Ghost in the Roses
Chapter 21

Kai sprints at me. His unleashed wrath takes an attempt at my heart. My swords are just as unforgiving. Behind me is a trail of cut-down arrows. My confidence picks up. So, does my pace. His momentum is about to run out.

My friend doesn’t back away. He makes a compromise. The arch of his bow crushes at me. My crossed-over swords stop it. Like a tide, my opposing force falls back and forth. I pressure him to give this up. My turning hands change the angle of my swords. The cutting edges eat away at his bow.

He’s compelled to retreat. Not fast enough though. I undo the cross that defended me. The lash-out cuts him. Right between the plates. The damage is done. But at a price. I’m exposed. Kai serves me a taste of his bow. The flavor is mind-crushing.

Both of us need time. Our silence grants each other a moment. His guts should be spilling. My neck should be broken. As promised, there are no fatalities.

“Augh still hurts like a son of a bitch,” my ears are ringing.

We manage. Our stance is recharged.

“You alright?” if this was any other way, I wouldn’t be asking.

“Yeah. You?” a reloaded arrow never sounded this kind.

“I’m okay,” my swords take back their stand.

The proof of my defeat is the arrow in my ass. With my face buried in my arms, the nurse is trying to figure out the protruding stick growing out of my backside.

“They don’t pay me enough for this shit,” I don’t need to see to know that she’s shaking her head.

“I’m so sorry,” at no fault of my own, I apologize.

“It’s okay. Cupid’s aim can’t always be perfect.”

“I think he did it on purpose,” I think of Kai.

“I’ll check how soon the O.R. will be ready,” with those words, the shift of the metal rings signals her to leave.

“I heard you lost,” Nina peeks in through the curtain.

“Does it really show that much?” my voice is muffled.

“I got you a gift, as a peace offering,” there is someone else with her.

“Go away, Kai,” this is not the time to pay me a visit.

“I’m sorry, Adrien,” but his apology sounds more like an unfinished joke.

I brace myself for a punch line.

“But I just couldn’t resist a good piece of ass.”

Ah, there is it.

“Oh, is that a piece of cake? Can I have it?” his attention turns to the empathy treat my nurse brought me.

"Only if you eat it off my ass.”

“I’ll take that as a no?”

“Ya think?”

“Well then. If you’re going to keep it all to yourself, you’ll need this when you sit down to eat.”

He places a doughnut cushion at my side.

“Get the hell out of here, bottom eater,” not being able to help it, I laugh as I throw it at his face.

“Okay, guys. I hope you enjoyed the show, but you need to leave now. The doctor will be ready to do the surgery momentarily, ” the nurse motions my friends to leave and follows them to make sure that they do.

All the way down the hall, I can hear them still laughing at my unglorified state.

Shortly after, I hear another visitor wanting to see me. It's none of my classmates and it's not my friends again.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. I'm looking for Adrien Rivers," the stranger's shadow is coming through the other side of the curtain.

"No more visitors, please," I see my nurse's shadow object.

"This is important. I've got some urgent news from his family."

This makes her step aside, "Go in ahead."

"Hello. Adrien A. Rivers?" the shadow finally reveals its physical form.

"Yes. That's me," I'm highly suspicious of the piece of mail in his hand.

"I'm a messenger from Nathas Village. Here's a letter for you."

"Thank you," eagerly, I take the letter and rip the envelope.

He leaves. Alone, I'm left to comprehend the bad news. In my father's handwriting, it says that my mother has gotten sick. That despite his concerns, she's been volunteering at the hospital and is now bedridden.