CoH CoS (Chapter 15)

Damien parked the truck and stepped out. The sun was muted by the clouds and a light, cool breeze blew. His cloak flowed out behind him. He walked to the gate and held up his hand in front of it. A light shot from the gate and hit his hand. It flowed over his body for a few seconds before dissapating and the gate opened silently. He walked inside and started down the path. There was a wide expanse of lawn over the whole area. Araisal students and casters walked or sat on the grass. Many looked up and some even stared as he walked past. A Knight in the midst of the Arias was an unusual sight indeed. Their philosophies were taken to be quite different. Just the fact that the front gate let him in was reason enough for curiousity. Damien walked on heedless. He walked up to the doors of the large mansion and held his hand up once again. The doors swung open slowly and he walked inside. He walked up the main hall and down a slightly smaller hall to another set of doors, but this one opened as he approached.

“Good day to you Knight. It is rare indeed that we cross paths.”

“And good day to you mistress. It is rare event, but never an unwelcome one to be in your presence.”

“Still the silver tongue I see.”

Damien turned to his left at the sound of the new speaker.

“Hello Anita. It’s been a long time.”

Off to the right and near the back, whispered words were being passed back and forth. Two Arias novices had snuck into one of the secret passages leading to the council room and were listening in on the proceedings between Knight and Arias. The elder of the two was Maria and the younger was one was Diyana.

“He knows Anita? How?”

“Rumor is that she was a novice Knight under him. It is said that many women fall for him. So did she, but she could not accept the many women in his life, but he refused to shut them all out for the sake of one. She began questioning her reasons for being a Knight and left. She came to us and has been here since.”

“What is he doing here though?”

“He is here discussing interaction between the Knights and Arias in dealing with the Randon.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

“While you were sneaking off to play tonsil hockey with Lucy, I was here listening to the inner concil discuss the Knight’s relationship to Anita and how that might or might not affect interaction between our orders.”

“For your information I got more than tonsil hockey out of sneaking off with Lucy and second, I’m not as interested in the politics of this place as you are.”

Meanwhile, the proceedings were still taking place in the council room.

“I understand that Mistress. I’ll let the Knight council know of the new interaction between our orders. But there is just one more thing…”

“And that is?”

“I do believe that we have some evesdroppers. Two of your novices behind a shielded secret door if I’m not mistaken.”

“Ah, that would explain why you could sense them but I could not. If you would be so kind, would you mind putting your weapon to use?”

Damien lifted up one dark eyebrow.

“Depends…”

“I assure you that it’s nothing harmful to them. I just wish you to cut open the door and thus allowing us to see who these listeners.”

“I see. Well, I have no problems there. But I do ask for some assistance. It would be easier and faster to have some cut one side while I the other.”

“But of course…Anita, assist the Knight.”

“Yes Mistress.”

She took the lightsaber Damien held up slowly. She had not kept her own lightsaber after she left the Knight order and had not handled one since. It felt strange and yet familar to her to hold one again. It scared her a little. They took positions on either side of the door. They held the sabers against the wall and nodded. The sabers ignited at the same time and did a perfect half circle, meeting at the bottom. The wall fell forward, spilling the occupants out, uncerimonisly out onto the floor. Maria and Diyana, got up quickly, pulling their skirts down to cover the underwear exposed by falling out of the passage.

“Mistress.” They said in unison, bowing.

“I do believe our business is done here. Anita, if you would escort him out. We need to set to some rules of discipline here.”

“Yes Mistress.”

Anita and Damien walked slowly along the path toward the gates.

“It was good to see you again Anita.”

“It was good to see you too, Damien.”

Damien then turned and walked past the open gates to his truck. Anita stood there and sighed softly to herself. It had only taken a moment, but she knew she still felt just the same way about him. Only time could tell what the future would bring.

Tenchi

“…the cultivation of the mind, the body, and the soul, and we must always cultivate the soul.”