(Complete First Draft) Death of a Guardian: An Amber Kingdom Novel

Chapter 3

Emryk was the first to wake in the morning. Thankfully, he could tell it was still nighttime. He knew they needed to get back before they would have to help finish planting the seeds in the gardens. Over the last few years, the gardens have grown larger until everyone in town now needs to help ensure they planted everything in as little time as possible. It takes two days now.

Their parents would have to punish them if they didn't make it back to help. Their parents loved them both very much. However, to avoid punishment from the townspeople for neglecting their duties, they would have to discipline the boys themselves. It never happened before, but they've had several close calls.

Emryk shook Aly awake. Aly smiled and pulled Emryk down into a kiss. Emryk knew they should go, but he loved kissing his friend. They stayed there for a few minutes.

"What are you doing, Emryk? You know we need to go. You can't be attacking me like this all the time."

"What," Emryk said, "you kissed me."

Smiling mischievously, Aly said, "you loved it."

Not having anything else to say, Emryk stood up. Aly huffed and followed. Slowly, they made their way out of their hidden fort. Once back over the tree, neither noticed it shrink and turn into a meryx.

As they made their way back, the meryx followed from a distance. Soon enough, the boys made it back to the town wall. They found the lowest point from this side and Aly helped push Emryk up to the ledge. Not needing help, Aly took a few steps back, then charged the wall.

He planted his left foot as high up the wall as he could. Then he sprung himself straight upwards. Grabbing the ledge, he pulled himself up and next to Emryk. They both stood up on the wall and walked to the left towards their homes.

While Aly wasn't too worried about the drop from here, Emryk was always nervous about jumping so far down. Two hundred feet further down the wall was a mound that made the jump down only about five feet.

Aly jumped down first. He watched as Emryk made a few abortive moves to jump until he finally leapt. Aly stepped forward into Emryk to grab him a foot from where he landed. Before Emryk could stumble, Aly had him in his arms.

Once both boys were back inside the town, the meryx came to a stop. Looking around and sniffing the air, it sensed no one around. It turned back into a tall humanoid and moved between the trees. It was tall enough to see the boys over the wall.

Once it determined the boys were heading home, it grew back into the earth. Its roots wrapped around its neighboring trees and information from over a hundred miles around filled it as it rejoined the organism of the forest. It could feel every gust of wind, every animal moving about on the ground, and any threat to any tree that was connected. Soon it went dormant and waited for its next mission.

Being in the city now, Aly released his friend quickly. He wasn't that worried, but he knew Emryk would be nervous and didn't want to upset him. Although he knows his friend would never stay mad at him, he didn't enjoy seeing worry on his face. It was the only thing that made him feel guilty.

They walked back to their homes, knowing they wouldn't be seen. There were few guards about at night, and then mainly outside the gates in the small shelter. Maybe it would be different at the other gates, but rarely was this side guarded by over two or three guards.

Once inside their homes, they were both confronted by their parents. Emryk's mother pulled him to her and held him tightly. His father patted his back.

"Em, you had us scared. We told you to be back last night," his father said.

"It's alright, honey. He's here now," his mother said. "My sweet boy is thirteen now."

"Mom, it's not official until next month."