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Tales of the Guardians
By the-key-of-the-twilight
A/N: Yesh! Chapter 1 is finally up! I hope all of you enjoyed the prologue although it may have been a tad confusing. Thank you Tyanna for reviewing; it was greatly appreciated! Anyways, I hope all of you enjoy this chapter!
“Dammit! Shut up you stupid birds!!”
The young man slammed the windows shut and collapsed back onto his bed. Ugh… they woke me up again… Why can’t they just let me get a little more sleep?, he thought rather angrily and narrowed his eyes as he spotted a cardinal staring back at him.
“Damn you…” He sighed as he stared up at the ceiling for quite a while, unable to return to sleep. Some of the birds returned onto the branch outside his window and began chanting a cheerful song. “Okay, okay! I’ll get up!! Just shut up!” Man… Are they my personal alarm clocks are something? Rather clumsily, mostly due to his incapacitated left leg, he managed to get out of bed and slowly dress. He pulled on a black turtleneck over his muscular and bare chest and buckled his baggy white pants. They were ordinary and loose-fitting clothes, suitable for those who were idle and sat at home all day. With a long white ribbon, he wrapped up his lengthy, tangled raven hair into a ponytail and turned on the faucet.
He stared at his reflection; a cranky man with golden eyes whose face was half-covered by his bangs stared back. He lifted his bangs and saw his wounded left eye, blind and blank. The young man cupped the water in his hands and rinsed his face, pleased with the cool and fresh feeling the water gave him. He dried his face with a nearby towel and limped his way to the kitchen.
A wooden crutch lay beside the kitchen table and he grabbed it along the way to the stove. What should I make today? He peered inside the fridge to only see it filled with a few vegetables and eggs. I guess it’s about time I went grocery shopping… ugh, what a pain… He fished out two eggs and a stalk of leek and set them in a frying pan. It wasn’t long until he ended up with a decent omelet. Although the lad possessed no particular talent in culinary arts, he had decent skill and could make simple meals to support himself.
Sitting down with a fork at the table, he ate his omelet rather ravenously as if he had been starved a whole day when he had really just eaten last night. He possessed quite a large appetite and a refined taste for food in which was unusual for one in his situation. He managed to gulp down the last bit of his omelet before an alarming knock sounded from the door. He ignored it, hoping whoever was at the door would leave, but another knock sounded and it was much louder than the first.
Irritably, the young man stood up and hobbled over to the door and opened it, only to see two unpleasant faces: two soldiers and one of them held a notebook.
“Your name, sir?” the more confident soldier of the two asked him.
“Why the hell should I tell you?” the raven-haired teen asked with a small smirk growing on his face. “What right do you have to ask for my name when you haven’t even given yours?” At this, the soldier coughed.
“Ahem, well, for your information, I’m Lieutenant Marlo of the Third Division of the Aegean Imperial Forces and I’ve come- ”
“And I’ve come under the order of King Ecarldos V and it is my duty to carry out His Majesty’s wishes,” the young man mocked in a bored manner. “How many times do you guys plan to say stuff like that? Like I care if you’re some Lieutenant!”
“Well, I’ve never really come across such a disrespectful and distasteful young man before…” the soldier replied calmly, although it was hard for him to hide all traces of anger from his voice. Then, the more reserved soldier behind him pushed up his glasses and spoke in a quivering voice.
“U- um, might you be… S- Shira?” he said and didn’t look at him straight in the eye.
“And what if I am?” Shira replied and raised an eyebrow.
“H- His Majesty has ordered for the recruitment of soldiers for the Aegean Imperial Forces. His Majesty w-wishes for all those who qualify to enlist…” the withdrawn soldier explained. “S- so it would be helpful if- ”
“Sorry, but go and recruit someone else. I’ve served the military for two years and I don’t want to be involved with all this war crap anymore! So go and find some idiot who wants to throw his life away to the King!” At this, Lieutenant Marlo became infuriated and lost the cool and calm composition he had worked so hard to display.
“Do you know what honor it is to be part of the Imperial Forces?! You do realize that we don’t have to deal with scum like you to join the military! I could be doing so much more if I wasn’t standing here dealing with trash citizens like you!!” He shouted, and it must have been unusual for him to shout for the timid soldier backed away with his eyes wide. But Shira wasn’t afraid.
“Scum? Trash?! I think it’s the other way around!” the veteran wittedly proposed. The Lieutenant began to fume.
“You take that back!” he spat. “Or I’ll- ”
“You’ll what? Are you challenging me?” Shira replied in a rather insultingly matter. He spotted his old sword lying beside the doorway and grabbed for it, carefully so that he didn’t stumble off his crutch. The Lieutenant noticed the crutch and began to laugh.
“Haha, you’re crippled and you’re challenging me? How pathetic…” However, it had seemed that he had spoken the wrong words. With anger, Shira swung his sheathed sword and Lieutenant Marlo barely dodged it.
“Do you want me to unsheathe this sword so that I can purify your body from that slimy face of yours?” Shira smiled. Although he was much clumsier with a sword than he had been before, his quick reflexes and slices were second to none.
“How dare you attack your superior?!” the Lieutenant yelled and his hand roamed to the handle of his rapier. The tension around them thickened as some of the villagers nearby stopped to watch the commotion. It seemed that the two would fight, but a voice broke out in the distance.
“Shira! How could you?!”
A stout middle-aged woman marched toward them. Her face was contorted into a stern frown and it seemed to be as red as her short auburn hair. She faced the Lieutenant.
“I am so sorry for the way my son has behaved! He’s such a rebellious adolescent now that it’s hard for me to keep track of what he’s doing!” Although she was angry, her voice was rich and uplifting like sunshine.
“T- this is your son, ma’am?” the hesitant soldier asked. “Do you live with him?”
“Well, unfortunately, yes, he is my son, and- ” She pointed to a house just a little west of Shira’s home. “That is my home. Humph, you know youth these days, they always want to be independent and whatnot so I let him be independent and live in his own house! Then he’ll learn what he’s always taken granted from me!” Shira was rather surprised at this, but then, he realized her plan.
“Hn, well, you better watch this son of yours more carefully, ma’am,” Lieutenant Marlo said as he relaxed. “Please excuse me for this commotion. Let’s go, Valdir.” He motioned for the timid soldier to come with him as he jotted a few things down in his notebook and they left.
“I’m very sorry! I hope that you’ll forgive us!” the plump woman called after them. People who had watched them began dispersing and the whole town began to return to normal. However, the woman turned to Shira and stared at him with her sharp blue eyes. “And you, Shira, control yourself and put down that sword, boy! There’s no need for violence when you can prevent it!” Reluctantly, the raven-haired teen threw the sword aside.
“Why did you interfere?” he said irritably.
“Interfere?! I saved you, boy! Do you know what His Majesty could do to you if you injured that man? Think for yourself, boy!” she yelled at him.
“Miss Rosemary… I could have handled that myself… you don’t need to always play the ‘mother and son’ act all the time…” Shira bluntly stated.
“It’s the whole ‘mother and son’ act that has saved your rear end for the past five years if you don’t recall!” Miss Rosemary replied indignantly. She set her tan hands on her hips. “I’m ashamed in you, boy! I know that you don’t want to join the military again, but that’s no reason to act so disrespectful in front of a lieutenant!” She sighed. “When did you become so ill-mannered?”
“I’m sorry for being so ‘ill-mannered’, Miss Rosemary,” Shira replied sarcastically and flipped his hand back and forth. “Maybe you should go find someone else to be your ‘son’…”
“That’s it! I’ve had enough of you, boy! As punishment, you’ll have to go shopping for me! The list is on the fridge in my home like always,” the woman said. “Just don’t cause any trouble when you’re in the city…”
“I won’t, I won’t,” the stubborn teen answered, but suddenly realized something. “Hey, what about the money?”
“Well, well, I was waiting for you to ask that.” Miss Rosemary smiled at this. “As punishment, you’ll have to use your own money to buy my groceries. Oh, but I’m sure you have plenty of money! Have fun now with your little chore!” With a hearty laugh, she left to work on a nearby field and began to sow seeds.
Shira sighed and narrowed his eyes as he watched her talk to the farmer besides her. Numerous farm fields were scattered around in this town as well as small farms and animal pens. The smell of the animals and the dirt had bothered Shira for quite some time when he first arrived in the town five years ago. He longed for the day he could leave Mirbelva, the Farming Town. Well, I better get going… The faster this is done, the better. Rather hesitantly, he strolled over to Miss Rosemary’s big and colorful house. It was different than all the other houses since it stood out with its yellow bricks and pots of vivid flowers sat on the windowsills. It was a house that presented a welcoming feeling when one stepped in the door. The kitchen was neat and had a window that allowed the sunlight to stream in and a beautiful living room with a piano. Lovely pictures hung from the walls and a refreshing vase of flowers sat on the dining table. A cape hung from on of the chairs and Shira threw it over his back. The young man skipped up to the fridge, took the shopping list, and left the hospitable home.
Although he usually did see buying groceries as a pain, he actually didn’t mind it this time. It had been a while since he had last been to Shiva anyways; it wouldn’t hurt to get some fresh air. Although Mirbelva was pretty much a self-sufficient town, there were foods that Miss Rosemary and Shira wished to buy that couldn’t be planted or available. Shira paused before the sign that stood above the entrance with the word ‘Mirbelva’. It was a plain wooden sign but it bore Araelian symbols. The majority of the people of Araelia knew how to read Araelian symbols, but only a handful of those people could speak the Ancient Araelian words. It was said that many of the cities with unusual architecture or structures were those that were created prior to the Day of Judgment in the legend and thus, possessed Araelian symbols in which could only be activated by speaking the Ancient Araelian words. As for Shira, he possessed the ability to read Araelian symbols, but could only speak little of Ancient Araelian.
“Meeruvelsa” he read as he studied the words etched into the wood. He remembered how to pronounce a handful of syllables that he had learned when he was young. However, he could not remember who had taught him… Then, without another thought, he left the town that he could well call his home and headed for Shiva, the Capital of Glory.
Shira hated people. He didn’t like all that laughing and all that noise. He liked peace and quiet and yet he would complain about how silent and dull Mirbelva was. Shira, for one, was hard to please.
He fished out the shopping list and glanced over it. Bread… fish…spinach, gross! …flour, sugar, oil…argh! Is she trying to feed a pig?, he thought and stuffed the list impatiently back into his pocket. Okay, vegetables first… or all the fresh ones are taken and only the rotten ones at the bottom are left… He limped over to a market stand not far away to only find it occupied with a whole crowd of women, grabbing at one another and at the same time, picking out fresh vegetables. It was a flurry of hands and vegetables and even the stand manager herself looked terrified. Shira knew that going in there was suicide for him. He couldn’t possibly survive trudging through with a crutch. So he took out his list and mentally checked off ‘spinach’. Miss Rosemary won’t notice… right? I hate those damn vegetables anyway… He observed the list for a while, deciding what to shop for next. Oil first… then fish… and then flour, sugar, and bread at the bakery…He planned his little imaginary route of grocery shopping inside his head. Afterwards, he could just sit around in some quiet place and enjoy the sunshine. After all, Miss Rosemary was probably not expecting him home anytime soon. Well, here goes. Lazily, he trod off towards a goods shop at the corner of the square.
It wasn’t long until he had gotten most of the supplies and started heading towards the bakery. There were less people now, probably since most of the merchandise had been sold out. Suddenly, he halted in the middle of the square and looked up. The majestic castle was shimmering off in the distance and the buildings that belonged to the royal families surrounded it like fortresses. The castle was humongous; Shira had been in there a few times when he was younger. He would always get lost, and then his father would have to come and lead him back to the entrance.
Father… are you watching me now?, Shira thought to himself as he stared up at the sky. He closed his eyes and felt the breeze blow through his tangled raven hair. He then chuckled as he realized how idiotic his question was. Of course you’re not watching me… You’re so disappointed in me that you hid your face behind the clouds of heaven… Miss Rosemary had joked about that once. However, little did she know that Shira had taken that tease seriously.
He knew he was the last son. His older brother had ran away from home years ago and died. He was his father and mother’s last glory and hope. Sorry, Mother… but I’m not going to be King or a duke… I’m just going to be myself and my life’s gonna be just an ordinary everyday life… of course with the exception of the crutch that is… He glared at his wooden support that he often hid beneath his cape.
A loud drone rang out and interrupted Shira’s thoughts. It’s noon now… I better finish up… A rumble sounded and he realized it was his stomach. He should have eaten more for breakfast. As if hunger motivated him to accomplish tasks at a much quicker pace, Shira reached the bakery at no time at all and waited as the baker went to the back to get his bread. The teen leaned on his crutch a little as his legs began to tire. He had been out of shape ever since the war ended; only his great skills with the sword somewhat remained.
“Is that…?” a whispered voice began.
“Mary, it’s rude to point!” hissed the girl who sat beside her on a nearby bench.
“But is he?”
“Shh, yeah, he is…”
“Wow…”
The two teenage girls on the bench stared at him and Shira was completely aware of it. It wasn’t unusual for people to lift their heads and gaze upon him until he was completely out of their view. It was evident that he was a veteran because of his badly hidden crutch and his scarred eye. Almost all wounds of war remained forever in the heart, if not the skin. Shira was considered one of the Lucky Seven, the group of seven individuals of Aegean that survived the war with nonfatal injuries. Since there were few who survived up until now, the Lucky Seven were considered heroes in the Aegean Empire.
Of course, Shira was not the one to enjoy publicity. He tried to always walk in the shadows and covered up his crutch with his cape. He even grew out his bangs so that they would cover his wounded eye. Although the Lucky Seven were seen as heroes to most people, they were also feared by many as well. There were always rumors flying around that so-and-so killed this many people and always contained gruesome details. But then again, Shira could not prove that these rumors were untrue; the Lucky Seven were killers after all, but only killed to achieve their own survival.
After for what seemed like ages to Shira, the baker returned with a package of hot, fresh bread and smiled. He wondered what was so funny. Was it his tousled hair? Did he give him some strange bread?
“You really don’t talk much do you?” the baker suddenly asked and Shira was caught by surprise. He swore he heard the girls giggling behind him. “For some reason, you look vaguely familiar… are you sure we haven’t met before?”
“No,” the veteran answered bluntly and dropped a few coins on the counter. Without another word, he limped out the door as the girls and the baker continued to watch him through the window.
Dammit all…, Shira thought as he relaxed on the edge of a fountain. He set his crutch and groceries aside and turned his head to see the majestic Aegean Castle towering behind him. He hated that castle. Shira hated royalty. They’re all arrogant fools who believe that they’re so high and mighty… what idiots… Was that why he ran away? Even he didn’t know the answer to that.
The water calmed him though and the cool sensation it brought made him at ease. However, that period of relaxation was broken short when two boys suddenly appeared before him.
“Hi, mister,” one of the boys said.
“What are you doing?” the other boy squeaked.
Grr… damn kids…, Shira thought and sighed. Little children annoyed him more than anything. They never knew what was going around them and always took everything for granted. At least, the wealthy children did.
“Go away, you twerps,” Shira said nonchalantly and leaned back, pretending to ignore them. The two boys exchanged glances and it was obvious that they were not satisfied with his answer.
“Well, why are you sitting on the fountain, mister?” the first boy asked.
“Yeah, why are you sitting of the fountain?” the other boy mimicked and nodded.
“It’s none of your damn business so go away!” Shira shouted. I’ve had enough with these stupid kids! At this, the two boys grinned at each. “What’s so damn funny?”
“GO!” Suddenly, the boys rushed towards him and before Shira realized what had happened, his groceries were gone.
“Why damn you all!” the teen shouted as he hastily grabbed his crutch and ran, as well as he could, after them. The boys sprinted quickly and laughed and snorted as they held tightly to the bags of groceries. “Come back, you brats!!” But Shira was too slow for them; they were far ahead of them now. Running with a crutch was not an easy task. The two children turned sharply into an alley and Shira nearly fell trying to follow them. However, as he made past the first corner, he saw that the boys had halted before a cloaked figure. Shira squinted to look closer. It was a girl.
“Now, now, boys,” she said with a gentle tone. “It’s bad to steal. Don’t you want other people to be nice to you? If so, you must respect other people first before other people respect you.” The boys shrunk back and frowned. “Now, return these groceries back to the person you stole them from.”
“We’re sorry, Princess,” the boys sadly whispered in unison. “But if we go back, won’t he yell at us?”
“Well, that’s why I’ll go with you to apologize to that man,” the princess told them. “Now, let’s go, shall we?” However, the three spotted him before Shira could make his escape. Oh crap… not the Princess…, he thought and mentally scolded himself. Why didn’t I leave sooner? “Um, excuse me?” Oh great…
With her right hand, she motioned for the boys to leave and took the bags from them. “Would these groceries happen to be yours?” she said as she lifted them. However, for a split second, her eyes widened as she realized who he was. That crutch…his hair is covering his eye…He’s… of course…, she thought, but then she smiled and her expression returned back to normal.
Rather slowly, Shira walked up to her and grabbed the bags out of her hand. He glared at her for a second and then, wordlessly, began to leave. Right before he turned around, he saw a look of curiosity on the maiden’s face. Great… she’s gonna tell me to stop… I’ll give her three seconds… One…
Two…
Three…
“Wait!” the princess called after him. She rushed up to him and asked, “You’re one of the Lucky Seven, aren’t you?”
“And if I am?” Shira answered without turning. He obviously did not care whether or not she was interested. All he wanted was her to leave him alone so that he could go back to Mirbelva already. He was sick of Shiva and its annoying people.
“Well, are you busy at the moment?” she asked and pulled back her hood.
“Why do you ask?”
“I was just about to go get something to eat at the café. Will you be kind enough to join me?” She looked up with her bright blue orbs of light. “I mean, that is, if you have the time to do so. Think of it as an apology for one of my people’s doings.” Then, she paused. “You do know who I am, am I not correct?”
“Yeah, you’re Princess Celestia Naeda Aegean of the glorious and holy Aegean Empire,” Shira replied half-heartedly in a rather sarcastic tone. “Is there anything I missed?” Just leave me alone, little girl… But to his surprise, she laughed. He turned around to see her giggling while her rose-colored hair rested neatly at her shoulders.
“It’s true though,” Princess Celestia admitted. “My whole name does get tiring after a while…” She then put on her “princess” smile again. “Well, will you accompany me to the café?”
“No, unless you can somehow persuade me,” he answered bluntly and wiped the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead.
“Are you hungry then?” she asked and tilted her head to the side. “I can buy you all you can eat.”
Food. Dammit. In times of hunger, it was the best way to win over Shira. How did she know?, he wondered as his stomach grumbled. He frowned and sighed.
“Fine, fine, I’ll go,” he finally said and rolled his eyes. Great… now I’m hanging out with royalty… how much better can this day go? He was being awfully sarcastic today.
“Thank you!” she exclaimed as she pulled her hood back on. “Now let’s go!” And without another word, Shira limped after her and watched as she happily skipped in front of him.
A/N: Thank you very much for reading and I hope this chapter was enjoyable and that you will continue to support me! Please review and I'll be extremely grateful!
