The Guardian Chronicles 2: Dark Horizon

by Matthew Burkey

  “Don’t worry about him,” Tony said, shaking his head. “Come on; let’s get over to the portal room so that we can show you the academy.”

  “We’re going there now?”

  “Yeah,” Ryan answered. “Trust me, you’ll love it.”

  Gabriel could hardly argue with him, although he was having a hard time figuring out a scene that was more amazing than what he had so far seen at Aegis. Ryan led them from the room and then took a right as soon as they were out in the corridor again. They made their way toward circular door, guarded by two impressive looking young men. The door hissed open and Gabriel stepped into what was the most amazing room at Aegis yet.

  The room wasn’t overly large but looked like it had been made entirely of crystal. Pulses of multicolored light radiated out from where-ever their feet touched, fanning out in all directions and cascading down the whole crystal structure before finally racing off to the center of the room. And at the center of the room stood the portal, it looked like a ring of frosted glass; ribbons of gold energy would occasionally ripple across the calm surface.

  “Wow,” Gabriel breathed.

  “Come on Alice,” Ryan smiled. “It’s time to go down the rabbit hole.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Gabriel wasn’t sure what to expect when stepping through the portal. He watched Ryan go through first, the gold rippling energy across the surface collected around him and then he was gone.

  “Go ahead,” Tony said. “It’s perfectly safe.”

  Gabriel took a deep breath and stepped forward. His skin tingled for a brief moment, like there was too much of a static charge in the air, that sensation was followed briefly by a blast of cold and then an explosion of white light and then Gabriel found himself standing in a chamber that looked just like the one that he left.

  “Not a bad way to travel, eh?” Ryan asked.

  “That was…fast,” Gabriel said. “Where are we?”

  “The academy,” Tony answered. “In France.”

  “We’re really in France?” Gabriel asked, as Ryan gestured toward the door.

  “Yep,” Ryan smiled. “Come on, we have to get you to the weapon master ASAP, after that Jonathan wanted to talk to you and then we can give you a quick tour.”

  It seemed like his whole day was going to be filled with tours. Then again, they did have a lot of ground to cover. He followed Ryan out of the chamber, surprised to find that they stepped out into what appeared to be a very pleasant fall day. He was also surprised to find himself standing what appeared to the courtyard of a massive castle.

  “Welcome to the academy,” Ryan spoke, gesturing around them. “Technically, it’s called Castle Veritas, the Guardians moved in about 500 years ago. We’ve been expanding it and using it for our academy ever since.”

  “Doesn’t that draw attention?” Gabriel asked. Looking around, he estimated that just by what he could see it was easily as large as whole area of Aegis and he had a feeling there was a lot more that he wasn’t seeing.

  The courtyard was surrounded by massive walls, at least thirty feet high. Several towers were spaced around the wall, although none of them appeared to be manned. At the far east end of courtyard sat a massive structure that appeared to be the main keep. A colossal tower jutted out from the center of the structure with two smaller towers to each side.

  “Not really,” Ryan offered, as they started across the stone courtyard. “Gylphs protect the place and hide us from pretty much everyone and everything. The only ways into the academy are heavily guarded. Come on, we need to hurry it up, it’s not a good idea to keep a weapon master waiting.”

  Gabriel could have figured that it wasn’t a good idea to keep anyone in the Guardians waiting. He quickened his pace to catch up with both Ryan and Tony as they made their way up the main steps and into the keep. They took a quick right and ended up going down a long corridor, lined with softly glowing yellow torches. They reached a large iron door. Ryan knocked on it twice with his fist. It groaned ominously open a few heartbeats later.

  “You’ll have to do this part alone,” Ryan said. “The creation of your weapon is a very personal thing. We’ll be waiting for you when you are done.”

  Gabriel peered into the dark room before stepping inside. The door shut silently behind him; he stood still for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light. There was a forge in the center of the room and a fireplace nestled in the back corner that currently held a few flickering logs. He couldn’t see anyone else in the room but he could feel a presence; an overwhelming sensation that he wasn’t alone.

  “You are clan Phoenix?”

  The voice was soft and feminine. He made out the outline of a figure, emerging from the darkness to stand by the fire. She was old, her face lined with creases and wrinkles. She wore robes of tan and black and had white hair tied back in a bun. But what was the most striking thing about here were her eyes. Her irises seemed to be gold colored, with flecks of green mixed in. She had a smile on her face and despite her rather advanced age she still radiated power.

  “I guess,” Gabriel stammered.

  She chuckled at that comment.

  “How did you know I was a Phoenix?”

  “I can hear it in your heartbeat,” she said, pointing to his chest. His tattoos seemed to glow more brightly in the dim light of the room. “I am Imogene, creator of weapons for the Guardians; you have come here seeking one, yes?”

  Gabriel swallowed hard. “Um, yeah, I guess I have.”

  Imogene smiled, although there seemed to be something slightly sinister about it. She moved forward so that she could see him more clearly by the firelight.

  “Give me your arm.”

  Gabriel did as he was told, holding his right arm out toward her.

  She closed her eyes took her hands, which were not as smooth as they appeared but instead laced with rough calluses that attested to her vocation, and started to run them all over his hands. She slowly turned his hand over and started to glide them across his wrists, right over the two small scars there. As soon as she hit the scars she stopped, opening her eyes and staring right at him.

  “You bear a wound young warrior,” she stated, her voice sounded sad when she said it.

  “They told me that they fixed that,” Gabriel said, trying to keep the anxiety he was feeling from showing through.

  “No,” Imogene said, shaking her head. “This wound is from the past, before you were given the Rite, made during a time of great turmoil and great sadness. You still have not forgiven yourself for this or realized how strong you are.”

  Gabriel began to notice an odd warming sensation where Imogene had touched, stretching out through his body and toward his core. It wasn’t remotely uncomfortable; on the contrary it felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Gabriel could feel himself starting to relax and let his guard down. He wasn’t sure if that was a bad or a good thing.

  Imogene closed her eyes again, slowly running her hands up his arm, over his shoulder until finally she rested one against his heart. She sat there for a moment, eyes closed on concentration before opening them again.

  “You are different,” she frowned. “Although I can’t really ascertain why.”

  “I am?” Gabriel asked.

  “Indeed,” Imogene said, straightening up slightly. She walked over to the fireplace and grabbed the teapot that had been hanging over the fire. She poured herself a cup and motioned to a stool near the forge. Gabriel took a seat on the stool, unsure of what to do next.

  “Normally, I would ask the Guardian seeking a weapon many questions, some of which would involve combat tactics…you however, you are different. You have had no training and you do not seek battle, yet there is something different about you. Something powerful and untapped, of that much I am sure.”

  “I was made a Guardian by accident,” Gabriel shrugged.

  That brought another short chuckle from Imogene. “My dear boy, nothing in this world ever truly happens by accident.”

&
nbsp; “Except me, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time…”

  “Says who?” Imogene asked.

  That comment caught Gabriel off guard.

  “Um…me, I guess.”

  “And hesitant to accept the role he is destined to play,” Imogene smiled, taking a sip of her tea. “You are different, not like most that come through my door. You have as much self-doubt as you do doubting that you can trust others. But your heart, you hold so much room for more…it’s a shame that you haven’t embraced it.”

  Now Gabriel was confused. As far as he knew he was supposed to come here simply to get a weapon and Imogene seemed intent on unraveling the mystery that as him. What was even more unnerving was the fact that so far she was right about everything that she had said. He didn’t trust people and more to the point he didn’t really trust in or believe in himself all the time. Maybe this was supposed to be some kind of test.

  “I know,” Gabriel whispered.

  “You have displayed more wisdom with those two words than others three times your age,” Imogene smiled. “Before I forge your weapon, I will leave you with a piece of advice. Your heart, your ability to protect those you love is both your greatest asset and your greatest weakness. Never let your heart turn dark, it may seem like doing so will grant you great power but in the end it will be your undoing.”

  Gabriel nodded, although he didn’t really know what that meant.

  Imogene set down her tea and stood up. She walked over to a shelf on the opposite side of the fireplace and grabbed a large, worn, leather bound book off it.

  “Now, what should we make?” she muttered, flipping through the pages. From where Gabriel was sitting, he couldn’t make out what it was that she was looking at, although by the look on her face she didn’t appear to be really finding what it was that she was looking for.

  “Perhaps a war hammer,” Imogene muttered. She then looked up at Gabriel and shook her head, diving back into the book. “No, a blade…I think that a blade would be best for you.”

  Gabriel had no idea what it was that Imogene was talking about. She put that book back on the shelf and grabbed another one, which looked just as worn as the first. She continued flipping through pages, muttering to herself. Gabriel stayed where he was, afraid to interrupt her. She thumbed through the last few pages and finally stopped.

  “That’s it!” she yelled.

  And all of sudden, Imogene did not appear so frail. She was a whirlwind of activity, rushing about the small room gather supplies. Gabriel did his best to stay out of the way, moving back toward the door so that he didn’t inadvertently end up with a lap full of hot steel. The whole process was almost too fast for Gabriel to focus on; instead he took a seat by the door.

  Gabriel wasn’t sure how long the process took. He didn’t know where the blessed metal came from but he could see her pounding away on it with a hammer, sending sparks bouncing along the ground. She worked over the forge for what seemed like forever, hammering away, molding, and quenching. She hummed softly to herself while she worked, leaving Gabriel standing there looking at his feet.

  Finally, after what seemed like hours, Imogene turned and smiled at Gabriel, bringing around the weapon that she had labored so hard to make.

  Gabriel was speechless, taking the offered weapon from her and looking it over in awe. The blade glowed a vibrant silver/blue that seemed cast light about the entire dim room. It wasn’t an overly long blade and looked like it could fit comfortable on his back. A phoenix with its wings open was stamped on the leather grip.

  “Your blade,” Imogene said, bowing. “Aequitas, it’s based off the Roman spatha, I believe that it will suit you well you Guardian.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Gabriel sighed.

  “As is all my work,” Imogene smiled. “Do you know what Aequitas means?”

  “It’s Latin,” Gabriel said, still admiring the blade. “In the simplest of terms it means the concept of justice, equality, symmetry, and fairness. Why did you give it that name?”

  “It was the name that came to me,” Imogene said.

  “It’s mine?” Gabriel asked.

  “The blade will only answer to you,” Imogene smiled. “Congratulations, Guardian.”

  Gabriel didn’t really know what to say, no one had ever given him a sword, with good reason of course. But the more that he held onto the blade the more that it felt right, like it was an extension of his own arm. He swung it experimentally, feeling the weight of the blade and how it moved effortlessly through the air. Imogene regarded Gabriel with a smile, watching him intently.

  “It’s amazing. Thank you,” Gabriel said, taking the offered scabbard. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “If I may give you some advice young Guardian, watch yourself. Your path is going to be more difficult than you realize…than anyone realizes.”

  Gabriel sheathed the sword, swallowing hard.

  “Now go,” Imogene stated. “I have work to do and your friends are waiting outside.”

  The tone of voice that Imogene used made it clear that it would not be a good idea to stick around or to ask any more questions about her cryptic advice. Gabriel took Aequitas and left, stepping back out into the corridor. Looking around, he couldn’t see either Ryan or Tony and wasn’t sure if he should go wandering about unescorted.

  He walked down the hall, emerging on the front steps of the keep. Tony and Ryan where there, Tony listening to his headphones and Ryan working on his tablet. They both looked up when they saw him.

  “How did it go?” Ryan asked.

  Gabriel looked down at the scabbard in his hand. “She gave me a sword.”

  “Yeah, we can see that,” Tony said, rolling his eyes. “Let us see.”

  Gabriel pulled the sword from the scabbard and held it out so that Tony and Ryan could see it.

  “This is Aequitas,” Gabriel said, swinging the sword through the air a few times.

  “Looks great man,” Ryan smiled.

  “I have no idea how to use it,” Gabriel said, sheathing the sword again.

  “That’s where we come in,” Tony smiled.

  Gabriel nodded. He felt awfully weird walking around the academy with a sword but he had a feeling that really wasn’t all that out of place. He followed Tony and Ryan down the steps and then took a right, heading toward a smaller building that was attached to the main keep. As they walked around, Gabriel noticed that none appeared concerned about him being there; either they had new faces all the time or they figured that he had to have been ok wandering around with Ryan and Tony.

  “Jonathan wants to talk to you before you go back,” Ryan explained, as they entered into a large open room. Despite its ancient looking exterior, the inside was well furnished with modern furniture and other amenities. A large fireplace dominated one wall, surrounded by several leather chairs and sofas. A door opened at the far end and Jonathan walked out.

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” Jonathan smiled, extending his hand. “I see that you have already been to the weapons master?”

  Gabriel nodded. “She gave me a sword.”

  “May I see it?”

  Jonathan slowly unsheathed the blade and looked at it. “A fine weapon, what did she name it?”

  “Aequitas,” Gabriel said.

  “It seems fitting for you,” Jonathan responded with a smile. “If you wouldn’t mind I’d like to have a few words with you.”

  “Sure.”

  “I promise that this won’t take long and then I’ll have you back to Ryan and Tony for training.”

  Both his new-found teammates nodded, taking seats in the furniture around fireplace. Gabriel took back Aequitas and followed Jonathan through the door and down a corridor, stepping inside a small but expensive looking office. Jonathan took a seat behind a large desk and then gestured to one of two chairs across directly across from it.

  “How are things so far?” Jonathan asked.

  “Um…I guess good so far,” Gabriel shrugged. “I mean I ha
ven’t really done anything all that impressive yet, other than not impale myself with my sword walking over here.”

  Jonathan smiled at that comment. “And how is everyone treating you?”

  “Good,” Gabriel nodded. “I everyone has been very nice so far.”

  “Have they told you what it is that we do here?” Jonathan asked.

  “Bits and pieces,” Gabriel shrugged. “We fight demons, right?”

  “We do more than that,” Jonathan said. “Demons are just among the many things that we defend the world from. There is a different world out there, a world that we try very hard to keep from the public. Demons, vampires, werewolves, magic, monsters...all those things that you thought were nothing more than fairy tales or myths are very real indeed. It is our job to make sure that this fight doesn’t spill over into the real world where they are nothing more than make believe.”

  “So I am starting to believe,” Gabriel said. “I mean I’m still trying to get used to all this.”

  “It takes time,” Jonathan nodded. “But soon it will be like second nature. Ryan and Tony are very good at what they do; they’ll get you up to speed pretty quickly.”

  “I hope so,” Gabriel nodded. “I feel very out of place here.”

  “That will fade as well,” Jonathan said. “I don’t suppose that they told you much about your accident?” Jonathan asked.

  “Other than I was used as a demon's chew toy, not really,” Gabriel shrugged. “I’m still not even sure how the demons got there.”

  “They were released by this man,” Jonathan stated, sliding his tablet across the desk to Gabriel. “Jean Sainte-Pierre, and he’s not a man actually he’s a Unkari demon.”

  “A what?” Gabriel asked.

  “The Unkari are a species of demon, probably one of the oldest around,” Jonathan explained. “They are one of the few that can pass almost entirely for human, and usually stay far away from the illegal side of things. Sainte-Pierre on the other hand has been dabbling in some form of weapons dealing for the past twenty-five years.”

  “Um…why not take him out then?”

  Jonathan smiled thinly at that comment. “We’ve had that particular conversation several times with the council but Sainte-Pierre serves a purpose, we allow some of his less dangerous operations to continue and he feeds us information on more dangerous people and organizations.”