The Rise Of The Morningstar (Eng. Version)

Chapter 4 - Bad News

Chapter 4 "Bad News"

We sat in the sports hall together. Isabelle, Alec, Jace and I settled on a blue training pad, all of us were armed with seraph blades. Between me and them was a gap of five feet. Hodge stood some meters in front of us while he questioned me about my previous training procedure. His suit as well as his hair had the same color as his eyes. It radiated quiet and I liked it.

„Well, Clary, tell me something about your training. What did you do? Do you remember what you did the last time?" He gave me a warm smile and I could tell that he'd give me time to answer.

Of course, I remembered my last training. Jonathan had almost killed me then. Then. It had happened two days ago. Now, it seemed like a lifetime ago. How could I lose track of time? I needed to clear my thoughts. My dreams were so vivid lately that sometimes, I wasn't sure if something had really happened or I'd just imagined it.

I led my thoughts to the uncountable amount of lessons Jonathan and I had spent learning about weapons and combat techniques as well as subjects as geography or biology. Valentine had taught us everything possible, even human psychology and the easiest ways to understand a human mind and how to manipulate it. I wasn't sure if I should really mention all those things. When I closed my eyes, I could already see the horrified and disgusted looks the others would give me.

With a sigh, I started to explain the past eighteen years as short as possible. "My father mostly taught us combat techniques with and without weapons. Then weaponry and survival in nature. These were the most important subjects in our schedule. But we also learned languages as French, German and Spanish and subjects like geography, mathematics and all the sciences." I didn't dare turning my head in their direction when I spoke. My eyes were fixed on the corner of Hodge's shoe. Still, I saw Jace's face-expression screw up.

For a couple of seconds, Hodge's eyes wandered through the hall. "Tell me more about the combat techniques. I'm pretty sure that you're very advanced for your age but I need to know some details, so I know exactly how much ahead you are", he said after some time of obvious thinking. Isabelle snorted at his remark.

"He taught us martial arts as karate, judo and aikido. We focused on different kinds of offensive and defensive attacks but also trained to control our mind. Concentration plays a very important role in sparring. When our mind is absent, the fight is already lost. I shouldn't have problems in those areas", I told Hodge. I tried to let my voice sound neutral, but I couldn't help to feel proud of the high standard my training had in comparison to theirs. I was aware that no other Shadowhunter could keep pace with my training achievements.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the concerned look Alec and Isabelle threw at me as if I was going to attack them at any moment. I knew that they shouldn't make me feel uncomfortable, but I couldn't help it. Never let them have power over your feelings.

"We?", asked Alec in a surprised and alarmed tone. Now, I turned my head in his direction. He seemed speechless.

I sighed and immediately knew that my following words would upset them even more. As if one Morgenstern wasn't enough. „I have an older brother, we were both taught by my father." Jonathan's face in my head caught my breath. My lungs screamed for air, but it felt like there was no oxygen left to breathe.

This revelation seemed to knock their socks off. I could see their faces darken in dismay when the meaning of my words reached their minds. They didn't like the thought of another Morgenstern child being somewhere outside the Institute, somewhere out of their reach. Only Hodge kept a straight face, he probably didn't want to offend me.

"You ... have a brother?", Jace asked, his voice full of horror. He didn't raise his head though, he continued staring at the floor while balancing the seraph blade in his right hand.