Guardian(Part II): Soulborne

Chapter 1: Nato

I dreamed about him again. The white-haired child. Ever since I went to the Ana-Dular, a week ago, I feel like I see him all the time in my dreams, no matter what else they're about. I couldn't tell why. I had never seen him before. He seemed to be around my age, and wore the leather cuirass of a Guardian Knight Captain of the Ranger class. Was that our connection? We were both Guardians? No, it couldn't be, otherwise I would be having dreams about every Guardian. Was it our age? I was twelve, and he was clearly no older. When I had more and more of these dreams, I began to sense something. I couldn't tell what it was, but it was immensely powerful. It was coming from the west, which would be a problem. I was in Hearth, the capital of Roah, in the Middle World. West was all there was. It could have been from this other Guardian. Major Erwick, the Oracle of the Middle World's Guardians, would have some idea of what was going on. He had already told me that part of a Guardian's soul would show them terrifying visions of a possible future in order to tell them that it was possible to prevent it. I needed to know exactly what was going on. Even though it was late, I went out of my solar and found Major Erwick's meditation chamber. The doors to the room opened as I lifted my hand to their handle. He was inside.

"Enter, Captain," Major Erwick invited. "What troubles you?"

"I don't really know how to explain it, sir," I answered. "Something draws me west."

"West," said Major Erwick. "That's not exactly helpful."

"I know," I agreed. "But it grows stronger the more I dream about this white-haired boy. I don't know why. I've never met him."

"Then maybe they are not dreams," Erwick guessed. "They could be visions of the future."

"So, I'll eventually meet the white-haired boy," I concluded.

"It's possible," said Erwick. "It's also possible that you and this other child are somehow connected? Is there anything about yourself that you believe would help? Any detail helps."

"Well, I was raised by the Monks of Qonghai," I answered. "They trained me to harness my own power, like the Guardians, but in a different way."

"So, that's why you're more powerful," Erwick realized. "You were already aura-sensitive!"

"But I wasn't born aura-sensitive," I said. "I have a feeling this boy is."

"When you told me that you were being drawn west, did you mean directly west?" Major Erwick questioned.

"Now that you mention it, it is coming from more of a west-northwest direction," I answered. "So, that would be..."

"Somewhere in Western Euradon," Major Erwick concluded.

"Again, not specific," I chuckled. "What should I do, Major?"

Before he could answer, the alarm suddenly began to blare, echoing through the halls. An aura of darkness suddenly appeared, from every direction. I was no stranger to it. They were Turned. I turned around to walk out of Major Erwick's chamber, but I felt his hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.

"You must leave," he ordered. "Now."

"What?" I gasped. "What about Hearth?"

"Your path lies elsewhere," Major Erwick reminded. "Go west. Find the white-haired child."

I wanted to stay and defend Hearth, but if Major Erwick was right, then this boy in my visions needed me as much as Hearth's people. If I was seeing this boy every time I slept, it was for a reason. I needed to find him.

"Go through the secret door at the base of the tower," Erwick instructed. "Do not stop until you are beyond the city walls."

"Yes, sir," I complied. I went down the stairs of the tower to reach the secret door that led away from the courtyard. Instead, it led to the side of the tower that faced the western wall of Hearth. My objective was the northern section of the wall. That would get me to Southern Euradon, and then I could go directly west. The Godstream of Roah that ran through the middle of Hearth, though frozen, would lead me to Roah's very northern tip. As I descended further down the stairway, I felt the entire Guardian tower tremble. Dust fell began to fall from the ceiling as I reached the bottom of the staircase, into the hallway leading to the courtyard. The walls must have been breached. The Turned would be swarming through the walls, now. I heard the sounds of guns firing and swords clashing. Explosions began to erupt from just outside the building. The battle outside must have been intense. I made my way to the secret passage of the tower, and through to a street that faced the Godstream of Roah. A squad of a dozen soldiers of Roah were behind barricades, firing rifles downrange at charging Turned riflemen. The Turned were behind black-armored shield bearers that protected the riflemen, who killed the Roahian soldiers one by one. Once the Roahians were dead, the six shield bearers and six riflemen began to advance forward. They only took a few steps forward before the riflemen trained their rifles on me.