Iris's Guardian

by Lisa Daniels

  Noely wanted to say something, but her friend was looking between the two men. “Why does it matter?” His voice was defensive.

  Cyprian frowned, “Oh, it matters because of one of the abilities that pixies are known for. Hisa, I know what you are doing and it won’t work.”

  “Do you know what Sir Gwavas is going to do to me if you die before he gets a chance to meet you?”

  Cyprian snorted, “Give you a stern reprimand probably.”

  “Yeah, do you have any idea how embarrassing and shameful it is to be reprimanded by a human? So no, you don’t get to die.”

  “I don’t see how you have any say in this,” Cyprian’s voice was level and cool as he faced the captain. The bandage around his eyes was the only thing that detracted from the nobility of his demeanor.

  “Look, with or without your consent, I am getting you out of here. I have spent almost 10 years in the military. 10 years, you understand that, right? If you would have told me that I would become a part of the human military 100 years ago, or even 50, I would have let you beat me down for the insult.”

  Jaylon closed his eyes and then looked over at Hisa. “You would have let him beat you because you couldn’t believe it?”

  Cyprian sighed, “What he means is he would have picked a fight with me over it, knowing that he never had a chance of winning.”

  Jaylon looked between the two men, then his eyes latched on to Hisa’s. “How could you possibly lose to him? He looks like he’s all bone.”

  Hisa laughed while Cyprian remained passive. Hisa’s laughter subsided and he finally said, “Direct your eyes to the prisoner.” Jaylon complied. “You are looking at a shifter who is almost 14 hundred years old. He has single-handedly taken down an entire kingdom after they killed the woman he loved. He has stopped a few dozen wars, negotiated between feuding species, and split an entire continent. When he is feeling lazy, that man before you, let’s call him Cyprian since we are using real names here – Cyprian beats up on the Kraken. If he doesn't want to get caught, you can’t catch him. If he doesn’t want to get hurt, you won’t be able to leave a scratch on his perfect body. If you want to try to take him in a fight, then be my guest. It would be nice to see someone else take a beating for a change. I’ve about reached my limit for this century.”

  Noely looked at Cyprian and understood why he had decided it was time to die. She took his hand quietly and without anyone else noticing. The shifter squeezed her hand a little, but otherwise did not acknowledge the gesture.

  Jaylon looked like he was completely lost. “I don’t understand. Captain Hisa, why are you trying to help the prisoner to escape after your men worked so hard to catch him?”

  “Oh please, I don’t need to explain that to you. Just do your thing,” the captain waved his hand, then turned to Noely. “It appears that you have managed to convince him to heal quite a bit, so we won’t have to carry him out. Now I just need you to take him somewhere safe while I lead everyone in the wrong direction.”

  Noely looked up at Jaylon who was moving his hand in a similar motion to what Hisa had done. His expression was one of concentration, so she decided to ask his question again, “I don’t have any special powers, so please explain to me why you are doing this.”

  Hisa sighed as he leaned his head back. “I’m only in the Yuezhi military to bring this old fool back to his senses. Seriously, he is one of the oldest mortals alive, and the only one that still interacts with the world. You would think that would require some sort of innate sense of self-preservation, or that he would have learned it, but no, this guy is out there looking for a way to die nobly. He damn near succeeded with that avalanche, too. I think it was what gave him the idea to let my men take him down. That was just cruel and uncalled for.” The captain was leaned back in his chair, but he was scowling at Cyprian.

  Noely looked between the two men. “How do you two know each other?”

  All eyes turned to look at her. Cyprian’s calming voice said very simply, “Same species, different type.”

  Jaylon stopped moving his hands. “What types?”

  Noely was looking at Cyprian as she said, “Shifters.”

  “I know, but what types?”

  Noely looked at her friend. “You knew that Hisa was a shifter?”

  “Of course. Why do you think I tried to set you up with him? All of the men I have tried to persuade you to date were shifters.”

  “Wait, you knew?” The young woman could not believe what she was hearing.

  “He’s a pixie, remember. Just like you can get an idea of what species a person is, he can, too. Humans are the only ones who can’t.” Hisa sounded bored. “Here, there seems to be a lot of confusion so let’s get this cleared up. The blind man is Cyprian. I am Hisa, yes, that is my first name – I do not want people calling me by my last name, so I don’t use it in the military. We are both shifters of the same species, but different types. Blondie over there is Jaylon, he’s a half-pixie who is going to tell Cyprian just why he needs to live. And over here we have the lovely Noely, who is-” Suddenly the man stopped talking. He grimaced, “That I cannot tell you because Augustin has to be the one to do it. Or you can take a lover and learn about it yourself.” Like a cat after a mouse, Hisa shifted forward in his chair at an impossible speed. “I am available if you are interested in the second route.”

  Cyprian cleared his throat, “She’s not interested in you, Hisa.”

  “Yeah, well, you don’t get a say, so butt out.”

  “I don’t need a say because she will tell you now on her own.”

  While she was still trying to fully comprehend what had happened, Noely saw an opportunity. “Well, Jaylon has been trying to get us together, and if you are really set on dying, Cyprian, I don’t think that I should try to guilt you into continuing for my sake. And without knowing where Augustin is, I may need to take Hisa up on his offer.”

  The looks on Hisa and Jaylon’s faces were priceless. Her friend looked like he was about to weep tears of joy, while the captain stood up and walked over to her. He offered her his hand. Not sure that she should take it, Noely’s hand hesitated as she was about to stretch it out to the man.

  “I wouldn’t do that, Noely.” Cyprian’s voice was full of warning.

  Hisa didn’t even look at the shifter; his eyes were fixed on Noely. “And why is that?”

  “Because he only wants to play with you until he gets tired. He was not kidding when he complained about the military. You saw how scary he could be, and that was not because he felt insulted on behalf of the kingdom. It was because he was irritable from having to follow orders and act like a competent human being.”

  Jaylon laughed, “A competent human being. That’s funny. That’s like talking about a gifted cow.”

  Three heads turned to look at the half-pixie as he laughed. Hisa joined in until Noely responded, “Thank you, Hisa. I really appreciate the offer, but I don’t think that would be right.”

  He smiled down at her, “I know, but look, it had the intended effect. Shame, though. I could have shown you a really good time while it lasted. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go make sure my men are not implicated in the escape. We will have to chase you for a bit, but Jaylon should be able to deflect the worst of it, and no one should get close enough to physically engage you three in fighting.” He strode toward the door, then turned. “Right. In case the virtual immortal is still thinking about dying, down five flights, hit the wall hard to your right, and slip through the door that opens. Good luck and move quickly. My men should be sending the guards down soon. Once they reach the corridor, get ready to take them down and run.”

  Noely looked at the captain. “We have to take down the guards?”

  “Jaylon should be able to knock them over, you know,” and he made a gesture with his hands. “It will be much easier than dealing with my men; they know how to fight, not just beat up shackled prisoners. Oh, and I don’t want any of my men to get hurt. They may be human, but I�
��ve gotten kind of fond of them. Anyway, stay safe.” With that he disappeared.

  Jaylon and Noely looked at each other for a moment before Jaylon asked, “What does he mean just knock them over?”

  Cyprian spoke up, “Has no one taught you how to control your powers?”

  Jaylon looked down. “No, I haven’t seen any pixies since my mother died when I was three. She taught me a little bit, but my father worked hard to beat all of that out of me so that I could pass as human. I ran away, got abducted by slavers, and ended up on this side of the world. Haven’t had any desire to go back.”

  “And there aren’t any pixies over here to train you, I see,” Cyprian said. “Like it or not, you are going to have to go back to Senones for at least a while to learn. A few of us could do some basic training, but no one on this side of the world has pixie abilities.”

  Jaylon shook his head, “Sure there are some other pixies over here. I just need to look for them. I never thought that it mattered, but if you and Hisa say that I need to get trained, then I will keep an eye out from here.”

  Cyprian gave him a sad smile. “After tonight, you won’t be able to come back to the city. Also, I can tell you with absolute certainty that there are no pixies anywhere near the seven kingdoms.”

  “How can you be so certain?” Jaylon frowned.

  “Because pixies aren’t allowed to be in the seven kingdoms based on the Baslington Concordant.”

  Jaylon looked at the shifter askance. “Maybe there are others like me who were brought here against their will.”

  “That is possible, but they will know just as little as you. As the person who has been enforcing the Concordant for the last 900 years, I can tell you with absolute certainty that there are no pixies on three continents who can help you.”

  “Can’t the species patch things up? I mean it makes no sense to segregate onto different continents.”

  “Yes, it does. For all of their faults, humans are incredibly forgiving compared to other species. They can hold a grudge for decades, but other species tend to remember slights for centuries. Probably because we live longer, which is why a long life isn’t always ideal.”

  Jaylon bit his lip. “Then how come Captain Hisa thinks I can use my powers if pixies aren’t supposed to be here?”

  Cyprian laughed as he stood up, “Easy. He doesn't know. Hisa isn’t exactly up on most types of politics. The last decade has truly been a pain for him because it is everything that he despises, especially having to be responsible. I suppose, I owe it to him to die when it isn’t his head at risk. Well, his pride.” Cyprian shook his head and moved to the door. “Come here, Jaylon, I will teach you a few things that will help, keeping in mind that I am not able to do any of this myself.”

  The pair stood near the door as Cyprian showed the half-pixie a few basic moves and tried to explain the sensations that should arise out of the power. A couple of minutes later, Noely’s friend was able to do a small forced push that knocked the table to the back of the cell. Jaylon’s eyes were wide as he saw what his powers could do. “And that’s normal?”

  Cyprian nodded, “That’s basic for your people. It was incredibly well done, too. You are a fast learner.”

  Jaylon beamed as he looked over at Noely. Her heart began to race as Cyprian walked toward her. His voice was mellow as he reached her and spoke, “It’s good, too, because they are about to open the door.”

  His hand grabbed hers just as the door to the cell opened. Jaylon held up his hands and executed a force push that bowled the four guards over. The half-pixie ran out of the cell and shouted behind him, “Come on while they are tangled up!”

  Cyprian leaned over and whispered in Noely’s ear, “Run.”

  She gave his hand a squeeze and darted out the door, pulling the blind shifter behind her. Her mind was so focused on the fact that he was holding her hand that the young woman didn’t even realize that her feet were no longer touching the floor.

  Chapter 11

  A New Beginning

  Jaylon was waiting for them at the stairs. “Go, I’ll take care of anyone who threatens to catch up to us.”

  “Just be careful, Jaylon. I don’t want to lose you,” Noely said as she flew past him.

  “Noely!” Her friend was looking at her and did not see the guard come charging through the door. Jaylon slammed against the wall in the center of the spiral stairs, then tumbled down the stairs. His head slammed against the floor with a sickening thud.

  “Jaylon!” Noely yelled and immediately turned around. “I’ll be right back, Cyprian. Just give me a minute t-”

  Cyprian was shaking his head, “Absolutely not. You are not a fighter. I will take care of this.”

  “But you can’t-” Noely tried to grab him to keep him from going back up the stairs, when her feet suddenly hit the stairs. She fought to keep her balance, and by the time she was steady, she could hear the commotion above her. The young woman began to run back up the stairs, but a hand grabbed hers as she fought back tears.

  “Thank you for waiting. I was worried that you were going to do something foolish.” Cyprian pulled her along behind him.

  “Where’s Jaylon?” The young woman fought to control her voice.

  “I’ve got the little show-off.” Her head whipped around and she saw Hisa running along behind them, Jaylon slung over his shoulder like an animal hide.

  “What about your men?”

  Hisa gave her a warm smile. “You really are such a sweet dear. If things don't work out with the old man, you know where to find me.”

  “What? No, I don’t.” Her voice bounced as they moved down the stairs at an impossible speed.

  “Ah, well, we’ll figure something out.”

  “But what about your men?”

  “Adequate confusion. The mess that your friend made was enough to cause quite the stir. I mean, even I would have said that was excessive force, but he must really know what he’s doing. Anyway, with everything all stirred up, no one will be able to figure out what happened. I’ll come back later and tell them that the prisoner escaped because of the guards, even though we sent down an extra one. Blah, blah, blah, and then I’ll slip off to live my life properly.”

  “You are going to leave the military?”

  The captain laughed, “If I have to salute to another human in the next 50 years, some heads will be rolling, and it won’t be mine. My problem is solved, so I’m out.”

  She gave him a look as Cyprian slammed the wall and a door slid open. “Then why are you helping us?”

  “What kind of a monster do you think I am? I was not about to see you do something stupid, or give Cyprian a way to get himself killed with honor.”

  “There’s more to it than that.”

  The man gave her a look of warning before rolling his eyes, “Yes, alright, I wasn’t about to let the little flirt die. Happy now?”

  Noely squeezed Cyprian’s hand as they moved into a long tunnel. “Yes.”

  The small group made their way through the tunnel without incident, arriving at the woods outside of the city walls.

  “Oh,” Noely said, looking around. “That is convenient. My cave isn’t too far from here.”

  “Your what?” Hisa asked.

  “Are you really surprised that she keeps a cave?” Cyprian’s expression said everything, even through the bandage.

  “No, not really.”

  They followed her to her little safe area, and she began to make them something to eat.

  “You know that is not necessary, don’t you?” Hisa asked, giving her an incredulous look that she would think about cooking after everything that had happened.

  “Well, this is only the second time I’ve had company, so I want to make sure I do it right this time.”

  “You did just fine last time, too.” Cyprian gave her a smile.

  “Oh, I see, you two have been coming here, getting to know each other, while I was off trying to-”

  Noely gave him a wry grin. �
��I brought him here yesterday evening after your men wounded him.”

  “Oh, and the fact that you two did it here so recently is supposed to make me feel better? I don’t think so.”

  Noely’s face flushed, but Cyprian remained calm, his hand moving slowly over the furniture as if he did not wish to deny what Hisa had said.

  The former captain looked between the two. “Really, Noely, you should have told me. This is just too unfair.”

  “Well, you know now, so you can find your next prey and leave my lady alone. Unless you would like to leave here in worse shape than Jaylon.” Cyprian’s voice was calm and steady without any hint of warning to match what he had said.

  “I take it Jaylon will be alright?” Noely tried to sound positive because she hoped that the two men being so relaxed meant that her friend would be fine.

  “Of course. He’s probably just got a bit of a concussion, maybe a bit of brain damage. Nothing that can’t be fixed by going to Senones.” Hisa waved his hand.

  “You know that he is going to fight about that.”

  Hisa looked over at Noely. “Then it’s a damn good thing that he’s knocked out and will be halfway there before he comes to.”

  Cyprian spoke up, “A quarter of the way.”

  “Oh no, I’m not taking him back. You found him, you take him back.”

  “You brought him into my jail cell. You told him to use his powers. You saved him from getting run through. You have to talk to Sir Gwavas. You take the boy home.”

  Hisa slammed his palm on the table. “Gods, you are just - wait.” His expression clouded over. “Why do I need to talk to Sir Gwavas?”

  “Because I will go see him at the year’s end. Let him know what he needs to do to prepare his proposal and I will see it executed.”

  “Wait, really?” Hisa looked shocked. “You are done pretending that the whole ‘I’m ready to die,’ ‘I’ve no compelling reason to live,’ or ‘A hero’s death isn’t such a bad way to go’ is actually a good idea?”

  “I still believe that a hero’s death is a good way to die, but yes, I think that I can manage to find a reason to continue now. Ahahaha-” He held a finger up at Hisa. “Don’t even.”