Breaking out

III. Chapter 4

"Brother, what have you done?" Ruth asked yanking on Aki's arm till he turned around to face him.

"What I had to do," Aki answered simply, still hidden behind the veiled hat.

"Aki!" Ruth reached under the veil to lift and flip it over the hat so he could see his brother's face clearly.

Aki's face carried a mixture of resignation and determination. A feeling of knowing no other choice and adamant at following through with his decision.

Though, that was not what drew Ruth's eyes, Aki looked exhausted, like the next strong wind could knock him over. It was fare for Ruth to be scared, Aki's skin a sickly pallid, paler than a ghost, even lips lost of blood and eyes surrounded by dark circles so bad they were nearly black.

Ruth could understand the need for the hat, finally, for Aki was someone who'd die rather than show a single weakness. There is no sin greater for him than to appear less than perfect at any time.

The twins had stopped on a desolate path back to the main gate, unused for the most part, surrounded by a thicket of trees. The surrounding was dark and full of the usual quietness of wild.

Yeran and Zeke had left earlier than them and the twins had stayed behind so that they would not be entering the city at the same time, not ready to give even a hint of an a aquintance.

Those two would be meeting with Yor by now, they knew. 'Keep your friends close and enemies closer' sort of thing, as Yeran said. Ruth was not inclined to trust him. Not till he proves himself.

"You, invited a fifteen year old who's hell bent on world domination to help us? Have you lost your mind?" Ruth questioned, desperate.

"Terra is hardly the world Ruth," Aki dismissed him absent-mindedly.

"Aki!_" Ruth cried, "_that was not my question,"

"What do you want me to say?" Aki met his eyes, a plea to stop asking questions written in them, which Ruth ignored.

Call him cruel, but he had to know. Why? Why was he doing this? What drove him to seek help so urgently? Their rebellion army was rising, within a few years there would be enough. If Aki is seeking help, that means there is something more that he is hiding.

"Whatever it is that you are hiding from me. I know you want to spare me, to keep all the worst parts to yourself, but we are a team Aki, we have always been, even before we were born, tell me, tell me so I can help you!" Ruth pleaded, holding both Aki's in his.

Aki stayed motionless, eyes downcast, the hat threatening to hide him again.

"Aki please...," Ruth was not above pleading, not when it comes to his brother.

"He wants me to kill you," it was but a whisper, only caught for the reason that Ruth was not standing a foot apart.

"What?" He asked, even as he understood the meaning.

"Yor, he wants me to kill you," Aki raised his eyes that looked broken, shattered like an abandoned glass, but lit by a glowing fire at the same time. Anguished, but resolute.

"He wants us to disaffiliate completely, he's no longer satisfied with driving wedges, now he wants to tear us apart," the rage in Aki's voice was enoigh to set the world ablaze.

"We knew this was going to happen eventually brother," Ruth reasoned.

"I do not think he wants to kill you, not truly, but when can we ever be certain of his decisions? He's forcing me to choose between you and Nuwee,"