The Hero's Path

Prologue: An Eternal Sleep

It was silent except for the sound of footsteps as Aaron moved down the stairs to the temple's basement.

"Foolish Guardian," the boy said angrily to himself, "What does he mean; I'm not cut out to be an adventurer..." Aaron's voice cut as he gritted his teeth together. It had been years in the making, years training as an initiate, all for that one pivotal moment when his dreams were supposed to have come true.

It was to have been his honor to walk the Hero's Path and an even greater honor to have eventually returned. He had promised himself that he would be the one, he would be the first to return, he would show the people from his village that he wasn't weak. So what if he was an orphan? So what if he had no clan or inheritance? He had just as much a right as anyone else to take up the challenge. But what had he been rewarded with for all of his diligence and hard work? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

"You are not yet ready," Guardian Azazul had said, "You must first find balance in your life."

Balance? What was that supposed to mean? Aaron thought to himself. He had plenty of balance! For three years he had undergone the initiates training the same as all the other boys. He had learned to meditate for eight hours at a time, he had balanced his diet and exercise, he was just as fit as the rest of the boys. He had undergone and succeeded at all the same trials as they all had. What did he lack? How was it that he wasn't balanced?

Aaron tore the thoughts from his mind; it didn't matter what the Guardian thought about him, he knew he was ready. He had to be.

"It's not like I need his permission anyway," Aaron said as his feet reached the last step. "He can't stop me, I can open the portal all by myself."

The basement of the temple was a vast and dark place, lit only occasionally by torches socketed to the walls. There were many shelves, most filled to the brim with scrolls. Here and there were tables littered with items both old and new. But what Aaron was looking for was at the back of the room. Atop a small table sat an upright glove. This was it! The Gauntlet of Heroes! Aaron picked up the glove and dusted it off. It was made of sturdy leather with five gems socketed above each knuckle. Around the rest of the glove were numerous magical glyphs, the biggest appearing on its palm.

As Aaron carefully held the glove in his hands he began to feel the magic energy trapped within it. The energy just waiting to be used. It was the first time Aaron had actually seen the Gauntlet of Heroes in person though he had read about it in the scrolls of lore they had in the village. It was said that the glove was a sacred and special tool given to each new Guardian to help him focus his power and open the Portal of Heroes in the central chamber of the temple. The portal through which each new initiate would enter.

Of course, a Guardian would eventually not need the glove anymore as they became a master of their new powers. Aaron could tell that Azazul had mastered his powers long ago for the glove had collected a layer of dust all over it which had dulled its appearance before he had picked it up. It was said in the village that Azazul was over one thousand years old, but no one really knew exactly.

"I wonder how long it took him to master it?" Aaron said to himself. "I don't really need to master it just yet, I just need to be able to open the portal for only a few seconds." he thought as his eyes inspected the glove.

"I'll show him," Aaron said out loud as he put on the glove, "and when I return successful, he will know he was wrong about me."

In an instant, Aaron's body was filled with bursting energy, his body slightly glowing. Aaron let out a laugh as the euphoric feeling rose within him. What amazing power this is, he thought to himself. It shouldn't be hard at all to make a portal with this.

Aaron turned around and took to the stairs, he knew he only had a little bit of time before one of the temple caretakers noticed it was missing and alerted Azazul. "Before that happens I will be long gone," he said to himself as he laughed again, the power coursing through his entire body.

It took but a minute to make it up the stairs and through the many hallways and corridors and Aaron soon found himself in the central chamber. The room empty as Azazul had left it earlier as he had gone to meditate in the Temple's highest room. At the back of the room sat the giant rune covered archway that served as the portals container.

Aaron stretched out his right hand and the Gauntlet of Heroes began shining brightly. Energy began pouring out from the glove and into the archway forming the swirling vortex of a portal. Aaron drew closer to the portal as it began to speed up, turning from a swath of colors to a brilliant bright gold.

"STOP," a voice thundered behind him, and Aaron turned around. Azazul stood at the chamber's entrance a look of fear on his face. "Aaron stop this at once!" Azazul cried out as he took a step closer, "You have no idea what you are doing, the forces you are tampering with!"

"I know exactly what I am doing!" Aaron yelled back as his hair beat across his face, the air in the room thrashing about as fast as portals vortex. "You were wrong about me!" he said, pointing his finger at Azazul, "You'll see one day!" Aaron then turned and jumped through the portal, his body vanishing in an instant.

"NO!" Screamed Azazul as the portal's energy exploded outward. Magic as old as time itself smashed him against the entrance wall and rushed throughout the Temple. The room's walls cracked, part of the ceiling collapsed and then the Temple was instantly filled with silent darkness as though time itself had frozen over.