Alex and the three humanoid draconic brothers, Gabe, Cale, and Rile, stood in her New Orleans carriage house apartment. They each gazed at the portal to another world, leading to their next mission as a team of Guardians. Alex held her new Guardian sword at the ready.

          "Cale, Rile, gear up," Gabe said. "Alex, stand down, as the humans say."

          Rile, the youngest brother but also the most muscular, tossed Alex a staff, which she caught with her free hand. "Since you just received your Guardian sword from the Portal Guardian, take this staff as well."

          Cale, the middle brother and the smallest, most fine-boned, was well-used to being the peacemaker. "I'll retrieve our packs." He dashed out the front door.

          "You're too poorly trained," Gabe said to Alex, He towered over Alex, his six foot six inch height making him the tallest of the brothers, as well as the eldest and their leader. "You don't even own a dagger, much less know how to use one. We don't have gear for you either."

          "You can't leave me off the team." Alex craned her neck so she could look up at him and said in a defiant voice, "The Portal Guardian said it when she assigned me to your team. You can only forbid vigilante activity."

          Rile chuckled before saying, "I heard the Portal Guardian, too, and Alex is right, I'll grab spare staff and sword sheaths for her. Don't start your epic fight without me." He strolled out the door.

Alex looked at the sword and staff in her hands. Her fingernails were cracked and pockmarked but the sword and the staff fit comfortably in her grasp. "No fighting where Rile can't eavesdrop."

          "You listen to me, Alex." Gabe shook a claw in her face. "Follow orders. No running off on your own."

          "Yes, sir." Alex saluted with the hand that held the staff. "Follow orders, sir."

          Gabe hiss-growled deep in his chest.

          "That's so cool," Alex teased. "How come your brothers never do that?"

          "We're not a Clan Head or Heir," Cale said as he lugged in the packs, the smell of well-cleaned leather surrounding him.

          "It's a Perfect Eldest Son thing." Rile followed his middle brother in. "Here's your sword and staff sheathes, princess." He held them out to her. The sword and staff sheathes were of brown leather, the arms with hilts of silver wrapped in black leather and the ends covered in the same silver leather.

          "Warrior princess," Alex replied as she accepted them. She ran her hands down the tough leather and smooth silver.

          "Some warrior princess. You don't know how to use a sword, staff, or dagger," Rile said.

          "I can fly and I can blast the leather off your hide," Alex replied sweetly. "Neuro-electric powers, remember? Or shall I remind you?"

          You do know knife and sword fighting, the calm voice that occasionally popped into Alex's head said. Because you were trained in those for Third World missions. You can access that training.

          Alex mentally snapped at it, "Shut up! You pop out of nowhere and irritate me to no end! You're my past and I want nothing to do with you!"

          Remember to access the training when you need it.

          Alex sighed in defeat and decided to be glad the voice was infrequent.

          Gabe broke into her reverie. "Enough. Into the portal."

*****

Once through, they looked over a southwest desert terrain. Towering red-rock monoliths, some with mesas on top, dotted the landscape full of sand and scrub bushes. Tall columnar cacti stood watch over the valley below. The cliffs showed grey-and-red bands along their faces. The sky above was a panorama of brilliant blue. The heat wasn't as unbearable as the Painted Desert and the sun was midway down the horizon. A desert breeze smelled like a garden of cactus, prickly gourd, and sage.

Alex was reminded of Cathedral Rock from Red Rock Crossing. She frowned at the thought that she had been in Arizona.

No thinking about the past. Ever. Who knew what horrors might have happened in Arizona?

They looked down upon the town in the shimmering heat. A city with squat, red-rock buildings no more than two stories tall. There were dirt roads and the vehicles were carriages drawn by gleaming desert mustangs. A small, turquoise-blue river snaked in a desultory manner on the edge of the town, while cultivated corn, squashes, and valerian grew on the other side.

"We'll learn ever so much standing out here." Rile started down the gentle slope for the town.

Gabe quickly took the lead while Alex gawked at the scenery and Cale and Rile scanned for trouble. A hot dry wind blew sand into Alex's teeth but it also carried a light, floral honey scent this time. When Alex looked closer, the source was bright pink-purple flowers on scrub plants with oval, dark-green leaves.

They reached the edge of the town. As they skirted a building, they heard voices and cautiously looked around the corner. They stared in surprise at three humanoid draconic figures speaking.

"I hate staying here. I want to be with the others," one said.

"Just smile and wave." The other figure raised her hand and swayed it gently back and forth.

"They look like you," Alex said. "We must be back on your home world."

The khaki-green creatures turned around. They sported impressive tails.

"Or not." Alex ducked back around the corner.

I'm the alien here.

"Why can I understand them? Surely they can't be speaking English," Alex whispered to Cale, her best shot at an answer without anger or scorn.

"Don't call me 'Shirley'," Cale whispered back with a smile. "It's part of the Calling. We're given the language of wherever we're Called."

"Did you think we were born speaking English with an American accent?" Rile mocked.

Alex realized that Rile never missed anything. Whispering only alerted him to eavesdrop.

Jerk. I'll show him who's a Guardian.

"Alex, step back further into the alley and flatten against the wall," Gabe ordered.

She did, but not happily. At least, not until she heard voices from even farther down the alley. Now she could listen to a different conversation that the brothers couldn't.

"Are they in place?" one voice said.

"Yes, all four with crossbows. At least one will find its mark," another voice answered.

Alex looked down the street and saw a procession coming. The crowd of humanoid reptiles waved and cheered. She saw that while all stood on two feet and were dressed in robes, pants and tunics, or jumpsuits that clung tightly to their bodies, there were distinct differences in them, mainly their heads. Some looked like Iguanas, some Chameleons, and many she didn't know. 

When Rile turned, she whispered to him, "I think there's an assassination planned. I heard mention of four crossbows and one hitting its mark." When he looked down at her with skepticism, she added, "You're not the only one with good enough hearing to eavesdrop."

Rile scanned the area and pointed at an upper window.  "There's one crossbow. Three more to go."

"I told you to step back," Gabe whispered fiercely as he pushed Alex against the wall, his body shielding her from the crowd's view.

"I overheard an assassination plot," she protested.

"Four crossbows to assassinate someone, probably a figurehead since we were Called here as Guardians." Rile yanked his brother forward. "I've found one. Now help me find the other three. Our appearances and clothing should blend fine with crowd"

Gabe told Cale and they intensified their search. The procession drew closer. Alex saw Gabe point, and the three brothers vanished into the crowd.

"Three of them and four crossbows. Why didn't Gabe tell me to find one?" Alex muttered to the uncaring wall.

Although annoyed, Alex decided to stay put and keep an eye on the procession. A figure in the center of the parade smiled and nodded to his adoring audience. His lavish, sunset-orange leather overcoat obscured the skintight one-piece outfit of many of the crowd. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the crossbow that Rile had pointed out disappear.

"One down, three to go." Alex didn't know where the other three were, so she watched the waving figure closely.

Alex never questioned how she could see an arrow flying toward its target, she merely reacted. She speed-burst through the crowd, invisible, her slipstream harmlessly pushing the crowd away, then touched ground on the road. She was now visible and used her regular flying ability to look as if she jumped into the carriage, instinct telling her to hide her flying ability. She grabbed the waving figure, pushed him to the carriage floor, and covered him with her body. She said, "Stay still, I'm protecting you. Arrows are flying. Let me take the hits." He smelled both musky and pungent, but in an earthy, pleasant way

The screaming started. A large, muscular reptile resembling a Komodo dragon grabbed Alex and the reptile that she saved was taken from her. She was reluctant to blast such a large crowd, and the hands weren't hurting her, only restraining her. Another muscular Komodo dragon jogged up and yelled orders. Alex's rescue was surrounded by many large reptiles, mainly Komodo types. All were armed, on alert, and asking questions.

"Council President, are you all right?" One Komodo hunched protectively over him.

"Did this creature hurt you?" Another Komodo, also using his body as a shield, picked up each of the president's arms and examined them closely, even sniffing them. He removed the brilliant orange leather overcoat and patted the President's chest, sniffing closely as well.

"Of course I didn't hurt him. I rescued him from a crossbow arrow." Alex held up her hands in surrender.

"We saw no arrow or crossbow." One of the Komodo's sniffed her with suspicion and then smelled the President's chest. "What are you? Why did you rub your scent on him?"

"You were trying to abduct the Council President." The other Komodo brushed the President's chest, as if trying to remove Alex's scent. "Where would have taken him, creature, after you marked him?"

"Uh, sorry about the body odor thing, but if I was trying to abduct him, why did I put him on the floor of the carriage and cover him?" Alex asked in a reasonable tone. "That's how my scent got on him. I didn't mean anything else by it." Alex wondered if it was a possessive gesture, like cats marking their humans by rubbing on them.

"Leave her be," the Council President said. "She was protecting me."

"Wait!" Gabe, Cale, and Rile ran up, each dragging an unconscious creature similar to the ones discussing assassination. "She's with us. We captured three of the assassins but she saved him from the fourth. Look." Gabe dropped a crossbow at the guard's feet, and Rile and Cale followed suit.

"Sir." A green Iguana guard joined them and held out a bolt. "I found this nearby. I think it would have hit the Council President."

"I agree." The Council President clapped his hands and the guards straightened into formation. The other guards still maintained a protective circle around him, half watching the crowd and half glaring at Alex.

The President addressed Alex and the brothers. "You all have my thanks. But what manner of creature are you?" he asked Alex specifically. "How do you know our language? Where are you from?"

"I'm not from around here," Alex said. "I'm a quick study when it comes to language."

"President, this creature is unknown to our world and you were nearly assassinated. We must take you to safety immediately.  Let the local law enforcement officers deal with her," one of the Komodo's said.

"Alex is under my protection," Gabe said sententiously and earned a sharp look from Alex. "She is a member of my Guardian team."

The President stroked his short, spiny 'beard' which reminded Alex of a bearded dragon. "No, the locals' fear of these guardians, especially this strange female, might lead them to mistreat her. Instead, we must hurry to the Institute for protection of our foreign allies." He clapped his hands sharply. "Guards, transport for us all immediately. To the Institute."

Alex and the brothers were hustled into a larger, covered carriage, along with the Council President and several disapproving guards who crammed around Alex and glowered at her. The President donned his sunset-orange leather overcoat again. He pulled on his sleeves and straightened his collar.

Alex wondered that his mannerisms were so human, yet his appearance so foreign.

"I do thank you," the President began. "But your strange appearance will cause much fear. What manner of creature are you?" He repeated the question politely to Alex.

She hunched her shoulders while Gabe looked at her in accusation and Cale clacked his claws.

"Mammal," Rile said when no one answered.

The President grew grave, again stroking his spiky beard, and his intelligent black eyes somber. "That explains your scent, warmth and hair. I was right to bring you along. There are those who think that mammals, no matter what the size, are good for nothing but being hunted and killed."

Gabe hissed but Rile and Alex studiously ignored him.

"Are you from the far south? There are rumors that large mammals live there."

"Has anyone ever been there?" Alex asked, hoping this would be an acceptable alibi and not fuel suspicions and fear about a Bigfoot creature.

"None." The President looked to his guards for confirmation, and they all nodded.

"Then I'm from there. We keep to ourselves."

The President waved that off with a clawed hand. "The truth, please. I must protect you all."

Alex turned her head to Gabe and raised her hands, palm up, in question.

"We are from other worlds. Does your kind know of this concept?" Gabe asked with care.

"Or your priests?" Cale added quickly.

The President nodded slowly. "Yes, the Greatest God has creatures on all of the different worlds that He has created, but you will be the first we have ever met. I will contact the Council Priest as to your arrival so he can instruct his priests to preach on the Greatest God's other worlds and its citizens. I pray this will help your introduction into our society.  For now, you'll be safe at the Institute. Dr. Glick is the foremost authority on mammals."

"I hope not the sort that likes dissecting them," Alex said.

The President chuckled. "Have no fear. Dr. Glick is a most gentle and honorable genius. Now you three." He turned to face Gabe, Rile, and Cale. "What species are you? You look like the Anolis lizards but you have no tails and are much larger. Their males are never seen outside their borders without their females."

"We're not from around here, either," Rile said.

Gabe elbowed Rile. "We are Guardians. We are Called to help in times of trouble. We also are from another world."

"I see." The President looked thoughtful and resumed combing the spikes of his 'beard'. "I am grateful for the rescue. Is that why you are here?"

"It's part of it, but not all, or we would have been recalled home," Gabe said.

"There is much trouble brewing in the Anolis nation. I wonder..." The Council President lapsed into thought, one hand stroking his beard and one hand tapping his claws on his knee.

The carriage jolted to a stop, and guards surrounded it. The guards inside the carriage poked their heads out and conversed in short, terse phrases.

The President motioned to the carriage door. "This is your stop, Guardians. You'll be safe here. I'm sorry I cannot accompany you. This assassination attempt will cause much trouble politically, and I must work. I will meet with you in the next few days and speak more of this Calling." The President waved goodbye as they exited the carriage. "Keep them safe," he told his guards. "All of them."

*****

The three creatures that Alex had heard whispering in the alley knelt on one knee before a throne.

"You say that they look like us but for the tails?" the female humanoid reptile on the throne asked. Her bronze crowns of spikes flashed with her every movement.

"Yes, my Kuni," Cla answered, kneeling.

"Males? You are sure?" The Kuni stroked the head of a male Anolis who cowered, hunched over, on the ground by her side. 

Without warning, her claws sunk into the back of his neck, and she hauled him to his feet. The talons had a vicious grasp, each point soaking with blood, but the Kuni made it a casual movement, as if picking up a goblet. The male gasped and scrambled to stand, but offered no protest. 

"Approximately what size compared to this one?" the Kuni asked.

"At least one-and-a-half times. Perhaps more," Cla answered.

"Standard protocol for males. They will be ours. You take the leader," the Kuni threw the male aside, and he lay curled on the floor, breathing hard.

"There was a female with them. Mammal, according to our sources. Somewhat larger than your male," Cla answered.

"Have fun with it," the Kuni answered. "Before you kill it."

***

A/N

I found that I was losing the comments by editing my original story too much, so I had to create a new book for the more polished version.

Enjoy!