“Are you ready?” Puck shouted raising his high over his head. He looked down at the two opponents facing each other with swords drawn out.
Aisling gripped the broad sword in her hands and faced the Spirit of the Ace of Swords; Caleb. She had to face all levels of the Sword branch in her training.
“I said ARE YOU READY!!” Puck shouted again.
“Yes!” Aisling and Sword Ace Caleb said together.
“Alright,” Puck flying between them. The two fighters stood on a large ring glowing faintly on the ground. “Three rounds with a fifteen time limit for each. If you step out of the circle you loose the round and no dirty tricks.” He said with a sly grin. “Now BEGIN!” He swished his arm down to signal to start.
Caleb charged first. Aisling was ready and blocked his sword just in time.
The card spirits that were watching cheered with approval and excitement.
“Nice,” Caleb committed, he step back and struck his blade against hers sharply.
The sounds of swords clashing echoed in that space between Heaven and the Earth world. Aisling wasn’t sure how long time had passed until Puck shouted, “Times up! Round one ends!”
Aisling breathed out heavily and she walked out of the ring and sat down.
“Not bad,” Committed the Spirit of the King of Swords Baldwin. “You fight back instead of just blocking and dodging. But your stance is weak. Your opponent could have easily broken it and it would be the end of you if the fight was life and death.”
Aisling nodded.
“Okay time for round two!” Puck shouted and a bell rang like in a wrestling match.
Aisling faced Caleb again and had almost knocked his sword out of his hands.
“Whoo!” Puck cheered and waving a tiny flag that said ‘GO AISLING’ on it.
“Don’t celebrate yet! She didn’t even scratch him.” Thanatos’s voice said somewhere in the crowd.
“Shut up Emo Skull! Eeep!!!” Puck yelped when he was almost sliced in half by a scythe.
“Ah!” Aisling lost her balance when her attempt to strike Sword Ace failed and she fell down. She tried to get up but stopped when the point of a sword touched her chin.
“I win this round,” Caleb said grinning. Aisling blinked and sighed.
“Aw…” Several card spirits groaned and shook their heads.
Aisling stood up and picked up her sword she was burrowing.
The third round began and this time Aisling fought with more vigor and determination. The card spirits notice this and watch silently with a little anticipation. Aisling moved to the left of the ring and Caleb moved to the right. Aisling saw from the corner of her eye that he twisted around sharply and came at her fast. But she whirled around and swung her blade but this time a bright red light flashed and Caleb jump back in surprise.
Puck stared in astonishment and then he shouted, “Lesson match over! Aisling wings!”
“Wha?” Caleb said confused. Puck pointed down at his feet, Caleb looked down and saw that one foot was out of the ring. “Oh…heheh,” He rubbed the back of his head and shrugged.
Aisling stood there and blinked, “What just happened?”
“You made fire power! Literally!” Puck zoomed around her head as the card spirits walked over and give her congratulations.
“Really? But how did I…”
“Well the Sword Branch created a sword for you with their power.” Puck said nodding at the sword in her hand. “Fire is their element so some of their fire power is in the sword although and can’t really use big flashing or dangerous spiritual powers.”
Aisling nodded. After her first few lessons in spiritual training the card spirits realized that she’s unable to create her own weapons with her spirit energy like shamans or demons could. They told her usually summoners couldn’t create their own weapons as they mostly rely on the spirits they summoned. Aisling was fine with that; at least she can create her own wings.
“Alright my turn,” The spirit of the Two of Swords she walked into the ring with a sword in each hand.
Aisling faced Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight of the Sword Suits. Each one was stronger and faster than the other. More rounds were added to the match as Aisling faced stronger opponents.
“Break!” Puck shouted clapping his hands. “Aisling’s parents, the Alveys are coming soon so Aisling should wake up.”
The card spirits agreed but some wanted to continue with the lessons. They were having a lot of fun and wanted to spend more time with Aisling. They hadn’t had times like this since Aisling was a little girl.
“We’ll continue later,” Aisling told them smiling. She closed her eyes and when she opened them she was back in the hospital bed.
She sat up and winced as her body felt sore. “Good you’re awake,” Nurse said walking into the room. “Your parents called and said they should be here any minute.”
“Okay,” Aisling said.
After the nurse made sure she was okay the woman told her, “As soon as your parents get here we’ll take you to the MRI room to run tests.”
Aisling nodded and the nurse left. She tried to watch TV to pass the time but the only things that were on where reruns and little kid cartoons. Aisling turned the machine off, she wished she had something to read but the only reading material that the hospital had were children’s picture books and old magazines. Aisling sighed and stare out the window.
The nurse came back and brought breakfast. Aisling looked down at the oat meal that was very steaming. It looked so hot that she bet it could burn a hole through her tongue. They weren’t letting her eat solid foot after being in a coma for several hours. When the nurse left Aisling summoned Puck, “Can you cool this down for me?” she said poking at the white hot goop.
“Ew! Looks nasty! Why do you want to eat that??? Eek I think it moved!”
“That was just a bubble popping,” Aisling said laughing at Puck’s reaction.
Puck cooled down the food by creating a light breeze. When it was cooled down Aisling ate it and found that it was very bland but she didn’t care. Spiritual training had made her hungry. While she drank juice she head a voice say, “Oh look a fairy!” She spat her juice out and Puck jumped in the air.
The voice laughed and Aisling looked up and saw her parents at the door. “Good morning sweetie!” Molly chirped happily and hugged Aisling.
Aisling blinked, “Hi mum…hi da…”
“Hey Puck,” Richard said to the fairy spirit. “I heard you had fun last night…stealing a wheelchair…”
“I didn’t steal it! I burrowed it!”
Her parents sat in chairs next to Aisling’s bed. They talked about the business trip they had to take and then Aisling’s grandfather was going to visit his old band mates for several days.
“Wait...all of you are leaving town?”
Aisling stared at her parents. She felt uneasy around them. She wondered if they knew she wasn’t human anymore and she was scared of what they thought of her now.
Richard coughed and Aisling sensed something like uneasiness and agitation. Where they directed at her? With Empathic powers you can sense people’s emotions but you don’t know who are what the emotions are directed at and what started them.
“Well…” Richard said slowly. “It doesn’t have to do with our jobs…”
Aisling stared at him and then her mother. Her hands gripped the blankets. Are they leaving because of me? Aisling looked down and bit her lip.
Molly watched her closely, “Aisling,” Her voice sounded serious. “Do you remember your uncle?”
“Molly!” Richard hissed sharply and shook his head.
“Huh?” Aisling said confused. “I have an uncle?” She looked at her father who stared at the wall with a deep scowl on his face. She never saw him looked upset or angry not since she came home one day crying from being ganged up at school when they found out she could see spirits.
“Yes you do,” Molly said. “Merrick your father’s brother.” She said glancing at her husband who growled under his breath.
“He’s no brother of mine,” He said darkly. Anger and hate pulsed from him strongly and made Aisling feel ill.
“Da…stop…” Aisling breathed holding her head.
“You have to calm down,” Puck said earnestly. “Her Empathy powers are stronger now. Strong negative makes her sick especially if it’s from someone close to her.”
Richard stared and looked apologetic and shamed face, “I’m sorry…” He said bowing his head.
“Its okay da,” Aisling said forcing a smile. Now that he had calmed down she felt better. “Why didn’t you tell me I have an uncle?”
Richard and Molly said nothing and looked away. Aisling sensed they felt anger and guilt but they tried to control it in order not to upset Aisling. Richard sighed and looked at Aisling.
“Merrick is a magician like my grandfather and he was obsessed with gaining power. He wasn’t like a real magician he was a summoner and he used Earth spirit’s powers to perform magic tricks. He traveled a lot and would visit sometimes on holidays. One day when you were six years old he came by and told us he wanted to take you to a fair where he was performing. You really wanted to go so we gave him permission to take you. You were gone about an hour and then Puck came to us and informed us that Merrick did not take you to the fair…”
Puck blinked. Huh….? Then he remembered with a shock. “Gaaah!!! Now I remember! That dirt bag!!” Puck shouted in his anger he created a gust of wind.
“Puck!”
“Sorry!” Puck calmed down and sat on Aisling’s shoulder. Aisling stared at Puck and then at her father.
“Puck told us that Merrick was using you to release a very old and dangerous Earth spirit that was sealed away. You see Merrick liked to collect things that had to do with power and he liked to collect Earth Spirits.” The fairy flinched and Aisling frowned in confusion.
“How could he do that? Isn’t he human?”
“I wouldn’t call him that anymore,” Richard said grimly.
“After we stopped him Merrick apologized to us for putting you in danger,” Molly said. “He was still family to us and we forgave him.”
“But then he kept using us again and again for his own gain,” Richard growled his hands balled up into fists. “I should have realized that he was just a manipulative con man and then I snapped after he…”
“What? What did he do?” Aisling said staring at him apprehensively.
Puck gave a loud gasp when he remembered and waved his arms to get Richard attention. When Richard looked at him he shook his head fervently. Richard blinked but understood, No she mustn’t know…she already doesn’t remember and that’s important. “It’s nothing,” He said.
Aisling stared at him and frowned. She wanted to ask him what her uncle did that was so terrible but Molly spoke up, “The reason we’re telling you this is because he contacted us again and he wants to come back to the family. We’re meeting with him in another town he’s staying at.”
“Why won’t he come here?”
Richard let out a short grim laugh, “Aíne said if he ever set foot in this city she’ll smite without warning.”
“Oh…,” Aisling said. Even her grandmother hated him?
The doctor came and said it was time to run tests. They took her to the MRI room. Puck zoomed around and found it interesting he was about to snoop around but Richard held on to him in his hands. Ugh…again?! Puck huffed in annoyance.
After they were done with taking tests they took Aisling back in her room. They told her parents after they finished going through their data and run more tests they would release Aisling. When the doctor left Molly and Richard said good bye to Aisling.
“Be good and be safe,” Molly said kissing her daughter on her cheek.
Aisling reached her hands out and held onto their hands. She felt like something bad was going to happen but she couldn’t speak. Molly and Richard hugged her and let go. They left and Aisling sat in bed not sure what to do and felt like she was going to cry but no tears came.
“Aisling are you okay?” Puck asked her hovering close to her face.
“Yeah…I’m fine,” She said quietly and rubbed her eyes.
“Do you want to go back to training?”
“No I feel like going for the walk…” She put a bathrobe on (because it was chilly in the hospital) and slippers that the nurse gave her. Then she walked out into the hall with Puck following in the air.
~*~
Yeah for reason I wanted to create an evil uncle XD I was going to include Morrigan coming back with her new “friend” but I’ll do that later in the story after Aisling trains more.
I’ll post Merrick’s profile in Ink World later.
