Instead, Arminius appeared amused by his sudden politeness that caught him off guard, cracking a smile. “Arminius Reichner.” He chuckled and introduced himself, which evoked a similar feeling in Julien, prompting him to ask about Julien's unusual behaviour, which was unlike anyone he had met before. “Why are you being so formal?”
Embarrassed and red-faced, Julien stammered while staring at Arminius. However, when he tried to explain his behaviour, his good conscience prevented him from revealing everything, so he made an excuse that might not be entirely false. “I learnt… from my grandfather…” He did not elaborate any further.
Arminius seemed to understand his woes, brooding over what little memories he had left from childhood and looking down at his arm, which was clad from his fingertips to his shoulder in clean bandages, although he could still see the parts of his skin and flesh that had been burned. However much he wanted to, his hand would not move more than a slight twitch. He sighed, not out of misery but disappointment in himself. “Your grandfather must be important.” Having judged the blonde-haired boy on what he wore, it appeared he struck the right mark.
The foreigner realised that his nicer clothing and manner of speaking, which were unlike anything a commoner would wear, made it clear to him that the other boy would not be easily fooled. “He is a statesman… something like that…” Awkwardly twiddling his fingers, Julien added after a brief pause, deciding to reveal more about his background to his newfound friend, believing it would not do him any harm. “I was brought along for a business trip… of sorts… But ever since he went to the capital, I have not heard from him…” His expression showed concern when he spoke.
While Julien wrung the towel dry over the basin of water, Arminius pondered who this boy might be and why his grandfather had to travel overseas for what seemed like a simple meeting. However, the foreigner had not revealed everything yet, and it appeared unlikely that he would do so willingly due to shyness or fear. The wounded boy chose not to pester him anymore and placed a hand on Julien’s knee to reassure him. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s alright.” He hoped to spread some of his optimism to his saviour, which seemed to be the one thing that he needed to hear.
The wind whistled over the rundown frame of the church, and the waves of the sea violently crashed against the shore with fleets of clouds sailing overhead, blanketing the clinic in a slate of darkness. As if Arminius’s smile were contagious, the corners of Julien’s mouth turned upward slightly, having long forgotten how to smile. It was the first time that his face showed an expression other than anxiety and sadness.
Julien felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and the burden of worry was no more, but he felt that it was only right that he should provide the same reassurance to Arminius. “What about your family? What are they like?” He meant no harm, but when he mentioned it, he saw Arminius’s eyes widen with guilt.
His blood warmed, his arm twitched, his breath quickened, and his pupils constricted as he remembered the family he should not have forgotten. “E-Elise…” Stammering, Arminius called out to his sister, whom he had not seen since the morning of the day of the blitz. “I’ve gotta find her…” Blame began to weigh down on his heart as he tried to lift himself off the ground, but the strength of his spirit alone was not enough.
“Wait, your wounds will reopen.” Julien held onto Arminius and prevented him from moving any more than he should. “Besides, there are hundreds, maybe a thousand people in this clinic. How do you mean to find her?” The foreigner attempted to speak some sense into the wounded boy, but he would not listen.
“I have to… I promised her that we’d go to the winter festival together…” Arminius wept, struggling against the fact that his body could not move more than ten paces alone.
Suddenly, his hand slipped, and he lost his balance, falling out of Julien’s arms and harshly landing on the hard stone tiles. His wounds burned like an open flame against his back as he let out an agonising cry. Julien panicked to check his wounds, but luckily, none of his injuries seemed to have reopened, and he let out a sigh of relief, yet Arminius would not cease his futile struggle. No matter how the odds were stacked against him, he spent his energy regardless, and though his stubbornness should not have been complimented, Julien could not simply let him be.
The foreigner clenched his fists and earnestly looked at Arminius, determined to help his friend as he had done that night. “Let me help.” He said in an attempt to comfort the wounded boy, whose spirit finally quietened.
In disbelief, yet feeling subtle gladness, Arminius’s breath steadied after hearing those three simple words. He rested his arms, trembling from exhaustion, and lay back, facing the heavens, before exhaling all the anger and misery that had gathered in his chest. Julien stood up and moved around Arminius before kneeling beside him again with the intention of offering him a shoulder to hold onto, but even in a time of need for assistance, Arminius was wary of embarrassing himself. However, as he had seen him try, he could go nowhere without a friend. He swallowed his pride, and he wrapped his arm around Julien before they ascended together with relative ease. Sitting upright, Arminius brought his legs, numbed by inactivity, inward and slowly rose to his feet with a grunt as Julien took care not to hurt him. Having found his ground, the wounded boy nodded and thanked his foreign friend, but as he scanned his vicinity, all he could see were medics and soldiers flitting about. Julien, however, had long attuned himself to the mazes of the clinic and pointed at the exit from the prayer hall, where they would have a better chance of finding Arminius’s family. Arminius and Julien trudged forth together as their spot in the clinic was immediately filled in by another victim of the attack, taking small steps over the rivers of blood that seeped into the graves beneath the church floor.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKEaYQXWig
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