Chapter 2
"Is this the right turn?" Caroline asked, looking around anxiously.
Charlotte looked at her map, and said, "Yeah, it should be the one. We've just turned onto Oak Street. The address says 645 Oak Street, and right now, we just passed by 449 Oak Street… which means that we should be there in a few minutes.
Caroline said, "Okay," and continued driving. Then, she turned her head to Charlotte for a brief moment and asked nervously, "What do you think it's gonna be like? I mean, the interviews we had were intense!"
Charlotte answered, "Yeah, it's probably gonna be all intense… but we'll be fine. I mean, think of all the things we've done so far. I mean, we're not exactly damsels in distress," and gave Caroline a grin.
Caroline let out a short amused laugh, and then stopped the car, parking it perfectly. "We're here."
There was an old building in front of them. The state of disrepair looked like nobody had been in there in ages. Charlotte said, "Wow, this place really needs a reno."
"Uh-huh… yeah" Caroline said wholeheartedly, raising her eyebrows, as if in disbelief that this was the building they were supposed to meet their employers at. "Are you sure we got it right? This looks like one of those places where-"
Caroline was cut off by a sudden boom that sounded from inside the archaic building. The doors opened, and a man walked down the steps toward them. He had a serious, grave demeanor about him. He seemed too world-weary for someone who looked only in his mid-to-late twenties. It was the look of hardened grief that someone a decade older might have. As he stepped closer, Charlotte noticed that he had the most captivating eyes. One was dark brown and the other, a grey-blue. He was attractive, but in a modest way. He didn't seem like the type of guy who would boast about his looks, or shamelessly use them to take advantage of others.
"Are you Charlotte and Caroline?" he questioned them.
"Yes!" they answered.
"Hi, I'm Durik. It's nice to meet you," he said, outstretching his hand to Charlotte first, and then to Caroline. They shook hands.
"Please follow me," Durik said, leading the way into the building.
Charlotte exchanged a 'this is it' glance with Caroline, who took a deep breath.
They walked into a great hall. It was so entrancing. The outside had looked so shabby and unkempt, but not so the inside. The interior was rich and elegant. The designs were elaborate, in a breathtaking way. It seemed to be the work from a past era, a forgotten era. As they walked, they saw a few people here and there working. There were people reading files, collaborating and sharing ideas with one another, working on computers, and practicing fighting.
"Whoa," Charlotte thought. It was so cool! She thought, "This is a legit secret organization!" She felt so excited!
Then Durik turned around and said, "This is the Gard. It is a special division of our mother organization, which is called the Varden. This division is more modernized and it has set off on a different direction, but we are still a part of the Varden, so ultimately, we are the Varden as well. I am the leader of the Gard."
Charlotte was unpacking her bags in a room. They had been told previously to bring everything they would want to bring with them, as they would be away from home for quite a while. She was sharing a room with Caroline. It was a rather large room, and there was plenty of space for two people. There was even a little division in the wall, which made it feel more like two separate rooms that were connected, instead of just one room.
"Sooo," Caroline said, "what did you think of that Durik guy?"
Charlotte said, "He seems like a good leader. I wonder what made him so world-weary though. He probably has a dark past."
Caroline said, "Yeah," sympathetically, and then changed her tone, "But what I meant was… what a hottie… don't you think?" and grinned.
Charlotte laughed and said, "Yeah, what a stud! But he's our boss though. Don't you think it would be inappropriate?"
"Inappropriate? To think? Or something else…? 'Cause I didn't say anything else, you're the one who just turned this whole thing down toward the gutter," and grinned mischievously.
Charlotte smiled, shaking her head at her friend. "Maybe…" Charlotte said, but right now, her mind became occupied with memories of that mysterious stranger who had saved her from that kick six years ago. She had never seen him again, but she couldn't just erase her memories of him. She was so grateful to him; it was such an unexpected but kind act, and she was just enthralled by him. She thought, "It's pathetic to be in love with someone you don't even know. You can't just waste your years thinking about somebody you probably won't ever meet again."
"C'mon, I think you two would look so cute together," Caroline said.
Charlotte asked, "Awww. But what about you? You're single too, and you seem interested in him."
Caroline said, "Nah, he's hot, but he's not really my type."
Charlotte grinned and said evilly, "Ohh yeah, that's right. He's not murderous but caring, powerful but vulnerable, or anything like that, right?"
Caroline said, "Hey!" and threw a pillow at her.
Charlotte threw another pillow at Caroline and they had a short pillow fight, until they realized they should be acting more mature.
"HM," Charlotte cleared her throat, and they both exploded in fits of laughter.
