Guardians of Anteverum City

Chapter Fifteen: The Battle

I knew neither the date nor the day of the week when I woke up, but I knew very well what day it was; it was the day that centuries of battling between the Guardians of Anteverum City and the Knights of the Round Table would finally come to an end. Today is it: the final battle.

  The morning passed slowly but like any other. Everyone acted normally; Rubus and Sapphira argued, Opal and Zircon flirted, Jaden and Esmeralda played chess, and Callista and Luciano looked over a fashion magazine. I didn’t know the others well enough to judge their behavior. I plopped down on the couch next to Reese.

  “Good morning,” I greeted.

  “Good morning, Lyra. Did you sleep well?” he asked with a smile. Awkward small talk continued for a few minutes and we ate breakfast. When the clock struck eleven, Rubus cleared his throat and drew everyone’s attention.

  “Opal will have the cars ready in fifteen minutes.” The atmosphere tensed. I didn’t have many belongings to pack up, but I went to the room I had shared with Callista and threw our things into her bag. I don’t remember leaving the suite and getting into the limo with everyone. In hindsight, I wonder why and how Opal managed to get one, but I guess that’s Opal for you. I don’t remember driving past my house towards the long, deserted road that leads towards the portal to Anteverum City. I wasn’t focused on my actions; I was thinking about the battle that lay ahead. Once we arrived and the army of Knights was in view, I snapped back into reality. This is what I’ve been waiting for all day.

  Nothing could have prepared me for what I felt at the moment I stepped out of that limo. A sea of Knights lay before us in tight formation, suited for battle and wearing dark expressions. Will they charge straight at us? Will we have time to split up and execute the plan?

  “You all have finally arrived,” a voice bellowed from the very back of their formation.

  “Silus,” Reese scowled. Luciano put his arm out, motioning for him to wait.

  “We’ve been waiting patiently,” Silus added menacingly. I glanced at the Knights again and attempted to do a rough count. I felt someone squeeze my shoulder.

  “Focus on your part of the battle. We’ll take care of the rest,” Sapphira instructed. I nodded resolutely, forcing myself to block out the brief occurring between Silus and Zircon.

“Men, charge!” Silus hollered. It looked as if an ocean’s waves were crashing towards us as the Knights charged forwards. They were closing the gap between us quickly and we were running out of time to appraise which groups were where. I turned around and hastily scanned our group for Arelia’s face.

  “Arelia!” I yelled out desperately. She was straining to examine their formations. There was now hardly 500 feet separating us.

  “I got it! They’re lined from weakest to strongest. B5 is in the front!” she shouted over the noise of the rampage.

  “Here I go! Give it your best, everyone!” Therese yelled as she charged forward. As she approached the army, she suddenly multiplied.

  “Self-replication?” Reese gasped.

  “There’s our cue!” Sascha yelled. He and Garrett charged after Therese, blowing through an opening she created towards the second and third line of Knights. That takes care of groups B5, B4, and B3. Give ‘em hell, everyone!

  “I believe in you, Lyra,” I heard Callista say. Our eyes met for a split second, then she disappeared. Almost immediately, I saw her and Luciano appear on the front lines. I knew that he teleported them, but was still amazed by his swiftness.