loved that
too.”
Ezra blushed even harder. If that was
possible.
“ Agent Doe, please stop tormenting Mr. Hawkins.” Mr. Blair
sighed, “He is ill-equipped to handle it.”
“ Yes sir,” She drawled lazily, eyes never leaving Ezra, a
slight pout on her lips. “But I do so under protest.”
“ Noted,” Mr. Blair had apparently come down with a sudden
headache, as he was now rubbing his temples. He walked over to the
table and picked up his sunglasses. “Now, where were we... ah, yes,
we were beaten and we ran. Roughly twenty years later, one of our
remaining satellites picked up something. A huge conflagration,
clearly visible from space, suddenly flared to life at the northern
end of South America and spread rapidly through Central America,
finally coming to a stop in North America. It burned for four
months. We watched as hundreds of thousands of people died horribly
in the fires. A covert team was dispatched to find out what had
happened, what it meant for us. Apparently, in the twenty years
that we spent hiding, a group of people who could control fire,
called the fire-kissed, had risen to political power. Nearly every
person of significant power in any government was a fire-kissed,
and the devastation that we witnessed was the result of a
disagreement between two rivals groups within their
ranks.”
“ I've seen some of the footage,” Doe interjected, her voice
very serious, almost pained, “it was horrible. The normal people,
the ones who didn't have any special powers... they were
slaughtered in the fighting. They weren't part of the dispute. They
never had a chance.”
“ That,” Mr. Blair continued, fierce pride in his eyes, “marked
the beginning of our organization. We asked ourselves who could
stand up for the have-nots of the world, the ones who lived on the
outside with the monsters who had defeated us, the ones who could
not stand up for themselves? And the answer was obvious.” He placed
a hand on agent Doe's shoulder. “We could do it. We would do it. We
are the shield of the helpless. We are the sword of the righteous.
We are the world's great equalizer. When elementalists abuse their
powers, we are the ones who stand up for the wronged, the ones who
avenge the victims.”
“ And you want me to join?” Ezra asked, awed by the passion and
pride of the two people sitting in front of him.
Mr. Blair bowed slightly. “It is my pleasure
to invite you.”
Ezra swallowed down the lump in his throat.
“All right,” he said, voice sounding much more stable then he felt,
“I'm in.”
“ Pay up,” Agent Doe said, hand extended up and behind her. A
smile was forming on Mr. Blair's face as he handed over the
sunglasses. She put them on and leaned back in her chair. The
glasses looked ridiculous on her. She looked smug.
The smile continued to grow until it covered
Mr. Blair's face, transforming it from something unimpressive to
something extraordinary. “Welcome, Ezra James Hawkins, to the Guild
of Sundry.”
Chapter
10
Good Times with the Guild
“ The Guild of Sundry?! Those... those clowns?! You're telling
me that you're... that they're... that we're ...,” Ezra sputtered and nearly
fell out of his chair.
Agent Doe gaze him a shocked look and Mr.
Blair burst into a deep belly laugh, reaching a hand out in front
of Doe and gesturing with his fingers. She tore off the glasses and
slammed them into his hand, glaring at Ezra.
“ I
can't believe it! You really didn't figure it out? After everything
you saw? The base? The freaking gliders ?! Ugh, this is so typical.”
She threw her hands up in disgust, then crossed her arms, looking
away from Ezra. “I'll get you back for this, Ezzy.”
Mr. Blair's laughter died down slowly, as he
wiped a few tears from his eyes. “That aspect of what we do, what
you know as the Guild of Sundry, was actually founded because of
your family. Before your grandfather developed traversable portals,
your great grandfather had managed to create
too.”
Ezra blushed even harder. If that was
possible.
“ Agent Doe, please stop tormenting Mr. Hawkins.” Mr. Blair
sighed, “He is ill-equipped to handle it.”
“ Yes sir,” She drawled lazily, eyes never leaving Ezra, a
slight pout on her lips. “But I do so under protest.”
“ Noted,” Mr. Blair had apparently come down with a sudden
headache, as he was now rubbing his temples. He walked over to the
table and picked up his sunglasses. “Now, where were we... ah, yes,
we were beaten and we ran. Roughly twenty years later, one of our
remaining satellites picked up something. A huge conflagration,
clearly visible from space, suddenly flared to life at the northern
end of South America and spread rapidly through Central America,
finally coming to a stop in North America. It burned for four
months. We watched as hundreds of thousands of people died horribly
in the fires. A covert team was dispatched to find out what had
happened, what it meant for us. Apparently, in the twenty years
that we spent hiding, a group of people who could control fire,
called the fire-kissed, had risen to political power. Nearly every
person of significant power in any government was a fire-kissed,
and the devastation that we witnessed was the result of a
disagreement between two rivals groups within their
ranks.”
“ I've seen some of the footage,” Doe interjected, her voice
very serious, almost pained, “it was horrible. The normal people,
the ones who didn't have any special powers... they were
slaughtered in the fighting. They weren't part of the dispute. They
never had a chance.”
“ That,” Mr. Blair continued, fierce pride in his eyes, “marked
the beginning of our organization. We asked ourselves who could
stand up for the have-nots of the world, the ones who lived on the
outside with the monsters who had defeated us, the ones who could
not stand up for themselves? And the answer was obvious.” He placed
a hand on agent Doe's shoulder. “We could do it. We would do it. We
are the shield of the helpless. We are the sword of the righteous.
We are the world's great equalizer. When elementalists abuse their
powers, we are the ones who stand up for the wronged, the ones who
avenge the victims.”
“ And you want me to join?” Ezra asked, awed by the passion and
pride of the two people sitting in front of him.
Mr. Blair bowed slightly. “It is my pleasure
to invite you.”
Ezra swallowed down the lump in his throat.
“All right,” he said, voice sounding much more stable then he felt,
“I'm in.”
“ Pay up,” Agent Doe said, hand extended up and behind her. A
smile was forming on Mr. Blair's face as he handed over the
sunglasses. She put them on and leaned back in her chair. The
glasses looked ridiculous on her. She looked smug.
The smile continued to grow until it covered
Mr. Blair's face, transforming it from something unimpressive to
something extraordinary. “Welcome, Ezra James Hawkins, to the Guild
of Sundry.”
Chapter
10
Good Times with the Guild
“ The Guild of Sundry?! Those... those clowns?! You're telling
me that you're... that they're... that we're ...,” Ezra sputtered and nearly
fell out of his chair.
Agent Doe gaze him a shocked look and Mr.
Blair burst into a deep belly laugh, reaching a hand out in front
of Doe and gesturing with his fingers. She tore off the glasses and
slammed them into his hand, glaring at Ezra.
“ I
can't believe it! You really didn't figure it out? After everything
you saw? The base? The freaking gliders ?! Ugh, this is so typical.”
She threw her hands up in disgust, then crossed her arms, looking
away from Ezra. “I'll get you back for this, Ezzy.”
Mr. Blair's laughter died down slowly, as he
wiped a few tears from his eyes. “That aspect of what we do, what
you know as the Guild of Sundry, was actually founded because of
your family. Before your grandfather developed traversable portals,
your great grandfather had managed to create
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