Chapter Eleven #3
Sperwa looked off to where the others were standing but the fog was so thick they couldn’t be seen.
“The other animal souls were alive at one point and passed while protecting their families or their packs. They died a glorious death that earned them the distinction of Animal Guardian. I, however, have never been alive. I’ve been waiting for you.
We’re different because we need to be. There’s an evil that has been working on the edges of the worlds, working to infiltrate in the most insidious of ways.
I’ve been waiting for the time you were ready to start fighting back. ”
Bréagha stood. “I think it’s time we introduce you to the others. Are you ready?”
“What if I catch them on fire, like I did you last time? I may be the ultimate guardian, but I’m not what you would call graceful sometimes.” Bréagha laughed until tears rolled down her face.
“Oh my god, you are the perfect familiar for me! I’m also not what you would call graceful.
We’ll stumble together!” Sperwa thought about that for a second then reached her wing up to Bréagha who clasped it gently.
The fog instantly dissipated and the others waiting in the clearing gasped at the pair standing under the arch.
“Everyone, meet Sperwa Pyre, my phoenix.” Unlike the others who became translucent, like ghosts, Sperwa stayed solid, her colors just as vivid as ever, her flames still dancing along her feathers as she stepped forward.
“I am Sperwa Pyre, Ultimate Guardian and Soul-Bonded to Bréagha Aria. Here at the time of greatest need to push back the great evil working to destroy your worlds.”
Everyone gasped, staring at Bréagha and the bird next to her.
“Did she speak into our minds?” Donegal asked as he knelt to get a closer look. Sperwa glanced at him and Bréagha grinned at what she could only call, a side-eyed look of haughtiness.
“Yes. I spoke to you. Should I not have?” She looked up at Bréagha questioningly, who grimaced.
“Don’t look at me. I have no clue what’s normal or not,” admitted Bréagha.
“Nothing you do is normal,” sighed Killian as he ran his hands through his dark hair and rubbed the back of his neck where tension had been growing since he first went to get Bréagha from Earth. Bréagha grinned over at him, unrepentant.
“Normally the soul-bonded animal can speak to their soul-bonded Sentinel but not everyone.” Donegal answered Sperwa’s question.
“Of course, the familiar also turns translucent, like a ghost, once they join us from the Spirit Wild. You are still very much solid,” mused Marcus as he stepped closer on the other side from where Donegal knelt. “How is this possible?”
“I think you may find some things are a little different than they were. Someone call their animal,” suggested Sperwa, startling them all again. They all looked at Killian who let out a deep breath.
“Kaedryn, be seen.” They all heard a roar and then a dragon with titanium aura wings flew across the sun, fully visible to everyone.
“Vyranthos, be seen.” Jaxx spoke from his place towards the back of the group. They heard another roar, then a ruby red dragon flew from a mountain top not too far away, also fully visible.
Everyone gasped as the two dragons landed in the clearing. A chorus of voices called the names of the other familiars, every single one appeared as solid as they’d been while alive. They all stood beside their Sentinel as everyone gaped, from the animals to Bréagha and back.
“What. Is. Happening?” Bracken asked, his voice high pitched and unsure.
“When my magic merged with Bréagha’s it awakened The Guardians and the familiars. You’ll find all the Sentinels in the garden have their animals.”
“Why? How?” Marcus stuttered.
“I was never alive, so when I was joined with Bréagha the magic from the Garden brought me from the Spirit Wild and into this one. That magic created a shockwave that brought the other animals from the Spirit Wild as well.”
“Is that why Bréagha is so different than the rest of us,” questioned Aiden.
“Bréagha isn’t just a Sentinel like the rest of you. She’s a Guardian, first of her kind. I’m her Guardian familiar. You’ll find many things are different for both of us,” answered Sperwa.
“Will you go back to the Spirit Wild when you aren’t with Bréagha like the other familiars?” Killian asked curiously.
“No. Now that I’m here, I’ll stay here. I think you’ll all notice that yours don’t go back to the Spirit Wild either. I may not always be by her side, but I won’t go back until my final death which is extremely difficult for phoenixes since we’re just reborn from our deaths.”
“Does that mean I can’t die?” Bréagha asked.
“Um, maybe? I’m unsure how much of my attributes have passed to you. You did catch fire when we first joined and were technically reborn. We can assume from that, it has passed to you but unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until you are injured fatally.”
“Until?!? Do we know that will happen for sure?!?” Bréagha gasped.
“Sorry! No! Let me rephrase that…to if, not when, you are ever fatally injured. Sound better?” She looked up at her Guardian who looked marginally less green.
“Um, maybe? Sure,” answered Bréagha, still shaken.
“Well, Bréagha it looks like we have even more of a puzzle to figure out. For now, let’s get everyone home, it’s getting late,” stated Marcus as he stood up and glanced at the darkening sky.
Bréagha followed his gaze and realized that the sun had indeed set a little bit ago and the last remaining light was quickly fading.
It had been a long day of training and then this second ceremony. Her bed sounded good.
“Wait, if you don’t go back to the Spirit Wild, where do you sleep? Do you sleep?” Bréagha asked her familiar.
“I assume I’ll be staying with you. I just need a small area to create a nest, maybe in a back garden?” Sperwa answered.
Bréagha nodded. “We’ll figure it out when we get back.
Roz? Ready to portal us all?” She looked around the circle to the others, who up to this point, had been silent.
All eight of the Sentinels just stood, their gazes transfixed on their animals, expressions ranging from curious to resigned, from baffled to slightly terrified which was Bracken.
Roz was also staring at her like she wasn’t sure where she had come from. “Roz?”
Roz shook her head and took a deep breath. “Um yes, let’s go guys! I’ll portal everyone to Bréagha’s cottage where the other Sentinels can make their way to their homes and then I can portal the Elders to their cottages.” She drew her rune and threw her magic at it for a large portal to form.