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08-22-2014, 10:23 PM | #1 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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by ComicGuy89 Credit to algo448 for consultation and editing. Special thanks to God, family and friends, to my amazing Tokunation friends and all who have helped, without whom I would not have the courage to write this. Plot: Quote:
The COEURGARDES are guardians of hope! Brave heroes chosen throughout the world to battle against the Nihil, the ever-present darkness that preys on fear and evil intentions. To aid them in their battle, the Coeurgardes are given the power to become superheroes of their own design, based on any theme they desire. Wielding powers of coffee and tea, Gardes Espresso and Tea defend the city of Stella against the dark forces that threaten it.
Gallery link Table of Contents: Chapter 1: Chance Meetings Chapter 2: An Uncommon Opportunity Chapter 3: Garde Espresso Chapter 4: A Thorny Subject Chapter 5: Two's Company Chapter 6: He Who Dares to Teach Chapter 7: One Mouth and Two Ears Announcement: Unfortunately, I will no longer continue this series. I sincerely apologise, I have concluded that I do not currently have the writing chops to do justice to my story. However, if you are interested in seeing how this ends, send me a PM, and I'll tell you the rest of the story in a summarised form. The Coeurgardes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Last edited by ComicGuy89; 07-23-2015 at 08:43 AM.. |
08-22-2014, 10:33 PM | #2 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
|
Chapter 1: Chance Meetings The rain was pouring hard and fast on the city of Stella. Thunder and lightning took turns punctuating the otherwise dark night sky. Howling angrily, the winds beat against the sides of buildings and slapped the torrential rains onto the streets in waves. Though the roads were bustling with people just a few hours ago, they were now empty and quiet. As the newscasters had completely failed to predict the magnitude of the thunderstorm, people were ill-equipped to leave the safety of their homes even if they wanted to. The only sign of life was a man huddled in the corner of an alley in Beacon Port, a suburb of the city. This man drew his jacket close to shield his face from the rains. Hours earlier, at Stella Penitentiary, the man had seized the jacket from the guard’s corpse after having choked the life out of him. Although the jacket was a poor fit, and not nearly sufficient to protect against the raging storm, it would have to do. He cursed the rain, cursed the prison, and cursed his very existence. It was as if life felt compelled to throw insult after insult at him, laughing cruelly in the process. What use was there escaping? He had no idea where to go, no plan to put into action. He knew he would eventually be caught. Still, trying anything was better than sitting in that cell, like a wretched slave robbed of any will or agency. The man remembered being tormented and taunted daily by one particular guard. He remembered the laughter, the beatings, and above all, the insults. Hatred had etched the laughing face of this guard in his mind, and he had made it a priority to fatally silence him the moment he got out of his cell. Never mind that it had cost him precious minutes to escape or drawn the attention of another guard, he felt he needed to do it. The second guard was the one with the jacket, and it was a pity that he had to be killed too, but a guard was a guard. They were all complicit in his enslavement. They all had to pay. Something tugged at the man’s heart. That was not true. People didn’t have to die that night. Was he a murderer now? The winds were now dying, gradually becoming still. The storm had seemingly lost its anger and energy. Even the rain had subsided somewhat. “Yes, you’re a murderer,” said the man out loud to himself. “You’re scum now. Might as well embrace it. You don’t deserve to live.” “Maybe you don’t.” The man jumped to his feet, startled. The high-pitched voice had come from young boy, who was leaning against the wall opposite the man. “Of course, don’t die just yet,” said the boy. “We have need of your body. After we’re done with it, we’ll graciously grant your wish.” The boy was dressed in a black robe, with a hood that covered most of his white hair. He looked extremely bored. His eyes peeked out from under his hood and they deeply unsettled the man; they were like gaping black holes, cold and empty. “Who’re you?” asked the man cautiously. “How come I didn’t hear you walk in?” “You’re a pretty good specimen too, for our first host,” said the boy, ignoring the man. “Yes, you’ll do very nicely.” “Listen kid, I don’t know what you’re doing out so late in this rain,” said the man. “But you don’t want to be here. I’m not a safe person to be-“ “Hush.” “What-” “I said hush!” interrupted the boy, taking out an alien, ornate staff. “Enough talk. Let’s not waste time, we have much work to do. So just lie there and give in, it’ll be much easier on you.” At this, the man felt his blood boil hot. He would not be mocked and ignored by this kid. Or commanded. He had had enough of that at prison, he did not escape to have to take this from anyone, ever again. He would be willing to die before being stepped over. “NO, I WILL NOT KEEP QUIET!” he shouted. “I will not be ignored by some kid!” A smile curled on the boy’s face. His dull eyes, however, remained unchanged, creating an unsettling effect. “Feisty, aren’t we?” said the boy. “At least this first one will be fun. It really doesn’t matter what you say, you know? There is no use resisting.” The boy just wouldn’t stop! Blind rage filled the man as he lunged forward. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, except shut that boy up. Tear his mouth off. Something. However, halfway through his jump, he was suddenly jolted backwards and held in mid-air by an unseen force. The man saw that the boy was now pointing his staff at the man, and its tip was glowing a bright red. The man felt his limbs go limp as he began losing control of them. The boy was taking over his mind. Slowly, he felt his will slip away. His anger subsided, replaced by a feeling of complete abandonment, of despair. It took considerable effort to try just to fight back. What was the use resisting, would it not be better to simply give in? The boy was now back to his original bored expression. “I feel I must thank you for that bit of fun. Unfortunately, as I said, there is no use resisting. You are hardly a match for us Nihil, being the weak, nameless human you are.” Nameless? Weak? Rage reawakened like a roaring dragon in the man’s chest. “N-No more!” the man said with difficulty, struggling against the bind that kept him in the air. “I will not … I will not be looked down upon!” While the boy’s expression was unchanged, there was a hint of alarm in his voice. He arm trembled as he struggled to hold on to his staff. “That’s not possible! This has never happened before!” The man fought against the invisible grip some more. He could feel his senses return to his limbs. “STOP!” shouted the boy. “I COMMAND YOU!” All at once the man felt a great surge of power flow through him. With one push he broke free of the boy’s hold on him and knocked him away with a great force of power. The boy slammed against the wall and dropped his staff as he fell to the ground. The man realized that though he had not actually made physical contact with the boy when he struck at him, the boy was still knocked back. Curious, the man made a grasping movement with his hand and lifted upwards, and saw that the boy was being lifted up by his robe, too. He could control the boy. The man smiled. Time to turn the tide. He gestured with his powers and telekinetically brought the boy close to him. Drawing the boy’s face close to his own, he stared triumphantly into the boy’s eyes. They were still cold, empty and soulless on his emotionless face, but this did not bother him. He had won. “Now kid, let’s have a little chat.” * “Nadia, come! I want you to prepare this salad.” Jolted out of her daydreams, Nadia turned around to face her manager, Sally Guinto. “Uh, maybe I should stay here,” chimed Nadia. “You know, the front needs watching and all.” “You can watch the desk just fine from the kitchen, “said Sally. “Besides I’m sure Sharon is more than capable enough to handle the outside.” Sharon smiled weakly at Nadia and she groaned. Nadia knew Sally was right; it was the mid-afternoon, so customers to the café were few and there was ample time for kitchen work. She still hated doing it. “Honestly Nadia, you need to pull your weight around here,” began Sally. “Otherwise, what am I paying you for?” “Yeah, well this stuff is hard!” said Nadia. “I just keep forgetting all these steps. Like, what are we supposed to put in this? Mesclun leaves, onions, peanut sauce, what else?” Sally sighed. “You’re not even trying. Look, even Sharon has mastered this already, and she’s only been here two weeks.” Sharon was now mysteriously busying herself with the canned drinks, looking everywhere except at Nadia’s eyes. She glowed a light shade of pink. “And you’ve been here, what, 3 months now? Maybe we should have kept you on that trainee badge.” “But I don’t come here as often as Sharon. I’’ve got classes 3 days a week and it’s been-” “No, no excuses! Now come, I won’t repeat this again. Start with the mesclun leaves, then add tofu-” “Sally, I’ve got a tea order!” interrupted Sharon. “Nadia, you go do it. Be quick, don’t want customers to fall asleep.” Nadia ignored her manager’s quip as she went over to the coffee machine. She thought it was funny that the only thing she knew how to operate on the coffee machine was the tea brewing, since that only required pressing a button. Nadia privately admitted that she wished she knew how to work the portafilters and make fancy lattes. However, she remembered all she had to learn: times and temperatures for frothing the milk, the right proportions of espresso to milk and the art of preparing the right shot for brewing. “Nope, too much work,” she said under her breath. The tea finished brewing. “Eh, Sharon, who’s this for?” “That girl over there by the corner.” Before she could move, Nadia suddenly felt Sally breathing down her neck. She would have jumped of fright if she was not already used to Sally doing this. “Nadia, ask the girl if she wants cake,” whispered Sally slowly. “We've got a coconut slice that’s a week old and we need to get rid of it” Nadia didn't have to look to know that Sally’s eyes were glued on her as she walked over to the girl. She was a pleasant-looking girl, looking like something out of a postcard. Nadia could have sworn that she had seen her somewhere before. She was reading a newspaper, and the only thing ruining the pretty postcard look of the scene was newspaper’s headline: “SON OF RICH TYCOON ESCAPES FROM PRISON, TWO MURDERED”. “Green Tea?” asked Nadia. The girl looked up. “Oh yes, thank you.” “Just to let you know,” Nadia glanced at Sally who was now fixing the salad, but still eyeing them from the corner of her eye. “We’ve got some really nice coconut slices today, would you like some?” “Oh no, no, thank you, it’s been too much today.” The girl took a sip of the tea and went back to her newspaper. Nadia stole another look at Sally, who was now chopping onions for the salad. If she dragged this conversation on, she could avoid having to do that salad. “So err, I have always been a fan of coffee myself. But I guess you like tea, huh?” “Hmm, sorry?” asked the girl. She clearly thought the conversation had ended. “Uh, coffee, it’s not too bad, but I prefer tea. Calms the nerves you know. Or so they say.” Sally was now digging the fridges for the ranch dressing. Nadia needed just a few more minutes, but she had already run out of things to say. As she stared nervously at the girl (who stared back in confusion and what seemed like gradual alarm), her mental gears clicked and she remembered where she had seen the girl before. “Hey, you’re that exchange student!” she exclaimed. “Mac-, Ma-, MaKenner? MacKinnon?” “McKenna, Rose McKenna,” said the girl, looking a little uncomfortable. “What’s your name?” “Nadia Chen! We’re Comm 101 classmates!” “Yeah, I remember you now. You were sleeping when Mr. George called your name.” Nadia blushed. “Well that was a boring ‘lecture’,” said Nadia, forming finger quotes. “I always hate these stupid introductory lessons. 40 students in the class, and we’re supposed to listen to all of them introduce themselves? No one’s going to remember anybody.” “Hmm, you’re right. Don’t really like those too …” There was a brief moment of silence. Then, Nadia shot out her hand, hoping to shake Rose’s. “Anyway, pleasure to meet you! I hope we get to be awesome friends this term!” Rose stared at Nadia’s hand with a somewhat worried look on her face. It then dawned on Nadia how awkward Rose must feel, being pressured into introductions in a public area. It’s just as bad as Mr George insisting on everyone introducing themselves. Luckily, Rose smiled, reached out and shook Nadia’s hand. “Pleasure’s mine,” she said. All the anxiousness seemed to have faded from her face and Nadia felt relieved. Rose seemed very polite and friendly. “So, finished your homework yet?” asked Nadia. “It’s a bit strange isn’t it, that bit about writing about our dreams, you’d think this was lit-“ A booming voice came from the kitchen. “NADIA! WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?” Nadia jumped a bit; she knew she had dragged it out too long. Gripping her serving tray tightly, she gave Rose a panicked, please-help-me look. Rose look at her puzzled, wondering what she was supposed to do, before smiling in understanding. “Why thank you Nadia, I think I’ll have that coconut slice after all!” said Rose audibly for Sally to hear. “Thank you so much for recommending it to me!” “Of course!” said Nadia loudly. It wasn’t necessarily the most convincing display, but it would have to do. Grinning at a scowling Sally, she walked to the display fridge. She made sure that Sally didn’t see her pass over the week-old coconut slice and take a fresher one instead. Then, she gave Rose the slice and whispered to her, “Cake’s on me, thanks for that. It’s a fresh slice too.” “What, no!” said Rose. “Here, let me get my wallet.” “Seriously, it’s fine,” said Nadia. “Now I better get back before Sally freaks out.” She walked off before Rose could say anything. Rose hesitated, but as she could do nothing, she smiled and dug in. Nadia felt in her gut that this was the beginning of a great friendship. She just knew it. Maybe Mr. George’s classes were going to be fun after all. * “ARRGH!!!” screamed Nadia in frustration. She glared angrily at the Metro Stella train as it lumbered off into the horizon. Shouting again, she stamped her foot, as if vainly hoping that by doing this, the aluminium snake chugging off into the distance would suddenly hurry back. Passers-by stared at her as they walked past, some discreetly, others visibly shaking their head in disapproval. She paid them no attention, as she was more concerned with deciding what to do now that she had missed the train. The next ride home would be in an hour. As she pondered her options, she caught the transit officer eyeing her with suspicion. There was no point in sulking and screaming, so she left the station, grinning apologetically at the officer. Outside, she caught sight of a bus to the city. She could use the bus, and she would probably reach home faster than waiting an hour for the train. But getting to her suburb would require changing buses twice. Nadia didn’t know which buses to take and she was not about to find out. In the end, she decided to wait it out in the nearby park. Nothing better than lying on the grass, for a little shut eye. It was about a quarter past two in the afternoon, and the park was empty. Most people had left for their afternoon activities or (Nadia frowned) had caught the train back to the city. She stretched her arms and laid down on the ground. “Ah, what a nice feeling!” she said out loud to no one in particular. “I sure hope I don’t fall asleep as I really need to catch that train!” “Meow.” Nadia sat up. Gazing back at her, was a cat. It was a rather handsome short-haired tabby, with large curious eyes and a beautiful coat of striped black and grey. It was carrying a tiny little messenger bag. Nadia blinked. A messenger bag? “Hey there kitty,” said Nadia to the cat. “Why’re you carrying that bag?” The cat simply stared. Nadia thought she saw the cat furrow its brow in annoyance. “What an expressive kitty you are! So, what’s in that bag?” Nadia reached out to grab the bag. The cat quickly clutched the bag and hissed at her, baring its fangs. “Alright, alright, you can have that bag,” laughed Nadia. “If only my phone wasn’t flat, I’d take a picture, you’re an adorable sight!” The cat looked annoyed again. Nadia thought it was simply too cute. “So, how’s your day been, kitty? I just missed my train so that’s annoying, but it’s no big deal. I wouldn’t have met you otherwise. Met anyone new today?” “Meow.” “Oh you did, did you?” said Nadia, as if she understood the tabby cat perfectly. “Who was it? I met this friendly girl today, turns out she was my classmate! I’ve just got a really good feeling about this meeting, you know. I don’t know anyone else in Comm 101, and it’ll be so dull without anyone-“ The kitten turned and began to walk away. It looked exasperated, but an exasperated cat with a messenger bag was just about the most hilarious thing Nadia could imagine. “Go away then!” said Nadia, laughing. She laid down once again and closed her eyes. “Can imagine why you’re annoyed though. Pesky humans, always being so rude and intrusive. “Anyway, this is clearly what boredom has pushed me to: talking to cats. What am I doing talking to a cat? Cats can’t talk.” “They never will with that attitude,” answered a voice. Nadia jolted up at once. Who said that? There was no one in the park, was she imagining voices now? Could it be … no, the cat was gone too. Wait, was she seriously considering talking cats? Talking cats? It was all cute fun to pretend to have a conversation with the cat, but this was going too far. Yet, who else could the voice have belonged to? She glanced at her watch and groaned. There was half an hour left for the train. Feeling a little bit unnerved with the park, Nadia decided to take the long way back to the station. “Definitely no such thing as talking cats,” whispered Nadia to herself as she stood up and patted off the grass from her shirt. Had she bothered to look up, she would have seen that very cat perched on a tree branch, staring intently at her while clutching at its messenger bag. * The sun was shining on the pearly white sands of Beacon Beach. Nadia had taken off her shoes and was enjoying the feel of the hot sand creeping between her toes. Okay, maybe it was a little too hot, but that also meant no one was there, and that fact made the scenery so much more enjoyable. Suddenly, a loud, piercing roar went off in the distance behind her, startling her. She turned and look down the length of the beach that she had just traversed. There was no one there, no possible source of that dreadful noise. Nothing except- A shadow blocked the sunlight from Nadia’s eyes. Seemingly out of nowhere, a black and grey, furry object came colliding into Nadia’s face. “Ouch!” she cried. “What on earth-“ The furry object had now grown claws that were frantically gripping her face. Nadia winced hard as they dug into her cheeks and she knew that attempting to remove the fur ball would severely scratch her face. But what else was she to do? “Get off!” Nadia panted as she grabbed the back of the fur ball and pulled hard. Surprisingly, and fortunately, the claws relinquished their piercing grip on her face. As she pulled the object away, it shouted back, “You again? Let go! Don’t you realize this is an emergency? What are we gonna do, a Nihil and not a single Garde for miles-” The fur ball was talking! She had barely any time to register this shock when she realised that the fur ball was that cat with the messenger bag! “Wait … you!” The cat had one paw outstretched, pointed directly at Nadia’s nose. “You! Yes! Yes! I can smell that scent! You’re Garde potential!” “Wha-, me?” Nadia blinked, not fully taking in the words as she struggled to make sense of all that was going on. That voice earlier, that was the cat? “Yes, yes, you! Look, there’s no time! I feel I’ll regret this, but you’ll just have to do. Grab this!” The cat opened its bag and took out a red orb. It thrust the orb into her open palm. Why did the cat have an orb? And when did she open her palm? “Okay, now just concentrate and think hard on your heart’s true calling!” the cat said. “My heart’s what now? Wait, weren't you that cat in the park? Was it you that-” The distant unknown thing roared again. This time it sounded closer. The cat turned frantically to look at the roar’s origin and proceeded to grab Nadia’s face again. Its eyes widened in what looked like a mix of frustration and fear. This can’t be real, Nadia thought. “LOOK, WE DON’T HAVE TIME! Just think of whatever! What do you love the most?” the cat shrieked. A brief thought flashed through Nadia’s mind and immediately the red orb in her palm glowed bright. It glowed brighter and brighter until it seemed to envelope her. She dropped the cat, but it seemed unfazed, now clapping its paws in excitement. “It’s working, it’s working!” the cat cried. “Kitty, wait, what’s happening?” asked Nadia frantically. “Shush! Let it do its work!” The glow felt warm, even invigorating. Nadia calmed down. She found the feeling very curious, like waking up after a good night’s sleep, tucked in warm sheets on a chilly winter morning. This sensation lasted for what seemed like a few minutes until the glow finally subsided. She almost felt disappointed by its passing. Nadia could then feel strength pulsing through her limbs. Her mind was awake, alert … energized! She felt like she could do anything, tackle the world, jump up a building and scream from its rooftop. As she was wont to do when she felt particularly energetic, Nadia did a few punches in the air in front of her and that’s when she realized was wearing detached sleeves that followed her arm and ended in cufflinks. Cufflinks? She looked down and saw that her entire outfit had changed. “What is this?” she exclaimed. She appeared to be wearing a barista’s outfit. Or at least something that approximated it, as she didn’t think a barista would wear something so bright and shiny. So ... yellow? Sally would not approve. As she reached to scratch her head, she took notice of an enormous beret on her head, decked with a large, shiny bow. Weird, but by this time she felt positively immune to weirdness. “Okay, that was totally not what I was expecting.” the cat muttered. “What are you even supposed to be? But we’ll just work out the details later! Are you ready?” Nadia had completely forgotten about the talking cat. But there were more pressing issues in her mind. “Ready? Ready for what? How did this happen, kitty? Why am I wearing this? Why do I feel-“ Another deafening roar punctured the air and the source was finally visible. A large, lumbering four-legged creature walked into view, as if straight from hell. It certainly looked demonic enough, with spines protruding from its back, four sets of sharp claws and large tusks that looked like they could tear into bone. A pair of bloodshot eyes, hungry and insane, completed the hellish look. “R-ready for that!!” shrieked the cat. “Look Garde, it’s now or never, please for the love of all that is good, try something!” Strangely enough, Nadia did not recoil in fear. In fact, she felt that earlier sense of eagerness and confidence grow. Her fingers closed into fists, ready to engage. She could take this monster! Wait a minute, what was she doing? Did she have a death wish? That monster looked like it could devour cars! The rational person would run, as fast as her legs could carry her, in the opposite direction, fleeing from the rampage this monster was surely about to cause. From the carnage and the destruction that would certainly come. Nadia’s train of thought came to a halt. The carnage and destruction. People would be in danger. Lives would be threatened. She had to do something. “Come now, Nadia, you never did care that much for rationality, did you?” she whispered to herself. “Huh? Who’re you talking to?” asked the cat. Nadia looked at the cat. “Stay back, kitty. I’ve got this.” “Wait, wait, do you know what to do?” asked the cat. Nadia didn’t care. This was exciting! As her lips curled into a smile, Nadia braced herself for a run. “I’ll just figure it out, kitty, no worries,” she said, grinning. Yes, this beast looked like it could kill her in a single swipe. But it could murder countless others too. It mattered not whether this energy she was feeling was all in her head or genuine strength, Nadia felt that she had to take this chance. It made no sense, but at that moment her intuition felt very, very real to her. The beast leapt towards her and she immediately took off, fists braced and ready to punch.
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Last edited by ComicGuy89; 09-06-2014 at 11:14 AM.. |
08-30-2014, 08:52 PM | #3 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
|
Chapter 2: An Uncommon Opportunity It would have been a quiet afternoon at Beacon Beach any other day. However, today, the pearly sands were witness to a frantic battle taking place. Nadia swung her right arm and landed a punch on the hellbeast’s snout. The beast flinched, surprising her; she did not expect to make any sort of dent at all. Emboldened, she then took a swing with her left arm, but the beast dodged to the side. She lost balance, tripped and fell, grabbing hold of the beast’s tusks. Nadia was staring straight into the beast’s eyes. Blood red. She gave a nervous chuckle. “This isn’t as easy as it looks, is it beastie?” The beast snorted and growled. “What are you doing? Stop wasting time, every second counts!” Nadia turned around to see the cat waving its arms angrily. She suppressed a squeal of delight. Sensing opportunity, the beast swung its head to the side, pulling Nadia along with it. Though she held on to its tusks as hard as she could, the beast tossed her off with a mighty tug. With a loud thud, she crashed into the sand and winced in pain. She had barely got up when she felt a mighty force hit her right in her abdomen: the beast had charged headfirst and was now a living battering ram. “Ow!” she cried as the force sent her flying into the water with a loud splash. Salt water went in her eyes, stinging them. She cringed. “Some powers these are!” complained Nadia. “Shouldn’t I get some form of invincibility or something?” The words had barely left her mouth when she noticed that the pain in her abdomen had already subsided. Looking down, she saw no wounds, no blood. Even her barista’s vest was undamaged. “Huh, I stand corrected.” “LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!” screamed the cat. Nadia was paying so much attention to her lack of damage that she didn’t hear the loud splatters of water that were drawing increasingly near to her. Without warning, she found herself heaved up by the beast’s tusks. Not again. It swung again, this time at the direction of the beach. The cat had to scramble out of the way to avoid Nadia falling on top of it. “Some fighter you are!” it shouted. “Fight back! Fight back!” “It’s not giving me a chance to!” said Nadia as she got up, rubbing the arm that had cushioned her fall. “Dodge for now!” said the cat. “Now! NOW!” And she did; the beast missed Nadia by a hair. Momentum kept it going for a few more metres, but it managed to come to a halt. Unperturbed, it turned around and braced itself for another charge. Nadia had had enough. This was not only painful, it was embarrassing. “Oh no you don’t!” she shouted, face flushed red in anger. With one foot firmly on the ground, she pulled her other foot back. As the beast came within reach, she kicked strongly in the direction of the beast’s snout. Not forceful enough. She went flying again. “What is it with this thing?” she shouted, picking herself up from the ground yet another time. “You can’t stop it just like that!” cried the cat. “Use your weapon.” “How? What weapon?” “Your Garde weapon! You need to produce your own. Think of one, quick!” How was she supposed to think, with the beast charging towards her again? It was now or never. Nadia shut her eyes tight and focused her thoughts. Something heavy materialize in her hands. No time to lose, no time to even look at what it was. Holding the weapon like a bat, she swung it hard at the beast. This time, it was the one sent into the air. The beast smashed into a large rock with a loud bang, cracking it into a few pieces. Nadia braced herself, watching to see if it would attack again, but it did not get up; the beast was knocked out for the moment. “A giant spoon?” asked the cat incredulously. “Of all the things, a giant spoon?” “Why not?” asked Nadia. She admired the large spoon in her hand. It was about as tall as her, with a reddish mahogany handle that supported a stainless steel bowl. On the other end was an ornately carved steel handle. Nadia had no doubt it was heavy, but her newfound strength allowed her to lift it with ease. She grinned at the cat. “Fits my outfit. Cafe and everything.” The cat slapped its forehead. “You know what, I’ll shut up. Just get rid of the thing.” “How?” The cat stretched its paw out. Moving from left to right and then upwards, it drew a large triangle in the air. “Like this, stretch your weapon out, draw a triangle. It should glow.” Nadia grabbed her gigantic spoon and drew the triangle. Sure enough, it began to glow a brilliant gold. “Good,” said the cat. “Just in time too, the beast seems to be stirring.” And he was right. The beast was now pushing itself up by its front legs. It began growling. “Now what?” asked Nadia, panicking slightly. “Smack the beast with it until it explodes.” Nadia blinked. “Are you serious? That’s crazy!” “Look, do you want to be thrown into the air again?” The beast had gotten up and was now bracing for a charge. “No!” “Then get to it!” Nadia stood her ground, and held firmly to her spoon. The beast was now gaining speed. “Just hit it Nadia,” she said to herself. “You can do it.” She jumped and lifted the spoon above her head. As gravity started to pull her down, she brought the spoon hard on the beast’s head. There was a loud smack. Smack, smack went her spoon as she struck the beast several times. The beast roared in pain each time and started to glow red. “That’s your cue, finish him!” shouted the cat. She gathered her strength. “ARRRGH!” she screamed, hitting the beast as hard as she could. As soon as the spoon collided with the beast, it exploded. Nadia and the cat shielded their eyes from the dust and smoke, coughing. “That could have looked cooler,” said Nadia. “Now kitty, mind telling me what all this is about?” * The door creaked open and Nadia walked in carrying a small bowl of tuna. She set it down on the floor and the cat quickly gobbled it up. It wasn’t long however, before it stuck out its tongue in disgust. “Ugh, your human canned fish is so bland. If I wasn’t starving I would have refused.” “So much for gratitude,” said Nadia. “Now that you’ve gotten your belly nice and full, let’s take it from the top.” The cat said nothing as it continued feeding. “What’s your name?” asked Nadia. “Mittens.” Not for the first time today, Nadia forced down a giggle. Mittens frowned. “I can see that!” said Mittens indignantly. “Mittens is an honoured name! Among us Messengers it means warrior and strength! It’s you humans that have corrupted the name.” “Fine, fine,” said Nadia. “Keep your voice down, I think my parents are in the garden. So, you’re some kind of magical creature I take it? Source of my powers? I watch a lot of TV, you know, I’m pretty experienced in these things.” “That probably explains you a lot. Actually, I’m not that magical, to be honest.” “You can talk.” “What’s so magical about that? You can talk.” “Well, you’re a cat.” Mittens’ ears twitched. “I’m not a cat. We Messengers take the forms of your domesticated animals, but these are mere disguises. In our plane we assume glorious forms!” Nadia scratched her chin. “Plane? What do you mean?” “Separate realm of existence. Anyway, I don’t think you need concern yourself with all that. You hardly seem capable of digesting it.” Nadia blushed. “Don’t be condescending!” she said. “I saved your life, kitty!” “It’s Mittens,” said Mittens. He was no longer looking at her, but admiring his paws. “You may have saved my life, but that was a pretty poor performance for a Garde. Even for a newcomer. Believe me, I’ve seen quite a few first-time Gardes and they sure as heck have done a much better job than you.” “I would have done better if - hang on,” said Nadia. She paused for a moment. “Wait, there are others with powers like me? Other … Gardes here in Stella?” “Not just in Stella, there are hundreds of Coeurgardes all over the globe, throughout history! They fight the Nihil, they’re our sole protectors against them. In recent times we’ve not had too many Gardes because the Nihil have not been too busy. Like Stella, for example, haven’t had a Garde for a few decades, simply no need.” “What’s a Nihil?” “The Nihil are a race of dark beings …” Mittens’ eyes widened in fear and he shifted his head side to side. He was looking at all the corners of the bedroom. “They’re not part of this world, you see. Most of the time, they have this non-corporeal form.” “What exactly do you mean, non-corporeal?” “That means they’re not present physically, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.” “Wait, do you mean -” Nadia was starting to feel a tingle up her spine. “That’s right, they could be here right now. In this room.” Her heart started pounding hard. She quickly retreated to a wall, looking wildly at every corner. Mittens fell to the ground, howling with laughter and clutching his sides. “You should see your face!” he said, wiping tears from his eyes. “Don’t worry, only the extremely weak Nihil prowl around humans much. They’re not that intelligent and their attacks are weak. Almost harmless.” “Still! There are those things in my room right now! And what do you mean, ‘attacks’?” “The Nihil’s main goal is to wipe out humanity’s hope. So the best way to do that is to whisper despair into your ears. Discouraging thoughts, telling you to give up on life, that sort of thing. “I must say though, you humans have done a decent job recently keeping up hope. Friendship, faith, trust, love, all that.” “What good’s that?” asked Nadia. She could hardly believe that simple emotions could keep otherworldly beings in check. “Believe it or not, when you guys do this, have hope, I mean, it creates a sort of energy field. You can’t see it, but it grants you some protection against them. That’s why they want to destroy it.” “Uh-huh … so Kuhwehr-Garts protect against these things.” “Coeurgardes, and that’s right. And for perks we let you choose a theme for your powers. I guess you have chosen … coffee.” Mittens was now sitting with his forelegs crossed, staring disapprovingly at Nadia. She ignored it; a curious thought had just popped into her mind. “What if I don’t want to be a Garde?” “What?” scoffed Mittens. “This city needs a Garde. Haven’t you been listening, girl? We haven’t had a Nihil attack like this in -” “No seriously, what if I don’t want to be one?” There was a moment of silence as Mittens glared at Nadia. “Well, to be honest, it’s no big deal,” he said at last, shrugging. “I could be mad at you, but Messenger code of ethics clearly states that Gardes must accept freely.” “Oh I see.” “It shouldn’t even be that hard to find another Garde. I mean, the special circumstances on the beach meant that I needed you, but honestly I’m willing to bet there are tons of candidates out there. Much better ones, too.” His smirked and dodged Nadia’s swiping hand. “At any rate, you have a day to decide if you want to become a Garde. If not, I’ll go find someone else.” He pushed the bowl aside, and added, “Though I’d appreciate it if you make your decision quickly. In the meantime, I shall lodge in your room.” Rubbing his belly, he jumped on Nadia’s bed and curled up on her pillow. Nadia sat there for a few minutes pondering all that he had told her. Something still bugged her, and she wracked her brain trying to figure out exactly what. “Say, Mittens, you said those Nihil creatures were non-corporal -” “Non-corporeal,” mumbled Mittens. “Right. If they’re these invisible, non-physical things how come I got to fight with a very real, very dangerously physical creature at the beach?” Mittens sat up once again and stared into Nadia’s eyes. “That’s precisely why we need a Garde so quickly. They’re getting desperate, they’ve taken physical form.” * The shop bell rang as the door opened. A young man walked in and surveyed the area until he caught sight of Nadia waving at him. Looking at his watch, he thought it was a most unusual sight. “Thanks for dropping by on such quick notice, Will,” said Nadia. Will dusted his seat with a napkin and sat down. Scanning his friend’s appearance, he noticed that her hair was uncombed and untidy, glistening a bit in its dampness. She was also wearing that same jacket that she always wore, clearly not bothering to dig deeper into her wardrobe. “Nadia Chen asking for coffee at 8am,” he said, tapping his fingers on the table. “I simply had to see what’s up.” “What, don’t most people take their coffee at this time?” said Nadia, grinning. Will allowed himself a slight smile. “Nadia, I’ve known you since we were 7. At best, you’re never awake earlier than you need to be and usually, that’s the case even when you need to be. Plus,” he gestured to her frizzled hair, “I’m guessing you’re not used to waking so early, either.” “That’s not fair!” said Nadia, frantically combing her damp, black hair with her fingers. “You try having hair this long!” “Nadia, it’s only up to your shoulders.” “And besides,” said Nadia, ignoring him. “I can be an early bird if I want to! Why, I was awake hours before our trip to Rat’s Nest Island with the gang, remember?” “If I recall, you fell back asleep and wouldn’t respond to our poundings on your door.” Nadia was blinking furiously. Will recognised this as the signal that she had nothing more to say, so he continued talking. “So why here? I thought you hated working at this place, and now you’re coming back for morning tea?” “I know Sally runs off to the bank at this time,” said Nadia. “And after that she’ll take a long, long walk around the neighbourhood, sampling the new cakes before coming back. She thinks we don’t know. Besides, Sharon’s here to man the station.” Shoulders slumped, Sharon gazed over the counter out the window. Her eyes were drooping and every few moments she let out a sigh. “Anyway, I called you here to sort of discuss something,” said Nadia. “It’s kind of a long story.” “Shoot.” “Well, the funny thing is, I’m not sure if I should be telling you this.” “You either tell me or you don’t, it’s up to you. In the meantime, are we getting anything to drink?” “Oh? Right, right. Sharon, one Earl Grey and a Latte, please!” Sharon continued staring out the window, stuck in a world of her own. She let out another sigh. “What’s with her today?” asked Nadia, perplexed. “Hold on, I’ll go to the counter.” Will watched as Nadia walked over to order their drinks. Considering that it took a direct waving of Nadia’s hand in front of her face to shake her out of her daydreams, it was clear that Sharon was distracted. “Is she alright?” asked Will as Nadia sat back down. “Not sure, she wouldn’t say,” said Nadia, frowning. “Clearly not herself, though. She did mention earlier that she had choir auditions late yesterday afternoon, maybe that didn’t go so well.” Will leaned back and crossed his arms. “Hmm. Well, it’s been 10 minutes since I came into the shop, would you mind finally getting on with what you wanted to say?” “Yes! I mean, no, I don’t mind,” stammered Nadia. “The thing is … what would you do, Will, if you had the chance to help people?” “I’d do it, I guess. But I’m also guessing from your tone it’s not just any common opportunity.” “You guessed right. This is a pretty big responsibility.” “And as usual, you don’t want anything to do with it?” Nadia snorted. “Look, what’s with the jumping to conclusions? I hardly think I’m that bad. I avoid work because it’s often unnecessary. Why do more than you need to? Of course, when it’s to help people, I’d do it in a flash. You know that.” Will nodded. “It seems you answered your own question, then. If you can help people, then wouldn’t you do it?” “This case’s different. I’ll admit, if the responsibility is too big, it frightens me a bit. Plus, I was told it didn’t have to be me.” “What do you mean?” “Someone else could take it. The responsibility, I mean.” “I’m guessing you’re not telling me what exactly this entails?” Nadia nodded her head. “Can’t do that, I think.” Just then, Sharon arrived with the drinks. “Thanks Sharon, how did the choir auditions go?” asked Nadia, as Sharon placed the cups on the table. The latte was unevenly poured, with a misshapen heart on the foam and the tea had spilt over the sides of the cup into the saucer holding it. Instead of answering, Sharon turned pale and immediately walked off. Nadia’s brows furrowed. “Strange, she really doesn’t seem herself today. Guessing the choir auditions didn’t go so well.” “Likely,” said Will brusquely, sipping his tea. “Now, about your decision. You’re not telling me what’s going on, so my advice is simply weigh the odds and decide if you want to take this up. After all, you don’t have to do it. Same for any decision, don’t see what the fuss is about.” “You make it sound so simple! How do you even weigh the odds? It’s so subjective, don’t tell me you have some way to measure it?” Will didn’t answer. He casually stirred two sachets of sugar into his tea as he watched Nadia’s ears turn a bright shade of red. Even as her eyes bore into his, he refused to blink and casually poured some milk into the tea. Nadia took his unchanging face as confirmation of her fears. “As I thought!” she shouted, raising her hands into the air. “You don’t know, do you? You make all these simple pronouncements and then -” “Decide it for yourself,” interrupted Will. “How you value these things depends on you, of course. It’s very, very simple, there is no problem here. No need to whine and shout.” There was a loud bang as Nadia brought her hands down onto the table. Anticipating her reaction, Will had had brought his cup and saucer up. Nadia’s latte however, had spilled all over her side of the table. Several customers turned to stare at her (Sharon was back to staring out the window). “ARRGH!” exclaimed Nadia, burying her face in her hands. “Why do you have to be so … so -” “Rational?” finished Will. “Rational my foot!” shouted Nadia. But her face softened and she was now smirking. “You’re just so curt and tactless, as always. Anyone else might have just slapped you. But I know you better than that.” “Of course,” said Will, pulling out a paper napkin and helping Nadia wipe the spilled coffee. They spent a minute in silence cleaning up the mess. “I guess you haven’t made a decision yet,” said Will, finally. “No!” glared Nadia, scrunching up a wet napkin. “Thanks though for listening. I hate to say it, you’ve always been a decent friend, at least in that department,” she added begrudgingly. “Just decent?” “Don’t press your luck, buster. If I unleashed all my pent-up rage that I’ve been building up all these years on you, you’d be lucky to have a tooth left.” * “Hey Rose, Rose!” Nadia pulled back the hood of her jacket and waved to Rose, who returned a small, nervous wave from her seat at the very back of the lecture hall. “Can I sit with you today?” asked Nadia as she reached the seat next to Rose. Rose nodded and Nadia dumped her sling bag onto the floor in front of her. Almost immediately after, she had her feet propped up on the seat in front of her. “Umm, I think this place will be crowded soon,” said Rose sheepishly. “I guess so,” said Nadia. “What’s that got to do - Oh…” She noticed Rose looking at her feet intruding on the seat in front of her. “Sorry, pretty bad habit of mine,” said Nadia, taking her feet down. She raised her hands in surrender. “I admit, I can be pretty inconsiderate.” Rose brought her hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter. “Not at all, not at all. How can you be inconsiderate when you treated me to that lovely cake yesterday? Thanks, by the way. I didn’t have the chance to properly thank you.” “Consider it one favour for another,” said Nadia, leaning back and slouching in her chair. “You saved my skin back there. Sally can be a real pain in the -” She stopped, as Rose had let out a small gasp. “Sensitive about the language, too?” asked Nadia, amused. “You’re too nice, Rose, too sweet and innocent.” “S-sorry,” gasped Rose, cheeks glowing pink. “You have your bad habits and I have mine …” “That’s not a bad habit. You seem like a good enough person. A good enough person, hmm …” Nadia paused for a moment as Rose looked at her inquisitively. Should she ask Rose about her decision? Rose certainly seemed to have more tact and patience than Will could ever hope to muster. “Say, Rose, I have a question. Imagine you could do something really good -” The door slammed and Mr Matthew George, their Communications teacher, staggered in, carrying a large stack of paper. He heaved them onto his desk and collapsed into his chair, wiping his brow. “Morning ladies and gentlemen!” he said, standing up and leaning on his lectern for support. For a man who was out of breath mere moments ago, he looked positively alive. “I see you’re all bright and smiling for our second class!” A few students raised their heads from their desks before promptly dropping them down again. Others were sitting and smirking. Nadia turned to see Rose, hand over mouth, laughing as quietly and as discreetly as she could. “Seeing as we all want to do this properly, I’ve printed out today’s lecture notes for you all,” said Mr George loudly. “Today’s topic is non-verbal communication! You’ve all read the chapter, I’m sure, so you know that 60% of our communication is non-verbal. That’s not actually true, though the point stands that we don’t communicate solely by our words. But I’m getting ahead of myself, can I get some volunteers to distribute these?” “Sorry for laughing that way,” whispered Rose to Nadia, as some students began to make their way around the hall, handing out the notes. “I really shouldn’t laugh, that was mean of me.” “Goodness, you really do apologize for everything!” said Nadia, amazed. “You are too saintly! Simply adorable!” Rose turned scarlet again. “Sorr-, I mean, no, umm, it’s just a bad habit. I’m a terrible person, really.” Nadia was reminded of her attempts at resisting from squeezing Mittens’ cheeks. She grinned widely at Rose. “You don’t always have to apologize,” she said. A student handed her two sets of notes, one of which she passed to Rose. “I just want to know, are you okay with chatting in class? Because I need to ask you for advice.” Rose quickly shook her head, shocked. “No, we can’t!” she whispered. “It’s against the rules to talk in class!” “Calm down,” laughed Nadia. “I had expected that, that’s why I’m treating you for lunch. Then we can talk.” “Wait, there’s no need, you’ve already bought me the cake and -” Her words were stopped midway by Nadia’s finger over her mouth. “Hush now, Rose, we can’t talk in class, remember?” said Nadia, smirking. Mr George had already taken out his laser pointer and was staring down the lens, furiously pushing the button to try to get it to work. Shortly after, he jolted back, clutching his eye. Rose sighed in resignation. “That’s what I thought,” laughed Nadia. “Lunch it is.” * A rat scurried across the pier, hoping to catch a nibble of some scattered popcorn dropped by a tourist earlier in the day. Now was its chance to finally get something to eat, as night had fallen and the pier was empty. Empty except - The rat was lifted up in the air. An invisible force tightened like a noose around its neck before throwing its lifeless body into the sea. “Fascinating power,” said a voice. It belonged to the refugee who had earlier escaped Stella Penitentiary. The young boy who was on the receiving end of this death grip just hours earlier was now his companion as they traversed down the length of the pier that stretched along the shoreline. For a while, they walked on, with only their footsteps breaking the silence. “Where are you taking me, human?” asked the boy, scanning the pier with his dull eyes. Aside from the pier and the deserted buildings to their left, there was nothing else remotely of interest. “What’s your name, boy?” asked the man, ignoring his question. The boy stopped walking. “I asked you first, human.” Now the man had stopped in his tracks too. He swung around, right hand curling into a ball. The boy however, was prepared, and parried the punch with his materialized staff. His feet slid on the wood of the pier as he struggled to maintain balance. Looking under his hood, the man saw the tiniest crease in the boy’s forehead and smirked. “Haven’t we already done this? You can’t win.” said the man, withdrawing his arm. “Do not trifle with things you do not understand, human,” said the boy, huffing slightly. “You are only alive because you have absorbed the power in a way no human host has. We need to study you, and for that -” Leaning on his staff, the boy brought a knee to the ground. “I have been tasked … to serve you,” he said, bowing. The man lifted an eyebrow. “This is an interesting turn of events,” he said. “Since you have so graciously given me the authority, I now have two orders for you. First, you will tell me your name. Second, you will get up and follow after me, quickly.” “I have no name,” said the boy. “I am merely called the Herald.” The man suspected that whatever the boy was a herald of, it was not good. For now, he kept these thoughts to himself. Better to study it discreetly. “That will do,” said the man. “Come, we must hurry. I grow tired of this walk and it is still a few kilometres to go.” The Herald said nothing, got up and followed the man, who had now broken into a brisk walk. Considering how short the Herald was, the man was surprised that he could keep up, almost effortlessly. After some time, they reached a large run-down warehouse. On its enormous door was a sign saying, in faded words: “MONTGOMERY INDUSTRIES WAREHOUSE 13”. The man sneered at the sign, gripped at it with his telekinetic powers and yanked it off the door. He tossed it into the sea and proceeded to pull open the unlocked door. The space inside was cavernous and empty but for a few steel girders. The man closed his eyes for a moment, stretched out his hand and grasped. With great difficulty, he brought the steel girders into the air and twisted and bent them. Rattling and clanging loudly, they wrapped around each other and contorted, eventually forming the shape of a large throne. Having finished, the man fell to all fours, panting and drenched in sweat. “I-I need to get stronger …” “The Nihil gain power by feeding on despair,” drawled the Herald. “You haven’t fed at all since you got your powers, unless you count that miserable rat.” The man looked up. “How do I feed? What should I do?” “Assist us in claiming these humans as hosts. Feed on their despair. That,” the Herald’s eyes met the man’s, “will make you strong.” Breathing heavily, the man crawled to his newly crafted throne and lifted himself onto it. Sagging down into it, he said, “I will do it.” A small smile formed on the Herald’s lips. “Do you have a name, master?” “My name is of no significance,” said the man, waving. “I will pick a new name. I choose … John Smith.” “John Smith? If I recall, that is an exceedingly common name. Would you not rather choose a more grandiose name, master?” “No, I have chosen the name and it will be mine,” said the newly-styled John Smith. “Fully and entirely mine. It is not a decision I made lightly, I have thought about this for a few days. “I intend to strike fear into the hearts of everyone here, so much fear that even this common dirt of a name, John Smith, will be associated with terror, associated only … with me.” John Smith had regained his strength and was now sitting upright. “It matters not the name, Herald. A name is a name. The more common the name, the greater the challenge, the more power I will have. Do you not agree? Would I not have succeeded by claiming ownership of this ordinary, exceedingly common name, converting it into a word of despair and hopelessness? “I will crush this city, and when they speak the name John Smith, it will be with trembling and submission.” There was a glint in the Herald’s otherwise soulless eyes. “I am impressed, master. And the Gardes accuse us of being the soulless ones.” “Gardes?” asked John Smith. “Who are these Gardes?” “Oh, I expect you will get introduced to them soon enough, master.”
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Last edited by ComicGuy89; 09-06-2014 at 11:14 AM.. |
09-06-2014, 11:13 AM | #4 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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Chapter 3: Garde Espresso “WHAT?!” Curious eyes, wondering where the noise had come from, darted around before locking on to Nadia and Rose. Rose went scarlet and tried to shift her long, auburn hair to conceal as much of her face as she could. Nadia, however, did not even register the stares. “Nadia, maybe we should keep our voices down …” began Rose, still blushing furiously. “But Rose, you mean to tell me you’ve been here three weeks and haven’t tried Tran Cafe’s famous wraps?” asked Nadia incredulously. “Or their terrific cappuccinos?” “Umm, no ... but if you say they’re good then -” “Excellent! We’re going there now!” Grabbing Rose’s wrist, Nadia sped off in the direction of Tran Cafe. Rose could only afford to keep up, doing her best to hold on to her hat and to avoid eye contact with anyone else. Left, right, left again they went, dodging disapproving pedestrians and once nearly knocking over a waitress' bowl of soup. They must have passed rows of cafes and shops (Rose seemed too preoccupied to keep track) when Nadia came to a sudden halt, causing Rose to trip. She would have crashed onto the ground if Nadia did not reach out and grab her. “Woops, sorry, I guess I got overexcited,” said Nadia, as Rose panted heavily to catch her breath. “But drat, would you just look at this, we’re too late!” A long line had already formed outside the cafe. Nadia tapped her feet impatiently, looking at the time on her mobile phone. “This isn’t fun,” said Nadia. “So we can make it fun! Let’s chat!” “Err ... we could go back to Rendezvous Cafe, that’s usually pretty manageable at this time of -” “And see Sally’s face? No way! I work there enough, don’t want to go there on my off-days, do I? Come on, we can wait!” “No, I understand, really, but I'm really fine with Rendezvous and this line doesn’t look like -” But Nadia was not listening. “So like I was saying earlier, the wraps in here are simply the best! We’ll each get ...” As Nadia continued talking, Rose flushed red once more, but this time it was not out of embarrassment. “Nadia,” said Rose quietly but sternly. It was a new tone, one that Nadia had never heard before, nor had ever expected to hear. “Nadia,” repeated Rose, voice grave. “Please give me a chance to speak. I would really appreciate it if you didn’t always interrupt me.” The cold and restrained fury in Rose’s voice left Nadia nonplussed and quiet. She knew she had gone too far. All the while Rose had been so accommodating, so patient and so quiet. Some kind of friend she was. "I'm sorry, I -" “It just seems that you haven’t been listening to a word I’ve been saying,” Rose went on. “You’ve been making all the decisions, overriding any of my suggestions. Do you even care what I have to say?” This was it, thought Nadia. No more jokes, no more weaseling out. Just straight up honesty. She took a deep breath and looked straight at Rose. “Rose, I’m sorry,” she said. “I realize I’ve taken you for granted, and I’ve not been fair to you. Will you please," she bowed her head, "forgive me?” Looking up, she saw that Rose’s expression softened almost immediately. Despite a few lingering doubts, Nadia was sure that the shade of pink on Rose’s cheeks was no longer anger but bashfulness. “N-No Nadia, you needn't apologize at all,” said Rose. Nadia paused for a moment, in case Rose wanted to add more, before saying, “No, I do need to apologize. Rose, you mustn’t let me walk over you. I want to be your friend, and your equal. I want to treat you well. And for this to happen, I must treat you like how I would like to be treated.” Hearing these words left Rose completely stunned. Unsure of what to say, she started choking as tears began forming in her eyes. “Now come, would you like to go to Rendezvous?” asked Nadia politely. “You were right, it was foolish to queue up here.” Fighting back tears, Rose nodded. Leaving Tran Cafe, the two of them walked to Rendezvous, side by side but saying nothing. It was actually not that far a walk, just three blocks down, but it seemed to take hours. Taking quick glances at Rose, Nadia could not make out whether she was angry, sad, or anxious; she seemed to be in great pain, biting her lip and dabbing her red eyes with her handkerchief. The feelings of guilt burned and clawed at Nadia’s insides and she tried to subtly quicken her pace. It was to her great relief when they finally entered the door to Rendezvous. As they were taking their seats, Rose told Nadia that she’d have whatever she was having, but with tea instead of coffee. “Hey, welcome, welcome!” greeted Sally in a sing-song voice at the counter. “Here to return some of the money I’ve paid you? You know we don’t do employee discounts.” Nadia was not in the mood. “Hmm. Can we get two spaghettis, one latte and one earl grey, please?” “What’s the matter with you today?” asked Sally, astonished. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it? You always have something to answer back.” “No, nothing to worry about at all.” “I know that face,” said Sally. “Come on, you can tell ol’ Sally! You can trust me.” Nadia had to suppress a snort. Trust Sally? She’d trust her as much as she’d trust Mittens to guard her tuna. It was definitely none of Sally’s business. “Hey, where’s Sharon?” asked Nadia, desperate to change the subject. “Isn’t she working this afternoon?” “Oh, I sent her home,” replied Sally. “Funny you should ask, today she was absolutely terrible." Nadia was surprised. "Terrible? What do you mean?" "Getting the wrong orders, being slow with the dishes, messing up the coffee. She even dropped a large bowl of pumpkin soup, you know how much we charge for those! I would have fired her, but she’s done well so far so I set her to clean up and then sent her straight home.” Smirking, she added, “Saves me having to pay her for the rest of the shift too.” This was troubling. Sharon’s been out of it for a while now. “She wasn’t herself yesterday either," said Nadia. "Maybe I’ll give her a call later.” At any rate, Sally was clearly distracted so Nadia finished up the order and paid. Leaving Sally mid-way in a rant about the goods and service tax, she went back to her seat. Now was the matter of Rose, who was staring at her knees. Her eyes were not as red as they were previously, but her face was as unreadable as ever. Luckily, it was Rose who piped up first. “Listen, Nadia. I really don’t want this to be awkward. I’m sorry I said all the things I did.” “No it’s me that has to apologize -” “Let’s ... let’s just drop it,” said Rose, smiling shyly. “You’ve apologized already, and if you forgive me then we’re good.” “I really don’t know what I can forgive if you’ve done nothing wrong,” said Nadia. “But if you insist, then I’ll say there will be ... umm ... how can I phrase this?" She twirled her hair. "Ah yes! There’ll be no ill feelings on my part.” The red in Rose’s face dissipated and she managed a small grin. “Thank you! Now, don’t think I don’t remember why you wanted this lunch. What did you want to talk about?” The events of the past hour were so hectic and charged that Nadia had totally forgotten that she had wanted to get advice about being a Garde. “I’ll just get straight to the point. If you could be a superhero and save people, would you?” Her remarkably forthcoming words surprised even herself. However, even more startling was Rose, who was beaming in excitement. “Of course I’d do it!” exclaimed Rose. “I mean if I could, I would give up everything. Well, almost everything. It would be a dream come true!” “That’s assuming superheroes even … err … exist right?” said Nadia in what she hoped was a joking, casual tone. “But why, why would you want to? What about the responsibility, the dangers?” Rose, who was now positively radiating joy, seemed to not be bothered. “Yes, but think about what you’re doing! So much good, it strongly exonerates the bad you might do! Not saying you do anything bad, of course -” “Exonerates?” “That means you make up for the bad you do, kind of like, get forgiven for it. It’s like balancing out the bad with tons of good! Isn’t that awesome?” “Wow, I never thought of that before,” said Nadia slowly. It was definitely an interesting perspective, and one that she hadn’t considered. She was beginning to feel good about the prospect of being a Garde. “I love superheroes!” continued Rose. “Modern mythology is what I always said they were! The Greeks have their epic heroes to inspire them, we have our superheroes. I used to enjoy reading comic books back in the day, pouring over every little detail, imagining myself having all these awesome powers -” “What, did you stop reading?” asked Nadia, chuckling. It amused her to see Rose so energetic and excited, so different from her reserved self. “Oh, no, I still try, it’s just not that cheap nowadays is it? I mean, I can’t afford to study and still buy them. I try to go to the library, they’ve got free issues there - say, isn’t that a curious cat?” Nadia whipped around to look at where Rose was pointing. To her dismay, she saw Mittens leaning against the glass door. “A carry bag, too, that’s so adorable,” said Rose. “And it looks like it’s pleading! Do you suppose it’s some performance cat, like they use in circuses?” “Wait here,” said Nadia, getting up and walking over to the door. Mittens was now tapping the glass frantically. “What do you want?” she hissed at Mittens as soon as she had closed the glass door behind her. “I thought you didn’t want to blow your cover, maybe try not to show up with that messenger bag around?” “Do you think I enjoy scouring the town for your mug?” growled Mittens. “Look, I know I said I’d give you a day, but we’ve got a bit of an emergency. No time for details, so I’ll be quick. I haven’t told you this, but the Nihil can possess humans who have fallen to despair, and I think one is happening now!” “One what? What do you mean possess? Where?” “Just in an alleyway not far from here. I said we don’t have time to explain the details. I sensed the Nihil, his power is enormous! If you don’t want to do this, be quick about it because I need to find someone, like, right NOW!” Nadia gulped. She had to make a decision now? “Look, I’ll just follow you now and we’ll see what’s up, okay?” “Whatever, let’s go!” “Hold on a second!” Nadia peeked into the cafe and called out to Rose, “Hey, Rose, uhh … emergency! I’ll be back later, real sorry!” “Were you talking to that cat?” asked Rose in disbelief. “Hold on, if it’s an emergency I’m coming with you!” “No, you stay put, it’s dangerous!” “Dangerous? All the more reason for me to come along, Nadia Chen! Wouldn’t want my friend getting hurt. Don’t worry, I can take care of myself!” “We don’t have enough time!” whispered Mittens urgently. “Just let her tag along!” There was no choice. Rose was out the door in a flash and started running to keep up with Nadia and Mittens, who had already taken off. “Are we following this cat?” asked Rose when she was side by side with Nadia. Nadia gave an nervous chortle. “Goodness Rose, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve -” “Cut the chatter!” shouted Mittens, looking behind as his four paws propelled him forward. “Yes, I’m talking,” he added, seeing Rose’s stunned face. “I’m not a cat but we’re in a bit of a rush so I guess you can just assume I’m one for now.” Rose now seemed to be on autopilot: running, but, if her blank face was any indication, hardly registering what was going on around her. Nadia thought it looked terribly cute. She gave her an apologetic smile and a pat on her shoulder. “I promise we can do explanations later,” she said. “And I suppose I better tell you everything then, too.” * It had been barely a few blocks when Mittens made a sharp turn left into an alley. He then came to an abrupt stop. “Just up ahead, but be cautious,” he whispered to them. “I can sense his overwhelming energy. Do you have a plan, Nadia?” Squinting into the alleyway, Nadia shook her head. “Where are they anyway?” “The power’s origin seems to be just round that corner back there,” said Mittens. “But seriously, you need a plan! This is no ordinary Nihil!” Nadia felt a hand on her shoulder. “He’s right, you need to be prepared,” said Rose. “Are you sure you know what to do?” “Not at all!” said Nadia, looking back and grinning widely. “I’ll just make it up as I go along!” Before either Mittens or Rose could protest, she took off into the alley, calling back, “You guys stay there!” “So much for a surprise attack,” said Mittens, slapping his forehead. “Come, we better go after her.” Turning round the corner, however, Nadia wished she had paused to think this through, for a horrible sight unfolded before her. “Sharon!” she gasped. There on her knees was Sharon, skin drained of colour, body arched backwards and mouth gaping wide open. Her eyes were solid, jet black, as if her pupils had exploded and enveloped them entirely. Something was clearly causing her intense agony, but she seemed unable to scream. Standing over her was a man, dressed in a dapper, cream silk suit, holding a cane and wearing the same void and empty eyes as Sharon. “Interruptions,” he murmured. His dark eyes stared straight into Nadia’s and she felt a great shiver, as if any warmth within her had been forcibly extinguished. For a few moments he peered, before turning back to Sharon, waving dismissively at Nadia. “You are of no use to me.” There was a shrill cry. Rose had caught up to Nadia and was now grasping her face in terror. The man jerked his head to look at Rose just as he did to Nadia. Unlike with Nadia, he smiled. “You, on the other hand, you have amazing potential,” he said slowly, pointing his cane at Rose. “I can sense it, overflowing! Pity I can’t work on both of you today, but I’m not going to let you go just yet. He lowered his cane and returned his attention to Sharon. Holding out his hand towards her, he said lazily, “Now, Sharon, give in to despair.” Raising her head, with tears now streaming from her vacant eyes, she stretched out her arm and met his hand with hers. Nadia could barely register what happened next. A dark aura grew from the joined hands and wrapped Sharon like an enormous, opaque cloak. Shrieking in agony, she tore her hand from the man’s as she writhed and struggled to break free of the evil energy. In seconds, it engulfed her completely. When it finally scattered, it revealed an unrecognizable, inhuman Sharon. Sporting razor-sharp claws for feet, gigantic wings for arms and bronze-green feathers that engulfed most of her body, Sharon had transformed into a monster. Her face remained the same, beautiful and serene as Sharon. All except the eyes. The same blood red eyes as the hellbeast Nadia had fought earlier. “Sharon!” cried Nadia, reaching out to her transformed friend. What was she to do? “Not bad, not bad at all,” said the man, circling Sharon, examining her. “Certainly more successful than I had anticipated. Flight will certainly be useful. Leave behind your old name, Sharon, you have use of it no longer. I shall call you … Siren.” Siren got on all fours and prostrated herself in submission before the man. This display, even more than anything she had seen, made Nadia feel sick to the core. “Enough!” she shouted. “Let Sharon go!” “Quiet, girl!” said the man, flicking his hand carelessly in her direction. An unseen force lifted Nadia off her feet and slammed her into the wall. Rose started towards Nadia, but Siren, wings flapping, blocked her path. She raised her claws, ready to attack. “Siren, stop!” commanded the man. “We need that girl. Take her.” “Rose, no!” screamed Nadia as Siren took hold of Rose. With her prey grasped in her claws, she hovered over obediently to the man. “Ah, so your name is Rose” said the man. He gazed amusedly at Rose, who was kicking and fighting as hard as she could to loosen Siren’s grip on her arm. “Pleasure to meet you, Rose. I hope we’ll be delightful acquaintances. “As for you,” he added, turning his gaze to Nadia. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of killing you. I need you to spread my name. Know that I am John Smith, and you will soon cower in fear of that name.” “John Smith?” spat Nadia, getting up. “What sort of name is that?” “Oh, you may laugh now, girl, but laugh while you can. There won’t be much laughter when my world, my vision, comes to pass.” Using his powers, he grabbed hold of Nadia again and threw her in the direction of a few trash cans. Fighting to pick herself up and bring back focus to her eyes, Nadia heard him say “Come, Siren!” followed by a flapping of wings. When her vision finally returned, John Smith was gone. Mittens came running. “Nadia, Nadia, get up! Are you alright?” Nadia groaned, head throbbing with thoughts and questions. This was too much. How was she expected to fight power of that magnitude? But then she saw Rose’s hat on the ground, dusty and torn and cast her fears aside. Only one thing mattered now; no more dallying, her friend was in danger. It was, at last, time. “Mittens, how do I change?” Mittens’ eyes seemed to glow. “Finally! You need a transformation device! Just imagine one like you did your weapon.” “Something coffee then,” mumbled Nadia, wracking her brain. “Coffee, coffee, what makes coffee?” The thought came in a flash. Perfect. In her open palm, a ball of light formed which gradually stretched and pulled to form a portafilter. A mahogany handle just like on her spoon, but gilded with gold. It supported a brass basket. “What’s that?” asked Mittens. “It’s a portafilter, you make espresso with it,” answered Nadia. “Now what?” “You need a Coeurgarde name. Garde and something, like Garde Lightning or Garde Fire …” There was no need to think about this one. Nadia knew exactly what her name would be. “Here comes … GARDE ESPRESSO!” Lifting her portafilter up, she saw that it was glowing, glimmering in the sunlight. A rich, brown espresso began forming from the basket. As if guided by instinct, she spun on the spot, pulling the espresso into a long spiral around her. This too, started to radiate light, shining so bright that it threatened to blind her. Then there was the same warm sensation she had felt when she first became a Garde. It was but a few moments before the light was gone and she was in the same loud barista outfit she had yesterday. Strength in arms, check. Cufflinks, check. Funny hat, check. Wait, something was missing. The Giant Spoon of Doom formed in her hand. Check! “That’s more like it,” she smirked, picking up Mittens in her other hand. “Now come, Mittens, we must save Rose. Garde Espresso is ready to express some justice!” Mittens looked up. “What.” * Using Mittens’ mysterious Nihil-tracking abilities, it wasn’t long before they found John Smith and Siren. “Right in Beacon Square … this maniac’s not hiding at all!” said Nadia, observing the assembly that had already formed. In the air was John Smith, suspending Rose beside him. Siren fluttered silently beside him, expressionless. “People of Beacon Port,” said John, voice calm, yet amplified throughout the square. “My name is John Smith. Yes, I would not blame you for being unimpressed now, but you will soon know to fear my name. It will be a name of authority to which you will all bow.” Rose was struggling to break free of her invisible bonds. Nadia hid behind a tree and tried to formulate a plan of attack. It was too dangerous to just jump in; her recklessness cost her her friend the last time. “I suspect many of you know, as I do, that the natural state of humanity is despair,” drawled John Smith. “We fool ourselves by thinking that there is anything better in life, as if by mere idealistic wishing, we could somehow be free from our wretched existence. But you are wrong, all of you!” With that he gestured to a nearby car and it flipped over. It came crashing, alarms blaring loudly, creating a dissonant noise in chorus with the now screaming and frenzied crowd. “SILENCE!” John’s voice boomed. The people went quiet almost immediately, too afraid to breathe. “You are not only wrong, you know it in your hearts. And that is the worst part of this charade! You fight it and pretend everything will be alright. But, no matter I was wrong once, too. I now know that there is power in despair. Freedom! When we stop forcing ourselves to deny our natural state, we are free to unlock our potential! This girl here -” John bowed to Rose. “- will show you the power granted to you if only you embrace the inevitability of your hopelessness.” “My dear Rose,” he extended his arm to Rose, ”give in to despair.” The crowd watched, shocked, as Rose twitched and convulsed in mid-air. Her eyes alternated between the jet black void and a milky white and she screamed in pain. But Nadia saw her fists clench tight. She was fighting back! “Why won’t you just give in?” demanded John. Teeth gritted, he fought to maintain his grip. Rose gave a loud shout and with a burst of energy, broke free from her unseen bonds and sent John flying into the square fountain. Siren and Nadia took off in a dash; Siren right after her master, and Nadia towards Rose, hoping to catch her friend before she hit the ground. But before she could reach, a man jumped out and caught Rose. Will Keegan had saved Rose’s life. Seeing John incapacitated, everyone else took the opportunity to start running for their lives. Amidst the chaotic din of screams and panic, Nadia raced over to Will, who was laying Rose down on the grass. “Phew, thanks Will!” blurted out Nadia. “Sorry, do I know you?” asked Will Keegan, eyeing Nadia curiously. Woops. “Nevermind that,” said Nadia hastily. “How is she?” “Seems alright, but unconscious.” “ARRGH!” They both looked to see John, soaking wet and livid with rage as Siren helped lift him out from the fountain. “I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU GIRL!” “Yes, you are,” said Nadia, stepping boldly in front of Will and Rose. “Out of the way!” yelled John, advancing towards them. He swung his arm in front of him. Nadia, expecting a telekinetic blast, braced her feet. Nothing came. So, she was immune to his powers in Garde form. Now for some fun. “Why?” demanded John. “Why can’t I affect you?” “Hey! I haven’t given my introduction yet!” said Nadia indignantly. “If you’re not going to ask, I’m Garde Espresso! And you will pay for your -” “Garde?” John paused, pondering. “That’s right, the Herald mentioned I’d be seeing you soon enough. This changes things.” “You didn’t let me finish my -” “Siren,” said John, snapping his fingers. Nadia felt her stomach lurch as she was tackled by the Siren, who pummeled her into the air. Again. No, it was better this time. With her enhanced strength, Nadia managed to land on her feet, staggering slightly but still standing. “Dispose of this … Garde,” John commanded. “I am afraid I shall have to leave you, Garde. Your friend is a lovely specimen, but I’ll need more time to work on her.” Before Nadia could say anything, John leapt back and disappeared round the corner. There was no time to give chase, as Siren was already in mid-air, seconds from slashing her face with razor-sharp claws. Nadia dived aside, but was not fast enough. She gasped in pain as sharp cuts formed across her face. “Ouch!” she cried. “Sharon, stop it!” Siren-Sharon hissed and bared her teeth. She then inhaled and did a most curious thing: she began to sing. It was pleasing to listen to, yet immensely sad and full of agony. Nadia was mesmerised, losing all energy, unwilling to continue the battle. Sensing opportunity, Siren slashed across Nadia’s face, swinging her around and sending her crashing into the ground. Nadia wheezed the air out of her lungs and grasped her bleeding cheeks. “S-Sharon, please …” Siren’s wing met Nadia’s chin. She flew upwards a few feet before plummeting to the ground again. Eyesight blurred, eardrums ringing now. Not good. “Girl, what are you doing?” Mittens screamed. “Attack, that beast isn’t Sharon anymore!” Her vision was returning now. Siren was on the ground, crouching and wings drawn in, studying her. Nadia struggled to her feet, holding on to her spoon for support. She looked straight at Siren, who opened her mouth to sing again. As the tragic tones reached Nadia’s ears, she felt weak again. But she had to fight it. With all the effort she could muster, Nadia cried out, “Sharon! I know you’re in there!” Siren paused for a moment, confused. “Sharon, you have to fight it! I know you can!” At these words, Siren fell to her knees, clutching her head in pain. Nadia turned to Mittens, who was shaking his head from the dizzying effects of Siren’s song. “See, she’s still in there, Mittens!” she shouted. “I can’t hurt Sharon! I can’t hurt my friend!” “Ugh,” moaned Mittens, clutching his forehead, trying to concentrate. “Yes, you can! I mean, it’s not that you’re hurting her,” he quickly added, seeing Nadia’s raised brow. “You’re just destroying her Nihil body. It’s like destroying a shell!” Siren was now back on her feet, growling and stretching her wings out. Nadia gripped her spoon tightly. Should she do it? “Are you sure?” “Just trust me! Do you know better than me?” He was right, she didn’t. Siren took flight again, claws raised. She dived at Nadia’s head, but Nadia ducked and this time punched and landed an uppercut on Siren’s abdomen. Siren howled and fell to the ground. Before she could get up, Nadia stamped her feet on her wing and pinned her to the ground. “Wow, I’m a bit violent,” said Nadia, staring at Siren, who was wailing in pain. “Too violent. Hey Mittens, I can do that glowy thingy, right?” “Do it!” Taking her spoon, she drew that same triangle in the air that she drew previously. She lifted her spoon above her head. Siren was still pulling to get her wing free. “Come on, Garde Espresso! Do it now!” Face contorted in hatred, Siren bared her teeth at Nadia. Sharon’s beautiful face, deformed with such rage … “I really need a more elegant way of doing this,” gulped Nadia. Down went her spoon. She swung again and again. Siren shrieked each time the spoon made contact. She started to glow red. “I’m sorry, Sharon!” she shouted and jabbed the spoon hard into Siren’s chest. Jumping away, Nadia saw Siren shine a bright red and explode. As she landed, she saw Mittens scampering over. Nadia felt horrid; she had inflicted such violence on her friend. “M-Mittens, I’m a monster! I don’t know what got over me, I fought like a madman!” “Hush!” commanded Mittens impatiently. “Look!” The wind picked up and the smoke cleared, revealing Sharon lying on the ground, tattered and unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. “Didn’t trust me now, did you girl?” smirked Mittens. “I told you she’ll be fine. A Garde’s weapon harms only Nihil. At least in its powered state.” “You try having to hack your friend to pieces! So … I now have the license to smack possessed Nihil as much as I want. Poor Sharon though. We’ll need to arrange for an ambulance.” As she lifted Sharon up with both arms, she heard a voice. “It’s Garde Espresso, isn’t it?” asked Will Keegan, walking into view. Mittens quickly slinked out of sight. “Uh, yeah, that’s me.” “That was some impressive fighting.” “Come on now, it was awesome, wasn’t it?” said Nadia, winking and grinning. Will cleared his throat. “The girl, the one earlier, she says her name is Rose,” he said. “She wants to meet you.” Rose was lying by a tree. Her face was pale and worn out, but her eyes were glowing in admiration. Nadia set down Sharon beside her. “Garde Espresso …” said Rose slowly. “I heard you rescued me. I saw you fight, it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.” “It’s Will here who saved you,” said Nadia, waving her hands. “Don’t thank me, thank him.” “She already did,” said Will. “And that reminds me, how do you know my name?” Not again, Nadia thought. “Uhh …” “Well, before I lose my chance, I just want to say thank you,” interrupted Rose, starry-eyed. “For everything. You’re … you’re the coolest! So brave! I wish I was like you.” Nadia was taken aback, though she did not understand why. Something about Rose’s words touched her. She smiled affectionately at her. “Thank you.” said Nadia. “You were pretty brave too, Rose! You stood up to that jerk even when he tried to brainwash you!” “Wait, how do you know my name?” Nadia blinked. “Have to go now, be safe!”
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Last edited by ComicGuy89; 10-17-2014 at 07:54 AM.. |
09-19-2014, 08:14 PM | #5 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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Chapter 4: A Thorny Subject “Why don’t we begin? Let’s start by hearing what you have to say.” Rose sat up, stirred from her daydreams. “Hmm?” “How were you last week?” said Ms Rogers, lips stretched into a smile. Rose couldn’t help but notice how dimples formed on her cheek. “We could talk about what you did, or how you felt, anything, really. This is your time.” “Oh, me?” chuckled Rose. “Hmm, I guess I did alright. I only panicked twice on Tuesday compared to three times on the other days. On Wednesday, I didn’t even check my lock for the second time!” Grinning widely, and perhaps a little forcefully, Rose surveyed the look on her counsellor’s face. It was impossible to get a sense of what Ms Rogers was thinking; all she was doing was sitting, smiling and nodding slightly at every sentence. It was a little irritating, actually. Rose sighed. “I guess that was because I forgot to check the lock. It bothered me the whole day. I’ll admit … this week wasn’t that much of an improvement at all. I even got mad at a friend, a good friend who had reached out to me when I was alone here.” She stared at her knees, unwilling to look at Ms Rogers. She couldn’t bear seeing the certain disappointment in Ms Rogers’ face. However, Ms Rogers seemed to be quite cheery when she next spoke. “That’s alright, it’s something we can work on, together. Did you do the emotions journal entries we agreed on?” Tears started to well up in Rose’s eyes and she turned away in shame. “I tried to do that for the first night. But I just felt so pathetic after having reading that entry. It reminded me of what a terrible person I am, it was a record of all my wrongs for the day. I … I just didn’t have the strength to write anymore after that.” A silence followed that was punctuated only by Rose’s muffled sobs. Crying again. Maybe it really was the only thing she could really do. “We don’t have to do it yet, you know,” said Ms Rogers, gently handing Rose a box of tissues. “While it is helpful, it may require a certain level of readiness. So why don’t we do something else first? Maybe you could tell me if there was anything positive this week? Something uplifting?” Rose took a tissue and wiped her eyes. She smiled bitterly. “Something uplifting? I don’t really think I’m in the position to describe anything uplifting -” Then she remembered. “Oh, oh yes! Garde Espresso! You know her, yes?” “Garde Espresso, she was on the news wasn’t she?” asked Ms Rogers. “Who would have imagined, a real life superhero right here in Beacon Port?” Tears and sadness completely forgotten, Rose was now positively exuberant. “Exactly! It’s just like how I imagined it in the comic books! Wow, a real life superhero! She was just so cool!” “That’s excellent,” beamed Ms Rogers. “Maybe you could share with me why you like her so much?” “She’s just, she’s just so amazing!” exclaimed Rose, almost jumping in her seat. “The thing about heroes is that they’re so self-sacrificing, you know? It’s a huge responsibility, and they give up so much of themselves to do what others can’t! I mean if you think about it, we only have 24 hours in a day right? And we’re so constantly busy those hours, right?” She looked at Ms Rogers, who nodded enthusiastically. Ms Rogers was leaning forward in her seat and excitedly jotting down every detail in her little notepad. “And then, it’s already so nerve-wracking to set aside an hour for anything,” continued Rose. “But these selfless heroes, they dedicate their precious time to protect those who can’t protect themselves! Why, why Garde Espresso protected me! Little me!” “Yes, that was on the news, too. It must have been frightening.” Rose’s face darkened at the thought of being suspended in the air. “I was frightened, yes. I suppose I should have been braver. I felt so terrible after that ordeal, I mean, worse than I usually do. It was dark, cold, and I felt like I was trapped in a vast, empty room, unable to find the door.” “That must have been horrifying,” said Ms Rogers. “But that didn’t matter, you know? Seeing what Espresso did afterwards … it gave me hope. I suppose that’s why I like heroes so much, they pull us out of our own darkness. She saved both of us!” “Ah yes, there was that other girl too, right?” “Yes, I think her name’s Sharon. She works at a cafe I like.” Ms Rogers flipped over a page on her notepad. “Thank you for that beautiful tale, Rose. It is good to have heroes to look up to. I was hoping that we could change the subject a bit. I wanted to talk about your friends.” Rose opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it. She hadn’t finished gushing about Garde Espresso and felt a bit annoyed. Almost immediately, however, a surge of guilt killed that sense of annoyance. How dared she be annoyed at a person who had done nothing but listen to her? It was her fault for talking so much, she should have remembered that most people don’t enjoy prolonging discussion topics. “Rose, you weren’t at the International Students’ welcoming dinner last Tuesday,” said Ms Rogers. “You didn’t want to come?” “I just … didn’t feel like it,” muttered Rose. “I was at home, and just felt like staying home.” In actuality, Rose had spent the night brooding and felt too downtrodden to go out. But it was stupid and she was not about to reveal it to Ms Rogers. “Hmm … I think it’s a good idea to go out once in a while,” said Ms Rogers. “Get involved, you can’t develop that intimacy you need by staying at home. You need to make friends.” Rose merely stared at the pot of flowers on Ms Rogers’ desk. “What do you say, do you want to work on a schedule of events you could go to this semester? We have many gatherings organised.” Again. Rose suppressed a sigh. It always came down to the same diagnosis. It seemed all anyone wanted to do was to get her out, like it could magically solve all her problems. It wasn’t their fault, though. They just didn’t comprehend the magnitude of everything. How could she tell Ms Rogers of the cycle of awkwardness, inadequacy and guilt that would surely follow in all these events? Besides, who would want to befriend with her? Her thoughts flashed to Nadia and she smiled. At least there was one good friend. And right now, Rose was feeling that Nadia was the counsellor she needed. * The warmth of the sun greeted Rose as she shut the door to Ms Rogers’ office behind her. On another day, this would have been pleasurable, but today the warmth was uncomfortable on her already flushed ears. A lump developed in her throat. Rose gritted her teeth, forcing the choking feeling down. Her head was starting to feel light, and she forced her weakened legs to move, one in front of the other. “Please, go away,” she muttered. It was happening again and she needed a distraction, fast. Breathing heavily, she whipped out her mobile phone and moved her fingers deftly on the touchscreen to bring up Nadia’s contact details. Please be there, please be there, Rose thought as she brought her phone to her ears. “Heeeeey, what’s up!” a cheery voice rang on the other end. Rose let out a sigh of relief. “Hi Nadia, how’re you doing?” she asked, unsure of what to say. “No cheating, I asked first!” The choking feeling within Rose seemed to dissipate almost instantly and she chuckled. Still, she wondered if she should let Nadia in on what she was really feeling. I suppose I mustn’t lie, she thought. “If you must know,” began Rose slowly. “I’m not doing so good right now.” “Hmm, why? What’s up?” Rose tried to sound as casual as possible. “No big deal, really, just the usual. Umm … the usual thing. You know ...” That felt incredibly stupid. Rose forced a little laugh, but she knew that it was unconvincing as soon as it escaped her lips. She felt pathetic, having run out of words to say, and was now relying, as always, on the other party to step up and take control of the conversation. Luckily, Nadia was up to the task. “Rose, what’s wrong?” “Well, it’s just … do you think it’s necessary, or umm … good to attend the events around campus?” Nadia made a gagging sound. “Ack, I can’t stand those, so I’ve never cared. Free food is good, but getting home earlier is much better, eh?” “I see. But, you don’t suppose that, umm … to get to know people better, it’s necessary to attend these events?” At this, Nadia roared with laughter, forcing Rose to hold the phone slightly away from her ear. “Rose, Rose, Rose, you think making fake friends at a fakish event is the way to find friends? Is that what you were worried about? Gosh, I thought it was actually something serious.” Rose did think that it was something serious, but she suppressed that feeling. “I guess I was being a little silly, making it all into a major crisis.” “You know, we could still talk about it. Could meet you at Rendezvous for a coffee,” said Nadia. She quickly added, “Or tea. Where are you, anyway?” “That’s a great idea. I’m just outside the Student Centre here, I could meet you in -” She stopped dead in her tracks. Just slightly ahead, lumbering slowly, swinging its tusks left to right, was a beast. Not just any beast, but an unnatural demonic creature that sported razor sharp spikes and terrifying blood red eyes. Eyes that had not seen her, yet. Perhaps she could still get away. Heart beating fast, Rose held her breath and started to inch backwards, slowly. Yes, it seemed like she could make it, until … “Rose? Rose, you there?” Nadia’s voice pierced the silence, instantly grabbing the attention of the beast. Eyes locked firmly on Rose, it arched its back and snarled, baring foot-long fangs dripping with saliva. She tried to run, but found herself unable to move. Horrifying though it was, the beast’s gaze seemed to have a petrifying effect, gluing her on the spot. Her heart was thumping against her ribs and she was shivering all over, but her legs refused to budge. The beast had started advancing on her, snarls growing louder by the second. Tried as she had had, her mind refused to calm down long enough to work something out. All she could think of was the fact that she was going to die. Perhaps it would be over quickly, and rest would finally come. “Rose! Where are you?” Startled, Rose dropped her phone. Just in time, strength returned to her limbs and, inhaling deeply, she let out a scream. She then turned and started running as fast as she could in the opposite direction. With a roar, the beast took off and gave chase. Rose continued to scream and scream as she ran, hoping that someone, somewhere could come to her aid. And it worked, somewhat, as curious people came out of the campus buildings to see the commotion. Unfortunately, seeing the monster, they started panicking themselves. “Help, someone, please!” shouted Rose with all the breath she could muster. But the plea fell on deaf ears, as the people were in a frenzy, pushing each other to get out of the way. Instinctually, Rose made her way quickly to the university’s central courtyard. As she had suspected, it was filled with students sitting idly about and taking a break from classes. She had gone slightly ahead of the beast by now, it was time to catch her breath. A few students looked at her, puzzled and inquisitive. “Help, please!” Rose cried out. Before anyone could react, the beast barged in, turning the scene into chaos and sending students scurrying and clamouring in all directions. The short break gave Rose clarity of thought long enough to spot a shed that held gardening tools, and she ran quickly and hid behind it. She felt guilty, she had dragged the beast in here and endangered the lives of all these students. Why did she always have to mess - Slap. “No, it was not your fault,” she said, rubbing her cheek where she had slapped herself. “You didn’t have time to think.” The voice within her grew louder, belittling, accusing. Selfish, it said. Inconsiderate, it said. You’ll have condemned them all, it said. “You didn’t have time to think, you didn’t have time to think,” she repeated methodically, covering her ears with her hands. The voice died down a little, but it was replaced by a gradual unease of a different sort. Something was wrong. With increased apprehension, Rose realised that the clamour of the crowd was gone. It was now silent, completely silent except - Snarling loudly, the beast came into view. It had finally found its prey. "Why?" demanded Rose, failing at fighting back tears that were now streaming down her cheeks. "Why are you targeting me? Why just me?" The beast, of course, made no reply aside from growling louder. It crouched low, ready to pounce. This was it, she was certainly going to die this time ... "Huzzah!" Who? Looking up, Rose saw a figure leap over her and land between her and the beast. The figure produced a massive spoon out of thin air and gave the beast a mighty wallop that knocked it into a wall. Instantly, she recognised the heroine as the one who had so enchanted her. Garde Espresso! "You again?" said Espresso, pointing to the beast. "Didn't we whack you into a million explosions the last time?" "It's a different one," another voice called out. "There are lots of these Ferals, these pig-things, this won't be the last time you see them." "Then we'll just have to blast each one to oblivion! Oi, beastie!" Espresso waved at the beast with her spoon. "My name is Garde Espresso! And you will pay for your -” “Stop wasting time and just get rid of it!” yelled the other voice. Where was this other voice coming from? Rose looked around but there was no one else in the area. “Can’t I just finish my introduction just once?” said Espresso, brows twitching. “We’re going to have a little fun this time, kitty.” “Stopping evil isn’t the time to have fun! Lives are at stake!” But Espresso was just waving dismissively. “What’s the point of having fancy magical powers if you can’t play around a bit?” The beast, the Feral, had regained its footing and was now poised to strike. But beneath the subdued snarls, it seemed apprehensive, unsure of what to do with its new enemy. Clearly Espresso was an actual threat, unlike the other humans. For her part, Espresso continued rambling, “Those characters on TV, they have all these loud, called-out attacks! I say we need something like that. You know what, I’m going to try something!” She took out what Rose recognised, from her time at Rendezvous, as a group handle, used to hold ground coffee in espresso machines. This was a fancier one than those stainless steel handles used in the shop; this was golden and and very shiny. Espresso swung the handle in a circle in front of her and produced a ring of what looked like espresso, dark and creamy. She then took her giant spoon and twirled the floating espresso into a spiral. There was a certain beauty about it, and Rose couldn’t help but gaze, wide-eyed. “I call this, SCALDING SHOT!” Using her spoon, Espresso hurled the spiralling liquid at the Feral’s direction. It splashed pathetically on the beast, who blinked. “I guess it was worth a shot,” said Espresso, shrugging. “A shot, get it, Mittens? A SHOT?” She turned away and sniggered. The Feral took this chance to take off and charge towards her. Rose was about to cry out a warning when - “For the love of all that is good, shut up and look out!” shouted the voice, apparently named Mittens. “Oh Mittens, do you have such little faith in my,” Espresso swung around, heaving her spoon in wide arc to land on the Feral’s head, “abilities?” Roaring in pain, it tottered backwards and shook its head. “Alright, Mittens, no more fun and games, let’s finish this,” said Espresso. She stretched out her spoon and drew a triangle in the air. Having watched recorded replays of Espresso’s previous battle countless times, Rose predicted correctly that the spoon would glow. And she knew what came next. Espresso dashed forward and struck the beast hard with the glowing spoon. As she did in the fight with Siren, she struck again and again, causing the beast to howl each time. “This should do it,” she said, and brought down a mighty blow on the beast. There was a terrific, deafening explosion of many colours. Rose had to cover her gaping mouth to prevent the smoke from entering. “Really too easy,” said Espresso, standing triumphant. “You know Mittens, we really need a name for that move. I shall call it CAFFEINE SMACKDOWN.” Rose could imagine that whoever Mittens was, he was smacking his forehead. She laughed a little, too. Garde Espresso was so amazing, and yet so very silly. In fact, she reminded her of … Of who, exactly? Strange, the fleeting thought she had was gone. It was just at the tip of her tongue! Frowning, she tried to think hard to get it back, but it was useless. Never mind, there were more pressing concerns at the moment. “Garde Espresso, Garde Espresso!” she panted as she ran up to her. “T-Thank you for saving me! I’m your biggest fan, you have no idea. You’re just so amazing!” “Oh right, Rose,” said Espresso, shifting her beret uncomfortably with one hand. “Glad to have helped, as always.” “It’s the second time now, I owe you so much. And you still haven’t told me how you know my name!” “Heh, a superhero has to keep her secret identity, doesn’t she?” chuckled Espresso awkwardly. “Anyway, I really have to get going. And here.” She took Rose’s hand and thrust an object into it. It was Rose’s phone. “Ta,” said Espresso, turning to leave. “Wait! Please tell me how you know me.” Espresso hesitated for a moment, but shook her head and left, running at inhuman speed. Rose stared after her, feeling slightly dejected, but she caught sight of a small, furry, black and grey object that jumped down from a nearby tree and landed on Espresso’s shoulder. Rose squinted and saw that the object was a cat. A cat with a messenger bag. * “Nadia, Nadia!” “Hey, what’s up?” greeted Nadia through the phone. Rose wasted no time. “That cat we saw the other day, was his name Mittens?” There came no reply. Rose felt impatience rise within her. “His name was Mittens wasn’t he, Nadia? Why aren’t you talking? You promised you’d tell me everything.” Nadia sighed. “Yes, I did promise to tell you, but Mittens wouldn’t let me -” “Aha!” exclaimed Rose. “So he was Mittens.” “Yes, that’s him. Look, I can’t tell you everything now, Rose.” Rose started to pace up and down the courtyard, phone clutched tightly to her ear. “But you’re not telling me anything at all! Please Nadia, I need to know. It’s really important to me.” “Rose …” Neither of them spoke. Rose strained her ear, as if by doing so she could choke a confession out of Nadia. “Rose, let me try to talk to Mittens,” said Nadia, finally. “I don’t know how it’ll work out, but a promise is a promise. You’ll get answers soon enough.” “Thank you, Nadia. It would mean a lot to me.” As she tapped the screen to end the call, she whispered, “Not soon enough.” * “Sharon, can you talk?” Sharon, who was polishing silverware, jerked her head slightly towards Sally, who was marching towards them. “The cafe’s busy, Sharon can’t talk right now,” said Sally. Rose looked around the cafe at the empty seats. She had never seen Rendezvous so completely the opposite of busy. “There’s nothing to do,” said Rose. “It’ll just be a little chat, she can continue doing whatever she’s doing.” “Employees who are paid must do their job,” said Sally, crossing her arms indignantly. “It’s a sacred contract between employer and employee. There is to be no talking. No exceptions.” “No exceptions? Not even for,” Rose took out her wallet, “three pumpkin soups, to go?” Sally bit her lip. “Just this once. That will be 45 dollars, please.” Rose’s heart fell as she took out her precious dollar bills and handed them to Sally. As Sally retreated to the kitchen to prepare the soups, she turned to Sharon. “Sorry to interrupt you like this, and umm … feel free to chase me away anytime you want. I just have to hear, if you don’t mind that is, your side of the story that day. The day when -” “When I became Siren.” Sharon paused her silverware-polishing, looking forlorn. “Sharon, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want -” “It’s alright,” sighed Sharon. “History’s there for us to learn. It’s okay.” She tucked her long, black hair behind her ears. “A day before that incident, I was busy with choir auditions. Don’t know if Nadia told you, but I study music here at BPU. If I passed the auditions, I would get a full scholarship to fund my studies. “Now I had wanted that scholarship for two years now and it seemed just perfect. I could sing, and it would be nice to get some money. But this year …” Her voice started to crack. “You see, my father got laid off this year and suddenly things became very difficult for our family. So this scholarship went from being just nice to have to becoming necessary. And my father, he kept saying, ‘We’ll make it through, we just know our little angel will get that scholarship!’ “So yeah, Nadia must have been wondering why I was so quiet that day. I … I failed the auditions, you see. They told me that I had a lovely voice, but it just wasn’t enough to represent BPU.” “Oh, Sharon, I’m sure that’s not true,” said Rose sympathetically. Sharon chuckled and wiped away some of her tears with her polishing cloth. “Thank you, but you haven’t heard me sing. Anyway, that day was pretty bad here too. I just couldn’t keep my mind on work, I was so worried. And I guess,” Sharon brought her voice to a whisper, “Sally wasn’t too pleased with that. “So after I left work that day, I didn’t know what to do. I was so sure I was going to lose my job. No scholarship, no income, how were we going to survive? I wasn’t even aware of where I was going, but I remembered crying my eyes out.” She smiled grimly at Sharon and returned to polishing the silverware. Rose was feeling terrible. “Sharon, we can stop talking about this, it’s clearly hurting you.” “Nuh-uh,” said Sharon. “I want to say this. You can say it’s cathartic. And besides, you don’t stop a girl when she’s near the exciting bits.” She laughed again, and Rose, unsure of how to react, simply nodded. Sharon continued her story. “So there I was crying, when I became aware of this … this guy beside me.” “John Smith,” said Rose darkly. “That’s right. I guess I would have jumped in fear but I just felt so powerless, like all the energy was gone from me. It’s kind of a strange feeling, you know? Absolutely frightened and absolutely … dead.” “Apathetic, hopeless,” said Rose, shuddering at the thought. “Like you couldn’t be happy again, that you should just give up. I know how it’s like, Sharon. After all,” she smiled grimly at Sharon, “you weren’t his only victim that day.” “Exactly,” said Sharon. “After that I wanted to run, but I felt I had lost control of my body. I couldn’t do anything, I could only wait it out, terrified. But you know what that’s like, right?” Rose nodded. That day was possibly the worst she had ever felt, except maybe for … She shook her head. She would not think of it. Not today. “Rose, what’s wrong?” asked Sharon, noticing. Before Rose could answer, the glass door to Rendezvous burst open. A young student, someone she seen around on campus, was standing in the doorway. “You need to get out of here!” he shouted. “One of those monster things has appeared in the carpark!” Already, people were shouting outside; Rose could see them running past the glass window. “Rose, we have to get out of here,” said Sharon. “Where’s Sally?” Sally emerged from the kitchen. “Girls, I’m getting you out of here. We’ll take my car. You, too young man,” she added, seeing the student standing in the doorway. Rose was surprised, she privately (but shamefully) admitted that she had expected Sally to be the first to abandon them. “Just drop everything, and let’s go!” commanded Sally. Rose hesitated, entertaining a thought. Where there was one of those monster things, there would be Garde Espresso. “You guys go ahead, I have something I need to do.” “Rose, don’t be foolish,” said Sharon quickly. “We have to leave, now!” “I’ll be fine,” returned Rose, firmly. “Please, just trust me. You go ahead.” * Apparently, Rose wasn’t the only one with the brilliant idea to watch Garde Espresso fight. A small crowd, in opposition of their screaming peers, had already formed beside the road where the battle was taking place. Many of them were cheering. “You can’t stay here, it’s dangerous!” shouted Garde Espresso above the din, dodging a tackle by the monster. It was the same type of boar-like beast, a Feral, that hunted Rose earlier. “Aww no man, we ain’t gonna miss this for the world!” said a younger man, holding up his mobile phone to record the fight. Rose agreed with him, there was no way anyone was going to stop her watching Garde Espresso fight. Even if it meant endangering her life. With a forceful jab, Espresso grabbed hold of the Feral with her spoon, swung it over her and slammed it to the ground. It howled and then whimpered in pain. “Gah, if you fellas won’t leave, I’ll have to do this quick!” said Espresso as she drew that familiar triangle in the air. Spoon glowed gold. Rose squealed; she had definitely got it memorised. Spoon raised up. “Caffeine Smackdown!” shouted Espresso, bringing the spoon down on the beast. Whack, whack, whack, counted Rose. She clenched her hands tight and grinned. One more! There was a loud boom followed by multi-coloured smoke. The audience cheered and started hugging each other and chatting excitedly. Even with her natural fear of crowds, Rose would have joined them, except - Through the dissipating smoke, she caught sight of Espresso trying to slip away into a nearby alley. This was her opportunity to finally find out who she was. Rose tried to follow as quietly as she could. “Ahhh, Mittens this is getting boring,” said Espresso stretching her arms outward. From the corner she was hiding behind, Rose could see that Espresso was talking to Mittens, who was perched on a dumpster lid. There was no doubt it was the same cat as the other day; the short grey and black coat and the messenger bag were clear giveaways. "Then I don't know what's taking so long," said Mittens. "These Ferals should be very easy to get rid of." "Oh put a sock in it," said Espresso dismissively. "In the meantime, I'm gonna get out of these duds." "Wait, you haven't done a perimetre check!" Espresso blew a raspberry at Mittens as she lifted her group handle. There was a brief flash of light, and - Rose's heart skipped a few beats. Standing in the alley, right before her eyes, hoodie, jeans and all, was Nadia Chen. "What if someone saw you?" hissed Mittens. "You worry too much," laughed Nadia. "I'm willing to bet that there's no one who saw that. Well, not real money, because I'm broke right now. "Anyway, let's get out of here, I need an afternoon latte to regain this strength." Mittens' voice was filled with derision. "I thought you were broke?" "Yeah but lattes are a life necessity! Money’s always set aside for them. I had hoped you would have learned that by now." Mittens said nothing and hopped down to follow after Nadia, who was now walking down the alley. With shock, Rose realised that they were coming her way. Her mind went blank, completely incapable of reacting and she was sure that she was going to be discovered. "Woof!" It was a dog, a beautiful chocolate Border Collie. It wagged its tail eagerly at Rose. Thinking fast, she crouched low, back facing the entrance to the alley, and held her jacket to her face to cover as much of it as she could. She then used the other arm to pet the dog, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Nadia’s footsteps grew closer. “I must have tried 9 cafes around campus now, they’re all just pretty meh ...” Her voice trailed off as they went in the opposite direction. Rose strained her ears until she was sure they were gone and then let her hands fall, relieved. “Please don’t stop, it was very cozy.” Rose gasped. The dog was talking! “Surprised?” asked the dog. “I believe, for you at least, that wouldn’t be the first time today. You were acquainted with that girl, weren’t you?” “You’re, you’re -” Rose struggled to find the words to say. “You’re like that cat - Mittens!” “Very perceptive,” said the dog, sitting down. “Yes, we’re both Messengers, and it seems Mittens there has found Stella’s first Garde in decades. Quite impressed, really. Don’t tell him this, but I would never have expected it of him. Hmm …” It, or perhaps more appropriately, he, propped his chin against his paw. Rose watched in awe as he rubbed his chin, deep in thought. It was all very hard to digest. Mittens, this dog, they were magical creatures, domestic animals capable of speech. “I’m not that magical, if that’s what you’re thinking,” said the dog, looking up. “We’re not actually dogs or cats, but a different species. But how rude of me, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Claude.” Claude held out his paw, which Rose shaked uncertainly. “Don’t be afraid, I’m not a Nihil,” said Claude. “Not one of those things. You might not know this, but I’ve been watching you for a while now. You see, I’ve been following this new Garde, Espresso, with interest, and I’ve observed that you’re often present in her vicinity. You’re witness to most of her battles, and sometimes even involved in some capacity. Why is that?” Rose stammered as she spoke. “I-I don’t know …” “I’m sorry if I’m upsetting you. It’s just Garde Espresso has proven quite interesting, and I was just hoping that maybe you could provide an account of her. You seem to know her.” Rose had finally found her voice. “She’s amazing! She’s heroic, kind, self-giving and,” her voice faltered, “she’s my friend. That’s weird. Why couldn’t I recognise her before? The signs were all there: Mittens, the coffee obsession, even the voice and the hairstyle!” “That’s part of the Garde’s powers,” said Claude. “Nobody will be able to decipher a Garde’s identity unless they were told about it, or they see the Garde transform. That’s why Gardes must find discreet locations to transform. And I will admonish Mittens for that, he’s not doing a terribly good job so far, as we’ve both seen.” “Oh no, don’t blame him! Nadia’s just very stubborn. I should know.” Claude smiled. “Don’t worry, I was just joking. Now tell me, you refer to this Garde Espresso as ‘amazing’, ‘heroic’, ‘kind’. You believe that she is all of these?” “Yes, I do. And,” Rose paused, thinking, before adding, “it just seems so logical that Nadia is Espresso. Nadia’s also kind and generous.” “I see. You find these traits admirable?” “Of course!” Rose clasped her hands together, starry-eyed. “How I wish I was like her, a true hero! Something … to be proud of. To be of use to this world. It would be such a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many people.” “Really? That’s all very interesting …” For a long time, Claude was silent, staring at the ground, chin on paw, pondering. Rose wanted to say something to break the awkwardness, but something about Claude’s expression told her that he was not to be interrupted. So she simply sat down next to him. At last, he said, “Goodness me, I have forgotten my manners yet again. If I may ask, what is your name, young lady?” “It’s Rose. Rose McKenna.” “Rose McKenna,” repeated Claude. “I have a proposition for you. It goes against my better judgment, but perhaps there is hope left in this world. And perhaps you’ll be the one to teach an old Messenger a thing or two.” “What proposition?” Rose asked. “Rose McKenna,” said Claude again. “How would you like to become … a Garde?”
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Last edited by ComicGuy89; 09-19-2014 at 08:29 PM.. |
09-19-2014, 09:06 PM | #6 |
Forever a sniper
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,804
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TL;DR
I'm kidding, it's fantastic so far.
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09-19-2014, 10:13 PM | #7 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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Thank you. I'm glad you like it and I hope I can do my best in the future.
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09-27-2014, 11:58 AM | #8 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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Chapter 5: Two's Company Nadia sat in her seat twiddling her thumbs. "Who even does this? What's the point?" She gazed forlornly at her mobile phone plugged into the power socket in the corner, out of reach. Of all the days she had forgotten to charge her phone ... And where on Earth was Rose? The lecture hall was half filled up and there was not a peep of Ms Punctuality. It was simply unusual for Rose to not be there first, and Nadia felt like her whole day would be thrown off by this tiny change in routine. Who was she going to rely on to take notes or keep track of assignments? She wondered whether she should text her, but then she remembered her phone lying in the corner and felt a wave of laziness wash over her. "Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Nadia looked up. The voice had come from a young man, a face she hadn't seen before. Dark hair, and astonishing grey eyes. Nadia thought he would have been quite the looker if it wasn't for his “couch potato” fashion of hoodie and jeans. Then again, considering what she was wearing, who was she to judge? "Sorry, seat's taken," she said. "The one next to it isn't, though. No one sits with us nutcases.” "Oh okay, thanks," he said, sitting down. Nadia reached out her hand across the empty seat between them. "Hiya. Name's Nadia. Nice to meet you." The young man hesitated for a moment, staring at her hand with a somewhat worried look on his face. This seemed awfully familiar to Nadia, though she couldn't place her finger on why. Eventually, he smiled and shook her hand. "Hi, I'm Anthony, nice to meet you, too." "Cool. So, Tony?" "Uh, Anthony, if that's okay with you." This insistence struck Nadia as strange, but she brushed it off. The man has a right to his own name, after all. “Anthony it is then,” she said. “How come I haven’t seen you here before?” He chuckled. “The fates have conspired to place me right here, right now. It’s all part of a grand plan.” Nadia raised an eyebrow. “Okay, okay, even I admit that was real bad,” said Anthony. “I’ve been on campus. I just realised that I didn’t meet the prerequisite Media Studies class I was taking, so admin transferred me here. Hopefully it’s not too hard to catch up.” “You’ll be fine,” said Nadia. “Matt hasn’t really gone too far, he’s been way behind schedule. But you’re pretty good with studies and stuff, right?” “I guess I do okay. Why?” Nadia leaned back in her seat. “I need your skills as note-taker. You wouldn’t mind, would you?” Before Anthony could answer, Rose, who had just arrived, waltzed up to them, tossed her bag on the floor and sat on the empty seat. “Hey, I recognise you!” she exclaimed, beaming at Anthony. “You’re that guy at Rendezvous the other day, when that Feral attacked! What happened after that?” “The manager lady dropped us off at our homes. She’s very kind.” Nadia snorted. “Sally? Kind?” “You weren’t there, Nadia,” said Rose. “Anyway, my name’s Rose. Who’re you?” “Oh, name’s Anthony, nice to meet -” “Anthony? I love that name! So delighted to make your acquaintance!” Ignoring his confused look, Rose shook his hand hard. Nadia stared at her quizzically. Rose was neat and prim as usual, but something was off. A hair strand out of place, a crease on her sleeve and a bag that was not zipped to the bottom. Plus, Rose seemed a tiny bit out of breath, though Nadia wasn’t sure if that was due to her lateness or to her excitement at meeting Anthony. “Someone’s cheerful today,” said Nadia. “Care to share what’s up?” Rose grinned brightly. “It’s nothing, the sun is shining, the clouds are beautiful, the sea smells delicious, can’t a girl be happy for once?” “The sea smells delicious? You can’t be serious.” “Alright, alright, I can’t lie to you,” said Rose quickly. “Sorry about that. There is something up, something really cool. But I can’t tell you now.” “Why not?” “It’s a secret, and besides you haven’t told me yours yet,” said Rose, winking. “Touche,” laughed Nadia. “When did you get so cheeky, oh gentle Rose?” “It’s just been a really good day! I’m just dying to tell you, but not just yet -” The door slammed open as Matthew George stumbled in, accompanied, as always, by a stack of paper in his arms. These he dumped onto his desk. Nadia smirked as she saw Rose clam up immediately; she always was so predictable. “Good day, class, how are you all?” said Mr. George as he grabbed a few sheets off the stack. “All bright and happy today? Eager to dive right in, I’m sure?” There were a few audible groans. Rose glanced worriedly at Mr George and Nadia knew that she was afraid that he had heard. Whether or not he heard the groans, nobody would find out, because he simply continued, “As I’ve promised, I have your quiz papers marked. They’re right,” he tapped the stack of paper, “here. You also know that it’s worth only a mere 5% of your grade, nothing to worry about. However, I am a little bit concerned about your grade average. This was just two chapters worth, but only a small number of you passed with flying colours.” Nadia shot a knowing wink at Rose, who blushed. “But not to worry, it’s really just 5% after all,” said Mr George jovially. “Nothing to fret, I’m sure it’s all a fluke, or an error somewhere. In fact, this little paper has just confirmed my long-held suspicions that exams are useless. Maybe you don’t believe me, but they really are! After all, the studies show they’re not that accurate, so I’ve been thinking about something different for your assessment.” Taking his electronic pointer, he projected an image of an instruction sheet on the screen. “A remedial assignment! This will take the place of the final exam. It will be a real-life experiment, where you apply some facet of communications psychology you’ve learned in class. You’ll get the full details by e-mail later, but for now you should consider getting into groups of three. Go on, talk amongst yourselves, you guys already know each other so well, after all!” As the lecture hall burst into a chatter, Anthony turned towards them. “Mind if I join you guys for the assignment?” “We wouldn’t mind right, Rose?” asked Nadia. “But we don’t know anything about you,” said Rose teasingly. “What if you were an axe murderer or something?” Anthony smiled at her. “Ah, that you don’t know. But I promise I won’t bite. Plus,” he winked at Nadia, “I dare say I’m a decent note-taker.” * The Feral hissed defiantly at Nadia, now in her Garde Espresso form, as she thrust her Spoon of Doom right into its chest. The creature writhed and shook and with one loud howl, it exploded in flaming smoke. Nadia grinned sheepishly at the clapping and cheering crowd. “It was nothing, all in a day’s work!” “Good work, kiddo,” said Mittens, clapping too. “I hate to admit it, but you certainly have gotten the hang of this.” “Garde Espresso? May I have a moment?” Nadia turned around to see a woman walking up to her. She was dressed in a beautifully laced headscarf that stood out against her more modest jacket and slacks. “Hello, anything I can help you with?” asked Nadia. She looked around for Mittens, but the blasted cat was gone again. Never around to help in these awkward talking situations. “You’ve done far more than we could hope for, and for that we’re immensely grateful. But I’m afraid we’ll need your help one more time.” “We?” asked Nadia. “Who’s we?” The woman gave a gentle smile. “Stella City police department. My name’s Officer Azra Aydin. I’m not in my uniform now as I don’t want to draw attention. No need to be afraid!” she added hurriedly, seeing Nadia’s face. “You’re not in trouble, we need your help.” Nadia crossed her arms defensively in front of her. “Okay, but I’m not going to reveal my identity, or … or join the police force or anything!” Officer Aydin chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing of that sort. But I can’t say more here. Are you available to come right now?” “Sure … I guess.” “That’s excellent. I’m guessing you know the Beacon Port station is just two blocks away?” Nadia shifted her feet uncomfortably. “Actually, I’ve never really paid attention.” “Then you can follow me, it’s just a short walk.” And it was a short walk. Nadia had no idea how she had never noticed the bright blue and white marble building before. As she was about to enter the building after Officer Aydin, she felt something jump on her shoulder. “I’m coming in,” said Mittens. “this may be important and you humans will need my knowledge.” “Finally decided to show up, haven’t you?” hissed Nadia. “Can’t you just stick around for once?” But Mittens looked gravely serious, so Nadia didn’t press the issue. Officer Aydin led them through a few narrow hallways before stopping at a room. It was only when she was holding the door open for them that she noticed Mittens perched on Nadia’s shoulder. “Your cat can stay outside if you wish.” “Trust me, lady, you’ll need my help,” said Mittens. “So please let me in?” Officer Aydin, left speechless, had nothing to say in reply so she merely nodded. “You enjoy doing that, don’t you?” whispered Nadia. Mittens smirked. “Have no idea what you’re talking about, kiddo.” The room was bare except for a large, rectangular conference table with its accompanying seats and people. Seated at the head of the table was an important-looking man dressed in a business suit. And on the other seats were - “Rose!” exclaimed Nadia in surprise. “And Will! Sharon! What are you guys doing here?” “I’m not even going to bother asking this time,” said Will. “They’re here to help with this investigation,” said Officer Aydin, closing the door behind her. “This,” she gestured to the important-looking man, “is Magistrate Roger Kelly. Do you know what Mr Kelly’s duties are?” It was fortunate that Rose piped up because Nadia had no idea what a magistrate even was. “A magistrate handles small civil and criminal laws, right?” “Very perceptive, Ms McKenna,” said Magistrate Kelly. “Today, however, my role is to represent the state and the law. Magistrates are the first arm of the justice system.” “We’re here to talk about those monsters that have been invading Stella recently,” said Officer Aydin. “The Nihil?” asked Nadia. Officer Aydin scratched her chin. “So that’s what they’re called. Yes, that’s right. We don’t really like admitting it, but we’re left completely in the dark regarding these monsters. All we know is that they’re concentrated here in Beacon Port, particularly around Beacon Port University.” “We want to know the implications of this invasion,” said Magistrate Kelly, nodding. “Particularly the circumstances surrounding their apparent possession of people.” There were sudden, muffled sobs as Sharon broke down, crying. “You - You want to arrest me, don’t you? For what I did?” “No, no,” said Officer Aydin gently. “Mr Kelly and I just want to hear your side of the story. It’s simply an informal hearing.” “That’s right, Ms Wattana, there’s nothing official about this,” affirmed the magistrate. “It would be grossly improper to prosecute anyone in this manner, anyway.” “So, dear, would you like to tell us your story?” asked Officer Aydin. Sharon rubbed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Rose knows this, but on that particular day, I wasn’t feeling too good. There was a … great disappointment that day that left me very distressed. That afternoon I was crying in the alley behind Rendezvous, when he came. The man known as John Smith.” The silence that followed was interrupted only by the sound of Officer Aydin’s pencil scratching the surface of the notebook she was jotting notes in. Seeing that no one was going to say anything, Sharon continued, “There was something about his presence, I don’t know what. It was like I had lost all the strength in my body, and couldn’t fight back. I couldn’t be happy, I couldn’t even feel sad. I just felt dead.” “It was horrible,” said Rose. “I was there to witness it. She was just floating there unnaturally, completely subdued.” “I could barely hear or see what was going on,” said Sharon. “And then suddenly, I heard him speak. He said -” “Give in to despair,” completed Nadia grimly. Sharon looked at her. “How did you know? Were you there?” Drat, she forgot she was there as Nadia. “Uhh … he said that to Rose too, didn’t he? Anyway, let’s continue.” “Alright. So when he said that, my mind went empty, and I found myself in this dark room. It was vast, and there were no walls. I didn’t know what to do.” “Was this the same for you, Ms McKenna?” asked Magistrate Kelly, looking at Rose. Rose nodded. “That’s right, dark, empty, like a void. It was the most horrible and lonely feeling I’ve ever felt.” “If it’s okay, I’d rather not talk too much about what that’s like,” continued Sharon. “The memories of that still give me nightmares. I will say, I wasn’t aware of anything else that happened until I woke up later in the hospital. And I didn’t find out until I watched the news. She bowed her head, letting her hair fall to shield her eyes. “I … I’m sorry I did all those things as Siren. I wasn’t even aware of doing them.” “That’s why we’re not prosecuting,” said Magistrate Kelly. Sharon’s face lit up almost immediately. “Huh?” “You confirmed our suspicions, Ms Wattana,” said Magistrate Kelly. “We had already suspected that the victims of these creatures have no control over their actions. We just wanted to confirm that, and now we have two testimonies. So no, we don’t find you guilty.” “Oh, thank you! I really don’t know what to say!” Magistrate Kelly handed a tissue box to Sharon, who was now blowing her nose. “You don’t have to say anything. But before we conclude, I’d just like to get a few more opinions on these … Nihil. Ms McKenna, do you have anything to add?” “No more than what I have already said,” said Rose. “Except that these monsters are not to be taken lightly. Trust me, I know.” “Hmm. Ms Espresso?” Nadia made an awkward salute. “Your honour sir! These creatures are destroying lives in Stella, and I will do my best to contain the threat.” “And we will be grateful for that,” said Magistrate Kelly. “The city is powerless without your help. But you’ve been quiet, Mr Keegan. Any thoughts on the issue?” All eyes were now on Will, who proceeded to straighten himself up in his chair. “Sir, I can’t say for sure what I know, since my guess is as good as yours. In fact, I’ll be lying if I said I would take anything said here,” he lowered his glasses and glanced at Sharon and Rose, “with more than a grain of salt.” At this, Nadia slammed her fist on the table, “What? Are you saying you’re doubting Sharon’s and Rose’s testimonies?” “Ms Espresso, calm down!” snapped Officer Aydin. “Remember that you are in a police station!” “Garde Espresso, I’m not doubting anyone,” said Will. “But I am also not taking anyone’s word for it. I am simply indifferent, none the wiser. And I will remain that way until I get enough evidence to convince me otherwise.” “What then, will it take to convince you?” asked Rose. Will thought for a few seconds. “I don’t know. Look, I’m aware this is not the nicest thing to say, but all I know is what I saw and I will live by that. If you need a more constructive opinion, Magistrate, I guess that I can at least say that these monsters are a threat beyond the capability of your police force. And that you will need Garde Espresso’s help to neutralise it. That is what I saw.” “Thank you, Mr Keegan,” said Magistrate Kelly. “I guess that concludes our -” “Hold on a second!” Mittens jumped on to the table. Everyone except Rose and Nadia had their mouths wide open; Magistrate Kelly nearly fell off his chair. “Didn’t think I was worth asking did you?” sneered Mittens. “The cat’s not important, is he?” “But Mittens,” said Rose. “You said you weren’t a cat -” “Not important right now!” he hissed. “All you all need to know is that I understand these Nihil the most of anyone in this room, I’d wager my opinion was more important than all of yours combined! I’m a talking cat, so you can take my word for it.” He stood up proudly, smirking. “Alright, first thing’s first. Ignore the boy. The girls were outta their minds, they had absolutely no control over their bodies. These Nihil, they come and possess humans, because this is the fastest way to create despair. Few things cause despair more effectively that the total loss of bodily control.” “But why would they need to create despair?” asked Magistrate Kelly, finally having found his voice. “That’s because these creatures feed on despair like a cat runs on tuna. It’s their lifeblood! Forget the little details, we’ll be at it all afternoon if I have to recount everything. Have Espresso write a report or something! I want to go to the next bit. “Secondly, John Smith is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. He seems to have full consciousness of what he’s doing, I’m not even sure if he’s human. I can’t say for sure, as I haven’t encountered any possessed or Nihil like him, but I will admit he’s probably the most dangerous one of the lot.” Mittens then cleared his throat and, standing upright on his hind legs, marched up to Magistrate Kelly and pointed his paw at the bridge of his nose. “Here’s the final bit, buster. So listen up! You can try to beat these creatures, but you can’t. My girl here, Garde Espresso is your only hope against the Nihil, so unless you want this city to be consumed, you stay out of her way. Got it?” Nadia watched Magistrate Kelly nod nervously and didn’t know whether to thank Mittens for the vote of confidence or to chastise him. But she saw Officer Aydin, red with anger, reach out to grab hold of him. “Forgive his manners, Your Excellency-ness,” she laughed nervously as she took hold of Mittens right before Officer Aydin snatched him away. “He’s said more than enough, haven’t you, Mittens?” Magistrate Kelly took a handkerchief to wipe his forehead. “Very well, thank you Mr … uh, Mittens. At any rate, I will reiterate what I said. The state does not find victims of Nihil possession guilty. John Smith remains an anomaly that has to be stopped, and this Nihil threat must be contained. “Therefore, I conclude this hearing, and thank you for coming.” Nadia watched her friends get up and leave; Sharon and Rose looking pleased while Will was unreadable as ever. She started to follow after them when she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Garde Espresso, a quick word?” She turned and saw Officer Aydin scrutinising her intently. “Yes, Officer, is there a problem?” “No,” Officer Aydin said shortly. “I just think it is important for you to know that you don’t have to do this alone.” Nadia sighed. “I knew this was coming. Look, officer, you’re really nice and all, and even awfully pretty, but I’ve told you, I don’t want to join the police force.” “And you don’t have to. All I’m saying is that if you ever need help, we’re here to lend a hand.” “Why, you don’t think I can handle this on my own?” said Nadia, laughing. But Officer Aydin’s face was stern. “Honestly, no. I feel you and Mittens are a bit reckless, and not serious enough for such a momentous task. However,” her voice softened. “I don’t believe in judging by appearances, so let’s just say I’m cautiously optimistic about you.” “Uh … thanks I guess.” “Don’t disappoint me, Garde Espresso.” * “The train to Stella City will depart in 10 minutes.” Staring aimlessly out the train window, Nadia wondered who they got to record the PA announcements. She had such a sweet, yet oddly artificial voice. Was she an employee? A professional actress? Just a girl dragged off the street? She wouldn’t mind doing that for a few bucks … “Psst!” “Wha -” Nadia shook her head out of her daydreams and looked around. “Down here, stupid!” The voice had come from inside her backpack, where Mittens was hiding. “I thought you didn’t want to be seen?” whispered Nadia. “Stay in that bag!” “Do you see anyone else in the cabin, kiddo?” “Well, the security cameras will catch you.” Mittens snorted. “No, they’ll just see a girl talking to her bag. It’ll be a riot.” “Why you … if I didn’t have to keep you a secret I’d have wrung your furry neck!” “No you wouldn’t, because I know you love me kiddo,” said Mittens, sniggering. “Anyway, I know you enough to know something’s on your mind. Wanna share?” “Just thinking about who they got to voice these PA announcements.” “I meant besides the usual aimless fluff in your mind,” scoffed Mittens. “You ain’t fooling me, I know you’re thinking about what that policewoman said.” “To be honest, I’m not. I was just now, but I think we can handle it. Don’t you think so, Mittens?” “Sure we can. You know all the things I say, I’m just messing with you right?” “Of course. You’re about as good at hiding that as you are at mind reading.” “Hey, watch the smart mouth before I - hold on.” Nadia sat up. “What’s wrong?” Mittens poked his head out of the backpack and sniffed the air. “There’s something …” “Stay in the bag! Pets are not allowed on the train.” Ignoring her, Mittens jumped out of the bag and ran out the train door. “Mittens!” shouted Nadia after him. “I already bought the train ticket!” She had no choice but to run, cursing as she crossed over the turnstile. Behind her, she heard the doors close and the train take off. Nadia knew that this was part of her job now, to sacrifice conveniences but she still felt peeved as she ripped her now useless train ticket and tossed the bits in the bin. “Mittens, mind telling me what’s going on?” said Nadia, panting as she pushed through the door after Mittens. “Who are you?” asked a voice. Nadia took a second to behold the scene in front of her. The voice had come from a young, hooded boy, standing in the middle of the car park they were in. Nadia could not make out his face from under the hood. Four men were standing limp beside him with their heads bowed; she recognised them as the homeless that occasionally begged outside the train station. Of course, Mittens was nowhere to be found. Again. The boy was carrying an ornate staff, which he tapped impatiently on the ground. “Are you deaf? Brainless, perhaps? Should I ask again?” “That would be polite, yes. You could use some of that,” said Nadia, glowering adamantly at the boy. “Sharp tongue,” said the boy. “I guess it matters not, you’ll be dead in a few minutes. Don’t bother running. Stand right over there and wait, it’ll be easier for you.” Just as Nadia was about to retort, the boy lifted his hood and revealed black holes for eyes, void and empty; they sent chills down her spine. She had seen those same eyes before … “You’re a Nihil!” she shrieked. “Just like John Smith!” “Ah, you know my master? Then I suppose I should introduce myself. I am called the Herald. Pleased,” he gave a mocking curtsey, “to meet you.” Nadia studied the four other men in the room. “I know what you’re going to do. I’ve seen your master do it.” “How are you so knowledgeable? But make no mistake, I’m not nearly half as inefficient as he is. Three weeks, and only one possessed? At this rate, we’ll conquer the world by the turn of the century, if we’re lucky. No, if this attempt is to go anywhere, work needs to be carried out much faster.” The Herald slammed his staff onto the ground and the four men keeled over, jerking and twitching. In moments, the same dark cloud that engulfed Sharon days ago now emerged from the Herald’s staff and wrapped itself around the four men. They screamed horribly, and the cloud burst apart, revealing four figures draped in ragged cloaks. Hooded and masked, they had a wispy quality about them, as if they were not entirely solid. “Shades,” said the Herald, admiring his creations. “Not quite as powerful as something the master can come up with, but I’m sure in numbers the power difference is irrelevant.” He whipped around and pointed his staff at Nadia. “Now that this little demonstration is over, it is time to eliminate witnesses. Shades, finish her.” The Shades croaked in reply. From under their sleeves, they revealed bony hands which materialised large, rusty broadswords. These they dragged on the ground as they hobbled after their master, who was now advancing on Nadia with his staff raised in the air, ready to strike. Nadia instinctively made the grasping motion to produce her Garde Filter, but she stopped short, remembering what Mittens had said: the only way someone could discover her identity was to see her transform, or be told about it. Should she risk it? At any rate, she didn’t have to think too much, because the Herald stopped abruptly. “Curses! I can sense my master returning and I must hurry back. It’s a shame that I cannot witness your demise, but I’m sure your despair would have been satiating.” Nadia watched him rush out the door, slamming it shut behind him. It’s now or never; she produced her Filter and held it tightly in front of her. “Nadia, no!” Mittens leapt between her and the Shades. “What are you doing?” shouted Nadia. “There’s no time!” “We can’t let them see it! You know that!” “Even these guys? What do you expect me to do, lie down and let them hack me to bits?” “We don’t know, alright? What if they can report to their master? We just can’t risk it!” A Shade had reached Nadia and heaved its sword to slash at her. Nadia fell to the ground, but heard a whistle in the air as the sword missed her by inches. Mittens was frantic now. “Run! Just run!” Nadia scrambled to her feet and dashed for the door, but a Shade stumbled in front of it and raised its sword to bar her way. Glancing behind her, she saw the other three closing in, joints rattling and cracking as they lifted their swords. There had to be a way out of this, there just had to be. But she just couldn’t see how … There was a loud bang as the door exploded, throwing the Shade guarding it into the ground. As the dust settled, Nadia squinted her eyes to see - “Fear not, fellow citizen! I am here to save you!” It was a girl. A girl with a most peculiar outfit: she wore a bright purple dress with matching hat and shoes. All three were furnished with bows of a deep red. Her outfit was the most outlandish thing she had ever seen, if not for her own Garde outfit. Wait, wouldn’t that mean that she was - “My name is Garde Tea!” Well, that answered that question. “And you will pay for your wrongdoings!” Nadia’s jaw fell in disbelief and she looked at Mittens, who was equally shocked. “Mittens! She actually got to finish her tagline! That’s not fair!” Mittens was too dumbfounded at what had unfolded to reply. Nadia could understand perfectly why: there was another Coeurgarde! “Citizen, you must leave!” exclaimed Garde Tea. “Go do your thing, I’ll uh … need some backup!” Backup? Did Garde Tea know who she was? Regardless, Nadia picked Mittens up and sprinted out through the smoking gap in the wall where the door used to be. As she ran round the corner, she pulled out her Garde Filter. “Finally, let’s do this! Here comes Garde Espresso!” Spinning the newly formed espresso in a spiral around her, Nadia felt the warmth as her Garde costume materialised. She straightened her hat, gripped her Giant Spoon of Doom tightly and raced back inside. “My name is Garde Espresso!” she shouted as she clambered in. “You will pay for your -” A sword slashed into view on her right, which she deflected with her spoon. “Crimes! It was just one freaking word! Crimes! Can’t I just finish my introduction for once!” The Shade withdrew its sword and lunged it forward. With an upwards motion, Nadia parried and locked the sword in place. She jerked her spoon and knocked the sword out of the Shade’s hand. It shuffled backwards, hissing at her. “Oh shut up!” said Nadia as she smacked it across the face with her spoon, knocking it out. On the other side of the carpark, Garde Tea was parrying strike after strike by three of the Shades. She defending herself with what looked like a giant, wavy needle, red like the bows on her ensemble. Parry. Parry. Swing. The giant needle sliced through a Shade’s cloak and it screeched in pain. With deft movement, Tea brought back her needle and deflected two slashes from the other Shades. Nadia grabbed her spoon and drew the triangular motion in the air. She had to help somehow, and that meant that she had to finish off the Shade on the ground, first. Smack. The Shade burst into smoke, leaving behind an unconscious man. Garde Tea sent the two Shades flying with a roundhouse kick and stepped backwards. With three quick strokes, she drew the familiar triangle in front of her and just like with Nadia’s spoon, Garde Tea’s needle radiated a bright gold. Brows furrowed in concentration, Garde Tea dashed forward and slashed. Burst of smoke. A quick stab at the last Shade and it too went up in a puff. “She’s impressive,” whispered Mittens beside Nadia. Nadia nodded wordlessly. Then she saw the final Shade jerk slightly on the ground. In a second, it got to its feet, poised to stab. “Look out!” shouted Nadia. But Tea was ahead of her, sidestepping the Shade’s jab and swinging her needle in a wide arc through the Shade’s neck. It vanished, and a man fell through the smoke that formed. “Wow,” said Nadia. “Hi Garde Espresso!” said Garde Tea excitedly. “Thanks so much for coming to my -” “Shh, shh!” said Nadia, bringing her finger to her lips. “Just - don’t say a word - just let me say this: you’re amazing, you’re awesome, how - how the heck did you do that?” Garde Tea pinched at her hair, blushing. “Uh, like you do, of course. I’m a Garde like you. Garde Tea.” “But who are you?” The flush in her face disappeared in a flash as she brought her hands to her hips. “Ho, ho, Nadia Chen, now you’re trying to figure out who I am? What a role reversal!” There was a loud clang as Nadia’s spoon fell to the floor. “B-But how?” asked Mittens, awestruck. “How do you know who she is?” “As a Messenger, surely you would know, wouldn’t you Mittens?” Nadia almost sprained her neck to look at the source of the voice. A dog. A dog. The dog was talking, and holding a messenger bag like Mittens’. “After all, there are only two such ways to unearth a Garde’s identity,” said the dog. “You either have to be told, or you have to see the Garde transform.” “Master Claude!” exclaimed Mittens incredulously. “You haven’t been seen in ages! What are you doing here?” “Good to see you too, Mittens,” smiled Claude the dog. “But there will be time for catching up later. Right now I think poor Garde Espresso’s mind is straining under the stress of trying to figure out who Garde Tea is.” And he was right. Nadia kept feeling like she knew who Garde Tea was, and yet every memory or hint that surfaced in her mind seemed to be pushed down. It was like a magnified feeling of being at the tip of her tongue and it was causing a great, throbbing pain in her head. Feeling dizzy, she had to lean on a column for support. “Nadia, I’m so sorry for teasing you!” said Garde Tea hurriedly as she ran over to Nadia. “Here, let me power down.” Garde Tea took out an intricate, purple teapot, decorated with a rose motif. She held it tight and there was a brief flash of light. Standing before her was - “Rose!” Rose McKenna’s grinning face came into view. “So, Nadia Chen, when were you going to tell me that secret?”
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Last edited by ComicGuy89; 12-12-2014 at 06:37 AM.. Reason: Fixed some inconsistencies and language issues |
12-12-2014, 05:23 PM | #9 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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Chapter 6: He Who Dares to Teach The massive warehouse doors clanged open and revealed John Smith, who strided past them. He paused for a while admiring the view, fixing his gaze, in particular, on the ornate throne in the middle. Adorned with velvet cushions and raised on a platform, its shape was now more refined than the twisted hunk of iron it was before. He thought it representative of the entire hall: what was once a dirty, shabby warehouse had now been repurposed into something much more befitting of the king that he was. No, it wasn’t nearly grand enough. More work had to be done. But later on. On the table stood a wine bottle and some glasses. Gesturing with his hands, he telekinetically poured some wine into a glass, and brought it with him to his throne. Stretching himself lazily on it, he said, “Herald, where have you been?” The Herald, who had been staring into the mirror, turned back to look at him with his usual cold, empty eyes. “What do you mean, master?” “You know very well what I mean. You have been taking unexplained leaves of absence recently. So, explain yourself.” The boy’s face remained unchanging. “I wasn’t aware that I was to remain here at all times. I was … scouting, like you were. I merely followed your great example, master.” John pushed himself up from his throne and raised his hand. An unseen force lifted the Herald up by the collar and dragged him forcibly towards his master. Their eyes met, but like the best poker experts, neither refused to budge. “Do not take me for a fool, boy,” said John Smith. “Do you mean to insult me, with this pathetic scouting excuse?” The Herald said nothing and merely continued gazing right into his eyes. Even with hood thrown down, free from the shadows, the white-haired boy’s face was practically unreadable. By now John Smith knew the boy well enough to know that there was clearly nothing more he would divulge, so he released his grip and reclined again into his throne. “Keep your secrets, Herald. If you are a worthy servant it would do you good to be shrewd.” “You have my sincerest gratitude, master.” Despite the monotonous voice, the boy’s words were dripping with sarcasm. “If you pardon my intrusion, master, has your trip has been successful?” John Smith paused for a moment, lightly twirling his wine glass in his hands. “It has,” he said at last, smiling. “It appears my plans will finally move forward. I may have found my next volunteer.” * “You really are very bad at keeping secrets, Nadia,” said Rose, laughing. “But I suppose a week or so isn’t too bad, don’t you think?” Nadia’s jaw refused to close, her mind still struggling to accept all that was happening. Her identity had been found out. There was another Garde. Said Garde was her classmate. Questions reeled in her mind, but with her uncooperative jaw, she had no way to even begin asking them. Luckily, Mittens managed to croak out, “B-but how? How did you figure it out?” “That was your fault, Mittens," said that brown dog, Claude. “As a fellow Messenger, and your senior, I am ashamed to say that we discovered Garde Espresso’s identity in the alleyway last week, after one of your battles.” “That alleyway!” squeaked Mittens. “I knew it! You must understand, I told Nadia to do that perimetre check, I insisted on it! But -” “No buts, Mittens,” said Claude sternly. “You know the rules. In this regard, a Messenger must insist that his or her Garde obey them, and is to be held responsible for any failure to comply. You know what this means, Mittens.” Nadia did not know that it was possible for a cat to go as white as Mittens did, heck, he looked like he was about to collapse. At this, Claude broke out into a warm and affectionate chuckle. “I’m just joking, Mittens. You silly cat, you’re always more of a stickler for the rules than I am. Don't worry, you’ve done a remarkable job in my absence, defending this city and finding our new Garde. I’m very proud of you.” Apparently it was possible for a cat to turn pink, too. “Master where have you been?” asked Mittens, hastily changing the subject. “You haven’t been seen in ages.” Though it was only for a flash, Nadia noticed the old dog's face turn dark. But he was soon smiling again, saying, “That’s a story for another day, my friend. For now, we have important business to conduct.” “I have been observing your battles, Garde Espresso,” he said, turning his attention to Nadia for the first time. “And I am very impressed. For a beginner you have grasped the basics of combat fairly quickly.” “Aww shucks, thanks,” said Nadia, beaming. “I’m a pretty fly Garde aren’t I?” Behind her, Rose groaned and slapped her forehead rather audibly. Nadia tried hard to ignore this. “Well, it seems Rose here’s a pretty decent fighter herself,” she said, giving her friend a playful nudge. “Who knew you had it in you? You pulled off some real fancy moves with that needle thing back there.” “This ‘needle thing’ happens to be my sword, Resilience,” said Rose indignantly, though her lips betrayed a slight smile. “Thank you for the compliments, though.” Nadia gave Rose a thumbs up, before turning back to Claude. “Your name’s Claude, right? You can call me Nadia!” “That’s master Claude, Nadia!” shrieked Mittens. “How dare you?” Claude shook his head. “No, no, Claude is fine. I insist you call me Claude too, Mittens, no more ‘master’ business. In fact,” he smirked at Mittens, who was beginning to protest. “I order it, as your 'master'. Now you’ll simply have to obey that.” Mittens hung his head and clamped his mouth shut. “I think I will like you, Claude!” said Nadia, amazed. “I’ve never seen anyone shut Mittens up so effectively!” “Thank you, forgive me, I love pulling Mittens’ buttons, he’s so easy to wind up. And yes, Nadia, I’m sure I will like you too.” Rose made a cough and arms crossed, walked right up next to Nadia. “Claude, I really think we should get going with this. We need to call Officer Aydin to pick these men up." In her excitement, Nadia had forgotten about the victims, previously possessed, who were now unconscious on the floor. "Also, we don’t want to stay here too long, it might make for some difficult questioning,” she added, jerking her head towards the gaping hole that was once the door to the car park they were in. “Right you are, Rose! Alright, here, take this bag.” He handed them a small leather pouch that was held tightly closed by a rope. “Inside are a number of what look like marbles. Go on, grab them out, and divide them among yourselves. It doesn’t matter which you pick, they’re all the same.” Anticipation glowing in her eyes, Nadia fumbled the rope of the pouch before finally undoing it and turning it upside down. Seven marbles dropped onto her outstretched hand: six were an identical white and the last one was a bright red. “Claude, I thought you said they were all identical,” said Rose. “This bright red one certainly looks different.” “Oh, that wasn’t supposed to be in there!” exclaimed Claude. He swiped the red marble from Nadia’s hand and stuffed it into his own messenger bag. “I guess this would be one of those ‘another story for another time’ moments?” said Nadia, raising an eyebrow. “Yes,” said Claude, grim. “Please do not concern yourselves with this one. Now, divide those you do have among yourselves.” Nadia did as she was told. “What do they do?” “Well you see, you already know that the Nihil feed on despair. That means the logical way to counter them is through hope. These may appear to be simple marbles now, but when a Garde exhibits enough hope, they will transform into aids to help you in battle.” “But where do they come from?” asked Rose, examining one of her own. “And what sorts of aids?” “Nobody knows, I’m afraid,” said Claude. “It was handed down by our ancestors, and the Gardes have used it from their very first battles. As for what they actually do to help, they will bestow you with some sort of power. Exactly what, we won’t know until it actually activates.” Excited now, Nadia took one of her marbles and began squeezing them between her thumb and her index finger. “What do we have to do, force the power out? Break them?” “Goodness, no,” said Claude, chuckling. “Like I said, you need to have had displayed a degree of hope. I don’t think they’ll activate quite so soon, since -” Nadia was wondering why he had suddenly stopped talking when she felt it: the warmth in her hand as one of the marbles glowed an intense white. It felt remarkably similar to the red orb that gave her her Garde powers that very first time, except with less intensity. When the glow subsided, it revealed, solid and heavy, a strangely familiar device. “A tamper!” exclaimed Nadia, holding up the metallic object. “Just like the ones used at cafes to press the ground coffee beans into a portafilter! Oh Rose, look, look!” She turned to Rose excitedly but saw that her friend’s head was bowed, her face shadowed by her long auburn hair. “Rose …?” Rose quickly looked up and grinned, her shadow gone. “What? Oh, yes, congratulations Nadia! I’m happy for you.” Nadia eyed her friend suspiciously, but then thought no more of it. Claude, on the other hand, was astonished. “Unimaginable! How … how did you -” “Never mind that Claude!” said Nadia. “Look, like Rose said, we need to get out of here. I’ll give Aydin a call to pick these guys up, so let’s continue this over a cup of coffee.” “But I don’t drink coffee -” said Claude. “Never know until you try,” said Nadia. “Come on!” She grasped him by the paw and dragged him out the doorway. “She’s never going to change, is she?” asked Rose, exasperated. “Nope,” said Mittens. “And she didn’t call Aydin, did she?” Rose sighed. “I’ll get it.” * “Mind if I sit here again?” Nadia looked up, smiled at the dark-haired boy and nodded. “Hey Anthony. Why not? You’re our group member, we’re practically pals now!” Anthony returned the smile and grabbed his notebook out from his backpack before setting himself down slowly in the seat next to Rose’s. “Good morning to both of you. Have you guys finished your bits yet?” “The assignment bits?” said Rose. “Oh yeah, done and dusted. We can move on to the next stage, that is, if Nadia has finished hers already.” Nadia suddenly became very aware of the dirt in her fingernails. “Uh, sure I guess I have finished … umm … we’re just supposed to come up with an idea for the project thingamajig right?” Feeling hot under the collar, she refused to look in Rose’s direction, as she was sure Rose was flaring up her nostrils. And sure enough, her voice was frightening when she spoke, “Dear Nadia, this ‘thingamajig’ is worth 60% of our grade. And ‘come up with the idea’, are you serious? We decided to do a social experiment last week! Remember?” The fingernails were starting to look awfully interesting. “I think I have it … at home, you know. I’ll bring it tomorrow.” “Nadia, do you even know what we’re supposed to do?” asked Rose, raising an eyebrow. Just then, the characteristic door slam announced the arrival of Matthew George. Nadia breathed a sigh of relief and grinned at Rose, who was now shooting sparks out of her eyes. “Look Rose, just fill me in later, okay? I promise I’ll get it done. I really proooomiiiiiiiise ...” Like he often was, Mr George was late and stumbling over his books and notes, rushing to make up for lost time. “Hey class, how’re you all doing? I apologise for being late, but I have a perfect excuse! I realised I forgot my good luck charm and doubled back to get it. The streets aren’t safe these days with all these monsters, am I right?” He gave a hearty wink to the class. A few students yawned. Rose’s face was a pained mixture of humour and embarrassment, while Anthony’s was buried in his arms. “Anyway, class, enough jokes,” said Mr George. “I trust you all are doing well in your assignment? Should be a piece of pie, right? Anybody have any questions?” A hand shot up, but Mr George seemed very intent on looking the other way. “No one?” he asked. “Alright, I guess we can continue on with the class -” “Please sir, I have some concerns about this assignment,” said the student who raised her hand. Realising that there was no escape from it now, Mr George reluctantly addressed the student, “Yes, miss, what’s your name?” “Karen Palmer, sir,” said the student. “My group and I are having trouble understanding your assignment. We’re not sure what is expected of us.” “Really? Well part of the assessment is to see your creativity of interpretation. You got your instructions. All you need to do is design a social experiment to test a facet of communication. It’s up to you from there, but I’m sure someone of your caliber will be able to figure it out, Ms Palmer.” “But that’s the thing, sir. From the instructions, it seems we have freedom to do what we want, but the grading rubric tells us it expects some things to be in the assignment, things that we need to earn marks for our grade. Without them we might not pass. And it doesn’t tell us what it wants.” “Oh, come on Ms Palmer, as a student of communications you should know that a lot of things are left to your judgment,” said Mr George, grinning forcefully from ear to ear. “That’s part and parcel of being a professional! In the working environment you must decide things, there won’t be a rubric to guide you in that and you really shouldn’t expect it. So it’s up to you, you could write in whichever format you wish, and if you miss out on anything I’ll let you know what you should have done after the grading. We have a follow-up class scheduled, and -” “By then it would be too late!” Karen Palmer was frantic now. “Please sir, we really just want to do well in this class, and we want to know what you expect of us.” “Come now, Ms Palmer. Education isn’t all about grades, you know that -” “It’s not just a matter of getting A’s, Mr George. At this point we’re afraid we might be in danger of failing the class!” “And so what?” The entire room stopped breathing for a second. What did he say? Nadia got jolted from her stupor. The class was alert now, there were no yawns to be had. Rose was frozen in her seat, and Anthony was bolt upright. And to Nadia’s great disgust, Mr George was still keeping his insincere grin. “Really, so what?” he continued, with a chuckle. “If you fail it’s just another chance to try again. And besides I can assure you now that not everyone here will pass, there is a quota to keep after all. Some will, some won’t. Although Ms Palmer, someone of your charisma surely will -” The girl stood up, hands on the seat in front of her. “Stop it,” she said, gritting her teeth. “You stop it right now, I know what you’re doing. It’s that false flattery again.” Mr George’s grin finally fell. “What do you mean?” “You know very well what I mean. You always flatter us, telling us how good we are, how we’ll surely get all the material in this course, how absolutely nothing will be a problem for us. It’s insincere, and with all the hard work, it’s irritating when it’s all fake. We need guidance, not empty well-wishes! We all failed that exam of yours, and now we’re all in danger of failing this assignment. Your assurances mean nothing!” There were a few audible gasps. Nadia felt a hand grip her arm tightly and looked sideways to see that Rose had gone white as snow. Heck, though she felt that Mr George needed to be woken up, the exchange was getting a little bit too heated for even for her comfort. It was remarkable how Mr George remained standing, shaking as he was from head to toe. “L-Look, studies show that challenging students to think … helps t-them learn better,” he said, gripping the table for support. “They’ve been proven to be very effective in -” “What studies, sir?” a voice cried out from a corner. “Could we see these studies for ourselves?” Good point, Nadia thought. “I don’t - I don’t have them right now!” stuttered Mr George. “But that’s besides the point. Now, see here. If you’re having so much trouble with my methods, wh-why don’t you just leave the class? We’ll be fine without you!” Karen Palmer shot a deathly glare at him. “So that’s your solution? Your students come to you with a genuine problem, and you chase them away? What a poor excuse for a teacher you are.” She turned around to look at the rest of the class. “You all heard him, if we’re having trouble with his methods, we might as well just leave.” She stuffed her books into her backpack and marched out the door. There was a moment of silence, and gradually a few students got up and followed suit. It was agonising to see them all leave silently, one by one, as Mr George looked on. After the last one disappeared behind the swinging doors, time seemed to slow down; nobody dared to break the tension. After what seemed forever, at last Mr George got to his feet and said, “I … I suppose we should get started with today’s class … please take out your books.” He fumbled at the controls for the screen projector before finally getting it working. Sputtering to life, the machine displayed the following words: “Chapter 4: Effective Listening and Conversations.” And then he stared. For a good half a minute he simply stared at the words. “I’m sorry, but class is cancelled for the day. I’ll make up … sorry …” Like a zombie, he staggered towards the door, pushed them open and left. A murmur broke out in the class, gradually becoming a chaotic chatter. “He left all his things behind,” whispered Rose. “Should we go after him?” “No need to, it’s no big deal,” said Nadia. “No big deal? You saw what happened. The guy was devastated.” “Calm down, Rose. I’m not saying that wasn’t a painful scene. It was. I’m just saying he’ll be fine.” “But you don’t know that. I don’t know, if it was me, I wouldn’t know how to live with myself. I think he could really have a listening ear right now.” Nadia patted Rose on the shoulder. “You worry too much. If we need to, we’ll think about it later, okay?” * Boom! The sand was blasted metres into the air as the projectile made explosive contact. A distance away, sitting on some of the beach benches, Mittens whooped with excitement while Rose clapped politely. “Pretty cool, huh?” said Nadia, walking over to them. She was now in her Garde Espresso garb, holding her Giant Spoon of Doom in one hand and her Garde Filter in the other. Notably, the Garde Filter had a tamper affixed to it, the very same one that formed from Claude’s marble. “I won't deny that,” said Rose. “But Scalding Shot? Seriously?” “You’re still surprised at this point, Rose?” asked Mittens, raising an eyebrow. “Hey, I’ve been wanting to pull off a move like that for while now!” said Nadia indignantly. “I always thought I could use some long range whizbangs, I just didn’t have the tools to do it. But now,” she twisted the tamper and pulled it out from the Filter, “I have this. You realise what this means right? It’s like a message, I tell you. I’m meant to do this. Scalding Shot … was meant to be!” Rose was not impressed. “Whatever silly destiny you imagine yourself to be in, it still looks considerably dangerous.” “Of course it does, silly!” said Nadia, laughing. “How else are we going to get rid of Nihil without it being dangerous?” “I’m merely saying that we could try minimising the damage during practice. People won’t appreciate giant craters on their pearly white beaches. Why not aim a bit further away from the beach, like at the water?” “Ah, but are you sure that will ‘minimise damage’ as you say? What about the fishes? Didn’t think about them did you?” Rose went immediately pale, hands clasped over her mouth. “Wouldn’t it be a sight?” said Nadia, smirking. “Well, let’s try it out, shall we? Test run number two!” “You can’t!” cried Rose. “Don’t be sadistic! The poor fishes -” Nadia burst into laughter. “Are you seriously worried about the fishes? I’m just messing with you, I’m not really going to do it. Besides, any dead ones will probably be appreciated by Mittens.” “Girl, do you see me feeding you roadkill?” asked Mittens, arms crossed. “No? Then don’t expect me to want dead sea trash.” “Fine, fine,” said Nadia, shrugging. “Goodness, just trying to have a little fun. You guys all need to chill. And speaking of which,” she stretched out her arms, “time for a break.” In a brief flash of light, Garde Espresso was gone and plainclothes Nadia stood in her place, jeans, t-shirt and all. Holding up her Garde Filter, she saw that the bright red tamper was still attached to it. “What is that thing, anyway?” asked Rose, pointing at it. “This? It’s a tamper. You know at cafes they grind the coffee beans fresh before using them for espresso, right? We need the ground coffee nice and compact in the portafilter, so we press it down hard using this tamper.” “Oh, I see. But I never see you make coffee at Rendezvous, Nadia.” “Well, I never really asked Sally about it -” “Do you know how to make coffee?” “Not really. Always wanted to learn, though. I mean, it would be really cool to be a barista.” “Why don’t you ask Sally to teach you?” “Just three words,” said Nadia, giving a wink. “Too much effort.” “Ah well,” said Mittens. “The sun rises tomorrow too. Nothing unexpected there.” But Rose got up, walked over to Nadia and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “I truly do think you’d make a good barista though, if you just try.” “You really think so, huh?” Nadia had never thought about it before, that is, seriously considering the possibility of being a barista. “I don’t know, Will’s kind of right when he says that I’ll probably just give up halfway through. I mean, you know me.” “I may not know you as long as Will does,” said Rose. “But I do know you can do this. I don’t say this lightly! I mean, please, a girl who chose to use coffee as her powers? Of all things?” “Of all things …” droned Mittens. “Of all things?” repeated Rose. “If that isn’t passion I don’t know what is.” “Thanks, I guess,” said Nadia. The idea was starting to sound really good to her. Perhaps ... Then, she saw him. Matthew George was walking towards the beach, hands buried in his pockets and clearly lost in thought. His hair was unkempt and his dress shirt was wrinkled, untucked and half unbuttoned; it was a far cry from his usually neat appearance. Rose, looking at where her friend was gazing, saw him too and waved. After a few waves, he caught sight of both of them. Face immediately scrunched in fear, he turned around and ran. “Should we go after him?” asked Rose. “No need, like I said before, he’ll be fine,” said Nadia. “He should be a pretty tough guy.” “I’m really not sure about this, Nadia. He looked terrible.” “Let’s just mind our own business, shall we? He’s going to be alright.” “But Nadia, what if you’re wrong? What then?” A sudden flash of annoyance erupted within Nadia and she clenched her fists. “Then why don’t you talk to him yourself?” she snapped. “If you really think I might be wrong, go ahead. Why haven’t you done so already?” She realised she had said too much, but she couldn’t take it anymore. To her surprise, Rose hung her head and said nothing. Though Nadia felt a tiny tinge of guilt, she forced it down; she needed to get this off her chest and there was no stopping now. “Like I said before, he doesn’t need help. It’s a simple matter. If he really can’t handle this, I think that speaks tons about his weakness.” “What did you say?” exclaimed Rose, shocked and flushed red in anger. “I can hardly believe what I’m hearing, Nadia Chen. Is this really my friend? How could you be so judgmental? How could you possibly know anything about how he feels, or what his problems are?” “No, we’re not doing this. I’m not going to argue this with you -” “Do you even care? Nadia, he needs our help!” “Then why don’t you go?” shouted Nadia, ears burning. “What’s the point in standing here? You either solve problems, or you don’t. Same with him. When he decides to stop moping, he’ll figure it out. If you don’t believe he can do that, then stop wasting time and go!” Before Rose could reply, a loud scream punctuated the air and silenced them. It came from a slight distance away and it was a familiar voice. Could it be - “Nadia, he’s here,” whispered Mittens. “John Smith.” * “Garde Espresso, Garde Tea, how delightful of you to join us.” John Smith stood proudly in his neat, cream suit. By his side was a humanoid, golden creature with clawed paws and a head of stone. Its feline face, adorned by a headdress, was fierce but frozen in place like a statue. Nadia felt it looked familiar, somehow. “That’s … that’s a Sphinx,” muttered Rose by her side. Ah, so that’s what it was, thought Nadia. Those Egyptian things. And that scream just now, it too sounded familiar. It sounded like - “Matthew George,” said Nadia. “That monster there is Matthew George.” “Yes, very perceptive, Garde Espresso,” said John Smith. “I believe that’s what he said his name was.” Both of them were already transformed, yet Nadia still felt apprehensive about charging straight in. She may be reckless, but even she recognised the danger of facing John Smith. Let him play the first hand. “Let him go,” she said. John Smith laughed. If there was one thing that really unnerved Nadia about him, it was his laugh, dripping in sarcasm. It was like his battle cry, his display of confidence and will over his enemies. “Oh, you think merely by saying that I’d comply?” said John Smith in a mocking voice. “Honestly? Sure I’ll let him go, I'll leave him free to play with you. After all, I have other business to attend to." "You're not going anywhere!" shouted Nadia, charging up to him, Giant Spoon and tamper drawn. Tamper inserted into Filter, she deftly produced a ball of glowing, boiling espresso. "Scalding Shot!" she cried as she hit it with her spoon and hurled it in the direction of the snarling John Smith. In a split second, he produced a formidable broadsword. The sword met the projectile, and the two locked in place. Then, like a baseball batter, he casually deflected her Scalding Shot aside. It exploded on impact with a wall. No time to lose. Nadia charged up to him and swung her spoon with all her might. Their weapons met. Both hands grasping firmly on her spoon, she pushed against it, hoping, perhaps foolishly, to overpower him. She knew it was futile the moment she saw his cocky smirk. "My turn." His sword glowed and emitted a massive shockwave that propelled Nadia away. Before she could realise what had happened, she felt a skull-splitting pain that told her she had just crashed painfully into the wall. She felt her head, balancing on her right arm for support. Her fingers touched rubble. Bricks, mortar, debris. And a sharp pain from her legs. She was trapped. John Smith was strong, she knew that, but she had only now just realised how outmatched she was. Where was Rose? Straining her throbbing neck, she saw that Rose was trading blows with the Sphinx. Every strike of her needle-sword on the creature resounded in a loud clang; it seemed that the Sphinx was made of indestructible stone. "My dear Sphinx, why don't you leave that girl and come play with Garde Espresso here for a while?" drawled John Smith. "She needs some company, and I really must get going." "You're not going anywhere!" shouted Nadia. "Stupid girl," said John Smith, turning to her. "I'm afraid you are in no position to make any demands." With that, he strided out the door. Sphinx, heeding his master's words, gave Rose a hard kick in the abdomen. As she fell to her knees, wincing in pain, he leaped in front of Nadia. Nadia tried to get up, but every effort hurt immensely, and she was no closer to releasing her legs from their rubble prison. A few seconds passed and the Sphinx did nothing, merely staring at Nadia from glowing, blood-red eyes. She observed his chest heaving in and out as he breathed. She didn't dare move even to wipe the sweat from her brow. Finally, he spoke, with a booming voice that echoed: "I have two hands, just like you With them I accuse, and tell you your cue and also when your tasks are due." "Huh?" The Sphinx paused again, and repeated once more: "I have two hands, just like you With them I accuse, and tell you your cue and also when your tasks are due." What was this? A riddle? "I don't know what you're talking about!" Again, he paused, as if considering his next words. Finally, he said, "Then die."
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Last edited by ComicGuy89; 12-17-2014 at 09:50 AM.. |
12-20-2014, 09:51 AM | #10 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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Chapter 7: One Mouth and Two Ears "I have two hands, just like you With them I accuse, and tell you your cue and also when your tasks are due." A stupid riddle. Nadia could hardly believe that her life hinged on a stupid riddle. And she never liked riddles; she used to shut her ears, screaming “la la la” every time her second grade teacher Ms Honey attempted to make her guess one. Nobody bothered playing riddles with her ever again. Yet here she was, witnessing the energy ball charging up in the Sphinx’s open mouth, seconds from death and unable to do anything about it. All because she hated riddles. Fantastic. Pain from her trapped legs shot up through her entire body when she tried tugging them free from the debris. Why was she still in pain? Whatever happened to her healing powers? No, she couldn’t die like this. It was way too stupid. Defeated by a blasted riddle! The Sphinx’s energy ball continued building up - “A clock! The answer’s a clock!” Rose had recovered from the Sphinx’s attack. Upon hearing Rose’s answer, the Sphinx tensed up, arms spread apart, suddenly still as the rock its body was made from. Both Gardes stared curiously at the odd sight for a moment, before Rose landed a mighty kick on the monster’s chest. The feline creature fell backwards and crashed with a loud thump. It screamed in a shrill voice, a sharp piercing noise completely the opposite of its usual thundering tone. Writhing and twisting in agony, it trembled and shook as if bolts of electricity were coursing through it. “Garde Tea, what - what did you do?” muttered Nadia. Rose said nothing in reply, she merely gaped, open-mouthed, at the creature. Her sword-needle weapon was hanging limp from her hand. “Uh … Tea, don’t suppose you want to finish him off?” asked Nadia. Rose paused for a moment and then she gripped her sword tight. As she drew that familiar triangle, it began to radiate the tale-tell golden glow. Perhaps sensing this threat to its life, the Sphinx stopped struggling immediately. It jumped to its feet with a mighty push and ran. Rose threw her sword-needle at it in a desperate attempt to stop it but it was ultimately futile; the beast managed to retreat out the alleyway. A brief jolt of pain from her legs reminded Nadia that she was still trapped. “Tea, could you give me a hand, please?” Rose walked over, and with two powerful slashes, destroyed the rocks that were holding Nadia down. She was perhaps a little bit more forceful than necessary, delivering each deliberate strike with her hand clenched firmly on the hilt of her sword. When she grabbed Nadia’s hand to pull her up, it was a painful grasp, squeezing as if meaning to suffocate her fingers. Nadia got to her feet and yanked her hand away from Rose. She turned away from her, looking down the alleyway instead. “Don’t suppose we should chase after him?” “No point, his trace is gone,” said Mittens, emerging from his hiding spot. “The only option now is to play the waiting game.” “Ah well, let’s get out of these duds,” said Nadia. In a flash of light, she untransformed and Rose followed suit. The tension in the air was palpable. Nobody was saying anything, not even Mittens, who could sense that something was wrong. “Soooo …” said Nadia, grinning at nobody in particular. “Who’s up for some coffee?” Despite her stretched smile, the spark was gone from her eyes, and her ears felt uncomfortably warm. From behind her, Rose spoke up, “Listen Nadia, I just wanted to say I’m sor -” “Nobody?” said Nadia, refusing to meet Rose’s eyes. “That’s too bad. Goodness, I’m tired! Could use a nap. Catch ya later, Rose.” Without waiting for a reply, she left. She knew Rose was standing back there, unmoving, but that was none of her business anymore. All she wanted to do now was to get as far away from her friend as she could. The pitter-patter of Mittens’ footsteps grew louder as he caught up with her. “What’s wrong, kiddo?” “Hmm? What do you mean?” “You can’t fool me. Something snapped back there. What was all that about? You want to talk about it?” “Everything’s fine,” lied Nadia. She continued trotting, doing her best to appear as casual as she could. But the unease was like a great force choking her insides, making her want to throw up. “Mittens,” she finally blurted out. “Do you think I’m judgmental?” “Can’t make that call, kiddo,” said Mittens, shrugging. “It’s not fair to you. You worried about what Rose said?” Nadia nodded slowly. “Worst thing is it’s not the first time she’s said this too. I mean, me not listening and stuff. Last time she said I actually couldn’t be bothered.” Mittens said nothing. “You think so too, don’t you?” asked Nadia. “I told you, I’m not going to say anything about that.” “Hmm …” They continued walking, both lost in their own thoughts. Then, Nadia said, “About what Rose said, you know, about our teacher. You think Matthew George really needs help?” Mittens chuckled. “You kidding? Have you seen the sorry state of the guy? Anyone that looks like that definitely needs a shoulder. The Nihil are no light affairs, kiddo.” “I mean I get the Nihil business,” said Nadia. “I know it’s no joke. But his case … it’s so … petty! He’s just refusing to see his mistakes, don’t you think? If he realised his mistakes, there wouldn’t be anything for the Nihil to feed on. I mean, if it was me, I’d have it fixed, pronto.” “You’re assuming he’s you,” said Mittens. “He’s not.” He then got in front of Nadia and stopped, staring straight at her. “Listen, Nadia. As a Garde, it is your duty to learn to understand people around you, the people you protect. Share their burden, walk with them. Only then can you give hope to them. It’s just simple empathy.” “Now you’re sounding like Rose,” said Nadia, rolling her eyes. “Well then, harsh as she may be, maybe she has a point.” * Like fine, silky paint, the milk spilled over the edge of the steel spout, diving into the centre of the rich, brown crema. As the milk swirled within the espresso, it broke its dark brown consistency, creating a pleasant caramel. Sally brought the jug close to the surface of the steadily rising mixture and rocked it side-to-side, coaxing the foamy milk to form a pattern. Nadia stared, transfixed, as the foam rose and expanded into lovely circles of white. With one final stroke, Sally cut through the middle of the circles to form a heart. Truly, it was magnificent. “Go send this to table 6,” said Sally, placing the cup on a saucer. “And after this, your shift is done. But before you go, please meet me behind the kitchen.” Not good, Sally seldom had anything good to say in these “private meetings”. What could she possibly want? Nadia decided there was no point in wondering just yet, so she did as she was told, said goodbye to Sharon and waited for Sally just outside the door to the kitchen. She arrived not long after. “Nadia, I noticed you were not quite yourself today,” said Sally. “Mind telling me what’s wrong?” A whole bunch of things were wrong. But again, it was none of Sally’s business. “Nothing,” she said. “Fine, be that way,” said Sally. “I just wanted to remind you that your private affairs are to be left outside this door when you step foot into the cafe. You have a responsibility to this cafe and to your coworkers.” “Yeah, yeah,” said Nadia dismissively. If her own affairs really were so private then Sally should have no reason to ask about them either. “Just remember that. I’ll see you on Friday.” An hour later at the beach, Nadia pondered the events of the last few days in her mind as she affixed her tamper to her Filter. Rose was still a bit distant when talking to her. Matthew George was still at large and his class had been suspended for the time being. “SCALDING SHOT!” she screamed, firing at a large rock. The deafening bang was followed by hundreds of plops as bits of scattered rock fell into the sea. “Huh, Ms Tea would have called that highly irresponsible,” said Nadia, snorting. “Messing up the environment. But is it such a big deal? Why does everything have to be a big deal?” She twisted her tamper again. “So you want private affairs, huh, Sally? I’ll show you private affairs!” Aiming, she shot again, obliterating another rock. “IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A BIG DEAL!” yelled Nadia at the top of her lungs. “NOTHING DOES!” “Garde Espresso? Is that you?” Nadia whipped around. “Speak of the devil!” “Sorry, who?” asked Matthew George, staring at her quizzically. “Oh nothing, nothing at all Mr George.” “How do you know my name?” Drat. “You know what, I’m not even going to answer that,” said Nadia, sighing. “But hey, let’s talk about you instead. You don’t look so hot.” Indeed, he was even more dishevelled than he was when they last saw him. Up close, she could see that his jacket, normally pressed and wrinkle-free, was torn and ripped in numerous places. His hair actually seemed to have gone a few shades greyer. Well, she supposed now was the best opportunity to show Rose that she wasn’t judgmental. The best listening ear, that’s who she was, and now she’ll prove that by listening to poor Matthew George. “Anything I can do to help?” she asked. “I don’t suppose there’s anything for me to say that will be worth your time, Garde Espresso,” said Matthew George, shoulders slumped. “Shouldn’t you be fighting monsters, young lady?” “Never mind those monsters. Like I said, let’s talk about you. Anything on your mind?” “I don’t know … I’m not sure I want to talk about it.” This was taking too long. “Look, Mr George sir. Let’s cut to the chase. I know all about your problems.” “You do?” exclaimed Matthew George, clearly taken aback. “Yep, everything!” said Nadia triumphantly. “That angry girl Palmer, the complete mess-up, you walking out -” “Enough!” shouted Mr George, turning red. “None of that is your business!” “Au contraire, monsieur, but as Garde of the city, it is my business. After all, you were possessed by a Nihil, you know, one of those monster things. And being a Garde,” she punched per palm with her fist, “I need to knock the living daylights out of all these Nihil.” “Wait, wait,” said Mr George, wiping sweat from his brow. “I don’t - this is too much to take in. I don’t understand. You’re saying I was possessed?” “Yep.” “But I don’t remember that! All I remember is darkness. A total sense of darkness. And a void -” “Yes, yes, that's it! That’s all the victims remember. Take my word for it, you were possessed. Now we need to fix this, and to do that, we need to help you. Got it?” Mr George said nothing, in fact, he looked like he wasn’t listening at all. Completely pale, he was staring into the distance, unfocused. “Hello!” said Nadia, waving her hand in front of his face. “Come in, Mr George. We gotta talk your problems. Problems have solutions, and my job is to help you find them. So, what’s bothering you?” Nadia’s incessant waving finally shocked Mr George back into reality. “You’re saying I was like one of the monsters on TV? How is that possible?” Taking way too long. “Come on, we’ll deal with the questions later. But for now, anything got you down, recently?” asked Nadia. “Anything got me down ...” repeated Mr George slowly. “All I’ve been thinking about lately is ... well, if you really knew what happened to me, you’d know how pathetic a teacher I am. Like you said, it was a complete mess-up ...” Mr George’s face fell as he recalled the unfortunate incident, but Nadia failed to notice this. “Finally, we’re going somewhere!” she said. “Why do you think you’re pathetic?” “Because I am! All I really wanted to do was be a good teacher. Teach the students useful skills and get them to like me. Is that so hard to ask? But I’ve never been very confident.” Tears started welling in his eyes. “I’m just so afraid of being a failure, and but because of that I fell to the self-fulfilling prophecy. Tell me, Garde Espresso,” he looked up at Nadia, “how do you not be a failure? How does one get confidence?” Nadia shrugged. “Just be confident?” Her teacher’s face was red all over again. “That’s what they all say,” scoffed Matthew George. “Believe me, that’s not new at all.” He started to leave. No, this was bad. She had to stop him or her efforts would be in vain. “Wait, wait!” she called after him. He stopped in his footsteps, and turned to stare at her, face in a scowl and arms crossed. He said nothing. “Look, I really do think you can overcome whatever issue you have, Mr George,” said Nadia. “You really can. Just think of what you could do to help you be happier. Maybe sleep more, study some teaching books, anything? Have you tried talking to the dean?” “I suppose I could try that,” he said flatly. “Thank you. Goodbye, Garde Espresso.” Yes, she found a fix! Problem solved. “Glad I could help! See you, Mr George! Be happy now!” Skipping excitedly away, she could not have noticed Mr George’s downcast face, full of frustration and hopelessness. * “Coming, coming, give me a sec!” Rose McKenna opened the door to see Nadia grinning at her. “Heya! Anyone else home?” Although Nadia had been to Rose’s apartment before, she was still surprised at how small it was. There was barely enough standing room, and the ceiling was so low down that a light jump would have caused her head to bump painfully against it. “No, the other girls have gone out.” “Great!” said Nadia. “Listen, Rose, I just wanted to say …. I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit of a jerk. Will you forgive me? I brought over apology cake!” She thrust a box into Rose’s hands and looked at her with puppy dog eyes. Rose hesitated, but said, “It’s alright, I’m sorry too. I said things I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry I shouted at you.” “Besties!” exclaimed Nadia gleefully, as she ran and hugged her friend with a bone-cracking hug. “Eas- easy there, Nadia,” croaked Rose, gasping for breath. “Y-you’re going to squash this … this cake. W-why don’t - why don’t you come inside?” “Don’t mind if I do!” said Nadia, releasing her grip and marching inside. “So, where’s Claude?” The canine Messenger was nowhere to be found. Rose set the cake down on the coffee table, doing her best to straighten out the corners of its crumpled box. “Pets aren’t allowed by the tenant, so he lives somewhere else,” said Rose. “He visits sometimes, though. Let me get some plates.” “Rose, you won’t believe who I just met! Matthew George!” “Mr George?” said Rose, as she opened the cabinet to pull out two plates. “That’s great! Is he alright?” “He’s better than alright! I thought about what you said, and I listened to him. I think we came to a pretty cool compromise. Not bad, if I do say so myself.” Rose was now laying forks and napkins on the coffee table. “What did you tell him?” “I told him he could really overcome his issues if he needed to and that I believed in him. I even gave him a couple of suggestions!” “Hmm …” said Rose, pondering as turned on the kettle. “Want some Earl Grey?” Nadia looked at her friend skeptically. She knew that she disapproved, and Rose was too bad of a liar to conceal it. “You’re not sure about this, are you?” “Well … I think you did a decent job, or at least, a kind one.” “Come on, spit it out. Let’s hear it.” Rose sighed. “It’s just, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s that simple.” Again, there was that flash of annoyance, but Nadia forced it down this time. “We’ll just have to see, I guess. Let’s see if my suggestions help him or not.” The electronic kettle let out a soft beep. Rose lifted it up and poured the boiling water into a large teapot, already filled with a few teabags of Earl Grey. “Hmm … there’s a need to have empathy, Nadia. You need to listen.” “But haven’t I been listening? I told you I had a talk with him.” “Well, when you listen you need to really spend some time with the other person. It’s no quick affair. You have to feel for the other person, let him or her pour their heart out. Listen to the aching heart within.” “I tried to listen. But you know his current state, right? He needs solutions, not more time wasted on listening. I mean how does listening solve problems? It just makes me feel useless, because nothing is accomplished. All I want to do is help, if the results don’t show, it’s pointless.” “Ah, but listening is a form of helping, don’t you think?” said Rose, pouring some tea into her own cup. “When you listen, you provide an escape for the person, and the tools he or she needs to work things out on their own.” “I just can’t accept that idea,” said Nadia. “I can’t see how listening and doing nothing helps at all. I don’t know, maybe one day I’ll get it, but right now I can’t grasp it.” Rose took a sip from her cup. “Your heart’s in the right place, Nadia.” There was a soft, continuous buzz. Rose reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile phone and tapped on the screen. “Message from Claude. ‘Turn on the TV.’” “Claude has a phone?” asked Nadia, astonished. “Beats me how he’s sending these texts,” said Rose, shrugging. “Anyway, we better do what he says.” She reached for the remote on the coffee table and turned on the television. It was already on the news channel, which was now reporting live, breaking news. “... Beacon Port University students have been told to evacuate as the creature continues its assault on the library.” Without saying anything, Nadia materialised her Garde Filter. She glanced over and saw that Rose was already standing and holding her Garde Teapot. They exchanged knowing smiles, and Nadia knew what Rose was thinking. “It’s go time, bestie.” * Nadia grunted in pain as she collided with a flight of stairs. “Stupid … creature … hard as rock …” “Crumpled and dirty, I am weightless, Yet I am varied, in colour and faces, Though I am common, I spin the world around, For when I talk, humanity is bound.” “How should I know?” shouted Nadia, struggling to pull herself up on the stair rails. In response, the Sphinx opened its feline mouth and began charging an energy shot. With a tremendous, energetic kick against the steps, Nadia jumped out of the way by a split second. The loud bang was followed by the piercing sound of glass shattering: the Sphinx had obliterated both the library doors and the stairs leading to them. Dodging was no use, not when it resulted in collateral damage of that magnitude. And there was no blocking the shot either. The Sphinx had thus far been unable to catch Nadia with its shots, but it sure as heck was going to destroy Beacon Port trying. It began reciting its accursed riddle again: “Crumpled and dirty, I am weightless -” “SHUT UP!” shouted Nadia as she hammered away at the creature with her Spoon of Doom. Each strike clanged like mortar against pestle. If it felt any pain at all, it wasn’t showing it, and the Sphinx, undeterred, continued its riddle. “... Yet I am varied, in colour and faces, Though I am common, I spin the world around, For when I talk, humanity is -” “Money! It’s money!” cried Rose. Like the last time, the Sphinx froze, arms spread wide. Nadia moved in and gave a sideways kick and it fell flat on its face. But like a roly-poly toy, it bounced back up, unscathed. And in seconds, it regained its mobility, accompanied by a fresh riddle: “My siblings and I are countless in number, One of our brothers awakes you from slumber, But he’s the odd one, he’s very much younger, The rest of us, by day we’re quite duller.” “Oh no, this one’s really familiar, it’s just at the tip of my tongue!” said Rose. “Espresso, quick, any idea?” But Nadia was not paying attention. She just couldn’t figure out what was so different from their last fight, when the Sphinx was sent away, scampering and whimpering. Why did her kick just bounce it back up again? “Espresso, please!” Nadia was shaken awake long enough to see the energy shot reach its maximum size. There was no time. She couldn’t get out of its path. She felt a force push her aside and saw, horrified, as her friend caught the full brunt of the blast. Rose shrieked and fell to the ground. “Tea, Tea, are you alright?!” Rose was battered, and shivering. “... Stars ...” “What, what do you mean?” “The answer …” said Rose, and she went limp. Nadia fought back tears and turned to glare at the Sphinx. “You blasted idiot! The answer is stars!” On cue, the Sphinx went completely still again. But Nadia had no time to go on the offensive. She had to make sure her friend was alright. “Don’t you die on me, you silly thing ...” She put her finger near Rose’s nose and felt the hot air of her breath. Good, Rose was still alive, just unconscious. However, by this time, the Sphinx was back to normal again. He was about to open his mouth when - “Stop!” cried Nadia, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. “Stop! Mr George, I know you’re in there. Please stop hurting us!” The Sphinx stopped midway, mouth agape. For a few moments, it remained this way, and then tears started falling from its own eyes. It moaned and cried like a wounded animal. Nadia knew her teacher was still in there. She had to try to reach him. “Mr George, please, stop. This isn’t you. You wouldn’t hurt anybody.” The Sphinx paused, then said: “I see you in a hole: let me climb in, I’ll listen to the aching heart within, I’ll cry alongside you, I’ll wipe your tears, I can’t banish them, but I’ll take on your fears, Some people deride me, and say I fix nothing, That my ideas will leave people wanting, But ask yourself, what do you need? Empty rhetoric, so often hackneyed? Now take my hand, and share your burden, We’ll walk together, and find that eden.” Another riddle. Perhaps there was no fighting it after all. She slumped onto the ground in resignation. Rose couldn’t help her now, there was no way out of it. Might as well accept defeat. Finally, defeated by a stupid riddle; maybe it really was meant to be. Then, at that moment, the words of her friends came back to her. “Share their burden, walk with them. Only then can you give hope to them.” “Feel for the other person, let him or her pour their heart out. Listen to the aching heart within.” A grin stretched across Nadia’s face. “Thank you, guys,” she whispered to herself. “Mittens, Rose, you’re the best friends anyone could ever ask for.” Standing up triumphantly and pointing to the Sphinx, she said, “You’re lucky I have such brilliant friends to make up for my stupidity!” “The answer,” she breathed in deeply. “Is empathy!” Nadia was already charging towards the Sphinx when it froze. Deftly, she drew a triangle in the air and made her Spoon glow. Now to find a spot to land a strike with this shimmering, golden Spoon. But where? The seconds counted down in her head. Her perfect answer would soon be wasted. Any time now … Then she remembered. The Sphinx fell backwards. Nadia rushed around the Sphinx and surveyed its back. As she suspected, there was a giant ruby affixed to the back of its neck. Why didn’t she notice that before? “And you don’t even need to paint a target on it!” she exclaimed gleefully. With a mighty swing, Nadia struck the ruby hard. It shattered on impact, and the Sphinx roared in agony. Its entire body started to smoke and glow, as it continued screaming and screaming. Then, almost spontaneously, it caught fire and burst into flames. The flames licked and enveloped the monster, engulfing it for a while, and then they left was suddenly as they formed. There, lying on the floor, was the unconscious, very human form of Matthew George. Nadia stood over her teacher, regretful. “I’m sorry it came to this, and I’m sorry I didn’t even try to listen. I thought I was better, but it turned out that I know nothing.” Police sirens blared and several cars pulled up. From one of them came a furious Officer Azra Aydin. “Look at this mess!” she shouted at Nadia. “Just look at it!” She swung her arm at the direction of the ruin of the library. Her face was red and livid, demanding answers. “You have some nerve to talk, Officer,” said Nadia. “Where were you during this mess?” “Don’t you dare tell me how to do my job!” “Maybe I’m only telling you because you’re blaming me for helping you do it! You think you could have done better?” Nostrils fuming, Officer Aydin marched right up to Nadia until their faces were barely inches from each other. “Listen here, Garde Espresso,” she said, prodding Nadia’s shoulder. “I allow you to prance around tackling these Nihil. But if you step one toe out of line, we’re taking you down.” Nadia slapped Officer Aydin’s hand away. “I’d like to see you try, Officer. In the meantime, I need to get my friend here to safety. If you’ll just excuse me.” There was no more to be said, even if Aydin was not about done. Nadia didn’t care. She picked Rose up and carried her away from the wreckage. * After hours, he finally stirred. “Garde Espresso?” “That’s me,” said Nadia. “The hospital was unsure about letting me in, but they finally relented. How are you?” Mr George pushed himself up against the rails of his bed. Saying nothing, he surveyed the white, sterile room he was in. There was a bedside table and on top of it was a bouquet of flowers and some get-well cards. “Those are from Comm 101,” said Nadia. “Some students came to see you. You want a drink of water?” “My students … came to see me?” asked Mr George, picking up a card from Karen Palmer. “Of course they did!” said Nadia, chuckling. “We - I mean, they - they all love you, you know?” “I’m not sure I believe that, Garde Espresso,” said Mr George, smiling slightly. “We can talk about that,” said Nadia, smiling back. “I’ve got all day. Unless you want to do something else of course.” “Talk? About what?” “Anything you want to. But before that!” She extended her arm, with her palm facing Mr George. “I need to apologise. The last time we met I was horrible.” “Apologise? There is no need, dear. What you did … it’s what most people would do, anyway.” “That doesn’t mean that I should do it,” said Nadia, bringing her arm back to her side. “I was insensitive and a poor listener. In fact, you taught me a valuable lesson in listening. In trusting people, and sharing their burden, instead of trying to force it away.” Mr George laughed weakly. “Maybe I’m not so bad a teacher after all.” “Pretty sure you aren’t,” said Nadia, laughing. “So, want to talk?” * “Do you require anything, master?” John Smith sat up in his throne, leaning his elbow on an armrest. “Fetch me dinner, Herald.” “May I remind you, master, that you don’t have to eat?” asked the Herald, twitching slightly. “As a Nihil you do not require nourishment.” “Let’s just say I fancy it,” said John Smith, waving dismissively. “And tonight I fancy roast pork. Off you go Herald.” The Herald pulled his hood up and turned to leave. “Herald, I know what you’ve been doing.” The hooded boy stopped in his tracks. “What do you mean, master?” “The Shades. Not a bad idea. I’m rather impressed. Keep doing what you’re doing.” For a second, he hesitated. Then he merely said, “Thank you, master” and went on his way. As the doors clanged shut behind the Herald, John Smith took out two purple gemstones and, rotating them like Chinese exercise balls, examined them. Then, he squeezed them tight, coaxing them to emit dark purplish plumes of smoke. The smoke coalesced and from it emerged two humanoid forms. The feathered, avian Siren and the stiff, feline Sphinx stood silently before him. John Smith smiled at his creations. “It appears the experiment was a remarkable success.”
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