Hi guys! Welcome back to Running for Life!
As per usual, time to thank the reviewers (We're almost to 100, ahhhh!)! Big thanks to Nekohime1, readwithcats, .mira (It's not a definite, of course, but who knows? Maybe I will decide to do that at some point), AFandomLostInTheEcho, Brenne, Icypoolthewarrio (You know, honestly, I was a bit nervous about the quality of last chapter, so I'm glad you like it!), JFunderburker, justsomeone, Serami Nefera (Well, he did fall back asleep, but it definitely wouldn't have been pleasant, that's for sure), Randomly Talented (Okay, my new favorite way to care is now the "I wanna kick your face in" way XD)!
With that done, nothing left to do but get on with the chapter!
Chapter 12: Time to Play Guardian
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
He often counted the years he had been on the run. It didn't matter how many times he had done it; the number still seemed to surprise him.
He had thought of names for each of those years. Names that marked what had begun in that set of 365 days.
One: Fear.
Two: Thievery.
Three: Emotionlessness.
Four: Death.
Five: Migration.
Towards the end of the fifth year of his time alone, he began to move on. For the first four, he still lingered around Central Iskald, not quite desiring to stray too far from his former home.
Now, however, he couldn't get away fast enough.
Too many memories plagued the area. Memories of fire, of darkness, and of death. It took him five years to realize it, but he wanted to leave, and he could never go back.
Iskald was a large region, but with the help of his faithful stallion, he moved quickly. However, at times, he would have to double back, slipping back to towns he had already visited, due to hunters pursuing him. Even if it hindered his progress, he had to shake them off.
And he couldn't get close, lest history repeat itself.
The Year of Death was his least favorite; it revealed a hidden side of him that he hadn't known existed. Keeping it buried, he ran, and ran, and ran. He fought to keep himself cold, formal, and jaded.
If he lost control again, he was terrified that he would never regain it.
()()()()
The next morning, it was like the night before had never happened. Aster didn't mention it, or give a knowing glance in Jack's direction, and Jack did the same in return.
The little "heart to heart" last night means nothing, Jack silently acknowledged. A Guardian saved a...ugh, a child. That doesn't make us friends.
Aster, apparently, shared the same sentiment. The few words spoken to the boy while the five of them packed up the camp were as sharp and bitter as they usually were. If he tried, Jack could almost believe that he had imagined the entire thing.
At least, he could have, if the Nightmare's terror-inducing aura had faded completely. The sprite found himself even more on-edge than usual, jumping at the slightest sound and being forced to let out spikes of nervous energy in the form of sheets of light frost. It didn't take long for the Guardians to notice.
"Jack, are you alright?" Toothiana asked, brow furrowed in worry. North and Sandy glanced in their direction, mirroring her frown.
Jack brushed her off. "I'm fine," he said briskly, pulling his hood up over his head and striding away. Dealing with three overbearing, over-concerned Guardians was decidedly the last thing he was up for at the moment. He could practically feel their lines of sight, each and every one focused on his retreating back. It unnerved him.
Within a few minutes, the Guardians and Jack–-he still refused to consider himself one of them-–were on the move once more. Jack's internal compass told him that they were had already reentered the Iskald region, and steadily heading north. The sprite's heart pounded in his chest at the thought of returning to Central Iskald, or at the very least, passing through it.
Keep yourself together, Jack, he thought nervously, running his fingers through Zephyr's white mane. You'll be fine; just focus on staying in control.
Zephyr, seeming to sense the boy's distress, nickered softly as if to comfort him. Jack couldn't help but give a soft smile; at least someone in the world was on his side, even if that someone happened to be a horse.
As they rode, though the Guardians engaged in small talk amongst themselves, Jack remained stone-faced, cold and distant. Despite the fact that he had decided to play nice, he felt no desire to converse with his captors turned almost-colleagues, not even after the previous night's events. If anything, it had made him even less inclined to talk.
He supposed that things might have been awkward, had he not been in the very back of the party. Instead, he was completely content in his silence.
Well, as content as I can be in the situation, he acknowledged, stroking Zephyr's neck. I might be playing nice, but I'm still playing pessimistic.
Once the four-hour mark had passed, however, Jack had decidedly gotten bored.
If this had been a normal situation, he would have kicked Zephyr into a run, or thrown snowballs at knots on trees as though they were targets. He would sometimes even sing to himself (though that was something he'd never admit). Over the years, Jack had found ways to entertain himself while alone. But in a group of immortals that he barely knew, riding off to go save the world or something like that? Not so much.
Fortunately for Jack, his boredom ended rather abruptly when the five of them came to the entrance of a relatively large town. Instinctively, he reached behind his head to bring up his hood, but stopped himself at the last moment. You're in disguise, you're fine, he told himself. Putting up your hood would only make you look suspicious.
He lowered his hand quickly as North, who had been traveling at the front of the party, turned Petrov around to face the rest of them. "Does anyone have any need to stop here?" he asked. "Or shall we keep moving?"
I'd like to stop here while the four of you keep going, Jack couldn't help but think. Immediately after, he shook his head with a silent sigh. I'm hopeless.
"Let's keep goin', mate," Aster, who had returned to his humanoid form just in case someone from the town was to see them, put in. "Our supplies can last. 'Specially if the one who needs 'em the most refuses ta have anythin' ta do with them." Aster shot a pointed look in Jack's direction, who promptly met it with a glare of his own. Other than this, he gave no response.
A flicker of concern flashed in Toothiana's eyes, but she said nothing on the subject, instead choosing to agree with Aster's first point. "Aster's right, we should keep going," she said. Sandy created a few sand images that Jack assumed were in agreement, while the boy himself only offered a short nod in the Guardian of Wonder's direction.
"It seems it is settled, then," North declared with a nod himself. "We will continue to-"
BANG.
Screams followed the crash that had erupted from within the town, along with the whinnies of horses that somehow sounded sinister. North, Jack, and Sandy's mounts became skittish as their riders fought for control, while Aster and Tooth ran and flew towards the town gates.
By the time Jack had finally reigned in Zephyr with well-timed strokes and murmured words of comfort, Aster had returned, his eyes stonily serious. After a quick glance in the sprite's direction that, if Jack didn't know better, almost seemed nervous, the Pooka turned his steely gaze to North, who had also gotten his horse under control. "Nightmares," was all Aster said.
Jack felt his already-frigid blood run colder. His thoughts flashed by considerably faster as he recalled the events of the night before. Nightmares. He said Nightmares. As in plural. As in many of them. As in this town is being attacked. As in the Guardians have to do something about it. As in the Guardians expect me to help them do something about it.
Considering how badly he had fared against only one of those demonic equines, Jack didn't want to think about how quickly he would go down in a proper battle against a horde of them. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't realize that the Guardians had already sprung into action, leaving him in the metaphorical dust. For one wild moment, he considered turning Zephyr around and bolting off in the other direction, but, in a rare moment, his sense of morality that he thought he had lost long ago reared its head and banished the thought.
There are people in there, he thought. Innocent people, that I'd essentially be condemning to death.
Don't give yourself so much credit, the more rational side of him practically scoffed. You're one magically inept sprite. They're the damn Guardians of Childhood. What difference would it make if you were there or not? You'd just get yourself killed.
I know that, the proverbial angel on his shoulder insisted. But I can at least try to do...something.
You're an idiot, Jackson, he told himself, nearly slapping his forehead. What can you do? "Fly" them to death? Besides, 'tis not like humans have ever done anything for you.
That sold it.
However, it didn't convince him to run; it convinced him to stay. True, humans had never done anything for him, but if he harbored resentment because of it, he figured he it would make him the greatest hypocrite who ever lived. Thus, morals were the triumphant winner of the boy's internal debate.
"I must really be going crazy, huh, Zeph?" he mumbled as he lay low over his horse's head. Though his internal monologue may have succeeded in making him late, all the same, he turned Zephyr to face the town's entrance and kicked the stallion into a run, now fully convinced that, with every passing minute he spent in the Guardians' company, his mental state deteriorated ever further.
()()()()
To say that the town had fallen into chaos would be an understatement.
People–men, women, and children alike–were either cowering inside or running to get there, screaming at the absolute top of their lungs. No Nightmares were present in the immediate vicinity, but several piles of rubble were scattered across the streets, so completely and utterly broken that Jack found himself unable to discern what they once were. This wasn't his main concern, however. The boy was mostly preoccupied with making sure he didn't accidentally coax Zephyr into trampling any of the panicked passerby. So far, he figured he was doing well, but the pure, undiluted fear that coursed through his very veins made it rather difficult to concentrate.
Though the terror consumed his senses on the surface, in the back of his mind, Jack realized how unnatural the feeling really was. Sure, it made sense to be afraid in the event of an attack, but this fear...it was mind-numbing, all-enveloping, and promising of a lasting aftereffect. Jack inwardly shuddered. So this was the power of the Nightmare King.
Suddenly, just as Jack was beginning to get it through his own head that he should probably begin searching for the Guardians, Zephyr reared up, a panicked whinny escaping from his mouth. The young snow sprite in disguise barely had time to grab fistfuls of the stallion's mane in time, only narrowly avoiding a potentially painful fall.
Narrowing his crystal blue eyes, Jack righted himself best he could and stared directly at the back of his horse's neck, waiting for the inevitable jostling that would occur when Zephyr's front hooves once again touched the ground. The moment Zephyr was on all fours again, Jack seized control and urged the stallion to stay in place, if only to give the boy enough time to see what exactly it was that had frightened the animal so.
Exactly as Jack had expected, it was a Nightmare.
Though the near-skeletal horse was considerably smaller than Zephyr was, Jack could understand the stallion's reaction. Upon getting his first proper look at one of the beasts, the boy felt an almost uncontrollable urge to wrap his cloak around him and curl up in the first ditch he could find, never to be seen again. Despite this, he bit his lip so hard that he tasted blood, and steeled himself to face the vile creature.
Jack could feel Zephyr's muscles tense beneath him as the Nightmare snarled, taking a threatening step forward. Though both boy and horse wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run, Jack knew that wasn't an option. He had decided to stay and fight, and damn it, he was going to follow through.
Why am I doing this, why am I doing this, why am I doing this, was the mantra that refused to cease running through his head as he raised his staff, which he always kept tucked beneath his right knee when riding quickly (it had been awkward to master at first, but it became easier over time. Besides, it was more convenient to have both hands free, especially in times like this), with a shaking hand. And where are the Guardians!? Shouldn't they be here, I don't know, fighting these things!?
Jack opened his mouth to speak to Zephyr, but found that he couldn't summon forth any sound. He could scarcely even blink as the Nightmare prowled closer to his and Zephyr's left side, yellow eyes burning and nostrils flaring. Jack, keep it together, he thought desperately, winding the fingers of his left hand around Zephyr's stark white mane. His staff was still held aloft with his practically-vibrating right arm, though he was tempted to lower it and bolt.
Suddenly, the Nightmare let out a piercing whinny, rearing up onto its hind legs. Before Jack knew it, its hooves were inches away from his face. His eyes widened and, barely thinking, he wildly swung his right arm across his body and struck the horse with his staff, only retaining just enough common sense to know to not use his ice magic in front of the fleeing townsfolk. Though he couldn't say that he enjoyed being sprayed with black sand for a second time, he much preferred it to having his skull crushed by hooves.
With his assailant successfully destroyed, Jack attempted to get a feel for exactly where he was. Zephyr stood in the center of a street in a residential area. People surged by around them, mindfully giving the horse a wide berth, lest they end up kicked or trampled. It wasn't the most panic Jack had ever seen in a crowd (though he could guarantee that, had he not been in disguise, that would be considerably different), but the mass was still far from orderly.
Thankfully, from his high horseback vantage point, Jack had an excellent view of anything that may have been going on. Less fortunate, however, was the strange absence of the Guardians of Childhood. I shouldn't have waited so long to follow them, the boy thought frustratedly to himself, azure eyes flickering back and forth across the chaos. They must be here somewhere...perhaps taking care of the majority of the Nightmares somewhere else? 'Tis only a matter of where exactly that is…
His thought process was abruptly interrupted by a piercing scream, higher and shriller than the others around him. He could feel the invisible tips of his ears prick with interest as he swung his head around to face the source of the sound.
The young sprite's crystalline gaze landed on another single Nightmare that had strayed into this area. Jack's heart nearly stopped when he saw that the sand creature was snarling at a young girl who couldn't have been older than six. Her blonde hair was long and messy, bangs falling into her wide, terror-filled emerald-colored eyes as she backed away in fear.
Upon rapidly glancing around, Jack could pinpoint a young boy, maybe five or six years older than she was, fighting against the general flow of the crowd, trying to make his way towards the girl. Heart sinking in dismay, Jack could acknowledge that the boy-her brother, maybe?-would never reach her in time. And even if he could, he looked to be only twelve or so. What could he do against a Nightmare?
Later, Jack would look upon this moment with disbelief, unable to fathom that it was truly him in control of his own body. In a split-second decision about which he had no time to think, the boy kicked Zephyr into a run, barely avoiding running someone down several times. A crowded stream of people that couldn't easily dodge out of the way blocked his direct path to the girl and the Nightmare, but this would be no problem at all for Zephyr.
"Come on," Jack hissed in his horse's ear, praying that the stallion would know what to do. Zephyr snorted, seemingly in response, and galloped faster. At the last second before plowing through the townsfolk, the white stallion leapt, their ducked heads making it a veritable breeze to clear them.
Just as Jack had predicted, Zephyr's jump took the pair of them just far enough for them to land directly on top of the Nightmare, the white horse's hooves crushing the black one from above. Wasting no time, Jack slid sideways so that he was hanging from Zephyr's side by one hand, the other outstretched. In one fluid movement, he had pulled the little girl up by her arm and deposited her on Zephyr's back behind him. "Hold on to me!" he barked back at her, surprised at the unusually loud volume of his own voice.
The girl complied, but shouted in return, "Wh-Who are you!?"
A snow sprite, but I'm not supposed to tell you that, Jack thought silently as he turned Zephyr's head so they could face the boy he had seen before. He made eye contact with Jack, then immediately started moving to the side of the street, where the flow of people was less concentrated, and also where they might be able to duck into an alleyway to speak. "Follow him, Zeph," Jack muttered softly, turning his horse once again to accommodate.
He felt a frantic tug at his sleeve, and realized with a start that he had still failed to verbally answer or even acknowledge the little girl's question. He mentally slapped his forehead as he glanced back at her. "I'm…" He hesitated, then settled on simply telling her, "I'm here with the Guardians of Childhood."
Jack faced forward once again, only vaguely hearing the girl's sharp, excited gasp at the mention of the popular figures. He urged Zephyr swiftly forward, this time being extra careful now that he had a young passenger accompanying him. When they finally reached the nearest alleyway, the young brunette boy from the crowd was already waiting for them. The boy ran forward, then faltered, unsure of himself.
Understandable, Jack mentally acknowledged. I am a stranger, after all.
The sprite swung himself off of Zephyr's back, then helped the girl down as well. The moment her feet touched the ground, she was off, running towards the boy in excited glee despite the atmosphere heavy with fear.
"Jamie, Jamie!" she shouted, practically throwing herself into his arms. "The Guardians are here! The Guardians! And he's with them!" She pointed back at Jack, who coughed awkwardly, unsure of what to do with the varying types of attention-the girl's childish enthusiasm and the boy's unsure wariness.
"You're…with the Guardians?" the boy-Jamie-asked uncertainly. "Is that why you saved my sister? And...who are you, exactly?"
Jack held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "My name is Jack," he said, opting to keep lengthy explanations to a minimum. "I understand your skepticism, but don't worry; I know 'tis difficult to believe me, seeing as we've only just met, but I didn't rescue your sister only to endanger both of you. And yes, I'm...an acquaintance of the Guardians." He absolutely refused to use the word, "friend".
"Hi! I'm Sophie!" the little girl suddenly piped up, bouncing on her heels. "Will we get to meet the Guardians!?"
"Sophie, calm down!" Jamie hissed, putting a hand on her shoulder. Once his sister had slowed her bouncing to a slight rocking back and forth, Jamie opened his mouth to speak. "Well, then, thank-"
Suddenly, a cacophony of gritty neighs sounded all around the alleyway, successfully silencing the boy. Jack sucked in a breath, gripping his staff tightly as he glanced around, instinctively stepping closer to the siblings in order to protect them from the apparent ambush.
Sure enough, over a dozen of the grotesque equines appeared seemingly out of nowhere, surrounding the sprite, horse, and children. Jamie pulled Sophie, who had quickly lost the joyful glow in her eyes in favor of a terrified glint, close to him, then glanced wordlessly up at Jack, his fear less pronounced, but still evident.
Jack met the boy's chocolate gaze with his own sapphire one, then narrowed his eyes and nodded. Falling into the closest thing to a fighting stance he could muster, the boy stood protectively in front of the children as the Nightmares began to close in.
Time to play Guardian, he thought with a long exhale.
It is indeed. See you guys next week for Chapter 13!
Until then, Sapphire316, out.