The Prophecy (The Guardians) (5 page)

“Gabe?” The small voice behind him caused him to jump, his heart skipping a beat.

Gabe spun around to see who had called his name, wiping a bit of vomit from the corner of his mouth as he did so.

“It is you.” the woman said, not moving.

“Clarite?” Gabe asked, unconvinced the frail woman that stood before him was not long ago the sweet girl that had given him aid.

She nodded and smiled, so overcome with emotion she was unable to speak further.
 
Gabe rushed up to her, and as he did he recognized little bits of her face.
 
She had changed greatly, but it was still her.
 
With a sigh of relief, Gabe pulled her close to him for a deep embrace.
 
“I thought you were all—” Gabe paused, not willing to give the words life.

“I’m fine.
 
What are you doing here though?
 
If they find you, well, it wouldn’t be good for anyone.” Clarite said softly.
 
Gabe noticed even her demeanor had changed.
 
She had always been boisterous, even the loud and commanding type when needed.
 
Clarite now reminded him of a weak and feeble mouse.
 
She barely moved and when she did it was obvious it took much effort on her part.
 
She seemed to have aged forty years instead of the four he had been gone.

“Please come, sit.” Gabe directed, taking the woman’s arm.
 
Guiding her away from his puke towards the water’s edge, they both took a seat.
 
Gabe just stared at her as they sat.
 
Unable to reconcile that this woman had been the same one he left all those years ago.
 
She was only a few years older than him and Gabe had fancied her when they first met, though she had never returned the interest in the time they spent together.

“What happened here?” Gabe finally asked, referring to the changes he had seen around Baynar.

“My God, you haven’t aged a bit.” Clarite said, ignoring Gabe’s question.

“I don’t think I would exactly agree with you.
 
I’m feeling so tired all the time.
 
It’s exhausting always looking over your shoulder, waiting for someone to find you.” Gabe replied softly with a smile.
 
The woman reached out and touched Gabe’s cheek as if she had to convince herself he was real.

Gabe grasped her hand firmly.
 
“Clarite, you have to tell me what happened.”

Clarite looked away, staring at the water.
 
They sat in silence for a few moments until at last she spoke.
 
“When Baal’s men came, we all thought you would return.
 
The chosen one would come back and slay the demon’s army.
 
Baylor tried to tell them, the town’s people.
 
He told them there was no way for you to know what was happening here.
 
When the questioning started it didn’t take long for someone to give up Baylor.
 
They tried torture with him, but you know Baylor—he wouldn’t talk.”

Gabe squeezed Clarite’s hand even tighter.
 
He wanted to scream out in anger, but remained silent, listening.
 
He needed to know more and upsetting Clarite wouldn’t help him.

“We could hear Baylor’s screams from the prison.
 
Kryn couldn’t take it anymore; he decided he would break Baylor out.
 
It didn’t go like he planned.
 
He made it inside but then he — well, it was like he lost all his will to fight when he discovered Baylor was already dead.
 
Kryn just sat there, holding him, he didn’t even try to resist when they found him.
 
After he was captured they decided they would make an example out of him.” Clarite’s voice caught in her throat and she began to tremble.

Gabe pulled her closer, not letting go of her hand and wrapping his other arm around her body in an effort to comfort her.

“They burned it all to the ground, everything he had in the world.
 
He didn’t even react, just watched silently.
 
I don’t even know if Kryn was in there anymore, his stare was glassy and when he walked it was like he was a machine instead of...
 
I don’t know.
 
It just didn’t seem like him.
 
When they realized torturing him was not going to be any fun they killed him and put his head on a stake outside of town.
 
They wanted everyone to know that if you help the protector you will not be shown mercy.”
 
With those words Clarite heaved as if she were going to cry but had no tears left.

“I’m so sorry, Clarite.” Gabe said, wishing he could lessen her pain.

Clarite closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself to continue.
 
“Many of the town’s people, including myself, were put to work serving Baal’s men.
 
We fed them, cleaned for them, anything that needed done we took care of it.
 
I don’t think I slept at all during those months.
 
Then one day they were gone.
 
I don’t know where, just gone.
 
Do you know what it’s like to wake up every day expecting it to be your last?
 
When they left I didn’t know how to feel.
 
The Wintoks have been around ever since, mercenaries of Baal.”

“Clarite, if I had known— ” Gabe began.

“What?
 
What would you have done if you knew?” Clarite growled.

Gabe sat silent.
 
No words coming to mind.

“There was nothing you could do, Gabe.
 
There’s nothing any of us can do.
 
All hope is lost.
 
You know, I used to believe in this protector crap.
 
But now I see, what good is one kid against an army of darkness?”
 
Clarite stood and walked towards the road before stopping and turning one last time to look at him.

“You shouldn’t have come back, Gabe.”
 
Without another word she walked away, climbing to the roadside and then down the dusty path, out of Gabe’s sight.

Gabe sank to the ground.
 
He thought about chasing after her, but what would he say?
 
What could he possibly say?
 
Rachel was right.
 
Everything she said had been absolutely correct about him.
 
He was selfish, and anyone who came in contact with him was bound to end up dead or in some way victimized.

“You there, what are you doing down there?” the voice commanded over Gabe’s shoulder.

Gabe slowly turned to see a Wintok making his way down the embankment.
 
He came to stand squarely in Gabe’s path, leaving few options on where to run.

“Nothing good sir, simply resting.” Gabe replied, keeping his head bowed in an attempt to flatter the Wintok.

“Who are you?” the Wintok shouted, clearly unimpressed with his previous answer.

“Nobody of importance.” Gabe replied coolly, hoping the Wintok would miraculously accept the answer and leave him alone.
 
Perhaps he could charm the creature, Gabe thought.
 
Then all he needed was enough time to duck away and transport.
 
If he transported right here in front of the Wintok it would surely bring Baal’s army back to poor Clarite’s town, an idea he could not live with.

“I say we bring him to Lord Caldrac for questioning.” another voice called out directly behind Gabe.
 
In that instance he realized he was surrounded, a Wintok on either side.
 
They must have seen Clarite returning to the roadside and come to investigate.
 
Even if he managed to escape, Clarite would obviously become the target of questioning.
 
Perhaps they would bring her to this Lord Caldrac character, a proposition that did not seem like it would bode well for her.

“Friends, I am nobody, just a traveler passing through.” Gabe made one last effort to end the confrontation peacefully.

“We’ll see about that.” the Wintok directly in back of him said before he began to approach Gabe.
 
It was clear Gabe was not going to talk his way out of this one.
 
He considered using magic for a moment, but if he did it would surely signal any demon trackers in the area.
 
Magic leaves a signature, the larger the spell, the easier to track.
 
A battle involving magic would be like sending flares up.
 
He would have to do this another way.

Gabe moved quickly and with purpose.
 
His speed too fast for the Wintok’s to keep pace with, he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a small sharp dagger.
 
With a quick flick of the wrist, the Wintok standing directly in front of him fell to the ground, clutching his throat.
 
Without as much as a whisper he was dead.

Gabe turned towards the remaining Wintok that had been approaching from his rear.
 
Taking a battle stance, he pulled out the glowing blue sword that had been concealed.

The Wintok gasped, “A Guardian!”

“Just not your day my friend.” Gabe replied with a grin and motioned for the beast to attack.

“You will die!” the creature growled and charged Gabe at full speed, the spikes from his head directed at Gabe.

Gabe jumped to one side, narrowly avoiding the attack, smacking the broadside of the sword against the creature’s back.
 
The Wintok howled before turning and pulling a spiked club loose from his belt.
 
He charged Gabe, wildly flailing the weapon.
 
Gabe swung his sword outward, but missed the rapidly moving target.
 
He was quite rusty apparently.
 
As the Wintok passed him, the tip of the club pierced Gabe’s arm before ricocheting off and landing two spikes firmly in his hip.

The Wintok pulled on the primitive weapon, the spikes breaking off into Gabe’s flesh as he did so.
 
Gabe let out a cry.
 
Attempting to shake off the blinding pain, Gabe took in a deep breath and then focused.
 
He did not use his eyes, but he listened and he felt the movement of the air around him.
 
In an instant, Gabe thrust the sword backwards, under his arm, close to his body.
 
He felt the blade pierce the torso of the Wintok.
 
Taking to one knee, Gabe used gravity to help him more deeply implant the sword into the Wintok, twisting the blade to ensure maximum damage before pulling it free.
 
Gabe heard the Wintok squeak in pain before pushing out its last breath.

Gabe turned, wincing from the wounds on his arm and rear hip.
 
He was losing a lot of blood and there was a good chance the scuffle had been heard.
 
It would be too risky to transport directly home.
 
If a tracker found the bodies soon enough, they would be able to sense his transportation spell and follow the tracers it would leave behind.
 
He would have to transport at least a village away from the valley and make the journey home on foot.
 
His wounds would simply have to wait.
 
In a moment Gabe was gone and all that remained were the bodies of the Wintoks and some fading smoke.

When Gabe transported to the desolate hillside he quickly took the time to wrap the wound on his arm.
 
He had however, underestimated the wounds on his hip.
 
They were not easily accessible to him so he was not aware of the amount of blood he was actually losing.
 
It became quite clear to him, however, after about two miles into his journey.
 
The dizziness disoriented him immensely and he had to take a moment to rest.
 
Soon enough, however, he realized the severity of his wounds and knew he would likely lose consciousness.
 
If he did not make it to the valley before this happened, he would not be protected by the copper in the walls of the mountains.
 
The trackers would pick him up an in instant and he would be in Baal’s custody by nightfall.

Gabe stared at the ground which seemed to be shifting under his feet, planting one foot after the next.
 
He thought of Rachel, alone in his cabin.
 
If he were discovered, how long would it take them to find her?
 
He had to get back to her.
 
He did not know how.
 
At this point he did not even have the power to transport, much less hike the remaining couple miles home.

Rachel had even surprised herself when she spouted off to Gabe.
 
She never realized she had so much rage in her.
 
“It’s not my fault,” she muttered as she walked in the open cabin door.
 
“He is so infuriating, pushed to the edge on purpose.
 
He gets off on pissing other people off.”

Rachel blushed, realizing she must look like a mad woman talking to herself.
 
The isolation was driving her crazy and she wondered how Gabe had done it all this time.