Plague • A Rise of the Guardians Fanfiction

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Jack was slightly unnerved by the way Soteria kept glaring at him.

As he led the way to the front entrance, he could feel her eyes boring into his back. He did his best to avoid glancing her way, because the first time he had, it had been even more disturbing. Her gaze had been so intense, so full of suspicion and hatred, that he thought she might curse him with the Black Plague or something.

She must have really had something against the North Pole.

Jack lead her onto the main platform, arriving at the spot the Guardians had been gathered at just hours before when the Man in the Moon had selected Soteria to join them.

None of the other Guardians had arrived yet. Soteria moved to stand in the corner, shadowing herself and fidgeting slightly. She seemed uncomfortable-the way her eyes kept darting around, the way she kept shoving her hands in her pockets only to pull them out again.

Her discomfort was contagious and Jack was soon trying to find ways to distract himself.

"Why are we here?" Soteria asked him.

Jack looked over at her. He wondered where the other Guardians had gotten off to.

"Well, the others, uh, needed to see you." That answer sounded safe enough.

Why was Soteria able to turn things that seemed safe into absolutely unstable?

"Needed is an overused word." Her eyes flickered dangerously. Literally. It was like a tiny flame had lit-a tiny black ember waiting to swallow the world.

Jack composed himself, trying to reconstruct his indifferent façade. "Yeah, well, they should-"

The door to North's office burst open, letting through the rest of the Guardians. They must have used a snow globe.

"Ah, Jack! You have found her! Is good, is good!" North turned his jolly face in Soteria's direction. His face didn't even twitch. He seemed genuinely pleased to see her, but Jack knew it was just a really well-constructed mask.

It was Soteria's turn to shift uncomfortably. Her golden eyes had lost the defiant flame and now glittered with uncertainty. She looked like she wanted to leave, like she was a caged animal. Jack might've felt bad for her if he wasn't marveling at her weirdness.

The other Guardians were more subdued in their greetings. Tooth flittered over North's shoulder, giving Soteria a nervous smile and a small Hello, but not much else. Sandy's eyes were wide and pictures flashed incomprehensibly over his head. Bunny's ears were flat against his head, his nose twitching nervously.

"So, Soteria!" North exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. He seemed determined not to let his own discomfort show.

Soteria glared up at him, her arms stiffly at her sides. Her black bangs almost hid her eyes completely, the only show of them a golden glint beneath the strands. The dark shadows beneath her eyes only added to the hateful look.

North didn't even flinch. "We have wonderful news!"

Soteria remained unfazed. She didn't speak. She didn't make any motion to reply. She simply stood there and glared at North. If her gaze so much as flicked in the direction of another Guardian, they'd flinch and she'd look back at North.

North, who'd been waiting for her reaction, blinked quickly a few times and leaned back, spreading his hands to motion around the room.

"Man in Moon has selected you to be Guardian!"

For once, Soteria seemed caught off-guard. Her hateful resolve flickered, a look of panic and shocked disbelief flickering on her face. Confusion set in after a moment, and afterwards she quickly furrowed her brow once more.