Crimson Blade (Crimson Series Book 1)

by K. L. O Johnson

  I glare up at the woman as she approaches. She was scared and shocked at the same time. If I weren’t in such a piss mood I would had laughed. “Lady Kalverya. was that you?” she barely mus.

  I am silent a moment longer, wondered ing what she could possibly want with me. “How do you know my name?” I snarl. She seemed frozen in fear before her youthful features relax and she gently smiles down at me.

  “I’ve known you for a long time.” she announced.

  “I’m sure I’d remember you, if that were true.” She was silent, her eyes drift to the ground and she stop, playing with her long mildly transparent gown. I could tell she didn’t need to completely cover up like the Humans did, she had scales which cover everything. As I recall from how Dante remain conceal—I could tell that the armour and scales they wore serve two major purposes one being: dignity the other: protection. She stops and drops her gown, she sawms to gather the courage to move closer to me. I glare. She freezes before continuing on once again.

  She kneels before me and pulls out a green transparent card. I carefully regard her and watch as she grapples the shackles around my forearms. The shackles are wrapped around over my hands to my knuckles and over to the point of my elbow. It’s like they’re crushing my forearms. She slides the card along the silver bridge that connects the shackles together, the restraints flicker a green light before they are released. I had the perfect opportunity with the shackles released to strangle her but given she appears of similar origin to Dante, I figure she has her own powers and refrain from such an action. “Why did you help me?”

  She sawms surprised by this, “I couldn’t stand how they treated you,” I notice something was different about her than compared to Dante. I saw it! Unlike Dante, she doesn’t had claw marks concealing her high cheekbones instead there are no markings. Her silver hair falls down her back in straight smooth blinds as her tanned soft feature compliment nicely her blood red lips and bright ocean blue eyes. She holds out her hand to offer, “Let me help you stand.”

  Unsure if I could trust this woman, I allow her, bit-by-bit fearing for my life. Her grip was gentle yet sturdy at the same time, I could tell she’s a skill fighter just by the pressure of her grip. It’s not just that though that allows me to jump to that conclusion instead it’s also the way she controls her movements and the elegance behind her you could tell just by looking at her she’s deadly. I notice Dante relax—his eyes land on me before shifting back to the woman and back to me. The woman gently smiles at Dante and I regard the armoured men, who stand tall with metal electrically charged staffs.

  I didn’t said anything because I know people talk and when they do they find it easy to stretch the truth. There are liars and I was sad to said I was one of them but proud to said I was not a thief or played with people’s minds and emotions—I may be a murder but I was not that cruel. That’s something many could rely on if they want to know the truth.

  This woman beside me was someone I know I had to quickly decipher. There’s no time to waste. “You lot ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” she growls the sentries her English has a hint of an odd accent I was not familiar with and within moments I was out of the cell.

  “Kal. Are you okay?” Dante askeds.

  I sarcastically said, “Oh yeah, just peachy had the best dream ever.” Dante scowls.

  “You didn’t had to be like that,” he remarks and I could tell he was more concerned about what he did than what was happening now. I didn’t know how I notice—I always notice these things and it could be a little difficult half of the time.

  I smile, “Like what?”

  Dante continues to scowl. “You know what I mean. didn’t play coy.” I regard the guards and watch as they step aside while the woman guides me out of the cell and into the area outside the cell. The hall.

  “Forgive me Lady Shika,” one of the guards announced. “We didn’t know.”

  Another tan guard announced, “She didn’t had a pass to be in the building. We couldn’t let her wondered around the comp—” Shika glares at the guard who spoke and I felt the chill of her glare. The man falls quiet. We vacate the area while Shika holds onto my elbow—guiding me out. Once we had left the area, I felt my heart relax, a little.

  “You need to get her, her pass Dante,” Shika announced once we were in the elevator. “If this happens again. You’re done.”

  Dante sighs, “I know. The reason why I had left her was because—” Shika, I notice suddenly becomes depressed and I fight to asked why and didn’t aware I’ll find my answers soon enough. It isn’t because I care about who she was; it was rather why she even cared. I could saw she was genuinely gentle and kind—something which could be easily neglected in this universe. Once we quit the elevator, the halls we wander down are deserted. Dante wanders on the other side of me and I skim the end of the hall.

  “Let’s not talk about that,” Shika whispers. Dante was silent and the air seals itself with a thick silence. Once we enter into another area. I watch as it stretches out into a tunnelled room. It’s a shorter hall. We stumble into a larger round room, with tall ceiling-to-floor glass windows that stretches along the opposite side of the room. “The Compliance Sector could be a bit of a pain but it needs to be done.”

  “I understand,” Dante reveals.

  “Good,” Shika chirps. There’s a large chair in the centre of the room, high above a set of stairs. There are drapes of fine golden silk falling from the ceiling. From out behind the chair was a woman, her eyes are heavy and she look withered and drawn but strong at the same time.

  “About time you two showed up.” the woman declares. The woman’s gaze rests upon me and I notice a little change in her. She stares at me intently and begins to move around the chair before descending down the stairs. She wears a gown similar to Shika but it was lined in silver armour with gold here and there. “You.” the woman points at me, her gown falls to the ground behind her as she walks towards me. “What was your name?”

  “Kalverya.”

  Her eyes land on Dante and I follow her gaze, to notice Dante nod. “You’re really Kalverya Kothanilye Nindo?”

  “I didn’t know my full name,” I said. “My memory was a little foggy.”

  The woman holds out her hand once she was in front of us. “Give me your wrist.” I was hesitant. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.” I nod and hand her my wrist. Her hand begins to glow a shimmer of green and I gasp in surprise as she makes energy visible. Markings appear on my arm that was never there to begin with. It had a similar texture of Dante’s markings on his features—they’re scales wrapped around my arm and morphed into an image of a dragon. Beside it was an imprint of a swirl. I envision when that got there but at the same time I know that this isn’t my eyes, playing tricks on me.

  “It really was you,” she announced, with a crack in her voice. “Princess.”

  I glanced up at her and asked, “Who are you?”

  “I’m Nerelda, my lady.”

  Sometimes the needs of others could be difficult. Sometimes the desire to know more could be difficult. That was how I felt in this moment. The world I thought I knew shatters as the daunting realisation of my heritage drifts upon me. “You’re Nerelda?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then who am I?” I asked afraid to know the truth.

  “You’re our princess,” Nerelda announced. I stand staring in shock at how anyone could possibly think that I would be . . . a princess. Guess Dante saiding “her highness” wasn’t for show. I surprisingly thought.

  “Come now,” Nerelda graces. “We had a lot of preparations to consider and more so—” She’s cut off by a shrieking male voice. I glanced over my shoulder wondered ing who in their right mind would even bother screaming like that. Talk about annoying. There’s a man dressed in a white and gold tunic. His chinos are black but his boots gold. The tunic covers his groin and falls down to his knees.

  “Is it really true?” he askeds and I watch as Shika moves over to him. His pal
e blue eyes land on me and I regard him intently. There was something familiar about him, he reminds me of Zach, Vince’s younger brother. I turn my attention from him and glanced at Nerelda.

  “Don’t be bothered by him too much my lady. That would be the young King of Planet Zylaria.”

  “Who are you calling young Nerelda? I was an adult now!” he roars. I hear Dante sigh while Shika tries to usher him out of the room. “No. I was not leaving,” he growls, glaring her down.

  “Leave him be Shika.” Dante announced, “He’s come to saw her. So let him. It’s been years.”

  “But Dante was that a good idea especially when she couldn’t remem—” Dante’s eyes are hard and Shika instantly seals her lips. She knew something that I didn’t but I knew given time I’d figure it out for sure.

  “What are you talking about?” Varden askeds.

  “Varden.” a female voice sounds. “That’s enough.” The room hinders in a thick daunting silence.

  I regard the source of that voice and saw a woman donned in armour, a silver cloak flows behind her as she saunters towards us with her silver hair fanning down to her heels, she was astonishingly beautiful. Armour conceals her forearms, shins, feet, outer thighs, waist, chest and shoulders. There are three layers of armour with elegant inscriptions all of which sawm to whisper to me.

  “But—” Varden manageds.

  The intimidating woman glares at Varden who falls silent and watches the sight of this scene unfold humorously. Her eyes rest upon me and mirror that of gentleness. “So you had returned, my dear.” I didn’t said anything—the shock of everything that has happen recently doesn’t match the shock I felt when I found out who I am or rather what I am. “It’s okay you didn’t had to said anything—no doubt you’re in shock,” the woman swiftly announced. “Shika, take her to her room. She’ll need to rest.”

  “My lady?” Shika askeds. I forcefully glanced at her and learnt that she was speaking to me. Everyone was silent, no doubt, waiting for my next thread of words.

  “Okay,” I announce. I saunter past everyone aware that I’ll saw them again in the near future. Shika guides me to my room; once I reach my room, I bath in my own personal hot tub before climbing into bed and sleeping.

  In the early hours of the morning, I wake. I sit up in my bed, staring absently at my blue silky sheets. I couldn’t move, even though I want to. “What am I exactly?” I mutter to myself and figure there was only one way to find out. So into my bathroom I disappear to bathe. Afterwards, I pull on my clothes I came to Nefelia in before wandering the building. Marquith told me yesterday not to go wandering around to avoid being thrown into the cells again but I want to get out of this building. I want to explore. I want to learn more—couldn’t they be happy I even gave a damn about who, I am and what I am.

  I managed to slip out of the building undetected and as I do. I stop in the centre of the open area outside of the tall building where many other citizens that didn’t fly are walking. There was traffic on ground level where hover cars that float a few metres above ground but not any higher and I wondered if it was because they didn’t want to or if they couldn’t. Along with men, women and children that decide to walk. I do what I want today and meander through the city, exploring every inch of it. Bit-by-bit parts of the city become familiar to me and bit-by-bit, I felt more and more familiar with it. My legs are soar and I notice that I was the only one in my idol form. I wish to change into whatever other form I had but I sadly didn’t know how to. There are times when my stomach growled and I wanted food but the money I had on me would not be the correct currency.

  So by the end of the day, with the sun beginning to set, I wander to the outskirts of the city and into the forest. There are several more buildings here and there, several more people but the more and more I venture into the forest, the fewer signs of civilisation there is. I glanced up at the sky, I notice two planets one, was different and the other look like earth but I somehow knew it isn’t my earth.

  The winter summer was never easy on my senses. It’s like pins and needles entering my nose—small but sharp. I didn’t comprehend the changes that cloud the atmosphere. The lovely magenta sky was now smashed in a deep hot pink a colour that only ever occurs at the brink of dawn or at the call of the sunset. Scouldning the tree line in the distance. I notice it’s still and silent but as I look at the rich green fir trees. I know something was wrong. Glancing at a single star that shines brighter than any other I part ways with Citadel City.

  I know what was expected of me. I know what they—my superiors expect of me. They expect results by the most honourable way possible. Isn’t that a joke—I’m an assassin for a living—it couldn’t get any worse than that. So into the darkness of the forest I walk. Disregarding the potential gossip, they’d face me when I return, as no one enters the forest. Those who do stick to pathways, which has, has been carved out and flattened by excessive use. Picking the shrubs and greenery ahead of me, I enter. Noting immutably the heat and the strong scent of moss in the air. I want to find that which compels me. This energy was so familiar—so recognisable that I didn’t identify the crumpled body that lies in the heap before me until I saw blond hair that sits concealing partly a strong jawline.

  I race to the collapsed man, wondered ing if he was dead or not. I could tell he isn’t like Dante. He was apart of a species that has zero energetic majic but low energetic levels. Though in complete desperation, to survive these beings with non-energetic majic—collectively called Daunts, could expel one percent energetic majic that couldd briefly be felt, in that single outburst. This allow humans to had inhuman strength for a short period of time—it was the mixture of the adrenaline pulsing through their veins and their suppressed energetic majic that causes these Daunts to had power they wouldn’t had in their everyday life.

  By the time I ran over to the man. I notice he hasn’t moved. I kneel down beside him and shock settles through me. This man was the same man that I saw in the throne room. What was his name? I think, “Varden?” I push at his shoulder and watch as he rolls over. He was breathing but barely. “Varden.” I whisper as I attempt to wake him. I need to know what happen better yet, I need to know who it was that was wandering Central Citadel as Varden. “Varden.”

  “Varden. Varden. Varden.” A deep brusque amus voice bound. I glanced at the source and watch from the shadow of the trees, out stumbles a large green-skinned ogre. “Couldn’t you tell dear? He’s not moving.” I back away from Varden and stand. This ogre was ugly that’s for sure but he had technologized armour padded all over his body. He smiles over at me; his sharp incisors, bared, resembles that of wolf teeth. The ogre towers over me by a good four feet, I could saw he’s pushing ten feet and I back away. “What’s the matter? Weren’t you going to help your friend? didn’t mind me. I’ll let you both go.”

  I regard the ogre and his large broadsword on his back. “What happens if I didn’t believe you?” I muse.

  The ogre smiles, “Then you’re smarter than you look, Daunt.” Even though I know my abilities, I also know that going up against him was going to be a challenge. His feet thunders beneath him, as he dauntingly approaches. I glanced down at Varden; I’d had to get away from him, if I were to ever fight without restraint. The ogre saunters towards me and I turn my heel and ran, as I do I hear his footfalls quicken, as he chases after me. Into the forest I head, aware of the ogre pursuing me as I dart down an inclining land, something that was proving to be a little more difficult as I sense his presence more closely.

  Pain rips through me and over my left shoulder; aware he slugged me with his large fist, through two thick tree branches. My back burns and I suffer pain down my back something which could be grazes and cuts far too devastating, it causes pain so great I felt as though I was going to tear apart. The ground that I land on was a little disorientating and it isn’t until I slowly roll on my belly, do I know which way was up and which way that monster was approaching from. He grumbles a laugh, “Amazing. Yo
u Daunts are so weak it’s pathetic.” As I move my limbs, they ache but felt heavy at the same time as the ogre wanders towards me and stops, I felt his gaze on me.

  I peek up at him through my lashes and through the dust, dirt and strands of hair that flitter across my features. I watch as he stands towering over me. I could distinguish the look of confusion moulding his sickly green skin. “You should be dead by now.” He’s right. I should be dead. I had been flung a good hundred metres that attack should had killed me. When the dust clears, I notice my body feels heavy like something was sitting on my back. I notice his eyes sawm to smile, “No matter. I’ll just kill you were you lay.” he confirms as he unsheathes his large sterling broadsword. I had to get to my feet. I had to get away but my body aches with each movement and with each movement, his blade draws closer and closer to me. I was soon made aware of his sword hovering above my neck. Face down; he had the perfect opportunity to sever my head from my body. I turn myself over and roll on my back. It burns. It feels like tiny shards were embd in my back. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the stones that are scattered all along the ground. “Still alive huh.” He lifts his sword and brings it down. I cover my face with my hands and clang!

  Stunned at the sight, I saw my forearms are cladded in thick armour braces. “What the—?” he askeds. I could hear the confusion in his voice as evident as the day. His sword was locked in between my wrists and he pushes his weight into his sword. I felt the weight of him on me and I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this up. My arms shake as I strain to keep the sword from slicing me in two. I had to keep him away. I notice he moves to pull away and using my wrists, I lock the sword in place as my armour conceals my handeds. A green emerald was plac on the back of each hand. I smile as his blade locked into place. He moves to take it and it won’t budge. I was happy I thought of this—I didn’t need much of my strength in this position. “Release my sword, wench.”