Starlight and Shadows

Chapter 13: Dynamics

Dipping her fingers into a prepared bowl of water, Saffre gently wiped some water onto the high grit whetstone.

Bringing her hand back she then carefully gripped the top of her saber, making sure to angle it at a fifteen-degree angle. In a single, fluid motion, she slowly dragged the length of the blade across the whetstone's surface, the sound of the metal scrapping the stone filling her room. She repeated the motion a total of five times.

Gathering some more water, Saffre wetted the stone again, repeating the process on the other side of the blade.

Lifting the blade into the light of her room, Saffre inspected the silver blade's razor-sharp edge. She then tested the edge by cutting a piece of paper. As she sliced through the paper she closed her eyes, feeling how the blade sliced through the page, searching for any hitching. There was none.

Nodding her head, satisfied, Saffre looked up.

Neo was smiling at her. She hadn't knocked.

Saffre smiled back. Neo was the only person to ever seek her out; Roman usually just called when he needed her for something, and the others never talked to her. Which was fine.

Neo waved her over, motioning for Saffre to follow. Blinking, Saffre nodded her head, wiping her saber down and putting it back in its scabbard before walking over to her. She didn't see much point in asking where they were going; it didn't matter.

Grabbing her hand Neo led her through the mostly empty warehouse. It was late morning and most of the others were away.

Neo's hand was soft.

Stepping out into the main floor of the abandoned warehouse, half of the shelves loaded with crates full of Dust, Neo led her to one end.

Letting go of her hand Neo turned and gave another smile to Saffre gesturing with something in her left hand. It was a cylindrical device with a button on the side.

Pointing the device at the floor of the warehouse Neo hit the button and a dot of green light illuminated the spot on the floor. It was a laser pointer.

Saffre tilted her head at the laser pointer. What were they going to do?

Pointing the light next to her Neo hopped to the spot where the light was before looking back up at Saffre and pointing at her. She then pointed the light at a spot next to Saffre.

Looking at the light Saffre looked back at Neo, watching her expectantly. She then mimicked Neo and hopped over to the spot with the light.

Neo shook her head at Saffre. Bringing the light back to her Neo pointed next to herself, hopped, and then snapped her fingers.

'She wants me to move immediately?'

Saffre nodded her head, thinking she understood what Neo wanted her to do.

Smiling at her again Neo pointed the light a fair distance off to their side.

With a thought everything went white for a moment and Saffre was at the exact spot Neo had pointed to with the laser pointer. Looking back at the other girl she saw that Neo was smiling at her.

Saffre nodded her head. 'Just follow the light.'

----

'Where is it?'

Zeffre tossed the pillows off her bed, hoping that she had simply placed it there last night.

No dice.

Puckering her lips, she looked around her room. It was in a state of disarray, with clothes strewn across the floor, shelves removed from draws, an incredibly cluttered desk with her partially assembled particle beam pistol...