The Guardians of Daldaria

Chapter 6: Mountain Retreat

Mount Murn was frigid.

Perhaps a tad too frigid for the season, but the view erased all complaints.

Shrouded in twilight, the crag laden crystals looked imposing compared to the swirling orange sand of the Phayrin coastline below. Speckles of ice dust smeared the air. They drew light into the mountain, making the structure glow.

They also caused Xiathia to sneeze and nestle further into the folds of her cape.

Concerned about tourists who would be out due to the lighting phenomenon, Ghirti glided them to a mountainside cavern.

Xiathia took stock of the cave entrance, brushing a hand through Ghirti's scales as they landed on the mushroom laden floor. She frowned at the way the rocks spiraled narrower and narrower the deeper she peered.

Not the smoothest way to enter, but it'd have to do.

“Looks like you'll have to ride with me for a bit Ghirti."

Hissing and flickering its tail, Ghirti slunk into the reflection of itself splayed along the grass stalks.

Xiathia bent so the God could clamber on her clothing. She braced herself against the closest boulder. Wriggling her shoulder into it, she smiled as the soft creedite crumbled to accommodate her figure. She shuffled into a cozy chamber wide enough to breathe in.

Shadows tickled her ear.

'Will you fit the rest of the way through?'

She carefully stepped across pointed stalagmites.

“I should. My concern is finding a training spot once were inside."

Hissing erupted as something darted from the cave walls.

'Perhaps we should have chosen a beach.'

Xiathia crawled under a floating rock, spitting Nulret webs from her mouth.

“I promise we can play in the sand when we're through. I'd rather not give Mewl an opening to escape this time."

Face plates rattled rapidly.

'I wonder if the crabs will help me make sandcastles!'

There was a wider opening up ahead. Hopefully, it led somewhere safe.

“It's possible. All you can do is ask them."

Ghirti's shadows preened as Xiathia teetered her way past another particularly sharp stalagmite, crawling into a larger cavern that split into four smaller tunnels.

“Perfect. I hope the denizen's do not mind our coming."

Ghirti's head emerged from her stomach. The serpent warbled. Nulrets fluttered out of the cave in droves, slapping her face with leathery wings.

Honestly, there was no need to be so rude. They hadn't woken the little spider-dragons up in daylight at least.

Xiathia scratched the serpents chin, “Aww what's wrong Ghirti? Scared a Nulrets's gonna whack you with its tail again?"

She couldn't blame the God for being scared.

With eight spiked centipede legs, a hole-filled lizard body, the head and wings of a bat, and the fangs of a spider; the Nulret's scared most people who saw them.

Ghirti writhed as a final drove flew away.

'Strong words coming from a woman who was chased across a temple by floating house keys! At least my fears make sense.'

Xia nipped at the shadows nearest her neck, “Hey, those things were terrifying! Did you not see the edges on them!?"

Crimson eyes rolled.

'Next time just tell your lover to grind them down better.'

Xiathia jumped to the cave floor.

“I'd rather not make a fuss about it. Alright, let the sleeping ones out. We've much to discuss."

Ghirti slithered its way through the cavern, depositing Mewl and Mialtros before draping itself over a rock shelf near the entrance. The God's shadow flame body encircled the room, wings touching the cave roof.

Xiathia slid her palms against one another, welling black flames into a glove. She approached Mewl. Kneeling, she pressed her fingers to the Mialtros's stomach. Her skin and clothes shimmered.

“You're not leaving Ghirti? I thought you'd want to go hunting."

A tail scooped Mialtros's soul up, holding it over her sleeping body.

'It's been far too long since I've stretched out. I would also like head scratches. Mialtros's nails felt very nice.'

Into the girl's body Xiathia hand sunk. She grunted as her quarry delved deeper into the girl's psyche. Rolling her eyes, she pressed her shoulder to the girl's body, snatching the cat's paws. Wrenching him out, she grabbed the girl's soul in her other hand, carefully sinking it back in place.

Mialtros launched out of sleep screaming.

Xiathia grabbed the girl in a hug. Soothing her hair, rocking back and forth.

“Shh, it's alright. I'm right here."

Mialtros was shaking, she kept clawing at the air as if something was holding her down.

“Wha-what was that place?"

Keeping the girl and Mewl close, Xiathia sat against the stone wall.

“The destruction dimension. I'll tell more you about it sometime. For now, I ask you to listen."

Mialtros nodded, looking shyly at the serpent poised behind them.

Xiathia leaned further back so she could reach him.

“He wants head scratches; his face plates itch awfully in the cold."

As Mialtros settled into petting Ghirti, Xiathia began to weave flames in the air.

“I brought you here for two reasons. First, because it will be impossible for Mewl to take over you as he did this afternoon. The powers of creation wane in shadowy places and with the rising of the moon. Conversely, my powers swell. So if Mewl tries anything, he'll not get far I assure you."

Mialtros rubbed Ghirti's mouth guard, “What are you the Guardian of? You ain't never mentioned it."

Xiathia hummed. She peeled a feather from Ghirti's wing that was narrow and thin, “Destruction. The serpent you're petting is its God."

The girl's eyes sparkled, “So that's why he ate those beasts!"

Ghirti purred as Xiathia nodded.

“That's right. I did not wish to talk of that or my Guardianship, however. My second reason for bringing you here was that I wished to talk about your Guardianship. Rather, how we will go about continuing it."

Mialtros held tighter to Ghirti, scattering rocks as she leapt to her feet.

“What Guardianship!? I agreed to be a Guardian because I wanted the dreams to stop! I thought it was just a silly fantasy! I never wanted any part of this! I never...I never wanted to kill something, or watch people be killed!"

Mewl had the decency to fold his ears to his forehead, looking at the ground. Mialtros clenched her fist at the display.

“I will not be carted, thrashed, and lied to all across Daldaria anymore! Especially not by a wannabe murderer! I'm grateful to you for saving my family Xiathia, I really am, but all this stuff is just too much!"

Xiathia pulled a rock from the floor, smashing the feather, she worked to create a blade in the heat.

“You have every right to not want any part of this or Mewl. Were it not in my responsibility, I would rather not keep an eye on him."

Mewl's tail lashed, catching Xiathia's chin.

'Oh get off your high horse Xiathia! You've done things far worse than I've ever dreamed to do!'

Breathing on the flames, she kept an eye on the cat.

“Be that as it may Mewl, when I saw who you had been chosen for Guardianship I was quite surprised. You neglected to tell me you had picked one so young when you asked me to help retrieve your Guardian. You also

failed to mention the danger you were in."

Mialtros tapped her boots on the floor.

“More things the cat lied about? I…get the feelin' though you're tryna make a point."

Xiathia rubbed the serpents back, peeling a scale from their underbelly. She placed it onto the feather shaft,

soldering it using soft taps with the rocks edge.

“I do have a point-ah, hold still you d**n feather, but could you wait just a moment please."

Testing the makeshift hand guard by bashing the dagger into the floor, Xiathia then raised her eyes to meet the Mialtros's.

“I know this is the last thing you want to hear right now but our abilities are far too dangerous to go unchecked."

Mialtros crossed her arms, inclining her head, “I kinda figured that. What are you suggesting we do?"

Xiathia drew her cloak about her, bowing before the younger girl.

“Consider it my apology for dosing you with sleeping powder. If you would like, I am more than willing to teach you how to use your powers. What say you Mialtros Sethelbree? Are you interested in being a Guardian under

me?"