"Give it back! Sarah demanded, it's for the greater good.
"What is wrong with you? Bella responded clutching tightly around the furry bunny, you're not going to do this not on my watch.
"It's just a test subject, Sarah screamed, trying in vain to pull Bella and the bunny apart.
"What's all this? Celia came almost running towards them, this isn't how noble girls from our household should behave, look at you she said picking up bella who was covered in dirt still holding on to the bunny in a tight hug. And you her eyes swept over Sarah, she was 13 years of age now, fully dress in her lab coat a large makeshift goggle, and large boots and gloves that made her look like a kids failed project at making a doll rather than someone who works in a lab, compared to Bella who was on the ground a minute ago she was relatively clean."what's going on?she asked Sarah.
"Bella wouldn't give my lab rat back, She said.
"That's inhumane, Bella retaliated from her mother's arm, now 15, she wore her horse riding pants and a black top, her ash hair just below her neck, still holding on to the creature. She was planning on putting the bunny in a foamy liquid, and I saw just a second ago she used that same liquid to melt through iron.
" Is this true Sarah,Celia asked.
"Well technically yeah, but it's not guaranteed the creature would die, I mean I've tested lots of liquids that even melts gold but refuse to harm flesh, this may as well be one of those cases, She shrugged.
"She's lying mum, I'm definitely not handing over the bunny,Bella said sprinting towards the manor, Sarah stared at her, She definitely couldn't chase her down or even force the bunny out of her grip, Bella was much too strong for her, she just resigned to let it go, she'll find another creature eventually.
Celia stared at Sarah, it had been two years since her hair turned blue and teeth changed and it had remained that may up till this point and didn't seem like I'd be turning back to normal soon, the doctors they've taken her to do far said nothing is wrong with her, rather she's healthier than she was before, after trying doctors after doctors who all said the same thing they let her be, at least hopefully she doesn't angrily bite anyone.
Sarah suddenly looked around startling her mum, perked up her ears, Drew the sleeve of her lab coat to reveal a mini crossbow that was undoubtedly light, cause no one had noticed she had it until now and didn't seem she was having trouble carrying it about, she took aim at a nearby flower pot and shot, it landed sticking out of the pot, Sarah darted towards it and pulled out a giant salamander the as long as her arm but as skinny as the handle of a broom, she pulled it out of the flower pot the arrow had struck it's head killing it instantly, she dragged the creature away into the family garden without even looking at Celia, Her mother stared at her in amazement, it had all happened so fast, from her reaction this wasn't the first time it's happening, she's clearly been doing this a lot, she thought.
Sarah got to her new lab deep in the family garden, away from air moistures and lots of dust and petals flying around, Lots of broken mana stones lay in a heap, she haved the salamder on her desk cursing," despite it's little size and width ut still felt heavy for her,if only bella hadn't ran away with the test subject, a foamy clear liquid was on the desk in a large mana stone carved open like a bowl, Sarah tossed the creature in it and backed away instantly, the liquid spat and crackled as it greedily devoured the salamander whole within seconds making the previously clear liquid brown.
"Well, it's definitely dangerous if it comes in contact with flesh, She sighed removing the goggles from her eyes, now storage is the problem, so far it's managed to eat up everything I've tried to put it in, and it really hates water, explosion level hate, Carving mana stone into a bowl is hard enough as it is, but actually making one into a container is gonna take a while, I don't have the raw strength for it, It's gonna probably take months, She sighed, taking a seat near the bobbling liquid, She tied her nose with her handkerchief quickly, for a split second she had forgotten the gas was dangerous.
She took a pincer and lifted the mana stone containing the liquid and emptied it on the sand outside her small lab, it sizzled as it ate into the soil turning the ground where it landed black," you're a greedy one, she said staring as the liquid finally dissolved into the ground.
She took off her gloves, then her lab coat, her boots but left the goggles on, She was wearing a light black vest, her morning jacket tried around her waist like Bella she was wearing horse riding pants, she sat crossed leg, unstrapped the crossbow from her hand and set it aside, she brought out a straight sheet of clear blue iron and started hammering away at it, with a hammer. She hammered for hours but the metal didn't change it's shape or showed any inclination that it had ever been struck. This is a problem, she thought, taking off her goggles,how am I supposed to turn this into a sword if it wouldn't budge, she turned the metal on her legs, it was light, very light, she had stolen it from they're families Treasury initially and was caught, so on her 12 year birthday she requested for it again,of course she was dismissed again but after lots of pleading from herself and Bella their father conceded and gave the sheet of metal to her, and since then she's been hammering away at it, but it just wouldn't budge. Her dad clearly knows it was an extremely rare piece of metal, the only reason he gave her was the fact that it's been sitting in their Treasury for generations with none of them knowing what to do with it, she clearly something in mind for the piece of metal.
Sarah shrugged picked up the hammer again and kept hammering.
"Damn that's loud, Mark came clutching his ears," how can you just sit there without even covering your ears when what you're doing is causing so much noise?
"Aren't you supposed to be with Andrew? If you're gonna hide from your tutor at least do it out of my sight and no where near my lab, she said without even turning to look at him, she stretched with trying to get up to open one of her drawers, her hands couldn't reach it so she gave up picked up the hammer and kept on hitting away at the piece of iron, sweat dripping from her face and body.
Mark walked towards the drawer carefully avoiding glass shards, boken man stones and sharp pointed irons on the floor opened it and instantly realized what she was trying to do, he turned her a glass of water and handed it to her, she took without even looking drank it heavily, sighed and continued her work.
"Aren't you going to give up? Mark asked, squatting beside her, he almost sat down and thought better of it, he was sure aside from where Sarah was sitting currently there was always something pointed in the ground everywhere else," I mean you've been hammering away at if for a year now, and it doesn't seem like it's gonna ever take shape, what are you making any way.
"One I'll give up if I'm sick, two a sword, she answered frankly.
"Have you tried cutting it? Or maybe trying to melt it? I mean doesn't it seems too large for a sword, it's at least three feet in diameter, Mark said looking at the metal.
"You just had to ask that, Sarah replied Indifferently now taking more quick swings at the metal.
Mark laughed scratching his grey hair of course it's you," you've clearly tried all you could think off, why don't you try giving it to a black Smith or something, they should be able to know what to do.
"Funds, she said simply.
"You have to be joking, Mark laughed, are you forgetting we're nobles, just ask dad or mum, I'm sure they'll find it, I mean they've funded your lab so far.
Sarah dropped the hammer stared intently at the still shining metal and sighed, she got up and placed it in a corner near her lab coats and crossbow,"unlike you guys if I request for funds I'll definitely have to go to the castle as a catch, sure it's simple enough but no! I'm quite angry at the prince right now.
"You're a funny one, Mark continued laughing, you're the only one I know that's trying so hard to avoid him, he seems chill. What did he ever do to you? He asked poking a blue jelly like substance it jiggled, Sarah smacked his hand a few seconds later it exploded. Mark stared at the shared desk in shock, he kissed his fingers despite himself.
"All I can say is he said something rude about someone I know some time ago, Sarah said flatly, clearing the remaninat of the blue jelly off the table, and I'm not one to forget something easily. Then again I wouldn't be able to avoid him on the next ball the Palace is hosting, she sighed.
"You're wierd Mark laughed, extremely wierd, Sarah stared at him.
"Would you happen to know anyone who goes by Carl Heilo? Sarah asked, taking a little metal bar and sticking a little ball, small sparks of lightning was evident.
"Helio-Heilo, Mark muttered in thought, oh are you talking about that family of knights? The descendants of the once that defeated the great dragon?
"Yeah, now do you know Carl Heilo? I mean you've been to their manor a while ago, Sarah continued, still poking the ball with the rod.
"Yeah I think I do, we didn't speak though when I saw him, and it was from a distance, he seems to be undergoing a training of some sort, and man what cold eyes her has, when I stared directly at him for the first time I thought someone threw ice blocks at me, I've seen him but I'm not friends with him or anything,Mark concluded.
Do you think he's gonna be in the ball? She asked.
"Well yeah naturally, all nobles are supposed to attend, I think he'll be there, he's their only male son after all, Mark said," well what do you know, I think the tutor should be gone by now, he added looking at the sun, try not to blow up, he said dashing out of the lab and out of sight.
Sarah stared at the Transparent blue metal, I don't think it'll be ready before then, she sighed. In the past Sarah didn't go to the ball, she had fallen seriously Ill at the time and couldn't get out of bed, she locked her room so her parents would not fawn over her and go to the ball, it worked after many fruitless knocking on her door, but it didn't work entirely, Celia stayed on the front of her door until she finally opened up, she had skipped the party to tend to her, And Sarah knew very well she wouldn't leave till the door is opened. The sickness lasted for months and at many occasions nearly claimed her life, it started way before the ball which was months away and lasted months after it had ended, thought this time was different, she didn't feel like she's gonna fall sick anytime soon or ever infact.
She stretched, took her lab coat from where it was hanged slung it across her shoulder and proceeded outside the lab, she threw a golden metal at the door, it twisted and Wriggled till it clamped tightly at the door shutting it, she looked up at the sky, the sun setting soon and nighttime approaching quickly, she yawned."I better get some sleep, tomorrow I'll start making a hilt.
Marco stared coldly at the opened letter in front of him, The words, Maulba Geil Academy written in gold at the top of it, they've been receiving such letters from the sch unfailingly every month since Sarah solved a case for them that had been plaguing them for years, of course she hadn't known she had done so, she saw magazine in her dad's office when she was watching him work about a death door mana zone that had been constantly opening around the academy cause mass destruction and hazards, basically it connects two planes of the world together, be it under the ocean in which case all the ocean water start flooding out of it and will stay like that till it vanishes again, only to appear somewhere else with a new hazard. It was the size of a large football and lucky hadn't killed anyone so far, Sarah had simply been fascinated by it and commented on it while reading Infront of the headmaster at the time who was speaking with her father in the office, her exact word, If it's attracted to magic and moves where there's massive magical energy, wouldn't be easier to trap it in a barrier of excess magical energy, then create another manual barrier without magic of any sort and drain any mana around the second barrier? And since it's small toss it into the sea, I mean that way if it's teleporting it'll still be in the first barrier since it has magic energy and wouldn't be able to go out since the space outside it doesn't. Marco and the Headmaster had caught her every word and had used it to solve the case plaguing them for years , she didn't comment on it again and turned the page, where the kingdoms latest alchemy discoveries was documented.
Of course they'd spoken to Sarah about it multiple times in all cases she turned them down and after each time she always seems to avoid her father, and this was one of those cases, The chair creaked as he rested his full weight on it, he stared at the wooden ceiling of his office, the Oak wood and timber used to decorate the rool still as fresh like it was made yesterday. He had spoken Sarah once again about it, she turned him down and had vanished like a ghost, he haven't even seen her trying to steal something from his office or the treasure room lately, it the biggest lead that she was clearly avoiding him.
Sarah had always fascinated him in more way than she knows about, she was quite a peculiar, pretty and curious child the moment she was born and quite frail too. He smiled at himself thinking how things would be if she we're actually stronger, maybe it was for the best nature weakened her to balance it all, he got up from chair and looked out the large window behind him occupying most of the wall, from which he had a good view of the garden, he saw her cross the yard and enter into the manor, her lab coat slung across her shoulder. He stared at the garden, despite their attempts to make her like the prince, it seems she's determined to do otherwise and avoided him like the plague, every noble would give half their fortune to have the prince recognize or interact with their kids if not or as nearly as he does with Sarah, but it's like a worm to salt, all their efforts going up in smoke each time they Interact. Of course it could have been really bad if the prince lose interest in her, but for some reason the more she avoids him the more he gets transfixed, it's something Marco couldn't quite understand.
He tossed the Envelope in the bin and took out a large paper from his drawer, another dead body of a severely mutilated body was found outside the kingdom, they were rare and occasionally by wild animals or killers but, in the past two weeks they've been multiple cases and the traders are mostly the targets since they're the once always leaving the kingdom, he stared intently at the paper, Carl Heilo, is he really going to become the next sword master of the kingdom? Or is the Heilo family just cooking up another scheme to try and raise their falling household, he heard squeals from behold and looked over the paper to see Andrew chasing around Bella with a snowball he had conjured, he hit her multiple times with the sphere creature icy clouds above her head. She was laughing, he was amazed when he saw Sarah turn up, in her arms multiple black balls were evident, she launched multiple at Andrew, they turned into large black smoke covering the entire courtyard with it's dark mist like nature, soon they were seen running back into the manor, Sarah pulling a still hysterical Bella by the arm, Andrew come some seconds later wheezing and coughing his entire existence black as night, Mark dowsed him with water while laughing at him.
Sarah sat in her closet not daring to breathe as her mother walked past, it was days before the ball and for some reason the royal family had visited their home, of course the prince tagged along so naturally they came to fetch her, of course she knew her dad was a close friend of the king, of course she knew her dad was one of the most important figures of the kingdom, but could they not have met up somewhere else? Is the prince so impatient he followed his parents to my home? Lucky for her she had emptied her wardrobe long ago, only keeping what she deemed necessary, which in her case are a lot of pants, no gowns in sight, she sat brushing part of her clothes that threaten to obstruct get vision, her blue hair tied in a neat bun, she heard a thud and her mother cursed walking out the room rubbing her back.
Sarah waited for a while before coming out of the closet, only to see her mother behind it's doors, soon she was dressing in a white fur coat, white dress and equally white shoes, her hair styled and parted to her mothers liking, the maids seemed to go all out, they always liked dressing Sarah up despite her often disapproval, who could not, she was a doll. Sarah stared at the mirror looking like she had been fed dry rags, her plan was a bust, she knew she should have gone to the lab, but it was in the morning, even she couldn't have predicted they'd be coming to her home.
Now let's go greet our guest,her mother sang like her she was dressed in all white and suited her extremely, it goes well with her dark hair and fair skin. Sarah dragged her feet as they walked towards the room the guest were held. It seems they were the last to arrive, Sarah scanned the room, Bella wore a green and a large green emerald on her chest, her hair braided backwards, Mark and Andrew stood tall, like their dad they're all black was striking.
The King a kind faced man with pure white hair and blood red eyes with a relatively positive temperament, His wife the Queen, if possible her hair seemed darker than Sarah's mum's. She was tanned skinned and had a cheerful face, her pupils almost too white you'll think she was blind, she smiled at Celia as she walked in holding Sarah's hand, she tried her best to avoid Mike's gaze, and so far it was working, Mike stood beside his parents, trying to take in the entire room at once.
Sarah caught Mark's face, he was holding back his laughter, she mouthed an insult at him.
Sarah shook her mother off and walked towards Bella and practically attached herself to her, she knew what was going to come next, she'd be asked to show the prince round the manor and she was not keen on going alone. In her past life, she had often wondered why the prince acted the way he did around her, he was basically one of the reason she ran away from home, but after growing through Carl and reliving the past again she understood.
They all stared At Sarah in wonder, Her father smiled.
"Well Bella, Sarah would you be willing to show the prince around the manor, he said softly.
"With, pleasure father! Bella said instantly and bowed. This way your highness, she said motioning towards the door, the prince followed her out the door Sarah trailing behind.
For a while all that could be heard where the sound of their shoes hitting the ground and Bella's calm voice as the tour guide, Sarah purposefully walking slowly to give them a little distance, she could ditch them of course but they're the royal family, any inappropriate action she made at this point reflects on her family, and she's not about to start being rebellious when the king is around.
Bella led them around the Art room, the Treasury where they got in and we're admiring golden artifacts, Sarah stared at the prince, so far he hadn't made any inclination towards her and seem to be enjoying his conversation with Bella, the walked round the manor, visiting the servant wing, the guard house and the garden, Bella of course didn't led him towards Sarah's lab which pleased her greatly.
"Bella bent down and carefully plucked a rose, she sniffed and looking away she handed it over to Mike, he stood for a second or two, Sarah feared he might reject, but he accepted, tapped Bella in the arm and continued their walk.
"Are you going to the ball Sarah? Mike asked suddenly, Sarah hadn't noticed him staring, since he hadn't talked to her all this while she assumed all was good, well it could be he's just asking with no ulterior motives, I mean aside from the fact that he insulted Carl I don't really bear any grudges against him, she thought. "Yh, Why?
"Nothing just curious, he smiled and turned his attention towards Bella again, Sarah shivered.
The meeting ended around noon, Mike took Sarah's hand and kissed it before proceeding to board his carriage with his parents, Sarah stared Indifferently, just what is he planning now.
After the meeting, Sarah finally had the means to get funding from her parents, since the prince already visited they'd be no need for her to go to the castle, which means it was a win win situation for her. She entered her father's office, her face smeered with charcoal, her body covered with dark substance and mud, her blue hair now almost brown, she was clutching An alamandites, an extremely piece of raw unprocessed Jewel, it stores Mana well and often used as the hilt of most swords since it's highly durable, it doesn't break easily. Her father stared at her as she cleared his desk of the documents on it, some fell on the floor, the room now filled with the smell of wet humid earth and sweat, she emptied the content of her arms on the desk, the red ugly Jewels clattered.
"Father I need a blacksmith that can work with these resources, she said slowly," but I'm far too young nor do I have the funding to do so, but you're an adult surely you can help me.
"Well this is rather unceremonious, he said picking up one of the jewel and studied it closely. What do you want to make them into and what for?
Sarah shuffled with her pants, breathing heavily, it had been clear she had dug them up on her own, she stretched the back of her neck, it was the first time he has ever seen her embarrassed, I want to make a sword hilt, and if possible I want you to get me a high quality sword too, and it's a gift, she said staring at the floor.
"Now I know the appropriate question would be to ask for who, but knowing you I doubt it'd be the crowned prince, he got up and looked out the window, the Cherry blossoms were in bloom, if you're planning on giving that to someone on the ball a week away, I should educate you before hand that in high social gatherings, such gifts hold quite the meaning, he said his back still to her. Sarah shifted her weight the floor creaked, it had been creaking as long as she could remember,but her father doesn't seem too keen on fixing it.
"I know, she responded, that's all the more reason I'm doing it, she stared at her father.
He smiled and turned to face her," the prince would be heart broken I'm sure," I'll try getting it ready before the ball, he said, taking his seat, he was astounded so see the joy evident in Sarah's face, her always pokerface for the first time showing joy outwardly, was a wierd intake, he smiled, he surely could get used to that.
Sarah Walked out of the office, the champagne cabinet caught her eye.
"Don't even think about it, her father said staring down as some documents over the Stones, you're much too young to start drinking.
Of course Sarah knew that, it had just brought up a thought of someone she knew was said to like drinking, she left the office, humming a song her father knew could only be some sort of equation of some sort.