BAM - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The leader wanted Ayra and Moira to leave so we couldn’t come up with an escape-plan. He’d already figured out that I was sort of the leader of our group.

In fact, I was only the one that kept us safe and together, that made sure things were done, that everybody was healthy and that nothing we did would raise suspicion. I was the soul of our group, as well as the backbone, the muscle and the conscious mind. Ayra was the heart, she always kept everyone good-hearted and friendly and she made everyplace feel like home. Moira was something completely different though. Moira could be described as the unconscious mind. She was practical and calm. She was also the ears and eyes of our group. She kept her ears and eyes out for suspicion, and in the mean time, she’d tune into her knowledge of Ayra and me and kept tabs on us and listened with a practised ear to us.

Right now, however, I had no idea how to escape. Right there on the plane, we could only jump out of the plane with parachutes, but neither Ayra or Moira or me had ever done that before, and I wasn’t willing to risk our lives.

So the only thing left was escaping when we landed, but I didn’t see much possibilities there either, because we’d be landing on the airport of the Academy. The only time I’d ever been to the airport, on a tour around the school-grounds, it had been packed with Guardians because later that day, a Royal Princess would arrive. It had been Ayra at the time, back before I’d ever talked to her.

I knew it would be packed with Guardians once again, to welcome the Princess home, and protect her.

So unless I could fight of all those Guardians, there would be no way Ayra, Moira and I were going to get away. We’d just have to wait a while until they were satisfied we wouldn’t run, and then take off again.

Just before Ayra left, she made eye-contact with me. Through the bond she told me: We’re scared, Bri. What if it happens all over again? Will we run again? They’re sure to watch us more closely now. Will you be able to take us away again, if that’s the right thing to do? Will you protect us? Always?

“It’s fine. It’ll be fine. I promise,” I told her.

She left feeling calmer.

Jason decided to stay by my side to keep me in my seat and to make sure I’d be okay. So he took the seat next to me.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked me.

“I’ll heal.”

“Do you need to be checked for concussions of anything? Or do you need more blood?”

“You have no idea how healing works, do you? Anyway, I’m fine. I’ll be okay in a few hours and after I’ve had some sleep, I’m sure I’ll be fit as ever.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. And actually, why do you give a crap?”

“Well, for one because you’re a Vartija. You’re one of us. We protect the Hurma and the Tiruca of course, but we take care of our own as often as we can. And for two, I’m actually the one who did this to you, so I’m here to make sure I didn’t do too much damage.”

“Yeah, yeah, all right, whatever.”

“I really am sorry I cracked your skull.”

“What did you use to hit me? A baseball bat?”

“A brick, actually. It was the only thing I could find that might take you out of the action. You’re skull is seriously strong. The brick split in two when I hit you.”

“I know. I heard it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Could have guessed it was you. You didn’t strike me as the obeying type. More like a undertaking on. Well, it doesn’t matter. Nothing can now be done to change what happened in the past.”

“Talking of the past, what did you exactly promise the Princess?”

“That I’d be fine.”

“You know as well as I do that that’s not the entire truth.”

“Whatever.”

The rest of the flight passed in silence. We really were nearly there.

When the plane landed, we got out and left for the campus.

As I’d expected, the entire airport was loaded with Guardians. As was the road.

The airport was just a couple of miles away, but there were jeeps and other cars everywhere to transport the visitors and the students back and forth.

We got in a big black jeep and left almost immediately. The entire time, the Guardians kept a close watch on us, to make sure we didn’t escape. But nobody watched us as close as Jason. He noticed every twitch.

The girls were terrified of what they’d have to face, so I did what I could to calm them, with my body language and by taking the fear away from them through the bond. I also sent strength back into them, because they were exhausted.

When we finally got to campus, we walked straight to the headmistress’ office.

Ayra and Moira were now swaying on their feet, so carefully I took most of their weariness away from them. However, I had no choice but to put it on myself, so now I was even more tired. Still, I was more adapted to challenge and I was able to handle it a lot better than the girls. And of course, I wouldn’t take too long before I could go to sleep.

The leader knocked on the door and a few seconds later the door was opened by Headmistress Bianchi.

She hadn’t changed in the slightest. Her hair was still dark grey, as were her eyes that looked severe behind her rectangular glasses that stood high on her strong and straight nose. She wore a grey suit, like she always did, and her pointy shoes were just as grey.

“Guardians, thank you for your efforts to get them here. You did the Brádu a great favour,” she thanked the Guardians with her Italian-accented voice.

Then she looked at Ayra and Moira.

“Princess Islana,” she addressed Ayra with a small courtesy. “I’m glad to have you back, safe and sound. And to have you back as well, Miss Peterson. You never should have let Miss Shields take you from our care. But the important thing is that you’re back now. Today, you should rest and then tomorrow we’ll talk about how the two of you are going to catch up with all you’ve missed so that you’ll still be able to graduate this year,” she said warmly and motherly.

“Rest would be wonderful, Miss Bianchi, but there’s no need to talk about catching up, because we’re not behind on our studies, for we’ve kept up with it over the years on Brianna’s orders, so that if we were to return, we would still be up to date,” Ayra said, always polite.

“Really? Well, that’s most certainly unexpected. Tomorrow we shall get you a schedule and you’ll be able to start your lessons.”

Then she turned to me.

She didn’t spoke a word, she just tried to stare me down.

It didn’t work.

“If you’re going to get mad, get mad, because this silence isn’t doing anyone any good,” I told her. “Excuse me for the bluntness, but most every Guardian in here and Ayra, Moira and I could surely use some rest, right now, instead of having to wait. So, please, can we get this over with?”

She still didn’t say a word.

“Fine, then. I’ll hold a monologue,” I said. “I kept them safe by taking them away. But it wasn’t even my idea to leave, you know. I didn’t tell them that they had to come. She came to Moira and me to tell us she was leaving and that nothing we said could keep her from it. She said it was because she didn’t feel safe. I didn’t want to leave in the first place, but I had an obligation to Ayra, because her parents would have wanted me to stay with her and guard her. So I went with her to keep her safe. I told Moira she couldn’t come with us and had to stay behind, but she refused and came with us. They made the decision themselves. I only went with them to protect them, as I have.”

“You could have gotten them killed. You could have run into Paha!” Bianchi finally spoke.

“We did.”

“Wait, what?!”

“I said that we did run into Paha. Several, actually.”

“Lying won’t improve your situation, Miss Shields.”

“She’s telling the truth, actually, Miss Bianchi. When we found them she looked like hell and said that they’d run into five Paha earlier, and that she had fought and killed them. So naturally, we sent someone to check it out. He followed the trail of blood she’d left behind and found signs of a battle and several heaps of ash which were big enough for five or six Paha. She did fight and kill them all, without having had all the proper training. On her we also found a stake, which had blood on it. She’d used it without being trained in using it.

“In the alley we found them in, she told us that she wouldn’t come with us and that neither would the Princess and Miss Peterson. We thought it would be easy to subdue her, but she fought us with techniques that we’ve never even seen before. On top of that, she also seemed to know where we’d be before we had actually moved there and what we were going to do against her.

“Miss Shields is very capable of fighting Paha and protecting her charges,” the leader said.

Hm. He was nicer than I’d originally thought. Still stiff and a bit narrow-minded, but kind.

“Show me,” Bianchi ordered.

“What?”

“The techniques.”

“What, right now?

“Yes, now,” Bianchi said impatiently.

“Oh. Come on! You cannot be serious! I killed six Paha and fought off ten Guardians before being knocked out because my skull had cracked when someone hit me with a brick. And on top of that, I haven’t slept in over two days! Let me sleep, please! I’ll show you whatever you want to see, afterwards, but for now, please let me sleep.”

“No, you’ll get your rest later. Right now, you’re going to show me your abilities. And that’s final.”

“Fine,” I said through my teeth.

We left her office and walked to the gymnasium.

There she turned around, faced me and told me what to do.

I was to fight the Guardians to show her how I was able to fight that many attackers at once and afterwards I was to show her how I staked a Paha.

So I fought the Guardians for a few minutes until Bianchi was satisfied and then I went to stake some dummies. After three dummies, she understood that I was as good as the leader of the Guardians had said.

Then we went back to her office.