The Guardian's Grimoire

by Oxford, Rain

  He shook his head. “No, we can’t, they’ll be waiting. You will not be able to set foot on Mijii after sunset for years, now that they know the scent of your blood. Anoshii has different means of transportation. However, there could still be trouble ahead, and trouble seems to have a target on you.”

  “I thought you said the creatures didn’t attack us because of my luck.”

  “It was not just your luck. Cutting your ankle so they could follow the scent was your luck.”

  “Do you know that the words ‘luck’ and ‘fault’ are very similar?” I asked.

  “It wasn’t your fault and nobody is that unlucky,” Divina insisted.

  I wasn’t convinced. I sprawled out on the bed and pulled my legs up while Edward unpacked things. Divina gently unwrapped the bandage and I had to look. Even through the white paste, I could see the swelling and black skin. I’d been injured enough to know that it wasn’t right, but the expression on Divina’s face and her wide eyes was what truly worried me.

  “Kiro? Um… He’s infected.” Edward kept hunting through his and Divina’s bags. “I’m serious, you really should see this.”

  Edward sat back and sighed. “Of course he is; he probably has multiple infections. Expect it with him.”

  “No, I’m not talking about that kind of infection.”

  He got up and stood next to her to see my ankle. He sighed again, groaned, and put his hands over his eyes. “He’s still got a few hours before the effects become irreversible.”

  “What?!” I cried. They were both startled by my outburst. “What am I infected with?!” They looked at each other, deciding whether or not to tell me. “I can take it, whatever it is, but I have to know. It’s far worse to not know!”

  Divina sighed but it was Edward who spoke. “You know the zombie movies on Earth? Well, there is a virus that inflicts people with death-like symptoms. The virus has somehow gotten in through your cut. I have no idea how, though; the virus hasn’t been around for two hundred years.”

  I slumped back. “I’m gonna die.”

  Divina smiled weakly. “But on the bright side, you won’t stay dead.”

  I glared at her. “I’m going to eat you first when I undie.”

  Edward started moving jars and little cloth bags onto the bed and gave Divina a glare to match mine. “No one is going to die, or undie. Hold very still,” he said to me.

  “Tell me you’ve got morowad,” Divina said, glancing over the supplies.

  “I do have morowad.” She looked relieved, but Edward didn’t. “I don’t have drumid, though.”

  She viewed my ankle with pity. “That’s all right, he doesn’t need it.” I opened my mouth to ask what it was, but she beat me to it. “It’s only a little pain killer. Disinfecting it can sometimes burn… a bit.”

  “No! I do need it,” I said quickly.

  “Would you stop talking to him?” Edward growled.

  He took a white cloth from the pile and a light blue, glass jar full of what looked like harmless water… but I never judge a strange liquid by what it resembles. He pulled off the top and poured some of it onto the cloth. I was pleased to find that it smelled like antiseptic. Then I remembered most antiseptics burn to high heaven and I braced myself.

  It was cold and instantly soothing. The pain rapidly dulled; even my aching muscles from running cooled. I laid my head back as he glanced at me.

  “Does that hurt badly?” he asked.

  I waited until he started rubbing the blood and paste off to answer, but it didn’t even hurt when he did. “Just the opposite.”

  He grinned. “Interesting.”

  “More like weird,” Divina said. He glared at her and she raised her hands in surrender. She checked the supplies and smiled. “I have something that can help.” She dug through her bag, pulled out a small, silver flask, opened it, and held it out a few inches above my mouth for me to drink.

  I beheld it with suspicion. “What is this?” I asked. She rolled her eyes. “If I’m in pain, I have the right to scream in agony like a little girl.”

  “All you have to do is drink this poison- I mean potion.” Edward glared at her, but I came to suspect that kind of behavior from the woman. “This will make you sleep so you don’t have to feel the pain.”

  “I’d rather just scream,” I said, not liking the idea of waking up in the middle of surgery. She shoved it into my mouth and the soporific potion poured down my throat. It was cold and incredibly bitter. It actually tasted like very concentrated peroxide.

  She took the flask away and capped it. I suddenly was very dizzy. My muscles relaxed devoid of my control and when I tried to lift my head, it was too heavy. I tried to lift my arm but I’m not sure if I did; it was also heavy. I felt as if all my pain was only a shadow; a memory that bugged me really badly. My eyes slipped closed and my mind wandered aimlessly- which happened to lead to Divina and her inhumanly attractive body.

  * * *

  I woke feeling cold and slow. The sun was still down and Edward was sitting in the chair by the desk with his head back and his eyes closed. Divina was sitting next to the bed with her head against the pillow again. Several minutes passed before I could drag my eyes from her. I was tangled up in two thick blankets, but it wasn’t difficult to find my injured leg. My poor little ankle looked so pathetic in its professional looking white bandage. It didn’t hurt; it felt cold and numb… which, to be honest, was much better than hot and itchy.

  I sat up slowly and examined my bandage. When it was fully examined, I very slowly reached out and poked it. It didn’t hurt, so I poked it harder.

  “What are you doing?” Edward asked.

  I didn’t even jump. “Just seeing if it hurts. If I was dead, it wouldn’t hurt.”

  “If you were dead, I would be very annoyed with you. You can take off the bandage; it was just to stop the bleeding while the coagulants took effect,” he said.

  I gently unwrapped the bandage and inspected my ankle. It was no longer swollen, or black. The skin wasn’t even parted; it looked like a long scratch that had a week to heal. “Wow. How?”

  “The body is very easily manipulated with magic, save for the brain. From now on, I’ll teach you the medical advantages of certain plants. I’m starting to think it’ll be harder to keep you alive than it will be to keep your book safe.”

  “Do you ever pray?” I asked.

  “Why would I pray?”

  I shrugged. “Because people who believe in gods pray.”

  He thought for a moment. “Erono is not a god that answers prayers. I suppose I have wished for things, and that might be a form of prayer, but I never expected anything from him. Why are you asking about it? I didn’t picture you the kind of man to believe in it.”

  I always relied on science instead of religion and only believed in the things that were “proven” by science, but I was on a new world. The reality was that I knew next to nothing about being a Guardian and the only thing I had to go on was what Edward told me.

  “I did in the forest when the reptile monsters were after us. I think it’s easy when all other options are gone to pray for someone else to save the day.”

  “I don’t think you can sway a god’s mind by asking politely. We are Guardians of our books; the gods have a good reason to keep us alive, but at the same time, they can easily replace us. Tiamat didn’t save my brother.”

  “So you think that Tiamat had nothing to do with us being saved?”

  “Is it too ironic to say I’m not a religious man? I think the gods create our worlds and direct us to fix their problems, but as far as our own lives, we’re on our own. Day-to-day life, even for a Guardian, has nothing to do with the gods. Magic has as much to do with science as anything else.”

  We sat in silence for a few minutes while I digested that. It made absolute sense to me, but I wondered if he only felt that way because his brother was killed and no god stepped in to save him.

  “Divina and I were contemplating what to do about
you speaking when we get to Anoshii.”

  “I can keep my mouth shut on my own.”

  “I know you can for a while, but it only takes a tiny mistake in the wrong place at the wrong time. Neither of us wants to use force on you, especially since you get your frustrations out physically when you can’t get them out verbally. You’re still gathering energy subconsciously and I thought you were going to sink the ship if I caused anymore pain. Of course, Divina thought it was cool.”

  “Funny, I can sink a ship without trying but when we were in the woods, I was next to useless. I don’t understand that.”

  “Your problem isn’t with your energy, or imagination, only with your focus and confidence. You have to know you can do it, and you really have to focus the energy into what you’re doing. It’s very easy to release energy into everything around you and, if your emotions and energy are strong enough, make a lot of mess. It’s not always such a terrible thing. When you struck the raptor to defend the beast, you used your hand to focus and your passion to drive. You didn’t doubt you could, just knew you had to. Try standing on your ankle.”

  “Am I going to need to run on it anytime soon?” I asked, slowly getting up. The ankle felt just a little weak, but it didn’t hurt at all. The sluggish effects of Divina’s sleeping potion had worn off.

  “No, I don’t think so. I’ve talked to the captain and, because of the background of many of the crew, we’re staying far from any checking stations.”

  “What’s a checking station?”

  “I don’t know if that’s what you would really call it in English, but it’s… like pirate stations. They are stationary ships with a small group of very violent people who say they make and enforce laws for the good of the people, but really, they are only thieves.”

  I sat down and put my ankle back up. “So they’re cops?” I asked.

  Divina stirred a little and we both looked at her, but she remained asleep.

  “She hasn’t said anything to you about your actions earlier?” Edward asked. At my confusion, he smirked. “I saw the way you touched her in the Aradlin when she was holding you down.”

  I could feel my face flush as I recalled the feel of her smooth skin. “It was an accident.”

  “Was that all it was?” she asked. I jumped, she chuckled, and my face grow even redder. She pulled herself up to sit on the bed. “I thought it was just the wrong time.” She then scooted until she was sitting inches away and leaned over me very slowly to check my ankle while exposing her back to me. Her shirt came up just a tiny bit and I wanted to touch her again so badly. “Now is also the wrong time,” she said without looking at me.

  Edward wasn’t even trying to hide his smirk. After taking way too much time examining my ankle, Divina sat back.

  “How long before we get to Anoshii?” I asked Edward, trying to clear my head.

  “We should get there by sunset tomorrow. Go back to sleep.”

  I shook my head, not tired at all. “I don’t want to sleep. I want to do something.”

  “You’re sure?” he asked as he stood. “That’s fine then, we will take off where we left with the combat training.”

  I huffed and collapsed against the pillow. “I’m hungry.”

  Edward rolled his eyes. “There’ll be no food until tomorrow at noon,” he declared.

  I moaned. I wanted a pizza so badly. Divina patted my stomach and left the room. Edward leaned back in his chair and I let my mind wander. About ten minutes later, Divina returned carrying a wooden bucket of steaming water and several white cloths. She set them on the table and left again.

  I looked at Edward. “What is that for?” I asked.

  His grin was evil. “A bath.” With that, he left.

  I glared at the bucket. “How am I supposed to fit in that?!”

  * * *

  The light was dim, but the immobility and strange lack of any feeling was a dead giveaway as to what was happening. This time, the lantern was lit and I was in front of it, but my opponent faced away, so I could only see his back. He wore long, black robes and had shoulder length, black hair. He was skinny, tall, didn’t stand straight, and he swayed very slightly.

  “This really is disappointing,” he said.

  “Are you sure, my lord, that Shio is competent enough? He only found that one Guardian. Krael found two the first time he went out.”

  It was the child’s voice and I was sure now that it was that of a young girl, though she was across from Vretial so I couldn’t see her.

  “Your brother is a very loyal and successful servant. I assure you that I value him much more than Shio, which is exactly why I will not send him out. I’m not very patient; Shio must find a Guardian soon, and I will not tolerate another slip up.” He sighed. “You shall assist him. You hunt the books and when you find them, he will kill the Guardians. Start where he left off and find the two Guardians. Find them before I become impatient with you.”

  “I will,” she said. I saw his hand twitch. “My lord?” she asked.

  He cleared his throat, and then started chuckling slowly and quietly. “Ignore the cold worlds, and the one belonging to the new Guardian.” His voice took on a lighter note, but the girl looked even more nervous.

  “It is called Earth, now.”

  “Earth? I don’t like that name, we shall have to change it. The child Guardian and his new master are not there. Very likely, though, they are on a world very similar; such a weak being cannot adapt easily to one of the cold or heavy worlds. Search the heavy worlds anyway. Remember if you find one of the Guardians alone bring him and his book to me alive.”

  “How, my lord?” His hand twitched again and there was a long pause.

  “What?” he asked, his voice like it had been the first time.

  “How do I bring the Guardian here?”

  “What? Yes, bring him alive. Use this.” He reached around his neck and he snapped a chain off.

  Pain filled my body like fire and my eyes snapped open.

  * * *

  I sat up straight into Divina’s arms, the pain dulled, and the suffocation took over. I couldn’t breathe because my chest was too tight. Divina pushed me back down but I squirmed, trying to reach my throat. Edward was holding my arms down. Finally, the tightness released me and I was able to breath. They both let me go and I sat up again.

  Divina wrapped her arms around me. “Shhh. It’s okay.” She rubbed my back with one hand and pressed my head against her neck with her other hand.

  I wasn’t shaking and was barely sweating; it had been much easier than the first time. It occurred to me that Divina’s comfort could have been the reason it was less harsh. She held me for a minute until I pulled away and looked at Edward.

  “He’s sending a child to hunt us down with Shio. Shio hasn’t found anything yet but the child is a better hunter or something. He knows we’re not on Earth or the worlds he called the cold worlds. He told her to look at worlds similar to Earth. There was also something he said about a guy named Krael, who found two Guardians the first time he tried.

  “So that narrows down two worlds for them; Mulo and Enep,” Edward said.

  “Yes,” Divina said, “and of course he knows we’re not on the outlands. It doesn’t make sense. How can they hunt you? How are they teleporting? If he doesn’t need the books for his servants to travel, why does he want them at all? Surely he can’t handle another world. None of this makes any sense at all.”

  “He said…” I started. They both looked at me expectantly. “Okay. He told the little girl that if she were to find only one of us, bring us to him alive. Then she asked how to do so and he went all weird. He snapped something off his neck, like a pendant, to give to her, but I didn’t see it. And then I came out of the dream thing. Why does he need the book to teleport?”

  “The soul can move through all worlds,” Edward said. “A very powerful wizard can actually send his soul into another world. Your book travels your body and your soul, and also keeps them together.
The gods all used their power to trap him in his outlands; he can only transport between his two worlds. The gods don’t need the books to travel, but their servants do, and his servants are not trapped as he is. They still should need the books to travel.”

  “What if he can handle another book? Will it give him the power to break free?”

  “This is hypothetical, because he couldn’t possibly handle it, but I think it would depend on the world he takes over. But in that case, he would be attacking Vaigda.”

  “Not if his servants can’t take them. Vaigda is powerful and Shiloh is brilliant. Right now, with you protecting Dylan and him being new to the game, you both are easy targets,” Divina said.

  I know she wasn’t trying to offend me, but it still made me feel like shit.

  She caught my dejected expression before I could hide it. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t accusing. This isn’t your fault. Vretial is taking advantage of a situation that shouldn’t have come to be.”

  “Is there anything else? Anything that could explain any of his plans?” Edward asked.

  “He was a little weird. It was like he was talking to someone in his mind. This time, the girl had to tell him about Earth and that I was from Earth. I thought that was really weird, because he spoke of Earth in the first dream. It was like he had less information this time.”

  “I told you he’s psychotic. He could have been talking about many different things, or he may not even know what he’s saying himself,” Edward said. There was a moment of silence. “Do you still feel like your book is in danger?”

  I nodded. “Yes, and I have a plan neither of you will like.” I focused on my mentor. “I think Divina should take my book.” I could feel Divina gawking at me, but I kept my eyes on Edward. I expected him to call me a fool or even get mad.

  “Explain,” he said simply.

  “You said both books being together is dangerous. If Divina takes one of them, she can protect it while you keep training me. Maybe that will confuse the scent.”