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“Semper
Fidelis.”
Marine
Motto
Everett sat on his
couch, facing away from the window. The
warm sunlight from the afternoon outside showered in behind him, embracing
his muscular frame, his form creating a shadow that fell onto the glass-top
coffee table. To his right, Edgar sat
in one of the chairs, a glass of wine in his hand. To his left, Morgan scribbled lyrically in
his yellow legal pad, lost to the waking world.
Everett checked the time
on his DVD player beneath the TV and sat forward, tapping his toes on the
carpet. Dressed in blue jeans and a
white tank top, his body twitched nervously as he waited. “Come on,” he whispered, looking down at
nothing.
“Where’s
Ledger and Roland?” Morgan asked aimlessly, his attention still mostly on his
notepad.
“Roland
had class; Ledger is teaching at the kung fu school,” Everett said. “Armand’s at some meeting for his work.”
“He
got the internship?” Edgar asked, impressed.
“That’s nice.”
“Not
if you saw how much they’re paying,” Everett
chuckled. He turned, looking out
through the large window at the grassy yard and the street beyond. “Where is that guy? He’s always here by noon. It’s…” He checked the DVD player again. “Twelve forty-three.”
“What
about Sydney?”
Morgan asked.
“She’s
got a class,” Edgar said.
“Skip
it,” Morgan spoke up, looking incredulously at the older knight. “This is a big hairy deal to a knight.”
“Yeah,”
Everett
agreed. “If it’ll ever frickin’ get
here.”
“You
guys have to have the retirement, and the initiation of the new one,” the
non-knight went on. “Which, I’m petty
sure involves sparring.”
“That’s
why I’m here,” Edgar said, sipping his wine.
“That’s why you’re here too.”
“Am
not,” Morgan replied. Edgar gave him a
look.
Instantly,
the three went quiet. “I think,” Everett said, rising
from the couch, his eyes wide like a child on Christmas morning. The three could hear soft-padded steps on
concrete. “I think…” He began to smile.
There
was a knock.
In
a flash, Everett
was at the front door. He looked
through the peephole, then turned away, jumping up and down like a little
kid. “It’s here! It’s here!
It’s here!” he squealed. He
stopped himself and coughed away his gigantic smile and opened the door.
In
the doorway was a package deliveryman with a long cardboard box by his
side. “Everett Kendall?” the man
asked.
“Yes
sir,” Everett said enthusiastically, accepting the signing device from the
deliveryman. He quickly scribbled his
name on the electronic reader and grinned as the man picked up the package
and handed it to him. “Thank you so
much.”
“Have
a good day,” the man said with a smile before turning away.
Everett kicked the door
shut, nearly running to the coffee table.
Edgar and Morgan both sat forward in their seats, their eyes wide with
excitement. Everett tore open the cardboard box to find
a long wooden box, almost four feet in length and a foot wide, waiting
inside. Stained and lacquered cherry
wood, the box alone was a work of art.
On the top of the box was a complicated oriental symbol carved with
the utmost care and delicacy.
Everett took a deep breath
and took hold of the top of the box.
He looked at Edgar and Morgan with a huge smile. They were both as entranced as he. He swallowed and began to lift. As the lid rose, beneath was revealed a
velvet wonderland. The soft, royal
blue fabric lined the box; it’s form gently cupping the maintenance kit in
the corner. Everett took the top away and placed it on
the sofa, his eyes shining.
Lit
by the power of the sun coming in through the window, the katana within the
box glowed with holy light. Its black
handle and long steel blade, simple and elegant in design, shimmered in the
light. Everett turned his head, watching the bead
of light run down the flawless edge of the blade. When it reached the tip, he saw it curve
under. At that angle, he could clearly
see the second edge running along the back of the curved sword. He smiled, looking at his two friends. “This…” he breathed quietly.
Morgan
was at a loss, his own smile keeping his cynicism at bay. Next to him, Edgar’s eyes were filled with
the light of the reflection of the sword.
“Gentlemen,” Everett
said quietly, his hands to either side of the sword with reverence, “allow me
to introduce, Sunstorm.”
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