1
"Kid me not, Eli! Get up, clean your face. My father wouldn't like this."
Ryo was uttering the words with a mocking tone. He thought that he had become a man but to Eli, he was still a young bleating goat, feeding on breasts in his dreams, yet. He was trying to hide that the steel sword of his father was heavy, pretending to have guts not to harm his own ass.
His sneer got expanded, Eli bit her downward lip while he leaned onward, his chin on the sword's hilt, she clenched her fist, holding a full hand of mud among her black fingers. Her pale skill was wholly concealed under the slit. She raised her head from the ground, spat out the mud from her mouth, tending to move ahead and throwing the rest that she kept in her fist.
Lili read her sister's expression and frowned but remained mute, to see how much her sister can go further. It was the dark side of Eli and Lili but she couldn't harm people even in games while Eli didn't mind and just wanted to win.
Eli splashed the silt into Ryo's face. He stepped backward, dropped the sword to clean his face, especially his eyes that now were burning by dirt not the speed of raindrops.
"You are cheating!" He cried out.
She made a face and slipped on the mud, hitting Ryo's ankle. He slipped and hit the forest floor by the back. He roared.
"You are fighting out of honor." He nagged.
Eli grinned, shifting on her feet, she kept the sword's tip on his neck. The disgusting taste of slit was strolling in her mouth, glued between her teeth. She had no worries if a man never dared to kiss her one day because of being messy.
"And you fight with a big bloated head, cousin."
Her brown eyes glinted. Baring her teeth, she rubbed Ryo's sword away with a kick. Putting back her sword into the sheath, she extended her dirty hand to Ryo. He smacked her hand back and narrowed his eyebrows. His blue eyes sharpened in a threatening tone.
"No need of a girl's aid."
He was getting to his feet and not yet prepared for the next position.
Eli smirked archly while stepping back to the smithery, blurted, "perhaps uncle would prize me for beating you! I crave a dagger!"
It was always pleasing her to tease him this way and would earn a new weapon to add it to her luxury collection. She ran to the smithery before Ryo was able to stop her.
Lili sighed and lazily left her lean off the wall, walking after them, yet she was enjoying the roof of the doorway which was stretching overhead and protecting her from drenching.
Inside the smithery, Eli was gasping when she halted near their uncle, a bulky man with wavy dark blond hair that was tied up his head. Sweat was dripping down his forehead when he was hitting the molten steel. The drop fell on the lash of flaring steel and steamed up. The sound of the hammer, hitting the sword and anvil both devoured every coming sound from outside.
She had no words to describe how she praised him. He was the strongest one in her mind.
Uncle Miggi was even better than his Lord father who spent life in the court among some proud Peacock courtiers that even didn't bother to brush their hairs with their own useless soft hands.
She heaved out a breath, shoving the gasp down. Her uncle was continuing his job.
"What else do you want, you, wicked princess?"
She made her sword leaning back to the table which was full of tools that were neatly placed on it.
She wrung her fingers behind her. Mischievously, she shuffled beside him, keeping distance not to disturb him but eyeing how he did beat the steel.
"I gained another triumph!"
Her uncle gripped the tong tightly and tossed the piece inside the bucket of water.
He peeked at her, then took the raw sword out again, putting it on the anvil.
"Why do you always cheat on my poor son! Should not have you gained it with honor, blade kissing blade?"
He began hitting it again.
"Yes, but I use my brain to evaluate the situation and win. He can do so!" She shrugged.
The answer was satisfying to her uncle. He smiled and stopped.
Looking at her, he pointed to a shelf on the wall where the amazing well-forged daggers were placed on it.
"Be careful, they are the new ones, extremely sharp. I made only three of them. They can tear the thickest skin."
Her face flourished.
"For all of us?" She didn't wait for the answer and flashed to the wall that her uncle pointed out. Just calculating them to be assured they were made for three of them.