Sword Saint Book Two Incomplete Chapter 2 Home Sweet Home
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“You are a Sword Saint.” Sister Emily accused me.
I am?
“I was accused of being one when I first arrived by two old men on a porch, I didn’t know what one was but it sounded right whereas being called a Wizard Lord didn’t feel right.”
“I could be. It sounds right, but I don’t know what one is. Remember, I am still new here and not all that familiar with the religions on this world. Hell, I wasn’t even all that familiar with the religions on my world. Just the basics. And I am definitely not a Saint.” I rambled, I knew that I rambled and forced myself to stop.
She just watched me as I thought furiously for the next few minutes. The prospect of being a mythical figure unnerved me. I stopped and took a deep breath which I let out slowly.
Calm.
“What’s a Sword Saint?”
“A man whose Destiny is to do Our Lady’s Purpose. Called in times of strife to fulfill a specific task. They, you, are the pinnacle of skill with a Purpose. Supposedly, once set upon a task cannot be deterred from his path until his death, and that always comes at a price for those that oppose him that all fear to pay.” She sounded like a book reciting my doom. This was a lesson learned long ago and now coming into play.
What was worse, Sister Emily was serious.
“My Lord, your skill exceeds my own, your power dwarfs my own, I am the most skilled of my Sisters.” She let that sink in. I didn’t even catch the My Lord moniker until much later. She saw me worrying over her declaration and came to my rescue. “My Lord, do you trust in Our Lady?”
“Of course.” I replied automatically.
“Then do so.” Came her soft reply. She left me to my thoughts.
I took another deep breath and sank to my knees. Thinking of what this implied, did Kassandra bring me here to fight the war, was it for something further in time? Did I have any choice in the matter or does what I do come preordained. I thought that I had free will, did I? After hours of thinking and not able to draw any conclusions, I remembered Sister Emily’s last words to me. Either I trusted Kassandra and did so with my whole being or I didn’t. That choice I believed was the crux of the matter.
For me there hadn’t been a choice of whether or not I believed in Her or accepted Her. I did.
I looked up and held my sword out in supplication with both hands, still sheathed to Her. “Do with me as You will, My Lady, I am Yours.”
Her response was glorious, She spread Her Love to encompass me and soar through my blood. Her Love tingled my toes and my nose from the inside. My heart was flush with Her Love. The intensity of Her Power started killing me from the inside out, I knew this but didn’t care. I didn’t have any idea how long this went on, again I didn’t care. If She wanted to kill me with Her Love, then I would die the happiest man to ever live. Her Love was all that I would ever need. I knew that now. Human companionship would make me happy, but no one would ever take her place. This didn’t diminish my love for Megan or Chandra, but it did put it in perspective. I could live without either of them but not without Kassandra. Their absence did and would hurt but I would eventually recover. I could not foresee a way for me to live and not be Loved by Kassandra.
I didn’t know just how long I knelt there but it had to have been hours since the moon had risen fully over the mountains. My eyes burned and I could feel the salt from my tears encrusting my cheeks. I took a shuddering breath and tried to regain my composure. I focused in on the figure that knelt before me and recognized Chandra waiting patiently for me to come back to my senses.
“Thank you for watching over me, love.” I stood slowly, my knees protesting, and pulled her to her feet. I engulfed her in a large hug which she hesitated returning before she gave in and hugged me back. I know that I confused her, I just couldn’t help myself, I needed to share some of the love that I felt. Kissing Chandra on the top of her head, I released her.
“Come, let’s get you some rest, we need to leave early in the morning and I think that your father is waiting for us to return.” We returned to the commander’s house and after washing in all too cold water. I prayed to Her and then retired for the night in wondrous peace.
Chandra did look at me oddly more than once but I let her be, I didn’t feel like elaborating.
I awoke before my apprentice did for once and joyously prepared for the journey ahead. I don’t think that my smile could have been removed with a crowbar. Chandra just gave me that questioning look again and when Sister Emily saw me she just gave me a strange salute and smiled. It wasn’t a complete smile, I knew that she held something back and I couldn’t fathom what it could be, but I didn’t care. I knew that whatever it was, I would deal with the issue when the time came.
Last moving of our group, was Allard. He took one look at me sitting there with a happy demeanor and his face reflected his unhappiness at Chandra choosing me over him. He pulled himself together and greeted me pleasantly and sat across from me and helped himself to some of the fruit and bread that the mayor’s household provided for us.
Seeing that he preferred not to talk, we ate in silence. Postulant Dina came bouncing in with her small strand of her ponytail flapping over her face to announce that they were waiting on the two of us. Everyone else was ready to leave. I chuckled and asked if she had met Lord Allard. She replied in the negative and I formally introduced the two. Dina was her usual shy self and Allard was more than gracious. Dina was a bundle of cuteness and they could do worse than each other.
I left before either could accuse me of setting them up. Besides, I thought that they were made for each other. Both were unnaturally cute, and too nice for their own good.
Grinning and feeling like a schoolboy that stole the cookies when mom wasn’t looking, I snuck out of the mayoral house only to run into a tiny thing with precisely coiffed blond ringlets. I caught her before she had a chance to fall.
“You beast, why don’t you look where you are going? Have you no breeding? You’re huge! Are you one of those ungainly mountain men? You can’t be, you look too clean to be one of them, you don’t even have a beard. I know, you must be the one that killed my brother. Admit it.”
Blink
“Greetings, My Lady. I am Charles of America.” I said wearily. This ball of energy spoke faster as I could think. I hoped that my introduction would stall her. To no avail. She leaped into my arms again, a good foot off the ground, and wrapped her arms around my neck and started kissing me and thanking me between the kisses. One second, she was accusing me of killing her brother, the next, she was trying to kiss me to death. Not that I minded the butterfly kisses that this young enthusiastic woman was showering me with.
I tried to pry her away when we were interrupted by an accusatory Chandra screeching, “What are you doing!”
My five foot tall attacker refused to let me detach myself from her. I certainly wasn’t in a position to use force.
“Go away Chandra, I’m busy. You can have him tomorrow or the next day. Now, where were we?”
Stupid me, I was about to ask a question when she latched on to my mouth and started kissing me hard. She tasted like berries. That’s when she wrapped her legs around me even stronger than before, latching on for all she was worth. I enjoyed the kiss for a few seconds before I set my hands under her arms, slowly started lifting her away.
“Celia, I am warning you, let him go!” Chandra demanded. “and you quit encouraging her,” this last, she directed at me, “not that the little tramp needs it.” The last I barely heard since I became distracted by light nips biting me on the lobe of my ear, while Celia whispered her thanks in a more carnal detail.
Celia’s infection cleared up completely a week before we entered the capitol. The scars she wouldn’t let me see but Chandra assured me that they were slowly fading. I knew that I couldn’t wait much longer for a; very long, very hot bath. It had been four days since my last one at a small town’s inn. According to Allard’s writ, he was supposed to take us straight away to the king, but since we didn’t enter the city until after nightfall, he agreed that we could stay at my house until we were...
We woke, it wasn’t quite dawn yet with the sun under the horizon gently lighting the morning sky. I wiggled out from under Celia’s grip and slipped out of the bed following Chandra as she exited the small water closet. We dressed, quietly washed and left the room without disturbing the still sleeping strawberry blond. Breakfast was a subdued affair, she was too nervous to contribute anything meaningful. “You will be fine, just believe in yourself.” *Mumble. “You’ll be fine, trust me.” I...
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I called to the ladies in the house to come out and assist the slaver with the sliced leg and bring some rawhide to tie up the one that was knocked out. The rest I was sure were dead or almost dead. Kira brought me my scabbard and some bread. I pointed to the unconscious slaver; "Thanks. Make sure that you tie his wrists and his ankles tightly, if he starts to wake let me know if you haven't finished tying him up yet." I walked over to the slaver with the massive gash across his left leg....
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I went out of my way to act like nothing happened the night before with Chandra. She mostly relaxed during breakfast and seemed to let go my teasing her from the previous night until I told her that I needed to check her wounds. She blanched at that. I led her into the carriage and pulled the curtains closed. I peeled the bandage off her face first. It looked like a week old scratch that so far had healed cleanly. I readied one of the bandages that she had brought and replaced the dressing...
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It wasn’t, but it certainly felt like fifteen minutes later when someone shook me awake. I was dry for the first time in days and ravenous. Chandra knelt beside my bed with a bowl of steaming stew, a mug of ale and a large chunk of bread. “Thank you.” She helped me sit up and snatched a pillow from a nearby bunk to prop behind my back. “My Lord, you have to be careful that you do not do too much. If your strength would have given away while on that cliff face, you would have died,” this she...
Home. Here I thought that I was going to have a nice relaxing afternoon. I was greeted by a small flying body that tried to bowl me over. “Charles!” She exclaimed, while wrapping her legs around my waist. “I missed you.” How she achieved a 40” vertical leap was beyond me. “What brought this on, I have been gone for only a few hours?” I said cupping my hands under her bottom supporting Celia. “I just missed you. What’s an hour?” Celia mumbled into my chest. “That’s ok, I guess. Hours are...
"I may not." The Arbiter said sadly. I just stared at her, incredulous. "Then I will." I sheathed my sword and knelt beside the fallen priestess, her hands were covering the wound over her stomach. There was blood pooling from her stomach, and I could see the pain that she was in. I placed my hands on her blood soaked ones and stared into her eyes. "Let me heal you." She shook her head no. "There is no shame in losing, just in giving up without trying. Let me heal you, Priestess of...
I was glad of the short ride back. The same soldier that brought me the horse met me when I returned. He asked solicitously about my ride, not even mentioning the different livery of the horse. "I'll leave it up to you to return this horse and get yours back. Oh, and soldier, thank him for me would you. I was not in the best of tempers when I left." "Yes, Milord," the soldier responded and mounted the horse that I just left. I walked around the house to the exercise yard and knelt,...
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Leaving Kassandra’s Temple interior with a spring in my step, I ran into Emily. “Would you like to go to dinner with me?” “Sure, just let me wash up first.” “Ok, I’ll wait here for you.” I waited while she hurried in to the temple. A few minutes later she came out and I was still floating on cloud nine. “You seem unusually chipper.” She commented as we were leaving the grounds. “I was blessed by Mother Browynn and Our Lady responded.” I gave her a large grin. “Oh, that makes sense.” She...
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We rode at a much faster pace for the remainder of the day. The breaks were shorter, and the time spent walking was cut in half. No complaints came from the girl or from the horses. I still made her keep up her exercises, both mental and physical, for the journey. It was getting to be late afternoon when I noticed that the farms started getting closer together. The terrain was rolling and lush. We did pass one older man on the road, but he scurried off the road and hid before we approached,...
Because of our increased activity, I made sure that we ate very well. This did have a side effect of consuming our food all that much quicker. To alleviate this, whenever we came near a farmer's cart I tried to buy anything that was edible and portable. The farmers, who historically were always short on coin, were ecstatic to sell to me. Since we usually only bought a couple of apples or pears off a cart full of them, we pretty much paid for a bushel and just received the top couple of...
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There was a rude pounding on my door, the sun had not even crested the horizon yet. "Who is it and what do you want?" I called from my bed while I wiped the sleep from my eyes. "Damn your eyes man! What did you do to my garden?" Shouted an inconsolable Lord Grant. I dressed and loosened my sword before opening the door. The effete Lord Grant was fuming. His face was flushed with rage, I thought that he was about to attack me with the defoliated twig in his hand. I saw Chandra peek out...
I stopped partway to Duke Dwayne's estates for a chance to regroup. I looped the reins over a tree branch and knelt. I cried for a few minutes before I settled down. The anger had kept me sane enough to do what I had to do. Now that it was gone, my actions left an open wound. I didn't like it. I didn't have to like it. I knew that I had little choice in the matter. Still on my knees, exhausted from my crying, I prayed. Bright Lady, please forgive me. I felt her sad smile while her...
The horse kicking the wall of the barn that I was leaning against was one of the worst ways of waking up in the morning that I had ever experienced. There was a blanket across my legs and my sword was laid on my lap. Meri was nowhere in sight but there were plenty of other women and children already moving to do their morning chores. I slowly got up and stretched when I noticed that Meri was bringing me a bucket of water and a towel, while Kira was bringing me a platter of food. So much for...
She was alone in his bed when she woke up. She wondered where she was, everything seemed so strange…not a bad strange though. Usually when she woke up it was Mrs Johnson on 147 screaming off her head at her four boys for being late to school again. It was usually to the sound of Clay Brown, the stripper next door practicing his Elvis crotch grabs to Christina Aguilera’s ‘Dirty’. This definitely wasn’t Building 8 on Bertrand Road. It was all so quiet. She’d been here before but she’d never lain...
At least until we went to get our mounts the next morning, that is. We were up and ready before dawn, I sent Meri over to the stable to make sure that the horses would be ready for us to leave when we were done eating. Orlanth and I finished our meal and Meri still hadn't come back, I figured that something was amiss so I had him get his gear and meet me across the street. Instantly, I knew something was wrong when I approached the stable and no one was near it. I could see people...
I reluctantly let go of her hand as she glanced at the door to see who interrupted us. I figured that it was the kids and turned to meet them, Gail was there with the two of them in tow. "Meri, would you take my bags to my room, it is the one on the second level in the northeast corner. Then attend Miss Lori and go where she sends you. You too, Orlanth. After you get settled, I want you to do your exercises, and then you both have the rest of the evening to yourselves. Get some rest and I...
I heard a screech of "What?" coming from the Mother's office, followed by a low growl. I was almost out of the temple before Postulant Chandra caught up to me. Meri and the young petitioner were waiting to enter as I exited. I stopped before Meri, she looked lost and confused. "Meri, I want you to stay here for some training." Her eyes got big and she just looked at me. "You are to stay here and listen to the sisters. There is a set of weapons on my horse; they are for you. Don't...
After the drama of the afternoon, I was wondering what the Wizards would bring. The three of us rode out into the light rain; I could still see the sun through the clouds, so I didn't worry about a pending downpour. Chandra led the way to the guild; it was located on the second level on the western-most part of the ring. I could feel a red malaise encircling the compound, it made me hesitate for a second but I continued on. The guild grounds looked to have numerous adjoining buildings, I...
I now knew enough to get into serious trouble on the dance floor. The carriage pulled up, and I was shooed out the back and told to 'Go practice or something' by Miss Lori. So I followed her instructions and practiced. I was encouraged not to come back in, and they even went so far as to bring me food and drink and a book. Anything, really, to keep me occupied, the household went all-out to get her ready for tonight. Chandra came back looking dirty and tired, so I shooed her off to wash up...
I escorted Megan in, and we found Elizabeth in the sitting room reading a ledger of some sort. I remained standing after leading Megan to a couch. "I need to visit Lady Polyantha. Would it be too much for me to ask of you to entertain Lady Megan for a while until I return?" I asked Lady Elizabeth. She placed her finger on the ledger before she looked up. "It would be our pleasure, Charles. Are you sure that you want to be alone with Lady Polyantha? She does have an unsavory...
Cousin to the queen, damn. "Lord Allard, sheathe your weapons and see to your men. After we take care of them, you and I will need to talk. Just don't do anything dumb, I'd hate to have to kill you." I sheathed my sword after cleaning it off. He looked incredulous but followed my directions. Unfortunately for him, I only left one of his guards unscathed and four with a survivable wound. Two would be permanently crippled because of it, but they'd live. Bright Lady, watch over the souls...
Chandra and I were busy for the next couple of days. The only time we were able to relax was when the tailors came to measure us for the new outfits I wanted us to have. Lady Megan had plenty, according to Chandra, so we didn't have that extra delay. I did not let our schedule interfere with her training; I made plans with the Sisters for us to work on our teamwork. We made it an afternoon at the Temple. Chandra and I needed to learn how to work together as an effective team when push came...
I had a horse saddled for Megan the next morning. "Come, My Lady, I have a horse for you to ride. It seems that the rain has stopped." I bowed grandiosely, and offered her an orchid before she made ready for the day. "You seem to be in better spirits today, My Lord." "Why shouldn't I be? The rain has stopped, and there is a pair of beautiful maidens to ride at my side." I bowed with a flourish to each of them. Chandra looked at me funny when I bowed to her too. "Thank you, My...
Morning breakfast was peaceful. A little too peaceful, I thought. The ladies were going out of their way to be nice to each other and to me. Either they kissed and made up or they were a ticking time bomb. Knowing those two I guessed the latter and I definitely didn't want to be around when it went off. Fat chance of that. The sergeant at the gate was expecting us and presented me with a status report. There weren't any returnees from the messengers that were sent out the day before. Both...
She broke my stare and looked down in shame. "Everything." "Everything," I repeated. She just nodded. I patted the ground next to me and told her to sit. She sat. I laid back down with my hands behind my head and rested my eyes. My shoulder shouted in protest at the mistreatment. "What exactly did you tell him?" I was not all that surprised by her admission. It had to have taken a lot of fast talking on Chandra's part to get him to agree. "That you were a Wizard Lord, that you...
I wasn't sure which was the real Megan, and I would try to figure that out later. It was even possible that it was all just different facets of her personality. I just didn't know. It set me on edge. The first things that I noticed in the mining town on the Fairview side of the mountain were the iron collars. The men in iron collars were quiet, as we rode through town I didn't hear one make a sound. The second was that this town felt off. I couldn't quite place what bothered me, but...
Since I used so much strength earlier, fighting the wizard and then healing myself, I had to put off healing myself again. With Chandra's efforts getting the last of the poison and completely draining the last of my reserves. I didn't even notice that there was some left until I thought about it. I wanted to see if I could heal specific spots, and not use too much power instead of the brute force method that it felt like I had been using. But now that was going to have to wait until after I...
I awoke to the cook moving around in the kitchen well before dawn. I had finally fallen asleep sometime in the middle of the night while sprawled in the overstuffed chair that dominated the main room. She started kneading the dough with the occasional thump against the counter and I think that the thumping is what woke me. I checked my stitches and they seemed to be healing nicely. Cook, that's what she insisted on having me call her, was very generous with her food and gave me a plate of...
I could still hear the rain splattering against the roof above me when I woke. Hector and Armand both snored, and while it didn't bother me much when we slept outside, inside was another matter. I didn't get as much sleep as I hoped, I kept thinking that I left my enhanced hearing on, but that wasn't the case. These two were just noisy. I didn't know why I was up earlier than usual, but quietly washed and dressed. I disliked towel washing in the morning, I never felt clean enough...
I entered the bedroom from the bath wearing only my towel, I found Tara waiting for me wearing a diaphanous blouse that matched her pants. She was about a foot and a half shorter than I was and this girl with her self-assuredness had me on edge. She found another towel and offered to dry my hair. I sent her to see if my luggage had been brought up yet. As much as I wanted her, I didn't feel right doing so now. I didn't oppose casual sex. There were just too many unknowns to this situation....
My irritation with the prince and his inflexibility coupled with his daughter's dumping me left me in a mood. His actions confused me enough that I had no clue what he was really mad at. Fuck both of them. I hoped that food would cheer me up. I needed to be in a decent mood for our mock duel later. It wouldn't be fair to everyone if I wasn't. That still didn't prevent me from wanting to hit something and hit it hard. Tara was waiting for me in my room. It wouldn't be right to take out...
In the corridors of the palace, I passed the prince and he just gave me a quizzical look. I ignored him and I made my way back to my room. I waited to heal myself after I made it to my room because I was not sure that I would survive the aftershock. I carefully removed my clothes and walked into the bath. "Master, what happened to you?" "Tara, would you order some bread, cheese, fruit and ale for the two of us. Also, would you see if you can find me something for sunburn?" "Yes,...
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A gloomy scene had indeed just passed at the house of M. de Villefort. After the ladies had departed for the ball, whither all the entreaties of Madame de Villefort had failed in persuading him to accompany them, the procureur had shut himself up in his study, according to his custom, with a heap of papers calculated to alarm any one else, but which generally scarcely satisfied his inordinate desires. But this time the papers were a mere matter of form. Villefort had secluded himself, not to...
Patron Saint of a hundred hangovers knows the score of the Game. He doesn’t bother with trifles like friends & family, jobs & jabber, he has all the answers in one cupped hand. Sitting atop a glass mountain with a nose of broken blood vessels, he laughs at all the little people below, scurrying everywhere with so little to show for it. When their disillusioned young approach for tutelage he simply slurs. ‘Comeback to me when you can claim Jack Daniels as Kin, grasshoppers. The road to...
With a screech of rubber the Crown Vic fishtailed around the corner, narrowly missing a homeless man, asleep in a box before crashing into a dumpster, sending a startled cat flying over a wall. "You crazy-assed bastard," hissed the homeless man, stumbling, bleary-eyed from his box. "What der fucks with you? Are you high you mutha-" "Get the fuck back," snarled Bumfelt, almost falling from the car door, he dropped his badge and then his gun. "I'm in hot pursuit you box dwelling cunt. Get the-"...
The car slowed down as it passed. The driver, a bald guy with gray stubble on his face, leaned across the passenger seat and called through the window. “Need a ride, hon?” Kristen ignored him, facing down the street as if looking for her bus. Baldie drove on. It was the third offer she’d had since she’d been sitting here. The guys were creepy, but in a weird way she liked the attention. It meant she looked good, and she wanted to look good — for Patty. Of course, at her age, and with her...
I returned to the temple once the carriage was under way, I wanted to find the Mother before she got really angry. As I passed the common soldiers that would normally be training here, they all saluted me with their hands to their hearts and half bowed. I slowed, nodded back and tried to remember faces. I noticed one of the older men from yesterday's advanced class. I walked up to him and pulled out a handful of silvers in a small pouch." Would you see that his widow gets this, and make...
"Why did you decide to help me?" Since I awoke from my poisoning fully rested I didn't need any sleep. Yolanda, my little ball of energy, finally crashed a couple of hours before dawn and I let her sleep until the sun broke the horizon. "Because, you wonderful man, you returned my best friend. When I was married to that..." Her face clouded over. I just held her close. She was so tiny, I was afraid that I was going to break her. Even though she was stronger than she looked. "Megan was...
This story is told from the point of view of two people, Michel and Sally. Each section is prefixed by name. It is written for my enjoyment and hopefully yours as well. —– Michael: They call me Saint Michael behind my back, some with reverence, some with disdain and others with suspicion. All have a theory about my past but no-one knows the full story of the betrayal of my oath. —– Sally: It all began when my husband and I decided to build a family. I stopped taking the pill and we...