Guardian Fall Chapter 5

Chapter 5
The Ruined Dream

         Upon hearing the voice, Bran and Alvina jolted from one another. Standing in front of them was a woman, one that neither of them had ever seen before. She had a fair complexion, as if it were covered with coconut milk. Her tied ebony hair nearly reached her waist and her irises were like beads of amethyst. Clothing her body was a long dress of black, violet and gold. Dark feathers were seen around her nape, while various pieces of gold decorated her neck, wrists and fingers.

          Silence gripped the village as the music suddenly died. Everyone stared at this single woman, who suddenly appeared out of the air. Even Marcus, who had been watching Bran and Alvina the entire time, immediately saw her after a single blink.

         Dakila Sur turned to the woman with narrowed eyes. The other four Guardians took their feet and readied their hands on their weapons.

         "Please don't stop, it was just getting good," the woman said, as she looked at the two. "Well, it looks like I ruined it for the both of you, I apologize."

         The woman turned head quickly to Bran. She placed her hand over his chest and took a deep whiff. Bran shivered as he felt the woman's breath blow against his skin. Cringing, Bran took several steps away.

         "Oh my, so you are the one," the woman said.

         "Bran, do you know this woman?" Alvina asked.

         "N-no, I don't!" Bran stuttered with a panicked look on his face.

         "Don't worry, little lady, this IS the first time he and I have met," the woman said, shifting her face over to Alvina's. She reached out and gently stroked her finger on Alvina's lip, down to her chin. "He's telling the truth. This is the first time we've met."

         "Stop that!" Bran ordered, stomping his foot. "Who are you?!"

         "Oh, where are my manners?" the woman said, slapping her forehead.

         "I am Wiyana, one of the Dalaketnon!" she said declared.

         Dalaketnon - Bran had heard of these creatures. According to the stories from his elders, these were mystic creatures of great beauty and wealth that lived in luxurious mansions. They were known to seek humans and trick them into slavery.

         Wiyana circled to Bran's back and placed her hands on his shoulders. "It pains me to say it, but I must take you from your leisure...," she said, pausing to narrow her eyes at the village's five guests, "as well as from the Guardians."

         "Seize her!" Dakila Sur commanded, drawing a golden sword.

         Springing from their seats, the other four Guardians drew their golden weapons and attacked.

         Wiyana tugged Bran close to her. Her eyes and hair began to shine like the light from sun. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled a cloud of green smoke upon the entire village. Wheezes and coughs were heard behind the smog. Before Bran could inhale any of the smoke, the Dalaketnon wrapped her hand around his mouth and nose. Her grip was so tight that Bran couldn't breathe anything. As soon as the cloud settled, she released Bran from her grip.

         Falling to his knees, Bran took a few pants a looked up around him. His eyes gaped and his jaw dropped, as if it had dislocated from the rest of his skull.

         Everyone had turned into jade. Expressions of shock and urgency were seen plastered stiffly on their faces. Not a single muscle on their brow or cheek moved.

         Turning to Alvina, he found her with one foot forward and her hand extended out. Marcus was posed to dash his way through the crowd. As for his uncle Amon, he was about to stand from place. Everyone and everything was suspended from motion, except for him and Wiyana, who was checking the Guardians from various angles.

         "Impressive, isn't it?" Wiyana complemented herself. "Don't worry. They're not dead, just unconscious. However, they could die if something really awful were to happen to them, say if they were melted or broken."

         "Let them go!" Bran commanded, as he crouched down for a fight.

         "I just turned everyone, including your beloved Guardians, into jade," Wiyana said, crossing her arms, as she leaned on one of the Guardians. "What makes you think that you stand a chance against me?"

         "Better than not doing anything!" Bran sneered.

         Leaping forward, Bran launched out a fist. Wiyana took one step to the side and dodged the strike. Not giving up, Bran threw a flurry of punches and kicks. Unfortunately, Wiyana continued to block and dodge everything that was thrown at her, by simply raising her and taking steps to the side. Not a single sweat dripped from her forehead.

         How could this be happening?! Bran thought to himself. He knew that he was nowhere near as skilled as Marcus, but he knew that he wasn't this slow.

         "Not bad, I suppose," Wiyana yawned, as she tilted right.

         Steam blew from Bran's ears, as he continued to miss every strike he had. Soon, his movements grew slower and Wiyana wasn't even moving from her spot. Tightly clenching his fists, Bran gathered his strength and threw a straight right.

         This time, Wiyana raised one hand. Bran struck, but was then blown back from some explosive force. Checking the Dalaketnon, Bran noticed that she was inside a sphere of blue light.

         "You have some skills, but not enough to defeat me," Wiyana noted. "Perhaps if your magic were a bit stronger, you could have made a crack through this light."

         "My magic? What are you talking about?" Bran asked.

         "We can discuss that, when you have settled down," Wiyana said, as walked over to the frozen Alvina. "Or perhaps you would like me to force you to settle down?"

         Wiyana began tapping Alvina's cheek, making a tinkling noise. Seeing what little options he had, Bran lowered his fists and took a few calm breaths.

         "What do you want?" Bran asked.

         "About a month ago, a tiger had gone insane," Wiyana explained. "For many nights, it roamed the forest, as if it were trying to flee something. At first, I thought it was possessed, so I ignored it. However, I eventually learned that the beast was affected not by a spirit, but a human."

         The memory came crashing down on Bran. He remembered meeting the tiger in the forest and how it was suddenly attacking the air.

         "Ever since I learned this, I watched over the forest and waited for the human who had done this, but he never appeared," Wiyana continued. "Then, like a bolt of lightning, the magic occurred again, just earlier. YOU are the source of that magic."

         "Me?!" Bran said, placing his hand on his chest. "But I didn't do anything! Also, nothing really happened earlier-!"

         Suddenly, Bran recalled the test. The sword that had moved away on its own and the basket that leapt from the Guardian's hands. Did both of these items suddenly react, because of some magic that he could have released?

         "I see you're still having doubts," Wiyana said.

         From her dress, she pulled out golden mirror and glanced at herself. Wiyana tilted and twisted her head, while fixing her hair long hair. After inspecting herself for a few seconds, she handed the mirror over to Bran.

         "This mirror can see magic," Wiyana said, as he held out the mirror. "Look into it and see the power that you possess."

         Bran stared at Wiyana. His eyes then shifted down at the mirror, then back at the Dalaketnon. Biting his lip, Bran reached out for the mirror. His finger twitched as his hand drew closer. Finally taking it, Bran held up the mirror and stared at his reflection.

         Nothing strange happened at first. All he saw was a clear image of his face, staring right back at him. Just as he was about to put the mirror down, a blur started fading in. Something was behind him.

         Turning back, Bran found nothing, but air. There was nothing behind him. Looking back at the mirror, he saw the blur growing sharper and sharper, until it created a clear image. Floating behind Bran was a large orange face with thin, slanted eyes and a large grin that extended from ear to ear.

         As if he had suddenly stepped on a patch of thorns, Bran jolted off his feet and released the mirror from his fingers. The mirror dropped from his hands, but Wiyana swooped down and caught it, before it could shatter.

         "What is wrong with you?!" Wiyana yelled, as she wiped the mirror. "Do you have any idea how difficult and how long it takes to create these sorts of items?!"

         "W-what was that?" Bran stuttered.

         "So, you saw it, did you?" Wiyana said, hiding mirror back underneath her dress. "Not too pretty, eh?"

         "That is how magic looks like?!" Bran shrieked. "I thought magic would look brighter and incredible!"

         "Well, your magic is a little different from others," Wiyana explained. "Now that you know that you do have magic, why don't you guess what I want?"

         "You want my magic?" Bran assumed.

         "That is partly the answer," said Wiyana. "I need you to use your magic and help me defeat the Guardians and the Hornet Queen."

         Bran glared with a brow raised brow. "If that was a joke, then it's a really bad one," Bran said, crossing his arms. "What makes you think that I would even accept that request?"

         "Well if this young woman means so little to you," Wiyana said, as she started tilting the frozen Alvina to one side. "I could just break her into thousands of pieces and sell her pieces for a lofty price."

         "You wouldn't dare!" Bran snarled, getting back into a fighting position.

         "Hah, you're an easy one," Wiyana laughed, as she placed Alvina back to her original stance. "Don't worry. I'm not allowed to do such a thing. However, nothing forbids me from keeping her and the rest of your village trapped in jade. Do you see where I'm going?"

         "Yes," nodded Bran. "IF I do this, you will undo this magic?"

         "Just agree and they'll be immediately released," Wiyana said. "You have my word."

         "Fine," sneered Bran, as he looked the other way. His fists clenched and his teeth grit. A disgusting flavor rolled on his tongue.

         "I see that you still don't want to go through with this," Wiyana said, as she slipped away from Alvina. "What if I told you that the Guardians were planning to kill you?"

         "What?!" Bran shrieked.

         "Well, that may not be entirely true," Wiyana said. "Killing you would probably be just one of the many things they could have done to you. Apart from taking your life, they could have just locked you up or experimented on you."

         "You don't need to make any lies for me to help you," Bran replied. "I'm already agreeing to do what you want, even if I don't like it."

         "Unfortunately, that isn't good enough," Wiyana said, as she pressed her palms together.

         Again, Wiyana's eyes and hair began to glow. Wind gusted around her feet, slowly expanding through the entire village. Above her head, two giant eyes appeared. Both these eyes had golden irises and were two times larger than Wiyana's head. Rays of light beamed from the eyes like sunlight.

         "Reveal your secrets," Wiyana said, her voice echoing. "Speak of no lies. Let only truth escape from your lips."

         Bran fell on his rear and froze at the sight of this. The wind continued to blow and circle, rattling the flames around the village.

         "Try to lie to me," Wiyana said. "What is your name?"

         "Bran," he quickly responded.

         "What is the color of your hair?" Wiyana asked.

         "Black?" Bran honestly replied, unsure where this was going.

         "Let's try something a bit harder," Wiyana said. For a while, she thought. A spark soon appeared on her face. "What is the most embarrassing thing that you do not wish others to know about?"

         A few thoughts played in Bran's head. There were quite a few things that he didn't want other people to know about. As his thoughts flashed through him, one particular memory popped into his head. Without having any second thoughts, Bran's face blushed pink and his eyes squint, just as if he had eaten a sour mango.

         I'll just tell her anything. Bran thought. Opening his mouth, Bran began to speak.

         "One time, I fell asleep in the fields, dreaming of kissing Alvina. When I woke up, I found myself kissing the water buffalo," Bran answered. Gasping with shock, Bran slapped his hand over his mouth.

         Wiyana gave a smug grin. Her cheeks expanded like bubbles, until she finally burst into tears and laughter.

         "Stop laughing!" Bran yelled, trying to come up with an explanation. "It's true! I found its tongue smothering my face, while I was asleep and I enjoyed it!" Again, Bran covered his mouth, unable to find himself to coat any of his words.

         "Okay, that's enough," Wiyana laughed, as she separated her palms and wiped the tears off her cheeks. The ray of light slowly faded, the wind settled and the eyes disappeared.

         Curling up like I millipede defending itself, Bran rolled and sobbed on the floor. Several shades of pink were painted across his face. He pounded the ground, while shouting all sorts of curses that could have him flogged. Then taking a deep breath, he held his head to the sky and screamed the loudest and most foul curse that popped in his mind.

         "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Wiyana said.

         "What was that for?!" Bran yelled. "Are you going to spread that story, if I don't comply faithfully with your every demand?"

         "That's not a bad idea," Wiyana said, tapping her lips. "However, no. I just want to show you that I can force anyone to reveal their secrets without falsehood."

         Turning around, Wiyana snapped her fingers. Shards of jade fell of Dakila Sur's body, releasing him from the magic. Completely unaware with what had just happened, he presumed his attack. Drawing out his gold sword, he delivered a mighty swing, only for Wiyana to swat his weapon from his fingers.

         With the reflex of the turtle, Dakila Sur was unable to react. Reaching out, Wiyana grabbed Dakila Sur by the neck and threw him on the ground. He attempted to get back on his feet, but Wiyana took his sword and pointed it right at his neck.

         Dakila Sur looked around, only realizing that everyone was trapped in jade. His eyes shifted at each individual, until he spotted Bran staring with an open mouth.

         "Boy, what are you doing?!" Dakila Sur yelled. "Aid me!"

         "He will do no such thing," Wiyana said, inching the blade closer to Dakila Sur's throat.

         Clapping her hands together again, Wiyana repeated the ritual she had done earlier. Wind blew, light shined and the eyes glared.

         "Tell us everything," Wiyana said, her voice echoing once again. "Did you intend to kill the boy?"

         Dakila Sur held his head back and grinded his teeth, trying to avoid speaking. Unfortunately, his jaw slowly opened and his tongue began to flap.

         "Yes," he answered stiffly.

         Bran shattered like glass, when he heard the answer. A member of the Guardians, those whom he had so much admiration for, was going to kill him.

         "Were you the only one who planned to do this?" Wiyana interrogated.

         "No," Dakila Sur frowned. "The other four and I were going to get the job done, after we had left with the other seven. We were planning to make it look like an accident."

         "Why?" Bran asked.

         The Guardian turned over to the supposed apprentice. "Your existence is a hindrance to our order," Dakila Sur replied. His voice was relaxed. There were no attempts to resist Wiyana's power. "The Guardians must rid of all dark magic users, no matter their age."

         "How did you learn that he uses dark magic?" Wiyana asked.

         "During the test, the sword moved away, because it was afraid of his magic," Dakila Sur explained. "As for the basket, the enemy that was revealed was a Guardian bestowed with great power."

         Dakila Sur turned over to Bran one last time. "You would have never become a Guardian," he said. "That filthy magic that fills you is enough to make me-."

         Before he could say another word, Wiyana dispelled the eyes behind her back and released the same green smog upon Dakila Sur. Once again, he had been turned into jade.

         Turning around, Wiyana found Bran crouching on his knees with his hands over his head. His pupils shrunk and shook, while his right eye twitched. Grabbing his hair, he shook his head and repeatedly muttered the same line over and over.

         "It can't be true, it can't be true!" he said several times.

         "I'm deeply sorry for what you had to learn," Wiyana said, bowing. "However, it is the truth. If you do not come with me, the Guardians will kill you. If these ones don't, the next ones will come after you. In order to keep you safe, you must come with me."

         "What about Alvina, Marcus, my uncle and the rest of my village?!" Bran yelled. "What will happen to them?!"

         "As much as the Guardians want you dead, they also want to remain respected and admired," Wiyana answered. "They won't harm you in front of them all and they won't harm this village. However, they may create some accidents to get you killed, which may involve a few others. As long as you are not with them, they will be safe."

         Lowering his head, Bran stared at the ground. Looking around, he glanced at everyone in the village. He looked at Marcus, his uncle and then Alvina. Standing up, he approached the petrified maiden and placed his hand on her cheek. Even when encased in mineral, her face still had the warmth of a fire. Closing his eyes, he kissed her lips for a few seconds and then pulled back.

         Turning back to the Dalaketnon, Bran gave his answer in a form of a nod.

         "Do not worry," Wiyana said. "I will make you the victim in their eyes."

         Clapping her hands three times, the jade fell of everyone in the village and shattered into dust, which drifted into the night air. Even Dakila Sur was freed. The other Guardians continued from their spot and attacked. Similarly to Dakila Sur, Wiyana fought back and easily unarmed threw them off their feet like rags.

         "Bran, get away!" Marcus yelled, diving from the crowd.

         He attempted to attack, but was also swatted away.

         "Marcus!" Bran called out. "Why did you-!"

         Before Bran could finish his words, Wiyana stepped forward and jabbed her nails a few inches into his stomach. Blood spilled from his chest like water leaking from a cup. Bran's coughed and gasped for air, as more blood flooded his mouth.

         "The boy is mine!" Wiyana cackled.

         Darkness started to engulf Bran's vision. Countless voices cried out, as bodies began to scramble everywhere. All physical features blurred from his sight, making it impossible for him to recognize anyone. The sound of clashing metal rang in the air, as a voice cried out his name. Although he couldn't see the voice that called him, his ears easily identified the voice of the young woman whom he had just kissed. Soon, everything went black and everything had become mute.