Chapter 6 : Impressions

Monica

The sense of weightlessness disappeared as we arrived to our destination, Heaven's Reach.

Home.

Flipping forward, I gracefully landed on both feet, bending my knees to cushion the impact and placing my hand against the ground to prevent myself from going too far forward. A light breeze beside me indicated that my sister, too had landed perfectly. While the loud thud and pain filled groans told me that our new guests landed on their faces. The area around us was dimly lit by torches on the surrounding area. As I stood up, I turned my head and the sight behind me confirmed my assumptions as the two brothers were but an entanglement of limbs and both were face down in the dirt. I scowled as I began to walk towards the master's quarters which was illuminated by the lights within.

"Get moving!" I barked at them. The sound of panicked scrambling and the quick steps behind me said it all as I reached the steps and sighed. My sister stood at my side and placed a tender hand on my shoulder. Glancing up, our red eyes connected and we shared a silent conversation between us for a brief few seconds. She knew that I wasn't comfortable at all leading these two strangers up to where Master Hong presided and was reassuring me that he would handle everything and that it was almost over. I don't know what I would do without her.

"Do we get to learn how to speak with our minds too?" Sorye asked behind us, only to be struck down by our deadly gazes. Gulping, he scratched the back of his head and kicked nervously at the ground, "Can we get moving?"

Nodding, I began to ascend the stone steps, my heels making a dull clicking with each step as we made our way to the top and outside of Master Hong's study. The scent of burning candles wafted through the air and into my nose, sending a wave of calm thoughout my body. Turning around, I looked at the two brothers who had awestruck expression across their faces.

"Go inside and speak with the Master."

Nodding, the walked forward. Noticing that I wouldn't budge from where I stood, they carefully inched their way around me and my sister, making sure not to touch us as we stared at them both coldly. Finally, they walked through the doors and out of our line of vision.

"You didn't have to be so hard on them, sis..." Monique spoke up as she began to descend the stairs and towards our sleeping quarters.

I stared at her incredilously, "You remember what they did right?! You were almost killed!"

Shaking her head, she let out a deep sigh and pulled her razer from it's sheathe, looking at it's sharp glint from the lanterns, "I know, but they were desperate is all..."

A frown spread across my face, "I don't think I follow."

Walking inside our room, I took off the black and silver top of my dress by unclasping the straps holding it to my body just below my breasts, leaving me in only the form hugging outfit underneath.

"What I'm saying," My sister began again, taking her jacket in the process, "Is that they had been living on the streets for so long and they were just trying to get by... Like us."

A little bit of sympathy touched my heart, but I dismissed it, "We didn't have to resort to stealing or assault."

"We were young girls in a tightly knit community." Monique countered, "People in the Mirage had a soft spot for us."

"I think I understand where you're getting at, but it won't sway my thoughts regarding them." I stuck my nose out stubbornly as I pulled the top of the outfit over my head and replaced it with a silken white shirt. Removing my knee high heels, I did the same with the black leather pants, replacing them with dark cotton pants instead. Sighing, I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling.

"I think we should at least give them a chance." Monique pressed more on the subject as she dressed herself in a similar outfit as me and jumped on my bed and snuggled against me, "Everyone deserves another chance."

"Not when they attack your little sister." I replied closing my eyes.

"Just try?"

"Maybe."

We laid there in silence for a few minutes, our breathing becoming deeper and slower as sleep began to envelope both of us. I was about to let sleep overcome me until some subtle scuffling was heard outside of the window. Glancing down, I saw that Monique had indeed, fallen asleep and I carefully lifted her arm that was across my stomach and slipped out of bed. Creeping towards the door, I closed my eyes and the feeling of weightlessness filled me as I descended into the shadows and slipped outside and into the night. Silently creeping around the corner of the quarters, anger filled me as I saw the two brothers crouching outside the window. Reaching behind me, I instinctively grabbed for my dagger. When I felt that nothing was actually there, I cursed inwardly as I looked at the two figures in front of me.

"If I was armed, you two would be so dead."

I contemplated going back inside to grab something to attack the two idiots who were completely oblivious of my presence. Deciding to do so, I slowly backtracked and slipping around the corner, I released my grasp on the shadows and felt my body become visible again. Turning around quickly, I collided straight into another person, sending us both to the ground with a thud. Wincing, I rubbed at my head and stared at the steely eyes of the blonde blade master on the ground in front of me. Quickly nodding towards the corner in which I had just rounded, she squinted her eyes at me accusingly and a small touch of fear raced through my veins as I saw her sword on the ground as well.

Before I could respond, the sound of footsteps behind me, almost certainly the brothers, grew louder and louder. Without thinking, I threw myself onto the blonde and pinned her to the ground. Willing all the chi in my entire being, I sent us both into the shadows and out of sight. Pressing my hand against her mouth, which was pointless because to my knowledge she has never spoken, but it was all I could do to tell her not to make too much noise, I struggled against her attempts to throw me off of her. Quickly shaking my head, I jabbed at a pressure point in her neck, temporarily paralyzing her as the brothers finally rounded the corner and I watched them suspiciously as they made their way towards the men's sleeping quarters and into the night. When they were finally out of sight, I loosened my grip on the blade master, but with a blast of heat and flames, she summoned a wave of ethereal blades, sending me flying back. Glaring at me angrily, she picked up her sword and quickly turned on her heel and walked in the opposite direction and into the night, just like the brothers. Letting out a sigh, I pushed myself up and slowly crept back into my sleeping quarter. We hadn't exactly interacted before and I was mortified that my first real interaction with the beautiful blade master had been me tackling her to the ground against her will in the dead of night. A shudder tore it's way through my body.

I carefully closed the door behind me, trying my best not to wake up my sister. Turning around, absolute shock hit me like a wave of water as I saw Monique sitting up in my bed, one long leg crossed over the other and an accusatory look on her face.

"I think we need to have a talk."

I gulped and a bead of sweat appeared on my forehead as I knew that I was in for a scolding.