by Wendy Owens
The joy this safety brought him however, was not constant. He knew soon enough his destiny would catch up with him. The prophecy was that Gabe was the protector. He ran from this destiny, he chose not to fulfill it, and as a result, if the prophecy were correct, then the person he was destined to protect, the great prophet, would have to die. The end of days was counting down and Gabe fleeing his duties meant it would be arriving sooner than anyone realized. Often Gabe’s thought were consumed with the idea that he may be ushering in the apocalypse with his choice. Not a thought that puts a person at ease.
The last sliver of sunlight disappeared over the tree line and darkness settled over Gabe’s cozy home. Settling the axe into the cradle of the stump, Gabe wiped the sweat from his brow and was pleased to call it a day. Giving one last look around at the scattering of wood chunks, Gabe smiled. He had never realized how amazing and rewarding hard labor could be. He felt his arms grow in size and strength, his shoulders broaden. He had allowed his facial hair to grow into a full beard and he spent many hours looking into the reflective tin of his dish set. He could not get over the idea that he had become a man.
Gabe was in tremendous physical shape by this point. He had a clean and healthy diet that consisted almost entirely of what he grew and hunted. The demanding physical needs on his muscles to survive in the rugged wilderness had also lent to his fitness level. Gabe ran his fingers across the defined curves of his abdomen. Hunger was in full force.
Stepping to the side of his home, Gabe dipped his cupped hands into a bucket, releasing the trapped water over his head. Shaking the drops from his sweat covered body, Gabe strode inside his home and over to a small tin under his bed. Pulling out a piece of deer jerky and an apple, he pulled one of his handmade stools up to his table. Scarfing down the snack, he took in a huge breath, allowing the smell of the rabbit that had been cooking over the fire in a boiling pot for most of the afternoon to fill his nostrils.
Gabe had learned to appreciate the simple things in life, for starters, food. He had always taken for granted that there would be a refrigerator stocked with all kinds of yummy delectable goodies. When he first set out on his own, he had taken to stealing scraps of food from towns or villages; anything he could get his hands on. He remembered one particular evening a pie getting the better of him.
Gabe had been traveling for weeks. Eating either only what he could forage or pick from people’s trash when all of the sudden, as if he were a character in a cartoon, the smell of a cherry pie caught hold of his nostrils. It was as if he floated to that window sill completely off the ground, led by his nose. When he got there, Gabe gave a quick glance around and with the coast clear grabbed that pie and ran as fast as his feet would carry him. He ran straight out of town, over a hillside, through an over grown field, and he kept running until he was surrounded by nothing but trees and fireflies.
That’s when he sat down and, using both hands, Gabe dove into the pie. He gorged until there wasn’t a scrap left. He could still remember the stomachache in the aftermath and moaned as he thought of it. It didn’t take long before Gabe realized to survive he couldn’t depend on what he could swipe from others. He had to learn to hunt and gather, and take care of his own needs. Gabe never expected the great sense of pride this would instill in him, giving him the confidence he needed to keep going at his lowest points.
Gabe walked over and took out his pencil and sketchpad. Taking a squat on the bedding Gabe had pushed into a corner, he flipped open the pages. He had taken refuge in sketching ever since he left the manor. It was an interest he never knew he had. In the beginning, he filled books with drawings of Sophie. Her eyes, lips, the curve of her neck. As time progressed he began to draw his other friends from Rampart and even a few characters he had met at Iron Gate. Gabe had never given much thought to the fact that since he had built this home his sketching subjects had changed.
He now drew trees, animals, bits and pieces he found around his home made into still life. At some point, one he couldn’t be sure of, he had taken to this new life and he no longer seemed to be consumed by the one he had left behind. Contentment is something people search for most of their lives and unknowingly Gabe had found it, here in this place. Though he didn’t take the time to acknowledge it, Gabe had actually not pictured his friends in his mind for months.
Once Gabe was satisfied with his evening’s sketch session of a bowl of berries he had gathered, he filled his belly with the stew. Curling up in his blankets, Gabe watched the popping and crackling embers of the dying fire dance. His tired body quickly fell asleep; happy and willingly giving itself over to rest. That was one of the many things Gabe had learned since he found this place and built what he now called, Haven. An honest day of hard work always resulted in a peaceful sleep. This was an amazing thing after being so restless for most of his life.
Gabe slept soundly as fireflies played and the crickets sang their song just outside his door. When Gabe began his journey, his nights had been filled with Sophie’s face. So many nights were spent tossing and turning, plagued by haunting visions of her. That stopped soon after he found Haven as well. His thoughts were about the garden or the tree that needed to be cleared away the next day. It was only natural that all of the disturbing dreams would fade into thoughts about his current life. It may have been boring to dream about the harvest, but Gabe wouldn’t have had it any other way.
No matter how much Gabe enjoyed this new peace of mind, he had found this night was different. When Gabe sank into his deep slumber he didn’t find carrots waiting for him on the other side in the dream world. In the blink of an eye it was as though he had been transported back to Rampart. Everything was just as he had remembered it. The dining hall, the training grounds, even the cleric’s gardens that meant so much to him appeared to be untouched.
The only thing that was different was that nobody was there. The dining hall that would have been spilling over with a few dozen students at any time sat empty. The training area that would have been filled with noises of youthful and vigorous sparring rested in silence. The dozen or so clerics that would have been in the garden casting were nowhere to be found.
The emptiness though, somehow brought a peace to Gabe. There was no flood of emotions to confront, simply the shell of his past life looking back at him. As Gabe continued to stroll through the grounds of a place that hadn’t been in his thoughts for so long, memories invaded his dream. A glimpse of the overflowing bleachers for his tests, the smell of Sophie’s hair, Uri’s devilish smile. He hadn’t allowed himself to miss them for so long that he had trouble defending himself from the flood of emotions.
His thoughts were interrupted by a flicker of red and orange. Gabe quickened his pace, darting through the clearing and around the corner to the building where Michael’s office had been. For Gabe it was always Michael’s, he never could wrap his mind around Bishop. When Gabe came to a stop in front of the building that was now fully blazing, he frantically searched through the flames in the windows for any sign of a person. Still, he seemed to be alone.
Gabe stood a moment longer, watching the colors twist as the place he had once called home burned. A second later, Gabe felt someone grab his arm. As he frantically spun around to see who it was, he was consumed with disappointment when he saw he was still alone.
“Gabe!” the horrific cry came from the flames behind him and Gabe twisted to locate the source. He saw no one but he knew the voice.
“Uri? Is that you?”
No response.
“Uri, please!” Gabe spat as he cried. Panic tingling in his fingertips. “Where are you? You have to tell me where you are.” Gabe fell to his knees, hopeless and helpless.
“Gabe!” Uri’s booming voice filled the sky. Gabe looked up to the heavens, watching in horror as the black smoke billowed up. “Gabe!” Uri called again. He could feel his body begin to tremble violently. In an instant he was jolted awake, surrounded by darkness in his familiar bed, in the comfort of Haven.
Gabe rubbed his eyes, rose to his knees, and stumbled to the nearby table, fumbling for a cup. When at last his fingers grasped the object he was searching for, Gabe turned to walk to the nearby water pitcher. He took a couple of steps when he noticed a dark figure seated in the corner.
Gabe froze, unsure if it was perhaps his imagination running wild. He stared hard in the darkness, squinting, confirming, in fact, there was someone sitting in the corner staring back at him. First he wondered how he was found. He couldn’t imagine someone would have passed through his illusion spell, but even if they had then the alarm would have sounded. There was no warning of the visitor, so the alarm could not have been tripped. Then his thoughts trailed off into ideas on how to escape. Gabe couldn’t think straight, his heart pounding loudly in his chest distracted him; he lost his ability to concentrate.
“Are you all right?” a voice came from the dark corner. Gabe shook his head; he couldn’t possibly be hearing the voice he thought he was. “Clearly you’re not … what’s with the lumber jack look by the way?”
“It is you!” Gabe cried, the fear draining out of him. “Uri, how did you find me?”
Gabe rushed towards the seated figure until at last he could see his old friend’s face. He too had aged, all boyish features long gone. Uri carried three day stubble on his face and the hair on the top of his head was cut close to his scalp. Gabe thought how different he looked without his messy locks.
Uri’s chest had broadened as well and even the way he sat felt different to Gabe. Without another thought the two embraced one another, neither wanting to let go, both carrying the pain of what they had been through since last they met. When at last they pulled apart, Gabe saw the scars. Uri’s eyebrow displayed a long, but healed gash, and his cheek had a rough and jagged pucker that had obviously not healed easily.
They both stared at each other with knowing eyes.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Gabe said, staring at his friend in disbelief.
“You look great, Gabe,” Uri’s voice was soft, nothing like the boisterous friend he remembered. Uri slapped Gabe in the arm repeatedly, the contact reassuring him that he had in fact found him.
“Thanks, you too. How is everyone? Is Michael still with the council? What about Haim? Still an ox? Oh and you can’t leave out Raimie and Dina? Are they still just as in love as ever?” Gabe struggled as he questioned about the friends from Rampart for Sophie’s name to leave his lips. Though he was sure he was long over his feelings for Sophie, he did not want to hear about a relationship blossoming between her and his dear friend that stood before him.
“Gabe, can we sit?” Uri requested, turning back and grabbing the stool he had been seated in.
“Of course, sorry, I don’t really get visitors so I only have the one chair I made,” Gabe said as he turned and nestled down onto his bedding.
“You made this?” Uri questioned in disbelief, inspecting the stool closer.
“I sure did, built this cabin, too,” Gabe boasted.
“I don’t believe it,” Uri shot back, looking around him.
“Well, this wasn’t my first attempt but I have to say I think I might be a natural at this carpenter thing,” Gabe replied as Uri moved the stool closer and carefully took his place on top of it.
“You really do look great man. I am amazed at how well you’re doing,” Uri added with a soft smile.
“It’s all because of Haven.”
“Haven? Who is Haven? She hot?” Uri asked.
“Not much has changed, huh?” Gabe replied with a chuckle.
Uri laughed as well, shaking his head.
“It’s not a who, it’s where. I call this place Haven because that is what it has been for me this past year,” Gabe explained, glancing at his home lovingly.
“And the demons never found you?”
“Copper, the mountains are filled with it. It seems to block the trackers. I pretty much stay off the grid myself. Speaking of, how did you find me?” Gabe asked, eager to discover the hole in his security.
“Do you remember the bag of potions Dina gave you?” Uri asked.
“Yeah, of course, it’s over there.” Gabe replied pointing to the worn burlap sack in the opposite corner.
“Did you ever notice the charm on the strap of the bag?” Uri questioned, a slight grin on his face.
“Yeah, I assumed Dina had forgot about it when she handed me the bag. I don’t see what … wait … oh that tricky girl! The charm has a beacon spell on it, doesn’t it?” Gabe laughed as he thought of his clever friend.
“Leave it to Dina to always be three steps ahead of anyone,” Uri added.
“Well, I have to admit, I am a little shocked you waited five years to come after me. Really, why even bother after five years?” Gabe hated to admit it, but part of him wished Uri had found him that first night and brought him back to Rampart.
“Well, that was the plan,” Uri said glancing down at the ground.
“Huh?” Gabe looked up at his friend puzzled. “What was the plan?”
“After Dina told us you left, Haim and I were preparing to come after you,” Uri explained hesitantly.
“Changed your mind?” Gabe feared what his friend was about to reveal.
“Before we could finish our preparations, Rampart was attacked.”
“What? No way,” Gabe scoffed in disbelief. “I would have known … How bad?” Gabe stuttered as his mouth fell open in disbelief.
“It was so fast. Baal’s legion that we thought had been thrown off the trail in fact had discovered our exact location. Inside of an hour the entire compound was gone,” Uri’s voice cracked as he retold of that night.
“That can’t be,” Gabe insisted.
“That Bishop guy the council sent us was a joke. He was one of the first one’s killed. As many as we could transport we did and others fled on the Alicorns, but we lost so many souls that night.”
“Sophie,” Gabe thought he no longer cared but when her name slipped from his lips he knew he did.
“She made it. She is actually living at Iron Gate these days,” Uri explained.
“Did she ever get her memories back?” Gabe asked hopeful.
“Nope, never.”
“Is she happy?” Gabe added.
“I think so, her and Peter are to marry in the fall,” Uri regretted having to inform his friend of his old loves pending nuptials.
“Peter? But I thought you …” Gabe stopped himself, realizing how wrong he had been all those years ago.
“I tried to tell you then, old friend. When you set your sights on Sophie, she was no longer an option for me,” Uri confirmed. Gabe thought about what a fool he had been.
“I’m so sorry. I should have been there that night,” Gabe moaned.
“And if you had, perhaps you would be dead as well,” Uri cautioned Gabe’s wishful thinking. “After we escaped, it was actual Michael who insisted we leave you alone. He thought you were safer at that point without us. I guess he was right.”
Gabe didn’t want to think about Michael. Part of him still ached at the thought he left without so much as a goodbye. “So what happened to everyone else?” Gabe asked, remembering all the faces of his friends.
“The Guardians were pretty much scattered all over the earth. Some in safe houses, others fled to the remaining Guardian Training Facilities. Haim has not left my side since all this began. We’re pretty much on the front lines out there and somehow that man never lets me down. He’s like a machine. Dina went with Sophie that first night to Iron Gate where she remains with her.”
“And Raimie?” Gabe wondered if the two love birds had already married, he thought knowing them they already had three children.
Uri looked down, he sat in silence.
“Uri? What about Raimie?” Gabe had more panic in his voice this time at the site of Uri’s reaction.
Unable to speak the words, Uri simply shook his head no.
“What happened?” Gabe gasped.
&
nbsp; “He never made it out of Rampart.”
“Oh God,” Gabe struggled to catch his breath. “What about Dina? She couldn’t have taken it well.”
“She doesn’t talk about it. You know how Dina is. She’s the head potions mistress now at Iron Gate, youngest ever. When it comes to Dina these days, she’s all business I suppose.”
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Gabe mumbled, reminiscing of his lost friend.
“I know, sometimes it’s like he’s going to show up and head out on a mission with Haim and I. Still hard to believe.”
The two sat silent for a moment, both cherishing their memories of Raimie. Until at last Gabe asked about Michael. Uri told Gabe all about the constant war and battling that had broken out between the Guardians and the demon world. He explained how Michael had been given a seat on the council and he had a vote in every decision that was brought before them. When the two finished discussing their old mentor, Gabe sat calmly.
Though he was saddened by the news of Raimie, his heart was warm that everyone else had seemed to make it out of the tragedy in one way or another. He amazed himself that he did not seem to be dwelling on the fact that Sophie was to be married. Perhaps that she was not in love with his friend made it easier. He honestly just wanted her to be happy.
“So why are you here then, if not to bring me back to Rampart?” Gabe asked.
“Well …” Uri gave Gabe a stare as if to size him up. “Do you remember the prophecy?”
“Oh please man, don’t tell me you came all the way here to waste my time with that nonsense,” Gabe groaned.
“Gabe, we found her,” Uri simply stated.
“Wait … the prophet is a girl?” Gabe gasped in disbelief.
“No, we found the girl that is going to be the mother of the prophet,” Uri explained.
“Hang on a second, I’m confused. She’s pregnant?” Gabe questioned.