The Complete 8-Book Guardians Adventure Saga

by Summer Lee

  “What’s the danger part of it?” Sam was willing to try anything to get answers.

  “When you approach the Elements, you can ask up to four questions about any one subject.” She looked concerned, as she thought about even continuing. “Just by entering their chamber, you risk that they will demand something from you, for even seeking an audience.”

  “You never talked about this before,” Sam tensely replied. “If you feel it’s too dangerous, then we won’t do it.”

  “I can see no other way of finding out which Shekels, are the ones from Judas’ payment.” She thought that even mentioning it, may have provoked something bad to happen. “That is even beyond my new found abilities. It may be the only way, without sacrificing humans. I prefer not to sacrifice anyone. . . for a mission.”

  Sam ran his hand gently over her cheek. “Challenge of the Elements it is then. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “Do you really want to know the answer to that question, Sam?”

  He shook his head. “No. Not really. Let’s do it.”

  “I’ll need to blindfold you.” She removed her scarf from her neck and wrapped it around his eyes. “For your own good. I’m sorry.”

  ***

  Day Eight

  Achava took off Sam’s blindfold. “I apologize again, Sam. I do not have the authority to reveal this location to anyone.”

  “That’s alright, Achava,” he said, with a smile. “As long as we’re not underg…” His words faded as he looked around. They were in a well-lit cavern, with no foreseeable exits.

  There were four 5 foot pillars spaced evenly around by the rock walls. Each had a different symbol on it. One had fire. One had water. One had wind. One had earth.

  There was what appeared to be an old birdbath in the middle of the room.

  Achava took the cloth with the coins in it and dumped them into the birdbath.

  Sam watched as all forty one Shekels were mixed together.

  “Make sure to ask me telepathically, whatever question you want to ask, Sam,” Achava said. “Always concentrate on the Shekels, while you are thinking of the question. Ask up to four questions, but there is a risk with each one.”

  Sam gulped hard, as he thought of the first question. He then nodded, as he transferred his thoughts to her. Which of these Shekels, are the ones that Judas was paid to betray Jesus with?

  Achava nodded in response to her hearing the question. “Which of these Shekels of Tyre, are the Shekels that Judas Iscariot was paid by the high priests, to betray Jesus Christ?”

  They both glared at the Shekels, as one by one, the coins started to glow ebony.

  Achava nodded to Sam, as he started to pull out the ones that were glowing. There were exactly thirty. He put those in a separate cloth, and then gathered the other eleven Shekels, putting them in a different small pouch.

  He was about to put the blindfold back on, when he noticed that Achava was looking at the pillars with the symbols on them.

  Then Sam made a mistake. “What’s wrong?”

  Achava’s eyes widened. She said nothing, but her eyes spoke volumes.

  The four pillars started to vibrate and then they shook violently. Achava ran to Sam and grabbed his hand, as she kept her eyes on the pillars. Glancing from one to the other, she ran as quickly as she could.

  She placed one finger over his lips to shush him.

  He lowered his head, as he realized he had screwed up. He didn’t know how he did, but he knew he did.

  Achava waited for the pillars to stop shaking. Once they did, she immediately Soul Merged both of them back home. As soon as they appeared in their living room, Artemis Kieleg was waiting for them.

  He was standing no more than a couple of feet away. It was as if he knew when and where they would appear. He pushed Sam, so that he went flying backwards over the sofa. Sam dropped the cloth and the pouch in the process.

  Achava went into action and immediately hit Kieleg with a one-two punch to the gut. He doubled over, which gave her the opportunity to knee him in the face and then punch him twice more in the head.

  He fell back into the kitchen—blood streaming down his face. Achava was relentless, as she proceeded to kick him repeatedly in the gut.

  Sam saw that she was more than able to handle herself, so he snatched up the pouch of eleven coins and the cloth with the thirty coins, and raced back to the bedroom. Quickly, he entered the closet, opened the secret room, and placed the coins all safely inside. Before leaving rapidly, he locked everything down.

  He then ran back to the kitchen, where Achava had Kieleg’s arms behind him, with her knee in the small of his back. She looked at Sam and he winked to show mission accomplished.

  “I think it is safe to say that, Kieleg needs a ride to the police station,” she said, with a smirk on her face.

  Confidently, Sam said, “You did a number on him.”

  Suddenly, Achava turned pale. “The elements.”

  “Are you alright?” As soon as Sam asked the question, he noticed a chill in the air.

  Achava looked around in a panic.

  The front door blew open and smashed into the wall. A fierce wind pushed Achava back against the refrigerator, causing her to relinquish her grip on Kieleg. Kieleg crawled toward the hallway, and Sam jumped on top of him.

  With Sam on him, Kieleg slammed his back against the wall, knocking Sam off. Kieleg got on his feet and ran into the bathroom.

  Sam got up and ran after him. As soon as he entered the bathroom, Sam saw the faucet, in the sink, start to vibrate. He felt fear. “It is going to blow up,” he yelled.

  Kieleg was now in full panic. “Help me.”

  The faucets in the shower and the sink, exploded, knocking Kieleg to the floor and Sam out into the hallway.

  Kieleg got up and ran out of the bathroom. Sam chased after him down the hallway.

  Achava met Kieleg as he entered the kitchen and gave him an upper cut.

  “What’s going on, Achava?” Sam yelled.

  “The elements, Sam! It’s causing all the appliances surrounding us to fight back,” she said. “We are paying for asking too many questions! It appears that all four elements will seek their vengeance now!”

  Almost as if on cue, the stove blew up, in a searing fireball, that knocked Sam back into the living room and Achava out through the open front door and onto the front lawn.

  Sam managed to get to his feet quickly and ran outside. “Achava! Are you hurt?”

  She had a few burns, but said, “I am well, Sam.” She stood up and looked in shock as Kieleg approached on fire.

  He staggered out from the house and stood on the porch. Sam quickly moved toward Achava, to protect her. Stand close together, they waited.

  Air currents began to stir in one spot above Kieleg’s head, moving the blaze around on his body.

  He yelled again for help. Achava said, “If we try to help him, we’d all disintegrate together.”

  Sam was angry. “I would not help him anyhow.”

  They watched the small whirlwind blowing only around Kieleg, stirring the flames. His arms were on fire. And then he didn’t appear to be in pain anymore. as they noticed he was also soaking wet.

  “Oh…no, the elements are all at work on him,” Achava mumbled. “He cannot touch the ground!”

  As soon as she said that, Kieleg staggered on to the lawn.

  “We’ve got to get out of here.” Sam was shaking in fear.

  “Yes. Run.”

  Achava and Sam backed up. When they reached the sidewalk, the earth quaked.

  Achava turned to look. The earth snaked up around each of Kieleg’s legs, as all four elements appeared to merge together, using him as the nucleus. The water absorbed into Kieleg. Yet he looked dry. The wind seemed to be absorbed into his upper torso. The fire was absorbed into his arms and the earth was absorbed into his legs. He looked normal once again.

  He shook, fearfully, as he looked at his arms and legs with bewilderment.


  Achava and Sam remained silent.

  Achava had to think fast. She couldn’t allow Kieleg to realize what was happening to him. She rushed toward him, before he regained his senses, and before she could inform Sam what she was doing. As she grabbed onto Kieleg, they both disappeared.

  Chapter the Sixteenth

  Day Nine

  SAM STOOD ALONE and in shock. Achava?

  In his few moments of solitude, he knew that what happened was his fault. If only he had not asked that last question. What’s wrong?

  If only he would have just let it play out the way that Achava knew it would. He never even heard of the Challenge of the Elements, before she told him about it.

  He had to do something constructive, while he waited for her return. If she returned. He could not allow those thoughts into his head. He had to believe that she would be back.

  He gritted his teeth and ran into the house. He went straight back to the secret room and was thankful that when Achava created the security for it, he was still able to access everything.

  He looked at the thirty Shekels of Tyre and knew that they had a greater purpose. His gut screamed at him that they were to be used, one more time. He just could not think how.

  He removed just the thirty coins, then locked everything up again.

  He went to the kitchen and wiped debris caused by the stove exploding. He washed the mess off of his table. He then went to close the front door. He could not lock it. The lock was busted, but he couldn’t think about that at the moment. “Dang!”

  He placed the Shekels away from his body, in front of him, on the table and tried to figure out what they could lead him to. It was obvious to him, that just finding them, closed the mystery on the coins themselves. But there was more.

  He would work on the other eleven coins later, after everything else was figured out. He heard the front door creak and looked up, hoping Achava was home. Not her. She had to come back soon or at least respond to his telepathic call.

  As he stared at the thirty Shekels, he realized that there was something very familiar about how he laid them out. He placed them in six rows of five. As he studied them more, he moved some of them, so that there were now four rows of seven coins, with two extra.

  Just as it hit him, Achava reappeared in the living room. She had small burn marks on her face and arms, but not as bad as it could be. He was so glad to see her; tears filled his eyes. He ran to her and embraced her. “Are you hurt?” he asked.

  “No.” She sank into his arms, smiling.

  “You sure?” he said, smiling at her in return.

  “I am well, Sam.” Her eyes sparkled when she kissed him. “I dropped Kieleg off at the furthest location I could think of. I hope he doesn’t have any type of telepathy for conveyance or any other mode of rapid transportation. If he doesn’t, we should be alright.”

  “Good.” He kissed her again, and then they stood and embraced in silence. Finally, he spoke again.

  “Achava,” Sam spoke with enthusiasm. “My mind is blank right now. Can you think of anything to do with Jerusalem or Hebrew tradition that has to do with the number thirty?”

  “Let me think.” Her eyes looked deep in thought. “There are several, but the one that comes to mind is the Wailing Wall.”

  “The Wailing Wall?” He looked puzzled. “I know that’s the Western Wall, but what does it have to do with the number thirty?”

  Achava’s smile faded. “I keep this in the front of my thoughts, because it has been awhile since I was there. Perhaps, there is something there? We could go see.”

  “It’s worth a shot,” he replied. “Otherwise, I have no other ideas.” He took the Shekels and placed them in the cloth.

  “I’ll need extra strength in order to go there,” she said. “Do you have any power bars in your back pack?”

  He took out two bars and two bottles of water. He joined her in the snack. After finishing hers, she said, “I’m ready to go.”

  She grabbed his hand and she quickly Soul Merged them to Israel. They appeared about 100 yards in front of the Wailing Wall.

  “Please honor the wall,” Achava said, calmly. “Do as I do.”

  As they approached, she tore a piece of her short sleeve off. Sam had to cut a piece of his shirt off, with a small pocket knife.

  When she got to the wall, she knelt down. Sam followed her lead. She closed her eyes. He closed his eyes as well.

  “Repeat after me, Sam. “Our Holy Temple, which was once our glory.”

  He cleared his throat. “Our Holy Temple, which was our glory.”

  “In which our forefathers adored You,” she said.

  He said the same words.

  She continued, “. . .was burned and all of our delights were destroyed.”

  He reverently repeated the words, like they meant something to him. “In which our forefathers adored You, was burned and all of our delights were destroyed.”

  They both opened their eyes and looked at the wall. They saw hundreds of pieces of paper and written prayers placed into the cracks of the wall.

  “We are not allowed to place our fingers within the cracks of the Wailing Wall,” Achava stated.

  Sam was looking intently for something out of place. “That’s fine. I have no desire to desecrate the Wailing Wall. I think you may be on to something though.” He pointed at one spot where it looked like an indention. One big enough for one of the Shekels.

  He smiled and opened the cloth, while looking around to see if anyone was watching them. He handed one of the coins to Achava, who placed it within the indention. It was a perfect fit.

  Once the coin was in the indention, a golden glow emitted over it. It then transformed into a part of the wall.

  Sam chuckled. “Good call, beautiful.”

  She was shocked. “You think I am beautiful? I know you have said it before, but it is still nice to hear, my handsome fiancé.”

  A poor-looking lady stood on the corner behind them, selling fresh baked french bread. “Do you smell that?” Sam asked, pointing to the bread.

  “Yes! Let’s go get some.” There were a couple folding chairs on the premises, so they sat down awhile.

  “Would you like a bottle of water to go with your bread?” said the vendor. They both agreed that they would. With tummy full, they returned to the wall.

  They searched the Wailing Wall, until they found every last indention. When Achava placed the thirtieth coin in the last indention, it became a part of the wall. Suddenly, they heard a sound. It sounded like rock sliding against rock.

  Sam looked to where the sound came from and saw a small opening at the bottom of the wall. He shielded Achava, as she bent down to examine it.

  She reached in and grabbed a cloth bundle out. As soon as she brought it out, a small stone slab covered up the opening.

  She immediately clasped Sam’s hand and Soul Merged back to the house.

  ***

  Once they were back in the living room, Sam went to the front door. “Can you please do something about this broken lock, so people can’t just walk into the house?”

  She nodded, as she placed the bundle on the kitchen table. When she got to the front door, her hands glowed with the all too familiar golden glow. She moved her hands around the frame of the door. After she pulled back, the door was good as new. She went ahead and locked it.

  “You’re going to come in handy for home repairs,” Sam said, with a smile.

  “Maybe not. My powers come from God. I am sure if the time comes that I don’t need them, then they will go away.”

  “That’s okay. We’ll just count our blessings while we have them.”

  They both went back to the bundle on the table. Sam held out his hand. “Can you do the honors?”

  Achava unwrapped the bundle of cloth. The material appeared to be as old as the cloth they wore in the time of Noah. Some of it flaked off, but most of it was in tack. It revealed an old wooden box, about seven inches long, by about three inches wide
and three inches tall.

  There were no markings or engraving on it.

  Sam sighed, as he looked it over. He went and got his magnifying glass to look at it, but he could find no trace of how old it was. He looked at Achava and then tried to open the lid. It wouldn’t budge. There wasn’t anything locking the box, or giving him the impression that it would be difficult to open.

  Achava looked it over. “Perhaps, there is a key.”

  “I don’t see a keyhole,” Sam said, looking discouraged.

  Achava smiled. “I am not talking about a key that you can hold within your grasp. I am talking about the kind that can unlock things that are not in material form.”

  “Is this a riddle?” he replied. “Like the mind being the key to unlocking the contents? I don’t know if I’m mentally up for solving another riddle right now.”

  “It’s what we do, Sam.” She picked up the box and looked all around it. She looked for anything out of place, just like they did at the Wailing Wall. “It’s obvious that someone didn’t want just anyone opening this box up. The fact that you solved all of the puzzles, of where the Shekels of Tyre were, is amazing.”

  He laughed out loud. “I like that compliment.”

  She laughed as well. “For someone not born of Biblical royalty, or of my supernatural heritage, is a testament to the fact that you belong here and that we belong together.”

  “You are so sweet.”

  “Thank you.

  He focused his attention on the box once again. “I don’t think that this is as old as the time of Noah. I can tell by the craftsmanship. I think it’s from anywhere between 1200 and 850 BC.”

  “Your archeological abilities are simply amazing, Sam,” she said, enthusiastically. “I sometimes forget about that part of you. You seem more comfortable going by your gut, instead of your learned intelligence.”

  “That amazes me too,” he said, with a smile. “I never thought I had street smarts. Ha ha!”

  Achava set the box down on the table. “That would put this box anywhere from Gideon to Elijah. I think we can rule out both of them. Elijah needed no trinkets and there was no recorded history of Gideon ever using a box like this. Perhaps 1043 BC where Saul is king, between 1000BC where the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem?”