Playing With Fire

Chapter Two

I woke to a huge raspy tongue dragging itself up my cheek. I push Kiera away with a groan and sat up, blearily shoving my hair out of my face. Eight hours had not been enough to combat being up for twenty-plus the day before. Keira was ready to stretch her legs in the forest so I swung my legs over the side of the bed and heaved my aching body up. I stretched and every bone in my body cracked causing me to groan in satisfaction.

"I know I sound like I'm falling apart," I replied to the appraising look Keira threw my way. We stalked down the stairs and I yawned a good morning to Flo when I felt her stir. Kiera shot out the second I opened the back door and I shuffled over to the pantry. I needed groceries, I'm pretty sure there was a tiny tumbleweed blowing over the empty shelves. I pulled down a box of off brand cereal and crossed my fingers that my milk was still mostly in date. Grabbing one of the five bowls I owned I sat at the small breakfast table with my meal of champions.

Finished my cereal I stood to rinse my bowl and let Kiera back in. She was howling like a street cat out there. She raced through the open door with a look of distain at being left outside two seconds more than she wanted and stalked in the living room to lick her paws.

"Don't get any blood on the carpet!" I called after her. I could practically feel her roll her eyes at me.

Today's to do list was much the same as everyday's. First I would work out in the converted dining room, then I would strap up and go check the Guild for new jobs. I decided I would take Keira with me today so I could get back in her good graces. She was getting bored with the creatures in the woods anyway. The old girl needed a real challenge.

The wall scones in the stairway hummed brighter as I made my way back upstairs to my room to change. It seemed like Flo was trying out her control over the various parts of the house.

"Good job! It looks like you're really getting the hang of things." The lights shot even brighter at my praise and one of them exploded in a rain of glass at the increase of electricity. They immediately dimmed in embarrassment and I patted the wall in reassurance.

"Don't worry Flo, just keep practicing. Keira, theres glass on the steps. Don't step in it, I'll clean it up later!"

Beside the bathroom connecting to my room there was another door that featured a victorian 'dressing room'. I had converted it into a weapons room and closet. I slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a thin work out tank top. I looked over at the weapons lining the wall and tried to decide what I wanted to work with today. My usual weaponry consisted of my katana in my right hand and a dagger in my left, but I tried to practice with many different weapons to keep up my training. Today I pulled a spear down from the wall on grabbed an iron shield.

The shield was heavier than the newer and more high tech metal shields available, but good old fashion iron was useful for more than just blocking weapons. Iron diluted the effects of Fae magic and held up decently against an onslaught of Earth magics as well. The added protection against magic more than made up for the weight of it.

The dinning room downstairs was outfitted with foam training mats and a wall of mirrors. I laid the shield and spear down and began stretching. Ten minutes later I picked the spear and shield back up and began dancing. I went through all eight levels of the Hastam, a fighting style created by the Red Cap goblins that focused on quick and brutal strikes. Once I finished I collapsed back onto the mats exhausted and sweaty. Kiera padded in to lick the salt off my face and I left her too weak to raise my arm to push her away. Eventually I concluded my arms weren't going to fall off my body, dead, so I figured I should got take a shower, get dressed, and head out.

After another boiling shower I dressed in jeans and a dark gray t shirt, which was the majority of my wardrobe. When everything you own comes in to contact with blood and guts at least once a day it just doesn't pay to wear anything nicer. Keira was waiting patiently by the front door when I came down armed to the teeth. I shrugged on my leather jacket over the sword sheathed across my back and leaned down to scratch behind her ear.