The Guardians of the Cryptides
The Guardian$ of the Cryptide$
Chapter 2: The first lesson:
Two days after that mysterious visit, Lexi tried everything to get Andrew to a certain point, after he had returned from work. She hadn't talked a lot during this time, because every time, she did it, she noticed that he felt uncomfortable with that. So she stopped talking and acted more like a real dog – a real Mastador.
Now she was sitting in front of him, with her leash lying before her, wiggling her tail and looking up at Andrew with sad puppy eyes. He greeted and patted her. Scratched her ears and then went on to get undressed and take a shower. Lexi followed him, carrying her leash.
While he was in the shower, Lexi sat in front of the bathroom door, waiting impatiently for Andrew to return. ''Why is he taking so long? He is a man!'' she mumbled to herself. She tried to bark and scratching the wooden door – but no reaction. Until he returned from the bathroom with just a towel around his waist. Lexi immediately jumped him, her leash in her mouth. ''We will go for a walk, soon, Lexi. Just let me get dressed!'' Andrew said, getting his normal cloths. He got dressed and went down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Lexi wasn't amused about that. She sat growling in the kitchen door. ''I'll be there in a moment, Lexi.'' Andrew said and finished his coffee. He got his jacket and keys and both of them left the house. Even though, Lexi was on a leash, she had full control, pulling Andrew in the direction she wanted to go.
After they had arrived at their destination, Lexi didn't sniff at the trees and ignored all the other dogs, just running through the park towards something or someone. She even didn't let Andrew release her from the leash, pulling him around.
Somewhere at a remote part of the park, Lexi left the path and pulled Andrew up a hill towards a group of trees on top of it. Andrew didn't know why his dog had led him here, until he saw the shadow between the trees. First, just a figure and the further they got, the more distinct the figure looked. Until he recognized him as the man that had been in his house two days ago. Also Lexis' behavior proofed to him that his suspicions were correct – Matthias was standing on top of the hill, waiting. And suddenly, Lexi stopped and watch up at Andrew with her sad doggy eyes, touching her leash. Andrew understood and released her. She ran over to the figure, up the hill and stopped next to him. Without looking down, he knelt down and patted her head.
Andrew approached Matthias. ''What are you doing here?'' he asked.
''Giving you your first lesson.'' he replied, after turning around. ''You're an 2nd lieutenant of the US Army and you know how to use weapons and – possibly – how to fight bare handed. But you need to learn to fight with all kind of weapons.'' he explained.
''What, if I don't want to do that?'' Matthias and Lexi stared at him in disbelief.
''Well, that is your decision. But, if you really choose, not to be part, of the guardians, Lexi will be replaced, by a normal dog and your memories of our world will be erased.'' was the man actually smiling. ''Why are you smiling?'' – ''I got some more talents, than just seeing the hidden world. Deep inside of your heart and soul, you already know, you want to do that.''
''How do you know?'' Andrew asked.
''Because I can see right into your soul and your mind. Helps me do my job'' Matthias replied smiling.
''Good joke!'' Andrew said. ''I never made joke about my job.'' His mood changed from amused to angry in less than a second and Andrew realized, he had told him the truth.
His mind started to spin around.
His thought were running.
He felt dizzy.
''I think, he is about to collapse.'' Lexi said worrying.
''I'll take care of that.'' Matthias replied.
And then, Andrew suddenly felt the dizziness disappear. His running thoughts slowed down and got organized. And the world stopped spinning. ''Better?'' Matthias asked.
''How?'' Andrew wanted to know.
''I've told you that I am a telepath.'' – ''We should go inside.'' Lexi said, confusing Andrew again.
''Why did you stop talking to him, Lexi?'' Matthias asked, while turning around again.
''He always looked so confused, when I've talked to him. So I decided to behave more like a dog.'' Lexi explained.
''You needn't have to. He even had missed it.'' Matthias responded. Both looked back at Andrew; Matthias amused and Lexi confused.
They both had walked towards a tree. Andrew followed them. Matthias put his hand on a unusual looking part of the tree, opening a kind of door inside the tree. The all stepped through the door and followed down the stairs until they came to another door. It looked like an bunker door, with a wheel attached to it. Matthias stepped aside. ''The honor is yours.'' he said, pointing at the door. Andrew touched the wheel, turned it and opened the door. Behind that was an amazingly large room with Stairways in every corner and a kind of fighting area in the middle dividing in different color regions.
''Александр, что ты еще здесь делаешь? Вы уже должны быть дома! Давать, давать!'' * Matthias suddenly shouted. Andrew followed his gaze and saw a young silhouette standing on the stairways on the other side of the room.
''Didn't know, you speak Russian.'' Andrew said.
''I speak every language I need to speak.'' he simply answered, starting to descent the stairs. Lexi followed him, while Andrew stared down into the space beneath him.
''Are you coming?'' Matthias suddenly asked, waiting on the landing beneath him. Andrew went down the stairs quickly and they all followed the stairs, down to the ground floor. Down there, Andre noticed, that the wooden floor between the opposite two stairwells was actually a elevated platform.
''Why different colors?'' Andrew asked, standing next to the fighting area.
''Its for the different levels of experiences.'' Matthias explained. ''We will start in the green field and see.'' Matthias led him towards the green field in the middle, where already some fighters were training. He took off his shoes and stepped onto the mat. He turned around facing Andrew.
''Do you join me or just standing there, watching?''
''You know, I am a 2nd Lieutenant of the US Army?''
''I do. And I am a Secret Agent. So, I guess, I could be a match for you.'' Matthias answered smiling
Andrew took off his shoes, stepped on the mat and said: ''I've warned you.'' – ''We'll see later.'' Matthias replied smirking.
''Which weapon do we use?'' Andrew asked. Matthias replied: ''None! This is hand to hand combat. Just to determine your level of experience and your abilities.'' he explained. Seeing Andrews facial expression, he added: ''I know you're a well trained and experienced 2nd Lieutenant of the US Army. Then, you won't have any difficulties, beating me.'' Matthias smiled. Lexi tapped Andrews leg, signaling him to go.
Andrew got out of his shoes and jacket and stepped onto the mat, facing Matthias. They both took positions and started to circle each other. ''Don't break him! I will need him to take care of me!'' Lexi said, making Matthias laugh. Andrew took the opportunity to attack him and got him down on the mat.
''Not fair, Lexi!'' Mathias said, lying beneath Andrew.
''You're outmatching him. He needs every advantage he can get.'' Lexi replied, looking innocent.
''I got you down!'' Andrew said celebrating.
''Just wait. We're not finished yet! Are you ready?'' Andrew looked at the man beneath him. He was confused, but steadied himself to keep Matthias down. He inhaled deeply, raised his arms a bit and pushed them back on the ground. Suddenly, both men flew up mid air, where Matthias flipped them around. When they landed, Andrew was lying on his back, with Matthias pushing him down.
''I've told you, to give me the sweets or you would get a sheet wrestling of your life!'' he smirked.
''But, we're not in the sheets.''
''Boys! Put it back inside! Nobody wants to see it.'' Lexi was lying flat on her stomach, covering her eyes with her paws.
''By the way, how did you do that?'' Andrew asked.
''Elementary powers!'' Matthias said, standing up.
''Can I learn that, to?'' – ''No, you can't. If, you already would.'' Matthias explained. ''Next round!?'' he demanded. Andrew stood up, preparing for his second attack.
''You have just learned your first lesson: always expect the unexpected, when working with cryptides.'' Matthias said.
''I will remember that.'' Andrew replied. He carefully watched Matthias moving and then suddenly attacked him. Matthias made I slight movement, turning his body, causing Andrews attack to pass him. But Andrew had noticed the slight movement and had adapted, such that he still reached Matthias, pulling him down onto the
*Alexander, what are you doing here? You already should have been at home! Come on!''
mat. Lexi had raised one of her paws and when seeing Matthias and Andrew fall, she sat up, wiggling her tail. ''Yeah, Andrew! That's how it is done!'' she screamed, jumping joyfully.
''Call me officially impressed!'' Matthias said. ''No one ever managed to do this at the first day.''
''So? We can go to the next color?'' Andrew asked.
''Not a Chance! Now I will teach you some new stuff.'' Matthias responded.
Both of them got up. Fixed their cloths. And then Matthias said, standing with his back to the rest of the people
on the mat: ''Don't you have to practice?'' everyone wanted to get busy quickly.
Matthias came closer and started to explain some techniques to Andrew for hand-to-hand combat. Most of them didn't Andrew know. And after every new technique, Matthias told Andrew: ''This one can be harmless or harmful. You decide, what it will be. It's your responsibility how to use it. You have always be aware of this responsibility!'' And every time Andrew answered: ''You know that I am responsible for 50 men and equipment, worth 1 billion?'' And every time, Andrew said that, Matthias smiled.
After hours of practice. The other teams already had finished their training for a long time, when Matthias called their training to an end, too.
''Get into the shower and then I bring you back.'' Matthias explained. He showed Andrew the shower and handed him shower gel and a towel.
''Won't you shower yourself?'' Andrew asked, when Matthias wanted to go.
''I will take the one on the other side.'' Matthias replied. ''And what do you think, where you're going, young lady.'' he suddenly said looking down. Lexi tried to get inside of the shower. She looked up, with her sad puppy eyes.
''Not a chance! You – will – wait – outside!'' Matthias said. He looked up at Andrew. ''I got you some clean cloths from your house. They were put in the shelf.'' he explained and then left. Lexi sat down and Andrew entered the shower. After about half an hour, he had finished and left the shower. Lexi still was waiting. Matthias sat on the bank next to the door.
''How long have you been waiting?'' Andrew asked.
''Not long. Just have sat down a couple of minutes ago.'' Matthias replied. Lexi made a sound like she was laughing. Matthias gave her a certain look.
''Let's go! You need to return!'' Andrew looked down at his watch, noticing he had been here for about 8 hours.
''Oh ma god! I'll be late for work.'' he looked scared. Matthias smiled. ''Second lesson will be learned, when we return.''
He lead him back to the stairs and up to the door. The went back up to the door in the tree and when they stepped out, Andrew saw the bright daylight.
''Your swatch!'' Matthias said. Andrew looked down and the time had changed back to late afternoon. ''The training center exists out of time and space. The doors are time portals, sending you back to the moment you entered, when leaving.'' Matthias explained. ''You have the whole evening to relax and get a good nights rest before going to work tomorrow.
Andrew put the leash back on Lexi and when he stood up and turned to Matthias, he was gone. ''They always do that. Get used to it.'' Lexi said and they both went home.