We headed down to the gym in the lower levels. Obsidarian was slightly taken aback by my confession at having never handled a blade in my life before, but he seemed to take it in stride, realizing his new role as teacher. I also threatened to slit his throat if he spilled my secret, even if I didn’t think I would be able to carry out the act. I sounded like a typical pirate anyway, doing anything to blend in and seem….. well, not clueless. I had no intention of being attacked for my ignorance of the art of swordsmanship.
When we entered the gym he climbed immediately onto the platform and ducked under the ropes that formed a square similar to a boxing ring. He drew his rapier and motioned me up to the platform as well. I clambered up and dragged myself beneath the rope on my belly, scrambling to my feet quickly as to draw attention away from the incredibly ungainly entrance I had made. Unfortunately, I don’t think it worked in the slightest; Obsidarian was fighting to hide his smile as he watched me fumbling slightly to draw my new sword from its scabbard.
He began to explain to me, managing to sound only slightly patronizing, “We’re going to fight, just to assess where you already are, but there are a few rules though. No maiming, deep cutting or cheap shots. Anything else is free game. Got it? Got it, good, we begin.”
I was still processing the information when he came at me. His sword came down at my face, and my own sword flew up and blocked it viciously. I didn’t recall initiating the movement, it had happened of its own will, reflex. I felt a new sensation running through me, my body coursed with power. I suddenly knew I could handle my sword. After a blocking a few more of Obsidarian’s direct attacks I decided to try the offensive. I went forward aggressively but indirectly, I feinted to both sides and put all of my weight on the balls of my feet as I bobbed back and forth. He lunged at me wildly, trying to regain control of our experiment. I calmly sidestepped his attack, sticking out my foot as I did so, tripping him and, sending him sprawling onto the floor. He rolled onto his back and gaped at me, bewildered.
“Get up Obsidarian. I need to test myself remember? I expected better of the elite. Face me.” I couldn’t help but smile to myself; I could practically feel my eyes gleaming in triumph.
He shakily got to his feet and cautiously advanced this time, treating me more as a threat and less of a novice. I leapt at him and he parried my strike, sending a flurry of sparks into the air. His left hand shot out and hit the side of my head, not hard, but just as a warning. He backed away from me slightly and danced out of my reach. I stared at him, confused as to what had just happened.
“I thought we were fighting with swords! Not boxing like street kids, that was a cheap shot!”
He scolded me gently, “You are still new Piratess, if I had been an enemy that would have been the end of you. Many choose to carry a dagger that they use in their left hand. That tap just now would have been a slit throat or a blade to the brain. Use caution and watch my left hand sneaking in when our swords are crossed. Now, again.”
I too proceeded with caution when we circled each other again. I didn’t attack boldly again, and kept his “dagger” hand within my sight at all times. It didn’t do me much good though, I was still hit often with it, in my face, my arms, and my stomach. I was beginning to wonder how many bruises I was going to have tomorrow when I got hit in the face again, causing me to see stars.
“How am I learning anything when you keep hitting me?” I complained.
He struck out again and hit my left shoulder, “I’m teaching you to stay alive. And we will be done when you learn it.”
He pressed on, showing little mercy in his barrage. I would have been disappointed by anything less than relentless though, so I kept my mouth shut and focused on the task at hand. I now began trying to block his hits with a few of my own, knocking his hand away or landing a few weak punches that probably wouldn’t even leave a mark tomorrow. I was still hit far too often for Obsidarian’s approval though, so I changed to a new tactic, angling my body away from him so I had more time to react to his hits. This worked for keeping me safe from his left hits, but unfortunately it gave me a little less power with my sword hand.
I only lasted for a minute or two in this defensive stance before we locked blades with a resounding crash. We struggled for moments before Obsidarian effortlessly flicked my sword away and disarmed me, leaving me defenseless.
I pulled my knife from my belt before he could come at me again, choosing to throw caution to the wind and attack with my smaller weapon, coming in very close to him where his rapier had no room to maneuver. I was faster now with the lightweight weapon I had brought with me to this world. It took little effort now to block his assault from both the left and right side. My mind went blank and I anticipated his movements instead of reacting to them. I had taken control, and was able to steer myself over to where my rapier was lying on the floor of the ring. I swung crazily at him, successfully making him take a step backward, an opportunity I took advantage of to bend down and scoop my basket hilted rapier into my dominant hand.
Both blades flew hard and fast now, Obsidarian drawing his own dagger so there were four pieces of steel dancing within the ring with their sweet music resounding when they came together. It made sense now, I had lost earlier when I tried to fight one blade against two. A fight must be faught blade for blade, sword for sword and dagger for dagger. I was no longer hit, I could efficiently protect myself as long as I didn’t over-think the movement. I had learned his lesson.
I pressed harder, eager to end the fight, when he disarmed me again. I didn’t hesitate to watch my rapier fly away this time, I jumped toward him and tackled him to the floor, pinning my knife to his throat. Victory shone in my eyes as I kicked his sword away, and held his dagger hand’s wrist pinned to the floor, leaving him practically defenseless.
He smiled, struggling with me only for an instant, and said, “Mercy.”
I laughed and helped him to his feet, and he immediately pushed me down instead. My breath caught in my throat and my heart seemed to stop as I struggled to look at the point of the dagger he held to my throat. He leered at me then burst into laughter, pulling me up to my own feet.
“Not bad for a Piratess,” he said. “You are impressive for a first day player, many cannot fight like that and they have been playing this game for years. But you smell horrible. Want to just take a shower and call it a night? Everyone else will be turning in soon as well.”
A shower sounded like heaven right about then.
“Shower sounds great,” I answered, laughing at his mock suggestive expression. “But that’s something I can figure out for myself thanks.”
I turned away and led the way up the stairs, watching him when he left me to return to his own room, four doors past my own and across the hallway. Then I showered luxuriously, in a washroom I had found earlier, enjoying the fresh feeling and trying to make sense of the day’s extraordinary events. When I returned to my room I turned to lock the door behind me, but I had no lock. Well, there was a lock, but it was a twisted piece of metal that had been broken through far too many times for it to function. I stuck my rapier through the loop of the handle and into the door frame instead, using it as a make shift door jam. It wouldn’t do much, but it would cause a little hold up, enough time for me to wake up if someone tried to intrude. With that positive thought, I slipped into dreamland the moment my head hit the pillow.
I opened my eyes, staring up at the bottom of the bunk atop of mine. I smiled brightly, rolling out of bed and dropping my white laced nightgown to the floor. A corset lie across the trunk near the foot of my bed. I wrapped it about me, not my favorite article, but a necessary one, as deemed by Lord Pipit.
“Hold still would you?” a musical voice sounded behind me. “I’m trying to tie the strings of this corset Darling, I need you to stop moving, it has to be just right… you must look your best today.”
I felt warm hands tugging at the strings that lined my back, and my waist was cinched impossibly small. The extra mass was shoved upward, joining my already shapely chest into even higher mounds. Everything was compressed, I could barely breathe!
“Too…tight” I gasped out.
“Darling… always with a preference for the dramatic. It’s the same as it was yesterday, the beginning phase for lightening your breathing. The first step toward becoming a lady.” The other girl said. She finished her task and strode around in front of me. I recognized her instantly as Briamy, the girl I had met earlier on Mají-jalio’s ship. I cried out to her, or tried to. My voice spoke of its own accord, a light and feminine laughter I had never heard before playing off my lips.
“My apologies Sweetheart, it is just so difficult to let go of my old uncouth ways. Lord Pipit would be most displeased with me, but I will please him yet. Ladyship will be mine.”
Horror struck at me and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. I struggled suddenly, meaning to reach out and grab Briamy’s wrist, instead my body turned away and picked up a pale pink dress with an empire waist, slipping it over my head and smoothing out the creases.
“Gorgeous Darling, as you always are, though that pink sets you well, your golden locks gleaming against the color.”
I felt myself smile and blush lightly.
“Hush Sweetheart, your compliments will make me conceited, best to show them to yourself, that breath of green is becoming to your ebony hair. A true lady stands before me.”
I looked at her again, truly looking, not just the auto-piloted movements that I seemed to be limited to presently. My earlier judgment had been confirmed, she was dazzling. New make-up accentuated her amber eyes and her hair was luscious and shiny, well kept and styled with pride.
“If you are done looking Darling… we really must be going. It is never a wise idea to keep Lord Pipit waiting at breakfast. He said yesterday that he will not begin the meal until we are all present. We must go.”
I nodded and followed her out of the cabin submissively, taking care to watch my step in my little heels. I had never liked small heels, they always reminded me of the patent school-girl shoes I had been forced to wear to church when I was younger. Stilettos on the other hand, they were my best friend when paired with some tight jeans. I could even dance in them, a feat that few of my friends back home had ever accomplished on the dance floor, let alone a picnic table top while high on life at a party.
But the patent black schoolgirl shoes were on my feet now, shoes I was aware I had never packed in my bag. They were guiding my feet down the steps and to the escort waiting to take us to breakfast. Max stood at the base of the short flight of steps, his normally long dirty blonde hair freshly cropped and still damp from the shower. He too was in dress attire, an old fashioned tuxedo jacket with square cufflinks. He wore them well, looking dashing enough to draw a shy glance from the girl I called Sweetheart, Briamy.
Her own escort was unfamiliar to me, an awkward looking boy who looked to only be fifteen. His eyes darted about, looking anywhere but at Briamy or me. I could see where he was sweating lightly at his collar, his tawny hair combed straight back, accentuating his hazel eyes that glinted in the early morning sun.
“Good morning Darling.” Max said formally, “I trust you slept well?”
“Most well Dearest, a better sleep was never attained at home.” My voice seemed to respond on its own, fluttering up and down, the pitching high and almost shrill to my mind’s ears, too feminine to have ever come from my throat. I had never, ever, EVER called him Dearest before, and certainly not with that fond lilt I seemed to detect in my controlled voice.
“Most excellent, shall we be off then? Tis always best to arrive promptly fifteen minutes early for the breakfast meal. It would displease Lord Pipit to be less than punctual.” Max said.
I wanted to scream then, truly wanted to scream, to wake from this nightmare called Effugere. Instead I took my freshly disowned brother’s arm and permitted myself to be escorted to breakfast.