The last sword

Ameria wielded her sword, striking at the practice dummies while yelling famous battle phrases. Her curly dark black hair stuck to her brow with sweat, as perspiration dripped off every point on her body. With each swing of her borrowed sword, she grew exhausted, and, as she parried with the straw stuffed piece of cloth for the 50th time,she fell to her knees, unable to move a muscle. As she lay on the sweat streaked floor, the coolness of the hard packed earth  comforted her. Ameria jolted out of her half sleep as soon as she saw a pair of blackened boots stride close to her face. She took in one long breath, then passed out.



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The world blinked in and out as Ameria struggled awake. Hearing voices, she lay still, trying to listen in on whatever was going on.

"Is she okay? Where exactly DID you find her, Torrin?" Urgently asked a voice that she quickly registered as Professor Harrlington, who sounded nervous. Torrin glanced around the room, trying to find a tiny hiding place that he had missed after scanning the room 4 times.

"Well, sir, she was, erm, not, I mean she was, umm, maybe-" Professor Harrlington cut Torrin off,  and dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Well, umm, what do you think I am, stupid?!?  You are just trying to protect your little sister, but," Professor Harrlington shoved his index finger in Torrin's face, then continued in lower tones, "you can't fool me! when she wakes up, I will slip her a truthsay potion, and then, she will have no choice but to tell me exactly where she was last night. And you can't stop me, or her!" With this, Professor Harrlington laughed, a low chuckle. Ameria shivered in her bed, having listened to the entire conversation. The Professor's quick eyes, after years of swordplay, noticed the movement under the heavy patchwork quilts. He jumped up and started pointing while screaming "She's up! She's up!" Torrin backed away quietly into a corner, scared for his sister, but more for himself. Ameria took one look into the crazed Professor's eyes, and tried to run, but her muscles screamed in pain. Ameria stayed on the bed, not daring to move or make a sound. On the outside, she looked like any other girl who had woken up in the infirmary. However, on the inside, she panicked, running everything she knew about truth potions through her head. All she could remember was the antidote to any truth potion. Unfortunately, the blood of a centaur was not something she had access to.

"Are you thirsty?" A voice asked eagerly.