Hello! Thank you, everyone, for the good reviews. Just to update and clarify myself, Elyon and Cedric are getting married.
Chapter 4: First battle.
Will awoke to a faintly familiar sound. 'What is that noise?' She wondered. The answer lay stubbornly in the back of her mind, just out of reach. 'I've heard it millions of times before...and everytime I heard it I was scared.' Will sat up, heedless of her belly, and looked at her sleeping friends. "Hey, Hay Lin?" She whispered to the woman closest to her.
Hay Lin propped herself up on an elbow and looked at Will bleary eyed. "Hmm?" She asked.
"What is that noise?" Will whispered.
Hay Lin, cradling Hope closer, sat up and listened. Then her face went rather pale and she looked wide eyed at Will. "Cedric!" She whispered.
"You called?" A raspy voice sneered.
The other guardians sat up upon hearing his voice and instantly looked at the giant snake-like figure. The children began to cry and squirm wildly.
Cornelia managed to fly up. "You're gonna regret messing with us!" She shouted as she landed on a knee and slammed a fist into the ground. It was obvious that she meant to tie him up with vines, but instead pretty blue morning glories began to grow. "Huh?" She whispered.
Will looked at Cedric and then at Cornelia. "They're vining flowers, Cornelia! They'll work!" She called. Cornelia managed to tie him up with them. Cedric squirmed against them, nearly ripping the vines off.
Irma, remembering when they managed to freeze Cedric, soaked him in water but only managed in rinsing off some vines. "Hay Lin!"She shouted.
Hay Lin was ready. She blew at him...but the air came out hot and dried Cedric off.
The man chuckled. "Quite refreshing." He mocked.
Taranee tried to throw fire at him but to her alarm she only made plently of smoke and only a few sparks. Her face read disappointment as the guardians backed up slowly.
Cedric looked at the children. "Why, you have children." A sinister look formed in his eyes. "How wonderful. I just love children."
Cornelia jumped forward. "No one's eating my kids without my permission!" She shouted. She tried to tie him up in vines again...and somehow, briars grew and wrapped around him too tightly.
Irma knew what to do--quickly she soaked him in water, but it was more like being in rapids than being soaked. And Hay Lin blew such freezing cold air even the children, standing behind the guardians, shivered and wrapped their small arms around themselves.
Quickly, the guardians rathered the children up and hurried down the road. They all knew too well that soon he would be free...and their fight had proved one thing. They were weaker, out of practice.
But that was only the first of many battles that day. The moment they were slowing down to a more leisurely pace, Camilla tugged on Cornelia's skirt and whined,
"I'm hungry, Mommy!" Tears flooded her big blue eyes.
Cornelia lifted her daughter. "Baby, we can't eat right now." She told the child. "We'll get some food later."
Camilla suddenly didn't look very cute or loving anymore. "But I'm hungry now!" She yelled.
Carmella, the other twin, looked at her mother. "Mommy. I gotta go potty." She said in an urgent voice.
Cornelia looked at Irma for help while both girls yanked on her skirt until it nearly ripped.
Irma stepped over quickly. "Come on, Carmy. I'll take you to the bathroom." She said gently.
Quickly she escorted the toddler behind a bush.
But Carmella appeared after a few minutes looking enraged. "Mommy! I can't go potty without my Mr. Potty chair or special song or Mr. Potty potty wipes or Mr. Potty doll! And Auntie Irmy is sick."
Will managed to kneel in front of Carmella. "How is Auntie Irmy sick?" She asked gently.
"She went, umph!" Carmella mimed putting her hands over her mouth. "And then she threw up."
Camilla stamped her small feet. "I'M HUNGRY NOW!"
Cornelia popped her hands. "We're not eating until I say so!" She said angrily.
Hay Lin and Will moved around back to help Irma, and Cornelia looked over at Taranee.
"Have you ever heard of the Mr. Potty song?" She grinned.
Irma gagged and was about to stop throwing up when she heard 2 voices singing.
"When you know you've got to go, Don't worry cause Mr. Potty loves you so. Just go to your special Mr. Potty chair and soon you'll be wearing big kid underwear!"
Irma winced. "God, I hate that song!" She grumbled. Then she promptly threw up again.
Elyon turned to looked at Cedric as he walked in. "What happened?" She asked.
Her fiance reached out to embrace her. "They're not out of practice, that's what." He snarled as she rested her head on his bloody shoulder.
Elyon pulled away and dragged him to a wall. "Don't worry. Look." She pointed to a mirror and showed him the scene of Irma throwing up and Will not being able to stand up when she sat down. "They're not perfect."
Slowly Cedric grinned. "Men, we'll move out again. And Elyon? We'll have guests for dinner." He said.
Elyon laughed as Cedric became a serpent and slithered out of the room.