September Swords

Like all things, the hug eventually ended. Mother found her way back to her seat, and I found myself sitting on Asra's lap once again. For a moment, I wondered why I kept finding myself in this position, but then I stopped because I didn't really mind. It felt nice in a way I didn't know how to explain. Though it was a little awkward eating like this.

After Mother silently made the third chair vanish, we ate quietly for a few minutes. My mother was the first to break the silence. Asra and her were having a chat, but I wasn't paying attention. 

I was a bit lost in my own thoughts. I had one thought on my mind and was trying to decide if I should say it. With a pulse of warmth from the ethereal hug, the words spied from my mouth. "If my meeting with the first princess doesn't go well, would you help me flee the country?"

Mother stared at me like she had no idea how to respond to what I had just said. I could feel Asra's eyes on me as she squeezed me tighter. Just as I was beginning to worry I had asked for too much, Mother spoke.

"Of course! I don't think you'll have to worry about that, but if you need to leave, we can get you somewhere safe with the teleportation array." she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I felt myself freeze up. I hadn't expected her to be so willing to help. How was I supposed to respond to this? Do I thank her?

"Teleportation array?" Asra asked, her tone of voice becoming severe.

"Yes, all the temples of Eluna are linked by a series of teleportation circles." Mom answered casually. 

"Why is this not in the guard's records?" Asra asked, her voice dripping with annoyance.

"I'd assume it's because the temple is older than the city." again, Mother spoke like this was something that was obvious.

"How old is the temple?" I asked as Asra mumbled about an unregistered entrance to the city.

"About 3,473 years old. It's the oldest standing temple of Eluna on the continent." Mother replied with a light smile.

"Wow!" I had no idea the temple was that old. There weren't many things that old left on Flane. Many things were burned in Nezrel's crusade.

"Burn away the rot." I drooped my fork as the crone's voice echoed in my mind. As the fork hit my plate, I felt two sets of eyes settle on me. Mother had a concerned look on her face, and even without seeing it, I knew Asra had a similar expression on hers.

"Is everything alright?" Mother asked. I must have looked worse than I felt because she sounded really concerned.

As I tried to answer, the words died in my throat. Seeing that I wasn't going to say anything, Asra spoke. "Was it the voice?" I nodded, and Asra explained everything she knew about the voice to Mom.

"What did it tell you?" Mother asked, looking much more concerned.

Finally finding my voice, I answered. "It told me to burn away the rot."

"Are you having any strange dreams or anything?" She asked, seeming a bit more panicked.

"I'm not sure. I don't really remember my dreams." I told her, hoping that wasn't the wrong answer.

Mother let out a loud sigh. "The only thing I can think of that wouldn't have been picked up by Tetra's scan would be a benevolent spirit. Something similar to my connection to Eluna."

That was a bit reassuring. "Is there a way to find out who the spirit is?" I asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

"You could try asking them." That fledgling hope was crushed by Mother's words. "I mean, most of the time, the spirit wants their host to know who they are."

"Oh, okay." I said, sounding exhausted. No matter how many questions I get answered, I just have more and more questions.

The majority of the rest of breakfast was seen with light chatter going back and forth between Asra and Mom. I didn't have anything to say, so I just sat there listening to them talk.

As we finished breakfast, Mother looked me in the eyes. "So you said you have a meeting with the first princess. Would you like me to be there? She knows what I am."

Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. The princess knew what she was. The princess knew she was a Demon Blade! Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as I thought.

"I'd like that. If you can make it. I don't know when it is, and I don't want to be a bother if you're busy." I told her sheepishly.

"Don't worry about me being busy. The only thing on my schedule for the foreseeable future is reconnecting with my daughter." Mom said with a smile so full of love it made me want to cry.

As I blinked the tears out of my eyes, Mother asked a question. "Are you doing anything today?" 

"I don't think I have anything planned. But I think we need to head back to the house soon. I wanted to talk to Vayla before she heads back to Everen, and we don't know when Princess Sophia will show up to take us to our meeting with her sister." I said, worrying in the back of my mind that we were making a princess wait.

Mother let out a long, loud hum. Playing up what she was thinking even though she already made her decision. "How about I just come with you. I could see your new place and meet one of my granddaughters. Then, while we're waiting for the princess, we could start your training."

That actually sounded like a really good idea. I could spend more time with Mom. Check on Vayla, introduce her to her grandmother, and we could start my training. I might even end up having Asra wield me by the end of the day.

In an instant, it felt like my face was as warm as the sun. Why was I thinking about that? Why did it make me feel this way? Wait a minute, what am I feeling? What do I do? I'm scared.

Slowly, all my thoughts faded away as a calming hand stroked the top of my head. A loud whining noise echoed throughout the room as the petting stopped. I don't know who made the noise, but it definitely wasn't me. After she and Asra laughed at something, Mother went to get her things. It didn't take her long to get her stuff, almost as if she was already packed and ready to go.

Making our way through the endless obsidian hallways, we eventually arrived back at the door to the outer world. Mother opened the massive doors, and one by one, we went through. The ethereal hug pulsed one last time as I stepped across the threshold before vanishing.

My legs gave way, and I fell to my knees. Nothing felt the same; it all just felt so much colder. The reassuring warmth I had felt since passing through the doors was gone, and I had no idea how I had lived without it.

Before I knew it, Asra picked me up in a princess carry. "Come on, let's get you home." Okay, maybe I'll be fine if Asra keeps treating me like this.

 

gNatonthewall Hello everyone. September Swords is somehow #2 on trending. No idea how that stuff works. Also, the story reached over 400 readers! I'm still constantly surprised but how well this story is doing. Thank you all so much. I'm trying to think of a good nickname for Eliza to have for September. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment. I can't wait to see what you all come up with. Thank you for reading, commenting, and favoriting. Have a nice day.