Chapter Nine

  Part Seven

  “Ali, can I ask you to do something for me. Without you questioning me at all?” Line asked.

  “I guess it depends on what you want me to do” Ali said.

  They were back at Candour Monastery, playing chess in Line’s room. Well Line was playing chess, she had no idea what Ali was doing.

  “I need some of your blood”

  Ali frowned “Why?”

  “Ali, I said no questions”

  “Sorry”

  Line moved a Knight to defend against a Bishop “Can I borrow some of your blood?” Line asked again.

  “How much?” Ali moved her last Castle randomly.

  “Just a drop will be fine”

  Ali nodded “Sure” She then moved a Pawn forward.

  “Ali, it was my turn”

  “Oh, sorry” Ali then moved the pawn back to its original position “But Line, I really need to know. Why do you even need a drop of my blood? I know you said not ask, but how can I not ask? I’m curious now”

  Line paused “Please don’t be mad at me...” Line then moved one of her Castles to take out one of Ali’s Knights.

  “Hey! My horse!”

  “Knight, Ali. It’s called a Knight” Line sighed “Me and Vax’dian have been working on something together-“

  “OoooOoooo, I bet you have” Ali giggled to herself.

  “Stop, stop that. Ali I’m serious”

  “I bet you are” Ali continued to tease.

  “No, Ali. I mean a case, a case”

  Ali stopped her giggles “What case?”

  “You know that green powder that you wanted to steal...?” Line then explained everything to Ali, except for Line's connection to the colosseum. That, Ali didn’t need to know.

  “So why do need my blood?”

  “That, I really can’t say. Just trust me, please”

  “Line, I do trust you. That’s not the reason I’m asking. I’m asking because I’m curious”

  “I know. But I truly can’t tell you”

  Ali hesitate “Fine, I’ll stop asking”

  “Thank you”

  Ali then moved her Pawn again.

  Line opened her desk drawer where her vial of Miracle Elixir should have been, but when she looked, it was missing. Line stared blankly at the spot that now lay empty, maybe she should’ve been angry but all she was filled with was a steady growing annoyance.

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  “Ali, never mind. I don’t need your blood anymore” She then closed that draw “Do you know if anyone has been in my room?”

  Ali shook her head “I’ve been with you the past few days, so I don’t know”

  Line sighed “It’s fine”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The Miracle Elixir is gone”

  Ali’s eyes widened “Will your boyfriend be mad?”

  “He’s not-!” Line took a breath, now the anger was showing itself “I’m going to get some air” she stood.

  “But wait, what about our game?”

  Line looked down at the chess board “Check mate” She said as she moved a Bishop one tile over.

  *

  Line gazed at the crystalline sword in her hands and slowly unsheathed it. She remembered watching her father practicing with this sword, along with his two loyal guards. All three of them dodged when necessary, parried when necessary, and attacked when an opportunity to lunge arose. They were quick, and they were strong enough to hold back their swings as to not deal any major damage to the others.

  She picked up a fallen stick and copied her father’s movements, she would’ve been around eight at that time. So a wooden stick was just as good as a steel sword. She swung this stick widely, without constraint. Without any understanding on how to actually use a sword. She lunged when her father did, guarded when her father did, and parried when her father did.

  She got to the point where she wasn’t watching her father anymore, instead she was playing with a playful vigour.

  “Liliene”

  Her head snapped up, her father had called her. She hid the stick behind her back, but of course a child of that age thought that nobody saw the stick at all.

  Her father smiled, whispered something to one of his guards who then nodded and headed inside the stone brick manor.

  When she thought no one was looking, she dropped the stick and moved up to her father “Yes, father?”

  He laughed, took a knee so he could look into her eyes and said “Do you like sword fighting?”

  She gave a shy nod.

  He laughed again and tousled up her hair with his hand “I’ve got you something”

  The guard who went inside came back out into the courtyard. Here was carrying something “My lord” he handed it over to her father.

  “Thank you, Vesper” he turned to face her “Here” He held out a wooden sword, the handle of which was wrapped in a light pastel blue material.

  She beamed and very gratefully took it.

  Her father put on a very sarcastically stern face “Just don’t tell your mother”

  She shook her head vigorously “I won’t. I promise”

  The other guard, Semper, his name was, smiled “You’ll be just like your father when you grow up. Sarcastic, untruthful, and a great liar”

  Vesper rolled his eyes.

  Her father raised a finger “Go get five canes”

  “What? Why?” Semper asked.

  “No daughter of mine will ever become any of those things”

  “But she’s already taken after you in many ways”

  “Get another five”

  “My lord...” Semper moaned.

  She raised her sword high and whacked it uselessly across her fathers shoulder “I’ll save you from this monster!” She shouted heroically.

  “Monster?” Her father quietly asked.

  Semper rushed behind her, using her as a shield “Quick hit it again, it’s not dead yet!”

  She hit her fathers arm this time “Take that”

  Her father stood and roared, playing the part of monster exceptionally well.

  Both she and Semper yelled “Run!”

  Semper pointed towards Vesper “Hold it off, while I protect this young lady!”

  Vesper rolled his eyes again, but still moved in between her father and them “Halt, foul beast!”

  She laughed as she pulled Semper along with her, and ran with her two loyal guards as they defended against the monster chasing them.

  Line smiled, as she followed the movements her father had made all those years ago. Her movements way more confident, and controlled. A far cry from how she once copied her father. As she moved, the sand underneath her stirred. And a light haze of white flew around her feet. If a passer-by would see this display, they would marvel at its beauty.

  Seether hummed in her grip, she wondered how long ago Seether had been wielded last like this. And she wondered if her father missed this sword.

  There was a clapping sound, Line looked up to see Arasha leaning against the pagoda fence.

  “I didn’t know you could use a sword, Line. Where’d you get it from?” Arasha asked.

  Line immediately halted her dance “Arasha, perfect timing. I was just about to look for you”

  “Oh? Why so serious?”

  “There’s something you should know, and after I tell you, I wouldn’t mind some help”