The Ancient Guardians

The Ancient Guardians (Chapter 10)

THE ANCIENT GUARDIANS

Chapter 10

The thing I was going to miss most when I went away wasn't my video games, my sports teams, my school or my friends; it was my brother. Even if we keep in touch afterwards I'll miss seeing him. He's my only family, the person that knows me more than anyone. It's not going to be the same without him. The least I could do was to give him my only farewell (and hope he'll remember it in the morning). I joined Joe, Ryan and Jessica by the bonfire and waved at Joe. He stopped singing when he saw me (although Ryan continued) and waved back. I got up to him and said: "Can I talk to you over there?"

                “Sure, hold on.” He answered. Then he took off Ryan’s arm from his shoulders. “I’m taking a break.” He told him. And when he let go of his arm Ryan fell to the floor.

                “Whoa! That was intense, man!” he exclaimed.

                Jessica laughed even more. Then Joe came a little farther with me. “What is it?” He asked.

                “Well, me and the other Ancient Guardians are going to leave in the morning, so I just wanted to say…you know…farewell.”

                “Yeah, I guess I’m not going to see you for a long while, if ever.”

                “I really hope I’ll see you again someday, Joe. I’ll really miss you.”

                “Are you kidding? You’ll be so busy with epic adventures like Brutal Legend you won’t have time to miss me.”

                “You played Brutal Legend too?! That’s not fair!”

                “Hey, you have enough that I don’t have so leave me this little epic piece for gloating back.”

                When he said that, I started laughing. It wasn’t really funny, but I still couldn’t stop laughing. I was laughing so hard tears welled up in my eyes (I had no idea how any liquid could survive on my face). This was the last time I’d see my brother and I was probably cherishing these last real words I’d have of him. Then I realized the tears in my eyes were tears of sadness. Joe was looking at me funny the whole time. I suddenly hugged him, still laughing. He put his arms around me. “Goodbye.” I told him.

                “Goodbye buddy.” He said. When I let go of him he thought for moment, then looked at himself and felt his back. “Oh thanks! Now I got holes burned in my shirt.”

                I just smiled at him.

                He smiled back. “But it was worth it.” He continued.

                I turned my back to him and started to walk away. I heard him say: “Don’t forget to kick ass!” I kept walking and laughed inside. I wiped my eyes with my hands and it made a ‘tss’ sound as it made the tears evaporate. In any case, the deed was done. This is officially the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I walked down the cold street with my bare feet in the direction of the apartment (Clint was right; I didn’t feel any cold on the ground). It felt like walking down a tunnel, on the other end: a new life. I felt it with each step I took. I also felt dozens of small auras around me; probably candles and fireplaces in the houses. I stopped my walk on the path of transition at a corner of a street and closed my eyes. There were dozens of small lights in my vision, all different in brightness and size, like seeing a starry sky. I lost myself in them for a moment. Then someone grabbed my shoulder. Hard. I could’ve sworn there was nobody else on the street but me. When I opened my eyes I looked behind me and I was terrified. There were two persons (if you could qualify them as persons) dressed in black cloaks, one grabbing my shoulder. Their faces were so pale they were a little transparent, their skin was stretched and their eyes were white. The one grabbing me took off my brother’s sunglasses with his other hand and looked at me, then opened his mouth and screamed a soundless scream, yet I could still feel the force of it. The second one pulled out a dagger and slowly lifted it. It was a good time to protest. “Let go!” And I took the hand that was grabbing me by the shoulder (which was also deathly white with skin stretched almost to the bones) and tried to force it off. My original intention didn’t work out so well, but I burned his hand to a crisp, which was still pretty effective. The ghost-like thing let go of me and screamed nothing again, looking at his crippled hand. I kicked him with a bare foot and he tumbled over his friend who liked daggers. I looked at them a moment and said: “Try to get some sunshine, you look awful.” Then they started to get up. It was time to leave. I turned and ran down the street. I noticed that I felt much lighter than before suddenly, as if I was running on air. I looked back and saw that the mutes were following me, and not from that far away. I turned sharply at the next corner I came to and felt my feet scrape against the asphalt. It was a small alley. I only had time to take two steps in it before someone came out of a doorway, grabbed me and pulled me inside. It was dark in the room. “Hey, what’s the…”

                The person tried to put his hand over my mouth but burned it and quickly brought it back. Then he said: “Shush.” We both waited for around five minutes. Then I heard another person coming. He said a word I couldn't understand. The one that had dragged me responded: "Good, they are gone." He had an African accent. "Can you give us a light?" he seemed to ask me.

                "I don't have a lighter or a light." I told him.

                "But you do not need a lighter. Forgive my rudeness, but please use your hands."

                This sudden demand for my power surprised me, but I went on with it. I thought of the bonfire, snapped my fingers and opened my hand. But, the flame that burst in my palm exploded twice as big as before and I put my other hand up to protect my face in reflex. "Sorry about that." I said. I looked at him. He was indeed African.

                "Do not be sorry, for I was not wrong." He told me.

                "How come you know about me? How can you tell it was me?" I asked.

                He gave me a serene look. "Those eyes...I would've recognized them from miles away." He answered. "Not mentioning the walking dead after you."

                "I guess that does make it pretty obvious. Wait, the walking dead?"

                "Yes." He continued. "Abominations."

                "I noticed." I added. "Lucky I passed in your alley."

                "It is no luck. We had people on every road. The only lucky one is me, for having the honor of meeting you." He said.

                "Thanks for helping me anyway."

                "No need to thank. I am just glad we are starting to repay our debt. Now go." And he opened the door and gestured outside with his hand.

                I put out my flame and stepped outside, where another African waited.

                He bowed and said: "It is an honor." Then he got up and brought out my brother's sunglasses from behind his back. "A treasure stolen, I bring back."

                I'd completely forgotten the sunglasses my brother had given me. "Thanks." I took back the glasses and put them on. Then I looked back to say bye to the other one, but the door was closed and he was gone. I turned towards the one that found my sunglasses, but he was gone too. These guys went as quick as they came. Those walking dead were on my mind though; I didn't like them one bit. I continued on my way to the apartment, this time watching my back.