24 Not My First Doll, Rather My First Set of Armor (1/2)

My mother claps her hand's and I look up from the smoothie in my hand. She's got a brilliant, but devious, smile on her face. Whenever she had that smile that meant that she was up to something.

”Excuse us, Mother,” Ambrose clears his throat and straightens his jacket.

”Kiss ass,” Clemente coughs into his hand and I look at him. He gives me a wink and places a hand on my head. He was defiantly the affection older brother it seems. Also, probably a troublemaker as well…

Ambrose shoots him a dirty look but refrains from saying anything.

”You two are still as childish as ever,” Salem comments as he swirls his drink.

I'd almost forgotten that he was there, he had been silent the whole time. These past few days, my Brother has been seeming different these days. I couldn't pinpoint the reason for it either.

”Oh, baby brother see you still had that sharp tongue,” Ambrose comments, giving him a pointed look. But that didn't seem to faze Salem, he swirls his cup of blood and takes a drink from it, completely ignoring Ambrose.

”I enjoy your comment's brother,” Grail says, as he smiles at Salem. Even still Salem didn't pay any of the attention.

My mother raises her hand, and the table falls silent.

”I know that you all have your own thoughts about each other. But could you possibly put your differences aside? Don't you all have something for your sister?” My mother asks.

”Yes,” they all assented.

Without delay, Clemente clears his throat and I direct my attention towards him. As if pulling it straight out of thin air, he has a present that gift wrapped in his hands.

”Sister allow me to go first, I know that I haven't been around for four years. But I've thought of you the whole time and had someone make you something that will always remind you of your dear older brother,” he says bending down to my level.

I raise an eyebrow but don't say what I'm thinking.

”Here.” he hands me the present box. ”Go ahead and open it,” he says.

The box was very long and a little heavy when it landed in my hands. It was wrapped in a silky black paper with a silvery bow in the center of the box.

Now, how was I supposed to open this?

Bending down, I place the box on the ground and then pull at that paper that's on the box.

It makes a crisp and loud sound.

Once the paper's torn off a beautiful dark wood box appears in front of me. Along the box carved into the wood was a sword design, and then underneath it was a simple letter inscribed 'z.'

”Keep going,” Clemente urges an excited look on his face.

I nod my head and completely shed the rest of the paper off the box. I notice that the box has a lip, at the bottom I press my hand on the box and the wood easily slides up and off the box. Inside the box lays a huge sword.

The folded steel had a bright red glow to it, and a black shine along the bottom of the edge of the sword. The blade was set in the hilt of the sword that was wrapped in a bright golden thread; it looks beautiful. Besides, it rests in an inky black sheath.

Strong sent of steel wafts up into my nose, and I smile as I run my hand along the blade.

”I hunted all the materials for it from the world dungeon, it's not something that is easily reproduced. It's been forged by one of the best blacksmiths that has graced the dwarf's community in the past hundreds of years,” he says excitedly as he touches the box.

”What sort of blade is this?” I ask him.

But as if on cue a message appears in front of my eyes.

「Appraisal」

「A nameless Odachi, crafted from the steel of a hell demon, it's been set into the wood from a ten-thousand-year-old life tree. The golden string comes from the hair of a golden unicorn. The sheath is made from a giant black viper. 」

These seem like very expensive materials…

”It's an Odachi, I thought that it'd be a good gift. There's not a shred of doubt in my mind that you wouldn't be able to handle a sword,” he explains with a grin.

”You realize that the sword is almost the same size as her! How do you expect her to use that?” Ambrose comments and I nod my head in agreement.

A snort leaves Clemente's mouth as he turns his attention to Ambrose.

”She's going to grow, besides it not as if she isn't strong enough to lift a sword,” he says rolling his eyes at my other brother.

”That's true, she's got to be strong coming from our family,” Grail agrees.

Marigold stands up and walks over to Ambrose and loops her arm around his. He visibly relaxes now that she is standing next to him and holding him. She gives me a small wink.