The Protectors: Book 1 in the Protectors Saga

by Paige Dooling

  The girls let out sighs of relief and began to try and amble out of the library.

  “Just remember,” Gumptin called out, before any of them had a chance to make it through the door and out to freedom, “dawn tomorrow, same place, and this time make sure you are all on time! I would hate to have to make you work any harder than you already fail at doing!”

  All of the girls ignored him, except for Jade, who for the second time that day, presented Gumptin with her middle finger raised high up in the air.

  Avery and Jade were the last two girls left in the library, when Avery turned to Jade and said, “You go ahead. I’m going to have a little talk with Gumptin about tomorrow’s training session.”

  “I’ll stay with you for that.” Jade told Avery, “I’d like to have a little talk with Gumptin about our training sessions, too.”

  Avery chuckled, “No, that’s exactly why you should go. If you end up talking to Gumptin, we’ll all end up spending an extra two hours in training.”

  Jade hesitated for a moment; then gave in, “Fine,” she said, “just don’t waste too much time with him. I can tell that little bastard isn’t gonna go easy on us, and you need to make sure you get some rest.”

  “I will.” Avery told her, “See you tomorrow.”

  The real reason Avery had wanted to talk to Gumptin alone had nothing to do with training. She wanted to speak with him about the incident involving the eyes in the gateway at the park. Avery had wanted to talk with Gumptin alone so as not to worry the other girls, and with this new life of hers being so hectic, now seemed like the only time she would be able to do it. Avery walked over to where Gumptin was sitting at the table, writing something down on a large yellow parchment of paper.

  “Something is troubling you.” Gumptin said, continuing to write, “You may have changed a great deal Avery, even more than I would like to admit, but you would never come speak to me alone unless something were bothering you,” Gumptin looked up at her, “and that has not changed.”

  Avery sat down in the seat next to Gumptin and proceeded to tell him about the terrible black eyes she had seen floating in the Ora Gateway before she had jumped in and how they had produced the sharp pain she had felt in her chest.

  Gumptin listened intently, taking in every detail of Avery’s description. When she had finished, Gumptin sighed and hung his head, a weary look clouding over his face. Avery could tell Gumptin knew exactly what it was she had seen and that it might be worse than she had thought.

  “That, Avery,” Gumptin said, a tired strain in his voice, “was the Emperor. Those were his eyes. He is powerful enough to use the gateway as a mirror to see into different worlds. If you saw his eyes, it means that he saw you, and that he now knows the Protectors are alive and back on Orcatia. It means that he will most likely try and attack soon, sooner than I had hoped. It means you will not have time for much training before returning to fighting.” Gumptin sighed even deeper, “This is very troubling Avery. Someone must have told him of your return; it is the only way he could have known what gateway to look through and when.” He rubbed at his temples, “I really must speak to the Elementals, and soon.”

  The sight of Gumptin looking so weary troubled Avery more than what Gumptin had to say. Yes, Avery could admit that the eyes she had seen had been terrifying, but besides what she had been told, a pair of glowering eyes, and some random scribbling on a few pieces of paper, Avery had no real experience with the Emperor. To Avery, Gumptin might as well have been talking about some villain out a scary story. She tried to convince her mind and body to be scared or apprehensive, but as of this moment, it just wasn’t working.

  The one thing that did concern her slightly, she decided to ask about, “Gumptin, what was that pain I felt in my chest when saw those eyes?”

  Gumptin shrugged, not seeming near as bothered by it as Avery was, “It was most likely just the Emperor’s power causing your body to remember something it connects with Emperor. More like an echo of pain than actual pain.”

  This took Avery back, “Echo my ass, it actually hurt!” She protested.

  “Yes, I suppose it would,” Gumptin told her, “but it won’t actually physically harm you in any way.”

  That was all Avery could take hearing for the night. The Emperor knew they were back, Gumptin was going to talk to the Elementals, and her heart was intact and damage free. Anything else Gumptin had to say, Avery was way beyond too tired to listen to. Avery stood up and gathered all of her weapons into and under her arms.

  “Well, I hate to leave when you look so depressed,” She said to Gumptin, “but you kicked my butt too hard today for me not to go home and try to get some rest.”

  When Gumptin didn’t answer her after a few seconds, lost in thought, staring down at the paper he had written on not long ago, Avery took it as her queue to leave. She gave Gumptin one last concerned look, then walked out of the library and into the dark Orcatian night.

  Avery could see the large trees of the forest silhouetted through the moonlight in front of her. The black still forest was in sharp contrast to the busy village going on around her. Bright lights shone out from the giant tree houses to her right and left, and out of those same houses poured the delightful smells of evening dinners. Avery took a deep breath in, the smells of meats, breads, and spices made her stomach growl, letting Avery know just how much it was craving food. Gripping tighter on to the weapons she was holding, so as not to drop any, she turned to her right and began to make her way home.

  Three tree houses down she stopped in front of Bott’s Apothecary & Sweets. She hadn’t meant to stop, but the delicious scents of cinnamon, vanilla, yeast, and chocolate, literally stopped her in her tracks, and once again caused her stomach to scream out its hunger.

  Mrs. Bott was standing in the open doorway sweeping off a yellow welcome matt with her broom. Her hair was up in a bun piled on top of her head, just as Avery had always seen it, and stuffed under a purple bonnet with a pink bow on top. She wore a purple dress with a pink and red striped apron tied around her plump waist, although, Avery didn’t see the point of her wearing an apron at all, since she seemed to have more flour stained across her actual dress than on the apron.

  When Mrs. Bott glanced up and saw Avery gazing into her shop, a huge smile swept over her face and she exclaimed, “Avery, what a lovely surprise!”

  She threw her broom down behind her, not caring where it landed and quickly shuffled over to sweep Avery up in an encompassing hug. Avery grunted as the impact of the hug caused the crossbow she was carrying under her arm to slam into her side.

  Mrs. Bott, still smiling broadly, released Avery, and then with just one breath, rushed to tell her, “Oh, it’s so nice to see you! What are you doing here?” She looked down at all the weapons Avery had in her hands, “What on Orcatia is all that stuff you’re lugging around? Oh, you must be here to see Wilbur! Are you sure you can carry all of that by yourself; you’re such a tiny little thing. Wilbur,” she called out, “Avery’s here! Of course, I suppose you can carry heavy stuff better than any man here. Wilbur, get out here!”

  Avery gazed at Mrs. Bott, shocked at how the woman could say so much in just one breath. Avery didn’t know how to respond to her, or if she was even suppose to for that matter.

  “Wilbur!” Mrs. Bott yelled, again, “Would you please get your string bean butt out here?!”

  A split second later, a skinny bald man with a gray beard and bushy eyebrows, standing over six feet tall, came rushing out of the shop. He was hurrying so fast, he didn’t see the broom Mrs. Bott had discarded on the ground. His large right foot caught under the broom handle, tripping him, causing him to pummel forward, right into Mrs. Bott’s back. Luckily, she was sturdy enough for the impact only to move her a step forward. She turned and looked at the poor man as if he had just spanked a chicken.

  “Sorry, Beatrice,” He told her timidly, “I think somebody left something in the doorway that I tripped over.”

  Mrs. Bott
scoffed, hitting Wilbur lightly in the stomach, “Don’t be ridiculous, no one would do such a thing.”

  Wilbur nodded and coughed slightly, “Yes, dear, whatever you say.”

  “Anyway,” Mrs. Bott said lightly, changing the subject, “Avery is here to see you.”

  Avery, who hadn’t said a word since Mrs. Bott had seen her, suddenly realized she was going to have to speak. Watching Mrs. Bott and Wilbur had been like watching a film. So much so, that she had actually forgotten she was supposed to be a part of the interaction.

  Avery shook her head, focusing her thoughts, “No…no,” she stammered, “I’m not here to see him.” She nodded her head towards Wilbur, unable to point with her hands so full, “I was just walking home from training and stopped to smell your food. It smelled soooo good, I couldn’t help it.”

  “Oh.” Mrs. Bott said, sounding slightly surprised, and then bursting into laughter, “Oh, dear me.” Mrs. Bott laughed so hard she had to wipe her eyes, “To think of it,” she giggled, “Avery Kimball here for my treats.”

  Mrs. Bott was laughing so heartily, Avery almost felt like she should laugh along with her, but the fact she had no idea what the woman was laughing at stopped her.

  “Beatrice,” Wilbur said, placing his hands on Mrs. Bott’s shoulders, trying to stop her from laughing, “the girl doesn’t remember anything from this life.”

  Mrs. Bott’s laughter died down till she was almost frowning, “Oh, dear, I keep forgetting. You poor little thing. Let me explain, you see Wilbur, here,” she pointed to where he was standing behind her, “he’s actually my husband, Mr. Bott. Now, I know it’s hard to believe that someone as appealing as myself, would marry such a gigantic splinter of a man, but sometimes you just can’t fight the obstacle hurdling power of love.”

  Avery stifled any laughter rising in her throat, pretending she had a cough, just in case Mrs. Bott wasn’t joking.

  “Anyway,” Mrs. Bott continued, “he’s the apothecary in Bott’s Apothecary & Sweets, and I’m the sweets. Despite his appearance, he really is quite an extraordinary apothecary. People come to him from all over the kingdom, and sometimes even other kingdoms. Naturally, as a Protector you would use his services. You use to come quite frequently to see him for remedies, potions, for cuts, sprains, bruises, and worse. I only thought you were here to see him because you haven’t come to this shop for my sweets since you were about four years old.”

  “Really?” Avery asked, finding that hard to believe.

  Everyone she knew, knew she had a notorious sweet tooth. In fact, for lunches back on Earth, sometimes she would make due with a soda and candy bar, unhealthy to be sure, but always enjoyable.

  “Oh, yes,” Mrs. Bott told her, “you weren’t like Jade or Skylar. They were in here all the time for breads and cookies, mostly after a battle or hard training session.” Mrs. Bott laughed at the memories playing in her head, “I think Jade was in here more than she was at home…such a pistol of a girl”

  That, Avery could believe, especially with Jade. That girl ate like a horse, any and everything she could get her hands on. It always amazed Avery how Jade managed to stay so thin, when it looked like she ate more than she actually weighed.

  “You, on the other hand,” Mrs. Bott said smiling, resting her hand on Avery’s shoulder, “were always the little soldier. You made sure you stayed in perfect physical condition. You never put anything in your body that wasn’t good for you. So, I suppose you never had any reason to come and see me.” Mrs. Bott still smiled as she said this, but Avery could see a slight hurt behind her round bright eyes.

  Avery squirmed a little in the tight belt strapped around her ribs, thinking about how her past Orcatian self would feel about all the pizza, soda, candy, and tacos her Earth self had consumed over the past sixteen years. For some reason she couldn’t understand, especially considering they were technically the same person, but she took pleasure in the knowledge that it would probably piss her Orcatian self off.

  “Well, Mrs. Beatrice Bott, you can guarantee that this Avery will be stopping by frequently for your delicious delights.” Avery said this to Mrs. Bott, slightly to cheer her up, but mostly because it was the truth.

  Mrs. Bott clapped and smiled fuller than Avery had seen yet.

  “Would you like something now?” She asked and ran inside her shop, not bothering to wait for Avery’s reply. It didn’t really matter, since Avery’s reply would have been a definite yes.

  Wilbur smiled softly as he watched his wife bounce off into her shop, “I think you just made her day.” He told Avery warmly.

  “Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.” She told Wilbur.

  Mrs. Bott came bounding back with a pink colored sack full of sweet smelling goodies. She slipped the thin handle of the sack between Avery’s thumb and forefinger, the only place Avery had left to hold on to anything. Avery left the smiling Mr. and Mrs. Bott, promising to come back soon for more treats.

  The sight of her own house, with its soft light pouring out of the windows, lighting up the space in front of it, and multiple flower beds, gave Avery a feeling of relief. She didn’t necessarily consider it home, that space in her heart belonged to a little peach adobe house back in Redemption, but the thought of the soft bed waiting for her and her family somewhere inside, comforted her more than anything else could on this planet.

  Just as she was about to step up to her front door, movement at the stables to her right caught her eye. She turned her head and saw a small, scraggily looking man lifting a saddle half the size of him off of the ground by the hitching posts and teetering with it into the barn. Avery watched him stagger from side to side then front to back, before getting a small semblance of balance.

  It took Avery a second to decide what to do; after all, she had made it so close to peace and rest. Avery sighed long and hard and looked up to the black sky with its blanket of stars, “Typical.” She said under her breath. She set all of her weapons down on the wooden bench to the side of the door. The bag of treats Mrs. Bott had given her and the long steel dagger that had given her the case of déjà vu both slid off of the bench as she let go of the pile of weapons. Avery made a grab for the sweets, letting the dagger fall to the ground and into the dirt.

  “That was close.” She said, delicately setting the bag down, then bending over, picking up the dagger, and tossing it back onto the weapon pile.

  Avery walked over to the entrance of the stable where she had seen the man stagger into. The musky smell of hay and horses hit her. It caused her nose to tickle a little, but other than that was quite pleasant, even soothing. She entered the stable and looked around. The stalls and inside walls were made out of the same dark wood as the outside of the stables, and the entire ground was covered with straw-like yellow hay. To Avery’s left, was an extremely large walkway with stalls of horses lining both sides. To Avery’s right, there was a much shorter walkway with a few stalls of horses on one side and rows of saddles protruding out of the wall on the other side. The stalls themselves were good sized, with crescent moon shaped stall doors. In between each stall was a small, round, opaque glass lamp, casting everything in a dark firelight. In front of Avery were two bulky barn doors. Avery was about to grab onto one of the doors hefty metal handles, when the door swung open out towards her, and the little man she had followed in came scurrying out, carrying a bucket of oats.

  Avery shrieked in an embarrassingly high pitch and jumped back. At the same time, the man hollered loudly and dropped his bucket, spilling the oats out all over the ground.

  “Jumpin’ June bugs!” the man shouted, bending down to pick up his bucket, “Sneakin’ about like a troll in the night, what’s wrong with ya?”

  Before Avery answered, she tried to calm her breathing down. Even though she had caused him to drop a bucket of oats, he had startled her just as much as she had startled him.

  “I wasn’t sneaking,” She gasped out, “I was coming to see if you needed any help.”

  The man huffed,
“Do I look like I need any…” he looked up at Avery before he had finished what he was going to say and stopped mid-sentence.

  Now that he was looking at her, Avery could see he was a man in his sixties, with tufts of graying hair encircling a small bald spot on top of his head. His skin was tight and leathery, like he had been working outside in the sun and elements his entire life. He had thin drawn lips that made his face look even tauter than it actually was. All in all, he looked quite unpleasant, except for the kind brown almond shaped eyes that stared up at her.

  “Ms. Avery,” he said, blinking, “I didn’t know it was you. I’m sorry if I sounded a bit harsh.” His voice was genuine, and as he talked to her, he hugged the bucket he had picked up against his chest, like a child clinging onto a stuffed animal for comfort. It gave Avery the impression she was making him nervous in some way.

  “That’s fine,” Avery told him, faking a smile, “it really wasn’t that harsh anyway.” Not compared to some of the things Gumptin had shouted at her during training, “I’m Avery.” Avery said, holding out her hand. She was aware that the man obviously knew that, but since she had no idea who she was talking to, she felt introductions were in order.

  The man stared at her for a moment, then at her outstretched hand, then back at her, looking uncertain. Eventually, a slow smile began to form on his face.

  “Oh, I forgot…ya don’t remember a thing do ya?” He reached out his hand and grabbed onto Avery’s, shaking it vigorously, “Well, I’m Thomas, Ms. Avery, Thomas Mullimany. I run these here stables, have for the past forty years.” Thomas’s chest puffed out slightly. It was an apparent source of pride for him, and Avery had to admit, they were the cleanest stables she had ever seen.

  Avery remembered Pip telling her he worked for a man named Thomas in the stables.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Avery said, this time with a genuine smile, “The stables look awesome. You and Pip do a really great job.”

  Behind Thomas’s leathery tan skin, Avery could swear she could almost see him blushing, “That’s might kind of ya.”