Star Warden: Slayer of Evil. Chapter 10

 

Joyous Prison

10

A makeshift fire slowly burnt out in a ruined chapel dedicated to Kira. The pews and windows were broken and dried blood covered parts of the walls and floor. The altar itself was desecrated with the sign of the Tyrant's Crown, but Kaguya had spent her time cleaning it and re-dedicating it for proper worship. Sam slept on the floor back to and away from the fire for it was too large and open for his subconscious to trust.

Kaguya draped a blanket over him to ensure he kept warm before she walked over to Gareth who was on sentry duty near the door. He watched vultures pick the dead bodies of the Minotaurs clean. The horned beasts were busy celebrating their debauchery when The Star Warden and company descended upon them. The battle could be more accurately described as a slaughter, as the Minotaurs had no time to grab their weapons before being slain.

“Sir Gareth, you should take your rest. You have been awake all night,” said Kaguya.

“Witty, Your Radiance.”

“It was not my intent to jest. But considering our present circumstances I understand why you would see it as such.”

“With your leave, Your Radiance. May I ask a personal question concerning Sir Bailey?”

“You may, however I promise no answer.”

“I hear from time to time screams in his sleep. Normally ones that would go unnoticed if the silence was not so omnipresent. I also noticed that when I started the fire he reached for his weapon before stopping himself and how he puts his distance between him and the flame.”

Kaguya sighed. “He was burned alive by the Dark Lord when Castle Bailey was attacked. He was close to death and the horror of such an event haunts him still. He has recovered, his nightmares are not as frequent as they were before.”

“Is that why you travel with him?”

Kaguya raised an eyebrow. “May I guess that your true line of inquiry is more concerned by my attendance here than Sir Bailey's mental health?”

“I did not wish to be rude, Your Radiance, but I was curious why someone like you would fight on the front lines with a knight.” Gareth's voice was a mix of confusion, curiosity, and worry.

“It is true that it is uncommon for a lady of my station to participate in such adventures. But I am no ordinary lady, for I am the Celestial Emissary. It is my duty to guide and save the souls from the predations of the spiritual and if needed the physical.” She looked at the sleeping Warden with gentle eyes. “More importantly it is also my duty as a loving wife to ensure my lord husband is taken care of in the spiritual and physical sense.”

“Begging your pardon, Your Radiance. How are your marital duties more important than your religious ones?”

“Poor choice of words,” she said. “It would be accurate to say that my spiritual duties and my marital ones are one and the same. If I may ramble on, I can provide context for you.” Gareth nodded. “Long ago I went to the planet Earth. Three or four months had passed after my mother's death during the coup. My father believed that leaving with Lord Bailey and meeting his son would do me some good.”

She recollected her first meeting with the young Samuel Bailey, she was in the living room of the house and Lord Bailey was nearby. In an excitable tone Sam said. “Oh my Gosh! Your eyes are purple!” Interrupting Kaguya's introduction and causing her to jump back in fear. Eli lightly chastised the boy and the young Samuel chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

That was how their relationship started. She was quiet and despondent, while Sam tried to introduce her to the great things of Earth or more specifically the United States; Hot dogs, video games, ice cream, climbing trees, and football. The 10-year-old boy had what seemed like an inexhaustible supply of energy and was very persistent in trying to raise her spirits and enjoy life. She admitted his attitude was somewhat infectious even if she was reluctant to participate.

During one day when she went out into town, which she learned was named Reno, Sam wanted to introduce her to a frozen sugary beverage from a convenience store. While he went inside, he wanted to surprise her with the choice of flavor, she was accosted by a group of young humans who removed her sun hat revealing her white hair and pointed ears. They found her wings and made dispatching remarks as they pointed a handheld recording device at her.

Flying would only expose her alien nature to more people and her pleading fell on deaf ears. The situation reminded her of the Imperial Court after the coup, everyone talking about her inability to access her gifts. If she was still of high marriageable potential. If she truly was a false Emissary. All the things that she thought she could run away from came back in a new form with these young humans, pulling on her wings and touching her ears. While she just stood there frozen and wishing she could run again. She closed her eyes and prayed for it all to stop and for her dad to help.

Her eyes opened when a loud crunch and a thud was heard. She saw Sam's face filled with a warrior's rage leaping into the fray and punching one of the human children into a nearby car window. He grabbed the recording device and in a feat of strength smashed it against a nearby vehicle causing it to completely fall to pieces along with the tape inside.

“That was my camera you-,” the kid who spoke was interrupted as Sam punched him in the mouth knocking him to the ground. The third one attempting to grab Sam only to yell in pain as Sam bites down on his fingers. Kaguya watched the fight partly in awe and partly paralyzed as the image of the fight changed in her mind. Sam was older dressed in her father's armor and the three boys became bandits. Her heart began to race away from her as her face flushed with a darker color.

She was thrown out of her vision when she saw Sam fall to the ground. One of the human children grabbed a metal bat and had struck him in the stomach. Kaguya didn't wonder where the bat came from her first instinct was to help Sam as they piled on and kicked him. A feeling of something familiar came over her causing her hand to glow brightly. She placed it on top of the kid's eyes and unleashed a torrent of light upon them.

Kaguya grabbed the bat as the kid covered his eyes in pain. “Apologies. I sincerely hope that your vision is only temporarily impaired.” She stood tall even if she held the bat awkwardly as she looked at the other humans. “Now please cease your assault on Lord Samuel at once and depart or I will have no choice but to enter the fray myself.”

“I ain't afraid to hit a girl,” said one of the kids.

“But you're afraid of that bat,” said Sam as he stood up. “and now it's two on two. You walk away now and forget you saw her we good. But you keep fighting you're gonna lose and I'll tell everyone you got beat by a girl!”

“No girl is going to beat me!”

He rushed at Kaguya who swung the bat at him. But she was too early thus leaving herself open as she took a shot to the jaw and fell backward. Sam leaped on the boy and bit down on the kid's ear hard enough to draw blood. The boy screamed, called Sam a freak, and ran off. The other kids ran after him, one of them doing so awkwardly as he recovered from the intense light.

Sam helped Kaguya up

“You okay,” he asked.

“I am unharmed thank you for the concern, My Lord.”

She looked around and saw a human sleeping nearby the store. She presumed the bat was stolen from him and she returned it.

“We should return to your dwelling at once, you require medical aid.”

Sam made a sound with his lips, he later explained this was called blowing a raspberry.

“Me hurt? You should see the other guys.”

Sam laughed at the joke and Kaguya despite herself started to giggle. “Oh, I almost forgot your drink.” Sam rushed back inside and brought out a red frozen beverage.

“Where is your beverage?”

“Oh, I kind of dropped it when I rushed outside and it spilled out. But I didn't drop yours so go on try it.”

“Lord Samuel, we need to return you home for healing.” She thought it would be the least she could do for him after losing the beverage and fighting for her.

“I'll just walk it off not like their punches even hurt.” 

He winced in pain as the adrenaline began to wear off and the effects of the bruises came down like boulders. Kaguya quickly brought him home and helped clean him up in the bathroom. While trying to ease the bruises with an ice pack an idea occurred to her. If she could call forth light today perhaps she could do the same for her other talents, the ones she thought lost forever after her mother's death.

She placed her bare hands on the bruises and, remembering her earlier lessons, caused her palms to glow. Sam's eyes widened as his body started to heal completely and in mere moments any physical signs of his altercation could no longer be accounted for. Sam looked in shock and asked to know what happened. All Kaguya could do to explain it was to call it magic, as she wasn't sure how to convey the more spiritual aspects of her gifts.

“Whoa. Faerie magic. Cool. How come you never did this before?”

Kaguya blinked in surprise and then looked away in embarrassment. She slowly explained how she lost them after her mother's death.

“I believed that my gifts were lost to me. When I wanted to help you recover from your wounds I felt something stir within me.”

“So it wasn't gone it just went to sleep until you needed to help someone.” Sam smiled and patted on her back, the suddenness of it caused her to yelp in surprise.

“Lord Samuel, you are quite the enigma.”

“Uh. Sure. Thank you,” he said confusingly.

Kaguya made a slight giggle at his response. “My intention was to say that I find you quite strange. Your exuberance appears to be immutable in the face of adversity. What I mean is you are consistently filled with cheer and joy and nothing can seem to change that. I envy you.”

“Same to you.”

“There is nothing to envy about me.” A self-deprecating laugh came from her lips. “I did not have the strength to stand up for myself.”

Sam shrugged. “I could teach you some stuff if you want. But when you need help just call me. Because I'm here to kick butt and chew bubblegum.” Sam checked his pockets. “Oh look at that all out of bubblegum.”

Kaguya objected after getting through an involuntary giggle. “I appreciate the thought. But you are a friend of mine, you shouldn't subject yourself to such dangers.”

“I would do it for anyone. People need help so I try to help even if I take a bruising once and a while. I mean that's how mom died.”

“I did not know, my condolences.”

“It's okay. I miss her a lot. But sometimes doing good is hard and sometimes people get taken away for doing the right thing. I wish my mom was here but she is in a better place and she wouldn't want me to stop doing the right thing. Plus she wouldn't like it if I let a pretty girl get teased.”

“Are you referring to me,” she asked in almost a shout as her face turned red.

“Yeah. You're also nice and know all that fancy royal stuff. You're a cool girl, Kaguya. Just keep believing that and help people. Then it won't make missing your mom feel so bad.”

A joyful tear started to roll down her cheek as her heart began to beat at a rapid pace. “Thank you, Lord Samuel. I will do my best to heed your advice.” More tears started the flow as she smiled brightly.

“That day changed everything for me,” Kaguya said with a hand over her heart and watching over the sleeping Star Warden. Gareth had restored the fire during their conversation.

“You fell in love with him,” Gareth spoke of it as a matter of fact.

“Yes. Despite the colorful language he used to express himself, he touched my heart. His combination of courage, compassion, and wisdom at such a young age. It was clear to me that I knew my future husband.”

“Even though he was an alien?”

“Alien in body but the traits Samuel displayed are good and should be encouraged. A caring wife and supportive family is the best way to do so. Our fathers were also close friends who wanted to establish more formal ties. Which made it easier to arrange the betrothal." 

“If only humility was one of those traits,” Gareth said in a somewhat jeering manner.

“I would not discount his bravado as simple arrogance. While he does have a high opinion of himself, his confidence is inspiring to others in distress. It is also helpful in keeping his doubts and fears at bay. Which is why I travel with him not just to defend him from physical threats, but to protect him from the enemies of the heart.”

Kaguya looked back directly into Gareth's eyes. He could see a graceful fire in them, it was soft and gentle but no less dangerous.

“My love can no longer return home. His lord father is dead and his lands despoiled. Haunted by a near-death experience and now fighting for people not his own to save them from tyranny and evil. So resilient and selfless, my fear is that this great spirit will break and he will lose these things.”

“If he gave up on helping others, or worse, became consumed by a need for revenge, then he would not be the Champion that the world needed. What kind of Emissary would I be if I let the Champion's soul be lost? What kind of wife would I be if I let him suffer out here alone? I am no warrior, Sir Gareth, but I will do everything in my power to protect his heart. So I will bear any privations and suffer through any and all trials required of me. Until victory or death, for I love him.”

Chapter 8 and 9

Chapter 11