The Guardians

Chapter 5

Lyra looked herself over in the vanity mirror. Since she'd come to Paladins' Keep, she'd gained confidence and courage. She barely recognized herself now. She'd shed the tattered dress when Mathros and Talish started her training. She now wore a blue shirt and dark blue pants. The worn-out ankle-high boots were replaced with calf-high black ones. All of her new clothing had been given to her by Mathros. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled back and tied at the neck. Her face looked fuller, her frame more muscular, her emerald eyes brighter, even if they were full of pain. The only thing that had remained the same was that gods-forsaken collar. She touched the glowing band that encircled her neck. Was she powerful enough to do this? She'd grown up around Alora and had heard her cast this binding spell so many times before the sorceress cast it on her to make her do her bidding as punishment for refusing to do as she was commanded and an eighth escape attempt. Would Alora search for her? Would she send Kyrie, her favorite apprentice? Would she assume that Lyra was dead? Lyra could feel her heart pounding, her fear of Alora nearly turning to panic. She breathed as Talish had taught her and after several breaths, the panic subsided and her heart began to beat normally again. She looked in the mirror again.

"You will be a slave no longer, Lyra. You will know freedom from her. You will not be afraid of her anymore," she said to her reflection. Her eyes fell on the collar again. "I will be no man's slave. I will be no sorceress' slave. I will be free. I am powerful enough to do this." She took a deep breath. "I will be afraid of no one. I am powerful enough to do this." Each time she said it, she began to believe it. "I am powerful enough to do this." Lyra turned away from the mirror and went to stand in the middle of the room. She took a few more calming breaths before she held her hands a few inches away from the collar. "I am powerful," she said one last time and began to recite the words of the spell.

Talish awoke with a start. He sat up and heard voices in the hall. And a woman's pained voice. Dressed in only his pants, he rushed to open his door. The other Lieutenants were in the hall asking each other if they were hearing a woman. Talish knew right away that the woman's voice belonged to Lyra.

"Shit," he breathed and bolted down the hall towards Lyra's room. She was chanting in a language he didn't know.

Mathros met him outside her door. "What is she doing?"

"I think she found her courage."

"Get back to your quarters!" Mathros called to the other Paladins. "Now!"

The men obeyed and Talish opened the door. The scene before him made him gape and his eyes widened.

"By everything scared!" Mathros cried.

Lyra was on her knees, screaming the binding spell. Her eyes were squeezed shut and tears were rolling down her cheeks. The veins on her neck were pronounced, showing how much pain she was in. A pale blue glow swirled around her. She had the collar grasped firmly in her hands, her knuckles white. As they watched, blood began to trickle from her nose. Talish started to rush forward, but Mathros caught his shoulder.

"She may bind you by accident. She's using everything to unbind herself."

They could only watch in horror as she continued to chant the spell. They could see she was struggling and she began to scream the spell even louder. Neither knew how long she had been chanting before the pain she'd been fighting all this time had caused her to start screaming it. They didn't know how long they were forced to watch helplessly as she fought for her freedom. Suddenly, she threw her arms out and with a final scream of the spell's wording, the collar disintegrated and the blue lights swirling exploded in a bright flash, blinding the two men temporarily. When they regained their sight, Lyra was breathing heavily. Then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to her side.

Talish rushed into the room then towards her, Mathros not bothering to stop him. "Lyra?"

He gently lifted her head. Blood covered her lips and chin from the nosebleed and she had punctured her palms with her nails at some point, no doubt from pain. She was still alive but unconscious.

"Lyra can you hear me?"

Mathros wet a cloth and began to clean her face and stop the nosebleed.

Talish touched her neck in awe. The collar was completely gone. "She... she did it, Mathros." He looked up at the First Knight, amazed. "She's free. And powerful. Just like you suspected."

"Now, she'll have to survive the aftermath of her bravery," Mathros answered solemnly. "Now, my boy, we wait and pray." He sighed. "And I have a decision to make regarding her."