Guardian (Part I): Last Winter

Chapter 22: Eris

I was reluctant to allow Jerome to travel with us through the rest of the Ice Serpent Canyon, but he had fought well against Eiloculera. I may not have been able to kill him without the diversions from him and Finn. There were still several miles of canyon to travel through, though, and I wasn't sure how much Jerome would actually help us if there were Lost and demons in the path of the canyon ahead of us. He was fond of Finn, and Finn was fond of him in return, but he was a soldier. His training was in killing people, not monsters. I suppose Lost and Turned aren't very different from what he was used to fighting, since they used to be people at least. Still, I wouldn't have him slow us down. I could see King Aizekus' palace over the horizon. Its towers were the only part of the entire that reached above the canyon walls. That was part of what made Aizekus one of the greatest leaders I've ever met. If there was a threat to his people, he would be the first one to respond to it. Finn, Jerome, and I would have to reach the top of the palace in order to get out of the canyon, and it seemed like there was still a long way there.

"We should keep going now if we want to reach the surface by nightfall," I suggested.

"You know, there's a village not far from the southern end of the canyon," said Finn. "We could stay there for the night."

"I suppose," I admitted.

"Is that alright with you, Jerome?" asked Finn.

"If our worlds stay in contact, yes," Jerome answered. "But if they don't, then I'm afraid not."

"Okay," said Finn. "Hopefully they do."

We went further along the canyon path, arriving at the plaza before the city's palace. As we approached the palace, I began to sense a darkness hanging over it. There weren't any Lost or other monsters around. It was only coming from the palace. It hardly matched Eiloculera's, but it was strong enough to give me unease. I sensed that same feeling of nervousness from Finn. He knew that something was beyond the palace door that could easily kill even him if his body couldn't instantly heal any kind of wound he sustained. I wouldn't let him even step inside unless I knew what was beyond that doorway, but I hardly felt safe opening it myself.

"Is it something bad?" asked Finn.

"Yes," I answered. "Finn, hand me our Worldstone."

"You got it," said Finn. He reached into his pack, then tossed me the Worldstone that Jerome gave him. I figured that if I was pulled into someone else's world, I would know what we would be dealing with, and help someone else deal with it. I took the Worldstone, then bent down on one of my knees and stabbed it into the ground. It caused a small crack in the ground, and quickly rose to my feet, feeling a gust of wind slam into my head. It felt as though I was punched right in the center of my face.

"Judging by your reaction to being pulled through the rift, I suggest this is your first time being pulled from your world," a boy suddenly said. I thought it was Finn, since the voice sounded so young, but the source of this voice didn't have the same radiant aura as my son. If anything, he was half as powerful as he was. He must have been a Guardian.

"I'll admit, it is," I agreed, then I turned around to see who had summoned me. It was a child, no older than Finn. A boy this young must have just been assigned to a squad of lesser Guardians. That was what I thought at first, anyway. He didn't wear the vest that a rookie Guardian would wear. It seemed like he was wearing a black jumpsuit that covered his entire body other than his head. The areas of the outfit that covered the hands, legs, and chest had crystals of radiant malakyte sewn into them. He had an aura shield. I bent down to meet his eye level.

"What's your name?" I wondered.

"I am Mikael," the boy introduced, offering his hand out to me. In my mind, I commended how polite the boy was, and shook his hand.