The Bodyguard

He had been on the Estate for years and seemed to always be in Lonsophle's shadow. When he wasn't he was working with Prinny, or found resting in the boughs of the larger trees on campus, he was always by Lonsophle's side. At first glance many assumed they were siblings as both had the striking white hair but both would correct you very quickly. Soren would very firmly and sharply inform anyone who asked that he was Lonsophle's bodyguard. Most were puzzled at why precisely Lonsophle needed one, but no one dared approach what seemed to be a delicate subject. Although Lonsophle was open and welcoming, Soren was harsh and cold. He came off extremely unfriendly to most people, only showing any sign of kindness to Lonsophle. But today seemed to be an odd day, he was standing, barefoot as usual, in the crook of a tree, staring off into the distance with his seemingly permanent frown turning down the edges of his mouth. Nancy paused, hesitantly watching the intimidating figure. 
"Soren?" she inquired softly, nervously taking a step forward. He had not moved from that place in the tree all day. His movement was far too quick to follow and suddenly he was beside her. 
She gave a little shriek of surprise as she jumped back. He raised an eyebrow at her before smirking and walking off, hands in his pockets. Although at first glance his stride was almost a lazy strolling-type it became apparent he was walking much faster than normal. Nancy frowned, looking up quizzically at the tree he had been in before back at the retreating figure.
"What's got you so riled up?" she mused, then snorted at the unintentional joke she had made.
This was hardly Soren being "riled up". His temper was legendary and if the last guy's (who had dared to touch Lon without her permission) injuries were any testament to the damage Soren could do...Nancy didn't want to see him truly angry. Just then she realized he was out of sight already and sighed shaking her head before returning to her tasks.
Soren meanwhile had entered the barn and was gathering up Prinny's tack and armor, hanging it on the stand outside her stall. Before entering and waking her. Prinny laced her ears back sleepily, baring her fangs, and stomping a hoof in annoyance. Soren ignored her as he quickly brushed and cleaned her hooves without a word after leading her out of her stall. His fingers were nimble as they quickly laced up her tack and armor once the pieces were in place. Prinny had by now realized something was up and stood very still allowing Soren to finish getting her ready. Soren's last motion was to grab his riding boots and a pair of socks he kept tucked against her stall, leaving his jacket across the bench. He grumbled under his breath about having to wear shoes but was ready in seconds. As he stood one of the grooms approached and blinked in surprise at the sight of Prinny in full battle tack, the silver-black armor glinting like nightmares against the shockingly white chiffon layers of cloth that spilled  across her back giving her a ghostly appearance. Her black face plate making her eerie white eyes seem to gleam. Soren settled in the saddle as the groom took this in, turning Prinny away and  urging her into a gallop. Prinny snorted but took off her heavy hoof-falls echoing down the barn's halls as the pair disappeared out of the open doors. Just as they reached the main yard, Soren finished a magical order and was clad in his armor. Silvery-black metal glinted and the leather wrapped blade on his back seemed to shiver and glow. As Prinny accelerated into a full gallop people jumped out of the way. Nancy and the mare she was leading included, yelping as the large mare thundered past her.
"OH my God he's in armor," Nancy squeaked, eyes widening in shock, "What is going on?"
"He's been sensing danger over the past few days apparently," Leo stated as he approached, leading the now jittery Dub, beside him. Leo stroked the blue and white stallion's neck in a soothing manner. 
"Danger?" Nancy asked in confusion, pausing to soothe the trembling mare Amaris she had been leading. Dub bobbed his head in greeting at the amber-gold mare who tipped an ear in reply but continued to dance about nervously. As the horses calmed, Leo finally answered.
"You remember how he's Lon's bodyguard? Apparently they got word from their home planet that  there was someone out hunting Trelion Priestesses. I heard them talking about it this morning when I went in to ask where the training schedule was," Leo elaborated quietly.
"Oh gosh," she whispered, turning to look in the direction where the armored man and horse had disappeared.
Soren was guiding Prinny towards the woods and the mare was running full out, sensing the urgency in her rider's posture. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. Soren was silent, his armored mask hiding the frown on his face,leaning back, he tied off Prinny's reins, giving her free movement of her head as he reached back for his blade. Unsheathing the slender but elegant blade, the slight glow that had been visible through the leather wrapped sheath seemed to grow basking the rider and horse in a soft blue-white light. The metal was black, black as pitch with gold runes etched into it. Prinny's ears tipped back at the sound of the slight hum that it produced and shivered as Soren's other hand began giving off heat from the black flame now engulfing it. Soren, stood up in the stirrups, balancing over the black mare's back just as they entered the edge of the woods. It was silent as if every bird and beast had fled the area and Prinny hesitated, nearly tripping over her own hooves before continuing on loyally obeying her rider. Soren looked around carefully as Prinny continued to run, weaving in and out of the trees. Silence continued to engulf them like a heavy blanket and Soren suppressed a shiver. Slowly Prinny eased into a walk and then a stop as Soren, laid the enclosed hand holding his blade against her neck, pulling it back into a ready position once she had stopped.

"Uike, bea soe yulds! Bea ilne yulds erh. Saroel!" he called out in the language of his people. Creature of death, I feel you. I know you are here. Face me!
Prinny shuddered, baring her teeth as a cold seemed to creep towards them, and glinting blood-red eyes peered out from the boughs of a tree. A low hissing breath reached Soren's ears just before the creature dove for him. His quick reflexes were the only thing that saved him, meeting the serpentine creature's fangs and flinging it off to the ground. It spun, snake-like lower body scattering leaves and rocks. Prinny screamed rearing up to defend her rider, hooves slamming down inches from the beast's tail. It twisted fangs bared, flashing forward to strike, shrieking when Soren's blade slashed it's jaw. Prinny danced to the side striking out with a hoof in defence, her own fangs bared. The creature spun up and lashed out with clawed hands, leaving scratches in Soren's armor on his arms. Prinny jumped up, kicking out, to avoid the tangling tail of the monster. She stumbled as she landed and the serpentine beast struck, flinging itself at Soren, jaws wide. Soren opened his left hand, blasting it with the black flame there. It let out a scream of rage, cursing Soren as it retreated a ways. Blood-red eyes still glaring into Soren's black gaze. Pinny danced on nervous hooves, her ears laced back, as Soren swayed in the saddle, blood oozing from a gash along his neck where the armor was weakest. He grunted and gripped his sword tighter, straightening and bracing for another attack. The creature began to circle them, raising up to it's full height and folding his clawed hands behind it's back as it sneered at Soren. 
"Feeling ssssssssssssick?" it hissed.
Soren grunted and narrowed his eyes, swaying slightly again. Prinny stomped a hoof, baring her fangs before swinging her body away from the circling creature. Watching it with her eerie white eyes. The creature eyed her, smiling threateningly at her.
"Pretty beast, sadly...unlike the Elnmi I doubt she has any resistance to my venom," the monster purred.
Soren frowned, grunting, as he lifted his blade a bit higher.
"Goris zethil," Soren spat out, staring to look a little pale. Begone demon.
He was starting to shiver and the injury to his neck was still oozing blood. The beast tsked softly, smiling a dangerously seductive way, before moving forward a little closer as it circled. Prinny snorted, striking out with a hoof, causing the creature to move back slightly. It snickered darkly. 
"Brave beassst," it hissed, then it looked Soren in the eye, "I think I ssssshall sssstay and finissssh you before dessstroying your little missstresss."
Soren cursed before flinging his left hand around, with it another blast of black flame. It singed the monster's back, but nothing more.
"Stay away from her!" Soren roared. 
The serpentine beast  twisted and shot for Soren, colliding with the figure in Prinny's saddle. Prinny screamed kicking out frantically. Soren tumbled to the ground, struggling to keep his blade between the monster and himself. His armor saved him from being slashed groin to jaw but his injury to his neck was now accompanied by various tears in the leather portions of his armor along his side. Soren grunted, arms shaking as he braced the blade. The creature's clawed hands were dripping noxious yellow blood as it pressed down on the blade, seeming unfazed by the sharp edge. As the beast's blood hit Soren's armor it sizzled and started eating through the metal. Prinny wheeled around, screaming as she reared up over her rider and the monster. The beast hissed and jerked aside just in time as her dinner-plate sized hooves slammed down just missing Soren's side. Soren choked and coughed, trying to breathe through the fumes from the beast's blood eating the metal of his armor. He fumbled with the latches, grunting as the damaged breast-plating fell away. Revealing a softer and less protective leather layer beneath it. Soren kicked it aside and stood shakily to his feet, placing his left hand to his injured side he blasted it with the black flame, searing the injury closed. He lifted his blade and dropped into a defensive crouch, blade posed before him, left hand engulfed in black flame. 
"Bea tahl goris," Soren spat, straightening to his full height and suddenly blazing with a white light all around him. The beast froze, blood-red eyes widening in shock. Soren bolted forward with a scream, slashing downward with his blade with speed unspeakable. The beast twisted and snarled, struggling to keep up as a deadly dance began. Prinny watched from the side, her ears tipped back as she snorted and pawed the ground unable to help but unwilling to leave. 
Back at the barns everyone froze as the blazing light permeated through the trees of the forest, casting the shadowy twilight hour in brilliant clarity. Lonsophle bolted from her office at the sight of it and let out a cry of terror, her sapphire blue eyes widening before she scrambled down the stairs and towards the kennels screaming for her Tokota Tatkret. The large bear-wolf jumped to her feet and looked quizzically as Lonsophle scrambled onto her back.
"Run Tat," she ordered, "Run. We have to help Soren."
The pale Tokota bolted away, carrying Lon clinging to her back, her strides eating up the ground as she shot towards the forest. the rest of the Estate staff scattered, watching in panic as the pair headed towards the forest. They were stopped by Jessie and Feu who cut off the mad dash towards the forest. The grullo stallion danced under Jessie's firm hands as Tatkret snarled and bared her teeth at the stallion. The heavy Tokota had been trained not to attack any of the horses on the Estate but it seemed Feu was testing her patience, after all she was only trying to please her owner. 
"Milady NO," Jessie ordered, "this is his fight."
"GET OT OF MY WAY," Lonsophle shrieked, tears spilling down her cheeks as the white light was suddenly accompanied by a scream.
"SOREN!" Lonsophle roared, urging Tatkret forward and around Fue and Jessie. The pair twisted and blocked her again.
"Milady please," Jessie begged. 
Tatkret snarled, barking sharply in frustration. As Lonsophle stared at the forest beyond the pair blocking her.
"He's DYING," Lonsophle screamed before burying her face in Tatkret's furry neck and sobbing. Jessie turned, looking towards the forest and the screams from its depths.
"Keep fighting Soren," he breathed.
The whole Estate staff had gathered at this point and were watching in quiet horror, no one able to move, no one daring to speak. Feu and Jessie continued to block Lonsophle and Tatkret's path. Then silence fell across the night and the brilliant white light faded. Everyone waited on baited breath to see if Soren and Prinny would return. The silence seemed to stretch for hours. Then just as Jessie was urging one of the grooms to guide Tatkret and the distraught Lonsophle away there was the distinct sound of hooves and clinking armor. A snorting Prinny approached with Soren slumped over her neck. Lonsophle screamed at the sight of him but was held still by the groom that had been preparing to guide her away. 
"Soren?" Lonsophle called desperately, "His mind is quiet! I can't hear him!"
Jessie urged  Feu into a trot and they met up with Prinny and Soren's limp frame halfway.
"Soren?" Jessie urged, reaching forward to touch the limp figure's arm. He shuddered when he saw the oozing wounds. Soren moved, abet barely but his eyes flickered open as well and he made an effort to sit up. He smiled wryly.
"Got the bastard," he coughed.
Jessie snorted, before snagging Prinny's halter and guiding her back.
"Hang on you idiot," Jessie ordered as Soren slumped again, his eyes fluttering.
When they reached the gathered group. Lonsophle broke free and rushed forward, leaving her distressed Tokota behind. 
"SOREN," she shrieked as she reached them.
"Hello, milady," he rasped tiredly as she got to the mounted pair. Prinny whickered a greeting to Lonsophle who patted her but was too busy staring at Soren's injuries to do much else.
"Don't you hello me! Don't YOU DARE Soren Fellayol Ave!" Lonsophle shrieked, "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"
Soren laughed weakly.
"Of course ma'am," he chuckled, exhaustion raw on every line of his frame.