Reality's Blade

Chapter 24: The Bell Tolls Midnight

"I can't stop thinking about it." Airi gushed again. "It was so soft and gentle it makes my heart flutter."

"I know." I rolled my eyes.

"And his hand was so warm and comforting." She continued to babble.

"So you said."

"So gentle, I wonder if he's also a gentle lo-"

"Stop! That's enough!" I interjected, cutting her off.

After a moments silence she whispered, "I bet he is."

I sighed. I thought about Hikage, the way he had handled my arms when teaching me the fan form, I'm sure it was the same feeling that Airi described. I could feel my face heating up, I tried to look around so Airi wouldn't notice, it wasn't something I could explain to her.

"His drawings were really good. That bat gave me the creeps. The vampire was kinda handsome don't you think?"

"The Count? Really? I hadn't really thought about it... He's scarier looking really, his eyes are piercing red and his skin is translucent. I thought he was more striking than handsome." I contemplated.

Airi stared at me for a moment, slightly taken aback.

"The Count? How'd you know him?" She queried incredulously.

"The Count of Midnight. He's famous in the gaming world." I tried to sound blasé, but I could hear my voice trembling.

"I always forget you do that. You just don't look like a gamer." She frowned slightly but accepted my explanation.

I merely laughed in reply.

Grass tickled my ankles and the sound of chirping blood-batryx filled my ears as my consciousness came about in Legerdemain. I cast my gaze around nervously, unusually, I had been brought back outside the cave entrance. Since the time that I had first appeared beyond the forest I had always manifested at the forest's edge where I had originally burst through. I hadn't even considered that we had travelled outside of the Dark Samurai's domain and that I may well have been materialised way back in the town.

My menu pinged at me, flashing in the corner.

Message. Sender: The Count of Midnight.

I opened the new message, trying not to let my nerves get the better of me.

Hello little lamb, I left a beacon for you so you could log back in. Have fun over the next few hours. The Count.

I swiped away my menu and the message, feeling slightly confused but grateful for the revival beacon. With a sigh I took another look around, wondering which direction was to Hikage. I faced the cave entrance, then spun 180 to face the opposite direction, and started walking. If I kept going I knew I'd find the shore eventually.

After what felt like the second longest fight I'd had with a forest, I found the shoreline, it's violet waters looking appealing after the thick greenery and rough brown of the forest. Far away I could see smoke rising steadily into the rose-tinted sky, and knew it was Hikage's campfire. The sight lifted my spirits, I began my trek again with new vigour towards Hikage.

"There you are! I was worried I was going to have to manifest you myself if you appeared on the wrong side of the forest." Hikage called from where he was sat tending the fire, a freshly stocked pile of wood by his side.

I traipsed up to the fire and half collapsed, half sat down on the opposite worn smooth log.

"You can do that?" I wondered out loud, surprise in my voice.