Blade(Part 1): Dawn

Chapter 24: Dameon

Shala's snoring is what kept Dameon awake for hours as he drove through the jungles. They had passed the border of Astros and Esmijan, but still had to drive all the way to Aglain. The sun had just broken the horizon, and the dew of the morning had covered the leaves of the jungle trees and the grass. It was a beautiful sight for the morning, especially considering the state the colonies were in, and what happened the night before, just hours ago. Dameon and Shala only stopped driving once to eat breakfast, and hadn't stopped again since. Dameon hadn't planned on stopping until they reached the Celestial Sword, between Esmijan and Aglain. He wanted to get as far away from Midnight's Embrace as possible, as quickly as possible.

"Dameon, have you stopped even once?" Shala suddenly said, yawning.

"No," Dameon answered. "We'll get there quicker if we don't."

"Right," Shala agreed. She was wide awake, now. "So let me drive. You get some rest."

"Alright," said Dameon. He stopped the buggy, then climbed out of the seat. Shala warped into the driver's seat while Dameon walked in front of the vehicle to sit next to her. Once they strapped in their seatbelts, Shala stepped on the gas. They sped through the jungles as fast as the buggy could carry them.

"Where are we, now?" Shala wondered.

"We just crossed into Esmijan," Dameon answered. "We should be almost there, right?"

"If you really didn't stop," said Shala. "Then just a few more hours. Esmijan is a rather small colony. Why didn't you stop, anyway?"

"You were sleeping," Dameon reminded. "I didn't want to wake you up."

"Okay," Shala sighed. "Why else?" Dameon had just remembered that trying to lie to a Guardian was pointless. Especially lying to one like Shala.

"That's a bit of a long story," Dameon admitted. "I just couldn't sleep. Shala, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," said Shala. Dameon was reluctant to ask Shala about what happened the night before they began their way east, but he saw the look in her eyes when he killed Silas. It was a look of dread.

"I didn't scare you last night, did I?" Dameon asked. Shala was silent for a moment, then turned towards Dameon.

"Honestly," she answered. "No, you didn't. Silas shot you. Worse, he betrayed you. I would want him to pay for it, too, just like you did. You just saw him for what he really was, which was someone who was willing to kill you just because you thought differently than he did."

"So, what I did was justified?" asked Dameon.

"Absolutely," Shala assured. "But only as far as I'm concerned. Whether or not you did the right thing is something you'll have to decide on your own, though." Shala didn't have the same fear in her eyes as she did when Dameon killed Silas. She would be the last one to tell him what he did was wrong. There was no question now, though. Silas deserved to die as much as even Nouzari did. He drifted off to sleep with his mind at ease, now. Shala must not have stopped, either, because she woke Dameon up hours later when they stopped at the portcullis of an ancient fortress. Hanging from the top of the walls were blue banners that held the sigil of a golden eagle's head on a silver shield with white, feathered wings.

"Are we here?" asked Dameon.

"Yes," Shala answered. Suddenly, there was a shout from the top of the portcullis.

"You there!" It was the young Captain of a Guardian squad that wore a dark jacket. He was pointing a silver bow with a white, glowing arrow of light drawn in it at Dameon and Shala, along with the other members of his team, who were wearing blue outfits. None of them seemed older than Dameon or Shala. In fact, they looked younger, at twelve or thirteen years of age.