Chapter 2 - Understanding Pasts
#2 of Country of the Forgotten
Chapter 2 - Understanding Pasts
Leo opened his eyes to an entirely dark area. There were small circles everywhere, each with a person inside of them. Leo dove into his mind which is where everything starts and ends the subconscious. Each small circle contained a previous time guardian, the very first, which is right next to him, to the very last, which is far away. The circles were scattered but soon lined up in a straight line with the same circle he was next to as the beginning. The person inside reached out and grabbed him. Leo didn't do anything but let the person pull him into their past.
"Welcome to the past, Leo," said the person as he was being pulled into the circle.
Leo was first consumed by white light before being revealed to a city made from stone. There were sky scrapers and people walking in and out of the stone buildings. People used magic to tease with each other or fight. These people are the first to be given the power to create and destroy. Leo stood on top of one of the stone buildings next to a man no older than Leo. He wore bright blue light armor and held a staff that had a silver cross at the top.
"I see you brought a friend," said the man as he looked to the right of Leo.
Leo turned his head and saw that there indeed is another person. This person is human, just like the man, but he is different than the man though. He is Leo's exact age. He wore street clothes that were exactly the same as what Leo is wearing. His hair is messy but long that reached to about shoulder's length. His eyes are also emerald and sapphire but of a darker shade. The same scar that Leo has on his face is also on the human's face as well. He looks brave and strong but his eyes show compassion and sympathy.
"Who are you?" asked Leo first to the man.
"I am the first time guardian, Redrigal," replied the man.
"I am you Leo and you are I but my name is Gilbert," replied the human.
"Is this where everything begins for the search of my sword?" asked Leo.
"Yes, this is the beginning. We are to search for our swords but to also understand the difficulties that the past guardians faced during their lives," replied Gilbert as he looked down at the city with eyes that are in pain.
"Why is it that you are here then? You're not a time guardian," said Leo.
"Remember, I am you and you are I. We are both time guardians but you will understand when we reach my portion," replied Gilbert.
"He is right, you two share a bond and that is why he is here. He also knows something about you that you don't even know because it was left out," said Redrigal.
He started to walk away from the edge of the building to a set of stairs that led into the building. Leo and Gilbert followed closely behind since they are in new and unfamiliar land. Redrigal led them far into the building before the stairs finally revealed a room. It is a tavern full of people who are drinking, singing, talking, and dancing with one another. The walls were dark and the mood from the locals gave it a much more cheery feeling. The tables are just as dark as the walls and could seat four people at time. Women traveled from one table to another passing out drinks and food quickly. Everyone wore plain clothes and the room smelled of musk.
"We've been standing on top of a tavern?" eyed Leo.
Gilbert didn't look around but at a door with a strange marking on it. The marking is a small dragon that is curled up, mouth touching the tail making a complete circle. Around the dragon are circles with birds flying around it. He walked up to this door and placed his hand upon it and closed his eyes. The marking began to turn red and then relaxed into the doors color once again. Redrigal saw what Gilbert did and tugged on Leo's shirt to have him move along.
"I see you've found the Dragon's door," said Redrigal as he approached Gilbert from behind.
Gilbert pushed at the door and it swung open to reveal a smaller room that is empty except for a few tables. He walked in followed closely by Redrigal and Leo. Once they crossed the threshold, the door closed on its own and locked itself. The room is quite cozy for there are roaring fires in the center of the room and near the room's corners. It seemed like nobody has used the room for years since the table had a layer of dust on it. Redrigal sat down at one of the tables and Leo sat next to him. Gilbert, though, approached the center fire as the red flames turned to blue then white the close he got.
"That's interesting. Even though you are two different people, the flame recognizes you," said Redrigal.
"Is that a good thing?" asked Leo as he stared at the flame.
"That means that it will be easy sailing when I tell you my past and some of the others because they are the same as mine. It's only your guardian ship that is completely different from what I have seen," said Redrigal getting up from where he was sitting.
Redrigal stood across from Gilbert and swung his staff across the flames. The flames moved along with the staff as it passed overhead. Gilbert did not flinch or do anything but stand there and close his eyes. The ground began to shake which caught Redrigal off guard and he stumbled to the ground. Leo latched onto the table to avoid falling off of his seat. The people outside the room stopped their activity as they fell to the floor. Drinks hit the floor with a splatter along with the food if any of the women were holding any to give to the customers.
"What's going on?" shouted Leo over the sound of falling drinks.
"I don't know! This was not supposed to happen!" shouted Redrigal in response.
Everyone and everything were falling or moving except for Gilbert who resumed his stare into the fire. A sudden flash of green eyes appeared in the fire and the ground beneath him split open and he fell in. After his head went through the opening, the opening closed itself and the quaking soon stopped. Leo quickly got out of his seat and stood near the flame that returned to its red color. Redrigal quickly stood up and looked across the flame at Leo's bewildered face.
"We have to find him!" shouted Leo as he began to turn.
"No! That can wait! You need to know about my past and the others past right now!" shouted Redrigal smashing the ground with the base of his staff.
Vines lashed out from the ground and restricted Leo's legs as it turned him around to face Redrigal. Redrigal passed the staff over the flames once again and the flames moved with the staff. The fire in the corners blazed with new life as the center flame exploded towards the ceiling.
"This is history that you must understand if you want to win in your battle. Time guardians in the past have been chosen by a powerful flame that crosses through each world, looking into everyone's hearts and seeing whether they are eligible or not. Some were and some weren't as it is plainly obvious. The flame drifts across the sky with out being noticed but the warm that it emits may be noticed if people paid any attention. Several others like me who have become the time guardian, experienced tough decisions about what to do in dire times," began Redrigal.
"Dire time?" asked Leo.
"Decisions about what to do next or decisions about how things should be done. It is mainly decisions. There are times where it is about action and not decisions but that rarely happens in any time guardian life because they don't last very long. It is historically proven but I cannot unfold when your time ends though," replied Redrigal.
"What is it that makes a time guardian?" asked Leo.
"Time guardians are usually chosen for their neutrality because they must be able to see both sides when two beliefs oppose each other. They must also be witty to get out of situations that can hurt them internally as well as externally. There are many other reasons but those are the two that appear the most. I do not understand, though, why the flame looks for those two qualities first. It is unprecedented that what the flame decides is completely out of our grasps," replied Redrigal.
"Why were you chosen then?" asked Leo.
"We are never revealed why we are chosen but I believe I was chosen as the first because I remain neutral through any situation that is thrown at me. That is also my weakness because many people died when I couldn't make up my mind. Others like me, the later time guardians, fell for the same reason, not that I'm saying you will fall from neutrality," explained Redrigal.
"I don't understand. How can our weakness be our downfall?"
"You ask too many questions. It is in human nature, beast men as well, that our weakness gives us our faults. It can be questioned why or how but I have studied that every trait has a negative effect on the person even though some are smaller than others."
"Is such possibilities reasonable?"
"It is quite reasonable; I have examined each and every time guardian's lives, from birth to death. I have discovered that what each guardian portrays as their strength becomes their inevitable doom. For example, I have fallen to my indecisiveness. The last issue that I encountered is the choice to save someone's life or not. I made my decision too late and thus, the person died. To over the grief, the people murdered me for not saving the sick person," replied Redrigal with a straight face.
"There were other indecisive guardians aside from you that died for the same reason?"
"Indeed. Mostly all of the time guardians died in such way. They couldn't make up their minds when the time finally came and thus lost their lives in the process."
"That is during the final battle?"
"Yes, after several time guardians, a new force emerged and made a cycle. I do not know whether the person is a time guardian or not but that's where most of the guardians die."
The center flame began to flicker in multiple directions as Leo looked at Redrigal with wide eyes. Neither of them said anything for a while as the activity outside resumed as if the quake never occurred. Redrigal looked back at Leo without showing any remorse or sympathy for the young lion.
"I'm just going to die at the end?" thought Leo.
"That is all you can know about the history," said Redrigal.
He smashed the staff on the ground again. The center flame returned to a flame made for warmth and the corner flames returned to life. The vines that constrained Leo's legs retracted back into the ground as Leo fell to the ground in shock.
"No," whispered Leo.
"Hm?" said Redrigal.
"No, that can't be true," whispered Leo dazed.
"Is something wrong?" asked Redrigal.
Leo looked up at Redrigal through his dazed eyes as he responded, "That can't be true."
"What can't be true?" asked Redrigal.
Leo's thoughts returned and he got up angry. "That can't be true! I can't die at the end!"
"It is written in the past so you will lose your life at the end. You will lose it against your will," said Redrigal calmly.
"Fuck the past! The past doesn't always predict the future! There is no way I am going to die at the end! There is no fucking possible way I'm going to die!" shouted Leo as tears formed.
"You can deny it all you want but what I'm telling you is the truth," said Redrigal.
"No, you're lying! I will find a way to live! I don't care how long it takes but I will LIVE!!!" screamed Leo as he fell to the ground and broke into his hands.
All activity on the other side of the door ceased as Redrigal just looked at him. Everyone on the other side of the door was murmuring to each other about what the scream was about. After several minutes of murmuring, they went back to their usual activities only not as loud as when Leo heard the tavern.
"There has to be a way," said Leo through his panting.
The tears felt hot as it slid down his face onto his hands and then the floor. Redrigal moved in and hesitated about what to do next. He soon made up his mind and placed it on Leo's shoulder as an act of comfort but Leo shoved it aside.
"I know how you feel. I've seen this occur many times. The guardian's that died in the battle felt the same way but they soon accepted their fate no matter how hard they tried to find a solution. During the day of my murder, I ran for my life and tried to appease the people but they were fed up with my indecisiveness and wouldn't listen to me. It wasn't until the end did I accept my fate. Believe me, I understand your pain," said Redrigal.
"You don't get it do you? You don't really understand how I feel because the reasons are different," said Leo as he started to shake.
"I do understand what you're going through and I sympathize. Seeing this happens to many times just made me immune to showing my feeling of sympathy," said Redrigal replacing his hand on Leo's shoulder.
Leo didn't shake off the hand this time. He just shook uncontrollably. Time appeared to move slowly but deep inside his thoughts, he couldn't help but worry about Gilbert and what happened to him. The thought about asking Redrigal occurred but he knew that it would be pointless to even attempt the cause. Suddenly, a scream pierced through his thoughts as someone in the tavern ran in screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Dra...Dra...Dra...," shouted the person.
Redrigal got up and went to open the door to see what is going on. Leo quickly got up and followed even though he is still crying. The door is easier to open going out since all you have to do is push. Redrigal took a step out of the room with Leo standing against the threshold trying to keep his balance.
"Get yourself together lad!" shouted the bar tender who is trying to hold up a person in pure fear.
"Dra...Dra...Dra...," repeated the person.
"Aye, this lad has gone crazy. Someone try to get him together while I take a peep outside," said the bar tender as he left the tavern only to return quickly.
Redrigal approached the bar tender to see what was wrong. He is also in pure fear and stammered trying to say a word. Everyone in the tavern soon became scared about what's going on. They began to panic and shrink into fear as they moved far from the door and looked left and right as if someone is about to attack them.
"Are you ok?" asked Redrigal.
"A...A...A...A," stammered the bar tender.
Leo finally moved towards the entrance and leaned against the wall near the window. The streets outside were empty and looked a lot darker than when he first saw the streets. The faint black moved and Leo thought he was seeing things but decided that it was only an illusion that his mind is playing on him. He closed his eyes for only a moment before looking into a green with a black slit. Everyone, except Leo, backed away from the door quickly. Redrigal tried to get Leo to move away as well but Leo didn't hear. The green with a black slit moved away from the window and revealed the street once again. Heavy thumps could be heard followed by a swift moving strike that broke through the wall and slammed Leo against the wall, perpendicular to one he was leaning on.
"DRAGON!!" shouted half of the people as they cowered further into their fear.
The dragon roared a deafening roar as it brought its head back to the tavern. Leo was against the wall pinned underneath a large slab that is slowly crushing his legs. The dragon brought its head in closer to Leo and breathed on him. Leo was unconscious so he didn't know that there is a large slab on his legs. Redrigal looked in fear before deciding to act. He tried to move but his body refused to move. The dragon breathed on Leo once again and he regained consciousness.
"Ow," moaned Leo as his vision returned to him.
The first thing he saw was the large slab then the dragon's nostrils. The dragon breathed once again before bringing its claw towards Leo. Leo, who should be in fear and doing what ever he could to get out of the situation, just sat there without any hint of fear. The dragon's claw rested upon the large slab and added pressure which caused Leo to grunt in pain. The dragon sensed the pain and lifted the large slab before throwing it aside. Leo looked at his legs which were cut and bleeding. The smell tempted Leo but not a lot because it is his blood.
"Thanks, I needed that," said Leo looking at the dragon.
The dragon has emerald scales with long talons. The wings were retracted against the body as it brought its head in to sniff Leo before licking his face. Everyone thought that the dragon wanted to eat Leo but he was laughing because the licking was tickling him. Another deafening roar, louder than this dragon's roar, pierced through the sky and the dragon shrank into fear. Leo could still get up and move but with pain. He walked to the edge of what as left of the door and looked out. He could see the silhouette of another dragon on a stone sky scraper with its wings out stretched.
"There you are Leo," said a familiar voice.
Leo turned his head and looked on roof of a near by stone building. Gilbert is standing on top of it and looked down at him, holding something in his hands before another loud roar pierced the sky once again. Both of them returned their gazes back towards the silhouette dragon.
"I'll take care of this," said Gilbert turning his left hand into a fist.
"What?!" exclaimed Leo.
Gilbert lifted his left arm and made the imitation of striking a wall as if he was next against one. The air broke and revealed a purple space. He brought his hand in only a little and pulled out a blade as the broken space restored itself. The blade is long that has a hand guard covering his fingers. The blade's edge curved and met with a straight tip that is the other edge. The color is black with yellow insignias. The dragon roared again before taking to the skies. Gilbert dashed as it flew into the sky. Leo rested his back against the green dragon's body and looked at what Gilbert is going to do to a flying dragon.