Fairy Knight (preview)

That evening though, you find Vela has returned. You open the door to her, ready to tell her Dara and Akio are gone when you see she’s holding a bouquet of flowers. She offers then to you then walks away without a word. The boquet is beautiful, deep purple and dark blue flowers with radiant magenta blossoms. It’s beautiful. Why would she give it to you? You take it inside, setting it in a vase at the center of the table. 

The next day, Vela comes back at the same time. This time she offers you a carved bowl. It’s beautiful and made from dark wood. Inside there are etchings of flowers and rabbits. You’re amazed at it.

“Thank you!” You gasp as you take the bowl.

She turns on her heel to leave.

“Wait a second!” You snap after her but she keeps walking, in fact she picks up the pace.

You huff, wondering what her gifts and actions all meant. You set the bowl inside, displaying it so you can see the beautiful etchings inside you. That evening, as the moonlight hits it, you notice the rabbits come to life and move across the bowl. The etched flowers blossom and the petals fall. You realize that’s it tracks time! The rabbits are the hands and the petals count the passed hours.

You wait for Vela the next day, clutching one of your books to your chest to offer to you. You see her approach and you stand up from the stoop. When she sees you she flinches, dropping the bag she was holding. She stoops down to pick it up and you approach her.

“Why do you keep running away?” You ask.

She thrusts the bag at you and turns to walk away from you again. You give chase this time. “Vela! Wait!” You call after her.

She keeps going, picking up pace. You don’t give up, you start running to keep up with her. She starts to run too, her long legs taking her much farther than you. You don’t give up, huffing and puffing you keep up with her for a while. You then trip, hitting a rock and falling down.

“Ow!” You cry out. You sit up and look at your bleeding knee. “Dammit,” You growl. You try to stand but it hurts. “Ow,” you whimper again. You pick pebbles from your knee and Vela comes back. She kneels down and picks you up.

“Are you hurt?” She asks.

You frown at her. “You were running away from me, why do you care?”

She takes you back home and tends to your knee. She cleans it and wraps it with cloth. All the while she’s silent. She stands up, placing the bag she had given you on the table. She notices you still have the flowers and the time keeper is placed precisely where you always have an eye on it. 

“Why do you do this?” You ask with a grumbly voice.

She glances back at you. 

“You give me a gift and then run away. I can’t tell if you’re doing this out of kindness or obligation.”

Her gloves squeak as she clinches her fist.

“All my life I’ve heard stories of the Knight of Biphion. They were always my favorite. I got so excited once I got to meet one.”

Vela reaches up and removes her helmet. Her hair is gossamer white. It is long on one side and shaved on the other where there are prominent tattoos. Her features are sharp like an Unseelie, but her skin is a sapphire blue. Her dark eyes peer down at you and she looks almost afraid