CHAPTER XXI: THE GUARDIAN
The chosen day came. I was prepared to begin my last battle.
Ominous thundering could be heard throughout the cathedral, as if an enormous creature was walking somewhere nearby. It became darker – strange goo-like liquid covered the windows, one by one. Just before complete darkness could settle in, some of the candles were lit by an unknown force, filling the great hall with their eerie glow. At that moment, just as the two men were wondering what to do, a distorted chorus of many voices thundered through the emptiness...
"Who dares enter our sanctum? Who dares seek the secrets, which were forbidden and buried, destined never to fall into human hands ever again? Two humans we sense here... two humans shall find their deaths at the hands of our elite guard..."
Just as the voices faded away, metallic clanking was heard from the other side of the hall – as if a legion of metal-footed soldiers was steadily marching towards the marines. Major Boyd gasped with surprise when he saw the approaching enemy – they looked like the ancient knights that he had seen on pictures. Their bodies were clad in metal armor, horned helms, and stout steel swords. Their faces were distorted by cruel grins from the dark pleasure of causing suffering. The voices erupted once again:
"Greet the Death Knights... and die screaming!"
Kyle raised the shotgun and pointed it at the unexpected enemies. He knew his shooting would be more efficient from close range, and he hoped the Major would be able to considerably reduce their numbers with one precise BFG shot.
"Major Boyd, they only have melee weapons. One shot from your little toy could wipe out nearly all of them."
"Agreed Harlan... just let them come a bit closer."
The marines were quite shocked to discover that the knights had something more than melee weapons – they performed strange movements with their swords, unleashing bolts of flaming energy. Fortunately, they were too far to do any harm to the two marines. The bolts dispersed in several directions from the point of origin – an indeed dangerous weapon, as proved by the burned holes they left in the walls.
"Major, sir... we have to do something fast... these are not quite easy to dodge!"
"Clever bastards... here, take that!"
The BFG hummed gently before it spewed forth the burning orb of plasma and anti-matter. It fell right into the center of the center of the group of advancing knights, instantly wiping out more than half of their numbers. The corpses, with their armors half-melted, were thrown across the hall in all directions. The survivors immediately regrouped and retreated to the walls, moving through the shadows beneath the blackened windows. They were coming from two directions, approaching the marines with their deadly blades prepared to rend the flesh of the intruders.
"I can take care for one of the two groups... but you will have to deal with the others," the Major hissed.
"No problem, sir... let them come, I have something for them."
The Major aimed at the shadow to the right and unleashed another orb of blazing destruction. The loud crash and the ceasing of the clanking from that direction was the indication of an accurate shot – by that time, however, the other group, from the left, was already preparing to jump at Kyle. The Corporal saluted the first of the warriors with a blast from his sawed-off, which ripped out the whole front armor plate and sent the enemy flying towards the wall. He had just reloaded when he had to shoot once again to dispatch another attacker. Kyle had to fight in perfect synchrony – aim, shoot, reload, and repeat quickly. He jumped back as two attackers tried to stab him. One of them fell to the shotgun, the other was mauled by the Major's heavy BFG, used as a bashing device. The final knight unleashed another volley of projectiles, which damaged Kyle's helmet. He took it off quickly and gave one final shot, which sent the assailant into oblivion.
"This wasn't so bad," Kyle uttered, still trying to catch his breath.
"Yes... and the BFG still has a good supply of energy in the cell... They make them better and better with each passing month."
"True, sir... but now... now what?"
The hall was completely quiet after the sudden attack – there was blood splattered over the floor and the walls, as well as a burned spot on the floor where the first BFG orb hit. The marines went a few steps forward and stopped near the center of the hall. Just then, the flames of the candles started to wane, as if suffocated by an invisible force. In the gloom, the silence was even more eerie. Kyle held still and stared in the twilight. He felt that there was something not quite right at work. The Major looked around nervously too – as if he had felt it too. It was not like the presence of the knights... there was something, tangibly evil and concealed. They could almost sense it. Just as Kyle wanted to ask the Major about the plan to proceed, he noticed something very subtle... like a movement of a shadow.
Without hesitation, he raised the shotgun and shot right into the empty space in front of his boots. His suit was instantly covered with bloodstains and something heavy fell on the floor dead. Kyle did not have to warn the Major – the experienced marine made a swift swing with the heavy BFG, which hit something else, stunning it enough to allow Kyle another shot.
After they were killed, the creatures' invisibility started to fade away, revealing the features of two rather gruesome beasts. Their skin was pale, mouths filled with sharp teeth, and their arms... they ended not with hands or claws, but with what looked like sharpened sticks, excellent for tearing flesh or eviscerating the victim in one move. And they were completely invisible – not like the blurring effect that demonic blur artifacts could achieve. Their whole bodies, except the eyes, were shrouded. It was exactly the movement of the tiny eyes that Kyle had noticed.
"Good that you have such keen eyesight, Harlan... these fiends could have killed us real fast. In this gloom, I would not have noticed them."
"Yes... I guess I was lucky. Damn, what are those things? Such twisted bodies... these are not demons; I have never before seen such a race of beings."
"They come from the Elder Worlds, human," the Gatekeeper's voice emerged, faint and somewhat distant, "They were enchanted with the power of a Ring of Shadows, which made them invisible... except the eyes. Making the eyes invisible as well would make any creature blind."
Kyle was startled for a second – he had forgotten about their demonic ally. Now that he had calmed down, he realized that the magi had probably brought some creatures from their ancient home domain. He definitely hoped he would not meet any more of these abominations. They had survived two attacks, but it still remained to be seen what that Guardian could be. He still had ammo, but he did not know how much would be needed. The Major took yet another look at the room, which had become lit again. It was probably time to go on.
The marines finally reached the gates at the end of the hall. Beyond them was another, much shorter, but offering a sight that made both marines stop.
The room opened into the void of space – beyond a certain line was a gaping hole, through which stars, galaxies and the infinite blackness of space could be seen – like a window. Both men felt fear before this sight – expecting to be sucked into the vacuum at any moment. But it just stayed there... like a dimensional anomaly, blocking the path.
"What in the world is this, Harlan? Have you seen anything like this before?"
"No, sir, I have no idea... It looks like a trap or an illusion to keep us away. It is hard to guess..."
The distant voice of the Gatekeeper appeared once again.
"Be very careful, humans... so far you have done well, but now you will encounter the Guardian. You will be safe for now. But once you cross the red line..."
As the voice faded, Kyle noticed a red line drawn through the center of the room and pointed it to the Major. They were not sure what it was, but it was certain that it would unleash something. Something unpleasant.
The windows of this new room were clean and the two men advanced cautiously under the dim light of the Martian sky. The door once again closed behind the marines, and a loud click announced that it was locked.
Major Boyd was not at all fond of being continuously locked in weird rooms, filled with traps. He felt it was high time to finish the job and go back to Io.
"So, Guardian," the Major uttered, "Come out, you overgrown pig with horns, or whatever you are! I am waiting."
As if in response, the sight of outer space in front of him started to twist and blur. The image itself started to shrink, revealing the backside of the hall. The dimensional anomaly shrunk even more, and its shape changed – it resembled something that looked like a humanoid figure – crowned with ominous-looking horns and two glowing spots that looked like eyes. Slowly, the visage of the void started to disappear, replaced by the sight of a creature clad in white robe. Within its hood, there was no face – the emptiness of space and its stars could still be seen where the head was supposed to be. It just stood, without moving, barring the way to what seemed to be the final door at the other end of the hall – a door made of glowing and translucent crystal.
Major Boyd and Corporal Harlan figured out that the creature would not attack unless the line was crossed. What worried them was that they had no idea what kind of attack this Guardian would use against them. There was only one way to find out...
With their weapons prepared and aimed, the two marines simultaneously crossed the red line. The creature responded with a blood-chilling shriek and raised its skeletal arms, twisting them in arcane gestures. What followed was something they had never even imagined.
Kyle fell to the floor, pressed by a sensation he had never felt before – it was as if he was being drained of all energy. His muscles ached, his vision blurred, and he felt sleepy. He focused on the situation, just as he did in times where fatigue threatened to overwhelm him in Hell. He raised the shotgun and emptied it into the creature. The pellets hit it without causing any visible damage. Damn!
The Major had fallen to his knees as well, fighting against the sudden weakness and drowsiness. Various thoughts raced through his head... including images from the past. It was as if the damn thing was trying to suck out his memories too! It was draining both men's energy, devouring it into the endless void that swirled under the hood.
Kyle could barely find the strength to speak, as all of his joints felt stiff and aching.
"Sir... it is desperate... overload it... give it an over... load..."
Despite the ringing in his ears and the blurred thoughts, the Major heard and understood. He could see that even the energy supply of the BFG was being drained away by the Guardian... still there was enough energy for what Kyle had in mind. That is, if he were able to do it precisely.
Mobilizing the last remnants of his strength, Major Boyd stood up, aimed the BFG at the opening in the hood, and pressed the trigger. He held it – the weapon charge was building up, drawing closer to the level where the weapon would overcharge and explode in his hands. His old soldier reflexes could not be drained away by any creature – in the precise moment, milliseconds before the BFG would explode, he released the trigger. A projectile, worth almost the entire cell pack's energy supply, flew towards the Guardian.
What followed was a powerful blast that left both marines deafened. Scorching heat and unbearable green light bathed the two men and they fell unconscious on the floor.
When the Major awakened, he saw Kyle, sitting by the wall, smiling and whistling some tune. The sense of being drained was gone, and so was a large portion of the floor where the Guardian had stood. The desperate maneuver had succeeded. Most marines in the academy always said that it was impossible to launch the "ideal maximum power BFG shot," but he had just done exactly that.
Done it... at a price. Several blinking red lights on the BFG indicated that the cell pack had melted, the plasma cores were burned... it was not usable anymore... except maybe as a very heavy club.
Kyle did not say anything. He just approached the Major and shook his hand – a sign of the deep respect that he was filled with after all he had just witnessed. They were ready to go beyond the last doors, as the Guardian was defeated.
As they approached the crystal gate, the chorus of the long dead Dark Magi's voices sounded one last time:
"You have succeeded, mortals, and we cannot stop you from claiming the Serenity, Eternity and Infinity, but what you achieved is not victory. The artifacts that lie beyond that door can only bring pain and sorrow to you and your kind. You are already doomed... for the one who twists reality will betray you in the end."
The marines had heard enough vague threats for one day. They disregarded the warning and pushed the doors. Beyond them, the circular chamber was small but its ceiling was very high. Enormous windows took up most of the walls, and the walls were covered with black marble. In the chamber's center stood a small triangular table, made from black wood that looked like ebony. On the table rested the artifacts that the marines had come to claim – three tomes. One had covers of iron, another had covers of tarnished silver, and the third had covers of gold. They could feel that these tomes were supernatural and contained tremendous power. Something dark and cold swirled around them, creating the sensation of some dark presence.
These were the mythical Essences of Death. Kyle stepped forth and claimed them.