Knight Light

Smaz walked up to the left side of the ship, which stood on the calm waters in the night, and looked up to the moon. Smaz seemed in awe from the scenery that ensued around. He had seen such things before, but never in such vacuous and vast ways, before… he was much used to being confined in the castle. To him, this night sky marked the freedom of his new life, but also the burden he must carry of killing the King. He was happy, yet sad at the same time.

He leant on the side of the ship and looked down at the wavering reflection of the Moon in the calm waters of the sea. He thought about his situation, and sighed a sad sigh. Marco had used the hatch behind Smaz to get below the ship to find some ale. A candle light was on, below in the hull, emitting a small yellow light from below. Smaz heard the clattering of Marco as he searched.

Just then, Aera’s reflection was seen in the water, below.

“So, then. I hear your name is Smaz.” Aera asked Smaz as she leant next time him on the side of the ship. Smaz continued to look down.

“Yes. My name is Smaz Ugonih… once a knight to King Yutah… before that incident in the castle.” Smaz replied, wearily. He sighed again and rested his chin on the pirate ship’s side.

Aera’s intention was not entirely necessarily to get close to Smaz properly, but to rather get close so he would trust her, and finally give the whereabouts of the box location. She desperately wanted that box.

“Those moves were rather impressive back at the castle. You have been the most interesting opponent I’ve faced in my lifetime, and especially one who survived so long, too. You even managed to knock me out several times.” Aera said, her voice softer than usual.

“Stop trying to butter me up, Aera. I have always used such moves in my life, for my alliance with the King.” Smaz’s voice turned slightly angry. “Throughout my life, I have always been a loner… so lonely… my mother was killed by my father, and there I was left alone, to fend for myself. I had to learn the skills of life to become like this, otherwise I would have died, and I would never get my revenge on my father…” Smaz continued. “Then again, I do not know why I am telling you. You enjoy merciless killing for money.”

Aera then put her finger below Smaz’s chin as he prepared to rest it on the side of the ship again. She pushed Smaz’s head up so it was at normal height level, which was just above Aera’s sight of view.

“Let me tell you something. I knew my parents. I knew them. At least I THOUGHT I did. Then one day… I learnt I could use magic.” Aera explained in her soft voice. She never intended to tell Smaz truthfully of her past, but if this was the price to get to the box, so be it.

“Magic?” Smaz asked, realising how close Aera was to him without killing him.

“Yup. That stuff you used to cleverly levitate in our battle, earlier. The thing you accidentally used to kill the King. Magic. I never knew you had the power of levitational magic… or that anyone else knew magic, until then.”

“Well… I have you know… seriously… you should not waste your breath on compliments – I did it all by mistake. I do not know how to harness such a power.” Smaz explained, his eyes half closing in sulkiness. He wished he could use that levitational power once again. All he could really do, that compared, was jump high and long.

“Once you learn to use it, that magic will come naturally. I know. I accidentally discovered I had the magical power of extreme speed when I saw my best friend was falling down a ravine… to certain death. I remember my thoughts… I remember that I would never feel the same if she died. So I ran towards her… I knew I wouldn’t make it, since I was so far away, but I tried… and then the miraculous happened.

“I raced forwards at incredible speed… that I was unused to, and snatched her through the air. Even when I caught her, I kept running. I didn’t stop since I was scared I would fall. It was because of my speed, I was able to travel at such altitude, we never fell and I made it to the other side of the cliff. It was then I stopped, and happy that we were both alive.” Aera stopped, realising she was pouring her past out to him. Although it was true, her main intention still was to obtain the location of the box from Smaz.

Smaz put his right, gloved, hand onto Aera’s shoulder for comfort.

“It is okay. I would like to hear of your past. I am interested in this whole magic ability and…" Smaz trailed off. Aera was very much aware of the hand on Smaz’s shoulder but did nothing to shake it off. She felt rather comfortable with it resting there. Smaz, did, however, feel somewhat embarrassed but kept it there all the same. He felt a little flushed and didn’t really know what he was doing.

“…thanks…” Aera’s voice was soft, still, and somewhat quiet. “…my parents, however… when I did this ability...” She trailed off. “They weren’t happy. I was no gifted child to them. They didn’t even see me as a child, after that.

“They saw me as a monster.

“They punished me, thinking I had been possessed with a demon, and threatened to kill me if I ever used it again… they didn’t clap me on the back or take pride that I could use magic… they scolded me, they hated me… and from then onwards,  I was never seen the same again.” Aera’s head dropped down slightly, and looked at Smaz’s feet. She caught a glimpse of something small and brown in Smaz's belt pouch as she looked down. It was the box. However, Smaz moved his hand from Aera’s shoulder and pushed her chin up with his index finger, as she had done with him previously. She smiled, but her eyes were watery. Whether or not these were real tears was beyond Aera - her past had brought pain back to her, and she was losing focus of obtaining the box. At least she knew where it was, now.

“I’m sorry… the past brings back pain. I don’t usually allow others to see my tears…” Aera apologised.

“No worries. The past can always bring painful memories, for me, you and Marco.” Smaz smiled a sad smile as he remembered his father turning around at the front door uttering the words that Smaz was no son of his at all. “I was always lonely, growing up within the confines of the castle… just as a job for money… to keep myself alive, but I often questioned myself what it was all for. I had no one. Just the smithy of the castle was the only happy bond I had. My father left me to…” Smaz halted at this point. Where was it that his father said he was going, again?

“Alone, huh? I guess that’s why you are so uptight. According to the King you were always alone and stern about it all. I felt alone, too... my parents turned insane from the ability… I sometimes wonder if it was because they saw me as a monster, or if they were selfish enough to only want the ability for themselves.” Aera was sympathetic, and although usually stern, her eyes were welling with tears at that moment.

“It really is a harsh world…” Smaz then moved his hand from Aera’s chin to the left cheek of her face and he rubbed it gently. Aera closed her eyes as he did so, enjoying the feel of his warm, gloved hand, and tears rolled down her cheeks like small waterfalls, glistening with the moonlight. She brought her hand onto Smaz’s hand and held it close to her cheek.

Smaz felt somewhat embarrassed and despite trying to take his hand away, didn’t feel the power to do so. What was happening? He didn’t quite know what he was doing at all. Aera blushed, slightly, as she sobbed.

“My apologies… I know not of what I am doing... I have always been alone to any girl, and have never felt the need to feel compassion towards one. I apologise, furthermore.” Smaz fumbled. Aera clutched his hand firmly, keeping it there, longer.

“After several traumatic events, I ran away from home. I did what you did. I made a living. I was trained by a man who met me on the streets, when I was close to death… and he fed me. Clothed me. Taught me. With my blades I became an assassin, taking no joy or pain in the lives I slaughtered, but being hired by the rich earned me a lot of money. Soon I became the best.” Aera’s voice had almost become a soft whisper.

“What about your teacher?” Smaz asked, suddenly very aware of the situation he was now in. He felt very alien and shook his head, slightly, as if to shake himself awake from this dream.

At this point, their faces become closer. Smaz, however, was not ready for what was coming, and he tried softly to bring his head back. From this distance, he could clearly see Aera’s beautiful watery eyes, reflecting the moon back at him with the same beauty.

Smaz was an uptight character, and was now more than uncomfortable that Aera was 'out of character', becoming suspicious, but all the while secretly enjoying how close he was to her at that moment. He had never felt the warm fur of a female, before, and was weary of what was occurring.  Aera’s arms went around Smaz, the thought of stealing the box pricked her in the head again, despite losing earlier focus, and moved her right paw towards the back of Smaz's belt, underneath his cloak. She moved her face to his neck and nuzzled Smaz lightly, her hand carefully pulling the box away from the pouch and their warmth growing until…

There was a sudden loud cracking sound and the ship rocked uncontrollably. Aera and Smaz fell backwards, away from each other.

“Wha’ in Snap’s tarnation was THAT?!” Marco yelled, as he climbed up from the hole in the deck, leading down below. He swiftly ran to the edge where Smaz and Aera were and looked over at the horizon point.

“Well… I….” Smaz couldn’t find his words, since he was so embarrassed over what had just happened. His face had turned a rose colour and Aera swiftly proceeded to wipe the tears away from her eyes. Or was she? Smaz thought he caught quick flash of brown, but couldn't be sure, and became all too aware that Aera was playing on Smaz's affections.

“Great Scott!” Marco yelled as he peered out from the ship.

“Who’s Scott?” Aera sniffed, getting back up.

But there was no need for explanations. As Smaz and Aera both climbed to their feet, there, not far off of their own pirate ship, stood what looked like a fleet of ships bearing the King’s emblem on them. Firing.