Rising Love, Sinking City

Chapter 5

Finally. No more imprisonment.

The doctor left, giving me discharge after being secluded to this bed for a week and a half. Getting up from bed, I headed for the bathroom. I felt Bianca's stare as she disapproved my decision. She considered that I hadn't had as much rest as I should, but I certainly disagreed. I was eager to get out of this room.

Bianca was not very keen with the idea. In fact, she hated it. She wanted to refute, but she knew it would be meaningless since I would go out since I had the doctor's permission. I would have been mad at her, but I knew she was worried about me.

I quickly dressed up, not wanting to waste a minute more. Girls were only allowed to wear dresses, but I found it very unpractical and annoying. I pulled on some pants and a loose shirt, both meant for boys.

Women in the palazzo heavily disagreed with me. I did everything girls my age shouldn't do. They all knew I trained and what I was, but nobody talked, they only whispered. It was a fact everyone in Venezia knew. It was both a blessing and a curse.

I packed a bag with weapons. I had never been defenseless and I was not planning to be, ever. I loved being allowed to roam the streets freely and my training allowed me to. I did not plan to take much, just a couple knifes and my sword.

My sword was given to me when I was 7 years old, for my birthday. It was the only gift Uncle Lorenzo had ever given me and the best one he could have given. Since that day, my sword training started and has been constant every day of every year, only stopping when I got injured and rest was mandatory.

It was a spadone or two-handed sword. It had iron decorations in the cross-guard. The sword was very long and at first, I had a hard time maneuvering it. With practice, it became as a member of my body, moving gracefully and dancing as I commanded it.

There were swordsmanship schools, but girls weren't allowed to assist. That was too bad for them, because I may have been the best swordsman in Venezia. Giorgio assisted to one of those schools and he taught me everything boys in swordsmanship schools know.

"Ciao, Bianca!" I yelled as I closed the door

"Ciao, bella. Be careful!"

&&&

I breathed the salty air as I walked down the streets. I walked slowly, wanting to warm up the muscles that had been frantically yelling for exercise. I enjoyed the moment, finally being able to walk freely. My legs tingled with the exercise, but it was a good feeling. I daydreamed the last days about being able to get out of the Palazzo Ducale.

There was a small boy on the streets. He had a large amount of apples and a few coins in a small basket. He was probably sent by his parents to sell and they would probably scold him for his lack of sales. As I approached, his face lightened. I took my purse and dropped an amount of coins that worth three times the money he could have earned selling all the apples. Only those little dimples were worth it.

Dawn was approaching and I knew I had to hurry. I was heading for illegal weapon market, which was a long way from where I was. If I wanted to get there, I would have to take a shortcut. I would have to cross the part of the city the criminals have taken for theirselves.

The people in this part of town were proud for their reputation of raping and murdering. They kidnapped girls, used them and when they got bored, they would kill them and dispose them like garbage. The killing would also be brutal, most merely only for fun.

A sharp smell tingled in my nostrils, probably coming from the sewer. There was a creeping silence and each movement made an echo through the walls.