Shadow's Advent

Chapter Two

Caraka yanked the sword out of his grasp and Aaralynn grabbed his arm, pushing his hair off of his face. He didn't realize he had been sweating. 

"What happened?" Aaralynn shrieked. 

"I-I don't know!" Caraka said defensively. Her eyes were wide and her trembling hands held the sword close to her chest. "I've never seen someone have a reaction like that before! How was I supposed to know that would happen?" 

Aaralynn's lips curled into a snarl. "They are your weapons! You should know how people will react to them!" 

"Are you insane? It would be impossible for me to predict something like that!" 

"Cipher!" Aaralynn looked towards her. "What the hell happened to him?" 

Cipher raised her hands. "How am I supposed to know?" 

Aaralynn slowly looked over at Caraka, looking down her nose at her. "I know what happened." 

Caraka pulled her shoulders back, lifting her chin. "And what is that?" 

"Those are Sorceresses' blades!" 

Caraka stared at her. She opened and closed her mouth. "What?" Her face darkened, twisting into a snarl. "How dare you accuse me of carrying Sorceresses' blades!" 

"Aaralynn! Don't make such an accusation! Those things possess people!" Cipher snapped.  

"What do you think it tried to do now?" she snapped back. The elf remained tensed and crouched.  

Caraka's lips trembled. "Tamal wouldn't-" 

"Ha!" Aaralynn pointed a finger. "So, it has a name." 

"Lots of people name their weapons. It's not all that uncommon," Cipher pointed out. 

"Not that," said the elf. "Tamal wouldn't what." 

Caraka stiffened. She glared at her with defiance. "I don't have to explain myself to you." 

"Oh, yes you do. Look at what you did to my friend!" 

The girl paused. She looked around, biting her lip. "Ask him if it talked," she said. 

The elf looked at her, bewildered. "What?" 

"Did it talk? The sword?" asked Caraka. "When he went into the trance." 

Aaralynn blinked then raised a brow. She shook Kytheran slightly. "Ky? Ky? Tell me, did the sword talk to you?" 

He shook his head and looked at her, his face still white and his eyes as wide as saucers. "What?" 

"The sword, did it talk to you?" she asked. 

"No..." he said, slowly shaking his head. 

Caraka snorted, straightening her shoulders back up. "See? Not a Sorceress blade. Sorceress blades can talk and will talk once they have a chance." She smirked. 

Aaralynn glared at her. She fingered her lance nervously. 

She glared back. "I wouldn't have a weapon that could possess me. Do you think I'm stupid?" 

"Not like I know you very well," the elf spat.  

"Look!" said Cipher, "It's been a very long day. Maybe we should get some rest." She watched both girls, shooting them dark looks. 

The pair huffed and returned to not acknowledging each other. 

"Someone should take watch," said Caraka offhand, continuing to look out into the forest.