Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and supported The Guardians: Beginnings thus far. I'm sorry for the late update but I've been going through some severe writers block while also doing homework for my classes so please be patient as Tsunami should also be up within the weekend. Lastly, I did have the insperation to write a Taranee story and would ask that you all check it out and maybe leave a couple of reviews for it. Anyway enough ranting on with the chapter.


The Guardians: Beginnings

Chapter 7- Demons of the Desert

"You two ready," Amandela asks in a whisper as she, Rune, and Chankushept meet in the hall outside the room where the Roman and the Druid stayed.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Rune says with a nod. The two women then turn to the still timid looking Egyptian girl.

"Are you sure you want to do this," Amandela asks causing the former slave to tense up a little.

"Yes," Chankushept says while calming down some, "why do you ask?"

"Because from what our fearless leader has told me," Rune says as the three begin to walk toward the entrance to the home, "a lot of people will be after us."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Amandela says noticing that Rune's words seem to frighten Chankushept. "After all the heart wouldn't let anything happen to its Guardians."

"If you say so," Chankushept says timidly as the three women leave into the city hours before sunrise.

"Master Hetsh," a boy slightly younger than the three Guardians says as he pats the man on the shoulder to awaken him.

"What is it," the man gruffly asks in an agitated voice. He had been dreaming about how he was going to spend the money that he would be getting for that worthless girl.

"It seems my sister has left with those two women," the boy says causing the man to sit up quickly in his bed.

"What," he screams as load as he can sitting up in bed. "Inform the night watch that she has fled again." The boy quickly leaves the room as he says this. "When I get that stupid girl back I'll remember to remove her legs."

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"Well that was easy," Amandela says as she and the other two girls run as quickly and as quietly as possible through the streets.

"Maybe it was a little too easy," Rune says quickly hearing what sounds like a patrol coming their way.

"Oh no," Chankushept says hiding quickly while panicking, "they know I ran away again, and this time they're going to kill me. I know it."

"Chankushept," Rune says pulling the frightened girl close to her, "no one's going to kill you. We're here remember?" The Egyptian girl nods slowly but still appears frightened of the sounds of the patrol.

"That's right," Amandela says with a grin. "I swear we won't let anyone hurt you."

"Besides," Rune says with a slight chuckle, "I don't even think anyone knows we left yet."

"There they are," a patrol captain screams as he and about three armed men come around the corner.

"You were saying," Chankushept says timidly as the three turn on their heels and run from the men.

"Stop," the patrol captain screams as he and his men quickly follow in pursuit.

"Rune," Amandela says noticing that she is again the slowest of the three women with the other two ahead of her, "we need and exit."

"The gate we came in through is that way," Rune says pointing west as the three come across a main road.

"That gate heads west," Amandela says holding the heart out and sending the directional beams flying and effectively stunning the pursuers enough to make them slightly back off.

"What kind of magic," Chankushept says as the pink marble returns to Amandela's hand.

"I'll explain later," Amandela says, "but we need to head east not west."

"So then we have to cross an entire city," Rune says a little annoyed as the patrol gets its nerve back.

"You will go nowhere magi," the patrol captain screams running at the three with his spear at the ready, "that property does not belong to you." He then trips as a root wraps around his leg.

"I don't think you're going to stop us," Amandela says looking up at the still frightened patrol, "boo." With that the three men run quickly from the three while screaming the word demon down the street.

"Well that was easy enough," Rune said with a yawn of boredom.

"Um," Chankushept says tugging on Rune's robes, "what about them." The group then turns to see four black masses pull themselves out of the sandy road and take the shape of miniature versions of the Egyptian god Anubis. Then each one of them drew long pikes and readied themselves for battle.

"I'm guessing they were running from them," Amandela gulps.

"The woman has two hearts," one of the beasts whispers.

"Let us relieve her of that burden," another one says. The four of them then charge the three women only to have two large stone crush them instantly.

"I'm not afraid of shadows," Rune says with a grin that quickly turns to a frown as the four forms reemerge, but only now four more return to their place.

"Now there are six," Chankushept gulps.

"Actually there are eight," Amandela says drawing her gladius and readying herself, "we should work on your math skills."

"What's math," Chankushept asks quickly while shaking the back of her head as if she was embarrassed that she didn't know something that seemed to be common knowledge.

"Hey," Rune interrupts, "less talking more running away."

"Good plan," Amandela says cutting one of the beasts that attacks her in half before fleeing as it splits in two and the ten creatures give chase.

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Meanwhile, outside of the city a blue ripple forms near the banks of the Nile River.

"So this is what a new world looks like," a man with dark brown eyes and long black hair says as he looks at the city. He wore what appeared to be clothed worn by Japanese ninja and had a long kantana strapped to his back. "I was sure it would look a lot different."

"Who are you," an Egyptian Guard says walking up to the man, "and why is it you are here?"

"I am merely a traveling warrior," the man says quickly, "and I do not know where here is. If you would be so kind as to enlighten me."

"You are trespassing on the country of Egypt," the guard says angrily, "now who are you."

"Egypt huh," the man says as he shifts his hands into a variety of different positions before taking a deep breath and firing a large fireball at the guard. As the burning human lay limply on the ground the man smirked. "Then I will see the power of the warriors of this world starting here."

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"We're almost to the eastern gate," Chankushept says quickly. She was definitely the fastest of the three women. Amandela could only assume it came about from the hope that if she got her chores done quickly then that Hetsh guy wouldn't be angry with her.

"That's great," Rune says skidding to a stop as a large vine emerges from the ground to stop a barrage of arrows from slamming into her and Chankushept. "The only problem is that the damn thing is shut."

"Then open it," Amandela says avoiding another blow from the monsters behind them.

"But the archers will kill us," Chankushept says as she timidly hides behind Rune.

"She's right," Rune says hearing the sounds of another volley slamming into the vine. "If we leave this cover we'll be a group of dead Guardians."

"If we stay on the road we'll be dead Guardians," Amandela growls. The Anubis things had grown in number rapidly and now appeared to be a walking mass of shadow.

"We could always do that blue light thing out of here," Rune says calmly.

"And deal with that Raynia chick," Amandela says angrily, "I'd rather eat entrails." The two then look at Chankushept in disgust as she pleasantly hums to the sound of that.

"Adding that to the mental list," Rune asks.

"Oh yeah," Amandela says.

"There is no escape," one of the Anubis snarls.

"If only we were a bird," Chankushept says curling into a ball and praying that her death would be as quick as possible.

"That might work," Rune says remembering that the heart flashed to help keep Amandela uninjured after a fall. "Can the heart make us fly?"

"Rune," Amandela says angrily at her friend's lack of logic, "things with wings can't fly."

"Then think of something quick," Rune says as the swarm of Anubis get within arm's reach. Amandela couldn't think of anything to do. If they left the safety of Rune's vine then they would be pelted with arrows, but if they stayed they would be torn to shreds by these walking shadows. She just wanted some way out. She wanted to be in the dunes heading east to find the other two Guardians. She needed to find out a way when suddenly the three disappeared in a flash of green light.

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The three Guardians then land hard on the sand in what looked like the middle of nowhere.

"Okay," Rune says standing while dusting herself off, "what just happened?"

"You tele-transported," a gentle voice that Amandela knew all too well answers as the other two Guardians stand.

"Tele-what-now," Chankushept says before quickly hiding behind the safety of Rune, who had taken a defensive stance.

"It's okay guys," Amandela says as she gets in between Rune and the calm man, "this is Himerish."

"This is the God that gave you the heart," Rune asks walking up to the bald man for a closer inspection. "I was expecting more."

"I can assure you my dear Lady Rune," Himerish says happily, "that I am no god. I am but a member of a much larger council."

"So you're not a god," Amandela says with a disappointed tone.

"Once the five of you," Himerish says with a gentle grin, "are together as one group of…I believe you wish to be called Guardians." He gets a quick nod from Rune and Amandela at this statement. "You're powers together would actually far exceed my own."

"Why's that," Chankushept asks while looking at the man curiously. She wasn't used to see someone so powerful dressed so commonly.

"That I will have to explain later," Himerish responded, "for now I know you are safe. My abilities as a seer still need practice and when you disappeared from Earth you gave me quite a scare."

"We actually visited another world," Mandela says with a sigh, "a place called Meridian. We failed you and where not able to protect the people there."

"You would not have been able to have won that battle and had an outcome that did not in your terms 'fail' me. You see Raynia, as the Heart of Meridian, is pretty much free to do whatever she wants on her world for she is the magical force of her world. If you had defeated her you would have destroyed all magic on Meridian and thus doomed the planet."

"I think I get it," Rune says, "we are more like judges and peacekeepers than actual people that go in there and bust heads."

"That is correct." Himerish says calmly.

"Then that's Guardian rule number two," Amandela says with a grin, "Guardians always do what is best for the people of the area in order to try to keep the peace of a world as a whole."

"That is good," Himerish responds as the sun rises on the surface of the desert, "I must leave now but before I go I wish to grant you these." He then waves his hand in the air and all three girls glow in a peaceful white light. Soon their clothes are cleaned and mended and Amandela notices that the overly large outfit that she wore has shrunk to her size. The two then look at the almost fully transformed Chankushept, who know wore the outfit of a common "free" Egyptian woman. The three then turn to thank Himerish but the kind man had vanished from their field of vision. So with a shrug the three Guardians head off in an eastward direction to find their other two friends.

"Well well," Oak says with a grin, "they seem to be progressing nicely. I can't wait until they are strong enough to face me."