The Last of the Guardians: Insurrection

by J Silverado

  Each warrior opens his bag and sees his pay shining with the light of the sun. – My suggestion is that you depart towards the village harbor, which is just after Yelbir, having good trade, craft and it certainly needs security. – The brothers liked the idea enough, because I did this kind of work with the caravans. Codaino and Pelokir pondered the possibility. Rion asks the guardian: – that demon who escaped was like someone, was not, Gala? – It is...? ...I never paied attention... – Yes, - Codaino complements. – It was very much like Nirmiriel... – Yes... she was, – the guardian confirms finally. – We all saw, sir... What plan on doing? – Rion questions. – I do not want to bring more problems for you. What I will do is my thing. Go to the port, because there you can touch your lives. Nirm was our companion struggle too, sir. She is One of "Eight". – Pelokir participates. – Yes, she always helped us when we need, - Hrothgar complements. – It is, and always took us from trouble - Relfer amendment. – Not going anywhere before help you rescue her... If you can – Codaino ends. – My friends, I know you want to help and they would do anything to save Nirm, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack, and besides, even if we think, do not know if we can save her. After she was taken, I spent a year looking for, fighting in the front lines to try to find her and this still fails. Now I saw... I have to go back to look for her. – And where are you planning to go? - Rion questions. – Well, considering that I did not find her in any of the fronts and that it would take one of those chosen to Balkatar, it can only be... In the slot. - The group looks each other. – In... Crack... Lord, this would not be a suicide? – Codaino contemporizes. – Yes... And that's why I'll only do – Galaniel bypasses, trying to finish the conversation.

  - I'm sorry, sir, if you will just crack, you will not go alone, you can count on me. – Rion rises and extends his right arm forward. – And with me. – Pelokir does the same, followed by brothers and finally Codaino says: – if you think you will find it and that can save her, tell us. – Galaniel gets up, looks at each and speech, placing the right arm training: – Thank you! I could not have a better group with me. Courage and Honor!

  Molodok

  The day of Molodok had come. Young people were nervous and anxious, after all that was the day that would define the rest of their lives. At the sounding of the first trumpet, was started the event.

  Ank-Oq mounted the pulpit and said: – Welcome, pupils. Today begins the journey of each of you. You know that, as in life, things do not always happen as we wish, but as we need.

  The balance of the varieties should be maintained because each one is essential to combat the evil forces that we must face. – So – continued – among forty members of this Molodok, only twenty will receive their caste. The rest attend the next selections, as are left vague beginners and will have to seek to do more.

  Young people looked at each other thoughtful. Are they running out of caste indefinitely? Or worse, they would be chosen as guardians?

  – Those they pass the tests according to their classification, will undergo the wall of choice, in the hall of weapons and blood test. According to God's choice, this will be recorded in his flesh as the symbol of caste which will accompany until his death. – Speaking this, he signaled to his assistant, who was holding a rope attached to a curtain, the wall behind the podium.

  Pulling the rope, a panel was revealed behind the curtain. In it, there were four symbols:

  Ank-Oq raised his arms and was speaking solemnly: – forwards, mentalese, biota and guardians. – At the end of all castes, the crowd erupted in a greeting, speaking with one voice: Citadel, Citadel, Citadel.

  – The tournament will be divided into four stages, requiring the characteristics necessary to any great warrior: courage, dexterity, intelligence, strategy, strength, honor, loyalty and endurance. – Reaching out to his helper, Ank-Oq passed him off. Opening an old parchment, he began to read slowly as would be performed each step.

  – First step: – in eight minutes, each participant must pass through a thin wooden walkway positioned to four feet off the ground, where sharp sticks will go up and come down fast and cadenced by the path.

  – Second step: – in three minutes, each participant should choose the parts needed to assemble the gear that will open the door that leads to the third step.

  – Third stage: – the participant must pass through metal bars on the upper part of the path, hanging up the hands, the will of five meters, which separates the third of fourth stage in five minutes. Sandbags will be attached to his body, increasing three times its own weight.

  – Fourth step: - After the arrival of all members of each group who successfully meet the previous steps, should meet with all other and helping each other overcome the final challenge, the fight in the arena.

  – Only working in a team that is able to overcome the imposed difficulties, since the number of each group will be defined by the participants who can complete the first three steps. Only by joining together and the diversity is that triumph.

  After reading the scroll end, and Ank-Oq resumed word, he called coaches: – Xiant, Tregor, Albeok and Orzan, gather your groups and start.

  Each coach was wearing a color, as well as the entire group, facilitating separation. Galaniel stood in the blue group, which followed Tregor to the designated area. As was customary, the coach secretly examined how each member of his group behaved during the trial, assessing which each of the profile. He found that in the group there were three people with leadership characteristics: Meneol, Nirmiriel and Galaniel. He decided that who came out better in the first three tests, should lead the group in the last.

  Always willing and seeking to attract attention, Meneol offered to start, being accepted by Tregor. He stood at the beginning of the location of the event and when the horn sounded again, all groups began the first test. Having good balance and dexterity, they passed easily in the first stage.

  In the second, where the Question intelligence was under pressure, they spent most of the time the race and only with many attempts, they managed to open the door in the last moments.

  In the third, in which the principal were the strength and agility, Meneol had considerable force, for a young man of his age, and he passed quickly through the gap.

  Following were Pelokir, Inara, Postiok, all with difficulty in one or other evidence, but achieving complete them satisfactorily. Silcone, with fragile constitution, the thinnest of the group, went into the test of will, falling and consequently being disqualified.

  When falling, she broke her left leg, producing a characteristic dry thud. Promptly, she was attended by the staff on duty to biota because injuries were common during the Molodok. After the rescue of Silcone, the climate in the group was a little tense because the freshmen realized the real danger of the evidence and the result of the failure.

  The next to take the test was Murmide, that by the middle of the first test, was hit by one of the obstacles, cutting, surface, the side of her right arm, hitting the cephalic vein and thereby spouting a lot of blood. Even with the injury, Murmide can finish the race, being met before starting the second stage. It would continue after a short rest, without prejudice to their classification.

  With two cases of injury, now, the whole group was nervous, and no one wanted to be the next. So Tregor chose: – Nirmiriel! Turn. – With a meter and sixty-eight high and sixty-five pounds well distributed, Nirmiriel drew attention for her beauty, her long blonde hair and her pale green eyes, like faceted tourmaline and her mysterious smile, not making clear her feeling.

  Differently, Silcone, Nirmiriel had a strong and shapely body, own a warrior. It certainly was in contention for the best opportunities. She walked up to the start site of proof and, on hearing the trumpet, she began passing quite easily on the narrow walkway, dodging obstacles quickly, but near the end of the test, while passing through the part where Murmide been hit, slipped in blood spattering on the catwalk and falling toward the ground, managed to hold with her left arm on the catwalk
, but the angle at which the arm was probably that would fall.

  Seeing what happened, without blinking, Galaniel met Nirmiriel and his concern for her did not flinch correctly obstacles that moved at speed. Almost reaching Nirmiriel, he realized that one of the obstacles would hit full in the head and raise her left arm to defend herself.

  The obstacle hit her forearm piercing it. With the violence of the blow just feathering the gears that moved even getting stuck in Galaniel’s arm. Despite the searing pain, safe Galaniel the left arm with his right hand and pulls the forearm out of the blade. He takes this obstacle, secures it with the left hand and offers the right to Nirmiriel that grudgingly reluctantly agrees. Galaniel pulls up the walkway and, with her head, she indicates to finish the race, that there were only twenty seconds. Nirmiriel can arrive in time to complete the stage in the final seconds.

  Galaniel rips a piece of his shirt, tying the wound site, to try to stop the bleeding. With the arm already well swollen and purple means, he can return to the start of the race, away from other obstacles.

  The biota already waiting and, while being served, Tregor scolded him severely. The evidence of the group were temporarily suspended so that evaluate elders out valid completing step by Nirmiriel and Galaniel would be disqualified for assisting another group members.

  Nirmiriel went to Galaniel, who was still being serviced by biota. – If you hurt? – Galanie asked. Nirmiriel answers: – I do not need your help or concern, I fight my battles alone. I'm sure I could finish the race now because of you, I run the risk of being disqualified and, moreover, seem weak in the eyes of all. If you want to help someone, help yourself, puffy! – She went out angry, still muttering curses. After deliberating, the elders decided not disqualify either, accept the conclusion of the first stage of Nirmiriel, charging two negative points because being helped and five negative points of Galaniel, because his interfering in the race.

  Thus ended the first day of Molodok, almost all members of the groups with the first three steps completed, leaving only some members to conclude in the next day morning, with the exception of those who failed and, in the afternoon, would be the fourth and final stage, when would set the life of each participant, with victory or defeat.

  In the blue group, those who had already completed the steps made fun of the missing, especially Nirmiriel and Galaniel. – Help, help me, I am so feeble that I will fall here. Save me, brave whale, but be careful to not crush me. – Meneol mocked. As it is normal in youth group, all other advantage to laugh and tease, until Nirmiriel cast a spell quietly and pants Meneol burst into flames, now jump, alternating one leg and another and hitting the own ass to extinguish the fire. With this, everyone laughed, except he, who was with hatred and said to himself, – tomorrow you will see, witch, you and your fat little friend.

  Galaniel, who was a little separated from the group, still laughing about Jeans Meneol’s pants, looked Nirmiriel, who returned momentarily away, but immediately blushed and turned back. He was thinking about why he was helping her. He did not know and did not understand how risked so much and so quickly because, when he realized, was already reaching for her. With these thoughts straightened him to sleep by placing a blanket, which his mother had put in his purse, for protection from the cold. Therefore, the laughter and conversations were ceasing and everyone straightened to sleep because the next day would held great challenges.

  At dawn, Tregor entered the barracks pounding the sword on his shield, making a fuss. Most of the group agreed moments, and were waking the others. Young people began clumsy routine to prepare for the day, tidying up and then go to the cafeteria. With the sounding of the first trumpet, all went to the place of evidence. Tregor, turning to the group, said: – now, in the morning, Murmide, Trokat, Nirmiriel, Arudel and Galaniel conclude, in that order, the three stages of Molodok. In the afternoon will be the big test. I hope that despite yesterday, let me proud. – The group responded with shouts of encouragement. – Murmide – continued the coach: – get ready.

  Little did she stood, the trumpet began to evidence and Murmide easy reach of the second stage, assembles the puzzle lock, obtains the best time and can open the door. In the third stage, she went smoothly, it was strong and lean, and making triple their weight was not a problem.

  When Trokat began his work, agility helped him get through the first stage quickly, but when he came to open the door, the second challenge, as he was getting nervous and time passing, the pieces did not fit and thus was until the end of time.

  With the decommissioning Trokat, Nirmiriel already sought to position itself at the beginning of the second stage, that nothing went wrong this time. She did not look at anyone or say anything, she was totally focused, wanting to undo the image of the previous day. At the beginning of the second test, hit Murmide ever opening the door, she was putting weights on the body and direct jumping to the first bar.

  Nirmiriel’s agility was impressive and also managed to improve Meneol record in the third step, to know was even more hatred, remembering the laughing stock with the fire the night before. Arudel managed to pass through the two steps without problems, as well as being a good student before coming to the Citadel, he helped his father on the farm and was used to hard work.

  The third step, for him, was the easiest, so that he was allowed to turn in the air to come off the last bar to reach the platform, but he has not used enough momentum, falling directly on the floor and out of Molodok. Galaniel, already recovered from the injury, thanks to biota, is placed facing the narrow walkway of the first test. He is the last one to take the tests and feels increasing tension, because three people in the group were disqualified.

  The race begins, and Galaniel progresses through the obstacles, but not as fast as his companions. Even got past, because there the day before, his broad, strong body did not have much agility making worse time.

  In the second, he tied with Nirmiriel, which was not satisfied because it seemed that he had mounted one gear several times because each piece was falling into place perfectly. Opening the door to the third stage he picked up the weights, one hundred and seventy-five pounds on each side. When he placed them, he could barely walk.

  With difficulty, he approached the first metal bar, bent down to take momentum and jumped, but he did not move and almost he fell from five meters that separated the podium where he was and the floor. His forehead makes sweat.

  When looking to the right hand, both the coach, as the other group members looked almost without blinking. Realizing that way would not have the necessary thrust, Galaniel passed again through the door that divided the second from the third stage, put both hands on the platform in front of his body, flexed his right leg, preparing to run, breathed deeply by twice, visualizing his inner strength and left in the race to the suspended bar.

  When he reached the dais limit, jumped, stretched to the maximum and managed to reach the first bar. His group shouted words of encouragement: – Gala, will, strength, you can – mixed with other words not very good: – Go whale, flies! I never saw so fat monkey – quickly rejected by Tregor who with his little bat, hit the heads of Meneol and Postiok, who immediately fell silent, scratching the site of the crash. Each bar was a martyrdom for Galaniel because the weight was too great. The joints of his arms were burning, especially that which had been injured the day before.

  It had been three minutes and it was still a third of the route. Arriving at the half, the right arm slipped, causing him to be hanging only by the left arm. – I will not get! I do not think I will fail – Galaniel thought, eyes closed, trying hard not to drop the bar, while tears of pain sprang up in his face. – Come on, again puts your right hand on the bar! Hurry, missing very little time for you to stay there cinch!

  Galaniel opens his eyes, scared, looks around and sees no one at all is in the middle of nowhere. With great difficulty, he pulls the whole body with his left arm, managing to replace the right hand on the bar. There is just one minute to finish the race. He c
oncentrates all his strength in both arms and achieving bar to bar.

  When he comes to the last, he moves the body forward and back like a pendulum and the third balanced, pulls the body close to the bar and then pushes him toward the edge of the dais. Galaniel can reach the eaves and as still in speed, rolling falls on the body and at the last moment, he puts his hand on the door of the fourth stage, concluding in time the evidence.

  Both the group and the coach celebrate winning the Galaniel and go up to congratulate him. – That was close, huh? – Said Tregor. Even those who teased now congratulated Galaniel that, exhausted, had not even taken the weights still, swaying with the hugs and greetings from colleagues.

  - Come on, people! Rest and eat, but nothing to fill the belly! – Tregor foreign with the group and look, a glance, to Galaniel: – leave to kill hunger closing banquet, I will meet you here at noon sharp! Dismissed – the group says releasing. Galaniel finally manages to take the weights and walks to the shower room. – I'm finished. How will I be able to fight in the ring? And who the hell was that voice that I heard? I think I'm going crazy – he thinks, while preparing his bath.

  Preparations

  The journey to the gap was long, about three hundred kilometers. – If we are on horseback, we will spend seven or eight-day trip, if we walk... – Codaino pauses, calculating – twice at least. – We can not take as long, we need horses – Galaniel speaks to the group. – And how do we achieve this? – Pelokir questions usually responsible for the preparations. – In addition, our supplies are not enough for a trip of this size. We need more supplies. – Well, I would not go away even without first a little chat with Meneol – Rion said, clutching the handle of his sword. – Calm down Rion, one thing at a time. – Galaniel creates a plan: – Codaino, that your spell to disguise does still work? – Yes, Gala and still hurts a lot too. – Right. Rion, you and Hrothgar will get the horses? – You can leave Gala – Hrothgar responds, helpfully. – Do not forget that we need to carry groceries then able to at least two more. – Pelokir, you and Codaino, take care of groceries. – Yes, sir – the bionte. – Relfer, you will take care of the camp, we can not get answers vested in the city. – Yes... Lord - Relfer agreed dissatisfied. – I will have that conversation with Meneol. – Why do I get the worst jobs always? - Relfer complains quietly, leading then to his brother, a slap in the neck – Stop bullshit, you still have much to learn. Can you not see that Gala took the hardest part? – At Least it's fun, and I'm gonna be all the time here in this dust, doing nothing? – Want you to take another? We are not here playing, Relfer, you know that if they catch us, kill us – Hrothgar rebuke hard his brother, who finally falls silent.