The Sacred Guardians Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Omnibus

by Wendy Owens

  “Get over here, Gabe,” Uri motioned to his friend to join him in the circle. He reluctantly walked to his side. Uri grabbed his hand and raised it high into the air in a triumphant motion. “Are you ready to kick some demon tail, my friend?”

  Gabe glanced over his shoulder at the rattling cages and could only feign a smile for a short moment. As he looked back to the crowd, he saw Michael standing off to the side with an expressionless face, his arms crossed, watching intensely as the scene unfolded. For a moment, he thought Michael may step in and stop the side show antics. When Michael just continued to watch, Gabe knew he was on his own.

  “So everyone knows the rules …” Uri shouted. “Oh yeah, that’s right, there are no rules! Gabe can showcase anything and everything he has learned to stay alive!”

  “I think you’re exaggerating a bit, don’t you?” Gabe mumbled under his breath to Uri. He was sure Michael wouldn’t let him die in these tests. At least, he thought he was sure. Gabe quickly looked at Michael again for some reassurance. He still displayed no change in expression or stance.

  “Don’t worry,” Uri continued. “We’ll all be safe. There’s a protection spell on the arena so the demons won’t be able to escape. Just you and them!” Uri patted Gabe on the back heavily. Then he turned and scurried out of the arena. Uri’s words made Gabe even more anxious as he stumbled forward.

  Gabe turned slowly, his hands feeling like two large boulders hanging from his sides. He watched in horror as Uri and two other men pulled the draping from the three cages.

  Inside the first cage was a smaller creature. Gabe thought it stood perhaps only three feet high. Behind it swung a long tail that was adorned with a large round ball on the end of it. Though it had long fangs, Gabe thought that overall it seemed fairly harmless and didn’t feel terribly threatened by it.

  As the creature spun wildly in the cage, it swung its large tail. The ball tip came down on to the floor with a great thud and four inch razor-sharp spikes shot out over its entire body, including its tail. The calmness Gabe had felt about this demon quickly fled.

  Gabe closed his mouth, realizing his shock was clear from the expression on his face. The next cage caught his attention. It was surrounded by gray smoke. The creature inside had a large snake-like body with dozens of legs. It looked like a cross between a centipede and a King Cobra. It stared directly at him as it spit little round balls of fire in the air. As the balls extinguished into clouds of smoke, Gabe debated which demon was worse.

  The third cage, Gabe noticed, was much larger in size than the rest. Instead of bars, it was composed of tall walls of solid steal. He heard a pounding from inside and could see the walls vibrating from the thunderous booms. Whatever was inside, Gabe was sure he wanted no part of it.

  Again Gabe looked back at Michael, hoping he was about to step in, but all he did was give him a nod. A nod? Really? I don’t need a nod. I need someone to stop this! Gabe thought.

  “Gabe,” Sophie’s voice came from behind him. He spun around to see her shining face, though it did have a worried look on it. “You’ve got this!” Somehow with those words from Sophie, his confidence was restored. He was ready, or as ready as he was ever going to be.

  “A spike monster from the Gorgon underworld!” Uri shouted to the crowd as he used a long rod to unlock the cage before quickly stepping away.

  Michael hadn’t come to visit with Gabe much over the summer, but he did grace him with a quick meeting a few days earlier. It felt, in a way, like he was bringing him a warning. Michael had expressed to Gabe that it was very important he remember everything he had learned about the underworld.

  Gabe had studied alongside his friends all summer, spending many hours with Sophie in the library. Now that he was face to face with his first test, Gabe wished he had studied the books more, and Sophie’s eyes less.

  Gabe had learned that there was a realm between Earth and Hell called the underworld. It was the barrier angels and demons could dwell in, but not go beyond. Angels couldn’t cross into Hell. Demons weren’t able to pass into the earthly realm. There were also restrictions on hunting in the underworld, as it was supposed to be considered safe ground for all.

  The underworld was split into sections. Each area was ruled by different races. A few were indifferent to the battle between angels and demons, happy to stay to themselves. Most, though, were on the side of the demons, angry that they were also not allowed to pass into earth’s realm. This made the underworld into hostile territory for Guardians and not the neutral ground it was supposed to be.

  Gabe began to move from side to side in a defensive manner, trying to anticipate the spike monster’s next move. He frantically tried to remember anything he could about the Gorgons. He dug through his memory, searching for something about their race or about the underworld that might help him defeat this spike monster. Gabe recalled reading that the Gorgon territory was desert-like. He couldn’t imagine how this information could possibly help him defeat the beast, though.

  Before another thought could cross Gabe’s mind, the spike monster came bounding into the circle with a snarl and huff. Its spikes were retracted as its head wobbled. The monster’s eyes darted from side to side, clearly disoriented and agitated by the presence of the crowd. Gabe saw under the natural light, away from the cage, that the creature's skin shimmered with a purple glow. Had it not been trying to kill him, he thought he might have actually appreciated it as a remarkably handsome creature.

  Its beauty quickly faded for Gabe when the monster locked in on him and focused all its anger and frustration in his direction. The spike monster swung its tail wildly while stomping one foot into the ground repeatedly. As it let out another snarl, the monster lowered its eyes, locking its gaze on Gabe before allowing its spikes to emerge from their hiding place beneath its skin with an unsheathing noise. Catching sight of the steel like spikes glistening in the sun, Gabe felt panic rush over him.

  Gabe looked again in Michael’s direction. He still stood watching, but appeared slightly alarmed. Glancing back at the crowd, Gabe caught sight of Sophie, who was simply nodding at him in a reassuring way, a smile planted firmly on her face. He saw her mouth the word, “Focus.”

  Before Gabe could even comprehend what was happening, the beast came charging at him. He didn’t have time to think of which defensive spell would work best. As the monster’s spiked tail came swinging around in his direction, Gabe jumped as high as he could. When his legs could take him no higher, he felt himself fall to the earth. He rolled quickly to one side in an effort to remove himself from the range of the monster’s tail.

  The spiked tail embedded itself in the earth with a great thud, mere inches from where Gabe landed. Gabe seized the moment to roll up onto his knees, crawling backwards to create distance, before hopping up onto his feet. Out loud, Gabe began repeating everything he could remember about the Gorgon race in an effort to think of something that would aid him in this battle.

  He knew most of the creatures in the Gorgon territory had skin that was thick, almost like armor. Though he was sure the skin came in handy for the Gorgons, he didn’t see how this detail could help him.

  The creature retracted its spikes, freeing itself from the earth. A moment later, its mighty tail swung at Gabe. This time he wasn’t able to move out of the way quickly enough and it knocked him off his feet. In a calculated manner, the spike monster raised its tail high into the air. It hovered for a moment. Gabe watched in horror as it pushed out its dagger-like spikes once again.

  The beast brought its tail down at Gabe’s head with such great force that it caused the air around them to stir. Just in time to avoid the spikes, Gabe rolled to one side and jumped to his feet. The crowd let out a gasp of relief.

  This dance they found themselves in wasn’t going to end well for Gabe, and he knew it. It wouldn’t be long before he was too slow to avoid the attacks.

  Gabe looked at the dust in the air, still stirring from the last strike. That’s it! He thought
. At last, Gabe had an idea for a spell that might actually work. First he needed to cast an air spell.

  Gabe took a few steps back to have a moment to regain his composure. The spike monster clearly wasn’t willing to give him much time, considering it already had its head down, ready to attack yet again. Gabe stood, focusing fiercely on the animal.

  Somehow, in that moment, all the noise in the room seemed to fade away. Gabe felt his belly burning hot. The beast was running full speed in his direction. When he could no longer contain the energy, Gabe pushed his hands outward towards the monster and shouted, “Ventus tempestas!”

  An invisible force shot out from his hands. The crowd began to roar with approval as they watched the dust blowing around the spike monster. The creature began to lose footing. With the hurricane-like wind blowing against it, the monster was clearly struggling to find ground.

  Gabe felt a triumphant rush wash over him. He raised his hands, preparing to finish the beast with one more wind storm blast. The creature swung his tail around and dug its spikes deep into the earth. No matter how much force Gabe tried to add, he couldn’t seem to budge the monster.

  Exhausted, Gabe pulled his hands back and fell to one knee, trying to catch his breath. Clearly his idea wasn’t working as he had hoped. He needed to rethink his strategy and fast. He pushed himself back up to a standing position. Gabe glanced over his shoulder again. The beast was charging full speed in his direction. He felt his stomach twist. He knew he only had seconds before the monster was upon him.

  There wasn’t enough time to run and nowhere for Gabe to hide. Digging his heels in, Gabe feared he already knew what the result of hand to hand combat would be. None the less, in a matter of moments, Gabe would have no choice.

  He reached for his sword. He was about to unsheathe his weapon when he had one last idea. Staring at the ground between himself and the spike monster, Gabe began to repeat the words,

  “Earth into sand,

  Unable to stand”

  The spike monster didn’t seem to pay much attention to Gabe’s words. It simply continued charging, clearly with the intention of mauling him. The creature increased its speed. Sprays of hot saliva flew out from the corners of its mouth. With a triumphant glare in its eyes, the monster moved in for the final blow. With its next step, the earth gave way under the beast’s feet. In a moment, it sank into a ten foot circle of quicksand. The crowd cried out with an approving cheer. The animal thrashed wildly in an attempt to escape, but found itself sinking further.

  Gabe knew the sand would only hold the spike monster for so long. He needed to take further action to ensure it was no longer a threat. Thinking quickly, Gabe knew exactly what spell to cast.

  Looking into the animal’s eyes, Gabe could see it was consumed with fear. It was simply trying to protect itself. He didn’t want to prolong its horrific experience any longer.

  “Perpetuum Somnum,” Gabe said, directing his hands toward the thrashing animal. A second later the poor beast was asleep and snoring quite loudly, its still body no longer sinking.

  Gabe sighed a breath of relief, but before he could turn around, he heard the latch to the second cage release and felt a growing heat behind him. Gabe took off running at top speed to the opposite side of the arena. He didn’t know where the second monster was exactly, but he knew he wanted to try his best to put some distance between them.

  When he reached the other side, Gabe turned and saw the creature crawling towards him. Though it had dozens of short legs, it seemed to slither.

  “From the Volsunga area of the underworld, Gabe will next fight a fire breathing lindworm serpent!” Gabe heard Uri’s voice bellow out from an unseen corner. The words filled Gabe with terror. He may not know much about the Gorgons, but he had been thoroughly warned about the Volsunga. They were a tribe in the underworld that kept to themselves. Everyone thought it best for all parties involved.

  They dwelt in volcanic areas and worshiped what they called a “fire god.” Gabe remembered one story in particular about a Guardian who had been discovered in their territory. The story went that this Guardian was on the trail of a demon he wanted to question about some recent attacks on humans. He had stumbled into Volsunga territory unknowingly. Apparently, the Volsunga felt an appropriate punishment for getting lost was to burn to death.

  Gabe tried to put the story out of his mind and focus on battling the lindworm serpent that was now quickly approaching him, puffs of gray smoke billowing behind it. Its large cobra head was arched back, ready to attack. Gabe struggled with how to proceed. Once again, he remembered Michael’s words. He had used the treacherous quicksand traps of the Gorgon deserts to trap the spike monster.

  This serpent was different. Gabe had absolutely no clue what he could possibly use about the Volsunga to defeat the lindworm serpent.

  It moved quickly. Gabe struggled to stay out of its flames. No matter how hard he pushed, with every step he made it seemed to gain on him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid its attack for much longer.

  Though he was unsure how to destroy the beast, he had another idea. It may just buy him the time he needed to think of something. He ran in the direction of the crowd as fast as his feet would carry him. Gabe knew that everyone in the arena wasn’t in harm’s way thanks to the protection spell. It didn’t mean the lindworm couldn’t see or hear the crowd, though. Standing in front of the bleachers, Gabe looked down at his own torso and shouted, “Effingo”.

  A moment later, he looked up to see the arena littered with look-a-likes of himself. The duplication spell had worked. Gabe watched as the serpent caught sight of the numerous Gabes, clearly confused and disoriented.

  Gabe knew he didn’t have long until the serpent realized it was a trick and would be on his heels once again. Volsunga was a volcanic territory, but he couldn’t figure out how lava or fire could possibly help him defeat the lindworm, a creature who itself used fire as a weapon. The serpent spit a couple of fireballs at the crowd that were deflected by the protection spell. Realizing its attacks were pointless, the creature began to search for the real Gabe once again.

  As Gabe reached the edge of the arena, he saw the serpent in pursuit of him. Gabe assumed Michael had wanted him to use the elements of where the creatures were from against them. When the serpent began to close in, Gabe wondered if perhaps Michael hadn’t intended for him to use the elements of Volsunga against the beast, but to be aware of the environment it was used to. If the lindworm was used to a fiery world, perhaps what Gabe needed to defeat it was a bit of a chill.

  The lindworm arched its head back. With a great force, it spat a raging fireball in Gabe’s direction. Leaping to one side, Gabe managed to avoid the flames, but was still close enough to feel the intensity of the heat. Not wasting another moment, Gabe began chanting,

  “Water and ice flow,

  A blizzard grow”

  The creature prepared to spit another ball of fire at Gabe’s head. Knowing he couldn’t afford to break his concentration, Gabe didn’t move, but instead stared danger in the face. Gabe stayed focused as Sophie had suggested earlier, placing all of his faith in his spell. The lindworm’s mouth began to glow red with its flame. As the fire started to pass by the creature’s massive fangs, an icy wind blew in, extinguishing it into a gray cloud. The lindworm serpent thrashed a bit from the cold gust. Shivering, the beast tried to shake off the cold blast. Before it could build up another fiery breath, Gabe sent an additional icy burst.

  Seeing the lindworm struggle and flail, Gabe continued his strategy. Before the serpent could react to what was going on, it was surrounded by swirling clouds of snow and ice.

  Gabe knew the serpent’s fire was only one part of the creature’s danger. Its fangs were full of poison and posed just as deadly a threat. While the serpent was distracted by the brutal ice storm, Gabe’s best hope was to freeze the beast in a block of ice.

  In an attempt to escape the cold, the serpent turned to flee. Gabe had lost his opportunity to eas
ily bring the beast into captivity. He quickly gave chase, but was unable to keep pace with the creatures numerous legs. He decided to put his faith once again in his spell. Without hesitation, Gabe thrust his hands in the direction of the lindworm and cried out, “Glacies flatus!” A stream of ice shot from his hands and shattered against the earth.

  Gabe knew he couldn’t afford to miss again. The serpent realized the threat was coming from this small boy and turned to charge him, fangs out. With the beast closing in on Gabe’s location rapidly, he shouted again, “Glacies flatus!” Just feet from where Gabe stood, the creature came to a halt. An ice block formed around it as it struggled to inch closer to Gabe, its desire to kill Gabe still in its eyes. A moment later, the beast stopped moving all together as it was encased in the block.

  With the crowd screaming cheers of his greatness, Gabe wondered why he was even worried about the tests. Clearly they were nothing he couldn’t handle.

  Gabe stood, marveling at his own skills. His confidence slowly melted away as he began to feel the earth tremble under him. Spinning around, he saw the third cage, door open, empty inside. Gabe felt his stomach ache. Suddenly he wasn’t as certain of his abilities.

  Gabe heard Uri’s voice once again.

  “Our hero has bested the spike monster from Gorgon and made quick work of putting the lindworm serpent on ice, but now let’s see how he handles a raging rock giant from across the seas. Our friends from the Iron Gate Manor managed to capture one alive in their countryside. He arrived by boat just this morning, and man oh man is he cranky!” The crowd was laughing a boisterous and deafening cry, but Gabe found nothing funny about Uri’s words.