Guardians of Rhea (4 page)

Most humans, or even most Vesuvians, would
have keeled over in agony. Leon skipped back several steps and
paused.

The look on Bekal’s face was that of complete
anger. He ran at Sara, repeatedly swiping at her from all
directions. His frustration only grew as his attacks met with no
success.

With every attack, Sara desperately looked
for a way to end the fight, thinking that at any moment Leon was
going to stab her in the back.

Keeping most of her focus on the immediate
threat, Sara swung the equinox up to block Bekal's knife and
stabbed him in the heart with her talon.

Several Guardians burst through the door as
Bekal fizzled away into a heap of ember and ash.

Sara spun around just in time to see Leon
make an incredible leap through the broken windowpane.

One Guardian turned to the others. “Go back
out and track him!” he ordered, before running to Sara’s side.
“Were you just fighting with two Vesuvians?”

Sara stood motionless. She could feel her
heart beating like it was going a hundred miles an hour.

“Hey!” the Guardian said, patting her on the
shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Like waking up from a daydream, Sara turned
to him. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“This is incredible!” the Guardian laughed.
“Man, you sure paid attention in class, didn’t you!”

CHAPTER SIX

It was early next morning. Arthur found
himself walking with Sara through the halls of the Citadel. “We
lost track of the Vesuvian you fought in the chapel,” he said.

“I’m not even sure he was Vesuvian,” Sara
replied.

“What makes you say that?”

“For one, he was completely covered from
head-to-toe, so I didn’t get that good a look at him. Second, it
seemed as if he was there for the other Vesuvian, the one I
killed.”

Arthur scratched his beard. “Hmm… I don’t
know what to tell you.”

“Why would two Vesuvians be running around
the city trying to kill each other?”

“Could he have been a Hegiran or a Khothu?”
Arthur asked.

“No, he dressed like a Vesuvian and moved
like one. Hegirans and Khothu are too slow to dodge like that.”

“He must have been a Vesuvian then. If he
were a Fenrir, you’d know it. Besides that, only a Vesuvian or
Fenrir could have made that leap through the window.”

Sara shook her head. “I don't know.”

“Maybe there’s a lot of infighting between
the Vesuvians. Don’t forget about their thirst for blood. If your
fellow Guardians hadn’t shown up when they did, the one that got
away might have made a meal out of you.”

“Good point,” Sara said with a look of
concern.

After a moment, Arthur noticed that Sara was
dwelling on the thought a little too much. “What’s wrong?”

“You don’t understand what this is like for
me. I couldn’t get any sleep last night. Everyone keeps asking all
these questions. You said no one had seen a Rhean within the city
for years…”

“Which is true, or
was
true.”

“And I have a fight with two Vesuvians,
inside the chapel of all places, on my first day on the job.”

Arthur chuckled. “Weren’t you the one who was
so excited about being a Guardian?”

Sara ran her hands through her hair. “You’re
right,” she said. “I should just be glad I’m alive.”

A Guardian suddenly appeared from around the
corner. “Sir Arthur, the Consular is having a meeting with the
Marshal, Elites and Preceptors. They’re gathering right now in the
Great Hall.”

Arthur looked to Sara. “We don’t have too
many meetings like this. It must be important.”

“I’m going to get some sleep,” Sara said,
then yawning out loud.

“Make sure you get enough rest and don’t
forget about the ball tonight.”

“That’s tonight? Oh no! I forgot!”

“Don’t worry,” Arthur said. “I’m sure you’ll
do just fine.”

Sara slumped. “I’m only going `cause my
friends are making me,” she said before turning to go find her
room.

Arthur followed the Guardian. Entering the
room, he got the feeling that he was the last one to show up.
Dozens of Guardians sat or stood around the table, but there was
one unoccupied chair next to Henry and Philip, the Consular.

“Arthur, please have a seat,” Philip said,
waving his hand. He was an older man, to the point where keeping
his shape as robust as it had once been was easier said than
done.

Arthur kindly took the seat.

“Is that everyone?” Philip asked.

“I believe so,” Henry replied.

“Let’s begin. Last night one of our Rangers
had a run-in two Vesuvians. Only hours have passed and already
citizens are talking about it. As some of you know, for many years
there have been sightings of Rheans within the city walls, but no
one has ever been able to prove it. This time we have multiple
witnesses and a pile of ash. Questions are going to be asked and we
have to be sure of what we’re going to say to avoid any panic. Any
suggestions?”

Arthur raised his hand. “Sir, I don’t think
we should tell the whole truth.”

Everyone in the room looked at Arthur.

“Explain,” Philip calmly demanded.

“We know that two Vesuvians were involved,
but one escaped. We should tell the people that one Vesuvian was
killed, and the other was chased out of the city. If they think
there’s a Vesuvian running loose, there may be widespread panic. In
the meantime, we should increase patrols and make sure the survivor
isn’t hiding.”

There were murmurs of support from the other
Guardians. “Good idea.”, “I agree.”

“A wise decision,” said Philip. “You trained
Sara, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Congratulations. I look forward to seeing
more Guardians under your tutelage.”

Elsewhere in the Citadel, Sara walked tiredly
through the corridor. Her eyes felt like lead and she couldn’t even
stand straight anymore. Leaning against the dining hall door, she
stared down the corridor, which seemed to stretch on forever. There
was, however, a shortcut through the very door she was leaning on.
She opened it slightly and saw that breakfast was still being
served. At least several hundred Guardians were eating and chatting
at the numerous tables in the room. She stepped in and tried to
walk through hoping nobody would notice. Her walk was somewhat
casual, but she held her head down. After only a few steps in she
could hear the chatting slowly die down and feel all eyes fall upon
her.

Richard, a tall, handsome young man with blue
eyes and brown hair, cut his conversation short when he spotted
Sara passing by. “Excuse me,” he said, getting up from his chair
and hurriedly navigating his way around the tables to catch up with
Sara.

The closer Sara got to the exit the faster
she walked. When she finally reached the door she wasted no time to
push it open and get out.

As the door closed, Richard came plowing
through it. “Sara, wait.”

Almost startled, Sara stopped and turned.
“Richard, what’s up?”

“I heard about what happened. How are you
holding up?”

“I’m just tired.”

“Can I walk you to your room?”

“Sure.”

As they walked, Sara kept an eye out for her
door while Richard spoke.

“I’ve been a Guardian for a little over a
year. I’ve seen a Vesuvian here and there, but I never got into it
with two by myself. Three of us once ran into a Fenrir, and it took
an entire night to kill that thing.”

“Oh yeah, you told me about that one. Good
thing our weapons are lined with silver,” Sara said, then seeming
to lose herself in thought.

After a moment, Richard began to feel like a
fifth wheel.

“I’m sorry,” Sara said. “This all still feels
surreal. To be honest, I always dreamed of doing what I did. I just
never thought it would actually happen. Now that I have all this
attention, I feel funny.”

“Just so you know, what you did makes a lot
of us feel better, and for some of us who haven’t seen too much
action lately, it’s a reminder of why we're here.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“If it weren’t for the Rheans, the Guardians
wouldn’t even exist. So you have to ask yourself--what would you be
doing if you couldn’t be a Guardian?”

“I’m not sure,” Sara said. “I’ve never really
thought about it.”

“Maybe it’s just me,” Richard said as they
rounded a corner. “And maybe you don’t know it, but I think you
joined because you wanted to do something that not everyone can do.
It’s not just for the fun and excitement--you want to make a
difference.”

Sara stopped and smiled at Richard. “You know
that would be the most honest answer I could give, but then people
would probably think I’m crazier than I already am.”

Moments later they arrived at her room. “I
just hope everyone gets over this soon,” she said.

“Oh, I think you have a long wait ahead of
you,” Richard laughed.

Sara opened the door and stepped in before
turning to Richard. “Thanks for walking me to my room.”

“Anytime. Hold on, you’re going to the ball
tonight, right?”

“Yeah, I’m going with Juli and Marian. After
I get some rest.”

“Great! I’ll see you there.”

Closing the door behind her, Sara tilted her
head back and gave a big sigh of relief. “Home sweet home,” she
whispered right before falling face first into bed.

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was pretty much a wasted day as Sara slept
in. By the time she woke, the sun was already beginning to set. As
her body struggled to get itself out of bed, she looked around at
her dark room. A small part of her wondered if the past night had
been a dream, but then again, she figured her chest wouldn’t have
felt as sore as it did. Managing to crawl out of bed, she headed
straight for the washtub and took the most relaxing, hot bath she
had ever had.

Juli and Marian stepped into the ballroom.
Both looked radiant enough to certainly test a man’s will not to
stare.

Juli scanned the crowd. “Where’s
William?”

“Don’t be so desperate!” Marian whispered.
“Oh, wait! He’s dancing with that girl over there!”

Juli quickly grabbed Marian. “What!”

“Just kidding!”

“How’s my fair lady?” William asked,
approaching from behind. Like all male Guardians, he had a formal
uniform similar to his normal outfit but without a sash, complete
with a knee-length military jacket.

Juli spun around. “Excited. We haven’t been
here a minute and the party is fantastic.”

Marian’s eyes darted from side to side
looking for her would-be date. She spotted him halfway across the
room, drinking with a fellow Guardian. “I’ll be right back,” she
said, even though Juli paid no attention.

“Jacob,” Marian said as she came to his
side.

Jacob was stunned by Marian’s beauty. “You
look beautiful.”

“Thank you. I like your uniform.”

“Really? We were just talking about our
uniforms. They’re kinda plain, don’t you think?”

“No,” Marian said, taking hold of Jacob’s
arm. “It’s…simple, yet elegant. And I like a man in uniform.”

Juli and William were having a slow
dance.

“So how long have you been in Rhea?” William
asked.

“A little over a year,” Juli replied. “I came
here with my best friends, Sara and Marian. You know Sara, don’t
you?”

“I’ve certainly heard of her. She’s
definitely going to be a household name around here for a
while.”

Sara was certainly in no hurry. After nearly
falling asleep for a second time in the tub, she decided to step
out. She went to her dresser and found her formal attire. It looked
similar to her normal uniform, but with a skirt and no sleeves.

The halls of the Citadel were noticeably
empty.

Sara walked at a brisk pace. As she crossed
one of the gardens on the upper level, she stopped suddenly. The
curtain wall of the Citadel was right next to her. She leaned
against it, looking through the crenel at the city before her.
Instead of enjoying the view, she peered at the shadows as if she
were expecting something to come out.

When she thought about it, if something had
popped out, like a Vesuvian, she’d be completely helpless with no
weapons.

A Guardian and his date for the evening
suddenly came from around the corner, talking and laughing.

Sara waited for them to pass before following
suit. She entered the ballroom directly behind the couple
mistakenly thinking that no one would notice her. Just like in the
dining hall, almost everyone’s attention was drawn to her. But the
odd moment was thankfully cut short.

Juli and Marian were standing around with
their dates and Richard.

“Sara!” Juli shouted.

“Over here!” Marian added, waving.

The party didn’t completely stop, but most,
especially the Guardians, paid their respects by saluting Sara with
their drinks as she passed. Sara, blushing slightly, smiled and
nodded.

“Looking good, Sara!” Richard said.

“Not bad yourself!” Sara shot back.

Marian wrapped an arm around Sara’s. “What
took you forever?”

“You fell asleep again, didn’t you?” Juli
asked.

“In case you didn’t hear. I had a little
tussle with two Vesuvians,” Sara said.

Marian released Sara’s arm, cringing.
“What?”

Sara rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you
haven’t heard by now.”

“Oh, we heard! We just didn’t think it was
you!” Juli said.

Richard wrapped an arm around Sara. “Who else
could have done it? Even among us Guardians, Sara is already a
legend. Earlier this morning, I overheard two Guardians saying that
she had the skull of a Fenrir hanging on her wall.”

“Everyone in the city has been talking about
it,” Juli said. “You actually killed a Vesuvian?”

“Just like they showed me!” Sara answered,
grabbing a drink from a passing waiter and taking a chug. Her face
soured at the strength of the alcohol. “Someone tipped the bar
good!”