Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Garrett

 Even though it was dark and snowy over Mistral, Garrett had made the decision to take Belle and Melody through the city at midnight. When he told them about it, they protested, but Garrett couldn't blame them. He had woken them up at midnight, and they were exhausted. It was for their own safety, but Garrett understood their want to stay in Mistral, even if it was to explore the city a little more.

"Can I at least say goodbye to Roderick?" Belle asked.

"Take two of my guard with you," said Garrett. Belle took the Vestarr Knights, Ser Tamond and Ser Malcer, and went to Prince Roderick's chambers. Garrett could sense a feeling of sadness from her as she left. She didn't want to leave Prince Roderick, and Melody didn't want to leave Mistral. What was worse was that he couldn't promise either of them that they would return to the city.

"Melody, you understand why we're leaving, don't you?" Commander Vestarr asked.

"Yes," Melody admitted. At least she understood. The Lysanders had threatened their lives for the last time, and since Garrett was no longer the Head Counselor, he had no more reason to remain in the city at all. The murder of Lord Dedric Ingram was solved, and the black-scaled dragons under the Ivory Tower were locked away, and could only be unleashed by the blood of Gunnar Karvine, and most of his descendants are dead.

"Just promise me that if our lives depend on whether I fight again, you'll let me fight," Melody begged. Garrett had to think of that for a moment. As capable as she was, she wasn't invincible. All she wants to do, though, is protect her sister, and everyone who can't protect themselves. She was a Guardian, after all.

"I promise," Garrett promised. Melody threw her arms around him.

"I know you're just looking after us," she said.

"Thank you for understanding," said Garrett. When Belle returned, they went into the city with Ser Tamond and Ser Malcer as their guards. They were both Elite Knights, armed with steel longswords enchanted with bright blue crystals of frost malakyte. The train station at the edge of the city was most likely their quickest way to Knight's Watch, where Rose Vestarr would pick up the girls and take them back to Snowfall. Of course, Garrett hadn't thought his plan all the way through. At an intersection in the road, under the street lamps on the corners of the sidewalk, three huge armored cars came from up the roads. They were white, with the saber-toothed cat of the Lysanders painted on their sides. Six soldiers in dark outfits came from each one, surrounding the Vestarrs and their two Knights. Tamond and Malcer both drew their frost enchanted blades as Ariana Lysander marched out of one of the cars, wearing white Lysander armor instead of green Dragon Guard armor.

"You have some nerve, Vestarr," she snapped.

"Stay back, Lysander," Ser Malcer warned. "This is the Head Counselor."

"Not anymore," reminded Arry. "He's not even a lord or anything." Garrett could sense a feeling of rage from Arry as she drew a broadsword with a black crystal of dark malakyte on its guard, giving it the same cursed enchantment as a demon's sword like the ones the Redwalds used two years ago.

"Ser Tamond, take the girls and bring the police," said Garrett. Ser Tamond tried to take Belle and Melody through the Lysander soldiers behind them, but they raised their assault rifles, stopping them.

"Let my children leave, Arry!" Garrett begged.

"Oh, I don't think so," Arry hissed. "My cousins had trouble on the road from Snowfall. They were wrongfully arrested by Edward Ingram on the road to Riverford."

"I had no knowledge of this," said Garrett.

"Liar," Arry denied. "You're investigating the murder of his father, and his son happened to run into them and capture them? I don't believe in coincidence."

"Maybe you should," Belle suggested. "Don't do this, please." Arry was too upset to even think straight, though.

"Take them alive," she ordered to her soldiers. "Kill their Knights." The Lysander soldiers quickly shot Ser Malcer before he could raise his blade, then Ser Tamond rushed at Arry, and she stabbed him through his chest with her cursed blade. Melody ignited her lightsword, but her father warned her against fighting.

"No, Melody!" he shouted, igniting his teal blade. "Get your sister out of here!" Melody grabbed Belle by the hand and flashed a blue light around them both, and they disappeared.

"If you kill me, there will be no one to get Darien and Damien back," Garrett warned. "They'll be dead." He had to choose his words carefully around Arry. She was a Knight of the Dragon Guard, more skilled than many other Knights in Aetherian. Still, she seemed to have trouble controlling her anger. Arry made a swing at Garrett, and he blocked the attack with his glowing blade before throwing hers back. Arry then lunged at Commander Vestarr, then jumped back and swung downwards. They both traded strikes to their blades, and Garrett threw Arry back one more time, then she rushed at the Commander one more time. This time, he wasn't quick enough to block or parry an attack, and Arry caught his leg with her cursed blade, cutting just above his ankle, and bringing him to his knees. Arry was raised her cursed blade, about to bring it down on Garrett, when a blue, glowing blade stopped it. It was Melody. She threw Arry's blade up, staggering her backward.

"Melody!" Garrett shouted. "Where's Belle!?"

"She's with the police, she's safe," Melody promised.

"Get out of here!" yelled Garrett. "Arry's a Dragon Guard Knight. You stand no chance against her."

"I won't let you die!" Melody screamed. "You promised, remember?" Melody was only twelve, and her father refused to let her put herself in harm's way, but she was right. She was a Guardian, but she was no match for Arry.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Arry mocked.

"Back the hell off!" Melody warned. "Leave my father alone!" She lunged her blade at Arry, and she blocked her attack with her cursed blade. Melody then sidestepped when Arry swung her own sword at her, clashing her blue blade with Arry's blade of steel. Melody was faster than anyone would have believed, staying low to the ground, and dancing around Arry, blocking her attacks with lightning reflexes and taking her chances at attacks whenever she could. When Melody's lightsword nicked Arry's hand, cutting through her gauntlet, she screamed as she dropped her cursed sword. Melody pointed her glowing sword at her, holding the blade to her neck.

"Shoot her," Arry ordered. Before the Lysander soldiers could raise their assault rifles, bolts of red plasma suddenly came from the farthest reaches of the dark streets, cutting the soldiers down. They were blue-armored police officers. They quickly surrounded Arry and Melody. Arry kicked Melody in the chest and jumped for her cursed steel sword. Before the police could fire their rifles, she stabbed her sword into the ground, surrounding herself with a black fog, and she disappeared. Garrett felt a few police soldiers pick him up and carry him to an ambulance with red and blue sirens blaring on top of it, and he felt Belle's warm hand clutch his as he was laid down on a bed.

"Father!" Melody screamed as she ran to Garrett's side. He may not have been able to walk anymore, but it was a small price to pay for his daughters' lives. His eyes closed as he was driven back to the Ivory Tower.