The Protectors: Book 1 in the Protectors Saga

by Paige Dooling

  Avery felt her eye begin to twitch as Jade shouted back, “Stow it, short stack!”

  In her rearview mirror, Avery saw Gumptin open his mouth to say something back to Jade.

  “That’s enough!” Avery yelled, before Gumptin got the chance to continue the argument, “I don’t want to hear another word out of either of you until we reach the park!”

  “He started it!” Jade exclaimed at the exact same moment Gumptin hollered, “She started it!”

  “Not another word!” Avery shouted, taking her right hand off of the steering wheel and pointing her finger at both of them.

  Both Gumptin and Jade stared out of their respective windows, looking at the landscape fly by, seeming, for the moment, to take Avery’s scolding to heart.

  Avery clicked on the radio and turned it to a classic rock station that she knew Jade would like. Knowing that the steady guitar riffs pounding out of the car’s speakers would calm Jade’s inner beast.

  Avery hazarded to look into her rearview mirror again and saw Gumptin staring at the radio like it was an attacking beast that needed to be shot. Anticipating that Gumptin might have something to say against the rock that was vibrating throughout the car, Avery turned up the radio to drown out any protests he might have.

  Three long rock songs later, Avery was pulling up to the curb of the park. Jade had her eyes closed and was silently air-guitaring along to Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Purple Haze’, when Avery shut off the car.

  Broken out of her musical trance, Jade slinked out of the car and glanced around the empty park.

  “Yeah,” she said to Gumptin, as he tumbled out from the back seat, “it looks like something really supernatural happened here.”

  Completely ignoring Jade, Gumptin made his way over to the two Beech trees bookshleving the gateway.

  “Well, we’re here,” Jade told Avery as she walked up to stand next to her on the sidewalk, “now what?”

  Avery nodded towards Gumptin, “Now, we follow him.”

  Jade rolled her eyes and followed Avery over to where Gumptin was standing between the large trees. They stopped behind Gumptin and waited as he glanced around the park to make sure they couldn’t be seen. Avery heard Jade sighing next to her and couldn’t help but suspect that Gumptin was taking an especially long time in order just to annoy Jade.

  Finally, after what Avery was sure was more than enough time to visually canvas the entire park, Gumptin cleared his throat and spoke the words, “Ora Gateway.”

  It happened just as Avery had remembered it the first time, the air between the trees beginning to swirl and come alive, whirling into a liquid that became the circular pool which was the gateway.

  From next to her, Avery could feel Jade stiffen. When she turned her head to look at Jade, Avery saw that she was shaking her head slightly, her jaw clenched tight, and a look of complete shock in her eyes.

  Jade began slowly backing away from the spinning gateway.

  “Are you alright?” Avery asked.

  She could see in Jade’s eyes that the truth was slamming down on her. The truth that everything Avery had told her had been true. Avery could also see Jade’s mind struggling to accept what she was now seeing as the truth.

  Jade shook her head in response to Avery’s question. She stumbled backwards over her own feet. Avery made a move to catch her, but Jade held up her hand, righting herself before she landed on the ground and letting Avery know she needed a second to herself.

  On wobbly legs, Jade staggered over to a wooden picnic bench sheltered next to the trunk of another shady Beech tree, about a hundred feet away from the gateway. Once there, she plopped herself down on the bench and placed her forehead in her hands.

  Avery stood back, watching Jade for a few minutes, letting her absorb everything. Then, she walked over and joined Jade at the picnic table, taking a seat across from her. Jade looked up, made eye contact with Avery, and then placed her head back into her hands again. Avery just sat across from her, silent. She was more than content to give Jade as much time as she needed, especially considering she knew exactly what Jade was feeling, how confused she was, how scared, and intrigued, and probably just a little bit nauseous.

  After a minute, Jade ran her fingers through her long black hair, and said to Avery, “I know what I saw. I just don’t know exactly what it was that I saw.”

  Without nerves or emotion to distract her into rambling again, Avery calmly told Jade everything. She started with Gumptin surprising her by jumping out from behind a tree after school let out. She described seeing the Ora Gateway for the first time and how her reaction wasn’t much different than Jade’s, except she tried to run away. Avery told Jade the reason she had decided to follow Gumptin into the Gateway, how he had explained the possible dangerous repercussions of her deciding not to. She told her about Orcatia and their village and how weird it was to have everyone know her when she hadn’t known anyone. She explained to Jade everything Gumptin had told her about the Emperor and dying and being reborn on Earth into the past, about being a Protector and all the powers and responsibilities that went along with it.

  To Avery’s surprise and relief, Jade listened without any interruptions, something that was rare for her. In fact, even her facial expression had been pretty stone faced, just one small smile when Avery had explained their fighting abilities and powers, and a slight crease in her brow when Avery had talked about them dying.

  “So,” Avery asked when she had finished explaining everything, “what are you thinking?”

  Jade opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again when nothing came out.

  After a moment, she shook her head, “There’s so many different thoughts going through my head right now, I wouldn’t even know how to begin to explain any of them.”

  Avery nodded her head in understanding, not wanting to push Jade.

  “How did we die?” Jade asked Avery, the confusion in her eyes disappearing for the moment as she focused intently on her question.

  “I told you,” Avery answered, “Gumptin said that evil douche Emperor killed us.”

  This answer hadn’t satisfied Jade, “But how did he kill us?”

  “What do you mean?” Avery asked, confused by where Jade was taking this conversation.

  “I mean,” Jade said, firmly gripping the table in front of her, “we’re supposed to be these five super horse-power fighting machines, right? So, how did he manage to kill all five of us at once? These are things we need to know, to avoid it happening again in the future.”

  Avery gave Jade a blank stare. She hadn’t even thought about that till Jade brought it up, “I don’t know. I don’t think Gumptin knows.”

  Jade scrunched up her face in a particularly disgusted look, “You didn’t ask?”

  Avery blinked, she knew Jade was going to make a thing out of this, but she didn’t know how to avoid it, “No.” She answered

  Jade laughed exasperatedly, “You see, that’s just another reason why you don’t run off to strange places without me…not ever.”

  Before Jade had the chance to mention the words innocent or naive, Avery spoke up, and loudly, “Look, a magical gnome had just put a bender on my whole reality! I was in more of an absorb than question mode, alright?!”

  Jade couldn’t stop herself from laughing at Avery’s frustration. She knew Avery hated it when she got over protective, but she couldn’t help it. Ever since they were kids, she just felt it was her role to protect Avery, and as Avery was the person she cared about most in the world, sometimes she took her job a little too seriously.

  “Alright,” Jade said, still trying to suppress her laughter, “I’m sorry. I’ll just ask Gumptin later.”

  The mood had lightened, and Avery was thankful for this. What she had to say to Jade next, she knew Jade wasn’t going to like, but she wouldn’t be a true friend if she didn’t say it to her.

  “Listen,” she told Jade, “I know that Gumptin said we had to return to Orcatia, but if you really don’t
want to, if this is just too much for you, I want you to know that you don’t have to come with us. I’ll talk to Gumptin. I won’t be mad or upset if you decide to stay.”

  Jade leaned forward and smacked Avery hard on the side of the head.

  “Ow!” Avery shouted, rubbing her stinging head.

  “Don’t be such an asswipe, Avery.” Jade said, standing up. “Of course, I’m coming with you. I’m coming for the same reason I came to this stupid park in the first place.”

  Avery stood up, still across from Jade, “I’m just saying that if you did decide to stay in Redemption I wouldn’t be mad at you.”

  A flicker of hurt crossed over Jade’s eyes, “Don’t you want me to come?”

  Avery had to back pedal, for as tough as Jade was, when it came to certain things she was as soft as a cotton ball, and one of those things was definitely Avery.

  “Of course I want you to come with me! I can’t even imagine us being apart.” Avery told Jade, placing her hand over her heart, “I just don’t want you to do something you feel forced into doing, and I definitely don’t want you to get hurt.”

  The pain was gone from Jade’s eyes and a small smile tugged at the side of her lips, “Avery, I live in a trailer park with parents who I barely see. I spend more time at your house than I do my own. I’m flunking out of school, and the whole town thinks I’m either gonna die or kill someone by the time I’m eighteen…maybe both. It’s not like I have a lot to stay for.”

  Avery laughed, it was sad, but everything Jade had said was unfortunately true.

  Jade walked over to Avery and took her hand into her own, squeezing it slightly, “You’re my family. You and me, that’s what I’ve got in this whole world. If you’re going through that gateway, then I’m going with you.”

  Avery squeezed Jade’s hand back, a silent thank you for confirming to her just why Jade was her best friend.

  “Then, let’s get going before Gumptin throws us both into the gateway with his bare hands.” Avery laughed, pulling Jade by her hand towards Gumptin.

  Jade groaned and allowed herself to be pulled, “Ugh, for one beautiful moment I forgot about him.”

  Avery smiled, wondering how any could possibly forget about a supposedly non-existent magical being.

  By the time they had finished talking and had made their way back to Gumptin the gateway had once again closed. So, Gumptin said the words once more and opened the watery gateway in front of them.

  “That is just trippy.” Jade said.

  “Alright, in you girls go before I grow roots and end up being trapped on this planet.” Gumptin told the girls as he pushed them towards the gate.

  “Wait a second,” Jade interrupted, slapping Gumptin’s hand away from her, “you’re not going in first?”

  Gumptin shook his head, “No, I am going to stay here until I see you go through the Ora Gateway with my own two eyes.”

  Jade nodded, pursing her lips, “Just can’t get enough of my ass, huh.”

  For the first time since Avery had met Gumptin, he looked genuinely shocked.

  “Sorry, Gump,” Jade continued, “I know its awe inspiring, but you’re far too old, too non-human, and definitely too irritating for me.”

  “Insufferable.” Gumptin mumbled and ushered them forward, although this time he made sure not to put his hands on Jade at all, especially anywhere near her backside.

  Just before Avery was about to jump into the gateway she turned around and faced Jade, standing just inches from her.

  “You know, you were wrong.” She told Jade.

  Jade gave Avery a quizzical look.

  “I’m not the only thing you have in Redemption.” Avery said, “You’ve also got your bike.”

  A huge smile formed on Jade’s face, “That’s true, I do have my baby.”

  Avery nodded in agreement, “Of course, it sucks,” she said, “’cause you know you can’t bring her with you to Orcatia.”

  As Avery leapt into the gateway she heard Jade shout from behind her, “Son of a bitch!”

  Chapter 5

  Avery landed hard on Orcatia once again. She staggered forward and would have been able to remain on her feet if it weren’t for a pesky tree root sticking up out of the earth. As her foot hit the root she knew she was headed straight for the ground. At least she had time to prepare her body this time, placing her hands out in front of her.

  Once she was on the ground, Avery rolled over and sprang up quickly, making sure she was out of the way when Jade came pummeling through.

  Jade came flying out of the gateway even faster and harder than Avery had. She landed face first on the ground without even a chance to stumble around and try to get her footing.

  “Son…of…a…bitch!” Jade shouted, lifting herself up on her arms.

  Avery thought it appropriate that Jade’s last words on Earth would also be her first words on Orcatia, however inappropriate those words might be.

  Before Jade had the chance to fully lift herself up onto her hands and knees, Gumptin came crashing out of the gateway, landing directly on Jade.

  “Get the hell off of me!” Jade yelled at Gumptin.

  In an effort to prevent Jade from physically picking Gumptin up and tossing him off of her, Avery ran over and helped Gumptin roll off of Jade. Once Avery had managed to help Gumptin stand up, Jade was on her feet in one cat-like move. For a moment, Avery thought Jade may try and smack Gumptin, but instead she just brushed the dirt off of her black tank and jeans, grumbling to herself as she did so.

  “Thank you, Jade,” Gumptin said as he took off down the overgrown path which led to the main road, “that was a much softer landing than I had been expecting. I suppose you are good for something after all.”

  This time Jade did make a leap for Gumptin, but Avery grabbed on to Jade’s shoulder tightly, holding her back.

  “Just let it go.” Avery told her, “You obviously made it sixteen years on this planet without killing him, so just do me a favor and try to get through today.”

  Jade very reluctantly agreed, and they followed Gumptin out on to the main road.

  Once they reached the road, Avery noticed a dozen or so fresh horse shoe impressions in the mud that hadn’t been there before they had left.

  “Hey, Gumptin, look.” Avery said, pointing out the impressions in the road.

  “Yes,” said Gumptin, barely taking any notice of it, “by the types of shoe imprints and number of horses, those were left by members of the King’s army, nothing to worry about.”

  The fact that there was a King didn’t surprise Avery in the slightest. From everything she had heard and seen of Orcatia, it was exactly the type of place to have some sort of royalty ruling.

  Gumptin continued, “We tried to keep word of your deaths a secret, but with the Emperor and his followers boasting about the death of the Protectors all over Orcatia, whispers began forming everywhere. When King Draven heard the news, he sent some of his men to watch over the village in case the Emperor decided to attack. After a few days the soldiers left, but they return once a day to make sure everything is alright. Now that you are back, there will be no need for the King’s men to check on the village anymore.”

  The name Draven sounded familiar to Avery, but just like with everything else, she had no idea why.

  “Wait a second,” Jade spoke up after listening to everything Gumptin had to say, “we don’t follow this King do we?”

  Avery knew exactly why Jade had asked. Jade had never been one for following orders, either from parents, teachers, police, especially not from Gumptin, and Avery knew not from any King either. Avery wondered how she had ever been able to get Jade to do anything she had ordered her to do when she was leader, or even how she’d get Jade to follow her this time around.

  “Havyn technically falls into the Nightfell Kingdom,” Gumptin explained, “which belongs to King Draven, but the Protectors are a law unto themselves. Every King in every province recognizes your authority.” He caught himse
lf, then said, “Although, not all of them agree with it. You will most likely have issues with a few of them in the future…if you live long enough.”

  Avery giggled, “That’s not a problem for Jade. She’s use to people in charge having issues with her.”

  Jade reached over and smacked Avery across the arm which only made Avery giggle harder.

  “What’s King Draven like?” Avery asked through her giggling.

  “He is a good king.” Gumptin answered.

  Avery waited for him to elaborate, but that was all he offered her, “Well, have we ever met him?” Avery questioned, not content to let the subject drop yet.

  “No, you have never met.” Gumptin’s short answers were beginning to get on Avery’s nerves. It was the first time since she had met him that she actually wanted him to talk more.

  Avery persisted, “Don’t you think it’s weird that the Protectors have never met the King of the kingdom that they live in?”

  “Yes.” Was all Gumptin said.

  Avery grunted in frustration and looked over at Jade who just shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “Don’t look at me to try and deal with him.”

  They were content to walk the rest of the way to the village in silence. Avery let her mind wander, mainly to King Draven and why Gumptin was being so tight-lipped about him. She wanted to push Gumptin further on the issue, but knew if she did he would only clam up again. Plus, she didn’t know enough about Gumptin to know if he was even hiding anything important or just being evasive for annoyance sake. Instead of dwelling on it any further, Avery looked down at her muddied and scuffed burgundy Doc Martens and wished she had chosen to wear her cheap no name sneakers that morning instead.

  The familiar sounds of the bustling village, distant voices, the whinny of horses, a hammer banging against something metal, took Avery’s mind off of her messed up shoes and on to the fact that they had almost reached Havyn.

  They passed the entrance sign that Avery had tripped over her first time entering the village and walked out into the main center of Havyn.