Awakened Guardians Page 2

  But I was getting ahead of myself. I didn’t even really know why she was calling me, other than to talk about some job or assignment. That was probably all it was, another job for me to do, or another errand for me to run.

  “Are we ready?” Britta asked, before I grabbed my jacket and pulled it on.

  “Now is as good a time as any,” I said, and she grabbed Charlie and me.

  Within seconds I was standing outside Pote’s tent, my feet planted firmly in the mud, as I looked around at the camp. Nothing had changed. Celerius, a centaur, glanced at me and nodded with a small smile. I nodded back, always loving to see him, when Britta broke my attention.

  “Okay, are you ready?” she asked, nudging me.

  “Yeah,” I said, and the three of us walked inside.

  “Welcome back, Lexa. I’m glad you decided to come speak with me, it’s important,” she said, sitting behind her desk.

  “Thank you for considering me for this job,” I said, nodding.

  “I’m going to be absolutely blunt with you, Lexa. I need something stolen,” she said, her fingers laced in front of her.

  “You what?” I asked, in shock. I was almost blown off my feet. I couldn’t believe it, and I didn’t want to. I just gave up a job stealing a lot of money to do this, which I thought would be honorable?

  She sat there with such conviction, saying it as if in passing, while I felt a turmoil of emotions roil inside me. I didn’t want to steal from people any longer. I wanted to leave that behind, but my past always came back to visit me again no matter how far away I ran. I guess I’d always be looked at as a thief.

  “I know you must have a million things running through your mind right now, but I can assure you this is both safe and the right thing to do. You aren’t stealing from a person,” she said, standing up, before walking to the table in the center of her tent.

  “Okay, that makes it a little better, I suppose,” I said.

  “We need you to find something, an artifact, that has been lost for three millennia,” she said, pulling out a file and opening the folder. “It’s called the Oxinora, and it’s a large crystal that Merlin himself is said to have searched for and failed to find.”

  “What does it do?” Britta asked, her studious mind tickled and intrigued.

  “The legend says that it has the ability to give eternal life to the person who possesses it. That explains why Kiren wants to find it. It would prevent death from ever knocking on his door,” Pote said.

  “Why did Merlin want it so badly, and how did he, of all wizards, fail?” I asked.

  “He wanted to destroy it, actually. He thought that sort of power was far too much for any single person to possess, and that it would be especially fatal in the wrong hands,” she said.

  “Shame he couldn’t do it. It would be saving us a lot of fear with Kiren,” Charlie said.

  “He probably didn’t find it because it wasn’t hidden to be found. They say it’s a fable, a myth, that was put out there to taunt those who seek to control the power of immortality, but we know it’s real. It’s just finding it that will be the issue,” Pote said.

  “Why do you think I’ll find it if Merlin couldn’t? Surely he was a better mage than I am,” I said.

  “Because I have faith in you, Lexa. You’ll also have our full support and resources, which Merlin didn’t,” she said. “We are also prepared to compensate you for your troubles.”

  “What exactly are we talking?” I asked.

  “Fifty gold if you are unsuccessful, and two hundred if you bring it back to us in one piece,” she said.

  My heart dropped, my stomach clenching up, as I tried to run the numbers through my head. I could go and come back with nothing, and I’d still get paid fifty gold coins, let alone if I actually found it and brought it back. I could do anything with that kind of money.

  “So, what do you say? Are you in?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll take that,” I said happily.

  “You’ll need a partner for this task. It’s too dangerous to do it alone,” she said.

  “I’ll do it,” Charlie said, stepping forward.

  “Charlie, I appreciate your willingness to help your friend, but we need to make sure you aren’t found out,” Pote said.

  “I have vacation time, I’ll use that. Lexa and I are partners, and we’re fully in sync. If anybody is going to one-hundred-percent have her back out there, it’s me. I want to do it,” he said, with a hard conviction in his tone.

  “If you would like to do it, then it will be done. I must warn you, though, the trip won’t be easy, nor will it be forgiving. The terrain you will be in is dangerous to even the most seasoned and experienced veterans,” Pote said.

  “I can handle anything,” Charlie said.

  “Where exactly are we going?” I asked, never even thinking to ask where this crystal was supposed to be hidden.

  “Africa. Your journey will begin inside a little oasis which I believe the two of you are very familiar with,” Pote said.

  “Oh no, not that place again,” Charlie said, shaking his head in disgust.

  “We’ll leave in the morning,” I said, and the three of us left her tent.

  “Lexa, this is insane. We weren’t exactly welcome visitors there before, you know,” Charlie said.

  “Yeah, but if anybody is going to know about this thing, it’s going to be criminals. We won’t stay long, just long enough to find out where the crystal is. It will take two days, maybe three, and we’ll make out like bandits,” I said.

  “You will, not me, but I’m happy to help,” Charlie said.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Britta asked, looking at Charlie. “This is a big commitment.”

  “She needs me. I can’t have Pote partnering her with some random person from the camp. She needs somebody she can trust, and somebody she can count on. That’s me,” Charlie said, pointing his thumb at his chest like only he would.

  “Fine, but please be careful. A few days, remember?” she asked, before leaning in and kissing him goodbye.

  “A few days, I promise,” he said.

  •••

  “Are you ready to go?” Charlie asked, as he slipped his backpack around his shoulders. His looked stuffed to the brim, filled with beef jerky no doubt, while mine was a little more normal. I didn’t pack much—some snacks, clothes, including a few fresh pairs of socks, and my spell book to read in case we got ourselves into a dilemma. I figured I wouldn’t need much to get around out there in the desert.

  “Let’s go for it,” I said.

  “Wait!” I heard, and I stopped and pivoted to see Pote coming towards us.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked.

  “Here, take these,” she said, handing over a bunch of coins. “You’ll need these for any food or drinks, as well as housing and possibly bartering.”

  “We aren’t going to be gone long,” I said, smiling.

  “This crystal hasn’t been seen in millennia, and I just don’t want you both to be stranded without what you need. I’ll see you when you return,” she said, before walking off.

  “Looks like we’re going crazy tonight,” Charlie said, reaching for the coins.

  “Don’t think so,” I said, quickly closing my hand and putting the coins deep within my pack. “Let’s go.”

  I took out my wand, imagining the little sandstone outpost we’d once visited, before Charlie grabbed onto me and my magic sucked us into a vacuum. We fell from the sky, about five feet up, face-planting into the hot Moroccan sand. It was so fine it fell off my hands like water.

  “Great landing,” he said, brushing the sand out of his hair.

  “Be glad I have the powers to teleport us. You’ll be happy about it later,” I said. It was just like old times already, bickering like an old married couple on the job. I couldn’t say I’d want it any other way, though.

  The sandstone building appeared even more weathered than the last time I’d seen it, the same rusty meta
l sign swinging above the building entrance. I took out my wand, tapping it on the cracked wooden door, before the seal broke and sand flew around us in the wind. “Candelae,” I said, my wand lighting up the barren weather-abused room.

  “There it is. Ready for this?” Charlie asked, as we looked at the portal into the oasis.

  “Remember, we aren’t auditors. Well, I’m not, anyway, but try to leave that behind. This mission is for mankind, mortal and magical alike. Let’s get it done and move on,” I said, as Charlie nodded.

  We walked through the portal, falling back into the same spot we had before, the towering palm trees a welcome change from the vast blanket of sand we’d stood in just seconds prior.

  “Get hydrated,” he said, before shifting and taking a drink from the stream flowing around the perimeter. I cupped my hands, feeling the cold water slide smoothly down my throat, coating it as the searing temperatures around me lessened the more I drank.

  “Okay,” I said, wiping the dribble from my chin, “we need to get talking to the locals here.”

  “Do you think we should talk about a strategy first?” he asked.

  “Like what? I was just going to ask them about it,” I said.

  “Yeah, but isn’t that not what we want to do, in case they try to go for it instead?” he asked.

  “Charlie, this isn’t a normal job, this is for an object most people don’t even think is real. We just need their fables, and maybe they have an idea where the item has been rumored to be all this time. Then we can move out,” I said.

  “I guess you’re right,” he said, so we walked into the first pub we came across, which we happened to have visited long before.

  “Back for a second round?” Gorlon, the pub owner, asked as we walked inside.

  “Hey Gorlon, how are you?” I asked, walking up to the counter.

  A wart perched on the tip of his bulbous nose, Gorlon wasn’t exactly the prettiest pub owner in the land, but then again I’d never met an attractive pub owner in my life, and I’d been to a lot of them. He didn’t look surprised or intimidated by us coming here, even though he knew we were with M.A.G.I.C. the last time we came in. I guess he was telling the truth before about not wanting any trouble in his pub.

  “I ain’t got anybody here to give up to you,” he said, snorting and spitting into a metal spittoon on the side of the counter.

  “We aren’t here for that. I don’t even work for them anymore,” I said, sitting at the counter.

  “Oh yeah? Why?” he asked.

  “Just didn’t work out. You know how it goes,” I said.

  “Yeah, I guess. What are you having?” he asked.

  “I’ll have a whiskey and cola on the rocks,” I said, defaulting to my usual drink.

  “You?” he asked, looking at Charlie.

  “Oh, um, I’ll do the same,” he said, shrugging.

  “Got it,” Gorlon said, before walking off to mix the drinks.

  “You sure about that?” I asked, laughing a little.

  “How bad can it be? You drink it,” Charlie said.

  “Okay,” I said, laughing.

  “So I refuse to think that you’re just here to visit. Nobody comes to these parts, to this oasis, just to chit-chat and have a little reunion. Why are you two out here again?” Gorlon asked, as he brought back our spotted glasses.

  I took a swig of my drink, swirling around the ice cubes, as I looked him straight in the eyes. “You ask a lot of questions for a guy who prides himself on not asking a lot of questions,” I said.

  “I’ve got to make sure people ain’t bringing trouble into my pub,” he said.

  “Nah, we aren’t bringing any trouble. We’re actually treasure hunting,” I said, and I noticed a man at the end of the pub perk up.

  “Ain’t much to find around here,” Gorlon said, laughing a little, before coughing.

  “Treasure hunting, you say?” the man asked, before walking over and sitting down by me. “What are you searching for?”

  “Looking for the Oxinora. Heard of it?” I asked, taking another swig.

  “Oh geez, I thought you were searching for something real,” he snorted, laughing like an old prospector.

  “So you don’t believe in it?” Charlie asked.

  “Kid, thousands of creatures over the eons have searched for that damned thing. Thousands more have died doing it. It ain’t real, I’ll tell you that,” he said.

  “I heard Merlin himself couldn’t even find it. Probably don’t exist,” Gorlon added, hanging over the bar top.

  “Can’t blame a girl for wanting to look, though, can you? After all, its powers are supposed to be pretty great,” I said.

  “Who wants to live forever? It’s a long time, you know,” Gorlon said.

  “In the wrong hands it could be disastrous,” the other man said.

  “What’s your name, anyway?” I asked, intrigued.

  “They call me Petey, but I’ve also gone by many other names,” he said.

  “We came here because we heard that the crystal is hidden somewhere around these parts,” I said.

  “Well, I don’t know what dipstick told you that, but if the Oxinora is real, it sure ain’t sitting around these dunes, that’s for damn sure,” Petey said, taking a sip of his watered-down beer.

  “Well, then where is it?” Charlie asked.

  “The only rumors I’ve heard put it somewhere southeast, towards Lake Natron,” Petey said.

  “You don’t want to go down there, it’ll kill ya. Besides, the journey is long enough to make your head spin,” Gorlon said.

  “What’s wrong with it? It’s that hostile?” I asked.

  “Hostile? Girl, you don’t know the first thing about hostility. The lake itself is practically made of salt, and the water, if you can call it that, is as red as blood,” Petey said.

  “If that stuff gets on you, you’ll have a bad time,” Gorlon said.

  “Not only that, but the fumes that come off there from the evaporation will knock you unconscious and make you see folks that ain’t there. You’ll hallucinate and go mad, I tell ya,” Petey said.

  “We can deal with that, I guess. I might have some spells to protect against the fumes and salt,” I said, looking at Charlie.

  “Those are just the natural barriers that prevent humans from entering,” Petey said.

  “Yeah, then you’ll have to deal with the harpies. There’s a huge nest of them there, protecting the land and area around it,” Gorlon said.

  “How many are we talking?” Charlie asked.

  “Hundred?” Petey asked, looking at Gorlon.

  “I’d say more than that, if you were to go deep inside the nest. They protect the flamingoes that breed there and keep the area pristine from humans trying to destroy it for industry. They thrive in the caustic gases around the lake,” Gorlon said.

  “We have to take those kinds of chances in this line of work,” I said.

  “Lexa, can I talk to you over here?” Charlie asked, tugging me aside.

  “What is it?” I asked, as we walked over to the corner, where the guys couldn’t hear us.

  “We don’t have the capability to take on that many magical creatures alone, especially if we don’t even know that this thing is out there. This guy sounds a little mental, if you ask me, and it’s not like he knows anything for certain. I’m not even sure his name is Petey, I think he made it up because he can’t remember his real name,” Charlie said, panicked.

  “Think of it, Charlie. It makes perfect sense hiding something that affords immortality in a place that creates death. Having the harpies there to guard it would mean that nobody would ever be able to get to it,” I said, excited.

  “Okay, it’s freaking me out that you’re this pumped to try to go do this. What happens when we’re attacked, or we breathe the fumes and die?” he asked.

  “I’ll make sure we don’t, I promise. Besides, my magic and shields will be enough to prevent them from hurting us, or I could always use Obscuri
o and they’d never even know we were there. Trust me, we’ve got this,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder.

  “Why did I agree to this?” he asked, as we walked back to the bar.

  “How long will it take to trek there?” I asked.

  “Oh, you can’t do that,” Petey said, laughing. “Driving there alone takes about six days, and flying is fourteen hours to even get to Nairobi. The trek ain’t easy, but one could say it’s worth it.”

  “If you get it, bring it back here and give me a little jolt. Maybe I could add ten years to the old clock,” Gorlon said, smiling.

  “And you’re sure it’s there?” I asked, looking at them both.

  “Sweetheart, all we can go on are stories and legends and nothing else. I think it’s out there, Petey thinks it’s out there, and you deserve the thing if you can survive the terrain, climate, and harpies. Just be sure to watch your back,” Gorlon said.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “More powerful mages than you have gone in and never came back out. Don’t think you’ll be any different,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Where can we get a flight?” I asked, ready to throw caution to the wind and head out there. I figured we could always teleport back if it were that bad.

  “Sorry, but the next plane doesn’t leave for another two days. It only goes down there once a week. I can give you the place, but it’ll cost you two silver coins each for safe passage,” Gorlon said, pulling out a little card.

  “The money isn’t a problem,” I said, thinking of the sack of coins inside my pack safe and sound.

  “Here, give this to the counter with the metal plane above it five minutes down the road. That’ll let them know I sent you and that you’re legit,” Gorlon said, handing me the card.

  “Here, thank you for the drinks, and your troubles,” I said, sliding him over a silver coin for our drinks, before getting my pack on and walking out.

  “Cheers, kid. Good luck,” he said, as we left his pub.

  As we walked down the road, I kept an eye out for wanted signs. I hadn’t seen any bounty posters with my face plastered on them since we’d gotten here. Either Kiren hadn’t gotten out here yet, or he didn’t think it necessary. After all, this was an oasis for mainly criminals, and I guess he didn’t think I’d be showing my face out and about. I was thankful for his ignorance.