The Protectors

© 1998 J. E. Aldana
All rights reserved.

Even through the pouring rain, she could see the gates in the distance. She was a tall woman, her muscles well defined yet not detracting from her femininity. Her amber-colored hair laid flat against her, soaked from the incessant downpour. Her black stallion snorted in disapproval.
"Easy boy," she said soothingly, "we're almost there." They had been traveling for nearly twenty days; now, the sight of their destination made the final distance seem endless.
The night storm gave no indication that it would soon vanish. The cold was bitter and shelter still seemed far away. Earlier she had been wearing her cloak, but she had removed it to cover her sword and shield. In the distance, thunder interrupted the rhythmic drumming of the raindrops.
They reached the city gates an hour later. There was no sign of light, the torches having been snuffed out earlier by the attacking storm. She yelled out for the night guard, but there was no reply. Probably asleep, she thought. If any of her order were ever found slumbering during guard duty, they would surely never awaken, but she was not here to discipline. Her mission rested elsewhere.
After several more calls, the guard finally stepped out from his post. "Who goes there?" he asked in a husky utterance. He saw the figure mounted on the black beast and took a step towards it. "What do you want?" was his next question.
"I seek food and shelter my good friend," she looked at him with seductive charm. She could see his eyes drifting towards her voluptuous bosom; even in the darkness her figure was her best weapon against this man's curiosity. Lighting suddenly illuminated the scene, and she realized portions of her shield were visible. The eyes on the dragon face were clearly distinguishable along with parts of a wing. The emblem on the armor was known and feared all over the world, but the guard gave no sign that he had seen it. His stare was still upon her woman's chest. That was good; she did not want to kill this man, not tonight.
She covered the shield with her wet cloak and smiled at the guard. "Will you let me pass?" she asked him.
"If food and shelter is what you seek," the guard began, "there is a nice inn about two hundred paces from here. Just follow the main road; you'll see it on your left."
"Thank you, friend." The guard returned to his cabin, and the gates began to open. The horse began forward without any urging from its rider. She could see the light inside the inn; rest and dryness would soon be hers. She hoped the others had no trouble getting into the city.
The inn was simple but adequate. Certainly it could not compare with some of the establishments in the bigger cities. Tonight, however, she did not care. A warm bed and a hot meal were what she wanted. Her horse was in the stables, probably having similar thoughts. She grinned at the idea; the stallion had a reputation for being even more finicky than she about sleeping accommodations.
She ordered a bowl of soup and unsweetened tea. It was late, the place was empty save for herself and a man snoring on the bar; the innkeeper was not pleased at being asked to open the kitchen at this hour, but two gold coins quickly changed her point of view. The soup was tasteless; so was the tea.
She entered her chamber and stripped off her clothing. Her packs would serve as her pillows tonight; she could not afford to lose what was in them. Her sword and shield, still wrapped in her cloak, would be safe while guarded by her temperamental horse. She climbed onto the bed and began to clear her mind. She would find the others tomorrow.

Tolin woke, the bright sunlight shinning over his face. He felt rested, but his muscles ached from the long journey. It was early morning, he surmised. He would have to work on getting information today, perhaps during breakfast. He reached under his cot and was relieved to feel the familiar comfort of his bow. He ran his hand over the engraving of the dragon.
He dressed and went downstairs. There were several people in the dining hall; they all ignored him. He sat down and waited for the girl who would serve him; she was attracted to him, he could tell, and today he would use that to charm her into answering some questions. When she approached him, he gave her a beaming smile.
"Good morning my lord," she offered timidly.
"Indeed, good morning," Tolin replied, "Can I get some milk?" The girl smiled shyly and turned to retrieve his drink. He looked up and was surprised to see Lica sitting two tables down. She glanced at him, but neither one gave signs of recognition; they were professionals after all. She looked beautiful, like always. Her hair, with its amber hue, fell graciously onto her shoulders. It was fortunate they had both happened by this inn; it would save time.
The young girl returned with his milk, and he immediately forgot all about Lica. There would be plenty of time to speak with her after their mission was completed. For now, he had more important matters to deal with. "Tell me," he began, "I've heard there is to be a sermon sometime tomorrow. Can you tell me where it is?"
The girl looked about her nervously and then back at Tolin. "You mustn't ask such things out loud," she murmured, "you never know who could be listening. There could be Protectors in the area."
Tolin looked bemused, "Dragon Knights? Nonsense, they wouldn't bother with such a small town as this one. Besides, I've heard the Protectors are all at least three meters tall. Do you see any giants in this room?" He patted her hand and smiled.
The girl relaxed a little, but not completely. Just because they were not in the room, it did not mean they would not hear. It was said the Protectors could hear from miles away, and that they could kill with the fire from their eyes. This outlander seemed confident, though. Perhaps he came from a large city where they had more experience with the Dragon Knights. If he thought it was safe, it probably was. She leaned closer to him, "The sermon will be held inside the library at sundown. Maybe we could go together." She caressed his muscular arm as she said this.
"I would be honored to accompany you," he said, "I've heard a great deal about this preacher. I can't wait to hear him myself."

What an irony, Duroc thought, a sermon in a library. Well, nothing they could do about that; they would just have to make sure none of the books became damaged. The dragons would never forgive them.
He had found out about the mass only this morning from the boy caring for his horse. It had taken a great deal of persuasion, mostly in the form of gold. At least he would be reimbursed. Now it was time to go shopping.
He walked the streets for hours, just taking it all in. The town was small, but it had a quaint beauty about it. Perhaps he would be able to return someday under more leisurely circumstances. A garment on display caught his eye.
It was a dress made from fine silk. The craftsmanship was unlike anything Duroc had seen before. The colors were vibrant and the patterns beautiful. He bargained with the storekeeper for several minutes, but the man was unwilling to go any lower for such a fine piece of clothing. Eventually, Duroc capitulated and paid full price. The thought of Lica in that dress was more than even he could resist.
He missed her terribly. They had not seen each other since leaving the Hall of Wisdom. That had been weeks ago, and he was looking forward to ending this mission. He had caught a glimpse of her and Tolin coming out of an inn. For one brief moment, he had thought about signaling them, but then thought better of it. They had not seen him.
He continued up the street. The sky was much less belligerent today. He spend most of the afternoon purchasing trinkets for his various friends. It was his custom to never return from a mission without gifts; over the years, he had developed a reputation for thinking about his friends no matter where he was or what he was doing. Now if he could only find something for Kirogo, but what does one get a dragon who has everything? He would just have to keep looking.
He was nearly done with his shopping. He had found a unique blend of smoking leaves that should please Kirogo quite a bit. He felt he had done well, all things considered. There was one final item he needed to purchase before retiring for the night.
He found the store near the south side of the city walls. The sign was so faded he had almost missed it. After speaking with the storekeeper for several moments, it became obvious he was an expert in the field. The storekeeper took him to the basement where the better items were kept.
It did not take long to choose the weapon he liked. It was a magnificent piece made from a wood he was unfamiliar with but which seemed very strong. He paid for it and left the store. He strolled the street back towards his inn feeling very proud of himself and stroking the item at his side. Yes, a crossbow would do very nicely.

She hated kissing men. This particular one was worse than most; his mouth stank as if rotted by many years of drinking, and the rest of him smelled like he hadn't bathed in a year. The things she did in the name of duty!
"Why are you so interested in the sermon anyway?" her companion asked after probing her mouth with his tongue.
Mico managed a smile before replying, "I'm the curious sort, you know, like a cat. I'm interested in new things, and what could be more enlightening than a sermon?"
"Well, you sure won't catch me anywhere near one." Her curiosity was genuinely piqued.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Those preachers are full of empty words. All they talk about is how you shouldn't do this and you shouldn't do that. They never give you advice that actually works, like how to save your crop in drought season or how to drive a fever from an animal. I would much rather learn about those things than hear about how everything will be just great after I die. If you want enlightenment, read a book."
She giggled foolishly and kissed him again; all of a sudden, he wasn't as repulsive as he had been. Serves me well, she thought, judging a man by his odor.
After she left the tavern, she walked back to her room. She found a note waiting for her; it was written in the Wise Tongue:
"Mico, Tolin and I are staying at the same inn, pure coincidence I assure you. I saw Duroc earlier today as we were leaving. I think he saw us, but I am not certain. All seems well so far. I miss you -Lica"
She was glad to hear everyone was now inside the city walls. Most of all, she was happy to hear from Lica. For two years now, she and Duroc had been in competition for Lica's affections, but she was beginning to feel victorious. During their last three missions, Lica had left her notes. So far as she could tell, Duroc had received no such letters.
She decided it was time to visit the library. When she got there, she began to make detailed plans in her mind. This library had a balcony looking down onto the main area; it would be an easy kill.

The rain returned on the morning of The Cleansing. Duroc was the first of the four knights to arrive at the library. He planned on spending the entire day there, observing.
His new crossbow hung from his left leg. Nothing unusual about a man with a crossbow reading some books, Duroc thought. There was only one area where a sermon could be held, and so he decided to place himself near an edge of the center courtyard. He leaned against a bookshelf and waited.
His was the easiest responsibility, but also the most important. He was the backup. If one of the others missed their marks, it was up to him to take it down. If all went well, he would have to do nothing at all.
He kept glancing at the main door and calculating how long it would take to run out in the middle of all the commotion. If one of the marks tried that, he had to make sure it failed. Once outside, it would be nearly impossible to track a mark down.
During late afternoon, he saw Tolin arrive with a young girl on his arm. The poor thing kept looking at Tolin with lustful eyes. Tolin spotted him and grinned briefly. Duroc could see the bow slung across his back and the quiver of arrows at his side. That poor girl was in for a very unpleasant surprise.

Lica opened up her packs and took out the eight small daggers. She examined each one with great care, more out of habit than any real need to check them. The daggers were flawless; they had been forged by the dragons.
Once satisfied, she placed each of the knives in special sheaths sewn into the inside of her shirt. She then tied her long hair so as to ensure it would not get in the way.
She arrived at the library just before sundown. She saw Duroc sitting by a bookshelf and Tolin flirting with the girl from the inn. She also saw Mico standing on the balcony overlooking the courtyard; she was reading a book, looking beautiful. She would have to tell her how she felt soon, before Mico got tired of waiting.

Tolin was the first to notice the door being closed. A man stepped onto the middle of the yard and spoke.
"Your attention please, your attention. We have a surprise for you this evening. Please welcome Reverend Mentira."
The crowd remained silent. From a small door at the side stepped out a man dressed in a white satin robe. Two young adolescents, identically garbed in purple to indicate that puberty had recently been reached, walked by his side. Each boy held a large glass jar; some in the audience were already opening their purses.
By law, the knights were required to listen to the sermon, lest it prove to be harmless. So it was that Reverend Mentira began to preach.
"Good evening to all. I welcome you to listen to the word of God." He got no further. With that final word, he sealed his fate.
In one swift motion, Lica reached inside her shirt and withdrew two daggers. She fell to one knee, as if genuflecting, and launched both blades. They embedded themselves in the chest of one of the young boys. He fell to the ground immediately.
Simultaneously, Mico produced a small blowgun from within her cloak and aimed it at the reverend. The ten-centimeter dart penetrated the preacher's throat before he even realized the boy next to him was dead.
Across the room, Tolin pushed the confused girl from his arm and readied his bow. His arrow found its target in the second collection boy. The boy staggered backward and collapsed, dead.
The preacher madly clawed at his throat while running to the door. He was still several paces from it when an arrow from Duroc's crossbow punctured the back of his head. Some in the audience screamed. Others were compelled into silence by their fear. All of them gawked at the Dragon Knights.

Even through the pouring rain, she could see the gates in the distance. Lica looked back one last time before turning to join her fellow knights. The four of them rode away from the small town.
Duroc watched as the two females in the group began talking in whispers. The smiles on their faces told him all he needed to know. The blue silk dress in his pack would never know its intended owner.
They traveled together under the pounding of falling water for two days. Sometimes they spoke of friends awaiting them at the Hall of Wisdom; sometimes they talked about the surrounding landscape and the insufferable weather; sometimes they reminisced about old times. Mostly, though, they rode in silence. They all carried the burden of an uncertain future.
On the second night, the climate granted them respite from the wetness above. They ate around a fire and began talking about their recent mission.
"There will be more from where he came," Mico said above the noise of crackling fire.
"There will always be more," Tolin replied, "but it is our duty to never capitulate. We must always go where they go and protect the mind against the perils of their promises."
"We are few, and they are many," Lica put it, "what will happen when we can no longer track them down with sufficient swiftness. What then?" It was the thought that had been festering in their minds for many moons.
"I don't know," Tolin admitted, "but that is not our problem. The dragons must deal with that."
"We all know the dragons are dying." It was Duroc's voice that pronounced the ominous words. Indeed, they all knew, but none had so much as hinted at the matter until tonight.
"Yes," Tolin said, "but they know it also. There is talk in the Hall that they have been developing a new order to preserve the truth after they are gone. It is said they will soon begin training new knights in the skills of this new order."
"Does it have a name yet?"
"Yes, I heard they will call it Science."
"Science?" Mico looked bewildered. "I wonder what the word means." She glanced at each of them, but all looked equally perplexed by the new word. None had heard it before. Finally, Tolin spoke again.
"It doesn't really matter what it means, only what it stands for. One day, it will stand between truth and myth, between reality and delusion." He looked down at his shield bearing the emblem of the dragon and caressed its contours delicately. "It will be the shield protecting the mind against the perils of its own imagination."
"I hope you're right," Lica murmured.
As the fire dwindled, the four Dragon Knights slept with a hopeful heart. Tonight, they would dream of the future.

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