The Last of the Guardians: Insurrection

by J Silverado

  Feeling much better after bathing, Galaniel seeks to put her thoughts, trying to remember again the events of the day he was injured. – I was in the tavern and... – When he observes his hand tremble, he thinks he has spent almost a week without drinking.

  His mouth went dry and the will was getting bigger, almost unbearable. He got up, went to the door, opened it and searched the home owner.

  - Fishmonger! – Moahn, half scared, responds: – yes, what you want? – Do you have wine at home? –Galaniel questions. – Unfortunately, I am weak for drinks and my Corinta do not like when I drink – Moahn said. – Do not drink you, or you may worsen your condition, it is no longer the best – Corinta closes it. Galaniel think of going to the tavern, but when he walks toward the door, his legs falter and he ends up holding the room cabinet. – Alone I cannot... – he whispers to himself, returning to the room, leaning on furniture and sitting on the bed.

  The hand continues to shake and he takes a glass of water, standing on a table beside. He lies down and, closing his eyes, tries to sleep. Old images appear in flashes, happy faces, delicate features, a passionate kiss and so he falls asleep. But his sleep is not quiet, the happy faces give way to expressions of terror, cries tear the night, smoke and smell of sulfur are everywhere and a demonic laughter echoes in the depths of his mind.

  Galaniel wakes up gasping and realize he is in the room of fishmonger's house and, looking at him, in the shadows, is Melina, the couple's daughter. Fragile-looking, the girl was about four feet high, thirty-something pounds, black eyes and hair, the same as the father; already, white skin, thin lips and light came from the mother. – Is it all right? I heard moans and when I walked in, you were fidgeting a lot – the girl says. – I am. These are just bad dreams of days gone by – Galaniel reassures. – You can go back to sleep. It's fine now. – Who is Nirmiriel? Were you calling for her? – she asked for the girl – my wife... It was my wife – the guardian fixed. – Where is she? – Melina continued – She... Had to leave... But I'll find her... This is not a matter for children, go back to sleep, girl! – She is frightened by the tone he replies and runs back to his bed. Galaniel regret the harshness, but leaves things as they are and lies down, turning to the wall and try to go back to sleep. I'll find her, cursed, and when that happens, you will pay me dearly... Very expensive! – With that thought, the guardian falls asleep again.

  War of Vicennium

  The society is divided into castes, where the main are the warriors, whose separation occurs through its basic function: attack, magic, healing and defense, and its political importance is in the same order. Attack are called Forwards, those magic, Mentalese, who is healing, and biota and defense, Guardians.

  The government was managed through the high council, which was composed of two members of each caste, another elected to be the ruler for five years, the Potar. The election was rotating and each variety, in sequence, would have their term of office. The ruler should be impartial and not favor their caste and rule fairly and on behalf of all this structure already had existence for centuries and always demonstrated to be well balanced. However, the leaders of the Forward and Mentalese castes wanted the power to them and sought a way to change the board.

  The opportunity came through a land dispute, north of Kolpor where three warriors, one Forward, a Mentale and a Guardian abolished the society and the guardian bought the parts of the former partners. After the transaction, a deposit of amalgany was discovered, an alloy made of silver mixture, gold or platinum and steel, extremely durable, having the beauty of the noble metals and the strength of steel, as well as through the preparation of the material, allow them to be imbued with magical powers. The Amalgany is the main raw material used in the making of the best weapons of the Citadel. Aware of the damage that had the former partners questioned the deal, saying that the Guardian knew the mine and he spent them back.

  Taking advantage of the situation, the Forwards and board Mentaleses requested a vote on the matter. The biota, relievers by nature, preferred to abstain from voting and each remaining chaste voted itself, which was expected, with the casting vote to Potar which then was called Escon, fair and experienced warrior, having caught many battles and highly respected inside and outside of his caste. He is considered the last great Guardian.

  Acknowledging the facts, Escon really saw that there was no negligence on the part of the guardian, the discovery was made months after the completion of the deal and the location of the deposit had never been explored before. The discovery worth millions, as the metal was widely used and highly valued. The Potar, analyzing impartially, realized that the complaint was due only by the greed of the former owners, who did not want to embitter the injury and challenged the business. They wanted to recover parts, or that the values took into account the existence of the deposit, which would remove the transaction because the price would rise dramatically.

  Given the knowledge of the facts, Escon decided that the business was valid and that, therefore, the Guardian was the fair owner of the land and all that was in it. The protesters did not accept the decision of Potar and called for their caste, which, interested in disrupt the ruler and the current structure, withdrew from the council, declaring war on caste of Guardians, under the pretext that the Potar had unfairly favored member of his caste and thereby broke his oath of impartiality. The biota reported that he would be neutral in the conflict, limited only to care for the wounded in battle.

  During twenty years, Forwards and Mentalese fought with the Guardians that, despite being outnumbered, since the varieties always were equivalent in quantity, resisted bravely into battle, keeping balanced the forces of conflict until, in the mid-nineteenth year, Mentalese found an ancient parchment, long lost in a cave near Kulkaram as they sought inputs for their potions and charms. In an arcane dialect that only the elders of their caste succeeded in translating, the parchment showed enormous power, able to change the scale of the conflict and give the victory to the two varieties. However, it also quoted a high price to pay and, interestingly, the sentences detailing that price, were extremely deteriorated, almost impossible to translate, where the elders were only able to extract that much blood and many lives would be consumed.

  The Mentalese elders were concerned about the parchment and did not want to use it, saying nothing as powerful would come without a terrible price. They were the Forwards who took the lead and forced the Mentalese preparing potions and sing the songs, leaving everything ready for the performance of the ritual described in parchment. At the end of the ritual, the life of one of the enemies should be sacrificed and Escon, which had been captured a few days ago, surrendering to save the life of a group of women and children of their caste, should pay the price.

  That night, after all the charms and songs, coming to the end of the ritual, Altarion, leader of the Forwards, drew his sword and buried deep in the heart of Escon, who died instantly. Once the killer removed the blade and the blood touched the ground, an earthquake struck the earth, and its epicenter was the site where Escon’s body lay.

  A welt opened where huge flames emanating a greenish smoke came out of the slot and headed to Escon inert body that after wrapped, began to tremble, until stopped and then opened his eyes, which were as green slime and a devilish laughter echoed in the four corners of the valley. With a throaty voice, the being that was once Escon, said:

  - What do you want from me, human?

  - Still surprised by the situation, Altarion, who had never seen a creature like that, hesitant responds: – I want every Guardian man has the same fate as their leader.

  - My price is high – retorted the being. – For each reaped life, I demand another. Their bodies and their souls will be mine, for what I want them. Do you accept my terms? – the demonic figure inquired.

  - Yes – the Forward accepted, intoxicated with the possibility of an immediate victory.

  With a snarl, the entity roared terrifyingly and stretching his misshapen wings, sprouted back the r
eanimated body, sang a sinister charm. When finished, the sky turned blood red and the moon disappeared into the mist that quickly formed and, as was thicker, desperate cries began to be heard in all regions.

  On that day, the variety of the Guardians, eighteen thousand eight hundred and eighty men disappeared and each of the other two varieties, nine thousand four hundred and forty men and women, including Altarion and Lotara, the leaders of Mentalese, and all who participated in the land dispute disappeared.

  The spirit in Escon body, later known as Balkatar, demon-chief of the hellish hordes, didn’t kill people who were missing, but had become demonic, loyal spectra only to him, impossible to kill, because once fallen, returned to the open crack in the earth where had gone out Balkatar and began rise to fight again.

  With this amount of spectra, the devil formed an army of thirty-seven thousand, seven hundred and sixty hideous beings, in many different ways. Around the slit, Balkatar made his domain, and the Kulkaram region, a fertile and vibrant time of life, has become an arid desert, surrounded by gorges, fetid swamps and chain winding mountains. In the spectra, the only life that existed there, came from pestilent creatures in the mangroves there were spaced along the earth.

  The peak of the clouds, to the southwest of Kolpor, became a volcano that erupted in lava and ash beams, leaving, for days, the region of Saupor to Yelbir in the dark, with the ashes covering the sun. Its incandescent March filled from the swamp limit of Doom before emptying most of its magma in the Silent Sea.

  Since then, came to be called the Stud Balkatar. Somehow there was a link between the slot and the volcano because the infernal also used it to their surprise attacks.

  With the loss of so many lives, the war came to an end. The armistice, made between castes, generated a new peace treaty, forming a new board, favoring the 'winning' varieties with distributed as follows: three Forwards, three Mentalese, two Biota and only one Guardian.

  After approximately a year of lull, cities began to be looted by the infernal horde. People began to despair, without any glimpse to end this torment. To try to stop the devil, the Citadel was created, a training center warriors, Kolpor side of the capital, where all castes sent their young people, after a certain age, to participate in an intensive training where choose and be chosen their primary weapons, thereby defining their caste.

  The construction of the Citadel was taken under fire. The demons knew what was being created and wanted to stop it at all costs. The Mentalese, together with the Biota, created several spells to help Citadel protection.

  All cities sent their best warriors and tons of resources for construction. At the end of five years really tough, the Citadel was ready and the warriors, who helped to build and defend, became the guardians of young people who were sent, year after year, to become able to fight the cursed beings.

  Over the years, various tactics and training programs have been created, allowing the young people that came, came out well prepared warriors and went to the borders and other cities, able to fight and deal with the curse of the demons.

  The Citadel was on a plateau, accessible by land only gave the narrow passage to the southeast. Its format was a hexagon and the limits of its structure were steep gorges, almost insurmountable. Surrounded six defensive towers, one at each end of the hexagon, both for land and for air, the sentinels could envision long distances and any mention of enemy hordes. The towers sounded their bells and the Citadel defenses were activated and the army placed in readiness.

  The walls around it had forty feet high by thirty long, fifteen meters where these were of solid rock. The outer wall was built at an angle of 95 degrees to the outside, and it makes difficult to climb and to hit the siege equipment.

  The food stocks were able to support all members of the Citadel for a period exceeding one year, if there was a prolonged siege. Various internal and hidden water wells supplied the every need and many nurseries of plants and animals were grown in the courtyard.

  Several floors, in the underground, were used for housing and other features such as barn and storage at low temperature food. The whole Citadel functioned as a well-oiled war machine, tested and approved by the long years of battles.

  Engineering fruit of the best experts in their areas, coming from different cities, the Citadel was the pinnacle of architecture and arts of war. Every man, woman and child, regardless of their caste, was proud of its structure and longed to become a warrior and enter their huge amalgany gates.

  The Family

  That would not be the last time the Guardian wake up that night. Abstinence from wine would sweating, shaking and moaning, needing up to go to the bathroom several times to wash his face or vomit. Although drink plenty of water, thirst no more and the discomfort remained.

  Galaniel thought about how she'd gotten that situation, he had been one of the best cadets of his time, who had won many personal barriers to get among the greatest of his generation. He was there, shabby, groaning, sweating, and weak as a drying branch that breaks the wind, almost killed by two saloon robbers who took advantage of his drunkenness.

  After much thought, he came to the conclusion that no matter how, what mattered was just what he needed to do to change. The next day, he asked the fishmonger to buy wine for him, and even with the assurance of Corinta, Moahn brought the drink to the guardian. Galaniel beverage diluted with two parts of water to one of wine and honey to a little help in healing.

  In the afternoon, he asked Melina to go to the market and buy lemon, sage and pumpkin leaves to make tea and ginger oil for retching. He wrote a letter to the landlady of Dew Drop, using his ring with the family crest as seal and handed it to Corinta, asking to seek their belongings and delivering some silver coins, she should pay his debts on site. As the wound has healed, Galaniel continued to spend days and nights with withdrawal symptoms, consuming tea, bleeding, oil and infusions that Corinta prepared.

  The days turned into weeks and, after a month, seizures were reduced to few occurrences. Initially, the Guardian devoted his days meditating, trying to repair his body and focus his mind. Only after the second week, he started to walk through the small rooms without holding his furniture and as there was plenty to do, he noted that the house needed maintenance and him to exercise.

  Quite simple construction, made of thick oiled wood to protect from the sea air, the residence was in front of a staircase with five steps leading to the front door.

  On the left side, there were two windows only trusses, leaving the breeze go through their cracks. The living room, a large room of the house, average around four meters wide and three long, wooden floor and wooden walls with a thatched, pattern that was repeated throughout the house.

  The exception was the small fireplace on the left, made with well settled stones, which brought warmth on chilly nights.

  The double bedroom was right, measuring four meters by three, followed by Melina’s a little smaller, three feet by two, the kitchen in the background on the left, and the bathroom between the kitchen and the girl's room. Although simple, the house was cozy and had sounds, smells and life of a family.

  Needing strengthen muscles, he tried to occupy and enjoy giving back a little hospitality that family. Although his craft, learned in training, was the blacksmith, knew how to work with wood and mass, and taking his tools in his bag, began to repair the roof, which was made of small, thin rectangular strips and several had rotted with the weather, creating leaks when it rained and whistles when windy.

  Melina became his official helper. She found fascinating those strange and tools to help an adult in the repairs of the house. Corinta, in turn, found great as already urged Moahn to fix these things long ago, when he said he was always busy, too tired and his back were no longer the same.

  He started by part of the room, where there was more repairs. When it rained, the sound of the drops in the various pots and bowls around the room made always a tune somewhat annoying, and with it, the repair has gained priority. Then he went to the
kitchen, where the pantry was included, the gutters ended watering food and the room still did not receive a lot of sunlight.

  Corinta often complained about the loss of food, which spoiled with moisture. The bathroom and Melina’s bedroom did not need repairs, just the couples’ bedroom. On the repair, windy and, after climbing on the roof, the old ladder that was in the house, a strong gust of wind dropped it, unbalancing Galaniel that, for very little, did not fall on the ground, managing to hold on the pipeline with only one hand.

  Melina went to call her mother, who came quickly see what had happened. With some effort, she and her daughter managed to raise the ladder again and position it close to the keeper, who managed to hang on the steps and down. As the arm that hung in the roof was left, the injury, although healed, came back to hurt, causing the guardian postponed the completion of the work for a few days.

  After improving the pain and finally finish the roof, Galaniel noticed the holes that were in the mortar of the fireplace, which filled with smoke the house every time it was used. Whenever the weather cooled and had to turn it on, everything smelled of coal and Melina was coughing a lot, because she had some allergy to soot. Finally, he replaced some parts of thatched old and cracked on the outside walls. In this fix, he had the help of Moahn, who was embarrassed to leave Galaniel do all the work. Melina was mixing the mass of thatch, the fishmonger carried the buckets and the woods and the guardian underlied the mass and the wood to repair the wall. At the end of the second month, the house was again in good condition.

  Guardian’s nights have improved, there were no tremors or vomiting, only the nightmares still, always leading to wake up in the morning. One night, Moahn woke to the sound and thought – what does he really went to grieve so much, I thought it was the drink, but it seems to be worse. I think I'll call you to help me in fishmonger, who knows to unwind a little, maybe there is too much time in this house.