New chapter's up.
In this chappy you'll find out where and why Irma's been taken. Cedric is getting wary of how close the Guardians are coming to finding out that he cares for Irma. And Elyon and Caleb join the search for our favorite Water Guardian.
As I fight through the streets of this city, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R motherhopers! Flame or fluff... you know how I roll.
When they walked through the doors they saw Lord Cedric and Hay Lin's grandmother conversing with grave looks on their faces.
"Grandma!" Hay Lin's eyes were wide. "Get away from him!"
But her grandma waved her hand.
"He means no trouble Hay Lin," she replied.
"Then why are you here Cedric?" Will growled, taking a fighting stance.
Lord Cedric, in his human form, folded his hands neatly behind his back and gave the Guardian of the Heart an angry glare.
"I've come because a chain of events has been put into play that could effect both our worlds Guardian," the shape-shifter hissed.
"And what is that?" Taranee barked.
Cedric gave them his best evil smile.
"Have you noticed you are one Guardian short?" he inquired. "The Water Guardian has been captured by the hand of Frost."
"Irma!" Hay Lin gasped, hands clapped over her mouth.
"Why?" Will snarled. "Why was Irma captured?"
"Frost's services can be bought Guardian," Cedric answered, giving Will an annoyed glare. "You do the math. Nerissa is the most likely conspirator behind the Water Guardian's abduction."
"Young ones," Grandma, spoke up. "Just by taking one of the Guardians has off set your balance. Only a madman of the wickedest proportions can know for certain what is going through Nerissa's mind. But that dark hag means nothing more than pain and suffering."
Will narrowed her eyes and made a fist of determination.
"Where was Irma taken Cedric?" the Heart Guardian asked.
"Doubtlessly back to Meridian guardian," Cedric returned like she was stupid. "Irma was weak and easily taken. We don't have much time."
Then the Guardian of Wind spoke up.
"Wait," Hay Lin took a step forward. "Why are you helping us Cedric? You hate the Guardians."
Cedric gave the bubbly Wind Guardian a scowl that cut right through her.
"My hatred for the Guardians is boundless," the shape-shifter returned. "That much is true. But such hatred is shortsighted now. Nerissa is a far greater eyelash in my eye than you."
Will nodded at the shape-shifting lord.
"Then show us the way Lord Cedric," the Guardian of the Heart spoke.
Cedric smiled and let his forked tongue lap the air once.
"Meridian awaits," he said, slashing a porthole in the air.
Meanwhile, in a cave not too far from the castle dwelling of Queen Eylon, Irma came to.
Irma was pleading with herself to open her eyes and snap out of this dizzy feeling. It took all her strength to open her eyes. When she did, all the Water Guardian saw was a bright orange light. The light stung her eyes, making Irma flinch. She heard chains being rattled and shortly found that the chains were on her ankles and wrists. The Water Guardian was standing but not by her own power; her restrains were the only thing keeping her on her feet.
Irma suddenly noticed a blast of heat coming from that bright orange light and drilling her in the face.
"Awake all ready my little Water Guardian?" the voice of Nerissa sounded like a drum in Irma's head.
Why do villains always watch the unconscious hero until he or she awakens?
"You are stronger than I thought," the evil witch said, and by her tone, Irma could tell she was smiling. "You merely arrived here five minuets ago."
"Wh-wha-wha…" Irma tried to choke out but her mouth was so dry she couldn't speak.
Irma heard Nerissa chuckle.
"You like the heat wave?" the evil female warlock snickered. "Well, I have to keep everything dry. You are the Water Guardian. Heaven forbid you amassing enough water to make a mess."
Suddenly a shadow moved in front of the blazing orange light. Irma looked up and saw Nerissa's dark ghostly figure in front of the bright light. Nerissa floated to Irma.
"You gave Frost quite a bit of trouble bringing you to me," the witch stated in an amused voice. "But this heat staff coupled with your weak nature should keep you tame."
"Why… am… I… here?" Irma choked out.
Irma's mouth felt like paste.
"Good question," Nerissa humored. "You were stolen and thus, set the Guardian's balance off. Should you not be returned into harmony, the Guardians' power will gradually fade. Leaving the Heart of Kanthracar helpless and I shall seize the chance to scoop up the Heart. I have taken the first step in weakening the Guardians. I merely have to pick apart the rest of your friends to further weaken your power. Consider yourself the beginning of the end for the Guardians, Irma."
Then Nerissa stepped out from the light, and the heat blasted Irma again.
"Watch her," Nerissa instructed. "She should be too weak to hold up her head. It shouldn't be long before she's too weak to breathe."
"What if the other Guardians find out about her absence?" Irma now heard Frost.
"It won't happen," Nerissa answered the elfin mercenary. "By the time they find out that she is gone, it will be far too late."
But Irma knew Cedric saw her fall, she knew he'd go for help.
"Make sure she breathes no more," Nerissa instructed to Frost. "I shall be along shortly."
Irma heard Nerissa chuckle under her breath and she heard the ghastly woman leave. Then footfalls of Frost came to her. The gun for hire stepped into light, causing relief to come over Irma's body. The smell of rhino hit her hard as Frost's hand gripped her chin and forced her to look up at him. Irma fluttered her eyes open.
"I will take pleasure in watching you die a slow death Water Guardian," the elfin mercenary hissed at her.
Irma managed a taunting grin.
"You still wet Frost?" she jeered on a whisper.
Frost snorted.
"Though I am pressed to know Guardian," the gun for hire grumbled. "Was Lord Cedric assisting you?"
Irma let her eyes close.
"Assist? That snake?" she tried to give a convincing laugh.
The Water Guardian laughed as Frost released her.
"You do not bluff very well Water Guardian," from the mercenary's tone, Irma could tell he was smiling. "So… Phobo's little lap dog has a mind of his own. Interesting he'd choose togrow a brain for you Guardian."
There was a silence where Frost pondered something. Irma felt Frost's hand over her chin again as he lifted her head.
"Why?" the mercenary sounded almost hungry for the answer. "Why you Water Guardian?"
Irma opened her eyes and locked hers with Frost's.
"You make it sound like it's a bad thing Frost," the Water Guardian hissed.
The elfin merc snorted.
"For one of the most evil creatures in the history of Meridian," Frost was growing angry, "to show interest in one of his mortal enemies, leaves me wondering Guardian."
The gun for hire paused as he chewed over the matter. Irma now saw a way out of her predicament.
"It was easy," Irma wheezed. "It was so easy Frost."
Meanwhile, the rest of the Guardians and Lord Cedric stood near Eylon's castle. Cedric stood with his face in the wind, starring at the blue moon shining down over Meridian's farmland. The Guardians stood a distance away from the shape-shifting master-mind, whispering to themselves.
"I don't like this Will," Taranee shivered. "What if Cedric's working for Nerissa? This could all be a trap."
"No," Hay Lin spoke up on the verge of tears. "What about Irma?"
Will, Guardian of the Heart looked over her friends.
"We have no choice," Will returned. "Irma has been captured and the only way we can find her is with the help of the snake-man."
"I agree with Will," Cornelia swallowed.
Lord Cedric then turned around, making Cornelia's eyes widen. At the Earth Guardian's reaction, the others snapped out of their conversation.
"Time is running short little Guardians," Cedric almost sounded overly-rushed. "Put your petty doubts aside and let us find the Water Guardian before the Guardian cycle is broken."
Hay Lin blinked while Will, Taranee and Cornelia scowled. Their reaction made Cedric scowl himself.
"Now is the time for action Guardians," Cedric growled walking up to them. "Yet you dawdle in fear while the Water Guardian is doubtlessly fading."
Cedric morphed into his true form, towering over the Guardians. He growled at Will, his cat-like eyes searing a hole through her head.
"We are not afraid Cedric," Will returned, not at all fazed by Cedric's appearance. "But the five of us cannot search a vast area alone. Queen Eylon has offered herself and her men to help us."
Cedric snarled and turned, twisting on his snake-like body. With Eylon and her forces, his freedom would be short-lived, but this whole change of circumstance was wasting precious time.
"This is taking too long!" he finally gnarled, zipping up to Will. "Irma does not have much time left."
The Guardian of the Heart faltered, not because Lord Cedric intimidated her, but for the fact he knew Irma's name.
"You said Irma," Cornelia voiced, marching up to the shape-shifter. "You know Irma's name."
Cedric's angry scowl dropped from his face as his eyes widened in nervousness.
"That is the Water Guardian's name is it not?" the shape-shifter voiced as he morphed back into his human form.
"Well yeah," Taranee gated up to him. "And you knew her name!"
Cedric scoffed.
"So?" he returned, narrowing his eyes at the Fire Guardian. "I know all of the Guardian's names."
"That's not the point Cedric," Hay Lin spoke up. "You used Irma's name instead of her title. Her name."
The fact that the Guardians were catching on to his interest in Irma irked Cedric. He didn't like the pensive silence or the contemplative look on the Heart Guardian's face. But it wasn't until the look of problem-solving came to Will Vandom's features that Cedric grew afraid. She was getting too close to the real answer.
"With my time on earth and blending in with those nearest to the Guardians," Cedric threw up a smoke screen, "that I learned everything about the Guardians. Your names, where you live, your routines… all for the sake of destroying the Guardians one day. It has become second nature that I use the Guardians' names, since I spend so much time in the form of someone you love."
Cedric knew he's averted all suspicion when the look of horror steadily came over the Guardians. He smiled his best wicked smile as he let his forked tongue lap the air.
"You MONSTER!" the Wind Guardian blasted, tears coming to her eyes. "You are supremely wicked! Heartless and evil!"
The shape-shifter took comfort in seeing the Wind Guardian break down and the others rush to her side. As he watched the welcomed distraction in front of him, Cedric saw a portal open up on the face of the castle's wall. The figure of a girl appeared in the magical incandescent light followed by a small army of soldiers. Queen Eylon stepped out of the portal. Her eyes first came to the weeping Wind Guardian, the other Guardians and then to him. Cedric took sick pleasure in seeing Eylon's eyes widen in shock.
"Seize him!" Eylon blasted.
Cedric kept calm as ten heavily armored soldiers surrounded him. Bring up the last of the group was Caleb, one of the Queen's right-hand warriors. The young soldier's eyes hungrily ate up the sight in front of him.
"What's going on?" the eighteen-year-old boy inquired, setting his hand on his sword as he glared at Cedric.
"Irma's been kidnapped," Eylon answered as she hugged Hay Lin.
"I know that your highness," Caleb returned. "What's this scaly worm doing here? I bet he aided Nerissa in capturing Irma."
Will shook her red head.
"Lord Cedric was the one to alert us that Irma was taken to Meridian by Frost," the Guardian of the Heart voiced.
Eylon and Caleb's mouths fell open.
"Nerissa and her twisted mind are far greater grievances to me than the Guardians," Cedric voiced, a wicked smirk coming to his face. "The old hag has put events in motion that could bring destruction to Meridian."
Then Cedric morphed into Irma's form. And just to get a reaction, Cedric made his Water Guardian form cry. The Guardians' heads drew back as terror came to their faces.
"We don't have time for this," Cedric stated as tears rolled down his new form's cheeks. "The Water Guardian will not be with us for very long."
Cedric is so darn evil! Delicious villainy! Woo! R&R motherhopers. Long live rock n' roll!