Scales and Swords ✓

19: Introductions

I shouldn't have been that nervous, I had met Philip and he seemed like a regular guy at first, if I hadn't have known that he could beat an orc in mere seconds. But all in all he was just like every other man I'd met, a flirt and a show-off.

But I knew not everyone was like Philip. Not everyone was as friendly and casual as him. Especially those whose job was to protect the most important man in the kingdom. So when I opened the door I didn't expect to find the girl with hair for snakes and the man covered in bandages.

I stood at the door, unsure what to do and say. Philip and Leofwin stood among the group which included the familiar faces and four new people. A man with stark white hair and large bird wings that were tucked at his back. He leaned back in his seat, one leg over the other, a fisted hand under his head as he watched me through his unusual eagle eyes. Oh and I couldn't help but catch sight of a lion tail that slipped out from under him.

Standing next to him was a tall, elegantly-dressed woman with glassy wings and short dull-pink hair. She had features that seemed almost ghostly, both chilling and very real. But gorgeous either way.

Standing on the other side of the gorgon-man was a green elf with fish eyes and scales that lined his arms. He looked quite young, less dangerous, but I knew not to underestimate any of them.

And lastly, who stood behind and towered over them a cyclops with green skin, a florial-cyclops, one eye, vines for hair. She attempted a smile, at least I hoped it was a smile.

They looked absolutely terrifying.

"Mo, you're here!" Philip said. He came over to me and led me over. Leofwin looked how I think I looked. Scared out of his mind, his lips pressed against each other tightly, hands tucked into his pockets, sweat trickling down his face as he sat completely still on his seat.

"Oh it's you!" The gorgon girl exclaimed. She came over to me and took my hand. Her snakes whirling on the top of her head as she got closer. I swallowed and shook her hand. "I knew you'd get in." She turned to everyone, pointing at me. "Hey I know her, I met her once!"

"Oh really?" Philip said, almost accusingly.

"We met after you stormed out that time," I whispered. Though, I bet everyone heard it, because the green elf coughed and gave Philip a knowing look.

"Anyone else you met that you didn't tell me about?" Philip asked, rhetorically.

"Yeah actually," I said, looking to the bandaged man.

Philip's jaw dropped. "You met Lucius too? When?!"

"Just today, after I woke up. In the library."

"And you didn't think of telling me?"

"I don't have to report everything to you do I?"

A throat cleared. Philip and I stopped badgering and looked to the source of the sound, the griffin-man. "Philip I think we'd all appreciate it if we got on to the introductions."

Philip sighed. "Of course. Go on Mo, introduce yourself."

I lifted my head which had dropped when I realized all eyes were on us. I pulled off my scar with shaky hands and stuffed them in my pocket. I stood up straighter, though I was still scared to look any of them in the eye even those whose eyes where hidden.

"My name is Mo, and it is my pleasure to meet you all."

"Are you a mermaid too?" The elf asked.

"Ingram, don't be rude," said the tall ghostly woman.

"What? I just wanted to know, she has scales too," Ingram replied.

"It's alright, I was adopted, so I'm not quite sure of what I am." My head dropped.

"Nothing to be worried about," the griffin-man said. "I think it would be best if we also mentioned what we are during our introductions. My name is Hugh, my father is a griffin and my mother is a human."

"Ingram," Ingram said with a brief wave. "Air-elf, merman."

"My name is Eve, I am half sprite and half troll," the tall woman said. I suspected she was a sprite but a troll, I hadn't even considered it.

"Kombai is the name," Kombai said, "but you already know that. And I said you could call me KB. I'm a gorgon and human."

"Um, uh," muttered the cyclops girl. She spoke so softly I could hardly hear her at first. "My name is Berenice. And I am a cyclops and florial."

And lastly, Lucius, the bandaged man. He waved and that was about all he did to introduce himself.

"That's Lucius," KB said pointing to the bandaged man. "He can't really speak. Not in front of us anyway. Or else we'd all be blinded and burnt. But anyways he's a fairy, light-fairy and human."

"Leofwin," Philip said. "Your turn."

Leofwin jolted to his feet. "My name is Leofwin. My mom was an elf and my father was a florial. I hope I will be able to give my all to my work."

"You two seem like bright and promising individuals," Hugh said. "I hope we work well together. I guess I should get going. Kombai, why don't you give them a tour of the castle."

One by one they all left, till Leofwin, KB and I were left. Philip said he'd meet me later. I just hoped the rest of the guards didn't think Philip and I were anything but friends.

"Alrighty!" KB exclaimed. She and Philip had the same energy, but I knew I could trust Philip, at least I hoped I could. KB on the other hand, I had just met, there was a lot I still didn't know about her. And maybe it was her snakes but she had an air to her that made me want to steer clear.

~~~

After probably an hour of wandering through the castle, from the kitchen, to the throne room, to the horses' stables. We saw it all, we heard about it all. And I'm not even exaggerating, KB was an encyclopedia of castle knowledge. Finally, we went to guards' chambers, where we would be living. That chamber happened to be underground, opposite the castle library where I was only a few hours ago. Those doors that lined the opposite wall of the underground corridor were the doors to our chambers.

"We don't always sleep here of course," KB explained. "Sometimes we have to sleep in the castle. This is just our living space, you have a bed, a wardrobe, a bathroom. And you can add whatever you'd like."

She showed us each of our rooms and they were just as she had described, a sturdy bed at the center, a wardrobe standing against the wall and door to the bathroom. More than one emotion hit me at the reality of my own room. A room that I would sleep in while I worked. A room that I'd get used to. A room that wasn't opposite my siblings' or my parents. Though I knew that more people wished they had a warm bed than they could afford, I just wasn't content.

"I have a question." I turned to KB.

"I'm all ears, literally."

"When do we get to meet the head mage?"

"Uptight Higgins?"

"Lady Higgins, yeah."

She scratched the top of one her snakes head, which I guess was her scratching her own head. "She's not in at the moment. The king sent her off for some business. But I promise when she gets back, she'll meet you two."

"She grants requests I heard?"

"It's not an official thing, but its custom for the head mage to grant the request of the king's new guards."

"Did lady Higgins ever grant you your wish?"

KB winced. "She's not very friendly. The only person she respects is the king. But if you get on her good side there's a slim chance she might just grant you a wish."

With just a few words and all the pain I went through just to get here was rendered irrelevant.

A/n: so I've been working on the guards' backstories and imma just say, I love me some tragic backstories.