Guardians of the Prophecy

Chapter Thirteen: Search

* Finally got this chapter up!  But yeah.  Finals.  Ugh.  But!  I got my grades back yesterday and I did well, so that's good.  c:  Hope those who enjoy reading this will find this chapter intriguing.  Particularly the ending.

Note: This chapter is partially edited.

Alistair never came back. 

It’d been a month since they’d last seen him run off and they had yet to hear about his whereabouts.  Even though Rima knew everyone had begun to lose hope, she couldn’t shake the feeling… that gut feeling that he was still alive.  She wanted to remain hopeful, but it was hard.

It made it even harder considering the fact that she was losing sleep, and her appetite had diminished as well.  She couldn’t afford to lose hope.  If she did, she didn’t know how she’d cope.

Over the past month, however, aside from worrying over Alistair, the group had also been tracking the movements of any demons they’d heard were lurking near Bonum.

With a bit of thinking, things made more sense.  Rima knew why, months ago, she had been chased by guards after infiltrating the politician Pouya’s home back in Hewa.

I wasn’t chased just because they were Pouya’s guards, she had thought when the revelation had come to her.  He was most likely working for the demons all along.  And maybe all of the others… the other political figures all over the world— they might be in league with the demons too!  That’s why there was that huge army.  They’re doing everything they can to stop us.

And they currently had Alistair.  Oh my God.  What are they doing to do to him?

“Rima.  Rima!”

Rima started slightly.  She glanced up to see Laurel, Shan and Caleb looking at her worriedly.  Even Shaheen was eyeing her uneasily.

“You all right?” the monk asked.   

“Yeah.  Sorry…”

She didn’t offer any explanation and the deafening silence afterward was evidence enough that they were expecting one.

Laurel cleared her throat.  “We’ve heard some talk of demons slipping out from this cave.”  She tapped her finger on the map.  “The problem is, it’s really close to that city near the border and if things keep going this way, they might be gearing up for an attack.  We’re not too sure, but going here, I think, is our best bet.”

~*~

They had trekked across the plains for a few hours and could see the city in the distance when Shaheen, who was flying above them, gave a soft screech up in the sky.

Rima turned to see Laurel’s gaze become panicked.  Shan and Caleb flanked either of the girls as the Perien falcon began to make its descent and soar just above their heads.

A group of people had appeared, having hidden themselves in the few trees and bushes that dotted the plains, and were making their way towards the Guardians and sole Protector.  There were just too many of them.  Rima, Shan, Laurel and Caleb backed against each other as the people surrounded them.

Rima reached for the handle of her scimitar and prepared to draw on the jewel in her necklace for magic.

The people— they looked like soldiers— were eyeing them with what looked to be a mixture of suppressed admiration, wariness and skepticism.

“Guardians of the Prophecy!”  A massive man sidled through the ring of people surrounding them.  He nearly rivaled Shan’s height and musculature, and if it weren’t for his bright green eyes and light brown locks, Rima might have mistaken them to be related purely based on aura and body alone.