10

	"Calm down! If you charge in anger, you'll lose for sure!"

	I winced as Sonia tripped and almost wounded herself with her flame whip. I 
walked over to her and helped her up. Her body was lighter than I had 
thought, "You alright?"

	Sonia nodded, and brushed the dust from her legs, "Yeah, I guess..."

	It was two days until Saturday, and Sonia was determined to train... well, 
not really, but she did love to learn when I mentioned something new. 
However, she had forced me to promise to take her to the party Saturday 
evening so she didn't get scared... plus, it was her 17th birthday, so I HAD 
to.

	She was a good pupil, I'll admit that, and had a quick knack for learning. 
I felt sorry for her. She said that 17 was her unlucky number. For one, she 
almost drowned in the wash basin when she was 17 months old, got attacked by 
a rooster on the farm once and got spurred by it 17 times, her parents 
always gave her 17 lashes when she didn't do anything right, and Castlevania 
was to rise on her 17th birthday.

	But what confused me more than anything was why was she confiding almost 
everything in me? It was as if she trusted me more than anything.

	Sonia grabbed her whip again, "Well, anything else?"

	I shook my head, "No, you're good for now... go ahead and rest for the rest 
of the day..."

	Sonia smiled, "Alright."

	She ran back inside and put up her whip before coming back out, "You sure I 
did good today?"

	I nodded, "Yes, although you could work on throwing the crucifix a little 
more. No one masters that instantly, so don't feel bad. Took me a good year 
and a half to master."

	"I thought that you were an unholy creature and couldn't handle crosses or 
crucifixes or anything holy?"

	"Well, I can handle crucifixes and go into churches and holy ground and 
stuff of that sort because of the human in me, but I can't handle Holy 
Water... or any kind of water, for that matter," I admitted sheepishly.

	"Why can't you handle water? I mean, I think I know why, but just curious," 
Sonia said.

	I sighed, and sat down, "Remember at the execution, how your Grandfather 
and the other hunters attacked me with Holy Water? Well, something in the 
Holy Water made me afraid of any kind of water, and when I finally touched 
water the next time after I almost drowned in Hoy Water, it burned like 
Hell."

	Sonia winced, and sat down next to me, "I'm sorry... for your Mother, what 
happened to you... I don't see how anyone can harm a living thing that 
much..."

	"You have no idea how badly some things have to suffer..." I murmured.

	We stayed silent, and I decided to change the subject, "Sonia, why do you 
want to the party Saturday when my father is coming back, and people will 
probably be killed by demons being unleashed less than five minutes after 
the rumbling has calmed down?"

	"Most people want to die having fun or doing something they enjoy, that's 
why... I'm not saying that I'm going to die, but it's just that... well, if 
people ARE going to get attacked, then I want to also be there to protect 
the few that I can... better a few people are saved then all are killed, 
right?" Sonia asked, looking up at me with those innocent blue eyes.

	I nodded, "Yeah, I guess you have a point there..."

	Sonia stood, and helped me up,  "So there's no more argument," she said. I 
creaked a smile and looked down at her, "You're quite the debater..." I 
commented.

	"Why thank you."

	She walked inside and I followed, trying to avoid Jake as he rushed around 
the room for no apparent reason, seeing Jake just sitting in a corner, 
sucking his thumb and smashing a wooden block onto the floor.

	Jonathan had been watching my every move almost. He'd sometimes watch me 
train Sonia, talk with her, and help Sonia when her brothers were a handful. 
What was he afraid of? Did he think I was going to rape her?! Whatever the 
matter, I just had to watch my back a lot.

	"So, what's next tomorrow?" Sonia asked, looking up at me.

	I shrugged, "Probably clean up your crucifix-throwing skills and some more 
sword lessons."

	"Alright. So, you looking forward to ANY part of Castlevania's 
resurrection?"

	I stared blankly at her for about a minute, "Uh... yeah. I'm gonna run and 
give Daddy a hug the moment I see him. What do you think?"

	Sonia laughed, "I'm guessing you hate Castlevania entirely?"

	"Yes. I mean, I have to admit, I like the castle and its decor, but not 
Father, nor the monsters inside."

	"I see... well, you ARE going to help me when I have to go after him, 
right?" Sonia asked timidly, looking up at me with begging eyes. Well, they 
were begging when she wasn't trying, anyway, so what am I saying?

	I chuckled, "I guess... but that's only if you start flunking lessons. And 
if you try to do that, I'll tell... my senses are more keen than you think."

	"Yeah, I know... well, can I try to flunk just ONE lesson?" she asked.

	"Maybe half of one... you know there are two parts in training, sometimes 
three. There's main weapons, subweapons, and once you start getting better, 
I'll spar you with a sword to see how good you've become."

	"Okay... probably one thing I'm gonna flunk without trying is throwing the 
crucifix... that thing is hard..." Sonia grumbled, leaning against a wall.

	Gabriel stood from his place in the corner and waddled over to me, still 
sucking his thumb, "Wha's a goose-fix, Boogie Man?"

	"It's a big cross, Gabe," I explained. The little boy looked up at Sonia to 
ask if he was right, and Sonia nodded. He shrugged and waddled back to the 
corner.