. Or so he thought at first. Then, out of nowhere, he could feel eyes on him, judging him. He whirled around, facing the figure statues lining the hearth of the fireplace. Statues of holy beings-- Angels, the Virgin, the other pure Divine Warriors.

"It's not my fault! I'm not to blame!" Garroth shouted defensively, holding out his arms. "It is the Shadow Knight, the Demon who set this flame!"

"It's not my fault!" He cried again, this time more desperately. "It's all part of Lady Irene's plan! She allowed the Destroyer to gain more power than a man!"

He clutched the cross hanging around his neck, grasping it so tightly he could feel the imprint of the symbol in his skin. But he didn't care, he didn't even acknowledge it. He turned to the painting of Lady Irene, the one thing that seemed to not be judging him.

"Protect me, Lady Irene! Don't let the Demon cast his spell, don't let this fire sear my holy bond!" Garroth cried at the painting, holding up the silk scarf. "Destroy Laurance Zhval, and let him taste the fires of Hell!"

"Or else let him be mine and mine alone..." He trailed off, as a smokey phantom of the Shadow Knight came from the fireplace.

Garroth opened his arms to accept it, and the smokey version approached him immediately. As soon as he went to hug it, however, the smoke cleared. Behind him, he could hear the sound of a door opening. He looked over his shoulder, seeing his younger brother standing there, his face paler than ever.

"Zane?" Garroth asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Garroth, the Shadow Knight has escaped." Zane sighed, looking down at his feet.

"What?" He gasped, his eyes widening.

"He's nowhere in the cathedral... he's gone." He repeated, taking a step back.

"But how....?" He questioned, before shaking his head. "Nevermind. Get out, you idiot!"

"Garroth--" Zane began, but decided to keep quiet.

"I'll find him." Garroth growled, storming back towards the fireplace. "I'll find him even if I have to burn down all of O'khasis!"

Zane glared at his older brother, pressing a hand to the cross around his neck. He took a deep breath, turning around and slamming the door shut. Garroth looked up from the ground, his eyes filled with rage and a certain determination.

"Hellfire.... dark fire... now Shadow Knight, it's your turn..." Garroth spat, looking at the scarf. "Choose me or your fire..."

"Be mine or you will BURN!!!" He yelled, tossing the scarf into the flames, and watching as it ignited.

Meanwhile, outside of the walls of the village, the High Priest watched as the cloaked escapee rode out of sight on the stallion. Zane knew it was risky, even life threatening, but he couldn't just let something like this happen to the Shadow Knight. Even though he hadn't personally liked any part of Laurance, he still knew that what Garroth had wanted to do wasn't right for a relationship. He knew you weren't supposed to force someone to love you.

"Lady Irene have mercy on him...." Zane breathed as he fell to his knees, looking up at the sky. "Lady Irene have mercy on me..."

Back at the church, Garroth was atop the building in the clock tower. He was on the balcony that overlooked the entire village of O'khasis, practically glaring down at the home he had known his entire life.

"But he will be mine or he.... will...." Garroth began, gritting his teeth as he yelled at the top of his lungs. "BUUUUUURN!!!!!!!!!"

Yes... he was too close now. He was too close to having someone to love, he couldn't lose Laurance now. The brunette Shadow Knight was the perfect match for him, even if he was a creation of Shad the Destroyer. He had locked him up in the cathedral because he was so desperate to not lose him.

But now he had, and he would do anything to get him back where he belonged. He would kill anyone who got his way, even if they were his family. He let out a maniacal laughter, looking up at the sky. Yes... he would do whatever he needed to to get his Laurance back here. He would go as far as to burn down a village, whether it be O'khasis or Laurance's hometown of Meteli.

Garroth would even go as to sin.