Will was late. Again. A few weeks passed after meeting Phobos, and her life became increasingly hectic. She had to balance schoolwork and the additional math lessons, the swimming workouts and keeping up with her social life while trying to avoid Matt, who wanted to talk. Also, with no new cases of mysterious travel, there was time to think about everything she had learned. Will was conflicted, and her adventures with Phobos only added to her confusion. Last time, he seemed almost decent to her, saving her from drowning in his own not-so-pleasant way. What a contradictory guy! It was getting on her nerves—the constant confusion about things she experienced and keeping secrets from the girls. The unexpected meetings were wrong in many ways, making her aware of how strange her feelings were. She wanted to confess to her friends but could not open her mouth and say something about it. If the girls found out she was communicating with the enemy, they would be furious. One side of her wanted to encounter him again, while the other was against it, saying that it was a terrible idea. Will prayed that nothing would go wrong as she was playing with fire, putting everything on the line. Despite the conflicting thoughts, she could not help but feel drawn to him and the contrasting image he presented—sometimes he seemed so strange in his actions, kind yet so cruel. Will knew the risks, but the thrill of the unknown was too tempting to resist.
She finally made it to the Silver Dragon by running around the pedestrians. Will greeted Mrs. Lin, who was carrying trays full of dirty dishes to the kitchen, as she opened the restaurant's back door. She smiled at her and motioned for her to come in. Inside, the restaurant staff was bustling with activity, carrying plates of steaming food and refilling glasses. The aroma of the spices and herbs filled the air, making her stomach growl with hunger.
'Good afternoon, Mrs. Lin, where is Hay Lin?' She asked, waving in a polite greeting.
'Hello Will, Hay Lin is in her room, waiting for you. Hang on for a moment. I will prepare some tea.' The raven-haired woman smiled. She went to the kitchen, and after a few minutes, Will took a full bamboo tray from a woman and climbed upstairs to Hay Lin's room. When she knocked on the doorway, she heard a crash, and soon a smiling girl opened the door, almost slamming the tray out of her hands.
'Watch it!' Will yelled, regaining her balance as the cups on the tray wobbled dangerously.
'Sorry…' Hay Lin shrugged, taking the tea out of her hands. Her room was disorganized and cluttered, with clothes and belongings strewn about, but it was cozy. The walls were a warm blue color, with pale wooden paneling underneath and had many pictures and sketches taped to them. There was only one large window with a comfortably wide windowsill. The room was filled with natural light, making it the perfect spot for reading or gazing into the city. The fluffy carpet covered the flooring, dividing it into two halves with a raised wooden platform. On it was a work table with a comfy-looking chair, and on the wall were many shelves filled with books. Next to the table, a Chinese divider painted with mystical dragons created an ideal changing area with a small closet and a standing mirror. The room, like Hay Lin, had an airy and artistic feel to it.
They settled down on the windowsill with steaming cups of tea. Hay Lin threw a curious glance at Will. She was not usually the one to request a meeting without the other girls. Her serious expression made Hay Lin wonder what could be so important that she needed to speak with her alone.
'So what did you want to talk about?' the girl inquired eagerly. Will averted her gaze, trying to gather her thoughts. She didn't know how to explain her doubts or secrets without revealing where she had learned them. It was difficult enough to lie about her dealings with the enemy. Will did not want to lie about anything else. Withholding the truth made her feel guilty enough.
'Hay Lin, I usually discuss such things with Taranee, but do you ever have doubts about what we're doing?' Will asked with a pounding heart.
'Doubts, you say?' Hay Lin looked thoughtful 'I don't have doubts per se, but you know, fighting is hard. I always get worried about people's lives. Also, I don't like to hurt others…' she said, looking through the window, 'but sometimes it's necessary.'
'Have you ever wondered why Kandrakar never tells us anything useful? I'd like to know how the war started and maybe some Metamoor history,' Will complained. 'It's as if we have to discover everything ourselves, with very little information to begin with,' she sighed resignedly, venting her frustrations.
'I get what you mean, but I noticed, Kandrakar is full of wrinkly men, and some of them give me creeps. They probably say something like this: "Young lady, you are a Guardian, so conduct your duties seriously and learn for yourself. Experience is the key to knowledge."' Hay Lin imitated a wise old man, speaking in a deep, brooding voice.
'You are probably right.' Will took a sip of tea 'It does not mean I do not like learning. It's just a bit frustrating to go in blind into another world we know so little about.'
'Well, from what I've gathered, unrest in Metamoor began during Queen Weiras' reign. I don't know much about it. Later, an incident occurred that left the royal family in shambles, leaving only Phobos to ascend to the throne when he was a child. There was opposition, and many people disliked him, citing something about only having female ruling successors. I don't know what the Prince did, but the rumors say he executed many nobles, which started the civil war. I mean, I can understand it. I don't like Phobos either, but the rebels don't have any other person to take over the kingdom. Now, we have to do our jobs until they find and install the rightful female heir to the throne. All of it seems a bit old-fashioned by our standards.' Hay Lin shrugged, taking a bite of the cookie.
'Do you really believe Phobos is destroying the planet?' Will inquired, fearful of the answer she would receive.
'I don't know, but that's what the Oracle said. Phobos feels like an overcharged battery with so much magic. Also, I feel something is not right in Metamoor. Every time we travel there, the ambient magic seems unstable.'
Will shuddered, suddenly feeling cold. Those were the facts they knew. Going into the Meridian always made them feel uneasy as if magic was slowly fading. The population frequently experienced unexpected weather hardships. It ruined their crops, sometimes leading to famine. People whispered that it was because there was no legitimate heir to the throne, and superstition flourished. Is Phobos the culprit for everything? The facts said yes, but her heart was still uncertain. The tightly contained magic she felt from Phobos was too rich to be anything but his own. Something else might have been going on, and they did not know about it. Will could not shake off the feeling that Phobos was hiding something, but what she did not know. He was full of mysteries, an enemy, and diving deeper into the unknown would be dangerous, no matter how much she wanted to uncover hidden secrets.
'How do you know all this?' Will wondered, looking at Hay Lin.
'Will, I talk to people.' She rolled her eyes. 'When you go to those super-secret leadership meetings with Caleb and his guys, we help the folks around. I usually do the heavy lifting. Cornelia goes around helping with crops and food. Taranee charges magic lights, and Irma helps to fill up the drinking water.' Hay Lin answered, 'We want to be useful too. While you plan the strategy with the guys, the people on Meridian require our aid in smaller things. It feels good to be helpful.' Hay Lin shrugged her shoulders, smiling shyly.
'Uh, don't remind me. They expect me to know everything… Bleh, I had to read so much about our war strategies. It gave me a headache and a good grade in history class.' Will laughed.
'Anyway, I have another question for you' she started. 'Did your grandmother speak anything about our powers or how they came to be?' Will hoped that Yan Lin mentioned something to her granddaughter about being a Guardian. Every piece of information was priceless because it could be compared with Phobos' words.
'Well, I know something… I thought about leaving it for some special occasion, but since you asked…' Hay Lin stood up and went to her table, searching through the drawers, muttering to herself.
'Where did I put it? Yay!' The girl shouted in happiness, finally finding what she was looking for, holding a piece of paper. Will examined the torn-out piece of paper from the album. It was a drawing of a beautiful woman wearing an ancient, flowing blue and white gown and four different colored Chinese dragons. Her heart thudded with excitement. It looked like a picture taken out of a conversation she had with Him.
'What's this?' she asked, giving the drawing back and trying not to look too eager.
'I drew this.' Hay Lin boasted. 'It's a picture I composed from a tale my grandmother used to tell me when I was little. Now, when I think about it, maybe she was getting me ready to be a Guardian… All those stories about magical warriors and other worlds… I believed they were just bedtime stories, but maybe it was something more. Maybe it was her way of narrating her own adventures.' She sniffed a bit. 'I miss her…'
'Hey, I miss her too. Your grandma was an awesome woman.' Will hugged Hay Lin. 'Now, can you tell me the story?' She patted her friend's back in gentle reassurance.
'Sorry…' Hay Lin cleaned up her tears and sat comfortably, crossing her legs.
'A long, long time ago… when the time was young, and there were no rivers or lakes - only a great sea, four carefree dragons lived. They danced and chased each other through the air with no responsibilities. Yet one day, they heard a prayer from below, carried up by the smoke from the incense. "May the skies open up! May the rain return to us! This we beg for! This we pray for!" shouted people to the skies. The yellow dragon, the one who loved the Earth most, went to see what was wrong. He returned, sad and suffering. The drought was destroying the Earth, and the people were starving. Deciding to help, the four dragons went to the Jade Emperor, but the welcome they received was far from kind. The emperor stated he would help, but days passed and there was no rain.
People starved and children died, but the emperor did not care. Then the dragons decided to take action, hauling the water from the sea into their maws and spilling it onto the clouds. That's what the four dragons did hundreds and thousands of times to make the rain. It ended the people's suffering. When the Jade Emperor learned about their actions, he was outraged and brought them to the palace, preparing a terrible punishment for challenging his rule. The emperor had no pity for the dragons and locked them up in the mountains to never see daylight again. Yet the nymph Xing Ling, a woman of great courage and justice, was furious. After going to the palace, she argued with the emperor, saying he had no right to lock up the dragons, calling him cruel and arrogant. He laughed at her words as she could not undo his order. The nymph tried moving the mountains with all her might but to no avail. However, she wanted their sacrifice to be remembered for all eternity. Seeing no other option to free the selfless creatures, she sacrificed herself. Her divine powers passed through the mountains, releasing her magic into them and, in return, absorbing the dragon's essence. And so the nymph Xing Ling was forever bound to the dragons. Her body disappeared, but the soul became a beautiful crystal amulet. The five dragon bodies turned into great rivers, helping to water crops ever since.' Hay Lin finished on a peaceful note. For a time, they remained silent, gathering her thoughts about the captivating tale.
'Is this the story of our magic origins?' Will silently asked, summarizing the story.
'It seems like it. That's why I wanted all of us to hear it, but since you asked first, I'll tell them later. Basically, it is like this - the Red Dragon loved the water; the Yellow was fond of the Earth; the Black Dragon flew better than anyone else, and the Pearl Dragon controlled fire. That's our elemental power, and the Heart of Kandrakar is the Nymph's heart, making it all possible.' Hay Lin explained, putting the drawing back into the drawer.
'Thank you. It's fascinating to hear something new about ourselves. I guess nothing is ever simple with magic…' Will smiled thoughtfully. She got what she came for—confirmation that Phobos did not lie to her. Now, Will wanted to know why they were meeting and why he had not killed her. Phobos said he needed nothing from her. That was hard to believe, and she did not want to be deceived. What she was doing was dangerous, and girls would call her stupid for it. Yet, deep in her heart, Will wanted to continue. Something compelled her to learn more, to delve deep into the closely guarded secrets. If meeting with their enemy was the answer, she would do it. Somewhere, somehow, their paths would cross again.
Later, after saying goodbye to Hay Lin, Will went home. It was cold outside, and everyone was bundled up in coats and scarves. There were pumpkins in the yards and scary-looking decorations in the various windows. Halloween was around the corner, with splashing colors in the bleak autumn landscape. Will looked at the gray sky, shuddering with a chilly wind. With every breath, vapor came from her mouth. She pulled her coat tighter around her body, wishing she had brought a scarf to protect her neck from the biting cold. The weather forecast had warned it would rain again, and the clouds slowly gathered. Will walked the familiar streets, thinking about the tale, when shivers ran down her spine - a strange, nasty feeling rose in her chest as if something were crawling on her skin. Someone was following her, keeping their distance, never appearing in her line of sight but stealthily watching. Will knew she could defend herself, but the unknown pursuer frightened her. Quickening the pace and looking around for suspicious people but seeing none, she went straight home.
Hiding in the deepening shadows, a man keenly observed the redhead girl passing by. She was tall and lean, with rosy and milky skin that vividly contrasted with her fiery hair and brown, doe-like eyes. The girl appeared ordinary, yet a hidden power gathered and pulsated around her. Following her path was easy - hiding in plain sight was his specialty. When a window lit up in an apartment, he knew it was a complex where she lived.
'So this is a Guardian… one of the five.' The man thought, leaning on the tree in the park across the street. 'Interesting…' His steel-gray eyes gleamed behind the glasses, and with a swish of a long ponytail, the man slowly merged into the crowd.