Little Guardian

Paisha was a peaceful small village that lied in peaceful quiet just outside of the royal capital city. It was known for its bountiful herbal and floral supplies and production of healing concoctions. Life was simple in Paisha, the people lived in harmony at the foot of the woodland forest, taking only what they needed and fulfilling requests of the royal palace and city populace. Among them, a family of flower merchants resided. Myra had been picking flowers and teaching her younger sister, Ida, about them since early childhood. They were often spotted in the nearby forest collecting all kinds of simple and complex ingredients for their parents, who were renowned apothecaries. Myra had always felt a special connection with the woods and was often the first to notice signs of predatory beasts and alert the village officials. This gift of foresight granted her the title of Defender of Paisha, despite being only fourteen at the time. Her ability to sense danger had not come from her time spent studying the forest or her unparallel tracking skills, rather, it had come from an unfortunate encounter the year before gaining her title.

At the age of thirteen, she had an encounter with a night lurker. An unnatural mixture of man and monster that boasted a petrifying aura had been hiding in the shadows, awaiting the opportunity to strike an unsuspecting villager. Myra had an argument with her parents that ended in her running into the forest in the early afternoon. Being alone in the forest was never a cause for concern for her parents, so long as she was home by nightfall. On that particular night, she failed to make it back in time.

The sun cast long shadows, but Myra didn’t notice; she was too focused on her feelings. She sobbed the afternoon away, comforted by the sturdy trunk of one of the large trees. Before long, the last rays of the red sun were slowly being washed away by the deep blue hue of nightfall. A haunting creature approached from the shadows, barely a silhouette in Myra’s line of sight. She lifted her head from her hands and wiped her eyes.

“Who are you?” she called into the darkness.

“A friend,” a whispered voice replied.

Myra watched the figure closely. Its eerie shape seemed to blend right into the earth and there was no way to tell where the figure ended and where shadows began. It moved suddenly. A chill shot up Myra’s spine.

“What do you want?” she said more defensively, jumping to her feet. A soft chuckle echoed through the forest.

“Blood.”

Myra began sprinting away but darkness was already upon her. She screamed with all her strength as the heaviest weight in the world pinned her to the forest floor. A snicker weaved between the trees of the forest and all Myra could feel was her own heart pounding in her chest. The night lurker stepped towards her revealing more insidious details. Dim yellow eyes gleamed in the dark and at the tips of the stranger’s fingers were long translucent claws, sharp and long enough to pierce straight through an adult body. Two large wings unfolded from the creature’s back, giving it swift and precise movements of flight.

Myra was pinned by magic; she was barely able to drag her body along the ground. A strange sense of doom washed over her; she would soon die to the night lurker. It crept closer and closer, savouring her fear until a large black bear rushed out from the darkness of the forest to defend her. It growled loudly at the night lurker, forcing its attention away from Myra. She couldn’t be sure, but amongst the growls, Myra swore she heard a voice telling her to run.

She hurried through the dark forest not daring to look back. Wet grass whipped against her ankles as she neared the village border. A strong, howling breeze fought against her, pushing her back into the forest with the power of a typhoon. Myra resisted with all her might and finally emerged from the woods. Her body shook with adrenaline for a few minutes while she caught her breath. Then, without another moment of hesitation, she ran to the centre of the village, smacking into one of the members of the newly formed search party.

“Myra! I’ve found her!” the old farmer said, helping her up off the dirt. Their collision had caused quite a loud scuffle, drawing the attention of other villagers.

“Myra is back!” people called across the village. Many came to greet her as though she had been missing for a lifetime. Her parents held her tightly and apologized profusely for upsetting her. Myra took a step back and announced what she had seen. Word eventually made it to the mayor who sent a letter of royal enquiry, requesting more armed guards for Paisha.

“How on earth did you escape, Myra?” her father asked, serving her some reheated dinner they had saved for her. She swallowed the warm, creamy mashed potato and took a sip of water from a wooden cup.

“I was saved by a bear; it was almost unreal.”

Her parents exchanged surprised glances; a shared memory had been reignited. Her mother placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “Do you know, when you were little, you used to boast that you could talk to all the woodland animals? Perhaps they helped you out.”

Myra dropped her fork; the voice of the bear telling her to run reverberated in her mind.

“I don’t remember that…” she said, with sweet sadness.

Her parents dropped the subject and encouraged her to head upstairs for some rest. Ida heard the commotion and busted out of her bedroom, “Myra! You’re alive!” her eyes were red from crying. Myra hugged her little sister, reassuring her that everything was okay.

“Can I tuck Myra in, please?” Ida begged with big, sad eyes. Her parents relented, giving Myra a quick kiss goodnight before retreating to their own bedroom.

Myra sat on the end of her bed as Ida closed the door.

“I have to tell you something! You won't believe it!” Ida whispered excitedly. The little girl’s enthusiasm peaked as she tiptoed across the room to her big sister.

“Yes?” Myra grinned, playing along.

“I made friends with a bear today!”