Keeper's Oath

Chapter 22: Ruin

Hope felt something stinging against the back of her skull. She slowly opened up her eyes to see that it wasn't lit wherever she was at. Still feeling groggy, Hope slowly raised herself off the cold hard ground. By pressing her hand against her head, it felt a bit better though not by much. There was still the sharp pain which made her dizzy for a brief moment. Her eyes kept on blurring due to the pain.

At first, Hope was asking herself what had happened. It was then she remembered seeing Livius running towards her as she fell down. That was the memory that led her to remember everything that happened just before Guardian had struck her from behind.

Speaking of Guardian, the young guardian thought.

Hope looked around the dark abandoned ruins she found herself in. The room extended quite a bit but Guardian wasn't in sight. There were vines across the stone pillars and the walls were taken over by them as well. Parts of the walls had fallen down onto the floor. She then noticed a small round opening from the wall which was showing more light. Everything around her smelled old, as if nobody had been there forever until now. Once there were people here but now nature had taken it over.

The young woman staggered onto her feet. Then very slowly Hope made herself towards the opening that was on the side of the wall closest to her. It was slightly above her. She got onto her tippy toes to see outside. Sunset was outside, Hope realized. From the hole, she spotted trees around the building but there wasn't anything else that struck her.

Focusing back onto the room where she found herself. She carefully scanned the area to see that there was one exit. It took her a brief moment to get used to the darkness. The parts of the walls that were down to the right didn't seem to be the safe way to get out of her. The opening was darker and seemed to go down. That wouldn't have helped Hope's case at all.

Taking a deep breath, Hope started to walk left of the large ballroom in which you could hold a large party. She stopped to her tracks as a shadow came around the corner to block her exit. Moments later, she realized that it was Guardian.

He seemed to be surprised to see Hope walking around. His clawed hands were inside of his sleeves. Hope saw Guardian's pale red eyes slightly glow in the darkness. Feeling like her end was near, Hope turned to her guardian form. There was a slight burn as her form slowly transformed into the grey wolf with brilliant blue eyes. It always felt like there was a layer of fire on her skin.

The burning was becoming more bearable for her. She wondered if she had just gotten used to it. It didn't seem to be hard at all to switch forms now, only if she could get her powers in order. That seemed like another story. For now, she would have to use her fangs if it came to it.

She lowered her head at the dragon while starting to snarl. The wolf extended her paws towards the Guardian, bowing her head up at him.

"Where have you taken me?" Hope growled as she showed the Guardian her fangs. The dragon didn't even flinch at the sight of Hope in front of him snarling up at him. The look on Guardian's eyes made it seem that he was quite bored.

"Everything will be over soon enough for you," Guardian took a step towards Hope. She jumped back as she wasn't sure of what the dragon would do. Back of her head, she still felt the stinging pain in her guardian form. There would be no chance she would turn her back at him again. "You don't need to worry, young one."

I don't need to worry? She repeated his words in her mind. Everything within her said the very opposite. There was something dark and looming over her. That feeling, it wasn't Guardian. Her gut twisted as she knew who it was.

Hollow.

Surely he was around here somewhere. He must have been the reason why Guardian had done what he did to her. It was in order for Hollow to get to her. There was nobody that was protecting her here. Just Hope in her guardian form. That's all what Hope had right now. No matter what, she must survive. Those thoughts were in her mind. She just had to survive. Her life couldn't just end here.