Myst: Rise of the Guardian

Chapter 3

I wake up and stare at the ceiling. I had a crazy dream last night. In the dream an old man comes to me and offers to train me so that I can be ready for what is coming. He calls me the last of my kind and the best hope for the world.

According to, let's call him Bob, I have a secret blood line that has existed since the dawn of time. This bloodline has served to keep evil in check and that it was up to those with this blood line to fight and defend their homeland when evil arose.

Maybe I shouldn't have had that extra beer last night.

I got up out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for my day. I have got to figure out what happened to Henrys parents and what he meant by me leaving town.

I turn on the television and the news catches my attention.

"A major earthquake has stuck the city of Manara. The total amount of lives lost is currently unknown, but reports are coming in stating that they are expecting it to be in the thousands."

"Wow" I said aloud. Manara is only a few hours from here. It is one of the larger cities in the area. Legend says that the city was built to guard the prison of the Outsider's.

The news report continues, "The city is in total ruin. What use to be a thriving metropolis has now became a wasteland. We have our local expert on earthquakes with us...."

At this point I turned the television off and sit on the couch. All those lives lost in a blink of an eye. I felt sorry for their families.

I got up and grabbed me something to eat and walked out of the house towards town. I better go get some food before everyone freaks out and buys the store out.

The village was full of chatter. Everyone was telling stories about what they heard on the news and what they thought it was all about. As I neared the grocery store I hear someone calling my name.

"John!"

I turn my head and see Beth running towards me. She is a beautiful woman. Her golden brown hair falls down to the back of her shoulders. She isn't real tall and she had a small frame to her body. But don't piss her off. She may look little but the last guy I seen to piss her off ended up laying flat on his back, holding his jaw, wondering what just happened.

"John!" She said again.

"Hey Beth. What are you up to?"

"Have you heard the news?" She replied.

"I think the whole town has heard the news. I heard everyone talking about it on my way over here."

"That's why I came to the store" she said "I wanted to get here before all the crazies come and buy the store out."

I chuckled a little bit "That was my reason for coming. Great minds think alike I guess."

She smiled faintly and asked me if I wanted company while I shopped. I told her I would be delighted and we walked inside.

As we shopped I wondered if she knew about Henrys visit it town.

"Hey Beth, did you get a chance to see Henry while he was here yesterday?"

Her, Henry, and me had always been a tight group of friends. Where there was one you could find the other. If someone other than family would have seen him while he was here, it would have been her.

She gave me a surprised look and lowered her head in thought, "Yes, I ran into him when he was headed to the diner."

Beth never had much of a poker face. I could always tell that she had a crush on Henry and she has had one since I can remember. But Henry was always focused on his goals. Yes he dated here and there but he never wanted anything serious and he never noticed Beths affection towards him.

"So what did you all have to talk about?" I asked in order to break the silence and to see if he told her what he told me.

"He said he wanted to stop by before he left and see us because he didn't know how long he was going to be gone." She replied as she was checking the date of the milk.

"Oh did he say where his parents went?" I asked.

She looked up at me in surprise.

"Are they not at home?" She said as her big brown eyes stared at me curiously and then I noticed the curiosity change into understanding. "Did Henry say anything to you before he left?"

I knew what she was asking me. She wanted to know if I also got the warning from Henry. She was trying to get me to say something without her having to break his trust.

"Only the usual. But I could see something was wrong and it seems he may have told you what it was." I stated matter of factly.

"He told you didn't he. You forget that I know how your brain works John. He told you to leave town just like he told me and just like he told his parents. But it only seems like they are taking him seriously."

"I don't know how to take what he said." I rebutted "But I am really starting to wonder if he really did want us to leave town."

Beth thought for a second.

"Henry did know something and he couldn't come out and tell us what he knew. But he couldn't just leave here without warning us, his two best friends, somehow."

I looked at her and wondered when she got so smart. I always had a talent at reading people and I could always apply that to what was happening around them to figure out what was wrong. But she always looked past the obvious. I found myself smiling at her wondering when she got so smart.

"What are you going to do?" I finally asked.

"I think I'm going to go pack up some things and leave town for awhile. Maybe I will go to Lexicon and spend time with my relatives there. What about you?"

"I think I need to go to my tree and think some things over. I have a lot to process and figure out what I am going to do next."

She shook her head and offered me a chance to go with her. I told her no and she gave me directions to her relatives house in case I changed my mind.

With that we went our own ways. Her to go pack and leave tonight and me to go home and unload these groceries.

_______________________________________

Thanks for reading! Please remember to vote.