Shadow Guardians: The Promised

They reappeared in a dense pine forest. It was quiet, save for the sounds of birds, but there was an overwhelming feeling that they were being watched. It was overcast, so the sun didn’t bother them too much.

And the smell of brimstone hung in the air, mixing with the fresh smell of the trees and the earthy soil.

“We’re not alone in here,” Arlena said, scanning the trees and gripping the hilt of her claymore.

“There are hundreds of them in here, maybe more.” Draven agreed.

“We’ll take them down as they come at us. I don’t like this. What are they waiting for?” Katherine said.

“Let’s just focus on finding her. That’s probably what they want, and the only way to lure them out,” Magnus told them. “Didn’t you say we were supposed to materialize at a house?”

“We were,” Uriah answered, frowning. “Maybe my aim was a bit off. We have to go east.”

He started trudging along an overgrown path to his right, and they naturally followed.

The trees were dense, and they couldn’t see much at all. They didn’t talk much, which gave Uriah time to center himself for what was to come. And what he hoped he didn’t have to see…

Every now and then they would hear scurrying somewhere close by; they’d pause, and nothing would happen. It was irksome to play this game of cat and mouse when they knew there were demons lurking.

Eventually, Uriah came to a standstill in an area where the trees had thinned slightly.

The others were confused. They couldn’t see anything noteworthy here.

“What is it?” Draven asked Uriah.

Uriah’s head moved from side to side as he took in his environment. He glowered, coming up next to a tree and placing his hand on the trunk. “I know this place,” he said softly.

“What do you mean?” Katherine asked.

“Brick wall...” he mumbled, then his eyes zoomed in on a random spot before him. “There’s a brick wall there,” he said, taking off before anyone could ask any further questions.

He moved hastily now, and when they reached another clearing, Uriah grinned when he found the ruins of an old wall. Only half of it was still standing.

“Uriah, what are you-?” Draven asked, but before he finished his sentence, Uriah went to the wall and stepped onto it.

He balanced on the ledge, stepping one foot in front of the other, his arms outstretched.

For a moment, it seemed to the crew like he was filled with childlike joy, before sadness came into his eyes again.

“I used to live here,” Uriah said.

Magnus frowned. “Kid, you’re from the South.”

“No, before that,” Uriah replied, shaking his head. He looked over his shoulder and pointed to the cleared area. “She used to live there. Our house was right next to theirs.” He smiled and blinked away tears.

“I used to sneak off when I was supposed to do chores. I could only see her when I stood on the wall.”

“Who Mari?” Ophelia questioned. “Wait, you two grew up together?”

“She used to have a swing that her father built for her. He asked me to help him set it up. We roped it to a big willow tree that used to stand right there,” Uriah continued, as if not hearing her.

“Georgiano knows how to build something?” Arlena’s voice was laced with astonishment.

“No, not him. He’s not her father.” Uriah said. “Her real father’s name was Acheron. He died in the-” Suddenly, the deaths of his own parents came to mind, and he almost choked. He tightly shut his eyes for a moment. “-in the war.

These were her father’s lands. We used to play in these woods and by the river. I don’t understand how it’s all gone.”

“I do,” Magnus said, stepping forward and indicating. “See how the trees thin here? It’s like this in the whole area and it’s nothing but grass where the houses would’ve been. It was burned down at some point.”

Memories slammed into Uriah.

“I’m gonna find you!” Uriah held his hands in front of his eyes, yelling after Mari as she ran down the hallways, all the while counting to ten.

“5... 8... 10! Ready or not, here I come!” Fine, so he cheated with a few numbers. But she was small and fast.

He opened his eyes and quietly left the dining room, where he’d been counting.

Her parents house was very fancy, but not too posh to make it cold and political. And by now, he knew her house like his own. They were far away from town and only made the trip once a month.

The only thing for two younglings to do out here was play with each other. Or feed the chickens, or make use of themselves and catch dinner in the river.

There were only three servants around, and they often rotated between their families.

Uriah’s parents had them three times a week, and Mari’s parents had them three times a week. They had one day off, and they had their own cabin separate from the houses.

Uriah walked barefoot over plush, royal blue carpet. The walls of the dining room and the hallway were paneled in light wood and indented Victorian-style.

The furniture wasn’t cheap nor outrageously expensive, but good quality, antique ball and claw style. Same as his house.

His father had told him that their grandparents didn’t want to see them and that they came to live out here because of them.

So his and Mari’s parents lost a lot of their privileges, but Mari’s father was really knowledgeable about investments. And truthfully, they didn’t really need his grandparents money.

Uriah treaded along the length of the hallways, trying to be as quiet as possible so Mari wouldn’t hear him approach.

He admired the paintings of natural landscapes on the walls. There were some of Mari’s mother’s artworks in their house too.

Then he heard talking in hushed tones coming from one of the living rooms. Curiosity got the best of him.

He paused and pressed his ear against the wall, avoiding going too close to the door, or the adults would smell him too easily.

“...don’t have to do this,” Eirlys urged.

“He will send men and kill him if we don’t,” Uriah heard his mother say. “It’s for the best.”

“We should have known he would react this way after what we’ve done. It was a slap in the face of tradition,” Lucian added.

“He’ll come around in time,” Sapphire said again. “Your father is stubborn, but he will change his mind in time. He’s always wanted grandchildren.”

“My father is... a complicated man.” Lucian sighed. To Uriah, his father sounded like he’d been fighting an uphill battle. “I can never predict how he’s going to act. I can’t take this risk.”

“We understand that,” Acheron said. “I will help you as best I can to make the move without suspicion.”

“We’re forgetting something,” Eirlys said. “Separation is going to be a problem... They’ve already bonded.”

Uriah gulped; he didn’t like where this was going.

“That’s where your abilities will have to help, my love.” Acheron said.

“Wait what?” Sapphire’s voice rose a tad. “You want to wipe their memories?”

“I won’t allow this,” Lucian ground out.

“It’s the only way, Lucian; you know that as well as I. You know what will happen when they’re separated. Do you want him to perpetually run away from the house, trying to make his way back here?” Acheron asked. “Now there’s a recipe for getting him killed...”

“It will be the same for her. It’s the only way we’ll be able to separate them now.” Eirlys added.

There was a moment of silence, a moment when Uriah hoped his father would decline.

“Fine.” He heard him mutter, and Uriah’s heart threatened to jump out of his throat.

“What’s that?” Sapphire asked.

“What?”

“Listen,”

Oh no... Uriah spun on his heel and ran the other way, just as his father looked out of the doorway.

“Uriah!”

He ran as fast as his lanky legs would allow, but before he knew it, strong arms lifted him from behind. He kicked and wiggled but couldn’t break free of his father’s grip.

“I hate to do this, son. Hate it as much as you do, but I have to save you both.”

Uriah squirmed and cried out his rejection of the idea.

“Stop it!” His father commanded, and he was obliged to obey. That didn’t mean he had to stop crying or start liking it...

He didn’t want to forget Mari. And she would forget him too? They’d never see each other again. He didn’t want to move; he loved living here in the forest; it made him feel safe.

Lucian dragged him into the living room, and he saw that Eirlys had already fetched Mari, who was also crying, while her mother held her steady by the shoulders from behind.

At that moment, he hated his parents and her parents for making her cry.

“This isn’t fair!” He cried out angrily.

The adults didn’t answer him, which frustrated him even more.

He attempted to grab Mari’s arm and yank her away from her mother; they’d make a run for it. He didn’t care where they went.

But it was all futile. His father grabbed him and half-threw him down on the chair. “You will sit down and do as you are told!”

“I hate you!” Uriah yelled.

His father blew breath out through his nose. Uriah expected a smack, but he simply turned away and left him in the chair, stewing.

“It’s already begun,” Lucian said half-heartedly to Acheron. “We need to finish this now.”

“I can arrange for your transport; you’d just have to make it to the main road.” Acheron said calmly. “It’s only two miles out.”

“We can handle it,” Sapphire said, looking at Eirlys with sad eyes.

Mari’s mother took a deep inhale. “You must be ready,” she told Lucian. “It will be undone if they are in each other’s company too long afterwards. Once I do him, you have to leave.”

“We’ve already packed,” Sapphire said regretfully.

Eirlys kneeled before Mari, giving her a smile. “Look into my eyes, my darling.” She whispered, holding Mari’s face tightly between her hands.

Uriah watched as Mari stopped crying, then as knowing turned to forgetfulness. He tried to get out of the chair and stop it, but an invisible force was holding him down.

Acheron took Mari, who’d now stopped crying, out of the room.

Then Eirlys came to him.

He squirmed in the chair but still couldn’t move. It was her; she was holding him in place.

Her eyes seemed glossy when she kneeled before him. “I’m sorry, Uriah.” She said.

“I hate you all,” he muttered, casting a glance at Acheron, whose eyes had suddenly changed color.

The pupils were a deep purple, while his irises glowed blue. And Uriah thought he heard a growl from him, which chilled him a little.

“Look into my eyes, Uriah,” Eirlys said, and while he tried to turn his head away, her telekinesis turned it back. It even turned his eyes toward her.

And once he looked into her eyes, Mari became faded. He tried his best to hold on to her memory, repeating her name over and over to himself.

Eventually he could only recall a girl whose name started with M, and then even that faded along with his anger.

He saw a beautiful female in front of him, but he couldn’t seem to remember where he was or who she was.

“Who are you?” He asked.

She smiled and frowned. “Oh, no one important. Your parents only came to us to get a few things.”

She rose and looked at Uriah’s mother. “He was difficult. His mind is a maze, and he anticipates. Perhaps one day he will have sight.”

“Come, Uriah.” His father extended his hand, and without qualms, Uriah got up and went to him. “It’s time for us to leave.”

Minutes later, while they were heading towards the forest with their luggage in hand, Uriah looked over his shoulder at one of the windows of the grand house.

He saw a little girl stare through them, resting her chin on the palms of her hands.

He felt like waving to her, and there was a deep sadness inside him that he didn’t understand. They were moving to a new house; surely he should be excited?

As he was about to raise his hand to wave, his father said, “Watch your step, son.” When he looked back, he just managed to dodge a protruding root that would’ve made him trip.

His parents were on either side of him as they went into the forest. And just before that house was out of view, he looked back one last time. But she wasn’t there anymore.

“Uriah?” Draven called. “Earth to Uriah!”

“Huh?” He snapped out of it.

“Whoa, you were gone.”

“I... ” he stammered.

Well, that was painful to remember, and it twisted his face.

Focus, Uriah.

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He wished he could take back telling them that he hated them... He was just a stupid kid who didn’t understand a thing.

“We have to go that way,” he pointed out. “The houses are gone. The only other structures left are the servant’s cabin and an old storage shed. They were a while away from the house.”

A rustling sounded from somewhere between the trees, and they were all instantly on alert, weapons drawn.

Suddenly, they were surrounded by demons, crawling out from the underbrush and falling out of tree canopies.

The crew formed a tight circle in the middle of the spawn.

“Here we go,” Arlena said. “I knew the quiet was too good to be true...”