GUARDIAN

Chapter 16: The Incident of Anger

Sena opened her eyes slowly. The dizziness fading away, and all her memories were restored. She grunted as she sat up. They were still on the boat, but in the larger part of the river. Catherina no longer needed to help the boat along. 

She could feel overall peace in their surroundings, in fact, her magic was interlinked with another. Her mothers. They were close to her home.  She stood up, rubbing her head.

Then she remembered, Katoshi had knocked her out. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She saw one of the wooden sticks lying on the deck of the ship. She grabbed it and looked around. She had a  bone to pick with a certain Katoshi. She spotted him standing on the deck in the center. Many of the mages and guardians were now huddling on the sides or top and bottom of the deck. 

She took a few steps down to where he was now standing.

"She's awake," Wren muttered.

Sena did not think twice as she swung the stick. She wanted to strike his head, perhaps knock some sense into him. However, the moment she swung he ducked and she missed. She grunted and struck again. Katoshi  side stepped.

"Let's talk..."

"Oh, now you wanna talk!?" Sena snapped. She grunted as she swung the stick again, but he squatted and dodged circling around her.

"I can explain..."

"You can explain? Explain to me why you knocked me out middle of the battle!" Sena swung again, but Katoshi jumped back and raised his hands in the air. 

"That is what I want to talk about..." Katoshi jumped  as Sena threw a low blow. She took a deep breath, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Swinging a stick at him was tiring, and it did not seem to phase him at all.

"I told you when I woke up I was gonna kill you!" Sena swung the stick again and Katoshi dodged.

"Why not knock it out of her hand? Show her who's boss!" one of the guardians called out.

"Because if he knocks the stick out, she may revert to magic," Wren stepped in front of Katoshi and Sena. "You have every right to be mad at him...my mage did exactly the same..."

Sena froze. "You were the one that gave him the vial..."

Wren nodded. "Plant mages are the ones who end up killing themselves the most...their magic comes at an extremely high price...Katoshi did not want you to pay it. If there is anyone you should be swinging that stick at, it's me...I gave him the idea..."

Sena gritted her teeth and dropped the stick. She bumped her shoulder into Wren before approaching Katoshi, who was staring at her cautiously.

"Trust goes both ways...I trust you to keep me safe, and you trust me to know my limits," Sena turned to Wren. "I am not your plant mage..."

"No, but you are your mother's daughter..."

"She trusted me to know my limits!"

"No, she pushed you over and beyond, you know that, I know that, And Katoshi who barely knows you can already tell you push yourself too far!"

"I did it once...to save him," Sena took a step closer to Wren who stumbled slightly back. "I only push myself that far when it comes to matters of life or death...again, you have absolutely no right to take away my choice..."

Sena turned to Katoshi. "Where is that vial?"

Katoshi pulled it out of his one pocket. He handed it to Sena who immediately tossed it overboard. She turned to Katoshi. "I fought for you to be my guardian, not my handler...remember the difference...or I will remind you," Sena walked away, back onto the top of the deck. She heard footsteps and turned to see Neva following her.

"Well, that was a little harsh,"

"You wouldn't understand," Sena spoke and sat down. "Please, I would like to be alone."

Neva nodded, realizing that Sena was not in a good mood. She returned to the center of the deck next to Paschal, and Sena sat down quietly thinking. She remembered her days of training all too well.  Maybe she was too harsh on Katoshi. Maybe he did do it out of right intentions. She gritted her teeth and and pushed her hands in her hair. Still, she could not settle the blazing anger that had now built up strongly inside of her. She had the temptation of wielding her magic against Katoshi, but wielding magic while angry was extremely dangerous. She gave a small smile as Wren was indeed right. If Katoshi had tried to remove the stick from her hands, which he undoubtedly could, there would still be nothing stopping her from using her magic.

After a good while she heard footsteps, but did not look up as someone sat down next to her. She looked up and raised her brows as she saw Paschal.

"Still mad at your guardian?"

"Does it matter?" Sena shook her head. She turned to look in the forest.

"You were impressive today and yesterday..." Paschal spoke.  

"You think I was wrong to be mad?"

"I think you are your own person, us guardians are meant to keep you safe from foes, and trust you to handle your own limitations..."

Sena nodded, "Thanks..."

"Any time," Sena looked up to see them reaching a small port. There were some small fishing ships, but a whole line of soldiers. She stood up as she saw a woman sitting on a white horse.

"Mother," Sena muttered. "I'm home..."