Forgotten Guardians
Chapter 15

Josan, Frathe, and Wolf trekked on through the dark tunnel. Josan carrying Miranda and Wolf carrying Uuger. Fralhe stayed close in case any more beasts attacked, he would be the only defense while the others carried their friends. Silence hung in.the heavy air as they walked. They put the shadow beasts and cavern leagues behind them, but still the tunnel seemed to go on forever as they pressed on.

After awhile, they stopped for a rest. Josan gently laid Miranda against the wall so that she was propped up and started to undo the make shrift bandage. As he carefully unwrapped the cloth, Miranda groaned and her eyes slowly opened.

“Are you alright?” Josan said softly. He dug through her pack for bandages when his hand felt something silky and soft. He pulled it halfway out thinking to use it, but then saw what it was. It was the gown she had been given by one of the merchants. Josan could not use it, it was Miranda’s first and only gown and he hoped to see her in it one day.

Miranda let out another soft groan and rubbed her eyes. She started to stand but was held down by a gently but firm hand. “What...what happened?” she asked, still a little dazed.

“You got a nasty cut on your head. Luckily Uuger came to your rescue. Now hold still while I fix it,” Josan said as he produced a water skin and a cloth. As carefully as he could, he started to wipe away the dried blood from the cut. Miranda grimaced a few times as Josan cleaned and re-bandaged the wound. He handed her the water skin and she took a healthy gulp. Josan then started to clean off her face when he noticed tears falling down her cheek.

“What’s wrong?” Josan asked, pulling back a little.

She sniffed a few times then said, “Some adventurer I make, someone’s always coming to my rescue. I can never stand on my own two feet; it’s always you, Uuger, Wolf, or Frathe coming in to save me from the fire. I’m no warrior, I’m just some stupid farm girl with a silly dream.” she hung her head as more tears ran down her cheeks.

At that moment Joan wanted nothing more than wrap his arms around her and protect her from the pain of the world, but he couldn’t do it for it would only wound her pride more. “What are you talking about?” Josan said with a confused look.

“Don’t play coy with me, Josan; I know that I’m no warrior....Just a stupid little girl,” she said firmly.

Josan reached down and with a caring hand lifted her chin up and stared into her eyes. “How long have you been a warrior? How many fights have you been in?” he paused. “It takes time and experience to become an excellent swordsman. You’ve only been a fighter for a little over a month and yet you handle your yourself with more grace and skill than a trained solider.”

She still seemed to disbelieve him, “Do you think I would bring you into a dangerous situation if I didn’t think you could handle it?” Josan said.

Miranda sat locked in the gaze of his silver eyes. Even in the darkness they shown like two full moons. Miranda understood what Josan was saying and appreciated his words. They sat there staring at each other for a long moment, losing themselves in the odiers eyes. They started to move closer until they could feel their breath on each others lips; a rough cough broke the enchantment. They both turned to see Frathe standing to the side with his arms crossed and a smirk across his face. Uuger stood behind him, giggling and poking his head around, smiling mischievously. Wolf was sitting on his hind legs staring at them. If wolves could grin, Josan swore Wolf had the biggest smile ever.

“Well, are we going to move on, or sit here and watch you two staring stupidly at each other?” Frathe said with a mocking tone.

Miranda blushed and was glad of the darkness to cover her redness. Josan stood up without saying a word and started to gather their things.

After a long argument between Miranda and Josan about whether she should be carried or walk, they started back down the tunnel. Miranda held onto Josan’s shoulder for support, she still felt a little light headed. Uuger insisted on carrying her pack and held her hand to help guide her since she was the only one that could not see in the dark. They stopped often but never more then a short time, and always two stood guard while the rest slept. Josan didn’t want to stay in one place for too long in case the shadow creatures came back. Frathe readily agreed with him and wanted to be out of this hell forsaken cave as soon as possible. Josan and Wolf took the first watch while Frathe, Uuger and Miranda slept.

It had been at least two days and the five of them had been walking through the light forsaken tunnel. Lack of sleep and endless trekking through the darkness was having its toll on them. They walked through the darkness in trance like states. They barely noticed when they entered another huge cavern. They walked in as if nothing out of the ordinary was amiss, then Josan snapped out of his daze. After a few steps the rest of the group realized he had stopped and turned around to see what was the matter.

Josan lit a small torch with a pieces of loose cloth from his bag and held it up. There eyes opened wide in awe as they stared at one of the most beautiful things any of them had ever seen. A temple carved from the rock face and soared to the unseen ceiling. Columns and pillars, twice the size of a man, stood like beacons to the heavens. Delicate carvings of ancient runes covered everything in sight. A huge gold inlaid door was straight in front of them, covered with designs which dazzled the eye. Two fountains, dry now, sat on either side of the landing, but what caught their attention most were the six statues in a semi circle, which stood over the front of the entrance. They were sculptured perfectly, not a single flaw marking their forms. It seemed as if they could jump down from their pedestals at any time and walk among me living. The middle statue was a young elf maiden with a bow slung over her shoulder. So beautiful, even as a statue, that men could easily fall in love with her. The one to the left of the elf was a burley dwarf with a double bladed battle axe resting on his shoulder. His stone eyes seemed to watch them with a waryness. To the left of the dwarf there wa’s a beautiful sculpture a hawk sitting a perch, deadly grace chiseled into every feather. On the elf maiden’s right was a man dressed as a priest of a forgotten sect. Even from a distance, the statue radiated a holiness. To the right of the priest stood a short plump gnome wearing a long robe with arcane symbols carved upon it. It was a mage, and from the looks of it, a very powerful one. The last statue was of a huge barbarian who held a mighty broadsword across his chest. The strength of the man could be seen in the delicate details in the sculpture.

The five stood for a long moment studying each of the statues. No one said a word; they were all awe struck by the sheer magnitude of them. Each studied something different about the temple, but no one went near the door. Uuger walked around the center altar which seemed a little plain compared to the rest of the place. He trotted around it as if it might bite him. One after another everyone else took note of his odd behavior. They circled around him looking at him with confused looks. Uuger mumbled to himself. When Uuger did finally realize he was being watched, he spun around with a excited smile on his face.

“Magic, Uuger feel old magic in here,” he said as he patted the altar.

Josan walked up and started to study the object, nothing seemed special about this altar, other than it appeared out of place with the rest of the temple. Josan bent down to study the runes closer as Miranda walked up to me altar and started to brush away some dust from the top. Under the the layers of dust rested a blue stone embedded in the altar. As soon as her hand brushed across the stone, a brillant blue light erupted from the stone. Josan dove to the side and came up in an instant with swords drawn. Miranda was standing rigid with her eyes locked as if she was blind, her mouth hung open as if frozen. Blue light surrounded her body and pulesed as if a heart beat growing steadier. Soon the entire cavern was engulfed in the blue-ish light. Then Miranda started to speak, but it was not her voice. It sounded as if the voice was beig spoken through Miranda but from a great distance.

“I am known as Allura, an elven ranger of the Ivyriver Clan. I am one of the Six Guardians. A millennia ago, we six where chosen to protected the land from the ‘Shadow.’ It was our quest to seal him away for a millennia. Our deeds and legends are forgotten in the fabric of time like all things, just as the Guardians before us were forgotten. It is the way of fate and life. Now the time has come again for six new Guardians to be chosen. Fate has already decided. They will be the opposite of the same coin as we. Their quest is to guard the world from the unleashing of the Shadow. They must prevail or all creatures will suffer their failure. Now my final duty is done, my soul my rest.”

Miranda slumped agianst the altar and the blue light vanished without a trace. Josan raced to her side and helped her sit down. “Are you alright?” Josan asked frantically.

“Yeah, just a little drained, that’s is all,” Miranda said as her eyelids became heavy.

Miranda fell asleep and Josan and the others quickly made her comfortable. While she slept, Frathe made a fire, Uuger and Wolf kept watch and Josan contemplated the prophecy they had just heard. He had studied ancient scriptures back at the library, but nothing this old. He had never heard of the ‘Six Guardians’. Frathe came over and sat down next to Josan but didn’t say anything. Josan was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t even notice. After a few minutes Josan finally spoke what was on his mind, “What do you think it meant?”

“Ah, I never really put much faith into what an elf has to say,” Frathe said. His voice betrayed his words. He was also thinking about the prophecy’s meaning.

Josan went back to his thoughts and ran through the details. Who were these so called guardians and how did they trigger the altar? What did she mean by opposite of the same coin? What did Miranda know? Maybe it was Miranda’s power of vision which triggered the spell? It had to be it. There where to many questions to answer, and besides it wasn’t their problem. The group camped on the temple landing and they all finally had a good night’s rest. Josan hoped they had to be getting close lo the other side. In a day or so they would be walking in the daylight again and out of the cave and its prophecies.