Grimaldi: Allies from the Night

Chapter Two - 4

CHAPTER TWO

ENDLESS DEATHS MEANS... IMMORTALITY? (LAST PART)

When Kia awoke from her deep slumber, it had been eight hours. The deafening clashing of weapons and chatter of the villagers kept interrupting her sleep. It seems that the entire clan had begun to practice. She walked out of the room and was approached by two women. They served her breakfast and helped her with everything from bathing to dressing. It was awkward for her, but how could she refuse their kindness when they were so eager to help her?

Kia walked out of the house with her hair tied back, wearing a pair of comfortable brown pants with white long sleeves and leather boots, the ideal training outfit. It was perfectly fit for the body she possessed. To keep from disturbing them, she watched them train quietly. She witnessed the rabbits' unyielding strength there. Some of them were constantly striking their swords, sparring, and practicing alone with their weapons. Even the teenage rabbits were training, displaying their abilities despite their age. The kittens were silently staring in fascination while the older rabbits were occupied. She then realized after seeing how fast they move, and that even with the eyes of a powerful vampire, she couldn't keep up with them. Kia was deep in thought as a result of what she had witnessed. Given their speed, the rabbits could fight those creatures if they were well prepared.

"Lady Audrey is here!"

Kia was immediately swarmed for by them after they became aware of her arrival. Their cheeks were flushed with delight. She shone even in plain clothes, and she was strikingly breathtaking.

"Did you sleep well, Lady Audrey?"

"You look so cool wearing that, M'lady!"

"Will you teach us some techniques?"

She was flustered by their constant questions and could only give them an uncomfortable smile. Fortunately, Caspian was nearby to chase them away. He bows his head and apologizes for the discomfort they have caused.

"Haha... It's fine."

"By the way, m'lady, I've noticed that... I mean, you appear to be different these days. Uhm... If there's a problem with which I can assist, please let me know right away!"

She came to a full halt and bit the inside of her bottom lip. Caspian was beginning to have suspicions about her. Kia can't say anything, though, because she isn't the real Audrey. "Im sorry..."

"I see. Haha, it's possible that it's so important that I don't even need to know about it, right?"

'He looked hurt though.'

"It makes no difference, Lady Audrey. You will always be Lady Audrey, no matter how you act. But... I'm not sure why you suddenly asked me to assist you in practicing and learning swords. My lady was skilled with all weapons, including swords. You, on the other hand, have always disliked wielding swords."

"T-Trying something new, I suppose?"

Caspian laughed and then handed her a sword, as she had expressed an interest in using one. It was a long, thin sword with a fuller carved with thorns and a rose pattern, and a golden lining in the grip. The sword was thin, yet it was weighty due to its length. Kia's eyes were sparking as she stared at it. She was fascinated by stories about heroines who could wield swords to the extent where she once found herself brandishing a stick.

But where should she begin? In the first place, she had no idea how to practice with a sword. Audrey, on the other hand, has a lot of endurance, so perhaps the body will remember how to move appropriately. Kia's gaze was drawn to Caspian as she pondered a brilliant but impulsive idea.

"Would you like to spar with me, Caspian?"

"What? It will be an honor, even if I am lacking!"

A glimmer of happiness was shown on Caspian's face, as it was as if the first time 'Audrey' asked him for a spar. It didn't take long for word to travel throughout the village that the honorable Audrey and their chief would be demonstrating their strengths to one another. A rabbit who had eavesdropped on their chat joyfully screamed the news, which shocked everyone but made them smile. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that piqued their interest.

Everyone surrounded them in an instant, forming a large and broad circle in the middle for the two. Kia had become accustomed to their attention, but the eagerness in their eyes made her nervous. After all, she is simply Kia Grimaldi, an inexperienced human being, not Audrey.

'Damn, am I doing the right thing? I don't even have any fighting experience, but I'm desperate to see the chiefs' skills,' she thought.

To avoid severe injury, a rabbit handed her a wooden sword, while Caspian was given a wooden dagger. 'Dagger? Woah.' She thought, amused.

"Can you tell me what the rule is?" She asked.

"Whoever points the sword at the other's neck first wins."

"All right," she said, a glimmer of a smile on her face. She might be nervous, but she's also excited. This is Kia's first time in a fight, and it's against a formidable opponent. She positioned herself to be ready, holding the sword in both hands and tightening her grip.

"Please, Lady, take it easy on me." Caspian drew his wooden dagger and took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. 'Even the way she positioned herself is different. ' He thought as he saw her positioning herself like a beginner.

"The game will start in 3....2....1, start!"

Caspian sprints to her place in the blink of an eye the moment he hears the word "start." Kia's eyes widened in disbelief at his speed. He attacked her with his dagger, which she managed to block with her sword, but his strength was stronger than hers, causing her to take a step backward. Caspian's constant attacks made her believe that she had reached the end of her life. But because her body moved on its own, she was able to avoid everything.

"Such good reflexes." She complimented the body she possessing.

All of his attacks were either blocked or dodged thanks to her body. Caspian was confused by this. Audrey, he knew, had no mercy on whoever she got into a fight with. She will not waste a single second of her time attacking her opponent. However, the lady he admired was not the same as the one he was currently dealing with. Her blocks were even sloppy, like if she had turned into someone else.

"That's impossible. But... I knew it! Lady Audrey must cared about me so much that she's going easy on me." He pondered and gazed at her with gleaming eyes and a flushed face.

Kia was uncomfortable by his stare. She sprinted away to maintain a safe gap between them, but the sand slowed her down. "Damn these sands!" she cursed at the top of her lungs and dashed over to Caspian, ready to strike in with her sword.

Audrey's movement confused the rabbits that were observing. They were struck by how terrible her skills and weaponry were. Caspian decided to call a halt to the fight after seeing their bewildered expressions. The man didn't want to embarrass the lady any further. Kia lost her footing and fell to the sands before he could say anything. Her cheeks were flushed with annoyance as she gasped in pain.

"We'll call it a day here; it appears that the lady was tired from traveling to get here, yet she still agreed to spar with me." Caspian yelled excuses at the rabbits, pleading with them to listen and believe him. Despite their lady's strength, they nod their heads and believe their chief right away.

"That makes sense; the lady is really considerate. She has a truly noble heart!"

"I wholeheartedly agree."

Caspian breathed a sigh of relief but gave Kia a worried look. He hesitated to approach her since her beautiful face was clouded with disappointment.

"Lady!—" he trailed off.

"Escort me to my room." Kia got to her feet while her gaze was fixed on the ground. She expected to lose, yet it still hurts her.

*_*_

She continued to stare at the rock wall for over two hours. She was frustrated and angry at how pathetic she was. She begins to doubt her own ability to survive, given how weak she is both emotionally and physically. Kia wanted to let it all out. She wanted to scream and shout or cry, but as all those emotions filled her heart, it turned numb. She was so absorbed with her thoughts that she didn't even notice when a toddler walked into her room.

"Would you like to be a strong person?" That was uttered by a child with an angelic, sweet voice, and it drew her attention. He had golden eyes and golden hair, as well as a face that resembled Caspian's. "Is he an angel?"

"Yes, of course. Who among us didn't?"

"Then allow me to offer you some advice. Nothing will happen if you continue to whine. You must be mentally prepared to be strong. You must conquer such feelings. And you must be determined to succeed." As he patted her head, he said.

The maiden was silent for a moment before chuckling. What an irony that a child was giving her advice. She pinched his cheeks, which went red later, but he smiled despite the discomfort.

"Who told you that, Mevijun?" With a smile on her lips, she questioned him. Mevijun, Caspian's son, radiated a calm and gentle aura that made her feel better just being around him.

"Eh? That was something you mentioned to me not long ago, master. I watched your spar with Father, and you don't seem to be yourself. I wanted to cheer you up because you seemed to be having a problem." Kia couldn't stop herself from hugging Mevijun as his smile became even wider. He was too adorable and kind, it was too unbelievable that his whole clan wiped out. That was too much to a child like him.

"Also, master, why are your moves so reckless and sloppy? Do you remember when... "

He continued to nag Kia, who froze as she hated being nagged. His mouth was spouting words nonstop that her ears could bleed anytime. But every remark that came out of his mouth was accurate, which made her feel even worse.

"Do you want me to teach you swordsmanship, by the way?"

Kia was shocked when she heard the offer. Mevijun was still a child; he may have been the chief's son, but it's unlikely that he was a skilled swordsman. Still, there's a possibility that he is. So she eventually accepted because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.