For vampire slayers, it sometimes can be difficult to tell friend from foe. Especially when creatures such as the adze can alter their appearance on a whim.

So, when confronted by a couple of creatures such as the Guardians, we wouldn’t blame even the most experienced obayifo for cowering in terror.

But are these massive grizzlies really a threat to our intrepid heroes? Or are they simply fully committed to their sacred duty?

Either way, you should probably be on guard yourself. We’re pretty sure that these bears aren’t about to break out into a jamboree.

Keep Away

The first thing you need to know about the guardians is that they’re the products of The Keepers, the descendants of the first enslaved Ghanaians who were brought to the Americas centuries ago.

The Keepers employ a version of magic that works outside of the usual rules of divine wisdom and black magic. Because of this, very little is known about the Keepers outside of their tight-nit community.

What we do know is that Keepers’ unique abilities could be quite useful in Serwa and the GCC’s attempts to stop Nana Bekoe in her quest to wipe the Abomofuo, and anyone related to them, off the face of the earth. And if not? Well, either way, beggars can’t be choosers. Nana Bekoe is already amassing her forces. Serwa and the Good Citizens Committee need to play catch up, and fast.

And we’re not exactly sure that a Help Me Defeat My Evil Grandma crowdfunding campaign will bring in the big bucks.

Bear Hug

How can we tell that the Keepers would be useful in the fight against the obayifo? Well, we’ve seen the rock guardians in battle with the Adze. Remember them? Those firefly vampires that give the Abomofuo so much trouble?

Well, the rock guardians can take care of them in a snap. Obviously, it helps that the bears possess impenetrable skin, but those sharp claws and teeth are seriously no joke. The rock guardians can swat away even the toughest adze before you have time to say, “Protect your neck!”

That is, if the guardian’s bone-rattling roar doesn’t scare away the adze first.

And the most impressive part of it all? The spell that animates the rock guardians is much more sophisticated than standard Abomofuo magic.

Remember how Serwa once used to make a bunch of moving training dummies out of Barbies when we first started the GCC? The enchantment on the rock guardians goes way deeper than hers. These were just a pile of normal rocks that were imbued with actual sentience. It’s a type of magic that Serwa has never seen before.

The first question is, who exactly holds the power to animate the rock guardians in the first place?

The second question: Does a sentient rock need a Social Security number?

Down the River

Maybe the animating force behind the rock guardians is closer than we realize.

In fact, maybe that’s them cowering behind the legs of the rock guardians? But that’s just a young kid. Can’t be much older than 11 years old. No way that they have the power to imbue the Rock Guardians with the power of sentience.

They seem more afraid of Serwa and her friends than they are of the kid. And no matter how hard they try, the kid does not sound tough when they demand that the GCC tell them who they are and where they came from.

Then again, the rock guardians do seem to bow to the kid in deference. So, if someone could please clarify the power dynamics of this situation, we would be super grateful.

Because we’re not so sure a stand-off between the GCC and the rock guardians can last. Who would have ever thought that a random piece of granite could convey such bloodlust in its ‘eyes’? Shame on us for falling asleep during geology class . . .

Learn more about the guardians and the Keepers in Rick Riordan Presents: Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Saving the World by Roseanne A. Brown, on sale now!