Bound to Earth

35: 0 to 1000

"She went from 0 to 1000 fast." Brynjar groaned, sitting on the steps. He looked as if he hadn't had a good night's rest in centuries. "I don't remember kids having that much energy."

I closed my eyes and hummed in agreement, the small moment of peace blissful—something I never thought I'd say or need. The chaos of the world tended to be more calming than tranquillity itself. 

"I'm surprised she opened up so fast." I could never get her to shut the fuck up, not that I minded. Some days though, I just wanted a nap.

"That reminds me, you still need to go shopping with me. You and Mirai." Valentino tapped me, his tone casual compared to the acid that spewed from his lips. He said it as if he had asked me to go to an ice cream parlor with him, not walk through torture that benefitted no one.

"No." My dislike for shopping has only grown each time I went. There were few things I could buy in stores that I couldn't online.

"Shopping? Can we go after school tomorrow?" Mirai closed the patio door. Two wooden katanas bundled in her arms. "I brought the practice ones cause I didn't think you'd want to clean up too much blood later." 

She had a katana outstretched to me, but pulled it back when she caught sight of my bandaged hands. Her face tightened, shut down with guilt. "Oh. Your hands."

I took the katana, not hesitating. "I can do one round."

"Are you sure? I can have Bryn kick his butt instead." She turned to Brynjar with a frown, dismissing me completely. "Will you go kick Alistar's butt for Token? I don't want her to hurt her hands anymore."

I smacked her ass with the wooden katana before Brynjar could answer. There'd be no one but me doing my dirty work. It was the best part of any event. "Hey, I can still kick his ass."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup." I was already walking to meet Alistar on the grass patch. If I backed out now, she'd only feel more guilty for impairing me.

"Okay." She pointed to Alistar, the weight on her shoulders lighter. "You know what this means?" Alistar shook his head. "If Token beats you, then that's just sad. Your butt got beat by an injured person. And if you beat her, that's just as sad, if not more. You beat an injured person."

Malachi burst with laughter, the atmosphere much lighter than minutes ago. "You hear that Alistar? Either way, you're in deep shit."

I passed Alistar the other wooden katana, smirking. There'd be no playing around. "Don't hold back, or I might accidentally beat you too badly."

"You know I couldn't hurt you, my queen." He twirled the wood around him, getting a feel for its weight, or showing off. The way he said couldn't, as if he not only wouldn't ever lay a hand on me but as if he physically could never bring himself to.

"When did I upgrade?" I sunk into a defensive stance, not wanting to waste time. The endearment he laid upon me would be a title, burden from anyone else's mouth. But coming from him, it was a declaration. A declaration of whatever adoration he held for me.

He mirrored my stance, smiling. That same adoration shining in his eyes. "When the little princess walked in today." He lunged at me, the wood arcing down at an insultingly slow pace.

It took no effort for me to block the blow, the clicking of my tongue louder than wood barely clanking together. For someone who'd always encouraged me to deal my wicked hand, told me to unleash myself upon this world, he liked to hold back. 

We continued at that agonizingly slow pace of trading blows and blocking. Every muscle in my body was twitching at the effort I put into keeping his pace. Haste would only get my ass kicked faster, but this . . . whatever crap we were doing was aching my bones.