Stryker strode through the dark, empty streets. The wind pummeled his body, driving the
freezing rain through his thin coat. He
wouldn't have even dared to venture out in the rain, but it was Amy's birthday
tonight, and nothing on this earth would keep him home tonight.
A single, solitary car drove by, sweeping the muddy water in
the street up onto the sidewalk.
Stryker nimbly leapt aside, avoiding most of the water, but some of it
still managed to drench the bottom half of his jeans. Cursing at the inattention of the driver, Stryker casted a small
drying spell on his pants, and waited for the spell to begin it's work. He did not relish the thought of walking in
on Amy soaking wet.
After his pants had dried, Stryker continued on. Eventually, he reached the apartment where
Amy had moved the last summer. It was
not in a very safe neighborhood, but the rent was cheap and parking was a
snap. No one stayed parked in this end of
the city for too long, if they could help it.
Before he could knock on the thin wooden door, it was flung
open and a dark-haired blur flew into his arms. He hugged Amy back, all the while wishing he could have gotten a
kiss.
"Stryker, you idiot.
You could have called. Brandon
would have drove to pick you up, so you didn't have to walk through this," she
told him.
"That's okay, Amy, it was no bother," answered Stryker half
truthfully. He would have rather stuck
sharp knives through his abdomen than accept a ride from Amy's boyfriend. Even though he had accepted the fact that
Amy would only be a friend, it still galled him that she would pick a guy like
Brandon.
Of course, he had said that about every boyfriend she had
ever had.
He followed her through her front door, into her living
room. Marcus and Brandon were already there,
sitting on the opposite ends of Amy's couch.
He assumed that Velda, Terris, Jessa, and Kami were on their way. After hanging his sword and coat on the coat
rack, Stryker walked over and sat beside Marcus.
"Hey, bro, how's it hanging?" Stryker asked Marcus.
"Same ol', same ol'," came the reply.
Stryker had known Marcus for years. The two were like brothers, yet they didn't
see each other very often. Marcus had a
high paying job over in Kalitown, driving the aerohoppers of a major transport
company. He didn't often make the 60
mile trip over to Atheria very often, because he rarely had the time.
Amy sat by Brandon, cuddled in his arms. Stryker turned his head, so she wouldn't see
the fires of anger and jealousy in his eyes.
He caught the eyes of Marcus, who then leaned down and whispered in
Stryker's ears.
"Don't sweat it, bro, I don't like the guy much myself."
A knock came at the door, and Amy got up to answer. "Terris, Velda, come on in! Where's the others?"
Terris answered, his deep voice rumbling in the room. "Jessa came down sick, again, and didn't
feel like coming. Kami had to go out of
town, to see her little girl again. I
feel sorry for her, having to put up with that prick of an ex-husband, just to
see her girl."
Velda spoke up. "We
brought you your presents from them, though, and they said they would see you
next weekend."
They crowded into the small living room, and pulled out a
group of brightly wrapped boxes.
Stryker pulled his small box out and set it with the others. Presents would come after cake.
The group talked while the rain blew against the
windowpanes. After a while, Amy went to
the refrigerator and pulled out her cake.
Everyone dug into the cake and ice cream with gusto, and washed it down
with cold milk. They would have brought
wine, but Amy was just turning nineteen tonight, still a year too young for the
legal drinking limit of 20.
After they finished with the cake, Amy stared to open her
presents. She ooh'd and aaah'd at the
tonal candle Velda had brought her, as it changed colors by the sounds of the
room. She thanked Terris for his set of
unicorn figurines, which he had carved from a holo he had taken of the elusive
creatures. She told Velda to thank
Jessa and Kami for the books they had bought her in a downtown bookshop. Marcus, the ever practical, gave her a new
set of leather straps to braid into a whip, because she had complained the last
time he was down about how her old whip was falling apart.
Stryker was proud of the twin ruby earrings he had gotten
her. He had saved a month's paycheck to
buy those for her, and was justified for his trouble when Amy hugged him again.
Brandon, on the other hand, ruined all of his work. He pulled a tiny box out of his coat pocket,
and presented Amy with a brilliant diamond and amethyst brooch. Amy was overjoyed, and leapt into his arms
to give him a firm kiss.
Stryker kept his face neutral, but he was sure that Marcus
heard him grinding his teeth together.
He put his hand on Stryker's shoulder, as if to say it's okay, bro, I
know how much that had to hurt. I know
how much you love her.
Stryker stood up suddenly.
"Hey, folks, I've had fun, but I have to get up early in the
morning. I have blade practice tomorrow
morning, and Master Wolgram is never patient with late sleepers."
Marcus got up too.
"I'll give you a ride home, bro, cause I have to head back too. My boss wants me to take a load down to
Coastwatch tomorrow morning."
Amy hugged each of them in turn, and told them goodbye. As they walked through the front door, Amy
looked at her calender.
"I thought Stryker had blade practice on Thursdays. It's only Tuesday. It's awful strange that he practices so much." Amy said. "Every time I see him, he has to go practice
with his sword some more. Poor Brandon
wants to get to know him better, if he would stick around more."
Outside, in Marcus's jo-car, Stryker sat with a stony look
on his face. Marcus drove him back to
his flat in silence, knowing that Stryker was locked in the middle of a jealous
fit.
Stryker walked into his flat, dropping his sword on the
chair by the door. He calmly walked to
the unfinished brick wall in his kitchen, and then slammed his fist into the
rough wall. "It's not fair, you son of
a bitch, it's not fair, why do you have to do that, I can't do anything for her
that you don't upstage, you bastard…"
Stryker said as he collapsed into a heap, weeping his heart out.
*
The Creator floated in space, observing his latest
creation. His work was almost finished,
and He was tired. Soon, it would be
time to withdraw from this universe, and let all thing happen as the must.
But first, He would need a Guardian, to watch over this
universe while He was gone. So long
ago, beyond all time, in His first universe, He had not appointed a Guardian,
and had returned to find it in chaos, as the elements themselves had destroyed
everything in their eternal war. He had
learned, and had appointed a Guardian ever since.
He sent a miniscule fraction of His Mind out, to search for
someone in this creation, who would be suitable to be a Guardian. He then turned to His next task, and began
to create another world.
