BRING SWORDS AND FLOWERS

EPISODE 1- TYDE VODA

That one evening in late October, Tyde Voda stood among the tall trees of the Logam estate scanning the area around her and building up her power. She pulled her fur coat closer over her body as a chilly wind passed by her. No, it was not just because winter was near. This eeriness she was feeling could only be explained by their presence. They were near. Monsters.

Across from her stood Lord Logam, a man in his late fifties with grey hair which she guessed was once peach blonde, just like that of his daughter Clementine.

"Your absence is showing." said he."You did not come for a month and look at the monsters all gathered together, like as if for a party."

Tyde smiled, "Well I apologize Lord Logam."

"Why must you apologize? If my daughter had half of your skills with the sword, I will not have to trouble you to kill these monsters."

"Do not blame Clementine. Besides this is the only way in which I can pay you back for all those swords."

Lord Logam looked at the young lady who was standing in front of him. With her short auburn hair and dark blue eyes she would not stand out in a crowd but one could still say that she had the looks of a lady bound for a tough life, even though she was a noble. Kids like these matured too fast. They kept their eyes open and spoke very few words, always waiting for an enemy to pounce at them at every turn. Is this what the noble realm been breeding all this time?

She spotted them even before Lord Logam shouted "There!"

Hidden away in the shade of a huge tree was a pile of monsters, bodies fused, only their eyes visible as hollows in a dark mist. Because the sun had not still gone down, they appeared dark. If it was night time they would have looked a deep purple.

They were monsters but not living beings. They were merely the leftover energy in the atmosphere which took various shapes. They multiplied in places unoccupied by humans, like in forests or even poorly maintained estates like this one.

"I am going in". Tyde announced before pulling her sword out from its sheath. She absorbed the energy from the water in the atmosphere, transferred it into her sword before running it through the monsters, slicing them one by one and making them disappear into thin air.

Lord Logam stood watching from a distance. This was just a piece of cake for the lady. He was only accompanying because it was his estate.

Tyde finished her cleaning quickly. The looming darkness and eeriness had disappeared and she could feel the change in the air. They were finished for now, but in one or two weeks they would form again.

She went on such hunting with Lord Logam every other week. It could not be denied that doing it from time to time had greatly increased her power. But it was getting easier with each passing day. This was no longer enough to train her.

Tyde placed her beret back on her head as Lord Logam drove her back to his house in his jeep.She tried not to remain dissatisfied. Every time she thought a fight was too easy, something would happen to blow her peace away.

Back in Lord Logam's mansion, Clementine was waiting for her with tea and refreshments. Clementine Logam, her one and only friend was the campus beauty and Lord Logam's only daughter.Ever since Tyde's father had passed away, the bond with her childhood friend had only strengthened. The Logams were part of the metal clan and made no big deal of forging swords for their young friend from the water clan, that was herself. She could only help them back by clearing monsters from their estates from time to time.

Looking at the neatly laid table with the various cakes and snacks, Tyde suddenly grew hungry.She sat down and started helping herself.

"So, did you release all your pent up energy?" Clementine asked her friend.

"Not really. But talking about energies, where exactly are you releasing your pent up energy these days?"Tyde was joking but Clementine blushed crimson.

This disturbed Tyde. Never before had she seen Clementine blushing like this. So she pulled her chair closer to her's so that the maids could not hear them.Not that they would dare to gossip...

"Clementine, isn't it time to break up?" Tyde asked

Clementine had dated several guys before .'They are just like wine, you wouldn't know which is the best if you do not taste many.' That's what she had told Tyde before. Clementine never dated anyone more than a month,but this time her relationship had lasted for almost a year and was concerning more so because the man in question was a commoner.

"If you keep this up, then Helios would begin to notice." Tyde warned her.

Helios.That was the system that dictated the rules in the noble realm. They settled difficult cases and that too rarely with dialogue.

No noble was allowed to make a relationship with a commoner. This was the only way to protect their bloodline which gave them the ability to manipulate energies of the various elements. Tyde did not even want to think about what would happen to her friend and her lover if Helios 'interfered.'

"Don't worry too much. it is nothing ...serious." said Clementine but she did not look like it. The stone-cold Clementine who used and threw away men like tissue paper looked flustered.

'I should not worry too much', thought Tyde. Her friend would forget this guy eventually and they would laugh about it one day. After all, many nobles did play around with commoners at times.

"Lady Voda, you have a visitor." a servant announced, and Tyde was brought back from her thoughts.When she looked at who had come for her she wrinkled her eyebrows. It was Aunt Regina's maid. Was Ares up to something again?

"My lady." the maid bowed, "I have a request from Lady Regina"

" It is the usual isn't it?" asked Tyde

" That is my lady...Lord Voda has gotten into a fight with the Adara family, our Lady has requested your help...." said the maid.

"Your cousin Ares is a handful." remarked Clementine.

Tyde sighed. She had begged him not to mess with the fire clan. But no,he would not listen. Even though her cousin was the heir to their family and head of their clan, he was a fool. He was all that Lady Regina had. He should at least think of his mother.

That hot head of his would be the end of him.

Tyde got up without finishing her tea and took her leave.

Clementine watched her drive away in her maroon mustang.

Her friend Tyde was the young lady of the Voda family which had been in the past both powerful and rich. But the Vodas were poor now and their head was a weakling.

"Stay safe." Clementine whispered a prayer for her friend.