Rise of Xavia

by Tara Chau

  I’ve been dying to show him my new skills. I trained with Anne a few times, and she taught me defence which I picked up better than a dog picks up a bone. Once or twice I even took lessons from random people training beside me.

  Gabe rushes at me instinctively, going for a kick to my shin. I twirl to his right as he stumbles past me, missing me entirely. He looks surprised for a moment, then grins. Gabe walks towards me and punches a straight hit towards my face. I block it easily, side-stepping to his right and kicking back into his knee. He sinks to the mat and then rolls away before I can strike. I decide to attack. Running at him, I then throw a round punch, aiming for his ear. He sees it coming and raises his arm to prevent contact. I let out a sigh and kick at him again, but he blocks it again. We both stumble away to opposite sides of the mat, panting. Gabe stands with feet shoulder-width apart and fists ready, concentration written all over his face. I dash towards him, surprising him by falling and skidding between his legs. I rise quickly and hit a nerve between his shoulder blades. He hunches defensively, and I shove him to the ground. He rolls over, but I scramble to sit on top of his back. Pinning both arms behind him, I laugh. He chuckles awkwardly, distracting me for one second. Using that second, he rips his wrists free from my grasp and rolls over. I am now under him, and he is on top. Using my knee to hit him in the back, I shove him forwards. He immediately catches himself with his arms. With Gabe’s face is now centimetres from my own, I draw in a hard breath before I do my next move. Taking both of my arms, I wrap them around his, taking them from beneath him. Since they are the only things keeping him up, his weight is immediately transferred onto me. I roll over, keeping hold of Gabe’s arms. I am now in control of the situation. He smiles at me widely, which makes me freeze.

  “I got you,” he says with a chuckle.

  “Did you hit your head too hard? I have you.” I point out.

  “Yeah, but my knee is behind you, which means that I could smash it into your spine any second,” he argues. “What would your next move be?”

  “Well, I would let go of your arms and then use my elbow to slam into your chest,” I say with an accomplished smile.

  He nods shortly. Due to our current position, he can’t really nod properly. I get up hastily once I realise how compromising my position really is.

  “Good job,” he praises. “You learned a hell of a lot while I was gone.”

  I shrug nonchalantly. “I’m a fast learner.”

  “Yeah, you can say that again. I guess being stabbed really takes away from your timing,” he mutters crossly.

  “It’s alright. I’ll help you get back into shape. It benefits me as well.” I say chirpily.

  “Sure,” he says. “Well, I think I’ve done enough today. I don’t really think that Astrid wanted me to fight, but I guess me being able to be already a good sign.”

  “Yep, just if she asks how we got into it. Say that it was you who had the idea.” I say.

  “Great,” he says sarcastically. “What should we do now?”

  I chew on my lip for a few moments, debating between a few options. “Let’s watch a movie,” I suggest.

  “Alright, but I want to stop by my room to shower and change,” he says.

  “Okay, you shower while I pick a movie,” I say as I walk over to put my shoes back on.

  We both walk out of the training hall and stumble towards his room. Gabe pulls out a key once we reach his room, places the key in the hole and turns. The door clicks open, and he looks back at me, hesitating before walking through. I’m vaguely aware that he doesn’t let anyone into his room, but the smell and sight overwhelm me. I inhale deeply, taking in his familiar cinnamon scent.

  As for the sight, the room is big, and that’s as much as I can tell before Gabe turns the light on. Now that I can see, I notice how neat the room is. The head of a queen size bed is pushed up against the left wall adorned with crisp white sheets. It has two bedside tables on either side of it. The right one holds a black lamp. When I look in front, I see a wooden desk with three draws on both sides. A spinning chair is stationed before it. Next to the desk is a small bookshelf with all the different compartments full of books and not one free space. I guess both Gabe and Ty love reading. To my right, I see a wardrobe and a sliding door. It’s half-open, so I can see inside. Through the door is an old fashion bathroom. A shower is pushed against the wall, separated from the rest of the bathroom by a blue curtain, and decorated with waves. The sink is on the far wall and the toilet to the right.

  Gabe walks over to the wardrobe, pulling out a grey t-shirt and a pair of denim jeans. No posters or canvases decorate the walls, but somehow it seems more homely than my own room.

  “There are some DVDs in a trunk under my bed. They were given to me by Ty and Anne for my last birthday. I haven’t watched any of them yet except the Star Wars ones, of course. Pick any. I’ll be out in about ten minutes,” he says before slipping in through the bathroom door.

  I nod and go over to the side of his bed, pulling out the old leather trunk. I hear the door slide close and the shower water run.

  The trunk is dusty on top, so I brush it all off then open it up. Inside there must be at least fifty DVDs, all lined up on the side so I can read the titles. Titanic, Fast and furious numbers one, two, three, King Kong, The Mummy, The Notebook, Spider-Man 1, 2, 3, The Amazing Spiderman 1 2, and Spiderman Far from Home and Homecoming.

  So many movies are piled up in front of me. This is going to take way more than ten minutes to choose from.

  School of Rock, High School Musical, Pacific Rim, Bat Man, Avatar, Charlies Angels, Bridge to Terabithia.

  All of these movies sound amazing. They must be quite old because I haven’t watched any of them, nor do I recognise the titles. I continue to scan the rows of DVDs, reading the labels with care, skimming my fingers over the sides.

  “Picked one yet?” Gabe asks as he comes to kneel beside me, his hair dripping water onto the carpet.

  I smile up at him and shake my head. He grins and shakes his head along with me, causing water to fly everywhere and me to squeal.

  “Gabe,” I wine. “You got me wet, gross.”

  He chuckles softly and ruffles my hair. I swat him away and glare at him. “Let’s watch Avatar,” he suggests. “I’ve been meaning to watch it for a while.”

  “Alright,” I say as I grab the DVD. “Where’s your laptop?”

  * * *

  “I can’t believe that the military guy wanted to kill all the natives,” I say once the movie ends.

  The credits are rolling down the screen, and the suspenseful music begins to play.

  “The dude is a jerk. Who the hell does that?” Gabe asks.

  We both sit on his bed, side by side, with the laptop between us.

  “What was your favourite part out of the whole movie?” I ask.

  Gabe and I look at each other and smile.

  “I see you.”

  We it at the same time, imitating the accent that the natives had developed in the movie. I laugh loudly, and Gabe smiles broadly.

  “I want one of those dragon things,” he says dreamily.

  “You would die before you got to sit on one,” I say smartly.

  “Would not. If Jake Sully can ride one, then I can too,” he argues.

  I shake my head before banging it against the headboard. “That is now my new favourite movie.”

  “I’ve watched a lot of movies, and I think it’s safe to say that this one is flippin amazing,” he says, looking back at me.

  “For my birthday, I want to watch it on a projector,” I say, imagining what it would be like. “With surround sound,” I add.

  He laughs shortly, sitting back with me. We both sigh and turn our heads to gaze at each other. “We can make that happen,” he assures.

  “Promise?”

  “Promise,” he says with a confident nod.

  We both sit here in silence for a while, watching the
credits roll down. A knock comes sounding from the door, and both of us look towards it grudgingly.

  “You close the laptop; I’ll answer the door,” I say, hopping off the bed.

  Making my way over to the door, I open it, slipping it open a few centimetres first, checking who it is.

  Crap. Ty is standing by the door, gazing wide-eyed at me.

  “Hi,” he says cautiously. “I’m here to talk to Gabe.”

  “Oh, alright. Gabe?” I yell and peek my head back into the room.

  Gabe comes walking towards them, looking suspiciously towards the door. He places his hand on the small of my back, looking at me questioningly.

  “Ty,” I say finally.

  “Oh, um…do you want to wait in my room? I’ll talk to him outside,” he offers.

  “Yes,” I nod thankfully. I walk back and sit on the bed; Gabe slips out the door to talk to Ty.

  A few moments later, Gabe comes back in, closing the door quietly behind him. "What did Ty want?"

  “Just wanted to ask how my exercises are going, when I’d be back in the field,” he says shortly.

  I hop off the bed and walk over to him. He has positioned himself at the desk, leaning against it. I take my hands and cup Gabe's face. "What are you not telling me?"

  “Nothing,” he shakes his head sadly.

  Gabe removes my hands from his cheeks and raps my arms around his neck. Taking his hands and cautiously wrapping them around my waist, pulling me in slowly. He buries his head into my hair and mumbles. “Nothing, I just miss my best friend.”

  I rest my head against his shoulder and breathe in his cinnamon chestnut smell. The next thought that runs through my mind makes me blush and pull back an inch.

  “What’s up?” he asks worriedly.

  I shake my head shortly and refuse to look at him straight.

  “You can tell me,” he assures.

  But I can't. I can't tell him how he makes me feel while he is around. I can't tell him how I feel when he isn't, how my stomach flutters when I'm close to him, how I shiver with pleasure from the simple touch of his hand. I can’t say any of that to him without the possibility of ruining our friendship. However confusing it may be.

  “Go on,” he prods.

  I shake my head again, letting out a frustrated sigh. Instead, I walk over to the bed and sit down again, taking up some of the blanket in my hands and pressing it against my cheek.

  “Di-”

  Gabe starts to walk over to me when the lights of his room turn a deep red. Outside in the hall, loud sirens sound. I look at Gabe, worried and confused.

  “All Protectors report to room A. I repeat, all Protectors to room A.” The announcement is broadcasted through a small speaker hidden somewhere in the room, making me jump in surprise.

  “Stay here,” Gabe orders harshly before rushing out the door. Without another thought, I follow Gabe out into the hall and run after him, catching up easily and running beside him.

  “Dianna,” he says sternly.

  “Just frickin run!” I say as we round the corner. The main room is bustling with noise. Protectors were running around trying to report on different things. The gigantic screen that consumes the whole right wall is aglow with red spots. A map of the city is being displayed on the screen; red markers are scattered by the dozen over the entire town. What is happening? I ask myself. Looking over at Gabe, I can see he is asking the same question. I’m about to speak when a booming male voice calls out to the crowd.

  “Protectors!” he shouts.

  I go on my tiptoes to see who he is. Standing at the front of the room is a young man in about his mid-twenties. He has broad shoulders, black hair, and a handsome face. Right now, he has a look of stern concentration plastered to his features. He waits silently as the people stop rushing around and speaking before he continues.

  “Twenty-eight groups of rouge Shifters are causing chaos all around the city. These red markers are where these groups are to be found and stopped. In three minutes, the chart will show your groups and where you are being assigned to. Be safe, be efficient and get the job done."

  With those being his final words, he melts back into the crowd. I spot where the speaker is headed. Keeping my gaze on him, I see he is approaching a computer.

  Within seconds hundreds of names are shown on the screen, along with a street. I come across a group that reads the names: Annabelle Cleve, Tytus Renalds, Hayden Bronze, and Jessica Wane. Anne's group is assigned the city square where two red dots are flashing urgently. I look to see Gabe - fist clenched and jaw set. He storms up to the man who gave the speech, and I cautiously follow.

  “Sir,” he says professionally.

  “Oh Gabriel, how pleasant to see you about,” he says with a tired smile.

  “I would like to request that I accompany Annabelle Cleve’s team. They could use the extra support; they are dealing with two squads of rogues,” he says to my horror. Gabe can’t go out. He was just released from the infirmary.

  “Are you fit for command?” The man asks sceptically.

  I gaze at the back of Gabe’s head, willing him to say no. I’m pretty sure he can feel my eyes on him because he stiffens before nodding confidently. I groan softly and step forward.

  “My name is Dianna Iysador." I use my Protector's name for more recognition. “I would also like to join the team, Sir,” I request.

  He looks at me, surprised, and I can feel Gabe staring at me in dismay.

  “I know very well who you are, Iysador. Are you fit for command?” He repeats.

  "Yes, Sir,” I reply. I’m pretty sure it’s one of those times to say that.

  “Sir,” Gabe protests. “With all due respect, do not let her go out there.”

  “If she can fight, which I know she can,” he says to my surprise, "then she is an asset. As you yourself said, Gabriel, they need all the support they can get."

  “Sir,” he speaks firmly.

  “You are not to argue with me on this, Gabriel. And remember your task. Bring the rouges back here and try saving as many lives as possible. Do not fail your mission, do not falter. Do you copy? He demands.

  Gabe nods reluctantly. "Yes, Sir.”

  "You have five minutes to gather your weapons and meet your group outback, you know where. I'll alert them of your arrival. Dismissed." He then turns to leave, heading down a hallway and out of sight.

  “No,” Gabe says, his back still turned away from me.

  “No?” I repeat.

  Refusing to hear all the reasons he has for me not to go, I turn away to walk down the hall and march swiftly to the training room, where weapons are held. Lucky I am already in comfortable clothes. A tank-top and some jeggings along with a pair of black boots. I can hear quick footsteps come up behind me as I walk through the training room doors. Gabe blocks me from walking any further.

  “Move,” I say flatly.

  “I won’t let you go.” He sounds dangerously calm.

  “Move,” I say again.

  “No,” he speaks stern and steady.

  I turn around back towards the exit but quickly swerve, removing a silver sword from the wall, and run out. I have no clue where we are supposed to be meeting, but I run out the back exit, taking the stairs instead of the lift, Gabe close behind. To my relief, I see a black van a hundred metres away, Ty at the wheel and the rest of them sitting in the back.

  “Start the car!” I yell, sprinting full speed.

  I’m painfully grateful that Gabe’s still healing wound is slowing him down considerably.

  “No!” Gabe barks, but by the time it’s said, the car has started, and I'm ducking into a spare seat.

  Gabe grabs onto my forearm and tries pulling me out again. Due to my endless training sessions and his lack of them this week, he can’t get me out before I speak. “Drive Ty.”

  “What?" he stammers, looking back at all the commotion through the mirror.

  “Go, Ty,
” the boy named Hayden yells.

  I nod to Anne gratefully because as she slides the door closed and kicks Gabe into a seat, Ty speeds off.

  “Diann-” Gabe starts.

  "Shut up, Gabe,” I spit all too ferociously. I might have to apologize about this later. “What’s the plan?” I ask, diving straight into work.

  The girl to my left speaks. I assume her name is Jessica. We go over the plan. The whole five-minute drive into the city, I can feel Gabe's anger ripple like waves over me.

  * * *

  Screaming, crying, angry shouts. It's all too much. When we arrive in the city, everything is crazy, people running everywhere. I wonder what they're all thinking right now. I wonder if they can actually see all these vampires and Lycans. The sight is terrifying. Huge black, grey, and white wolves, teeth bared and drool pooling onto the pavement, block us all from accessing the people. Bewitching creatures with the palest skin I have ever seen loom in the shadows of housing and anything to keep them from the sun.

  I begin to hyperventilate. Breathing quickly and still not taking in enough oxygen to keep me from panicking. Anne backs up towards me slowly.

  “It’s going to be alright," she assures. "You've been practising so hard. Just follow our lead."

  I nod, not trusting myself to even open my mouth in fear of screaming.

  “Stay calm,” she says.

  “Gabe,” I whisper, closing my eyes tight.

  Seconds later, I feel the tight squeeze of Gabe's hand in mine. A familiar warmth and calm washes through me. As much as he comforts me, he puts me on edge even more. I thought coming out here would be good. I'd be able to help Gabe and protect everyone else as well. But now it looks like I might just get in the way. My palms start to sweat, and I need to struggle extensively to keep a grip on the silver sword in my left hand. It’s very well balanced but not quite the length that I would usually go for. When I get back, if I get back, I’m so gonna get Anne to take me weapons shopping.

  An image of my dad pops into my head, making me whimper. What will he do if I don't come home tonight? My mother's gone, and he'll have no one left. I look up at Gabe and remove my hand from his, determined to show him that I can do this. I can do this, tonight I'll be home in bed, and my father will be sleeping soundly next door. I hesitate, just in case.