2 Chapter 2: Killing Blow

He opened his eyes and felt so rested. He didn't have a sleep this good in quite a while. Something was wrong. White ceiling. 'Where am I?' he thought. The bed was different. The curtains were different. And flowers? Why were there flowers near his bed.

He slowly remembers that he is in a hospital. He looked at his right hand. The white slab of plaster that the doctor put the day before was still there. 'So it wasn't a dream. All of yesterday really happened,' he thought. He was thinking about the day before when his stomach growled. He rang the small bell near his bed. A few moments later a lady emerged, "Master Lascaris, you're awake? How was your sleep?"

"Slept quite well actually." Lucius said smiling, "Can I.. umm... have something to eat?"

"Most certainly Master Lascaris. I'll have your food ready in half an hour" saying this the lady left. She was Gabriella. Her family had served the house of Lascaris for generations. She too had been looking after Luscius for as long as he can remember. Of course there are nurses in the hospital. But Gabriella insisted she'd be the one to care for Lucius.

Lucius looked at his arm again. He was glad it didn't pain as much as the day before. The previous day was absolutely terrifying for him. His mind flashed back to the previous day. He remembered, when he first opened his eyes after losing consciousness, he was surrounded by two men he had never seen before. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his arm. He was scared and it was hurting. He just started bawling his eyes out. The two men tried to comfort him, but all he could hear was his own crying. He saw a door open and Gabriella came in, "It's going to be okay Lucius. Don't be scared. These doctors are going to make everything alright. They will put you to sleep now. When you wake up, the pain will be all gone"

Lucius saw something sharp with the corner of his eye. It was a needle. The man holding the needle came closer. Lucius started crying again and tried to run away. Gabriella held him down. "It's going to be okay," he said, "They are just going to put you to sleep so that they can take your pain away."

Lucius then felt the needle prick him. It wasn't as painful as he thought it would be. He stopped crying and Gabriella loosened his grip. Lucius felt a bit light headed, but relaxed. Everything blacked out once again.

When Lucius came to his senses, the room was quiet. He looked at his arm. There was a white cast on it. He didn't feel any pain. He was a bit groggy though. He looked around and saw Gabriella sleeping in a chair in his room.

"Gabriella," he called out soflty.

She immediately woke up, smiled and came and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're finally awake, Master Lascaris."

Luscius blushed and then said with a puffed up chest, "I'm the strongest swordsman ever born. This is but nothing. A few broken bones is but nothing"

"Yes yes... On a unrelated note I heard that someone was bawling his eyes out on seeing a needle" Gabriella said smirking

"I don't know what you are talking about," said Lucius smiling.

Gabriella smiled back and said, " Anyway Master Lascaris, your mother will be arriving tomorrow on the 7 o clock train. Your father unfortunately cannot come. He is leading a expedition through the winterlands."

"That's okay, the empire needs him more than I do anyway" Lucius said trying to sound happy, but the sadness in his voice was apparent. The two of them chatted the day away. He had quite a number of visitors. His cousin Cornelia Lascaris, who was in the same class as him, his two elder cousins Batholomew and Robert who were upper class men. His relatives in the locatilty, Aunt Tindle and Uncle Thomas.

But none of those were as important as the last person who visited him that day.

It was evening and he was supping tea with Gabriella. There was a knock on the door, "Can I come in?"

Lucius' heart stopped. That voice. That monstrous voice. Lucius could not even open his mouth.

"Come in" Gabriella chimed in. She did not know that Lucius would never have asked him to come in. From the door, emerged this huge figure. Dmityr. Lucius just couldn't avert his gaze. He tried to look at some other direction but his gaze was fixed on Dmityr's eyes.

"I'm so glad you're awake!" Dmityr said, his eyes almost watering. Lucius was confused.

Dmityr went on, "I'm so sorry Lucius. I don't know what came over me. I wasn't myself. All those people I hurt. I wasn't myself. Something had me possessed. Please believe me."

Lucius was even more confused. He tried to ask something. But words just didn't come out of his mouth. "I understand if you don't want to speak or have anything to do with me," Dmityr continued, "Whether it was intentional or not, I know what I have done. I've though about it. I don't know what punishment I'll get. But I've decided. It's upto you Lucius. I'll will never pick up the sword again. This I promise today. Till you give me the permission to use a sword again, I'll never touch it again. I promise." Dmityr said while his eyes teared up.

Lucius again tried to say something. But no words came out. "I'll be taking my leave," Dmityr said as he walked out.

Lucius was in shock. 'What just happened?' he thought. "Well... that was something" Garbiella said breaking Lucius' thoughts. "You kids nowadays..." Gabriella began but was interrupted by Lucius. "What did he mean by all those people he hurt?" asked Lucius

"Oh!" Gabriella exclaimed, "I thought you knew Master Lucius. But you wouldn't. Of course you wouldn't. How silly of me. Of course you wouldn't know. You were unconscious."

Lucius looked at Gabriella with a curious expression.

Gabriella continued, "After you were knocked out, Dmityr didn't stop. Something had possessed him. He tried to stab you with his wooden sword. Gordenso came to your rescuse. He stopped Dmityr. But Dmityr became even more enraged. He was no longer human as I've heard. He thrust his sword at Gordenso. Gordenso blocked it. But the power was so great, his wooden sword broke though Gordenso's steel sword and right through his chest" Gabriella paused, "Lucius," she said , "Gordenso is no longer with us"