I was awakened after a short sleep— I guessed no more than an hour, from the change in light—by a sudden, resounding outcry from the street below. I looked out the window and saw some of the townsfolk frolicking in celebration while others ran towards the palace. I guessed that Venti had succeeded in her mission, and I decided to go and see this girl for myself.
It was not difficult to find my way to the castle courtyard, since I just went with the flow of the crowd and soon arrived there. However, it was not easy to get through the crowds of people that filled it. Jubilant cries such as “She’s back!” and “The Princess has returned!” filled the air, young men and women danced joyfully, and even their elders seemed inclined to join in.
At the main entrance to Venti’s chamber, a grey-haired, muscular man in a palace uniform stood guard. He held a massive war hammer easily in one hand, leaning it against his shoulder. Despite his tough demeanor, his eyes were noticeably moist with tears. When I approached the door, he recognized me, saying, “Sir Leon! You’re just in time. My Lady Ventuswill has returned in triumph!” And with that he burst into a cacophony of tears as he stood aside to allow me to enter. I gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and opened the door.
I stepped in just as my presumed savior slid down from her perch on Venti’s neck. A ray of brilliant afternoon sunlight shone through the open roof onto her, enveloping her in a dazzling golden glow. She hugged Venti tightly around her neck, holding her for a moment, both apparently unaware of my silent observation. I smiled to myself, glad to see Venti looking so elated. To see her alive and well and happy after so long made everything worthwhile. Just then, Venti turned her head a little and noticed me standing there. She actually appeared to blush as she pulled away from the girl, saying, “Oh! Leon! You, ahh, surprised me. That’s enough, Avani, you are quite welcome. No need to make such a fuss. This, as you are surely aware, is Leon—the first of the Guardians, and my friend.”
The girl turned and faced me, looking me in the eyes with a steady, direct gaze that contained more than a little humor and intelligence. I was uncustomarily disconcerted to find that she was no mere girl at all, but entirely woman—and a very attractive one, at that. Her slender frame made her seem more juvenile at first glance, but I now saw there was nothing child-like about the figure before me, even half-hidden by her armor as it was. I looked down at her, momentarily speechless as I made a mental adjustment, then I held out a hand to her, saying rather formally, “It would appear that I owe you a debt of gratitude. I am called Leon, lately of the tower of Leon Karnak, Dragon Priest to Ventuswill, the Divine Wind.” Venti chortled at my formality, but I ignored her and continued. “Will you tell me your name?”
She removed a heavy leather gauntlet and placed an impossibly delicate hand in mine, saying in a serious voice, though her eyes sparkled, “I am called Avani, and I am the Acting Princess of Selphia. There is no need to thank me, as I was keeping a promise to Venti. If anything, you should thank her, as well as the other Guardians, as they, too, helped to keep her alive all those centuries until you could be rescued.” She looked over to Venti and then back to me, saying with a smile, “I should leave you two alone. I’m sure you have a quite a lot of catching up to do.”
Feeling both intrigued and mischievous, I firmly held the hand that she attempted to remove from my grasp, saying with a smile, “There’s no need to leave on my account.”
She gave me a half smile, saying, “That’s very kind. But there is need to leave on mine.” She swayed a little, closing her eyes wearily, and with a mental kick, I remembered her injuries.
I was about to offer to help her to the clinic, when Dylas burst through the chamber’s entrance, a wild, frantic look on his face that quickly dissolved into relief as he beheld the object of his search. He straightened up and strode into the room, attempting to appear nonchalant, and exclaimed “Avani! I see you made it back. N-not that I was worried or anything….” Venti gave a loud snort, causing him to turn bright red and look away.
“Dylas!” Avani exclaimed, smiling up at the tall young man as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. “I’m so very glad to be back. I… I was afraid I’d never see you again. Why don’t we go and leave these two to catch up? I’m dying to get out of this armor.” Again she swayed, nearly falling over this time.
Dylas caught her, saying, “Hey! You’re hurt! Let’s get you over to see Jones.”
Leaning against him for a moment, she shook her head, saying, “I’ll be fine, really. I just need some food and rest. I can heal myself once I’ve regained the strength to do so.”
Dylas sighed, saying, “Have it your way. In that case, I’ll cook you a good meal and then get you into bed.” She grinned up at him mischievously, and he blushed scarlet again, snapping, “Idiot! So you can rest!”
She turned again to me, her eyes sparkling most enchantingly despite her exhaustion, and she held out her hand as she said, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Leon. I’m so very glad you’re here. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you as you adjust to life in our village.”
I took her hand and, on an impulse, kissed it, saying, “The pleasure is mine. Thank you again for coming to my rescue.”
As I looked down into her weary face, it was transformed by a perfectly dazzling smile that left me speechless for the second time in less than an hour—an unprecedented occurrence. “Until later, then,” she replied. “Venti, I’ll be in my rooms if you want me.”
With that, Dylas gently scooped her up in his arms—armor, weapons, and all—and carried her away through a side door. I watched them as they departed, her arms clinging to his neck as she rested her head tiredly against his shoulder, until the door closed firmly behind them, the lock clicking audibly.
That’s when I knew I was in trouble.