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  "Chrom, my friend, why don't we pull your daughter out and have her try her hand in this?"

  My father's eyes widened, "Usually her mother is the one to teach her those kinds of things. She is a magic user, not a swordsman. I do not want her to hurt herself,"

  Papa laughed loudly, "Ho! Ho! Ho! She will do fine, bring her to me!"

  My father let out a sigh and then began to head upstairs to my bedroom from the courtyard. I ran down the stairs and met him before he reached the stairs in the main room. "Star, come spar with me outside for a while,"

  I looked nervously at him, "Father, I have never used your sword by itself before,"

  My father nodded, "I know. It is time you gave it a shot,"

  I nodded back. 'I sure hope Papa knows what he is doing, because I sure do not.'

  I entered the courtyard, followed by my father, and Papa smiled once he laid eyes on me. I smiled too and ran up to him to hug him, "Hello, Papa!"

  "Hello, my dear," He picked me up and spun me around. Once he placed me back down, he looked at my father who nodded, "Star, take this,"

  My father handed me his blade. My eyes widened, "Try wielding this without your magic, Star,"

  I nervously darted my eyes between my father and Papa. I told myself I must try. I can do it! I gripped the blade's hilt in my left hand and stood across from my father.

  "Now, feel the blade and connect to it," I nodded. I felt how it feels to hold a blade, waiting for a moment. So far, everything felt fine.

  I readied myself and began to swing the sword, to the left, then take a step forward and swing back to the right. Once I felt the connection to the blade deepen, I felt emotion begin to bubble to the surface. Emotions like anger and power. My mother explained those emotions to me. She had referred to them as strong emotions the ones that I should always compress. But when I tried just now, I felt like I could not. The feeling got stronger and I felt my connection to the blade weaken.

  My eyes darkened with the black light and my left hand then was surrounded by a black orb.

  I then heard my father calling my name and saying, "Release the blade!" He was yelling, "Release it!"

  But I felt as though I could not. I was being overpowered by those emotions. I started to cry out, "I can't! It is too strong!" The blade began to brighten as my magic started flowing into it as I held it in my hand.

  The next thing I remember was my father and Papa appearing in my vision as I found myself on the ground. The blade was on the grass before me, like nothing had happened at all. I was crying. I realized this when I looked up to their concerned faces and they were blurry. My father bent down and pulled me into his arms.

  "Are you alright, Star?" I tightened my grip on him as I let the tears flow out of me.
Paige A Whitfield's Novels