Lunch might as well have been eaten alone. Although she joined her friend and brother in the lunchroom after she left the kings office, it was as if she were invisible. Keika decided she would go someplace her presence was appreciated. So she ate a quick meal, excused herself and told them, "We have forty minutes before the meeting in the conference room. I'll see you there...don't forget!" They both nodded absentmindedly. As she left the room she told the guard, "Chase them out of here in thirty-five minutes." The Praetorian nodded with a chuckle, "Will do, my Princess."
She went to spend a few minutes with her younger brother, Brian. He was now eight years old and all boy. "Kei!" He screamed as he saw her enter his room. Bouncing off of his bed, toys flying everywhere, he hit the floor and jumped into her arms. They kissed each other's cheeks. "I miss you, Kei. Why do you have to be away so much?" he asked. "I am sorry, Little Wolf, I have no choice. It is what I do now. Protecting you and others is my job." she said softly. "I know," he sniffed, "Daddy tells me why you have to be away, but I still miss you so much."
"I am here now and have leave for a full week, maybe more if Daddy wants me to stay in town." she grinned. "That's great!" he exclaimed, "Can you take me out hunting or fishing or somewhere on a hike, just you and me and Ani?" "Of course!" she replied, "I'll have one whole day set aside for just you and me and Ani, ok?" "Wow, that would be super!" he said excitedly. "And it's so cool being your little brother in school. You are in the newspapers all the time. All of the other kids say you are Super Girl, like in the old comic books, and that you can slay bad guys by just looking at them...'bzzzt'....and that you are just as pretty as her, maybe prettier." She didn't normally blush, but for some reason her little brother's announcement of her comic book like Super Hero status among the grade school crowd brought color to her face. She could feel its heat. "I'm just a soldier, sweetie. Tell them I am just a soldier trying my best to do my duty."
He grew serious. "You missed my birthday." he said with a bit of a pout. She hugged him again. "I know, honey, I couldn't help it. I am sorry, but I didn't forget your present." He brightened immediately. "Really!" She remembered she had left the gift in her pack, which was in the wagon. "But I have to go fetch it." "No, wait." he responded, "I didn't want to have my birthday unless you were here, so we put it off. I wanted you to be here when I got my sword." he grinned wide. "That is wonderful!" said Keika, "In that case we will have the party this week and I will give you my present then." Brian jumped up and down and clapped, "Yea!!" he cheered.
"Master Pierce has me practicing with the single handed medieval sword instead of the katana." "Really?" asked Keika. "The Master says that I have large hands for my age and that I am going to be at least as big as Edmund when I am grown. He feels the balance of the western sword suits my tendency in fighting style. He is looking for a good off hand weapon that will I can use effectively, but we haven't settled on one. The swords are so heavy though." he moaned. "I can't practice for very long with the real swords yet. I get so tired." She laughed, "Oh, I remember that. Your arms feel like rubber. Don't worry, honey, it will come, just keep at it and after a while you barely feel the weight of the sword any more. Always carry it with you and practice every day and the weight will seem natural in no time. Learn to make the sword an extension of yourself." He nodded and smiled, "I will. You sound just like Master Pierce." "Oh, my gosh, I do!" she said with a hand over her mouth. They both laughed.
They chatted for a while longer and then the clock on his wall told her that she needed to go. "Bye Little Wolf. I have to go, but I'll be back later, ok?" "Ok," he replied, "and don't forget about our day....You said a whole day!" "Don't worry, I won't forget. I promise." she said with a smile and a kiss. She then left for the talks.
YOU ARE READING
Firefly Light
Fiksi IlmiahIn the not too distant future mankind's world has collapsed. The population of, what had been over 7 billion, has been reduced to a tiny fraction of that number. Nature has reclaimed most of what man had built. Time has been turned back to before th...
