Finn sat back in his chair as he regarded the dinner plate set before him.
“Don’t look so afraid,” Xerena said with a chuckle. “It’s not going to bite you.”
Finn feigned a chuckle in return. “What is it exactly?”
“It’s what we call a poor man’s beef stroganoff with rice,” Xerena’s mother said. “And the mini tree-looking things are what’s called broccoli. This is our little firefly’s favorite meal.”
“Broccoli, I’ve had … and like. As for the rest, Xerena, you chose to have this on your birthday?” Finn asked in a voice straining with concern.
The family burst out laughing. Finn flushed.
Xerena plunged her fork into the stroganoff with gusto. “It may not be as fancy as the food at school, but it’s really good.”
“Actually, I’m still pretty full from lunch.”
“Quit stalling. Just take a taste.”
Finn braved a tiny bite.
Within minutes, he was asking for seconds.
Per Ignin birthday tradition, Xerena was served a dark chocolate volcano cake covered in chocolate ganache with raspberry puree filling intended to look like lava, and a sparkler sprouting from the top. After the group serenaded Xerena with 🎵 Feli Andepontslum 🎵 (the ancient Naturim language version of Happy Birthday), Xerena cut the ceremonial first slice of the cake.
“You too hurry along, firefly. The movie’s about to start. I’ll bring your cake in. Milk anyone?”
“Yes, please!” Finn said as he stood and began to clear his place at the table.
Xerena put a hand on his arm. “No time for that. Come on. We don’t want to miss the beginning.”
“Where are we going? Do I need a coat?”
“we’re only going as far as the parlour. One of my favorite movies is on tonight. And now it’s going to mean a whole lot more since I learned how to use a sword!”
Finn’s eyebrows raised. “Oh?”
“Yeah, I guess I was destined to be a swashbuckler … ‘Justice for all!’” she cheered.
“Ya lost me.”
“It’ll all make sense once you see the movie … or read the book. I forget which. … Mom, Pops, it’s about to start!”
~ space inserted here to give young readers a break ~
The couple quickly toddled in with two trays piled with cake, glasses of milk, forks, napkins, and an enormous bowl of popcorn.
“What’s that?” Finn asked, nodding at the popcorn.
“It’s tradition is what it is,” Xerena’s father said, tossing a kernel of popcorn at Xerena who caught it in her mouth. “Illegal to watch a movie without it.”
Finn’s eyes widened. “Illegal?”
Xerena nestled into her seat. “Oooh, it’s starting!” Her toes wiggled as the movie title flashed on the screen. “Look! It’s the California Cockerel!”.
Her mother sighed. “That Tyrone Power is so dreamy.”
“I’m so confused,” Finn mumbled.
Xerena pointed at the screen. “Just watch … and learn. I’m going to that place, California, someday.”
Her parents chuckled and her father tossed her another kernel of popcorn. “One can always dream, eh?”
When the film took a commercial break, Xerena’s mother elbowed her husband. “Quick, we only have three minutes.”
Her father dashed from the room.
Finn looked to Xerena for explanation.
“Commercial break. It usually lasts about three minutes. So if you need to go to the … ya know …”
“No, I’m good for now.”
Her father returned quickly, presenting Xerena with a long thin box.
“A dozen long-stemmed roses? You shouldn’t have,” she said with a grin. She then tore into the box and pulled back its paper, thereafter jumping up to plant a kiss on each parent’s cheek. “It’s perfect! Exactly what I asked for. Thank you, guys!”
“Well don’t leave Finn on tenterhooks, firefly,” her mother cajoled. “Show him your birthday gift.”
Carefully, Xerena removed the sword from the box. Finn gulped.
“Don’t look so worried, Finn. Your eyes are practically popping out of their sockets. It’s not like I’m going to go around carving people up or anything.”
“No, it’s not that … It’s just …”
“Quiet, everyone. It’s back on.” Xerena resumed her seat, gripping the hilt of her sword as she watched the action in the film, and occasionally swishing her sword now and again to mimic her hero, Zorro. Finn leaned away for safety.
“Careful in the house, firefly!”
~ space inserted here to give young readers a break ~
At the next commercial break, Xerena’s mother turned to Finn. “Your turn, young man.”
“Oh, I don’t know … really, it’s nothing.”
Xerena turned to her mother. “What’s going on?”
“Finn brought a gift for you. It’s hidden in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.” She hurried out then hurried back in just as quickly.
When Xerena saw the long thin box, her breath caught.
Long-stemmed roses, for real. He bought me roses!
“No one’s ever given me roses before,” she gushed as she tore the paper off the box. Once she unearthed the contents of the box, she went silent.
Finn hung his head. “I know. I’m so embarrassed. Don’t feel like you have to keep it. I did ask your parents first if it would be okay to give it you … Seriously, if I’d known—”
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Xerena whispered as she lifted the rapier from the box and slid it out of its scabbard.
Her parents gasped in awe.
“We should have gotten her a sheath too,” Xerena’s mother whispered.
Finn shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were going to give her one too. I wish you’d told me.”
Xerena glared at him. “Are you nuts? Two is soooooo much better. Now I have a practice sword and a real sword!”
“Our thoughts exactly!” her father chimed in.
During the next part of the movie, her real sword never left her hand. After one more commercial break (accompanied by another round of cake and milk), the final act of the film played.
“So the bandit was the good guy, taking from the rich men who oppressed the peasants and giving money back to the little guys who were unfairly taxed,” Finn said. “There’s a legend like that in my realm, about an outlaw hero named Robin of Locksley.”
“We have that legend too,” Xerena’s mother said.
Finn’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s always been my dream – to right wrongs, help the oppressed and restore the balance … that kind of stuff.”
“Justice for all!” Xerena again proclaimed, quoting Zorro’s catchphrase.
After the movie ended, the two friends went to the backyard to breathe in air that did not smell like popcorn.
Xerena tossed the sword from her parents to Finn. “Wanna spar?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he hemmed.
“Don’t be shy. I’ll teach you. And I promise to go easy on you.”
“Oh really!”
~ space inserted here to give young readers a break ~
“Okay, start like this … You want to stand en-garde with your dominant foot forward, pointing at your opponent. That’s me. Put your feet shoulder-width apart in an L shape with your back foot at a 90 degree angle to your front foot. Your heels should be in line. Keep your knees bent over your toes and center yourself over both feet. Good! Now turn your torso so your chest is facing me halfway. Keep your head up. And lift your other arm in an L so that your hand is ear height.
“Now hold your sword in your main hand and point it at my knees. Extend your arm so that it’s parallel to the ground … bring your elbow in and pull back so the hilt is in front of your mouth to salute me. Good. Prêts? That means ready.”
“Ready. Prêts.”
“Allez!” Xerena lunged at Finn, and the sparring officially began. “Wow, you’re not bad for a beginner.”
“Thanks,” Finn said, easily countering her every strike.
“But lift that other arm up.”
“Sorry, doesn’t work for me.” Instead, he put his other hand behind his back.
Xerena lunged, she parried, she thrust. Finn didn’t do much, aside from block her strikes.
“Say, what’s going on here?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Have you fenced before?”
“I have.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?”
“You didn’t ask. And you were so enthusiastic about teaching me, I didn’t want to rain on your parade.”
“Okay, tough guy. Show me what you got!”
With a swat of his blade Finn knocked the rapier from Xerena’s hand, put his foot behind hers, and swept her legs out from beneath her, causing her to tumble to the ground. He held the point of his sword to her chest and grinned. “That’s what I’ve got, birthday girl.” He then swished his blade to the side, and with his other hand helped her up.
“Whoaaaa,” she said in admiration.
“It’s always best not to underestimate your opponent.”
She looked down and sighed. “I have so much to learn.”
“We all do. And today you’re another day older which makes you that much wiser.”
“I don’t know about that,” she muttered.
He nodded toward the stoop, and they took a seat. “I know you’ve been having a hard time with the bullies at school, and I haven’t really made things easier on you.”
She inhaled deeply and let the breath puff out between her lips. “I’m really trying, I swear! I did everything you said. I stood up for myself. Then I didn’t let them push me around literally. I pushed and fought back.”
“That was Frankie’s advice, not mine.”
“Fair enough. But then I even tried not using violence, like you said. And still that wasn’t good enough for you.”
“Good enough for me? This isn’t about me. It’s about how to get along with other people in this world. It’s about doing the right thing. We started to talk about it before – the why part of being a bully.”
“But what does that mean?”
“Let’s say you’re having a perfect day. Everything’s going great. You have a loving and supportive well-to-do family, your friends are with you, you’re acing all your classes. You’re even excelling in your sport of choice. Basically, you’re happy as can be. Would it even occur to you to make some nasty comment to someone or trip them in the halls?”
“No, not at all.”
“Okay, now picture you go home and your dad’s abandoned the family, your mom’s drunk and yelling at you and wants you to get rid of your dog cuz it ate her shoes. There’s nothing in the fridge, and the heat’s been turned off. All your mom does is belittle you and tell you how much better her life would be if you’d never been born. Or maybe someone at home hits you or abuses you. That can mess with your head and make you think completely differently … and lash out.”
“I … I guess I never looked at it that way.”
“People – especially kids – tend to take after the influences they’re around at home. So kids who are treated horribly often mimic that kind of behavior and treat others just as horribly. I don’t think any happy well-adjusted person wakes up one day and decides, ‘I hate the world and want to make everyone else suffer.’”
“I think I get it.”
“Whew. Finally!” He nudged her with his elbow in jest. “Maybe you can explain it all to Frankie then.”
“So even though you know how to fight, you choose not to.”
“Correct! To be honest, I don’t get why anyone would want to fight anyway. No matter what happens, someone’s probably gonna get hurt. And then you’re left either with injuries or guilt … maybe both. No thanks! There are lots of ways to stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe in. But you don’t have to physically harm others or put them down in the process. You can lift them up instead.”
“You think so?”
“Of course! You could be like Zorro instead of being like the bully governor in the story.”
“You mean I could steal from the government and give the money to peasants?”
“Ha! No. I mean you could be a good example of how to treat people. As to how you go about it, that’s up to you. The answer has to come from within … like a calling, sort of.”
“Is that how you feel about your hydrofarming?”
“Yes! I want to see things balanced out so everyone gets food. And so resources aren’t wasted. It makes me sick to my stomach when rich people and governments throw away good food while there are people who don’t have any. Eugh. So wrong.”
The sound of a screen door opening interrupted the conversation. “Firefly, shouldn’t you two be getting back to school?”
Xerena’s parents had the swords as well as dinner leftovers and cake packed up for the kids and ready to go.
Xerena slid over her shoulder the strap of the bag that contained the swords. “Finn, you carry the food, I’ll carry the beauties.”
After several hugs, thank you’s, and goodbyes, Xerena and Finn set off to the local portal a couple of blocks away.
~ space inserted here to give young readers a break ~
Finn stopped when Xerena opened the home’s side gate. “Who lives here?” he whispered.
“This is an Ocademy house.”
“Ah, well then they won’t mind if I take one of these.” He pulled a red rose off the arbor to hand to her. “I heard what you said earlier about no one ever giving you roses before. Actually you said roses plural, so …” He plucked two more to hand to her.
She tingled all over and had to will herself not to squeal and jump in place. “Thank you,” she said simply.
They made it through the house’s door portal back into The Hub well before lights out, so they decided to meander around the shop alcoves before calling it a night.
“So did you hear what my parents said?’
“They said more than one thing. You’ll have to be specific.”
Xerena chuckled. “It was when they were in the kitchen packing up. They were talking about how they think you’re a good influence on me.”
“Shows what they know!”
“And my mom said you’re the stuff heroes are made of.”
“Ha!” he scoffed. “Not likely. I think she pretty much had Zorro on the brain.”
“Maybe.”
Finn yawned. “Hey, I’m beat. Mind if we turn in?”
“Sounds good.”
“Happy birthday, Xerena.”
Patting the bag of swords, she smiled. “Thanks for making it such a great one!”
“I had a really good time. You have really nice parents.”
“Yeah, I know it. What’s annoying is they know it too!”
“Oh, I nearly forgot!” He handed her the bag of leftovers, then kissed her knuckle, and trotted off to the Nitris Brink.
She watched him until he disappeared through the cloud that served as the entrance to Nitris. She then pulled the strap of the sword bag back up on her shoulder, took a long sniff of one of the roses, and made her way to the Ignis Brink.
As she stepped through the fireplace, a lightbulb went off in her mind, causing her to gasp. “That’s it!”
She ran all the way to her room and dropped off her things. Her eyes immediately went to the clock.
20:43 – the shops will be closing in about fifteen minutes!
She took off again, not bothering to reply to Delphine and Frankie who had called out happy birthday to her from the Familial Forum.
She flew through the doors of Maestro Presto's Costumery & Fancy Dress boutique just as the shop clerk was bringing in a costumed mannequin from the walkway.
“We’re about to close,” he called after her.
“I’ll be quick,” she called back.
And she was. With five minutes left until closing, Xerena had everything she needed: a black cape, a black wide-brimmed hat, a black eye mask, a black scarf to cover her hair, a black sash, black leather gloves, a black moustache, and a red ostrich feather.
Dear Diary,
Everything’s changed! In fact, everything’s perfect! Tomorrow I shall make my mark … The mark of X!
(The end of chapter 8)
🔥
