Acteon: Starlite Secrets

Episode 2: Black Blood

Soon enough, a week of puzzles, brain trainers, and jogging with Karu and Silkver passed by. Silkver didn't notice it, but she was making some promising progress. She was thinking outside the box more often, she could run for an hour without stopping, and she could solve more abstract puzzles. Her thinking and endurance had definitely improved. It was faster than Karu expected but she was pleased nonetheless.

"You have been doing great in all the activities we have done, Silkver," Karu said one Saturday afternoon. "I think it is time we move on."

Silkver, who was sitting on the couch leisurely in her floating home, looked up. "Move on?"

"Yes. I think your muscles have become strong enough for the next exercise."

Silkver rubbed her side. "Um . . . My whole body is still sore . . ."

Soni was standing somewhere in the same room and had been listening to their conversation. "Atleast give her some time to heal up a bit?"

"Unfortunately, we do not have time for that. The entrance exam is only a month and two weeks away; we have to work fast if we want Silkver to be accepted."

Silkver groaned and laid her head back on the couch. "The rabbit guy didn't tell me the next annual exam would be so soon . . ."

Karu looked interested. "Oh? You've met someone that is perhaps a Defender already?"

The pink winged-cat then remembered that Karu had no idea of who she was talking about. "Oh, yeah. He was the guy thatㅡ"

She suddenly felt her brother's stare burning into her back; the events last week were supposed to be a secret.

"That what, Silkver?"

Silkver cleared her throat. "ㅡthat saved Soni and I from that shady alley incident a week ago."

"I see." Karu pulled out her Moto Sanian dagger and twirled it between her fingers. It glistened brilliantly, immediately catching the Starlites' attention.

"Do you know how to fight, Silkver?" She asked.

Silkver shook her head. "If I did, I probably wouldn't have needed saving from a bunny dude."

"Did you see him fighting?"

In truth, she didn't. Her dark elemental side had made her extremely sensitive to sudden bright lights, and a flash bomb was detonated, blinding her long enough to miss out the action. However, she couldn't tell this to Karu, who presumably had no knowledge of her dark elemental side. Instead, she lied and nodded.

"Yeah it was cool and all. Wished I could do that."

Karu stopped twirling her dagger. "You will soon." The black cat threw it at Silkver. "Having skills of offense and defense are not as important in becoming a Defender, but it does come in as useful and impressive."

Silkver's eyes glimmered as she caught the highly polished dagger. "You're going to teach me how to fight?"

"Yes."

Silkver had seen Karu in action before, when she saved her from a huge beast in the forest. She could still remember how fluid her moves were and how her blades sliced cleanly through the beast's flesh. However, it had been years since that happened and she hadn't seen her fight ever since. She was a little too excited to see her do it again, and this time, on her.

Silkver widened her stance and held the dagger in a way so that the blade would be away from her. "So, uh, what's this for? Am I supposed to stab you with this or something?"

Soni walked in the main room. "Whoa hold on, no one's getting stabbed in my house."

Karu smiled. "Don't worry, Soni, Silkver would not and cannot hurt me. I'm simply testing what she already knows and what she would do with the weapon."