Gone Rogue (22 page)

“Sister I am in charge of all prisons, even if you think they are the guardians that can reunite the two worlds.”  Slade wondered if Gargan knew, was she going to skip the hangings and just have his head chopped off by Gargan’s axe.  “If they run, then what?”

“Then I have the strongest warrior I know cut their legs off.”

“Shit,” Gargan said as they both came into view.  He was about to say something, then he took a sniff, a sniff that Slade recognized.  Slade took a sniff also, and then Zach copied, for a second it looked like a bunch of dogs smelling food.  “That smell,” he stared at Slade who was staring at Phoenix. 

Both their eyes met in a crash of eroticism.  Gargan knew something was up but he couldn’t put a finger on it.  “You were locked up, otherwise I would say you two have unfinished business.”

“Yeah,” the queen spoke.  Slade took a gulp already feeling the noose around his neck.  “We tried to kill each other,” Slade started to feel sweat one his head.  “He has seen my true self.” 

Gargan stared at Slade, “Human if you are sick, this offer won’t be good.”

Everybody was staring at him waiting for a response, but for some reason he lost the ability to talk. 

“Sorry, he was doing pushups,” Zach said in place for Slade.

  “Slade, and Zach, we have a deal for you,” she paused and looked at both of them.  If he knew that dragons could blush he would have thought she was embarrassed about what happened.  He wasn’t that bad he didn’t think.

He shook his head and stared at Phoenix, and his head twitched sideways, “If my instincts are right, he is dead.”  For the first time Slade saw Phoenix take a big gulp.  Slade now was even more confused, was she trying to protect him.

“What instincts would that be?”  Phoenix asked.

“You will find out soon enough.”

A pause of silence took place; Slade’s mind racing through the dream he just had.

“Anyways what is the deal?”  Zach asked not knowing of the things that were happening. 

“The deal is you live, but you will travel with us to the other land and open the portal once again.”  Phoenix said, only to be added by Gargan.

“Or die trying,” which came off a little too casual for both of the guardians taste.

Both men just stared at her confused for a moment, “Guardian, you have been dreaming of this,” Gargan’s thundering voice echoed, “The portal is closed but, we have a small opening where only the most skilled can go through.” 

Slade held a scream of terror in as he for a minute thought Gargan knew about the dream.  He now knew fear on the greatest level.  What kind of punishment would he get for screwing the queen?  His ancestors were surly looking down at him crying for his thoughts of the naked dragon.

After being released from the prison and ordered to wear different clothes, they walked into a blacksmiths shop.  They almost ran back out when they noticed a ten-foot giant pounding on what would be a sword. 

“My Queen has sent you two,” the giant spoke deeply going on one knee.  “Luther is my name.”  They just stood there like deer in headlights.

“So, humans that don’t speak, you first with the cold eyes,” He looked at Zach, and to say the stare of death came from him would be an understatement. 

“I don’t know,” Zach said back to the man.

“I do know, come close, and let me examine you.”  Zach hesitated at the request.

Zach drew closer to the guy who was bigger than Gargan and Slade combined,   the giant was dark as a good cigar; his baldhead was shining with sweat.  The giant drew his hands one each side of Zach's head and took a deep breath.  This causing me to grab the grip of one of the weapons he stood by.  "You are skilled in shooting and hand to hand combat is not for you." 

"That is an understatement of the year.”  Slade snickered.  Zach gave an evil eye back in response.

"You’re next," the giant approached Slade and just eyed him for a while and then put his hands on each side of Slade’s face.  Slade could feel something invading a part of him, Slade could feel the giant invading his most deepest and secret thoughts.  Hopefully he thought the giant wasn’t a gossip queen. 

"What do we have here,” the giant said, making Slade wish that he could hide something from him. 

"Yes, Luther what do we have there,” Slade had to ask.  Zach was leaning back watching.

"You like close combat.”  Luther looked puzzled and then continued to study his arms.  "Usually you wouldn’t be from that time, but I might have a weapon for you that will and can be used in today’s worlds."  Slade became more intrigued in the idea.  "First,” Luther went and drew a bow off the wall with a quiver.  He also took what looked to be a hunting knife but three feet longer off the wall.  "This scimitar can be used for anything in the right hand."  Zach grabbed the weapon and weighed it in his hands then took the bow with the quiver.

"Yeah this will work.”  Zach stepped back eyeing his new toy.

"So what you got for me,” Slade asked stepping forward the night becoming a little bit better.

"I agree that knives would work, but I have something else for you.”  Luther said, walking to a crate.  Pulling out the crate, he opened it and carefully removed items out.  “It was designed by the queen.”

“What do you mean the queen made this weapon,” He asked more curious then a need to know.

“The blades are of her claws and were designed to be worn by the queen on invasion, but alas I couldn’t make them heavy enough for her.” 

Slade almost threw the blades back.  “They look like kukris to me,” He grabbed the weapons anyways, and soon regretted it.  They were perfect, perfect weight, perfect length, and perfect shape. 

“You know your weapons, very well.”

“Ha, Slade is wearing a girly weapon.”  Zach mocked his brother.

“Wait, what will the queen be wearing,” He asked while the giant handed him eight in total, one from each nail on her claw.  He knew they were sharp for he slid them on the counter cutting at the metal table.

“I am not done with you; you need a sword, but a mightier sword.  I have something that will match the kukris.”  The giant walked back to a weapon that was incased in a blanket.  He unrolled the weapon, which was longer then the Kukris, and thicker.  He knew it would take two hands to use such a blade, but something looked familiar about it.

“A giant machete, is his other weapon?”  Zach asked.

“Yes, this was made from the Queens back claws melted together.”

“Blacksmith,” He asked, “why are these weapons only made by,” He looked at Zach’s weapons, “they all are made of non-metal materials.”  He knew there were metals out there that weren’t magnetized, so why wouldn’t they use those materials.

“We believe in the power of the living, each of these weapons were made out of creatures that have died.”  He stared at them, and continued, “Yours is made from the queen, and only she can decided who uses them, but with what I’ve seen in your mind, I don’t think she would mind.” 

“Enough said,” Slade said feeling like it was time to leave, “Let’s go get ready.”

“Why, what did you see,” Zach asked.

“Only a blacksmith can know,” and Zach sighed.  “Your weapons,” he looked at Zach, “your sword was made from the death of the last stone guard captain, and you can tell your bow and arrows are made out of a tree, not any tree, but the tree of the elves.  Both of your weapons,” He gestured to both of us.  “They are meant to be worn by a guardian, and will only work for guardians.”

“Sweet”

“What about the queen, what does she carry?”  He needed to know what they were capable of wielding.  “You were only as strong as your weakest link.”

“She already carries them.”  He looked up from my weapons and the giant was already gone from sight.  “Perfect,”

***

The two guardians walked to the great hall that was straight in front of the main entrance of the backside of the kingdom.  They walked in their older clothes both tugging at bits and pieces. 

“We look like retarded Robin Hoods,” Zach said while they stopped by the garden in front of the Great hall.

“We do not,” Slade answered back adjusting his cloak.  “I do think we will stick out, and not because of our size.”

They both donned black boots with black pants, a white shirt, and black tunic with an orange crest on it.  It was incased in what looked to Slade as a giant badge, but in the middle was a picture of the island and kingdom at night.  The stars above the kingdom seemed to sparkle as if it was real.  Then over all that, they had a cloak, that they had open and the hood down to show everything.

It was night and it kept them cool, actually it was weird, the outfit seemed to feel like a perfect temperature, Slade was thinking magic, but didn’t want to say it aloud for he feared he would sound like an idiot.

“I wonder why no one else has to wear this, Gargan is close, but he doesn’t have the tunic.”

Slade looked up for the first time seeing that the garden glowed in the dark.  “I have a feeling that this is from a certain legacy.”

“No, you think it is that old.”

“Not only old, but enchanted,” Slade looked back to the main entrance.  “You ready to fill our fate?”

“No, but let’s do it anyways.”

Slade opened one side of the door of the great hall while Zach opened the other.  Everybody in hall seemed to stop and stare at them as they walked forward.  The queen and her brother were sitting at the head of the table with two open chairs next to them.  Slade elbowed Zach who was staring at everything taking it all in and nodded to the open seats.

“I never ate with dragons before.”  Zach whispered to Slade.

“You’re lucky they aren’t eating you.”  Slade responded back which took the smirk off of Zach’s face

The hearth at the side of the hall that could fit two people lying inside provided a warmth and scent of oak through the room.  Three large and long wooden tables reached the length of the room hosted a well-crowed room.  It amazed Slade as they walked past them that it looked of all one piece.  Gargan and Phoenix were sitting in front of the group their table a little smaller but more decorated with gold cups, décor, and food.

Slade looked up to the queen who was wearing gold plated chest plate that went down to her stomach then flowed to a white dress that covered her arms and Slade imagined it flowed freely down the back and front of her legs.  He couldn’t help himself and stare the flawless and most gorgeous woman he ever seen.  At that moment, he didn’t care that she was a dragon; he wanted to continue his dream.

“Boy, you better be staring at the food, and not staring at her chest!”  Gargan snapped as he rose to his feet ready to end Slade’s imagination.  Smoke drifted from his nose as he put a hand on his battle-axe.  Slade ignored the threat and walked towards the queen.

“Gabrielle is that you?”  Zach broke up the silent stares.  Slade looked to the other woman that was sitting at the table.  Gabrielle looked so different, that he could barely recognize her.  Her hair fell down her back.  Her top that seemed to be made from some type of animal and her dress was to her knees.  The top of her dress was tight to her stomach and stopped just below her belly button leaving plenty of skin to see.  

Zach went to a knee as Slade did and copied his gesture and kissed the back of her hand.  Slade looked up and saw Gargan staring, a small growl started to escape, and smoke came from his nose more steadily.  The crowd was still staring at the scene, and Gargan looked up and saw everyone was watching them.  “Go back to eating, or off with your heads.”  The group started to chatter, and soon dinner broke out again.  Music soon filled the air over the chatter as Zach and Slade found their seats.

"Enough of this pleasant re-acquaintance," Zach interrupted the smacking from their mouths, "how are we going to do this."

"Brother you explain.”  Phoenix said.

"Yes, my lady.  We know by using it as a water source it is water from the other side."

"A real detective here," Zach interrupted him

A growl came again out of Gargan's chest that shook even the castle's walls.  "Anyways, we will jump through there and hopefully swim to the shore.”

"That’s it, that’s the plan?”  Zach asked beating Slade to the question.

“Why do you need us?”  Slade asked

“We need the blood of a guardian to reopen the doors, according to the prophecy.”  Phoenix said before taking a drink of something that looked like wine.

"Sounds like a good enough plan to me.”  Gabrielle now spoke. 

“And who is going to run your kingdom, Queen.”  Slade asked

“My two maidens will run the kingdom, while I am gone.”

“When,” Zach said

“After the entertainment of course,” Gargan said

“I don’t want anyone to see how we go through there.  I don’t want to be responsible for the deaths of failed attempts.”  For the first time Slade could hear sorrow in her voice.

The evening grew with more wine and dancing.  Slade learned this was a common event at the kingdom.  They celebrated each night the hard work and the joy of life.  He didn’t know why but he wanted to celebrate it with them, just that he couldn’t yet.