Chapters (19)
That was all she said. Then she covered her face in her arms as her bleeding stopped. Her skin was frozen where the blade had touched her. She shivered on the ground until the ghost walked out the air, almost shamefaced.
“The seals are unbroken. I can see no point of entry. Your footsteps start in the middle of nowhere. As if you were teleported into this place. But that is impossible. How did you come here, girl?”
“I don’t know. But I want to go back now.”
She glanced up at him, red-eyed. The [Knight] stood there, regarding her, perplexed. He wavered, and the keen sword in his hands moved.
Cara watched as he slowly inserted it into the sheath on his back. The [Knight] looked at her, grave, thinking. At last, he nodded.
“Cara O’Sullivan. Whomever you may be. I have long since died. My bones are dust. But I was—I am—a
[Knight]. I swore to protect Noelictus in life and then in death, and my blade shall never take an innocent life. I am of the Order of the Shadowed Blooms. Knight-Errant, Ser Dalius Bedornial of Afiele.”
He saluted her, clashing one gauntleted hand to his chest in a long-dead salute. She could have wept.
Thanked him. Done so many things. She was tired. Tired, and lost. She could have burst into tears.
Instead, she raised one finger and gave him a salute of her own.
“Thanks for nearly killing me, asshole. Do you know where the bathroom is?”
Ser Dalius glowered at her. His hand twitched toward his sword. He saw the young woman, the trickster, the liar, laugh and then fall over. In a faint.
“Your tricks won’t avail you this time. Get up.”
He stomped and the sword shot out of the sheath on his back. He turned, caught the blade, and held it at the ready. His artifacts were long gone, but the ghost had a copy in death of the same tools that had given him so much versatility in life.
The young woman didn’t move. She lay on the ground like a corpse. After a second, Ser Dalius nudged her stomach with one foot.
“Hello?”
Her lips were cracked despite the magical water. He listened and heard her stomach growl in the silence. The [Knight] hesitated. Then, slowly, he bent and picked up the young woman. He laid her on the top of a coffin and turned.
What did he do next? Apply a potion? He didn’t have any. What did…what could he do? The man murmured, thinking.
“Food. Water?”
He sighed and rubbed at his face. He was too old for this. Why hadn’t he managed to die properly like everyone else? After a moment, he trudged off into the tomb.
[Singer Level 5!]
[Skill – Echo Voice obtained!]
[Actor Class Obtained!]
[Actor Level 4!]
[Skill – One True Falsehood obtained!]
[Skill – Commanding Presence obtained!]