| "Stand back and do not move," Hermione said. "This flail must stay in motion; it is difficult to stop." Kat, Clara, and Salem watched quietly as Hermione grasped the wooden bar tightly in her gloved fists and slowly began to lift the chain, until it was over her head. Hermione then began to turn the bar with hands, accelerating it gently as the crystal weights began to lift from their once vertical position up to steeper and steeper angles. The captain struggled with the dire flail for half a minute, trying desperately to get the spiked weights up higher. Finally, after a minute, Hermione gained full -- almost effortless -- control of the dire flail; its great shining weights spun fast and furious around and above her head, her arms and hands constantly in motion. "I--I think I have done it!!" Hermione exclaimed, her great weapon spinning at a blinding speed above her head. "You did it!" Kat cheered. "Amazing! I knew you could!" "Can you slow it down?" Clara called out. "I can do that," Hermione said. She then began to slow the motion of her hands, and the weights began to lose speed and drop down. Hermione then turned the bar slowly, allowing the weights to rotate slowly around her body, the sharp spikes coming only inches from her body. Once at a safe speed, Hermione quickly pushed the bar away from her body, allowing the weights to swing about, narrowly missing the captain herself. Hermione, once sure of her safety, lowered the weights gently to the deck of the ship. "Remind me never to do that again," Hermione said, dropping the flail handle. "That is dangerous." "You did great," Clara said. "You must still know what you're doing." "Perhaps," Hermione said, "but it's been so long. I fear that I may hurt myself with my own weapon." "You will not so long as you practice," Kat said. "You will soon become used to such a weapon." "Thank you for your confidence, Guardians," Hermione said, smiling a bit. "My family would be proud of me if they could see me relearning my flail. They would be even more proud to know that I will fight along side you three, protecting my country's great Guardians with my life." Clara was astounded. "You will fight with us?" she asked. "You will assist us on our quest?" "I must; it is only right," Hermione said. "You are not only honored Guardians of Trillan, but you saved my life and my ship. You respect me despite what differences exist between us, and you expect nothing in return. Even still, you will share the great sword with Trillan after its reconstruction. I must then protect you with myself, and should you die, I will avenge you all." "I am astonished," Kat said. "Once you hated us, now you side with us. This is indeed a great day for us all." "Of course," Salem said. "In this hour, we have accomplished the simplest of all worldly goals -- understanding." Hermione's eyes widened. "Goodness, Salem," she said. "You don't often say much, but when you do, you tend to say a great deal." Everyone smiled and laughed. "We are all favored," Clara said. "We will return with the sword. We will save the universe." "Indeed, we shall," Hermione said. "We must be rested, though. You may go to your quarters to sleep; I will stay up a little longer to finish the course to the shores. We are very close; I should not be more than an hour or so." Kat, Clara, and Salem bid goodnight to Hermione and returned to their quarters. Hermione put away her flail and, in higher spirits, steered her ship in the moonlight towards the Crystal Shores. Back to Stories Back to "TAOK&C" Back to Home |