A Fairy Tale *currently rewritten*

6. Guardians of Torca

"Phy..." she reluctantly said. "We're in another world." Phy gave it up, jumped in the air and flew next to her. "I know", he answered as if it was the most normal thing to switch between the world without the proper preparation. But that was not what she meant. If they were at a portal, then there would be people like her: Guardians.

"Don't move." She replied quietly. There were so many shadows around here that she started to feel very uncomfortable. It was so easy to hide behind the waving leaves and flowers and long grass. Phy and she were flying vulnerable and good visible in the air; they would be an easy prey. If the guardians of this world were just have as trained as she was, it would be a hard job to stop them from killing Phy.

"Why shouldn't I move?" Phy asked now looking careful around. Mel was still checking the surroundings when a sharp pointy thing shot through the air and nearly hit her. If it wasn't for her reflexes the thing would have hurt her. Phy froze as well as Mel. What were they going to do now? Outrun the enemy in their domain? She wasn't silly enough to even try this.

Again Phy decided what to do. He flew a bit higher and yelled in a steady commanding voice he was used to: "My name is Phy Tumbria, third son of Ton Tumbria and prince of Orca." He announced. "There should have been a runner from Orca here. We have to speak with his highness king Mith, immediately!"

So... Obviously he knew in which world and kingdom they were. Phy had used her preparations for the runner to transport himself here. But why did he take her with him? The portal of Ica was without protection now and it seemed that especially this time was a dangerous one.

Phy's word reached the guardians and an old female warrior fairy with a young boy appeared. Mel knew instantly that boy was in training as she had been around his age. To become a guardian you have to start your career very early. Mel knew she wouldn't have showed herself to Phy; with a smile on her lips she remembered how she had attacked him. Then on the other hand Phy said a runner of his kingdom was here before. Mel didn't know if she had reacted differently with a runner before Phy.

"You are from Orca? Was one runner not enough?" The old woman landed on the leave. She wore green tight armour which gave her a fierce look. Grey hair was bound straight back and on her chest was the symbol of the guardians: The golden circle and spear crest.

Mel had chosen the spear as her favourite weapon, which was well used in Ica. There were only a few fairies who could win in a spear fight against her. But the woman fairy didn't have a spear. She was holding a long great bow which was built as tall as she was herself. Between her green glittering wings was a bolt with arrows. The boy had a strange stick bound to him and sharp small spears attached to his own bolt. Mel had never seen a weapon like that.

Seeing how the guardians fit perfectly in their environment made her uncomfortably aware of her own looks. Especially since the old fairy seemed to analyze her. Everything on her was white and light blue like every fairy of Ica and Phy wasn't better. The colour blue was present all around him.

The old fairy's eyes widened when she saw Mel's crest. "You are one of us! What are you doing in this world?" She hissed and stepped closer before Phy could answer to the first question. Mel just crossed her arms and looked to Phy.

"Good question. Why am I here?" She repeated the words of the old guardian. She had left her duty and that guilt lay heavy on her shoulders. An unguarded portal was the biggest display of weakness for a world.

Phy landed with Mel on the leave and said with a cold calculating voice. "You're here because I need your abilities and because I want to give you a chance to help the other kingdoms and worlds... And your time is wasted on that mountain." He added. Mel could see contempt in the old fairy eyes while she felt her anger rise. "That's not what I should do. I have to protect the portal!" Mel said; trying to repress her wrath.

How could he!? She didn't serve him or his family or even his world! She belonged to Ica, to the destroyed ice city. It hurt her so much to remember what happened in the water mirror. "You are not from Orca?" The old one asked with a dark expression on her face. "No. I am not! I don't serve him." Mel snapped. And she will never serve him!

Phy saw that he was on dangerous ground, so he tried to calm the guardians down: "I am sorry, if I offended you, but we don't have time to discuss this matter now." Mel just looked away and practiced her self-control in not punching him.

To the tree-world guardians he said: "We have to speak to king Mith right away. After Orca was attacked, I was sent to Ica but unfortunately this city was attacked, too. Something serious is killing our families and its concerning us all. It has already shown that it won't stop at one world."

The boy in training was now completely white in his face. The old fairy had a grim look casted on her eyes. Again Mel compared the situation to hers and realised how sceptical she was. She would never have believed his words if she didn't had seen it.

"We will send a message right away. You know what to do, Rem." The old one replied. The boy named Rem took of instantly and vanished between the high trees and big leaves. "I cannot leave the portal, but my shadow will show you the way to Torca."

As the old warrior fairy said these words darkness seemed to gather in her hand. The shadow grew and grew until it was as half of Mel's own size. Then the shadow parted from the hand and formed itself to a small fairy.

'Follow me' the shadow whispered. "Farewell" the old one wished and disappeared as well into the deep forest. "Wait." Mel said reluctantly. "Can you prepare the portal to bring me back?" But the guardian was nowhere seen.

Instead the shadow started to move now. "Common, let us first speak to Mith and see if Torca is peaceful." Phy flied behind the shadow and looked back to Mel, who was still standing on the leave. She had to get back to Ica. She had to guard the portal. She had to do her job. But all she could do was following Phy.