Animal Guardian

BOOM!

That was the sound of my back slamming against the wall, courtesy of a punch from a bull guardian named Nelly.

"That should teach you your place," she sneered, her lips curling into a devilish grin.

I couldn't help myself. I laughed.

"My place?" I said, wiping the corner of my mouth. "Like you know yours? Going around beating up a cripple, pretending you're enforcing some kind of order? You're a disgrace to your kingdom."

"Shut up, you cripple!" she roared, charging at me with everything she had.

This was it. My life was over. All I had to do was keep my mouth shut, but of course, I couldn't help myself. I braced for impact, squeezed my eyes shut… and then nothing.

When I opened my eyes, I was still alive. A green barrier surrounded me, and Jenny had grabbed Nelly's arm mid-charge.

"Oh, Jenny, I was just leaving," Nelly stammered, suddenly losing her edge.

"You're not going anywhere," Jenny said calmly, but there was a fire in her voice. "Not until you apologize to my friend."

"Sorry, Nanto," Nelly muttered, clearly trying to get out of the situation as quickly as possible.

"Wait," I said, holding up a hand. "You don't get to call me Nanto. We're not friends."

Her glare could have melted steel, and I knew she was already plotting the next time she'd try to take me down. Still, she turned and stormed off.

As soon as she was gone, I slumped to the ground, exhausted.

"Tori, are you okay?" Jake asked as he jogged over to me. He was like a big brother to me—except for when he decided to be stupid.

"My enemies call me Tori," I said, brushing the dust off my clothes. "You're not allowed to."

"Why not? I like it," he said with a grin.

"Me too," Jenny chimed in.

"By the way," Jake said, his grin fading. "I have a favor to ask."

I stood up, brushing my hands together. "Go ahead."

He hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "I need you to sign up for the King's Tournament."

I froze. "YOU WANT ME DEAD?!" I shouted.

"No, no!" he said quickly, lowering his voice. "I just need someone to beat to get to the finals. I don't think I can take down a bull, but if you join, I… you know, it'll be easier to win against you since you're…"

"A cripple?" I finished for him.

He flinched. "Yeah, maybe I went overboard…"

"You think?" I muttered, walking away. "Thanks for the help, Jake. Really."

I heard him whispering to Jenny as I left. "I went overboard, didn't I?"

"More than overboard," I muttered to myself, still fuming.

On my way home, I spotted an old woman standing by the zebra crossing. She looked like she needed help, so I approached her.

"Do you need help, ma'am?" I asked politely.

She turned to me with a scowl that could rival Nelly's. "Help? From you? You're just a cripple. What could you possibly do? I'm fine on my own, thank you very much."

Stunned, I turned and walked away, her words ringing in my ears. Wow. I try to help, and she just crushes me with words. What has this world come to?

By the time I got home, it was late in the afternoon.

"Mom, I'm home," I called, stepping inside.

"Hey, honey!" Mom said, poking her head out from the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"The usual," I replied with a shrug.

"Hey, sis!" my ten-year-old brother Ray said, perched on the counter like he owned the place. "My paralysis is getting weak. Since you're a cripple, can I use you as a punching bag?"

That was the last straw.

"What is wrong with all of you?" I shouted. "Just because I'm a cripple doesn't mean I'm weak! You know what? Tomorrow, I'm going to prove you all wrong!"

The words spilled out before I even realized what I was saying.

"What do you mean, honey?" Mom asked concern etched on her face.

"I'm signing up for the King's Tournament," I declared, storming toward my room.

"Honey, are you sure about this?" Mom asked again.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life!" I yelled over my shoulder, slamming the door behind me.

In the silence of my room, the weight of what I'd said hit me. But I wasn't about to back down now.

Tomorrow, I'll prove them all wrong. Just wait and see.

With that, I fell onto my bed and drifted off to sleep.