Cohen of the Rebellion

Chapter 9 - Short Journey to DC: Dagger and Blood

Father was busy with his business in the pavilion, business on the hunters without doubt. As for now, they looked lousy and claimed to be private mercenaries for some noblemen. Eventually they confessed after being beaten up by father’s guards.

Well, I could have done better, flowers looked fun.

“Uncle Maiza!” I raised a water bag, “How sweaty are you! Here’s water!”

“Thank you, Cohen!” Uncle Maiza took my water and spoke loudly.

“Uncle Maiza,” I looked at the cages behind him, “I want to take a look at them.”

“Well, OK, but keep your distance.”

“Why not?” I asked, “Closer makes I see clearly.”

“No way!” Uncle Maiza stopped at one of the cages and said, “Look, Cohen, this is a dwarf kid. He’s extremely strong, and dangerous to you.”

“And this is a young elf, she might use her spells against you… this is a winged man… this is sandman… and this little vampire girl looks sick!?” With a stiff look, he swiftly paced into father’s pavilion.

Sick? I leaned forward with my hands over the bar, and looked at that vampire girl curiously.

She looked apparently pale and weak. Looked like her born golden hair has lost its glossy radiant. Under the youthful eyebrow was her folded eyes. She looked numbed and was shivering constantly.

“Please… save her… please… save her… I can serve you… I can be a slave…” A weakened voiced came across from the other side.

I turned and noticed the owner of that voice. It was the little elf. Seeing me reacted to her voice, she struggled on her knees and crawled closed.

“Please, save her… little Windsor is dying! Save her please! She’s a vampire, but she’s never done anything bad…” With tears flooding in her eyes and eventually falling down, she talked while sobbing her cheeks. Her face was deformed by the narrow bars though she kept on trying to reach towards me.

Forgetting uncle Maiza’s warning, I gripped her tiny hands involuntarily.

“What can I do? I don’t know spells. I can’t cure her.” I hate myself for being a no-magic.

Eyes flickered, the elf said, “You don’t need to… please find me a dagger and a container.”

“What are you hoping to achieve? I don’t understand.”

“Little Windsor needs blood…” She lowered her head, “She is… please hurry up… please.”

“No!!!” Another sore voice went up, “You can’t lose any more blood! Winslet! You gave her your blood for days! You’ll die! Let me feed her!”

I looked at this sandman, “What is going on with you?”

“Please!! I will be your servant!! Please give me a dagger!”

“No, Dimmock! You are wounded…”

“I…can’t… if only winged-man were warm-blooded!”

I straightened the elf’s hand, raised her sleeves… and was shocked by the knife cuts. Then I peeked the crying winged-man and the bruised little sandman. I walked into father’s pavilion.

“Father, I need a dagger.” I spoke peacefully.

“Sure, one second. Wait, did you say something?” Father glared at me with surprise.

“I said I need a dagger, father.” I repeated, “The girl in the cage is dying. Only blood can save her.”

“Are you sure? I would give you a dagger, but considering your hostility towards weapons. Plus…” Father was rubbing his forehead, which indicated that he was going through struggling, “... whose blood do you want?”

“My blood, father.”

“No way!” Maiza shouted, “My blood!”

I shook my head, “Uncle Maiza, father is the viceroy, and he has his duties. As for you, uncle Maiza, you are in charge of his security. So you have your duty, too. Your duty requires that your bodies are intact. I can’t let my choice influence you. One more thing…” I looked at father and said firmly, “My choice!”

“Maiza, give your dagger to him.” Father finally came through. He stopped Maiza, who wanted to add something up, “Look at him, don’t let our young hero die for that cute little girl.

Choked back rising detest, I took over uncle Maiza’s dagger and walked out. Guards opened the cage and took the trembling girl out.

“Let assist you,” Maiza grabbed my hand, “You don’t know how deep it goes.”

“Get ready.” Uncle Maiza shouted at the guards, “You miss a drop of lord Cohen’s blood I’ll send you a one way ticket to the latrine!!!”

The little elf, winged-man, sandman and the dwarf stared at me muddled. Uncle Maiza’s clutching hands got tighter and bling. My wrist, first cold, then warm, then came my blood.

“Take it!” Maize shouted again, it’s not his blood that’s spilling.

“His kind and saint power...” Looking at the half full bowl, a mage started to chant, “...cure and heal!” The mage’s fingers moved, and the wound on my wrist was closed…

“Right! I merely forgot!” I said to the mage guard, “Can you go take a look at their wounds? They looks really severe!”

“As you wish, lord Cohen. In a moment.” The mage was not going away, he muttered something instead, then pointed at my head with his finger. My head… I felt dizzy… I fell asleep…

“Your highness, how could you not stop Cohen?”

“Maiza, you are aware that my Cohen does not like weapons.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”

“When he was asking for a dagger, my amaze was beyond comprehension.”

“I don’t understand, your highness.”

“My friend, this kid is very different from other children in many ways. Smart, kind, without magic power. You can’t find any worship of violence, which is the nature of boys, from this boy. Me and his mother were a bit concerned about his grown-up life, considering this is a world of uncertainties.

“Then why today… Cohen… his highness…”

“I have been observing. Cohen refuses to touch any weapons because of his hatred to killing… I don’t know his reasons. Though today, he had this great chance to understand that weapons could be used to save people. Would you refuse him, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah!!! Master Cohen looked very… determined! Anyone had to say yes!”

“This is the first time you call him master, Maiza.”

“I want to do that! Cohen has won our respect, with his bravery and kindness!

“Hahahahahaha, Maiza, I’m very pleased you feel the same way. How about a drink, what do you say?”

“I’m sorry, your highness. I’m on duty today.”

“Oh, right! I forgot that. How’s Cohen doing now?”

“He’s fine. He lost a bit of blood, and is sleeping under spells. Should be up by tomorrow.”

“Sound good. By the way, lock the hunters in their cage! Do anything like they did to those kids! No food, only a bit of water.”

“Yes, your highness.”