Vendetta's Rise (The Dragon Realms Saga: Book 1)

Chapter 35

Elucard winced as Jetta slowly removed the blood soaked bandages from his side. Dried blood stretched and broke as it was peeled from the surface of his skin.

"I swear to Alue, Elucard, if you break your stitches one more time, I'll kill you myself!" Jetta said as she examined the slowly healing wound.

Elucard gave her a wry look, "Alue?"

Jetta glanced around quickly before attempting to cover up her misstep, "Alanna... I meant Alanna."

Elucard prodded her curiously, "Your medical instructor told me you can speak the angel language fluently. My master taught me a bit but I doubt I could speak it so freely. Where did you learn such a skill?"

Jetta sighed, remembering the old priest of Alue that passed through Ravenshore. He was an elderly man, not dressed in fanciful religious garb, but in beggar's rags. Had it not been for her kind ways to offer the man a free meal, she would never have learned of his true nature. "I found a teacher in a kind old man." She paused and a reminiscent wonder filled her eyes. "Ambrose of the Wandering Winds. A nomad of the cloth. He passed through Ravenshore one rainy Autumn's eve and I had the good fortune of offering him what small comforts I could."

Elucard was captivated by the idea of a such a stranger, "He took you as an apprentice?"

Jetta tightened the bandages around Elucard's wounds. "Aye. He preached kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. He passed onto me Alue's words and her lore. Through him I learned to speak Angelic," Jetta trailed off, lost in a gentler time, "...All useless to me in this now. The Angel of Mercy is but a weakness in the eyes of the Angel of Death."

Elucard lifted up her chin to expose her eyes swelling with tears. "Hush now, Jetta. It is your job to show strength to those that need it most. Alanna values that in her Rabbits."

"Trev Alan'Na zsesh A'leu o'blivis," Jetta whispered in Angelic. Her words went unnoticed by Elucard as he limped away.

'Even Death will seek mercy in the end.' 

***

Elucard knelt before Legion and Ryjin within the quarters of the Silent Master. Elucard was still covered in bandages, and despite his weariness, he was more than excited for this moment.

"Elucard, as you know, Vada has yet to return. She is either dead or has joined her traitorous Blade Sister. Either way, a new First Blade must be named," Legion said, turning to the Silent Master who nodded approvingly from the shadows. "You have shown tremendous growth, prowess, finesse, wisdom, and patience. All of which are required of a First Blade." Legion took out his own blade and passed it to Elucard. "Rabbit, will you be my First Blade?"

Elucard gazed into his master's eyes. He cut his hand on Legion's sword and smeared the blood on his own blade. "I accept, my High Blade."

***

The clan gathered around the two combatants in the center of the compound. The sun was setting, sundering the azure sky. Elucard stood beside Ryjin, anxious to see his master display the legendary skills he had always known him to have. Even so, a small part of him was afraid that Malady's malice would give him an advantage in this particular bout. Skill versus drive. It could go either way, and Elucard knew that.

Ryjin held a hand to quiet the clan's collective chatter. "Legion and Malady. This rivalry has corrupted the unison of this clan. It must cease, for the sake of the Black Rabbits' future."

Legion nodded, unsheathing his long sword.

Malady turned and shot a grim smile at his Silent Master, "You were my father, but you never treated me as a son. No, that honor was given to him! Well, Father, I will destroy everything that you love. I will crush him beneath my feet, and when he begs for forgiveness, I will cut out his heart and give it to you!"