Chapter Thirty #2
“Wait, another plane of existence? Like a whole other realm just for you?” questioned Bréagha. “Cause if so, does that mean even more Guardians?” She grinned at the round of groans from the Sentinels all around her.
“Like a pocket realm that follows the Sentinels. Not a full realm that would factor into the light/dark battle. We can still share our magic without coming out of the pocket, like Jaxx will be able to see auras and read souls, just as Vyranthos does,” this was Cathal’s lion, Torvath, chiming in now.
He reached out his giant paws and stretched as only big cats can.
"The easiest way to think about it is this.
We are never truly gone. We can still hear you, see through your eyes, and speak with you whenever we wish.
We simply exist beside you instead of apart from you.
For instance, Travis can still complain about water, and I can still complain about Travis.
We just get to do it from the same place now. "
Lyric's ears flicked forward as she looked at Travis. She rubbed her head against his leg. He ruffled her fur, causing her to give him a wolfy grin.
“And if they so choose, the Sentinels can switch places with us and enter that pocket realm letting us be present. They’re also fully cognitive of what’s happening.
But if Liam needs to climb a tree superfast and hide in the shadows, I can take his place,” it was Liam’s leopard, Tharion’s turn to speak.
She rubbed her head against her Sentinel who reached down to smooth his hand between her eyes like she loved.
“Then when they want to return to their form all they have to do is ask and we switch back. Easy peasy. This way we are never separated because we can’t fit, or because someone may be wary of eight apex predators staring at them, especially those two.
” Makani finished with a head tilt towards the dragons and Bréagha grinned.
“So that’s a yes, a long winded yes, but a yes, nonetheless. You are shifters!!!” Sperwa landed on her shoulder, and she looked over. “Wait! Why don’t I get to be a shifter?”
“Cause our bond is different. Guardians won’t be shifting into their familiars, but they’ll share the same powers, just differently.
It’ll become a part of who you are, not a separate entity that will share with you, but something that is innately yours,” explained Sperwa.
“Plus, I would love someone trying to put me in some pocket realm. I wish a soul would try.”
Bréagha cracked up at that, Sperwa always acted like she wasn’t enjoying the movie marathons that her and Roz had but she had started spouting off quotes randomly.
She glanced up at Killian. His amused look just made her giggle more which made him start laughing as well, though he had no idea what had caused her to laugh initially.
Watching her let loose like that never failed to tug a smile from him, especially since it was something he struggled to do himself.
Something shifted even further as he looked down at her smiling face and he rubbed a hand over his heart.
“Did she finally break?” Jaxx whispered as he came to stand beside his brother. Killian chuckled again.
“Probably, it was only a matter of time,” he conceded. They all watched until Bréagha’s giggles quieted. While they’d been occupied, the Elders had walked forward and started inspecting the sigils that were still on the ground, though the light had gone out of them.
Killian walked over to inspect the other ones, Bréagha following his steps.
They got to Jaxx’s first. His was a gold circle with a golden paw in the middle, a tree branch was below it with lightning streaking through it all.
The next was Mason. The sigil under him was the same gold circle as Jaxx’s, though inside his was a set of antlers with vines and leaves twined within them.
Bracken’s was next. His was the same gold circle as the others, clearly there was a pattern here, there was an intricate snowflake with frost where it touched the outer gold circle.
Liam’s was next, which was the opposite to Bracken’s, there was a layer of lava and then a large dancing flame in the middle with embers flying off it.
Next was Travis’s. His had two waves curling around a scepter with a large ball on top with the image of a calm sea.
Next was Cathal’s. His was a pair of golden wings caught in a wind cyclone and spinning into the center.
Lastly was Aiden’s. His was bright pink fog with a bright eight-pointed star in the center.
“That’s the sigil that showed up on the locked door of the walled courtyard. I think it’s supposed to be the Phoenix Guardian,” mused Killian as they all gathered back in the middle and were looking down at the two sigils on the ground where him and Bréagha had stood.
Marcus made detailed drawings of each sigil in his notebook, just in case he couldn’t come back later with a camera. He made a note in his book to also start carrying a camera with him when he was called for Guardian business.
“I’m assuming here, and I could be wrong.
Which is rare but does happen,” started Donegal.
He waited for the chorus of groans to die down, grinning.
“It seems to me like these sigils are representing each realm. Bréagha’s is of course the Phoenix Guardian sigil.
I bet each of our Guardians will discover theirs as they go along. ”
“So the sigil we were standing on. Does that mean we are the Sentinel for whatever Guardian we find in that realm?” questioned Travis who was looking down at his.
“It would seem so, yes,” answered Lily from her place beside Marcus.
“Wait, mine is a snowflake. That means Gelumcrustallos. That place is freaking cold. I don’t want to be the Sentinel there!” Bracken whined.
“What about me? Mine is literally lava and flames which can only mean Flammaimpes. You know what’s there? Nothing but fire and heat and just awful,” complained Liam.
“Oh hell, that means Undanympha for me. I hate water, Lyric hates it more,” moaned Travis.
“Who in their right minds would put a Sentinel with a lion in Aerisnubibus? Why the hell didn’t they put one with a dragon? Who decided this?” asked Cathal.
“I don’t mind mine,” inserted Mason who was grinning from his sigil.
“Yeah, because you got Silvanemus. And Jaxx is more than likely Earth. Those are the only two semi normal realms outside of the Garden,” Bracken said from his place where he was pouting over his sigil.
“Dude, so that leaves what? Spirit? I’m the Sentinel for Spirit?” groaned Aiden and all the Sentinels turned to him.
“Yeah, that’s the worst one. Absolutely, you win,” agreed Bracken as he walked over and patted Aiden on the shoulder.
“And if I’m remembering the prophecy correctly yours is the end game. That’s where it all comes to a close, one way or the other. Dude, that sucks.” Mason said as he too went over and patted Aiden on the shoulder in camaraderie.
“Is the placement of the realm, the order in which the Guardian is found, and the events unfold as they should?” questioned Liam looking over at Marcus and Lily. Marcus wasn’t called Odin for nothing.
“We think so, yes. Earth should be next if I’m interpreting the prophecy correctly.
The Garden was obvious. Wild Heart of Life would more than likely be Silvanemus.
Stillness of Winter is obviously Gelumcrustallos.
Sacred Flame can only be Flammaimpes. Restless Tides is clearly Undanympha, and the Endless Horizon can only be Aerisnubibus.
Many people place the spirit world behind the veil so that would be Spirit.
That leaves the Loyal Protector, and the only realm left would be Earth. ”
“Why don’t we all take a few beats? Let’s go back to the library, Marcus and let these guys rest. It’s been a long few days. We can reconvene and come up with a more detailed game plan, say in two days?” said Drago who saw both Jaxx and Cathal covering yawns during Marcus’s comments.
“Yes, that will give us time to figure out if the placement of these sigils means something as well,” muttered Lily who made a note of their placement. She had started carrying a notebook like Marcus when Roz popped in saying Killian needed them.
Mary and Roz both created multiple portals. Jaxx’s sapphire magic swirled around Vyranthos and Killian’s emerald magic swirled around Kaedryn, both familiars vanishing as the Sentinels walked towards their portal.