"Hmm that's strange. Could it have to do with her demon powers?" said Hazel to Droll. "I'm not sure. I have an idea Zuri. When you go back to work, I need you to talk to Jim and see if you can melt a sword to experiment. If you want to tell him that's fine up to you." "Yeah there are a bunch of swords that don't sell. I'm sure I can melt one of those."
A few days after I was well enough to go to work, I went to my boss Jim and told him the situation and he agreed. He would be by my side while I do it. He told Zira that I would work with him today. She nodded in agreement. "OK here is a sword. Go ahead." I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths and let it out. "OK here we go. I cautiously put it in, I had that strange feeling again so I pulled it out. "What happened?" "it happened again Jim. I had that strange feeling." "You know there is a legend. It says that souls can be born through weapons. Only a few believe that. Others have heard them but are rare now a days." "Really? How did they communicate with them?" "I don't really know. It never said. Just that they could and the weapon told them how to fight to help them know what to do during battles." "Does that mean that not only swords but any weapon?" "Pretty much." What about the two I made for Hazel and Kade?" "I wouldn't know. I've never heard a thing." "Go ahead and make a weapon for me. I will watch how you made one with Zira. I will give you advice if you need it." "OK what shall I make? I just made a sword for the first time and had to melt it down. I can make daggers just fine. In fact I prefer making them." "OK go ahead and make a dagger for me then."
So I got the stuff and started to make it. I Chose a fancy kind of metal. Then I did the process as normal. I wiped my sweat from time to time. Then I finally put the jewels in and done. "Very good Zuri. Now you I noticed you have a thing for jewels no the daggers. You even put one on the swords. Is that la style of yours?" "Uh well when I was little, Auntie took me to a jewelry store. There was this one jewel I can't forget. It was the most beautiful blue jewel. It was in one of the necklaces at the store. That is when I started making stuff with fake ones. As for these real ones its even prettier. I grew up making wooden figures and found a place to put the jewel." "Hmm. I see. I might have something to give you on your next birthday. I know you will like it." "Ok sure. So what do you want me to make now?" "I want you to try to make a sword." "Aww ok fine." "Its ok its just an assignment. You don't have to make one all the time." I took a breather outside first to get air, then I went back in and made a sword.
Once I was done, I showed it to him. "Hmm. I like how you put the one jewel ono the tip of the hilt. Then lined them up at the edge." "Thanks. Its kind of a weird shape." "Its fine. its actually a unique sword. Nothing wrong with it." "After work I need to talk to you. Its important." "Ok that's fine." Then when work was over I talked to him after everyone left. "Jim. You know how I said I was just sick the last few days?" "Yeah I do. Are you ok now?" "Well that was half the truth. That night after I had melted everything, I think someone found out what it could do and was upset that it was melted. They must have seen me do it. Once I was outside and breathed my fresh air, I was stabbed through the back and out the stomach. I didn't see who it was because they were behind me. I didn't even have time to scream. I guess father found me and got his friends to help me. If not for them, I would be dead." "Hmm is see. Mind showing my your wound?" I showed him my stomach. "Damn girl. That is a bad wound. That doesn't look like an ordinary wound." "What do you mean?" "You see here. Sorry is it ok if I touch you to show you?" "Yeah its fine." "OK now you see how this here has 3 lines coming out of it on each side of it?" "Yeah how come I never noticed before?" "Well you were just stabbed. I don't think you were paying attention to the shape of the weapon." "Yeah I guess so." "So you didn't see there face?" I shook my head no. "So you don't know if it was a man or a woman?" "Well I assume it was man. Unless a woman is really strong." "Hmm. Got it. You can go home now." "OK thanks Jim. Uh see you on Monday." Then I left for home.
The next day I took my brother and father with me and I told Kade to bring the dagger I gave him. When I got there I knocked on his door. Then he opened it. "Hello Rusty. May I come in?" "Yes come in you 3." Then we sat on his couch. "Rusty. Let me introduce my father Droll and my brother Kade." "Nice to meet you both. I'm Vince's brother Rusty. So Zuri you had something to show me?" "Yeah. You know this picture of the dagger you showed me? Well before you showed me this picture, I made this. I was shocked it looked identical to this one." Then I gestured Kade to show him. "No way. You made this?" "Yeah I did. It just ended up in my head for some reason and I made it." "Mind if I hold it to take a look?" "Sure go ahead. Just be careful." He looked it over and turned it around. "The jewels are all in the right place too. Just a different color." Then he gave the dagger back to Kade. "Very nice. So you make daggers and swords at the swordsmith?" "Well I'm pretty much still a newbie on swords. Once I get good at those I will be making more weapons. You can come by and see what we made if you'd like? We need people coming over to help business." "Hmm. I may not be able to make one again, but I will be able to see what you all have." "OK thanks. Well we'd better get going." "Yeah maybe I'll stop by in a few days and see what you got." "Thanks I appreciate it. By the way before we go, do you mind if I ask how you hurt yourself?" "Yeah I don't mind. It was a few years ago. Vince told you I didn't hurt it at work right?" "Yeah he just said you got into some sort of accident and now you can't do your job as a smith anymore." "Well that's not entirely true. Well lets see. I was cutting down some tree's for firewood that day. It was a day of a festival where we usually had a bonfire. I somehow got my hands smashed. The doctors said my hands are fine now, but they still shake. They say its mental. I can't do anything about it so there is no way I can do smithing again." "I'm sorry Rusty." "Hey its all good. It doesn't mean I can't handle swords though. I can't make them but I can hold them." "Ok well we really need to go now. Got a little boy at home waiting for me. A wonderful man as well." "OK see you guys again some other time." "Ok bye." Then we headed home.
"Were home Hazel." "Oh welcome home. He wants his mommy." "Hey baby boy. Did you miss mommy?" Then he smiled at me. "I bet you did you little cutie. Did you have fun with Daddy?" "Yeah we had fun. Do you really want him to call me dad or step-dad." "You are his dad and Sora was his father." "OK makes since. I feel better now." "So what are you working on now at work Hazel?" "Oh just doing things here and there. I haven't had any deadlines lately." "Oh that's good. Hey dad when are we going to train for my demon again?" "We still got daylight I guess we can now if you want?" "Yeah sure lets do it." Me dad and Kade all went out. I closed my eyes and turned to my demon form. "Good your getting the hang of it. Are you practicing?" "Yeah I have been. I haven't really paid attention to how long though." "Ok stay in your form and lets spar." "Yes father." Then we started fighting.
"Very good. Stay on your feet." "Got it." Then he pushed me back and I barely stayed up but I did. "Good job." After awhile I turned back. "Pant, Pant, that was a lot of work. Hey dad? When is the war going to take place? It has been months and nothing happened. What is he waiting for?" "I don't know kiddo." "Dad do you wish there was a way to turn human? Do you ever miss it?" "I do miss it. But then I wouldn't be like your mom. she was also a demon remember?" "Yeah but your only half and mom was a pure blood demon." "Yes I know sweetheart. What I'm saying is I feel closer to her in my demon form. If I never did what I did your mother wouldn't have been able to deliver your brother safely. Is she had just died there before I got there Kade wouldn't be there. She held on long enough to have him then she died there. Yes I was there. I was in the middle of fighting so I couldn't get to him in time before they carried Kade away." "Oh dad." I went over to give him a hug. He hugged me back. "Come here Kade you too." He came up and we had a group hug. "You are the only family besides your uncle Aiden, Ben, and his kids. I have left." "Hey dad you have Hazel now too. And you have Aidens wife and soon to be baby." "Yeah that's right Zuri. Thanks." Then we let go of each other and wiped our tears. Even Kade cried a little. "Haha Kade. I didn't know you could cry." I teased. "Come on sis. I'm a human right now. Humans cry ok. Demons cry too as you saw our father." "Haha I'm just teasing Kade. No need to Cr…." "Before I could finish, I felt a pain where my wound was. My head was hurting as well. I saw dad and Kade. They didn't seem to be affected. I went to go inside to look at my son he also seemed to not be affected. Good. Then before the others can get to me I ran to the forest.
I ran deep enough for humans not to hear me. So my screams weren't heard when the demons are in human form either. So the only one that could hear me was probably my father. Almost all demons have good of hearing.
"Shit! This hurts!" I looked at my wound and it was lit up. It was changing shape. I felt my demon form fluctuate as well. I was getting weak. Really weak. I was about to fall then I thought I saw Kei then passed out from the pain.
Droll went to go look for her then he saw prints of another demon and he was relived. "Only one person can have a print like that. Kei." "OK I'm not so worried. Take care of her Kei. Bring her home safely." He knew Kei must have heard him. Then he headed back home to tell the others.
She was still in pain. She was groaning in pain while she was out. He checked her wound. "Damnit! She was stabbed the Acacia Blade. Also her head must be hurting for some reason." He put a cold washcloth or something on her head. She had a bad fever. He wished there was something more he could do but there wasn't. "Hang in there Zuri. Please be ok. Dammit if this gets any worse I won't be able to do anything. Gods. Please help her. Make her well."
Inside Zuri's head
"Hahaha I have you now! I have control over your body! I didn't even need to start a war!" "Who the hell are you anyway?" "What your father didn't tell you?" "One of the gods did. That you were mom and dad's old friend. That something must have happened to make you this way." "Stop trying to get into my head!" he was holding me by my throat and let go when I said that. I coughed and breathed again. I saw him hold his head. "No leave me alone! Don't act like you know me! You don't know what I have been through!" "I don't. All I want to know is what do you want. Its pointless to kill people over what happened in the past. Its done. Its over. I've lost people too. Time goes on. I've even lost a love. He died. His name was Sora. I just recently found out who he really was. He was a type of spy warrior. That didn't change my love for him. I've also lost my mother who you killed and almost lost a brother." "Wait you mean the boy survived?" "Yes. He looks a little like father. Father is living in the demon village with us. Because of you, he can't turn human anymore. He is stuck in his demon form for the rest of his life. I thought father had died until I found out he lived with Aiden all this time. I was raised by my Aunt Lia and Uncle Ben. Their kids Zen and Keve. I grew up with them like siblings for awhile. Until a few months ago when I jumped into the river and almost died. Hazel and Kade both found me. Yes my brother is now 11 years old. He finally has a name Kade. The people who saved him. They were only alive for a short while until someone attacked them. A man that claimed to be his birth father killed them. He was raised by the neighbors until his brother Hazel was old enough then he started taking care of Kade by himself. Now I have a question. What do you want? Why are you like this? Maybe I can help." "No I'm sorry. Its too late no one can help me now. I must do this. I can't live in this world anymore. I must be killed by the sword your grandmother made. It's the only way I will be happy. I know the sword is still around. Nobody knows where it is." "If you start a war with others, You just might see it. Now please, let me go. This is really painful in my head. Are you doing this to my wound as well?" "What wound? Don't tell me you were stabbed by the Acacia sword?" "Yeah I was why?" "That I have no control over it. Good luck. I don't know much about it." When he disappeared I was in the meadow again.