Juli pouted. “Don’t be so mean, Marian. Besides, it’s not true. He just had to make sure I wasn’t already going with someone.”
“I know, I know,” Marian snickered. “All the girls he asked already had someone to go with.”
Juli clinched her teeth. “Marian!” she grunted and quickly took off, trying to catch her antagonist.
“Careful!” Sara hollered as she watched her friends dart past the large rocks.
It didn’t take long for Juli to tackle Marian to the ground.
Marian tried to wrestle back but was laughing too hard. “Ow! You’re always playing so rough.”
“Say sorry,” Juli said, holding Marian’s arms down.
“Ok, sorry,” Marian said with a laugh.
Juli let go, but not throwing a handful of grass at Marian.
Sara helped Marian back to her feet. “Don’t be upset, Juli. At least the both of you have someone to go with. Nobody’s asked me.”
“No one has to ask you. You’re a Guardian, you have to go,” Juli said.
Sara shrugged. “Just because the Guardians are hosting it doesn’t mean I have to go.”
“But you are going, right?” said Marian. “You have to go. It won’t be fun unless we’re all there.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be there.”
Juli sat on one of the rocks. Marian leaned against another and Sara stood staring off into the distance past the cliff nearby. The view was incredible. They could see all of the docks along the shore. Dozens of large ships were coming and going.
Juli looked up and sighed. “Sky’s starting to clear up. At least the weather here is just like back home. I can’t wait for winter to come.”
“I hate the cold,” Marian said, disgusted.
“Sara, why don’t you ask someone?” Juli asked.
“The boy is supposed to ask.”
Marian looked sharply at Sara. “You know, there is one Guardian all of the girls dream of going to the ball with.”
Sara had a curious look on her face. “Really? I haven’t had any dreams like that.”
“Sure you haven’t,” Juli said with a spark of sarcasm.
Marian playfully punched Sara on the arm. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know who I’m talking about.”
Sara put her hand on her chin, acting as if she were trying to think of who her friends could possibly be speaking of.
Juli rolled her eyes. “Please, Sara. He’s only the strongest, bravest and most gorgeous Guardian to ever grace the earth.”
A devilish smile crossed Sara’s face. “Arthur may be strong and brave, but I definitely wouldn’t say he’s gorgeous.”
“Your teacher,” Juli said baffled. “Eww!”
“You know you want Richard just as much as any of us!” Marian said, lightly pushing Sara.
“Oh, Richard? I thought he was already spoken for.”
Juli pouted her lips in disgust. “It would be a crime if ever that man didn’t have a girlfriend.”
Sara shrugged. “Why should I care about someone I can’t have?”
“What Juli meant by ‘girlfriend’ was friends that are girls,” Marian explained. “They don’t mean anything to him.”
“How would you know?”
Marian suddenly became coy. “I’ve talked to Richard, too.”
Sara, still smiling, folded her arms across her chest. “Oh, really. And what did he say to the likes of you?”
“You’d like to know, wouldn’t you?”
Sara leaned against a huge boulder “You make it sound like I want to marry him.”
“And what if he asked you to?”
“Of course not! I don’t know him that well.”
Juli hopped off the rock, landing between Marian and Sara. “I saw you talking to him the other day, and you expect us to believe you don’t know anything.”
“I said I didn’t know him that well,” Sara repeated.
Marian grabbed Sara by the wrists and pulled. “Sara, I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you talk. Don’t tell me you don’t see it.”
Frustrated, Sara pulled away. “I didn’t come here to find a husband! I came here to join the Guardians and be a Ranger like my sister. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to be like her. When I was young, she would tell me stories…”
“Cameron got married, didn’t she?” Marian asked.
“She did, to another Guardian. And look at her now. She’s back in Gaia with her kids. I’m not ready to become a wife and mother. I would die if I just stayed at home doing nothing.”
Juli placed her hand against Sara’s forehead. “The good news is that you’re not sick. Bad news is that you’re crazy. How could you not want a man like Richard to care for you as you lie in the sun?”
“Easy. I don’t think about it,” Sara said, looking up.
Marian and Juli stared at their friend like a lost cause.
“It’s not like I’ll be single forever. I’m still young.” Marian’s eyes shot wide open. “Being a Guardian is your idea of fun?”
It was right then that Sara seemed as if she weren’t too sure of herself. “Maybe it’s the danger, or something. I don’t know.”
“I’ve heard some of the stories,” Juli said. “If I ever saw one of those monsters, I think I would die screaming.”
Marian held Sara by the arm. “Sara, we know that you trained very hard to be a Guardian, and no one doubts you. But I’ve heard some of the stories, too. What if another war breaks out? They say that some assignments are just plain suicidal.”
She responded rather like a Guardian recruiter giving a pitch might. “That’s not true. Guardians are trained to easily handle any situation. We are also highly trained to fight and overcome any adversary.”
“Real funny, Sara. Have you ever even seen a Vesuvian, or Fenrir, or whatever they’re called?”
“Don’t worry!” Sara said. “Believe me when I say that I know enough about them. If the Guardians didn’t think I was ready, they wouldn’t be giving me my first assignment tonight.”
“Tonight!” Juli said.
“What about the ceremony and all that stuff?” Marian asked.
Sara gave a small shrug. If she weren’t so ashamed of it, she might not have exaggerated the truth. “They usually have a big ceremony. My teacher said I did very well…so I guess that’s why I graduated alone.”
“Still, you could have told us you were graduating,” Juli said.
“Hey, it was a private ceremony for some reason. Believe me, I didn’t like it, and I would have felt horrible telling you guys you couldn’t go!”
The worried look on Juli and Marian’s face was clear.
“What’s going to happen? Where will they send you?” Juli asked.
“I don’t know, but the Marshal will give me my assignment in a few hours.
Marian appeared as if she were going to cry. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”
Sara shook her head. “Don’t get mushy. It’s not like we’re never going to see each other again. Hopefully I’ll stay here in New Haven, but if not, I promise to try and stay in touch.”
Marian and Juli wrapped their arms around Sara for a group hug and began to cry, which made Sara feel awkward.
“You’d better,” Marian said.
Sara did her best to remain stoic. “C’mon, you two,” she said, but after several moments she found herself on the brink of tears. “Both of you are just weird.”
CHAPTER FOUR
It was late in the evening. Arthur waited impatiently just outside the Citadel. “Where is that girl?” he said, leaning on the wall and folding his arms across his chest.
The grounds were now empty of commoners. Only a few patrols walked about. A Guardian in the Citadel set a torch against a small reservoir of oil that fed into all of the lamps in the ground outside.
Arthur stared off into the surrounding city. The light from the buildings gave them a subtle silhouette. It was actually quite calming. Just as he was abou
t go off into a daydream, Sara came running into view.
“It’s about time!” Arthur said.
Sara was back in uniform, mostly. She struggled to place one of her armbands on as she made her way to the Citadel. “Excuse me!” she said, almost plowing through several Guardians who barely managed to get out of her way.
Arthur opened the door as if he were expecting Sara to keep going. She was going so fast he was surprised that she managed to stop before reaching the door.
“Sorry,” Sara said, “My friends and I were at the pub. They wanted to give me a good sendoff.”
“You better not be tipsy!” Arthur said.
“I drank one little glass.”
Arthur sniffed the air and thought he picked up a slight whiff of alcohol. He shook his head in disappointment. “You haven’t been a Guardian even a day and you’re already pushing it.”
“It was one glass,” Sara said, placing her hands on her hips.
Arthur waved his hand for Sara to go inside. “Let’s go. The Marshal is waiting in the Great Hall.”
Sara could never really keep her eyes in front of her to see where she was going. “You know, I think I’ve only seen half of this building. I need to take myself on a tour one of these days.”
“You won’t find anything more interesting in here than outside,” Arthur said. “After one week on assignment, I bet you’ll want to get as far away from this place as possible.”
After a few minutes of walking, Sara started to ask. “So, about my first assignment…”
“I’ve already spoken with the Marshal,” Arthur said. “You’ll get what you want, and I’ve pulled a few strings to have you assigned here in New Haven.”
Sara’s face lit up. “Really? I can’t believe you did that. I was worried I would be assigned to patrol one of the routes between the cities.”
“Don’t make me regret this!”
“Don’t worry. I promise I won’t screw up.”
Arthur opened another door and allowed Sara through first. “You shouldn’t make promises like that,” he said.
Sara passed by, but then stopped and turned to Arthur. “Then how about ‘I’ll do my best?’”
“I can appreciate that,” Arthur said with a wink. “C’mon, the Marshal is right through that door.”
It didn’t show, but Sara became anxious looking at the large door at the end of the hall, and with every step she took toward it, her anxiousness turned to excitement.
“Remember, just take the nearest seat next to him and please be nice.”
“No problem,” Sara said.
Being the noble Guardian he was, Arthur opened the door and politely allowed Sara to pass first.
The Great Hall was a very large circular room with a huge table in the middle surrounded by chairs.
Henry, a man who looked about as old as Arthur, was sitting patiently in a chair. A small candle and some papers sat on the table in front of him. Henry was a Marshal, a Guardian assigned to lead the other Guardians in a particular area, like a city. Sara sat down next to him.
“Hello, Ranger,” Henry said.
“Hello,” She responded.
“So what did you think of the training? Tough, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it was, sir.”
Henry began ruffling through the papers in front of him. “I hear you graduated alone and early, too!”
“Um…yeah,” Sara said uneasily.
Henry leaned towards Sara with a smile on his face. “Congratulations!” he said before returning to his papers.
Sara’s eyes wandered around at the numerous painted windowpanes around the room.
“Now,” Henry continued, seemingly more excited than Sara. “I have five positions in the three cities. There are openings here in New Haven. One in Alaria, and one in Genoa. Did you have one in mind?”
“Yes,” Sara answered without hesitation. “I’d like to be assigned here in New Haven.”
“It shall be done,” Henry said. He picked up his pen and filled out the necessary paperwork
“Sign here and here, please.”
Sara quickly signed the forms.
Henry took the forms back and folded them. “That’s it. Welcome to the Guardians. You are to patrol the Chapel District on the second shift. Don’t forget to pick your weapons up in the armory.”
“Thank you,” Sara said, shaking Henry’s hand.
“Please be on your way. Your shift starts soon.”
Sara got up and headed straight for the door Arthur was too pleased to open.
“Are you happy now?” Arthur asked.
Sara walked at a brisk pace with Arthur doing his best to keep up.
“This is it! My first assignment!” Sara said.
“What are you doing?” Arthur asked. “You act like you’re going off to save the world or something. You do know what patrolling boils down to, right? All you do is walk down a few streets, making sure nothing bad happens.”
Sara responded without hesitation. “If something bad does happen, I’m going to be there to stop it.”
“What’s the worst you think will happen? There's never even been a confirmed sighting of a Rhean within the city.”
“That doesn’t mean it won’t happen tonight.”
Arthur couldn’t help but laugh. “I almost forgot – you’re a newbie, so I guess it’s okay to have high hopes.”
Sara ignored the insult. She didn’t care what anyone said. She was a Ranger and she had a job to do.
Arthur decided it was best to ease up and leave her alone. The thick wooden doors of the armory came within sight as they rounded the corner.
A single Guardian stood by the door and opened it as Sara passed.
The armory was loaded with a few different types of weapons. Aside from the standard sword and shield, which few Guardians used because of the weight, there were also collapsible composite bows.
Sara grabbed a talon and equipped it. Talons were leather gauntlets with retractable blades worn at the wrist. Since it was small, light and easy to master, it was a popular secondary weapon.
Her final weapon, one she wished she had practiced more, was the halo. It was simple in design, yet so hard to wield safely that many Guardians thought twice before using it. Sara carefully grabbed a halo from its holster and spun it around her hand.
“You don’t need a weapon like that for an assignment like this, do you?” Arthur asked. “I've heard stories of people losing fingers just trying to pull the damn thing from the holster.”
Sara flicked, flipped and spun the halo like she had been born with it, but sighed and placed the halo on the rack. “You’re right,” she said. She moved over to a table with dozens of equinoxes lain out. It was the workhorse in the Guardian's arsenal.
Compared to Arthur's equinox, these were just a plain leather-wrapped hilt with blades but just as deadly.
After a little eyeballing, Sara picked one up and extended the blades. There was just enough room in the armory for her to practice a few basic moves. Satisfied, she retracted the blades and holstered it.
A Guardian stepped in and tossed his equinox on the table. Letting out a long sigh, he turned his head side-to-side, cracking his neck. Looking at Sara, he asked. “Let me guess, Chapel District, right?”
“Yeah,” Sara answered.
“I’d hurry if I were you. My shift is up.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Sara and Arthur ran at nearly full speed. The streets were now much less busy, so it didn’t take long to reach the Chapel District.
“Here we are,” Arthur said, lightly huffing as he held his sides. “You know the routine. Walk this way and that way, and that’s it. Someone will come to relieve you of duty at midnight.”
Sara took a quick survey of her surroundings. The chapel rested in an alley-riddled area where the buildings and streets radiated outward from it. “Well, I guess this is it.”
“Finally!” Arthur said tiredly. “I thought I’d never get rid of you!”
/> Sara laughed out loud.
“See you around,” Arthur said. With that, he turned and left Sara to be on her own for the first time.
Sara watched as Arthur faded into the darkness. As she patrolled her beat, she could hear the creaking of signposts, the chirping of crickets, and a gentle breeze of cool air every now and then.
At one point, her route branched in two directions. One path winded several blocks to the chapel. The other was a dark, narrow alley. There were a dozen reasons to not take the alley, most of them nothing to worry about.
Sara stared down the less-traveled alley, telling herself there was nothing to be afraid of, nothing she couldn’t handle. A blast of cold air rushed out from the alley that made Sara’s hair stand on end.
“Maybe next time,” Sara whispered to herself. As she began to walk down the street she heard a clang-like sound that seemed to come from the alley. Sara stopped and looked again. “What the...”
Sara moved through the alley trying to make as little noise as possible. There was nothing out of the ordinary, except that she occasionally heard an odd noise that sounded like cloth moving through the wind. Each time, it came from a different direction.
“Is anyone there?” Sara asked. After a moment she continued through the alley and eventually came upon a wooden crate. She leaned back against a wall for a rest from the games she thought her mind was playing on her. “Get a grip,” she said, taking a seat on the crate.
After some eye rubbing, and a yawn, Sara was back on her feet. She stretched her arms and took a deep breath. She took several steps forward and then stopped when she had an undeniable feeling of being watched. There were several places in the shadows for someone, or something, to hide.
Sara examined the alley in front of her. Another gentle breeze blew across her back. As calmly as she could, she turned around. At first she couldn’t really make out anything in the dark, but after about three seconds she realized that there was someone standing just a few feet in front of her.
Sara’s heart jumped. With the speed and grace of a cat, she grabbed her equinox and extended its blades. Just as quickly, the figure leaped straight up into the air and onto the rooftop, and almost immediately after that something else right behind her did the same thing.
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