Defender of the Soul

Chapter 10: Favor

Goth pressed himself against the stone wall of the corridor, clutching the tablet to his chest as he peeked out from around the corner into the cloister; it looked like the sparring matches in the courtyard were still in full swing. It took him a moment to pick out Palette from the rest of the group; the skeleton in question was gaining the upper hand if their opponent's floundering defense was any indication.

Taking a calming breath and putting on a neutral expression, Goth stepped out into the open to spectate while he waited. Leaning against a pillar, he watched as his friend ducked and weaved around their opponent's strikes; each counter was a little more decisive than the last time he had seen them and there was less unnecessary movement as well. It seemed that no matter how many times he observed Palette's matches, he always found himself taken in by their skill and prowess; it made him want to improve in his own crafts as well.

Wrapped up in his thoughts as he was, he was thoroughly unprepared for the hand touching his right shoulder.

"Oh!" Elise gasped as Goth spun around, her hand quickly retracting from where she had reached out prior. "I apologize for surprising you... are you alright? I have never known you to startle so easily."

His sister was sharp, he had to give her that... still, it wouldn't do to worry her. Putting on a genial smile, he quickly crafted an excuse, "It's nothing to fret over; I was merely lost in thought when you arrived."

Her eye lights flicked over to the practice field as a subtle smile formed, "I see... and here I had intended on inviting you for tea to catch up, but it appears you already have other plans."

Goth grimaced at the reminder; between Elise's daily tutoring regimen and his work in the archives, their schedules rarely aligned for them to meet outside of meals since the garden party almost a week ago. Even now, the timing was unfortunate, "I apologize, I've already promised my time to aid Sir Palette in practicing his combat magic." Glancing down at the tablet in his hand, uncertainty leaked into his voice, "I've also acquired the writing tablet I had promised him way back when; it's not professionally made like the rest, however, I'm hoping he'll still find a use for it in spite of my shoddy craftsmanship."

Elise eyed the tablet curiously, "Goodness, did you make this?"

"Yes, for better or for worse," Goth chuckled, tilting the object so his sister could inspect it. The wood frame wasn't completely symmetrical and was obviously repurposed; it sported chips and indents across the surface from past owners in spite of him trying to sand down the worst of the wear. The metal stylus that accompanied the tablet was one of his spares, but he had carved out a notch and installed a strap to house the stylus when it wasn't in use. He had also painstakingly melted and distributed the beeswax evenly within the frame, burning himself at least two times in the process. Taking a deep breath, he murmured, "Do you think he'll like it?"

"I am sure he will love it, however...," Elise glanced behind him, "I do believe you will have the chance to ask him for yourself soon enough."

Goth turned in time to spot Palette jogging up to them as the other knights dispersed. Rubbing a sleeve across their sweaty face, the monster greeted the pair, "Good evening, Lady Elise; Goth. How are you?"

Elise spoke up first, "We are in good spirits; I was catching up with my dear brother, who notified me he was to help you practice this evening among other matters."

Palette's eye lights shined in remembrance as Goth inquired, "Will you need to rest first?"

"Oh no; I still have plenty of energy to spare," the knight made a small show of vigor, "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Then I shall take my leave; I wish you both a pleasant evening," Elise curtsied before turning to leave. 

Palette stopped her by asking, "Hey, do you want to join us? You looked like you knew a thing or two about fighting with magic too." Goth inwardly groaned at the invite; while he normally wouldn't mind his sister joining them, he would have a harder time focusing if he knew he was being watched.

Her eye lights flicked between him and Palette, then she responded, "I appreciate the offer, however, I have other matters I must attend to." 

"Oh, okay," the knight nodded respectfully, "have fun with whatever you're doing then." Meanwhile, Goth silently thanked his sister for not accidentally making his life harder.

"Thank you," as she made her exit, she called back, "and I wish you luck in bestowing your gift, dear brother."

Goth's soul pulsed in anticipation as his sister rounded the corner and Palette parroted, "Gift?" Spying the tablet in his hands, his friend gasped, "Is that what I think it is?"

"Ah, yes... well...," Goth held the object out while trying to keep his voice from betraying his nerves, "While I was unable to procure a spare tablet, my mentor granted me the supplies to craft one instead. W-while construction isn't my forte, this tablet should serve you well enough."

He observed Palette's reaction as the taller skeleton carefully took hold of the tablet; their sockets widened as they stared at it, rubbing their thumb along the wood grain and murmuring softly, "You made this?"

"Y-yes...," Goth's eye light drifted to the ground. The quiet reaction surely meant Palette wasn't pleased, "If it's not to your liking, you may discard it and I'll try to craft a better-"

"What? No!" Palette hugged the tablet to his chest possessively, "I want to keep this one!"

Goth blinked, his shock barely allowing him to speak, "... You do?"

"Yeah!" Palette asserted, holding the device out once more while smiling down at it, "My dad used to make all sorts of things depending on what materials he had on hand when I was younger, so I love handmade stuff. You spent time and effort making this tablet just for me; it has character, and that makes it way more special than any of those other ones! I wouldn't trade it for anything!"

"Then I'm glad you're pleased with the result," Goth's soul swelled in giddiness and relief; he supposed he really shouldn't be surprised at the reaction given Palette's excitable personality and modest upbringing, but it was still heartwarming to see his effort so appreciated.

Also, Palette loved handmade gifts... this might be useful to remember for the future.

"I am, and I'll make sure to take extra special care of it!" the knight promised enthusiastically, only for their expression to turn sheepish as his voice echoed down the cloister's hallway, "Oh... sorry, I'm being too loud, aren't I?"

"Oh no, not at all, " Goth chuckled, "it's quite refreshing to be given such an honest reaction. Most tend to put on airs around me, and s-" he paused at the unmistakable sound of leather scraping against stone behind him; he turned to find the area devoid of life. The absence of any definite cause set his nerves on edge once more and reminded him of the primary reason he sought Palette out in the first place.

"Goth?" Palette's sockets creased in concern, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Y-yes, I remembered I was supposed to be helping you practice," Goth hastily removed his hooded capelet and began folding it to cover his reaction, "We should get started before it gets too late. You may set your tablet with my clothing if you wish."

"Oh, right," Palette nodded thoughtfully at the reminder, setting the tablet down on top of the folded clothing and popping back up with an eager smile, "So, where do we start?"

***

Word Count: 1,320