Guardian
Chapter 1
Blackness, a moment passes and spwan into an alien world. Fog and Mist surround me and for a short time, this familiar alien world paralyzes me. Beneath me a slightly sloped walkway ramps up, on my left, towards a rectangular shaped room taking up residence in the bowels of an age old tree. To my right, this pathway winds down into the remnants of a massive splintered tree trunk. Ferns, mosses and other leeching vegetation cover and consume its bark. Without thinking, I take the route leading upwards. Instinct leads me this way, a warriors instinct. Nearing the mouth of this chamber I notice intricate designs laced over the framework of the door. Intricate but created without emotion and inscribed without weakness. This place is without emotion. This place is no place for emotion, no place for weakness. Above this door, lush vines grow amongst the metal and wood, cling onto their surfaces, and grow up against their bark, grasping to it as if it were its very own life source. Its only life source. A familiar grasp, a familiar life source. My very own life source, but not my only. I feel the weight on my back. Giving it only a seconds thought, I pass through this gateway and onto the enclosure behind it. Metallic yet almost stone walls encase me. I feel trapped. Not pausing for a look. I quickly continue on through the area and towards an opening. Too much of my life have I been trapped. I come to a ledge. On my right, a catwalk spirals upwards along a curve of bark and alloy. Without hesitation I take the route. I am being lead upwards, upwards towards a perch. Following this path, I quickly ascend and reach the top. A world of absolute brilliance fills my visor, all else fades out. Magnificent architecture blending seamlessly with nature surrounds me. Millena old trees reach upwards towards the heavens, spreading their arms, reaching for the light. It is almost as if they thirst for the light. In such a gloomy place, no wonder. For I thirst as well, but not for light. Before me, towers, spires, walkways, and what seem like endless mazes of hallways host off the massive tree trunks of this ancient forest. Vegetation grows amongst and on there surfaces, a jungle. Beyond, a dark green mist fills the void and engulfs the unknown. In front of me a court yard fills the immediate environment. My eyes dart about looking for movement, looking for a target, looking... BANG! A gunshot rings out in the distance, deafens me, and a cold chill flows through my body. With ice creeping through my veins and numbing my thoughts I freeze. My blood is hot and sweat trickles down my brow. I am trapped inside this suit. My heart pumps and I can feel the life within me. Remembering my life source, I grasp my weapon, that weight that has always been, withdraw it, and quickly shoulder it. Yet the weight has not been lifted, not yet. It grasps me, that fear, and threatens to destroy me. "Is fear weakness?" I think to myself. This place has no room for weakness. Memories of my adolescence race through my mind, battling to suppress them, I think of her. Another BANG like rolling thunder clashes out in the distance. I can feel it in my chest. Like lightning, a bullet strikes out and whizzes past me, striking the tree behind me. I quickly retain focus and rember my training. Immediately, I scope my weapon and instantaneously the cross-hair of my scope leaps up and falls upon the cause of my mental interruption. Nobody interrupts her. Griping hard, I yank on the trigger my finger lies upon. A loud BANG and an intensely bright muzzle flash simultaneously occur and with synchronous harmony the bolt of my rifle violently slides backwards, slams to a halt, and ejects the casing of a bullet that is now lodged deep in the skull of lifeless creature. Silence.