Leave her alone

The blade was translucent, shimmering faintly in the light.

He turned it slightly, marveling at how it seemed to fade in and out of view, like a mirage.

"Give it here!" the guard said snatching the blade from Kaleb. The moment it left Kaleb's hands, the sword vanished completely.

The blacksmith scratched his head. "Well, I'll be… That's a manatech weapon."

Kaleb blinked, confused. "A mana what?"

"Manatech weapons they respond to the energy, or mana, of the person wielding them. If you have enough mana, the weapon will activate. But if you don't, the weapon's useless; in this case, it'll just disappear, like you saw."

Kaleb stared down at the now visible blade in his hand. "So, I have… mana?"

"Exactly. The fact that you can unsheathe it means you possess mana. Most folks can't even handle these weapons, let alone make them work."

Kaleb glanced back at the sword. "Ok, but what exactly is mana?" he asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

The shopkeeper scratched his head, "Mana, huh? Well, all I know is that it's an energy found in everything: living things, objects, the air, you name it. Some folks even say it's like the life force of the world. Some have more of it, some less. But no matter the amount, it's always there."

Kaleb nodded slowly, absorbing the information. 

He stared at the sword again, realizing that this weapon was tied to something he didn't fully understand yet, but knew he would need to learn about soon.

"How much for the pair?" Kaleb asked, meeting the shopkeeper's eyes.

The shopkeeper hesitated, scratching his chin. "Well, considering their... unusual nature, I'll sell them to you for twenty gold ber. That's a fair price for something like this, I'd say."

The guard let out an audible sigh of relief as he handed over the pouch of gold. "If you're done here, let's get going," he muttered, clearly irritated by how long the process had taken.

The shopkeeper pocketed the money quickly and handed the swords back to Kaleb. "Take care of those. They might just save your life."

"Let's get back," the guard grumbled, already turning toward the door without waiting for Kaleb to catch up. 

Kaleb stood in the field, wiping the sweat from his brow, his muscles aching from the constant b rigorous physical training. 

'Since I started training, I've been able to build up my body' he thought, as he calmed his breathing.

'But what good will any of that do if I don't even know how to use these?' he said, glancing at his new weapons, the twin short swords hanging at his sides, their translucent blades catching the light. He hadn't touched them since he obtained them from the shop. 

He gripped the hilts and drew the swords, their weight feeling strange in his hands.

Taking a deep breath, he swung them awkwardly before tripping over his leg and tumbling to the floor.

'I guess trying to mimic things I saw on TV isn't going to work' moves he'd seen in others do.

Sat on the floor staring at the blades, he remembered the shopkeeper's words: "Swords like those aren't about brute strength. They're about speed, precision."

'Speed and precision huh…' he thought, 'So mindlessly swinging them like they're clubs won't work, I need to be fast and precise, whatever that means'

He tried again, this time focusing on his footwork. 'Okay, keep light on your feet. Don't just stand there.'

He began to move, slowly at first, shifting his weight between steps. He tried a few strikes, retreating after each one, testing how quickly he could attack and then pull back. 

'That feels better.'

He quickened his pace, striking and retreating faster with every repetition, each movement becoming sharper. 

I might just be getting the hang of this.' He thought before tripping over his foot.

He heard soft footsteps approaching and looked up to see Rayna standing above him.

"You're really going at it," she remarked, crouching down beside him.

"Long enough to see you face plant after tripping over your foot."

"Could you do me a favor and forget that?" he asked reaching out a hand.

"Not a chance!" she replied, grabbing and pulling him up. "What are you doing anyway?"

He dusted himself off and gestured to the weapon. "Trying to get the hang of these," he said, gesturing to the swords. 

She glanced at the weapons, her eyes narrowing with interest. "Those are pretty impressive. What kind of weapons are they?"

Kaleb shrugged, holding up one of the twin short swords.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. The Count paid for them, but I don't really know what they are.

The shopkeeper said something about them being 'manatech' weapons."

"What's manatech? She asked raising a brow.

 "I'll have to figure it out later on my own."

 "Well, whatever they are, Just don't hurt yourself while you're 'figuring it out', okay?"

"I'll try," Kaleb replied, grinning. "Don't be surprised if I end up tripping over my own feet again. It's a lot harder than it looks."

"Where are the others by the way?"

"Well, Eliora is busy in the kitchen as usual and Atara's probably just slacking off somewhere"

"Doesn't she learn? If that head maid catches her she'll be in for more than just lashes this time"

"As tough as Atara tries to be, she turns into a whole different person when Laura's around. I've never seen someone humble themselves so quickly. She doesn't even try to argue. Just straight to 'Yes, ma'am' "

 "I don't blame her, anyone in her position would be the same"

"How so?"

"Think about it, she's probably someone who has never been told no before let alone doing housework"

"So, like watching a kid get caught sneaking sweets and being punished for it. All that attitude just vanishes."

"Exactly! It's hilarious. She goes from being all fiery and stubborn to acting like a little girl standing in front of her mother."

"You know she's going to kill you if she ever hears any of this right?" she said, laughing heartily.

"She'll have to catch me first!" he responded grinning from ear to ear.

"Honestly though," she said, wiping away a tear, "It's nice seeing Atara act like that sometimes. Makes me feel like we're all still normal people, even after everything." 

"I know what you mean. If you girls weren't here, I don't know what I would be doing with myself right now."

"Well, we're here. And, for what it's worth, I think you've been doing fine, Kaleb."

 "I'm just doing what I can." He said scratching the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact, trying to hide the embarrassment creeping up on him.

"It's just... easier with all of you around."

She glanced at him, the light mood lingering but now touched with warmth. "Same here.

You make me feel... safer. Like we might actually have a shot at something better."

Kaleb smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude he rarely had the chance to express.

"I'll take that. And hey, make sure Atara never finds out we had this conversation." 

Rayna laughed again, shaking her head. "I'll try, but no promises," she teased, nudging him with her elbow. 

Kaleb noticed a group of guards approaching and his smile faded. Rayna, too, tensed up, her playful demeanor evaporating.

"Noticing her change in demeanor, he asked, "Do you know them?"

"It's nothing, don't worry. I'll handle it"

"What do you want now?" Rayna asked, her voice firm but calm.

"Come on, Rayna." One of the guards chuckled, ignoring her protest. Why don't you hang out with us for a bit? Have some fun."

Kaleb's jaw clenched as he watched on, the situation turning uncomfortable. Rayna stood her ground, but the guards kept pressing, their tone growing more insistent.

"I said no," she repeated, stepping back as one of the guards reached for her arm.

"That's not how this works," the guard sneered, grabbing her arm. "A slave like you doesn't get to say no! Especially one that's a beastman"

Before Kaleb even realized it, his body moved on instinct. He stepped forward, his voice low and steady. "Let go of her."

The guards turned their attention to him. "And what's a slave like you gonna do about it?"

Kaleb's heart raced, but he didn't back down. "I said let her go."

The tension hung thick in the air as the guards exchanged glances, sizing him up.

Rayna's eyes flicked between Kaleb and the guards, her expression filled with worry.

"Well," the lead guard smirked, "looks like we've got ourselves a hero." the other guards chuckled, their amusement a contrast to the tension that lingered.

Kaleb clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the guard. "I'm not going to repeat myself," he shot back.

The lead guard stepped closer, "Who do you think you are talking to slave?"  his expression shifted, becoming more menacing. 

"You think you can just talk however you want now because you won a few fights in the pits?"

Rayna stepped between them, "This is the last time I'm going to warn you. Leave me alone."

The guards all laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "You, warn me? You think because you're a little bit pretty you can speak to us however you wish?"

"Hey," Another guard spoke, "Why don't we just teach these foolish slaves a lesson?"

"I agree," the other replied, "And we'll start with her, and make him watch." His eyes gleamed with a sickening lust as he reached out towards Rayna, a twisted grin spreading across his face.