CHAPTER 2: What Just Happened, should we of Stayed in Florence?
“You said you know us?”
My sister looked up at me forebodingly. I turn away to look at the tall wild looking women before me.
“Yes I know of you, many of my kind know of you.”
She gestured to the short dishevelled bus driver; she looked at me with large brown eyes, and then looked away again.
The beautiful women proceeded.
“And so does my friend.”
“Your kind?”
My sister tightened her grip on my arm, I wished she would relax.
“All will be explained.”
We walked fast behind the mysterious women, whose long legs took twice the amount of strides we took. Her blue dressed swayed In the wind the frayed endings flying behind her, how could this woman bare the cold?
We crossed the busy street to the old library. My sister whispered to me.
“What are we getting ourselves into, we should have stayed in Florence.”
“She says she knows us, well let’s find out how.”
“Yes but do you think we should be going with her?”
I wished she would relax.
“I don’t see why not, she seems to know us, isn’t that what we’ve been trying to do, find out about our past Valentina, isn’t that why we came to London in the first place?”
“Yes, I suppose so, but is she safe?”
“Don’t you think I can protect my sister if I wanted to?”
“Well I’m not saying you can’t but...”
“But what?”
“Well look at her, she looks like she could put up a mean fight.”
I looked at the woman who was elegantly gliding ahead. At first she looked delicate and graceful, but at a second glance you could see the defined lines of her sculpted body, the small but defined muscles in her long mahogany legs , her toned long arms and broad shoulders, her long brown neck sitting on them, her long dark lushes curly hair blew in the wind. First impressions are deceiving, the beautiful elegant swan that walked before us, was a hidden panther. It would be me who would have to put up a fight.
“She seems reasonable, I’m sure it won’t come to that.”
“But what about her friend?”
“More answers for us, now will you please just relax.” We walked in silence.
I and my sister have been travelling for a year now, living out of our suitcases. We never intended to be travelling so long, in fact there weren’t any plans to go travelling.Me and my sister, we lived in harmony with our parents, a house in the hills of Florence, our parents were wealthy people, we are lucky to have them, we never had to worry about money problems, and it allowed us to be free, flexible.
My sister is a teacher in a school back home in Florence, she teaches history to the young students in the primary school, she works very hard, although the job pays little, she still does it, why I don’t understand, she has greater potential my dear sister.
It was a week before our 19th birthday when I got the call from our parents; they wanted me home for the occasion that they had some news of great importance that they must share with us, me and my dear sister Valentina.
I was in Rome at the time, studying artefacts; history was a passion of ours, me and Valentina. We had just finished three years of history at the University of Florence, which was amazing; we were the youngest graduates in Florence, considered child geniuses in the old city. A short while after our graduation, we were fortunate enough to both be offered a chance by the office of the Holy See, to study classical artefacts in Vatican City, Rome.
I instantly decided I would take the job, but my dear sister wanted to think about it, my sister, she is very modest, and I thought this to be just another modest gesture, I was positive she would take the job, why wouldn’t she, we dreamed of such opportunities.
But one day, she came back from a trip to the town centre; she had heard some teachers, who worked in a school in a poor area, just beyond our parent’s hill , the two women were talking about the lack of teachers, and that it was a struggle to keep the school open, my kind sister, she enquired about it and asked to be shown the school, embarrassed that she lived so near, but had never heard or seen this rundown school, or its rundown community.
They took her to the school, and well, she decided there and then she would teach the students of that school history, although they warned her of the low pay, as they knew of the twins who had graduated university age eighteen. But she was not concerned about pay, she politely but firmly insisted to pay her what they wished; she sold all her clothes of good quality and donated the money to the school, then began to wear cheaper clothes in deference to the people surrounding her.
When I returned to Florence, it was the 22nd of December a day before our birthday, we had sat down to dinner at our dining hall, it was not tell desert that our parents had decided to tell us the urgent news, our mother looked grave as she looked at our father pleadingly, she lowered her eyes as she met my gaze.
“We have to tell them Arianna.”
“Tell us what papa?”
My sister’s soft worried voice asked.
“Why Federico? We are happy as we are.”
My mother sounded shaky.
“Because it is the right thing to do and we agreed nineteen.”
She nodded in defeat, what did they agree?
“What did you agree papa.” My sister beat me to the question, as she asked our father, whilst staring at my mother pleadingly.
“Yes papa what did you agree?”My own voice sounded detached, now that I remember.
My mother’s soft voice sounded sad, as she looked at the two of us, her eyes watering with unshed tears.
“You know me and your papa have always loved you, and that we will always love you no matter what?”
We found ourselves leaning forward towards our parents.
“Of course we love you, why wouldn’t we? You’re our parents. What a silly question mama.”
My mother shook her head unconvinced by my sisters convincing reply, why wouldn’t we love our parents, especially ones like ours; it would be an absurd thought to anyone, that we would not love our parents, who could hate them?
“Is everything okay between you two?” My sister enquired shyly.
“Yes we are fine, but first you promise me this, you must not hate us, for my sanity I could not bear lose you, I love you both to the death. L'amore che alla morte.”
“Of course mama, L’amore che alla morte.”
We said in unison. A tear ran down my mother’s fair face, I had never seen her so distressed, Valentina tenderly reached out for my mother’s smooth hands, mama nodded to my father to continue, she became transfixed with the dark dining table, as more tear drops silently drummed the table, the maids had lit the candles, added more logs to the fire place, closed the shutters and left the large dining room.
I held my breath as my father began to talk, with every word he said, I seemed to drift off into a sleepy state, not out of boredom, out of pure disbelieve, as I zoned out and my father’s face had been obscured by the candle flame that I had begun to stare at, as if my intense gaze would put it out, along with what my father had said, why couldn’t he stop.
I became aware that all I could hear was my mother’s silent sobbing, my father must of stopped talking a while ago, I processed what had been said. But he stopped talking, why don’t I feel any better? I thought of what I had just heard, I had only heard three words, no I can’t bear to think it, but why lie to myself. I whispered them out loud.
“Parents. Dead .Adopted.”
Chapter 3: An Explanation Please!
I walked close beside my brother through the bitter cold autumn wind, my eyes glued to the mysterious girl ahead of me; I could hear the light footsteps of the bus driver behind me.
OUR KIND. Our kind. Our kind.
I said that phrase over and over in my mind, in different ways, as if by saying it differently the meaning would be clear, but nothing, what did she mean by ‘our kind’, what is she, an alien? What an absurd thought, an alien look at her, not a shade of green, but then again she didn’t look average or even beautiful, well not by human standards, she is quite breath taking, almost an elegant jungle like beauty, it resembled the grace and elegant of a majestic feline, of those that belong to the most exotic of jungles.
The cold seemed not to affect her, though her long athletic brown legs and arms were bare, exposed to London’s harsh autumn winds.
We walked towards a wooden bench near the entrance of the library. The girl, what did she say her name was, Makeeda waved at a man leaning on an old statue, he waved his back instantly straightening up.
We drew closer until we stood directly in front of him, Makeeda went to stand beside him facing me, my brother, and the bus driver, who couldn’t decide whether she rather stare at me and my brother or the girl Makeeda.
I stared at the two people before me, unlike Makeeda whose clothes seemed to have been made of fine material, the man wore old jeans that had been torn at areas, and a brown woollen jumper, one of those that are incredibly itchy, and a long heavy, dark green jacket, that seemed to be discoloured from age.
Though his clothes resembled those of a poor man, he looked clean, and he, like Makeeda, was oddly beautiful. His wavy golden brown locks, fell cleanly by his defined jaws, his grey eyes shone with wisdom though he looked the same age as us, me and Vincenzo, his olive skin seemed warm in the cold air, he reminded me of home, of Italy, could he be from the same country as I, is that how he knows us? He was tall, as tall as Makeeda; he looked at us with intense interest, he opened his full lips as if he were to talk but closed them in thought.
“Matteo this is them, is it not.”
She looked slightly disappointed, the same way she did when she first shook my hand on the bus.
“Yes the birthmark is there.”
My hand instantly went to my neck. On my skin sat a birthmark in the shape of a perfect rose, people often mistake it for a tattoo of some sort, we both have the same birthmark, me and Vincenzo.
“And”
“I’m just savouring the moment; we’ve spent a year searching for them.”
A year searching, for us?
“Well we have plenty of time later, but I would like to go home.”
“I’m Matteo.” He shook our hands.
“I am Vincenzo and here is my sister Valentina, we’ve been told that you know us, well I would like to know how, we also would like to go home and the sooner you tell us the better.”
I look up at my brother in alarm; I have never heard him speak to anyone with such a tone, and what if they were dangerous, I rather make it home in one piece.
“What my brother means, is that we aren’t used to London weather and we would also like to go home soon, would you be so kind as to tell us how you know of us, so we can leave the cold?”
“Oh but am I mistaken?” The man Matteo spoke, he seemed almost amused as he said it.
“Have you not checked out of your hotel by now?”
How could he of possibly known that.
“How the hell do you know that?”
“Don’t anger them Vincenzo” I whisper to my brother,
“I’m sure there’s a perfect explanation just be patient.”
He nodded towards me but keeps his eyes on the women Makeeda whose patients were clearly running thin.
“What my dear brother was trying to say is that, well we have only just met you, but you seem to know that we checked out of our hotel, you can see why we would find that odd.
“Yes well we have much to explain, but I believe that you are cold at the moment, yes?”
“Yes I suppose.”
“And that you would like somewhere dry for your luggage, yes?”
“Well yes.”
“And that you are probably hungry, it’s still quite early, yes?”
“Food would be nice.”
“Well if you come with us, just down the road there’s a house, we can talk more comfortably then-“
“No thanks, come on Valentina; we have a flight to catch-“
“No you don’t.”
“What do you mean we don’t?”
“I cancelled it for you, with a full refund.”
“And I have your passports.” Makeeda held our two passports in her hand.
“You really shouldn’t put your passports in your pocket.” Her sleek velvet voice said with a hint of smugness.
“You had no right how dare-“
“Oh but don’t we, did you not leave Florence in search of answers.”
“Yes we did but-“
“Well are you going to run away from it when it’s being handed to you on a silver platter?”
“She’s right Enzo, let’s hear them out.”
He nodded though his face was grim, he stayed close by my side, Matteo took my suitcases from Makeeda and the two walked ahead, whilst the bus driver walked behind us.
Vincenzo kept his eyes on the pair, especially Makeeda. Though I had only met them it seemed to make sense to follow them back to this house, though it could be dangerous, I can’t explain it, it felt right, like I could trust them.
But there is something weird going on, back on that bus; I don’t know how the bus didn’t hit those children, we were going way to fast, even if she did put her foot on the brakes by the time the bus would of stopped it would’ve been too late.
I turned to look at the bus driver behind me to find her large brown eyes staring deep into mine not even shying away from my gaze, she was shorter than the other two, she was also slightly plump, and her long shiny black hair was tied up in a ponytail, not a strand out of place.
I turned back to look at my brother who still kept watch of the two ahead.
“Enzo –“
“Shh.” He wasn’t just watching but listening to.
“So we set of tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“And the twins must come?”
“Yes.”
“Where off to first.”
“India.”
“Finally, some sun.”
“Why did you bring the women?”
Matteo nods his head towards the bus driver.
“Did you know she was gifted?”
“Well no.”
“She did the most peculiar thing.”
“Well she doesn’t seem to be too happy about it.”
“She’s not.”
“We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“Yes we do.”
Silence. I whispered to Enzo.
“Did they say India?”
“Yes.”
“Why would they need us to go India?”
“Well I guess we are going to find out.”
We were walking down a road lined with large white houses that hid behind the long, swaying branches of the large weeping willow trees.
We stopped at one house; it was very different to the others, resembled a mini castle, on either side of the white house was two domed towers, the light reflecting of its glass domes. The high metal gate swung open at our approach, behind the gate, were more people; I assumed they were, Makeeda’s kind, whatever that was.
Some played strange instruments that made sounds that I had never heard yet were enchanting, whilst others sang songs in unfamiliar languages, whilst some danced fluidly to the tune, their arms swaying like the branches of the tree they stood under; others read books with markings that looked thousands of years old, it seemed at first to be some sort of bohemian paradise.
The gate swung shut behind the bus driver, though I could not see a gate keeper. They all turned their heads as the gates locked, and jumped to their feet swiftly, almost army like, they stared at us, me and Enzo, as we walked towards the large black door with the golden numbers, door number 24.
The curtains in the large white washed house were still drawn despite the fact that it was day. Before we reached the door, the golden knob turned, and the door flung open to reveal a wide door way, Makeeda stepped in and we followed, the door shut behind the bus driver and the bohemians from the front yard, who decided to come in with us. Who had opened the door?
I began to feel nervous, this was a big house how many were there here, if we needed to run, well it would be impossible if they were all as big as this group here. I took a deep breath to calm my nerve.
I looked around the doorway, the walls were smooth, and bright, with intricate floral paintings that weaved in and out of each other, vibrant blues, greens and gold’s, shone on the walls on either side of me.
The polished wood floor of the corridor reflected the light released by the large crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling, which was also decorated so lovingly, the ceiling was a clear light blue with a hint of pink as if the sun were setting, fat cherubs of all colour flew through the twilight sky, wisps of clouds floating by, it was as if the ceiling was a window into heaven. The room smelled sweet, a pleasant aroma, like rich pungent frankincense; it reminded me of perfumes that might be found in ancient Middle Eastern bazaars’
“Brandon Come here please.”
Makeeda’s voice echoed of the walls. A door flung open on its own accord on my right, I hadn’t noticed the door there because it was painted to look like the rest of the wall, and it was not tell I noticed the little round, golden door knob.
A pale boy of about sixteen years walked through the door, although he looked young he had broad shoulders and was tall, almost my height, and I was tall for a girl. He looked like a teen, wearing normal cloths for his age, blue jeans, a baggy red and black checked shirt, his curly brown hair was slightly overgrown, a few curls dangled between his thick eyebrows that rested above his piercing blue eyes. He smiled at Makeeda flashing his pearly white teeth, and walked towards the group with his heavy brown boots, the same a lumber jack might wear, though his footsteps were loud he moved swiftly, much swifter then any normal person I have ever seen walk with such shoes.
“Ahh Brandon you’re getting better, I assume you opened the door, and the gate.”
“Yeah that was me. I’ve been practasing all day.” What did she mean, when she said he opened the gate and door, I hadn’t seen him nearby at all.
“Impressive.”This time Matteo spoke with pride.
“Have you tried anything more challenging?”
“Oh yea a few bits of furniture, an a few unimportant things, like Dillan.” Brandon gave a hearty chuckle.
“Where is your friend Dillan? I see he has done a good job of my corridor.” Makeeda looks around the room impressed.
“I wonder what he’s done with the rest of the place, always a new interior, never a repeat.”
“Should I get him for ya?”
“Yes please, I need him to do a chore.”
The boy made no signs of moving, we stood watching the boy wondering why he hadn’t left to go and fetch his friend. Enzo and I swapped glances, what a weird boy, had he forgotten that he was supposed to get his friend.
“Are you showing of your talent, dear Brandon? Said Makeeda amused.
“ Well when am I not trying to show of.” Brandon gave another hearty chuckle and winks.
What was his talent, just standing there?
BANG.
“OWW!”
“Be careful with the boy, I’d like him in one piece.”
“Sorry ma'am, that last step there is tricky.”
The group of six people who came in with us, Makeeda and Matteo laughed, it sounded like a thousand wind chimes in the corridor, the sound lifted my heart for reasons I was not quite sure, only me, Enzo and the bus driver were the only ones not in on the joke.
“Ah here he comes.”
Something bright floated through the camouflage door, it seemed to just levitate in thin air, the colourful mass revolved
slowly, only for me to realize to my alarm, the colourful mass was a boy, and he hung upside down as if held up by his ankles.
“You coulda just called me from upstairs.”
The boy spluttered out.
“This way is more fun.” Brandon let out another hearty chuckle.
“How you doing that?”
I gasp as I hold onto Enzo and back away, only to bump into the hard chest of one of Makeeda’s kind.
Makeeda and Matteo turn to look as did everyone else. The boy fell to the ground, whilst Brandon cocked his curly head to one side and glared at us, didn’t he know it was rude to stare. Whilst the other boy Dillan stumbled to his feet, Brandon crossed the distance between us in a few strides as Makeeda and Matteo parted.
He stood in front of me and Enzo, though he was young I felt almost scared of him, how often did he decide to make people float upside down for his amusement. He extended his pale hand out to mine.
“You found them, you actually found them, now we can actually do something, start fighting.”
He looked over joyed almost tearful, as he looked into both our faces, shaking our hands as if we were long lost comrades.
“Ma’am, sir it’s an honour to meet ya, we have been waiting for months . Times are hard. You are our last hope, with you, we will succeed.” He said it with such conviction, such seriousness, and such confidence for a boy of sixteen.
“Yes, they will help, but first they need to know who and what we want.” Matteo spoke to Brandon.
“Go and practice some more, I’ll be testing you later.”
“Dillan come here please.”
Makeeda said softly to the tall odd looking boy, around the same age as Brandon, he was thinner then Brandon, but was also alabaster white, his freckles were sprinkled across his small button nose, his green eyes shone beneath his thick ginger eyelashes, his long bright orange ginger hair looked wild.
What made the boy look odd was what he decided to wear, his acrylic green tweed trousers were too short for his overgrown legs, it rested above his ankles, his long feet had on a pair of brown loafers, his socks were a stripy blue and white, he wore red suspender over his bright yellow t-shirt that seemed too tight.
It was funny to know that this was the boy who could paint and decorate walls like this. Though he looked odd, he stared at us as if we were the ones dressed like clowns.
“Dillan darling would you please take her with you.” She gestured to the bus driver who stood silently behind us.
“Familiarise her with routine, rules, give her some cloths and a tour of the place, and tell her anything else she needs to know.”
“Okay Ma’am.”
“Oh and how is the other house doing?”
“ it’s pretty much ready, I made an entrance to the new house, decorated it and shifted sum furniture from here to there, now we have a little bit more space.”
How many of them were there?
“Fantastic Dillian great work.”
He left the same way he came waving over at the women to follow him, whilst Brandon left the corridor through a door at the end of it.The others who had come in with us went through another camouflage door to my left, as they left, some patted our shoulders whilst others shook our hands.
Once on our own with Matteo and Makeeda they led us to the door that Dillan had left with the bus driver. Once we opened the door we were presented with a spiralling staircase it lead up to the upper parts of the house, or down to what I assumed was the basement. Makeeda walked ahead of Matteo, who I followed with Enzo close behind me. The stairs were fitted with thick chocolate brown carpets, that your feet sank into, the wall was a smooth deep purple with gold along the board, at every floor there were two large dark brown doors, that I assumed led to bedrooms, on each side of the door, were two candle holders with two unlit candles, opposite the door were stained glass windows with its thick purple curtains open.
I paused to look out at the large garden that was littered with autumn leaves, Enzo with his very uncharacteristic impatience, walked ahead of me as the staircase was wide enough to do so.
Out in the garden there were more of Makeedas kind, they weren’t the same, they were all tall and very distinguished looking, not one of them looked similar, even though I was high up in this odd tower, in this odd house, surrounded by very odd people, my weak eyes could see them clearly, as they stood in pairs facing each other under the large willow trees in the garden, they threw punches at each other, blocked each other’s advances, they did it with fluidity as if they had done it all their lives, some flipped backwards with a single vibration of the body just to land behind their opponent, who would turn around swiftly, to duck a kick from the other opponent, each pair were equally matched.
Weaving in-between these extraordinary fighters, was a man, maybe a year or two older than me, he was tall maybe even taller than Makeeda, he walked with his hand behind his back, stopping now and again to praise , or to adjust the arch of a back, or to correct the stance of other fighters, they all followed with strict obedience, he wore a large white blouse that was undone at the top, sturdy black trousers, those worn by people who travel great lengths on horseback, his clothes resembled those that may have worn under armour hundreds of years ago.
Around his waist to my surprise he wore a sword sheath. He stopped walking around the fighters; until they were all behind him; he stood still and looked up straight at my window, where I stood. His black hair fell to his broad shoulders, and fell over his face, his thick black eyebrows were low, and underneath them were his striking pale green eyes. His golden brown skin shone in the weak sun, there was a thin bump that ran from his high cheekbone to the upper lip. A scar.
He stared directly into at my eyes, and I surprisingly he held his gaze, expecting I would look away. I did not shy away, neither did he?
“Valentina?” Matteo’s deep voice called from the top of the tower.
“I’m coming.”
I bound up the stairs without looking back at the window, I climbed another three flights tell I reached the top floor.
The wall up here was a much deeper, darker purple there was a painting of the ocean around the bottom of the wall, the colour was indescribably beautiful, not even Di Vinci could create such a rich turquoise blue colour, the waves of the ocean seemed to form the bodies of people, beautiful people, armed for war, they seemed to have wings, they were not people, but angels armed for war riding on horses golden swords out, at the ready.
The Angels didn’t seem to be heading in any direction, but the painting got brighter and brighter, they never seemed to enter battle but they seemed to go on forever fighting a hidden foe, for I could not see the enemy. I felt joy.
I looked at the large mahogany door, on either side of the door underneath two candle holders were two large portraits.
The first was of a young man not much older than me. He had neat, thick curly black hair; large eyes that shone a deep chocolate brown but were grey around the irises, his well-kept moustache and beard were the same as his hair.
He had a kind face, his brilliant white teeth was bright against his dark smooth face. He wore a golden crown on his curly hair encrusted with rubies and emeralds. He was garbed in emerald green and blood red robes held up by a golden broach with a black star on it.
The other portrait was of a woman; she seemed to stare down at you, though her fierce, dark almost black cat like eyes seemed unfocused.Her high cheekbones seemed to reflect a light as if the sun shone down on her; she also had dark flawless mahogany skin like the portrait of the young man beside her, she had a reasonably small nose though it had a small bump on the arch of her nose, the anomaly made the mysterious women seem exotic, I could not put a place or an era to her, she was timeless.Her long curly brown hair was draped over one of her athletic looking shoulder, whilst a white light shone on her.Her full red lips were arranged into a soft, kind, smile. Her beautifully elegant face was supported by her long neck; she wore blue silk that draped over one shoulder leaving one shoulder exposed glistening, it was held up by a gold broach, similar to the one the man in the other painting, it was golden but not with a black star, it was white.
Around her head was a gold intricate circlet that fell above her thick perfectly shaped eyebrows, diamonds and sapphires weaved into the delicate looking circlet.
I turned from the two paintings, I had a feeling that the two people that were in the paintings were familiar, and though I was sure I never met them, I couldn’t help but shake the felling of familiarity. I looked up at the large stained glass window that reached from the top of the tower ceiling to just above the painting of the starlit ocean with a lone delicate swan boat sat on its waves.
I turned back to the door and turned the golden door knob and entered.
I closed the heavy door behind me, and turned to face the room, it was a large circular room, on one side was a long dark wooden desk behind it sat Makeeda in a large red and gold chair, behind her was another large stained glass window, that reached from the ceiling to the wooden floor, I looked up at the dome ceiling that was made up completely of glass, the sun shone weakly between the grey clouds.
On the other side of the room was large four poster beds, that was draped by white and blue silk, by the foot of the large luxurious bed were two large elephant tusks, on the two tusks were engraved pictures of women dancing.
I turned back to face Makeeda and Matteo who stood behind her looking at a large map of the world, that lay across the desk, Enzo sat across Makeeda in a high back leather chair, next to him was an empty one, I sat down next to my dear brother.
“Valentina, did you get lost on the way up.” Makeeda talked to us though she was still looking at the map, I felt my cheeks go red, as she looked up at me with an inquisitive smile
“Sorry I ah- I was ah- but I- I was coming but-.”
“Oh forget I asked.” she sounded impatient
“I believe we have more pressing issues and you some pressing questions.” She looked at us both; Matteo set down his map sat on the edge of table and kindly smiled.
“Yes.” Enzo spoke up. “Where are we?”
“24 Willowbroke road.”
“Why do so many of you live here?”
“Why not, we have space.” She gestured around the large room.
“And how do you know us?”
“Ahh now that is a pressing question, it’s a human thing beating round the bush before they ask the real question.” She addressed Matteo, almost laughing, he also seemed amused.
“You speak yourself as if you are not human.”
I piped up the courage to ask this question which had baffled me since we first met, she looked human, but had this edge to her that wasn’t quite so, the same with Matteo and all of the others we had encountered, even the man out in the garden.
“Ahh one question at a time dear Valentina, nevertheless all can be explained with a story.”
Enzo looked impatient; I held his hand in warning. Makeeda noticed this smiled, and proceeded.
“So everyone knows that there are animals that are mindless, and untamed, then there are Human beings.”
“Well yes of course.” I and Enzo said in unison.
“Wrong.” Makeeda said with glee in her voice.
“Oh really?” Enzo said with clear annoyance in his voice. Makeeda smiled and carried on.
“Yes, well, there are animals, Humans, and something else.”
“Oh please what else could there be that all scientists, and scholars could of missed, it’s not something ridicules like insects is it?”
“No don’t be silly, insects are included in the animal kingdom, everyone knows that.”
“Well please enlighten us.”
“Well there are animals, Humans, and Guardians.”
“What, Guardians, like Guardian angels?” Enzo was outright confused.
“No no, just Guardians.”
Silence. Enzo and I stared at the women before us.
“So are you one of these people, a guardian?” I heard my soft insignificant voice.
“Yes.” Matteo and Makeeda said in unison.
“You don’t actually believe them?” Enzo looked at me with disbelief in his eyes.
“Well I didn’t say that I –“
“What nonsense!”
“Thought you would say that, see I was telling Matteo here that you would be closed minded, most human males are, they tend to be scared of what they don’t know.” She looked up at Matteo who smiled back. She spoke to him now.
“I guess I won that bet Matteo, told you your dear humans aren’t as amazing as you think.”
“I guess your right Makeeda.” He sounded disappointed.
“Ohh the guilt trip really, I’m not going to believe such nonsense.” Enzo crossed his arms childishly.
“I guess Makeeda, we will lose the war.”Makeeda and Matteo looked at each other with a smile.
“What war?” I asked.
“Yep Matteo, don’t you hate the feeling of impending doom.”
“Yup.” They both looked down.
“I mean, I’m not even that worried about me you see, I’m more worried for the poor humans.”
Enzo snapped his head up.
“I agree, at least we won’t be imprisoned as slaves to the death.”
“What?”
“Oh yeah the humans that don’t get killed will be kept as slaves.”
“By who?”
Enzo asked alarmed
“Well if you want to know you have to listen to that story I told you about before you interrupted.”
“Okay I guess.”
“Yes, so where was I, oh yes, so there are Animals, Humans, and Guardians. What sets Humans apart from animals is there intelligence that helped them to be civilized, personally I disagree, I don’t see much of a difference, but never the less that’s what they say. What sets Guardians apart from Humans is that well we are better.”
“Makeeda.” Matteo gave Makeeda a warning look.
“What Matteo it’s true, were stronger, faster and more intelligent.” Matteo raised his eyebrow.
“Oh fine, our kind does have some similarities to humans, we age like you, but it takes much longer, for every ten years of a humans life is one year in guardians life.”
I interrupted.
“So when you were born, you were a baby for ten years, whilst we had turned Ten years old by then.”
“Ahh you’re catching on.”
“So how old are you?” I asked shyly, afraid it might offend her
“Oh well by Guardian standard I’m seventeen, some would say I’m still a child.”
“That means you’re a hundred and seventy years old.”
“By human standards, Yes.”
“But how could that be you look so young.”
“Well remember it takes us longer to age, but then we only age to an extent.”
A wide smile broke out on both of the faces of the two Guardians that sat before us.
“I don’t understand.”
“Well whilst humans age to their deaths, Guardians eventually stop aging, this happens when a Guardian becomes of age at nineteen, until then we still grow taller and stronger.”
“Well then there must be many of you far more than humans.”
“Well no not really, our species reproduce very rarely, so rare that unlike humans, where there is a child born every minute, a handful of guardian children are born every fifteen human years.”
“Why so little.”
“Oh that is irrelevant at the moment, anyway so yes we are a species that humans are unaware of.”
“Well why have you stayed hidden.”
“We didn’t stay hidden, we are quite involved with your society then you think, for example the bus driver on that bus we were on, she is also a Guardian ,a cowardly one at that, but a Guardian, we just chose not to scream to the world what we are, like I said before, the history of Humans show us they are afraid of what they don’t know or understand, and that normally leads to a bloodbath or the downfall of a so-called civilised human civilization. We are different, therefore humans are more likely to over react.”
“Not all people are like what you describe, besides you’re not so different. If you can blend into our society.”
“Not so different Valentina, I’m sure you saw what my dear friend Brandon did down stairs.” She reminds me of boy downstairs who moved things without touching them.
“Or poor little Dillian, did you think that boy painted and created all this on his own.”
I looked around the lavish room that suited the lavish house, with its strange towers; I imagined what it must look like to passers-by, this castle like house with glass domed towers, standing next to the very ordinary white houses next to it.
“Well he did have decades to practise his skill.” She laughed.
“Including build structures one handed.”
“He built all of this?” I asked surprised I thought she was only talking about the interior.
“Well the two towers plus the interior.”
“All by hand on his own.”
“Ahh not by hand but by mind, and yes on his own.”
“What does he move things like the Brandon boy.”
“No he imagines it into being, into solid fact.”
“So anything that he imagines can become real.”
“Ahh that is a good question dear Valentina.” Matteo spoke up.
“When we found them, Brandon he could only make things rattle without touching them, and Dillan could make simple pictures appear on a blank canvas by just imagining it there, but since I have been training them, Brandon can now move things more than a few feet, and he can do it from a greater distance from the desired objects, hence the gate that he opened for us. Now Dillan can imagine paintings and structures that could rival those of some of the most famous human artist and architects, but I don’t think it stops there, I think if I could train them some more, Dillan could move on from his comfort zone, just paintings and buildings, I think he could imagine into creation things that could help us fight for the lives of the world from oppression. And Brandon I think he could move mountains; you can see why that would be desired."
“Do all of you have these strange powers?”
“No it is quite rare, not every one of us has one, but there is never a repeat in skills.”
“Well do you govern yourselves in secret; do you follow our laws or your own?”
“In each major Guardian country there is a queen or king who governs over the Guardians in that country, these countries are kingdoms, we simply have two laws . Do not murder anyone or cause harm such as torture, be they Guardian or human. NO treason, don’t even plan an uprising. All the rulers are united over one High King and Queen who are effectively the rulers of our species, they prevent any dispute between Guardian kingdoms, they make sure the laws are followed.”
“What if it’s a dictatorship?”
“Every Guardian year, we vote if we want to keep a royal family, or form a government, if the leader is unfair we simply replace them with someone better, even if this were a king.”
“Why are you called Guardians?”
“Ah well the scientific name for our species is Ariumanus, but throughout history humans would incorrectly mistake us for Guardian angels, the name caught on so we normally call ourselves Guardians.” Makeeda said it as if she was quite amused.
“Well why did they mistake you for angels?”
“Well unlike Humans we have a purpose, we are just that, ‘Guardians’ over humans, we are meant to protect them from the harm of others, but to let them grapple with themselves and their own fears and beliefs, but intervene when they are in real danger, you could say that we are responsible for some of the miracles that happen to humans, but not all of it, you see like humans we also believe in a higher being, and we also have science, but unlike humans we are able to keep science and faith together.”
“And how do you know that protecting us is your purpose?”
“We know.”
“How?”
“Because we have no choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well animals, they aren’t given the option or the ability to think for themselves, they purely live on instincts, they hunt, they eat, they sleep, they hardly are able to sit down and have a good read, or talk about the latest fashion, or brag about what university their child went to, they simply live for the moment, some would say that was because god simply just didn’t bless them with knowledge, unlike humans who don’t have to hunt mindlessly like a animal to live. In fact, You could if you really wanted to but you would have to learn, that’s not an instinct, instincts come naturally, but it’s a impulse it would be wrong to act against it, and in the life of an animal, it could mean they go hungry, or die in the paws of its predator, who did follow its instincts.
Some would argue that an animal’s instincts really are just a lack of self-control, and their right, if you dangle a piece of meat in front of a lion, its certain to savage it and then discard the bones, it won’t stop to think if its hungry or not, that’s it’s instincts kicking in.Keep that in mind Valentina.”
I nodded my head not understanding what the relevance was.
“If I were walking past a Human who was being robbed in some alleyway and was about to be murdered by the thief, my body would gravitate towards the scene to stop it, that is the instinct of Guardians, as much as I might not want to do it I’m forced to, so to try and go against that natural impulse, would in essence physically hurt me, it would feel like a raging inferno that was consuming my internal organs.Of course the impulse only happens, if a human is in severe mortal danger, and only if the human deserves our protection, we don’t have this impulse every time we are near a human, with a little bit of an obstacle in their way, why we would be constantly sorting out the petty problems of a human.”
“How do you know if they deserve protection?”
“I simply don’t feel the instinct, or the strong gravitational pull towards the individual, they may not deserve it because it’s punishment for a bad deed, but it is not always because they don’t deserve it, it may be because the situation they are in may better them, or even for a higher being to deal with.”
“Every single Guardian has this instinct?”
“Well we all did at a point, until recently, well recently to our kind; it was about the year 1458 BC in human years.
There was a man who was a guardian at one point of his wretched life. He was good with words, people wanted to listen to what he had to say, he was polite and enchanting, but he was always power hungry, in his dreams he dreamt of power, he spoke about revolts, taking the rightful place of ruler over Guardians, humans as our slaves and entertainment. Though his ideas were vile to say the least, he was good at dressing them up to seem appealing to the young, the less intelligent, therefore people believed in him, they hung on his every word. Eventually he could not be ignored much longer and he was ordered to ten years exile from all Guardian societies. His name was Lucius."
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