Salem found a nice isolated spot and started to practise. He found that he had not forgotten all the moves. He jabbed and slashed, blocked and defended, until he was worn out. He found that he had worked up quite a sweat.
"I'm so outta shape!" He told Kaptra, who yawned in reply. Salem poked him with his boot. The big cat rolled over and lay like a cat waiting for it's tummy rubbed. Salem laughed at his friend. Kaptra rolled back over and went to sleep.
Salem began again, this time he worked at a quicker pace. He found that he was beginning to get thirsty, why hadn't he brought a drink? He finally stopped. This time Kaptra was wide awake.
"Well done! Wow, you move fast! Perhaps you are even good enough to teach!" Kaptra, if it was possible, was smiling. Salem didn't like people to compliment him, but he was too tired at that moment to say anything.
When Salem got up again Kaptra got up as well.
"You are going to tire yourself out at this rate. Let me coach you slightly, I do not know much of fencing, but let me at least try..." Salem nodded and took up a start postition. He worked slower this time, each move exaggerated and slowed down. He had learnt to do this from his old teacher, it made you think of the moves more. All Salem could think about was the screaming pain in his legs.
Finally he finished his excercise. He collapsed on the floor and pulled off his sweat soaked top. Kaptra was there immediatly.
"Get up and walk around or your leg will go all-" He stopped and sniffed the air. Salem got up and got his sword ready. He heard a sigh from the bush, Miri stepped out. Shinkokami was by her side. Salem thought he heard Kaptra think she was beautiful but he wasn't sure.
"S-sorry to spy on you. I came to practise my flute, when I saw you, I thought it might be nice to watch..." She looked down. Salem noticed a flute in her hands. He realised that she had seen the sword. Lady Kristel had said she was allowed to see it.
"It's okay, I've finished now. But in return for spying on me, let me hear you play!" Miri blushed and looked up into his eyes.
"I'm no good! I haven't played since I was about six!" Salem shrugged and walked passed her. Then he turned to look back.
"You know what? I bet you are good at playing, you're just scared to make a fool of yourself. You'll always be the same, even if you screw up, in my eyes," He didn't know why he said that, but without another word he walked back to his room.
Miri cursed herself. She was so angry she couldn't play a tune, without it turning into a jagged, jerky piece. Miri wondered why Salem's words had meant so much to her. They made her feel good but she was only angry with herself. She'd let him go, without asking him again.
Miri decided to give up. Shinkokami, who had been watching, tilted her head.
"You have feelings for him, don't you?" Shinkokami asked, without any nastiness. Miri was so confused, she didn't know what she felt. She felt as though someone had set free butterflies in her stomach, when she saw him, but whenever she said anything around him she always felt stupid. Miri closed her eyes.
"I don't know Shinko," she said. Shinkokami rested her head on her lap. She growled, her equivalent of a purr.
"I do not know your feelings either. As I feel as you, towards Kaptra. I believe you are not meant to understand, it defies logic and reason. I believe it is not only fate but destiny that throws people together, but then again, I am scaring myself by saying that." Shinkokami stood up and walked away into the bushes. Miri realised that maybe Shinkokami was right?
Jinxes had been looking for Salem. He saw him in a clearing, Jinxes was jiust about to call when he saw Salem was practising with the Fire and Water Ceremonial Blade. Jinxes sat down and watched.
After a while Salem stopped. Kaptra sniffed the air and Miri came out of the bushes. Jinxes heard their conversation. Jinxes realised that perhaps Salem wasn't interested, just trying to make a friend. But what interested him more was Miri's conversation with Shinkokami after.
She was unsure of her feelings toward Salem... Shinkokami knew what her mistress felt and mirrored it in her feelings to Kaptra. This one would be tough. Jinxes crept away and went to find Mraya.
Mraya listened to Jinxes story. She saw the way his eyes lit up as he told her his plan. Mraya thought it was very good but whether they would see through it or not, was a different matter.
"You sure you wanna risk your friendship with them?" Mraya asked Jinxes after he'd finalised the details with another student who was part of the plan.
"They'll thank me for it. And Salem can take a joke anyway. If he can't then I'll just video them and sell it," Jinxes smiled. He always did that when he was dealing with a plan. Mraya had been in on most of them, but never one as complex as this.
"You will not! You can video them, but if you ever, ever sell it, then-then I'll tell everyone about your "pink bunny rabbits" phobia. Deal?" Jinxes sighed and shook her hand. Holding it just a second longer than a usual handshake. Mraya wished he didn't have a crush on her, sometimes it got in the way. She always felt like she was using him.
"Well then, we have half an hour to find a rope, a toadstool and one once of sugar," Jinxes said. Mraya laughed, it was an old joke between them, because their first trick had involved those very ingredients. Mraya and Jinxes set to work, and went to see Guardian Holly...
Salem raised an eyebrow. Jinxes was encouraging him to get to lessons on time. Yet again the whole gang were in the same lesson. He shivered at the thought of having to look at Miri's face. After what he'd blurted out in the clearing, he'd not be able to look at her without cringing for weeks.
"C'mon! Hurry hurry hurry! We have Guardian Holly today! Hurry up! This is one of the best lessons! Salem, keep up!" Jinxes was talking none stop. Salem wanted to take off his shoe and throwing it at him. Jinxes had been excited and happy since he'd come back from whatever he'd been doing. Victory had almost thrown him out of the room.
When they got to the Drama hall, they found Mraya and Miri were already there. Jinxes and Mraya grinned at each other. Evil grins, Salem thought. Guardian Holly walked in.
"Right lets get this lesson started!" She said. The class sat in a circle, listening to what Guardian Holly had to say.
"This year we're going to do a play, involving dance, song and the like. It's going to be based on an ancient story..."
"Long ago, when the Gods had fought their Divine War and all was once again peaceful on Earth, two people lived. One was called Kestella, and she was the most beautiful girl to ever have lived, she was a princess, the other a penniless tailor's son, with no future and no place he felt was home. His name was Dante and he was, supposedly, the most handsome man."
"One day whilst walking through the streets, the Princess meets Dante, and falls in love with him. She is unsure at first whether her feelings are real. She finally realises she loves him, when he is about to be killed for a crime he did not commit. She says she loves him and they live happily ever after. The end."
Holly stood up and looked around the room. Salem tried to look small but obviously failed miserably, as she looked straight at him.
"Yeah you, and... Victory, Mraya and..." Holly looked around the room. Mraya went over to Victory and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and smiled. Victory came to the front, with Mraya.
"Ah yes, Miri, up you come!" The rest of the class settled infront of the stage as the four people who were chosen walked up onto it.
"Now, I think you guys are all suited to the lead, but we're gonna have an audition to see. Now Miri you go with Victory-" Mraya and Victory both looked at Holly eyes wide.
"Oh, yeah, Miri you go with Salem, I think Victory would rather go with someone he...knows?... Is aquainted with," Miri looked at the teacher frowning. Salem felt the same. Why was she acting so weird?
"Here's the script of the parts you have to play. Miri you are Kestella, Salem you're Dante, Victory you're Miri's father and Mraya you are her mother. Victory could you just stand there, yeah, and Mraya next to him, that's it. Miri stand in between. Yep. Salem wait for your cue..." Holly directed them.
"Oh mother, father! Please let him go!" Miri ran across the stage and kneeled at Victory's feet. Victory lifted her head by the chin.
"My dear, there is no choice in the matter. He killed a man of my court, he must be punished!" Miri pushed Victory's hand away and Mraya stepped forward helping her up.
"Child, you cannot love him. For your love alone will kill him," Mraya stepped back, nex to Victory who put his arm around her waist. Mraya looked uncomfortable, but Victory looked quite happy. Curious...
"I want him freed! I shall not love him if he is freed!" That was Salem's cue. He ran onto the stage.
"Kestella!" Miri ran forward into his arms. Why did it feel so right?
"Dante! I have waited for you. Each night I-I dreamed of you, dying... I love you Dante..." Salem noticed the stutter. He decided to ignore it.
"This is against my wishes!" Victory shouted. Mraya held him back. He was a good actor!
"Kestella, if you choose to marry this man, you may no longer be Princess of our realm!" Mraya said. Victory stopped pulling and straightened out his clothes. Salem looked down at his script, Miri had the next line.
"You offer me a choice and to take either way, I lose a part of myself. But I cannot live without Dante's love!" Miri looked down at her script and turned to Dante.
"There, I have chosen. May your country be blessed by the Goddess, but I have been blessed already!" Miri looked at Holly. Holly waved her hand to carry on. Salem looked at the next line and began to blush.
"Dante, let me feel your lips on my own!" Miri moved forward, she was blushing as well.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" A boy at the back started to chant. Soon the whole hall was chanting it. Salem realised Jinxes plan now, and it wouldn't work...
"Should we?" Miri was so close now that Salem could hear her heart beat. Salem wasn't sure but it seemed like he had no choice anymore. He leaned forward and kissed Miri gently. The hall went silent.
Salem immediatly pulled away and jumped from the stage.
"JINXES! I'LL KILL YOU!" Jinxes had however known wat his reaction would have been and had hidden. "YOU HAVE TO GO TO BED SOMETIME! I'LL GET THE PINK BUNNIES THEN SHALL I?" At this the class began to giggle. Jinxes's head appeared from behind a curtain. He sheepishly shuffled forward.
"I didn't mean to upset you. I heard Miri talking to Shinko, that's all. I thought I was doing you a favour!" Jinxes said quickly.
"You thought wrong!" Miri ran up beside Salem.
"You said you had feelings for him!" Jinxes said. Miri blushed and Salem guessed it was true. He couldn't stand this. He didn't know whether he was in love or whether he was in a kinda limbo between love and hate with Miri. He stormed out of the lesson and walked straight into Lady Kristel.
"Where would you be going?" She asked sharply. Salem sagged.
"I'm in love and I've just been made a fool of in there..." Lady Kristel's eyes lit up. She smiled and put one hand on his shoulder.
"Love is a miracle that happens. It doesn't go away because you have been made a fool of. It can happen when people first meet or it can happen after they've known each other all their lives. Whoever you love, if they love you, will always be there. Go back to your lesson, I'll come too," Lady Kristel steered him back into the drama hall. The class began to giggle when they saw Salem but they all stopped when they saw Lady Kristel.
"If I may, I would like to suggest a little change in the schedule. I want Salem to come to my rooms for this lesson tomorrow. Tell the other evening teacher, is that alright?" Guardian Holly nodded. Salem knew she'd been in on it as well.
"I have something important to announce. As I told you, you are bound to the grounds, but this weekend I am arranging a trip to the future New York City. I hope many of you will come. Will you please make sure that everyone gets this message?" Lady Kristel looked around. Salem scanned the crowd, Miri and Mraya were gone and Jinxes was sulking in a corner.
Lady Kristel diappeared. Salemw walked over to Jinxes.
"Sorry I lost it with you. I know you were only trying to help but, well, you didn't," Salem held out a hand for Jinxes to shake. Jinxes took it and got up.
"Miri started to cry, just after you left. Mraya went-" The door opened. Mraya ran in, her face was a mask of horror.
"It's that Tami woman! She's got Miri!" Salem felt his heartbeat get faster. He looked at Jinxes. He knew who to call. Lady Kristel had said he could only show his gift to five people and he could take four with him.
"Jinxes, go and get the "gift" Lady K got me, Victory you get yours. Mraya show us where we're going!" They all ran out of the hall.
Jinxes got the "gifts" and followed Mraya. Baroness Tami was still there. She had a knife to Miri's throat. Salem stopped dead.
"MIRI!" He shouted. Miri was about to reply but the Baroness pulled her hair. Miri remained silent. Victory and the others looked to Salem. Their familiars were on their way.
"Let her go!" Salem shouted. He knew now, what he felt was love.
"Hmn, why?" The Baroness asked. She had a smug smile on her face. She was quite pretty really...
"Because I love her!" Salem replied. Jinxes, Victory and Mraya looked at him, as though to try and decide if he was telling the truth. The familiars ran up to them. Shinkokami ran forward.
"Get back!" The Baroness shouted. Shinkokami stepped backwards. Kaptra pushed his head against hers. Shinkokami pushed back. Salem wasn't really paying much attention to them though.
"If you won't let her go, then take me in her place," He knew it sounded cheesy and like something off a movie but it was the only way to save her. The Baroness considered this for a while.
"Yeah, I like this deal. Nice young man, you'll serve my master well!" Salem walked forward. The Baroness let Miri go. Miri ran into Salem's arms. She started to cry.
"You can't!" She whispered. "You can't go!" Salem pushed her back. He made her look into his eyes.
"Miri, I hardly know you. I'm doing this because I have no other reason to live but for you. Without you, well, what purpose would life have? I keep my deals, and I have a feeling that I can't backtrack this one. Goodbye Miri!" Salem walked forward. He felt like a tired warrior going to heaven.
A wolf jumped before him. It's hackles were raised, it's teeth bared towards the Baroness.
"Kono ama!" Lady Kristel said from behind the five. "Baka mitai! You fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book. You should know, as you wrote the tricks!" Lady Kristel was speaking in another language now. Miri however seemed to be listening to it carefully.
The Baroness shouted something and disappeared. Lady Kristel turned to them all, she curtseyed.
"My lady, why did you speak in japanese? I mean, you know I can understand it," Lady Kristel looked a little surprised.
"I used japanee because I thought you wouldn't like to hear what I said. Or what she said back!" Lady Kristel disappeared. Miri was still crying.
"She called her a dirty slut and told her she was stupid, amongst other things. I think I want to go to bed now." Miri ran away. Salem felt bad but said nothing. He himself went to bed.
He saw his reflection in the mirror and saw that his scar was clearly visible, but it didn't appear to make him ugly. But did Miri only like him for his looks? And in real life could a tailor's son marry a Princess?
To Be continued...Link to Chapter Eight Doesn't Work!
