Image of the Guardian children in town, Gretchen in front all knowing they're in trouble

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"Good morning," Olivia greets as Valery checks into work the next morning, a half hour early. Olivia doesn't bother looking at her, as she stuffs vials of poultice into a bag. "You alright? Patients normally check out with me before leaving their beds."

"Yeah," Valery starts, eyeing the poultice up. She's never seen it before. "I was hoping to be put to work. I could use the distraction."

"Here I thought you'd be asking for time off," she comments, flipping the bag shut and turning to look at Valery. "You went through quite the ordeal." She leans against the table, casually crossing her arms over her chest as she scrutinizes Valery's every move.

"I wasn't aware asking for time off was an option. Even if it was, I don't want it. I want to be ready when they decide to rear their heads again."

"Well, too bad. I've made arrangements in town. Today is a rest day, in honor of the loss of our lost Guardians. Take advantage of it or don't, I don't care." Oliva slips the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "I have some trading and bartering. Don't get yourself into any more trouble, or I'm strangling you in bandages next time."

"Why don't I come with you? Shouldn't I be learning this?" Valery presses.

"Not today. I don't have time to babysit a recovering patient. Why don't you be a good little girl and get some sleep? Or better yet, the library has more than enough books on medicinal plants. Even you couldn't be confused reading them. Whatever you do, just don't create more work for me."

Valery scowls. I wonder if anyone would question it if our healer mysteriously died in a fire?

"I'll do that," Valery says flatly, turning and heading out of the room. She heads back into the dining hall where she prepares a cup of tea as she waits for Olivia to leave the medical ward.

Tea bag steeping in hot water, Olivia makes her way down the hall. She has her bag clutched tight against her.

As if I was going to trust her alone after talking all of that shit...

Valery pokes her head around the doorway, not a soul to be seen other than Olivia walking out the front door. This early in the morning, Guardians are still waking up. Valery sighs, yawns, and walks into the early morning fog, keeping Olivia in her sights. Valery yanks out her phone as she moves, and sends Angela a quick text that says, 'Olivia is acting strange, stay tuned'.

Olivia walks with purpose, casting occasional looks over her shoulder.

Valery's eyes are keen and alert, ducking behind cars as Olivia looks over her shoulder. The sound of chatter and footsteps merge into a symphony, but Valery remains focused on her mission; proving that Olivia is the traitor counsel is looking for.

The scent of exotic spices wafts through the air, intermingling with the aroma of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery. The healer, oblivious to Valery's presence, moves gracefully through the crowd, her flowing jacket billowing behind her. The sunlight catches the glimmering patterns on Olivia's garments, adding an ethereal glow to her presence.

Valery's heart races as she weaves through the labyrinthine streets, careful not to lose sight of her target. The city teems with life, with merchants hawking their goods, and children playing street hockey. However, Valery's focus remains unwavering, determined to uncover the truth about the healer.

Streets are unusually busy, what is going on?

Valery follows her onto Market Street where it's jammed back with tall buildings, shops open on every floor, food trucks, and stalls lining the streets. Olivia weaves in and out of the crowd, disappearing. Valery grinds her teeth, eyes burning, afraid to blink and lose Olivia forever.

Half a block ahead ships through an open door. Keeping her eyes on the door, Valery shoves her way forward and peeks through the door. Olivia stands at the shop desk, holding an obscured item in her hand. The man behind the shop is Darrel. He waves her into the back of the shop.

Heart pounding, she presses herself against the wall of the building and whips her phone out, ignoring the seven missed calls from Angela. The phone is answered on the first ring.

"Liana," Valery whispers. "Liana, we are in trouble, I need help. I'm on Market Street, and Olivia is talking to Darrel."

"I will send help right away, keep on them, keep me updated." The line goes dead.

Angels help us.

Valery takes another peek through the door, with no sign of anyone. Senses on high alert, she enters the shop. Keeping a distance between her and the counter, she yanks a straw hat off the display shelf and throws it on, keeping it low over her face. Valery walks around and listens, straining for the slightest snippet of conversation. Faint whispers can be heard, but nothing. Seeing no other door, she haunches down and waits.

A few shoppers come in, poke around, and leave, not seeing a salesman. Some give Valery weird looks, but most keep on going with their day, not bothering to acknowledge her.

Come on guys, where are you? I'm weaponless here.

A worker, dressed in an Adidas uniform from next door, walks in and freezes, spotting Valery. Her breath sticks in her throat as she catches the blackness of his eyes. He scowls at her, and heads straight for the back of the room. An area unseen to her, thanks to a wall.

Ah, shit.

Valery darts out of the room and around the corner, keeping an eye on the open door.

A flock of Devil's Own runs out, looking left and right. Gesturing. Olivia comes out to stand behind them. Her mouth moving, shouting off instructions. The group of Devil's Own split up and run off.

Valery swallows a nervous lump in her throat, some of them running right in her direction.

Guys, I could really use some backup right now!

Valery turns and takes off, shoving her way through the crowd. The crowd thins out, and Valery looks backward to check for pursers. She trips over a cement parking block. Cursing, she falls against the hood of a gray Ford Focus. Chest burning, she rolls over.

How the hell am I going to be able to tell between the Devil's Own and the shoppers?

"We are coming!" Trent calls, nearly tripping over himself in his hurry to get out of the van, having watched Valery fall. Angela follows right behind, having picked up on Trent's thoughts.

"You alright?" Trent asks, holding out the hilt of a sword to help her onto her feet. Valery nods, using it to lift herself back up, and takes it. "Had a feeling you might need a weapon."

"Angels, you have no idea. We are going to have to clear out the civilians," Valery says, grimacing. "I can't tell who is who. I know there are about a dozen Devil's Own out looking for me, at Olivia's orders."

"How?" Angela wonders. "Trent can't dish out that much wind. Plus, that would cause some massive damage. Fire would be just as destructive and cause a scene."

"What if we act as though it's a performance?" Trent suggests. "We won't have to clear anyone out, and no one will think it's real."

"You're a genius." Valery agrees.

The three of them push their way past lazy day shoppers and frazzled parents with time limits, ignoring the cusses and complaints as they shove their way forward.

"Sorry!" Valery calls over her shoulder as she feels someone's foot under hers.

"Watch it!" A lady complains as she almost drops her box of freshly baked goods thanks to Angela.

"My bad! Family emergency," Angela yells.

"What if the Devil's Own created the crowd to slow us down?" Angela wonders. "I'm not sensing brain waves from a lot of these people."

"That elbow felt real enough," Trent grumbles.

"At this point, we can't rule anything out."

"Where's Olivia?" Angela demands.

"I lost her when I ran," Valery answers. "I tried to keep an eye on her, but I was discovered."

"It's ok, get your theater faces on," Trent murmurs, nodding towards three Devil's Own charging at them.

She draws her sword and lunges toward the closest one. The Devil's Own in the orange jumpsuit, Steven being on his nametag, snarls as they clash violently. "You need to leave," Valery hisses.

"Hey hey hey! Greetings from your local college theater!" Angela calls to the crowd as she steps in to separate the crowd from Valery. They couldn't very well have the common folk believing in Guardians and Devil's Own as they battled it out in the street. "Step back and enjoy. If you like what you see, follow the newspapers for show times!" She tells the crowd, ignoring the clashing of swords sounding behind her, hinting that Valery's threat didn't go over too well.

A few shoppers closest to her flinch as Angela pulls out her sword. She whirls around and parks herself against the shop wall, just beside the doorway.

Some in the crowd scream as Valery runs her opponent through, the blood looking all too real as it flows.

Trent moves forward, twisting and swerving as he pushes out against his two foes with a furious grunt. The onlookers gawk and whisper, watching in shock and awe.

"What college did she say?" One asks.

Another mutters. "Must be Melhorn. That's the only creative arts school around."

"How can they do all of this?"

"I want to see the full performance."

Valery hears the crowd chatter away as she moves past them to the utility van on the curb.

The driver glares at Valery as she throws open the door. The locking mechanics melt the moment she lays her hand on the handle.

"Leaving so soon?" she growls. The driver lashes out, snarling. Her head swerves as she knocks him out with a swift jab to the nose. Grabbing the driver's shirt, she pivots, sending him sprawling from the truck.

"I got him," Helen calls, kneeling on the driver with her dagger across his neck. "Alan and Savannah are out and about in this mess too."

Valery climbs into the van and yanks the keys out of the ignition. She looks through the window to the store and spots her fellow Guardians all engrossed in battle. The shop employees are clustered outside their buildings, sweating in buckets as they sprint away in a full-blown panic.

An arm locks around Valery's throat as she feels herself being hauled towards the back. A gurgled scream escapes from her. She's thrown violently into the van, tinted windows hiding her from any onlookers.

"Party crashing without saying hello? How rude!" Darrel growls. Valery's blood runs cold.

"Valery!" Helen calls, slicing out the driver's neck swiftly. As Helen launches onto the truck, Valery squirms, trying to find any purchase to use to shake her Uncle off. He laughs maniacally at her attempts.

Don't hesitate, you can't afford to hesitate, she reminds herself, Angela's lecture ringing through her ears.

Helen pockets the dropped keys and jumps back, her dagger ready.

"I suggest you let her go. You're outnumbered." Helen threatens.

Darrel grins at Helen. "Not happening missy."

In the van, Valery gathers a bit of heat, Don't hesitate. She sends it into the cloth seat next to them.

"Get out of here!" Valery snaps to Helen. The sudden whoosh of heat startles Darrel enough for Valery to shake her mouth free.

"But-"

"Go!" She gurgles, Darrel's stinky hand covering her face once more. She chokes on the grease smell. He presses his palm harder against her face, the arm around her waist squeezing her.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he muttered, licking his lips like a madman.

I swore to make you all burn, and I will, she thought, fighting against the crushing pain in her chest, the blackening of her vision, she pulls in more heat, adding to the existing fire. The van fills with smoke. His grip disappears as he starts hacking, covering his face.

"You're crazy!" He coughs, throwing open the side door. He stumbles out.

"You wanted a hello? Here's a goodbye, Uncle!" She snaps back from the floor of the van, coughing.

She dives out the door, crashing against the pavement behind him. Her world spinning, she sees Darrel leaning over, coughing. Valery forces herself to her feet, fumbling for the botany scalpel in her pocket Screaming her lungs out, she breaks into a sprint, plunging her scalpel deep into the side of his neck. Blood gushed onto the street as he flailed at his throat, gasping and falling in choked agony.

"That's for my mom," Valery whispers, towering over him as he writhes on the floor. Panting, she looks around, trying to see who else she can help. The crowd disappears as the illusion around them fades. Very few people stand on the sidewalks, blinking in confusion. He must have been the source of the illusion.

Cheers sound through the crowd as Alan and Savannah come out victorious. They jump in to help Angela, quickly taking apart a double wielder.

Trent growls as he attempts to dodge a blade, only for it to slice his arm. He lets out a cold chuckle. The Devil's Own flinched at the glare in his eye, twisting to run. An anguished cry escapes him as Trent runs up and runs his blade through his back. He cleans his blade with a quick swish, turning to run towards Valery, and blows the fire out before Darrel hits the ground.

"Talk about a hot rod," Trent jokes, pulling her close against him. "Nice work with your uncle."

"Ha." She fakes with a wince.

"You alright?"

"Bruised. You're hurt though."

Trent raised his head up, grinning. "What, this old thing? Merely a scratch."

Taking his hand, they turn to the onlooking crowd. "That's a wrap!" Valery calls, walking back towards the center of the chaos. "Thank you all for being such an amazing audience!" She takes a bow. The other Guardians follow suit.

Applause echoes through the crowd as the group goes to leave. They pick up the pace, knowing the cops won't be too far behind, once the remaining people realize the blood pooling on the street is real. This is a mess best left for the council to handle, Valery thought, crossing her arms. The last thing I need is another lecture.

"Come on," Trent says, motioning them to get off the street.

After a short trip, they make their way back to headquarters. It isn't long before they arrive, the sun rising over the dispersed fog. "That was a morning," Matt asks, grinning at them from the front door of the building. "Thanks to you, I didn't need my coffee after all."

Valery groans. "My tea!"

"I can't imagine you'd want to be drinking that, after that ordeal," Angela says, giving her a friendly pat on the back. "You need cold water to cool off."

"Did you crazy kids kick some Devil's ass or what?" Matt asks.

"Decent," Trent answers calmly. "We party crashed. Drew a crowd and now we're apparently a part of a college drama club. Val killed her uncle. The usual. Why are you standing there? Run out of work to do or did you just feel like holding up the wall while we did it all for you?

Matt guffawed."Hey man, screw you. While y'all were out there kickin' tail, yours truly was doing the most pivotal of roles. Guard duty. It's boring. It's hard. I had to stand for three hours! Don't know if you've noticed, but our security has kinda' sucked ass lately. But that's okay. Your hometown boy is here protecting your sorry asses, whether you like it or not."

"Hahaha, yeah, that's a good idea," Trent agrees, giving Matt a playful nudge. "And they are sure you are the right man for the job?"

"Don't make me slug you. While we're on the subject, just so you know, guard duty is going to be split up, five hours at a time between various Guardians. They wanted to wait for Cliff to arrive before they fully decided how the system would work. I volunteered to take the first round, so I can chill and relax later," Matt said, smirking deviously.

Angela narrowed her eyes at him. "You what?"

"Nothing," Matt said quickly, turning around so she couldn't see his mischievous smirk.

Valery sighed, putting a hand on her hip. "And let me guess, only graduated ones can stand the watch, huh?"

"Consider yourself lucky, Val. It's the most important, but boring job on the planet. You're not missing out on much," Angela says, silently dreading her own turn to stand it.

"By the way, the council was impressed you didn't sneak off after Olivia without calling for backup. Good shit, Val," Matt says, giving her a clap on the back.

"Oh, really? Wow, that's something, at least," Valery says, giving a small smile as she slips into a bench lining the wall.

The council room is just around the corner, but sitting against the wall, she can't hear a word being said. "They won't leave you out like this forever," Trent assures, sitting beside her. "With more opportunities like this, they have to trust you sooner or later."

Valery looks away, ignoring him.

"Val," Angela whispers, sighing.

"Council is ready for your report." Axel's voice calls out, stepping out of the council chamber to see them. As Valery stands, he pulls her in for a hug. "We are VERY proud of you."

He kisses her forehead before releasing her, and guiding her inside. Trent and Angela follow, with the other Guardians who enter the city awaiting within. Seated at their usual spots were the council, with Kaci's seat notably empty. Valery feels a pang of guilt seeing it, pursing her lips. The group takes their place in the front of the room, crowded in front of the table.

"Valery. According to the information we've received, Olivia dismissed you from class today, right?" Liana starts, sitting up to get a better view of her.

"Yes," Valery responds.

Cliff, sitting beside Liana, leans forward and scratches his beard. He asks,"What made you realize something was off?"

"When I was in bed, recovering from the attack in the medical ward. She came in, looking sick. She said it was food poisoning and grabbed my wrist. It seemed as though she was checking my pulse and healing but she didn't do anything. I didn't feel anything happen. I always feel it when she uses her powers on me. No matter how slight."

"I remember that," Jay comments, crossing his arms. "She was prickly, much more so than usual. We blamed it on her being sick."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Liana asks. The look Trent shoots Valery's way, he's clearly wondering the same thing.

"I was just attacked. I needed more than just blind suspicion. Everyone relies on her, much more than me. She was part of my punishment. If I had told you without any evidence, you'd only assume I was either lashing out or lying. I didn't have time to waste explaining everything to you. The only logical thing to do was follow my instincts until I had something to give. Then this morning, I came to her a half hour before I was supposed to. I caught her packing a poultice in her bag, one I've never seen before," Valery explains, crossing her arms.

Liana takes a deep breath, her eyes softening. "I can understand that reasoning. I didn't make you feel as though you could come to me, as a mentor should. And for that, I apologize."

Valery nods, meeting her mentor's gaze.

"According to your fellow Guardians, you held your own out there," Liana continues, scanning the room where her companions all nodded in unison. "Trent, Angela, what did you see?"

"She held herself well, kept her head," Angela responds, standing up straight.

"I had no worries about her skills," Trent says, giving her a proud smile before continuing. "There was a lot of improvement compared to when I took her to Clermont a few months ago."

Liana nods as her parents beam with pride.

"This is what I want to hear," Liana says, smiling at Valery. "You are finally starting to understand what it means to be a Guardian and what that looks like. And because of that, we want to offer you the position of healer."

"What?" Valery balks, flinching.

Trent reaches up, giving Valery's shoulder a light, congratulatory shake.

"It's a position of responsibility and respect. You're still in training but improving. We as a whole think you have what it takes," Ash chimes in from the other end of the table. "What better way to learn something than by doing it on a daily basis?"

"But I don't have the same knowledge as Olivia," Valery warns, frowning. "I barely paid attention as she talked about herbs. Are you sure I'm the one you want to take that on?"

"Olivia had her own ways of healing, and she took time figuring that out. I was the one that trained Olivia when it came to natural healing, I can help you as well," Tessa assures, rising to give Valery a polite bow.

"Well, in that case... I'm up for the challenge. Let's do it," Valery declares, finally allowing herself to smile proudly. A resounding cheer erupted from her friends sending a wave of warmth rippling through the room.

"Very good," Liana grins, neatly folding her hands together. "I do expect you to keep training with Ash though."

"Not a problem," Valery says, rubbing her nose. "Give me a week and I'll be running circles around him."

"Good. Now for the rest of you. Anything else to report?"

Valery zones out for the rest of the meeting, unneeded.

Does this mean I'm close to graduating? How will being a healer impact what's expected of me? Shouldn't I be on the field, fighting, instead of on the ground, waiting to take care of the injured? Ugh... it's been like thirty minutes, will they ever stop talking? Being dependable is a pain in the ass sometimes.

"Valery," Angela hisses, nudging her.

"What?" Valery answers quickly, her gaze shifting around the room, trying to figure out what she missed.

"You are going to be added to the next mission. They leave in three days," Liana repeats.

"Could you say that in my good ear? I am recovering from an injury," she repeats, turning her head to make sure she isn't imagining things.

"You are going to be heading South with your fellow Guardians. We are aiming for a group of ten," Liana tells her.

"As a healer, wouldn't I need to stay back?" Valery asks, raising an eyebrow.

"You need to practice healing in the heat of battle. The best way to do that is while out and about with everyone else. Better for you to practice now. We will be needing you to get up to snuff and quickly," Liana explains, returning to her usual stern gaze.

"Th-thank you!" Valery stammers, bowing, and then her face burns at having done it in front of everyone. Trent bites back a snicker.

"Thank yourself. You worked hard and earned the trust," Liana says, her smile never fading. "Now, all of you are dismissed. I will see you at the funeral."