Survival -Guardians of Vesturon [1] (27 page)

Two hikers sat at Charlie’s Bunion eating lunch. The Bunion was a favorite place for day hikers as it afforded one of the most rewarding views in the Smoky Mountains. It was a short spur off the Appalachian Trail, but it was the perfect out-and-back hike from the Newfound Gap parking lot.

Charlie’s Bunion was such a popular destination that in the warmer months one had better get there early if one wanted a place to sit for lunch. The Bunion was a huge outcropping of rock that jetted out from a precipice. The scenery from that observation point was a stunning view of Mt. LeConte, one of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi.

The two hikers had the Bunion all to themselves that day. It was springtime, but it was a weekday. Therefore, the place was blissfully empty. It was one of those awesome days when the temperature was an ideal seventy-two degrees and the sky was azure blue, or Carolina blue, as the locals would say.

Unexpectedly, an orb of light arced through the sky and headed straight toward the hikers. When it was close enough for them to touch, it elongated and took the form of a man.

He was dressed in black from the knee-high boots he wore to the hooded cape that hid his face. The hikers were awestruck, as they had never seen anything like it before. They were shocked into silence and stared at the man as he took a small device from his belt and pointed it directly at them. They heard him say one word, “Annihilate,” and were then silenced forever.

The unknown man squatted down and watched as the two humans were vaporized and turned to dust. He thought about how unfortunate for them that they had chosen this particular place to hike that day. His thoughts quickly turned to the reason he was there.

It had been many years since last he visited these mountains. It was a time in his life that he had pushed to the far recesses of his mind. He never liked thinking about it, but standing on that mountain brought back memories of that time he had chosen to forget. It was a time when he had gone rogue and roamed the wilderness for several years. He remained rogue until his best friend came and persuaded him to return home to his family and his duties.

He had done some heinous things then, but he never felt remorseful about them. He had returned to Vesturon and was reinstated as a Guardian, through much persuasion by his friend. He never grew fond of his wife, though he played the part well. His daughter was another matter altogether. He loved her beyond measure. She meant the universe to him, and he would stop at nothing to see that she attained her heart’s desires. She knew nothing of his background, and he meant to keep it that way. He didn’t want to destroy the esteem in which she held him.

He sat lost in his thoughts until he felt an electric current travel the length of his neck. Moments later, he felt his first premonition of evil. The evil became so oppressive he felt the urge to stand. He didn’t fear this evil; he was surprised, however, by the intensity of it. Minutes passed by, and then he caught his first glimpse of the one who possessed this malevolent aura. It was a hunter.

The black cloaked figure was a bit astonished by the presence of a hunter in a national park. It was illegal to hunt here. He knew him for what he was though by his camouflaged clothing and the primitive crossbow he wore slung across his back. He reached into the hunter’s mind and found something so depraved and vile that he shuddered.

Then a smile spread across his face, for he had unknowingly stumbled upon exactly what he sought so fiercely. This was the answer he had hoped to find, and to think, it had been so easy.

He needed a way to get rid of the human that had invaded the Firstborn’s life. He could manipulate the hunter’s mind, pay him a few dollars, and the human problem could be removed. The depravity that the hunter emitted left no doubt he would be willing and able to do the task.

Now he needed to find a way to lure the human out of the security blanket of the Guardian Compound. He would use his connections back home to take care of that problem. Surely there was someone in the Command Center that could be bribed. If bribery didn’t work, threats were equally as effective.

The cloaked figure leaped off his vantage point and intersected the travel of the hunter. The hunter displayed an element of surprise, but that was quickly tempered and he fell under the power of the cloaked man.

Plans were laid out and contact points were made. The beginning of the end was near.

Maddie and Rayn were out trail running. More aptly put, Maddie was running and Rayn was going along at a leisurely pace, watching her. Maddie was getting back into marathon form. Running had always been her favorite form of exercise, and she was fiercely competitive. As a high school student, she ran cross country in the fall and played soccer in the spring. Each sport complemented the other and in both off seasons, she found herself competing in local road races. She had completed two marathons and had hoped to run more.

After her abduction and consequent injuries, she had not been able to perform any sort of activities, much less running, but upon her return from Vesturon, she had slowly been increasing her time and distance. She had always been an avid trail runner, and the setting of Rayn’s home made it a perfect place for her favorite pastime. She had also been spending a good bit of time in the gym with both Rayn and Sharra.

They had all fallen into a comfortable routine with each other. The three of them would plan to work out each day, usually together. If Rayn had things he needed to attend to, Sharra was always there to keep Maddie company. Rayn had intentionally designed it this way. He wanted Maddie to enjoy her time at their home, and he was concerned about her getting bored and restless. He also was delighted with the relationship that had developed between Maddie and Sharra.

Rayn enjoyed accompanying her on the outings. He could easily keep up with her. Truthfully, he could outdistance her in no time and it gave him an opportunity to check things out on the property. He had decided that Maddie could not go out alone. He was still concerned that her abductor was on the loose, and even though their property was veiled, they sometimes left the area.

Rayn was not into taking any chances where Maddie’s safety could be at stake. His orders were that she would never run alone. If he couldn’t accompany her, one of the others would. Sharra would usually jump at the chance. Since the two females had become fast friends, they loved to be in each other’s company, as they each filled a need in each other’s life.

It was a particularly warm, beautiful spring day when Maddie and Rayn were finishing a fifteen miler. They had looped around so they could finish at the mountain top, their favorite setting. Maddie was slurping water out of her CamelBak, and Rayn was pulling some snacks out of his. He had finished drinking and was unwrapping a Luna Bar for Maddie when a troubled look passed over his face. Maddie had snatched the bar from him and was taking a bite out of it when she noticed his look.

“Rayn, what is it?” she asked, still slightly breathless from the run.

“He’s here,” he acidly replied.

“Who’s here?” Maddie was puzzled by his quick change in mood.

“My father.”

“He’s here? Right now? On Earth?”

“Oh, yes, he is here all right,” Rayn said bitterly.

“At the house? How do you know?” she questioned, still bewildered.

“Oh, I know. Believe me. I can feel his presence. He knows I know too. I am sure he thinks I will be dashing right home.”

“Don’t you think we should?”

“No, absolutely not. He has played with me, with us, too long. I am not falling for that game of his. We will return home when we are good and ready. I am already getting mental strikes from everyone. Do you need something else to eat?”

“No, I’m good. I sure wish I were more presentable for him. I look a wreck and smell even worse,” she worried. Maddie grabbed her ponytail and started fidgeting.

“You have never looked better in my eyes. Your eyes are still sparkling from your run, your cheeks are flushed, your hair is magnificent when it is all disheveled like it is now, and those shorts…um…well they show off your lovely legs quite nicely. I am more crazy about you now than ever,” he said grinning.

“What do you think your father will say?” she asked, blushing.

“It is not what I think, but what I know. He will berate me for my poor judgment, tell me I am a fool, blah, blah, blah.”

“Rayn, you’re talking more and more like an American! You’ve gotten the lingo down pretty well.”

“Ah Sunshine, I believe you have rubbed off on me.” He let his fingers trail along from her ear, down her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat, where he leaned down to pace a soft kiss.

“Ew. You might not want to do that. I’m sort of nasty right now.”

“Babe, you are never nasty.”

“‘Babe,’ huh? I think you’ve been watching too many movies! Eau contraire, though! You are just blinded by love.”

“I cannot deny that, for it is the truth.”

He leaned into her and grabbed her by ponytail and pulled her head back, shocking her. Then he went for her lips. His eyes were burning into hers, startling her with their intensity. He kissed her passionately.

“Maddie, whatever happens, we will be together, some way, somehow. I am going back to Vesturon, either today or tomorrow. I will not have a choice, but I will do everything in my power to get back here as soon as I can. I am not saying it will be easy or quick. But as the Divine Being is my witness, I promise you we will be together.”

“I know we will, Rayn. I feel as if we are a part of each other.”

“I am going to pledge my protection to you today, in front of everyone. Remember?”

“You’re kidding, right? What do you mean ‘remember’? How could I forget?”

They remained up on the mountain for several hours. Maddie waded into the nearby stream with the intention of taking an abbreviated bath, but the water was so cold she couldn’t bear it.

Rayn laughed, “What did you think it would feel like? You are up in the mountains, and it is early June. That water is not much warmer in August.” He was thoroughly enjoying himself watching her antics in the water.

She splashed around a bit and tried to get used to the icy feel of the water, to no avail. After her unsuccessful attempts at bathing, she decided she’d better get out of the stream, but unfortunately, her foot slipped on a moss covered rock and she tumbled into the water, landing on her backside, sputtering. She quickly tried to leap to her feet but again, they slipped on the moss-covered rocks, sending her straight back into the water.

By this time, Rayn was howling with laughter and decided he’d better lend her a hand. He reached for her and when she took his hand, she gave it a hard tug and he ended up in the water next to her. Now it was her turn to laugh. They both splashed around until they started to shiver.

They were still laughing and shivering when Rayn mentioned that is was probably a good idea to head back to the house.

“We will go upstairs and bathe before I present you to my father. What he needs to say to us can wait. He has waited this long to come here; another hour will not kill him. Besides, I want to irritate him a bit more.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” she inquired with doubt.

“I care not if it is wise. I only wish to be difficult as I am sure he will be in return,” he retorted.

When Maddie and Rayn arrived at the house, he leaned into her and enfolded her in his arms.

“I feel like we are heading toward the wolves.”

“I think the saying is ‘being fed to the wolves,’” she grinned.

“Oh yes, of course.” He quickly kissed her, grabbed her hand and didn’t wait for her response as he led her up the stairs and to their fate.

Before they could make it as far as the massive staircase, a deep booming voice cut them off.

“Are you not going to greet your father Rayn?”

They both turned.

“Oh, hello Father. What a surprise,” Rayn replied, dripping sarcasm.

“Your manners seem to have escaped you today. Are you not going to introduce me?” he asked imposingly.

Rayn complied. “Yes, of course. Father, this is Madeline Mariah Pearce, but you may call her Maddie. Maddie this is my father, Rowan, the Great Leader of Vesturon.”

Maddie looked up and her eyes beheld a mirror image of the man with whom she was in love; there were, however, two notable exceptions. Like Rayn, Rowan was tall, powerfully built, and exceedingly handsome with that same thick black wavy hair. That is where the similarities ended. Unlike Rayn, Rowan was a few decades older and his stunning green eyes were not filled with warmth. Instead, they were like chips of ice and coldly focused on Maddie. She understood how he could certainly command, or rather demand, one’s attention.

Rowan was dressed in the traditional Vesturion robes, much like the one of Rayn’s that Maddie had borrowed. The only differences were Rowan’s robe was white, and it bore gold braiding over his shoulders. Across his hips he wore a gold belt that was embossed with symbols that Maddie correctly assumed were the insignia of the Great Leader of Vesturon. Maddie could understand how he could effectively play his role as Leader, given the authoritative figure he presented.

“Wow! You two look exactly alike! Amazing!” Maddie extending her hand said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yarrister.”

Rayn gasped at her address. He had forgotten to apprise her of the proper way to address his father.

Rowan firmly grasped her hand and drew her toward him. He lifted her chin and inspected her from all angles, his eyes boring into hers. To Maddie’s credit, she didn’t back down and held his gaze though she felt like a piece of livestock.

“Hmm. So you are the one who has stolen my son from me?” he asked in a domineering manner.

“Oh, for the love of the Deity, Father, would you stop trying to intimidate her?” Rayn demanded.

Maddie put her hand on Rayn’s arm to interrupt him. With fire in her eyes she boldly said, “It’s okay, Rayn.”

To Rowan, she continued, “You sir, may think you know me, but you don’t. Therefore, I would be hesitant to assume much. Intimidation only works on the weak, and I can assure you, I am not weak…of mind, body or spirit.”