Soul Guardians
A hawk faced east and watched the sun rise. She scanned the countryside that man had created around her home. She changed her gaze from the horizon to her powerful talons that gripped the perch she was on. She carefully watched as she loosened her grip on the wooden beam. As she freed her sharp nails she spread her wings to give her balance. One by one her nails freed their grip on the wood. Then slowly and gracefully like a dancers move she changed positions. Her gaze was now westward.
The wooden perch was a telephone pole with wooden arms. Years of experience had been passed down to her. Somehow she knew she must not touch the wires only the wood. Her mother and father had taught her that. She had lost brothers and sisters to the strange lines that carried a powerful unseen force. With her back to the sun she scanned the ground beneath her. Tombstones and crosses of all shapes and sizes lay in her domain. God had placed her here for a reason. She was to protect the souls of the many that slept beneath her.
With her back to the sun she was able to scan the ground for anything trespassing into her kingdom. Neither foe nor food would be able to see her. A quick glance only revealed wisps of morning fog around the stones and crosses. She lifted her gaze and found her mate. He had been with for many years. Her partner for life was larger and more powerful. His wingspan was almost five feet of muscle and feather. He made large sweeping circles around their land. While she protected the graves from below he surveyed from above. Soon they would exchanges posts. Their vigil was a constant one. The Devil would like nothing more than to disturb the sleep of those in gentle sleep.
Satisfied with her observation of the ground she bent her legs and as she leapt forward many things happened at once so that it looked like a single movement. Her powerful wings opened and gave her lift. Leg muscles that once contracted now expanded. Talons released their grip in the wooden beams. It was a short and beautiful dance that ended with her soaring into the air. The wings flapped and gave her lift. She was soon following her mate over one hundred feet above the ground. She had always followed him. She always would. They had paired for life and her life was his.
They called to each other even though no words needed to be exchanged. Their powerful vision enabled them to look into each others eyes. Much like one reads a book, they read each others thoughts. She somehow knew her mate needed rest. He had been airborne since dawn. His cousin the owl guarded the cemetery at night. They exchanged posts every morning at dawn. Even though it was chilly his heart pumped with the heat and fire of his mission. His eyes never rested, not even when they gazed upon his love, his partner. Together they had shared in a partnership of love. Love for each other and love for the job God had given them. The two raptors exchanged glances as one ascended and the other descended. His landing was much like the rise of his partner. It happened so quickly it looked like a dance. His talons were buried deep into wood of the beams. His back to the sun assured him the advantage of not being easilyseen. He would protect the graves of man with as much passion as he would protect his love that soared above. His first challenge would soon come.
A Mockingbird flew into their kingdom. He was not a threat like the vermin or the serpent, but still a threat he was. He had flown low and quickly moved from bush to cross then to the stones to evade the eyes of the hawks. He flew directly to the pole the protector was on and flew directly up and landed on the beam next to the King. The Hawk slowly turned his head and looked at the tiny bird. His large curved, sharp beak opened and he said.
“Be gone tormentor, you will not mock the souls of those within my guard.”
The Hawk’s voice was low and powerful. It shook the tiny bird and it sounded like the voice of a preacher’s sermon on fire and brimstone. The tiny bird was scared but he was not here to fight, only to mock. He repeated the words of the Hawk exactly the same way back to him. It was much like the voice of a court jester teasing a king. The mighty Hawk once again warned the Mockingbird. This time the smaller bird heeded the warning and disappeared the same way he had appeared.
The first trial of the day had past. The sun was now higher in the sky. The Queen of the air descended and landed next to her King. They exchanged kisses and rubbed their powerful beaks against each other. Together they scanned the cemetery and the surrounding field. They had both fed yesterday and would not feed again for another day. Today they would kill only to protect the sleep of their guests. The warming sun would bring the serpent and vermin. The messengers of the Devil would try to penetrate the defenses of the kingdom. The heat of the mid day sun would warm the Snake and Rat as well as the Hawk. The two lovers would change their defenses now. The King rose and took his throne at the far corner of the grave yard. They would both scan the ground with their eyes in order to catch the evil Snake or Rat before they could consume the spirits of the sleeping.
The Snake was cunning and deadly it would use stealth to enter their domain. Crawling on his belly he approached the resting place of man. With every flick of his tongue he could taste the sweetness of peaceful sleep. The Snake’s scales contracted faster and faster as if the taste of sleep had teased it and made it move faster. The Snake stopped, he lifted his head. He was now in the kingdom of the Hawk. It lifted his head and scanned the sky, nothing. He then moved forward slowly and searched for a soul. He continued until it found the stone that marked the slumber of a young woman. It looked at the etchings on the stone to make sure the victim was worthy of his encroachment.
“Yessssssss, I will take this woman’s sssssssoul away.” It hissed.
“She will no longer ssssssleep.”
When it was ready to feed it wrapped itself around the stone. Its ten feet of coils began to constrict the stone. It began to squeeze the stone and absorb the soul from the life it marked.
“Yesssss!” The Snake said as it began to feed.
A shadow passed over the stones. The snake was unable to hear the cries of the hawks. The Queen had called her King. They both took to the air and found the feeder of souls. They knew what to do. The King hovered in the air and selected the target. He folded his wings back and took the shape of an arrow. The Queen did the same. Each worked as one. The King attacked the head and Queen the tail. She sank her talons into the tail of the serpent. She held him with one claw and with the other claw she clenched the grass. Using leverage she kept the villain from moving. She opened her wings for added strength. Now the King battled the other end of the demon. He had his wings open to confuse the Snake. With every strike the snake tired. The Hawk was patient, it stayed just far enough out of range to keep his foe engaged.
The Snake made a final strike. Exhaustion had taken over. It had not been able to move. The Queen prevented its escape and the King made its final strike. When the Snakes head fell on the ground it quickly pounced on the back of its head. Both sets of talons sank into its flesh. The snake attempted to raise its head to respond but it was too late. The King opened his beak and closed it directly behind the snake’s eyes. Scales broke and bones were crushed. The queen heard the noise of crushing scale and bone. She sensed the serpent go limp and she released her grip. The snake’s body began to release the soul it was consuming. A spirit rose from the snake and bowed to the King and Queen. It was like the mist of life rose and then descended back into the stone that marked its resting place.
The two saviors began their work in unison. The King once again took the head and Queen took the tail. They unwound the coils of the snake and released the grip it had on the stone marker. The Queen let the tail of the serpent fall and King took the serpent into the air. The Hawk carried the snake and it resembled a bird carrying a string. He flew in the direction of the sun. He flew many miles away from his kingdom. He released the snake and it fell to the ground. He circled in the air and headed west. The sun was lowering in the horizon and he yearned to return to his Queen. His powerful wings carried him towards his kingdom. From a mile away he saw his love.
The Queen had caught the Rat makings it entrance after they battled the Snake. It had entered during the battle and it had begun looking for a victim. The sharp teeth of the vermin could devour the stones of the sleeping with ease. She was on the ground now and waging the dance of death with the Rat. Her wings were spread and her talons were at the ready. Her beak was open and she was ready to strike. Instinct told her to keep the rodent busy and her mate would come. She had to prevent him from gnawing on the tombstones of her guests. She stepped in a big circle with the Rat. She kept scanning the Rat for a weakness but she could not find one. The Rat knew if he could knock her on her back he could use his two front teeth to separate her head from her body. The Rat kept gnashing used it’s teeth to make an evil noise to confuse the Queen. He stopped turning with her and he squatted on his haunches. The Rat prepared to leap on the Queen. If he could land on her his teeth would do the rest.
The Rat expected the Queen to turn again, instead the Hawk leapt backwards and it confused the rat. It looked up just in time to see the King descend with his talons outstretched. The King hit the Rat and sank both sets of talons deep into it. Both back nails sank inches into its flesh. At the same instant its beak bit into the shoulder of the Rat. The King had the Rat on its back but the vermin was beginning to shift its weight to remove him. The Queen moved into the battle with the same weapons as the King. She buried both of her dagger-like talons into the Rat’s head. One point hit home and evil one instantly fell.
This villain had not feasted on souls yet. Both King and Queen stepped back and let the Devil take the Rat’s spirit back. They watched as the body of the rodent gave its life back to the demon of the dark. The King stepped towards the body and nudged it with his claw. He leapt on top of the body and opened his wings. He pumped his wings and the body of the Rat began to rise. He carried it in the opposite direction of the Snake. There would be no union for the evil ones. The King worked his wings as he struggled with the weight of the Rat. His body ached and burned with the pain of combat. He needed to take this wretched body far away from his kingdom.
The Hawk King struggled to keep in the air. He was weary and needed help. He heard the shrill call of his mate. He was unaware that she was following. Her call gave him extra strength and he worked his powerful wings even more. He was far enough away and he released the Rat. He turned in a circle and headed east. He could now see his Queen ahead. She called to him and he responded. The sun was setting on his back as they both flew home to the massive oak tree in the middle of his kingdom. The couple each used their talons to anchor their bodies to the tree. One last kiss and they prepared for sleep.
The King leaned back and spread his massive wings. One wing seemed to caress his mate. The pair settled in for the night. Their sharp vision was not an advantage in the dark. In the dusk the Hawk saw a familiar shape glide through his domain. He protected the cemetery in the day and his cousin the Owl, fought the demons of the dark. In the darkness of the cemetery the King of the Owls and his Queen protected the souls of their guest.
