The Guardian

by J. L McFadden

  John just sighed and followed Vitaliy to the training area; not a word was said the whole time, Vitaliy already knew that this training season was trashed due to her callous behavior with him. Vitaliy was trying to figure out how to deal with this. Galina from being treat as a Barbie by her parents at home as a human and then repeated by Adela made her unusual character a spoiled and strange mixture. He had noticed that throughout the years she would only walk and speak with a man as her boyfriend for a very short time and find any excuse to push him away. It was clear she was afraid to give herself over to love. Vitaliy feared this could complicate things greatly.

  Attempt after attempt, John failed at stopping Vitality’s attacks. Hours had gone by and not one successful counter to anything Vitaliy threw at him. Vitaliy halted for a moment trying to understand what to do about this, suddenly he screamed,” What the hell is your problem? If they kill you they will kill her! Are you really going to let a woman’s bad mood throw you off?”

  John looking ashamed hung his head in complete embarrassment,” No sir, I don’t want to die or let them get their hands on her.”

  “Get your head together; Adela will deal with her later.”

  Vitaliy tried for another couple of hours with very little progress and a feeling of absolute loss for knowing how to remedy this situation. Realizing that soon enough, the ancients would be on the hunt, just as soon as they catch with of this young and green guardian.

  When he got home she was there and a little warmer than before, but still had the ice queen feel about her. After, he got done cooking up supper for the night, and serving some wine to Galechka in the room he had lit with candles. He was doing his best to warm her frigid heart; she seemed to smile a bit and was speaking more and more with him, but things was not going as well as he wanted. He sat upon the bed and patted on the corner for her to come and take a seat by him. She did so and he ask her,” Why are you so hesitant about us? We have had a great time and no issues at all.”

  “I am not sure if I love you; if I do not love you than it is a waste of time for me.”

  “Let’s try and make this work; I believe that we have a great thing between us.”

  “I do not want to feel like I am trapped.”

  “Let’s just try for a little bit and see how you feel.”

  Without another word she leaned forward wanting to be kissed by this man before her. She magically became extremely passionate; she was even very aggressive with him. He spun her around placing her back on her back with him looking down on her. They were kissing hot and heavy as they had their hands running all over each other. She was doing her best to pull and hold him close. She was now lifting up her shirt and kissing and licking her stomach in all the spots e knew she liked, working her way up to her chest, kissing and teasing her as she rolled her head back in the moment; her breathing became deeper as her lover was touching in all the right places. She got a smile on her face as he started to pull her shirt up and she assisted on removing it; she knew he was going to start kissing and chewing or her neck and ears, which always drove her completely crazy over this. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she felt his hot breath upon his ear.

  She could feel her temperature rising along with her pulse as her breathing also deepened. How could she doubt what she felt for him with moments like this? Ran through her head as the two kissed and teased each other; he was kissing and nibbling on her ear as she loved so much and had requested a few time from him. He rolled them both over so that she was now on top, realizing a long time ago that when he did this she became more aggressive and responded better to him. She was hot and ready, now she was kissing down on him, down his stomach and trying to undo his jeans as quickly as she could. This was something she wanted now and not a second later; as soon as she got his jeans undone, she quickly removed her own. She only left her panties for she knew how he liked the way they looked on her before slowing tugging them off has he kissed in all the places around, but never other than I slight brush did he touch her pedals on her flower. Again as he starts to get a taste of what he had been craving so badly, she reached down and grabbed him by the head pulling him up onto her; he was frustrated, because he wanted to saver in her taste and smell, even her sent was heavenly. She smiled as she pulled him up to wrap her legs around him and pulled him as close as she could. She knew exactly how to make him lose his mind.

  The early night, came quicker than he was ready for. Being up until the late afternoon making love to her, he was worn out and drained, but knew there was work to be done. He struggled to scrabble up his eggs, make his coffee all the long he allowed her to sleep; he was tip toeing around and trying not to make any off sounds that could disturb her.

  Soon, came the expected knocking at the door, but this time John was already at the door and had opened it right after the first rap of Vitaliy ’s hand; he had is finger placed in front of his lips as a sign to Vitaliy to be silent. He motioned to Vitaliy that he would be on his way.

  Vitaliy whispered as they were walking away from the door,” I take it that you two have resolved all of the issues.”

  Quietly he replied back, “Seems that way, but I wish I knew what they issue was.”

  “A little word from the wise, that girl will never be honest to you or herself about her feelings; all you can do is hold on for dear life and give her space when she needs it. Trust me; she does not do well with people questioning her.”

  “So you’re a wise man now?” John jokingly said.

  “After almost a millennium on this Earth I think I have learned enough to call myself wise or at least wiser than I was a few hundred years ago.”

  “So you’re an ancient.”

  “No, I am no ancient at least not so far I haven’t seen the signs yet; to be honest, I am hoping you have some luck in killing a few before my change. You see some times they will kill us when we start to get our ancestral powers. The men at the top do not like any competition.”

  “So you are telling me that they kill anyone that is showing signs of power, which could threaten them?”

  “That would be not too far from how it is; not too far from the truth at all. Throughout all the time that Adela and I have seen, any threat or future chance of a threat is exterminated without prejudice. The wolves’ numbers kept thin, guardians wiped out as soon as they are found any vampire that starts to show ancient powers is usually found guilty of some terrible crime against the covens and killed.”

  Vitaliy paused for a moment listening closely to their surroundings before continuing,” You can never be too sure or too careful, speaking of these things can and will cause you to lose your head. Well I guess, training a new guardian in a conspiracy to take down my ancients warrants death in their eyes.”

  “So no one has ever been as strong as them?”

  “Not of my knowledge; there are rumors of a time when a guardian had killed a few of the ancients at one time and that is why they fear your race so much. Adela’s guardian was very young, untrained and still held his own for a while, well that is until they used her as leverage.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Her life or his was the option he had and a guardian cares more about the vampire it belongs to than its self. He made them promise not to touch Adela. I believe the only reason they kept their word is to see her suffer his loss, because it was clear he was also the love of her life time.”

  Hours past and John had made an enormous amount of progress, but was still falling prey to most of the attacks thrown at him. It was becoming clearer and clearer his strengths and weaknesses; having taken note of all of his pupils’ strengths and weaknesses he decided to have a word with John.

  “Youngster, your attributes are more strength than speed; some of the ancients have both and we need to prepare you for this.”

  “How do I deal with both?”

  “I need to teach you how to anticipate the moves that are about to come; some monks can envisions the whole fight before it happens a
nd I need to teach you to somewhat do the same.”

  “So the ancients move as fast as you and are stronger?” John asked with a sound of concern in his voice.

  “No! They are stronger and faster than me. You have to understand that I could be as fast as some of the ancients, but do not have their strengths. Adela will need to teach you that my friend.”

  “Wait how is Adela going to teach me how to deal with an ancient when you cannot?”

  In a flash John could feel Vitality’s breath on his ear as he whispered,” It turns out our lady has started to become an ancient and not even your little girl can know.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “With the display of power she demonstrated a few days ago on a spy we found, there is no doubt.”

  Their training went on for a few weeks and each day he made progress by leaps and bounds; it mattered not how fast or strong Vitaliy attacked him, John more and more was being able to counter all the moves handed to him. Rather they were fighting with staffs hand on hand or even when Vitaliy would blind side him with an attack whenever John would be walking with Galechka just to make sure John was on his toes. The battles became more and more aggressive as Vitaliy was sure he wouldn’t kill John. Vitaliy also devoted hours upon hours on teaching him how to meditate and focus on knowing was going to happen before it happened.

  Adela’s Visit

  It cooling off and there was sure signs that Autumn was around the corner if not already knocking on the door, wind was gusting outside and blowing the few leaves that had turn round and round when a gentle and soft sound of the door knocked was bounced off of the old oak door on which it was mounted. Behind the door as it was swung open was a woman with an older style hooded outfit, but doubtlessly a beautifully shaped woman by the way the outfit molded its self around her small petite body.

  As the woman with long and well cared for nails, fingers covered in old Russian gold that had more of a red tone to it than a gold color, reviled her astoundingly beautiful, long black hair as she pulled back her hood; as she lifted her head upwards her hair parted reveling what seemed to be an even younger and more alluring Adela. Somehow she now seemed that of a seventeen year old than the mid 20’s she seemed earlier and more of a glowing energy to her.

  “My lady,” Bernandas exclaimed; shocked and astonished by the changes in Adela,” forgive me and welcome to my humble abode.” As she walked father into the his place she could see Vitaliy standing next to the table bowing to her, but as he straightened up it was clear the shock he was feeling by the look on his face; both he and Bernandas practically had their jaws hanging to the floor.

  She had a playfully wicked look on her face as she revealed her bright, dark blue eyes; with her flowingly long, dark black hair and light skin tone with no perfections and a younger appearance than the boys had last seen on her stated, “A few blessings have come with becoming an ancient.”

  Vitaliy took a step towards the lady that he had served all these years with his hands out waiting for her to grasp onto his; as she took his hands in his he stated with a sound of glee and shock in his voice,” My lady, how have you changed,” not believing his eyes in what he seen before him, even her body had taken on a firmer tighter shape and how could you not be mesmerized by her pure beauty,” I almost did not recognize you my queen.”

  “You flatter me my old friend, but my looks are not the only thing that has changed you know.”

  Looking interested and inquisitive he asked his dear queen,” What are the other marvels of which you speak of?”

  Releasing her hands from his, she walked around his back and over to her other dear loyal friend Bernandas and patted him on the chest as she passed by him to stand in front of the enormous old stone fire place that was in this quaint old home of his and ran her hand along the old wooden mantle that had a mix of wooden statues hand carved by Bernandas himself, some of wolves howling upward, some of owls in different positions and some of other animals in the woods, he was a true master of carving.

  “Such beautiful work my dear friend,” she said as she played with some of them taking time to take in their details,” I have always loved the presents that you have carved out for me throughout the years. I know you do not come into our home and I would like that to change; we are approaching a new era and I want us to lead others into it by example.”

  “Thank you Adela,” he said as he bowled slightly to her, somewhat out of embarrassment, because he never carried his own work in high acclaim and there friend ship meant the world to him,” but you are being to kind about my work; I believe our friendship through the have blinded you to my works great deal of imperfections.”

  After bounced the palm of her hand off of the mental twice and spun around shaking her finger at her dear friend that loved to howl at the moon and responded,” My dear friend, you have always been far too modest about your talents and maybe that is why your work is so good; I have noticed throughout the years I have lived that one whom brags or boasts about the talent of their artistry of any type is usually a far cry from one who was insecure about their work.”

  Bernandas now blushing and trying to council this interrupted her,” Well that is up for a great deal of debate about my work and I agree with you about the braggarts, but we have much more important things to discuss.”

  “Yes my lady much to speak of.” Vitaliy chimed in.

  “Oh drats, you two cannot take any time to reflect and appreciate what and who surrounds you.”

  Both men turned and looked at each other deeply puzzled and confused by what seemed to have happened to Adela. This was not her usual way of speaking to them and it made them both a bit nervous, it was she who led and they knew without the old Adela everything could fall apart in a blink of an eye.

  “Relax boys,” she exclaimed seeming annoyed with them and their troubling thoughts,” We are about to change all that we know in the world and I think a little reflecting would be in order; you have to understand that some of us might not live past these events, so we should embrace each other in these times that we are before each other. Besides my more youthful appearance and energy, I have been blessed with more attributes and older attributes are stronger and better now. I will reveal them to you in due time my trusted friends.”

  The men looked at each other and then looked at her and Bernandas started with,” There are peculiarities with this guardian that you should be aware of.”

  “What sort of peculiarities do you speak of?”

  Vitaliy jumped in,” Were do we start Bernandas?”

  “I think what I witnessed would be a good place.” Bernandas replied.

  Vitaliy motioned for him to go ahead and give Adela his take on what he witnessed while training. Not knowing how to say what he needed to and having his nerves racked with fear that Adela might think he had gone absolutely mad he was fidgeting thing his hands for a few moments before going into his ideas, “Adela I know this is going to seem inane and insane, but I think the boy might have a bit of werewolf in him.”

  “That is impossible!” she exclaimed, “Guardians are just guardians and can be nothing else, but please elaborate with why you feel this way”

  Bernandas was looking sheepish and was out if character when he replied with, “To start with there was a day I blindsided him, I attacked him as a werewolf without him knowing who I was, doing my best to make him think this was for real, and his eyes turned to a werewolf type before changing into what is his guardian eyes; maybe you don’t know his glow a bright green.”

  Pausing for a moment to see how Adela was taking the report he looked at her as a lost puppy dog afraid to upset its master. Adela while sipping on her tea motioned for him to continue. Her beautiful blue eyes, which seemed to be able to cut through any dark room or hallway were fully engaged on him and seemed to be taking him seriously.

  “Well um, there is also how my pack reacts to him; they do not treat him as a non-wolf. To be honest the females are swooned by him, especiall
y when they are in heat and the males seem to have the I need to prove I am more alpha than him attitude towards him, but all show signs of being timid. To be honest the one good thing is even against me he is formable.”

  Adela sat in the large old fashioned armchair that was clearly made for curling up long nights with a good book, tapped her tea cup with her nails, one by one going from pointer finger to pinky and repeating it again and again; you could see in her eyes and posture that she was deeply contemplating his words.

  She cocked her head and asked,” Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?”