Dentelle #3 Guardian series

by Bowhay, Heather

  The individual event for shapeshifters was coming up, so our Bellingham Circle ambled that direction. The archery finals weren’t set to take place until Thursday afternoon – right after the dreaded Senior Council meeting. What horrible timing! Everyone talked at once – wanting to share their stories or perspectives on the games so far. Shelby and Trevon were walking next to me, so I heard all about their day. Sounded like Trevon and Michael had both placed somewhere in the middle of the standings during their teleportation competition where they’d had to travel swiftly between 20 different locations as well as complete a strength challenge at each point.

  Shelby was super animated though, because she’d just taken third place in the Pyro event. Her eyes shimmered behind her bright orange glasses and her red hair bounced madly around her shoulders as she spoke with her hands. Sporting cowboy boots, a paisley sundress, and a leather headband with a big blue peony, she looked her usual hippie self but with a dash of western thrown in. She’d had to set a series of fires at different stations, but the tricky part had come in managing the size of the flames. Sometimes the goal was to burn through ropes which were placed at varying heights, while other times the flames needed to get close as possible to an object without leaving any burn marks. I cracked up as she told about all the epic fails at the most challenging station.

  “The trickiest one of all,” she explained, “was having to light a series of ten candles while maintaining the barest of flames. See, there was a thin string stretched across the tops that was dangerously close to the wicks. If a flame even licked the thread, it would immediately burn through. Once that happened a lever was released – which would in turn dump water all over one of the judges. They took turns sitting in the drop box.” Smacking her hands together, she laughed loudly. “You wouldn’t believe how many times a judge went down. It was hilarious.”

  Just as she finished her story, we arrived at a series of portable bleachers. They’d been set up right in the middle of a meadow. Huge awnings covered the bleachers, providing us with shade from the sun’s squelching rays. Seats were filling up quickly, so after wishing Jason and Max luck, the rest of us crammed in next to each other in the top two rows. I sat between Jessica and Ash so someone wouldn’t bump into me and inadvertently burn themselves. Hoots, hollers, and shouts of encouragement rang out around us.

  “Everyone seems pretty pumped up,” I said loudly. Even though Jessica was right next to me, the stands were vibrating and the noise level was similar to that of a sold-out football stadium.

  She turned quickly, and one of her braids smacked me on the cheek. “Oops, sorry!” She covered her mouth and giggled. “Yeah, this event is pretty popular. There’s a lot of shapeshifters, so a ton of different Circles will be represented. The battle to win this one gets pretty fierce.” She motioned to a couple guys below us who were shoving each other around. “It even gets wild in the stands,” she added.

  “Miami brings the heat. Miami brings the heat,” a group of Guardians started chanting.

  In response, I heard, “Chicago can’t be beat. Chicago can’t be beat.”

  Glancing around, I noticed our immediate view was of a long, open stretch of willowy green grasses. Off a ways in the distance, the competitors gathered together where the grassy fields met up with the Ponderosa Pine forest. They were too far away for me to make out individuals, but I knew Jason was in that crowd, and my heart swelled with excitement for him. Since Jason was an Imitator and was allowed to copy the Flair of any of the Guardians during a specific event, he could participate in just about any competition of his choice. Being around Max, he shapeshifted often, so he’d told me he felt this was his best chance for medaling during the games. The funny thing was, we’d never gotten a chance to talk further about it, and I had no idea what to expect, which was why all the hoopla over this one event had me so baffled.

  “How does this work?” I asked.

  Before Jessica could respond, Madison, who was sitting one rung below us, whipped around. Her green eyes were amplified – riveted with excitement. Blinking rapidly, she said in a friendly voice, “Oh, this one is intense. It takes a keen mind and speed. Both of which Max and Jason excel at, as you know.” Ash leaned forward to listen in, and Madison actually smiled at him. In a classy, colorful summer dress, that did nothing better than accentuate her curves, she looked exotic and elegant. How she managed perfection while the rest of us looked like we suffered from heat exhaustion – all sweaty, with hair sticking to our necks and make-up running – I had no idea. “Okay, so all the competitors follow the same course, which is basically divided into five different terrains all over the ranch: a forest; a bouldered area with burrows and caves; an area of mudflats; a steep, rocky mountain; and finally, the open plains you see before us.” She swept an arm out in front of her.

  Trevon interjected, “Yeah, and since we can’t actually see the action firsthand, with the exception of what happens in the final stretch here in front of us, the rest is live via video feed.” He pointed at the screens positioned in the upper corners of the awning. “When it begins a huge screen unfolds up front, too.”

  “So they have cameras scattered throughout the course, allowing us to follow their every move,” I mused.

  “You got it,” Jessica said. Crinkling her nose, she added, “Cameras in the trees, in the tunnels, in the air, and even out on the rock cliffs. And they’re always moving, allowing close-ups of the competitors. It’s awesome!”

  Madison pulled her long hair behind her shoulder. “So the contestants get a map of the terrain five minutes before it’s their turn to go. Oh, and they run the eight mile course one at a time, with the clock ticking. There’s three simple rules: first, they must shapeshift five times at the designated shifting areas; second, they cannot choose the same animal twice; and third, they must shift into a bird and fly for one leg of the race.”

  “Wow!” Ash said. “So, the real skill comes with the initial planning – deciding which animal will travel the fastest and most efficiently over the different terrains?”

  Madison pulled the designer sunglasses off her head and put them on. Offering Ash a rare, award-winning smile, she said, “You just might be smarter then I give you credit for.”

  “Funny. I was just thinking you might be more beautiful than I give you credit for.” The sunglasses flew off her face and hovered like she was seriously considering launching them right at him. He put his hands up defensively. “Hey, wait. I mean that in the nicest of ways. You’re beautiful when you smile. I think you should do it more often. Mix that with a little more friendliness and you’d be the perfect catch.”

  “Humph.” Squinting, with a furrowed brow, her shoulders relaxed, and the sunglasses returned to her face. Suddenly she smiled and said, “Well, that’s too bad for you then, isn’t it?”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because I don’t plan on changing, and I’m a bigger catch than you’ll ever land,” she said smugly, tuning her back on us.

  “Sorry, man,” Trevon said quietly, his hand next to his mouth, directing his voice. “Nothing like getting burned when you’re trying to be nice.”

  “You asked for it,” I said disgustedly. “When are you ever gonna learn?”

  “She’s secretly infatuated with me. She just hasn’t admitted it to herself yet.”

  I laughed aloud and Jessica looked at me strangely. I shrugged and said to Ash, “You are so delusional.”

  “I think she wants my cowboy hat.”

  Elbowing him in the ribs, I said, “We are so done with this conversation.”

  Not long after that, the crowd erupted in applause and the competition began. The first guy was a Guardian from the Boston Circle who raced through the sun-streaked timber as a coyote, slipped in and out of the tunnels and crevices as a jackal, but got stuck a few times in the mudflats as a cougar. After scaling the mountain as an ibex, he finally flew across the finish line as a falcon.

  The crowd cheered in support, the Bost
on Circle went wild, and the lady announcer said, “The time to beat is seven minutes and twenty-four seconds.”

  “Is that good or bad?” I asked Jessica.

  “It’s okay. I think something in the six minute range usually wins it.”

  As the contenders made their way through the second leg of the race, I gripped the metal bleachers. Some of the tunnels were no bigger than a rabbit hole, and besides being tight, they were dark, dank, and muddy. I was thankful my Flair was not shapeshifting; there seemed to be an unspoken expectation that all shapeshifters would participate in this event. And there was no way, not even as a small, swift animal, I would have entered those small cavities inside the earth. Not happening. Not ever.

  By the time 20 people had finished, the new time to beat was six minutes and thirty-eight seconds. Two competitors had been injured falling off the rocky slopes, but a couple Amethysts, who remained on the course at all times, quickly attended to them. I wondered if participants took greater risks just because they knew Amethysts were on site.

  Somehow managing to maneuver their way through the jam-packed bleachers, Michael and Sienna appeared. “Got room for two more?” Michael asked breathlessly, as if he’d just been running himself.

  “Sure we do,” Laci said. “Madison, come sit up here and then Michael and Sienna can slide in next to Trevon and Shelby.” As she said this, she slid away from Ash and made room for Madison between them. Reluctantly, Madison stood up and moved, looking none too pleased with the new seating arrangement. Laci looked at me and winked, and I pressed my lips together to avoid laughing out loud.

  All of a sudden, the announcer said, “And our next contender is Jason Walker from the Bellingham Circle.” Instantly, we were on our feet, cheering just as insanely as the Circles before us had done. My heart was pounding, and a mess of emotions shook me to the core as the vibrating bleachers kept me fighting to maintain balance. In my heart, I truly believed he’d do well, but that didn’t stop the nerves from ravaging my stomach.

  A single shot was fired into the air, signaling the start, and Jessica grabbed my hand. Without hesitation, Jason shifted into a mountain lion and tore into the forest. My breathing evened out. This was what I knew; this was what I understood. How many times had I seen him as a tawny mountain lion careening around tall evergreens, leaping over boulders, or tackling rocky areas with sure-footed grace?

  “What do you think he’ll change into for the caves?” Izzy shouted out.

  “Whatever small animal is the fastest,” I guessed.

  Madison flipped her head sideways and yelled, “Jackrabbit, of course.”

  “Which isn’t even a rabbit; it’s a hare,” Ash interjected.

  Tossing her hair, practically in his face, Madison made some comment I couldn’t hear.

  As soon as Jason emerged at the edge of forest, he bounded to the flagged off area specifically designated for shifting. Sure enough, while in mid-air, his huge, muscular body transformed into a small, brown-spotted, big-eared jackrabbit. Entering the bouldered area, he leaped a good ten feet from boulder to boulder and then disappeared down a crevice into a dark tunnel. For a moment I forgot to breathe; it was like I could feel the tight space closing around him – closing around me. Even though Jason and I weren’t linked, we were bonded in other, deeper ways. In our hearts and souls.

  Ash bumped hips with me and said, “Hey, did you know baby jackrabbits can run immediately after being born?”

  I gave him a sideways glance. “Where do you come up with this stuff?” Turning, I glued my eyes to the screen and watched as Jason maneuvered through the curved, narrow burrows.

  “Smart guy,” Laci said as she reached across Madison and slapped Ash on the knee. “Guess we’ll want to keep you around for a good long time.” She smiled. “Don’t you agree, Madison?”

  Maintaining a forward gaze, Madison said, “Please don’t encourage him.”

  Ash slipped his hand onto Madison’s thigh and said, “Hey, I’m smart, sexy, and I come with a sense of humor. Laci’s right. You better keep me around. Besides, what more could you possibly want in a man?”

  “Hands off,” Madison said, swiping his hand off her leg. “You obviously have a very convoluted view of yourself. And a woman, first and foremost, wants a man who is honest.”

  Ash couldn’t respond, because the crowd started yelling louder as Jason emerged from the burrow and vaulted into the next designated shifting area. A collective gasp went up as Jason changed into a peregrine falcon and soared over the mud flats. None of the other competitors had chosen to fly over the muddy area. In fact, several players had lost valuable time trying to move forward through the sludge. It was almost as if someone had intentionally flooded the area – which knowing the Guardians, someone probably had. Flying over the mud flats was an interesting strategy. Since the home stretch was also the longest leg of the course, most everyone had chosen flight during that segment, ensuring themselves a strong, speedy finish.

  “Brilliant,” Ash muttered.

  Madison cranked her head side-ways, her over-sized sunglasses unable to mask the look of disdain on her face. “Really? I think that was the obvious choice. Anyone with half a brain would have figured that out; Frankly, I’m surprised no one else has tried it. But you can bet Max already has that in his plan.”

  Noticing my confused expression, Jessica touched my shoulder. “The competitors don’t have any TV screens to watch. That way they don’t have an idea of the strategies used by the players before them. So, if Max uses the same strategy, it won’t be because he saw Jason do it first.”

  As a hovering camera zoomed in on Jason, I got a good look at him as a peregrine falcon. Powerful and fast-flying with his long tail and pointed wings, he was a sight to behold against the cobalt blue sky. With a blue-grey back, a white barred underside, and a black head, I could still tell it was Jason, because the eyes were large pools of aqua-marine, but they didn’t look quite right on a falcon.

  “Did you know peregrine falcons can fly around 200 miles per hour?” Ash said.

  “I know. So amazing,” Laci responded.

  Madison snorted. “We don’t need a history lesson here, Kurzon.”

  “Just proving my intelligence level for anyone still in doubt,” Ash said good-naturedly, ignoring the despised nickname.

  Madison’s cheeks puffed, and she commented no further. Sienna turned around, eyeing Ash and Madison with a curious expression.

  Tugging excitedly on Sienna’s arm, Michael said, “Hey, you’re gonna miss it. Time for Jason to shift again. No doubts on his choice this time, though.”

  Just as ninety percent of the previous players had done, Jason shifted into a mountain goat. Sure-footed, powerful, and nimble, he shouldn’t encounter any problems on the rugged terrain. His aqua-marine eyes looked stunning and more natural against the dazzling white fur coat, and his black horns were impressive. I giggled to myself; I’d have to tease him about the beard later.

  “Mountain goats can jump 12 feet in a single bound,” Ash said directly to me. “Do you think little Miss Pretentious knows that?”

  I smacked him on the head. “Be honest. Do you have a thing for Madison? And if so, have you’ve lost your freakin’ mind?”

  “I don’t have ‘a thing’ for that mouthy woman. I just…I just… She drives me crazy.”

  “Yeah, right. Well, you better hide your crazy for a while, because people are gonna start noticing.”

  Ecstatic for Jason, I stomped my feet on the bleachers as he scaled the rocky ledge with ease and grace. Before long, he was descending the other side and nearing the final shifting area.

  “Hey, you guys,” Trevon shouted, his white teeth gleaming against his smooth, black skin. “Let’s get down to the finish line, so we can be there when he crosses.”

  “Good idea,” Michael called out.

  So, with a mass exodus we scurried down the bleachers and onto the field. Holding my hand across my forehead as a visor, I looked up at the moni
tor just in time to see Jason make his final shift – into a cheetah – the world’s fastest land animal. No longer watching the screen, I gazed out into the open grassland. His beautiful lean, spotted body burst through the tall, pristine prairie as if he was flying across the tall blades of grass.

  Jumping up and down, I screamed as loud as I could. But so did everyone else around me, and I had to cover my ears – afraid my eardrums might explode. As Jason crossed the finish line, I glanced up at the time just as the announcer said, “Awesome! What an incredible run by Jason Walker. At six minutes and eighteen seconds, he slides into first place.”

  Chaos ensued as we clustered around him. He barely had time to shift back into his natural form before finding himself at the bottom of our huddle. Once he rose from the pile, he found my eyes and smiled broadly. “Wow! That was intense! What’s my time? Anybody know?”

  We all started laughing, and Michael pointed to the scoreboard. “You’re at the top right now, little brother. Well done.”

  At that moment, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson pushed their way into the center of our crowd and congratulated Jason. “I’m proud of you, son,” Mr. Nelson said, ruffling Jason’s hair.

  Giving him a hug, his mom said, “I held my breath the entire time.” After she stepped back, we all took turns giving him hugs. I guess we all wanted to be part of his win. When it was my turn, I noticed his face was bright red and he was still breathing hard.

  “You sure you want to hug a sweaty guy like me?” His smile was infectious and my heart skipped a beat.

  “I’ll take you any way I can get you,” I said, wrapping my arms around him. Closing my eyes momentarily, I relished in the closeness of his body – his thudding heart, his damp skin.

  His breath tickled my ear as he whispered, “I miss you, Alex.”

  When I realized our hug had probably exceeded the normal time limit and could raise a few eyebrows, I quickly infused him with my Essence and took a step back. I giggled as he lost his balance.

  “Thanks, I think,” he teased, putting his arms out to gain equilibrium. “By the way, you were awesome in the archery contest.” In a quieter voice, he added, “I wish I could have been the one down there congratulating you.”