A Sword Rental (Bow)

Rent - a - girlfriend. It was an app and not one the young 14 year old teenager was proud to use but nonetheless here he was dressed in a suit waiting at the docks for the girl he had hired for the next 4 hours. Joshua was a wheelchair handicap after all. No one could blame him for wanting to at least experience going out on a date.

Be on your guard Joshua.

“Hush Cal, I don’t even know why I brought you along...” the young boy in the wheelchair mumbled to himself. Strapped to the back of his wheelchair was a cello case housing a sentient legendary weapon which communicated with the boy through telepathy.

For protection.

“I’d almost rather get robbed then explain why I have a medieval sword with me,” Joshua said as he looked across the water from the pier's edge. She was running slightly late.

That’s a preposterous statement....my origin began far far before the days of King Arthur and the Knights of—-

“So not the point dude!!” Joshua grumbled. “Someone’s coming be good and don’t interrupt please.” Joshua heard footsteps and wheeled his chair around to greet whoever was coming.

This was Railyn’s first job? Job on the app that she signed up for with recommendation from someone at the club. All they had said was that the gentlemen would pay her for going on a date with them.

Of course, she had to ask what a date was. That got her a shocked look of confusion and then the explanation that they would take her probably to dinner, maybe a movie, and then she would go back to their place and do whatever they told her to. That was a date.

Railyn nodded along and got prepared with help from the same person. It had taken a little longer than she would have liked and now she was running late!!

The pink haired girl got out of the Uber and thanked them, telling them not to worry! That they were going to ace their test! Whatever that meant. And then started to jog in her heels towards the meeting place.

The pink haired girl smiled as she finally made it to the dock and saw only one person there. Good. She couldn’t make a mistake on who it was.

She straightened her hair out a bit and smiled. “Joshua?”


Joshua’s face turned tomato ripe as he bashfully twiddled his thumbs. “Uhhh, erm, hello. So this is uh my first time using the app. Sorry if I’m not what you were expecting...” Joshua said quietly.

Joshua you are my heir. I cannot condone such displays of pathetic——

“Shut it!” Joshua said, as his eyebrow quivered but then looked at Rain and immediately began to fumble about. “I-I-I mean so about about about payment! Yes, payment—-how does this work?” Joshua said as he began to wheel himself down the pier towards the street.

The pink haired girl was also blushing lightly and blinks in confusion when he speaks like that. “This is my first time using the a-“ She was told to shut it. Some guys at the club told her to do that before so she knew that meant to be quiet and so she did.

All guys preferred for her to be silent, huh?

Then came the matter of payment. Right down to it, yeah? The girl blushes even more and thinks about it for a moment. “Umm... Well... I think I have an app on my phone called venmo? Or just cash would work too... but when? I think my friend said I should get half before and half after...” She nods to herself and smiles at him while walking towards the street with him. “Umm... What would you like to do on your date?”

“Oh um ok....h-here.” Joshua sighed as he handed her all his allowance. It was a bit crumpled and rolled up into crinkled money balls, there was even some change mixed in. No going back now. Joshua sighed. “Well I was, I was thinking....you could tell me a little bit about yourself,” Joshua was clearly uncomfortable, she was so pretty. He had no idea she’d be THIS pretty. They rolled along the street into the empty abandoned fair grounds.

Railyn blinked at the condition of his money and her brows furrowed together. Something didn’t feel right about this. But, this is what he wanted and she really did need the money, so she shoved it in her pocket as they kept walking and he sighed again. She bit her lip. Was she doing a bad job? He was so uncomfortable!!

He asked her a question. To say something about herself. There wasn’t much to say. “Umm... Okay. I’m 16-no-drat... I’m supposed to say 18. Fudge sickles...” She bopped her head and sighed. “I’m 18 years old and just recently moved here from New York. I work at a club called Nightmares. Umm... I also really love to volunteer at hospitals and shelters and things...” She shrugs. “What about you?? Tell me about you!!” She smiled adoringly to him as they walked. Guys usually loved to talk about themselves.

Joshua stared at her face as she talked but his gaze continuously kept wandering towards her figure. “Right and your Railyn,” he said confirming he had just paid the right girl.

Probably shoulda did that earlier.

On the contrary. I think this is going quite well. Excalibur whispered to him.

Yeah well no one asked you. Joshua thought to himself.

They strolled into a fun house where there were multiple broken mirrors. Had someone fought in here long long ago? There was even green animal hairs and a broken metal pole?

Now is the time to dazzle her with the epic tale of my adventures, Excalibur interjected.

“Not!” Joshua said and then immediately blushed as he realized he said that one out loud. “I-I mean I’m really not that interesting.” He suddenly stopped rolling along and looked down. “Typical orphan boy story. Parents got in a car accident when I was younger. I lived, they didn’t...but now my leg’s all bent up so I’m stuck like this.” Joshua paused.

He realized he had said something depressing and started to laugh awkwardly. “Wow it’s kinda creepy in here right?” He rubbed the back of his nape. He should reset the mood.

“Oh wow... did I forget to introduce myself? I am so sorry... Yes. Railyn. That’s me. But you can call me whatever you like!!” That was a line she heard used often at the club and had just adopted it as standard practice.

She followed him into the abandoned fun house and looked around in awe and wonder. The girl thought it was so cool!! She picked up a tuft of green fur and peered at it for a moment before dropping it when he shouted and she jumped a bit.

Rai blinked as she turned to look at him and suddenly hugged him, accidentally pressing his face into her breasts. “I’m not sure what I could possibly say right now to help you feel better but... I lost my parents too... and now I don’t have any memory of them.”

She let go and rubbed her arm gently before giggling at his question and nodding. “A little bit... but... I think it’s kind of enchanting too... it makes you wonder what happened here. What stories could be told...”

What was with this girl? Joshua was literally checking every box in the what-not-to-do category for dating and she was just eating it all up in stride. She was something else....Not like other girls. Or people. She seemed to truly care about how Joshua felt. Also.....THEY WERE SO SOFT. “Yeah you sure are,” Joshua said when she mentioned the fun house was enchanting.

Joshua wiped away his nosebleed while rolling towards one of the fun mirrors and made funny faces as his figure widened and lengthened when moving around. “Rain look at this,” he giggled. For the first time in a while, he forgot he was even in a chair. 

Railyn had a very good reason for not being like other girls. She had no standards of what a date should look like, so she had no boxes to check off as wrong.

When he started to make faces at the mirror and spoke to her, she smiled and walked over to him with a giggle. “That’s so cute!!” She began to make the same faces to watch her distorted figure. “This is fun!!” She stuck her tongue out playfully and giggled more.

That’s when they heard fireworks going off outside by the beach. Joshua flashed a highly toothy grin. “Come on!” He grabbed Rain’s hand and moved for the exit. Once outside the pair found that the fireworks were coming from the beach. A group of around 14 people were launching off the explosives and they were brightening the skyline with multiple intricate colors, patterns, and shapes. “Wow,” Joshua said as he wheeled forward for a closer look.

Railyn squeaked as her hand was grabbed and she giggled, running outside with him in excitement. The girl gasped as they witnessed the gorgeous works of art light up the night sky. “That’s amazing... what are those called!?” Did this girl just ask what fireworks were called?? But her eyes sparkled with such innocent delight. Like it was the very first time she had ever witnessed them.

“They’re called fireworks!” Joshua pulled her closer and pointed to the different types. “Those are called red-dragons! Oh, and those are flitters, and that one’s a  comet!” The group from the beach started to poke and prod each other as they saw the two pedestrians watching from the boardwalk. The one in the wheelchair was making big gestures to the girl as he pointed at the fireworks.

Railyn giggled as she was pulled into him and watched the fireworks entranced, listening enthusiastically to the names of them as he called them out. She was completely unaware of the group on the beach. Her eyes were now glowing golden as they watched and a few lights within the amusement park started to flicker.

“Lookie, lookie here!” One of the boys from the beach said as he approached. “Did you guys like the show?”

The group swarmed around the girl and the cripple boy while clicking and banging broken pipes and stuff on the ground.

“Oh they’re on a little date!” One of the skin head boys apparently was a girl who made smooching noises at the two.

“What do you guys want?” Joshua said. “Were not doing anything to you.”

“Hey, you shut up! Unless I ask you something. You understand me gimp body!”

“Rain..” Joshua nudged her as if instructing Rain to run for it. Obviously he wouldn’t be able too.

Railyn blinks when the group starts to come towards them and then smiles brightly at the question, not understanding the malicious intent behind it. “Absolutely!! It was beautiful!!”

The girl looks confused at the banging of pipes but doesn’t say anything. Then one of them says something and Rai nods with a grin. “We are!! It’s our first date!! Thank you for noticing!!” She giggles sweetly.

When they shout at Joshua though, her smile fades and she stands in front of him rather than run. “What did you just say to him?” Her once golden eyes now had tints of red to them.

“I SAAAAAID—-“ the girl stomps over to Bow and wipes her nose the sniffles and rubs it on her ripped jeans. “Tell your broken toy to shut its yapppp unless we ask IT something.”

“That’s enough!” Joshua said. He needed to defend Rai—

Joshua was suddenly tipped out of his chair and rolled on the ground after it was pulled from under him by one of the boys. “Ooops!” The entire group started to giggle.

Railyn goes wide eyed at the girl and her eyes flash crimson at her. “Say. That. Again.” She growled to the girl, not paying attention behind her for the moment.

That was, until she heard the thud and turned around to see her beautiful date on the floor. The crimson eyed girl gasped and her hair started to rise as flames licked up her arms. “WHAT THE FUCK!?!?”

She looked up at the boy who she assumed pushed Joshua out of his chair and meant to just point at him. “You!!” But it wasn’t just a point. Fire shot from her fingertips and bolted right to the boy in front of her.

“Oh shit!!! She got powers run, runnnn!!!” The bullies took off in multiple directions. One kid who had Rain’s backside got bold however and attacked her from behind with the pipe in hand.

“Smug lil b@&!#” he yelled mid leap.

Menawhile, Joshua crawled back towards his chair and reached for the case.

Joshua...look... Excalibur said in his mind.

Joshua turned when the light from the flames caught his attention then looked away. Nearly ready to cry.

Joshua...you know what this means...

I...know...

For what it’s worth Joshua, I’m sorry. Excalibur said as Joshua opened the cello case.

Railyn watched them all leave and growled more. Just when she was about to turn around to check on Joshua, she was clobbered in the back of the head and squealed as she hit the ground on all fours and gasped, seeing stars.

The young meta turned to the sound of talking and yelped, shooting out a softball size of fire towards it.

And then she looked around in a daze for Joshua. “A-are you okay?? Joshua??” She got to her feet wobbly and blushed lightly, shaking out the flames. “I-I’m sorry if I scared you... I-I’m still getting used to things...” She gave a half hearted giggle as she walked to him.

The boy who clobbered her had his shirt set on fire. He too then ran away after throwing it off.

When Rain began speaking to Joshua he didnt turn, instead he lifted the ancient sword into the air. “Rain...”

Do what must be done Joshua. Excalibur echoed into his mind.

“I’m sorry. But it was a nice date.” He turned to her smiled and then howled out. “EXCALIBURRRR!!!” A tear ran down Joshua’s cheek as his hair turned snow white and his body began to ripple as 50 lbs of muscle packed on to it. Then he grew an entire foot taller while throwing off his blazer which was too small for his burly figure now. The large muscular man in front of Rain now stood erect and glared at her with golden eyes. “Girl...what are you?” The heir of Excalibur commanded.

Railyn blinked as he lifted the sword into the air and she tilted her head. “Do you always carry that with you??”

She didn’t get an answer to that. Instead, he told her it was a nice date. “Wh-what’s going on??” The girl went wide eyed as the boy changed in front of her and she fell back down on her butt with a yelp. Her eyes were now an orange hue as they quivered and she blinked more and more. “Wh-what do you mean what am I? I’m... Im me?”

“Do not play coy with me little monster!” The Heir snarled. “What manner of creature are you? Have you given your soul to the dark arts?” The heir pointed his blade at Rain. “Are you of this world, beyond the stars, or another realm? ANSWER ME DAMN YOU!” The Heir commanded her to speak. Excalibur felt bad for Joshua, he liked  this girl but those eyes and that fire she displayed earlier told a different story. That she was no human girl at all.

“I-I don’t know what I am!! I’m telling the truth!! My memories end a week before I moved to this city!!” The girl’s eyes shifted sapphire and clouds began to form right above the two of them as sorrow filled her heart. “I’m so confused!! Joshua!! What’s going on!?!?”

“You poor soul....Then I will allow you a quick release. May you’re next life be filled with certainty,” The Heir said as he lifted his sword to chop her in half.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!!?”Excalibur turned to see a boy running towards him faster than other humans. The heir turned and swung his sword at the boy instead but the boy ducked, rolled, and went to sweep the Heir’s legs. The heir jumped to avoid the swing and then attempted to slash the boy two more times but the teenager dodged just as fast as the Heir could swing his blade by rolling out of the way and then leaning just far enough to be out of the broadsword’s range.

The Heir leaped backwards. If the boy could dodge his blows he could possibly unleash a volley of supernatural attacks. Because no regular human should have reflexes like this.

The boy ran over to Rain as the Heir lunged away and stood in front of her. “Rain, are you ok?” JaK said as he stared down at her.

The girl just stared up at the man with the sword, tears streaming down her cheeks as the sky opened and it began to drizzle. She was so lost right now.

And then a familiar voice rang out in the darkness and she turned to see those golden rod eyes running towards her. She could barely keep up with their movements as they seemed to dance right outside of her field of vision.

As the fought though, the girl stood up once more and looked torn about everything. Her clothes weren’t much better. Her once beautiful white blouse was now muddy and singed... and also getting wet as the rain continued.

“I-I’m not sure? I was on a date with... Joshua... but that isn’t Joshua...” She pointed towards the only other person near them. The one holding a sword ready to slice them up.

JaK clenched his fist. “You piece of &$!# first you attack a girl half your age and then you kidnap another kid!?” JaK pointed a finger at the Heir. “I can’t wait to &@$%^ you up!”

The Heir took a poised swordsman’s pose and glared at JaK. “You’re accusations are worse than your mouth boy. But I will acknowledge you do have skill. And I will take your threats as a challenge.” The swordsman charged towards JaK a moment later. “Have at thee!”

JaK took a defensive stance as the rain poured down on them harder. “Rain, you should run. I’ll follow after you.” JaK said without taking his eyes off his charging opponent.

“No you won’t!! Don’t lie to me!!” She growled at JaK and bit her lip. Even though she had made her decision to stay, she didn’t know what to do now. It didn’t seem fair to her to gang up on this person even though he was trying to kill them. Plus, she didn’t know how her powers even worked still.

However, she did have an idea. A stupid, stupid idea. That person had said something about stuff and she was pretty sure she could use to make him chase her.

“Hey you!! I... I totally sold my soul to the dark arts!! That’s just a human!! Come get me!!” She bit her lip and waited until his full attention was on her before turning to run. If she didn’t hear him following, she would stop.

JaK took off his jacket and threw it at the charging swordsman. The heir sliced through the leather with quick skill and poise but lost sight of JaK!

JaK had dashed forward, ducked low and aimed to gut punch the Heir. But the combat hardened warrior blocked the blow with the hilt of his weapon, then twirled the sword with both hands causing the blade to gash JaK’s shoulder mid rotation. So this boy does bleed and fights normal enough, maybe he wasn’t super human.

The fight was stalled by Rain taunting Excalibur. “Move out of the way boy, its that fiend I want! Not you—“ Excalibur’s Heir made a wild swing at JaK that he was forced to duck. And then ran after Rain.

“What are you doing Rain!?” JaK said. Making herself a target was NOT a smart move. However it did give JaK an opening. JaK chased after the Heir and as he ran he picked up the fallen metal pipe from earlier and lunged it at the Heir.

The Heir saw the pipe through his peripheral vision and knocked it out the sky with his sword then turned back to JaK. “You test my patience boy! Back down before you forfeit your life!”

“Sorry, always been hardheaded!” JaK purposefully allowed the Heir to gash his arm as he dove into him and caught the swordsman by the waist - with his diving momentum he tackled the Heir down, causing both of them to violently roll for a couple feet, and at the end of the roll JaK flung his opponent into a bunch of crates. The crates exploded upon impact and buried the swordsman in debris.

Spoiler:

JaK then got to one knee but found the wound he had on his upper arm was deeper than he thought. He was bleeding a lot. Definitely needed to pause to bandage it soon. “Keep running Rain, lets get outta here!”