The Guardian

Total chaos ensued as the invading forces from another world descended upon the silent city below. The attackers believed they had the upmost element of surprise, that they would easily wipe the floor with any resistance on the way to their goal. Aboard the enemy fleet's flagship, a sinister figure stared greedily at the capital as his forces began decimating the infrastructure of the town below. All manner of buildings were blown to pieces as countless lasers blew apart the helpless city streets.

"Haha! All too easy! Move in and secure the palace, I want that portal captured now!"

Those helming the ship slowly dropped the massive cruiser closer to the ground, extending landing gear to make a clean drop. With a bit of groan from the hydraulics holding the ship, the vessel settled into the hard dirt of the planet, sinking in a good several yards. Platoons of soldiers began pouring out of ramps that were lowered to the ground. Upon setting foot on the soil, every troop began firing at the crumbling city as well, not wanting to waste time with anyone who could've possibly survived the onslaught.

Their leader also exited the ship, slowly making his way down a ramp with his arms behind his back, inspecting the scene before him. The town was in rubbles; his men had no trouble carving a path straight to the palace, which he had ordered to not be touched, on the chance that the prize would be damaged. The rest of his fleet remained in close orbit above the city, watching for any possible retaliation. None came for the moment.

The leader grew a suspicious look.

Hm. Where are all the citizens? Did they really just abandon the city?

Before the man could ponder further, a levitating vehicle pulled up alongside him. The driver quickly stood straight and saluted.

"Sir, we have your transport."

The commander nodded and climbed into the craft, which sped down the ruined streets of the city heading straight at the castle at its center. A hailing ping was heard from the leader's holo-disk. He pulled the device out and laid it flat on his palm, a 3-D figure of another man appeared on the object.

"Mesmer, shouldn't we be a bit cautious? No resistance has been sighted."

The leader scoffed.

"It doesn't matter general, just get a perimeter around the palace. And move the fleet in closer. I want no interruptions."

Reluctantly, the holographic figure saluted and dissipated. Mesmer watched as his orders were given out. His ships tightened their formation, creating a barrier between them and the castle. After a few more minutes, the leader's vehicle made it to the palace steps, where he got off and ordered the driver to report back to the flagship. The man acknowledged and sped off. Mesmer was greeted at the steps by two elite soldiers, which flanked him as his bodyguards.

The commander proceeded up the stairs with confidence and anticipation.

Soon, the power of the universe will be mine.

His thoughts of glory were interrupted however, when the guard on his left suddenly fell over. The soldier's body tumbled down the steps as Mesmer and his other protector got low to the ground.

"What was that?"

The guard had no answer; bur didn't have much of a chance anyway. His head jerked as his body went numb. A moment later, he too fell over and down the stairs. Mesmer was now irritated.

"I don't have time for this."

With his powers, the man sensed more shots coming his way. He immediately threw up a force field, deflecting the projectiles. The commander stared with distaste as he saw multiple enemy troops materializing around his ranks of soldiers. The new arrivals instantly outflanked the intruders, beginning to mow them down as Mesmer watched on.

The surprise tactics continued to blast away at the enemy, forcing all the lines into a chokehold in the streets. Mesmer radioed his fleet.

"Tear those fools apart, now!"

"But sir, our men are still among them."

"I don't care! And send a squad down to me. I'll need some assistance breaching the palace."

The officer on the other end accepted the orders and went off the line. Moments later, the enemy ships began firing down upon the battlefield, causing large casualties on both sides as lasers blew large sections of the ground into the air. Mesmer watched as a shuttle flew over to him and landed carefully at the base of the stairs. Once its hatch opened, several dozen elite soldiers piled out, rushing up the steps.

Their leader motioned for them to go on ahead of him to secure the courtyard of the castle. He himself then proceeded up the golden stairway. The climb was tiring top say that least, the path was several hundred feet. Once at the top though, Mesmer laid his greedy eyes upon the palace and made his way toward the front gate.

The man was stopped by a sudden energy blast, which he reacted fast enough to block with his shield. Stepping back, he saw his assailants. Upon the edge of the palace's roof stood a small group of identically dressed beings. They were quite tall to say the least, and all had a crimson vest distinguishing their stature. Their warrior skirts fluttered a bit in the wind, revealing heavy greaves upon their legs. Each was also equipped with a massive double-ended spear, one of which was pointed at the invading commander.

Mesmer glared at the new threat.

"Well, if it isn't the guardians of the portal. A bit late wouldn't you say? The city is rubble and your troops lay in waste. Why not just move aside so that you don't get killed?"

The leader of the guardians, by the looks of him, stepped forward and leaped off the castle wall. The rest of his men followed. With great agility, each one landed safely on front of the palace gate, directly between it and Mesmer's group. The leader then pointed his weapon at the vile commander.

"Casualties and destruction are expected of your presence Mesmer; we simply took precautions to protect the citizens."

The vile man stepped forward, grinning.

"I hate to say it, but your efforts were in vain. I have an entire fleet blasting away all your remaining defenses, including you, if you so prefer."

His smile was vicious but the head of the guardians was left unshaken. He glared at Mesmer and motioned for his squad to ready themselves. The invaders all raised their weapons and prepared to take down the group of sentries in their way. However, they were interrupted by a sudden explosion.

Mesmer turned to see an incredible sight. His flagship had been crippled. A massive hole was visible from the smoking vessel's hull. Multiple aftershocks of combustion were heard from within the ship as its reactors detonated. Soon enough, the cruiser lost its hydraulic support and fell over with an enormous crash, decimating any soldiers nearby and blowing away any debris left behind.

The leader was shocked and turned back to the guardians.

"What did you do you snake!?"

The foreman of the group of protectors just continued his stare. Mesmer's attention was drawn as multiple ships suddenly came out of hyperspace, phasing in directly in front of his own fleet. The new vessels were pure silver, with a design that suggested they were used primarily for defensive purposed. In a matter of moments, the ships formed into a line and charged some sort of weapons on their hulls.

A second later, several white blasts flew across the sky, tearing through the enemy ships as if they were nothing. Mesmer watched in horror as his entire fleet was decimated in an instant. He'd never admit it but he was now afraid, observing the debris and twisted metal that was falling from the sky.

"Damn!"

The lead guardian stepped forward.

"It's strange to think you don't realize how willing others are to join in our cause after the destruction you rain down upon their worlds."

Mesmer glared back at him.

"Fleet or not, you won't stop a ground assault. Fire!"

The tyrant's trooped blasted their weapons at the guardians, who spun their spears rapidly to form shields and deflect the shots. Several of them fired back, knocking back the invaders. Mesmer suddenly charged, raising his force field to avoid damage and ramming right past the defenders. The guardian leader acted quickly and faced two of his comrades.

"Amaron, Sentin! Follow him and keep the fool away from the portal. If the worst comes to pass...bury it."

The two guardians nodded and made a dash for the gates, which Mesmer had already broken down. The rest of the protectors continued their battle against the enemy. A battle they were, unfortunately, losing.

Amaron and his brother sprinted down the grand hall of the palace, hot on the tail of the vile man who was tearing their home apart as he searched for the portal. Mesmer reached the center of the building, only to see that nothing special was there. The sole item in the area was a decorated mosaic floor, which displayed two symbols that no one had ever recognized.

The tyrant grinned, then slammed his foot down on the glass, shattering the art and revealing the secret staircase below. Not bothering to walk, the man cast himself into the center of the pit. The two brothers quickly followed.

As they fell, the guardians threw bolts of energy at the intruder. He simply brought up a force field to block the attcks. Sentin growled in frustration.

"Ugh! How do we fight him?"

Amaron studied their enemy's shields. He noticed it wasn't possible for Mesmer to fully engulf himself in protection, only the parts of him he wanted to block with.

"We'll have to wait for an opening when he's distracted. Keep on the pressure once we corner him on the ground."

Sentin nodded. A few moments later, Mesmer impacted on the floor, unharmed by the fall due to his fields. He resumed running toward prize, lust in his eyes. The guardians were right behind him, still trying to fire upon the intruder and still having no effect.

The commander reached a massive door and proceeded to barge right through with his powers. The entrance buckled from the hit and caused multiple parts of the walls and ceiling to tumble to the floor. Amaron and Sentin dodged the debris and made it into the room ahead, where Mesmer had stopped before a large blue rift floating n the room's center. He smiled maliciously.

"Finally. The cosmic locks shall be mine!"

Amaron wasted no time in rushing toward the tyrant and attempting to impale the being. Sadly, he saw it coming and blocked with a shield. The man was getting quite irritated by the interruptions.

"You two are a bother."

With lightening speed, Sentin shot his spear at Mesmer's chest, which was theoretically unprotected. Disappointingly, the man glared at the guardian as the weapon struck an invisible force.

"I am always aware of how many enemies I face fool, do not think I forgot about you."

He shoved the guardian toward a wall, which he struck and groaned with pain. Amaron attempted to counter-attack but was hastily blocked again by an agitated Mesmer.

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear."

A laser shot was fired. The towering being froze, not knowing exactly who had been hit. A moment later however, Amaron backed away from his enemy, who was pointing a gun at him. The guardian placed his hand on his abdomen, felling for the impact area. He stopped when he felt a large amount of blood. Looking down, Amaron saw a entry wound near his ribs, spouting his body fluids. After a minute, he began coughing up blood.

"No!"

Sentin charged again, but this time to his brother's side. He kneeled down as his sibling continued to lose consciousness. Mesmer grinned with satisfaction and jumped into the portal. The injured man weakly looked to his concerned other.

"Sentin...stop him...I'll...seal the entrance."

The younger one shook his head.

"I can't just leave you here to die. The rest are probably already gunned down. Our weapons are no match for Mesmer's technology."

Amaron coughed a bit more.

"We have something greater than technology."

He raised his arm to show a plethora of runic tattoos that reached all the way up to his shoulder. Sentin had similar markings, but much less. He shook his head.

"I'm not as experienced as you. How can I hope to stop him with just the basics?"

Amaron managed to smile.

"You were always the inventive one brother, you can do it. Now go, otherwise the whole universe may crumble."

The elder sibling gently closed his eyes. His body went limp and his arm fell next to him. Sentin had many tears running down his cheeks. Amaron was still breathing weakly, but was obviously saving his strength to block the portal. The younger guardian got up and turned to the portal.

I don't even know what's beyond this thing. Why do we protect it?

Deciding to dwell on the matter later, Sentin ran through the portal, disappearing into the void. Amaron struggled to open his eye to see that his brother had made it through. He also heard multiple footsteps in the hall. They were not those of the guardians. With the last of his energy, the dying protector activated several of the tattoos on his arm and pointed to the ceiling. The whole room shook, barely withstanding the spell's effects. As Mesmer's soldiers entered the room, they all held on at the resulting quake.

Before any of them could fire upon the guardian however, Amaron brought his hand down, pulling the ceiling down with it. Save for the protector, everyone screamed as rubble began crushing the floors and anyone inside. Before a large section of the roof smashed down upon him, Amaron smiled once more.

"Be safe, my brother.

Sentin ignored the irrefutable beauty of the structure before him and immediately ran up the golden staircase of the floating temple. He could hear some sort of banging. He assumed it was his foe trying to break into the mysterious building at the top. The guardian quickened his pace and sprinted through a golden arch.

Mesmer was indeed trying to break in, slamming his energy shields against the front door of the fortress. it was having little effect, but clearly the object was being progressively damaged. Sentin aimed and fired a blast from the tip of his spear. The commander heard it and raised a shield on his arm, deflecting the shot. The vile man turned his attention fully to the young protector, a sinister glare on his face.

"I have never met someone as foolish, or stubborn, as you."

Mesmer rapidly threw up his gun and fired at Sentin, who swiftly chanted a short spell and formed a small rift in front of him. The laser went through and disappeared. The angered invader looked around, expecting the guardian to open another point in space to fire the blast back at him. No such thing occurred, Sentin simply charged. Mesmer shook his head, shooting more lasers at the tall figure. The protector swallowed all of them with more rifts. Eventually, his foe decided to abandon the ranged weapon and instead braced himself to take the strike of Sentin's spear.

To his utter shock, the guardian opened another rift in front of himself and barreled through, vanishing. Mesmer kept up his defensive stance as he spun around to face every direction, desperately trying to locate his enemy. Out of nowhere, a tiny rift opened near him and spat out a laser blast. The man deflected it and it was re-eaten by another portal. Another blast performed the same move, which was also deflected and re swallowed.

As this process continued, Mesmer realized he was beginning to tire. But he didn't have time to make a break for it, there were now so many portals that he could barely keep up with the lasers. It took a few minutes but eventually, he was too slow and exhausted. A shot hit him in his shoulder, earning a shout of pain.

Mesmer fell to his knees, trying to stop the wound from bleeding. Sentin reappeared before him, a solemn look upon his face. The guardian stepped up to his beaten foe and raised his spear. Before the blow could be struck though, several bolts were fired into the man's chest. He gasped, then fell backwards from the impacts. Mesmer struggled to his feet, holding his blaster shakily.

"Never assume you have your opponent on the ropes, foolish guardian."

He gave an amused laugh as he stared at Sentin's body, completely motionless.

What he was not prepared for was the sudden impaling of his abdomen. As a gush of blood flew from the tyrant's throat, he gaped a the spear head protruding from his body. With utmost disbelief, he turned his head to look behind him. Sentin was at his back, holding the weapon that was now skewered through Mesmer's form. The defeated enemy's eyes shook in despair as he questioned the whole event. Sentin slowly met the being's gaze, his eyes full of determination and a fair amount of hatred.

"Never assume the enemy you're fighting has no means of deception."

Mesmer glanced back at the body of the one he had 'killed'. It was fading into the air, revealing the illusion. He had no thought but astonishment. It would be his final. Sentin activated his spear, igniting the end of the weapon red before a violent explosion vaporized Mesmer's body, leaving not even ashes. The guardian simply held his position for a moment, calming himself so as to release all of the raging anger in his mind.

It's over. The others, including Amaron, have been avenged.

The protector stood up and looked sadly back through the golden gate he had entered through. He had fulfilled his duty as a guardian, a protector of something he did not even understand. It was out of the question to think of how unfair it was. The man could not judge what was fair or not for him to know. The leader of the group was the sole individual who knew the true nature of the portal and, by extension, the strange building that was located on the other side.

Sentin remembered that he had no way to return. The rift was blocked of by his brother's final act, making sure no one else disturbed the gateway. Everyone he knew was likely dead, blown away by Mesmer's tyrannical army. He shed several tears, thinking of the friends he would never see again. His noble fellow guardians, gunned down while protecting the palace. Sentin fell to his hands and knees, dropping his spear to the ground.

There he remained, weeping at the realization that he was trapped, alone, in an empty space from which he could see no way to escape from. He didn't know how long he was stuck in his grieving. The only thing that snapped him out of his anguish was the fact that his weapon was now hovering inches from his neck.

The guardian jumped on his back, trying to scooch away from the floating spear, which followed him until he slid himself against a wall. The tip of the weapon stopped just before piercing his throat. Sentin waited, waited for whatever force was commanding the object to finish him off. After all, why live out the rest of his life on a deserted isle drifting in empty space.

To his surprise, he instead heard a voice.

"What is your business, intruder?"

The tone was demanding. Sentin shakily turned his head to look around the courtyard. There was no one. He looked closer, trying to spot the source of the voice. Still nothing.

"Up here."

The guardian tilted his head back, gazing into the air. His eyes widened at what he saw. Before him levitated a species of being he had never seen in his life. This was saying something, considering the amount of cultural studies he had performed with the guardians. This life-form had a spherical body, which supported about four pairs of arms, each one appeared delicate and ended in needle-thick fingers, four on each hand.

The creature's face was stuck in the center of his orb-shaped main body. A hostile glare was upon it as two red eyes were glued to Sentin's. The entity's lower half was concealed by a golden cloak, which accented its dark, cobalt colored skin. Looking further down, the young protector saw that there were no legs or limb whatsoever protruding from the cloth. The unknown form did not in fact even have a lower body.

"Who, what, why are you, are you going to...kill me?"

Sentin was babbling at this point. The floating being looked confused suddenly. it looked around the courtyard, noticing the damage caused by the guardian's battle with Mesmer. It spoke again.

"Replay courtyard footage 46G, time dilation of 132%"

Sentin was clueless as to who the being was talking to, but watched in amazement as holographic images began appearing around the area. They displayed Mesmer, trying to smash his way into the temple, Sentin charging at the enemy, tricking him, and finally ending his vile existence.

The holograms vanished as the recording ended. Sentin's spear fell to the ground. The guardian looked to the floating creature for an explanation. It appeared cautious.

"You. You're the one who stopped the breach?"

The protector nodded nervously. The being seemed to be studying him.

"Well, I have to say, it was impressive."

Sentin's eyes went wide as he was lifted off the ground and was brought to his feet. The entity was holding his hand up to him. The young man understood now.

"Telekinesis?"

The being nodded.

"Indeed. Useful for all the sorting and fetching."

Sentin was lost. The spherical creature snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head.

"Oh! I apologize. i never introduced myself. I am Index, archivist of the Citadel of Truth."

Index bowed in midair. Sentin's mind was blurred by all the questions that were surging. However, he managed to control himself and took a step toward the hovering archivist.

"Why did you spare my life?"

Index smiled a bit.

"It is the decree of the Citadel. Any who defend this temple without hesitation are welcome to enter it's presence. You, my friend, have earned the chance to grant your deepest desire."

Friend?

Sentin suddenly grew hope in his heart.

"Follow me, I will take you to the central chamber."

Sentin remained silent as Index escorted him up the stairs of the Citadel, a wide hall lined by blue burning torches. The archivist finally emerged into a circular room, which the guardian soon entered as well. In the core of the chamber, a blue orb sat suspended in midair, shining silently as it slowly rotated. Index turned to face his guest.

"By the way. I'm afraid I never asked your name."

The guardian bowed as his host had earlier.

"I am Sentin, guardian of the portal that leads to your temple."

He looked at the spherical being with sadness.

"The only one remaining."

Index's face softened until it was a look of pity. He hovered closer to Sentin and set one of his many arms on the man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry my friend, I understand your loss."

The two remained there for a minute, in deep solace. Then the archivist grew a hopeful smile.

"If there is no where else to go, you are free to remain here. It does get quite lonely with just the machinery."

He chuckled a bit, earning a smile from Sentin.

"We...we could be friends?"

Index widened his smile.

"Of course!"

He suddenly gave a serious stare.

"As long as you're not planning to disrupt the Citadel's activities."

Sentin was a bit frightened of the change in tone. before he could respond however, a blue glow engulfed him. Looking over, the man saw that the orb had targeted him. The feeling was strange, as if the object were peering into his very soul. he felt himself getting dizzy. The sphere suddenly turned a bright green, bathing the guardian in a healing energy. Sentin felt all of his wounds disappearing and his strength returning.

The man stood tall, feeling fully restored. Index had lost his intimidating expression, replaced by a delighted one.

"It's official then, the Citadel has seen your thoughts and decreed you worthy. Step forward and state your desire."

Sentin thought hard for a moment, wondering what the orb could give him.

"Be warned though, this power is not omnipotent, there are limits to its influence."

The guardian pondered further. After a minute, he actually smiled once again, turning to Index.

"If I may say, I do not need the orb to grant my desire. I only need to ask you one thing."

The archivist was caught off guard, staring at the man with shock. Sentin continued.

"May I accept the honor of remaining at the Citadel, acting as its unwavering protector against any who seek its power for dark purpose?"

Index remained astonished. Eventually however, he recovered his senses and floated closer to the guardian. He had an excited smile.

"You...you would accept such a task? I hope you realize my friend, this job requires you to never leave the temple again. I would hate to condemn you to the same fate as myself."

Sentin bowed once more.

"And I would hate to leave you to your fate all by yourself. Would it not be better for both of us to stick together?"

He held out his hand. Index took a moment, then used one of his delicate appendages to shake the larger one offered to him. His face was full of joy.

"To think, after countless cycles of being alone on this wondrous place, I finally have a companion to share its knowledge with."

Index had a few tears in his eyes.

"I am forever in your debt Sentin, you have given what the Citadel could never grant me."

The towering man was in disbelief. Before, he had nothing, now, he was being given a second chance to protect not only his sworn duty, but his friends. This time, he would not fail, that was his promise to the universe. There were however, many questions left unanswered.

"What do your mean by cycle?"

Index hovered over and placed an arm around Sentin's shoulders. He motioned for the man to walk with him as he opened a nearby door that lead into an archive.

"My friend, you have much to learn..."

Just so you guys know, the main purpose of these stories is now to provide any 'in-depth' information that you might be wondering about certain characters and events in COT. For this reason, feel free to request anything you can think of in a review or PM, then I'll see if I can make an entry for it for you to enjoy.

(Sorry if this wasn't that good. I'll admit it was rushed due to my job.)

Thanks for your support and input. Later.

next entry:The Archivist