Chapter 1 - Guardian

My feet have never moved so fast, but the cat is faster. It dashes away from me in a flash of silver fur as I chase it through the marketplace. The cat turns behind the church, and I follow right behind it. We both stop in our tracks, confronted by a tall wall of dense thornbushes.

“Kitty!” I scream in glee.

The cat yowls in dismay as it realizes I’ve cornered it. I leap forward, determined to grab it.

Somehow the cat dodges through my outstretched arms, and its hind legs kick hard against the back of my head, launching it perfectly onto the roof of the church.

“Oof!” I face-plant in the dirt.

“Better luck next time!” The cat says, squinting at me mischievously with its crescent-moon shaped pupils.

“Kitty can talk?!” I ask in astonishment, but it’s already gone.

I blink the dust out of my eyes and climb back up to my feet. There’s a big scrape on my knee, but it’s not bleeding too bad. I brush off my dress.

Back at the marketplace, I find Mr. Fisher. He’s busy talking to a stranger. I wait patiently.

“King Goodwin was overthrown?”

“Yes, we got word that Noriam the Bastard killed him at the western shore.”

“A foreign bastard on the throne? What has the world come to?”

“Lord Stormwind is organizing a resistance. I’m here to spread the word. If you know anyone who can fight, perhaps you could tell them about me? I’m staying at the inn for the week.”

“Not many warriors around these parts, old friend. Still, I can think of one or two men who might be interested. I’ll let them know.”

“Thank you. It’s much appreciated.” The stranger purchases some fish and leaves.

Finally! It’s my turn to talk to Mr. Fisher! That took forever.

“Can I have a fish? One a cat would like?”

“Can you pay for it?”

“No.”

He snorts in amusement, a slight smile forming on his lips. “Okay, but just this once.”

He hands me a small fish.

“Yay!” I run away.

Fish in hand, I circle around the church, looking for the cat. Hopefully it’s still nearby.

“Kitty! I got a fish for you! Kitty?”

I see a flash of silver fur in the woods behind the church. I follow it into the forest. Mom says there are monsters in the northern forest, but I’m not afraid of monsters.

“Kitty?”

Again, a flash of fur, and I run faster, brambles scraping at my shins.

I come out into a clearing where a trickling stream swirls. The kitty is sitting atop a boulder in the middle of the pool.

“I got a fish for you!” I hold up the treasure.

The cat immediately jumps at me, snatching the fish out of my hand with a quick bite. It lands gracefully, prancing a few paces away to enjoy the morsel on the rocky riverbank.

“Hehe. Looks like you like it.”

The cat slowly eats the fish, relishing every bite. It chews and swallows the bones.

“Thank you,” it says, and then dashes away.

“Kitty wait!” I shout, following after it. “If I can’t pick you up, can we at least be friends?”

The cat leaps up onto a tree branch. It’s amazing how high it can jump. It stares down at me with a prideful glare.

“Perhaps. Will I get more fish?”

“Sure!”

The cat flicks its tail. It’s acting indifferent, but I can tell it’s happy.

“I’m Ayla. Do you have a name?” I ask it.

“No.”

“Are you a girl cat? You sound like a girl cat.”

“Indeed.”

“I’m gonna name you Luna! Because your eyes are little moons.”

“I did not grant you permission to name me.”

“Well someone has to!”

Luna flicks her tail. “Luna is better than Kitty at the very least.”

“How come you can talk? I thought cats can only say meow.”

Luna puffs out her chest. “I am no ordinary cat, child. I am a sentinel, placed upon this earth by the Moon Sister herself.”

“Moon Sister?” I ask.

Luna leaps down from her perch on the tree. She walks around me, moving in a perfect circle.

“The goddess of the moon, queen of the Celestial Fates, and bearer of the Timeless Oath.”

“Wow, she sounds so fancy. Did she give you some sort of important mission?”

“Most certainly, but as for what it is, I could not dare to guess. I know only that my purpose in this world will reveal itself in time.”

“Well, when you figure it out, I’ll help you! And I’ll feed you snacks in the meantime!”

Luna’s tail flicks. “I would appreciate that.”

“Ayla! There you are!” I hear my mother shout.

I turn around to see her running towards me through the briars.

“Mom! I met a special kitty! Her name is Luna!”

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“You can’t play here! There are monsters in this forest! They will eat you!”

Mom grabs me by the wrist and pulls me back towards town. When I turn back to look at Luna, she is already gone.

“Nuh-uh!” I protest. “The monsters won’t eat me! I’m a big girl! I’ll eat them instead!”

“If you eat monster meat, you’ll turn into one yourself.”

“Really?”

“Seriously Ayla, what is wrong with you? If you meet a monster, it will kill you. Do you just not understand what that means?”

“I do know! I stop breathing forever and ever, like what happened to Auntie Gerd.”

“Then why aren’t you scared?!” She snaps.

I avert my eyes, a bad feeling welling up in me. “Why do I have to be scared? If I was scared of the monsters, I would have never met Luna.”

Mother’s gaze softens. “Just play in the forest south of town next time, okay?”

“Okay,” I grumble.

She drags me back to town. Pastor Blackwood is out behind the church, looking concerned.

“Oh, you found her! Thank heavens.”

“Yes, thank you for telling me you saw her run into the woods. I don’t want to think about what could have happened if you hadn’t.”

“Are the woods really that dangerous?” I ask. “I didn’t see any monsters.”

“Yes,” Mom says. “You know the shoemaker Camilla? She had a son die a few years before you were born, doing exactly what you just did today.”

“If there are so many monsters in the forest, and they like to eat people so much, why don’t they just come into town and eat everyone?” I ask.

The pastor laughs.“By the grace of the gods, of course.”

I pout. I can tell he’s about to preach again. It’s so boring when he preaches.

“Haven’t I told you about the guardian deity of our village?” He asks.

“Maybe. I always fall asleep at your sermons.”

“Ayla!” Mom scolds.

The pastor smiles. He kneels down in front of me. “Then I’ll tell you again. There is a god that lives in this very village. Only a few rare individuals have ever spoken to it, because it’s said that only those with a perfectly innocent heart are allowed to commune with it. The Guardian is a deity of purification, so only the purest of souls are worthy of its presence.”

I frown. That’s obviously not me. I do naughty things all the time.

“Quietly and selflessly, the Guardian protects us. The monsters come from the mountains far to the north, but they cannot get past the Guardian. That’s why the northern forest is dangerous, but the southern forest is safe. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I say. Is he done yet?

“There are other deities all across the world, but ours is especially powerful. Most cities need big stone walls around them to protect them from monsters, but even then, the strongest monsters can break through. We don’t have to worry about that, all thanks to the Guardian.”

“Uh-huh.” I say.

“Well I’ve got to get her home. It’s nearing dinnertime,” Mom says. I think she realizes that I’m not listening at all.

“Yes, of course,” the pastor says. “See you on Sunday.”

“Bye-bye Pastor Blackwood!” I say.

Mom brings me home, repeatedly making me promise not to go to the northern forest again, like she’s hammering nails into my brain. Too bad my brain is a rock!

Back at home, stew is ready, but Dad is nowhere to be seen.

“That’s strange. He said he would be home for dinner,” Mom says.

“Should we look for him? Maybe he went into the northern forest and got eaten by a monster.”

Mom smacks me on the head. “Your father is one of the only people in the village who can actually fight monsters. If he went into the northern forest, he’d come back safe and sound.”

“Oh. Then we can just wait for him I guess.”

“Yes, we should eat before it gets cold.” Mom dishes me some stew.

“It feels bad eating without him.”

“It’s his own fault for being late. Now eat up.”

“Fine.” I reluctantly eat a spoonful of stew. It’s pretty yummy, so I quickly forget about the fact that Dad isn’t here, and I finish a bowl. “More please!”

“Of course. You’re a growing girl after all.” Mom gives me another big bowl, and I dig in.

After a while, Mom and I are full, the stew is cold, and Dad is still not here.

“Where could he be?” Mom asks.

I hug my knees to my chest. “Are you sure he’s okay?”

“I’m going to go ask around town and see if anyone knows where he is.” Mom stands up.

Then the door opens, and Dad barges in. “There’s something we need to discuss.”

“Honey! Where were you? Dinner is cold already!” Mom says.

“I was talking to someone from—” he glances at me. “Maybe you should go to bed Ayla.”

“No! I’m a big girl! I can have important conversations too! Also you have to apologize to Mom and me for being late to dinner!”

He sighs. “Sorry, sorry.”

“What is going on, Honey?” Mom asks.

“I was speaking with a man who works as a scout under Lord Stormwind. His name is Koren.”

“Oh!” I realize I can actually contribute to this conversation. Maybe it will finally prove to Dad that I’m a big girl. “I think I saw him talking to Mister Fisher earlier. He said the king died.”

“The king died?!” Mom exclaims, eyes wide.

“I was getting to that,” Dad says, “but yes. The king was overthrown by some young bastard from Gaul who somehow got it in his head that he’s the rightful king of Englevard. It’s an absolute travesty. After everything king Goodwin has done to right his father’s wrongs, he meets an end like this.”

“Honey, don’t tell me you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking,” Mom says, her face grim.

“I have to, love. I have to,” Father says, and I see the tears instantly welling up in Mom’s eyes. “We owe everything to king Goodwin, and Lord Stormwind as well. These years of prosperity, the mere fact that we can have a big pot of stew on our table, is all thanks to them.”

“I don’t care. You can’t go. You can’t leave me and Ayla alone. You can’t!”

“If this isn’t worth fighting for, what is?”

“Your family! Your damn family Elliot!”

“You and Ayla are safe here, and I won’t die, I promise you.”

“You can’t promise that. If that man defeated King Goodwin, do you really think some upstart militia from the boonies can take back the throne?”

“Lord Stormwind is—”

“He won’t be enough. If King Goodwin was a dragon, then Lord Stormwind is a dog, and you are a mouse. One mouse won’t change the outcome of history. You’ll throw your life away.”

“I am no mouse,” Dad snaps. “You’re wrong. If we do not stand up against the tide of history, then we are fated to be swept away in the waves. I refuse to do nothing. I refuse!”

Mom breaks down sobbing. I want to help, but I don’t know what to say. Is Dad leaving?

“I suppose I have no right to complain,” Mom says through her tears. “This sort of thing is why I fell in love with you in the first place. It’s funny, actually. I was wondering earlier today where Ayla could have gotten it from. I had almost forgotten.”

“I’m sorry Honey, I really am.”

“I love you Elliot.” Mom wraps her arms around him. “You better swear to me that you come back safe. Swear that you will not leave Ayla alone in this world, no matter what happens.”

“I swear it on my very soul,” Dad says.

“Can I go with Dad?” I ask.

“No,” Mom and Dad say in unison.

“I could help! I’m almost as fast as a cat, and I’m not afraid of monsters!”

Dad smiles. He puts his hand on top of my head and messes up my hair. “Ayla, you need to stay here. If I’m gone, who will protect your mom?”

“The guardian deity?”

“That’s just a fairy tale. If there’s one thing I want you to remember when I’m gone, it’s this.”

He sits down on the ground beside me, and looks me in the eyes. I hold my breath.

“If you want something done in this world, you have to do it yourself,” he says.

“Is it not okay to rely on others?” I ask.

“It is, but then you need to make sure that you give as much as you take, and if you really want something important to change, just praying and begging isn’t good enough. You have to make it happen with your own hands.”

“Make it happen with my own hands,” I repeat.

“Good girl.” He messes up my hair even more. Then he stands up and kisses Mom.

“When are you leaving?” Mom asks.

“In a week,” he says. “We should make the best of the time we still have together. Maybe we can finally have that child you’ve been wanting for so long. Give Ayla a little brother? What do you say, Maria?”

Mom scoffs. “Another mouth to feed? With you gone? Absolutely not.”

Dad visibly deflates.

“We’ll have that child when you come home safe,” Mom says lovingly, wrapping her arms tightly around him. “Think of it as an extra incentive.”

Dad laughs. “I will. You don’t have to worry. I’m stronger than I look.”

“I know,” Mom says.

“Are you sure I can’t go with Dad? I really really wanna go with Dad,” I interject.

Dad laughs. “While you’d surely be a big help if you went to war with me, I really do need you to stay here with your mother.”

“Fine,” I say.

“Can you promise me you’ll protect her?” He asks.

“Yeah, I promise. I’ll protect everyone in the village!” I say.

“Good. That really sets my heart at ease,” Dad says.

Mom pats me on the head, smiling. “What am I going to do with this little rascal?”

“Volunteering for war at eight. I can’t imagine what she’ll be like as a teenager,” Dad says.

“Yes, while you’re out fighting, the real battle will be here, I’m sure.”

It is a full moon tonight. The silvery light shines through the window as the sun sets. For just a moment, I can see swirling patterns hiding in the rays, secret whispers, but then they’re gone.

It’s a quiet night, but I cannot sleep. Things are going to change soon. Dad will leave, and I will have to step up and fill his shoes. It’s okay though. I can do it. I’m not afraid.