Chapter 20

The Understanding

It never appeared in the news.

Not the full story, at least.

Less than twenty-four hours after the conclusion of events at the alchemic settlement, the media went crazy with information on what could have occurred. Sure, the Beastmaster was taken into custody, along with another known Order priest, but details beyond that were unknown. The reporting was shoddy at best and erroneous at worst, but Rico couldn’t blame the news reporters for being unable to come up with an answer to all that had happened.

They only knew what they were told, after all.

“More and more garbage every day!” Maria had shouted upon seeing the newspaper, flinging it to the side wall. Rico cracked an eye open, watching his brunette comrade stomp over to the offending paper and kick it. “The Corps this. The Corps that. Apparently, they’re our great saviors!”

“It was Marcus that ended up putting an end to the conflict,” Carlton spoke, his voice gruff and booming. The others in the room they were squatted in looked to him. “And besides, Maria, we must be grateful. We managed to avoid further trouble, got Rico out safely and were acknowledged.”

“For saving citizens and helping the Corps! What a load of crap!” Maria once more kicked at the wall, causing Lovelia to jump from where she was playing a game next to James. Rico watched them, the youngest of their family. In hindsight of the battle, they were fellow warriors, though still so young. “What about you, Rico? You’ve been so quiet since we snuck away from the alchemic settlement.”

“He has things on his mind…” Carlton argued. Maria didn’t like that, puffing her cheeks out and folding her arms. Rico couldn’t care less. “Though she is right. What’s on your mind, brother?”

Rico grunted, conveying nothing to his brothers and sisters. He knew many were outside, wondering what the next move was now that the Beastmaster was gone, taken into custody by the Corps. They were feeling lost and adrift, their only purpose scattered. The very thought made Rico stop the twirling of his spear and grip it tighter, holding it out. Maria and Carlton both watched it, glittering in the light.

Rico’s lips twitched, mind traveling back to that battle.

He hadn’t expected to get so caught up in it, but now it was providing him a clearer picture. A picture of those he could trust, and those who wavered on the edge. The Beastmaster wasn’t alone in culpability. Rico hooked his spear on his belt and brushed Maria aside to take the newspaper in his own hands while the memories of battle replayed. The struggle with Gaius. The Reaper.

And the man who was the leader of the Guardian Corps, standing proud, as though many had not lost their home.

His eyes traveled to the paper, catching snippets of what was said within.

…heroic actions of the Guardian Corps’ Tempest Squad and Chief Commander Marcus… the reign of the Beastmaster ended, while the Metropolis is on the road to recovery… Perpetrators of the attack a month ago revealed!

The World Restoration Order has been exposed, searching for weapons in a plan to gain “answers”, though the Corps refused to comment on whether they were aware of what that means.

The Renegades were essential in escorting citizens of the alchemic settlement to safety. Perhaps they will become adjacent to the Corps? Only time will tell how these miraculous events will shape the world!

Rico’s hand crushed the newspaper, a scowl tearing his face apart. The lights flickered, until he released his hold, and the paper tumbled as a compressed ball. Carlton let off a sigh, but there was no doubt Maria was grinning.

“You’re angry. I can tell, Rico.”

“We can’t make decisions that way. Rico, this was a good thing.”

“Yes…it was,” Rico said, finally uttering words. They were magnets that drew Lovelia and James to him, watching his every movement. “It opened my eyes to quite a bit. No doubt it’s opened theirs, as well…”

“So, what’s next, Rico? Who do we hunt next?” Maria asked, her face filled with sadistic glee. Rico looked to Lovelia, seeing the determination in her eyes, matched by James. When he reached Carlton, the man sighed, but jerked his head.

“Hunt? We’re not going on a hunt, Maria.” His words surprised her, especially as he made to leave the room. He had words to deliver. “We’re going to send a message.”

“What message, brother?” Lovelia asked.

That, he didn’t share. Instead, he opened the door and looked back. “This has changed things for me. I know now what we’re fighting, and I will make us heard. Call the last faction here. We have much need of planning. So, in the meantime, train up. I’ve no doubt we’ll have need of it soon. No more standing by.”

With that, he exited and slammed the door, unto his own next era.

Meredith was sick.

That was the first clue she had on her location the moment she awoke. Vomit in her throat and nausea in the pit of her stomach, the girl turned over, ready to hurl. The only surprise that came before she could was that she was lying on a bed, though she supposed it was closer to a cot, with rumbles causing it to make little bounces and jumps. Her head hurt something fierce, too.

“Relax, Meredith, sit back,” a soothing voice said. Meredith felt hands on her, moving her to sit against a wall and even her breath out. Her vision became sharper, focusing on the woman in front of her with her hair tucked behind her ears.

“Emily…?” said Meredith, her voice sounding foreign with craggy tones. The auburn-haired woman nodded, placing a hand on Meredith’s stomach. The nausea went away, but Meredith’s throat remained dry. The lieutenant of Tempest Squad noticed this and grabbed the teen’s bottle of water. Meredith drank it gratefully, able to restore her vocal chords. “Where?”

“You’re on the Defender, lower deck. We keep recovery rooms and the prison cells here,” Emily informed her. Meredith took a moment to process that, nodding with every new piece of information that made it through her slow-working brain.

While she did, she let herself look around the room she was in. Most details were insignificant, but Meredith found her own belongings, including the gleaming sword that was placed atop her bag, right next to her usual blade. That one had almost shattered to pieces. Pulling away, Meredith noticed the other beds in the cabin, tossed over like people had left them just recently. Only one remained occupied, its owner’s glasses on the nearest table.

“Ray…”

Emily sighed. Her healing duties complete, the lieutenant retreated to her captain’s side, looking down on him with a mix of consternation and love. Meredith watched her brother resting, recovering from the battle. She couldn’t help but worry, though Emily soon put any of those thoughts to rest. “Your brother will be just fine, foolish captain that he is. Just exhaustion and wounds. I’ve taken care of most of them. He’ll be fine once we get back to base.”

“Oh…that’s good, then,” Meredith said with a nod. Knowing that he was okay, Meredith allowed herself to sit back and compose her mind. The others weren’t there, and she wondered if they were okay, or what had happened in the aftermath of the settlement. Unlike her recovery in the Metropolis, there was no television with news to tell her. All she could do was ask the woman that brushed Raymond’s hair aside. “What happened after we passed out?”

“Not much.” Emily stopped her action and sat down on a chair, facing the black-haired teen. Meredith sat up a little straighter, wincing from the bruises and light scarring on her shoulder and leg. Clearly, healing magic hadn’t fixed everything. “With the Order members taken care of, Bruce and Trent lugged you all out. They’re currently back at the settlement, but we haven’t gotten further reports. Some of the cult escaped, but thanks to Chief Commander Marcus, we managed to capture the one called Gaius. He and the Beastmaster are on transport with us right now, so be careful when you leave. They’re not in the best of moods.”

She could imagine. Gaius’s panic had painted a picture of the man that revealed the starved and crazed fanatic underneath, so wholly devoted to his goddess, he could see little else. Every thought directed that way looped right back around to the Reaper. Her hand shook, but she still sought to ask. “What about the Reaper and…Silva?”

“Gone. Not a trace of either, or the Weapon they were guarding.” Meredith tightened her fist to stop the shaking. “The Chief Commander has a plan, but there are things in the way for now. No doubt once he gets a full scope of the situation, he’ll have us make some moves. I wouldn’t worry.”

“Are the people safe, then?”

“Very much so. We owe a debt of gratitude to you and your friends, as well as the Renegades, though they disappeared as quickly as the Reaper,” Emily explained. She was smiling, but Meredith took little comfort from it.

She had failed. That’s all there was to it.

Despite having forged the blade, and taking that stride forward, she had little in the way of answers. When it came down to it, she’d been at the utter mercy of the Reaper and Devourer. She had to rely on Raymond and Tempest Squad, Marcus, and even the powers of Rico and his Renegades to do what she couldn’t. What they couldn’t.

I’m such a failure…

Her knees moved up, allowing Meredith to wrap her arms around them. Emily either didn’t notice or saw no need to comment upon it. In large part, that was thanks to Raymond groaning for water, though he did not wake. Still, Emily fussed over him, allowing Meredith to turn her thoughts elsewhere, to the blade. She closed her eyes.

You’re not a failure, Meredith. You’re just afraid.

“But that’s the problem,” Meredith said, opening them once more and finding herself in that world of white. “I was so scared, I couldn’t do anything. It was no different than the Metropolis, where I had to rely on my brother to save me. I thought I’d gotten stronger, but…”

The Earth-Splitter remained unsettlingly silent. His steps were the same, wordless as he crouched to her level. “Do you really think a warrior never has fear?”

“Isn’t that what it means to be a Guardian?”

“A Guardian must always know fear. How can we understand those who feel it constantly, otherwise?” The Earth-Splitter yet again took her hands in his, and she felt free to observe him. He was older, but kind. Rugged, but soft. His brown hair and green eyes reflected a man of purpose, one who’d seen many of life’s trials and came out changed. “Never abandon fear. Just…overcome it.”

“I thought I had,” she told him. “I thought I had in the Trial of Self. That was what allowed me to pass on.”

“Then maybe you walked away with the wrong thing. Not every trial is going to be right. There will be setbacks. But remember…”

“I’m not alone.” She understood it, in theory, but it felt like a concept so far away that it did nothing to abate her fears. “But I’m still so scared…what if I meet them again? What if I’m unable to do a single thing?”

“Then focus on saving one person. One life.” The answer, something so counter to the Corps’ doctrine made her tilt her head, locking gazes with the still-enigmatic Earth-Splitter. “If you can find the courage to do that, then you’ll be able to overcome any obstacle. Even the Reaper.”

“Courage…I thought I had that.”

“You do. You just don’t realize it yet because you’re lacking in strength. Strength I can teach you. Something you can master, if you’ll work with me,” the Earth-Splitter said to her. He let go and she was suddenly looking at his retreating back. “Remember, Meredith. Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s overcoming it. I’ll help you.”

“With everything?”

“With everything.”

Meredith, inside that realm of souls, stood and approached the man. Her heart was still feeling the tremors of fear, but she knew what she had to do now. She knew she’d be guided now. So, there was only one thing left. “Just one thing…what should I really call you?”

He bent his head back, sending a smirk over at her. “For now, just call me Terrill. Terrill Jacobs.”

His name given, the realm of souls passed away from Meredith’s vision, returning her to where she’d left herself. Her gaze was still on the blade, but she brought herself to smile. With that, Meredith swung her legs off the bed and on to the wooden floor. Emily took notice. Meredith slipped her feet in her shoes and grabbed her items.

“All better then?”

“For now. You said the others are outside?” The redhead nodded. “Thanks for everything. Look after my brother.”

“I’m his lieutenant. I’m used to cleaning up his messes.” The two shared a laugh. Then, Meredith left the room, gripping the Earth-Splitter…no, Terrill’s entrusted soul, in her hand.

The infirmary led to a corridor, lined with cells and leading to stairs. Meredith knew what to expect from Emily’s warning, and she kept her head high as she walked, avoiding the gaze of anyone who might be in the cells. Only near the end was she waylaid by a laugh in the darkness. Her momentary glance offered her a full view of Caleb and Gaius, bound in the darkness of the prison cells. The former was grinning, his tongue snaking out in threat, but Gaius was staring with a mix of defeat and malevolence.

She glared at them in turn, and began to walk up the stairs.

“Believe your safety all you want, girl. The Reaper is coming. You won’t last. Your world will fall, usher in the next.”

Meredith stopped with Caleb’s warning. She wished to challenge him and refute him, but found no words. He was a man defeated; pitiable and lost. His reign of terror was over, and she would no longer let him get under her skin. There were far more important things to think about.

She walked on, up the stairs and out the door.

Sea breeze was the first thing she smelled, reminding her of home. To her pleasure, the urge to puke didn’t join it, and she was able to muster up the peace that came with the wind and the sea. Her pace slowed, taking in the freedom. Maybe it had been the battle underground, or the eternally dark sky above the settlement, but seeing the sun and feeling the air made her…alive.

The only thing that enhanced that feeling was the familiar set of voices, chatting like old friends, if contentious ones.

“You totally passed out before the rest of us. I had to carry you.”

“I’m denying it the whole way. I’m the carrier here.”

“You make it sound like you’re diseased…which would explain your lack of brains.”

“Vivian, can you not insult people for just…one second? Maybe?” Eddie’s chastising voice brought a giggle to Meredith’s lips. “I swear, Mr. Max leaves you behind and you just get worse! It’s like a barb a minute!”

“It’s in her nature. Haven’t you realized that, Eddie?” Meredith asked, cocking her hips to the side. All three finally noticed her standing there, unable to find words. Not that Eddie needed them, his face lighting up. “Vivian’s just a jerk to everyone she meets. And now she lacks her usual punching bag. Where is Max, by the way?”

“Viv probably pushed him off the skyship for being useless,” Emil commented, but he was soon shoved, himself. The dirty-blond gripped to the railing, his scarf fluttering in the breeze while he remained firmly on the ship. “You could’ve killed me!”

“Don’t be obtuse. I wouldn’t dare do such a thing in front of the Corps. And for the record, Max elected to stay behind from what I understand. Father called him home once he heard we were involved at the settlement,” Vivian said. Her arms were folded, nose stuck in the air as she addressed them. It only took moments for her to frown directly at Meredith. “And it’s about time you woke up.”

“Didn’t know you cared so much, Viv.”

“I don’t, I was more interested in…that.” Her finger was pointing to the Earth-Splitter. Meredith laughed.

“It’s nothing all that special,” she said. Her bag was slung off her shoulders, but Meredith remained holding to it while she approached the railing. “Just another sword.”

“That the bad guys were after,” Eddie said. Meredith conceded the point with a nod.

“Who knows why, though? I certainly don’t. Not yet,” she told them. “But I’ll get stronger. Then I’ll have some answers.”

“Well, if you’re getting stronger, I’ll have no choice but to do the same,” Vivian countered with. The two girls glared at each other, making Eddie double over with stitches of laughter. Both looked away after that, before Emil slung his arms around them.

“Until then, guess we’re stuck together.”

“Get off,” the girls said at the same time. Emil didn’t listen, and they both gripped his fingers to force him off. He yelped, but changed targets to Eddie.

“They’re so mean to me, Eddie! You’re my friend, right?” Eddie patted him on the back, though Emil didn’t look consoled. He pouted, removing his arm and looking towards the sea, grin turning to a frown. “World’s changing, I guess.”

“Where did that come from?” Meredith said. Emil shrugged, looking over the horizon. The sun was a fiery orange, creeping below the horizon and bringing a distant building into sharp relief. None could make it out, but something about it excited Meredith.

“Just everything. The Order. The Corps. I feel like things are different,” Emil said. His sigh traveled across the ocean and he ran a hand through his hair. “Wonder what Rico is up to. The rest of the Order. What’s in store for us. Not sure if it’ll be a good or bad thing.”

“Oh, like it matters,” Vivian said in a huff. “My future is the trials. I’ll make up for any failures that way. Don’t expect to stay ahead for long, Meredith.”

Meredith blinked, but accepted the challenge with a smirk.

“Ah, a good, healthy rivalry. Always fires up the battler in a candidate, and we’ve no finer than you four.” The teens felt their jaws drop. They hadn’t heard him approach, but joining them on the deck was the still-imposing form of Marcus. If anything, Meredith felt he was an even greater figure, now that she had seen him battle. “You’re a fine representation of the Corps, while still being rough around the edges.”

“But, sir, I’m not a candidate,” Eddie told him. Marcus briefly chuckled and winked at the boy.

“Maybe not, but you acted the part of a Guardian back at the settlement,” he said. Like Emil before him, the man encircled the quartet in his arms. “Thank you. Your efforts, along with the others involved, protected many people when I could not. You proved to me some things I thought were lost.

“That’s why I’d like to make you Honorary Guardians. After the interrogations are finished. We still need a fuller picture.”

“Wait, ‘Honorary Guardians’?” Meredith asked. Vivian, too, looked confused, tilting her head to one side.

“Where exactly are we going?”

The answer to that became clearer with every movement forward. The former fear and self-loathing disappeared, melting into the sea as a new excitement bubbled. On that horizon, drawing closer and becoming bigger than life, was a castle. It was one she’d only seen in pictures, but they all knew it by sight. Now, they were about to be there.

“A castle on a sea. Nothing more beautiful,” Marcus told them. He thumped them all on the back, surveying the sight with a sad smile. With a bittersweet, soft voice, he confirmed, “Welcome to Corps Castle, the primary base of the Guardian Corps.”

The teens approached the edge, staring at the awesome sight. They were within reach.

“Chief Commander,” Meredith began to ask, “you’re sure about this? About us?”

In answer, Marcus joined them in staring over the edge, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Yes. I think I am, Miss Childs. I have no doubts at all.”

Meredith felt the beaming smile split her face, wavering between tears of joy and splitting laughter. Marcus tapped her one more time and then continued to survey the sea with a contented sigh. She observed him, particularly the way he held himself. It had never changed: Marcus was still the person she aspired to be. Fearless. Kind. Strong.

And now he saw potential. The potential to give her another step forward and push her on that road.

There’s no telling what the future holds, she thought, as Corps Castle came into detailed view. Her hands slipped to her sides and she felt both Eddie and Emil place theirs upon hers. The quartet stood there, watching the sea with the Chief Commander. But we’ll overcome our doubts and fears. We’ll get stronger. Together.

I look forward to working with you, Terrill.

The sword answered with the warmth in her hand.

And Meredith Childs flew forth into the sunset with her companions, ready to continue her adventure.

Ocean. Ocean as far as the eye could see.

What lay beyond it, they couldn’t know, but it was ever-so-calming to watch. The waves lapped back and forth, coating the sand and the grassy hillock. Seafoam collected around the embankment and the breeze splashed the water into a fine mist, coating the axe but giving it no signs of rust.

The Reaper sighed, bereavement echoing on the sea.

“You’re sad,” the woman said. “Is it because you lost your arms and legs?”

“Sad?” The Reaper asked, gaze turning over to the Winter. She stood behind them, arms folded behind her back. “Perhaps, but not for that reason. I can suffer some losses. I’ll replace them soon enough. Just a prod in the right direction is all they’ll need. Fear will consume them and drive them to me.”

“You’re lying to yourself. You only watch the sea when you need to remind yourself.”

Yes, they supposed. Yes, they were lying to themselves. The Reaper sighed, reaching out to the soaked axe. It felt so flawless and perfect, that relic of an age long past.

“How many more? How many more before it is fulfilled?”

“You knew your path,” the Winter spoke. Her feet, like ice, crunched across the grass and kneeled to the Reaper’s level. They did not expect it, but did not resist as she wrapped her arms around their body. “That is why we follow you. For a better world. A world with answers. A world where none are abandoned, because we’ll be the same. I always admired that conviction; the conviction to know which lives are necessary.”

“Yes…” The Reaper raised their hand, as if they wished to caress the Winter, but thought better of it. “Thank you. You never let me waver, no matter my doubt. I shall see this through.”

“Already it has begun,” she said, a whisper in their ear as the sea’s restless waves beat on and on. “Our Deceiver is in their midst. We need only tip the scales.”

“In time…” the Reaper said, offering another sigh. They felt tired, a scream echoing in their soul. Mixed with nostalgia for the most beautiful sight, the Reaper forced a pained smile, soon made genuine. “In time.

“For now, just let me rest.”

The Winter quietly removed her hands and began to walk away, never looking back.

The sun set below the sea, giving one last glittering gasp that made the axe and sea burn like fire.

The Reaper continued to watch the waves, a smile on their face in hopes of a better tomorrow.

TO BE CONTINUED