Daughter of Earth (Tales of the Guardian)

by Brianna Merrill

  Many in the room averted their eyes. The sheer thought of witnessing Ambrose take his true form frightened everyone , everyone except Sandros. He stood firm and fixed, no hint of doubt. He was a stone that felt nothing and feared nothing. His destruction would bring about a damage which could not be averted and there was an overpowering command in that knowledge.

  The minutes felt like hours for all present, but soon the flame-like roar quieted and the coals burning in Ambrose’s eyes cooled.

  “You seek my throne. I can feel the very fibers of your blackened soul clawing for it. Destruction is too easy for someone who threatens me in such a way.” The creases around his eyes were the only hint of the anger lying behind them. “I will wait to dispose of you so you may obtain the full punishment you earn with each passing day. Only through success in your plan will you find safety from my wrath.”

  “Only through my success will you gain your goal. I threaten your throne because it begs to be taken. The very earth beneath your feet slowly crawls to caress the tips of mine. When this is finished we will all see who stands and who finds himself within the everlasting pits of torment.”

  Sandros sharply turned, exposing his back to Ambrose, a gesture an Ancient One had never dared to do. His steps clicked down the long stone hall, echoing off the walls like the loud applause of thousands.

  Chapter 21

  Doubt, frustration, grief, any or all could have been present, but they were not. A silent but stronger presence reigned supreme, and that was hope. Hope stood unscarred and untouched by the events of the day.

  Emily and Alexander waited in a comfortable silence, occasionally interrupted by small spurts of chatter, yet none of the talk revolved around what was revealed just hours before in the Great Hall.

  Damarus and Aldara had left immediately to seek out The Seer and his counsel, with a promise they would find everyone and relay his words to them as soon as they could.

  Emily almost wished they wouldn’t. She’d convinced herself she would rather just live everyday as though the vision would come true, while silently praying it would not. It seemed like a reasonable solution to her, but she failed to take into account the recent tumultuous events and confessions which were still toying with her emotions. Any logic of hers could quickly be discredited at this point.

  Alexander traced the outline of her fingers with his own as his head rested comfortably in the crook of her lap. He had never experienced such difficulty holding back his emotions and feelings of panic as he had now and in these past few hours. Unbeknownst to anyone else, while the dark venom had been fully removed from his body, it left a deep and throbbing scar inside of him. Only he knew what had truly happened inside him and the doubts it created seemed just as harmful to his soul as the venom had been. He would forever be different. He was not sure at this point exactly what the difference was. All he knew was it was there and it was very real.

  “I need to tell you something, even though we promised not to talk about it. I think you need to know about when I was infected,” Alexander said in a hushed tone.

  “If you need to talk about it, I’m here. I just wanted you to know I would never hang it over your head,” she shrugged, willing to give him the listening ear he needed. “It wasn’t you, it was the poison.”

  He nervously rolled his tongue over his teeth, and then between his full lips. “That’s just it.” He abruptly sat up but kept his eyes on the ground, too humiliated to meet her gaze.

  “Even though the poison made me act differently,” he steamed ahead not hesitating or introducing his thought, for he feared he would back down if he didn’t confess immediately. “The truth was, every thought originated with me. The poison only heightened my feelings and prohibited my self -control.” He took a few deep breaths and glanced up to look at Emily.

  Her face remained still, so he continued.

  “All of my actions were because they first were my thoughts. I really did have issues with trusting the Governing Five. It might have only been a tiny glimmer but the fact was, it wasn’t a thought that the poison manifested in my mind, the poison only magnified it….and it was the same with that night in your room. My desire was there, but my self-control could no longer block it. And Rob…” Alexander looked out past the treetops into the sky, he did not want to see Emily’s eyes.

  “There was the smallest sliver of relief when I first found out he died. I was relieved because I felt if anyone could take your love away from me it was him.”

  His last sentence felt like a punch in the gut. Rob’s death was still quite tender for her and to think that Alexander had taken even the slightest joy in the event was hard to believe. She searched his eyes, hoping to see something which would indicate he was taking too much blame for something he had no control over. Just as she had done with Rob’s murder.

  All she found was complete sincerity. Alexander had truly lusted after her and he had truly taken some amount of relief in her friend’s death. She bit her lip, not sure what to say, not sure what she even thought of this confession. This other side of Alexander was hard to imagine. But the moment of doubt was very brief and then she could hear it, the council given from her father just before her dinner with Rob.

  It was like a soothing balm sliding over each and every wound which had just been reopened by Alexander’s dark admission. ‘No one is perfect, it’s an unfair standard’. The council repeated in her mind and she soon had no doubt how she felt or how to respond.

  “You’re not perfect, Alexander. I don’t expect you to be, nor do I want you to be,” she sighed. “It’s been unfair of me to think you don’t get those same doubts or have the same desires or jealousies humans are confronted with. It’s just easy to think you don’t because you always exhibit such amazing self-control.”

  Relief washed over him as he saw the acceptance and genuine forgiveness in her face. “I just don’t want you to think all the evil that radiated from me was entirely the poison. I still feel like a part of me will never be the same. I don’t want you to be disappointed if you see a different side of me here and there. I don’t think I’ll be anything like I was these past few months, but I don’t expect to be fully like my old self, either. I have always prided myself on self-control but I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel like that characteristic hadn’t been chipped away at.”

  It was a tender moment to see this solid rock of a man so vulnerable and exposed. She reached her hand up to push the few locks of hair off his forehead and then ran her fingers down the side of his cheek and over to his bottom lip.

  “Just as long as you agree to love me and never desert me, I’ll be happy with you, no matter who you may change into.” She smiled at him softly. Though her words were ardently clear, she sealed the comfort she offered with a sweet and delicate kiss.

  The babbling stream nearby provided the sounds of serenity and peace. Both of them mulled over their own thoughts, lost in the quiet feelings of their hearts with no need to speak. They sat this way for a while, until Emily felt the question in her mind press to the point of asking it aloud.

  “What do you suppose Aristotle meant when he said, ‘Happiness depends upon ourselves’?”

  Her query caught him off guard. It was an odd question; although he had a feeling he knew where she was going with it.

  “I suppose it means exactly what it sounds like, we determine our own happiness,” he answered with a lift of his eyebrow.

  Emily surveyed the scenery around her, taking a second to ruminate his words.

  “My mother had that quote painted above the doorway of her room.” The memory of the quote flashed through her mind, it was quite vivid, she’d seen those words so many times it was permanently burned into her brain. “I believe you’re right. He was saying we determine our own happiness but I think I’m just now understanding how he says we are to go about doing it.”

  She breathed in deeply, enjoying the fresh scent of the peaches dangling from the branches above.

 
; “I used to think he was saying if you want to be happy then it is your responsibility to go out and get it, to create it. I thought happiness was mine if I was determined enough to do and accomplish all those things on my list. It was an aggressive thing, not passive,” she scrunched her lips as she thought some more. “But, I get now that isn’t it. If I just go about trying to grab what I have determined will make me happy I’m going to find disappointment, because some things, or in fact most things, won’t work with my agenda.”

  “I can’t control what happens around me or sometimes even to me. The one thing I can control is how I react to things. I think happiness depends upon me because true happiness comes from determining my reaction to things…I understand now why my mom showed such strength even in her darkest days before her death. She was choosing to be happy, no matter what happened, and even sickness and death couldn’t rob her of that choice.” Emily became lost in her monologue. She really hadn’t been speaking to Alexander, she knew he already had this figured out. She was speaking to herself. Interpreting her thoughts out loud seemed to offer a resounding confirmation in her heart.

  “I don’t believe I could have said it any better,” Alexander smiled; his admiration of her strength and progress grew with each moment they spent together.

  To be permitted to be around all these years and watch her grow was a priceless gift for him, an honor he expressed gratitude for each day. It left him awestruck that a simple fascination with her from the beginning, would eventually lead him to realize she’d become an attractive and amazing young woman. Fascination had turned to appreciation, which then evolved into a deep and undying love.

  Though it appeared to many people his love for her was at first sight, the truth was it was really like a snowball rolling down a hill. It gathered tiny snowflakes along the path until each small speck melded into a large solid mass that stood tested and true, and the proof was the track left behind.

  “Let’s promise that no matter what the outcome of all this is, we’ll choose to be happy and accept whatever comes our way. I want to be like my mother. And if I am going to die, I want to die like she did, happy. ”

  “I promise,” Alexander whispered and then leaned in to kiss her soft pink lips.

  They could have remained that way for quite some time, lost in the elation of one another’s touch and closeness.

  “Emily, Alexander!”

  Whoever shouted their names wasn’t loud but just sounded close. They both looked up to see Athos striding toward them, his voice obviously carried more by his telepathic power than his vocal cords.

  Alexander swiftly stood and then pulled Emily up by her hands, both of them brushing off the random blades of grass stuck to their clothing.

  “Cyreena told me I would find you here,” Athos announced as he came within a few feet of them.

  “There’s really no privacy with her is there?” Alexander joked.

  Athos understood the jest was a friendly poke and lightly laughed. “No, I believe you are right. She is very good at what she does.”

  “So, what is going on, are Damarus and Aldara back yet?” Alexander tried not to sound too anxious.

  “Yes, they are, they just arrived.”

  “I thought they were going to come see us when they got back?” Alexander questioned.

  “I believe that was their original plan but things have changed. They have sent me to tell you The Seer has asked for you.”

  Alexander’s jaw fell open. This was not an ordinary request. As far as he knew, no other Guardian besides the Governing Five ever met with the Seer. It was a little statement carrying a potent punch.

  “He wants to see me?” he placed his hand on his chest, “Or is he requesting…”

  “Both of you, yes,” Athos finished Alexander’s sentence and nodded his head simultaneously.

  “Both of us?” Emily chimed in, flabbergasted.

  “That is what was conveyed to me. He would like to see you right away”

  “I don’t know where to find him Athos, is he even here in Eden?”

  “Yes. He resides past the eastern woods and the Pool of Tibess. You and Emily both know your way that far. When you reach the house of the sacred waters push up past the far end of the pool. There you will find a path exiting out the back of the building. The road will begin to climb and will eventually take you up a mountain. If you stay directly on the path, without any variance, you will find him,” Athos instructed.

  He departed as quickly as he came, leaving no chance for questions. Alexander and Emily headed in the opposite direction for the Woods of Creo.

  It didn’t take long to reach the structure which was now so familiar to them both. Emily had been there more often than Alexander, but the last time she’d contributed to the pool was before she visited her father.

  She made a mental note to get back on track with this task, now that her issues with Alexander were resolved.

  The path was not easy to find. If they did not know to look for it on the far side of the water they would never have known of its existence.

  Eventually, Alexander brushed aside a large branch and spotted the trodden grass path. The hills on both sides of the path were green and lush, but as they ventured further on, the hills gave way to rocky mountainside.

  The mountain’s stone glistened in the sun, its majesty commanding their captivation. Instead of looking like boulders, each rock sticking out appeared as though it was a piece of granite or quartzite split in half to reveal the sparkling crystals lying within.

  A few times the climb became steep enough that Alexander and Emily offered assistance by pushing and pulling one another over mounds and humps.

  The climb would have been exhausting if the beauty surrounding them had not been so stunning. The higher they climbed the more beautiful the mountainside became. Greenery started appearing again around the landscape, not as lush grass but as swirling vines weaving their way around the radiant rocks. The large rope-like plants sprinkled everything with bursts of purple, yellow and pink blossoms.

  Emily wondered if the Governing Five simply transported to The Seer rather than make the hike. After all, they were familiar with his whereabouts and could imagine appearing there with ease.

  Or, did they take the much longer route which involved climbing the mountain and absorbing the sheer magnificence of its splendor.

  It seemed a shame to miss out on what lay on every side of her and even though it was not an easy trip, it was well worth the effort.

  Emily promised herself and Alexander she would consciously make an effort to look at things from a happy point of view. She knew this would become a habit with effort and time but she certainly meant to start right away and silently prayed she’d be able to keep this frame of mind when they reached The Seer. If he had summoned them for this historic visit she had a hard time believing it was because he had nothing but good news.

  The path became very narrow, curving around a giant bolder. They had to squeeze one behind the other but as they passed the large stone a huge meadow opened before them. In fact, it was a plateau on the tip of the mountain they had been climbing.

  The same beautiful shrubbery of flowers and bushes present in Eden also resided here on the mountaintop, yet they carried an added measure of beauty. However, this was not what captivated them. The clarity of the blue sky above kept them entranced and rendered them motionless. It was crystal clear and the small puffs of clouds which passed looked so close it seemed they could actually reach out and touch them. The sky’s blueness was not one solid color, as they both would have expected. It appeared as though it was made of billions and billions of tiny blue lights glimmering and dancing in the sun, creating a sparkling sea that rolled and flowed around them.

  “I agree, It is beautiful.”

  Neither Emily nor Alexander had spoken. There was someone behind them and they both knew who it was.

  He walked around from behind, greeting them with a smile when he came into view.
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  His appearance seemed similar to that of the Governing Five. His blonde hair was smooth and bright, radiating a pleasant glow. His features were soft and inviting, each corner of his face turned upward as if in a smile. His eyes matched the sky above and shone a clear light blue. His age seemed youthful, yet older than Damarus or the other elders. Emily wondered if his knowledge and wisdom in fact affected his appearance, just as Alexander had said it did for other Guardians.

  “I am so pleased you’ve come. I always enjoy visits.” He was bubbly but not boisterous. Everything about him exemplified control. He was proof control did not mean complete seriousness or lack of pleasantness.

  “Come and walk with me so we might discuss some things.” He gestured forward and began in the direction he pointed.

  They followed by his side. Neither of them had worked up the courage to open their mouths. His very presence left them feeling humble and awestruck.

  “Damarus tells me things are better now with you, Alexander.”

  “Yes, sir, they are. I am feeling much better.” He didn’t want to look in The Seer’s eyes. Instead he gazed downward, shame washing over him regarding all of the events and confessions which had taken place.

  “Do not be ashamed, trials always bring about a greater good. They give you experience; they test your strength and will. You should always be proud when you have walked through the fire of affliction, even when you come out scarred and smoky. Be confident you withstood the very heat which was only strong enough to leave marks rather than destruction.” His hand gently glided over a blossom, caressing it for a brief second, as though even his touch brought comfort to the environment around him.

  Alexander’s eyes were moist. What The Seer had said touched him and it was exactly what he needed in that moment. It wasn’t surprising because he knew The Seer had witnessed everything, but it was nonetheless stirring that he took the time to offer support and reassurance over the internal struggles Alexander faced.