Guardian of Elements

Chapter 43 - Defending my home

Eriana was sprinting through the darkening forest. The Sun was touching the horizon and shadows grew long. She hoped that by this time, Arneia was already safely in the den. Provided that the den was still safe.

She was running west, to the mountain ridge in the distance. Morcion... She hadn't seen him for three years. She hoped that he had been able to fend off attacks on his domain. The Guardian of Hearts' lands were bordering only with the mountains, so humans going to other domains had to pass through them. If Morcion wasn't able to hold them back, their numbers must've been great. But he was the Guardian of Might, he was fine for sure.

As she was ascending, dark green and brown boreal trees were becoming sparser and the temperature was dropping rapidly with higher altitude and the falling Sun. When the tip of it finally disappeared behind horizon below her, she reached the first snow patches. After ten more minutes, rustling of grass under her rapidly moving feet changed into soft crushes of snow.

The snow in the northwestern part of her domain was melting only on the hottest summer days. Cold wind blowing from the mountains was keeping half of her lands chilly all year long. But when there was a thin layer of snowy blanket all around her, she knew she was getting close.

She stopped several hundred meters before the border for a moment to catch her breath. She was running this fast only once before, when she was coming back through all the domains three years ago, to ensure that Arneia was all right. She was hoping that she was already safely back in their home. She had to be.

When she could breathe again, she reached out towards the border with her mind. Immediately, she found several dozens of humans, running through the border. Their minds were overflowing with fear. So that was why the barrier couldn't stop them, she thought. Their fear was overcoming their rational thinking. That, combined with the weakened barrier, was enough to let them in. And when they were a little bit closer, she could see the image of what they were so afraid of: Morcion.

Eriana smiled for a second. It seemed that her old friend retained all his traits throughout those years. He was still ferocious and scary for his enemies. But that couldn't be said about her. Kate was right. Her power wasn't replenishing because of the barriers and Marks that she was holding. If she started fighting now, they might disappear altogether. She had to decide.

She reached out again and extinguished all Marks that she had given to many humans in her domain. Their minds would be free, but it was still a threat that could be contained. She felt immediate surge of power that returned back into her domain. She redirected some of it into the barriers around her den and the village, and then went to face the humans.

When she got near, she climbed on a small rock formation, to see the incoming threat. But even if she didn't, she could tell exactly where they were, by their screams of fear. They were already close enough to be seen from her vista and she could count more than three dozen humans, desperately running downhill. But then, she saw what they were running away from: Morcion himself.

He was pursuing the group through Eriana's barrier, like a dog herding sheep. The humans had some head start before the bear, but he was catching up. Not fast enough to stop them from exiting the mountain pass, however.

When the group reached Eriana's post, she reached out and connected with all the humans below her. Her gem gave out a white blinding pulse and their screams went silent, as thirty-eight men and women dropped into the snow, their minds shut down.

When the Guardian of Might regained his sight, he slowly continued down and stopped under Eriana's rock formation, from which she jumped down. They were both observing the field of bodies in front of them. Morcion was the first to take the word.

"That can be hardly called a battle, but I guess it was effective." His deep voice was even scarier than usual because of his heavy breath.

"I don't relish bloodshed, you know that." She was still looking down the hill.

"Yes, I know. I also know that you didn't kill them, even though you easily could," he pointed at the bodies lying in front of them.

"No, I've put them into coma. They won't wake up until I want them to. But I guess they'll freeze to death anyway." Her tone was a sad one.

"Yes, if you're not planning to politely carry them one by one to your home."

Eriana refused to answer. Morcion then picked up the line, now in a less angry voice.

"So, how have you been holding since..." He left the sentence unfinished.

"Do you remember Kate?" she asked.

"How could I forget her. The so-called Guardian of Elements, thanks to whom we are fighting day and night now."

"She's down there at this very moment," Eriana pointed to her domain.

"What? How old is she, four? She'll get herself killed."

"You underestimate her. She helped me quite a lot. Thanks to her, I could be here and help you."

"Help me? I'd catch them, you know that."

He made a pause and looked at Eriana.

"But as much as I hate to say it, I do need help. Three years of holding humans back, wave after wave, while you and the others were dug in your homes, doing who-knows-what. I know I'm asking you to leave your domain defenseless, but... will you come with me and help me drive humans back?"

The Guardian of Minds looked at him for the first time.

"Of course, I will. And just so you know, my domain is far from defenseless."