Tale 1: War of the Protector

Chapter 29

“Sh!” someone said. “I think she’s waking up!”

“Back up, people, this isn’t a show!”

A cool cloth touched my face. I groaned and tried to push it away.

“Calm down, everybody!”

I opened my eyes then, thinking I heard Cody. Then I realized it was just his brother. I was tempted to curl up and pretend like I was still out, but my eyes were already open. So I had to accept the hands held out to me, and stood.

“Are you okay?” A pretty girl asked me. She was wearing a sky blue gown. She was the one to help me up and then into a chair. “You fainted. Did you hit your head?”

I touched my head. There was a slight ache, but nothing major. “No. How long was I out?” This I asked of her and all the other faces crowded around me.

“Less than a minute,” Cody’s similar voice said. “You passed out so suddenly. Are you anemic or something?”

“Rex!” One of the girls hit him.

I looked at him and then everything came rushing back to me. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I muttered.

A fruit bowl was emptied and brought to me. Some of the girls hung around me, cooing and holding back my hair. The others stood around, uneasy.

I didn’t lose my stomach. I instead hiccupped, spit, and then stood abruptly. I quickly sought the man named Rex, and started yelling in his face.

“A fucking resistance?” I snapped at him. “What the fuck does that even mean? A resistance against what? And of who? Who are all you people? Why are you all here? In fact, why am I here?”

“Woah, woah, woah.” Rex held up his hands and gave my shoulders a slight push so I would get out of his face. “One question at a time, babe.”

I scoffed.

“First of all,” he said, “We’re fellow Protectors, so calm your tits.”

Calm my tits?

“Second of all, we’re a resistance of Protectors against Nathan and his followers. Because, to put it simply, Nathan is a fucking bastard.”

My eyebrows had probably shot up into my hairline at that point.

“Thirdly, these people are my crew.” He went on quickly, without hesitation. “Meet the Protectors of water, growth, natural disasters, Earth’s core, light and dark, sound, color, and emotions. Formally known as the Aquamarine, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Ruby, Peridot, Aster, Opal, and Citrine. Are you familiar with names and such?”

Lost for words, I just nodded.

“Ah, my brother taught you well then. Fancy that. Oi, and you are here because you are namely the leader of this whole fucking thing, babe.”

I stared blankly at him. I was having a hard time making a clear judgment of this man. He changed dialects at least three times, fluently. Even his choice of slang varied.

“We A-OK, babe?” he asked.

“Um, yes?”

He nodded. “Good.” Then he stood back amongst his crew with a satisfied smile on his face as the crew rolled their eyes and wound fingers by their heads in the universal showcase of insanity. “Hungry?”

……

I was seated at the head of the table, amongst all of these people in gowns and suits. Of all these Protectors. While I wore my nasty jeans and t-shirt.