
05-30-2010, 05:52 PM
Chapter 1
Marsali stared across the room at the Angel Lalita’s writing on the wall. Angel Lalita was bent over her desk with a large golden quill, scratching away notes that the young guardians were supposed to learn before their examination. The words which Angel Lalita placed on her desk appeared on the wall in letters made of golden light. Marsali’s red hair continued to fall into her face and block her vision of the wall. She paused to pull her long red hair into a full ponytail. The Angel Lalita glanced up to see her exhausted students. She finished scribing the Three Hundred Seven Rules of Protection on her mystic paper before standing.
“Once you have finished your notes, you may return to your rooms,” she said. There was a relieved sigh from the entire room. Angel Lalita then dismissed herself from the classroom, her long blond hair gliding charmingly behind her. Marsali leaned back in her chair, refusing to write anymore. Ela set down her quill as well and leaned up over Marsali’s shoulder, her warm blond hair slipping around her neck.
“Mar-ee, where are-what in the world does that say?!” Ela was, of course, referring to Marsali’s attempt at notes. “R#147-U X exp ur self
R#148- U X imp ur wow pow,“ while Ela’s notes read “Rule # 146: You shall not expose your mission or your identity to your client(s).
Rule # 148: You shall never impose your otherworldly powers on the mind of your client(s). Examples: destroying a dream demon outside of the dream, flying, speaking telepathically, obviously moving the element you sponsor, etc…”
“What? It’s the notes, duh!” Marsali said. Siusan watched from a few seats back, she smiled as the two students bickered over notes they had taken thousand times before. She noted Marsali’s way of tossing her head when she was playing, the way her fiery hair fluttered as it was tossed around. Siusan missed the old days, when she had just been reborn as a guardian. The days when everything was new to her were long behind her.
Since the moment of her rebirth, Siusan had pushed all of her energy into learning about protecting, defending, guarding the dreams of children. She had learned that the word “children” meant anyone from the age of one to forty. Other guardians had once been children hunted by manifested dream demons. The job of the guardians consisted of preventing the manifestation of dream demons, and destroying those that had; in general, preventing the birth of more guardians.
Like Siusan, all of the children in her class had been given the choice to go to the Summerlands or to be reborn as a guardian. A guardian was not an angel, not like the Angel Lalita. The guardians had an elemental sponsor that helped them to fight the dream demons. They were like a glorified ghost, a spirit that stayed on earth that had the ability to be solid, but also the ability to die. The death of a guardian was usually very violent as they can withstand the pain of bleeding from the heart. They must be decapitated or the stone on their forehead must be shattered. What kills guardians? Dream demons and, occasionally, angels must kill guardians when a rule of protection is broken. After death they are released to the Summerlands to continue existence with all the others that passed before.
Siusan scooped up her parchment into a stack as Ela turned to her. Ela waved Siusan over, and Siusan happily obeyed. She moved to Ela and Marsali’s desks.
“Mar-ee knows she can have a copy of my notes.” Siusan said. The girls smiled and laughed in silly childish conversation.
“Siusan?” The girls turned to see the Angels Lalita, Ute, and the speaker Chandra in the doorway. Chandra smiled as Siusan approached them. “It has been decided that you should proceed with the Leading Class.” Siusan stared, amazed, at the Angels as questions shot about in her head. She latched onto one, and only one passed her lips.
“Where do I go?” She asked. The Angel Chandra’s smile only grew as he took Siusan’s hand and led her down the passageway. Siusan looked back to see the Angels Lalita and Ute just behind them, and further back Marsali and Ela were leaning out the door to watch as Siusan disappeared around a corner. They traveled down stairs, through many doors, and took so many halls that Siusan had never seen before. She was sure she would be lost if Chandra let go of her hand. Finally they arrived on the floor belonging to the classroom of the Leading Class.
The Leading Class was the eldest class of student guardians. They were the class that was next to take the examination after two hundred fifty years of studies. Siusan had only studied two hundred years. She marveled at all of the previously unknown lessons on the large walls. The exam is what all the guardians had to pass to become a true guardian that could actually return to earth. Siusan feared she would never learn all of this information in time to pass and if she did not pass she would instantly be returned to the Summerlands.
Ute continued to lead her inside while Angel Lalita and Chandra returned to the classes above. Siusan was seated in the back and received no further instruction or introduction. She started to frantically copy down the twelve advanced methods of serving a sponsor elemental and the twenty seven rules of offensive movements for destroying dream demons.
“Calm down little one… if that scares you then you are in some serious trouble.”
Siusan looked to her left at the dark haired girl beside her. The girl had tanned skin and short black hair that was styled in curls around her shoulders. Her eyes were an almost purple blue that seemed to see into Siusan’s soul. Siusan was terrified, but refused to break the eye contact.
“My name is Siusan of the Silver Bells, my Elemental sponsor is-”
“Little one, no one here cares who you are. Everyone here has learned that all that matters is passing that exam.” The girl said.
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