The Fire Guardians

Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

                “Yeah right,” I said.

                Claire continued, “I have all the proof necessary. You are intrigued by fire, just as all the other people of my village. You are not socially drawn to people based that you’re seated alone, since I’ve been forced here. Being unsocial is also a sign of being a guardian because if you have many friends you may be tempted to share secrets.”

                “Okay,” I said standing up, “I’m leaving.” This was just way too weird for me.

                Claire grabbed my arm, and said, “Sit down. Now.”

                “Uh, I don’t think so,” I jerked my arm from Claire’s grip, and saw blood start to trickle from where her nails pierced my flesh.

                “I’m serious,” Claire said, “you don’t know the power you hold.”

                “Just because I like fire and I’m not Miss Popularity doesn’t mean anything,” I said, slowly sitting back down.

                “I can show you. You’ll be amazed at what you can do. Please, Krista. Give it a chance. I’m not as insane as you think. I’m just a messenger doing my job,” Claire explained. Her voice had smoothed out and her features became less tense.

                “So, there are three guardians who don’t know if they have the truth or lies. The third guardian is the supreme one, who has ultimate power over this pendant that makes you immortal. And you’re telling me I’m a guardian, but no one knows which guardian I am?” My mind was swirling, and I couldn’t even believe I was actually listening and considering this.

                “Actually, we know which guardian you are. You are the Guardian of the Pendant,” replied Claire.

                “How do you know?”

                “The old guardian disappeared. We searched frantically and when our efforts failed, we simply waited a year. We needed a new guardian, and couldn’t wait any longer. So we went on a quest to find the new guardian. And you are that person.”

                “Okay, so basically only the Guardian of Lies and Guardian of Truth are fed information and don’t know if it’s lies or truth. What about the Guardian of the Pendant? And why’d the old guardian disappear?”

                “As the main guardian, the Guardian of the Pendant makes the decisions of the three, and is the ruler of our land. We take this very seriously. As for the old guardian, we are not sure why they disappeared. Don’t worry about your wellbeing; we’ve taken stricter percussions since the old guardian vanished.”

                “What happens when the guardian dies? You search for another?”

                “Actually, the guardians wear the pendant and become immortal. So they can serve and protect us. There are three ways in which the guardian will be replaced. One being if they disappear for a year and do not return. Number two being they are drowned in the Black River, which is the only way a guardian can die. The third reason a guardian would be replaced is if they shared secrets to the public and people outside of our land, Brent Village.”

                “…what if you don’t wear the pendant?”

                “Then you risk your life. Not everyone will love you,” Claire said as lunch ended. I stared at my tray of untouched food and Claire and I dumped the food away. It felt like a waste, but I wasn’t hungry. After lunch, all I could think about was what Claire said. It seemed so much more exciting than my life now. I just needed to know how much of it was real.