by Jason Wilcox
“They’re getting more desperate, and unfortunately, they now know where you are,” Domblin said while the staff turned into particles and disappeared. He helped Caden to his feet.
“You’re the one who was in stopped time,” Caden said while trying to shake off a headache from the attack. He bent down and picked up his gun.
“Yes, that was me,” Domblin replied. ”But there isn’t much time to talk. We need to get you to a safer spot.” He bent down and drew a line in the dirt. The line lit up with a blue flame—a circular boundary wrapped around the cabin.
“Let’s go inside your cabin,” Domblin said. Curiously, Caden bent down and ran his finger along the thin blue strip. It felt like velvet. The small strip wrapped around the cabin in a large circle. Caden tried to pull at it but was unable to get the velvety strip out of the ground. Domblin entered the cabin and left the door open for Caden to follow. Once he stepped over the boundary, it let out an electrical snap, which made Caden jump.
As Caden entered the cabin, Domblin spoke up, “In a very short amount of time I’m going to leave, and I need you to stay inside this cabin no matter what happens. Your life depends on it. Those dark creatures that keep attacking you will be watching this cabin and waiting for you to exit. That ring I put around the cabin will protect you from them.”
“Who are you, and what in the world is going on? One minute I’m trying to take care of my wife, and then I’m at my cabin trying to figure out if this is all just a bad dream. And then I go outside to find you talking to some kind of creature that-”
“A guardian,” Domblin interjected.
“Uh guard…”
“Guardian,” Domblin clarified.
“Guardian, or whatever the thing is. Then some shadowy creature attacks me again, but low and behold, you pop out of nowhere and slam this creature to the ground. You were also the one in Dead Time who saved my butt, but nothing makes sense. How did you get into the same exact stopped time as me?” Caden sat on his bed, ready to draw his gun if he needed.
“I don’t have time to answer all of your questions, but let me start by saying that I’m Domblin, and I’ve been watching you since I brought you back from eternal rest. It took some time, and I had to travel the planets to figure out how, but I was finally able.”
“Travel the planets? What?”
“Yes, travel the planets. There are more planets than Myree, this planet,” Domblin replied. “But I’m not going to be able to tell you much if you keep interrupting.”
Caden nodded, and his eyebrow twitched.
“I’ve never been able to make contact with you or the dark souls, or the shadowy creatures would catch on that you’re back. I’ve been living on another planet up until recently. The main thing that you need to know is there’s a war going on that stretches across this universe, and unknown to you, you have a central role in it.”
“So, if I understand you correctly, my alien friend,” Caden said mockingly not in the mood for any more crap at that moment. “We’re involved in some alien war, unbeknownst to me, and there are evil creatures out to kill me.”
Ignoring Caden’s sarcasm, Domblin continued, “Basically, but listen, I need to make sure you understand something before I go. You can’t cross the line I drew in the dirt. You’ll be protected as long as you stay within the circle.”
“Protected from the dead souls?”
“Dark souls,” Domblin clarified. “But yes, them, and others that will harm you if they find out you are here. Triaad is the only one that could smash through it, but he would have to identify that you are here first. The barrier should block any traces of you.” Domblin stopped for a second and a strange look crossed his face, a look that Caden interpreted to mean Domblin was lost in a memory. “I’m going to be taken soon and you need to stay hidden no matter what happens to me. I will be back, but by then the Guardian you saw should have you in a safer place. He should be back in a couple of days,” Domblin sounded very serious.
“What will I eat until then?”
“There will be food left for you daily,” Domblin stated. “I have to go. Listen carefully, do not come out of this door until I am completely out of sight, no matter what happens.” Domblin moved toward the door.
“Wait,” Caden said. “You have to answer one question for me. Is Bridget really dead? Did that really happen?”
“I’m sorry about your loss, Caden.” Domblin paused for a moment, sorrow expressed in the tone of his voice and in his eyes. He reached out and gripped Caden’s upper arm for a moment, then turned as he spoke. “I have to go now. I will return soon.” Domblin walked out the door, closing it behind him.
Caden jumped up to the window and watched Domblin walk to a clearing past the blue line. There were so many more questions. Anger weighed on his heart. It would be easy to draw his gun and make Domblin stay. Then Domblin would have to answer more questions.
A loud high-pitched roar brought Caden out of his thoughts, and he gripped the handle of his gun. A powerful gust of wind slammed his roof and windows making them rattle. An enormous creature flew over the cabin. It was hard to make out what it was. A flick of light caught Caden’s attention. Domblin was holding his staff again, lighting the area around him. Tremors shook the ground as if something heavy had crashed or landed hard.
Voices could barely be heard, but Caden could tell Domblin was talking to someone. Unable to see who he was talking to, Caden quickly stepped over to his door and cracked it open. There was a towering dark shadow just along the tree line of the meadow, as tall as some of the trees.
“I promise you will pay for the evil and crimes you brought to this planet and universe.” Domblin’s domineering voice echoed across the meadow and into the cabin. “I give you fair warning. Leave now. Stay out of my way. If you want to live past tonight, you better find some dark hole in a far corner of the universe to hide in.” Domblin’s staff grew brighter, revealing the large shadow to be a dragon, but different from the one before, bigger and black.
“Enough of your ridiculous words,” a deep voice echoed through the trees. A strange hush fell throughout the woods. The dragon-like creature moved, causing the ground to tremble. A dark-armored man rode on the dragon’s back. The dragon’s golden eyes soaked in the light from the staff and his long, war-torn ears shifted backward as he looked at Domblin.
Domblin moved his staff forward and centered his stance. The dragon swiftly lurched forward, mouth snarling and large teeth showing. Domblin swung his staff, smashing the dragon in the side of the snout, creating a huge wall of light. Caden had to look away; it was too bright. When the light faded, Caden watched as the dragon went in for another attack, but this time with his tail. Domblin slammed his staff to the ground and used it like a shield. The large tail knocked Domblin backwards, throwing him to the ground.
Before Domblin could get up, the dragon swiped at him with his large claws, but missed as Domblin quickly rolled to the side. Unable to tolerate any more, Caden moved to the door and swung it open, gun in hand. Domblin had finally gotten back on his feet and glanced over at Caden. A worried look came across his face and he dropped his staff.
Before Caden could exit the cabin, Domblin put both hands out and grabbed at the air. The door yanked out of Caden’s hand and slammed shut, but before it had, Caden saw something that made his heart drop. While Domblin was using whatever magic he possessed to close the door, the dragon grabbed a hold of Domblin with his giant claws and pulled him up into the sky.
Caden yanked at the door with all of his strength, but it wouldn’t budge. He quickly looked out the window, almost tripping over his own feet, but it was too late. They were gone. Another high-pitched roar rang out, but it was far in the distance. He began to feel overwhelmed, alone, and feeling he had nowhere and no one to turn to. The floor creaked as he moved back to the door and tried to open it again, but it still didn’t budge. He sat down on his bed. He knew he could go out a window if he really wanted to, but exhaustion and dis
couragement kicked in as he collapsed to his bed and fell asleep, too overwhelmed to do anything else.
With bird’s singing and the sun shining through the windows the next morning, it seemed as if nothing had happened the previous night. Caden sat up feeling stiff and tired, but he couldn’t sleep any longer. Bridget’s blood still stained his hand. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes. Feeling overloaded with emotion, Caden took a hot shower, washing away the blood from his body. Afterward, he felt a little better, but he was still confused and drained–almost empty. His loved ones were dead. Added to everything was the confusion of what Domblin told him.
Caden walked over to the front door, finding it open. Sitting on the porch was a wooden tray of food, an assortment of meats, vegetables, and fruits. Surprised by such findings, Caden placed the items in his fridge and headed back outside, not in the mood for food. He couldn’t stop the tremor in his hands, the emotion and stress were taking a toll. The grass was matted and a tree knocked over where the battle had been last night. Caden stood at the edge of the blue line, not daring to pass over it. He looked to where Domblin had stood last and noticed that his staff was lying in a thick patch of grass. He paced back and forth, wanting to grab the staff, but not wanting to cross the line. Finally, curiosity got the best of him, and he stepped out.
A snap rang out, like the sound of ice on a lake cracking. The blue line turned black and a smoke ring rose above it. Caden watched as it dissipated into the air. That can’t be good. A cool breeze blew through the trees and grass. Goosebumps rose until they almost hurt.
“Caden,” he spoke to himself, “there’s nothing to worry about. You’ve been up here a million times, and you’ve always been safe.” He looked at the cabin, feeling it was far away now, but he felt a little better with his gun tucked into his pants. He knelt down to pick up the staff. His hand hesitated as he could feel energy coming from it. Again, curiosity got the best of him and he picked it up. The staff was remarkable. It wasn’t made of wood or any other material that Caden had seen. As best he could guess, it appeared to be made of light. The outside layer moved around, and Caden could slightly see through it, like foggy glass.
The staff immediately responded to Caden’s touch, glowing brighter. It reminded him of the flame, when it seemed to respond to him in Dead Time. Something changed and Caden could feel the light wanting to disperse, to be free. Caden let go of the staff and particles of light dashed off into all different directions. Soon the particles of light had dispersed and the staff was gone.
He had been so caught up in awe of the staff; he didn’t notice a shadow looming over him. He noticed the shadow just as claws tore into him. Caden threw an elbow, trying to hit the thing in the head, but he was pushed forward at an incredible speed making the trees blur around him.
Caden was tossed against a tree, bark cut into his back. After he gained his balance, he searched to see if whatever had grabbed him was still there. The trees seemed darker than normal and the ground was barren. The sun was gone and it was dark as night. Something scurried above. Five feet up sat a strange beast that had a head like a dog and teeth like a wolf. The creature sat there, staring with its head cocked to the side. Slowly Caden backed away from the tree. Shadowy figures moved through the forest. Caden pulled out his gun and pointed to the fury beast in the tree, sending a bullet in its direction. The creature yelped as it was hit in the chest. It fell out of the tree, and then scrambled to its feet. Once both paws were on the ground, it ran off into the dark.
After the shot, the shadows in the distance stopped moving. A dim light far away moved quickly in Caden’s direction. Could it possibly be Domblin? As the light source neared, Caden could make out a couple of the dark shadows. One looked like the large demon that had protected him, except this one was a bluish gray and had hair around his horns and a beard. The smaller creatures were harder to make out with their leather and metal armor. A couple of the figures almost looked human. Their pale skin was eerie, but when he realized they had no eyes, Caden fought off the tremor that ran through him. He didn’t want his gun hand shaking.
The light grew stronger and Caden put his hand up to block the brightness. His eyes quickly adjusted to the blinding white light and he lowered his hand. He was surprised to see a beautiful young woman standing in front of him. Her looks captivated him. Dark blue eyes seemed to peer right through him, and her complexion glowed. She wore a white gown that illuminated everything around her and her shimmering blond hair flowed like water.
“Mauldrin.” She smiled. “You’ve finally come.” Even her voice was perfect.
“Why do you call me that?” Caden asked. “My name is Caden.”
“That is the name I once knew you by,” she said. “The name you went by before you were born as Caden.”
“Before I was born?”
“Yes, before you were somehow reborn in the body you now possess. You were a powerful king who watched over this world, and now you have come to grace us with your presence.”
“And who might you be?” Caden asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.
“You may call me The Witch. At least that is how you would’ve known me before you were reborn.”
“Reborn? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ve been told you don’t remember,” the Witch said with a smile. “It’s a shame you can’t remember your previous life. However, we have something that might help bring back your memory, a gift in celebration of your return.” She held out her hand.
Suddenly, all kinds of creatures surrounded him. He quickly pointed his gun at the closest one, a little green creature with solid red eyes. The creature looked startled and let out a chirp. Before he could shoot, the Witch made a motion with her hand and his gun dissolved.
“Please don’t hurt any more of my family,” the Witch calmly said. “They may look frightening, but they’ll not hurt you. They’re happy to see you.” As she spoke, the large red demon that had protected Caden numerous times stepped out of the crowd and approached the Witch. The demon held a sword wrapped in a well-worn cloth. He held it delicately as he handed the sword to Caden. Caden clenched his hands a few times attempting to still his shaking hands and ward off nervousness. After a deep breath, he reached out and took the sword by the sheath.
“This once belonged to you,” the Witch said, while the large demon stepped behind her.
Caden looked at the demon. “Thank you for protecting me from those strange creatures, the dark souls.” He remembered what Domblin had called them. The demon nodded in return. Feeling slightly more comfortable Caden proceeded, “May I ask your name?”
The large demon looked at the Witch. She nodded her approval for him to answer. “My name is Kaz,” he said in a deep voice.
The sword felt heavy in his hands. Caden began to unravel the cloth while holding it by the sheath. Once he finished unraveling, he tried to grip the handle and draw the sword, but he couldn’t. It was as if it wasn’t there, as if it were an illusion, a hologram. Confused, he held out the handle of the sword to the Witch wanting help. She waved her hand and an unseen force knocked him to the ground, taking his breath away.
The Witch’s face seemed to go dark for a moment as Caden stood. Fear gripped him. He didn’t know what to think. How was he supposed to know they weren’t really going to harm him? Kaz still stood there, which gave a small amount of comfort to Caden.
“Sorry,” the Witch said. “If the sword touches any of us, it will kill us instantly. I didn’t mean to respond like that. You scared me.” She still looked upset and didn’t sound as friendly as she had before. Something was different about her. A darkness behind her eyes made Caden feel uncomfortable.
“Sorry, I didn’t know.” Caden still held the sword. “How do I draw the sword? I can’t grab it.”
“It has to respect you before you can take a hold of it,” the Witch responded coldly. “But I think it’s time for you to go; it’s not safe here anymore.”
Caden didn’t know what to say. Her behavior was abrupt which made him suspicious. In a way, he was grateful she wanted him to go; the situation had him unnerved. “How do I get back?”
“Turn around,” she said, pointing behind him. As he turned, he found his cabin was ten feet away. The forest was back to normal and when he turned back, the Witch was gone. He let out a sigh of relief. There was comfort being back at his cabin, a sense of safety. Not wanting to waste time outside, he began walking quietly back to the small dwelling.
Twigs snapped in the distance and caught Caden’s attention. A dark figure stood in the shadows of a tree. Caden squinted and held the sword close. It was Steven. Caden closed his eyes then reopened them to see if his mind was playing tricks. The way the last twenty-four hours had gone, and after being surrounded by beasts and monsters of all kinds, he didn’t feel startled by Steven’s presence, just confused. Besides, he had a sword in his hands, if he could just figure out how to draw it.
“What do you want?” Caden called to him. Steven smiled. A flash of red caught Caden’s eye; he barely made out Kaz standing in the shadows of the forest to the left of him.
Strangely, Caden once again felt comfort knowing Kaz was there. He had protected him in the past and figured he would again. “What do you want, Steven?” he felt more confident as he spoke.
“I see your sword has been returned to you,” Steven called back. “It’s nice to see it back in your hands, Your Highness.” Caden looked at his sword and almost fell over when he looked up to find Steven standing directly in front of him.
“How’d you do that?” Caden said taking a step back.
“This place isn’t safe for you,” Steven said not acknowledging Caden’s question. “We need to get far away. The dark souls will be here shortly in large numbers. Kaz and I will protect you the best we can, but we need to move quickly, because the Witch can only hide your scent for so long.”
“Who are you?” Caden looked closer at him. For the first time, Caden noticed Steven didn’t have the same blue eyes he used to have. Instead, they were black. “Or should I ask what are you?” Saying it aloud made Caden feel idiotic, but he struggled to trust anything. His whole world had turned upside down, and he felt like a lost stranger. “Are all of you with Domblin?”