Chapter 5

"Begin." After that I disappeared into thin air and teleported them into different locked rooms, the walls covered in blood, the air thick and hard to breathe in, crammed tiny locked up rooms.

I had tried making the challenges less difficult but not too much. "This is going to be interesting." Sitting in my room back at the hotel and having a cup of coffee, I watched the guardians who are said to be the strongest, in my laptop through cameras.

The first one I wanted to watch was Sun. She had preached so much about being strong that it got me interested. "Surely the daughter of a Noble should be entertaining." I grinned.

All she starts by doing is melting the locked metal door and walking out peacefully. "Not bad." I continued watching her walking into a dark shady passage. She lit up a small light ball and made it float above her hand and light the way. "I thought Fire was the only one who could make fames appear to make light but if they can both do then how can they help each other maybe I should have partnered them with their opposites." I gave that thought some time then got back to watching Sun.

Walking forward without encountering any challenges she steps on a bubby trapped floor, pushing it down and having arrows shooting her direction from all sides. Seeing her using the same trick, melting the arrows, with her powers got me bored. "She has no combat experience, but anyway she is the daughter of a noble why would she need to fight if she has bodyguards."

I then went on to look at Fire, he had already got out of the cramped room and was fighting five robots. "My guess is he created an explosion to get rid of the door. But let's see how he fights."

To me, it seemed as if he had already been through a lot of fights and enjoyed fighting but he was just fighting and damaging the robots for fun, he wasn't paying attention to the fact that the robots kept on coming and each one stronger than the last

"If he continues fighting blindly, he'll get worn out and loose." I let out a hopeless sigh but continued watching just to see if he would get clever and do something to get rid of the machines, "no" continued being dum. "I guess he good with fighting but he lacks brains."

So I then decided to move on and watch others's progress. "Let me check Water." She had also got out of the room and was headed for another one. She walked through a spooky passage that would be great for a horror movie. She seemed terrified, trying to find her way out of the dark by touching her surroundings. "What a pity. The power of waters had to be given to her, a girl who shouldn't be here. But I guess she's strong willed to accept this job or she's just after something." Things were getting more boring every minute, clearly the guardians who had to save the whole kingdom were a joke.

If the solders failed then who were they? What a disappointment, looks like they really need deadly training.

I moved on to Ice, wasn't really entertaining but he had gotten out of the room and facing some challenges fighting the robots, seemed like he was trying to figure out how to put an end to them but was having troubles. "At least he's trying to solve the problem, unlike Fire. Maybe I should have partnered them with opposites. Fire... But I don't think he could be with Ice so he should be with Water, since he's brave maybe he can help her overcome her fear and since she was able to get out of that door I think she's pretty smart."

I stopped looking at them and started taking notes about their weakness. Sun didn't know how to use her powers except melt things, of course compared to other people she's strong but not strong enough for the job, Fire is a great fighter just... not a strategic one, Water isn't brave..., Ice is strategic but not in high level, Cloud...? "I didn't check on her but I already know her weakness."

"The group is not ready yet but at least they show potential. Even so that's not enough." I sighed then decided to put aside the partnership problem and focus on training them first, I'd see if the way I partnered them works out or not later.

"Got a lot of work cut out for me."

.....

"It's been five days ever since we arrived at the West and all we've done is nothing but training." I spoke while holding the phone near my ear.

"I see, well what about now? Do you think they are ready?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, the training is paying off, they've improved a lot and they all seem like they will do a job on the mission but I'll be sure as time goes on."

I knew it was a relief to my dad. It was crucial that the mission was a success and we lost no guardian. It was an unspoken pressure we all had.

"That's good to hear, you should let me know when you're ready to go into a bloodbath." He said chuckling but somehow his words were stuck in my throat.

"Have a great day Father. "I said as I hung up the phone.

I left my room, went behind the hotel and sat down under the shade then waited for the others to come. I had told them today we would have a meeting, which is why I didn't understand why they were so late. Being on time was something my Father had drilled in me ever since a young age that I had grown up to despise being late.

Suddenly I heard people laughing, coming my way. It was Ice and Cloud. They were strolling with no intention of hurrying to the meeting. Just seeing them together made me want to crack the ground but after all who Cloud spends time with is not my business.

"Sorry we're late, did you wait too long?" Ice asked as he took a flower from the tree.

"Sit down." I said not bothering to answer Ice's questions. Ice started putting flowers in Clouds hair.

"So what is the meeting about?" Ice questioned as he continued putting more flowers.

"Sorry I'm late!" Water yelled while carrying a a plastic bag with different types of snacks.

"What did you bring that for?" I asked as she smiled. "They are for all of us not anyone specific."

"Thanks Water can I take one?" Ice questioned as Water nodded.

"Move common girl, I'm the only one who sits next to Death!" Sun yelled at Cloud.

"I have a name Blondy." Cloud replied.

"I said move Cloudy or whatever your name is.

"No. All the other chairs are not in the shade and I don't feel like getting myself burned." Cloud replied then Ice stood up.

"You shouldn't fight girls, let's just go sit under another tree." Took him long enough to play super hero.

"Let's go sit under the cherry tree. There's more shade for everyone." I suggested and we all moved.

"Sorry I'm late for the meeting guys." Fire said being the last one to arrive in the group

"So what's up?" He asked as Water gave us all snacks.

"You've all improved even though your team work is not perfect and I think it's about time we went on a blood bath." I started the conversation.

"A blood bath? But what if we are not ready?" Water questioned.

"I've been watching you training, I can tell you're ready but if you don't feel like going to the real battle field you can quit now and go back home safely." I continued.

"I don't mind going to the death match but I think we need to change the partnership business." Sun said then Fire joined in. "Well I don't see the problem with the partnership business but I think we need a plan, it's not like we can just go to the murderers and fight all of them head on."

"Good point and we have to try not to get people involved." Cloud added.

"Okay but first, how many of you are quitting?" I asked and they all remained silent. "I guess none of you are quitting. Well I think it's best I inform you now that traitors will get a very painful punishment."I said then Water looked at me.

"What kind of punishment?" She asked.

"A very painful one is all you need to know." I said ending the conversation.

"So my detectives have found a hide out in the Woods of the West." I informed them.

"Do you mean the main building where the leader is?"Sun asked. "

"No. It's not a building, it's a hideout and only the members of The Black Lizard should know where it is." I continued.

"And so how did your detectives find it then?"Cloud asked.

"They joined the numbers." I replied as everyone looked at me in shock. "They're pretending to be on the side of the Numbers so they can help with more information from the inside. How else did you think we were going to get any information on them."

"Wow, clever." Fire nodded impressed

"So when are we going to attack and how?" Sun asked.

"We'll attack tomorrow and I've already planned how, we'll have to leave at six o'clock in the morning. I'll explain everything to you in detail and one more thing I forgot to mention is that you shouldn't share this information with anyone even if it's a leader, are we clear?" I resumed.

"Yeah, we'll keep that in mind!" Water smiled.

"Dismissed." I said then everyone left except for Sun.

"Hey, I've got some questions?" Sun followed me.

"What?"

"When are you going to change the way you partnered us, I mean, me Sun can't be partners with some loser boy." She exclaimed.

"We already talked about this and I've already told you that nothing is going to change. Get off your high horse. Is there anything else or are you done?" I replied.

"Death,why are you being mean to me? Just why would you want to be partners with some stupid common girl who is not even worth your time when I'm right in front of you." She exclaimed, blocking my path.

"You're the one who is not worth my time. It's not like we know each other and I'm not interested in knowing that way or in any way. Lastly, who my partner is, is none of your business." I replied then walked past her.

"Fine, it's not like I'm desperate to be your partner." She hissed.

"Good,then we're done."

"You know I really don't like your tone towards me."

"Do I look like I care Sun, and why would I?" She was proving to be more infuriating than I ever thought.

"Whatever." She exclaimed then left.

As I was walking in the back of the hotel I saw Cloud training. She was hitting the training mummies, her speed increasing with each stroke but her moves were clumsy leaving space for her attacker to take advantage.

"Hi Death!" She waved her hand when she saw me.

"Hi, so training?" I replied as she nodded.

"I don't want to get in the way tomorrow so it's best I get a little practice. And I'm not trying to die on my first mission or get myself severely wounded" she said.

"You say you're training yet I don't really see any improvement." I walked closer.

"Thanks but I train my own way, we're not the same and you can't expect me to be perfect."

"Come on, your balance is sloppy, and you aren't fluid in your movements, leaving open spaces for attacks." I kicked a rock in her direction and it hit her in the chest."

"Ouch"

"Worse. You're not observant. You can't go to a fight upset minded. You might as well take the knife and tell your opponent to kill you. You can't give the enemy a chance to attack, you will have already reduced your chances of living. You never know which attack will be fatal. So you have to avoid them at all costs."

"It's not like we're fighting."

"If we were fighting,I would still defeat you. The first thing I would attack is your legs."

"Whatever." She paused and looked at the sunset. There was tension between us and I didn't know what I had done wrong.

"It's getting late. By the way, Death, are we going to train tomorrow morning?"

"No."I replied. "Okay then, have a lovely evening." She said then left.