“So where do we start?” The girl asked. The ghost paced around her and looked at her carefully as though he was weighing and measuring her.

“Let me see your hands.” Obediently Victoria presented both hands. “Palms up.” She did so “Now, like this.” He said showing her his hand balled up like fists before him. The girl repeated his actions and nodded.

“One of the true secrets to fighting with a knife is finding one that works well for you.” The pale visage said in thought. “I was blessed with meeting James Black…”

The teenager interrupted. ”Who was he?”

“He was the man who made my knife.” He chuckled. “ A far better man than I, he designed the blade that bears my name even today. I think he must have been a part wizard. His blades rarely broke. I do not know of his lake in this day and age. Pixie?” He questioned in thought.

She huffed. “I don’t know why… Fine no, there are no smiths that I know of.” She continued “But she has magic. Victoria you don’t need to learn how to fight like this.”

The teenager sighed. “How long will my Mana last? How many spells?”

The Little sprite stopped and thought. “Maybe ten that should be enough to take on one opponent.”

“One opponent. Today there were five against one. That would have been two spells per attacker and what is the likelihood I would have run out of magic?”

The sprite blanched. “Oh my god, you could have been killed.”

The dark-haired girl gave Lacie an expressionless look. “Is there anything I should know about weapons to kill these monsters?”

“Yeah, I guess. Some require silver, some cold iron a few can only be killed with stone or with magic.” She said in thought. “Also some weapons can be made that have their own magic.” Both the ghost and the girl nodded at that. “I’ll have to talk more about that later.”

“If we can get back to it,” Bowie said as he looked at the pixie. “There's a couple of things about knife fighting you will need to know right off. First, a knife isn’t there to intimidate it’s a tool designed to kill. The best fight is the one you’ve avoided.”

“Hello, monster hunter,” Lacie said with exasperation.

“Do you wish to teach her how to defend herself or can I continue?”

“Lacie please.” The teen begged. The Pixie slouched down in a huff but didn’t speak again.

We need to find you a knife that fits your hand, now make a fist again.” The ghost tapped the second knuckle of her pointer finger and her pinkie. “The grip should fit here and feel comfortable in the hand. With a blade about eight or nine inches.”

Nodding the teen looked on expectantly. “Once you get a knife like that I’ll show you how to care for it a dull knife is more dangerous to you than a sharp one and leaving meat on it will poison the blade.” He said as he drew a blade from his own scabbard showing off a spectral blade to the young girl. “Ultimately this is a tool and should be treated as such. Now get going and see me after you get your blade.”

Excitedly Victoria fled the scene of her coup and headed home. “Now you can tell me about magic items.”

X X X

The twenty-minute bus ride home mostly consisted of Victoria writing down questions for the small pixie and Lacie slumped down in a seat shaking her head muttering to herself. Occasionally the girl heard. “Legendary hero. Teacher…seriously? Why him?”

The last question finally got an answer. “I’m a seventeen-year-old girl. If I go about trying to learn how to knife fight from a reputable class someones going to ask questions. Most girls don’t go about learning how to kill people with knives.”

“So?” Lacie asked.

“So they would think I had a nefarious reason for it. The world can be really sick at times.” She said sadly.

“They could talk to your parents. Oh, Ohhh.” The little fairy put the clues together and her mouth was in an “o” of surprise. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

Their tableau was interrupted when Victoria reached up and pulled the cord to let the driver know her stop was next.

As the bus roared off into the night Victoria began to ask her questions. “There is so much I’m going to have to learn.”

“That's why I’m here.”

The teen grunted though it was hard to tell if it was in acknowledgment. “You said magic items exist and can be made?”

It was the pixies turn to sigh, Yes they exist but it's very hard to create them.” She pursed her lips in thought then continued to speak. “A magic item is often created very randomly and is accomplished by an item absorbing magic. Usually, this happens when a monster is killed. The stronger the monster the stronger the magic that is imbued.”

“Can I imbue an item with magic myself?” Victoria said looking at her list.

“If you can learn the skill sure. But back to the monsters. Not every monster will create an item or leave a trophy.” The two talked until they reached Victoria’s door.

“We’ll need to be quiet.” She said as she unlocked the door and opened it for Lacie.

X X X

Victoria found herself looking around her house with new eyes, The gently used furniture worn rugs and mostly the loving care and attention paid to the everyday items in the home. “Mom I’m home.” She called as she barged through the door.

“In the kitchen,” She heard and wandered that way after divesting herself of her jacket and book bag. She found her mother sitting there with a stern expression on her face. “What happened at school today?” Victoria found her mother sitting down hunched over a cup of coffee. Once more relying on her charisma she viewed her mom. Older in her late thirties, with dark hair and a complexion similar to her own. Her eyes were tired as if they had seen too much. “Sit.” She was commanded.

The girl did as instructed and told the story again. “Then when I was at the hospital I told dad about it.” Her mom smiled.

“You were always a daddies girl. So you told him that you were in a fight? What did he say.” Her mom said with a sad smile.

“I wish he had.No one of the nurses overheard me.” She said. “She told me I shouldn’t have fought but if I was going to I should learn how. Its like life is getting so complicated.”

“She was right but we can’t afford to send you to karate or anything.” Closing her eyes Victoria nodded. She knew that the finances were usually tight but with her father, in the hospital, things were in a dire way. She paused with thought maybe she could help if there was any money to be made as a hunter. Hopefully, she thought hunting wasn’t a pro bono occupation. “School called me they want you to see the councilor tomorrow early you and all the other girls. They are concerned Karen was on drugs or something.” She shrugged

“Uh, mom. The head cheerleader picked a fight then stripped naked and ran off into the school where they searched for her for the rest of the day. I’m hoping they found her.” She said the last part as a knowing lie. “I’m tired mom. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

Her mom stood up and leaned over to hug her. “I wasn’t worried. Now eat something and get to bed.” She tousled her daughter's hair and put her cup in the sink before heading to bed herself. Inwardly the girl groaned. “This means I have to see Dorgan in the morning,“ Once more both the pixie and the girl failed to see stone-hard eyes peering at them through the window and they missed the flash of blue painted stone that fled into the night.