The Last Guardian

Chapter_04: Level One-Super Strength

Somewhere in the City, 9:00 a.m.

It was a bright and sunny day of summer and Johnathan was driving his truck with Billy on board. He had changed his wet clothes at his place and also had a fresh cuppa joe. Now they were headed towards this unknown place that Billy calls "the temple". The location was about five miles in the centre of the city near a busy market place where the immigrants sold their peculiar lucky charms and tiny idols, indigenous and native artefacts and clothing. As they entered the lane Johnathan could smell the spices and incense that were being sold in the shops. Billy pointed towards a small shop on the left and Johnathan parked his car right in front of it.

They got out and Johnathan looked at this interesting place. It was a small shop that sold charms and antique pieces fr all over the world. It had a neon lit sign at the top that read-"Lucky Shop".

"Follow me", said Billy and went into the shop.

Johnathan followed him and as he entered through the door a small bell tinkled at the top of the door. Billy went to the counter and talked with an old lady. The lady pointed him towards an entrance at the back.

"Wait here for a moment...", said Billy and disappeared through the entrance.

Johnathan was amused at this place. It had all sorts of weird stuff stocked and locked in shelves of glass. He saw strange statues and idols, paintings and urns, ancient swords and knives even an old armour like those that the knights wore in historical movies. He wondered how much they were worth!!

"They're fakes!", cried out a voice from the entrance.

A small middle eastern gentleman dressed in a white robe came out with Billy. He had a tanned skin colour and a little moustache. He looked calm and peaceful- like some sort of a spiritual Guru.

Johnathan looked at him and said-

"They look so real..."

"My friend, everything is not what it seems, reality is often twisted and what lies on the surface can hardly be trusted...", said the man with a middle eastern accent.

"This is Brother Farid...and Farid meet Sgt. Johnathan Hayes..."said Billy.

"It is an honor, I've been waiting a long time for you...", said Farid bowing and shaking Johnathan's hand.

"Likewise...", replied Johnathan, "but I've no idea what I'm doing here..."

Brother Farid smiled and said,

"Come with me..."

Johnathan followed Farid into the back entrance while Billy stayed outside and as soon as he entered the room he felt a strange sensation of peace and calm. He saw a candle on a table and a few incense sticks burning besides it. The whole room smelled like sweet lavender. There wasn't much in the room and most of it was dark.

"Sit", said Farid pointing to a chair.

"I suppose that you have been told about the darkness?" he asked.

"Hm.. Billy explained everything...", replied Johnathan.

"Good but did he tell you what you're supposed to do?", asked Farid.

"Not really...but I'm supposed to stop the darkness...with my powers?", replied Johnathan.

"But you doubt it! You see these are inherent powers that can only be brought forth through faith and belief. The more you trust yourself, the stronger you become. And I'm here to show you how...", said Farid.

With this Brother Farid took out a small crystal ball from a bag on the floor and placed it on the table in front of him.

"Don't worry I'm not going to show you your future... that's just a gimmick used by the gypsies...Now just look at it and tell me what you see...", he said.

Johnathan looked at the ball. It looked normal, shiny and made of glass.

"It's just a ball made of glass...", he remarked.

"Umhm...and now?", asked Farid and suddenly slammed the top of the glass with his right palm.

A shockwave emerged from the ball and Johnathan's ears started to ring. His vision bece blurry for a moment and when he looked again he saw a thick black fog surrounding him. He looked around, Brother Farid was gone and he was sitting all alone in the chair with the dark fog surrounding him. He didn't know what to do and cried out

for help.

"What the hell is this...Brother...Farid...Billy...what kinda joke is this? Help me..."

But nobody came to his rescue. The darkness grew and grew and now it began to take a monstrous shape- like a demon with bloody black teeth but no face. It scared the crap out of him and he fell off his chair on the floor. He couldn't find his crutch so he couldn't walk and he began to crawl across the room until he was cornered by the fog and had nowhere wlse to go.

The evil shape opened its mouth and Johnathan could smell the stench of its foul breath as he stared at its giant ugly teeth. The face growled and swiftly approached Johanthan in order to devour him whole.Johnathan simply covered his head with his hands and yelled-

"No ...stay away...Noooooo......"

A sudden burst of white light exploded out of Johnathan's body and it blasted away the dark fog in an instant. Everything went back to normal again. Johnathan looked up- the fog was gone- the candle was shining brightly on the table and beside it sat Brother Farid smiling at him.

"Now do you believe?", he asked as Johnathan was breathing heavily in the corner of the room trying to understand what had just happened.

"Come... it's ok now...", said Farid.

Johnathan was completely flustered but he stood up and walked towards the chair.

"Wait ... what? I can walk?", he asked in surprise.

"Yes of course you can...Your Chi has just awakaned and its flowing through your veins

...", replied Brother Farid.

"But what the hell was that?", asked Johnathan.

"A demo...a tiny piece of the darkness...a shadow demon from hell..."replied Farid.

"Wait, that was real? It could have killed me...", said Johnathan in anguish.

"Yes..it could have but it didn't... Your powers stopped it.. You needed a crash course in awakening your powers ... We don't have much time ...", replied Farid.

"What on earth!!", exclaimed Johnathan.

"And now it's time to bring forth the first level of your powers ... Stand up!", said Farid rubbing his hands.

Johnathan stood up and immediately Farid punched him in his face.

"Agh! Oh ...God... What was that...Why?", Johnathan exclaimed in pain holding his nose.

"Hmm ... It didn't work...a bit harder I guess...", said Farid and punched him again.

But this time Johnathan blocked his punch with his right hand.

"Wait..will you explain what ...", he tried to talk but this time Farid brought a long stick out of the corner.

"This is training my friend...just believe in yourself ... Remember your army days..", said Farid and swung the stick at his right hand.

Johnathan barely escaped.He was beginning to think that the man had gone insane but he had no choice now. He had to defend himself.

"C'mon ... Is this the way you fight? By running away?", taunted Farid and swung the stick again at his head.

Johnathan ducked out of the way.

Again and again he swung and Johnathan escaped each time. They paused for a second and Johnathan thought it was over.

Suddenly without a warning Farid quickly swung the stick at him and Johnathan kicked it hard with his left leg. The stick broke into pieces. Johnathan looked on in surprise.

Brother Farid smiled and bowed.

"And thus we complete your first level of training...", he said.

"What do you mean?", asked Johnathan.

"Well ..look at your left leg...", replied Farid.

Johnathan looked at his leg. It was feeling different.A strange tingling sensation ran up his leg and on to his waist. He folded his jeans up and looked-

the prosthetic leg was disappearing and a strange layer of muscle was developing upon it. The aluminium was fusing with the muscles and forming a strange kind of alloy- silver and flesh were one.

"What the...", Johnathan exclaimed and sat down on the chair.

Outside the shop Billy was waiting by the truck smoking and observing the people. Brother Farid came out of the shop and said-

"It's done my friend, he is indeed a Guardian"

Billy smiled and said-

"My eyes never lie...Glory to the elders and the holy knights..."