The Guardians' Legacy

Colth accompanied Hikki through the corridors of the fortress, paintings on the walls, chandeliers under the ceilings, and marble statues on the refined carpets, raising the luxury of the place to the maximum.

The boy opened a double door after the end of his echoing walk and revealed the outside of the room. They entered an incredibly spacious balcony with the calm wind embracing them.

On the gray stones of the building, a glass table with a pair of chairs awaited them. Hikki came forward and sat down at the table sloppily.

Colth walked to the solid stone railing of the balcony, his eyes shining. The landscape was the same as before seen through the corridor windows, but now he could feel the cold and gentle autumn breeze while listening to the birds singing over the pebbles that rose in the middle of the golden forests. From up there, the feeling of being irrelevant hit anyone who recognized the grandeur of the place for the first time.

— Wow — he whispered in amazement once more.

— Liz, can you bring me that fruit cake, and the tea, of course — Hikki ordered the woman who appeared in maid's attire.

Turning around, Colth was surprised again. “A servant? Why am I so impressed? Look at the size of this place, it’s obviously full of servants. And what are those eyes?” He thought as he tried not to look shocked. Then he walked over to the empty chair and sat down with the boy. He restrained himself from staring at the woman’s delicate face and being mesmerized by her pink eyes.

— What exactly are you two? You and Garta?

— My sister is Finn's guardian. She told you that, didn't she? I thought you were smarter than the nervous little runt.

— Funny — Colth smiled, curious despite the provocative words, he continued: — Aldren didn't seem that nervous when I met him.

— It's that girl's fault. Tera's guardian.

— Celina?

— That's it. The little guy sees her as helpless, a child. Almost like a puppy that must be with him all the time.

Hikki spoke his words with his eyes fixed on the clouds on the horizon over the distant rocky mountains.

— Seriously? You really think so?

— It's not hard to see. I see that look all the time — said the boy as he was served a cup of tea by the maid.

“That’s impressive, for a kid,” Colth said with a hint of sarcasm in his words.

— It's amazing that you didn't realize that. In fact, it's quite obvious that you have no direction whatsoever. And knowing that you were in the selection process for the Ministry of Defense, I imagine that you fought or were forced to take such a test.

Colth swallowed hard, the boy was really solid in his words. He disguised himself by delicately grabbing the freshly served cup of tea and moistening his lips with the hot drink to finally answer:

— A little bit of both. Thanks or no thanks, it doesn't matter anymore. I'll be back in my city soon and I can start over. But what about you? You still haven't told me what you're doing here, are you just the brother of Finn's amazing guardian?

— What did you expect? I'm just a child. You said it yourself. — The boy reached into the center of the table for a slice of the cake that had just been cut by the maid who was still standing by the entrance to the balcony. — Do you know where the fruit for this cake came from? — He took a bite.

— I'm sure it didn't come from the Capital of the Empire. — he answered the obvious so as not to remain silent.

— It came from a village. About fifteen minutes from here. Let's just say that, if it weren't for my sister, this place would have collapsed by now.

— Don't you think you're exaggerating? — Colth asked nonchalantly. He chewed on a piece of cake as he remembered Toesane's home-cooked food and felt the cold longing for his homeland.

— Not at all. Garta was responsible for bringing the last families in this world together and making them cooperate in order to survive. Only now are we finally beginning to reap the rewards of that. Literally — he pointed to his piece of pie with his eyes and finished it in one more bite.

— If she's so amazing — Colth continued to doubt — why did she run after this “Manager” to follow orders like that? It doesn't seem like something a super-powerful woman who united the people of a ruined world would do.

“Hmm.” Hikki smiled and placed her cup on the saucer on the table, then stood up. “I need to take care of something. Colth, feel free to finish and enjoy your tea.”

— Huh? — he fell silent then.

The boy turned and walked away from the balcony. Even though he tried his best to hide any feelings, it was possible to see the discomfort in his eyes.

Colth remained seated, not understanding whether he had insulted his tea partner or if something else had happened. Either way, he regretted what he had said without even knowing why.

“You shouldn’t judge Master Garta, or Master Hikki, like that,” the beautiful maid said gently as she picked up the leftovers from the table. “Whatever you’re thinking, I’m sure you’re mistaken, my lord.”

Colth showed no reaction, his thoughts taking over as the woman left the place with the most refined and respectable manners he could imagine.

He stood alone in the sound of the wind with his last sip of tea.

                                                        ***

Hours passed, and after falling asleep with his face pressed against the pages of an old book in the library, Colth woke to the slamming of the massive double doors.

His sudden standing up, his disheveled hair, and the saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth, showed his surprise at Aldren's entrance.

— Sorry. I didn't know you were here — said the boy, entering the cozy library.

— No. It’s okay, I was just reading here... What was I reading again? — Colth wiped his face and closed the book to read its title aloud: — “Five Steps to Winning Over an Older Woman.”

Aldren narrowed his eyes in harsh, silently deadly judgment as he approached the center table of the hall.

— Don't make that face at me. For some reason, this is one of the only books here that isn't in a language completely different from ours. Those Finn people have a very strange writing system.

— No. It's not that — Aldren sat back relaxed. — Liz told me that no one can understand that language here either.

— Liz? The maid?

— That's it. It seems like a dead language or something.

Before Colth could even think about it, the library door opened again. This time, Garta and Hikki were the ones walking into the center of the library.

— Where's Celina? — Aldren was direct.

— You never get tired of being insufferable, do you? — Garta retorted with disdain. — She's fine. I'll bring her soon and... there's still you, Colth — he finished in a dejected tone.

The target of the apathy fell silent and showed an outraged yellow smile.

“It’s time for you to go home,” she concluded. She made sure to show with her eyes that she didn’t care, even if her attitude showed otherwise.

“Okay. Sure,” Colth agreed without thinking twice. He looked at the other two in a farewell tone. “It was nice meeting you.”

— See you later — Hikki said shortly.

— Hey, Colth. — Aldren approached the boy and held out his hand. — I'm sorry about what happened back at the selection, I...

— Forget it. Honestly, it was a weight off my shoulders — he replied, shaking hands. — Good luck to you and Celina.

— Yes. Thank you — Aldren concluded. He smiled radiantly as usual.

“Are you ready, Colth?” Garta asked as she approached him.

- I think so.

The woman placed one of her hands on the boy's shoulders and, in a moment, a strong light took over the place.

Blast! The characteristic sound was annoying. That strange feeling again.

The feeling of diving into deep water. It was quick and uncomfortable like before, but this time, when he opened his eyes, Colth found himself between two unfinished brick walls. The sun was beating down on the cobblestones and the warm breeze carried the sound of a locomotive not far away.

— Where? — the boy asked, open-mouthed, looking around. Garta was still in front of him with the same carefree expression, both of them in the center of a gray alley with no traffic.

— This is the northern part of the Capital. Tera World, obviously. From here to the North Passenger Station, it's a five-minute walk. — Garta explained as she walked to the narrow street at the end of the alley, Colth following her, still disoriented. — You just need to use your return ticket to catch the next train to Toesane and, that's it, you'll be home and you can forget all about this.

— Saying that, I even think I owe you a favor.

“This isn’t a favor,” she replied as she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk at the bend in the narrow street. “I’m getting rid of you.”

— I should have known — he didn't care about the rude tone — Listen, what about Celina?

— Don't tell me you're worried.

— I'm still one of her teammates on the national team. It's natural for me to be worried.

— No. It's not. The selection is already over. You're just really stupid and...

— Here! — Suddenly, a man came around the corner and grabbed Colth from behind. — Now!

The boy couldn't do anything, he was already dominated by the tall, skinny man. Garta was also surprised, she raised her palm towards the two in front of her in an instinctive movement, but before she could react, two other men appeared from around the corner behind her. One grabbed her arm and the other went for her neck.

— Go on! Put on the necklace! — one of them shouted.

Coming from the guardian's back, a metal object hugged her neck and closed in the blink of an eye. Garta was not afraid, she placed the palm of her hand on the chest of the man holding her and concentrated.

Nothing happened. Her eyes widened immediately in shock.

“Idiot,” the man said with a sly smile on his face. Then he slapped her across the face with the back of his hand.

They overpowered the woman as she tried to understand why she couldn't use her displacement ability.

— Let me go! — Colth shouted, struggling with the third man behind him.

That's what the tall, skinny man did. Without any delicacy, he threw Colth's body to the ground. The boy fell awkwardly and couldn't avoid landing with his forehead on the cobblestones.

— Irra! — the man shouted, jumping as he walked towards Garta, who had completely surrendered to the other two. — It was so easy, I can't even believe it.

— Shit... — Garta growled after yet another failed attempt with his movement.

— Hahaha! — One of the men, the one with a mohawk on his head, laughed venomously. — Don't you get it yet? This is a Sathsai necklace. It sucks up anything a guardian tries to do.

— Who are you? — her eyes were backed by hatred.

— It doesn’t matter. But I can tell you that Bernard will be happy to see you. I’m sure he’ll give us an extra payment for the quick delivery — said the skinny man smiling. — You’ll be able to pay us for that round you owe us, Rasmund.

— Pay? But I don't owe anything — replied the older man with a naive face.

— Go to hell! — Garta exclaimed, stealing the attention — You and this Bernard guy!

In response to the inconsequential insult, the man, who seemed to be leading the rest, spared no effort, closed his fist and punched the bold guardian in the stomach.

— Ah! — she cried in pain.

— There! Stop that. — Colth ordered as he struggled to his feet.

—Who is this idiot? — asked the man with the nervous fist.

— I don't know. — replied the shorter one with the mohawk.

“I am…” Colth stood fully and lifted his face to show his determined eyes and the latest cut on his forehead. “Finn’s guardian!”

— What? — The stronger man holding Garta immediately found it strange — I thought it was the girl.

— It's the girl, yes. He's lying, you idiot — replied the skinny guy.

“I said let her go!” she insisted. Colth held out his palm toward the three men surrounding her.

— Ah! What the hell! — one of them shouted cowardly.

— It's a bluff, don't believe it...

The leader's warning came too late. The most terrified one would eventually loosen his guard. Garta used the opportunity to pull his arm back slightly and free himself, then punched the coward between the legs in a redesigned movement.

— Ah! — he shouted as he fell into the fetal position, defeated.

The other suffered a similar fate. The woman kicked the side of his knee and, as soon as he pulled his body back down in reflex to the pain and the cracking of his bones, she punched him, from the bottom up, in the square chin. The stronger one fell violently onto the one who was already on the ground. They both passed out.

The third man saw the scene with trembling legs, the skinny man put his tail between his legs and ran as if there was no tomorrow in another direction.

Garta stretched out his arm and pointed his palm at him, but again, nothing happened. He thought about running after the scaredy-cat, but his stomach still hurt from the wicked punch he had received.

“Is everything okay?” Colth asked, noticing the pained expression on the woman’s face.

“Don’t worry about me,” he replied gruffly, adjusting his glasses. “Damn. I didn’t expect them to be this close.”

- What?

— That means... — she thought out loud — Forget it, it has nothing to do with you. — Her coldness returned when she thought she had recovered from the pain. — You better go, you'll end up missing your train.

That was the most of a farewell tone the guardian could muster. He was already preparing to turn his back on Colth, thinking about his next destination.

— Oh, about that... — he said awkwardly to interrupt the woman's plans. — That skinny guy... the one who ran away, you know?

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked as she tried unsuccessfully to remove the necklace.

— When he grabbed me, before you punched him...

— Stop stalling, just say it! — he urged him, looking brutally into his eyes.

— He took my wallet and my ticket — he spat the words out.

— What!? — she gasped as she frowned into a strong “v”.

—But that's not a problem, is it? You can use your ability to take me to Toesane with that light of yours, and...

— You don't understand, do you?! — Garta took quick steps until he was staring at the boy closely without reacting. He continued whispering in an inflamed tone: — I can only travel to places I've already been to and know.

Colth looked away, not understanding.

- Then...

— So, I've never been to this shithole in Toesane! How would I know where to send you? You're so stupid! Idiot! I should...

Colth lowered his head as he realized how innocent he had been. “How could I not have noticed that skinny guy taking my wallet?” He thought as he absorbed the guardian’s harsh words. His fear now became the possibility that Garta would simply abandon him right there. Without money, without a ticket, and perhaps chased by lowlife thieves from the Capital, it would be his imminent end.

— Huh. — The murmur of pain from the man still unconscious on the sidewalk interrupted both of their thoughts.

The woman looked up at the blue sky as she ran her hands over the necklace attached to her neck. She shook her head in disagreement and complaint.

— Ah! — she blurted out — We'll sort this out later. Let's get out of here.

Garta continued to be harsh as she hurried on. Fearing the arrival of more of those men, she resumed walking at a fast pace.

Her words were spoken in a rude and unfriendly tone, but to Colth's ears, they sounded like "don't worry, I'll help you out of this."

— Okay, sure.

The boy followed in the woman's footsteps with a look of relief on his face. She, in turn, already seemed to have a goal in mind.