by Troy Dukart
The beast whipped its tongue at me. I threw myself to the ground and rolled out of the way. As I recovered its tongue grabbed hold of my leg and tossed me across the room, smashing through pottery and landing up against the cavern wall. The beast hissed at me as I got up.
“Tough son-of-a-bitch aren’t ya?” I taunted.
I seemed to remember these beasts being much weaker. Last time I fought them, one slash from my sword shattered the beasts completely. I stood up and charged toward the monster. It ran at me too and was reaching out with one of its claws to slash me. I took a swing at the claw and sliced off with one swipe.
The beast screamed in pain and backhand slapped me with its other hand across the room. As I laid on the ground, it jumped up in the air and, coming down, tried to crush me. I dodged its move by rolling away. Standing up, I prepared to slash at it again with the sword but its tongue wrapped around my neck. The grip was super-sharp and I could feel it cutting into my skin. It was impossible to pull it off, so with a quick upward slash I cut its tongue in two. When I pulled the tongue from around my neck I threw it on the ground and it shattered into a million crystalline pieces.
Visibly agitated, the beast grabbed one of the statues that was near the portal and chucked it my way. It flew so fast the only thing I could do was use the sword to cut it in half to avoid getting hit. It was time to end this.
I got in striking range to temp the beast.
“Alright, I’ve had enough of you!” I said. It took another swing at me but I ducked it, sliced off one of its legs and jumped on its back. Stabbing it in the back multiple times seemed to weaken it but it grabbed me around my neck again and threw me down hard on the ground. Still within its grasp, the beast had full control and kept me down.
In desperation, I looked around the room for something to help me fight this creature. In the corner of my eye there was a person at the top of the stairs. Almost naked to the eye, they walked back and forth, looking like a ghost. Donning a sleeveless Federation uniform , they hid their face behind a helmet. All over their arms were tattoos similar to the ones on me, except theirs glowed white.
The Mech that opened the cave door outside stood behind him. As I tried to escaped, the person looked toward me, “I guess the Federation wasn’t full of shit when they said this place held a key. I don’t really care about all their agenda, finding ancient ruins and crap, or being able to control these monsters with those Guardian Keys, no, just for the look on your face.”
The voice was distorted, I couldn’t tell who it was. Across the left breast of their jacket read, Guardian.
“Who the hell are you?!” I asked while being crushed.
I was trying to get out of the beast’s grip but it was too strong and kept getting tighter. He had walked down the stairs and turned toward the portal but looked over his shoulder at me,
“She is special Strafe, she has the Guardian Power of Concern. She will help us to unlock the way. All you did was open the door for us. Once that thing kills you I’ll possess your Power of Passion. I hope you like your new grave.”
“Damnit, you crazy bastard! What are you after?!”
Before he went invisible, he pushed a button on his helmet. The Mech jumped down to us then began to flash red; it was going into self-destruct mode. I was trying my hardest to get out of the beast’s grip but it was no use. I’m not gonna die like this! Not today! Plus, I needed to get the Professor out of here.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” I screamed as I laid slash after slash on the monster.
No matter what had happened, it wouldn’t budge. Then, I saw a flash of white out of the corner of my eye. The creature flinched slightly after and I managed to get to my feet. With all my strength, I slashed in across its chest, shattering it into a million tiny crystalline pieces. I looked over to see it had been Brutus.
“Brutus! You saved me!” I smiled.
I ran over and grabbed the Professor and looked up at the entrance; it was barricaded. The Laser-Mech began glowing bright red, moments away from blowing up the entire cave. There was no way out except going through the portal. With no other options, I ran towards it with the Professor in my arms.
“YESSA!!! I’M COMING!!! BRUTUS, LET’S GO!” I yelled as we ran into the portal.
As we crossed through I heard a huge explosion. We were flying down a tunnel of blue light. The flame chased us down all the way until we reached the end of the portal and fell ten feet onto a blue grassy field. Brutus was nowhere to be seen. The portal closed behind us just before we would’ve been engulfed in flame.
Catching my breath, I pushed myself up from one knee. The sword retracted and I breathed a sigh of relief. I needed to find Brutus. What I saw in front of us though looked nothing like New Santa Barbara or any other place on Earth I had ever heard of. That portal, had led us to a new world.
Chapter 6/
Destiny Calling
Strafe
I learned a cruel truth about life that day; everything you know and love can change in an instant.
Nothing would ever be the same for me from that day forward. Little would I know that I would have to become a savior of two worlds. I was just a kid from New Santa Barbara. I later would find out that the portal that got me to this new world was created by Tiras’ Power of Desire. He activated the Guardian Key which acted as a conduit between both realities, opening up a way to get here.
All of the tattoos had begun to fade away, and my hair that had turned red returned to its normal almond-brown. The fast travel through the portal made me dizzy, but after a few head-shakes, I saw the professor and I were in a rainbow colored grass field. There were flowers of all colors, and we were surrounded by mountains. It smelled like fresh cut grass. Off in the distance looked to be a small town. There was a large clock tower in the middle made entirely of glass from the look of it. The town looked unlike any town I had ever seen. I didn’t get to admire it for long though.
I heard the professor cough and saw blood coming out of his mouth. He was laying in the grass, bleeding from a severe chest wound. I knelt down and held him and was surprised to see that the light of the setting sunlight made the blood around his wound sparkle. He had a pulse but wasn’t breathing, so I began to resuscitate him. His chest wound worried me because the bleeding wouldn’t stop. C’mon damn it, c’mon! I gave it everything I could, but the Professor wouldn’t take a gasp.
The day was winding down and taking him to the town was the only shot he had at living. As I began to pick him up, he started coughing.
“Professor! Can you hear me!?” I yelled.
Between coughs he managed to speak, “Ahhh, the shores of Elysium are hopefully awaiting this old-timer.” It sounded like each breath was a struggle.
As a scholar of Greek and Roman mythology, Professor Sighter was a believer of Elysium as his heaven. He believed that when you died and lived a virtuous and heroic life, you would be granted entrance. Located in what the Greeks referred to as the most Western part of the world, it was there the believers would travel, to live out their afterlife in peaceful eternity.
“Professor, we need to get you out of here and get you medical help,” I
Trying to pick him up seemed to worsen his condition. The Professor groaned in pain. The shot from Tiras must have collapsed one of his lungs. Looking as though he knew his fate, he grabbed my hand and looked in my eyes with conviction and concern.
“Strafe, I am afraid I have reached the end,” he was interrupted as he coughed up blood then continued, “I don’t mind though. I’ve lived a good life and I’m going to die doing what I love. I’m a lucky man to have lived long enough to see this day. You have proved that we are not alone in the universe; the answer to the question that has been asked by every generation in human history.”
“Save your strength professor,” I pleaded with him, “I can carry you!”
“No Strafe. I can feel my life slipping away from me. My body is growing cold, but I am not afraid. I have lived a beauti
ful life and have done what I thought was right,” again he coughed up some blood before continuing, “Strafe, listen to me. After hearing what they said about your Power of Passion, I know you are part of the Guardian’s Prophecy, a story I heard of long ago. That sword you are carrying is called The God Blade! Inside lies the spirit of all whom have protected Good and it chooses to protect only those with a pure heart. I don’t know the entire tale but the last wielder of the blade was over 1000 years ago. Maybe they came here just like you. There are others. You must seek out the other Guardians in this world. I feel there is more to all this than just Tiras and the Federation.”
The professor was having trouble breathing and speaking only sent him into coughing fits, “You need to find out who is behind the conspiracy we just witnessed. I have a last request and that is for you to help me get to Elysium.”
“There are others like me? I don’t know what you mean! I have no idea what a Guardian is! Professor, don’t die! I need you!” I cried out in distress.
It was obvious to me there was no way he would be able to travel in his condition. But he continued to struggle to confide in me.
“Strafe, I have never been more proud and excited to have someone like you in my life. I have been searching for a ruin of this importance my entire career. The God Blade symbolizes a savior, one who has the power to bring peace and justice in times of need. The previous wielder must have saved this world and ours, much like you will have to do now. Don’t be afraid, as long as you carry it, you will succeed. I know that Earth has its protector back, and you have a good heart. Never forget Strafe, our fate is what we make,” Professor Sighter struggled to speak before he went limp. He gasped a few breaths, looked deep into my eyes and then slipped away.
Nothing can ever prepare you to watch someone you love and admire die in your arms. Professor Sighter was like a father to me. He would tell me stories of the world, engage in critical thinking with his students and most importantly he believed in me. With all of those memories and emotions running through me, tears began to run down my face. Guilt over his death was starting to get to me. I should’ve done more to protect him from Tiras.
+++
In accordance with his wishes, I prepared his body for his cremation. The professor thought new religion was silly. Like I mentioned earlier, he believed in Elysium. By placing two coins over his eyelids and burning the body, he could pay his fare and his spirit could ride in a boat to reach Elysium, or heaven. Elysium is supposed to be a beautiful place where one can enjoy all of their favorite things in life. A place where everyone is equal.
I wasn’t much of a religious man myself, but my mother was a Christian. Even on my Native American side, I was more interested in the culture than what they thought of the afterlife. I just wasn’t ready to commit to something that profound yet. My mother never pushed it on me, and told me there would be a time and place in my life for the Word. All I knew was I needed to be strong, not just for me, but for everyone I cared about. After all that’d happened in these past few days though, it did make me wonder if we were all destined for a higher purpose.
Professor Sighter didn’t like the politics of religion but he was fascinated by the amazing stories. I remember him talking one day in class about how he preferred to take different parts of various religions and put the “good parts” into one group, which jokingly he called “rationality.” He also told us that religions existed to guide people, not to criticize others.
I gathered all of the dry wood, grass and anything else flammable that I could find nearby in order to help the ritual go smoothly. Once I found everything necessary, I folded his right arm across his chest over his heart and placed two coins I found in his pocket over his eyes. Afterwards, I turned his body so his feet were facing toward the setting sun. I used a piece of flint and lit the small brush of dry grass by his feet.
I’d only seen this done a few times in movies. Every time I saw it, it took my breath away. Surprisingly, in this alternate universe, the fire reacted differently than back home. As the fire burned, it created little balls of floating light. These balls of light looked like tiny sparkling spirits. I waited a couple hours until the fire burned out and there was nothing left. I knelt and bowed my head to the ground and took time to remember him. After I got up, I looked down at where he laid, “Professor. You can rest easy in the afterlife. You did so much good for the Earth that your legacy will live on long after this passing. I never had a father growing up, but when I met you I knew you were someone to look up to. I grew with you. I believed in you just like you believed in me. And I could never repay you for all of the life lessons you taught me. Integrity, history, service, cherishing our past, these were all the values you have instilled in me. Even though we grew a little bit a part after I graduated, I thought of you all the time. I will give everything I have to live up to what you said I was chosen to do. I love you and maybe one day I’ll come to Elysium to visit.”
I put stones around where he had lied. It was time for me to go.
When I looked up toward the town in the distance, I could see something strange. The sword was rattling. It started to pulsate. Out of curiosity, I drew the orb closer to my eye. I held it out in front of me and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was acting as a telescope, magnifying the town so I could view it easily! I could see there was a hulking Sky-Ship floating above the clock tower. It looked like one of the same ships from that battle I was in. Could they be manned by the same people we fought against?
Soon after the ship had stopped above the clock tower, legions of soldiers descended from the ship and began discharging their weapons into the crowd of panicking citizens. All of the police surrounding the clock tower were being gunned down. It was carnage. The townsfolk were panicking, unsuccessfully trying to hide from the soldiers who grabbed men, women and children, throwing them into a tractor beam force field which sucked them up and into the ship. Shit! What are they up to!?
Everywhere else around me were flatlands. There was nowhere else to go but into the town. I held my sword close to me. I had to try to get some answers. Maybe I can find some answers there. I hope Brutus is okay.
Trying to stay out of sight, I made my way into the town.
Chapter 7/
A Strange Meeting
Strafe
The sun had set, leaving me under a dark sky.
Two moons orbited this planet, each one a different color. The closer I got to town, the clearer I heard the screams of the people being pulled up in the beam of the hulking Sky-Ship.
It was magnificent. Completely quiet and sleek, all of its surface was shown, reflecting the moonlight. I wanted a closer look, so I held the orb attached on the hilt of my sword to my eyes. The orb puzzled me; slightly fish-eyed but crystal clear, it did more than just magnify. There was moving text all around the circumference, like the ancient text from the cave walls. I was trying to read it, so I pulled the sword closer. I gripped it tighter and heard a “clicking” sound. Afterwards the vision changed.
The view was now filtered with a turquoise tint. Still I could clearly see the outlines of all the people. I noticed that the civilians were identified by a circle above their head and the soldiers with a triangle. What the hell are they doing with these people?
From what I could tell, they were attempting to herd the entire population of the town into the ship. I made it to one of the houses and climbed up on the garage. From that position I could see a scuffle between the civilians and soldiers. Using the orb, I saw one of the soldiers execute one of the civilians in front of their family. It was hard to watch.
One after another they kept rounding them up. I decided I needed to go help them but. . .how? I was startled when the sword maneuvered to attach itself to my leg. If I wanted to use it, I could but if I brought it down to my leg it would stay there, floating within my reach. The orb had dimmed to black, as if it knew we had to stay hidden. I began making my way around the city, avoiding being seen and sticking to the sha
dows.
The evening fog made it easier to stay out of sight. I was getting close to the center of the town. I knew I would have to watch my step. The soldiers were patrolling for any remaining townsfolk.
By then, the town was eerily deserted and quiet. I crept through backyards and darted across streets. There were a few times when I thought I might’ve been seen by a patrol. Before long, I made it to a neighborhood close to the tractor beam of the Sky-Ship and heard some rustling coming from one of the houses. Debris had littered the yard and it looked like a war was waged down the street. This house seemed abandoned. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a group of soldiers and I darted my way in through the front door.
The house looked similar to homes back home, except there were red lights lining the walls and they were pulsing. I looked to a floating LED panel near a staircase that read,
“Warning! Seek shelter immediately! Enemy attack in progress. Evacuation lights activated.”
Warning lights? The grip on my sword tightened.
Pictures on the walls now lied on the floor and all of our furniture had been broken. With each step I tried to remain as quiet as possible. Part of me wanted to run away as fast as I could. In the corner of the room I saw some movement and I drew my sword as quick as lightning. Throwing down a blanket, I found a homeless woman.
“Zixin?” she whispered.
“Zixin? My name is Strafe. Who are you?” I whispered back as I lowered the sword.
“Strafe? It can’t be. . . You look so much like him,” the woman replied. She stayed sitting.
“Where are we? Why are you calling me my brother’s name?” I asked as I knelt down.
“Apologies. My name is Rose. I have lived in this house for years after it was abandoned. The resemblance is outstanding, between you and Zixin,” Rose explained.
I was trying to grasp the fact that maybe my brother had came into this world as I had. Maybe this woman wasn’t crazy.