Soulguard (4 page)

Chapter 7

              Our house is located in the middle of a five hundred acre plot of land, mostly timber. The clearing in the center couldn’t be viewed from outside the property. Kharl had done this for the sake of privacy. We didn’t have to hide what we were at home. The inside of the tree line was my running track and I’d worn a path from use over the last ten years or so.

              I spent several hours running laps around the tree line to get used to my new speed. I’d never been able to run that fast before and it took some time to adjust.

              Luckily, I was on the far side of the clearing and out of sight when the car with Senator Samuel Deacons pulled up the driveway.

              It could be quite a shock, to see a boy run across in front of your car at ninety miles per hour.

              Two hours straight, and I hadn’t even broken a sweat. That was definitely different from my norm. I guess I needed to push harder, but that could wait till later. I felt ok with the higher speeds by then and probably needed to get the tests over with.

              I was worried about the Mages. I had no idea there was so much friction between the Soulmages and the Soulguards. I mean, really? We’re here to fight Demons and protect humanity, this is what the Guard was formed for.

              I guess you can’t get more than ten people into something without stupid politics getting in the way. Nothing ruins any organization faster than organizers. I hate politics, but we were right in the middle of a huge pile of it. Between the problems with the Mages and having an actual Senator at the house, I was a little distraught.

              Then pile on the fact that I’d just seen so many people viciously slaughtered by the Demons. And I’m pretty sure it was my fault. I really didn’t understand why everyone wasn’t told the dangers and made aware of us. The people in Morndel were so scared of me, after seeing what I did, that I couldn’t help some of them.

              That’s just plain ridiculous, if people knew we were there they wouldn’t fear us and maybe, just maybe we could save some lives. It’s just my opinion but who am I? No one will listen to a seventeen year old boy, anyway.

              I really should have been paying attention, because I turned the corner in my track to find Trent and the Senator walking along it toward me. At ninety miles per hour, there’s really no way to stop so I just veered into the trees. A couple of oak trees slowed me down sufficiently, although the trees didn’t fare too well.

              I picked myself back up and turned back toward the path. Trent was smiling from ear to ear and his dad was looking at me with wide eyes and a pale face.

              He recovered his composure a lot quicker than most people would though and stepped forward with his hand stretched out to me.

              I opened my Inner eye and felt relief as I saw no deception in the man’s aura, only a slight fear and a lot of gratitude. I shook his hand and he had a firm grip.

              “I understand you’re the reason my son is still alive and for that you have my eternal gratitude, Young Man.”

              “I don’t know if you know it, Sir, but Trent is the reason a lot of those people are still here. He is the bravest man I have ever seen and he saved more lives than any of us.”

              Trent’s face was red, and I guess he hadn’t said one word about what he’d done because his dad turned to him, not really in surprise, but with a questioning look on his face. I could see pride flash across his aura as he looked at his son and I smiled.

              The Senator turned back to me, “I wouldn’t talk to anyone in the house until I was allowed to thank you for what you’ve done for me and my family.”

              Trent had given him an, apparently, much shortened version of what happened.

              “But I’ve also interviewed several people who were there, including a chemistry teacher named Thomas Warren.”

              “All the versions point to the fact that you and a young lady were their saviors. That you attacked these,” He paused a second, “Demons, as they appeared. And that the young lady led them out of the school while you held off the Demons. They also made me aware of my son’s actions and I am quite proud of him.”

              “I wondered at first why they were saying that the three of you went back in, and then I talked to Mr. Warren. But this is where it got shaky. He was quite lucid, but he was talking about magical force fields and flaming swords.”

              “And so I’m here. And Trent has started explaining some of it but most of what I have learned from him is that the Marines are going to lose a good man to this Soulguard of yours.”

              I looked deeply at his aura and there was, surprising in a politician, no deception in this man. So I told him the truth.

              Twice in one week, I thought, Kharl is gonna strangle me.              

              I told none of the details about the Soulguard. Officially, I’m not Soulguard yet, so that isn’t my tale to tell.

              But all that had happened at the school, I told him. As I was telling him about Trent’s decision to walk right back into the fire, Deacons was looking at his son as if he was seeing him for the first time and was greatly impressed. I could read the pride flowing through his aura and I could see the embarrassment in Trent’s aura.

              Real heroes are like that, they are modest and they will do what is right without looking for reward or praise. And they deserve it much more than most. Trent Deacons was more a hero in this than I could ever be.

              Yes, I had risked my life, but for my family. Up until the Wraith had shown up, I wasn’t at risk. Killing Demons is what the Guard does. He’d risked his life for strangers. He was at risk throughout the ordeal and had shown me what true heroism was really about.

              His father had a right to by proud of a son like him and the Guard would be lucky, indeed, if he chose to join their ranks.   

Chapter 8

              Trent, Mattie, and I sat with our backs against the wall at the barn where most of the martial training I’d had over the years had been done. None of us knew what was happening in the house. The Senator had gone in to meet with the Soulguards over an hour ago and we had gone outside to leave them to it.

              “I’ve never seen so much blood in my life,” Trent said softly.

              “I know. It was awful,” Mattie returned, “I’ve trained for this most of my life, but it doesn’t really prepare you for that.”

              I was silent, remembering a bloodbath I had witnessed through Kharl's memories. Seeing my mother’s death had probably prepared me much more than the other two. The blood hadn’t bothered me as much as the needless death of several people who had run from Mattie and me straight into the hands of Demons.

              “Do you think they’ll let me join the Soulguard?” He asked.

              “I’m sure they will,” she answered and looked at me, “You’re being awful quiet, what’s wrong?”

              “Mages are gonna try and block me from the Source,” I said, “The Demons are searching for me and if I’m blocked, I’m dead meat. I’ll have to fight them and I’m not trained to be a Mage. And the worst part is, I shouldn’t have to fight people, we’re meant to fight Demons.”

              “So how tough are these Mages?” Trent asked.

              “You saw what I did. I’m a Mage, just not trained. They’ll be trained and probably stronger than me.”

              “Is there any way you can raise a shield faster than the one you did in the gym?” Mattie asked.

              “Maybe,” I answered thoughtfully, “Let me concentrate a minute.”

              I looked at my privacy shield. What if I make it with much thicker tendrils and put some sort of power adjustment? I thought. My on/off switch is a small sliding surface that will cut off the power to the shield, so what if I make it more like a portal that dilates open and closed so I can regulate the power?

              Once I established the portal I enlarged the tendrils to the privacy shield. I set the portal to a trickle to keep the privacy screen active.

              “I think I might have it, Mattie, try to hit me,” I said as I stood up.

              She swung so fast I almost didn’t catch it, but managed to open the portal and her fist hit about a foot from my body. I still flew backwards into the barn wall.

              “I forgot to anchor it,” I said as I picked myself up, “but I think it’ll work. Thanks, Mattie, I hadn’t even thought about it before.”

              “She just knocked you into a wall and you call it a success? I swear it just gets weirder and weirder around you.”

              I gave him the Kharl look again and he said, “Stop looking at me like that, man, it’s disturbing.”

              Mattie laughed and shook her head, “So what else can you do already? I heard it takes Mages months to create shields like you do in minutes.”

              “I can see the Soul streams and the Souls as well. Kharl says I’m the only person he’s ever heard of that can do that. That’s not common knowledge and I would appreciate it if it stayed between us.”

              They both nodded and I saw, in their auras, that neither lied about it.

              “And I can read the emotions in other people’s auras. Also I can always tell if someone is lying or not.” I didn’t tell of several of my other skills like the ability to see memories.

              “The reason I can create shields so well, is that I can see them. The Guard gets so much done while working in the dark, it’s impressive.”

              Our conversation was interrupted when the house door opened and everyone made their way outside. They all headed our direction and I knew I was about to get my butt kicked again. Sparring sessions were always painful, but I usually didn’t make the same mistake twice. It just seemed that Kharl and Kyra always had some new trick to use on me.

              “You ready?” Kyra asked as she walked past me.

              I winced and she chuckled. I followed her and Kharl into the barn. Everyone else followed us inside and found places to sit, well back from the center area we had marked off in the floor.

              “Practice wands,” Kyra stated. I walked across the open area and picked up four practice swords. They were made of bamboo wood and were roughly the size of Kyra’s short swords. One of the tests with wooden swords is to keep from breaking them with our enhanced strength. This is true when wielding real blades as well. If you break your blade, you’re in a fist fight with a demon.

              Not all Soulguards can make the blades from pure Soulfire like Kharl had done at the school. Most of them needed a weapon to pour the Soulfire into. Of course, when the blade is imbued with Soulfire, it is much stronger than a regular blade.

              I handed Kyra two of the wands and kept two for myself. We faced off about twenty feet apart.

              “3...2...” Kharl’s voice rumbled, “...1...”

              The world slowed down as Kharl's voice continued, “Go.”

              We met in the middle of the practice area, swords ready. Then the Dance began.

              Kyra calls it the Dance of Blades and she is a master of it. As our blades met, she was surprised.

              “You’re faster,” She smiled and sped up. “Let’s see how fast.”

              I felt the hit on my left and sped up as well. She was moving faster than I’d ever seen her go, except when battling the Demons at Morndel. I was amazed, I was moving just as fast as she was. I still couldn’t seem to connect, though.

              We continued until Kharl’s voice boomed, “Halt!”

              I was sore in a dozen places and sweating profusely. Kyra had worked up a sweat as well.

              “A lot faster,” she commented. I hadn’t even got in one hit. Of course, I never get in a hit on Ky.

              “That’s where experience tells the tale, son.” she said, as if reading my mind, “You are as fast as I am but I’ve learned a few tricks over the years. You’ll be better than me when you’ve got the experience to match your power.”

              I doubt that, I thought. I looked around at the other Guards and both of them were smiling.

              “I’m going to have so much fun with him,” the weapon master said happily.

              “My turn,” Kharl said.

              Sometimes I think the two of them enjoy this kind of abuse too much. I looked toward Trent and his dad. They both looked a bit dazed.

              “Just wait till you start training,” I said and nodded at Trent.

              We faced off just as Ky and I had, twenty feet apart, facing each other. There were no swords now. Kharl is my unarmed combat trainer.

              “3...2...1...Go!”

              We charged one another and I figured I would use my extra speed to my advantage. I jumped over his head and felt a vice close on my left leg.

              Oh crap, this is gonna hurt, I thought as he threw me across the room to slam into “The Mat”.

              “The Mat” is the place I end up every time I try something stupid while fighting Kharl. I think there is a permanent face print in the two feet thick padding on the reinforced back wall of the barn. Maybe several.

              “I told you, Quit jumping around like a damn grasshopper! Your power is in the earth, stay connected to it.”

              I picked myself up from the floor in front of “The Mat”, with a stupid grin on my face. Kharl was waiting, so I planted my feet and charged. There isn’t a lot of finesse in Kharl’s style of fighting, but there isn’t a lot of finesse in a train either. When he hits you, it feels like you were hit by a
big
train.

              I found that my strength and durability was also affected by the larger Soulstream, I was holding my own with Kharl. But like Ky, he had worlds of experience and he used some of it to put me on the floor several times.

              “Halt!” Ky shouted.

              I was sore in places I didn’t even know I had. It never fails, if I start to think too highly of myself, a spar with either of them can set me straight right quick.

              Tien stood up and approached. “You’re good enough at fighting to face any Mage I know, but the shield is the most important thing when facing Mages. How are your shields?”

              I opened the portal and anchored to the ground.

              “Try it,” I stated and stood still as Kharl swung at me. His fist hit a foot from me but I didn’t fly into a wall this time. I didn’t budge.

              Kharl smiled and began to pound on my shield with a vengeance. Jack stood up and joined him, as well as Ky and Tien. Four Elite Soulguards couldn’t pierce my shields.

              “That will do,” Tien stated.