The Rise of Lancaster
Chapter 5: Rescue Operation
Disclaimer: I do not own the Sacred Blacksmith or any of the characters involved except for Lancaster and custom Demon Swords
Lancaster arrived at the Diner and smiled as he saw Aria clocking out, her hair was disheveled and she had bags under her eyes, but she was smiling too.
"Enjoy our first day?" Lancaster asked her as she saw him and approached.
"It was crazy! There were so many orders!" She shouted in disbelief.
Lancaster chuckled, "Yeah, I remember my first job. Better get used to it," He warned her.
"Where's Lillian?" Aria asked, looking behind Lancaster.
"She stayed back home, said she was feeling tired."
Aria nodded her understanding, "Then let's get back, I'm sure she's awake and bored to tears by now," Aria told him.
The two left the diner and made their way back to the church. As they arrived Lancaster's eyes widened as he realized something was wrong: The door was left open, and the auto-closing mechanism had been broken, based on the pieces of casing lying on the ground he guessed by force.
"This isn't right," He said to himself before rushing through the open doorway. Aria was a second behind him, not quite comprehending what was going on.
"Lillian!" Lancaster shouted as he ran through the halls of the church towards her room.
"Lils!" Aria shouted a few seconds later.
The two skidded to a halt outside her room and looked inside to see everything was still in pristine condition: the bed was made, and her small table had both chairs neatly tucked under it.
"Where is she?" Lancaster asked as he turned back down the hallway.
He sprinted down it, Aria right behind him when the two noticed something in the corner of their vision. Lancaster stopped and turned back towards the kitchen where he flicked the light switch on, revealing a plate on the small table with crumbs and a half-eaten sandwich.
"That's weird," Lancaster said aloud.
"Yeah… Lils normally eats everything you serve her…" Aria said.
Lancaster turned back and stepped into the hallway, looking down at the floor he noticed minute tears in the carpeted floor.
"Aria, can you see this?" he asked, indicating the torn flooring.
"It looks like something was dragged across it and ripped it up," She said.
"My thoughts exactly… I don't think Lillian went out for a light stroll," he said.
"Tearniv? You think they kidnapped her?" She asked.
"I'm afraid so," Lancaster said as he stood up.
He put his hand on his chin as he considered their next course of action; he had no idea where they would've taken Lillian. He doubted they'd take her back to the same facility he and Aria had freed her from, but that left dozens, if not hundreds of other locations they could've taken her to.
"We don't know enough," Lancaster said in frustration.
"What?" Aria asked, being snapped out of her train of thought.
"We don't know enough!" Lancaster punched the wall.
"Lan! It's ok! We'll figure this out," Aria said as she put an arm on his outstretched one.
Lancaster put his other hand over his face, he couldn't think. He was fighting his instincts to rush out into the street with Aria in sword form and just find Lillian, but his logical brain was telling him that would be a waste of time and energy. He would likely draw more attention to himself and Aria, and then if people saw him carrying a naked blade around town he'd likely be arrested and that would only cause more trouble.
"You two seem to be having a moment, should I leave?" A voice asked them.
The two looked up to see an older man, in his fifties, with graying hair tied back into a small bun and wearing a dark gray robe with a black scarf around his neck. His hands were hidden in its voluminous sleeves.
"Who are you?" Lancaster asked.
"I've used many names over the years, but these days I go by Daikichi," the man answered.
"I take it you're the young man who's fighting Tearniv?" He asked.
Lancaster was hesitant, he didn't know who this man was, or what his connection was to Tearniv. He could be an enforcer or a spy.
"Yes, we are," Aria told him.
Lancaster's eyes widened as he turned on Aria, silently asking what she was doing.
She ignored his look and focused her eyes on Daikichi. The older man nodded to himself as if agreeing with her statement.
"Yes, that makes sense… I saw where they took that young girl. I assume she is a demon sword? Like you?" Daikichi asked as he removed a hand and pointed it at Aria.
Lancaster went to deny it, but Aria was faster.
"Yes, she is," Aria answered.
Lancaster turned back on her, "Aria! What are you doing? We don't know who this man is!" He said.
"I do, he's a demon sword," She explained without looking at Lancaster.
Daikichi nodded, "That I am. I've been looking for you young man. I've heard through the grapevine that a young man was fighting against Tearniv, that he had infiltrated and stolen a demon sword from one of their research facilities in this area, and that he was wielding a demon sword when he did it."
Lancaster nodded, that summed up his and Aria's actions a few weeks ago.
"I've come to offer my assistance to you. For too long we demon swords have been hiding from Tearniv. For too long we've been forced to uproot ourselves whenever they come around, just to remain safe. It's high time we took a stand against them," Daikichi explained.
Lancaster nodded agreement, "You're welcome to join us, though I'm not sure what we can offer…"
"I take it you mean your fighting abilities?" Daikichi asked.
"Yeah… I've never held a sword before, and while I've been working with Aria for the past month I'm nowhere near proficient."
Daikichi nodded at his explanation, he lifted his head out from behind his scarf to reveal a small, pointed, white beard, he lifted a hand and rubbed it down the length of his beard as he spoke.
"Well, it just so happens that I am a proficient swordsman, one who has seen and experienced many different styles throughout my many lifetimes on this earth," He explained.
"So… are you offering to teach me?" Lancaster asked.
"I am."
Lancaster's face lifted into a smile, "That'd be amazing! I'm indebted to you Mr. Daikichi!"
Daikichi held up a hand, "No need to be so formal my boy, we are allies in our fight. And while I am going to take on the role of your master I am not such a stickler for older ways. Daikichi is fine."
Lancaster nodded his understanding, "Thank you then, Daikichi… earlier, you said you saw Tearniv take Lillian?" He asked.
Daikichi nodded, "I did, I was walking past when I saw a black vehicle pull up to this church and two men strutted in hastily like they were trying to be in and out quickly. I hid behind some of the nearby trees and watched. They didn't see me as I watched them carry out a young girl in a blue gown."
"That sounds like Lils alright," Aria said.
Daikichi nodded, "I saw them drive off, and tried my best to follow them, but these blasted vehicles are too fast. I was only able to follow them for a few blocks before I lost their trail, they were headed north as best I could tell."
"North… that sounds like the former facility, but that doesn't make sense," Lancaster said as he put his hand on his chin to consider this new information.
"Why not? If Tearniv is attempting to silence Lillian, then it is likely they just wanted to pick up where they left off, and if you tried the same trick twice, they know your face now correct? So you wouldn't be able to get the drop on them a second time," Daikichi explained.
Lancaster nodded in agreement, "That's all true. So then we need to get into the building and free her," He said.
"We could do that, but what's to stop them from defeating you this time? Have you suddenly grown stronger in the week since you attacked them last?" Daikichi asked.
"Well, no. But we can't leave her there!" Lancaster told him.
"And we won't, but we need to create a strategy that plays to our strengths. If we go rushing in blindly we risk losing myself and Aria to Tearniv, and you would likely die in the attempt," He nodded toward Lancaster as he said the last part.
"So… what do we do?" He asked.
"We practice. I'm sure Lillian is a strong-willed girl. She will be able to hold on for a day. We will get you up to fighting form and then come up with a plan to rescue her," He said.
Lancaster nodded, his shoulders set in a determined stance "Then let's get started."
Daikichi nodded back as he started to stroke his beard again.
"Aria, if you'd show me your sword form?" he asked.
She nodded before raising her arms, wind whipped around her, setting her clothes flapping and shifting before she transformed into her graceful, rapier form. Lancaster stepped over and grasped his hand around her handle, feeling the familiar form of lightness that came from wielding her.
He drew her out of the carpet and approached Daikichi. The older man held his hand out and Lancaster gingerly turned the weapon so Daikichi could take it from him. Daikichi firmly gripped Aria's handle and lifted her to examine the blade.
"A rapier of wind, I imagine piercing thrusts augmented by the wind's power," he murmured to himself as he spread his legs to take a fencing stance.
He thrust once, then again. Getting a feel for the blade as he moved, he slowly circled Lancaster, keeping his back to the boy as he mimed parries and thrusts with the weapon, as he completed a full rotation he nodded to himself and turned back to Lancaster, offering Aria back to him.
"A fine weapon and one I think would serve as a basis for other blades," he said, "We've got a lot of work ahead of us though. Take up a stance, let me see what you know."
Lancaster hesitantly took up his normal stance, holding Aria upwards and in front of his body.
Daikichi shook his head, "We may have longer to go than I thought."
