Sara spun around and barely caught a glimpse of it as it disappeared over the rooftop. Whatever it was, it was really fast and the dark didn’t help to see any. Sara ran through the alley, hoping that when she reached the street there would be more Guardians around. As she turned another corner, she looked up and spotted a dark figure moving from one roof to another.
Before she knew it, Sara burst onto the street. Everything was quiet. Her eyes were glued to the buildings around her. She paid especially close attention to the area around the alley.
A faint hissing noise came from a building next to the alley. Sara had heard a cat hiss before. This didn’t sound anything like it. It sounded like it came from something bigger and it sent a shiver down her spine. She managed to zero in on it just in time to see the dark figures suddenly take off across the roof tops.
“Guardians!” Sara yelled, hoping to attract help. She moved on hoping to not lose track of what she was chasing. Every few steps she would spot odd-looking shadows moving around. These were her only clue as to where to go. As she ran full speed around a corner, she realized the street ended at the chapel.
The chapel was one of the bigger buildings in the city, with larger than life windowpanes that were quite colorful. The stairs leading up to the front doors were vast slabs of concrete.
One of the dark figures made a daring leap from a roof and went crashing into one of the chapel's windows. The other dark figure was quick to follow.
Sara could only hope that the noise of the windowpane breaking was loud enough for other Guardians to hear. She ran as fast as she could up the stairs and pushed hard on the door to open it.
Inside the chapel, drapes hung from the ceiling. The pillars holding the roof up were more like statues, and the pews were arranged in an arc pattern going around the altar at the far end of the chapel.
A large open space lay between the pews and the altar. It was there that she finally caught up the phantoms she’d been chasing—Vesuvians.
One of them looked similar to the descriptions Sara had seen. Most of his clothes were black. He had slightly pale skin and blue eyes. His hair was black and shaggy.
“Now look what you did, Bekal,” said the other Vesuvian. In one hand he carried a black staff that was about three feet in length. “You’ve got the humans involved. This is your last chance to come back quietly, or things are going to get messy.”
When Sara came within a few yards, Bekal flashed his fangs at her. “Leon, look what we have here,” he grinned.
Sara couldn’t make out much detail about Leon He was almost completely covered from head-to-toe in black clothing. His hood, casting a shadow over much of his face, connected to his long, tattered tunic. He was shorter than Bekal but slightly taller than her.
“How can you not be interested?” Bekal asked, pulling two serrated knives from his coat. “I know you can smell her blood…her youth…her strength.”
Sara took a defensive stance. She was slightly winded from her pursuit. Her nerves were on edge. She looked back and forth between the Vesuvians, expecting to be attacked at any moment.
Leon spun his staff and focused his attention on Bekal.
“You’re a coward and a traitor!” Bekal exclaimed. “I’ve had many dreams of taking your head, Leon”
Sara stepped forward. “Put your weapons down and surrender!” she demanded, trying to keep both foes in sight.
Bekal took one look at her and began laughing. “Little girl, you have no idea who you’re talking to.” With a loud snarl he ran toward Sara at full speed and raised his knife in to take a fatal swipe.
Leon launched himself forward and used his staff to block the knife.
Without missing a beat, Sara swung her equinox, slicing Bekal’s other hand off and then landed a hard elbow to his face to send him down.
Leon quickly retreated several steps.
Sara circled towards him. “You have to surrender, Vesuvian. I won’t ask you again.”
“I’d be more worried about Bekal here.” Leon said.
Growling in anger, Bekal stood and swung his knife wildly at Leon – who easily dodged the attack and struck him on the side of the head with his staff. The blow sent him sprawling against the pews just a few feet away.
Sara went after Leon, whom she was still unable to get a good look at. Every swipe she took was either blocked or dodged. For a moment it seemed pointless, until she decided to put more of what she’d learned to use. She spun the equinox in a disorienting fashion, hoping to throw Leon off guard, and she belted him with a hard kick to the midsection.
Most humans, or even most Vesuvians, would have keeled over in agony. Leon skipped back several steps and paused.
The look on Bekal’s face was that of complete anger. He ran at Sara, repeatedly swiping at her from all directions. His frustration only grew as his attacks met with no success.
With every attack, Sara desperately looked for a way to end the fight, thinking that at any moment Leon was going to stab her in the back.
Keeping most of her focus on the immediate threat, Sara swung the equinox up to block Bekal's knife and stabbed him in the heart with her talon.
Several Guardians burst through the door as Bekal fizzled away into a heap of ember and ash.
Sara spun around just in time to see Leon make an incredible leap through the broken windowpane.
One Guardian turned to the others. “Go back out and track him!” he ordered, before running to Sara’s side. “Were you just fighting with two Vesuvians?”
Sara stood motionless. She could feel her heart beating like it was going a hundred miles an hour.
“Hey!” the Guardian said, patting her on the shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Like waking up from a daydream, Sara turned to him. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“This is incredible!” the Guardian laughed. “Man, you sure paid attention in class, didn’t you!”
CHAPTER SIX
It was early next morning. Arthur found himself walking with Sara through the halls of the Citadel. “We lost track of the Vesuvian you fought in the chapel,” he said.
“I’m not even sure he was Vesuvian,” Sara replied.
“What makes you say that?”
“For one, he was completely covered from head-to-toe, so I didn’t get that good a look at him. Second, it seemed as if he was there for the other Vesuvian, the one I killed.”
Arthur scratched his beard. “Hmm… I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Why would two Vesuvians be running around the city trying to kill each other?”
“Could he have been a Hegiran or a Khothu?” Arthur asked.
“No, he dressed like a Vesuvian and moved like one. Hegirans and Khothu are too slow to dodge like that.”
“He must have been a Vesuvian then. If he were a Fenrir, you’d know it. Besides that, only a Vesuvian or Fenrir could have made that leap through the window.”
Sara shook her head. “I don't know.”
“Maybe there’s a lot of infighting between the Vesuvians. Don’t forget about their thirst for blood. If your fellow Guardians hadn’t shown up when they did, the one that got away might have made a meal out of you.”
“Good point,” Sara said with a look of concern.
After a moment, Arthur noticed that Sara was dwelling on the thought a little too much. “What’s wrong?”
“You don’t understand what this is like for me. I couldn’t get any sleep last night. Everyone keeps asking all these questions. You said no one had seen a Rhean within the city for years…”
“Which is true, or was true.”
“And I have a fight with two Vesuvians, inside the chapel of all places, on my first day on the job.”
Arthur chuckled. “Weren’t you the one who was so excited about being a Guardian?”
Sara ran her hands through her hair. “You’re right,” she said. “I should just be glad I’m alive.”
A Guardian suddenly appeared from around the corner. �
��Sir Arthur, the Consular is having a meeting with the Marshal, Elites and Preceptors. They’re gathering right now in the Great Hall.”
Arthur looked to Sara. “We don’t have too many meetings like this. It must be important.”
“I’m going to get some sleep,” Sara said, then yawning out loud.
“Make sure you get enough rest and don’t forget about the ball tonight.”
“That’s tonight? Oh no! I forgot!”
“Don’t worry,” Arthur said. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
Sara slumped. “I’m only going `cause my friends are making me,” she said before turning to go find her room.
Arthur followed the Guardian. Entering the room, he got the feeling that he was the last one to show up. Dozens of Guardians sat or stood around the table, but there was one unoccupied chair next to Henry and Philip, the Consular.
“Arthur, please have a seat,” Philip said, waving his hand. He was an older man, to the point where keeping his shape as robust as it had once been was easier said than done.
Arthur kindly took the seat.
“Is that everyone?” Philip asked.
“I believe so,” Henry replied.
“Let’s begin. Last night one of our Rangers had a run-in two Vesuvians. Only hours have passed and already citizens are talking about it. As some of you know, for many years there have been sightings of Rheans within the city walls, but no one has ever been able to prove it. This time we have multiple witnesses and a pile of ash. Questions are going to be asked and we have to be sure of what we’re going to say to avoid any panic. Any suggestions?”
Arthur raised his hand. “Sir, I don’t think we should tell the whole truth.”
Everyone in the room looked at Arthur.
“Explain,” Philip calmly demanded.
“We know that two Vesuvians were involved, but one escaped. We should tell the people that one Vesuvian was killed, and the other was chased out of the city. If they think there’s a Vesuvian running loose, there may be widespread panic. In the meantime, we should increase patrols and make sure the survivor isn’t hiding.”
There were murmurs of support from the other Guardians. “Good idea.”, “I agree.”
“A wise decision,” said Philip. “You trained Sara, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Congratulations. I look forward to seeing more Guardians under your tutelage.”
Elsewhere in the Citadel, Sara walked tiredly through the corridor. Her eyes felt like lead and she couldn’t even stand straight anymore. Leaning against the dining hall door, she stared down the corridor, which seemed to stretch on forever. There was, however, a shortcut through the very door she was leaning on. She opened it slightly and saw that breakfast was still being served. At least several hundred Guardians were eating and chatting at the numerous tables in the room. She stepped in and tried to walk through hoping nobody would notice. Her walk was somewhat casual, but she held her head down. After only a few steps in she could hear the chatting slowly die down and feel all eyes fall upon her.
Richard, a tall, handsome young man with blue eyes and brown hair, cut his conversation short when he spotted Sara passing by. “Excuse me,” he said, getting up from his chair and hurriedly navigating his way around the tables to catch up with Sara.
The closer Sara got to the exit the faster she walked. When she finally reached the door she wasted no time to push it open and get out.
As the door closed, Richard came plowing through it. “Sara, wait.”
Almost startled, Sara stopped and turned. “Richard, what’s up?”
“I heard about what happened. How are you holding up?”
“I’m just tired.”
“Can I walk you to your room?”
“Sure.”
As they walked, Sara kept an eye out for her door while Richard spoke.
“I’ve been a Guardian for a little over a year. I’ve seen a Vesuvian here and there, but I never got into it with two by myself. Three of us once ran into a Fenrir, and it took an entire night to kill that thing.”
“Oh yeah, you told me about that one. Good thing our weapons are lined with silver,” Sara said, then seeming to lose herself in thought.
After a moment, Richard began to feel like a fifth wheel.
“I’m sorry,” Sara said. “This all still feels surreal. To be honest, I always dreamed of doing what I did. I just never thought it would actually happen. Now that I have all this attention, I feel funny.”
“Just so you know, what you did makes a lot of us feel better, and for some of us who haven’t seen too much action lately, it’s a reminder of why we're here.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“If it weren’t for the Rheans, the Guardians wouldn’t even exist. So you have to ask yourself--what would you be doing if you couldn’t be a Guardian?”
“I’m not sure,” Sara said. “I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Maybe it’s just me,” Richard said as they rounded a corner. “And maybe you don’t know it, but I think you joined because you wanted to do something that not everyone can do. It’s not just for the fun and excitement--you want to make a difference.”
Sara stopped and smiled at Richard. “You know that would be the most honest answer I could give, but then people would probably think I’m crazier than I already am.”
Moments later they arrived at her room. “I just hope everyone gets over this soon,” she said.
“Oh, I think you have a long wait ahead of you,” Richard laughed.
Sara opened the door and stepped in before turning to Richard. “Thanks for walking me to my room.”
“Anytime. Hold on, you’re going to the ball tonight, right?”
“Yeah, I’m going with Juli and Marian. After I get some rest.”
“Great! I’ll see you there.”
Closing the door behind her, Sara tilted her head back and gave a big sigh of relief. “Home sweet home,” she whispered right before falling face first into bed.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was pretty much a wasted day as Sara slept in. By the time she woke, the sun was already beginning to set. As her body struggled to get itself out of bed, she looked around at her dark room. A small part of her wondered if the past night had been a dream, but then again, she figured her chest wouldn’t have felt as sore as it did. Managing to crawl out of bed, she headed straight for the washtub and took the most relaxing, hot bath she had ever had.
Juli and Marian stepped into the ballroom. Both looked radiant enough to certainly test a man’s will not to stare.
Juli scanned the crowd. “Where’s William?”
“Don’t be so desperate!” Marian whispered. “Oh, wait! He’s dancing with that girl over there!”
Juli quickly grabbed Marian. “What!”
“Just kidding!”
“How’s my fair lady?” William asked, approaching from behind. Like all male Guardians, he had a formal uniform similar to his normal outfit but without a sash, complete with a knee-length military jacket.
Juli spun around. “Excited. We haven’t been here a minute and the party is fantastic.”
Marian’s eyes darted from side to side looking for her would-be date. She spotted him halfway across the room, drinking with a fellow Guardian. “I’ll be right back,” she said, even though Juli paid no attention.
“Jacob,” Marian said as she came to his side.
Jacob was stunned by Marian’s beauty. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. I like your uniform.”
“Really? We were just talking about our uniforms. They’re kinda plain, don’t you think?”
“No,” Marian said, taking hold of Jacob’s arm. “It’s…simple, yet elegant. And I like a man in uniform.”
Juli and William were having a slow dance.
“So how long have you been in Rhea?” William asked.
“A little over a year,” Juli replied. “I came here with my
best friends, Sara and Marian. You know Sara, don’t you?”
“I’ve certainly heard of her. She’s definitely going to be a household name around here for a while.”
Sara was certainly in no hurry. After nearly falling asleep for a second time in the tub, she decided to step out. She went to her dresser and found her formal attire. It looked similar to her normal uniform, but with a skirt and no sleeves.
The halls of the Citadel were noticeably empty.
Sara walked at a brisk pace. As she crossed one of the gardens on the upper level, she stopped suddenly. The curtain wall of the Citadel was right next to her. She leaned against it, looking through the crenel at the city before her. Instead of enjoying the view, she peered at the shadows as if she were expecting something to come out.
When she thought about it, if something had popped out, like a Vesuvian, she’d be completely helpless with no weapons.
A Guardian and his date for the evening suddenly came from around the corner, talking and laughing.
Sara waited for them to pass before following suit. She entered the ballroom directly behind the couple mistakenly thinking that no one would notice her. Just like in the dining hall, almost everyone’s attention was drawn to her. But the odd moment was thankfully cut short.
Juli and Marian were standing around with their dates and Richard.
“Sara!” Juli shouted.
“Over here!” Marian added, waving.
The party didn’t completely stop, but most, especially the Guardians, paid their respects by saluting Sara with their drinks as she passed. Sara, blushing slightly, smiled and nodded.
“Looking good, Sara!” Richard said.
“Not bad yourself!” Sara shot back.
Marian wrapped an arm around Sara’s. “What took you forever?”
“You fell asleep again, didn’t you?” Juli asked.
“In case you didn’t hear. I had a little tussle with two Vesuvians,” Sara said.
Marian released Sara’s arm, cringing. “What?”
Sara rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you haven’t heard by now.”
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