I quickly took the arrow that slipped trough that small hole on my window and just barely hit my head. It had a paper attach to it, “Elfien!” and just in time. May's sword was already a light in bright divinity as she slammed open the door. Good thing we didn't have any renter cause that slam was ear shattering loud and that the door didn't broke down, we don't need unnecessary repairs.
“What was that!?”
“I'm fine! I'm fine! No arrow went through.”
I said while crumpling the paper missive and putting it inside my pocket while I followed her as she opened my window.
“Sons of a cow chaser!”
It was like a hundred arrow pinned on the wood of the frame and not counting the ones that fell when she opened the window.
“This is an clear as day! This is an attack! The mayor nor the church will save their necks this time!”
She proclaimed as she plucked one arrow and crushed it in half.
“I don't think it's them, I mean it could be anyone”
I said trying to save their asses. Even if...
“Elfien, I know they're your friends, somehow, but hitting your window with that many arrow! Great friends, no!? I'm sure they don't want to hurt seeing how they intentionally hit the wooden beams. But still! ”
She then covered her eyes.
“There's still a possibility! Ok!”
She made a small sniff and looked at me.
“Now, you're not hurt right.”
Putting the glowing sword down, she held my chin then inspected from the back of my ear to every side and head to toe.
“I told you, I'm fine.”
I smiled at her, calmly telling that if I would never lie if I get hurt.
“Alright,”
Picking up the glowing sword and placing it besides my bed.
“May?”
She sat on my bed and placed a pillow on her lap.
“Come on,” patting my bed “It's way past you're bed time now, you do want to learn how to defeat Katherine right?”
“Um... Yes, but I also want to sleep alone.”
She's paranoid like mom.
“Well, would you prefer that I sleep on the floor then?”
She crossed her arm.
“I would prefer that you sleep on your own room.”
I pointed to her to the exit.
“Elfien! Sleep!”
“Y-yes, Ma'am.”
With that tone, I can never disobey. I rested facing of my right, it was soft, a bit bumpy, and familiarly cozy. What's more, the light on the sword was turned to a dim, nightlight like dim.
I would die in embarrassment if Neil, Roland, and Allan see's me like this. But...
“Goodnight.”
I said, closing my eyes. After which I could feel the blanket slid to my shoulder, then a warm peck on forehead was given to me followed by hand that gently caressed my hair.
“Goodnight.”
She replied in a small sniffle.
****
It's been an hour now and her hand never seems to falter at gently brushing my hair. She still awake, that's for sure, until...
“*Snoore!*”
I scooted a bit and dodged her hill. A drool was straddling on her lips and her hands were moving like it has its own mins. How, I did not ask, but what I did do was took the pillow and laid her in bed. I then stretched her folded legs and tucked her with the blanket.
I took one pillow and readied myself to sleep on the floor.
“Hey!”
She pulled me in the bed.
“Mom! You're awake aren't you!?”
Even if she's drooling and snoring there's no way that this would happen.
“Hmmhmm...”
Her brow furrow down when I squirmed out her grasp.
“M-May! May! M-mom!!!”
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I tapped her hands as she crushed me further in that hug.
“Elfien...”
****
Like all guards, the fool's guard can be exploited in some ways, early that morning May showed me the obvious weaknesses and the subtle ones. Of course, since Katherine was an expert of this guard she knows the obvious weaknesses and how to use that to her advantage hence my knockout montage yesterday.
That's why on such a morning where stars and darkness still reign the sky May taught me the subtle weaknesses.
Every step, every turn of my wrist to swing the wooden sword to it's correct angle, and to the mistakes that I remember and corrected came to the real test when Katherine arrived hours since me and May started training.
The sun has dethroned the darkness and sat in the middle of the sky looking down on me and Katherine. Even when I took a break, and we didn't clash sword my while body was already wet in perspiration. Indeed, wearing a helmet, greaves and gloves, iron boots called sabaton and inside this thick sweater like garment called gambeson, on such a hot day and hours of training.
Only when May left did she told Katherine to go easy on me. Hence she only wore her helmet, gloves and gambeson; not the full armor she wore yesterday.
“No! Don't go easy on me!”
I said to Kath when May left.
“Sorry, kid. Orders from the captain.”
After that she shut her visor and didn't respond to me.
“Fine.”
I'll do my best and won't care if she's a woman.
*****
The training ended when, I beat Kath once, albeit after five times getting baldly knocked out.
“Haha. You really something! ”
I hear her huff as we went to the barracks to return the armor and wash up, May is late today.
“Yeah, getting knocked out five times on a person going easy on me is something.”
And that was in the course of hours of doing my best effort to beat her.
“Yeah, its better than yesterday, but... I don't think I can be good as you or the the other newly promoted soldiers.”
And they are considered newbies, as May told me.
After removing my helmet, Kath rubbed my hair.
“Why does every one keeps rubbing my hair? I'll cut my hair to a bald if this on happening!”
“I don't know we just like it. Plus look, your frown is gone. Chin up ok.”
Her smile was ecstatic.
“No, I'm just telling the truth.”
I removed gloves and felt heavier as I did that. Feels like I got a 40 on a English 100 question exam with four hours time limit.
“Ah, I've known that feeling too, you know. You thought you did your best but it didn't make the cut in the end. But believe me!”
She tapped me.
“You're more than what you think. I promise in the end you would see how much you've gone far.”
I hope so. At this rate I don't think my skills will be enough when I get out of here. Unlike Neil, Roland, and Allan, even when they have such powerful abilities they seemed to have improved it.
Last night, when those arrows were shot, my best guess is Allan who made those quick precise shots.
They were given powers in our first days here, yes, but I think they were clumsy with it. But, only after a few weeks they improve their skills while I'm still not out of the basics.
Maybe I should really get that blessing, maybe May will forgive me when she sees how much I can improve.
I'll talk to her later. Right now, the butter I ate this morning is making my stomach want to go in that hell.
****
It was first time in a house built almost primarily of stone and wealth. It was three story tall, a small garden was in front, with a spiked fence surrounding it's slice of land and keeping the people out. It felt like we weren't in the city Ellena as the hours past by.
“Do you hate the church?”
We've been sitting on the lobby for quite a while now, May's tapping foot have would surely dent the floor at any moment.
“Elfien, whatever the arrogant, scheming friend of yours wrote to you on that arrow don't believe in them, and no. I'm a servant of the goddess and her church, and me and Serafina are long... Too long... Friends. ”
A heavy sigh came after that.
“Um...”
She must be taking about the decoy messages written on leaves.
“No, I um... Want to know why you don't want me to go there.”
“We did went there on your first day of training. Remember?”
“So, I can go there later then.”
“Elfien, what's all of this about? Say it to me bluntly please. Why do you want go there?”
“For my blessing, of course, so that I can be quicker, stronger, then maybe in a smaller time frame I can improve...”
“Elfien.”
She stopped her tapping and cocked an eye at me. Stern... I felt engaged and felt a fight was about to happen when she clutched her fists.
“There will be a times when adventures will find their powers gone; unable to use at the most dire needs, without them, they are nothing in this world. I have seen many young adventurers had their blessings cut away from them for a second and die by tripping over their absurd sword. Do you think me or your ancestors relied on the blessing of the goddess alone? No. We trained Elfien, we trained, and hit a pole like our life depended on it.”
‘No warrior will be great without hitting and dodging a pole.’
Was her saying for me in training. Just like mom, or perhaps any mother, one simple question leads to a hefty and long lecture about the past and how easy we have it.
The sword or sword of Ellena is the only thing makes her powerful and equal footing with any adventurer. She told me that the sword's powers were only used when the situation is truly dire for the user of the sword. It will grant her strength, endurance, any power she desires, and incredible healing. The only condition is that sword must be used in the hands of an Ellenan bloodline, or when a person was permitted to use that power by an Ellenan bloodline.
“Which is you, deary.”
She said.
“I would rather have you trained and earn a scar through your stupidity in training rather than be scared for being a stupid adventurer who charges and kills without thinking, alright.”
Placing her hands on my shoulder I couldn't say that I still went those powers to protect her without the use of her sword.
“Bravo! May! Well said May!”
We saw a tall man removing his black coat to a servant as he walked towards us clapping and filled with praise. I don't know if it was genuine or sarcastic.
“About time!”
She murmured as she stood up, rush to him with small yet quick steps and confronted the man with a clenched fist. I followed her besides her ready to be a blocker once things spiral out control.
“You're were always good at making speeches, as always, care to be my wife?”
“Ronald! I want the adventurers hanged!”