Sentinels by Emily Foster (e reader books TXT) 📕

The freezing corridor was silent, unnervingly so. It was a neat work of art finely carved from the very ice itself. It glittered with light that seeped from the walls, casting the whole place in a white glow, bright enough to eliminate the need for any flame lit torch. The walls were sloped, meeting together above the exact centre of the floor itself, making the hallway into a perfectly equal triangular shape. It was almost disorientating to any being that was not used to such a bare and symmetrical place. Togun was one such being. As an agent of Light he had never ventured so far underground. He just thanked his stars that Logic had let Light illuminate her tunnels for her.
Keeping his eyes focused on the door ahead of him, he took a deep breath and straightened his collar. The high collar of his golden uniform had a tendency to fall periodically and now was not a time to be making a bad impression. He patted his slicked, blonde hair and brushed down the front of his tunic as a final check before nodding and lifting his gaze back to the door.
It was a tall, carved from a single piece of black wood and inlaid with angled designs of gleaming silver. From what Togun could see there was no way of opening it from this side. Flanking it was a pair of guards, both male. One was dressed in deep purple, a coat and trousers that could only be described as resembling the human military, a blue symbol of a cross within a circle was emblazoned upon the breast. His dark hair was cropped short and neat. His partner was almost exact opposite. His dark red uniform was formed from a light material that waved even in the barely moving air around them and was made up of a floor length overcoat, hanging open to reveal a bare chest and similarly coloured trousers. Wild auburn hair fell about his shoulders framing his face and partially covering it. The two guards watched Togun approach with an almost bored expression as he stopped a few paces from the door and bowed his head.
“I’m here to see their majesties,” he stated simply, looking between the two men.
They shared a look before the purple clad man stepped forward, “For what purpose?”
“A council has been called, and their presence is required,” Togun responded quickly.
After a moment’s scrutiny of Togun’s face the purple nodded to the red. With a quick look to Togun, the man clicked his fingers once and disappeared in a wisp of red smoke that swirled and dissipated into the air around them. Togun swallowed, suddenly nervous. There was no reason to be. It was when she was separate when she was most dangerous. The purple clad was clearly the agent of Logic, while the red was under Chaos’ control. They were both here. That was the best one safeguard.
It was several long moments before the door finally swung inwards and the corridor was filled with music. The red was stood on the other side and gestured for him to enter with a sweep of his arm. Togun did as he was indicated and stepped through the doorway into the hall beyond. Like everything else here, the hall was perfectly formed. It was deep dome of smooth ice, also illuminated by the same light as the corridor. The walls were bare as well and the only way in and out was the doorway that Togun had just stepped through. There was no obvious place for the music to be coming from, there was no band, no instruments, just a tune. It just bobbed and weaved through the air like a butterfly, playing out a melody Togun didn’t recognise on instruments he never thought would mix well. The hall was empty, save for a two people at its centre, clasped together, dancing to the beat along steps that were impossible to predict. These were the Sentinels. Logic and Chaos.
It was easy to tell which was which. Logic was the shorter of the two (only just as both the Sentinels were easily a foot taller than himself and any other agent) and was being led. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tidy plait that ran down her spine, flowing outwards with every spin of their dance. She wore a shirt that fitted snug to her form, but not so tight as to leave too little to the imagination, and a pair of shorts that cut off mid-thigh showing off the creamy skin of her legs before black leather boots engulfed them. Chaos was leading, her arm locked around Logic’s waist. Dark red hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders, bobbing in time to her movements, free to move as it did. Her deep red coat billowed out behind her as they moved across the floor, revealing quick glances of the white blouse and skin tight trousers underneath. They showed no sign of having noticed the two men enter their hall, eyes fixed on each other, moving back and forth around the empty space. The pace was fast. They spun and skipped, pushed apart, pulled together, but never once did they break eye contact. It was memorizing to watch. Togun frowned.
“What are they doing?” he asked the red quietly.
The red just regarded him for a second before resuming his silent observation of the dance.
Togun fidgeted slightly, knowing full well not to speak unless spoken to, but the wait was going on for too long and he was getting uncomfortable. His message was important. He was just about to give up and interrupt when Chaos’ voice carried through the hall, easily louder than the music though it didn’t seem as though she was trying.
“I thought I gave orders not to be disturbed,” she said smoothly, not breaking step nor moving her gaze from Logic.
Togun stammered for a while before bowing deeply, “My lady, Light sent me. He asks that you both join the Council.”
There was another long pause, through which Togun didn’t dare to stand from his bow and knew better than to even think of interrupting again. Finally Chaos hummed tunelessly, “There hasn’t been a Council for...” her voice drifted into thought.
“A century, my lady,” the purple finished from the door.
The Sentinel’s lips lifted at the corner and her gaze on Logic softened. Not that anyone would have been able to tell, “We’ve been dancing for a long time,” Chaos commented and though she was still looking down on Logic, her partner made no attempt to respond. A beat passed before Chaos addressed Togun again, “Why now?” she asked, louder, the two of them still weaving around the hall, neither missing a single step.
Togun was still bent double as he replied, not wanting to anger the Sentinels more than his news was probably going to anyway, “The humans are crossing the Kulician Strait.”
He had barely finished when the music came to a crashing halt and the dancers stopped mid-step. Togun risked lifting his gaze to see them frozen in position, he could just make out Chaos’ chest rising and falling slightly faster, “They dare to come here,” she muttered before closing her eyes and leaning into whisper something to Logic. Logic seemed to shake her head as though clearing it before frowning and looking for the first time at the three men near the doorway before moving her gaze to Chaos who had taken a step back, eyes to the ceiling.
“How long?” she breathed.
Chaos gave a flicker of a smile, still focused intently on the dome over their heads, “A century. A council is being called.”
Logic blinked and gazed at the floor before giving Chaos a small smile, “Shame. I was enjoying that.”
Chaos grinned, knowing the weight of her words even if others didn’t. But it was wiped quickly, “The humans are coming,” she said quietly, before turning from the ceiling and stalking towards Togun.
The man couldn’t help but gulp as she approached and shuffled backwards instinctively. It was only now that she was closer that he could see those legendary eyes. Eyes that gleamed red, metallic, like quicksilver. As he watched, he began to notice the irises twist and spin in some uncontrolled dance of their own. A small part of him suddenly wanted to stare and stare and never look away. He guessed from the dance that even the other Sentinel’s were not immune to it.
“How long has Light known?” she asked in a threatening whisper, crouching so that her eyes were inches from his own.
Togun stuttered and screwed his eyes closed, clutching desperately for an answer that he didn’t have. Light had only told him to issue the summons. Nothing more. Chaos was still there when he opened his eyes. Swirling eyes boring in his mind. He swallowed again, breaths quickening as he stammered and searched for an answer again. But he was saved as Logic came up behind Chaos and brushed the top of her arm with her fingers.
“Calm yourself, Kos,” she said leaning down to speak in her ear. Chaos turned her head towards the name but didn’t change her focus, “This man will know nothing. We need to attend the Council for those answers.”
There was a tense silence before Chaos’ chuckled darkly, still watching Togun, “Perhaps I will be given permission to remind those humans of just who we are,” she grinned.
Logic raised an eyebrow as she stood upright, resting her hands on Chaos’ shoulders, “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she smirked before turning to Togan, “Leave us. And inform Light we are on our way.”
**
The Council Hall was a relatively small for a hall, no more than twenty paces in diameter, simple room occupied only by a circular table at which was ten high backed chairs, each one very different from the last, seeing as each Sentinel had created their own chair to their own tastes. Ten doors lined the single wall, each one directly behind a chair, matching the style. As it was the meeting place of all the Sentinels it was agreed that no one would have control over its design, making it fair to all. Although, if one were trying to cause trouble it could be argued that the basic, simplistic build complimented Logic more than anyone else. No one bothered to make an issue of it. The Council Hall was millennia old, there was no point in changing it now.
Light leant back in his chair of gleaming silver, exhaling the breath he didn’t realise he had been holding. A small part of him was worried for his agent. He glanced around the Hall, eyes darting between the empty chairs. Chaos and Logic were the only ones still to arrive. Dark was sat back lazily on his seat of pitch black wood to Light’s right, casually twisting his black hair into tall spikes. In the next chair along, Time was slumped with his bearded chin against his chest, asleep, the metal of his chair reflected a pink-gold colour of dawn. Beside him, Life and Death were deep in conversation, the former playing with the end of a vine of dark ivy that clasped her chair, the latter tracing the line of one of the ivory coloured bones of her seat. Energy was leant forward in his glimmering chair shaped field and fidgeting. Two seats along from him Dreams was sat with his chin resting on his fist and staring into the middle distance, the wood of his chair covered in intricate fantastical carvings. Beside him, Elements