RI-D_ICU

From the stark distance, a shrill grind of misshapen wood sounded the entrance of the family's youngest daughter, returned after the aftermath of her story of Llafiella. As with all outcomes, the one who remains the wisest is the victor. But this was not the case for young Cethe, as the enraged and committed mind for Elaina's future was the wisest for her.

As the young warrior snuck into her mother and father's master bedroom as they worked on the sidelines, Cethe carelessly snuffed out for the key to her success at saving her lord; an extraordinarily rare and unscathed encased family heirloom in the form of a golden blade. Rumored in the tales of her ancestors to be one of the mystical blades that the fabled Elders of SIGMA wielded in their legendary battles, Cethe suspected it remained hidden in the depths of her father's chained and locked closet.

"Damian," Cethe whispered, examining the closet. Its rusted chains and padlock made it impossible to open. Irritated by her inability to dive within, she grit her teeth and hissed at her younger brother. "Damian!"

"What? What?" Damian whispered back, crawling on the wooden floorboards with his head ducked underneath his family's wooden bed.

"You need to distract Father," Cethe said. "Make a loud noise. Drop some of his weapons that he keeps stowed away and run away as soon as he takes notice. Let him chase you off, okay?"

"Are you joking me? I'm going to get in trouble!" Damian whined.

"Who cares? We're doing this for Elaina and Stravia. Now, are you gonna do it or not?!"

"Okay, fine, but you owe me." Damian concluded.

Cethe captured Damian's neck in a headlock and ran her hands through her younger brother's hair with her knuckles, playfully teasing him as a sign of affection. "Good boy. Now hurry up and go. The festival's going to start in a few minutes," She watched in diligence as Damian bolted out the door barefoot, eyeing her surroundings momentarily after. "Okay, the coast is clear." She voiced out.

Alfaic, who had been hiding underneath her parents' wooden bed, peeked out from underneath the frame and coughed in response to the heavy piles of dust trapped in confinement. It floated toward Cethe and levitated near the locked closet. "I don't understand. What is this all for?" Alfaic asked.

"The sword inside this closet..." Cethe said. "Relámpago. It was an heirloom that was rumored to belong to an elder knight who lived far into the past. My father, as blacksmith of our land, locked it up after word spread around town that we had it. Attempts were made at his life for it, and eventually, he put it away, hoping everyone would forget about it."

"How did your father get it?" Alfaic asked.

"Some say he stole it, bought it, passed down, I don't know," Cethe said, shrugging. "But rumors went around saying that the sword had magical properties. That's why everyone wanted it so badly."

"How is it going to help us?"

"It's simple, really! Lyn's just going to have to crash the party and prove that she's worthy of rescuing Elaina. Then, all eyes will turn toward her and she'll rally the people without a single issue!" Cethe's voice gradually arose, making her stealth mission a little less stealthy. Her eyes bubbled up with life as she shook her fists up and down. "I'm excited! Aren't you?"

"I have no idea what to be excited for. Just calm yourself before your parents hear you!"

The clashing sounds of steel pierced the air from outside her parents' door, signaling that Damian had made his move to initialize the plan. The weapons sent vibrations shuddering underneath the wooden floorboards beneath Cethe's feet, catching her by surprise. Another weapon dropped to the ground, and Cethe shot herself up from her kneeling position.

"Do it!" Cethe cried.

Alfaic reared itself backward. With a swift slash, the rusted chains and lock toppled on the wooden floors, drowned out by the ear-shattering sounds of the fallen swords her younger brother toppled over. Cethe pulled the closet open, revealing Relámpago's stunning craftsmanship, still in pure mint-condition. Her eyes glimmered at the mere sight of the legendary blade, reveling in its generational mysteriousness and aura, which were quite literally to die for.

The sleek and ornate golden-handled blade nestled in a glass case. Legends spoke of its edge sharpened by a blue malachite stone that fell from the heavens repurposed into a whetstone, and after a lightning bolt struck it in half, its magical properties enchanted its blade with a radiating cobalt tint from each and every angle. Cethe expected a massive sword that a medieval knight would hold with both hands, but instead, it was shaped like a rapier, capable of both slicing and thrusting.

"Wow. I've never seen anything like it," Cethe's breath was taken away by the sight of it all. "It's like I'm looking into Pandora's Box."

"Come on, we have to get this to Lyn," Alfaic reminded her. "Grab it."

Cethe gently opened the glass case and gripped the blade by the handle. With a forceful tug, the blade did not budge. Another two tugs followed after, and Cethe's hands were wrapped in sweat. Her forehead glistened in moisture, and she grit her teeth to summon her remaining strength. "It's not... it's not moving!" Cethe exclaimed quietly. "Some kind of spell or something?!"

"It's possible," Alfaic said. "A sword of that stature could definitely be blessed by some enchantment."

"This isn't a fairy tale!" Cethe cried, continuously attempting to haul Relámpago to no avail. "Damn it! It's not working-"

"Cethe, darling!?" Her mother's calls struck her by surprise. She shut the closet while Alfaic hid underneath her parents' bed once more. "The festival is starting in a few minutes! We need your help in catching your brother, your father went off to find him on his own!"

Cethe kept her mouth shut as she approached the entrance. Her plan had failed. "I'm coming, Mother!" She shouted, glancing back at the mess she and Alfaic had made in front of the locked closet. There was no possible way that she could have hid the damage done now. The purpose of her plan was to have a final shot at regaining her family's trust in saving Elaina; now, it was up to Lyn to convince them all that she was worth while.

As she left her family's room, Alfaic peered itself out of the shadows, glancing at Relámpago.