It's baaaaack!

Hey guys, welcome to the brand new sequel to Running for Life! It's been a long time coming (tried to start writing it last year, but...junior year of high school kind of punched me in the face. Several times. Not fun), but it's finally here! I hope you guys are as excited as I am :)

If you're a returning reader, welcome back! If you're new...you might want to go back and read Running for Life, or this really won't make sense XD

Well, without further ado...let us begin. :)


Chapter 1: A Guardian's Story

Tales of the Guardians: #5

By W. Joyce

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Jack.

He was seventeen years old. He was tall, pale, and had silvery white hair and crystal blue eyes. He was very thin and often had dark circles under his eyes. He was most commonly seen wearing a heavy, brown, hooded cloak that hid his face.

Why?

Because he was on the run.

Jack was a snow sprite, a race of people with the ability to fly and control the winter weather. Unfortunately, every other race in the kingdom believed that snow sprites were actually demons. The reason behind this was unclear, but the general agreement was that it was because people thought snow sprites attacked other villages. Since none of the attacks had actually been caused by snow sprites, Jack knew nothing of these false rumors. He was being hunted, and he didn't even know why.

Jack managed to survive on his own for six years. Since he was eleven, he overcame many hardships and trials. His survival was an incredible feat for a boy his age.

After he turned seventeen, the group of immortals we know as the Guardians of Childhood sought him out. Upon finding him, they brought him back to the capital of the tsardom, Soluna City, and arranged a meeting with the Tsar.

Tsar Lunar had some very exciting news for Jack. He had been chosen to become the fifth Guardian!

However, spending such a long time on his own meant that Jack was nervous around people now. He wasn't sure that the Tsar was actually telling the truth. To protect himself, he refused the offer.

Unfortunately for Jack, the choice was not his to make. The evil Nightmare King was rising again, spreading fear and darkness across the world.

Jack and the Guardians set out to stop him, stopping Nightmare attacks on innocent villagers as they went. They eventually ended up at Jack's old abandoned village, where the Nightmare King had an entrance to his lair. Courageously, they entered the darkness.

With their combined power, Jack and the Guardians chained the Nightmare King, eliminating his threat from the world. When they returned to Soluna City, they informed the public that snow sprites were not evil. Then, Jack finally accepted the Tsar's request, becoming an official Guardian, and still remains one to this day. Thus, with his past struggles far behind, the winter boy lived happily ever-

()()()()

Jack slammed the book shut with a scowl. "Unbelievable," he growled. "Five months and I'm already reduced to a 'happily ever after'."

Gritting his teeth in irritation, he replaced the book on the shelf. When North had told him that he had earned a spot in a newly written Guardians of Childhood storybook, he had been less than optimistic. It would be geared towards children, after all, so it would make sense that it would be a watered-down version of the events that actually occurred.

Still, was even a bit of realism too much to ask for?

Right, I refused Guardianship at first because I was "nervous around people," not because the Guardians hunted me and captured me like an animal, Jack thought angrily. And my old village wasn't burned to the ground, no! 'Twas merely abandoned! And it makes this whole thing seem like some sort of happy accident...oh, no one did anything wrong, it was all just a silly misunderstanding! Ugh…

A quiet chuckle sounded behind him. "Not your taste, I take it?"

Jack couldn't help but jump slightly in surprise as he whirled around to face the speaker. His muscles relaxed, however, as he recognized the red-haired man. "Simon," he laughed slightly. "Still have a habit of sneaking up on people, I see. What are you doing here?"

The young man gave a wry smile in response. "Well, I was supposed to just be passing through, but once I heard that the boy who took my arm was getting his very own place in a storybook, how could I leave without looking into it?"

All Jack had to offer in return was a slight scoff. "If you're hoping to be mentioned yourself, you're wasting your time," he said. "The author shaved off most of the actual story."

"To be expected," Simon replied with a nod. "It is directed towards children. Might as well spare them the gory details."

"The least they could do is acknowledge the fault on all sides," the young sprite grumbled. "They make it seem like everyone but the Nightmare King himself was completely innocent. Pure good versus evil...that never truly happens."

"I'm afraid not everyone proves mature enough to realize that," Simon told him. Then, he chuckled. "That in mind, I would've liked to see how our interactions would be handled in a children's book."

"As would I," Jack agreed with a laugh. "Most likely, they would either portray you as evil to justify the loss of your arm, or as a poor, innocent passerby who unfortunately had been possessed by a vile Fearling, and who of course still remained in possession of all four of his limbs, and certainly hadn't met our perfect young hero, Jack, yet!"

Simon wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Please, spare me the theatrics," he scoffed. "Ridiculous how children are apparently not allowed to know that the world is not divided into black and white. Their innocence should be preserved, of course, but they should not be raised to be naive adults."

"But, 'tis the nature of the world," Jack concluded. "As aggravating as it can be, it won't change anytime soon. For now, we'll just have to let kids believe that I'm living happily ever after, and, if any book ever mentions it, be confused by the fact that you and I can even talk to each other."

Simon nodded in agreement. It was true that their acquaintanceship was far from conventional. A few years before he had become a Guardian, Jack had been passing through Simon's hometown when his identity as a snow sprite had been discovered. Simon, a skilled archer, had nearly managed to catch the boy, but Jack's unpredictable magic had kicked in, serving to both save the sprite and freeze Simon's left arm solid. The two more officially met two years later in a cemetery, where Jack had gone to mourn his younger sister's recent death alone. Simon, having devised a contraption worn on his leg to retain his ability to use a bow, intended to finish what he had started and end the snow sprite's life.

However, the two began to talk instead. Jack explained what had happened and that everything was purely self-defense. He hadn't exactly expected Simon to understand, but the young man had been surprisingly mature about the situation once he had learned the truth. Unfortunately, a Fearling in league with the dark being who had secretly led Simon to Jack in the first place possessed the archer and attempted to carry out the murder anyway. Jack was saved by a protective spell and the Fearling was eventually driven from Simon's body. Ultimately, the two parted peacefully as respectful acquaintances.

Seeing as Simon was a hunter by trade, he often traveled between the northern and southern regions of Soluna, called Iskald and Motoraus respectfully, and usually made a stop in the capital, Soluna City. Jack was currently staying in the city full-time, as it was where the other Guardians were helping him get used to his new role as one of them. Luckily, the weather there was chilly year-round, so it was an ideal place for a snow sprite to live.

Because they both frequented the area, Jack and Simon often encountered each other by chance, and had become more friendly towards one another as a result. They were not explicitly "friends," but they were willing to have the occasional conversation. Given their misdeeds against each other, they both figured they had reached a point at which they were even, and neither desired any continuation of conflict between them.

Now, they both stepped out of the small bookstore and into the silvery, twilit streets of Soluna City. Silver was considered a color representative of regality and poise, and the capital was almost entirely coated in silver that had been magically preserved to the point where it would never tarnish. The inside of the Tsar's palace was the same way, but Jack felt that it gave off an entirely different air. The palace was cold, lifeless, and eerie, while the city streets were alive, busy, and beautiful. Jack had never exactly been fond of crowds, but he was gradually beginning to get used to them.

"So, off to Motoraus again, I take it?" Jack asked as they walked.

Simon nodded. "Yes," he said. "I've got a rather large stock of meat I need to sell down there." He smirked slightly. "There's so much I even had to buy an extra saddlebag to carry it all. Not bad for just one arm, hm?"

Jack gave a nod in response. "Not bad at all," he agreed. "When are you heading out?"

"In about three days," Simon replied. "I'd like to conduct a bit of business here before traveling back down there. Why do you ask?"

The boy shrugged. "I was curious. Interestingly enough, I'm going to Motoraus myself soon, only I have to leave tomorrow morning."

The archer's eyebrows raised in surprise. "A snow sprite going to Motoraus? I thought they couldn't handle such intense heat, especially in summer."

"Normally, we can't," said Jack. "But it's for official business...the Tsar's sending me out on what he calls my 'first solo mission'. It's to get me used to my role as a Guardian, apparently. He gave me this to wear down there." Jack showed the young man the silver amulet around his neck, set with a shimmering blue gem. "'Tis infused with magic to ward off the heat."

"Interesting…" Simon mused as he examined the amulet. "That seems like quite the treasure." He looked up while Jack replaced it beneath his tunic. "What is your mission? Or is it some sort of secret?"

Jack gave a shrug. "Perhaps 'mission' is too glamorous a term," he said. "It's more of a brief assignment. It does sound serious, as children in a Motorean village are reportedly going missing, but all signs point to the culprits being a small group of bandits merely holding them for ransom. Luckily, they seem to be keeping the children safe and healthy so they can be returned...the bandits aren't completely bloodthirsty. Nothing I can't handle."

Simon nodded. "Well, I wish you luck all the same."

"Thank you."

"So, where are you headed at the moment?"

"Back to the base," Jack replied. "I need to finish packing Zephyr's saddlebags for the journey."

"Ah, then I won't keep you," Simon told him. "I have selling to do, after all. Travel safely."

"Thank you. I wish the same for you."


And with that, Into the Dark, sequel to Running for Life, is finally underway! I have to say...I'm excited for what's to come. :)

I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter, and I'll see you next week for Chapter 2!

Until then, Sapphire316, out.