The Blades
October 3rd, 2005 by Salem
Chapter 2 – Three days had passed since the KingBlade was discovered missing. The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene, had returned to the fishing village of Koror. The village was a very good size and had over 700 people living and working among its buildings. The citizens were in the middle of the annual Celebration after yet another good fishing season. The party lasts for 5 days, and each time it would always last into the night and was just as loud as in the day time. It was during this time that Salem and Selene found a reason to leave town to do a task like cleaning the KingBlade. However, this year had forced them to change their plans.
Back at the Sacred Shrine of the Blades in the cavernous main temple on the walls of the huge round room in their own places, can be seen all the Blades that have come under the care of the sisters until destiny allows their owners to find them. Along with the spaces that held the powerful Blades were empty places for Blades that have yet to be found or have yet to be made by the sisters. A few of the Blades are glowing and shining a mixture of colored light on the pure white walls and black marble floor of the temple, even though the noon sun is washing out everything with a powerful light. A few monks in pitch black robes and a large hood pulled over their head to the point where their face is not visible, are slowly walking around the temple on various tasks as even more monks kneel at a small alter in the center of the temple where the SaintBlade rests. The SaintBlade is a spear, the spear that is believed to have been used by Gin to create everything that exists today. Although the twins did not believe this idea and did not put any faith into it, they do believe in the power of the Blades and what they can do.
Not only is this a place where the Blades were kept as well as a place of worship and where the Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters lived, it is also a school. Most of the people who will someday own one of the Blades are found through some prophecy or circumstance. The sisters still find people who they believe to be worthy and bring them back to the temple to train in hopes that one of the Blades will accept one of them as its master. A few have left the Temple with Blades to call their own, the few who have yet to receive a Blade and look to never get one stay at the temple and help the sisters.
Also walking or flying around in the temple are the animal Familiars, animals who also have become masters of Blades but stay at the temple only to leave when the sister take them on their journeys. Rook is Selene’s falcon who is the master of the TalonBlade. The TalonBlade gives its user the power to lift anything with almost no effort. Pawn is Salem’s ferret and the master of the ThievesBlade. The ThievesBlade has the ability to take any size object and stores it in an alternate dimension where it can be later retrieved anywhere. The ThievesBlade cannot take any living thing or things that have a soul. This one drawback in the ThievesBlade has been used in the past by Lord DarkRaptor to determine if a person was replaced by a soulless copy. Other Blade Animals like Bishop, Knight, King, and Queen are used by either sister. The rest of the Blade Animals are used by the sister’s followers and have not accompanied the sisters on any journey yet.
Bishop, the black Labrador retriever who is master of the MercuryBlade giving him the ability to run at the speed of sound over long distances, casually crosses the temple floor weaving left and right to avoid the busy monks in black, and heads towards Salem who is at this time teaching three 7 year old Blade hopefuls. “So you know the 4 classes of Blades. Who can remind the class what they are?” continues Salem as one of the 3 lifts her hand. “Gabby,” says Salem as soon as she caught her breath after her question to her class, “you may speak.”
Gabby, “There are the Enchanted Blades, the Tech Blades, the War Blades, and the ScytheBlade.” “You are almost right, however the ScytheBlade is in the class of Death Blades” corrects Salem. Then a boy quickly raises his hand. Salem turns to look at the boy, “You may speak Jet.” “But the ScytheBlade is the only Death Blade on all of Colloquy. Why is it in its own class?” asks Jet. “Because Jet,” continues Salem, “the ScytheBlade is the only Death Blade we know to exist. There is a good possibility that another or more Death Blades are around. They just have not been found yet. So now that we know of the classes of Blades, time to go over the Blade types.” says Salem as she turns a panel in the temple wall to reveal a blackboard with writing on it done with a yellowish chalk. Bishop finds a place to sit next to Kathy, the 3rd child in the class, as Kathy greets the armor covered dog with a pan on his head.
“There are 4 types of Blades. The Sword Blades like my GunBlade, the Armor Blades like Bishop’s MercuryBlade there, Accessory Blades…” Kathy interrupts with a raised hand and Salem points to her allowing her to talk, “Like Selene’s WitchBlade gauntlet, right?” “That is correct Kathy. The WitchBlade is an Accessory Blade! The last type of Blades are Companion Blades.” Salem continues as she moves over to the blackboard and points to a quickly done drawing of a bird. She also takes up the odd shaped chalk and draws a picture of something that looks like an insect. “The Companion Blades come in the form of small mechanical animals. They are usually birds, bugs, or !” Salem is interrupted by Jet’s raised hand, “Yes Jet?” “What is the difference between a Companion Blade and an animal like Bishop?” asks Jet. “Well other then the Companion Blades only being in the forms or rodents, birds, and bugs, they are not alive to begin with. The Blade Animals are living creatures who Blades have chosen to be their masters. It is possible for a Companion Blade to choose an animal to be its master.” concludes Salem. Kathy then raises her hand as Salem sees Selene walking to them from the other side of the temple. Salem points to Kathy allowing her to speak, “What type of Blade was the KingBlade?” Salem takes her attention off her approaching sister and answers Kathy, “The KingBlade is an Accessory Blade. It is in the form of a king’s crown.”
Selene finally gets to Salem’s small class and signals Salem that she wants to talk to her. “Ok kids that will be enough for now. I believe you are to join Tram to practice some sword fighting fundamentals. Class dismissed.” The children get back on their feet and run off to the staircase that leads down to the practice field. Selene walks up to Salem as Bishop rubs his head on Salem’s leg hoping to be petted again. “You know you did not have to teach any inductees today. You should be resting for our journey ahead.” Salem clears off the blackboard with a wet cloth and turns the panel closed again. “I could not sleep and anyway I enjoy teaching the inductees about the Blades. Teaching is very relaxing. By the way, any idea how we are to find people to help up retrieve the KingBlade?” asks Salem as they starts walking to the far side of the temple, passing a group of chanting monks as Bishop is weaving around legs again to keep up with the sisters. “First of all, I am not sure that the stone we found is from the Volcanic Land. Just because we have never seen a stone like it and we have not been there does not mean it is from there. What we need to do is visit Terra; she will not only know what the stone is but where it came from.” “That still means we need help to get to Terra’s cave.” The sisters leave the temple to their living quarters.