The Elemental Guardians Book II: City of Thieves

By Jacqueline M. Kastberg

As the Elders gather for war, not all is as it seems within the sanctuary. Forced to flee from an enemy hidden in plain sight, Aileron and his friends frantically grasp the one lead they have as they struggle against unexpected betrayal and their sudden directionless future.

Unknowingly hunted and desperately hoping help lies within the City of Thieves, Aileron will be forced to confront the faceless monster of his nightmare as the hidden deception within the clans begins to unravel the very fabric of the Guardian's onus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781635683998

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The Elemental Guardians

Book II

City of Thieves

Jacqueline M. Kastberg

Copyright © 2017 Jacqueline M. Kastberg

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2017

ISBN 978-1-63568-398-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63568-399-8 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Summary: As the Elders gather for war, not all is as it seems within the sanctuary. Forced to flee from an enemy hidden in plain sight, Aileron and his friends frantically grasp the one lead they have as they struggle against unexpected betrayal and their sudden directionless future.

Unknowingly hunted and desperately hoping help lies within the City of Thieves, Aileron will be forced to confront the faceless monster of his nightmare as the hidden deception within the clans begins to unravel the very fabric of the Guardian’s onus.

Dedication: This book is dedicated to my parents, Joanne M. Kastberg and James P. Kastberg. This story wouldn’t be possible without their conviction. I am honored to have been a part of this family. There are no other parents as unique and beloved as you are.

I love you.

I

Parley

It had been thirteen days since the elders and Elders had come to the final decision that would affect the clans. War with the Vipera was inevitable. Now was the time for preparations to be made. Those within the clans had been notified of what was coming, and everyone within the sanctuary was on high alert.

The peaceful ambiance had been quickly replaced with a tense atmosphere. Guardians no longer smiled, and everyone hurried about with their eyes firmly affixed to the floor. The whole situation frustrated Aileron and Lucian. They had no clan to make preparations with; they didn’t even know what they were supposed to be doing. Everyone seemed to have a job but them. The days spent being useless in their room was beginning to grate. Aileron had tried to reach the Fire Elder, but the effort turned out to be a waste of time on everyone’s part. He had no time to deal with their feelings of being useless. So in their room they waited.

Aileron found being restricted grating. They quickly discovered that the room they had been given had not been made to entertain people over long periods of time. It had been made mainly as a place to sleep. Therefore there weren’t any room to move around and he was starting to make an impression in the corner he had been shoved into. Lucian didn’t have it much better, but at least he could pace. All this sitting around was making him fat.

Snorting, Aileron glanced sadly at his stomach that seemed to have gained a few inches before lifting his head to follow the oddly therapeutic, and at the same time annoying, pacing that Lucian was doing.

Looking slightly ridiculous with his hair standing every which way, which became even more disheveled when he ran his fingers through it for the fifth time, Lucian alternated from staring at the doorway to Aileron. Aileron reclined semipatiently, calmly waiting for the daily eruption that was Lucian’s indigent attitude over their treatment. These little episodes came earlier and earlier as each day passed. Today turned out to be a special day since he couldn’t even wait for lunch to be brought before the dam burst.

"I can’t stand it anymore, Aileron! I don’t think I’ve ever been so sequestered away in all my life! Can’t help. Can’t help! Fine way to politely say useless! I am not useless! And you, Aileron. Isn’t there a law or something that says you have to be a part of the proceedings? For Lunar’s sake, you’re the last dragon! That has to count for something!" Taking a short pause, Lucian stopped his pacing and frantically roved his eyes over the walls making up their room.

Running his hand through his hair again, he began whispering, I don’t know about you, Aileron, but I swear that the walls keep getting closer together. Does this room seem smaller to you? I swear it’s smaller. Oh Lunar! It’s a trap! The room will slowly squish us together and kill us slowly as it presses down upon us! We need to get out! The way his eyes focused on the doorway and the slight manic look on his face made Aileron worried that he would bolt.

After a moment of tense silence, Lucian appeared to lose his edge. Sighing, he moved to flop upon his bed and stared at the ceiling for a few silent moments before saying, I do wish they would take us into their confidence. How are we to prepare for a war if we don’t know what’s going on? Aileron remained silent. He wished he had the answer to that question as well.

The neglect that the Fire Elder had shown in keeping them in the dark was going to come to a fast and painful end if Aileron had any say in it. It was time to take matters into their own hands, or claws as it were. Lucian was right—how were they to help if they didn’t know what was going on?

Standing up, Aileron growled lowly as he carefully stretched out the kinks and knots in his joints. Rubbing his muzzle along his side to take care of an itch, he swung his head around to motion Lucian into following him out into the hall.

Anguis, it was voted, was to stay behind to see if anything suspicious happened in their rooms. She was small enough to hide and, subsequently, to spy.

Surprisingly, they did not stumble upon a fire clan member unlike every other time they had tried to leave the room. The hallway was suspiciously quiet and the lack of movement had Aileron’s hackles raised. They made their way quickly to the atrium, which turned out to be similarly abandoned. Lucian glanced around uneasily and, leaning against Aileron’s leg for protection whispered, Where is everyone? The lack of fire clan had not gone unnoticed. Aileron let out a soft rumble that echoed within his chest that almost could be mistaken as a purr, a means of comforting his friend and informing him that he had no idea what the heck was going on.

Scratching his claws lightly against the ground, Aileron glanced thoughtfully down the hall where the meeting of the clans had taken place. The one time he had been included in something. Aileron shook his head; it almost seemed like a lifetime ago they had been discussing war. If he were to hazard a guess though at where all the important people were gathered, that direction would probably be their best bet.

Nudging Lucian, Aileron made his way down the aforementioned hall, which turned out to be just as quiet as the rest of the den. If Aileron didn’t know any better, he would have thought that something had come while they had been lounging useless in their room and wiped everyone out.

Which, now that the thought had popped into his head, wasn’t all that reassuring. Lucian was sticking to his side trying to replicate a barnacle as his eyes roved every which way. Aileron could tell that a similar thought was running through his head as well.

Passing by several doorways they had still not come across anyone. If nothing happened in the next five minutes, Aileron was going to go right ahead and assume that it would be a good time to start panicking. Maybe everyone was dead. Or had left.

Lucian took that moment to speak. Did you hear that?

Pausing, Aileron tilted his head straining and, after a moment of just hearing their breathing, was about to convey a negative when he caught it. It sounded like a low rumbling and when Aileron turned toward the direction of the sound he caught sight of a soft glow that flickered gently from underneath the small space between the door and the floor. It was coming from farther down the hall than he remembered, but Aileron was just grateful that they had finally found something.

Making his way over, he pushed his snout against what he thought to be the door and almost tripped when it swung in with barely a tap, making no noise as it did so until it banged against the wall with a thud. Predictably the low humming stopped and about twenty pairs of eyes turned to stare at the intruder. Lucian wisely remained out in the hall.

Tossing his head, Aileron was glad that he was unable to blush in this form. At least then he could act like he meant to slam the door. Striding into the room, he took stock of who was there.

The Fire Elder had started making his way toward Aileron the second the door had hit the wall. His face was smooth, but Aileron had the impression that he was frowning. Halting a few feet in front of him, the Elder titled his head in greeting before questioning, What are you doing here, Aileron? A pause and then, You as well, Lucian. To which Lucian sheepishly moved from behind Aileron knowing he was well and truly caught. He gave the Fire Elder a small wave to soften the fact that they had pretty much ignored a semi-direct order. Going by the Fire Elder’s expression, Aileron didn’t think it was working.

Ignoring Lucian, the Fire Elder turned to Aileron saying, You were not invited to this meeting. Go back to your room and wait for the discussions to reach their natural conclusions. We will seek your council at that future time. Turning, he started to head back to the other elders in a clear gesture of dismissal before Lucian’s curt interjection made him turn around.

"Why has Aileron not been invited to these meetings? Before you emphasized the fact that all the clans were to be present concerning this Vipera problem or something. In case you hadn’t noticed—and here Lucian gestured toward Aileron like they had somehow not noticed his presence—the only water clansmen I can see is standing right here. Not participating. It seems pretty hypocritical to me to emphasize the fact that you are all so glad he exists then ignore him in the next breath when it comes to matters that clearly concern him as well. I don’t see any of you being the last of your clan."

The mood in the room, which had been perfectly neutral before Lucian had started talking, quickly turned to one of unease. The other elders shifted in the background as the Fire Elder stared at them without a trace of emotion crossing his face. Going by the way the others were acting, Aileron got the impression that they all took their cues from the Fire Elder, which didn’t make much sense. Shouldn’t each act in the manner that was appropriate for their station and clan? Aileron tossed his head. Maybe he was reading too much into the moment.

The seconds crawled by as the tension continued to mount. Lucian was apparently starting to lose the bravado that made him speak up since he shuffled slowly over to Aileron and semi-tucked himself behind his leg. The Fire Elder took that movement to make his way over once again.

Staring up at Aileron, he intoned, This is a matter of war. In this room go discussions of cold truths and titanic decisions. It is no place for a boy—at the word boy, his voice dropped a few degrees—who knows nothing of what is at stake. The situation needs to be carefully examined before actions are to be made. The reckless opinions of youth have no place here. The Fire Elder took a step back before continuing, Go back to your room, and we will call for you when we are ready.

The lack of expression and the fierce tone of the Fire Elder made Aileron want to turn tail and stay quietly in his room until they were ready to fetch him, but a small part of him that had been spurred by the valid points Lucian had brought up made him stay. He may be a boy, as the Fire Elder had so coolly pointed out, but he had lost far more to this invisible war than any other standing in this room. While they had others of their kind to fall back on, he had no one except Lucian, who wasn’t even of the water clan by blood. He may not have known the significance of his loss while he had still been a boy in the orphanage, but the magnitude of the scope of his clan’s loss had recently brought about new nightmares of glowing red eyes and the sense of hopelessness.

The last thought caused him to step forward and lower his head until he was eye level with the Fire Elder. Trying to keep the frustration and anger from his voice, he said, I may be…young…but I still hold…right to attend…three knowing…while fourth…in shadow…unwise. Aileron tossed his head again, vaguely noting that it was turning into a bad habit whenever he was annoyed, before waiting for the Fire Elder to respond.

A hush had fallen and everyone seemed to be collectively holding their breath; eyes trained on the Fire Elder and how he was going to respond to the challenge. A minute passed. Then two. By the fifth, the Fire Elder designated to respond, restoring the confidence in Aileron that had been draining away as each unanswered minute had passed.

Fire appeared to blaze behind his eyes, as impassioned and fierce as fire can be, while his face maintained the consistency of granite. Very well. You wish to be a part of the discussions. I cannot physically stop you. However, his eyes narrowed slightly in a glare, no detail shall be softened. Every horror, every difficulty, shall be said in all the respect they deserve. If you find yourself uncomfortable in the proceedings, you may leave. Know that this invitation shall not be extended twice if you do so. Your opinion will be noted, but may not be agreed upon. No violence shall take place within this hall upon pain of punishment set down by our ancestors. Pausing, the Fire Elder’s gaze flicked to Lucian who was still attempting to fade into the background of Aileron’s foreleg. Since it has been noted that you are the last of your clan, Aileron snorted at the small jab affronted to him, Lucian may partake of the meetings, same as you. He will stand in as a part of the water clan and will be held accountable to the same standards that such a station entails. The warnings that have been explained to Aileron hold to you as well, Lucian. Be careful in the expression of your emotions.

The last sentence hung in the air and rang with strong tolls as if they were the notes of a warning bell. The other elders shifted once more before settling. They had been told the same before the discussions had commenced.

The tension in the room broke as the Fire Elder made his way back to the others. A few air clansmen’s ruffs were flared, as were the hackles of those of the earth and fire clans who had chosen to remain in their animal form. They soon settled down as the tension slowly bled from the room.

Aileron stared at the retreating back of the Fire Elder before turning to see how Lucian was fairing. He was a bit pale, as was to be expected, but he had that look of determination about him that meant he wasn’t going to back down from a challenge. Unfortunately, said challenge was being able to keep up with the other elders without saying something inappropriate. Aileron didn’t know if Lucian had it in him.

Nudging Lucian in a sign of moral support, Aileron made his way toward the more concentrated group of elders. None had designated to start the conversation that he and Lucian had interrupted, and all were covertly looking toward the Fire Elder for their cues. Since he was giving none, Aileron decided to break the ice, What were …discussions before? The others stared at each other in askance before one of the braver of the air clan designated to respond. The state of his ruff, however, gave way to his feelings on this new development. Lucian scurried after him once he had made his way toward the more concentrated group of elders, not wanting to be left behind. He made no movement to contribute to the conversation.

There was a pause before the air clansman designated to respond, As you have not been implicated to the meetings that have gathered before this moment, I will be more than happy to bring you up to the current, reconciled course of action. His ruff, which had almost smoothed back down against his skull, raised a bit before fluttering back down again. He wasn’t as calm as his bearing suggested.

Aileron nodded in acquiescence; any information he could gather the better. He would let the elders talk before contributing to the conversation. Glancing at Lucian, he jerked his head slightly in the elder’s direction and hoped he got the message as well. No speaking before the others spilled what they knew. Lucian nodded back with a slight smirk; he got the message. Politics was a game that he knew how to play. The characters may be different, but the pieces still followed the same rules.

After a moment, the air clansman spoke. As you are no doubt aware, it has been decided that clashing with the Vipera clan is inevitable. The discussions that have taken place thus far have included where the most logical places the descendant could be hiding—if we had any information regarding these Homicidae and where they were located, how we would go about this confrontation with the descendant and cautionary measures to take in case things didn’t turn…pleasant. The eagle took a pause after the last statement, glancing at the other elders to see if they had anything to contribute. When they remained silent, the air elder faced Aileron with an expectant expression on his face. Is there anything you can contribute to the topics thus listed?

Cocking his head to the side, Aileron thought of everything that had happened that could be an indicator of the Vipera clan’s movements. There were only three that immediately came to mind and he was certain that the others had to know of them. Homicidae…in city…warped viper…ship with…captured…Vespasian…temple…near mountains. At the end of his sentence, he shifted. That was all he could accurately give them, barring a few details. The others knew more of the Vipera than he