Dave sighed. This was going to be one hell of a trip. He shook his head sadly on his way out of Yulgar's and plodded along the road. He looked at the tower in the distance and thought to himself, I wonder what's in there. Turning back, he entered Yulgar's Inn. Yulgar, who had just seen him off to Darkovia, was slightly surprised. "Back already? Quick's the word and sharp's the action?"
"No, I just came to ask about the huge tower standing in the hills a bit away from town," Dave replied.
"Oh, Guardian tower. Well, as you can see, or perhaps you haven't taken a closer look, there is one main tower with two small towers standing in front of it. On the roof of each is a statue of a bygone Dragon hero," Yulgar filled Dave in.
"But," Dave started. "But I thought dragons were evil. And that's why there are Dragon Slayers, right?"
"Ah, dragons are just like people, some good, like yourself, and some bad, like… well… Drakonnan. But that's a history lesson Galanoth should give you. Anyway, the guardians reside in the tower. They're said to be the strongest warriors in the land, their very armor powerful itself, able to defend against all better than any steel plate. Their sword is an amazing weapon too. It changes form. Not entirely, no, but in nature. It could scorch you one moment, then be freezing you the next. And I've heard tell that it can summon the strongest dragon in Lore, the Guardian Dragon. It breathes fires that harm even the fieriest beasts," Yulgar continued dramatically. Dave paid all his attention on this tale, some thought tickling the back of his head.
"But has anyone ever seen this happen?" asked Dave.
"I don't know even if anyone has ever seen a guardian before," Yulgar replied.
"Well then how do you know they are real?" asked Dave.
"Because, Dave, if they weren't, adventurers like yourself wouldn't be able to roam the land freely. We'd be overrun with all sorts of monsters." At this, Dave nodded. Something, some thought, was starting to itch painfully in the back of his head. "Well, that's pretty much all I can tell you. You'll have to find that out on your own."
"Yulgar," Dave said. The thought struck him from the back of his mind like a hammer hitting an anvil. "How do I become a guardian?"
Yulgar laughed uproariously. His laughter continued for a few moments. When he finally could talk, he managed to gasp something about needing a good laugh and the best joke he ever heard. Dave turned on his heel and pouted out of the inn. His resolve was firm. He was going to find out how to become a guardian.
The march came right out of him when he realized just how big the tower was. It was a long, strenuous walk, but at least it was a clear path. There would be no surprise attacks, which was excellent. The trek was a long one, at least several miles. He thought that he might have done better to find something to ride on. He hadn't yet learned how to ride a horse, but he was trying. Usually, he was bucked off or fell off at least seven times, but last time he only fell twice, once because he overbalanced, and the second time because he was hit by the trainer, trying to teach Dave to receive incoming fire and stay aback. It hadn't been easy.
He had hiked the majority of the way and sat down on a rock near him. The tower wasn't looming in the distance, like some foreboding spectre, it was an unfathomably tall behemoth, towering at least some three hundred feet, about the size of a football field. Dave shook his head in amazement. With the sun setting and his body weary, he was slowly lulled into a dreamlike state. He was only semi observant of his surroundings. The rest of his attention was directed on the wavering shapes his mind was displaying. Through clouds of mist, he saw some strange figure, holding a sword not unlike that of Galanoth's, armored in red plates. Blood red. Dragon Slayer armor. The helmet though… the helmet was different. It was like the helmet Russell Crowe wore in Gladiator during the Carthage reenactment, but Dave couldn't see the face. It was solid shadows, but the eyes… the eyes were piecing eyes. Red as blood and resonating evil, they stared fiercely at the opposing, entirely contrasting figure. This man was extremely well built and worn awesome armor, spikes stabbing straight up from the shoulders, mesh gloves and boots, and wore no helmet. The breastplate was ornately done, absolutely shining with resilience and durability. In his hand, he held a sword also, pointed at the end like an arrow, but had more ridges in the body than normal. At the bottom, two small points extended upwards, creating a pincer like grip between it and the corners of the arrow point.
The darker figure turned towards Dave and motioned to the other while the light figure looked to Dave and motioned to the dark. Dave wasn't sure which way to go. Just as he came close to making his choice, we was awoken by the hoot of an owl. The tower had seemed to have gotten further away. Dave stretched in the moonlight and looked to the tower. This wasn't as easy as he thought.
Time slipped away from him in the day that followed as he chased the tower evermore. The faster he ran, the further it seemed to get away. Eventually, his frustration level broke and he skidded to a halt. He shouted in an animalistic way and threw his sword. He expected it to bury its point in the ground around him, but instead of doing that, it stabbed in mid air. He cautiously approached the airborne sword and realized that it was stuck in a camouflaged building. Under closer inspection, the sword had slid into a crevice. He wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't lost his temper like that.
He was standing now at the base of the guardian tower, free of its camouflage, and standing majestically in his path. The gates opened up and Dave's heart near burst in exhilaration. He steeled himself and stepped into the forbidden stronghold.