Keeper of Life - NaPoWrMo Entry

The sound of battle came to them both, and they shook. Thunder cracked, and she saw rubble fly into the air, heard it tumble off the clay roofs.

The guard standing beside Sol rushed ahead toward the battle and yelled back, “Don't move!”

At first she didn't, the explosions froze her in place, her legs were unable to even vibrate. 'Get a hold of yourself Solar, you're a guardian, you're a guardian,' she thought. She couldn't stand here and do nothing, yet she couldn't move as the sounds of death kept coming back to her, as the image of the guard being pulled to his death floated before her eyes. As she repeated that mantra strength suddenly seemed to pulse back into her. With a new breath of determination she pushed forward following her previous escort.

An explosion caused her legs to falter and sent her toppling on the ground. She pushed herself up, she had to help, she was one of them. A guardian wasn't to be corralled, a guardian was meant to fight, to protect The Tree, and so she would.

Through the narrow alleys she saw other guards and guardians rushing forward. The bellow of more collapsing stone filled her ears. It was already ringing from the explosion previously, but she pushed on.

Yet as silence filled the air she too was filled with a sullen determination. She meant to follow the guards but became distracted by the blur of Valor rushing by. She pushed out of the alley and made to call after her. “No, she'll only tell me to get out of here,” she thought and ran after her.

They jumped through shortcuts that even Sol didn't know about, and darted through the districts like a map existed in her mind. Likely it did, no one knew these streets better then Valor. She was the matriarch, she had to.

Without pause Sol chased them until they reached the trolly. Valor pushed herself to the top and stood on the canvas, her horn and the trolly glowed.

Sol tried to run quickly and be quiet at the same time. Thankfully the other two guardians were scanning the scene in front of them and she managed to roll onto the back unnoticed. She hid in the lip that was used as a step and the cart lurched into motion. It wasn't long until they began passing through the districts, and the sense of normalcy here almost worried Sol. It was as if they didn't know a war was going on in their home district.

Valor landed in the middle, it shook the cart and almost pushed her off. Yet she learned soon it wasn't the impact. Valor lifted her up, the small unicorn glowing herself. When Valor released her she smacked into the floor and winced from the pain.

“What are you doing here Sol?” she asked, deadly serious.

“I want to help, I'm a guardian too!” she said knowing she wasn't really, not yet.

“There will be a time and a place for that Sol, you need to leave.”

“But I want to help, I can help, you've seen how I can fight,” Sol retorted but Valor would have none of it. She stopped the cart and ordered her off. When Sol wouldn't move Valor moved her personally.

Set sat on the cold cobblestone watching the trolly cut through the districts. The fireworks continued to blossom above her, and the smell of freshly cooked doughnuts filled the air.

“I'm not giving up,” she said.