Knightfall (Chapter 8)

  Jubliee stayed in the manor of Lady Katherine for about a month preparing for her trip.  She spent a large amount of that time going over maps of the outbound territories with Lady Katherine, trying to decide which scouters settlements would be best to search for Lord Damien.  Another large chunk of her prep time was taken up on training.  She had never been so tired as after a training session with Lady Katherine, which went from martial arts, to weapons, to firearms.  She even spent some time training on the hover cycle that she’d use to get around the outbound territory.  It was the last day of her training that she had the most wonderful part of time at Lady Katherine’s manor.

  “Come child.  I have something to show you.”  Lady Katherine told her after morning meal. 

  Jubilee nodded and followed her.  Lady Katherine led her to a part of the manor she had always wondered about but had never been able to get into.  She led her past a large sitting room and into a study.  Lady Katherine laid her hand on a pad next to large double doors.  Jubilee saw a quick flash of metal into her hand and out again.  It took her a moment, but she realized it was a DNA analysis unit.  She saw the three dimensional DNA model mold itself onto a pre existing model and the two matched.  There was a chime and she heard a heavy sound of metal behind the doors.  Lady Katherine walked over to the doors and opened them, walking inside and beckoning to Jubilee.  Jubilee walked in and gaped around in wonder.  It was a large room, filled all around with weapons of every kind.  She looked over at Lady Katherine, who just smiled and gestured around the room.  Jubilee nodded and started to explore around the room.  She saw that each one was artfully crafted, even as they all looked seriously deadly.  She walked over to a large case that held a beautiful sword.  The metal of the blade gleamed in the light, the markings in the blade and hilt looking as if they had been chisled in the day before.  It looked like one of the ones in the vids she always watched.  No one knew what a Knight sword looked like, but everyone guessed it was something just like this.  Jubilee turned to Lady Katherine and pointed, her hand shaking slightly.

  “Is this your Knight sword?”

  This time Lady Katherine’s smiled looked a little forced, a little sad.

  “No, I don’t have that one displayed here.  It is tucked away just in case.”

  Jubilee was about to ask in case what, but before she could Lady Katherine spoke again.  She had walked over to the far wall and taken a case down.  She walked over to Jubilee and slowly opened the case.  Inside were two gleaming sai.  They were silver with black and silver winding, there was a large glittering sapphire in the hilt and a large blood red ruby in the handle.  Jubliee saw that they were modified to the double bladed central dagger instead of the regular sai.  Lady Katherine smiled at her again and this time the smile looked almost amused.

  “Are these in your catalog?”

  Wordlessly Jubilee shook her head.  Lady Katherine continued.

  “Lord Damien gave a pair of these to every Knight that became an officer.  It was a commission gift.  I want you to take them with you and if need be, to use them.  Lord Damien said that these would never break, never bend, never tarnish, or scratch while one who followed the path wielded them.”

  Jubilee’s eyes filled with tears and she had to swallow a few times before she could reply and then with only a husky whisper.

  “Thank you.”

  Lady Katherine gathered her in a hug and Jubilee hugged her back fiercely.

  “May they protect you and bear you well child.  It is a long journey you set out on and I expect to see you back at the end of it.”

  Jubilee could only nod against Lady Katherine’s shoulder.

  “Now come, we must finish our preparations for tomorrow you set out.”

-Damien