Disclaimer: Suikoden is the property of Konami and should not be used for illegal purposes without their permission, etc., etc. You know about this, right? Anyhow, this story in particular has the largest spoiler in the game, so don't read it unless you've beaten the game! Otherwise, you're just taking away from the game!
Started: July 8, 1999 (My little brother's 13th birthday)
Finished: July 8, 1999 (YES!! I actually finished something!)

The Spores of Agony, as the Flower General, Milich Oppenheimer, had called them, were quickly spreading from where he had deposited them on the floor of Soniere Prison. Shattered remains of the glass that had contained the spores seemed to tremble as its deadly contents took to the air. Viktor cursed roundly and stepped backwards from the door Milich had exited from and locked, looking towards Flik. The younger man took this as a signal and moved towards the other door on the opposite side of the room. Gremio frowned and pulled the lever that operated the door, eyeing the spores, then his young charge, Silas McDohl.

"Young Master . . . the door. . . Hurry!" Gremio waved his hand in a gesture for Silas to join Viktor and Flik in the shelter of the corridor. Silas didn't hesitate, taking off in a sprint to get away from the man-eating spores. No sooner did he reach the arms of the two other men did he realize that Gremio wasn't with them. Then the door shut before their eyes.

"My god!" It was Viktor who had made the exclamation, banging on the door futilely. No! he thought. What the heck is he thinking?! "Gremio! Come on out!"

Gremio sighed and swallowed hard before answering, his eyes never leaving the distinct yellow horde that was the largest amount of the Spores of Agony. "Viktor." He tried his very hardest to make sure there wasn't a waver to his voice. "This door can only be opened and closed from this side."

Viktor was a bit puzzled by the scarred man's response. "What are you talking about?" he queried. "We'll get by somehow. So hurry up and come. . ."

"No," Gremio cut him off, "it's too late." He allowed himself to look towards the door, unable to watch as the spores gathered around his standing form. "The spores are at my feet now, so if I open the door. . ." The blond-haired man let his sentence hang unfinished so that the listeners could allow their imaginations to run wild.

Silas, who had been silent the whole time, was beginning to panic. Why, Gremio?? his mind demanded. Why are you doing this to me? Outwardly, he screamed, "Open the door, Gremio!" He moved to Viktor's side and began banging on the steel door with one gloved hand. Flik's eyes went wide; this was the first time in a long time that he had heard such a cry of pain and sorrow in Silas' words. The frantic, erratic way he pounded on the door told him that there were deeper feelings between the young leader and his caretaker that not even he could comprehend.

Despite the numbing pain below his torso, Gremio could still feel his back stiffen at his master's words. Silas' wild knocking on the door almost made him reach for the lever, but he stopped at the last moment. He couldn't betray the Young Master now. Not now. "Young Master," he said, trembling all the while, "for once I refuse to do as you ask."

There was a shocked silence as Silas backed away from the door, falling into Flik's arms. His brown eyes were filled with a horror that tore into him more than Flik and Viktor. This was Gremio. This was his faithful, loving caretaker in all his glory. Long before the Liberation Army, the man had made a promise. To him. To his father, Teo McDohl. Silas stepped from Flik's hands and leaned against the wall, his head bowed as he remembered Gremio's words from years ago.

"Young Master Silas, before you I swear. Master Teo, before you I swear. From this day forward, I will care for and protect the Young Master to the best of my abilities. I will protect his honor, his health, and his mind in any way I can. I will shield him if he turns to battle, I will comfort him for all my words are worth. If worse comes to worst, I will gladly give my life for the Young Master. For I make this swear, here and now."

Silas choked back a sob, staring at the door. It mocked him silently, laughing in its own hideous way. You can't save him! it shrieked soundlessly. He's done everything for you -- he's protected you all this time! You continuously promised yourself that you would make it up to him someday! And now that the day has come, you can't even protect him!! Unable to look at the door any longer, he lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Young Master, can you hear me?"

The black-haired youth's head shot up. Gremio was still alive?? He neared the door again, earning himself a glance from Viktor. The morbid look on the warrior's face didn't suit him. Silas wondered how horrible his own face must be to look upon at this point.

"I'm sorry I can't protect you anymore." Gremio had sank to the floor during the long silence, too weak to stand. He looked away from the spores as they began to devour the bones of his legs and tried to concentrate on speaking. ". . . But now that you've grown up, you no longer need my protection. Young Master. . . You make me proud." He allowed tears to come, remembering the victories he had shared with the young leader of the Liberation Army. Ever since Odessa's death, Silas had changed before his eyes. No longer as mischievous as before, he had grown to have a serious attitude towards the war. The innocence was gone from his gaze. "I wish Master Teo could see you now." It had always been his dream to see the Young Master surpass him, Gremio thought to himself.

Seeing as Silas couldn't get words to pass his lips, Viktor decided to speak. "Gremio. . ." He stopped, not able to believe that his voice was so strained, so pain-filled. Since when had Gremio's presence effected him?

"Young Master." Gremio continued to speak towards Silas, either ignoring or not hearing Viktor's words. The spores were quickly moving up towards his face and chest, making it especially hard to suppress a scream of pure agony. "I think it's time to say goodbye. I can't see anymore." There weren't even shadows to in the blackness he was trapped in, much less anything solid, other than darkness, to steady his gaze upon. "Young Master. I'm proud of you." His voice, even to his ears, was quickly losing its strength. Before he knew it, he would be dead. Death. . . He no longer could fear it, knowing that the Young Master had grown enough to understand his passing. Loyal to the end of everything. He decided to add one last request before he parted his mortal realm. "Promise me you'll always follow your heart. That is my first, and final . . . request. . ."

Again, silence. Silas, believing Gremio was waiting for a response from him, shouted out, "I promise, Gremio! I promise you!"

His cries went unanswered.

It seemed like an eternity before voices could be heard once again. Flik looked up just in time to see Mathiu Silverberg, older brother to the late Odessa, appear in the opening doorway. The man's eyes fell on Silas, whose eyes looked absolutely haunted. "Are you all right, Commander Silas? You were away for so long that I brought the troops along." Silas, although depressed, looked past Mathiu to see a line of Liberation Army soldiers. "What's going on here? Where are the Imperial forces?"

Viktor frowned. "They must have been devoured by the man-eating spores."

The look on Mathiu's face was everything short of shocked. "M-- man-eating spores?" he repeated in disbelief.

Viktor shook his head, too wary from the event before to explain what had happened. "Let's get out of here," he suggested. He looked at his young commander, who was just barely managing to stand. "Silas needs some rest."

Mathiu agreed with a nod of his head and began to lead the trio out of the prison, casting a glance at a discarded cloak and axe in a corner of the room. They looked strangely familiar. . . His thoughts were interrupted when Silas suddenly stepped towards the crumbled green cloak, a strange, glazed look upon his youthful face. Viktor, Flik, and Mathiu all stared at their young leader as he fell to his knees on the cloak, bowing his head remorsefully.

". . . . . . . . ." Silas allowed several tears to come forth, sliding down his cheeks. G-- Gremio. . ., his mind whispered. Why. . .? Why??

Still shivering, Silas picked himself and returned to the group, following them out the door. They had just begun going down the new hallway when Viktor stopped. "Wait a minute." Everyone stared after him as he walked back into the room they had just left, returning a few moments later. He seemed even more sad than he had been before he left as he returned. "All right, let's go."

Silas began to fall behind his comrades as they neared the entrance of Soniere Prison. He removed his glove and stared at the black markings of the Soul Eater on the back of his hand. His gaze went to the ceiling of the prison as he whispered. "Did you hear me, Gremio? Did you hear my words before you died?" he asked, his breathing ragged. "I promised you, Grem. I'll follow my heart as long as I live."

Soul Eater seemed to glow in approval on his hand, like a bright, paternal smile.