Starlight: Playtime
#3 of Starlight
Chapter 3: Playtime
Characters and Story Copyright Katya Saint Croix
Original Concept Copyright Lurking Dragon
"She is a sound sleeper isn't she?" Sally loomed over my sleeping form with a delightful grin sprawled across her lips.
"Perhaps, but I really don't think that is any of our business." James gave a soft tug on Sally's tail, sticking his tongue out at her, "Besides, I couldn't wake you up with a fusion cannon if I tried."
"Oh really?" She narrowed her eyes and pulled her tail free of his grasp, brushing down the fur, "You snore louder then a fusion reactor core before it melts down, so be quiet."
"And you two talk loud enough to wake the dead..." Rubbing my eyes, I craned my neck towards them and stared blankly, "Don't you know it's not nice to talk about people behind their back?"
"Well good morning sleepyhead!" Sally clasped her hands together and knelt down, kissing my forehead, "Did you sleep well?"
"Would have slept better if you two didn't talk so loud." I grinned and sat up with a yawn, stretching and hopping out of bed, "That aside, I feel refreshed."
Sally and James exchanged a few glances, and then averted their gaze toward me. Folding my right ear back slightly, I merely stood with a dumbfounded expression painted across my face.
"Is something on my face?" I padded past them and hopped a few times, looking at my reflection briefly before giving up and looking at Sally, "We need to get me a foot stool..."
Sally snickered and held up her paw, walking out of the room. James just shook his head and sat down on my bed.
"You should learn to make your bed in the morning." James tugged at the quilt softly, "It's proper."
"I know. Mind moving so I can?" I leered at him while craning my neck in his general direction.
James took the hint and stood up with a huff, patting my head softly before walking out of the room.
James is the strangest person I've met. At times, he can seem like the perfect father figure, and then, he's the most childish adult in existence. This constant flux in his character makes him a very intangible person, however, seeing as I spend so much time in his company, even if I would rather be locked in the basement, I would later come to accept it.
As I was making my bed, Sally entered and set down a footstool in front of my dresser, snickering softly.
"So Shorty... Ready to take care of your daily needs?" Sally couldn't refrain from laughing.
"Only if you are ready to stop making fun of the fact that I am vertically challenged." I growled at her softly, hopping up on the footstool to brush my hair.
Despite the fact that I am only six years old, my hair is considerably long. Overall, I look more like a very short young girl, probably around age thirteen and seriously underdeveloped, but that isn't the point.
"You could use a haircut." Sally softly tossed a lock of my hair in her paw, "It's almost too long."
"Maybe, but I like it this way. If we have to cut it, can I at least keep it about shoulder length?" I turned my head to look at her while running the hairbrush through my hair.
"Alright. I guess that is fair enough, but you have to complete your mission for the day"
"Mission?"
Around this time, James entered with a large cardboard box filled with randomly assorted items, setting it down in the middle of the room. A smirk found it's way across my face as I set down my hairbrush and waltz over it.
"Let's see what we got here." With a slightly jump, I grabbed the edge and toppled the box, dumping the contents to the floor, "A meter stick, a ruler, a radio, a cooking pot, a hose, some legos, and a rubber band gun. I need these things because...?"
"Your mission, even if you don't want to accept it, is to have fun using your imagination and these items until lunch is ready." Sally smiled and scritched the fur behind my right ear, "So you have to keep busy for two hours. Think you can handle that?"
"Not really," The words slipped from my lips amidst a delightful murr, "but I'll try."
"Have fun then. We'll be back in two hours to check on you." Sally gave James and wink and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the room.
"S-sally! That hurts! Leggo!" James tried to resist, but Sally easily overpowered him.
"Behave, Star!" Sally closed the door with her tail as she departed.
Shaking my head at the duo's constant antics, I reverted my attention to the task at hand. What on Earth was I going to do with all this stuff and a box? Picking up the meter stick, my heart began to race and the world around me seemed to melt away into nothingness as my imagination began to run wild and build a new world, my fantasy.
I found myself standing in the middle of a 13th century training field; the fine granite walls gave me environment a mid-evil feeling, and I, adorn in a strange fabrication of relic armor made of char-colored steel plates, seamlessly attached to a sturdy, but comfortable hard leather interior, found myself at ease in this place known only as Arania. The sky was a portrait of scarlet reds and sea blues, the light tufts of lavender cotton slowly floated across the sea of colorations as the sun found its way past the rolling hills in the west. My breath seem drawn out, as if I was winded from running a long ways, and I was moving by will not my own, though my thoughts became solid when I heard a voice shout out to me from behind me. Spinning on my heels, my hand on the hilt of my blade, I was ready to strike down my foe. That is, until I realized that the person was my ally.
"Star! What doth send you a scurry?" It was Malik, who was second in command to his majesty, Lord Dakar.
Malik was dressed in a finely woven navy-colored chain mail, adorn with ivory and gold colored plates that reflected both status and nobility. Around his waist was a sturdy belt crafted of a similar make-up, though its colors were a selection of several shades of silver. Attached to the belt was a long sword, bearing the crest of the house of Soran, a family that has long served the king and fought beside him as he rose to power. His auburn eyes were accented by his charred red hair that hung over his eyes slightly, and gave his human form an aura of power that struck fear into their hearts of his enemies.
"Ah, 'tis only you Malik. For a moment, I was worried that the army from Corinth had already arrived." I chuckled softly under my breath and removed my paw from the hilt of my sword.
"I don't understand. What is this nonsense you speak of?" Malik slowly approached me and stopped but a foot in front of me, his eyes locked onto mine.
"I bring word from the north tower. They have spotted the Corinthian army on the horizon. They will be here by nightfall, and are prepared to lay siege to our fair kingdom. I must inform Lord Dakar immediately."
"They want to fight us for our land do they? Then we shall give them a fight. I'll go 'rouse the troops!" He spun around and sped off.
With a look of skepticism at Malik's rashness, I turned and gazed ahead at the lord's castle on the far end of the keep's grounds. Taking a deep breath, I continued my sprint towards his abode. Breeching past the large iron doors, I rushed throughout the hall to the one place that I knew I would find my lord. Without explanation, I plowed through the pair of guards standing watch before the oaken door leading to the Throne room, and made my way before his majesty.
"Lord Dakar!" I resounded loudly, my voice echoing off the sealed granite walls of my lord's throne room.
"Starlight-le Saint Mark! What is the meaning of your rude intrusion!?" Dakar stood up, throwing it arm in my general direction, his mantle cast aside by the movement.
Dakar was truly regal in appearance. His short black hair, in it's rather spiky array, made him seem like a youngster, though one look into his icy eyes and one would know whom they were speaking with. The deeply contrasting black mantle gave his royal garb a dark, almost brooding aura. Despite the finely polished steel plate armor, of which is always wore, trimmed with plates of red and gold in such an array that one can see the royal Aranian crest amidst the sea of silver.
"Sir. Our watchmen have spotted the Corinthian army headed this way Sir. They'll be at our gates by nightfall. Malik has gone to gather our soldiers and prepare for the attackers." I brushed a few locks of hair from my face, "I suggest you prepare yourself."
"Wha-? Don't disrespect me Star! Keep in mind I took you under my wing and trained you. Don't you dare speak to me with that kind of tongue!" His figure rose from the throne and moved toward me, his being towering over my own by nearly a foot, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Keep your mind on the upcoming battle. After this ordeal has passed, we'll handle this like father and daughter." I turned quickly upon my heels, my long hair slapping against his cheek softly as I did so, and began to walk out the door, the guards not even bothering to stop me.
"Kieana... What did I do to deserve this child...?" Dakar sighed and motioned to his guards, "Prepare for war. We defend our land with our blood!"
Seemingly startled by the sudden change in tone, the guards jumped into a salute, grasping their weapons firmly, and charged from the room, leaving Lord Dakar alone in the vast space that was his throne room. By this time, I had made my way from the hall, the guards having past me as I departed, entering the courtyard.
During times of war, the only way to truly survive is to keep your skills sharp and your blade sharper. Drawing a deep, almost eternal breath, I unleashed my blade, the legendary Twilight Ice, in a fantastic furry, the blade's brilliant color causing flashes of light, in the last few rays of daylight, which could be seen for miles. Parry, strike, guard, disarm, vertical slash. I ran the whole battle routine several times within the course of a few seconds. Alone, a soldier cannot fully prepare for war. The basics are never enough to survive in battle. A soldier should also learn to never think too much, as it leads to trouble, as I would soon find out.
Without hint or warning, an intense blast of light stunned me and I felt the Twilight Ice being knocked from my paws. As my eyes readjusted, I found myself staring down the blade of my father, Lord Dakar.
"You've learned nothing in the last four years that I've taught you to use your mother's sword." He grunted and sheathed his blade, turning around and grabbing the Twilight Ice from the ground, "You aren't fit to use it."
The swords that Father and I wield were crafted by a pair of sword smiths from a distant land, who used their powers of alchemy and magic to craft a pair of swords worthy for a King and Queen. Twilight Ice and Morning Flame, or Ice and Fire as we could come to call them; these two swords were crafted of the most vital elements of this or any world. They bore a similar design, though the latent powers of each remains to be seen. The long metal body, crafted of the rare magical metal Orihalcon, was crafted in such a way that the blade was almost curved slightly to look more like a bastard sword, though not nearly enough to make it so; its inert core a finely crafted orb of mysterious ability, with Flame's red and Ice's blue, firmly attached and sealed to a hilt of Orihalcon, its grip wrapped in a special cloth that can only be called "Sacred Cloth" as it only appears during a full moon and for a short time, amidst the roses of the royal garden; its material softer then silk but stronger then any metal, even Orihalcon.
"What makes you so sure?" Brushing several hairs from my face, I affixed my gaze on his form.
"You couldn't see me coming. What makes you certain that you will not meet the same fate as your mother Kieana?" He turned to face me again, Ice's blade pointed at me and glowing faintly, "Your mother died to protect you, and yet you lack the skill to even use her sword? How can you even call yourself my daughter? I care not if you are god sent, you are unworthy!"
"Then why don't we settle this like warriors?"
"Very well. First blood or Death's Embrace?"
"First Blood."
A grin crossed his lips. He was more than eager to see me prove my worth. Tossing me my sword, he paced around slightly before finally taking his stance, feet affixed in a loosely locked position, hands resting at his sides. Sheathing Ice quickly, I took a low stance. From this position, I have the best agility and speed. That's my advantage.
Time stood still, neither of us daring to make the first move, the sun setting on the horizon. I've fought with my father before, but this seemed different. It was as if he was holding back all those times before... Looking into his eyes, I felt as if I was being enveloped by hell's inferno; but I knew I had to win. This was just another thing I had to do.
Leaping from my position, I charged into him. Dakar, sensing the sudden movement even before I moved, began to lean to his left, so that as our paths crossed, He could sidestep me and strike. Unbeknownst to him, I knew that was what he was planning. Drawing my weapon just as he began to sidestep, I twisted my back to catch the hilt of his sword as he was drawing it, knocking the blade back and away from his hand. Unaware that I had left myself exposed and unguarded, Dakar drove his fist into my stomach, slamming me, back first, into the cobalt ground, leaving me dazzled and dazed. Taking advantage of the moment, he drew forth Fire and brought it down on my stomach.
Recovered in the nick of time, I brought Ice up to catch and divert the blade's direction, then used the motion to pull Dakar down lower, planting a hard kick to underside of his jaw. Though injured by the attack, Dakar wasn't intent on giving up the battle. Seizing my ankle, he stepped back and spun around, throwing me across the area, slamming against the granite wall. As I hit the wall, the impact sent a ripple through my body, dislodging Ice from my grasp and sending it clattering to the ground. The attack left me in a shock, my body collapsing on the ground, my eyes having turned almost a milky white from the possible concussion.
"As I said. You are unworthy." Dakar walked over, using his foot to roll me onto my back, and cut a small part of my left cheek with the tip of Fire, the warm glow causing the wound to sear shut after being cut, "Let this serve as a warning to you."
Picking up Ice from the ground and taking the sheath from my hip, Dakar walked off into the dark corridors of the castle, leaving me abandoned in the courtyard in a stunned coma.
"Star?" the voice called out from the darkness that enveloped me, "I think you played yourself into a coma."
"Huh?" Opening my eyes, I saw Sally's form looming overhead, "Coma? Unlikely."
"Well you were lying passed out on the floor. One would assume you didn't sleep enough during your nap." Sally gave a snigger and scooped me into her arms, blowing a raspberry on my exposed tummy.
Squealing with laughter, I struggled lightly against her, pawing playfully at her muzzle, my hind paw tapping against the meter stick nearby. I didn't like being treated in such an accord, but I was beginning to find it enjoyable.
"So, what was it you were pretending to be? By the look of everything, you'd think a war broke lose in here!" Sally put me up on her shoulders and started down the hall.
"I was a knight in the kingdom of Arania, and I was the god sent daughter of King Dakar! And then these guys were coming to attack us and I was rude to Dakar and we fought and he beat my-" Sally's voice cut through my own.
"If the next word to come out of your mouth is a swear word, you are in for a serious punishment young lady." She leered up at me with a vast, almost sinister grin across her muzzle.
"It's not. I don't like to swear. He beat my tush into the floor." I stuck my tongue out at her, and then was greeted with a bop to my muzzle.
"Tongues are for licking ice cream and tasting food, not for pointing." Sally laughed quietly and continued down stairs.
As Sally waltzed down the hall and the stairs, James was busy helping himself to a deliciously sweet croissant that Sally had taken the time to cook, by hand, for our lunch. You can guess what happened next...
"You must enjoy eating without us James~..." Sally leered at him as she sat me down in my high chair and strapped me in, "I bet you didn't even wash your paws."
"For your information I didn't take any croissants and I did wash my paws, thank you very much." James quickly wiped the crumbs from his muzzle and the oils from his paws, "Besides, you two are so slow~."
"You missed a piece of croissant, Daddy." I gestured in his direction, grinning slightly.
"Thanks de-... I didn't eat one of the croissants!" James narrowed his eyes and pouted.
He obviously knew he was busted. Sally and I had him cornered and knew it. It's almost like what my imagination would soon be running rampant with as the invading army of Corinth drew ever closer to the gates of Arania...
I awoke in the courtyard. The sun had long since set, and the moon was almost overhead. The sky was clear, and the stars glimmered and dance amidst the torchlight of the castle walls.
"It's almost midnight..." My voice was groggy, sitting up and rubbing my head, which felt like it was going to explode from the impact against the wall.
"About time you woke up." Malik was looming over me, his hand extended out toward me.
"How long have I been out?" I took his hand and rose to my feet, "Where is Lord Dakar? And my sword for that matter?"
"About four hours. Our watchmen reported seeing lantern light across the Anubian hills to our south, and more from Kilgara path to the northeast."
"So we have about thirty minutes before they are upon us...."
"Our soldiers are ready. Lord Dakar left about an hour ago, headed east with the elites."
"I see..."
This was concerning. Father would never abandon the castle, much less leave with the elite Nobel Guard. What was he planning? I pondered on this for merely a moment before a loud explosion ripped through the southern part of the fortress.
"What was that!?" Malik looked around, almost frightened by the explosion
Without answering him, I took off in the direction of the explosion. The narrowed passages leading out of the courtyard were cracked and trembling, burning with hues of deep red and orange. What I saw on the other side of that tunnel left me feeling afraid, angry, and disheartened.
My home was ablaze. The explosion caused a massive firestorm to break out across the village. The painful screams filled me with dread, turning my eyes almost completely white. I couldn't move. The sight was beyond horrific... everyone, the innocent villagers, the honest smithers, and soldiers who fought for the honor of the Aranian clan. Why did this have to happen...?
"Star! Get down!" Malik tackled me aside as an arrow came flying past my head.
"Ugh! Malik!" His hand clapped tightly across my muzzle.
"Quiet... We were set up... The villagers, the guard, even you. It makes sense now..." Malik paused briefly, standing and looking around the corner, "Dakar was planning this out. He wanted the Corinthian army to attack, and it looks like our archers were actually theirs. This is a slaughter..."
"So Dakar had other plans? Makes sense... He was calling me unworthy to wield Ice."
"But the question remains... what is he up to?"
"We'll figure that out after we get out of here."
"And just what do you suggest we do? Enemy soldiers sealed off all the exits. There is no way out."
"Wrong. There is the secret palace escape. My mother used to use it to get away from her father when he got rowdy. Father doesn't know about it."
"So we're off to the palace?"
"Yeah, but I need a weapon. Do you have your dagger on you?"
"Of course. Here."
With a weapon now in my possession, escape was now a feasible option. The palace was going to be crawling with enemy soldiers shortly, so we had to fast and with stealth. Malik, though a finely honed swordsman, lacked such a talent. Without even leaving the courtyard, I knew that we'd have to split up. Since stealth wasn't in Malik's technical field, I would have to go and take out sentries while he made his way toward the castle gates.
"Head for the castle gates and meet beside the well." I looked over my shoulder to him, "You best be there by high moon, or else I would have to leave you behind."
"What are you going to do? You aren't planning on being a distraction for me are you?" Malik tapered his eyes at me; "I'll kill you if that is what you are planning."
"Don't belittle me. I'm no petty jester. I'm going to take care of the sentries."
With a wicked grin across my muzzle, I sped around the corner of the passage where I nearly lost my life to an arrow. Malik looked on with befuddlement, shaking his head and retreating to the opposite end of the courtyard.
The fortress that was my home was a vast plot of land surrounded with a wall taller then the giants of folklore. The land was bountiful and merciful, treating the Aranian people to vast harvests and the sweetest foods you could find in this or any land. The castle stood atop the tallest hill, overlooking the village below. This sight didn't make people think they were being looked down upon, as they Dakar to be a kind and gentle ruler, who's dominion over them wasn't one of tyranny, but rather one of equality of such a caliber that even the lowest peasant felt he was the king's equal. This bond of trust made the kingdom evermore loyal to his majesty and made Arania one of the most powerful kingdoms in the land. I knew my home well, such that I always knew the perfect places to hide and strike from. This was my edge. I wouldn't let these foreigners take my home from me without a fight.
"We'll have a talk about your 'snacking' later. Take a seat, James." Sally walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a few plates.
"So, what's for lunch?"
"Filet Mignon slices with Croissants, steamed vegetable medley, and mashed potatoes with gravy." Sally was scooping heaping portions onto each plate and trying to decorate them with the setup.
"Stop showing off over there. It's food. It doesn't have to look pretty." James took a seat and folded his arms across his chest, feeling defeated.
"Strike two, James." She walked over and set his plate down and bopped his nose, setting down my plate afterward, "Perhaps you'll try for strike three?"
James's silence said everything. He was in big trouble, and he knew it, though I had aspiration to learn what Sally meant by 'strike'. Maybe it's a way she keeps him in check? ... Let's not go there.
Lunch was a lavish meal, though it may not have sounded as scrumptious when Sally mentioned what it was. The Filet Mignon was a sweetly roasted treat, dressed in gravy seasoned with strange spices I've never before tasted, and what tasted like a rosemary jelly mixed into it. It was sweet, though tangy, giving the meat a very tender and flavorful texture. The flaky, though sturdy, croissant made the perfect snack when lightly dipped in the meat gravy, bestowing a hearty appeal upon the soft pastry. The Vegetables were braised in a light garlic butter sauce, giving them a very crisp, succulent taste. As for the mashed potatoes... The smooth, creamy texture of the mashed potatoes was accented by the faint taste of mint and cilantro, embraced by a luxurious, smoky flavored gravy, sweetened by the slightest hint of lemon and oregano. It was a lunch fit for a royal family, but made by the skilled hands of Sally, who I had finally started to think of as my mother.
Lunch went by slowly, as the meal was quiet, since James was upset about being on 'Strike II' and Sally was apparently thinking the same thing. With not a word spoken, the meal came and went by, leaving us all with an empty feeling, and a sense of sorrow clinging to our hearts.
"Thanks for lunch, Mommy. It was good." I thanked her with a chipper tone, licking the last bit of flavor from my digits, not wanting to leave a drop behind.
"You're welcome dear." Sally shook her head at my antic and proceeded to dry my muzzle and paws with a paper towel, "You are a bit of a messy eater, you know that?"
"I guess I didn't. Oh well." My face beamed with joy as Sally continued to 'clean' my paws.
"Can I trust you to play outside? James and I have been working hard on a surprise for you in the back yard that you might like."
"Sure thing!" I moved in close to her and whispered into her ear, "Are you gonna punish daddy?"
"Maybe." Sally snickered under her breath as she plucked me from the high chair and placed me on the floor, "We'll see, Dear."
James, still in his pouty mood, rose from the table and walked over to the dishwasher. Unlike those relics from the 20th century, dishwashers nowadays are very hands free and virtually flawless. By using a series of lasers and steam, every last trace of food is eliminated and all possible bacteria destroyed, all without damaging the plates. The machine then places the plates neatly on a rack, sorted by size and material. This would then allow Sally or James to easily put the super clean dishes back in their respective places. Placing his empty plate and silverware in the dishwasher, he walked past Sally, whispering something to her that I didn't catch, before flashing me a toothy grin.
"Have fun outside, Scamp." James walked over to the back door and opened it for me.
With a bounce in my step, I eagerly rushed outside to discover what my 'surprise' was. Sally shook her head and laughed loudly, watching me from the kitchen window.
"Wonder what she'll think of it." James shut the door and looked at his mate, "Think she'll like it?"
"Let's hope so. It's important for her to be outside. Maybe she'll make a new friend or two."
"She could definitely use them."
Before me stood a vast playground, similar to one that would commonly be found in Kindern schoolyards. The assorted multitude of swings, monkey bars, and ladders gave the playground the appeal of a castle to a knight. It was a sight to behold. Overcome with the thrill of my very own playground, I was unaware of the set of watchful eyes from somewhere nearby, much like Star and Malik would soon discover as they made their way toward the castle gates. This was my castle, and I defend it at any cost...