The Guardians of Celesk

Chapter 23: An Important Discovery

He felt ridiculous. He was like a worm wriggling on the bottom of a fresh hook. His life until now had been guided by the pursuit of gold and barter. He would trade anything and anyone if it meant extra gold. In a former life, he had been the thief, the black mark on the family and the place he lived. But it all changed in the great retribution – the secret war waged by Valezk in the west. He was now a man of responsibility, with a pack of wild beasts he liked to call his friends. The circle of regions that would once kick him down the street were now sniveling at his boot heel. That was, until two days ago. He was led by a rope along their trail, hands tied firmly as he was yanked along, while his captors sat comfortably on horseback. The Guardian, perched high above his steed, looked as smug as ever. He was wondering what he was up to. Yordu was scanning the horizon, while simultaneously hatching a plan inside his grey matter.

The ropes bristled against his hand, as he looked for any opportunity to escape. He started to scrape the ropes of his hands, trying to use friction to his advantage to pry the ropes free. Instantaneously, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder, icy cold along with a frosty voice which echoed inside his skull. I would cease that action if I were you. He looked back and recognised Skyene's voice, though he was positive her lips did not move as she uttered that command. There was something inherently creepy about these Guardians. Only two of his crew survived, including himself, thanks largely to these beige wizards. He would never underestimate them again. They continued to drive over the plains but by nightfall they were greeted by sheer cliff faces. They pushed through the middle into a large gorge that offered very little solace except for the small river running through the middle. On the way, they noticed a few carcasses, some small, some huge. They were close, and the gorge was the perfect spot for an ambush, no matter how large the force. He couldn't help but smile. Soon he would be given an opportunity. Once they were all on their back foot and pleading for their lives by the weight of her powers. He smiled for the first time in days. There would be some retribution. "We're not far now," he said. "Perhaps we should stop for the night to get some sleep?"

"No, we push onward," Yordu said. The Varasz was pulsing, almost ricocheting off the cliff faces as its dark energy skewered their bodies. He also had a plan for retribution.

She could smell its fear first. They scouted the area- a solid team of mother and daughter. Sometimes it was masked as a leisurely stroll. Other occasions were joined by Artreide as they sought out the right healing plants. Bohina was grateful to impart her wisdom with tracking, she was desperate to renew one of her great roles at the Sanctuary; the one that made her a master among people. The thrill was only replicated when she was back out in the wilderness, being able to share this skill with her daughter. The chase or the inevitable purpose of the track could shift but the thrill of finding the object; the catalyst of a quest to cleanse the dark days of tension and unspoken truths outweighed the risk. Out here in the wilderness, she was the purest form of herself again. Emulating Artreide's counsel with the way, she was carefully guiding her with the track. At first it started with the obvious, a young girl recognising smells, or the odd broken twig. At first, she retched at the first scent of beastly droppings, but Bohina seized upon the vocational moment. It was a chance to tell the young Chenari about the importance of recognising the roughage of animals, a crucial step in the hunt. As Chenari continued to meditate and harness the Erto-en, she began to use it in their scouts over the seasons. On this trek, they both could smell the animal, even though it was more than a moment away. Its pulse felt like an echo that bounced from tree to tree.

She felt its heartbeat synchronise with hers. The rising crescendo of heart thumps in treble lifted above the noise of the swishing branches of the trees. Both were joined in unison with the Erto-en, the full power of the inner way. As the animal's heartbeat sped up, so did Chenari's. She could also feel the pain rising up the creatures leg and its soft whimpers were deafeningly loud. Bohina felt all these sensations as well: she was in two minds about how to react. Her first impulse was to try and break the link, to guard the inferno of emotions that came with the potent connection of the Erto-en, especially between beings. Her second impulse was to ride it out- her pride as a mother and mentor was overwhelming. Chenari was one with the way and her power was bursting out of dormancy and she knew that it would be a curse to stymie her potential as she was adapting with it, growing with it and pushing it out to the universe.