Chronicles of the Underworld - Soul Eater

4 - Bastard Bodyguard

Aurel tasted bones and dust on his tongue, ash, century old destruction. When the water started running out of his nose, he was in the human world again.

Aurel opened his eyes. Alexandria stood next to him, and her magic dried their clothes as they were walking out of the water onto the river bench, following the triad. The air in Prague was dirty and smelled of pollution. He heard cars and engines and electricity and voices. So many voices.

It felt good to be back. Aurel had always been more connected to this world than to the underworld, where he was born.

"You guys good? Great. You're coming with me." The witch looked at him and made a swift movement with her head. "Let's find those wolvies."

"I'll see you around.", he said to Alexandria. Behave.

Stay with me.

Always.

Aurel followed Columbia to the left, the direction she had started to walk in. Alexandria turned her back to him as Salem called her. They were under a bridge upon which Aurel heard cars, roaring engines, the sound of tires on the asphalt and then...

The crash.

Aurel felt the detonation in the air. Heard the sound of the cars colliding. Felt the heat as gasoline was incinerated and transformed the wrecks into an inferno of...

Keep moving, Alexandria said in his mind, so loud and clear as if she was standing right next to him. Mortimer's testing you. He set this up. He wants to see whether you can take it, and you can.

Aurel moved up to the witch and side by side they walked by the river.

"We need to get out of the area.", Columbia said. "I don't want to be caught up in things we're not supposed to be caught up in."

"I know."

"I saw you flinch when it happened."

"Yeah."

"You don't like accidents. Or fire."

"No.", he said.

-

"So you're a Shadow elf."

Alexandria rolled her eyes in a way the hunter could not see it. "Yeah."

They walked in silence for a minute.

"I don't judge, you know?", Salem said. "I don't care what you are or how you ended up in Mortimer's guard."

"I'm just so happy Connor told you I'm a bastard so now I get to enjoy your fatherly pep talk."

He laughed. "I was being serious."

"So was I."

"You're not a bastard."

"You know I am."

"An outcast, at best."

"You've just been to the elven lands. You know how they are."

"Light elves are full of shit."

"They are." She grimaced. "And Night elves..."

"I understand them. In a way."

"So do I. Luckily there aren't too many Shadow elves."

"You're special."

Alexandria laughed drily. "Hence why I'm in Mortimer's guard."

"Probably. Did they chase you away?"

"Who?"

"The elves. Doesn't matter which ones."

"Kind of." Her pace grew a little faster. "I stayed at the Dark City with my father. Then Mortimer came and took me away, because he had found Aurel."

"I see. You accepted it."

"My father took the decision for me. He knew I would have a more fulfilling life in the guard and... I'm still tied to Lisbon."

"How come?"

"My father, obviously."

"Don't lie to me. You cut ties with the Dark City."

"Uh.", Alexandria uttered. "You can tell."

"I can feel when somebody is lying to me. It's one of my many gifts."

They crossed a street, their magic protecting them from being perceived for who they really were: warriors from the underworld. Alexandria's magic always portrayed her in a grey coat, black jeans and a white blouse, a blue scarf wrapped around her neck and black boots. To humans, Salem wore a black suit and a white shirt. They appeared to be two business agents. Maybe two extremely good-looking agents.

"I'm good at what I do.", she said softly, echoing the words Aurel had uttered in the underworld.

"And what do you do?", he said.

"Many things."

"I see."

"I'm a protector."

"No. You're a warrior."

Alexandria raised her brows. "Do you always tell people who they truly are even if you don't know shit about them?"

"I only do when they're lying to me. Repeatedly."

"I do protect."

"You do, but that's only a part of what you do. Mostly, you're a warrior."

"If you say so.", she mumbled.

"Who do you protect then, warrior? And why?"

"Because I was the best they could find."

Alexandria pushed back a strand of silver curls that had become undone behind her pointed ears. Her pace had become fast, almost as if she were being chased. With each step her sword stroke against her left leg. Her military boots went up to her shins and in each was a hidden dagger. She could feel Salem looking at her, dissecting her, her brain, her appearance, her weapons and the story she had told him.

"The elven trials?", he asked. "For the Queen?"

"I didn't participate."

"But they found you."

"Last year."

"How old are you, if I may ask?"

"Seventeen winters."

"That's young for..."

"We age differently. You know that."

"You have one hell of a story, don't you?"

Alexandria raised her chin. Quite literally.

"Don't we all?", she said.

"But not all of us are the Elven Queen's bodyguards."

"When she's here. Or there's an event in Lisbon. Or somewhere else and she needs to be protected."

"How did they get you?"

"In the Cathedral. Mortimer presented me to them. They had observed me whilst training. You know how it goes. All that shit about how their sorcerers had a vision and that my fate is tied to the Queen's fate... Bunch of nonsense."

"That bunch of nonsense made you her protector. That's one hell of a position for a..."

"For a bastard?", she asked mildly.

"You know I don't see you as that."

"But I am."

Alexandria stroke her sword. On the inside, she was raging, as she always was.