Chapter 11: Torment

"Cedra, go upstairs." Alphonse repeated himself. Cedra looked at him with a sincere gaze, unsure of what to do.

"Cedra, leave, I need to teach this boy something." Raeloph said. Cedra's heartbeat quickened, and her stomach began to twist as she became nervous as to what was about to happen.

"Wh-what are you going to do?" Cedra asked.

"That doesn't concern you." Raeloph said angrily.

"Cedra, I will be fine." Alphonse said to her. Cedra reluctantly began to walk away. When Cedra left the room, she stayed nearby, just behind the door.

"So, you think you can defy me all of a sudden, just because I let you out early?" Raeloph asked angrily.

"Do what you want to me, but don't touch her, you should know this!" Alphonse yelled. Raeloph walked to Alphonse and picked up the bo staff.

"You can't protect someone from society." Raeloph said.

"No matter the society, it can be changed, our current society may be based on strength, but what if I change that?!" Alphonse asked with an angry tone. Raeloph swung the bo staff and hit Alphonse in the back. Alphonse fell to the ground and took a sharp breath.

"You think you can change the mind of the humans? No, you couldn't even change the minds of the man-beast tribes and they're barbaric creatures!" Raeloph yelled. Raeloph swung the bo staff again and hit Alphonse on the back of the elbow. A crack was heard as a pained grunt was released from Alphonse's mouth.

Alphonse gasped for air as he worked past the pain. "I don't know what a man-beast is, but if they're barbaric, they won't like change, and the humans accept change all the time!" Alphonse said, holding back his pain. Raeloph's expression became angrier.

"You know nothing of our allies and yet you claim to know so much of our enemies, how would you have any information, you can't even read!" Raeloph yelled as he swung the bo staff onto Alphonse's back, forcing Alphonse completely to the floor. Raeloph walked over to him and picked him up by his clothes, which have several holes from being burnt.

Cedra slammed the door open. "Please stop!" She yelled with tears in her eyes. Raeloph tossed Alphonse the opposite direction of the door and picked up Cedra by the arm.

"This is what you are protecting? Tell me why?" Raeloph said as a slight grin appeared on his face.

"You already know!" Alphonse said with a loud voice. Tears were rolling down Cedra's cheeks as she groaned in pain.

"Please stop! It hurts!" She yelled. Alphonse looked up, unable to do anything.

'My spine too to much damage, I can not even move my legs and my right arm is broken...' Alphonse thought to himself. 'This is likely part of the negative of resurrection...' He continued. Tears began to form in Alphonse's eyes.

"You're hopeless." Koyuki's apathetic voice rang in the back of Alphonse's mind. "You still have your left arm, just use that." She said as if it was the obvious answer. Alphonse looked up and moved his left arm in front of himself and started to drag himself closer to Raeloph.

"Brother...! Please, help!" Cedra screamed as a crack was heard from her forearm. Tears came from Cedra's eyes faster than before as she began crying uncontrollably. Alphonse continued to drag himself to Raeloph. Raeloph dropped Cedra and kicked her chest, causing her to begin to gasp for air, and Raeloph picked her back up. Alphonse began to drag himself faster and reached raeloph.

"What kind of father are you?!" Alphonse asked as he bit Raeloph's calf. Blood trickled down to Raeloph's ankle as Alphonse bit harder. Raeloph threw Cedra to the wall, causing her to gasp and begin to hyperventilate. Alphonse's jaw released immediately as he began to crawl to Cedra. Raeloph walked over to Alphonse and picked him up by the hair.

"Where do you get off talking to me like that? You're lucky I didn't kill you two when you were born!" Raeloph yelled angrily.

"And you were more of a father then, than now!" Alphonse responded. Raeloph's expression became angrier tan before and he threw Alphonse at the weapon rack. Alphonse hit the wall and one of the spears pierced through his stomach. Alphonse quickly lost consciousness, not from pain, but from exhaustion.

Alphonse woke up in pain, no one was nearby this time. In an instant, Alphonse ignored his pain and looked over to see Cedra resting peacefully. 'She seems to be breathing.' Alphonse thought to himself as he became relieved and passed back out. When he woke up again, Cedra was sitting next to him, mostly healed.

"Mom! Mom! He's awake!" Cedra said enthusiastically. Quickly, Edrit walked over and looked to Alphonse, as if waiting for a question.

"How long was I sleeping?" Alphonse asked.

"No more than nineteen hours. You probably don't remember, but when we found you you were barely conscious and told me to heal Cedra first." Edrit said.

"I can see you did, thanks." Alphonse said.

"Brother... When father grabbed hold of my wrist I couldn't bear the pain, but when he bent your elbow you withstood it, do you usually have pain like that?" Cedra asked in a concerned voice.

"It is nothing, do not worry." Alphonse responded. Cedra's eye became teary.

"It does matter because father said the only reason I am not experiencing pain like that more often is because you take it for me!" Cedra yelled as she began crying.

"Do not worry, because I am used to it." Alphonse responded.

"That doesn't matter! You're taking on so much and I didn't even know the half of it!" Cedra yelled slightly quieter than before as her voice began to quake. "Every time I think of that pain, my arm begins to hurt just as it did before, how do you deal with it?" Cedra asked as her tears began to roll faster.

"I do not think about it." Alphonse responded simply.

"I-I think it's time we let your brother get some extra rest, Cedra." Edrit said as she picked Cedra up and carried her away. Cedra could be heard crying for the next few minutes as Alphonse drifted back to sleep.