by Wendy Owens
“Maybe I should lead,” Uri suggested.
Sophie ignored his offer and continued into the darkness, the boys staying close behind her. Echoing through the halls they could hear various beastly noises. It sounded like they had entered some sort of monster’s den, and it was close to feeding time.
“Be alert,” Uri whispered.
The shadows all around them were in constant movement. Gabe held his breath; the cloaking spell gave him no comfort. Only one of these creatures would need to catch their scent and it wouldn’t take long for them to be ferreted from their invisibility.
Sophie grabbed each of the boys tightly around the wrist, pulling them firmly. She moved quickly, darting around corners, making quick work of the blackened corridors, Gabe wondered how she could see in the darkness, but then realized she must have still had her steps memorized. After all, this place had once been her sanctuary.
She came to a halt. Peering around the darkness, looking for any sign of life, she waited another moment to be sure. Then reaching out with her left hand she ran her fingers over the cold wet stones before her, feeling around in the darkness.
Gabe watched, waiting with intense anticipation. Then it happened, she pressed and turned one of the stones, the result, a false wall shifting and moving to the side.
“Quickly!” she instructed, looking around anxiously.
The two did as they were told, Sophie rushing in behind them and sealing the door closed after.
“That was crazy,” Uri commented.
“Just a little,” Gabe agreed, a slight laugh at the end.
“We need to work quickly, it won’t be long until one of them is able to pick up some trace of our scent,” Sophie reminded the group.
“Illuminare,” she spoke softy, a light at the far end of the room igniting in response to her command.
Gabe glanced around the room; there were hundreds of old wooden crates covered in a thick layer of dust. “This is going to take forever,” he remarked.
Sophie, ignoring his comment, crossed straight over to a cluster of boxes. Rubbing away the dust on several of the crates she stopped when she reached the one at the far edge. “Oh ye of little faith,” she commented, stepping to one side to reveal her discovery.
“Huh?” Gabe huffed.
“Really dude? Why do you think Michael suggested Sophie help us. She knows every inch of this place,” Uri answered. But Gabe did know that about Sophie, he wasn’t sure how he could have ever doubted her. He saw her love for these artifacts and books early on in their relationship. Of course she would know where to start searching.
“How do you even know what you’re looking for? I’d think it would be like finding a needle in a haystack,” Gabe inquired.
“Not really. We know the approximate age of this weapon was during the early days of the Guardians. You just look at the time period in which the Guardians were sent to earth, they you search any records within a five hundred year period around that time.” Sophie explained. “There really aren’t that many records from that time frame. I would say the books in this box and that one there would be most likely to contain the information you’re looking for ... well, if it even exists.”
“Gee, thanks sunshine,” Gabe snarled.
“She’s got a point,” Uri noted.
“That’s it. Can everyone shut up and start looking? This is the best shot we’ve got,” Gabe pleaded.
“Find anything?” Gabe asked looking over in the direction of his friends.
“No, and I’m thinking we’re not going to,” Uri replied.
Slamming a book down on a nearby crate Gabe shouted, “Uri!”
Jumping to his feet, Uri rushed up into Gabe’s face. “What on earth do you think you’re doing? Do you want to bring every demon in a five hundred foot radius coming this way?”
“Why not? According to you, everything is hopeless anyways,” Gabe argued, not attempting to lower his voice.
“I’m serious, you’re not going to put us in danger because you can’t keep it together. I’ll lay you out right here,” Uri warned, pushing his chest into Gabe’s body.
“I’d like to see that,” Gabe taunted.
“Fine,” Uri growled.
“Will you two shut up for a second? I think I found something,” Sophie exclaimed in an excited whisper, hopping up onto one of the closed crates.
“What?” Gabe gasped. “Are you serious?”
Sophie nodded, rapidly skimming the pages with her fingertips.
“Well? What does it say?” Uri asked, quickly forgetting his confrontation with Gabe.
Before Sophie could say a word, a screeching and intolerable sound blasted out all around them.
“What is that?” Gabe cried out, covering his ears.
“If I had to guess, an alarm,” Sophie shouted back.
“Nice Gabe! I told you someone would hear you,” Uri snapped, glaring at his friend.
“We have to get out of here. If the trackers know we’re here it won’t take them long to find us,” Sophie said turning and running towards the rear of the room.
“Wait, isn’t the exit this way?” Gabe called after her.
“We need to split up. You guys go that way and I’ll take another way out. We’ll meet back at Iron Gate,” Sophie replied, clutching the book tight to her body, wrapping her sweater over top of it.
“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to split up,” Gabe argued, but Sophie didn’t stick around for the discussion.
“She’s right man, the more targets the trackers have the harder it will be for them to find us. Come on, we’ll go out this way and then we should split up, too,” Uri instructed, grabbing his friends arm.
Gabe hesitated for a moment, before at last complying with the request, his voice shook as he stated, “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Is there anything we ever do you should have a good feeling about?” Uri asked, approaching the exit.
“True,” Gabe agreed.
“Cloak again, and as soon as I open the door stay close to the wall until we make our way out into the open. I’ll head to the south and transport to a safe zone from there. You get to the beach and transport from there.” Uri laid out the plan, and before Gabe could prepare himself the door was open and he was running.
The colors passed by in a blur, the growls and snarls that surrounded him felt like a chaotic tornado he was caught in and he was trying to fight his way out of it. He couldn’t tell if something sensed his presence, or if they were just the normal sounds of this strange place. Darting up the stone steps through the library, and down the corridors, Gabe clutched his stomach. The auguries were intense; they felt as if he were being repeatedly stabbed.
Emerging into the clearing, Gabe watched as Uri darted off in the direction of the south gate. Without hesitation he made his way back, the same way they had arrived. Looking over his shoulder, hoping to see any sign of Sophie, his body felt heavy when he saw nothing. Where could she have gone? He wandered.
Looking back in the direction he was running, his body came to a hard stop, his feet skidding and kicking up dust as he did so. A tracker was directly in his path. He froze, uncertain if the beast could see him or noticed the disturbance to the earth from his presence.
Due to its responsiveness, it wasn’t long before Gabe was certain the monster could sense his presence. He needed to get around it and flee before the tracker honed in on his exact location. Carefully stepping to the left, Gabe attempted to maneuver around the beast. It matched his steps, fluttering its leathery wings.
Moving backwards, he attempted to step to the right, careful not to reveal his steps in the earth. Once again, the beast matched his movements, sniffing the air as it did so. Leaning low, it was as if the monster was staring him directly in the eyes with its hollow black gaze. Gabe widened his stance, preparing for the moment the creature would attack.
“Hey, this way creep!” a voice called out from behind Gabe. By the exit of the main
building stood Sophie, uncloaked and wildly waving her arms.
Before Gabe could react, the demon took off in her direction.
“Go!” she shouted before disappearing beneath a cloaking spell. Gabe knew that would not throw the creature off for long. He wanted to help her, but she had already disappeared. With a deep breath he hoped she knew what she was doing and took off at full speed in the direction of the cliff side, avoiding low-level demons who were out on patrol due to the alarms as he did so.
Gabe moved swiftly, weaving around the boulders, making his way down the trail and to the beach. The sooner he got back, the sooner he could meet up with the others. He knew Sophie had the book that would help put an end to all of this. He had doubted her once on this quest, he wasn’t about to again. She knew what she was doing, and he was certain she’d be waiting there for him.
Clenching his eyes closed tightly, he pictured the clerics’ temple about fifty miles south of Iron Gate. When he reopened them he was surrounded by a number of priests, mumbling confused statements.
“Please, someone,” Gabe began. “I’m a Guardian, I need help.”
He searched their faces frantically, seeking a connection, an understanding of what he was saying. “I need to find transportation to Iron Gate,” he added.
“Of course, this way.” A young boy, barely sixteen said from the sea of unfamiliar faces. Gabe made his way through the cluster of men and to the boy’s side. “Forgive them, we don’t see many Guardians these days. They all seem to be on the front lines.”
Gabe thanked him, and though his head was still fuzzy from the transportation spell, he was on his way within minutes. The dirt bike he had been given had a heavy smell of gasoline. He pulled his shirt up to cover his mouth as he rode off, dust kicking out all around him.
Gabe could see the long and narrow drive ahead of him that led to Iron Gate. Slowing, he signaled to one of the guards. Locking up his wheels, he skidded to a stop. He recognized the guard as he approached; it was Peter, the man who once had his heart broken by Sophie. He had not seen him in some time and he noticed how much he had changed. His body was a visible map of battles he had seen over the years, the dark and hollow eyes that stared back at Gabe told the story of a hardened man.
Nobody could blame Peter for what he had become, Gabe thought. In a way, they had all been broken in someway.
“Can you phone ahead to Michael and the others and tell them I’ve returned?” Gabe asked.
“Yes of course,” Peter answered flatly, turning away and heading towards the nearby guard tower.
Gabe shouted across the drive, “How long have Sophie and Uri been waiting for me?”
Peter turned and flashed a puzzled look. “Uri has been back for a few hours, but Sophie hasn’t returned yet.”
“What?” Gabe muttered, too low for Peter to hear. Peter made his way in to the small building, upon Gabe’s request.
Without hesitation, Gabe kicked his bike back into gear and flew up the remainder of the driveway, pushing the bike as fast as it would go. When he made it through the front gates he barely slowed, only enough to allow himself to leap from the bike, causing it to spin out across the gravel behind him.
There were a couple shrieks as a result, but Gabe didn’t stop, he walked with speed and determination towards Michael’s office, worried he had made a terrible mistake.
Sophie’s safety zone should have put her back at Iron Gate long before him. Especially considering his mode of transportation. Something must have gone wrong.
Gabe didn’t knock, he burst into Michael’s office, the doors flying open, startling everyone in the room.
“Gabe, Peter just called and said you were back,” Michael said.
Gabe searched the room, looking for Sophie’s face, hoping that in fact Peter had been mistaken. His eyes shifted, Uri, Haim, Damon, Rachel, Dina, and Michael. There was no Sophie. “Has anyone heard from her?” Gabe inquired.
Instantly they knew whom he spoke of. Uri stood and shook his head. “We were hoping maybe she was with you.”
“No, we have to go back!” Gabe exclaimed.
“Wait, hold on--” Michael began.
“Something must have gone wrong, we have to go back, now,” Gabe commanded.
Michael raised a hand, attempting to calm the panicked young man, “Let’s not jump to any conclusions.”
Gabe rushed up to his mentor; he needed him to understand the situation Sophie was in and how dire it appeared to be. “When I was leaving Rampart a tracker must have sensed me. It got in my way and wouldn’t let me by. I think it was about to figure out my cloaking spell when Sophie distracted it. It took off towards her, but she immediately disappeared. There was nothing I could do, she was already gone by the time it registered what was happening.”
“What?!” Damon shouted, jumping to his feet. “Are you telling me you knew she was being hunted by some demon, and you just bailed on her?”
“Hey, look kid, there was nothing I could do,” Gabe argued. “Besides, Sophie knows how to handle herself.”
“Apparently not,” Damon snapped back angrily.
Gabe glared at Rachel’s brother in an attempt to intimidate him. “How about you sit down, be quiet, and let the professionals handle this?”
“Wow, Sophie was right about you. I guess you got exactly what you wanted, didn’t you?” Damon’s nostrils flared as he refused to back down.
“Excuse me? Just who do you think you are?” Gabe was now yelling.
Rachel quickly moved in between the two, trying to diffuse the situation. “Damon, I’m sure if there was anything Gabe could have done, he would have. And besides, we don’t know anything is wrong yet, maybe Sophie’s just being careful.”
“He’s a coward sis, can’t you see that? He doesn’t care about Sophie! He doesn’t care about anyone, but himself,” Damon argued with his sister.
“I’d watch what you say kid,” Uri warned, no longer willing to stand by and watch his best friend’s character be attacked.
Damon shifted into an even more aggressive posture, “Why is that? You guys can’t stand hearing the truth, can you? Sophie told me all about Gabe and how he ran out on all of you. He’s a coward and I seem to be the only one not afraid to say it.”
A loud slap echoed through the room as Rachel’s hand met Damon’s cheek. “He’s my husband and you will respect him. Do you understand me?” Her voice trembled with anger as she spoke.
Damon’s jaw dropped, a shocked look on his face as he cradled his stinging face. He looked around the room, all eyes fixed on him, “Screw this.”
The room watched as Damon exited hastily. Gabe placed his arm around Rachel, “Are you okay?”
Shifting her eyes up to him she nodded, but from the look on her face she was far from okay.
“Gabe, man, we know you wouldn’t have left Sophie if you thought she were in any kind of real trouble,” Haim interjected, attempting to disperse the awkwardness in the room.
“Thanks,” Gabe said with a half smile.
“What are we going to do?” Dina inquired.
“We have to go back for her,” Gabe quickly replied, wondering why nobody seemed to be listening to his suggestion.
Uri moved in close to Gabe, “I’m ready if you are.”
“Wait just a second, you two aren’t going anywhere,” Michael commanded.
“What?” Gabe questioned.
“It’s too soon. She hasn’t been missing long enough,” Michael argued.
Gabe and Uri looked at each other, then back to Michael. “You can’t be serious.” Uri added.
“I’m dead serious, and I’d say the same thing no matter who it was out there. You’re all trained how to handle situations like this one. For all we know, Sophie’s hiding out, waiting for the coast to clear,” Michael continued.
“And if she is captured?” Gabe pushed.
“I’m not saying we’ll wait forever, but we need to give her some time. She’s been doing this for a long
time. We all know she knows what she’s doing. Uri said there was an alarm going off. They’re looking for you, it’s too hot. If you go back now you could not only be putting her in more danger, but risk your own lives. Then who will look after Rachel?” Michael asked, hoping the gravity of the situation sunk in.
“So how long until we can go after her,” Gabe demanded.
“I don’t know, for now we wait,” Michael replied calmly.
The last thing Gabe wanted to do was wait, but he knew Michael was right. If anyone could get herself out of this it would be Sophie.
“All right, it has been three hours. I think Gabe was right, we need to go look for her,” Uri said, pacing the room as if he were a caged animal.
“I still don’t think it’s been long enough,” Michael resisted.
Gabe looked at Rachel, who nodded slightly, as if giving her permission. “Well we do. Sophie wouldn’t leave one of us behind out there and we’re not going to leave her.”
“Haim, are you with us?” Uri asked looking over at his friend.
Avoiding eye contact with Michael, Haim stood to his feet, and grabbed hold of Uri’s hand, “Heck yeah, I’m in.”
“I wish you three would listen to me,” Michael made one last effort to talk some sense into the men.
“I’m sorry sir, we can’t just leave her out there,” Gabe replied.
“Leave who out there?” A voice came from the doorway. All heads turned and stared.
“Sophie?” Uri shouted.
“Yeah idiot, were you expecting someone else?” she joked, her face and body caked in dry mud.
“Oh my God, you look like crap,” Uri muttered.
“Really? That’s what you’ve got to say?” Sophie snarled. “You really are a jerk.”
Gabe quickly moved forward, trying to shift the conversation to prevent Uri from getting smacked. “We thought they might have captured you, or worse.”
“Are you kidding me? Have I ever even come close to being captured-- wait, don’t answer that.” Sophie then explained her delay, “I got out of there just fine, but that freaking tracker caught a tracer on me and followed me through. I had to transport three times before I finally gave him the slip. It really wiped me out, so I covered my self in mud to mask my smell, and I slept.”
