The night was setting in the stars began to show themselves from the shroud of black in which we call space. Marlo always found it funny that all constellations were was the interstellar connect-the-dot that just so happened to make a picture of an animal or person. Some of those people or animals were seen as deities such as the mystical constellation of the zodiacs, well I guess this would only fall under what was in his book ‘Elbib’. This being because he has never seen a star that was able to be shaped into a fabled constellation, anyhow the mindless rambles of Marlo continue, but would soon be cut off by a messenger that was giving him a pearly white parcel. Inside this white package it showed an envelop with some random assortment of all of his favorite things, it was weird because the only one left alive was him smother, but why would she send him anything, she hasn’t since he got out of prison nor did she give him anything while he was in prison. Lord behold when Marlo opened up the envelop to see another white piece of paper with jet black ink on it forming letters, the first word he read was a name. Well, rather what he called her as a kid which was ‘Mother’ upon reading the note he had seen that she wanted him to come back to his hometown in Baterilla. “This is something I would have never expected to see, I’ll see what she wants. I hope she doesn’t expect me to leave the revolutionaries because this is the funnest things I have done in my life so far and I have people I must protect. I guess I’ll pay a ferry to Baterilla to see my mother.” Marlo would get out of his wool knitted hammock that aided him in looking at the stars and begin to walk to the port to see if any ferries were still open at this time of  night. Finally at the port he sees that there is one ferry there that is departing, hopefully he could pay the ferry more to disembark from where they were going and to Baterilla had no one been on it.

Once there he seen an old man with a top hat and a monocle that had a gold chain link connect to his the side of his pseudo glasses that would rest upon his ear. The man had a magnificent silver beard, his eyes could not be seen due to him having them closed at what seemed like all times, but could still sense the area around him. “Hello my fellow sir, would you like me to take you somewhere of your choice. Seeing as though I have no other customers you should keep me company.” The man was standing his butler-like attire. Marlo perked up,  he was extremely surprised by what the man had said, but his face could not show it. “Yes, thank you very much and on that accord I would like to be taken to Baterilla so I can see my mother.” Marlo looked at the man waiting for his response. “I would be happy to take you, I assume you have the fair money.” The man would ask with his hand out. “Oh, of course.” Marlo would give hi the money required for the fair and they would begin to sail to Baterilla.

The ferry had taken a whole day and it was night time again, he could see the old building at
which he had seen through the tiny eyes as a kid. His memories had began to flood back into his
mind, but he was still unphased by any of this, not a tear dropped from his eye. Upon the stopping
of the ferry Marlo would give the well-dressed man his respects and head to his mother’s house.
While he was walking through the town it seemed that this place had been frozen in time, nothing
had changed, old marks that were left on building never changed or any of the people he passed
and greeted. He was finally at his mother’s house when a sudden feeling of darkness was
approaching, he brushed it off as just some recurring memories that managed to penetrate
through his barrier that he encased his emotions in. Marlo began to knock on the door out of
respect and in a few seconds he heard tapping of the feet getting ever so close to the door. “Is it
you my son!” The familiar voice would say. “Yes mother, it is me. I have come to see you, will you
open the door for me?” The door quickly opened as he uttered these words, he seen a short lady
that resembled him in every way possible. She gave him a grand hug, for someone a small as her
she sure did pack some strength within her. “How have you been Marlo.” His mother would ask in
a soft tone. “Oh, I’ve been good. I’m out out of prison as you can see and now I’m in the
revolutionary army. To be completely honest this past year has been the funnest of all my life and
more eventful than my previous ones.” Marlo was oblivious to what he had said looking at his
mother with a rare expression, it was a smile. His eyes were widened, but his mother’s narrowed
and began to look down at the ground. “I’m sorry for what I had done in the past, but let’s make it
up. Here, come sit down.” She grabbed his hand and brought him to the old dinner table they
used to sit at. “Marlo, before we begin to talk about the past I would like to encourage you to get
out of the revolutionary army and join the marines.” Marlo stood up quickly knocking over the
table. “Mother, how could you ask me to do such a thing? Did you not see the passion in my eyes
as I told you about the revolutionary army?"

“That is no way to talk to your mother now is it Marlo?” A familiar dark voice would say to Marlo through the shadows. Immediately after a whip would crack against his back bringing him to his knees, his mouth agape from the pain. A gasp would come out of his mouth as the leather would tear open the back of his white shirt, Marlo then grabbed his katanas by his sides while turning around quickly to prepare himself for a fight. What he had seen utterly shocked him, it was the prison ward that made his time in prison worse than what it had to be, he still looked the same just as the city did. Blood began to run down Marlo’s back, he could not feel the abrasion due to his adrenaline being at a very high state. His vision began to narrow towards the officer that brought back awful memories and his breathing became irregular, not to say this was a bad thing. His diaphragm was becoming fully filled with oxygen every breath and his body felt numb, but strong at the same time. Such a feeling was very unique to him, but he was going to use it like second nature.

Another strike was beginning to to come towards Marlo, he could no longer control his body, Marlo would jump in the air and swing his sword at an incredible speed that would create a gust of wind that the warden would defend against only moving a couple of inches back from his original position. “It seems you have gotten stronger, but let’s take this outside. I don’t want to da-” The warden was soon barreling out of the door breaking it off of the hinges, he soon got up wiping blood off of his bottom lip. As he looked up he seen a beast with red eyes and foggy breath, “This is how you treat your ole pal Dario, y’know Dario Woods. He would begin to strike once more with his whip. The whip traveled at blinding speeds and broke into Marlo’s skin, Marlo had a rush of sanguine running down his stomach which was shown through his white button-up shirt. Not feeling a thing Marlo would rush Dario with both of his blades halfway drawn to use a skill he hasn’t in a long time...Rashomon. “Aggggh” Marlo would scream unleashing his swords at maximum speed aiming for the waist of Dario, but he wouldn’t take that sitting down. Suddenly the man bursted off of his left leg as if he was using Soru to propel himself until he and Marlo crossed paths. Marlo dropped to his knees with several wounds having blood spurting out of them, Dario seemed to be untouched. Until a couple of seconds from when Marlo had fell, he took a knee as an X-shaped mark tore through his grey uniform and blood began to seep through it.

“So, you’ve gotten stronger Marlo. I guess I won’t be able to take you back to the prison alive then.” Dario would say as he arose to his feet and gripping his whip tightly. “You’re right, you won’t be taking back alive.” Marlo would say as he grips his katanas for what would be the last time. Dario turned around as quick as he could neglecting the damage that he had taken while the whip followed at full velocity aiming right for Marlo’s neck. All of the sudden the whip seemed to be cut into many pieces as Dario was lifted into the air and being cut multiple times. “This is the end Dario and for you mother, I don’t think I can ever forgive you.” Marlo’s mother would run out of the broken doorway and hold onto Marlo sobbing, with a blank expression he would say. “You have betrayed me too many times, I killed him for us and you send me away to prison. Did he have such a hold on you that you would send your own son to prison to rot? This is why till this day I can not shed a tear, I only have brief occasions of smiles and other mild expressions.” Marlo grabbed his mother by the wrist, not to hard, but gripping them firmly. “I’m sorry. He said he would give me a reward and...and…” She put her head down and began to look at her feet. “A rewards… heh...Hahhaah.” He began to laugh a little. “This is what you weigh my life as? A measly reward that you wasn’t even guaranteed to get… I’m leaving now mother, goodbye.” Marlo let her go and walked away with his white shirt having blood soaked through and through being a mixture of his and Dario’s. Into the moonlight he would disappear from his mother’s sight and down on her knees she would fall with tears acting as if they were mimicking her.