The Guardian Within

Chapter 17-Myself (The Magic Crisis Part 3)

For whoever finds this in the river... in the trees... under a rock... even if it finds it's way back to the castle. I promised to keep them safe and I did. I don't trust anyone but them anyone.
Anyone but Asch with his firey tendencies yet caring heart.
Anyone but Rhys with his impressive intellect yet his seemingly short temper.
Anyone but Lief with his assassin past yet the caring and protective future everyone knows he'll have.
Anyone but Noi with his sweet and innocent side yet the strength he really has to his name.
Anyone but Pierce with his tense position and reasoning behind it all. Yet... he has changed more than anyone else. He trusts me and the promises I make. And I refuse to let him be misled by either of those things.
Forever will I wonder what could have been... If only I didn't stick to my foretold path...
~Tristian Canaway

I read the note over in the darkness before I let it drift off in the wind, we took another break in the mountains tonight. The third night we've rested, and several times now have I seen Damos Knights flying overhead. I decided to take watch tonight, but Pierce still stays ready with his sword. You're tenser in Damos... Something broke you here. It's all over your face...

"You should rest," He said as he sat up early in the darkness, "I will carry you as we walk as I did with Noi the other day." I shook my head, I know he could see me moving in the darkness of the morning. I have been cold all night, the crystal around my neck slowly fading with its light as I looked at Pierce with dark eyes. It was just now that I realized, all I've been doing, still to this day... is hiding...

I stood from where I sat and headed over to the empty pathway through the edges of the mountain. You could see all of Damos from that pathway, but no one could see you. It's this spot that I remember the most about Damos. Though, as a child, for a long time, I believed that it was all in my head... In another place.

I kept tall as I bent over, undoing my hair and letting the fake aburn curls fall out of the tight ponytail, then, without a second notice, I removed my contacts. I felt Pierce's hand press against my back as I came back up to a straight stand. My curls fell around my head, cupping it like Dad used to cup my face after a soccer game.

"Tris?" Pierce asked, his hand still to my back, "What's wrong?" I kept my face straight ahead on the plains before me. The blue forests and floating rivers, purple and green animals, even the castle that was miles and miles away. The world itself...

"I remember this..." I said softly, with no emotion. Someone was going to steal his persona eventually. "Coming here one day with a group of friends... this very spot..." I went back to thinking about them... and the people from the story... "It was all of you guys... My brother to... And Rhal..." Pierce stayed silent for a minute, and all I could feel were tears down my cheeks. "It was three days after my Mom had died... I hid at your house... you got the others... then we came here... Remember Buttercup?" I know he looked at me like I was crazy. He didn't know? That I found surprising by all means.

"I remember you fell down there..." He said quietly, "Someone tried to grab you..."

"Rhal..." I said silently, "He tried to save me..." He turned me to face him, he saw my tears stringing along my cheeks, he saw the sadness I hid in my eyes and the promise I still wanted to keep.

"Tris..." He said softly as he pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm tired of hiding..." I whispered, "My hair, my eyes, myself... the rest of this!" I heard someone stir from our group, flinching at the sound of my own voice. Pierce cupped my face in his hands and looked at me, his eyes glowing as the sun rose just before us.

"Close your eyes," He said softly pressing his forehead to mine. My face flushed as my eyes closed. The dark world was warm... turning white as I could feel something inside me stirring, changing. When my eyes opened, I was, as I was. My blue hair-still curly and big as I like it to be, and my eyes. Yellow and pink... I took a breath a smiled at my appearance in his eyes. "Should we wake the others?"

"Yes..." I whispered as we headed over to the others, "Thank you, Pierce..."

"Anytime..." He said softly, "Princess Tris." I watched as a smile cracked on his lips, slowly we woke everyone, each of us walking about, higher to the top.

"We have an easy slide once we make it to the top, that's when we reach this," Lief pointed out on the map, "The Middle Ground. You weren't in the Kingdom, the Outlands, or the Guild, so this is the best place to look."

"I used to live here," Pierce said pointing to a spot on the map.

"There was a tree I used to climb and hit here," Lief said and pointed near Pierce.

"I remember a house here!" Noi cheered out, "The woman there was very nice to me!"

"That's my house," I said, "We're meeting Derek there." Silence fell around us at the obvious question. Do you trust him? "Yes..." I said to break the silence. "Yes, I trust him..." The silence continued until we neared the top, each of us hand in hand with each other. I climbed to the peak, remember the image of the broken down area known as the Guild, the castle to my back, and the one to my left. I recall the breeze, it was cool and calm, but of all things... I recall the dark line outside of it all. The one that continued to grow...

Alateca...

Terriana's curse...

That's what was killing them...

Their powers...

Our home!

The fire was back again...

(YOU DECIDE MY NEXT BOOK! LOOK AT THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER FOR DETAILS!)