Running with Monsters

“Ten seconds!” Uncle Andrew’s bellow bounced off every tree in Fern forest. He was nearly a mile in the distance, but the quiet of the early morning made him seem mere feet away.

John inhaled, filling his lungs with the crisp mist hovering above the ferns. Bracing his feet into the dirt, he felt the presence of each second tick by in slow motion. The flesh of his fingertips brushed the soft fuzz of the foliage around him. A breeze whispered a gentle melody past his ears.

“Five… four… three…”

He pushed his reddish brown curls to the side and narrowed his eyes. The specks of light blue sparkled with intensity. The path through the trees opened up before him all the way to the end point. He visualized his uncle standing with a stopwatch, counting down.

“Two…”

A ball of energy swirled in his chest. He clenched his fists. His knees were bent with the tension of a coiled spring.

“Go!” His uncle roared.

John’s surroundings fell away, leaving only a hyper-clear route to his uncle, without obstructions.

He shot like a rocket through a hole in the dense foliage. Not a single branch or pine needle touched him. Every branch swaying in the breeze, every subtle song from the birds… the slightest shift in the forest was absorbed by John’s senses. A red glow beamed from his eyes. A flame swirled in his belly. His body moved so fast it almost hovered over the ground. Leaves around him flew up in a flurry. A low, vicious snarl escaped his mouth, catching him off guard. He stumbled through an opening in the foliage, landing at his Uncle Andrew’s feet.

“Extraordinary!” Uncle Andrew gasped. “Did you even touch the ground?” Uncle Andrew extended his arm.

“I still managed to trip over my own tangled legs,” John huffed, catching his breath. He grabbed his uncle’s hand and eased himself to his feet. “Still, something feels different. How do I say this… I feel like I have a beast inside of me; not sure why… It’s very familiar.” He shrugged. “I, I don’t know. It’s hard to explain, but I see everything so clearly. Sometimes I feel stronger. My senses are heightened; I can smell and hear everything.”

His uncle held John’s arm and examined the details with a quizzical brow. “The mark of the guardian has filled in nicely, I see.” He lined his arm up with John’s to compare. “Much less battered than mine.”

“I’m sure mine will see the same scars soon enough,” John smiled.

They both shared the mark of the guardian: a pair of indistinct wings marked on their forearm. The mark signified a heavy responsibility, and only a few have ever worn it throughout time.

Uncle Andrew’s voice softened. “Don’t worry about the beast inside you. It is a burden and a gift; a guardian’s trait. You are carrying all of the monsters you’ve challenged and defeated in the realm. They stay with you.” He smiled. “You will get used to it; learn to use their traits when you need to… though it seems you already have; no human runs as fast as you just did.” There was a sad quiver in his sigh. “I do miss it… the magic, how beautiful Copious Forest was. Especially right near the river. I’ve never known of a place to provide as much solace as the bank of the river… right at dusk.” He paused and gazed through the trees. “After years of fighting, I’m tired, and so are the beasts.”

“You can always return, you know,” John raised his brow. “Why don’t you come with me this time? One last trip to that river?”

“You always ask, and my answer will always be the same… no.” Uncle Andrew lovingly placed his hand on John’s Shoulder. “Sam and I will continue to grow old together right here in Fern Forest.” He gripped the handle of his wood cane with his trembling hand and let out a hearty whistle.

A distant, acknowledging bark echoed off the trees.

“Saaaammmm!” Uncle Andrew bellowed, pressing his cane into the dirt as he stepped forward.

The foliage around them rustled. Swoosh! A ball of fluff burst through a thicket of shrubs.

“There you are, Sam!” John dropped to his knees with open arms, allowing Sam’s slobbery tongue to douse his face.

“Good boy, Sam,” Uncle Andrew laughed and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. “Sam’s affection can get rather… sticky.”

“I don’t mind.” John ruffled the fluff of Sam’s fur and wiped the remaining drips from his cheeks. “I will miss you, old boy.” His eyes welled. He filled his lungs with air, clearing out the weight of heartache.

“I almost forgot, I have something for you.” Uncle Andrew pulled a pouch out of his coat pocket. “Guardians need all the protection they can get.” He tapped the pouch against the palm of his hand. A translucent stone tumbled out.

John gasped with excitement. “Is it like the locator stone?”

“The locator stone guides you. Tells you where to go… what to do next. That is, if you are wise enough to listen.” Uncle Andrew smiled and gave one of his familiar winks. “This stone… well, it’s even more powerful. Do you see?” he shifted it about in his hands. The center of the stone clouded into a murky grey. A dim, shimming light surrounded him. “It is absorbing the bad.” He placed the stone in John’s hand. “The stone has many colors, and with each color is a form of protection. It just depends on what you need… what you ask of it when the time is right.”

John closed his eyes and opened his palm. The stone turned a deep aqua blue. A wave of blue beams flowed through his body. John felt a sense of peace and euphoria rush through his body.

“I see it is already working for you. Your father would be so proud of the man you’ve become.”

“I’m afraid he is lost forever. Good and evil have lost their meaning. He is preoccupied with serving Imperious. If you saw what I saw, Uncle. I barely escaped with my life. My own father’s hands nearly choked me to death,” he stammered, rubbing his hands along the fragile bones of his neck. He still shot out of bed, breathless, covered in sweat, neck red and tender, reliving the moment he encountered Imperious and his father in the lost city of Copia. The grip around his neck, strong enough to lift him off the ground with ease, haunted him.

“There was a time when virtue mattered to Christopher, above all else. Virtue is a stubborn companion to have. He won’t lose it that easily. Don’t worry, he will come around.”

“For a flash... just seconds, I saw him… as I knew him... not some crazed, evil sorcerer… it was my pop, tired and worn; but still a flicker. That was the only reason my life was spared.” ...

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