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THE GUARDIANS
Prologue:
Long ago, on planet far away; farther beyond any human comprehension, there existed a planet much like earth: a planet called Dalsortia. But this planet was filled with wild magic; something that had almost been completely destroyed on Earth during the middle ages, replaced by the growing science. It was a golden time, when multiple races lived in harmony. It was a time of great and powerful magic. Across the lands, great and powerful kingdoms rose and fell, each one greater and more prosperous than the last. For timeless millennia, peace and happiness reigned supreme above all.
But then came a horrible monster: An immortal monster called Baldora. With powerful dark magic, she conquered the entire planet. For centuries, she ruled the planet, forbidding the reading and riding of magic, and eventually all forms of communication; even rebellious talking, were forbidden, punishable by death. During the final years of her millennium later, a single rouge discovered the last remnants of the magic writing hidden deep in the ruins a hidden library, and learned of the planet's past. Quickly striking up a small band of rebels, The unknown rouge soon led the entire planet in revolt against their evil queen, quickly reclaiming the land piece by piece, over the short time of fifteen years. Victory in hand, The newly-founded council had a serious task ahead of them indeed.
Because the planet's three magic moons made her immortal, Queen Baldora was to be exiled to a planet's moon, far, far away from dalsortia. Hopefully, without the planet's magical moons, she might soon age and grow old, and eventually die.
And so, Queen Baldora was banished to the mysterious moon; vowing for vengeance even at the last moments as she was teleported away. Unfortunately, that moon Bladora was sent to orbited the planet Earth.
The council's plan worked: Baldora was on the magicless moon, soon to waste her remaining years alone, magically stuck in an dark fortress that had been built by the council to replicate her lost empirical palace, a bitter reminder of what once had been. She was to be left alone, without anyone to obey her, or to tell her about her beauty.
But Baldora was not beaten. When she was sent to the moon, she secretly smuggled a hidden book of the now-returning magic from Dalsortia with her. Secretly, she began to assemble her dark armies, preparing to invade earth, and return to Dalsortia with a whole new planet's resources at her disposal.
Seeing this, the council put a mystical barrier around her palace, hoping that this would stop her. But the council saw another mistake in their plan: they saw that the remnants of earth's wild magic were contained in 6 magical prisms, each corresponding to a different element of earth's elemental magic; Thunder, Fire, Wind, Water, Ice, and Earth.
But the council could do nothing now. The barrier not only stopped Baldora from physically traveling to earth, It stopped the council from removing her to another place. The barrier was an absolute-sheild, impenetrable by magic or mundane ways.
So the council sent down a single scout: someone who was to find the prisms, and prevent them from ever falling in the hands of Baldora, and return home. And that is where our story begins...
STORY ONE: STRANGER
It was a hot, cloudy June day, two days before 16th birthday day Salina Valsak's life changed. Salina and her four best friends were just returning from another shopping spree at the mall, all of their hands filled with multi-colored shopping bags. The four chattered among themselves excitedly, enjoying doing what they did best.
"Will you hurry up Salina?" Rachel complained, waving with a hand of shopping bags.
"Yeah, the lights about to change!" Her friend Sarah added.
"So, are you going to invite anyone else?" Sarah's twin sister Katrina asked. Salina as she passed her up.
Mairlyn, Salina's most twisted friend, added "Maybe she'll invited Daaaaaaniel!" She snickered. "Maybe the rumors are true!" This of course sent a wave of "Ooooh's" and laughs and taunts from the rest of her friends as they crossed over to the other side of the street ahead of Salina.
Salina stopped in her tracks and shouted, "I did not kiss him! I don't even like him!" And stomped her foot.
Meanwhile, A speeding driver was trying to cross before light changed from yellow to red. The driver looked down, to prevent his falling coffee cup from spilling, and placed it back in it's place. He contentedly looked up, and saw Salina standing in the road. The driver honked, and screeched on the brakes, but it was too late.
Salina turned and screamed, as the car barreled down at her, certain of her death. Suddenly, someone pushed her out of the way from the back, shouting "Lookout!"
Although Salina was shoved to safety onto the street, her unseen savior was not so lucky. His chest hit squarely against the car, sending him flying like a rag doll tossed by a dog. As the boy flew through the air, Salina and her savior's eyes locked for an instant, and Salina swore his eyes were the strangest shade of blue-green. They seemed to be pools of something... unworldly...
His back violently hit a street light, emanating a large 'crack' as he slumped to sidewalk completely unconscious.
Salina stood up, and stared opened-mouth at her apparently-dead savior.
"Call an ambulance." Salina muttered.
* * * * * *
Salina sat next to the hospital bed, waiting for her parents. When the boy had been brought in, Salina absent-mindedly tossed the leather knapsack he had on underneath his bed.
"Salina!" Salina's mother, Sue Valsak said as she rushed up and hugged her daughter.
"We came as soon as you called." Salina's father Kevin gruffly said as he walked up and hugged his wife and daughter.
"Are you allright?"
"How is he?" Doctor Kalvine said as he walked in after Salina's parents.
"He hasn't woken up, but he looks like he's having a bad dream." She said as she gestured over to the bed.
Her mysterious savior was thrashing about, grasping and clawing at unseen terrors. The stranger's faced with filled with struggle, as beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead.
"... Can't... stop... searching.... find..... six... "
"Come with me please." The doctor said as he left the room. The doctor walked into the x-ray room next door, with Salina and her parents in his wake.
"I wanted to show you this. It's really fascinating." He said as he put up two x-rays on the screen.
"This picture on my left is an x-ray we took as soon as Salina and our 'John Doe' (that's what we call an unknown patient), came in." The picture showed the stranger's spine was terribly bent, and several ribs were broken. Both his legs were broken up and down the bones in some places parts were ready to puncute the thin line that was the boy's skin..
"Now, Here is a x-ray five minutes before you came in."
In the new picture, almost all of the broken areas were completely gone, except for the worst break on his left leg.
"Are you sure this is from the same person?" Salina's mother asked.
Before the doctor could answer, A woman's scream came from the next room. Salina, her parents, and the doctor ran into the stranger's room to see the boy standing on his bed, clutching his knapsack in his left hand, and a silver and-gold laced sword in his free hand. The nurse was huddled in the corner, pale and shivering with fright! The nurse turned and gibbered at the doctor.
"I thought he was asleep. I was just going to stow his knapsack somewhere safe! I wasn't gonna take anything!"
The stranger turned towards the doctor, and began to shout. "No-one is ever to touch my knapsack! No-one! Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?"
The doctor stepped forward, talking in a calm and soothing voice "It's O.K. You're in a hospital. You were hit by a car. Now, just let the nurse go. She didn't mean any harm to you."
The stranger nodded, Then impossibly stuffed the blade into the knapsack, then hopped off the bed, with a wince of pain on his face. The nurse ran out the door, screaming, as she ran down the hall.
The doctor turned to Salina and her parents and winked. "Psychology, works every time on a homicidal." He then turned to face the stranger again.
"Sir, will you please sit down?"
The stranger complied, with an obvious look of pain on his face when he bent his left knee.
"Now, what is your name?" The doctor said.
There was a look of confusion on his face for a moment, then replied. "My name is Charles. Charles Maverick."
"Well, Charles, where do you live?" the doctor asked, and began filling out various hospital charts.
"I don't have a home. I just wander town-to town."
"Charles, did you know that you were hit by a speeding car?"
" The metal box with wheels? Yes, and it was painful; especially hitting the post." Charles grunted, as he twisted his spine until it popped several times.
"Did you know you should be dead?"
"I'm a survivor." Charles replied.
"Umm, where were you when you saw the car approaching Miss Valsak?" Doctor Kalvine said, motioning to Salina, who was standing behind her mother.
"3rd and shady grove." Charles replied, looking at a vicious scrape underneath his forearm.
"But that's two blocks away from where it happened!" Kevin exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm fast on my feet too." Charles said, with a tone of annoyance in his voice.
"Well, you owe the hospital quite a sum of money." The doctor happily said as he handed the bill to Charles, watching his face sink in disappointment.
"We'll pay for this." Salina's father said, and snatched the bill away from him.
"It's the least we can do, for saving our Salina." Salina's mother said, writing a check and handing it to the doctor.
Suddenly, There was a loud 'boom!' as rain began to violently pour outside.
"Aaaaaawww, man! I hate sleeping in wet cardboard!" Charles said as he put his head between his hands.
Salina then spoke up behind everyone.
"Umm, you can stay with us tonight."
Kevin gasped in shock, and was about to shout at her when his wife stepped in.
"Yes, can he dear?" Salina's mother said to her husband.
"Sure." Kevin sighed.
Salina, her parents, and Charles then left the room, with Charles walking behind them with a faint limp, getting subtly less and less obvious as he walked outside to the parking lot. Although the doctor wanted to Charles to stay another night, or to at least by an expensive orthepidic cane, Charles and Kevin both shoved him away.
"Are sure you can walk on it?" The doctor shouted behind him. Charles replied with an obscene gesture.
They all then piled into the green minivan, whose license read "Milt.pwr! (which translated to 'military power!')", with Salina and Charles in the back.
The drive back to Salina's house was a long trip through several rich suburban neighborhoods, while Charles intensely stared outside, as if he was mapping the path in his mind. While Salina's parents talked up in the front, Salina listened to her walkman, occasionally looking over at Charles, who was pointing and muttering notes to himself as several street signs passed by outside the window. It was if he was making a map of the way home from the air.
Finally, Salina's father said "We're hoo-ome!" As he pulled up to the ravishingly two-story house, jarring Charles from his hypnotic sleep.
"Wow." Was all Charles could say as he walked into the lavish living room.
Suddenly, A large golden retriever bounded down the hall and began barking and growling and at Charles.
"Max, down! Go home!" Salina said as she grabbed Max's collar and pushed him away. Max would not move, as he simply growled and snapped at an unfazed Charles. Max continued to eye Charles with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes, even as he was pulled away, and was locked in the garage.
"That's strange; Max's usually very friendly." Salina muttered.
"It's O.K." Charles shrugged, and picked up his knapsack.
"Salina, will you show Charles his room?"
"Come on, I'll show you the guest room." Salina said as ascended the stairs.
"This is the guest room. Mom'll shout when dinner's ready." Salina smiled.
"O.K. Hey Salina?" Charles asked as Salina left.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for everything."
"Me?! Me?! I owe you my life; I should be thanking you!" Salina flustered, and quickly ran out the door, closing it before she began to turn bright red.
The guest room was actually a mix between a library and an extra room. There was a bed that was neatly folded, and an extra pillow at the foot of the bed. Most of the books were on business or the military, with a small TV between the rows of books, with a remote on top of the set.
Charles flicked it on, and sat down on the bed. The screen suddenly flashed a picture of a music video before turning it off.
"Strange invention. How can these humans watch this all day?!..." Charles asked himself.
"Charles! Dinner! Hope you like veggie stew!" Sue shouted from the kitchen.
"Well, It's show time." Charles sighed, and stared at his hand as it began to revert to a more humane shade, stopping the slow transformation it had been changing blue.
"So Charles, where did you see Salina?" Salina's father asked at dinner. "I mean, really.....?"
"Just as I told the 'doctor': I saw the car, and ran and pushed her out of the way."
"But you said you were two blocks away!" Kevin exploding, trying to find the real truth behind this stranger's story.
" And I was. I did what I had to: I pushed her out of the way, then I paid the price. However, it was worth it, for a free meal and a place to stay for the night." Charles smiled, and gestured at the still-raining clouds outside.
Salina's Mother then spoke up. "Well, you're more then welcome to stay another night."
"Well, Thanks alot. My leg'll be fine tomorrow, And by the next day I'll be out of your lives forever."
"Where will you go?" Salina said, secretly saddened by this news.
"I just wander here and there trying to find something... important to me..."
"...A regular Nomad..." Salina's father muttered.
"Aptly put sir." Charles said, raising his cup in a salute.
"Oh hell. Call me Kevin. And my wife's name is Sue."
"Well, I'm really tired. I'll take the dishes in." Charles said.
"Well, Thanks for the dinner."
Sue yawned. "Goodnight hon. " She said to Kevin, and silently ascended the stairs.
"Goodnight."
Salina said to her father as she began to get up from the table.
"Hold it there, Kevin. We need to talk. You too, Salina, living room: now."
Sue commanded, and Kevin winked at Salina as they entered behind Sue.
As Charles washed the dishes in the kitchen, He could clearly hear the conversation between Kevin, Salina, and Sue:
Sue: "Why can't he stay here? And why are you so hard on him?!"
Kevin: "We don't know anything about him!"
Sue: "But he saved Salina's life!"
Kevin: "We don't know that he didn't know that he didn't do it just to get here, and steal us blind!"
Salina: (With a hint of anxiousness,) "Please? Just until my birthday?"
Kevin: "All right. He can stay."
Charles then shut off the water and walked into the living room..
"Well, Goodnight." Charles said, crossing pass the trio as he climbed the stairs.
"Goodnight." The family said in unison.
"Oh, Kevin? I'm not a thief. Search my bags as often as you like. Just my clothes, and a sword that I was given. That's all I have to say."
If Charles had turned around, He would have seen Kevin's mouth had dropped wide open, then shut and a scowl form over Kevin's face.
Later that night, Salina found Charles watching the news, crossed-legged on the bed.
"...And in other news today, Another sighting of the mysterious figure in the local church tower. Witnesses claim that the figure is approximately eight feet tall, and supposedly having six arms. (Yeah, right! The reporter murmured, trying not to be heard by the microphone.) Police are..."
"So, It begins in a 'Church'..." Charles muttered to himself.
"Charles?" Salina spoke up.
"Yeah?" Charles jumped, instantly shutting off the T.V.
"Goodnight." Salina said as she closed the door.
"Goodnight." Charles said as he tossed the TV remote on the set, and went to bed.
"Let him sleep. He's healing himself. Kevin, search when he's awake!" Sue pleaded the next morning.
"... He can search now..." Charles groggily said as he pulled himself out of bed. "...I'm a man of my word. Search if you like, but just let me sleep a bit longer..." Charles then slumped back into bed.
An hour later, Charles awoke to an empty house. Although He didn't know where everything belonged, Charles soon began to find his away around the house. The laundry room was next to the walk-in pantry, The vacuum was in the broom closet next to the front door, and so on, and so on, each time mentally noting where one place was. He quickly began to gather what he needed...
By the time Salina came home from school, Charles had scrubbed the entire house top to bottom, washed and folded his clothes, and already had a dinner of spaghetti, salad, and steamed vegetables ready for dinner.
"Wow! You sure work fast!" Salina said in amazement as she walked into the kitchen.
"Actually, I could have done it twice as fast. I still have sort of a lame leg" Charles replied as he walked around in a circle for her. "And such marvels in your home!... It's amazing!"
"Hey! Why's Max penned up back here...?" Salina said as she unlatched the baby barrier, closing the doggy-door and the porch off from the rest of the house.
"No! Don't!" Charles shouted.
But it was too late. Max bounded out the doggy door and straight towards Charles. He flipped over the table to avoid Max's savage bite, but Max sprinted right under the table. As Charles bent his legs to land, Max bit straight into Charles' left shin, there was a large burst of dark blood, as Max continued to growl and bite harder.
"AAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!" Charles bellowed as he fell to the ground.
Max released his death-grip on Charles' leg, and lunged at his fast. Just as Max was about to bite Charles' face, Salina grabbed Max's collar, making him give out a gagging yelp of surprise and betrayal as he was defending her from this intruder.
After securing Max just how she found him, Salina turned to face the problem with Charles' bleeding. Already there was a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, and a trail of crimson blood leaking down his now ragged pant leg.
Suddenly, Sue and Kevin walked through the front door. As soon as Sue saw the pool of blood, she released a blood-curdling scream, while Kevin stood watching in amazement at the scene.
"Where is he?! Where is he?!" Kevin shouted, shaking his daughter.
"I'm right here!" Charles shouted as he limped out of the nearest bathroom, the bandages already a deep red.
"Oh Charles! We must take you to the hospital!" Sue said, taking a step towards him.
"No. I'm fine."
"Are you kidding?! You're bleeding badly, You'll soon die!" Sue said.
"No! No Hospitals! No Doctors!" Charles shouted, curling his now pale hands into fists. Charles then limped off the broom closet, and picked up the mop. He continued to mop his own blood, washing it down the sink, and continued to do so until there was no sign of blood left.
Although he was deathly pale, Charles sat down and motioned the others to join him.
Their was almost no conversation, and everyone stared at Charles, who ate two servings of everything, all the while his face turning a more healthy color. By the time dinner was done, Charles' hue was back to normal!
"Well, I guess I won't need this..." And unwrapped the now-darkened bandages, crackling with dried red blood, as if the bandage had been preserved there for several weeks. Amazingly, there was only a faint pale line around where Max had bitten Charles, and he was slowly rubbing up and down his leg, as if testing it's existence.
"But... how... can this be?..." Kevin muttered.
"Well, I'm just full of surprises! Goodnight." Charles said as he heavily limped up the stairs to bed.
The next day, Charles woke up and instantly knew something was different. The air was warm, and He smelled bacon and eggs sizzling downstairs, as Sue prepared breakfast. He also heard Salina talking to her Father, going over Salina's party. "...So, It'll just be Rachel, Sarah, Katrina, And Mairlyn tonight." Salina said.
"That Marilyn girl ?! Why do you hang out with her?! She always puts you down!" Kevin said. "...And I still remember what she did last time she was here!"
Salina replied "Oh Daddy, She just kidds around!"
"It's your birthday?" Charles asked from upstairs, and slowly limped down part of the stairs.
Salina looked up and replied: "Yeah. 16 years old."
Charles smiled and said, "Well, happy birthday! KIIIEEE-AAAAHHHH!!!" He roared as he flipped over the railing, right behind the couch.
"Leg's better,I see." Kevin said dryly.
"Yeah. I would've been gone today if Max hadn't bitten me; and, if there are no more surprises, I'll be long gone by this time tomorrow. Thanks for everything."
While Kevin looked up and actually smiled at this news, Salina sank down with sadness. The rest of the day was a blur for Charles, and even more for Salina. The family was taking Salina on trip after trip: The mall, The movies, anything Salina wanted to do, desperately trying to have quality time with the daughter that they already rarely saw. Charles, meanwhile, quietly limped behind the family trio, keeping to himself, observing how people acted around him. It wasn't like they didn't notice him, though. Sue bought him a few new clothes, A movie ticket, And lunch when he started to become pale again, although he swore it wasn't any real ailment.
"I'm just a little tired..." Charles explained, pausing long enough between his gigantic slurps and humongous bites to reply. The Valsak family watched with amazement, as Charles ate a complete meal in a minute, without a single belch.
Nightfall came, and Salina's party began. As soon as all of Salina's friends arrived, Salina stood up and said, "Do all of you remember the guy who pushed me out of the way of the car the day before yesterday?"
Katrina replied first, saying "Yeah. The dirty bum with the backpack?"
"Well, Here he is again: everyone, this is Charles Maverick!"
As Charles turned around the corner, he could see the look of shock on their faces.
Charles was washed and clean, and there was no sign of limping. He smiled brightly, and with the full moon shining brightly from outside, he saw all the girls flutter. Charles couldn't help but smile.
"Charles, do you want to joins us?" Sarah asked.
"Sure." Charles said and plopped down on the couch between Rachel and Marilyn, who both blushed a deep red as he smiled at them.
"Salina, your father and I are going out now. Don't stay up too late, and keep the music down." Sue emphasized as she and Kevin walked out the front door.
The rest of the party went fairly uneventful. They watched several rented movies, played video games, and just messed around, eating and chatting with gossip. Charles meanwhile, stayed detached from the party, watching the girls laugh and eat with mild interest. A few hours into Salina's party,
Charles suddenly became very pale. He looked down, and saw his hand twitching, as it began to turn blue!
"Uh... I gotta go!" Charles shouted, and raced upstairs.
"Where ya goin' Charlie?" Marilyn sarcastically asked, as he ran upstairs. But Charles didn't hear that. He didn't see, or hear anything. All he felt was an excruciating pain all over. There was a ringing in his ears, and the world was a red haze of pain.
Salina and the other girls were worried, but they all just figured:
"He's sick; proabably pukin' his brains out." As Marilyn summed it up several minutes later. Suddenly, the girls were awakened from their movie-watching half-sleep to the sound of Charles' bellow of pain. Salina quickly ran up the stairs, seeing if Charles was all right.She peered around the corner towards the upstairs bathroom, but to her surprise, there was no light in the bathroom. In fact, The door was wide open!
Just as Salina was begining to wonder, another bellow of pain rang out, this time from the guest room. Salina slowly peered inside, afraid of what might happen. Despite whatever Salina could have been imagining, never in her darkest nightmares would she imagine what she saw before her.
Charles was staring out at the moon, the back of his shirt darkened with sweat. He was breathing heavily, and moaning softly. He began to release a feral snarl, and tightly grasped the windowsill. His back rippled with spasms, but Charles paid no heed.
Suddenly, Charles bent over and bellowed out another roar of pain. He then began to mutter between his spasms to some unseen person; perhaps to Salina herself.
"...The...pain!.. ...Earth-moon.... affecting powers... must fight... ..Can't change, not now! I'm sooooo close! Nooooo!..."
As Charles was saying this, Salina noticed that Charles' skin was turning blue, quickly changing from a faint sky-blue, to a deep midnight blue. Salina thought he might be choking, but the thought quickly dismissed itself as Salina saw Charles roared again.
Salina gasped, noticing that a bluge had formed in the area above the seat in Charles' pants. Suddenly, the bluge bursted out of Charles' pants, and a whip-like tail uncurled, and began knocking down books off the bookshelf, moving with a mind of it's own. Just when Salina thought it was over, Salina saw two identical lumps form under Charles' hair. The lumps suddenly burst out of his skull; yellow, but covered with gore. The gore quickly faded away, revealing the curved-back horns were serrated, much like some sort of crude bent steak knife.
Suddenly, Charles stood up, and began to breathe normally, and Charles let out a sigh of relief. Salina looked out the window, and noticed a cloud had passed over the moon. Just as Salina was about to speak, The cloud passed away, spilling the moon's pale light into the room. Once again, Charles bent over and began to moan. Out of his shirt bursted out two enormous bat-like wings, wet and limp, hanging at Charles' sides. The thing that had been Charles then uncurled his wings, filled with an unseen wind. The wings hardened, and blocked off the sight of the window. However, Salina could partly see through the gigantic wings, and she noticed veins ran everywhere through the wings. The wings flapped twice in sucession, drips of gore and sweat flying off the blue wings.
Charles stood up to his full height, and stretched everything, as if waking from a deep sleep. Suddenly, He whirled around, and noticed Salina was standing there, open-mouth, shaking with terror.
"Salina, wait! Wait!" Charles said with a fanged mouth, as Salina ran out the door and towards her parents' room. Like many people, Salina feared what she didn't understand. And she certanly didn't understand what had happened to who this kind and mysterious stranger, the stranger that had saved her life!
Salina dove into her parents' closet, and pushed past the rows of clothes on both sides, to reveal her father's secret gun closet. She yanked open the glass door, and pulled out one of her father's hunting rifle. She loaded it with a few shells and ran out towards the door.
As she ran back to the guest room, Salina only had one thought racing through her mind as she ran towards the guest room: Kill him. Kill it. Kill the monster. Make it go away...
Salina ran into the guest room, and saw the thing that had been Charles was stuffing his clothes into the bag. The books had haistily put back on the shelf, and the curtains were flapping in the breeze as the window stood open.
"Hold it!" Salina said, raising the scope to her eye, and taking a hunter's stance, just like her father had taught her: arms rigid, legs wide to cushion the blast, shoulders squared, and so on. Kevin Valsak had tried to make her a good marks-woman, but she never took to the point. Who knew she would ever really need those skills?
"Salina! Don't!" The thing had been Charles shouted, raising his hand to his face in defense. For a breif moment, Salina and 'Charles' eyes met, just as they had after he had pushed Salina out of harm's way. Once again, She noticed that his eyes were the strangest shade of blue-green. She was entranced with those eyes. They seemed to hold an inner strength, some sort of power...
Suddenly, fresh tears began to form around her eyes, and she lowered the gun. Charles breathed a sigh of relief, and took a step towards Salina. Salina then violently raised the gun and fired.
The thing dove between Salina's legs, and in the same moment put the knapsack between his folded wings.
The thing then galloped away on all fours, then dove down the stairs. In mid-air, the thing twisted sideways, digging his hands into the walls, slowing its descent. The creature leapt off the wall, and landed on the coffee table, right in front of Salina's friends. This sent up a wave of screams from Salina's guests, and they scattered away in terror. A shower of popcorn, sodas, and movies rose, as the thing skidded off the table onto the floor. The thing that was not Charles dove through the window next to the TV.
The thing then stood up, and wiped bits of glass off his shoulders. It turned around, and once again locked eyes with Salina, but this time, Salina saw a great sadness in eyes, where just several minutes ago, she saw there was a great sense of courage had been. The thing that had been Charles then galloped off into the night, releasing a blood-curdling scream as it raced into the night.
"Salina, What was that thing?!" Rachel whispered, as she and the other girls slowly rose fromtheir hiding places.
Salina calmly turnd to all of them. "That was Charles." She quietly said.
"He's heading towards the church!!!" Sarah shouted.
Rachel added to the statement. "I bet he's that monster people say they see! If we bring him in, we'll be celebrities!" Wild with hysteria, Rachel's idea began to make sense.
So the the five girls set off, with nothing but their hysteria, to try and "bring him in" to the police, or whoever might take the creature.
Meanwhile, the thing that had been Charles had quickly torn up the distance between the church and Salina's house. Once it had gotten close enough, He leapt high into the air, and slowly flapped up to the bell tower, where he had seen faint lights from inside. Once inside, the thing that was not Charles heard strange voices speaking behind the giant bell.
"Have you broken the magickal barrier around the prism?" an all-too familiar voice asked.
"Not yet, queen Baldora."
Confirming his suspicions, the gargoyle growled, and unsheahed his sword, setting his knapsack behind the nearby pilliar.
"What was that?!" Bladora's voice hissed.
"I didn't hear anything." The other voice said.
"Well go and see what it was! When you're done, get back to work!" Queen Baldora snapped.
"Yes, my queen." The voice said, and the thing that had been Charles heard the other voice set down some glass object. The thing that had been Charles saw it. The monster had pale yellow skin in the moonlight and, as the news had said, it was eight feet tall, and had six arms. But in each hand there was a broadsword, waving each blade in readiness! Something Charles was not prepared for!
"Who are you?!" The creature bellowed. The creature blinked it's eyes, and raised every sword in anticipation.
"I am Starfyre Dragonsbane, warrior in the name of the battle-star! And I'm here to stop you!" Starfyre said, and took a fighting stance with his sword.
"You will not stop me, battle-star scout! I will crush you!" The creature roared, as he charged toward the gargoyle.
Starfyre folded his wings and did a backwards flip, blocking with his sword as all six of the monster's swords came crashing down at him, knocking him to the ground from the sheer force.
"Battle-Star-Kick!" Starfyre shouted, his feet glowing with red magic. Starfyre pushed himself upwards with his tail, making contact with his opponent. The creature took a few steps backwards from the blow, sucking in great gasps of air. Starfyre rushed and thrust his sword, but the monster swerved enough to survive, but the sword still made a deep gouge in the creature's side, spilling lime-green blood. The monster looked at the wound, and charged again at Starfyre. By the time the first sword would have hit, Starfyre was already flying circles in the belltower dome. As the monster slashed and missed over and over again at the gargoyle, Starfyre noticed that all the arms on each side could only move at the same time. Taking this discovery into effect, Starfyre devised a plan.
He flew as high as he could, until his back touched the domed roof of the cathederal.
"How about some light?!" Starfyre said, as he began making strange gestures in the air with his sword.
The room was suddenly bathed in light, as a magical ball of light appeared in the center of the dome, and the monster below was temporarily blinded from the flash.
"Only one more spell left." Starfyre said to himself.
During his stay at Salina's house, Starfyre only had a chance to memorize two spells: the sunlight spell, and the ball-lightning spell. Other than that, Starfyre only had his wits, his battle-star scout training, and his electrum sword. As the creature began to regain sight, Starfyre shouted "Star-dive!" and went into a straight dive, thrusting his sword out, tucking his wings closer to his body to make him faster. As he gained speed, Starfyre began to glow red, until he was a bright red streak zooming towards the monster.
But Starfyre had wasted too much time stalling. As he came barrelling down on the monster, the six-armed foe had just regained sight, and protected himself with all six of his swords. Upon impact, Starfyre's sword was shattered, and the gargoyle was sent head over heels, crashing into the wall.
"That was my father's sword!" Starfyre growled, tucking the hilt into his shirt. Down below, Salina and the other four girls had reached the church, and were watching the battle on the walls, thanks to the fading light of the sunlight spell.
"What should we do?" Rachel asked.
"Wait." Salina muttered. "...And pray."
Meanwhile, Starfyre was doing everything he could do to avoid being cut into ribbons.
"Give it up, You'll never win!" the monster laughed.
"Never! Didn't Baldora teach you anything?! Battle-Star scouts never quit!" Starfyre said as he jumped out of the way, just as three swords clashed against the ground.
Starfyre flew away from the monster, unaware the yellow monster had pulled out a set of bolas. The bolas whirled through the air, wrapping themselves around Starfyre's wings. As the metal balls touched, they released a strong electrical charge, sending Starfyre screaming to the ground.
As Starfyre cleared away the stars from his eyes, The gargoyle's hand instinctively began to undo the tight metal coils around his wings and lower torso. Meanwhile, the monster slowly advanced on Starfyre. As it advanced, the gargoyle was sure he was staring down his own death in it's nasty yellow face.
"Baldora's will be done!" The monster roared, raising every blade above his head in triumph. Suddenly, as all six swords came right at Starfyre's midsection, he rolled out the window, then flew up to the belltower roof.
Down below, the girls ran for cover as the black bolas dropped to the ground, hissing as they dissapated into thin air.
Despite the powerful winds, Satrfyre held on to the roof as he broke off the metal shaft of the tower, preparing to use it as a crude club of sorts. But before Starfyre could climb down into the belltower, The six-armed menace climbed up behind Starfyre!
"Charles! Behind you!" Salina shouted.
Starfyre whirled around and brought up the club, just before six swords came down. Even though Starfyre succesfully blocked the attack, the force sent Starfyre flying off the roof. Trying as hard as he was not to be blown away, Starfyre used the shaft as a javalien instead of a club. Starfyre threw the weapon. It hissed threw the air, flying true as a missle. With a wet smack, the tower struck home! Straight through the yellow midsection!
But somehow, the thing lived.
"Is that the best you can do?!" The monster laughed, staring at this annoyance in his chest. "...'Cause if it is, taking over the earth will be a snap!"
Meanwhile as the monster laughed at Starfyre's attack, Starfyre closed his eyes and concentrated, muttering strange noises into the wind. Suddenly, a small ball of light appeared between the gargoyle's cupped hands. It grew larger, and larger, pulsing with it's own life. Starfyre pulled his arms back, twisting as he was about to strike.
The monster looked at Starfyre, and realize why he threw the metal staff: it was a lightning rod!
"...Hey, kid, don't....!"
"...BALL-LIGHTNING-STRIKE!" Starfyre sent his final spell towards the monster. Lazily, it made its way towards the shaft. Even as the spell floated forawrd, the monster stood still and laughed, even as lightning laced through the shaft and the monster.
The six-armed creature, with plumes trailing from it's eyes and mouth, teetered back and forth, until eventually fell off the cathedral tower, and silently exploded in a brilliant flash of light.
Starfyre flew into the belltower and gathered his knapsack, slinging itbetween his wings. He walked over to where he had first seen the monster, and grabbed the mysteroius crystal that it had been talking to Queen Baldora through. He stuffed it into his bag, and prepared to leap out the window.
Suddenly, the largest bell began to give off a faint light from within. Starfyre peered within, and saw a large crystal floating lazily from within the bell. Starfyre grabbed the mysterious crystal, drawn to it by some un known power. Despite all of the monster's tries, Starfyre plucked it like a ripe fruit, holding it in his hand like a glass figurine. Holding it in his hand, he dove off the church ledge.
As he felt the rushing air push his body through the night, Starfyre saw the five girls he had stayed with were standing below, watching him fall. He opened his wings, and slowly descended in front of the five girls.
"Who are you?!?" Salina slowly whispered in awe as Starfyre folded his wings.
"HE IS THE CHOSEN ONE!" A mysterious voice boomed. Slowly, the crystal globe the gargoyle had rose out of his bag, towered above the six, and began to pulse with a bright light.
"Who are you?!?" Starfyre asked the voice.
"I am Magnor, head of Dalsortian council. The council sent me to briefly train you, but Baldora intercepted the crystal's teleportation, once we got a steady location on you."
"Magnor? I've heard stories of..."
"Silence! I must make the others forget..." Magnor interrupted.
Suddenly, bright beams of green light lanced into each of the girls, save for Salina. The beams continuied to blast the four girls, with Salina and Starfyre staring at them as they twitched from the beams. When the beams retracted, each one had a vacant look in their eyes.
"Magnor, why did you not make Salina forget?" Starfyre asked eyeing her suspiciously.
The crystal floated back down to Starfyre's arms, and Magnor spoke again. "Salina needs to hear this, because she is a part of your true mission. Starfyre, hold the prism in your hands."
Starfyre set the globe down, and held the prism in his hands.
"Call out 'Thunder- prism transform'." Magnor instructed.
"THUNDER-PRISM TRANSFORM!"
Suddenly, clouds silently formed above Starfyre. The clouds split open, spilling white lightning onto Starfyre, feeding every fiber in the gargoyle's body with pure, raw energy. Starfyre screamed, as he was lifted a few feet above the ground. The energy that was filling him steadily increased; Starfyre swore he would burst!
The energy suddenly solidified, and became a suit of golden armor, lightweight yet stronger than any alloy on earth. It started with a large chestplate surrounding his chest, even the back was protected; with holes for Starfyre's wings. He felt the solidified lightning travel along the outer regions of his wings, and he knew they too were protected without even looking.
Starfyre then felt the same transformation that had happened to his wings happened to his hands. When he looked down at his hand, he was wearing a powerul metal glove, and the fingers were golden talons.
The armor then traveled down his arms. Quickly, they were covered with the mysterious gold metal, with pointed ends of the first piece of the armpiece, beginning at the elbow. The ends grew longer and longer, until the razor-sharp points almost reached his shoulders when he made his arms straight.
Meanwhile, Starfyre's legs followed the same procedure. His feet, where torn sneakers had been, were now covered with golden boots, perfectly fitting Starfyre's feet. His legs were protected by similar design as his arms, and a large point protruded slightly above the kneecaps, similar to the ones on his arms.
The helmet appeared last. It slowly grew, starting from the back of the neck and up, it made it's way up Starfyre's head, leaving his horns exposed. The helmet made a point, starting at the bridge of his nose, and ending at the tip. The helmet then curved around his temples, and formed a metal mouthguard around Starfyre's face.
Once the transformation had finished, Starfyre slowly touched the ground; and a golden sword in a scabbard appeared at his left hip.
When he touched down, Starfyre looked himself over. He felt the lightning crackle, both around and inside him! He felt powerful, as all of earth's wild lightning magic coursed through him! No wonder Bladora needed this prisms!
"...As you know, you were sent to find the six magic prisms, and prevent Baldora from releasing herself with them." Magnor continuied, once Starfyre finished expecting his new powers. "...But you also came for another reason: I sent you, because I discovered you are one of 'the chosen': a handful in every generation that has the ability to weild a certain prism, each one the last of earth's elemental magic.
"You have come, to make the ancient prophesy come true, that when a great evil come from 'beyond the stars', six warriors will gaurd the world from danger. Starfyre, you are the leader of these guardians; and you shall be known as 'Goldwing', the thunderer.
"But how do I know this is the true prism of thunder?!" Starfyre asked warily. "How do I know this isn't some sort of ploy?"
"Hold out your sword, Starfyre, and read the name of the sword this was once called by an earthen king."
Starfyre obeyed, and one word appeared above the sword's hilt.
"Excalibur". Starfyre stated. "What does this mean to me?!"
"You mean... ?" Salina began.
"Yes. King Arthur, the once and future king of the Britons, once held this sword. He too once weilded the power of thunder."
Starfyre put his blade away, and magnor continuied with his speech.
"Starfyre, you now know that you possess the power of thunder-magic in you, magic that will be needed to defeat Baldora. But this will not be an easily-won battle, and you certainly cannot do it alone. Both of you will need to keep your eyes open for the other chosen, while standing gaurd against Baldora's attacks." Magnor continued. "Salina, You proved you would be chosen by what you have done tonight. But since you warned Starfyre of danger, Baldora will not stop until she has the prisms and the earth destroyed, starting with this city."
Before either could reply, Magnor spoke again.
"Now Starfyre, you must stay here, and defend the city against Queen Baldora. You must become a true gaurdian for this city, and the entire planet."
"But what about the chosen? What about the other prisms?" Starfyre asked.
"They will all find their way here, each in their own time. Just wait, and defend this fragile planet. Fare thee well! And remember, this crystal will warn you of Baldora's attacks!" With this, The light faded from the orb, and the globe floated back into Starfyre's knapsack.
Starfyre's form began to blur, and once again he became Charles Maverick, his clothes magically repaired and a small crystal hanging on a chain around his neck.
"Well, Happy birthday." Charles said as he smiled at Salina.
Suddenly, the world became pitch-black, and Salina screamed in the darkness.
When the darkness lifted, Salina, Charles, and the other girls were back in Salina's house, and the window and the stairway hall somehow became repaired.
"We're home!" Sue said as she and Kevin walked in the front door. "Hey! You said You'd be gone by now!" Kevin said as he pointed an accusing finger at Charles.
"Dad, Charles has nowhere to go. He has to stay here! Please?" Salina whined.
"No. Absolutely not!" Kevin roared. Kevin's face softened, as he stared at Salina, and then at Charles. Why did she have to be so pleading, Kevin wondered. He almost smiled, but his faced changed back to it's normal state of perpetual frown.
"All right. But you have to shape up as I see fit!" He gruffly said.
Charles did a quick military salute, and saw the brief happiness in Kevin's eyes. When Kevin realized this, he quickly frowned, and gave Charles an icy glare.
Charles turned and went to bed, knowing that this would be a night not to forget, as it was the first day of his destiny.
* * * * * *
Meanwhile, in an unexplored region of earth's moon, Queen Baldora was entrapped, deep within her the heart of the dark palace. Inside, the dark queen sat furiously, staring at a large crystal, sitting on a large pedestal made of the same obsidan-like material as her throne.
Inside the crystal was what Queen Baldora was enraged at: the crystal showed Charles Maverick, happily climbing into his new bed, Staring happily as the roof, as he drifted off into sleep, almost as if he could see Baldora, and was grinning at her!
"How could the six-tor let him get the prism?!" Baldora screamed, knocking over a goblet of wine.
"What's the matter, losing already?!" A laughing voice suddenly said within the crystal.
"Laugh all you want, Magnor! Just wait 'till I lay Starfyre to his grave!"
At this, the mysterious voice snarled. "You hurt one hair on his head! ..."
Now, it was Baldora's turn to laugh. "What're going to do? You're countless lifetimes away from earth; all you can do is run the council back on Dalsortia!"
"He'll stop you! He has his father's sense of direction." Magnor countered.
"But look what I've goo-oot!" Baldora laughed, and held up a scarlet-covered book to the crystal. Seeing this, the white light that represented Magnor flashed brightly.
"The sacred tome! The book that I found in the temple! So it was you who stole it!"
Baldora smiled, and patted it's cover. "With this, I can unleash curses, traps, and, oooh! Look at this! I can turn humans into avatars, and have my minions find the prisms in disguise before Starfyre knows what's happened!"
"He'll stop your plans! He still has his own book, and he has the first prism!"
With that, Magnor faded away, returning Baldora's sphere to it's original color, a midnight black with swirls of crimson bands floating within.
Baldora sat back in her throne, and began to let her mind wander. "Magnor was right. Since that human warned Starfyre of six-tor, I vow I will destroy the earth, starting with that town!"
Baldora jumped and rose her fists, and shouted down the empty halls, "Yes! I swear, by the six prisms I seek, I will destroy Starfyre, Salina Valsak, and the entire human race! HAHAHAHA!"
Baldora sat back down, and listened to her own maniacal laughter echo through the empty palace, and she felt a shiver of cold run up her spine.
THE END
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