Fists of Fate: Smashing Destiny fka (Strong Man's Wrath)

Chapter 8.5- The Artist In The Basement II

Nana was at home with her brother today, she had been the whole week actually. She hadn't been to the castle since she had that sparring session with Mel. Her usual self, would have been bored out of her mind with the lack of activity, but she had a bigger problem on her hands.

First it was her hairbrush, then her perfume and now a picture of herself she hanged on her bedroom wall. They were all gone.

Every night for the past three days, something different had gone missing. As if that wasn't enough, she always felt like someone was watching her sleep. She even saw a white fox mask staring at her once. Although that must have been her imagination.

If it was just a matter of ability, Nana was just about on par with an average fully-fledged knight so something like this should be lightwork . But she was just a sixteen year old girl ,and knight or not, she was still scared. For the first time in quite a while, Nana wasn't the coldhearted calculator she seemed to be. She was what she was, just a sixteen year old girl.

She could tell her brother or Melanie about it. Nope, she could only probably tell Mel about it. Emile already thought she was an old woman trapped in a teenage body. She didn't need crazy added to her resume. Besides what if she was wrong and this was all her imagination. Mel wouldn't want to have a sister on the verge of going cuckoo.

Thoughts flooded her mind as she gazed vacantly at the window. She rose up from her study table and dumped herself on the bed. She hadn't slept properly in three days.

"Bolt," she muttered under her breath. The white cloud of fur spawned out of his magic circle and curled up right next to her. She hugged him tightly and let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't slept together with Bolt since she first chose the canine to be her familiar. His fur was still as warm and snugly as it had always been and she buried her head in it like a pillow. Maybe tonight would be different.

She felt like someone would protect her. That or she was too tired to care at this point.

"Mmmm Bolt, give me five more minutes" Nana whined groggily pushing the dog's mouth away from her face. She turns away from the dog and is pierced in the eye by the sunshine . She blinks repeatedly in confusion. Was the morning sun always this bright? She sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes. Maybe her eyes hadn't adjusted properly.

" No your eyes aren't playing games with you. It's eleven in the morning"

Nana out of instinct jumped onto her bed and got into her firing stance. She turned to face a dark haired boy in a white shirt and a black cloak. He sat in her study chair backwards staring out of her window. His head resting on his arms. She couldn't wrap her finger around it but he looked familiar. That was the only reason why she hadn't fired already.

" Who are you and how did you get in here?"

The boy turned in her direction , closed his eyes and just smiled. " Good morning to you too, Nana.  You slept well."

His expression changed into a smug grin, " Time flies when you--"

Crackles and buzzes filled the air again. Then the same loud bang.

It couldn't be him. He shouldn't be here. Not this soon at least, Then again only a handful of people knew her as Nana.

She looked on her bed. Bolt wasn't barking at him either. So help her if he had done something to her dog.

"Tornitrus Bolt" she muttered raspily,"5%". Whatever this phony was trying to pull she wasn't buying it. It was too early for this.

"Woah! Woah!" The boy jumped out of the chair grabbing a staff and deflecting the lightning arrow in the nick of time. The arrow crashed out of the window and went straight for a nearby tree in town. He stook his landing and sighed as if he somehow expected this to happen., " it's me ... Ra-"