Oceans Call

Chapter 22: Deceived

I sat in my bed, twirling the pine branch in my fingers. I don't know why I'd kept it, why I was staring at it as if it'd give me answers.

Connor had lied to me again, and it felt like a jellyfish had stung me all over. I tucked away the frustration and disappointment in the back of my mind along with the confusion. I'd gone to the cave to relieve myself of my feelings, but I'd only gained more. I sighed and stood up. After washing up,  I put on a dress and grabbed my sword. I had to keep busy, keep searching. There was a mystery no one was telling me about and I was determined to solve it.

I walked down the long corridor and headed towards the library. My finger lifted to skim the book's spine. The texture made me stop, another hint already.

I pulled a few books about Undine history from the shelves, plopped into a chair, and began thumbing through the pages. According to the books, Undines hadn't gone through that many wars. There were a number of civil wars, however, when the race split into two cities (Feales and Trocien). I moved on to the next book, elaborated on the civil wars.

"The ocean's crystalline waves were clouded crimson with the blood of our own," I whispered the written words aloud. I sat in the quiet library for at least two hours, pouring over the pages of history, letting myself forget about the strange shivers I got when I thought about macaroni and cheese or lace and the feeling of my fingers running over books.

I sighed and set my books down on a side table, pulling my knees to my chest. I began absentmindedly braiding my hair, letting my thoughts wander. Ten minutes later, I got up and left, feeling as lost as I had the day before.

I went to the arena looking for Connor, and, seeing he wasn't there, turned to leave. Before I could escape, one of the guards stopped me with a request to spar. It would clear my head, I reasoned. 

I could tell by the guards shared looks that they didn't think I would stand a chance, especially not without the ocean's power. Their doubts only fueled me. I nodded unsheathed my sword as my new opponent did the same.

I bounced on my heels, letting my sword point swing close before drifting away. Finally, I lunged forward. Our swords clanged together, so loud that the other battles around us halted. I heard mumbles ripple through the crowd as they wandered closer, eventually gather around us to observe the battle. I ignored them, forced myself to focus on the fight at hand.

The guard parried each of my thrusts and my frustration increased as my limbs tired. I took a deep breath, thought things through. I reserved my strength, channeling most of it into only the best of my attacks, and finally I whipped my blade around hers and sent her sword flying through the air. I shot up from the ground and kicked the guard down with both my legs, landing nimbly beside her. Breaking a sweat, I pointed the tip of my sword to her chin to show my victory, then helped her up.

She bowed and I gave her a respectful nod. I was about to leave when another opponent stepped forward. The crowd cheered and urged me on, and I finally decided to oblige them. It's not like I have anything better to do. This guard had broad shoulders and a wide chest. Compared to my thin, lean muscle, it was obvious his strength outmatched mine. I took a deep breath and rolled my aching shoulders. He was like a gorilla, and I, a lion. 

The Gorilla lunged at me and I lifted my sword to block the blow a second before it hit. My arms shook and my sword faltered from the force of the strike. My feet nearly gave way beneath me as I stumbled backwards. The guard immediately followed the strike with a sweep at my feet, making me jump to avoid his sword. I spun in the air, pushing myself off the ground with one arm and flying towards the man, sword extended. My sword nicked the man's shoulder plate with enough power to knock it off. He stabbed at me through the air and it took all my core strength to twist in the air and dodge the blow.