The Guardians of Time

Chapter Eleven: Family

Ayden awoke to a small tapping that resonated throughout the large bedroom. In his big bed, he lay, blinking and rubbing his face in an attempt to draw away the sleep that had finally taken him over. He sat up slowly and like a wave hitting at high tide, he began to remember everything.

The tapping stopped.

It had all happened so fast. Not so long ago, he had awakened to his alarm clock in his own bed. He had dreamed about his wife, whom he found out was still alive. The high-speed chase, the accident, the hospital and the death of Jos all started flooding back to him like a tsunami and he could feel the pin pricks of a migraine coming on. The tapping returned and he blinked a few more times looking around the room trying to find the source of the tiny noise that the walls were turning into an orchestra.

He removed the blankets and stood, his bare abdomen catching a small breeze and sending shivers down his spine. The bandage he wore stretched from shoulder to waist. He wore long shorts made of a soft material that made him feel he wasn't wearing anything at all. Again, the room was silent.

He stood and stretched much like he had in his own room several days before. Curious about the severity of his wound, he peaked in behind the bandage. His eyes widened and he moved to the full-length mirror on the other side of the room, pulling the bandage free. He was shocked to see a small triangular scar and the pain was gone. He then ran back to the bed and sat, ripping the bandages free of his calf. It too was nothing more than a scar; a jagged line running parallel to his leg. He remembered as a child having what his pediatrician had called an "extraordinary" immune system. No one knew, of course, it was because of his true parentage.

Thinking of home, he stopped short and gave an odd look to his window. He wondered what would happen with all of his belongings on earth. Being away this long, surely someone has reported him missing. He supposed it was the least of his worries. Suddenly, the tapping started again

Listening carefully, he followed the sound to the wall with the stained-glass window and recognized another smaller window beneath it. Where the first was up high, the latter was just as his height for looking through. It was a large rectangle with wrought iron vines on the outside cradling the frosted glass. Through it, he could see a small silhouette bouncing around outside on the windowsill, no doubt the source of the noise.

Tap, tap, tap. It came again.

He carefully twisted the little knob to unlock the window and pushed it open. The view before him was amazing. The sun hadn't risen but was slowly turning the sky a light purple as it inched its way up behind the mountains. He placed his hands on the windowsill and looked out over everything. Preparations were underway all around the castle to celebrate his return.

He couldn't believe that in just a few hours, he would be accepting a crown. Nor could he believe he would be ruling over an entire planet and guarding an entire galaxy. Not long ago, he was a simple police officer from Los Angeles, and now, he was a king. Without warning, a small sharp pain shocked his left little finger, pulling him back to his mind.

"Ouch" He said under his breath. Looking down to see a beautiful little bird, he put his finger into his mouth, tasting the blood that trickled from the nip. The animal cocked its head to look back at him.

A little smaller than a dove, its head resembled that of a sparrow and its velvety purple seemed to melt into a soft feathered body of blue. Its black beak was arrow shaped and razor sharp, the perfect hunting tool to be used against armies of caterpillars and other bugs.

As the bird watched him, it began to sing. The tune was light and airy, calming like the sound of the ocean. Ayden wanted to return to his bed and listen to the bird's song as he drifted back to sleep. It had also cured his oncoming headache.