Growth

Clare awoke in a hospital bed. The room was white and clean and a glimpse outside through her adjacent window suggested it was late afternoon. Clare looked to her right and saw another hospital bed with Alice resting upon it. She dozed most comfortably. Clare sat up in her bed and found herself in a white hospital gown.

Clare did not know what to do from here. She heard occasional footsteps, very vividly, on the other side of the door. Her heart beat faster when they approached her door but they kept moving along. Clare sighed and made herself comfortable as she prepared to recall what had happened. But then she had to go to the bathroom. There was one in the room and she made her way to it on sore legs.

Business complete, she washed her hands and face and took a look in the mirror. Green. Basil green. Not gold. Clare slammed her hands on the counter and moved her head in close. Sure, her eyes were pretty, but why not gold?!

She heard Alice stir and went to her bedside. Alice stretched and yawned and opened her eyes. Gold.

“Clare?” She reached out her hand. Clare gladly accepted.

“Looks like we’re still alive.”

“Your eyes…”

“I know. But yours are as golden as… gold.”

“But why not yours?” Alice sat up.

“I don’t know.”

Alice looked around and then out the window. The afternoon sun was up. “Looks like we haven’t been out too long.”

“I guess we aren’t that sick.”

Clare heard the footsteps and even a heartbeat before someone opened the door. Calvin entered. He jumped when he saw the women awake.

“Thank God! It’s been two days!” He set a hand on each girl. “How do you feel? Any pain?”

“No, none.”

“Two days?”

Calvin returned to the hallway to wave at someone and then returned.

“What happened to us?” Alice asked.

“You drank and then both doubled over in pain, screaming. It was terrible.”

Raven, Todd, and a middle aged doctor with glasses entered. She was not a Protector, to Clare’s surprise. Raven went straight to the women and put her arms around them.

“We were so worried.” One could feel the weight fall from her shoulders as she spoke.

“Are we still Protectors?” Alice asked.

Raven managed a smile. “You took the oath and the Elixir, didn’t you?”

The doctor finally spoke up. “We want to keep you one more night just in case but your vitals returned to normal this morning and have remained that way all through the day. You two are healthy but I want to make sure you stay healthy before your next journey.”

“The dragon hunt?”

“Yes. You’ll need your full strength for that.”

“Why are my eyes green?” Clare asked.

Everyone faced the doctor.

“The Elixir has never before failed to change the color of the iris. A Protector’s eye color is a variant of yellow and given that your former eye color was blue, it would seem that this is an incomplete transformation. However, you and Alice have, without a doubt, become Protectors. Every physical sign is there.”

“That aside, did we miss anything else?”

“It’s only been a couple days,” Alice said.

“Well Marco escaped.”

“How the hell did that happen?”

“He was in prison and then he wasn’t. There is an investigation and search parties pursuing him but that tracks that were found lead into the jungle, where we prefer not to venture.”

“He could die out there.”

“He sure could. If he survives it would be safe to assume that he’ll rejoin the Crusaders one way or another.”

As the doctor said, the women were kept one more night. The doctor herself hardly showed but nurses took their vitals every now and then. With nothing more out of the ordinary, the doctor sent them on their way in the morning.

The next day was treated like any other. A Protector sent by The Master escorted the group of four to the residential district where the women were shown their new accommodations. Their building was like a college dormitory. The women would share a room on their floor and the entirety of that floor shared a large communal bathroom. Men and women were all on different floors. The women had few possessions so there was nothing to leave behind when they set back out, fully equipped thanks to Calvin and Raven resupplying the women while they were in the hospital.

The Master’s assistant took them to the next location when they were ready: the docks.

“This is it, isn’t it?” Alice said on the long pier. Many a boat was docked and a few were coming and going. “We’re off to kill a dragon.”

The assistant nodded. “That’s right. This is where you tell your friends goodbye.”

Calvin, Raven, and Todd looked ready. They opened their arms and everyone joined in a big group hug.

“Remember what we taught you,” Calvin said.

“Better yet, remember how you killed that first one,” Raven said.

“I was instructed not to join you,” Todd said. “Though honestly I am somewhat relieved.”

A thought hit Clare. “Why didn’t we just take the skin from that dragon? We wouldn’t have to do this.”

“No, no. We helped you with that,” Raven said.

“And so did plenty of crewmen and even Marco.”

“And then a ton of reports came in. The Crusaders have been targeting Protectors all across the board.”

“Ahem,” the assistant said, butting them off. “From here you are to take a ship back to Macapa and then on to Cuba with the addition of three recruits that will be waiting for you in Macapa. You five will be hunting a dragon together as a team. The other Initiates are Rachel, Max, and David. They are expecting your arrival.”

The women were not against the idea of having a dragon-killing team.

Goodbyes were said again and Clare and Alice were put aboard a vessel not unlike the first one, though there were fewer passengers this time around. There was much less excitement on the river heading out as well. No snakes, no Crusaders. So Macapa was reached without incident. But the women did learn from a fellow Protector that everyone was on high alert since the Crusaders were on the move. There had been similar attacks just about everywhere. Some, but not many, Protectors had fallen victim in their travels.

Upon arriving in Macapa, the women did not know immediately what to do. However, they were met by the three Protector recruits they had watched drink the Elixir and about whom the assistant had told them: Rachel, David, and Max.

Rachel was a ditsy blond, David a bald man, and then Max was a skinny guy that had “insecure” written all over him.

“Finally!” Rachel said first.

“We’ve been waiting around the docks every day,” David said.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Think nothing of it. It gave us a week to relax,” David said. He was quite cheerful when he spoke.

“He’s just happy because he got laid.”

David raised his hands. “Busted!”

“Hey, I’m Max,” Max said meekly from the sidelines.

“Oh geez, we didn’t even introduce ourselves.” David threw out a hand. “David.”

Everyone made introductions.

“So where do we go from here?” Clare asked afterward.

“To Cuba.”

“I hope you didn’t mind your boat ride because we’re getting on another.”

“When?”

“Now.” Rachel pointed. “See that big one over there?”

“That’s Captain Rogers’ ship!” Alice shouted.

“You know him?”

“Him and his jaguar.”

Max visibly shuddered.

“It’s tame,” Clare assured him.

“And here I thought we were done with him.”

“It sounds like you don’t like him that much.”

“He’s not so bad but he made eyes a few times at me.”

“Well it’s good you know him,” Rachel cut in. “So are you ready to go say hi?”

They all moved along to Captain Rogers’ ship. It was ready to go from what the women could tell. The former crew had been replaced with unknowing souls. There were fewer cargo containers on board this time but plenty of Protectors were on board as passengers. Captain Rogers made himself known quickly, as he was personally welcoming his passengers. Amaris was with him.

“Well I’ll be damned. Looks like we are taking at least one more trip together,” the Captain said as they walked aboard.

“At least one more,” Alice repeated.

“Are we going straight to Cuba?” Clare asked.

“To Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, yes.”

“It’s a Protector base now,” Max added.

“Aye, that it is.” Rogers crossed his arms. “Look at you two now with your… Wait, your eyes are green.”

“I worked but it didn’t work,” Clare said.

“My green-eyed friend,” Amaris said to Clare.

“She’s still as much a Protector as the rest,” Alice added.

“Word spread pretty fast about a green-eyed Protector. You gonna be alright?” Rachel asked.

“I’m fine,” Clare assured her.

“If you say so.”

The other three went aboard.

“Why are there so many Protectors this time?” Clare asked Rogers.

“I overheard something about mobilizing and preparing for the Crusaders but I don’t like to pry. Often. Now you’d best find yourselves some cots. I have plenty more passengers signed up to go.”

The women went ahead and found the others searching for a place to sleep together, which they thankfully did near a busy doorway. The cots were being taken up pretty quickly by the other Protectors. Just a handful of civilians were among them.

Word of the green-eyed Protector’s presence on board became the talk of the town as the ship left the harbor. Clare was not alone the entirety of the first day of four. Everyone just needed to know what on earth happened, but Clare plead ignorance, not wanting Primal to be brought up. They dispersed when the news became somewhat disappointing.

The ship went straight to Cuba. Upon examining her fellow passengers, Clare noticed that almost everyone was equipped with their armor and weapons. Clare did not recognize some of what was being wielded but she recognized the weapons of Rachel, David and Max. They had a sword, scythe and chain, and load of knives, respectively.

The second day, Rachel wanted to duel someone, anyone, out of impatience. Clare was uninterested but her heartrate shot up when Alice volunteered. She could not stop her friend as she and Rachel made their way to the deck with a crowd of betting Protectors in tow. The sky was grey and overcast.

“So what’s the reason?” Alice asked as the two readied their weapons.

“I just get antsy.”

“That’s all?”

“And I have a violent temperament.”

“Small world.”

“You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. Rules?”

“No killing and no dismembering.”

“You got it.” Alice clinked her claws together.

Rachel made the first move. She shot forward and swung with an uppercut. Alice did not move from her spot and stopped the blade with one clawed hand, locking it in place. She attacked with her other hand and to dodge, Rachel had to release her sword. Rachel looked angry when she stood without it but Alice tossed it to her feet.

“Strike one.”

Rachel did not like that. She swept up her sword as she charged again and this time went for Alice’s head with a blow that could kill. But Alice deflected it while tripping Rachel. The blond fell and recovered quickly. But then she froze. Alice’s had a claw right between Rachel’s eyes. Rachel gasped and leapt back out of range.

“That’s two.”

Rachel took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Her opponent was somehow one step ahead of her. She needed the upper hand, but how?

She moved forward with another upper slash but this time drove the sword into the deck as she did so. When the sword came up, it really came up. The force behind this swing knocked Alice’s unprepared hand away, giving Rachel the opening she needed.

But Alice still had her. She dodged Rachel’s finishing lunge and put a claw to her throat. Strike three.

“That was a great move at the end,” Alice admitted. She lowered her hand. “It would have gotten anyone else. Really.” She pat Rachel’s shoulder.

Rachel gave Alice an angry yet humble look. “Yeah, good fight.”

Alice went to Clare. “We were taught too well.”

“No, she’s just inexperienced. We’ve fought. We know what it means when you swing a weapon.”

“Kill or be killed.”

“Most of the time.”

David and Max approached the women. “That was incredible!” David started.

“You hardly broke a sweat against her.”

Alice blushed, if but a little. “I just have a little more experience with combat.”

The guys looked at each other. “We sure don’t.”

“And I know Rachel doesn’t either.”

“We’d better learn fast.”

“What’s the hurry?” Alice asked.

“What’s the hurry?”

“We’re at war!”

The women were shocked.

“Since when?” Clare asked.

Max nudged David. “The ride down the river takes a week, remember?”

“Oh, that’s right. Well there were so many reports of Crusader attacks coming in that The Master decided to do something about it.”

“She has everyone moving north to bases along southern North America.”

“And we’ll push up from there.”

“They should have talked to us. We’ve been to where their leader lives.”

“What?!” the boys shouted.

“We know what she looks like, too.”

“Is there a way we can send a message?” Clare asked.

“Yeah, a bird can carry one,” David said. “I’ll bet the Captain has one or two.”

Clare and Alice left to find Captain Rogers. A crewman directed them to the Captain’s quarters where he was resting with Butcher. The big cat was already at the door when the women arrived. He opened it for them.

“I thought I smelled something familiar,” Butcher said. “What do you need?”

“To send a message to The Master,” Alice answered.

“You’ll need a bird.”

“Who is it?” Captain Rogers asked from somewhere in the back.

“It’s those women who killed the dragon.”

“What do they want?”

“To send a message to the Protector Master.”

“Alright, send them to the crew’s quarters.”

“You heard the man,” Butcher said to the women. “There should be a bird or two down there.”

The women went below deck to the crew’s quarters and found just what they were looking for, after getting a few looks from crewmen who wondered what gave these Protectors the right to invade their territory.

Three birds were perched by a window, all seagulls. They conversed amongst themselves just as any gossiping bunch would do. Their conversation ceased when the women neared.

“What do you want?” the largest gull asked.

“We have an important message to send,” Alice replied.

All three seagulls sighed. “Whose turn is it?” one asked.

Another reluctantly raised a wing. “What’s the message?” it asked the women.

“We need you to tell the Protector Master that we know where the Crusader leader is.”

The birds perked up. “How do you know such a thing?” one asked.

“We met her.”

“And then kind of stole something from her.”

“My goodness.” Their messenger flapped its wings and stretched. “Write out your message and strap it to my leg. I can have your message delivered in a few days.” Another gull pointed to a nearby desk with paper and ink ready for writing.

Alice took up a quill and got to work with the message. When she finished she rolled it up, tied it shut, and strapped it to the seagull’s leg. The bird nodded, pushed its window open, and took flight.

“That was easy,” Alice admitted.

“I hope it’s useful.”

Alice smirked. “We never told the others the location. It’s funny.”

Clare shrugged. “They never asked the right question.”

“Our story could have been less vague, though.”

The rest of the trip was uneventful except for a few more duels between anxious Protectors in need of release. The women passed the time with Alice helping Clare with her reading and writing. And finally, from their places on the deck, they saw it. Guantanamo Bay. The hills of the surrounding landscape were green yet Clare felt that they were desolate, for there were no trees. They sailed closer. The base was as it had always been. No trees or other such foliage had ruined its structures. Guantanamo Bay was still Guantanamo Bay.