by Rain Oxford
The Guardian was an imposing guy even without the dense field of power surrounding him. At about six-foot-eight, he was certainly one of the tallest I had met. In fact, around two hundred seventy pounds without an ounce of fat could classify him as massive in my book. I had seen a couple of people on Dios who were bigger, but none who emanated such a field of threatening energy.
“Hello. Am I interrupting something?” I asked.
“Not at all. Have you never seen an execution before?”
Chapter 4
Mordon
I myself had seen executions; it was one of the downsides to living in a kingdom. My father’s kingdom was one of the better ones as far as mercy went. The people of Sujike’s kingdom, not far from my father’s, could not go down to the local diner for fear of finding toes dangling in their soup. Hanging was the man’s favorite means of punishment.
However, my friend was sheltered from that form of extreme penance. Furthermore, he was a Guardian and if there was one thing I learned in the seven years I was friends with the man, it was that Guardians hated killing. So why did this Guardian have a weapon aimed at a man’s head?
I inhaled, trying to get a scent for the stranger, and sneezed. The odor made my nose itch and I sneezed several more times. It was not a bad smell, more like the sweetness of poison, and it was strong.
Dylan sent me a concerned look. “If I may interrupt, why is this man being sentenced?” he asked the Guardian.
“He has been using mind control on others.”
“Shouldn’t that call for jail time or something? Do you have to kill him?”
“If I imprison him with guards, he would just use his magic to escape,” he answered as if it were a silly question.
Dylan looked confused. “Then strip him of his magic.” Everyone stared at my friend like he was insane. “What? That would solve the problem, wouldn’t it?”
“Only the gods can strip a man of his power, and the gods are too busy to deal with one outlaw.”
Dylan shrugged. “I can do it. Is there proof of this man’s crimes?”
“He confessed.”
“Under duress?” my friend asked. “What do you smell?”
I really tried, but the barest breath caused me to have another sneezing attack. I backed away from Ghidorah until I could open the door. “I cannot smell anything over the Guardian. Last time we were here, the wolf smelled pretty scummy, but nothing worth dying over.”
“Worth taking his powers away?”
“Sure. Do something fast so we can get out of here,” I said. My friend seemed very concerned with my behavior, but I couldn’t help it. Ghidorah was messing with my sense of smell and Rojan was growling with irritation. I needed to have a working nose. Unfortunately, it was dark outside. Between the promise of fresh air and the threat of the shadow monster, I shut the door and breathed shallowly through my mouth.
“I am Dylan, Guardian of Earth. If you will let him live, I can keep him from doing magic for the rest of his life. I need proof of his wrongdoing, though.”
“He killed my mother,” the woman said.
Rojan had taken her for our pet the last time we were here. She aged very little since then, her hair was longer, and she wore clothes this time; a small loin cloth. Dylan made a motion for her to continue.
“He killed the alpha, my father, when I was little in a fair fight for position. Then he married my mother and became alpha. Everyone feared and obeyed him. When my mother found out he had used magic to defeat my father, he killed her to protect his position.”
“I am Ghidorah, Guardian of Skrev, and I will kill this disgusting excuse for a man,” the man said, rejecting Dylan’s suggestion.
“What a waste. He ruined the lives of three people and that’s your punishment? He is still the alpha, what will happen if you kill him? What will his pack say?”
“They will say he was murdered by magic and will be known as a hero,” she supplied, not happy about it.
I realized then that Dylan was using magic to make me understand her; she certainly wasn’t speaking Sudo. I hadn’t even felt his magic because it was so familiar to me. “Are women able to be alpha?” I asked.
“If we fight for the position and win. I cannot challenge him with his magic; he would kill me.”
“If I got rid of his magic, could you defeat him?” my friend asked. She nodded. “Would that make up for the damage he caused to your life?”
“It would not give me back my parents or childhood, but I would have my blood rights. My father wanted me to be alpha. He made this pack for me. I would also prefer to kill him myself as he did my parents; in my beast form.”
Ghidorah lowered his weapon. “I suppose I should let you have revenge,” he said.
The words were barely out of his mouth before Dylan shot a burst of energy at the alpha. I shifted my eyes to follow along and immediately regretted it. Ghidorah’s soul was as bright as the void. Normally, people’s auras were colorful and I could see what kind of person they were. Ghidorah was as powerful as Edward and Emrys, but not necessarily good… not necessarily bad. I just couldn’t tell because I had never faced something like it before.
I have, Rojan said. We need to get out of here. Now.
Is he a threat to Dylan? I shifted my eyes back to normal to watch my friend still stripping the alpha of his ability to use magic.
No. He is not as powerful as a god, but he is much worse. Leave Dylan and go.
Dylan, oblivious to our conversation, relaxed his energy. I considered the stranger as if his face would explain my dragon’s problem. Rojan was acting strange, but I trusted him. On the other hand, I would never leave Dylan and run, and I couldn’t believe Rojan would ever suggest it.
“Is his magic gone?” the woman asked.
“He will never be able to draw energy again,” he said.
She pranced right up to the alpha, who was still kneeling on the ground, and kicked him in the face. He went down hard and she grabbed him by the hair. “I challenge you for this pack!” she demanded. She dragged him towards the door by the hair and kicked it open before tossing him out. The woman briefly gave Dylan thanks before walking out and slamming the door shut.
Dylan smirked at me. “Dog fight.”
When I met Dylan, we were barely adults. Around two to three years ago, once Dylan was physically mature, he stopped aging, which was common for the Guardians. It was similar to the dragons. Mine and Dylan’s immortality was a little unsettling to me until Divina reminded me that even an ancient person could act like a child sometimes.
I rolled my eyes. “We don’t have time. Remember, we’re trying to warn the Guardians.” He pouted. “When we get home, you can watch Hobble and Shinobu duke it out.”
This placated him and he turned to Ghidorah. “Nice to meet you.”
“And you,” he said, holding out his hand for Dylan to shake. “I have heard quite a lot about you, much of which is contradictory. I assume you are here because the universe is in trouble.”
“Not yet. Right now it’s just the Guardians. When was the last time you spoke with Araxi?” Dylan asked. “Araxi doesn’t trust Ghidorah because the Guardian argued and ignored him, and that would make Ghidorah more difficult to clear than Emrys.”
“Two days ago. Araxi wanted me to check out a problem with a town’s food supply.”
“What was the problem?” I asked.
“I didn’t go. If people want to pollute their food, that’s their problem and they can solve it on their own. I prefer to deal with individuals that use magic against others.”
Get out. Get away from that thing, Rojan growled at me.
He’s a person, not a thing, I argued.
Everyone from Skrev is a beast or has a beast inside them.
“Mordon, pay attention. You really can’t smell anything from him?” Dylan asked me.
“Nothing,” I answered. I felt useless. The one thing I brought to the table, the one thing that made me invaluable to Dylan, wa
s that I could smell and see things no one else could. I had dragon senses, it was all I was good for, and Ghidorah kept me from using them.
“Araxi mentioned that you have ignored him before.”
Instead of answering, Ghidorah studied me until Rojan shivered. “Are you not going to introduce yourself and your dragon?” Ghidorah asked. Ghidorah turned his hard stare on Dylan and I knew he was reading my friend. It was probably exactly what I did, but his eyes didn’t change.
“He’s my brother. You got a problem with him? There’s an Ancient trapped in the void who can attest that Mordon is the wrong person to mess with,” Dylan said, stepping between me and the Guardian.
I sighed. “Dylan, you know that little thing inside your head that keeps you from saying things you shouldn’t?”
“The brain-to-mouth filter? Yeah, it died. Or maybe I sold it for magic beans. No, wait, I traded a plastic cow for the beans… They were duds, though; my beanstalk was like, three inches tall.”
“I hate you,” I groaned. Dylan had figured out I was bothered by Ghidorah and was trying to settle it with his familiar rambling. It worked; not even Rojan could talk over a rambling Dylan.
He grinned. “No you don’t.”
“Interesting,” Ghidorah said. He turned and walked across the room and I noticed our surroundings for the first time. We were in a small cabin, not at all cozy, that was dark but cool. There was no fireplace, no rugs on the wooden floor, and no bed. The only furniture was a large table with three chairs and a wooden chest. Ghidorah sat heavily on one of the chairs, which creaked under the weight.
Dylan ignored the comment. “Have you had any trouble lately talking to Araxi or any of the other Guardians?”
“I have not spoken to the other Guardians in a long time, but the absence was intentional. Should I expect trouble?”
“Shiloh and Kiro were attacked while trying to contact the gods. Nano is missing. There have been instances where the gods can’t get ahold of their Guardian or their Guardian is missing. The gods suspect one of us is betraying them.”
“Thank you for the heads up.”
“Kiro and Shiloh are on Duran. I want to get the Guardians together in order to keep anyone else from disappearing. We can help each other, but not from across ten worlds.”
Ghidorah pulled a knife out of his boot and started picking his nails with it. “No, thank you. I will take my chances alone.”
“Kiro thinks it was Vretial that attacked him,” Dylan said. Ghidorah glanced at him, then returned to picking his nails. “You want to face him alone?”
“Kiro is wrong; Vretial is gone for good. I understand you have been a Guardian for less than half of your life. It makes sense that you are optimistic about saving the world, but the Noquodi are not naturally inclined to help each other. Each of us stands for our own world and our people, but most of us dislike each other and would sooner see the others drown than lift a finger to help them.”
“Well, that’s something I guess I need to put an end to. Nano is a friend of mine, and he’s missing. Kiro and Shiloh are friends of mine and they were both attacked. I will get to the bottom of this. It would make my job a lot easier if everyone was in one place so I know if someone was attacked or taken.”
“Dylan, I don’t want him to go with us. I need my sense of smell. I don’t trust him.”
“Guardians have to learn to watch each other’s backs. That’s the whole point of Shiloh’s council. The gods are in support of it, and I agree when Nano’s been missing and nobody even knew it. If we can’t get them all in the same room, there is no way the council can work.”
“It isn’t your council. You’re not vested in this.”
“They are Guardians, like I am, like my father was. In the two thousand years they’ve been around, they’ve been on their own. Serving their god, facing powerful enemies, defending their worlds… I have Edward, you, and Divina. Edward and Ronez had each other.”
“They are used to it. You can’t decide for each of them how to live.”
“No, but I can give them the option of having backup. Plus, Sammy will be the Guardian of Lore when he gets older, and he needs to know he has people to turn to who have his back.”
“You want all of us to work together? All ten of us?” Ghidorah asked. He laughed and stood when Dylan nodded. “I will go with you just to see Samorde and Emrys in the same room. If you can convince them to get along, I will help anyone you want.”
Dylan looked at me expectantly. If I pushed to leave Ghidorah here, Dylan would give. Being a Guardian was in his blood; he had instincts to help people and create a better future for everyone. He was also young enough and open minded enough to succeed where others failed. All the same, I was his friend and if I insisted, he would take my side over his own.
Leave him, Rojan insisted.
“Bring him,” I said. “Just don’t be upset if Rojan eats him.”
I would never eat that.
The room filled with light and I felt the world disappear from around me. Of all the ways I have moved from world to world, the flash was my favorite, for it was the fastest method and didn’t make me dizzy. However, I learned to close my eyes the instant my friend started, because the light was blinding.
I felt Duran’s energy reach for me before the soft ground formed beneath my feet. The gravity took hold gently and the light faded. Even though it was Edward’s home we stood in front of, it was my home world and I was happy to be back. Traveling for vacation was nice, but when I was traveling for work, there’s a moment of peace when I first arrive home.
Making it even more peaceful, Sammy and Ron were in the yard playing fetch with Hobble, Edward’s pet gargoyle. Sammy would throw the ball, Hobble would wobble after it on his permanently injured leg and take it back to Ron, who would toss it to Sammy to throw again.
Edward, Shiloh, and Edward’s girlfriend were sitting in chairs at the porch, watching them. Hobble forgot about the ball and staggered over to Dylan. It occurred to me that Dylan’s healing power might be great enough to repair the gargoyle’s stone limb. Dylan patted both heads of the little gargoyle while trying to avoid being licked. Before I even realized he had moved, Edward was shoving Dylan behind him and growling at Ghidorah.
Ghidorah smirked and crossed his arms. “Kiro.”
Edward and Dylan were about the same height, but Edward was more muscular. Ghidorah towered over them and weighed much more in muscle. Edward’s hostility towards the foreign Guardian worried me as much as Rojan’s reaction to the man. Even though Dylan’s uncle was very protective, I had never seen Edward ready to fight someone.
“How are you still alive?” Obviously Ghidorah’s very life was offensive to Edward.
“The same way you are.”
Sammy approached Dylan, hid from the stranger behind his adoptive father’s leg, and peered around him to see Ghidorah. The Guardian noticed and studied the child. After a few seconds, the man’s expression went from aloof to unsure.
“Who is this?”
“My son,” Dylan said. His voice was very similar to Edward’s when he was angry. Ron understood his father’s tone and ran to Sammy’s side to glare at Ghidorah. When Ghidorah tried to read the little four-year-old, Dylan hid them both behind him.
“Still judging children, are you?” Edward demanded.
Now Ghidorah looked insulted. “Only as a precautionary. What magic is shielding the older child’s mind?”
“Mine,” Ron said. Dylan’s eyes went wide and I could sympathize. Dylan and Divina never told him about how their spell was transferred, and the child was too young to have figured it out on his own.
He apparently has figured it out, Rojan said.
“Everyone calm down,” Shiloh interrupted. “Nobody is anyone’s enemy here. Ghidorah, the little one is Tiamat’s son. Do not try to judge him or the brother he is extremely protective of. Dylan, you brought him back here, you had to assume he would be near your boys. And Kiro, go assure your girlfriend b
ecause I believe you scared her.”
“Tiamat had a child?” Ghidorah asked in shock.
“And a mate,” Kiro added.
Dylan rolled his eyes. “I guess you weren’t all that informed about me.” If you are going to work with us, we need a little bit of trust from both sides. I am Dylan Yatunus, mate to Tiamat. This is our son, Ronez, named after my father. This is Samhail, son of Nano and his mate. That’s my brother, Mordon, and his dragon, Rojan.”
“I am confused,” Ghidorah said, looking to Edward for answers. It was Edward’s turn to smirk. “I thought you were Kiro’s son. You look just like him.”
“Ronez was his biological father, but he was my apprentice,” Edward said. “He is more a son to me than anything else. He is also the most moral man I know and if you try to judge him, Tiamat will rip you to shreds, then I will feed what is left of you to Tibbit.”
“You know I cannot judge another Guardian.” He regarded Dylan. “You said the older child was your son.”
“He is. And Mordon’s and Tiamat’s. Biologically, he is Nano’s and his mate’s, but Tiamat, Mordon, and myself are like his adoptive parents. Ron is mine biologically.”
“And this man who is sago and unrelated to Kiro or Ronez is your brother? How did you manage that?”
“Same thing. Adopted brother,” he said. I poked him in the arm. “I am also the adopted brother of Nila, High King of Dios.” He frowned at me. “Am I leaving anyone else out?” he asked.
I had to think about it. “Well, the fact that your ex-lover is Nano’s human mate really doesn’t matter right now, so no, I think you covered it.”
“So that’s my family. It makes sense when you really don’t think about it. Thank god we don’t have Thanksgiving on Duran, because we don’t have a table big enough. Hey, speaking of food, is there any? I haven’t eaten in hours,” my friend asked. Ron giggled.
* * *
A while later, everyone was sitting at the fireplace. Edward’s dining table wasn’t big enough for six adults and two children. Shiloh and Edward had hunted dinner and we were waiting for the yorkie to cook. Meri looked pretty delicate surrounded by Edward, Ghidorah, and Shiloh.
