The group was at the castle training and it was Lincoln vs Haiku. Lincoln was using a blunt one handed sword, while Haiku used 2 blunt Karambits.
Luna and Luan decided to watch, hopping seeing how capable they are would settle their nerves.
Lana and Lola would usually come to the train grounds to watch knights duel naturally, and they looked forward to watching a vampire fight.
Lynn hopped to get some practice as well.
Lucy patiently waited until it was her turn.
"Ready?" Lincoln asked as he got into his stance.
"Ready." Haiku answered as she twirled her blades by the holes of the grips, before stopping by catching the rest of the grips with the rest of her fingers.
"Begin!" The twins yelled, while the girl from the tailors arrived.
Haiku charged at Lincoln so fast, he only just had time angle his sword to block. Haiku used her curved blades to grab his sword force it down the right. Haiku used her Karambit on top of Lincoln's sword to strike at him, but Lincoln grabbed her arm before she could reach him. Haiku froze up in suprise and Lincoln moved the side of the sword the would be sharp to her chest. Haiku gasped in shock. "Never freeze in a duel." Lincoln instructed. "You freeze..." Lincoln slowly ran his sword slowly across her to mimic a lethal slash. Lincoln let go of her and moved back into his starting position. "Again." He ordered.
Haiku was surprised at Lincoln's request. "What about Lucy?" She questioned.
"Lucy already knows how to fight. Again." Lincoln answered.
Haiku nodded and took a few steps back, before raising her arms. "Do not use the same attack." Lincoln instructed. Haiku began think about how she was going to attack, when out of nowhere Lincoln launched a barrage of heavy strikes against her. Haiku staggered and stumbled trying to keep up, until she inevitably fell. "If you are not attacking you need to be ready to defend. Also you need to spread your legs more." Lincoln said as he offered Haiku a hand.
Haiku (and unsuspected to anyone, Lana) took note of Lincoln's advice. Haiku held her weapons in one hand as used the other to grab Lincoln's. Lincoln instantly pulled to her feet. Haiku let out a sigh of disappointment.
Lincoln recognised how she feeling and quickly comforted her. "It can be embarrassing and a bit disappointing when you first start, but all takes is determination and some time, and you will get there." He spoke softly, before giving her a smile.
Haiku smiled back but then realised he could not see it so she spoke. "Thank you Lincoln."
Lucy smiled to, it was nice to here her parents advice that they used tell herself and Lincoln.
"How about we start from the beginning?" Lincoln asked as genitally as he could.
"Okay." Haiku answered.
Lincoln smiled again before turning to face Lynn. "Lynn, could you help Lucy practice?" He asked.
"Sure!" Lynn agreed.
"Thank you!" Lincoln responded. He then turned back to Haiku. "I have honestly never used that kind of knife before, but I have learnt how to use swords and knifes while holding them like that, so I should be able to teach you something." He mentioned.
With that Lincoln began to teach Haiku, while Lucy and Lynn duelled.
Lana was completely focused on Lincoln as he showed Haiku every stance, block, strike, parry and kick that Haiku could possible use.
Lola decided to focus on Lynn and Lucy as they duelled. Lucy used more traditional to Haiku and proved herself more experienced too, as she managed a few victories against her battle axe wielding opponent.
Luna and Luan silently admitted that Lincoln and Lucy were more skilled then they looked.
This went on for some time until they decided to stop for food. At this moment the girl from the tailor shop grabs a blunt sword and sneaks up on Lincoln. "Sneak attack!" She yelled.
Lincoln acted on instinct and parried the blunt sword with his own. But Lincoln also reached for his silver sword. Once it was unsheathed, he ignited it while throwing away the blunt one. The girls eyes shrunk as Lincoln began to swing his flaming sword straight at her head. "Lincoln, wait!" Haiku called as she grabbed his arms to stop the swing. Lincoln faces Haiku with confused look. "She was joking." Haiku answers.
Lincoln began to take deep breaths to calm down and notices that the sword was blunt. "Seriously? You though THAT was a good idea?" He asked without even trying to hide what he thought of the joke.
The girl grew annoyed at Lincoln's response. "You are the one who over reacted!" She shoot back.
"You are the one who yelled 'Sneak attack' at someone who is carrying a sword!" Lincoln responded.
Luna and Luan watched for where they was stood. "Mmm." Luan hummed.
"Luna, Luan!" They herd someone call. They turned and saw it was Bobby. They both waved at him. "Have you seen Ronnie Ann?" They both just pointed to the shouting match between Lincoln and Ronnie Ann. Bobby looked back at them with a board expression. "What did she do?"
"She sneak attacked Lincoln as he was about to take a break from training Haiku." Luna answered with a board voice.
"Lincoln almost cut the top of her head off in response." Luan continued.
"Lincoln thinks she is stupid for trying it, and Ronnie Ann is saying he over reacted." Luna added on.
Bobby just face palmed. "You never do that to someone carrying a weapon." He mumbled.
"Hey Bobby, is it only people who suffer with trauma who act like that?" Luan asks.
"Usually, how do you know about that?" He responds.
"I was warned when I became the court jester." Luan answered, as her expression became worried. "Do you think Lincoln has trauma?"
"It would not surprise me." Luna sadly admitted.
Bobby sighed, and decided to split up the argument. "Is see you have met my sister." He called in a friendly voice.
"Can you tell her to stop attacking me?" Lincoln's voice was filled with annoyance as he put forward his request. "I do not even know her name!"
"Seriously?" Bobby asked his sister.
"What?" She asked in response.
"Are you seriously bothering him? You just met him, and you have yet to tell him your name." He elaborated.
"Fine. Ronnie Ann. Happy?" She sneered.
"If you stop fucking bothering me I will be happy." Lincoln growled back. "You heard of me through your brother and you start insulting me and throw a punch! What is your problem?!" He asked with growing frustration.
Everyone looked at Ronnie Ann for a answer, but all she did was look at the floor. "Shut up." She mumbled in response.
Lincoln groaned. Lucy approached her brother and spoke. "Come on Lincoln. I am getting hungry." She spoke.
Lincoln nodded. "Alright. We will go to the market to find some food." With that Lincoln lead Lucy, Haiku and Lynn out of the castle to the market.
"Wait up!" Lana called as she ran to catch up with them.
Luna walked up to Ronnie Ann and spoke. "If you want to get a boy's attention, it is best not to annoy him, because he will only see you as a pain and never want to be near you." Ronnie Ann blushed at Luna's words.
Soon.
The group of five walked into the market, Well four of them walked while Lincoln gave Lana a piggyback ride.
"I could do with some more ink." Lucy thought aloud as she saw some for sale.
"Come to think of it, how did you have ink when you wrote that last poem?" Lincoln asked.
"I found enough ingredients to make some but I used it all on my last poem." Lucy answered. "And it was not very good."
"I liked your last poem." Lincoln commented.
"Not the poem, the ink." Lucy clarified. "Also thank you."
"You to are strange." Lynn mentioned. "But a good kind of strange."
For the rest of the day the five spent the day together. As they bonded and talked about funny moments from their past and generally enjoyed each others company.
But as the sun began to set they made their way to the tailor sisters. The once fun and joyful atmosphere was snuffed out as they entered. Replaced with tension and dread. Lori approached the group. There was a unsettling silence Lori opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She close her mouth, cleared her throat and tried again. "They are ready." She whispered.
"Thank you." Lincoln replied in a dry tone.
Leni and Carol came around the corner holding some clothes each and Lori took some from behind her. Lori gave Lincoln his clothes, Carol gave Haiku hers and Leni did the same for Lucy. Leni ruffled Lucy's hair. "Soft, just like your brother's." She said before pulling her in for a hug. "Can you at least stay the night?" Leni asks.
"It is pretty late" Lincoln comments. "But I need to get Thunder."
"We can take care of him for another day, as long as you agree to say bye to everyone." Lana responds.
"Okay then." Lincoln agrees. Lana runs to Lincoln which he returns.
The next day.
Lincoln, Lucy, Haiku and Thunder readied to leave. Lincoln, Lucy and Haiku were wearing the clothes the sisters made for them. Lucy and Haiku had gloves attached to the sleeves and a hood that covered their whole face except their eyes. They all had pieces of metal sewn into the clothes around their arms below the elbow and shins. each had their clothes in their respective colours.
Lori, Carol, Bobby, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Ronnie Ann Lana, Lola and Lily came to say their goodbyes. As hugs and well wishes were exchanged by both parties along with a few of them ruffling Lincoln's hair the group left, promising to visit them after it was over.
Later.
The group was closing in on the Zial forest when they heard a voice. "Wait!" They turned and saw Lynn carrying Lana who was wearing a red knight helmet.
"What are you two doing here!?" Lincoln asked.
"We came to help." Lynn answered.
Lincoln looked at them in shock and disbelief. "Well, we have came to far to comeback now."
Out of nowhere Lynn was struck by multiple darts and passed out an wolves bearing red marking burst from the bushes.
"Ambush!" Lincoln yelled.
Lana shaked as she held a knife up to a wolf that was approaching her. As the wolf pounced at her, Lincoln shoved his sword into the wolf's mouth and killed it.
One wolf grabbed the back of Haiku's hood and pulled it down, exposing her to the sun. Haiku screamed in agony as her skin became flaky and black cracks covered her face. As she tried to pull away, the wolf kept hold as it began to tare and expose her back as well. Haiku took out one of her karambits and cut herself free and fled under a tree.
Lucy was pinned to the ground with a wolf biting down on each arm and was hit with four darts.
both Lana and Lincoln were both hit as well with Lana on the floor, and Lincoln struggling to stand up as he took the darts out of himself. Haiku saw a group of men approach Lincoln as a wolf dragged Lana away. Haiku braced herself before running out and tackling Lincoln down the hill on the other side of the path.
The pair came to a stop at the bottom of the hill with cuts and scratches littering their bodies. By this time Haiku had passed out from being in so much pain. Lincoln looked back to the hill and saw that it was very steep. A figure watched them from the top of the hill until a noise caught its attention and it walked away. Lincoln looked back at Haiku and realised the was still burning. Lincoln quickly moved her hair to cover her face and put his torn cloak on her. Lincoln picked up his sword that had came down with them and put it in his scarab, before picking up Haiku. He had to get her out of the sun. Lincoln soon noticed his ankle was twisted as he almost fell over once he put weight on it, so he slowly limped until he found a shallow cave.
Lincoln carefully placed Haiku at the end of the cave before he looked at his scratched and mud covered hands. Lincoln rubbed his hands before pulling a knife from his boot. Lincoln moved Haiku's hair from her face and opened her mouth. He then cut his hand and bit on his lip to muffle a his scream, once it was done he poured his drops of blood into Haiku's mouth. Lincoln began to feel weak as his adrenaline faded and the poison took over. He care fully rested his head on Haiku's stomach and rested his cut hand on her mouth as passed out.