Rise of the Guardian

Battle over the Soul

Kat laughed manically as her friend carried down a book of spells.
“You think it’ll really work?”
“Of curse it will” Kat assured him. “Tauriel said it would”
“Oh so you’re listening to her now?”
“Quiet, Mathew you’ll draw her attention” Kat hissed.
“You’ve got the candles, the circle… or don’t forget the fur”
“Got it” Kat said and placed the fox fur in the center of the circle. She then sat directly behind and looked at her friend. “Ok, I’m ready”
Michael began the spell. It was in a foreign language but the basic translation was “ Let this one become a beast, let them not realize in the least, for when they hear, ears will turn and a tail that will they earn” Unfortunately Tauriel came down before he finished the line about the tail. She came out of nowhere, blindsiding the boy and ending the procedure with harsh words and scolding. Kat was sent to her room with a few bruises and disappointment that she didn’t receive the ears and tail that she wanted for Halloween. However that night, she got a terrible migraine; so painful that it made her cry. The aspirin she took didn’t help and nither did ice or hear or any sort of treatment. She wrestled with the pain through the night unable to sleep. That morning, when Mathew came to take her school, he stared in awe at the new look. “Kat… you… you have ears”
“Everyone has ears, Mathew” Kat said, totally drained of energy.
“No, stupid look!” Mathew faced her into the window and the slight reflection showed Kat her new fox ears that had sprouted from her hair. “It worked!”
“Do I have a tail?” Kat wondered but to her disappointment, there was no furry appendage coming out” of her butt.
“You still have the ears Mathew said with glee. “That’s amazing!” He bit his lip. “You might need a hat”
“Oh… yeah good point. I don’t thing you said anything about how log so they might last forever” Kat said a bit worried but simply brushed it off. “Ok, a hat it will be.” She squealed with joy. I have ears!!!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kat took a deep breath as the coach fired off the blank round. She burst off with incredible speed and ended up neck and neck with the hardest competition. She won the race and her college won another trophy but the competition was a sore loser.
“You’re school doesn’t deserve that title. It’s not even in the top 5 of best schools here.”
“So?” Kat shrugged. “Don’t be a sore loser, dude”
“Yeah man, lighten up” Kat’s best friend Mathew walked up.
“I’m not a sore loser. I saw you take stuff before the race!”
“Yeah, they’re called aspirin. My head hurt” Kat snapped.
“Liar!” The competition shouted.
“She’s not a liar!” Mathew exclaimed but was shoved back by the rude kid.
“Shut up, I’m not talking to you. You can’t run anyway so this doesn’t involve you. Freak”
“Leave him alone!” Kat growled. “Like you said, this doesn’t concern him” She gave her friend a look to stay out of it.
“Why should I?”
“Because I said so” Kat snarled at him.
“Come on” Mathew said and took Kat’s hand. “Leave them be, they’re just punks that don’t know how to lose.”
Kat turned to leave but stopped in anger as the jerk called to her.
“Too bad you don’t have a family to brag to about your win”
Kat whipped around and clobbered the kid in the face. She pulled him to the ground but he whirled around and gave her a good right hook to the face. She bit down on his hand and kicked him in the chest. Mathew tried to break things up but it was too late. The other kid was under Kat and she has her fist raised. However instead of finishing it, she got up and walked away. But of course, the sore loser got up to hit her from behind. He shoved Mathew to the ground and raised his hand. He never got to hit her thought.
A man appeared and forcefully pushed him to the ground. “You are a coward to attack from behind.”
Kat turned to see her protector and frowned. “I could have done that!” She huffed. “I’m going home! You posers can go home and brag about your loss!”
“To Tauriel?” Mathew asked.
Kat stopped dead in her tracks. “Yeah……”
Mathew sighed. “Good luck”
The man that saved Kat from being blind-sided called to her. “Why not find somewhere else to stay?”
“You don’t know anything.” Kat scolded. “Thanks for the save, but stay out of it ok?” Kat’s voice has kindness in it behind that sharp bark. She headed home back to her older sister. The man stayed with Kat’s friend and asked why he sounded so concerned.
“Tauriel is Kat’s older sister. She’s not abusive at all but a really, really bad example. She cusses all the time, smoke, drinks…” He made a face. “She so… Ew”
The man smiled at the way the boy described the sister. “Why does Kat not move?”
“She can’t.” Mathew said. “She’s in debt to her sister.”
“Why?”
“I dunno, she won’t tell me anything.” Mathew said. “Who are you anyway?”
“My name is A… Adam” The man said. “I’m a distant relative to Kat”
“Well, Adam. Nice to meet you. I’m sure Kat will ask you a dozen questions. I’ve gotta head home. I have a tone of homework”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“He said he was related to me?”
“Yeah distantly”
“I don’t know any Adams in my family.”
“You don’t know anyone in general in your family, Kat”
“Good point” Kat grimaced against the ice pack as it cooled her shoulder. “Can you believe that guy? I can’t believe him! What a jerk!”
“I’d say he’s more than that but remember our oath” Mathew and Kat were talking through face-time.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Kat rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think this Adam guy is kinda weird? Ya know how he just showed up. Just as that butthead was about to slag me?”
“That was so cool. He wasn’t there and then he was. How’d he do that?” Mathew asked.
“I dunno, maybe he’s a magician or something.” Kat shrugged and cringed.
“Take it easy on that shoulder, Kat. He hit you pretty hard. How’s your face?”
“I have all my teeth” Kat teased.
“Seriously Kat, that’s really good. He could have made you eat applesauce from now on. Don’t you know how bad that’d be?”
“I like applesauce” Kat teased. “Look, we’ll talk on the morning. I have my early class tomorrow and need to get to bed”
“Night” Mathew said. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will” Kat said and turned off the computer. She got up and walked to her window, sighing. “That guy was such a toad” She said and mocked him. “Don’t have a family to show… blah, blah blah…”
What are you mumbling about?”
“Some jerk in school. He’s a sore loser so I clobbered him for it”
“Whoo hoo! That’s great!” Tauriel, Kat’s sister came over and slapped her back. “Well done little sister. Well done”
“Tauriel, Ow!” Kat hissed. “That hurt!”
“Suck it up. You’re getting better” The older sister cackled and tossed an unlit cigarette on Kat’s bed. “This’ll make it feel better”
“Thanks” Kat smiled half-heartedly. “I’m not going to school tomorrow but it’s not because of the kid. I’d hit him again if it came to it”
“Yay! You’re gaining a spine!” Tauriel grinned.
Kat sighed. “My shoulder hurts, I’m going to bed.”
“Stay up late”
Kat rolled her eyes and shut her door as her sister left. She stopped as she saw something in the park she lived by. It was a white cat just lying in the field, watching her. When it saw her face, it got up and walked closer. Kat focused on it and her mouth dropped. There was a lion outside her window. She climbed out into the grass, dragging a blanket with her and was captivated by the massive cat. It wasn’t natural white, which is more of a cream; it was pure white and beautiful. It had wings as well, folded against its side. It came so close that the girl could see its ocean blue eyes. She reached her hand out but jumped as it vanished and she heard a voice.
“I allowed you to see that form.”
Kat turned to see Adam standing behind her. “What are you? A Stalker?”
Adam raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “No, of course not. I am your protector.”
“Protector?” Kat asked, looking up at him. Compared to her tiny size; a measly 5’ 5”; this 6’ man was a giant.
“My true name is Ariel. I am the Lion of God. I was sent to protect you from those who might do you harm”
Kat stared in wonder. “Like who? Those jerks in college will just end up as bus boys. I can take of them myself. I don’t need a protector” She paused and mumbled softly. “Especially not an angel, I don’t deserve that”
Ariel smiled and looked down at her. “You are more special then you think”
Kat looked away and frowned. “No I’m not… you haven’t seen what I used to be before my sister brought me here.” She scuffed. “Actually you should see my sister” She looked back but only to find the man gone. “Whoa” She went to bed, thinking it was just a dream.
Meanwhile Tauriel watched with hatred. “Her soul is mine, angel. You can’t save her.” The older sister’s eyes glowed yellow as the angel vanished. “I will raise the master"