Away Mission - Book 2 of the Guardians Series - EDITED version

CH 1.1 Have Fun With It...Before You Kill It

Alex and the three humanoid draconic brothers, Gabe, Cale, and Rile, stood in her New Orleans carriage house apartment. They each gazed at the portal to another world, leading to their next mission as a team of Guardians. Alex held her new Guardian sword at the ready.

          "Cale, Rile, gear up," Gabe said. "Alex, stand down, as the humans say."

          Rile, the youngest brother but also the most muscular, tossed Alex a staff, which she caught with her free hand. "Since you just received your Guardian sword from the Portal Guardian, take this staff as well."

          Cale, the middle brother and the smallest, most fine-boned, was well-used to being the peacemaker. "I'll retrieve our packs." He dashed out the front door.

          "You're too poorly trained," Gabe said to Alex, He towered over Alex, his six foot six inch height making him the tallest of the brothers, as well as the eldest and their leader. "You don't even own a dagger, much less know how to use one. We don't have gear for you either."

          "You can't leave me off the team." Alex craned her neck so she could look up at him and said in a defiant voice, "The Portal Guardian said it when she assigned me to your team. You can only forbid vigilante activity."

          Rile chuckled before saying, "I heard the Portal Guardian, too, and Alex is right, I'll grab spare staff and sword sheaths for her. Don't start your epic fight without me." He strolled out the door.

Alex looked at the sword and staff in her hands. Her fingernails were cracked and pockmarked but the sword and the staff fit comfortably in her grasp. "No fighting where Rile can't eavesdrop."

          "You listen to me, Alex." Gabe shook a claw in her face. "Follow orders. No running off on your own."

          "Yes, sir." Alex saluted with the hand that held the staff. "Follow orders, sir."

          Gabe hiss-growled deep in his chest.

          "That's so cool," Alex teased. "How come your brothers never do that?"

          "We're not a Clan Head or Heir," Cale said as he lugged in the packs, the smell of well-cleaned leather surrounding him.

          "It's a Perfect Eldest Son thing." Rile followed his middle brother in. "Here's your sword and staff sheathes, princess." He held them out to her. The sword and staff sheathes were of brown leather, the arms with hilts of silver wrapped in black leather and the ends covered in the same silver leather.

          "Warrior princess," Alex replied as she accepted them. She ran her hands down the tough leather and smooth silver.

          "Some warrior princess. You don't know how to use a sword, staff, or dagger," Rile said.

          "I can fly and I can blast the leather off your hide," Alex replied sweetly. "Neuro-electric powers, remember? Or shall I remind you?"

          You do know knife and sword fighting, the calm voice that occasionally popped into Alex's head said. Because you were trained in those for Third World missions. You can access that training.

          Alex mentally snapped at it, "Shut up! You pop out of nowhere and irritate me to no end! You're my past and I want nothing to do with you!"

          Remember to access the training when you need it.

          Alex sighed in defeat and decided to be glad the voice was infrequent.

          Gabe broke into her reverie. "Enough. Into the portal."

*****

Once through, they looked over a southwest desert terrain. Towering red-rock monoliths, some with mesas on top, dotted the landscape full of sand and scrub bushes. Tall columnar cacti stood watch over the valley below. The cliffs showed grey-and-red bands along their faces. The sky above was a panorama of brilliant blue. The heat wasn't as unbearable as the Painted Desert and the sun was midway down the horizon. A desert breeze smelled like a garden of cactus, prickly gourd, and sage.