Beautiful Blades

A young man trotted through the highlands of a mystical realm. To his left and right, green plateaus rose tall and mighty. The weather was pleasant - the azure sky clear. The journey should have been as smooth sailing as a boat in a pond.

Robin of the Ruby Cross was the name of this young man. He was a finely dressed gentleman in red, and had hair as dark as the night. His horse was just as elegant, with the golden locks of a mane complementing its brown body.

He had spent some time in the highlands and the heat of the summer sun began to bear down on him. It is for that reason when he came upon a lone tree he decided a break was in order.

"Ah, shade at last!" said Robin as he slumped against the base of the trunk. He did not realize just how tired he was, and it was only moments later he began to nod off.

The mystical highlands were not a place to be unwary. Even in their openness, odd folk wandered. Odd folk who were neither human nor amicable towards humans. They were fairies, as people tended to call them. And one such fairy had Robin in his sights: a black cat with a large white spot on his chest.

"Stupid human," thought the cat, "I will teach you a lesson not to let your guard down!"

The cat rummaged through his belongings. He found his food stash, but it was merely bread and fruit. Yuck! Nothing for a cat to nibble on. But he thought of what else he could do. He could spook his horse or maybe urinate on his clothes? He chuckled. It was not every day he got to mess with a human.

"I would not move a whisker if you wish to keep your nine lives."

Robin had only been half asleep, and was watching the cat the whole time! The cat stared in shock at the tip of the sword pointed towards him.

"What should I do to you?" said Robin, "I think your hide would sell for a high price."

The black cat laughed. "You think you can skin a cait sidhe? We are not like our lowly kin whom your kind enslaved."

"Enslaved? If anything, it is their owners who find themselves in servitude."

"Ah, but a house cat cannot wield a sword, can he?" In a puff of smoke, the cait sidhe took the shape of a lad Robin's age. Oddly though, he still had pointed ears assembled on top of his head and a long furry tail protruding above his behind. He pointed a sword of his own right back at Robin.

"So it is true, the fairies have taken on the art of the sword," said Robin, readying his stance.

"We no longer fear your weapons of iron, for we have forged our own!" The cat-eared man made the first strike, and their blades clanged. Robin's horse neighed in fright and retreated to the other side of the tree.

The two swordsmen gave their all. They were locked in a metal whirlwind. Cling! Clang! Cling! Clang! Every move was precisely swung as it was precisely blocked. What a shame this great duel occurred deep in the highlands, for an audience of humans and fairies alike would have been delighted by the show.

"If I am to fall, may I know the name of the one who slays me?" asked Robin.

"I am Dewayne of the Onyx Hills," replied the feline, "the mightiest swordsman of my clan!"

"Then I am Robin of the Ruby Cross, connoisseur of Mag Mell's finest blades. I must admit your sword is elegant and swings beautifully. But it shall not be the one to shed blood today!"

With a lightning quick thrust, Robin pierced his sword straight through Dewayne's heart. He yelped as he burst into flames. His sword fell at Robin's feet.

"Rest in peace, valiant feline," he lamented. He placed his hat to his heart and bowed. The sword of Dewayne of the Onyx Hills would remember the life and history of its daredevil wielder.

"I am not dead, you fool!" cried Dewayne. He appeared before Robin as a black cat again. "I have three lives left, if you must know! Or maybe it was two? Now I am concerned..."

"I can stab you a few more times if you wish to find out."

"No, I surrender! Old Tom, have mercy upon my soul! Permit me to be your indentured servant instead!"

The black cat kneeled frightfully. It was a humorous sight to see from a cat who moments ago had the confidence of a king.

Robin put away his sword. "Very well, but I would advise against playing any tricks under my sharp eyes."

"Yes sir!"

And so, Dewayne rode in front of Robin as he continued his journey through the highlands of wonder. Not the most comfortable spot for a cat. He thought to ride from behind in human shape, but he feared the possibility of falling off and not landing on his feet. The fears of a cat us humans could never understand.

"Say, where are you off to, anyway?" he asked Robin.

"Where am I off to? Your guess is as good as mine, my fine furry fellow. Without a home, I take interest in discovering the many swords of this world. The most beautiful blades are what I seek."

"A human without a home?! Your kind build and build, yet you do not have an abode? Next you shall tell me the fish are walking out of their ponds!"

"Ah, but I did have an abode once. A lovely little house quite nicer than most. But you see, I voiced things the Church did not like. Tell me, Dewayne, do fairies deem it sin for a man to lay with another man? Must you receive the word of God through those who do not in turn follow it? Must we repent for our sins, or is it simpler to pay our way to heaven? I questioned many things and the Church deemed me a changeling. A traitor. A heretic. So I fled with my horse and what I could carry. If I stayed any longer, the rope would have caught me!"

"Is that so? I took you humans to be a hive of angry bees. I am the best swordsman of my clan, but in truth, I am the only. 'You are stumbling down the path of humanhood!' my elders warned me. But I cannot help but enamor the sword. It's a fascinating weapon. I feel so brave with one in my paw. Yet my fellow cait sidhe did not like me for it, so they chased me out of the Onyx Hills until I could run no longer. Such hate for an innocent passion!"

Robin stroked his chin and pondered. He looked up to the sky, almost hoping for God to give them answers to their troubles. But the sky was empty, and one could almost make out the ripples of the ocean above. What a weird world they live in - a continent submerged in a bubble beneath the waves of the Atlantic. If he wanted an answer from a god, he would have to ask Neptune. And he doubted even someone like Neptune knew.

"So it seems we have something in common," he said at last, "I thought fairies as beehives as well."

Dewayne gave a laugh. "You are an interesting human. I think I'll stick by your side a little while."

"Had you thought to ditch me? Just when I thought of fairies as good folk."

"Haha, we are good folk! Just beware our claws!"