Zorro obediently complied and released his death grip on my neck. I slumped down to the floor, gasping and wheezing for air. Hagen made his way towards me, retracting the sword into its normal form as he approached. That was one cool sword. Usually, people in the master tier of bloodbearers get special weapons to go along with their abilities.
Zorro seemed a little distraught by what he had done and started apologizing, "I'm sorry, Ed. Perhaps I have gone a bit too far. Please punish me as you see fit."
Zorro had returned to his original demeanor. On the other hand, I was having none of it. "Dammit, that was a bit too harsh, Zorro! Had you applied any more force, I would've died! My voice started cracking up near the end.
The result of that death grip on my neck was a Zorro-hand-sized imprint there. He really is incredibly strong.
"There won't be a next time for this, Zorro. I growled out as I stood back up, still angry at the sequence of events.
My brother took one look at me, and he had a look of pure disgust on his face.
"Wow, I really should've let Zorro kill you there. You don't even stand a chance against a normal castle guard; do you really think you will be able to beat one of the Five Commanders of the Legions of Herakles? He said that, getting into my face.
Zorro was getting nervous in the background, trying to calm us down.
Now, calm down a bit, Hagen; don't be so harsh on Ed. He said he was trying his best to defuse the situation. My pride wouldn't allow me to back down.
"Oh, really? You really think I can't stand a chance against someone like you or Zorro? Give me a break. I shot back, a small grin taking hold of my face.
"OK. Fight me right here, right now. He said, his voice dead serious.
"What?" I was dumbfounded. "You heard me. Let's settle this bit right now. He said this, taking a slightly battle-ready stance.
"Seriously?" He wanted me to fight him. A master bloodbearer? No way.
"Yes." There was no change in his expression.
"Like, seriously-seriously?" I asked him again, now actually worried for my life. I never seriously took to fighting, but I have a basic idea of blood manipulation, so at best I would be at the level of an initiate—someone who has just started their training with blood-based powers.
Hagen just nodded with a deadpan expression that was unsettling. I could feel my heart beating through my chest, as if it were a primal warning signal desperately telling me to run away.
Hagen unsheathed his sword and took a stance. He had a murderous aura around him.
I started smiling at him like a kid who was caught by his mother for stealing food from the kitchen. My facial muscles start going haywire when I get really nervous, which has led to all sorts of misinterpretations and accidents before.
I started sweating profusely, as I was lost for words, and just stood there, in pajamas, with the stupidest, most idiotic grin on my face.
I felt mortified.
This ticked my brother off. I instinctually started breathing faster as my body switched into fight-or-flight mode. Zorro, who had been watching both of us with a nervous expression on his face, looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't. I finally broke the awkward silence.
"Hey, this might not be the best of times to fight. I don't have my armor, sword, or anything for that matter. I managed to squeeze those words through my mouth, and my throat had become dry just from the sheer fear of facing my brother.
He just stood there, unwavering. Like a predator hiding among the bushes as it watched its prey.
"You know what? It's been a while since I've fought too. Let's settle our score on the practice grounds tonight, ok? I gestured to the training grounds in view outside my window. Zorro looked in that direction and seemed to be thinking about it.
I started taking some steps back as I talked to him. He just stood there, motionless. I turned to Zorro for help. "Hey Zorro, please talk him out of it. You know how mad she gets when we fight each other, right?
"Umm, Hagen, can you two not fight?" He asked Zorro with a smile on his face.
"Very well, brother. Challenge accepted."
With that, he began to sheathe his sword, his nonchalance painting a stark contrast against the charged atmosphere. Just as he turned away, the air crackled with a sudden surge of energy. Hagen's form wavered, his figure fragmenting and then reappearing a few steps behind me.
But before Hagen could take another step, Zorro's swift reflexes came into play. With a skillful flourish, Zorro's sword intercepted Hagen's mid-strike, the clash of steel ringing through the room. The two commanders faced off, their blades locked in a silent struggle.
"Enough." Zorro's voice held a commanding edge, his stance unwavering.
Hagen's eyes flickered with a mix of frustration and amusement as he relinquished the confrontation. "Very well, Zorro. You've saved him—for now. Even though you're only in the dominion tier, you're still pretty strong."
"Yeah, I just don't have any sort of elemental affinity, so yeah, I had to stay at this level. Zorro said, with a chuckle.
My legs were shaking. As I turned around to see Hagen, he glanced back at me with an innocent smile on his face and disappeared around the corner.
"Ed, I think it is not advisable for you to take him on. Even for me, it's no easy task. Zorro said, and he moved beside me, his hand guiding me to the bed.
I tried to walk, but my shaking legs gave way, and I stumbled onto Zorro, who hauled me to my bed, and I laid down on it.
"Take rest. You're going to need every last ounce of your strength to even survive. After saying that, he exited the room and was about to close the door behind him.
"Zorro." I called out to him, and my face turned away from the door.
"Yes?"
"I didn't do anything to my mother the previous night. I swear by every ounce of my existence. I would never do that to someone I hold so dear. Please believe me for once."
There was a pause, and I was still in the same position, anticipating a reply, hoping Zorro would say something. "Okay. I believe you, but you better help me find out the cause of this."
I turned to face Zorro to thank him for believing in me, but the door slammed shut before I could say anything.