The Guardian Chronicles: The Shadow Alliance

Out of Many the Guardians and Aid to Ashlizon

Out of Many the Guardians   

Adara had been having the deepest sleep of her life when she suddenly heard a deep voice echo through the bedroom they had given her. She did not understand the voice at first; she raised her head and yawned.

    Then the voice got louder, it said, “Rale, Sylva, and Adara report to the Teleportation Chamber. This is an emergency all Guardians report to your posts, Laraell; your Healers are to report to the Teleportation Chamber. Rale, Sylva, and Adara….” The voice went on, listing names she did no recognize and ranks she barely understood. Adara looked around the room but could find nothing that the voice could be using as a speaker. She wondered how the voice was broadcasting in her room or around the whole fortress. She shook her head, more Guardian mysteries.

    Adara knew something bad was happening…and it had to do with Noxx somehow. Her scar began to tingle. She rubbed it and jumped out of bed to get dressed. She hurriedly dressed and then she left the bedroom. In the corridor outside her room she found a young man dressed in Guardian garb standing there waiting for her. He had deep blue eyes and curly black hair. He was tall and thin, his eyes were intense and Adara smiled at him. He smiled at her and said, “Come this way, Miss.” She nodded and he took her up to the Teleportation Chamber.

    As they walked through the corridors, the whole fortress was buzzing with activity. Guardians walked past them with grim looks on their faces. They walked past a group of young Guardians dressed in light green robes. Adara marveled at the varied races they were; some were Asvorian, some were Lenoran, some were Accols like Celidan, there were blue skinned golden haired Ragnorians with copper colored eyes, and purple haired, silver skinned Mitrans with purple and violet eyes. There was even a few Graddrak who had pale white skin that seemed to be stretched too tightly over their faces; they had long black hair and orange eyes. Even a Dragon was standing with them, he was nearly seven feet tall and he had broad shoulders and two folded leathery wings on his back. His scaly skin was dark blue and he wore a much bigger version of the green robes the rest wore, he wore no shoes, and to Adara’s surprise, he had no tail. His snout was long with two nostrils on the end of it, his eyes were green and set above his snout and they were close together, like an Asvorian’s eyes, on the back of his head were several short horns. His arms and legs were thick and on the ends of his five fingers and five toes were sharp claws. He stood with his arms crossed listening to the Advocate who stood in the center of the circle of students.

    “It comes now, my students…little brothers and sisters…the Dark Times swiftly approach us yet again. But conflict is the nature of our lives…because of our beliefs we must fight, for evil ones disagree with us and they know only destruction. They cannot bear that we live, or any else who shares our faith, our very nature is abhorrent to them. Our very lives fill them with hatred. Again and again they will come until they succeed in their goal of our complete annihilation.” The Advocate had long white hair and a short beard. His eyes were brown and his weathered face was covered in scars of battle. He was dressed in a cloak, robes, and pants that were all brown. His boots and belt were black and he carried a silver Kainan scabbard on his belt.

    One of the students raised their hand; it was the Graddrak, “Why, do they always come after us, Advocate Joruth?”

    Joruth sighed, “We represent Truth and this they cannot abide. We have stood with the helpless and the innocent and this they cannot abide either. We reflect D’iador’s Own light in this world and this, above all, they cannot abide. We are…” He went on, but Adara and her Guardian escort continued walking. She looked back until they went around a corner and they disappeared from view.

    She was amazed by what she had just seen, all those races…some were bitter enemies, like the Mitrans and Ragnorians, and the Graddrak and the Lenore…but there they stood, together united in a single cause wearing the same uniform fighting the same foe with no thought to old hatreds or prejudices. They were united as Guardians. Adara wondered if she were wrong about them.