To Stay in the Living Lands

Chapter Four, Part Two

Nothing was shielding Cassandra, and the blade was coming too far to duck. She screamed and covered her face with her arms. 

Instead, Cassandra heard the clash of metal on metal. She opened her eyes to see another blade countering the woman’s. 

A Guardian was there. She was dressed the same as the other two, but she wasn’t one of the previous Guardians Cassandra had seen. She dimly wondered how many the King had.

“You will not touch her,” said the guardian in a low, even voice.

“Curses,” the woman hissed, “You guardians always spoil my fun,” she stepped back, and warped into a green viper, and slithered away. 

“Continue, Cassandra, you do not have long. Nightfall is coming swiftly. “I’ll take you back to the path, and no further. There are always those in need of help,” 

“But I haven’t seen anyone,” said Cassandra

“There are different paths for different people,” said the guardian, “some are easy, some are not,” Cassandra looked at her feet, ashamed. She stared at the ground, and blinked. the grass that had been there seconds before was now compacted dirt with the occasional pebble. She looked up, and her jaw dropped as she realized she was standing on the path. She hadn’t even taken a step. She looked at the Guardian, awestruck. Before she could say a word, the Guardian smiled and vanished.

Cassandra forgot all about conserving energy. She broke into a sprint. She had to make it in time. If she didn’t . . . she shuddered to think about what would happen. She forced her legs to move faster. She didn’t feel tired. If she really concentrated, she felt it, but when she wasn’t, she felt energized. 

She tripped over a large rock and winced as her knee was scraped by the path. She gasped, anticipating the pain. Nothing happened. She pulled it in front of her and studied it. Her dress was torn, but there wasn’t a scratch on her knee. It wasn’t even bruised. Did my dress keep it from being injured? Cassandra studied the path. It was rocky in this section. She had stepped on a loose rock, and it had slipped out, throwing her to the ground.

Cassandra continued. She tried to avoid loose stones, but after being tossed to the ground three more times, she gave up on running. ‘If the King . . .is so . . . insistent . . . on people coming . . .why wouldn’t he . . . at least . . . make the paths nice?” she grumbled. It felt more real when she said it aloud. She scowled. This King was just making things difficult, not easier. The rock inder her left foot gave way, and she barely escaped from twisting her ankle. Cassandra yelled in frustration.

“Cassandra, there is an easier way,” Cassandra turned to see a guardian. His armor was silver, unlike the other two, and she could see his wings were blue. He seemed grander than the other three she had seen.

“Easier?” she asked. She eagerly strained her eyes, searching for another path.  She was getting used to the sudden appearances of these guardians, they came whenever she needed them, it seemed. 

“Yes, it’s smooth, and it’s straight, and short,” replied the guardian, smoothly. His eyes were icy blue and almost made Cassandra shiver.

“Where?” she asked, shaking off the shiver. 

“Why, it is just beyond those bushes. It leads straight to the King,” 

“Okay,” Cassandra took a step toward the edge of the path. Something made her hesitate, and look back up at the guardian. For a moment, his eyes seemed to change. They were not just blue, flames seemed to be flickering inside, as if he were gazing at a fire. She blinked, and they were gone. The guardian smiled, 

“Why so hesitant, Cassandra?” he said in his smooth voice. It sounded just like the viper-woman’s.

“Y-you’re not a guardian,” Cassandra whispered. And for just a moment, his eyes shifted back to the flames.

“Why, how did you figure that out, Cassandra dear?” he laughed. It sent shivers up her spine. Like thorns in a fire. They blaze and crackle, but produce no heat. 

The fake Guardian drew an icy blue sword and cackled. Cassandra fell backward on the stones. Something was pressing into her thigh. She dimly managed to see it was a short sword. She grasped the hilt, grateful she was leaning against the flat of the blade, and not the sharp end. The man laughed. 

“Ha. You think that puny sword is a match for this?” his sword set ablaze, blue fire almost dripping, as if it were liquid flame. 

“Who are you?” Cassandra whispered. The man smiled wickedly. In an instant, the silver armor changed. It was black as night, and a black cloak draped over his shoulder. His wings were black as coal

“I am the Dark Lord,” he said in a low, menacing tone. Cassandra’s heart leaped into her mouth. The King could never defeat someone like this. 

He took a few steps forward and swung his sword. It barely missed Cassandra. She wasn’t physically capable of reacting. She gasped, air coming in short, shallow gulps. 

“You are mine, Cassandra, and you always will be,” the Dark Lord laughed, and lunged, his sword pointed directly at Cassandra’s heart. 

Cassandra’s limbs finally moved. She swung her sword but lost grip, and instead it flew from her hands. It grazed the Dark Lord’s armor. 

“Pathetic,” he said. As he spoke, the armor melted where the sword had touched. But Cassandra didn’t see it. She was too busy staring at the point of his blade, which had stopped a fraction of an inch from her chest.

The Dark Lord strained, pushing against an invisible force. The path is keeping him away.

“Remember Cassandra, you always will be mine, the King will never accept you, you are nothing. No one anyone says can ever make that go away. My hand will always be behind you, and you will never be able to shake me off,” He snarled and sprang into the air, and flew off.