Guardian

It cut through the air landing a clean cut on it's stomach. The straw came out falling from the scare crow implying my skill on sword. It didn't cut what's inside but rather the cloth that covered it. But sir Sir Liam remains unimpressed. I wiped the sweat in my forehead and sat on the grass.

"You're fast but I can read through your movement." He said. "You have way too many opening".

"Well, i think she did great" Lady Kera was standing at the doorway. She walked to me and gave me a hand. I stand up and dusted off the dirt on my clothes.

It's been a month since sir Liam taught me how to wield a sword. My progress was fast as master, I started calling him Master, said.

"She took her a month to fully learn it. It usually takes About 3 months or so." Lady kera said.

"Yeah, but she's still lacking in many ways. She knows a lot about offense but very little on defense. I know you have to focus on how to attack but keeping yourself from dying first is a must too" master said as we walk inside. Lady Kera was shaking her head. "She needs experience before she realize that you know. right now all she needs to know was how to use it properly".

They keep arguing even as I left them on their own. In my room, i sat on my bed and plopped on it. I'm tired but i stink. I'm covered in sweat and dirt but when I get tired it's useless. So i closed my eyes and fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was already setting. Lady Kera was shaking me trying to wake me up.

"Why don't you eat first. After that you can go back to sleep and rest" she said. She left after that and I sat at the edge of the bed. I'm still sleepy.

I took a sip on the soup and the delicious taste of chicken mixed in tomato sauce made me hungrier. We were seated in the dinner table eating. I look across at Lady Kera and Master and they were talking about some land. Lady Kera apparently inherited some land from her uncle and they were arguing what to do with it. I ate my dinner fast and went back to bed. I'm too tired. Today seems different than usual. I feel more fatigue than I usually do. I don't know why but right now all i want was to go back to sleep. So I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

When morning came, I hear lady kera shouting.

"My child, please wake up!" She said. Seconds later and I hear master walking.

"I've brought a towel and water" master said. Then I started hearing water and the next thing I know i felt a cold cloth on my cheeks. The moment it touched me, I opened my eyes. Master and Lady Kera was seated next to my bed. They looked shocked when they saw my eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked as the situation is confusing me.

"Are you awake? My goodness child, you scared me" she said as she places a hand on her chest.

"Did something happened?" I asked again. Lady Kera and Master looked at one another as if they couldn't believe what I'm saying. Then finally master spoke "My wife wanted to wake you up this morning but when she tried, you wouldn't wake up".

"I keep shaking you up but you wouldn't open your eyes and when I touched your skin, You were cold as Ice". She wiped a tear and continued "I thought you were dead" and she was sobbing.

Lady Kera is a cheerful person. Seeing her cry like this means it was serious. I tried to sit down to comfort her but the moment i raised my head, i felt a sudden intense head ache. Like though someone had pierced something into my temple. I lied back down and Lady Kera was reaching for me. "What's wrong? Does your head hurt?" She said. I nod to tell her yes. But that made it even worse. Even a little movement was painful.

"I understand. Lie down for now and sleep until you feel better. I'll stay beside you until you wake up, okay?" She was assuring me. I closed my eyes and almost instantly, i fell back to sleep. From time to time, i slip in and out. Like that one time. I opened my eyes only to find lady kera pacing around the room. She hadn't noticed me and before I could ask what's wrong, my eyes closed and I'm out again. Then another time where i felt cold water on my skin. It came to me like a thunderbolt, sending me awake. When I opened my eyes again, lady kera was wiping the sweat on my forehead. She noticed me and said "child?" But i couldn't answer back. My sleep took over again.

At some point I started hearing some sort of chanting. The word was so unique that not a single word could I understand. Then it grew louder and louder until the noise become unbearable. In the darkness inside my head, i took shelter. But the voice was too much. Until suddenly, a force pulled me out. It was fast and strong that when i woke up I was gasping for air. I opened my eyes to a familiar face. A man who look so familiar was smiling at me as he sat Besides my bed. Then i saw master and lady kera standing behind him.

"Oh thank goodness you are awake child." Lady kera was running to me when our eyes met. She was crying. "Don't scare me like that"

"How long was I out?" Was the first thing I wanted to asked. Lady kera pulled herself from the embrace and wiped the tears in her eyes "four days, you were asleep for four days. Thankfully this young man came and said something about a curse. When he recited the prayer of kars to you, you finally woke up".

Prayer of kars? No, that wasn't it. I was hearing something else. It was more ancient, far from the usual prayer.

The man cleared his throat "Can you leave us alone?" He said. Lady Kera look at me with worries. I nod at her to tell her it's alright. "Alright, we'll be downstairs if you need us" she said and they both walk out of my room.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as soon as they are out of the door. I recognize him because he was the one who gave me the dagger.

"You" he said furiously. "What were you doing?"

"What do you mean?" I suddenly feel intimidated.

"Where is the dagger?" He said

"It's right over here" i sat down and my head is in so much pain. I pulled out the dagger from my bedside and showed it to him. I wanted to hand it over to him but he pushed my hands to me.

"Don't give me that. You don't know what would it do to me" he looked panicked. So i keep holding it. Though not in bare hand, i was holding it with the cloth i got from master.

He looked at it closely. Then his brows creases and he glared at me. "You haven't been feeding it?". That confuses me. Feed? Daggers don't eat. "What do you mean?" I asked. "That dagger feeds on negative energy and it can only feed from it's owner. The moment you hold it in your hands is the moment it attached itself to you. It recognizes you as it's master. What have you been doing?" He was almost screaming at me. "What? You didn't told me that?"

"No! You idiot. If I told you that, you wouldn't have kept it!" Now he is screaming. "Do you know what would happen if you don't feed it?" I shook my head. How would I know? "It will eat your life force. Four days of sleep. that's how much it took from you. You should have seen the sign. Haven't you been feeling a bit more tired than usual?"

"Yes, but I thought it was because of my training". His eyes widen and that made me feel scared. He looks like he was about to explode. His face was red and the way his eyes looks at me. Ugh, i just want to go back to sleep. But he sigh. He closed his eyes and massages his temple. Then he spoke in a calm manner.

"That dagger is special. It is very unique. Because not only is it from the legend but because it's very effective. Just the tip of it on the flesh of your enemy and it can instantly end his life. That is why not anyone can have it. So when I saw you and the glint in your eyes, i thought I finally found the one. And what more when you took it. It accepted you right away. It matches you. But I misjudged you. You are careless. you almost killed yourself." He was shaking his head in disbelief.

"But why me? I know part of the reason was because of my hatred but you said it accepted me. And also, what would have happened if it didn't accepted me?" I am very confused right now. Nothing of what he said makes any sense right now.

"Usually people would die just by touching it. It would suck out their life and die in a matter of seconds. As for why it chose you, I don't know too. I'm just a guardian. My knowledge only extends to what my predecessor taught me"

"But how did you end up here? How'd know what was happening to me?"

"I am the guardian. It has connection to me just like you but somewhat different. It speaks to me from time to time but in a vague manner. The dagger called me today and I ran as quickly as possible. Anyway, you need to feed it. You have one job and that is to feed him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand" I lied. For some reason, i feel really angry right now. I don't know why but this "guardian" is sort of pissing me off.

"For now, could you leave? Thank you for what you've done but I'm really tired so please, i need to rest." I told him. I lied back down and he stands up. Then I remembered what happened before I woke up.

"Before you leave, can I ask you for something?" I said. He just looks at me. "Before I woke up, i can actually hear your prayer. I tried running away by falling in deeper into my head but before i could, something pulled me out. Well, It felt like something pulled me out but it was so clear that I thought a wind carried me away. Do you know anything?" He was smiling. He pointed at the dagger and said "He likes you. If he pulled you out like that and not eating you up fully then that only mean he likes you". Then he walked out of the door. Weirdly enough, the dagger feels warm on my palm.