Winter's Dance (#1 Ruthen Quartet)

Ch-4. Ar'kela

Updating with a tight schedule is like walking through hell. But still, this is a short chapter which will help you to understand the story as it progresses. And the next update will be before or within two weeks. For now, enjoy:)

The Guardian of Wind

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A smile graced her lips as she saw the baby looking at her with a keen interest in its blue eyes. Her mother had named her perfectly.

Sapphire.

It was as if the baby knew who she was. It gave her a knowing smile. The Guardian wanted to lift Sapphire, but she was afraid whether that would wake Katrina. After all, the mothers could sense what is happening to their child even when they are asleep.

She was so glad that she was there when Sapphire was born. For to be there when a Guardian was born was a great honour. And Sapphire was the reincarnation of the Guardian of the Wind.

Once when all the Guardians were hunted, she feared what would happen to Lavatia. But fates found their way to restore balance. When one Guardian died, without any delay, their soul was transferred to a stillborn baby.

Sapphire was not supposed to survive, but since Zephrina, the Guardian of Wind had been hunted down two weeks ago, the Guardian knew Zephrina had chosen Sapphire to be her vessel.

After all, the shattered soul of the Wind Guardian needs to be healed, and it would take a long time, and it would synchronise with the time Sapphire required to grow up.

"Stay safe, Zeph," the Guardian whispered. Through the window, she saw the surrounding was getting dark. Darker than usual. She sucked in her breath. She knew what was coming, and she needed to stop it.

Fear was not visible in the baby's eyes. It was trust.

Closing her eyes, the Guardian muttered a spell to protect Sapphire. Silver tendrils of light erupted from her fingertips, coiling around the child. That spell would protect the child, whether she was alive or dead. This was the least she could do for Zephrina.

When the protection spell was cast, she sped out of the house, running deep inside Fangforn. She did not want him to know that Zephrina was born again. Guardian's body can be killed, but never their soul.

She stopped when she saw the Darkness taking a form. He stood in front of her with a form made of void. No flesh, no bones. Only made of pure Darkness. The kind of darkness that thrived when Lavatia was not even born, when the cosmos was still a child.

He held his sword towards her, pointing towards her neck. His sword could not touch her. Nothing of his creation could. She was the embodiment of purity. The one with Spirits' blessing. A Guardian.

"Nyz'ck," she whispered. She was surprised to see him. He was the fragment of darkness, who vowed to destroy the Spirit of War. She could tell this by his aura. What business did he have with her? His enmity was with Gideon. Unless he had killed him too. No, that thought was impossible.

"Recognised me quickly, I see. Not bad. Not bad at all, Ar'kela," he laughed, his laughter melting with the wailing winds. His very voice froze her soul. It did not shock her, as she went by many names. But because it was the same voice that echoed, when he killed her mother. Well, not exactly, but still.

"What do you want?" she snapped. She would have loved to run her sword through his dark organ he called a heart, but sadly Nyz'ck was in his messenger form. Just as he could not hurt her, she could not harm him.

"Nothing, beautiful. I just want you to lift the spell you cast on Zephrina. Then we can part as friends," he said.

It was easy to see him, the black body in the winter landscape, but it was hard to locate where his voice was coming from. Yes, he was moving his lips, but the sound came from elsewhere. Somehow they knew Zephrina was born again. It was too late to hide Zephrina from them, but at least she had been fast enough to put a spell on the baby.

"Friends?" she spat. "I would rather die than be known as a friend of yours. And pray tell why I should remove my spell? So that you could kill her again? She would be reborn you know."

"If you don't remove your spell, Ar'kela, I will have to kill you. And it will be a waste."

"Go ahead and try what you want. We both know that you cannot even cut a single strand of my hair, and you are talking about killing me," she laughed without humour. "Even if you kill me, my spell will linger, you fool. You just cannot touch her."

"Such fire, gone waste. If you had been on our side, you would have reached your highest fame. What a pity!" he said, shaking his featureless head.

"If I were someone else, I would have followed you. But I am a Guardian," she stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Very well," he breathed. "When you all are at your weakest, expect me. I will strike you, then. Don't say I did not warn you. I am a warrior you see. I give my battle cry and then fight. Till then, Ar'kela. Till then."

She kept staring at him as he disappeared. He may be a lot of things, but not a liar. Never a liar. So if he said something, then it was sure to happen. She must keep her eyes open. For she would never know when a Guardian would be at their weakest. By Lyenth, no one would know.

When he was no more visible, the stars and moon shone brightly. No matter what, the darkness could only hide the light but could never touch it or destroy it. That gave her hope.

She had to regroup the Guardians. Mostly, she needed the Guardian of Black magic to do her a favour. The acceptance or decline of that favour would decide whether the Guardians would live or die.

As the history says, there are fifteen main Guardians.

She hoped he would come when she summoned him.

"Arian!" she bellowed, her voice breaking the barriers of the world. 

Well? What do you all think?

Who is Ar'kela? And what do you think of her?  

Will Ar'kela protect the kid? 

The next chapter is from Aeron's pov. Aren't you all eager? 'cause I am!

@lwurd00  thank you so much for your votes! It means a lot to me.

With loads of love to my readers,

~Quill