As Shye got closer, he could make out the figure of a girl lying on her stomach, her hands holding her head up, perched on her elbows, her feet waving gently in the air. Shye could see that her wings had already retracted and she looked like a little girl watching her favourite TV show, completely engrossed and loving every minute of it. Only a few metres away but still not being noticed, Shye cleared his throat loudly and laughed when the young woman in front of him jumped slightly, although she did not move from her position.
“Shye! Don’t sneak up on me. I don’t like it,” the girl said. She continued to gaze down through the Window, feigning annoyance.
Shye didn’t speak. He looked at Veil, waiting for an apology, or at the very least an explanation for her thoughtless behaviour that day. Veil in turn was waiting for Shye to say something, anything regarding their mission at the hospital. She felt intimidated by his stance and intense stare and smiled up at him. It was not returned.
“I’m not looking at anyone in particular. I’m just checking on the hospital. We did good today.”
Still Shye did not speak. His thick hair was blowing into his eyes but he made no attempt to remove it, his arms remained crossed over his chest. Eventually Veil gave up and retuned her gaze to the Window. They stayed quiet for a few moments more before Shye spoke to her, but didn’t look at her.
“Do you have any idea what you risked today? With that little stunt you pulled?” He clenched his jaw in an effort to stop himself from shouting. Veil blinked a few times, taken aback by this line of questioning.
“By rescuing people from a burning building?” she countered. Before the last word was out of her mouth, Shye had moved quickly and yanked her to her feet with a death grip on her bicep. They stood toe to toe and he was looking down into her eyes, his own brimming with anger and judgement.
“You nearly exposed yourself—exposed all of us—for the sake of one human. ONE! It was irresponsible and dangerous and it’s happened too many times recently. You are assigned to guard this human when it is called for, and today it was not. You had no need to enter that hospital and retrieve him, a firefighter or paramedic would have found him. He would have been fine and you knew that.” He released her arm harshly and she stumbled backward.
Once she regained her footing, she raised her chin in defiance and her eyes shone with confusion and pain, and also conviction. She looked as if she had been struck across the face, yet was ready to return a blow of her own. Tears burned in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.
“I am Pete Standon’s Guardian. I have vowed to protect him, no matter the circumstances, danger or consequence. My personal feelings for him do not and will not ever cloud my judgement or ability to do just that. I was given no assurances that he would be safe today, so I took action, to shield him from the dangers in that hospital. And if firefighters and police officers on Earth are so capable, why then do we have to do all the work for them?” She said her piece and awaited a response from Shye.
“Your personal feelings? Veil, you shouldn’t have personal feelings toward him! You shouldn’t be here at the Window, night after night watching him! One day you’ll get yourself killed, putting his life and needs above your own and those of Aureia.” Shye gestured as he said these words, pointing down into the Window, his voice raising as he responded to her.
“How dare you!” Veil tried to stare him down, “How dare you criticise my ability to guard Pete, to save his life, to keep him safe! What if it were Dusk in that building? Would you have left her?”
Shye looked shocked; admittedly, he had not thought of that. If it were Dusk in that situation, he knew, he would have done exactly the same thing. He looked down at his feet and shrugged like a young boy reprimanded for careless behaviour. Veil sighed and continued.
“Pete is the only half decent human down there.” Veil looked down through the Window. On Earth, the sun was setting and night was the only time Guardians were not permitted to fly. “We are there as police, firefighters, paramedics, teachers and whatever else they need us to be in order to get through each day. They are so weak without us, Shye it’s pathetic. Pete exudes a light and strength that leaves the rest of them in shadow and—I’m in love with him.” As she spoke the last few words, her voice reduced to a whisper and fresh tears sprung to her eyes.
Shye’s face softened greatly and sympathy filled his eyes; he struggled to find the right words to say. Even so, the realism of the situation needed to be identified and addressed.
“You think he is strong, beautiful and glowing because you love him, Veil. When I looked at that man today in my ambulance, he was just a man, covered in soot and smelling of smoke. He looked tired, weak and mortal. You were chosen as his Guardian, to protect and guide when it is asked of you, no more can ever happen. Pete can not even know that you exist. I know how painful this is, believe me. You can force a broken heart back together, but there are always too many pieces left behind and inevitably there’ll always be something missing and so your heart…never really beats as it should.” Shye’s voice had lost all of its harshness, now just soft and friendly.
Veil regarded her large friend; he stood just over a foot taller than herself, and she was shocked that he understood exactly how it was that she was feeling. She returned to her previous position and continued to watch Pete. He was walking toward a corner store, still covered in black smudges and looking exhausted. Shye watched also; even after his small tirade he too could see something special within Pete Standon. He laid down on his front next to Veil, resting his chin in his hand and slyly casting his eyes over his friend. He wished she wouldn’t torment herself in this manner, for he understood the feeling all too well. Veil was incredibly beautiful; he took in her pale, flawless skin, her long silky hair with its purple tinge that matched her eyes perfectly—they were a dark purple colour but would lighten when she was happy, and as he breathed in her scent he smiled at that ever familiar lavender aroma that was just Veil. After being regarded for a long time, Veil turned and looked back at Shye before speaking.
“So, my dear friend, are you ever going to tell Dusk how you feel about her?” she asked.
Struck by the question, Shye didn’t really know how to answer; he took his eyes away from Veil’s and looked down into the Window again, searching for an answer that he would rather deliver than the truth; he finally decided that the truth would be the best option. He exhaled and dropped his hand from his chin, allowing it to swing freely by the clouds’ edge.
“No, Veil, I’m not. There’s too much risk involved. I would give my life before I let any harm come to her. As you know, if I were to voice my feelings for Dusk and if we were to be joined, it would only be a matter of time before I was responsible for her fall from Aureia.”
“You wouldn’t be responsible Shye, but I know what could happen; you could join and live forever as one. If I had that option…” Veil couldn’t finish her sentence. She fell quiet for a moment to collect herself, then grabbed Shye’s hand, forcing eye contact once again before she spoke, with determination.
“Love is always worth the risk, Shye, whether it be for one day or a millennium. And your heart deserves every beat, with no parts missing.” As she said this, her gaze fell back down to Pete, and she felt Shye nodding in agreement beside her. He had a lot to think about.
When she realised she could take no more of this torment, Veil slowly rose to her feet, and her dark purple hair that matched her eyes, swayed in the breeze. Shye followed suit. As he stood to his full height, Veil had to look up slightly to see his face. She cast one last glance down through the Window and then they began walking back to the group, unaware that everything was about to change.
***
A million miles away from Aureia, was a parallel land of darkness and dread. Every inch of this world was shadow, rain and fog. For miles and miles the only visible elements were the moments when lightning would strike in a bright fierce line along the ground, making it shake with every bolt. Stormcry. It was laden with clouds at every edge, tinted with reds and blues; it appeared a truly menacing and an angry place. Large rock-like shapes spread moderately, poking through the clouds as if they were mountain peaks. The largest of these peaks was home to the ruler of this world; along its vertical edge was a crack wide enough to fit a thousand men; it stretched along the full length of the cliff, and straight down.
There was a figure looking through the crack, almost as if inspecting it; a cloaked man, bent on one knee, his forearm resting on it with his hand loosely dangling over. He was gently rubbing his fingers together, causing small blue sparks to appear between the pale bony appendages. A harsh, dark rain was thrashed against his side, his long, black, stringy hair blown across his face, and through it red pupils zeroed in on something, like a cat watching a mouse. His eyes were darting around, wild with excitement.
Through the crack, he saw a dismal and very typical street, with leaves beginning to fall from trees, a small corner store and a customer leaving the establishment carrying a plastic bag that hung loosely and occasionally bumped against his leg.
***
Pete Standon left the store with his six pack of beer, the tiny bell above the door jingling as he went. He was in his neighbourhood: Northgate. Pete always found this place to be friendly, the kind of place where neighbours still said ‘hello’ and offered smiles whenever they passed each other. Exhausted from the events at the hospital that day, he was walking slowly, his feet felt like they were filled with lead and he willed them to carry him to his apartment building; it was only a ten minute walk from the store. He hadn’t even gone home to shower yet, just wanting a drink—something he rarely needed to steady his nerves and to walk among the streets to breathe clean air. His clothes were still covered with soot, he could still smell smoke on his shirt. His face was black and streaked, and his eyes were red, both from the fumes at the hospital and because he had been crying. He could still hear the yells of terror and pain as he helped the patients and other doctors out of the hospital.
He was also thinking about the mystery woman that had saved his life. Veil, he thought, wondering if he was ever going to see her again. Again he imagined her voice, the softness of her hand in his and the way her presence had made him feel so safe. His thoughts were so consumed by his rescuer that he didn’t notice the two large men begin to follow him down the street. He was further from shops and streetlights now; the street was darker and he became aware of the footsteps behind him, growing louder and faster as they caught up with him. Without turning back to look, and even though he was exhausted, he quickened his pace, almost running; so too did his followers, and soon he could feel their presence close at his back.
He thought he might be safe, as there were a few other people on the streets. Just as he allowed this thought to give him some comfort, he was knocked to the ground by arms around his waist, as the smaller of the men wrestled him to the ground and started to punch him in the ribs. Everything was happening so fast, Pete was powerless to stop it, feebly trying to push his attackers’ hands away and put his own up in order to protect his face. To no avail though, as the second assailant began kicking aggressively at his legs, causing him to cry out as a particularly harsh blow hit his knee with a crunch…
***
High above the scene in Stormcry, the figure continued watching through the crack at this unfolding attack, his red pupils shifting from the event happening beneath him to a girl standing at the edge. She had crimson hair that made her already pale face look even whiter, the stinging rain, hitting her in the face and partly obscuring her vision, drips of rain falling from the pointed tips of her hair and running down her face. Even in her current crouched position, the girl, although small, radiated a perilous poise, both beneficial and dangerous. Her eyes, the colour of tarnished silver, observed the scene below, watching the movements of the assailants with rapt attention and a gleam of appreciation. She was in position, ready to jump down to Earth, gripping the edges of the precipice and rocking on her heels. She turned to Vulgaar and those red eyes took her in again; he grinned—a wicked, twisted smile—and delivered a small nod. At this she shifted all of her weight on to the balls of her feet and fell forwards over the edge of the crack, towards Earth…
…Pete was screaming for help as his attackers overpowered him and beat him further into the pavement, but no one stopped to help. Onlookers and passersby quickly considered the situation and then fled the scene in the opposite direction, leaving Pete helpless and hopeless. He could feel blood pouring from his nose and a heavy pounding in his head. His vision was beginning to blur…
He squinted at the pair of feet as they landed in front of his face, as if they had jumped from a ledge above, and with the feet came a rain that began to gently beat against his face, a relief from the blows occupying his nose and cheeks, and with that relief darkness. The two large men, dishevelled and howling with amusement, continued their assault, even though their victim had lost consciousness. With the help of the new arrival, a young woman with crimson hair, they continued to strike Pete as he lay on the floor, no longer moving. Onlookers took the road of self-preservation, avoiding the violence and praying that someone would be brave enough to stop it.
All content Copyright © J P Walker.
Knights of the Sun is Book One of the Knights of the Sun Trilogy, by J P Walker - available for pre-order from September 2013, and from all good book stores from December 2013.
For more information / to buy a copy, please visit www.beatentrackpublishing.com/knightsofthesun.
Knights of the Sun is Book One of the Knights of the Sun Trilogy, by J P Walker - available for pre-order from September 2013, and from all good book stores from December 2013.
For more information / to buy a copy, please visit www.beatentrackpublishing.com/knightsofthesun.
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