The Last of the Guardians: Insurrection

by J Silverado

  The group walks toward the cable. – Inspector, we are here to deliver us, as agreed – the guardian informes to the cable. Caught by surprise, the inspector stops what he is doing, looks at Galaniel and then to each member of the group. They all dirty, bruised and tired face – I... I do not know what you mean, guardian, I see warriors who fought bravely in defense of our Citadel.

  A few seconds pass and then Galaniel, looking at the inspector, nods his head, it is matched by cable. – So we need to get our groceries and get out of town as quickly as possible – Codaino speaks to the group.

  The inspector, who had heard the mentale to speak to Galaniel says: – Colonel, could you be kind enough to carry the bodies of our fallen warriors? Can I make an order, requesting your work group and, as you know, the cemetery is near the north gate... – It is with great honor that we will fulfill the order, cable. Our brave deserve the rest and the necessary honors – Galaniel answers, again thanking the help of the inspector.

  In possession of the order, the group puts itself in motion, gathering their belongings and groceries that were near the gate of the Citadel. Hrothgar leads the mortuary wagon, containing the bodies of twenty warriors who died during the battle.

  The number of casualties was much greater because those who died by the claws and fangs of the spectra disappeared to reappear later as part of the accursed hordes. The bodies had already been treated and wrapped in white cloth, with their names written in the chest. Arriving at the cemetery, they would be placed on the graves of their families and receive a proper funeral. Pelokir managed covers with hoods for all, thus hampering someone recognized them.

  The group leaves the Citadel toward the cemetery, and as it passes on the streets, the population plays flowers along the path and on the cart, in respect those who gave their lives for them. When the cart passed near the house of one of the dead warriors, even those who are gone, the family followed it, creating a funeral procession. Upon arriving at the cemetery, the gravediggers waited for the cart and Hrothgar gave them the reins.

  One of the gravediggers continued to lead the cart into the salon where the funerals were made and followed the procession there. – Come on, we do not have as help here - Galaniel addresses the group. – Yes, and in a moment we can be recognized – Rion complements. – Best we use the east road – Galaniel directs. – But, boss, why do we not just close the gate? – Relfer questions the guardian – If we go by road from the north gate, we will have to go to Gitar where we take to the road to Kulkaram, while on the east gate the path goes straight there. – Got it, is that I am more used to the road... – Calm man, no sooner started our journey and already scared? – Rion kids fellow. – Today, we can no more ask questions, ai, ai... – the aspirant calls while everyone laughs.

  Trying to not draw attention, the group sets off towards the east gate on the upstream of the families of the dead. Arriving at the gate, the group walks out of Kolpor, when one of the guards speaks: – stop! – Rion takes the hilt of his sword, but Galaniel waves to refrain. – Pelokir turns to the sentinel: – How can I help, sentinel? – Who are you? – We're just traveling warriors. – And where you come from? – Pelokir handles the order with Galaniel and takes him to the sentry. – Comply with an order of the Citadel and now we will protect the load that will to Saupor. – The Sentinel opens the order and read its contents. He looks at the face of Pelokir and Hrothgar for a few moments, and he scrolls order returning it. – You can pass. We are with the improved safety due to the attack. – Only when they reach the place where they camped before, they breathe a sigh of relief. – Yeah... That was close... – vents Codaino as it begins to prepare the camp. – Yes, but I can not stop thinking that the attack was our fault. All those deaths... – Pelokir regrets while placing mugs made of ox horns and wooden bowls in a cut trunk that was at times the table. – Yes, but it is better to die for a just cause, to be delivered as cattle to slaughter. – Hrothgar responds by placing a piece of cheese, nuts bread, olives and salted fish.

  The group reflects the mentale words. – Yes, nothing can be worse than being chosen for immolation - Relfer brings voice to the thoughts of all. Rion takes a bottle of wine from one of the pack horses, removes the stopper and serving wine in the glasses, proposes a toast. – To those who fell! Rest in peace, warriors! – The group raises mugs to the top and repeats the toast.

  Everyone sits around the table to eat and to talk about the battle of the day, recalling the deeds and it was customary to say either fudge between truths. One who could speak most fib not refuted would win the night. – I threw an iron dart that killed five winged queue! – Rion spoke trying not to laugh. – This one can not participate, Rion, everyone knows it's a lie! – Pelokir belies mate, falling into laughter. – For my sword blow sent three spectra to hell and when I save my sword and just missed hitting a demon who was behind me – Codaino told his. – I think you have drunk too much, no one believes these waterfalls – Relfer alarms. – Well, I hit the leg of the Legion that was already killing our fearless leader and the dart went so deep that he held the leg of the show on the ground, facilitating the final blow of Galaniel. – They all look at the guardian, so he refutes the lie, but he just smiles and raises his mug in Relfer greeting. – Oh, no! Now we have to believe that swagger! Gala, so it is not possible – Rion tries to appeal to the guardian. – What I know is that the Legion was kneeling and thus managed to get his head – Galaniel speaks smiling and looking to Relfer. – Well, I managed to protect Gitar with the help of my fellow biota – Pelokir speaks already laughing. – This lie does not deserve nor defense Pelokir, you're a buck largest brand – Relfer disputes his friend – because our light hedgehogs greatly facilitated the life of you, without them we would still be struggling – Codaino talks with the group and all raise their mugs – Hurra!

  The night continues until the day fatigue overcomes the desire to drink. – Well, it's time to we close, I caught the first round, we'll all sleep, that tomorrow morning we travel – Galaniel ends the celebration and everyone prepares to sleep. The day dawns cloudless, promising a sun crack and, though it was already clear, the moon insisted on retiring. Pelokir and Hrothgar were already preparing breakfast while Relfer and Oakley were packing the groceries on the horses. Codaino prepared some spells and potions to if they needed in the way and Galaniel took the horses to drink water and eat some grass.

  All set to leave the group all mounted on their horses gives one last look at Kolpor, the city that they called home for many years, almost since they arrived for training. – Let’s toward the east gate. – Galaniel leads fellow, slightly spurring his horse. The group will begin its march that, because of the distance, is slow and continuous.

  The journey follows smoothly during the first day. The group lunches set upon horses, eating little bits and drinking plenty of water to avoid heat stroke, stopping only at night near an abandoned well, but that still had water. Again, they armed camp of ten square meters. Pelokir made a rabbit stew with potatoes and cabbage and all were filled, killing the hunger of the day.

  They talked for about an hour and went to sleep. Rion took the first guard shift. The second day followed the first, except that they stopped in the afternoon, to obtain supplies of water in a small pond on the roadside and took the opportunity to eat sparingly cheese and bread nuts. They rode until later to make the stop, setting camp on the edge of the mountain range the Lost Potar, which would make them company until the crossroads with the road to Gitar.

  On the third day, they decided, again, do not to stop until reach the inn New Horseshoe, where they would spend the night. The inn had seen better days. It needed many repairs, consisting of a main structure of wood and beside a barn for the customer animals rest.

  Once they arrive on the scene, two children, with malnourished appearance, receive walkers come and pick up the horses to take them to the barn. Relfer accompanies the boys, because the pack horses are very merchandise. Upon entering the inn itself, a musty sm
ell bacon and invades the smell of all, an old trick of the innkeeper's wife, he put the bacon to bake just before the customers enter certainly hungry. – Good Evening, innkeeper – Galaniel addresses to an attendant who is behind the counter. – Good evening, wanderer. I call Hojav and I am the owner of this establishment. What is your grace and how can I help you? – My name is Galaniel and I want to spend the night here. – Your orders, sir.

  - We want two bedrooms with two beds each and two straw beds made in the barn. Without lice and ticks, I hope. – Rest assured, sir, you will find the best inn on this side of the mountain range – Hojav tries to reassure the guardian. – Yes, after all, it is the only – Rion bypasses looking hasten the innkeeper. – Will the sirs want dinner? The mistress is making cooked beans and we have the very best wine. – We just want cooked beans and water from your well and tomorrow early coffee. How much? – Galaniel questions to Hojav. – Four hundred copper coins for each room, two hundred for the beds in the barn, a half board for six at a special price of three hundred, making a total of one silver and seven hundred copper – the innkeeper extends his hand, smiling.

  Galaniel looks hard at the man, saying: – for that price, we camped nearby. I paid a silver coin and you have to bathe our animals morning early. What do you say? – Er... The friend is difficult to negotiate, no... – Hojav mutters while making any account with his fingers – Okay, okay... I see you are warriors, so today I will sleep more peaceful. Closed – he reaches again the hand to the keeper. – Have here five hundred coppers, tomorrow I paid the rest – he deliveries a half silver coin to the innkeeper, who picks up unwillingly – Gaela, cooked beans for six. Peki, get two litter in the barn. On this way, gentlemen.

  He leads the group up a flight of old and dirty stairs. The rooms were on the second floor, three on one side of the aisle and five others. Hojav pointed to the left – these are, the others have only one each bed. Dinner will be ready soon. – Galaniel get the room closest to the stairs, getting Rion, Pelokir and Codaino the middle room while Hrothgar accompanied the innkeeper to the barn. The rooms smelled musty and the occasional cockroach walks through the rooms. – Clean rooms. Humph! – Rion calls while standing in one. – It's only for one night, Rion, we have stayed in much worse places. – It is true, do you remember that pigsty in Saupor? You could hear the rats in the walls. And that whore Velmat call, that when you took the skirt, stank worse than... – You can stop there, Rion. I do not need that image in my head today. – Galaniel shakes his head while Rion looses a laugh.

  Down the hall was the shared bathroom. Codaino went there thinking of a bath. When he entered and looked the tub like a pond with green slime around the edges, he decided to bathe other day, just relieving bladder in a hole that was doing the times of a latrine.

  The barn was not much better. When Hojav arrived with Hrothgar, his eldest son had tidied Relfer’s bed and was finishing his brother’s. – This is unfair. Every time we have to stay with the worst – Relfer complains to his brother. – Patient, little brother, patient. It is I who should be complaining, after all I have the same as Codaino and Pelokir... But there's less time... Go and eat first, I will stand here waiting – Hrothgar releases the brother, running toward the inn. Although a bit salty and spicy, certainly for hiding the age of meat, the cooked beans went down well and all them ate plenty.

  The brothers took turns and when Hrothgar ended, everyone went to their beds. Rion took the bed near the door, leaving that next window for Galaniel. When closing the door, the guardian took his shield and locked the door with him, clipping it on the floor against the door – It doesn’t cost to be cautious. – He looks at Rion with a brief smile, waving to him affirmatively. Pelokir conjured a small charm locking their bedroom door and, in the barn, Hrothgar took the first round, while Relfer was already in deep sleep.

  In the middle of the night, Hrothgar wakes up Relfer to turn. The younger brother wakes up muttering, but gets up and sits on a stump cut wood, crossing his arms and looking around.

  Tired of the trip and with the stomach still full of cooked beans, Hrothgar sleepd almost immediately. The distant crying of a cricket helps to further weigh Relfer’s eyelid that, unable to contain more sleep, falls asleep sitting.

  After a few moments, shadows move stealthily take the form of children. The two children of the innkeeper move in the dark, lurking in the provisions that are in charge of horses. To try to take a burden cheese piece, Peki just compressing the handle of a pot against the belly of the horse that lets out a whinny. – Who's there? – Relfer wake scared, putting him in a position to fight. Hrothgar wakes with a start, also taking his sword. The warriors goiin to approaching the horses, looking to surround the passages, until caught, the boys are put to run out of the barn.

  The mentale casts a spell and the boys are still as two statues and start crying. A voice is heard out of the barn: – what's going on there? – Hojav comes rushed to see because of the noise, and when he enter the barn, he still sees his children and is startled. – Your children were robbing us! – Stealing?! But what nonsense, just wait your mother know this. She will make a belt with leather of your back. – Hrothgar undoes the spell and the boys, still sobbing, run to the inn. – A thousand pardons, gentlemen, I do not know where these boys thought about doing that. Certainly, it is not the teaching we give them. – Indeed... – Hrothgar looks Relfer, suspecting that everything had been concocted by Hojav. – So, keep your children and other persons away from the barn to get out of here, right. – Relfer talking tough with the innkeeper, that was nervous and worried, bends as much as he can, trying to fix what happened. – Rest assured, gentlemen, I will even make waking up in the morning. – Great, but do the porch of the inn – Hrothgar ends. Hojav only bends again and continues bowing to leave the barn.

  But what a rascall! They steals the own customers while they are sleeping – Hrothgar says to his brother. – I think he's used to it. When the customers will notice the theft they are far away to return and even they would return, they could not prove. He has a real scheme here – Relfer answers looking out the barn. – Keep your eyes and ears open, Relf, I'm dead tired and want to sleep a little – he says, going back to bed, while his brother nods in affirmation.

  After that incident, the night goes quiet, and in the first few rays of sunshine, the group rises. All they prepare and eat their breakfast. – Here is the rest of the payment. – Galaniel deliveries the other half of the silver coin to Hojav, biting the tip of giving metal. The brothers had talked about what happened during the night, but the keeper chose to say nothing. – Let's personal, grab your things and hit the road. – Mounted on their horses the group is taking away from the inn. – How a family man puts his children to steal strangers? – Codaino questions rhetorically. – Opportunity makes the thief. I never heard this adage? – Pelokir answers to the companion.

  The conversation about the inn continues while Galaniel in front, hurried step of his horse so that night, they arrived near the junction between the road and Gitar Kulkaram because from there, the terrain became more hilly and dangerous. – Do not wait to drink a cold beer at Hell's Gate and eat that fat and crackling. This heat is terrible – Codaino says, while wiping the sweat from his brow with part of the mantle. – I prefer those pink quail eggs, I do not know what they put, but are well seasoned - Relfer complements cheerful. – Yeah, and then I do have to endure your puffballs, is it not, little brother? – Hrothgar teases. – I do not say anything when you eat a sweet potato – Relfer returns while all fall about laughing.

  The sun is almost disappearing behind the mountains of Kor when Pelokir sees something on the horizon. – I see a flock of birds ahead. It seems they are cooking fish in the Hell Gate. – Galaniel removes a small telescope from his belt and looks at the place where the birds are. – Get ready! Those are vultures, there was an attack. Relfer, take care of groceries. Let's gallop.

  The group parts immediately, leaving Relfer in company of the three horses.
– Every time I get back. What the fuck! – the forward calls himself. The group gallops speed to meet the Hell Gate bar.

  As they approach, the smell of rot will them invade the smell. Already close to the site they can see the devastation that occurred there. The location of the bar was a deep crater, as if a very strong explosion happened. Devils yes, because the sulfur smell was strong and small puddles gave off the characteristic green smoke.

  They wanted to send a message, because they even took the family of Ogri the known owner of the bar, or customers who were there at the time. Everywhere someone looks body parts were played in every corner and the blood seemed to cover a wide area around. In effect, there really was looking to Hell's Gate, like a satire of the name of the bar.

  Next to the crater was a stake with a piece of what was preached as a door at the top, written in blood: "You can not protect everyone." All are silent for a few moments until Pelokir speaks: – we can not leave them like that. – Take the blades on the horses, we will join them in the crater, it shall become a mass grave – Galaniel determines while Relfer comes with the groceries.

  Using strips and other pieces of the old bar, the warriors collect the remains and take them to the pit. Full nauseating causes qualms, delaying and complicating the task.

  Hours go by until, as far as possible, a dignified burial is done by the group and the signs left by the spectra are broken, leaving only the bloodstains as a massacre witness. After praying for the dead, the group moves a few miles and does camp next to a small group of trees at the foot of the mountain range and close to the bifurcation of the roads.

  Although the night was pleasant and the sky starry, the mood of the group was bleak. All were silent, remembering the sight of the crater and what had been done to people.

  – We will avenge them! – Rion break the ice

  – Yes, you need an answer to height – Hrothgar agree with his mouth full and gesturing with a piece of cheese in his right hand.