The Vanguard

by Jeffrey Ellis

  “If you think for one minute...” Chelsea said.

  “He's right,” Sebastian told her. “He should be the one to determine that.”

  Chelsea looked at Sebastian but said nothing.

  “Bruce, I need your plan for the island as soon as you can provide it to me,” Sebastian told him.

  “Will do. I'll start going over maps and intel as soon as we finish here,” he replied. “Alexander, do you know anything about the island or the library?”

  “I do not. Only Socrates knew its exact location and only he saw the supposed attack. I can show you the location of the island, but I've never had cause to travel there,” he replied.

  “I know we covered a lot and now that you know everything I know I want you to know that you can feel free to ask me anything. If you don't want to talk about something in the open, we can do so privately but I want to encourage open communication. Every time we face a new enemy or a new battle, it escalates. It gets more dangerous by the day but so do you. Continue to train. Continue to learn. The Masters will help you grow into your abilities. The world grows more dangerous by the day and the Vanguard is not just a name. We are the world's first line of defense against those dangers,” Sebastian said.

  “Does anyone else have anything to bring up?” Chelsea asked.

  “I have a gift for Xavier,” Alexander said.

  “A gift for me? Why?” Xavier asked.

  Alexander waved his hand and a box appeared. It had several holes in it and whimpering could be heard from inside it. He slid the box across the table to Xavier. Xavier looked inside the box and there were two puppies inside it.

  “No, thank you. I'm not much for animals,” Xavier told him. “Why would you even bring dogs to me?”

  “They're not dogs. They're amorak. One of the females you killed recently had a litter. After I got out of the hospital, I immediately checked on them and these were the only two that survived. You killed their pack so you're their mommy now,” Alexander told him.

  “No way,” replied Xavier as the two snow white puppies whimpered louder.

  Bethany went over to the box and picked one up.

  “Ooohhhh they're adorable. What are you going to name them?” she asked.

  “Aww, Xavier, you're going to make an excellent mommy,” Bruce said with a laugh.

  “Isn't anyone listening? I said no,” Xavier stated.

  “Little Bruce will love to have them around as he grows up,” Bethany said, ignoring Xavier.

  “You like them, you take them,” Xavier said to her.

  “We have enough on our hands with the baby, but I'll be happy to help as I can,” Bethany said.

  “I do not have the time or inclination for pets. Besides, they're not dogs. It wouldn't be safe for the baby to be around amoraks,” Xavier told her.

  “With Bethany living in London near her parents, the baby isn't here that often,” Bruce told him.

  “Besides, amoraks are easily domesticated if raised with people from this age. I sent you all the information you need to raise them. I've been breeding them for over a century. They'll be your best friends in no time,” Alexander said with confidence.

  “You people aren't listening. I'm not taking care of two dogs,” Xavier said.

  “How about Harmony and Melody for names? Amoraks are known for the musical howls, right?” asked Samantha as she picked up the other one.

  “We'll need to make them a little bed,” Bethany said.

  “They'll also need toys to chew on,” Bruce told them.

  “And some little collars in Vanguard colors with their names on them,” Michael remarked.

  Ra took the one Bethany was holding.

  “You will make great warrior dogs growing up with the Vanguard. Your exploits will be legendary among your kind. The spirit of Wepwawet is strong in you. I can sense it,” Ra announced.

  “Looks like the decision is being made for you,” Sebastian said.

  “They are cute,” said Xavier as Samantha handed him the one she was holding. “Why are they crying?”

  “They are probably getting hungry. I have a supply of milk and more can easily be synthesized. Synthetic canine milk is fine, and most veterinarians have it in ample supply,” Alexander told him.

  “Listen. If they stay here, everyone is helping with them. I go on hunts for days at a time and they'll need constant care,” Xavier told the group.

  “I'll be happy to help,” said Sebastian to everyone's surprise. “We had several dogs on the farm when I was growing up.”

  Xavier sighed. “Welcome to Camelot, Harmony, and Melody.”

  #

  Alexander, Sebastian, and Chelsea were in the training facility.

  “This room is not large enough. We need space but for now we'll make it work,” Alexander said as he took off his shirt and picked up a sword. “We'll start with defense. If you can't survive you can't attack.”

  Sebastian went to the wall to grab a blade and Chelsea followed suit.

  “No. Put them back. You don't get weapons. This isn't about attacking. You need to learn to defend and the best way to survive an attack is to not be hit. We'll focus on speed for now,” Alexander told them as he grabbed a second sword.

  The three of them spent some time with Alexander attacking both simultaneously. As they fought he moved progressively faster. At first, the pair had no trouble avoiding his attacks but as his speed increased it became more difficult. They were both bleeding from several minor wounds and beginning to breathe hard while Alexander showed no sign of slowing.

  “You move like slugs. I was hoping to face off against the archmages Morgana regaled with stories about but instead, I spar with a couple of mere mortals. Disappointing,” he said as he continued to move faster.

  “On the bright side, when we finally face Mordred, you're at least strong enough to carry my equipment if you don't get in my way,” Alexander said smugly.

  “You can't make us angry. That kind of trick works on kids and new recruits,” Chelsea told him.

  “It wasn't about anger,” Alexander said as several swords flew off the rack and in the direction of Sebastian and Chelsea. They managed to avoid them but only barely. “Good. You're maintaining focus.”

  “Why are we focusing on weapons and not on spells?” asked Chelsea as she continued to move around, avoiding the blades that were whizzing through the air at light speed.

  “Because you aren't ready. You still move like mortals. You haven't embraced what you can be. I'm not sparring with Baldric and Malka or even Arthur and Guinevere. I'm dueling with Sebastian and Chelsea, a couple of above-average humans with a few tricks up their sleeves who are going to die violent deaths if they try to take on a true Master,” Alexander told them. “When you understand what you are and what you can do, I'll know and so will you and then you'll be ready to learn.”

  “Or you just aren't good at teaching. Maybe we should have Morgana doing the training. You probably aren't even that good,” Chelsea said.

  “Do you think so?” Alexander asked then spun and drove a blade through her stomach until the hilt was buried. He moved forward, pushing the blade and propelling Chelsea across the room. Her back smashed into a wall/ Alexander kept pushing, sinking the blade into the concrete until she was pinned between the hilt and the wall. Blood flowed down her stomach. Her head slammed backward into the wall nearly knocking her unconscious and leaving her dazed.

  Sebastian screamed in rage and ran to her. As he did so, Alexander threw the second blade through the air at Sebastian who grabbed the sword from the air by the blade and spun it back at Alexander. The blade left a deep gash across his palm that he ignored as he rushed to Chelsea. The speed of the blade was almost too much for their teacher who managed to jump back but still received a small slice across his arm.

  Sebastian rushed over to Chelsea. She was alive but securely stapled to the wall and opened his comm. “I need a medic in the training center immediately.”

  “She'll be
fine. I avoided any major organs,” Alexander told him.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? You could have killed her!” Sebastian said, the combination of anger and worry showing.

  “I would not. She was never in any serious danger,” Alexander told him as he slammed the distracted Sebastian against the wall and pushed a sword into his abdomen, pinning him to the wall like Chelsea.

  Sebastian winced and grabbed the hilt of the blade and pulled. It slid from the wall and he fell to his knees, the blade still penetrating through him. He pulled it out, blood flowing from his hand and both the entrance and exit wounds for the blade. He stood up to face Alexander. Chelsea was recovering from the impact and grabbed the hilt of the blade impaling her but instead of pulling it from the wall, she snapped it off at the hilt and pulled herself from the blade. She had one hand over the wound in her abdomen but the one on her back still flowed.

  “Good. You must not only learn to fight but to endure. What your enemies may do to you is far worse,” said Alexander, “Than what I will do to you. You will suffer, and you will fall but you must stand back up. You must choke down the pain. Every cut, every bruise, every broken bone is a mistake you made. Own them and correct them.”

  Alexander pulled out two small stun metal batons from his pocket and extended them out to about eighteen inches. He pressed a button near the base and electricity buzzed on the tips of each. He jumped at the two wounded Vanguard.

  Sebastian and Chelsea tried to fight against him but were wounded and weakened from blood loss. He pummeled them mercilessly for a minute giving each of them numerous electrical shocks from the stun batons as well as contusions from kicks.

  When the medics arrived, the two of them were laying on the floor, barely conscious covered in their own blood. One of the medics opened his comm. “I need security to the training facility. The High Lord and Vice Lord are both down with extensive injuries.”

  “Belay that,” Sebastian moaned. “It's just a training exercise. Security is not needed.”

  The medics brought in gurneys, but Sebastian waved them off. He pulled himself to his feet and helped Chelsea up. “We can walk to the med bay,” he said as the two of them limped to the door leaving drops of blood behind them.

  “Let the medics take you. You're hurt badly and shouldn't be walking,” Alexander told Sebastian.

  “No,” Sebastian said weakly. “I want my people to see me on my feet regardless of how badly I'm hurt. We're Vanguard and I'm their leader. I will stand when others would fall. I will walk when others would crawl.”

  “And tomorrow you will walk to medical again and you will walk to medical every day until I can't knock you down anymore,” Alexander told him. “Until that day, you will bow before me until I can no longer force you to do so.”

  Sebastian stopped and stared blankly.

  #

  Baldric looked around and the people of Atlantis were gathered before him as he proclaimed the start of the celebration. As the celebration ensued, he noticed fighting breaking out and turned to the Vanguard. “Can you see what's causing that?”

  The drebs of the Vanguard turned their spears on their human allies. The struggle was brief and though Baldric and Malka tried to fight against them, they were outnumbered and taken by surprise.

  The drebs fought with the king and queen and the remaining guards as the city erupted in chaos. Wizards unleashed magic of great fury and the dead piled up. The drebs had planned their attack well and caught the rest of Atlantis off guard.

  Baldric and Malka were surrounded on the platform by their thrones and the head of the Vanguard, a dreb personally trained by Baldric spoke.

  “You will bow before me,” the dreb said.

  Baldric and the dreb faced off, the dreb armed with a magical spear and Baldric with his staff. The orb on his staff had changed into a large, ornate spearhead. The dreb motioned his allies to back off.

  “This one is mine,” he said to his brethren.

  “D'gra, we're friends. You're a brother to me. How can you this?” Baldric asked him.

  “You need not worry yourself with matters of politics anymore. Your reign is over. Spend your remaining moments knowing your people die today,” D'gra told him.

  D'gra and Baldric circled each other. The two fought for several minutes with them evenly matched. Baldric had trained him well but the dreb made a small mistake and Baldric seized it. He thrust his staff forward, spearing the dreb through his chest and driving his spear out its back.

  Another of the drebs swung a blade and cut the head from the staff-spear releasing a magical blast of energy knocking them all down.

  “Baldric!” yelled Malka as she pointed up at Asala flying towards them, opening her mouth to breathe.

  #

  “Sebastian!” yelled Chelsea as he snapped back to reality.

  Alexander was bleeding profusely from a hole in his stomach. A wooden practice staff, usually on a training rack across the room, was driven through Alexander's abdomen and out his back. The staff had no point and was violently forced through the skin, ripping and tearing as it did so, leaving Alexander seriously wounded. The medics ignored Sebastian and Chelsea at that point and rushed to him.

  Alexander looked at Sebastian and smiled. “Morgana wanted you to awaken but I didn't know it would hurt this much,” he said and collapsed.

  “Alexander!” Sebastian said, the worry in his voice was evident. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You'll be okay. We have good medical staff here.”

  “No need...to apologize...my friend...” Alexander said, coughing up copious amounts of blood. “It will take...more than a stick...to kill me and this...was my goal. Not this...painfully but I... wanted to push you to...” but trailed off as the medic injected him with something and he passed out.

  “We'll make it to medical on our own, take care of him,” Sebastian told the medics.

  The blood flow from both Sebastian and Chelsea had stopped, their bodies healing rapidly.

  The medics got him on a gurney and rushed him out. Sebastian and Chelsea walked together and limped away behind them towards the med bay.

  “We can't postpone that trip any longer. The next time someone might get killed,” Sebastian told Chelsea.

  “You're right. Let's go talk to Anna as soon as we're out of medical and transfer command to her. Unless she takes the leave, she is still the ranking officer. First, I want to see if Morgana will talk to Anna. We should start as soon as we're medically cleared,” Chelsea replied.

  The two of them limped towards the medical center leaning on each other for support due to the beating they received. The holes from the swords had partially closed over and the bleeding stopped but they could still feel every inch of the cut with every step.

  #

  Guinevere and Anna were walking through the gardens at Camelot. The Tower was seething with energy and great arcs leaped from it and into the sky and down into the countryside. The region was charged with the energy of the impending Seal.

  “I don't think that is such a good idea, but you must do what you feel is right,” Guinevere told Anna.

  “She is my mother and though I cannot tell her what comes soon, I must say goodbye. I will not reveal the nature of the war and simply tell her I must leave to accompany you on a trip to London, which is true. I wish to see her one last time before the Seal. We might all be dead soon after and I cannot go into the next life knowing how I left things with her,” Anna replied.

  The two women were both obviously with child, Guinevere further along but neither seemed burdened by their developing baby. They were stopped at a bush with red and pink flowers. Guinevere took one and placed it in her hair then did the same for Anna.

  “We all walk a similar path but must choose own our steps upon it. If you need to see your mother, then I will not stand in your way. I would only say to remember you are your own person now and not at her heel. She no longer controls you so meet her as the equal you are not the timid girl she tried to
force you to be,” Guinevere told her.

  “I will. She no longer holds control over me. My life is for my child and the Wardens,” Anna told her.

  “You have only been here a few months but have grown so much. I am pleased you join us. Now go. See your mother and I will begin packing for the impending evacuation. I will prepare your things as well should your visit run long. My coachmen will take you to the village. Lancelot and Gawain have agreed to guard you on the journey,” Guinevere told her.

  “Thank you, Guinevere. I will not be long and will return with ample time for the exodus,” Anna replied.

  #

  The wagon stopped in the village outside her old home. Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain flanked Lady Anna as she approached the small thatched hut. She approached and started to knock but the door opened before she could, and her mother was standing there.

  “Humph,” her mother grunted. “I guess they managed to buy your complacency after all. You went from worthless child to pampered whore and it only took a nice dress and fancy coach.”

  If her words hurt her daughter, it didn't show.

  “You can't cause me pain with your words. I know who I am and for the first time, I am in control of my life. I serve Guinevere and not because of her gold but because unlike you, she is noble not of blood but noble of deeds and by her hand, not by the hands of the Masters or anyone else, have I been elevated as well. I have a purpose now and my child will have a purpose.”

  “I came to try to make amends with the hope you may be a grandmother to your grandchild, but I know that will never happen. You are bitter and care more about how what happened to me affected you than how it affected me. I have come to terms with my life and accepted that though she was created from malice, she will be born of love. If only you had seen your own daughter as your child and not your property things may be easier now. I will never visit you again and leave you to your own devices,” Anna said and turned her back.

  “Wait,” her mother said. “I haven't always been a good mother to you. I know you're not a whore and my words are born of pain. I thought I saw your life destroyed and was bitter. You're strong now and I can see that. The girl who left here would not stand up to me like that. Life has been bittersweet for you but in the short time you were gone, you have hardened. Whether or not you ever see me again, there is something you must do. Your ancestors and your family honor demand it. You're at Camelot now and near the one who soiled you. You owe it to yourself to clean the stain from your name and your bloodline. Remember the old ways, young one. You might be living in that gilded castle, but you know where you came from and you remember what I taught you as a child.”