The Best Man: The Good Man Series Book Three (Wattpad Preview)

Chapter Eight: It Comes Down to This

Nethel and Morek flew over the sea between The Empire and Aria Island. Pain filled Morek's heart at the stories the women had told. The Empire was doing more horrible things than he had imagined.

The boats sailed across the waters beneath him. Morek flew over the island's docks and saw a boat that should not have been there. Morek landed Nethel outside of the camp. He jumped off and extended his bow, ready to fight. He crept through the woods on the exterior of the camp. Finally, he emerged from the treeline to an undisturbed and silent camp. He placed his fingers on the string. He heard a whistle coming from the tent where their books were kept. A form of a woman sat with her back facing Morek. She whistled a soft tune as she turned the pages of a book. A sword sat sheathed against her back. Morek set his foot down on a leaf accidentally. It crunched beneath him. She was swifter than anything he had seen before. The sword tip of the blue-glowing curved edge blade came to his neck. She was blond with green eyes, wearing form fitting clothing.

"You are a Guardian?" Morek asked.

The blade moved away from his neck. It carried the Guardian design and glowed at her touch.

"Selma, daughter of Cavier Guardians," she introduced. "I am a Guardian as was my father and his father before him."

"And your blade?" Morek questioned.

"A katana," she answered. "A blade of Orc design that never came to be used in their combat."

"It looks like a beautiful weapon," Morek said. "Listen, I am very glad you decided to join us, but now is not the greatest of times. I do not have time to train you and-"

She let off a blast of magic into a tree, cutting him off.

"I did not come to train," Selma told him. "I came to fight."

"I see that," Morek said surprised.

"Morek!" shouted Casaris. "What is going on? Who is this?"

"This is Selma," Morek told him. "She is a third generation Guardian."

"That we cannot train," said Casaris.

The tree Selma shot with fire came crashing down in front of them. Selma chopped off the limbs in their way with her katana.

"Well," Casaris said. "Welcome to the Guardians."

The over two dozen Guardians and 10 Dwarfs rested and re-collected supplies for their journey. Selma kept to herself, not speaking to any of the other Guardians. Morek liked her. She was fast, had keen senses, and was a beautiful woman. 

"What do you think of her?" asked Casaris from behind him.

"She is different than the others," Morek replied. "I do not know why, but I like her."

"Do not go falling in love again so fast," Casaris warned. "You do not want a repeat of your last situation."

Morek shoved him, both of them laughing. The group slept impatiently that night, awaiting the fight that was coming the next dawn. They awoke the next morning far before the sun rose. They were going to have to sail all the way south, down the coast of the mainland. The trip would take a week overall. For this, they would take their smaller ships down the coast of the North Region to the port of Emelstump where a large Brig ship sat. The ship was a two-masted, multi-decked trade ship that The Empire usually used to trade with the Elven coast cities. Morek hoped it was still there. It would make their travels much easier. 

So, the group ate their breakfast and boarded the ships. Morek mounted and connected with Nethel. He would meet the group in Emelstump. He told his brother goodbye and flew off. Morek reached the small coastal city a little after dawn. Joy filled him when the large ship sat docked in the port. The city was empty, the inhabitants nowhere to be found. Around noon, the Guardian's boats came into view. They docked and loaded as many people and supplies onto the Brig as possible. The ship's name, the Imperial Leonardis, was painted across the back. They were able to get most of the items aboard, but they decided to bring along two of their smaller ships, captained by an Elf named Ichard and a woman named Fiona.