Hello my patient audience!
I apologize for being gone for so long, but I was just getting through the main part of the school year and really didn't have time to focus on anything else. Only lately have I had the time and inspiration to finish up this chapter (and add a little to reward of 1,000 extra words to those of you who have waited.)
I had previously lost faith in my writing abilities -which also contributes to the late release- so I'm experimenting with a couple new ideas. Tell me what you think in the reviews! I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to leave a review or a favorite. Your support means so much to me and it really motivates me to follow through on my chapters! Thank you all so very much!
Praise for my reviewers will be given at the end of the chapter!
I'll see you at the bottom. Please enjoy. :)
Disclaimer: Sonic and crew are owned by Sega and the Sonic Team. Blitz and Alfonso are owned by me. LL is owned by Comrade Athelwine.
~ o - Chapter 10 - o ~
The windows on either side of the hallway exploded in a rain of shards. A scream died in my chest, the sheer fear of the invasion left me breathless. Sonic moved fast, and I shamefully realized he could probably sprint to safety had I not been such an anchor. But there was no change in his decision of pulling me along. His iron grip had not faltered in the least, nor did his expression of escalating panic. I had to ask myself why anyone would be stupid enough to save me. Underneath these clothes, after all, I was still a peasant.
The screams and fearful yells sounded through the castle. The hair on the back of my neck prickled, my blood running cold. Behind me, I could feel the eyes of the enemies on my back -the tips of their arrows targeting my spine- and a rush a fear and adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I ran.
I was running. Running for my life.
We turned a corner leading down to a large wooden door. The hall never looked so long. The air had never seemed so heavy. My legs ached from trying to keep stride with Sonic.
Why had I been the one he wanted to bring along? The intruders were after him! He was stupid stupid stupid for thinking I could be of any protection, he was even stupider to think that he could protect me when he was the real one in jeopardy.
An arrow whistled by my cheek, embedding itself into the wooden door. My heart jumped in my chest, and on pure reflex I craned my neck around to look behind us.
I stared.
At least twenty men were sprinting after us like a pack of hungry wild wolves. Behind them, lined up in a battle formation were archers, the tips of their arrows glinting like a demon's wink.
Sonic yanked at my arm to bring me to attention. He sternly pulled me aside behind a antique wood ornament cabinet. He put his hand up as if to say, "stay," and although my legs collapsed underneath me immediately, the reflex to jump out the third story window and sprint as far as my legs would take me still held strong.
Sonic pulled away, all my warmth left with the release of his hand. Two arrows whistled and distinctly punctured the wall where Sonic once stood. He was at the double doors now. With desperate strength he pulled so hard on the iron knob I thought it was going to rip off. The doors heavily thudded together, a hollowness echoed within them.
Locked.
I was sure I was going to faint. The enemies were upon us. The archer's strings were reloaded and drawn. Sonic turned to me, so despairingly out of reach, and his expression dropped my heart into my stomach.
The doors cracked open like lightning. The doors swung freely on their hinges. Sonic ducked and covered, rolling out of the way of the doors. Like an angry lion, Blitz roared into the room. Arms pumping, expression fierce, armored to his teeth in metal plating and an array of weapons, Blitz led in his army of guardsmen.
The guards and invaders crashed together, the deafening sound of swords scraping and metal striking rang in my ears. I flinched back into the corner, dizzy and disoriented due to the array of sounds around me. Glass shattered -the window next to me- and I ducked. In the moment that I closed my eyes, someone had me around the shoulders.
A spark of adrenaline ran through me, and my eyes popped open so wide I thought they were going to fall out of my skull. The first thing I noticed was green fur, then flexing muscles as he tried to guide me away from the corner. I stepped with him and struggled to find my balance in his embrace, his body was caved over me like a shield and led me out the double doors and into the room.
He took me by the shoulders once in the room. I stared at his armored chest for a couple seconds until his blue eyes met mine.
"Are you okay?" Scourge asked breathlessly, looking over my arms and face, "You're not hurt, are you?
I gulped a knot in my throat and answered, "I'm fine, thank you," I searched the room. "Where is—"
"Here."
I turned around and Sonic was standing not ten feet away. His voice was flat, his expression stern, but his eyes weren't on me. They were past me, glaring at Scourge.
"We need to keep moving," Scourge said, his large hands leaving my shoulders. Scourge ran just inches away from bumping Sonic's shoulder, their glares grinding against each other, the heat of their friction tangible in the air. Sonic stayed motionless for a moment as if Scourge's glare had left him stunned, then with sudden determination, he turned to follow him. I picked up my pace and followed up next to Sonic.
"Where are we going? I asked.
"To one of five safe tunnels. It will get us out of the castle and to the outskirts of the acres," Sonic replied without a glance at me.
Scourge was waiting for us at the door to a side room.
"How is my father and LL?" Sonic asked Scourge as we rushed through the door.
Scourge gestured for us to cut across the lecture room, "They were fine last I heard. They're with Lord Shadow and a majority of the higher ranked guards being escorted out the west safe tunnel."
The door ahead of us burst open, two hooded figures charged in, a scuffle of men behind them.
Sonic and I came to an abrupt halt. Scourge unsheathed his sword and ascended upon them without hesitation. Up close the enemy's clothes were similar to everyday commoners, only all black and padded for protection. Each of them had a sword and bow, which made me question the accessibility of these weapons. Only their angry eyes were visible over their masks, and it made me cringe at the thought these people were actually anthropomorphic.
Scourge swung, his blade matching with the enemy's, then spun and caught the man on his side. He spun to take on the next enemy but a smaller blade from elsewhere sliced through the air and embedded itself into the back of the enemy's hood.
The enemy fell to the ground and Blitz backed into the room, caught in a fight with an enemy. The blonde commander drop-kicked the man and once he was to a knee, took him by the back of the head and slammed his face into his knee.
I cringed, a sickness at the sight settling into my stomach. Blitz let the man slump to the side, turning to face the three of us with a stoic gaze.
"Turn back," he said, pointing to the door we just came through.
"What?" Scourge looked at him in disbelief.
"Cease your troubles, Commanders!"
All eyes turned to the gurgling voice. It was the man Scourge had cut in the side. The enemy's wound bled all over the wood floor yet his eyes were wild with energy. Whether we wanted it to be or not, all our attention was on the dying enemy, interested in what he had to say.
"You are our trouble." Scourge replied. "And we will not cease until you are all dead."
Although we could not see his mouth under his mask, the enemy's eyes reflected a wild smile.
"Take your precious prince and king for they are not of our intention," the enemy began to shake, like his body was shaking out the last of his dying breath.
"Take all your royals away, for they mean none but the dirt beneath our feet."
His twitching eyes set on me, chilling me right to my very soul.
"It is the young Guardian we desire, for she holds the key to our very fates!" the enemy cackled thickly.
My heart dropped into my stomach and fear blanketed me in a cold that sank into my very bones. The weight of the commanders and the prince's eyes were on me. All with similar expressions of disbelief.
They were here for me.
Feeling as though I had been swallowed by a dark void, I wrapped my arms numbly around myself, my legs ready to collapse.
I was the reason for all this.
"The bane of our order! The destroyer of faiths! The catalyst of war!" The man's chant cut into my heart.
"The bane of our order! The destroyer of faiths! The catalyst of w—" The man choked and spat. I came to my senses realizing Scourge had just slit his throat.
Sonic's fingers hovered lightly over my shoulder, as if hesitant to touch me.
"Amy you don't—"
"I'm sorry, Prince Sonic, but we need to move. We can worry about this later," Blitz faced Scourge, "The north tunnel has been blocked."
The straightforward tone and tight muscles made Blitz a stranger to me.
"Our only choice now is to get to the west safe tunnel," Blitz said.
Sonic pulled me so we would run together as a group back where we came. My limbs felt empty and hollow with each step.
Scourge threw Blitz a concerned look, "Shadow, the king, and Leonardo are going out that passage. Do they know we're coming?"
Blitz kept his eyes trained on the horizon, "no, but that only means we'll have to get there before they lock us out."
Sonic and I exchanged worried glances. Scourge shook his head.
"And if we can't we'll be fucked," Scourge spat bitterly under his breath.
Blitz's cracked a smirk, "That's the spirit."
~ o ~
I was yanked through the door by Sonic, Scourge close behind me. The door shut agonizingly slow, the image of the enemies coming at us with fiery rage burned into my mind. A blood curdling cry of rage seemed ever so close, the iron door locked shut just in time to cut off whatever bloodthirsty monster had charged for us. Every movement I made down the stairs seemed loud and clumsy, my legs were jelly underneath me, a knife stabbed through the arches of my feet, and my heart beat in my ears. I breathed in the musty thick smell of mold and darkness, descending down the stairs only a step behind Sonic. The earthy coolness hung thick around me, I wrapped my arms around myself in hope of gaining both comfort and warmth. The ringing of war and metal clashing still rang in my ears, no matter how many walls were between me and the fighting, I knew I would never escape it. This mess of fighting and running and confusion had somehow become my new life. Living in the castle was no longer a blessing, but a curse. I forever had a target on my head. And as I was realizing now, I would forever be running.
The stairs ended at a perpendicular hallway, dimly lit by flickering torches that offered no heat to the cool dirt cave. Ahead of the group, Shadow held the king's weight on his shoulder, halfway carrying him deeper into the cave. Our silence held tense in the thick air.
I was hyper aware of Scourge at my shoulder, his face was unreadable in the flickers of torchlight. I could only judge by his body language, which told me he wanted to stay close, and he wanted to keep an eye on me.
"At the end of this hall, we will be released into the outskirts of the castle walls. There's a house there where we can stay and regroup," Scourge whispered to me in a voice only I could hear.
Sonic turned over his shoulder, a sharp suspicion written in his features that instantly vanished when Blitz marched ahead of us, his metal gear clinking in harmony as he strode to meet Shadow.
"Where's LL?" Blitz's tone was like a knife that pierced the silent air.
The tone of Blitz's voice had all of our attentions immediately. The flickering torchlight half illuminated Blitz's face, pronouncing his fierce scowl. Shadow sighed tiredly, turning his attention to him.
"The enemies overwhelmed us. I alone could not protect him," Shadow cast his eyes forward again, pulling the limp king on his shoulder more, "he stayed behind with the guards."
All of Blitz's muscles noticeably tightened, he stopped walking and locked his jaw as he bore icy daggers into Shadow's profile.
"You left him behind?! His voice escalated to a yell, his fists were now clenched, "You know he can't defend himself!"
Shadow shook his head as if he could shake away the problem. Sonic approached his father and took him on his shoulder so Shadow could face Blitz.
"There were too many nearing the tunnel—"
"He is vital to this kingdom as much as you are," Blitz's voice was cold, the two were face to face now, both stricken with anger, "What about our oath?! We are sworn to protect—"
"I am but one man, Blitz!" Shadow's voice boomed.
Shadow's frustrated yell cleared the air of any noise. Shadow held Blitz's fiery gaze. I feared we would have a fight on our hands. And since they were the deadliest men in Solstice, there was a large chance it wouldn't end well.
"I cannot risk my folly being his death," Shadow said slowly and carefully.
The torches reflected in Blitz's eyes. He was completely still, coiled like a snake ready to strike. He turned and headed back the way we came.
"I'm going after him."
Shadow swooped around Blitz and shoved the heel of his hand firmly into his chest. Blitz came to an abrupt halt, two frustrated blonde hairs falling in his eyes.
"You cannot reopen the doors. You'll risk us being overwhelmed again. Besides, you can't go alone," Shadow insisted.
The blonde hedgehog didn't even look him in the eyes, he stared angrily at something off in the distance, silent but rigid. The aura around him pulsed as angrily as the torches on the wall. After a few tense moments, Blitz set his eyes dangerously on Shadow.
"I can and I will. If you try to stop me again, I won't hesitate to fight you."
The venom in his words was warning enough to prevent Shadow from moving when Blitz pushed passed him.
He marched off into the darkness, not looking back as he said, "You are a fool to think I would leave my brother behind."
A gasp caught in my throat and my eyes widened. Brother?
I turned in hope of seeing Blitz but he had disappeared in the darkness. Their blonde quills, their blue eyes, their similar body shapes, their humor and wit; Chaos, I was blind to not see it before! They were the same, but different. One with the willpower, strength, and determination to take down armies, the other a mastermind that deceives and assists the king. One brother closed, the other open.
Why was I not told that they were brothers?!
Shadow mumbled as he walked past, just loud enough for me to hear, "Family is a personal matter."
When I turned to meet his eyes, he turned away and took his place next to the king and Sonic. Shadow's words held true, we should not interfere in their matters, but within his words I also found, coincidentally, the answer to my question.
~ o ~
"This is an outrage! An incursion against the castle!" the Council member slammed his fist against the table for emphasis.
I jolted in my seat at his fist pound, a scared energy still running through me from the invasion only hours ago. Scourge, who sat beside me, put a gentle hand on my shoulder, I looked to him and half-smiled to assure him I was fine.
Even though on the inside, I was totally not fine.
Like the farthest thing from "fine" I've ever been.
The room roared in raging agreement, the lords throwing their fists in the air, nearly hitting each other in the face as they stood huddled around the Council table.
Another booming voice peaked above the wave of chatter, "for these filthy rebels to break into our castle, destroy our valuables, kill our noblemen, and leave once their fun hath been satisfied is an insult to our very royal society!"
The room again echoed in a riot-like manner. The excess of bodies and lack of windows and color made me feel like we were starting some sort of prison riot. The sticky wave of body heat overcame me and I suddenly began to feel sick. Scourge hardly took his eyes off me. It was clear from his desperate look of concern that he was restraining himself from trying to physically comfort me.
The door burst open and Shadow barged into the room, Blitz shortly following. The crowd took no note of him and continued harassing the Council table. Shadow shouldered through the crowd until he approached the table, across from where the king sat tiredly.
"Your highness," Shadow tried to announce in hope the crowd would simmer.
The riots continued. King Nazo sat tiredly at his table. At his temple, I could see a frustrated pulse growing, his fingers pressing in circles there. Then King Nazo slammed his palms against the table, standing up so rapidly his chair tumbled out from behind him.
"SILENCE!" He bellowed in a voice that shattered all the others.
The room was suddenly silent, paralyzed in awe at the king. Nazo's upright quills made him tower above the rest of the Councilmen that were standing. His silvery fur glowed like snow on a mountain.
"Is this what my castle has become?! Spineless and accusatory!? Are you my worthy advisory or my skittish pets?"
No one in the room dared to answer. There was a sense of appall hanging in the crowd, surprised -or perhaps enlightened- by the fact the king had scolded them like they were misbehaving children.
"If you dare let the enemy see the whining cowards you have become, then put your head on the chopping block now, for you have lost before you have even began."
The king's tone was stern and bold, each and every person in the room felt the impact of his words. In the crowd, some people bowed their heads and put a fist over their chest— a sign of respect.
"We must show these delinquents that their shamble of an invasion left no mark on our reputation! They will pay for what they have done and all other enemies will tremble at the force at which we crack down on them!"
The crowd roared in agreement. One by one the men kneeled and the king was the highest one, looking over his people with pride.
"So I ask you again, are you my skittish pets or my worth advisory!?" The king thrust a fist in the air.
"Your worthy advisory, my king," the room bellowed in strong agreement, even if rehearsed it wouldn't have been as harmonic as that moment.
The door burst open and most of the room jumped to their feet. Even Scourge had come out of his seat and had his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Alfonso was in the doorway, his ink black hair hung frustratedly in his face, his teeth grinding as he surveyed the room with his unsteady raging eyes,
"I leave for three days and our fair castle is violated by filthy intruders," his voice was strained, "What is the meaning of this?!"
Shadow got up on the Council table to gain everyone's attention.
"Lord Blitz, the Guard, and I have surveyed the castle thoroughly. The invaders left without warning. As far as we know, nothing valuable was taken," he announced.
A confused mutter ran through the room, but instantly quieted down when the king raised his hand for them to be silent.
Shadow continued, "Three Councilmen are dead, many of our guardsmen are dead, and we found the body of our Weapon Master in the Gaia courtyard."
My eyes shot open, looking up at Shadow.
The Weapon Master. He wasn't dead because of the raid. He was dead because of LL.
Shadow's red eyes shot to me and studied me for a moment. Something in my expression must have interested him because his eyes lingered on me for just a moment.
Alfonso stepped forward, "I didn't ask for a death recall, Lord Shadow," his tone was degrading, "I asked what is the meaning of this raid."
Shadow crossed his arms but showed no other signs of irritation. He was stoic but his tone was more solemn than before.
"As we learned from a dying invader, their goal was to attack our Chaos Guardian."
The room turned in a flurry of heads to look at me. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I suddenly wanted to run away again. Run away and hide and never come out. Their eyes, their narrowed unblinking eyes tore into my soul, sending a death wish upon me. I had nothing to do with the raid, and yet here I was, taking the burn for it. I stifled a cry, I looked at the ground, I buried my face in my hands. I didn't want to be seen. I never wanted to be in this position. The hatred from the royals had become too much.
"I see," Alfonso said in a slow calculating voice, "so a rebellion has begun."
His silver and crimson eyes settled on me, bright eyes hidden behind a curtain of black strands.
Lord Blitz stood up next to Shadow, "against the new and not properly inaugurated Chaos Guardian? Your highness, these rebels are only using the Chaos Guardian as an excuse to turn us against our legendary gift from Chaos."
Lord Blitz didn't make eye contact with me, instead he stood solid staring into the eyes of Alfonso. A bold move for a Lord against a High Lord, eye contact suggested challenge and a disgrace of power. I could see in the set features of his face that Blitz was aware…and didn't fear it.
"Then how is it that for the first time in over one-hundred years the castle has been infiltrated? Only a group of delinquents with one soul purpose could devise a plan so daring," Alfonso steadied his gaze on the blonde Commander.
Shadow stepped in front of Blitz, "And for that reasoning, we keep the kingdom under lockdown until we understand how they came and went so easily, your highness," the dark hedgehog swiped his hand across the air as if to clear the disagreement.
"And be careful we must," Alfonso broadened his focus to the rest of the silent royals, "History doesn't change. Grudges don't weaken with time."
Alfonso's words struck my heart. I didn't bother to look at Alfonso for acknowledgment, his personal jab came in loud and clear. The title I held was tainted. Hanging in the air was the unspoken topic, the suspicion that -if I'm even the Guardian- I would turn sour at any moment and do the same as the previous Guardian.
"That's enough, Alfonso," King Nazo stepped into the conversation, "Lady Rose doesn't deserve this unworthy criticism. Nor does she deserve these assassin attempts." I looked up at the king, my eyes shimmering with brimming tears. Finally, someone who understood.
"I'll escort her out, your majesty."
The familiar voice lifted my hands from my head so fast that my eyes needed time to adjust. An armored soldier, his hand out, his red locks falling over his shoulders as he leaned down to be an eye level.
"I'm here, Ames," Knuckles whispered for my ears only.
"Take her somewhere to clear her mind," the king nodded his head, "This day has been hectic for us all."
I smiled at the king for his sympathy, being careful not to catch the eyes of any of the royals. I turned to leave, but out of the corner of my eye I caught Scourge, folded over so his elbows were on his knees, his shoulders dropping. His eyes were steadied on a spot on the ground as if he was afraid to look up. A part of me crumbled, wondering how I could just left him after everything he has done for me. He protected me, comforted me, and I return his compassion by leaving him without even a thank you. As if noticing my hesitation, he looked up, a longing look in his eyes as he studied me for a moment. The room was so stiffly silent and under Knuckles' intense gaze, I knew this was not the time for an emotional thank you. I flashed Scourge a ghost of a smile and followed Knuckles into the hall.
Within moments, Knuckles had lost his formal facade. His fingers were tangled in his long red locks, pulling at them in frustration as he shook his head.
"I can't believe I couldn't protect you. I promised I would —if I could have done what I wanted, I would," Knuckles seemed to be giving himself more of an excuse than he was to me, "they had blocked off all the halls. I couldn't get to you. I…I'm sorry."
My eyes were trained on the doorway ahead even though I could feel Knuckles' eyes surveying my profile, wanting my attention, wanting my reassurance. My chest was pent up with so much fear and confusion and anxiety, I couldn't even fake the comfort. Chaos, I needed the comfort more than he did. Men that went as far as invading the castle wanted my head on a stake. For…what was it again? Apparently I was the bane of order, destroyer of faiths, and a catalyst of war…so basically because I had the title "Chaos Guardian."
"Amy, I understand if you're mad," he responded to my stiff silence and stricken expression, "I know I swore—."
"The Commanders protected me. I'm just fine," I cringed at how quick I was to answer him.
Knuckles cocked his head towards me, surprised at my bluntness, "Are you sure you're fine?"
Oh, it took you that long to notice I wasn't?
I shook my head slowly, my lips pursed into a line. How could I tell Knuckles what I saw today? What those invaders were truly after. What they thought of me for being the Chaos Guardian. I can't put that kind of worry on him. I care about him too much to pour my life problems on him. I stopped walking and took a deep breath.
"I'll be fine. I'm just shook up," I was sure to not make eye contact with him so he wouldn't truly know, "I just need some time on my own."
Knuckles moved to try to get me to look at him, but I dropped my gaze to the floor or down a different hallway every time.
"Ames…you know you can tell me anything," he said in a softer tone.
I folded my arms and sucked in my bottom lip, nodding slightly. My heart felt like it was pushed up against my chest, I feared my emotions would be too intense to handle. I had to get away from here before I said something I would regret.
"I'm gonna go to the library. Do some reading. Clear my mind."
"I'll escort you there," he said, starting to walk in that direction.
I put a hand up, "No, Knuckles. I need to be alone," needles stung at the back of my throat.
He gently took me by the wrist, "I can't do that, Ames. It's still dangerous for you to walk around alone."
My frustration boiled in my chest. Where had my privacy gone? I had now become some helpless girl that couldn't walk alone without getting into trouble. Everyone in the castle wanted to watch me. Watch the strange girl with the glowing green energy, see what she does. Keep her restrained. One wrong move and she could kill us all by accident. If she didn't kill us, surely the assassins after her would do away with everyone.
I turned away from him and stormed off another hallway, "I'll be fine by myself."
Knuckles' voice neared, "You need protection—."
I turned on my heels so fast, Knuckles stopped in his tracks. His urgent expression sobered and I felt of pang of guilt, but the rage that erupted from my chest was too reflexive to stop.
"I am the Chaos Guardian," saying it to myself with so much conviction made a part of me swell, "I can protect myself."
Without another word, I stormed down the hallway, leaving Knuckles behind in a stupor. As I got further and further away from Knuckles, my words played back in my head.
I am the Chaos Guardian.
But would people really believe me? And more importantly…
Am I right?
~ o ~
The blonde fox's fingers hovered over the binding of the top shelf of books. His blue eyes concentrated as he precariously leaded over the side of the ladder to read the bindings.
"Maybe a look at the Guardian's role within the castle could help you…" he handed me a thick book with a dark green cover.
He thought for a moment, rubbing his chin, then pushed the ladder further down the row, "I believe we have some documents of the Guardian's travels here somewhere…"
I adjusted the three books in my arms, "um, I think I'll just stick with these for now. Thanks, Tails."
He nodded with a smile, "Alright. No problem, Lady Rose. Let me know if you need anything else."
He slid down the ladder with a carefree ease, his white boyish smile flashing just before he walked back to the front desk.
I made my way to the back of the library where the isolated rooms were. I sighed with relief at the vacancy.
No more distractions. Maybe I can finally get some peace of mind.
I set down the three books on the wooden desk, collapsing into a chair and blowing out a breath I felt I had been holding in since before the raid began.
I should have been napping, I realized in that moment, my body was tired and my eyes were just beginning to feel heavy. I felt a headache emerging from my temples, confirming my exhaustion. With a sigh, I ran my thumb down the binding of the first book.
But how was I supposed to nap when nightmares plagued my dreams?
I shook my head, what was wrong with me?
Have I been traumatized? Cursed to never sleep peacefully again?
With a huff I opened the book and began searching through the pages.
Not an hour after I had begun my search, I heard a soft knock at the door. Tails was bringing me more books. I tiredly pushed myself from my seat and went to the door and opened it. My breath was knocked out of me and all my senses awakened at once.
"Sorry to bother you," Scourge said, casting his eyes away briefly. He slowly crossed his arms across over his broad chest nervously. "I just wanted to…be sure you were okay."
A couple beats of silence went by, then his words hit me. My emotions seeped into my cheeks like they were under flame.
"I'm fine," I said a little too fast.
He immediately raised an eyebrow, "You're fine?"
I pursed my lips, trying to stand comfortably under his blue gaze but to no avail, "Well….a little shaken," I took a deep breath, looking back at the desk, "I'm just trying to escape a little."
I heard him take a step forward into the room -no- I felt him take a step. His warm body moved in a wave to close the space that was once between us. Our shoulders nearly touching as he surveyed the table with careful consideration.
"Researching the Guardian?" he asked, after a glance at the books.
"Yeah, I'd like I need to learn about what these invaders really want from me, and maybe find something about who I am along the way."
Scourge approached the table, his fingers brushing over the books with an agile grace. He was stuck in his thoughts, his eyes narrowed at the open pages like he was trying to decipher a code.
"What do you want to know?" he asked, continuing to circle the table.
"Anything that will help me understand the Guardian more," I said.
His finger stopped over a map of the castle acres. He stopped his progress and drew his fingers up to his lips in thought.
"There's a map of the castle acres here," he observed.
He scanned over the table of books and pushed aside some scripts to pull over a specific book. He flipped through the pages.
"Do you know something about this?" I approached him.
"No, but it could be a map to something the previous Guardian left behind," Scourge looked at me with a mild excitement in his eyes, "it's worth another look."
His excited smile sent tingles down my spine, I couldn't help but smile too. He worked gracefully, grabbing books and searching through the pages efficiently. The features of his face drew into a chiseled focus. He held such a presence of control over his work that I was afraid to jump in and ruin his rhythm. He was comfortable, moving agilely to reach for books and push things aside, this mess of books and papers was his element. It was pleasing to watch him in such a natural state. Then again, put this man in any element and I was sure he would move with the same grace. He was impressively dynamic, from fighting to social settings to researching, he had the confidence to manage it and own the moment.
"I can't seem to find any maps that resemble this one," Scourge said after a long time of looking.
"Oh, I can get Tails to bring us some more," I stepped towards the door.
The light brush of his hand on my wrist stopped me in my tracks. His grip was gentle and caring like he was holding something small. His thumb brushed over my wrist as he tugged me back so I would look at him.
"There's no need for that," his warm smell wafted into my nose and made my toes curl with pleasure. "We have everything we need here."
If there was a smell for passion, he was emanating it. It was a bold scent that drew me in like a warm warm grip fell away but his eyes lingered longer. I felt blush creeping its way up my cheeks, so I turned away to hide it.
"Okay um…well there are some letters here to the king involving the Guardian. We can look at those," I said, pulling over the packet of bounded letters.
He reached over to get them, his biceps flexing effortlessly in the light. His chest grew nearer to mine, nearly body against body. I pressed my lips together to stifle a shaky inhale.
"Let's take a look," his voice sounded an octave deeper.
He began flipping through the letters, looking at the sender and the first couple sentences of each one. He threw some aside once reading the sender. I picked one up.
"Why do you not want to read the ones from the king of Aurora?" I asked.
"The king is absolutely insane and takes a sadistic pleasure in giving people trouble," he said with a hint of scorn. "His name is King Alexander but most call him The Mad Bat. He just sends other kingdoms nonsense most of the time and his queen, Queen Theodora, has to send a follow up letter apologizing for his disturbance," he said, handing me a letter from Aurora, "See for yourself."
I opened the letter and unfolded the paper inside. Immediately I realized a problem. The entire letter was written in a mess all over the page. Words were not lined up with their sentences and the sentences curved around and were written upside down. The ink was in different strange colors and the page was ripped at the bottom. And it was not written in cursive, it was written in different styles, like a modified form of printing. It looked as though a four year old boy wrote it.
"Look on the back," Scourge said.
I flipped it over and in big print letters, it said, "I REFUSE TO CONFORM TO THE WORDS."
"Oh," was all I could manage after seeing the letter.
"And somehow that man is king," Scourge shook his head, reading over another letter.
I picked up another letter and opened it. It was a drawing, of a bird with it's wings spread wide open. In the center of it's chest he wrote, "the Guardian." Underneath the drawing were two words. "It's free."
Something about it clicked with me. It really didn't seem so crazy.
"Here's the follow up letter to that one from the queen," he tossed it my way.
I didn't acknowledge it. I read the date of the letter and looked for other letters sent around that time from him. I found another only a couple days later. It had a very uneven poem written in it.
Rocks are stone people
Chairs are trees
The dresser is a crook
And the steps it takes
To get to the Phoenix
Are greatly overlooked
By the eyes of south
But not by the sun
Who counts in threes
"I see you, Guardian," the king wrote at the bottom.
I lifted up his previous letter with the bird, then reread his poem.
Counts in threes.
I pulled over the stack of papers Scourge was going through. He looked at me with a look of mild concern.
"You wanna see more craziness from the Mad Bat?" he asked skeptically, setting down the letter he was looking at.
I scanned dates for another letter, "I don't think he's completely crazy."
Scourge chuckled, "You haven't even met him, Amy. He is one of the strangest men you will ever meet. Not a single thing out of his mouth makes sense," he realized I wasn't fazed and insisted, "he finds cruel and unusual punishments for criminals, rides men into wars they can't win, and the kingdom is very poor. He's mad, Amy."
I found a letter dated a week later and pulled it roughly out of the stack, "I think he just has a weird way of telling things," I said.
I opened it up, Scourge was at my shoulder, looking at it with me. It was a drawing with a caption.
"Phoenix Arrangement."
It was a room arrangement for a were tables with chairs and a few flowers here and there. In the center was a piece of furniture, a dresser. On the very outskirts were smaller tables and only one had a large flower arrangement.
"Won't you come have tea with us?"
"What about it? He just sent us a drawing of a tea party he wants to have," he sneered at the page.
I looked over the poem and pulled over the castle map.
"It's more than that," I pointed to a chair, "chairs are trees, stone people are rocks…" I slid the map closer to compare.
"It's like the map," he said with escalating excitement. "The dresser is a crook…" -he pointed to the dresser in the picture- "that could be the old cellar where some peasants used to hide objects they stole from the royals," his eyes lingered on me as he spoke, "I matches to the Guardian's map."
"The flowers on the tables…they're sunflowers," I continued, "that's the sun he's talking about."
"But there's three of them," Scourge said, pointing to the lone flowers on the tables. I was suddenly aware his shoulder was inches from mine.
I was momentarily distracted by his closeness, it was becoming difficult to focus on the task at hand. My mind wanted to wander. Wander to him.
Counts in threes. It hit me, "they're distance markers."
Scourge studied my profile, "So it's three miles to get there?"
"It looks that way," I noticed the vase had a tiny bird drawn on it, "And that must be our destination."
"Dear Chaos," Scourge said in a breath, "The Mad Bat wasn't so mad."
"Well, we don't know exactly what he's leading us to," I said, folding the maps together so I could take them with.
"But you figured out what he was trying to tell us," Scourge said.
The admiration in his voice warmed my heart. I did my best to conceal it, keeping my mind and body occupied by stacking books and putting together the extra papers.
"Well we don't know that for sure," I said shyly, "it's a little strange that the King of Aurora knows the exact layout of the castle acres, don't you think?"
"Strange but not impossible," he said, taking a leisurely step towards me like he was looking over my work, "I mean, many would think it's strange that the Chaos Guardian reappears after a century of being gone. Yet here you are," his voice was smooth, vibrating with the relaxing deep tone.
I fell weak to his tired smirk and found myself smiling back with similar passion. Emotion had softened his features, his blue eyes were bright.
"Smart, legendary," -he brushed over my rested hand with his thumb- "and beautiful."
Warmness bubbled in the pit of my stomach.
He thinks I'm beautiful. This strong, handsome, wealthy Commander thinks I'm beautiful.
My eyes washed over his face, absorbing his features. His strong jaw, his eyes tired with emotion that had become so easy to look into. Refreshing and beckoning for me to come closer. My skin was heating up and I only wanted to go from a swim in his water-like eyes. He was a caliber of man beyond me, and it thrilled me from my head to my toes to see the fierce burning passion in his eyes.
"That's very sweet of you to say," I blushed, trying to shake the overwhelming warmth.
My mind told my hand to move out from under his, but my heart kept it solid where it was. Warm tingles crackled up my arm like wood in a fire, the heat veiling me in a seducing tiredness.
"You aren't like other women, Amy," emotion had dropped his voice to a deeper octave.
My heart dropped. I was mature in his eyes, a woman. I was worthy and respected. I wasn't a monster in a weak body, slowly losing control like the others feared. He knew I was in control of myself and that reassurance drew out my feelings like a moth to a flame.
"You have so many amazing qualities," he wrapped his hand around mine and brought it to his lips, "and you don't even realize it."
I was becoming dizzy, the room had increased temperature by at least twenty degrees. My lips became looser and parted, whatever words that had formed in my head silently fell from my lips. I inhaled a steamy breath. His eyes lingered at my parted lips with an intrigued gaze.
"How did you do it?" he whispered.
I faintly pulled out of the haze I was in, "Do what?"
"The Knighting Ceremony. With the Chaos emerald and the way you hit Seth with your power…how did you do it? How did you know how to use it?"
Heat instantly slipped out of my body and drained into the ground. Oh Chaos not this.
The breath that followed that thought was noticeably shaky, "I was just drawn to the emerald and I felt the energy and I could suddenly just wield it."
I fidgeted and looked away from him. All the warmth had been sucked out of me. Why was I feeling like this? Why did I feel like I was guilty? Like I was lying.
"It was incredible," the admiration he expressed was like a nail of guilt in my chest, "have you used it since?"
No, I thought instantly. A rush of panic overcame me. If I said no, would he be suspicious?
I half stepped away from him, "I actually haven't used it but only because I'm wary of the danger."
"Danger? What kind of danger?" he asked, his eyes squinting to study my face.
I cringed at the quickness of his tone. Why did I say danger? He thinks I don't have control over my power. Who was I kidding? I didn't have power to control in the first place. A roar of a conflict began to rise in my head, like two knights clashing on horseback. Both fighting for the same goal; a desire to convince myself.
"Not danger. That's not what I meant," the door seemed miles away. My feet felt like rocks as I made the agonizing descent towards the door, "The power, it's…it's strong."
Why was I feeling so sweaty? My legs felt like collapsing.
You're lying.
Lying to a Commander.
If he ever found out-
"Amy, are you sure you're okay?" Scourge asked, his voice seemed far away now.
I needed to be alone. His questions were like arrows, impaling my skin, digging deeper in hope of hitting truth. The truth I didn't dare expose.
I turned the corner out of the study room. I was away from Scourge, away from the books, the map crumpled in my hand like it was a used handkerchief-
And I nearly hurdled my weight into a wall.
Not a wall, a person.
Oh how cruel Chaos can be.
He was only a few feet before me, arms folded across his chest, and golden quills shadowing his face. Lips pressed into a line. One eyebrow raised as he surveyed my clumsy form with a look of skepticism. Whatever breath I had in me escaped and deflated my body.
"Miss Rose, glad I found you," LL said in a voice devoid of life.
I straightened immediately and forced down my fear.
"We need to talk…alone."
His sharp blue eyes cut through me. There was a glint in his blue eyes, like a silver blade that flashed in the moonlight. The same blade that cut through the crisp night air and embedded itself deep within the Weapon Masters' eye socket.
Was I next on his list?
~ o ~
Yep, a lot is going on for Amy these days.
Thanks to those who reviewed!
Blue Peach (review on April 10th): Glad you made it here. :D MysticGarnet: Oh the "chaos" *giggles stupidly* has only begun! No name: Are you confused still?! .-. And LL killing the Weapon Master could be a misunderstanding...but he's still dead! D: And yes, I like keeping the twists and the mystery (Blitz is LL's WHAT?) XD I like to keep it interesting! And AWH thanks for the praise! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Guest123: I'm here! *falls on face* Yeah a sequel seems fitting according to what I have planned. I'm making this story as long as it has to be! BluePeach (review on Jan 11): LOL Amy is having such a hard time now XD ayeeitsmee143: Best story ever? *dies* Thanks so much! :D Melisa: Here is the "more excitement" you were hoping for! Amazing: *still running for my life* Are they gone!? D: I love your long reviews XD hope you enjoyed this amazing-ness! Guess Who: Hope none of your questions were answered XD My story will keep you guessing! Alesia: I hope 5 months wasn't too much time...hope you enjoyed nonetheless! 14-Ann-Chan: Hmm, I can't say I have heard of a story quite like mine. XD (If so, it would have been planned out SO much better.) I got this idea from reading too many medieval books and then putting some pizzazz in it XD SnowyDawn17: *trying to tape your blown mind back together* Umm...I hope this helps? XD More Knuckles YAY- Oh wait that didn't end well... .-. Reversus12: No stuff about Amy's powers...but look at all the action! XD Zelzainia and Lina: I LOVE YOU! I couldn't have done within without you! :D Adorablehedgi12: *nom-ming cookies* It's funny that you mention LL and Blitz because they're actually...you know...related. :o
Wow you guys are awesome! :D Also thanks to those who favorited!
Until next time, my lovelies!
Blitz is out.