The Guardian Chapter 11

Alexander’s brain started working in overdrive as questions flashed through his mind. “Is this the partner I’ve been looking for? Will she commit to retaking the planet from the Beast Masters, and the most important question of all, can I trust her?” All important questions that only time will answer.

Circe flung open the small door to the barn and was immediately pummeled by gale-force winds and driving rain. Ordinarily, she would have slammed the door shut and waited for the storm to pass, but there was nothing ordinary about what she and her new friend were about to attempt. They were two teenagers setting out to destroy members of the Jikininki army. A mere storm wasn’t about to delay her mission.

Leaning into the wind and struggling for every step, the duo traversed the yard and entered the house. The place emitted an eerie vibe as they moved from room to room searching for Circe’s family. Their quest ended in the back bedroom. Six Jikininki were kneeling next to the bodies of Circe’s parents, ripping the flesh from their bones, and devouring it.

Alexander had witnessed this revolting behavior before, but Circe had not. The disgusting sight caused her to wretch uncontrollably. The Jikininki immediately stopped what they were doing and scanned the room for the source of the sound. Their gaze settled on Circe. Blood and gore oozing from their mouths, each Jikininki turned towards her. It was time for Alexander to engage with their minds.

He stretched out his right arm to give him a focal point, and one by one the beasts froze in place. Watching in total amazement, Circe wondered if she had any powers of her own. She reached out her arms and concentrated.

What drew her focus was a broad sword lying by her father’s decimated body. She wanted, no, she needed that sword. A strange surge of power began to build from deep within her mind. I was something Circe didn’t understand, where it came from or if it could be controlled, but it was time to try. Using every ounce of concentration she could muster, Circe willed the sword off the floor.

At first, the sword's movement was barely noticeable, but the more she felt comfortable with this strange new power, the stronger it became. The sword rose slowly off the floor, then stopped its ascent, level with the neck of the closest Jikininki. Circe let out a blood-curdling yell, violently swung her arms, and the sword, spinning like a circular saw, sliced the creature's head from its body. She repeated this action five more times until each beheaded Jikininki lay in a heap on the floor, their severed heads rolled to a stop several feet away.

The exhausted young creature slayer gave Alexander a look of both satisfaction and bewilderment as her body started to shake uncontrollably. He rushed to her side and eased his new partner into a seated position with her back against the nearby wall. Using short gasping breaths, Circe spoke, “I’ve never done anything like that before. I felt so much rage toward those creatures for what they had done to my family that I lost control and needed to let it out. Do you think this is something I can do again?”

“I have no idea what your mind is capable of. Draco has told me that this planet is filled with magic, but we need to train our minds to access it. He has helped me get better at it.”

“Draco, who’s Draco?”

“Draco was my childhood protector and closest friend. I can introduce you to him if he’s available, but I must warn you, this will not be like any meeting you have ever experienced.”

“It doesn’t matter to me how odd the meeting is if he can help me get better at this, Levitation, I think it’s called. How long will it take to reach his location?”

“We don’t need to go anywhere; he will meet us here.”

“No, not here. I can’t stand looking at my family's violated corpses any longer. I have decided to use this house as their funeral pyre and burn it to the ground. Once that is done, I will be happy to meet Draco. Will you help me, Alexander?”

“Of course, Circe. Anything for a friend.”

The new friends placed the bodies of Circe’s parents and younger siblings next to each other in the same room, then dragged the headless bodies of the Jikininki outside and tossed them in the barn. Once that chore was complete, Circe took several minutes to tell Alexander about the beautiful life her parents had given her and how much she would miss them and her sister and brother. Tears streamed down Circe’s cheeks as she and Alexander each lit a torch. They walked through the farmhouse, setting items on fire until, in a short time, the whole house was ablaze. Next, they walked to the barn and unceremoniously tossed their torches on a pile of straw, which immediately caught on fire.

The new friends stood on the rain-soaked path that ran between the house and barn, in silence. Alexander remembered how it felt to watch his mother die at the hands of a Beast Master soldier, and wanted to give Circe as much time as she needed to recover. As the flames transformed into glowing embers and the night sky reclaimed its dominance of the heavens, Circe reached for both of Alexander’s hands and, facing him, said,

“Thank you, my friend, for helping me through this. I’m not sure how I would have made it through all of this if you hadn’t been there to guide me along.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Circe. It was your courage and determination that made the difference. Unfortunately, this isn’t the end, but the beginning, and I’m afraid we will need your skills many more times before the world is rid of this Beast Master scourge.”

“I understand, Alexander. I just hope I’m up for the task. Maybe I should start by meeting your friend Draco.”

“I think that is an excellent idea. I know he’s ready to introduce himself. Simply relax and open your mind.”

She sat on a nearby log, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and waited. Circe felt calmness wrap around her like a warm blanket on a cold winter night.

“Hello, Circe! My name is Draco, and it is an honor to meet you. We have much to talk about, so shall we begin?