Winters Breeze

Chapter 3: Years Old Battle

It took about an hour and a half to explain everything to me, especially since I kept bombarding them with questions. After we had shared my grandma's chocolate chip cookies, I must have fallen asleep on the couch sometime, because that was where I lay now, under a blanket someone had draped over me.

My bag was leaning on the side of the couch, I opened the top pouch and pulled out my hairbrush. My straight hair has lost the curls that I normally put in since I had slept on it. My ponytail was loose and messy, which really bugged me. I took the hair tie out and pulled the brush through it, the one my mom used when she had brushed my hair before she died. I had decided that there was no point of curling my hair just ending up on a plane all day, so instead of putting it up in my normal ponytail, I left it down, plain, straight, and boring on my shoulders. I had always hated how straight my hair was and spent tons of time to curl it just to get it to stay.

I sat up and looked around, and found that everything was how it was before I fell asleep, except for the new smell of hash browns and eggs. Getting up, I followed the smell and I made my way across the room, pushing open a shared door, I entered a room with a small brown table. The two boys were sitting there eating, and there was a spot cleared with several egg and bacon sandwiches out for me. They smelled really good.

"Hey guys, When are we leaving?" I picked up my first sandwich and unwrapped it. I pulled out the brown chair and sat in it, pulling my legs up so I was sitting cross-legged.

Last night, Chane and Adrian had told me about our first talisman and where we would have to go to get it. Then they had bought three tickets. Apparently, we were going to Hawaii to get the Flower of Desolation. Not like I was against it, because who in their right mind would refuse a trip to Hawaii, of all places. The only other place that would top Hawaii on my to-do list would be to visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which I could swear I would one day do. We had prepacked all our stuff the night before, so we could get to the plane on time. We had to be there as soon as possible because apparently, we had a big "job" to do.

"Our plane leaves at 8:00 so we should really go right after we finish eating. We should arrive around 6:00, more or less, it's a ten-hour flight. I've already booked a hotel by the volcano we need to visit."

This perked up my attention, they only had a little time to explain everything to me, and this was new information on where we were going and why. A volcano? I wonder why we have to go visit a volcano in Hawaii, and which one?

We finished our sandwiches and I took one of the hash browns with me, and the boys took the others. It didn't take me long to change clothes and meet them outside. They had a rental car, which was a convertible, and I got the sense they were showing off. It was a bright, shiny new red. Which was my favorite color, but there was no possible way of knowing that, Right? Or was reading minds along with their list of superpowers and magic?

Adrian ran around the car and opened the passenger door for me. I got in and thanked him, he playfully bowed then closed the door. Chane was coming out, and Adrian started running back around and took the driver's seat before Chane could get to it.

I thought this would annoy Chane like it would my dad, but instead, he laughed and took the seat behind us. "Have fun Aura, Adrian's a terrible driver."

Adrian laughed, and I glanced over at him in worry. This didn't seem to bother him at all, it just made him laugh harder, with Chane joining in. "Chane!" He scolded, "Look at that, you're making her nervous, and for your information, I am a perfectly good driver." He looked over at me and smiled dangerously before adding, "Maybe a bit of a speed demon, though."

I couldn't help it, and I burst into giggles as Adrian started the car. I didn't know how to start a conversation, so I asked one of the many questions that were still on my mind. "So, are there new guardians every time there is a battle?" Chane and Adrian stopped their laughing and teasing each other, and Adrian turned down the music. He looked at me and took a deep breath before quickly looking away, to hide his eyes. He didn't turn quick enough, though. I saw a strong lingering emotion behind them, in which case it caught me off guard. Normally he was so happy and guarded, and it was almost impossible to read him when he was serious. But that sadness was so clear, the loneliness apparent in that short glance.

Chane answered my question instead. Leaving out any details, and even though he delivered my answer to the question, It didn't tell me what I wanted. It only multiplied my questions, and leaving me more clueless than before."No."

This confused me. It was every 550 years. Right? At least I thought that was what they had said. "But if it is every 550 years, how can there not be new guardians every time?"

He sighed. "No, there have only been one set of guardians. Ever. We are the only one's who protect the chosen one and guide them through the battle." He became silent and didn't talk again for the rest of the ride, and neither did Adrian. Their playful and happy sides had been pushed away, and I could see that, so I left them to their thoughts, and spent the time in silence to sort out mine.

It seemed to take forever to drive there and pull into the parking lot for the airport. When we did, Chane and Adrian were back to their cheerful mood, and we grabbed our suitcases. The airport was crowded, with everyone rushing and mingling about trying to get to their destination. There were the lines and lines of black chairs that were there for the people waiting for their flights, and the Information desk, with the working employee behind it. Our flight had already arrived, so we speed by all of this.

Time seemed to pass quickly, and I soon found we were already on our plane seated. My thoughts were whirling, trying to figure out what had changed everything earlier.

***

We were five hours into the flight. When It first took off I had taken out and read grandpa's book, but that didn't last longer than two hours. Chane and Adrian were playing cards the whole time and didn't bother me. After Chane fell asleep, Adrian offered to play cards with me.This was what I was doing now, three hours later. Chane was still asleep, and we had played so many games that we had lost count of the score.

"Another game?" Adrian asked, after beating me again, for the who-knows-how-many-ith time. We had gotten a pack of playing cards from the flight attendant.

I smiled, nodded, and picked up my discarded cards, handing them to Adrian to shuffle. I recognized that we were pretty much alone because most of the people on the plane had fallen asleep or were watching movies. The moment from earlier popped to mind, which I had been wondering about for a while. "Hey, Adrian," I called his attention, and he continued shuffling, but shot me a quick glance to show that he was listening. "About earlier...What happened? You guys got all sad and quiet."

Adrian paused, before continuing shuffling. He was quiet, and I almost thought he wasn't going to answer, but he sighed. "There's been four total battles. We have been the guardians for all of them."

But, with them all 550 each, they would be about 2,200 years old... "Adrian, That still doesn't tell me why you got all sad."

"The first chosen one, she set off the chain, she started a spell that would push the evil one out of power, which is why we have the battles." He paused, and I waited for him to go on. Pain once again flashed behind his eyes. "She was my fiancée, she died in battle."

I gasped. "Oh, Adrian, I'm so sorry." I gave him a quick hug, but he was once again looking out the window, and I could tell he was once again lost in his thoughts. We sat there in silence until I fell asleep, with my head on his shoulder.