Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Seventy Five

Iris looked back at them. "I guess he admired my dedication. When it was time to march, he chose me to be part of a special group." She grinned. "I found great friends there. Together, we were to cut the head off the snake. We were set to kill the Tokenmaster. Kayde eventually made his appearance known and went with us. And so we went. We made our way to Garhemia. There were... many fights. Many horrible sights that I care not to elaborate on. And I almost got there too." Iris laughed without mirth. "Everything happened in Wallfront. The pot that had been set to boil finally boiled over. Wallfront was when Kayde... left. He came to my inn room... he told me that I... that he loved me. I didn't send him away, but I did not return the sentiment. He left on good terms. And Zayn... Zayn finally told me he knew I was a girl. He... well, he shared Kayde's feelings. He tried to send me home. Told me to go to my father, and be safe. He was hell-bent on saving me. He was always hell-bent on saving me..." Iris trailed off. "I split with the group after that, but I didn't quit. I went to the Garhemian fortress alone. I snuck in as a..." Iris cringed as something clicked into place, and she dared not look at Rhalla when she said, "...a concubine."

The expected grunt of disapproval came from Hench, but the mighty woman said nothing.

"I stayed undercover most the time. I was... keeping an eye on the emperor, who had been abducted by the Tokenmaster. Tokenmaster Erodyne Maug'Rin was not at all what I expected. He was... insane, in every sense of the word. He was so mild. But it was like the calm before a storm. It was like the entire place was waiting on him to break. Oh, he did. When Zayn and the group finally made it in... he pulled out his whips and that was that. I was busy sneaking the emperor out when I watched him tearing through the defense of my friends. I watched one of them meet his end that day." Iris looked sorrowful."I went back -we went back. I fought. And... I won."

Irila looked a mixture of proud and horrified. Iris went on, "Of course, my identity was done for. The emperor guessed my profession. I was to go straight to Oraborn with him to await their jurisdiction. I thought I traveled to my death. And then..." Iris smiled a small smile. "He spared me. Eldia spared me, I suppose. That day, I was named the First Heroine of Eldia. I was given the position of Rogue Captain in the military, and women were then allowed to join the army. I had Zayn at my side and things were good. We were to be married," Iris paused. "And then... dad. I thought... I swore that he had died. I grieved. I grieved for a long time. Suddenly, my world had come crashing down all around me. My depression was the catalyst for everything that happened next. Zayn and I didn't make it through that. He tried to save me, make me happy. He tried. He thought he could fix it -he wanted to fix it. Renna became a drunkard quicker than I could blink. I threw myself into my career, which became its own monster soon enough. Military work hardly feels glorified when you can't tell if you're the good guy or the bad guy. I was charged with taking territory... expansion. It was no longer about helping people, it was about profit. I couldn't do it. And then... I remembered Kayde. I remembered what he did for me -what Remorda Guardians did for people. On a whim, I applied. And when I got in, I quit my job and ran for training."

All in the tent listened intently as Iris went on. "I got to the sanctuary. I remember that first day with great clarity." Her lips curved upward. "They sat me in a room and told me to wait. They told me I was to have a mentor for my training period. That my mentor was very excited to meet me. And... I more than expected Kayde to come in that door." Iris shook her head. "He didn't." Pause. "It's so very surreal... to look back on the moment that followed. I didn't understand how life changing that moment was for months to come. I met Rhalla then... for the very first time since I was an infant."

Hench smiled beside Iris.

"She walked in and greeted me. I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to think of her then. She was very different from the get-go, from anyone else I had ever met. We started off that day heading for some combat training. After Kayde and I reconnected, I joined her on the fighting stage for the first time." Iris laughed out loud. "Oh gods, it was bad. It was so bad. That was the biggest beating and the biggest reality check I think I've ever gotten... ever." Iris's grin subdued into something softer. "Despite that, that very first spar let me know that I already liked her a whole lot."