Picking Up From Hiatus

Ready and set, I go. It isn’t long at all before I receive my first curve ball for the day. Though that much has become the norm for my life now, this little surprise is of the more pleasant variety that brings a smile to my face.

Looks like I’m just in time.”

“Good morning, master. I hope you’d had a good night’s sleep.”

There with Jupa is a woman who’s dressed up finely in a prestigious red uniform. A beam is bright on her impeccably handsome face.

“Vestil. What a sight for sore eyes.”

“Been a minute since I’d last seen that face of yours. I’d wanted to come by and visit, but I’ve had my hands tied.” She punctuates her statement with a tentative rustling of her hair.

“Doesn’t really help that I’m terrible with the entire text messaging thing. It’s been busy.”

“Had my hands full here as well. While I’d dropped in to spend some time with my favorite Celestial Knight, I have some important updates I’d thought we’d best discuss.

“I’d been previously notified about the importance of this meeting so I’d set reserved a room for your discussion. I think it would do well for both of you if you were to break your fast together. I’ll be on my way to continue my preparations for your meals.”

“You have my gratitude, Jupa. We’ll both be by the room shortly.”

Having spoken her piece, she pays us a curtsy and goes on her way. The entire time, she has Vestil’s undivided attention.

“Haaaaaaa!” Vestil’s voice bursts out. “You lucky son of a-!”

Before I can even blink, she’s on me like a coiling serpent. All of the time and effort she’s spent mastering the sword comes forth and I’m the victim. Holding me fast in a tight headlock, she jerks me about and roughs up my hair.

“I’m making the big money now but like hell I’m going to be able to hire the most perfect maid in the world! You stole her from me!”

“If I was you, I’d be more concerned with the lawsuits that would be coming your way!” I spit back at her while I grab a hold of her arm and attempt to wrestle my way free.

“Shut it! The day of reckoning is coming and soon you’ll be in my dust! I’m going to have an entire army of maids!”

“Always took you for the quality over quantity type! Shame you won’t be able to rival her even if you had a thousand maids!”

“Ah! Shut it! I don’t want to hear that from you of all people!”

“Quantity and quality. You’re done for! Going to lick your wounds and skip work to search up ads now? Don’t come crying to me if all you have to pick from are old hags!”

“Don’t you put that evil on me! To make up for your poisoned tongue, you have to at least ask her to curtsy for me! For your pal! You owe me that much!”

“Maybe if you’re on good behavior and don’t creep around while you’re here!”

Twisting spectacularly and giving me a nice shove, she pushes me towards the direction Jupa had headed off to. But even then she manages to catch me off guard a second time with her trained footwork. Rather than a smarting blow to the gut or another grapple, she goes for the least expected option.

“Here I was thinking that I’d never get to beat the hell out of you again.” She speaks quietly with her chin poised on my shoulder.

Having caught me tight, she refuses to let go but handles me delicately as if I’m made of glass. A far cry from the aggression I’d been recipient to but a moment prior.

“Well, this is different.” I say with a laugh and pat her lightly on the back.

“Oh, quiet. Just let me be. You can’t expect that even I wouldn’t get sappy after you’d gone and done something like that.”

“Suppose I can pardon you this time.”

“Thanks.”

Giving me an affectionate squeeze, she takes the moment I give her but soon finds a good place to call it off. Holding me softly by my shoulders, she matches gazes with me. A glossy surface shimmers on her eyes.

“You gave me a scare there. Don’t go dying on me now.”

“That’s not at all dramatic. Who says that I’m dying?” I respond to her sarcastically and offer her a tilted grin. Little does she know the relevance of her comment. “No matter how many years pass, you’re still going to be a drama queen, aren’t you?”

“‘Drama king’ is a much more fitting title for me. The ladies would like that more.”

✩ ✩ ✩

Vestil and I share in carefree chatter in the meeting room. While another uproarious fit of laughter booms from Vestil’s mouth, Jupa enters to serve her dishes as our breakfast. It’s simple, sensible and looks quite delectable. Despite the short time it’s been, she’s already figured out a good bit of my tastes.

When she carries on out of the room, I excuse myself to follow after her. There at the crook of the hallway, I get her attention with a little call.

“Master? What is it? Was there something unsatisfactory with the meal?” She asks with concern pecking at her cute visage.

“Of course not. It’s all wonderful. But I’d just wanted to give you my thanks.”

“It’s my joy, I-”

I share my gratitude with her before she can finish what she has to say. I catch her lips with mine as I lift her jaw. Taking my sweet time for her sweetness, I savor all I can before letting her go to catch sight of her burning red face.

“Thank you.”

“I-I-I-I…!” It’s a charming sight to see; all of her eloquence lost and her form rigid from a zap of shock.

“You were so bold yesterday and now look at you.”

“It’s just… I didn’t expect anything like this. I… Well… My heart is racing…”

“Good, then you understand how your kindness makes me feel. I’m looking forward to enjoying what you’ve made.”

I turn on my way and get back to Vestil and all the way I don’t hear the sound of a single footfall behind me. When I’m back into the meeting room, Vestil stares daggers at me. A foreboding loom of darkness veils her eyes.

“I aught to throw you out the second story window.”

“I’ll always be praying for your success and someday it’ll be yours.”

“Zip it.”

✩ ✩ ✩

“That’s a load off the shoulders. No matter how many times I’d buzzed her phone it’d roll right over to voice mail. Kept getting the worst kinds of images in my head.” Vestil lets her relief be known with the grand sigh she belts out. “Can’t put into words just how good it is to hear that she’s coming around after all of this mess. Good job on that.”

“It really isn’t my doing. But I have a hunch as to who I can give my thanks.”

“It’s that gorgeous white haired dame, isn’t it?”

“Seems we’re on the same train of thought. Can’t say we board together all that often.”

“I’ve missed Juna so much.” Though she shoots a dagger through me with her jokingly hurt eyes, she glances past my slight. “She may be off limits, but I’m not banned from basking in all of her glory, beauty and majesty. Now that that’s a bit better, if we can just manage to get her to mage knighthood, then we’re golden. And that’s exactly what I’ve come to talk about. Well, there are some other things too.”

She scarfs down the rest of her salad and then places the bowl to the side of her finished clean plate. Though I try not keep the mental image of when she’d tongued its entire face, that moment proves difficult to so quickly mend from.

“Then let’s get to it.”

Per her custom dual personality, all traces of her humor and airheadedness is entirely vanquished. Her true, sophisticated self comes out forthright. She tents her fingers on top of the table and puts forth her sharpest mind to proceed.

“I suppose it’s best to get the bad news out of the way first. There hasn’t been as much progress made while you’ve been away. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any at all. Really, when I’d received the news of what had happened, I’d become beyond demotivated. That bit of personal life details out of the way, the assassin we’d captured didn’t prove nearly as useful as we’d hoped he would.”

“Has he kept his mouth shut? I’d expect a trained killer would be tight lipped.”

“You’re right that he’s been quiet. In fact, most people end up that way when they’re dead.” She doesn’t hold any punches and gives it to me as bluntly as she can.

“What? He’s dead? How? He should have been in protective custody away from any other prisoners and threats.”

“It’s a wonder how much a single false tooth can do for cowards. Despite his dental checks, it skated by the examiners and with one little pop, he was a goner. Suppose we’ll be rectifying that in the future and will be yanking on some teeth, won’t we?”

“Poison…”

“One thing is for sure, whatever he was a part of is some serious business. It’s not your run of the mill troublemakers, there’s something seriously messed up with all of it. Makes me sick to the gut just thinking about it.”

“So that’s a cold dead end.”

“Not quite. He may be dead but he did prove useful in one way. That’s something I’ll leave until the day comes. I’m going to need you to come with me to the prison he was being detained in soon. Though that can wait, I still think that the sooner we’d be off, the better.”

“I have something that I’m intending to do today but we could go tomorrow. It has my curiosity at the least.”

“All fine by me. All I need to do is make a quick call to a friend and we’ll be down to investigate. Even if it had happened a while ago, we’ve kept the scene mostly intact. Especially given what we’d seen. But you’ll be seeing that for yourself out soon enough. Right now I have something more important to tell you.”

She looks about the room before heaving another weighty sigh. Her eyes back in mine, she speaks with a tone of defeat.

“Chamelis... About Chamelis…”

Even on a simple hearing of her name, my nerves stand tall. I grit my teeth to stay the anger that instantly begins to catch hot in my heart.

“Everything I could do in this time has come up utterly empty. Got nothing to show for it. It’s just one closed road after another. These things can take time, but you and I both know that we’re not going to settle for wasting time away while Juna is still barred from her rightful place as a mage knight.”

“I don’t want to be a knight anymore.” Juna’s painful announcement ricochets in my skull and strikes its sides as it bounces about.

“Yeah… We need to do something, anything to get this right.”

“I’d checked with so many, got a few more trusted knights to lend me a hand, but it feels like I’m mashing my face against a brick wall at this point in time.”

“There has to be something, anything. Those rumors can’t be just hot air. She has to be guilty! And I’ll be dead before I let some heartless harpy just walk off without paying for what she’s done to Juna.” The heat builds and burns my chest with a scathing sting as I grip my hands tight. “I’ll… If it comes to it, I’ll…!”

It’s like a supernova bursting. All of the hatred and ire I have compresses and bursts out to burn the shape of an image. No, not quite an image; something even more powerful than that.

A vision.

I’m there and I witness it with my own eyes. Chamelis’ blood is spilled and she lays wounded, pale in the face. With labored breaths she looks up to me and a sorrow, a rightful sorrow for her actions masters her face for the last moments she has alive.

And then that bubble pops and I find myself back before Vestil in the meeting room. The fire flaming about my body quickly turns into ice as I realize what I’d seen, what I’d began to imagine.

“Are you… alright, Khiron?”

“Sorry, I’d just… had a moment. Something was on my mind but I’m fine now. I’ll be alright.”

✩ ✩ ✩

“Well, think it’s been a productive time but I should be off. I’ve got some important matters to tend to today and I need to stay on top of those investigations. Hopefully something will pop up soon enough.”

Vestil prepares to be on her way and we let each other go at the foyer.

“I’m grateful you’d come to visit. We have our work cut out for us still. Just like always.”

“But that’s the thrill of being a knight. Never a dull moment when you’re keeping this kingdom safe and sound.”

“Be careful today and take care.”

“I’ll be seeing you tomorrow then.”

We give each other our parting words and I see her off. When she’s out of the picture, I take a breath and wonder just what the hell has gotten into me.

“Chamelis… dead? How could I think of such a thing? Why would I ever…?”