Daughter of Earth (Tales of the Guardian)

by Brianna Merrill

  “That makes sense. I just don’t understand why I can’t seem to move past meditation, why I can’t access my subconscious any other time.” She expressed her frustration, not making any effort to hide her annoyance.

  “I know you feel as though you are not progressing, but you are. However…” Damarus emphasized, “I have come to a realization of my own. I have been training you as I do my Guardians, but this is unfair. I train my Guardians when their minds are young, like sponges which easily soak in my lessons. Their first experiences are the ones I give them. You are different; you have eighteen years of your own experiences conflicting with all I am trying to teach you,” he reasoned, with a smile. “It is my fault we have not moved at a quicker pace. But that is going to change today.”

  Emily’s interest was piqued. Every day had consisted of the same routine, always starting out with a period of meditation. This was followed by exercises to stimulate and heighten her senses, which really consisted of being blindfolded and smelling, hearing, touching things around her. Every once in a while, Damarus tested to see if she could react quickly and efficiently to a smack or slap on the back before his motion completed its course.

  “I’ve realized we must pull from the experiences you’ve already had instead of trying to create new ones,” Damarus led her to the center of the Arena.

  “Sounds good,” Emily said excitedly, hoping this new approach would yield results.

  “I want you to think. Has there been a time in your life when all of your senses were heightened at the same moment?”

  Emily thought deeply. There were plenty of times when she’d experienced a flare of acute pain. Like burning her hand on the stove or even when she’d fallen off her bike as a little girl and broken her wrist. “You mean, like when I’ve been injured?”

  “No, I am looking for a moment in your existence when you felt a heightening of all or most of your senses. Where you could feel them all simultaneously and they were strong enough to overpower your sense of time. A euphoric moment,” Damarus offered.

  The word ‘euphoric’ triggered a not so distant memory.

  “Yes,” Emily declared. “Yes, in fact I have. When I thought the Ancient One was going to kill my father and me, I had a moment that could be described as you said. Time seemed to slow down and I could feel the droplets of moisture on my face and could taste the salt from my tears; I could even smell the metallic scent of my father’s blood. It was a rush of my senses…” Emily breathed deeply. “The moment was euphoric. Unlike anything I had ever experienced.” Her eyes met his and she could see his approval.

  Damarus began his familiar pacing around her, his arms crossed behind, his steps like a pattern to a dance.

  “That is what I am looking for. Do you know what triggered the moment? I know you were in danger and it is often when danger is present humans find the pathway to their core. It supplies a quick access because it comes down to instinct. So, what I want to know is, what was the overall feeling enveloping you in that very moment? Was it fear?”

  “Acceptance.” Emily interrupted him. “I felt acceptance.”

  Damarus’ grin deepened. “Why? What was it you accepted?”

  “My fate, or at least what I thought was my fate. I accepted the fact that my father and I were going to die and, oddly enough. I was at peace with it,” she explained, not only to Damarus, but to herself. Her words were spilling out as quickly as her mind was processing the memory. It was as though she were convincing her conscious mind of what her subconscious already knew.

  “And that is what I have been searching for. That is the trigger to your core. Everyone’s trigger is as unique as they are, but everyone has one. Well done.”

  “Is that it?” Emily questioned. “It can’t be that simple, can it?”

  “Now, you must learn to apply it to the present. You must learn to harness the feeling of acceptance to your current situation.” Damarus leaned over her shoulder from behind. “Close your eyes and think. I want you to come to terms with what you have refused to acknowledge thus far. Accept you are who you are, Emily. Accept you have a core which lies within and is awaiting release. Accept you have potential, divine and wondrous potential. Do not doubt, merely accept.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting against all doubts and disbelief. Acceptance was a hard thing to feel; it went against her pessimistic nature. Yet, she’d done it before and knew she could somehow do it again.

  Channeling the control she knew she could achieve when she meditated, she concentrated on acceptance. She imagined what it would feel like to believe all those things, to understand her true potential. A calm settled over her, a warm and deep satisfaction which came from knowing she was in the right place.

  And then it happened. Time stood still.

  She felt the tiny particles of dust filtering through her nostril as they tickled her throat. The sun glared down on her back, and she felt every nerve respond to the heat. She heard Damarus breathe as though he were only a centimeter away from her head and the sound thundered through her ears like hundreds of horses.

  And, just when she was in tune with everything around her she felt air swishing across her face. Like a pulse of electricity directed straight at her nose.

  Instinctively, her right arm flew up. She opened her eyes the moment her forearm made contact with Damarus’ strong backhand.

  It sounded like a hefty slap, yet Emily hardly felt it. She expected pain but felt none. In its place was merely a rush of warmth. Could this be the adrenaline she’d heard about from Guardians, yet had never experienced for herself?

  “You were going to hit me in the face,” Emily exclaimed as she slowly lowered her arm, the very thought was shocking, let alone that she’d actually stopped it.

  “I wasn’t going to hit you because you weren’t going to allow it. Your core wouldn’t allow it.” There was no denying the pride that emanated from Damarus.

  Things had finally clicked with her and he knew it, just as she now knew it.

  They practiced for hours, drill after drill. It was intense physical sparring as Damarus concentrated on teaching defensive blocks and maneuvers. Emily was beaten more than she succeeded, but she still felt the measurable difference in her ability.

  The sun was beginning to set when they decided to call it a day. Sweat trickled down her neck vouching for reality, she was exhausted. Damarus walked with her as she approached the bench and picked up a jug of water.

  Something in her peripherals caught her attention.

  Deep in the shadows of an archway to her right, someone stirred. Emily and Damarus both turned their attention to the figure who now slowly approached.

  Her heart skipped a beat and felt like it might leap right out of her chest.

  It was Alexander.

  He was making his way toward her but it wasn’t fast enough. She couldn’t wait another moment to be in his arms.

  She dropped the jug and ran. She didn’t slow down until her arms were wrapped around his neck. Emily dug her fingers into the thick dark waves of his hair, pulling on him as though she was afraid he would disappear.

  “You’re back,” Emily whispered.

  At this point she didn’t care about what had happened between them before he left. She knew he was sorry, and as soon as she was capable of speaking more, she’d tell him he didn’t need to apologize.

  What mattered most to her was he was back.

  Alexander held her tightly, breathing in deeply, ardently, loving the scent of her hair. He pulled back to look in her eyes.

  Emily was the one constant he had left. At least he had no doubts of his love for her and it was all he needed right now. Their shared bond was the medication he needed, the balm that could heal the wounds still festering deep within him.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispered, closing his eyes as a way to contain his strong emotions.

  He had missed her every second he was away. The only reason he stayed away for seven days was to search for
answers, for a resolution which unfortunately never came. Once he realized he wasn’t making progress, he decided he at least could resolve things with Emily.

  “I’m so sorry,” Alexander said softly.

  “There’s no need to say that. We’ve both had some time to think about it. I made a bigger deal of what happened than I should have. I’m just so happy you’re back. I missed you so much,” she pressed her lips against his, showing him her elation.

  Alexander broke away. “I will never suggest what I did a week ago, again. I don’t know what came over me, Emily. The more time I spent thinking about it, what I said and insinuated, the more ashamed I feel.”

  “I know you’re sorry, I knew you were from the moment you disappeared. So let’s just move past it, it’s forgotten,” she held his face between her palms. It felt so good to be close to him once more.

  He could see the forgiveness in her eyes and it was just what he needed. He picked her up off the ground pulling her close once more. They stayed that way for a while, completely oblivious to the set of green eyes watching them from the other side of the Arena.

  When they finally let go of each other, Damarus came over to stand beside them.

  Alexander barely made eye contact with him. “Damarus,” Alexander grunted, acknowledging his presence with a firm nod.

  “Welcome back, my son,” he nodded in return. “You were watching us from the archway for quite some time. I could sense you but didn’t want to alert Emily. She made great progress today and I didn’t want to disrupt that.”

  “Yes, I figured you knew. As I am sure Xavier is bound to show up any minute,” Alexander gave a few glances around to check the Arena.

  “How long were you watching?” Emily inserted herself into the conversation, she was surprised.

  “Long enough to notice you’ve acquired some impressive skills in my absence.” He flashed his playful grin. It was one she’d missed so much it nearly hurt to see it now.

  “Well, the ‘skills’ as you call them, are a recent development. I’m definitely starting to feel a difference in myself. I think things are starting to come together.”

  A small bounce in her knees gave away how excited she really was.

  Being prideful was never a trait she liked seeing in other people, but there was nothing wrong with feeling satisfied about her hard work. The time, patience and sweat she’d put in added to today’s results and filled her with a sense of accomplishment.

  “Well, it appears you have learned to access your core…and there he is,” Alexander blurted in a huff.

  At first Emily didn’t understand what Alexander’s mixed sentence meant, but when she glanced over her shoulder she saw Xavier approaching.

  “I think I will take my leave. No doubt the other Elders will be anxious to hear about Emily’s progress. I will see you tomorrow.” Damarus bowed slightly at both of them and then turned to leave just as Xavier arrived.

  “Long time no see, brother. Glad you’re back!” he exclaimed.

  Alexander released his grasp on Emily to give his friend a few pats on the back. “It’s good to be back.”

  “I was in New York with James and literally just got back. But, as soon as I came through those gates I knew you were here. And it had nothing to do with sensing ya. I could smell your stench a mile away. Where you been hiding out, bro, some stale seaweed infested cave? Sheesh!”

  Alexander’s hair did smell, but it hadn’t bothered Emily. Playful banter went on all the time between the two men and she knew an insult was never a true insult among these two.

  “Yes, well, I’ll go to the bathhouse later tonight, but right now I’d like to be with Emily. I’m sure she’s exhausted but I am going to squeeze whatever time I can out of her before she falls asleep.” He turned to her, looking for approval.

  “I may not let you go see Xavier ‘til midnight,” Emily leaned over squinting her face at Xavier jokingly.

  “Ha! Well, take your time then. I’m just glad to see you two lovebirds are back together and all twitter-pated again. Just catch me when you’re ready to use those hot baths, brother.” He turned to leave.

  “Wait , Xavier! You said you were with my dad. How is he?” she asked even though she knew the answer.

  Xavier had been back and forth quite a bit since she’d come to Eden to keep her connected to her father.

  “He’s good. Still pluggin’ away. He misses you and of course sends his love. He says he just keeps telling himself you’re in college and it seems to help him accept you’re gone. But, he’s hoping you might be able to come visit for your birthday.”

  “I’d completely forgotten my birthday was coming up. I guess I’ve just lost track of stuff like that. Tell him I’ll make sure I’m there to celebrate turning 19 with him.” Emily had wanted to visit her father often. Now she was finally making progress with things she didn’t want to interrupt her momentum. But, her birthday was still a few weeks away and a visit to her father would be in order for both of them.

  She’d missed her father intensely at first, but each day she grew a little more accustomed to spreading her wings. In a way, it really was no different than her being away at college. She would have flown the nest this year anyway. She just flew to an unknown location without telephones or email. Other than that, there wasn’t much difference.

  Xavier promised to deliver her message and left the way he came while Alexander and Emily made their way through the opposite archway.

  “Will you take me to the Library? I haven’t been there yet. Even though I know I can go on my own I’ve wanted you there to explain all the treasures. Just like you did on our first date at the Morgan Library and Museum.”

  “You don’t want to save that for another day when you’re not so tired?’ he questioned, knowing she must have felt wiped out. Considering her physical needs, he still wanted to spend time with her; he had greatly missed her companionship.

  “If I don’t go tonight, who knows when I’ll get there? I could see the spark in Damarus’ eyes this evening. I have a feeling now that I’m progressing with his training he is going to have me out there from sun up to sun down,” she laughed but she feared it was true.

  “You’re probably right. Damarus can be relentless. We should go tonight.”

  They made a quick course correction to catch the path leading them straight to the Library. They arrived when the first stars began appearing overhead.

  “After you,” Alexander held the huge wooden door open as Emily passed through into the giant stone room.

  The building was massive, stretching the length of a football field. There were no separate rooms, just one with shelves completely covering the walls and hundreds of tables laid out in neatly organized rows.

  Torch fire flickered against the draft sweeping through the open doors. She found it amazing that simple torches would provide enough light to actually illuminate this massive hall, but then her gaze was drawn upward. Numerous oil chandeliers hung from the rib-vaulted ceiling. It reminded her of a cathedral or church.

  The aroma of aged leather and oil hung in the air, the very smell indicting there were numerous ancient artifacts and treasures tucked away within these walls.

  Emily could hardly contain her bubbling excitement. There was so much here, too much actually. There was no way to view even a twentieth of it tonight.

  “There must be something here from every era,” she exclaimed, as she spun around not knowing where to start.

  “Yes, in fact there is. There is at least one thing in here from every decade since Guardians were created. It isn’t really organized chronologically,” Alexander chuckled, scanning the room. “There actually isn’t much rhyme or reason to any of its placement. I’m not sure why. This has got to be the most disorganized place in Eden.”

  It might not have been arranged by time era but it certainly didn’t appear disorganized to Emily. It all seemed to flow to her. It appeared there was an area for scrolls, another held plenty of bronze pots
and urns and across from it a place overrun with giant marble statues. No, things seemed to be grouped by likeness rather than age.

  “This is by far the most amazing museum. Can you imagine what some archeologists and scientists would do if they were permitted to view and inspect these things?” Emily walked over to examine the statues that seemed to meet her gaze with their stone eyes.

  “Well, that’s just it. Some of these things are so precious they could no longer be entrusted to the human race, either because of their own doing or natural disasters or war. Some things need to remain protected and this is the Library’s purpose, to house and shield these priceless pieces of time,” he motioned to the walls around him that, if not made from stone, would have surely buckled under the weight of the thousands of shelves anchored to them.

  “I guess it makes sense. Guardians protect humans, so why not artifacts? I just don’t understand how you got all this here.” She tore her eyes away from the statues to look at Alexander. “I thought you couldn’t travel with a physical object. How did Guardians get all of this here to Eden?”

  It was a good question. One he knew she was bound to ask. “Guardians don’t bring these things here. Keepers do.”

  He slowly grinned. It had been a while since he had sprung some fresh news on her. He always enjoyed her driving curiosity. It was positively entertaining.

  “Keepers? What are Keepers?”

  “Do you remember Carl from the Morgan Library and Museum?”

  “He’s a Keeper?”

  “Well, I guess I could tell you he’s human. But then I would be lying,” Alexander winked.

  “Ha,” a burst of surprise escaped her lips. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Alexander; it was that she couldn’t believe the seemingly never ending discovery of unknown beings. How many more unseen and undiscovered beings were out there? Was there no end?

  “Do Keepers have powers like Guardians? Carl unquestionably looked much older than you.”

  “Keepers have some powers, but they aren’t the same because their purpose is not the same as ours. Guardians are here to protect humans. Keepers exist to protect time. They watch over objects, they preserve history.” There was absolute respect in Alexander’s voice. “Keepers are able to travel much as we do, by disappearing into thin air. Their unique talent is that they can take things with them. However, they are not permitted inside Eden’s gates. They bring the objects to the doors and Guardians take them and move them here,” Alexander gestured with his hands to the tables in front of him.