Guardians Awakening/Chapter Four/Burning Girl and the Rebel Leader

Outside in the courtyard Verlaine leans against the trunk of an ancient oak tree, sighing. “What kind of guidance counselor tells their student they would peak early,” she asks herself. “Well, at least she’ll try harder to prove me wrong.” Shoving her hands in her pockets she paces around, both because she is upset and she is trying to keep warm. It seems winter is trying to come early. She looks up at the sky that is obscured by clouds and sighs again. So far it’s been a great first day. At least now she could tell Danielle she met five kids her age to talk to and bug, but no potential friends.

“If she asks why, it’s her fault,” she mutters to herself.

“Um, who’re you talking to,” asks a soft, melodious voice from behind her. Verlaine jumps and spins around to see the blonde, hippy girl from Brass’s class. “Hi, I’m Ilene Rose, it’s nice to meet you.”

“That’s a nice name, but shouldn’t you be in class?”

“Nope, after lunch I have a free period. Can I talk to you?”

“As the guidance counselor,” Verlaine asks, dubious “because technically, I start tomorrow.”

Ilene laughs, “No as a person, not a teacher.”

Verlaine shrugs, “Okay, want to go back inside?”

“No, I’m fine outside, but can we walk around a bit?”

“Yeah, why not.” They start walking and after a few feet Verlaine asks what Ilene wants to talk about.

“Well, I know this is going to sound crazy but—”, the fire alarm rings, cutting her off.

“What’s going on,” Verlaine asks, forgetting that Ilene can’t answer that. Despite common sense she runs back into the building using a side entrance and Ilene follows her.

All the sprinklers are going off but it does nothing to help the fires burning furiously on Jaz’s clothes right now. The flames envelop her, causing her to scream louder, and no matter how hard she tries to pat the fire out it won’t stop. "This is all because of that silver haired girl, if I hadn’t been so mad about what she had said then I would’ve been paying more attention to the gas fire during chemistry," she thought angrily. The whole class was already out of the room and no one had thought to help her. She kept spinning around the room, screaming, arms flailing wildly. It didn’t matter that she wasn't being burned, although her clothes were a little singed, most of her right sleeve was gone. If she stopped screaming and moving, she’d realize the flames don’t hurt, all that matters is that she is scared. 

When she does stop though, it is to glare at Verlaine standing in the doorway with that loser Ilene Rose from her English class. Jaz wishes that she wasn’t the one on fire. That instead the flames would go towards either of the other girls. For a moment it seems the flames do just that. They whip in the direction of the door, orange tendrils of heat licking at the two girls. Ilene steps back, however Verlaine stays put. She watches the flames intently; they recoil from her and dance up higher over Jaz. Then they turn blue. As she began to worry the flames flare up once again before swirling into a ball and shooting into Jaz’s heart, though Jaz does not seem to notice. Verlaine can’t help but think that Jaz was control the firing, but knows that such a thing is not possible.

“Look, you’re not on fire anymore,” Verlaine says nervously, her voice holding too much laughter for Jaz to take her seriously.

Jaz glances down anyways though, and realizes that the new girl is telling the truth. The only downside though, is that she is instantly soaked by the sprinkles. “Great,” she mutters, annoyed.

“Wow,” Verlaine exclaims, walking into the room and standing beside Jaz to inspect her. “You were like the burning bush. There’s not a single scorch mark on you, not even your hair is burned.”

“This is all your fault,” Jaz screams, voice hoarse.

“How, I just got back in the building? Besides, I have no reason, nor the unstable mental state, to want to set you on fire. Maybe the Bunsen burners are broken or something, anyways, let’s get you outside.”

Verlaine grabs Jaz’s wrist and gently leads her out of the room and out the side entrance of the building, Ilene following close behind with Jaz’s bag. They find Hex and the others standing by the bike rack, once Ilene hands Yen Jaz’s bag she walks away in another direction. Already in reporter mode, Abbi starts questioning Jaz about what happened and if there really was a fire.

“Oh there was a fire alright,” Jaz says. “I got burned.”

Abbi looks her up and down. “Only your clothes.”

“Yeah,” says Yen. “You don’t have a single scratch on you. You’re just soaked.” She slowly circles Jaz.

Jaz shakes with anger, her face red. “Just soaked. My favorite outfit is permanently ruined and I could’ve died. No one in that stupid classroom thought to help me.”

Yen pulls out her camera and starts snapping pictures.

“They were probably just in panic. I mean, it’s not every day the head cheerleader gets burned,” says Abbi. “Figuratively or literally.”

“Don’t joke about this, this serious,” Jaz snaps.

“I know, I know. But other than your turtleneck, there were no casualties. So everything’s okay,” Abbie says with a shrug.

“What about me!?”

“What about you? You’re not hurt. Granted you can still probably sue the school. Your chances of winning on sound cause are a little low though.”

Jaz mutters some curses under her breath and glares at Yen. Their enthusiastic friend halts her photo taking to smile sheepishly.

“You could make a complaint in the school newspaper about student body companionship,” suggests Yen.

“After we take a picture of the chem lab,” Abbie adds walking towards the building.

“Fine,” says Jaz, hands on her hips; she flips her hair in Yen’s face and follows Abbi.

The three girls are barred from heading back inside by teachers and firemen. Both Abbie and Jaz protest loudly and all the while Yen is snapping pictures.

“So,” Hex starts, glancing at Verlaine. “Some first day huh?”

“It’s not the worst I’ve had,” Verlaine replies with a shrug.

Hex leans onto an oak tree. “Was Jaz really on fire?”

“Yeah, I can’t believe it myself and I saw her. But once she stopped flailing and screaming the fire disappeared,” she glances at Hex who’s expression is calm and non-judgmental. “You’d be great as the interviewer you know?” she points to her. “You have a good poker face.”

“Thank you,” she says, unsure how to respond.

Before either of them can speak again they, along with the rest of the students, cover their ears when Headmistress Rill turns on the megaphone.

“Due to faulty equipment in the school labs,” she says, voice ringing out loud and clear. “We are dismissing students early and will not be open tomorrow either. That is all. You may go back in to retrieve your things from your lockers and immediately after, return home.”

For one stunned moment all is quiet as the headmistress looks out at her student body and faculty with a disapproving glare. Once the general shock is over and the moment passes all the students burst into cheer and split up into two directions, those going straight home and those getting things from their lockers. Verlaine sighs and unlocks her bike from the rack.

“Nice meeting you guys, get home safe,” she says, hopping on the bike.

Hex nods, “You too. Oh,” she exclaims, as if something has just occurred to her. “Wait a minute, will you give me your number?” She pulls out her cellphone from her jacket pocket.

Verlaine shrugs, “Sure. It’s 917-555-2031.”

“Okay, got it. How do you spell Verlaine?”

She spells it for her and then Hex gives her, her number.

“Cool,” says Hex. “I guess I’ll be seeing you.”

“Maybe. Text me when they decide to start school again,” Verlaine says, riding off. Hex waves after her. When the Verlaine is out of sight Hex heads in the direction of her friends. She grabs Jaz and Abbi, pulling them away from the school, followed by Yen. They make a plan to return at night.

.

Sitting on the almost comfortable bed of the Downs Home Inn, Luke, the rebel leader, packs his knapsack. Dark hair hangs in his face but he doesn’t bother to push it away. He is concentrating on making everything he needs fit in the bag. When he is down he sets the knapsack on the bed and picks up a long, black trench coat from the headboard and shrugs it on. The trench coat stops an inch or two above his black combat boots. He stares at himself in a cracked, full length mirror and pulls a wanted poster out of his pocket. He hopes his long hair and tan will be enough to divert people from recognizing him.

The door to his room opens and in walks a half-blood of the woodland folk. He is the same age as Luke and looks remotely human, except for the pointy ears and mint green skin, indicating he is a descendent of the Powtani. The Powtani are peaceful creatures who can navigate through any wood, they once worshipped the Goddess Dhana, Guardian of the earth, for they could also speak to the land. This boy, however, inherited the human logic that one must fight for what they believe in and he believes that right now, fighting for peace is the only option.

“Luke, it’s time,” he says, voice serious. Luke nods.

“Thank you Fenrir,” Luke says, grabbing his knapsack and slinging it over one shoulder. Together they walk out of the room. Luke’s boots thud heavily against the wooden floor while Fenrir’s shoes make no sound at all.

“Are you sure about this journey Luke,” Fenrir asks, not just as a friend but as his advisor.

“Yes, of course I’m sure. If I don’t go then the Guardians might never get here, or they’ll be tricked by Sinthys before their memories awaken. I can’t let that happen.”

“But what of the priestess Asina and Vidya’s familiar? Are they not on Earth as well?”

“As the stories go, yes, but who’s to say they find each other.”

“And who’s to say you find them? How will you even get there?”

Luke doesn’t speak for a few moments; they walk out of the inn and into the woods. Fenrir wonders if he has struck a nerve, offended his friend somehow, but doesn’t ask. He knows it wasn’t a good idea to question the rebel leader but he just doesn’t want him to go in blind. By the time Luke speaks again, he worries whether or not he should’ve said anything at all.

“Don’t worry Fenrir,” Luke says voice low and serious. “The trolls have been talking non-stop about the amount of portals popping up. I’ve employed one to find a portal for me that, hopefully, will lead to the place our informant said the Guardians would awaken.”

“What, you hired a portal troll, those creatures can’t be trusted. They’re cons, merchants, thieves, how do you know they won’t turn you in to Sinthys?”

“He doesn’t,” says a raspy voice. The two young men stop and stare at the mulberry bush they think the sound came from. A gray, hairless, little man, who is mostly skin and knobby bones, pops out of the bushes. “But Human and Plato have a deal and trolls gave him word they wouldn’t turn him in. Trolls never go back on their word.”

“Fenrir, this is Plato, the troll I hired,” Luke says, gesturing towards the sickly gray troll with sharp teeth.

“Abomination,” Fenrir hisses beneath his breath.

Plato hops out of the bush and grins. “Plato could say the same to you, half-blood.”

The Powtani and the trolls do not get along. Where the Powtani are known to be loyal, the trolls are only loyal to themselves and their greed. The only thing they have in common is that they are both creatures other than human and they both live in the woods, although a majority of trolls now live underground and in caves.

“Don’t start you two,” says Luke. “Now Plato, where’s this portal?”

Plato glares up at Fenrir. “Human only pay for himself, Plato will not show way to portal to a Powtani, especially not a half-blood. Must pay for two,” he says, holding out a hand to Luke, his finger nails dirty and long.

“He’s not coming with us troll, so put that hand back.”

“What did you pay him with anyways,” Fenrir asks, looking the three foot tall troll up and down. He wore a burlap tunic with a rope around his waist acting as a belt and Band-Aids wrapped around his feet.

“I gave him the tunic he’s wearing,” Luke says, glancing at his friend.

“Yes, it suit Plato nicely don’t you think.” Says the troll, a pleased smile on his face as he shows off the new outfit. In a second his smile turns to a frown as he sniffs the air. “Plato smell trouble, we must go now.” He runs off to the left and Luke and Fenrir follows.

They run deeper and deeper into the woods as the danger Plato smelled gets closer and the two young men begin to hear marching. “It’s the army,” Fenrir cries. Luke nods and runs ahead to grab Plato then tells Fenrir they need to split up. Fenrir tosses him a sheathed sword and he catches it with his free hand.

“My father told me to give it to you. It belonged to Lucyan,” he calls, looking back at Luke.

For a second Luke doesn’t say anything, he stops and stares at the sword in his hands. He can’t stop for long because the marching has gotten closer, he can hear the snarl of the tracking dogs. “I’ll see you when I get back,” Luke calls as Fenrir runs right. “Plato, which way to the portal.”

“Left, left,” Plato yells. “Hurry, they get closer.”

He’s right, the marching is getting closer. Luke wonders why and how the King’s men found him. He runs in the direction Plato told him too, clutching his father’s sword. For a while, Plato seems to lead him in circles, but they get farther and farther away from the soldiers. “I hope Fenrir is alright,” he thinks as Plato tells him to go right, towards the river. Hovering over the bank of the river is a portal of swirling blue light. He drops Plato and thanks him.

“You’ve done a great service to the rebel army and will be remembered when Princess Ilene takes the throne,” he says.

Plato looks behind himself, jittery. “Plato goes with human. Plato want meet goddesses too, plus, human can’t leave Plato to army. Tracker dogs eat portal trolls.” He bites his nails, staring desperately up at Luke.

“Neither of us know what dangers lie on the other side of this portal,” Luke starts, reluctant to have a companion on this journey.

“Ah, but Plato has crossed before and Plato can smell the Goddesses magic. Plato be good help in finding them, no?”

Luke is about to respond, when a soldier, a big, giant of a man comes running out of the trees and spots them and calls to the others. The royal army is made up of the Soren men and woman. A people of brute force and thick skin, they all work under the king and are the least favored of all the creatures in Ǽmezi. “Stop right there,” the male Soren yells, voice gruff.

“Well I can’t dawdle now,” Luke mumbles, grabbing the frightened Plato’s wrist and pulling him through the portal behind himself.

The Soren charge at the portal but a hissing voice yells at them to stop. Dune, Sinthys’s shape shifter, shifts from his bobcat form to his human form. In his human form he is a tall man with chestnut curls and piercing brown green eyes. At his command the army stops charging and he stands in front of the portal, smiling devilishly.

“One of you, send word to King Sinthys that I am going through the portal to follow the rebel leader. Two of you will come with me to Earth and the rest of you return to the palace, is that clear,” he barks and they all nod. “Good, I will take Fon and Gerta.” He points to the pair of Soren closest to him.

The two soldiers he called out step forward, a messenger bird is sent out and the rest of the army turn and head back to the palace.

“Let us go,” says Dune, stepping into the portal. The soldiers follow.

Luke and Plato hop out of the portal and into and alley. Luke looks around, drops Plato and straps his sword to his belt. He shrugs off his knapsack and digs through it, then tosses a jacket to Plato. “Put this on, it’s near the winter season here as well,” he says, pulling his bag back on. Plato struggles with the jacket and when he gets it on the jacket is longer than him. Luke would laugh, but he’s too busy analyzing his surroundings,

“There is no sun in this world either,” he says, looking up at the darkening clouds obscuring the sky.

“No, it’s just going to snow soon,” says Plato, bending to sniff the ground and then standing. “Human follow, Plato smell Goddess this way.” He runs to the exit of the alley and points right.

“Hm, maybe you are useful after all, I’m not paying you for this though,” Luke says, following.

“No need, Plato will do this service for free.”

Luke sniffs, and walks on, staring straight ahead. He ignores the odd stares he gets from the earthlings and tries not to look at them, but can’t help but marvel at their strange magic. He sees a car parked with the hood up and the engine visible. When it started spewing smoke and making clanking noises he thought it was some kind of monster, but stopped short of pulling out his sword when a man kicked the car and called it a stupid piece of junk.

“Human impressed at the Earthlings wares, no,” Plato asks.

“No, I’m not, hurry up and lead me to the Guardians. I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to be.” Plato shrugs and obeys.

Verlaine is lying on her bed, staring up at the cracked ceiling. She pretends that the cracks are rivers, rivers she’ll patch up and paint over with cream colored paint. For now the rivers are exposed though and they lead off in different directions then stop abruptly. A minute passes and she gets bored of pretending. Sighing, she sits up and climbs off the bed. Looking down at her feet she thinks over the questions she’s going to ask Danielle and Ichiro and how she should confront them. While she is staring at her star patterned socks there is a tapping at the window.

“My Lady, My Lady,” says Torin, urgently, from outside the window. Surprised, Verlaine gets up and opens it for him; he flies in and circles the room.

“What’s up Torin,” she asks.

“My lady, you must come with me quickly, there is trouble. The rebel leader and Sinthys’s minions have made it to earth. You must find the rebel leader and take him to Asina.”

“I don’t even know who Asina is,” she protests. “And I thought you told me to find the princess?”

“I did, but that is a long term goal, this is a short term one. Now go, we must hurry.”

“Fine, fine,” she says, grabbing her boots from beside the bed and running out her bedroom. Torin flies out through the window, closing it behind him and meets her by the steps.

Verlaine manages to make it two yards from the porch steps before the front door bursts open and Yvette runs out.

“Verlaine, where are you going,” she calls.

Verlaine’s head drops and she sighs. “For a ride Nona, I don’t feel like staying in the house for the rest of the day.”

Yvette smiles not buying Verlaine’s lie for a minute. “Where are you really going, dear?”

“To look around town, explore it a little. I’ll keep my phone on, I promise,” she pulls her phone from her jacket pocket and shows Yvette. “See, now please can I go?”

“Verlaine, did you take your medicine today?”

“Of course Nona, if I didn’t Mom would’ve forced it down my throat. I really just want to go explore, please Nona?” She clasps her hands together, begging.

Yvette sighs, “Oh alright, fine, but you’ve got to be back by five alright?”

“Why, what time does Mom get off work?”

“Six-thirty, but she’s going to call to check on you.”

Verlaine scowls, “I’m not a little kid anymore. You guys are so overprotective.”

Yvette laughs as Verlaine stomps off to retrieve her bike. Verlaine rides away down the drive. Once Yvette returns inside Torin swoops down to fly closer to Verlaine.

“What was this about medicine,” he asks her.

“That, my feathered friend, is on a need to know basis,” Verlaine tells him. “And you don’t need to know.”

“Very well and you don’t have to be so rude.”

She grins and pedals faster.