The Woodland Visitor Ch 24: Rocare
#26 of The Woodland Visitor
The Woodland Visitor Ch 24:
Rocare
AUTHORS NOTE: I apologize to everyone for the delay in getting this out. I will not make an excuse on why it is late because there is none. I know how frustrating it is when you follow a story and the author just stops writing. I don't want to be that author.
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Columbus, Ohio, The last place on earth I thought I would be. But yet I was drawn to this area and I knew why. As I made my way out of the airport into the bitter cold of late November I couldn't help but to think about the last time I was in the cold. I hated it then, and I still hate it. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath I flagged down a taxi and made my way to the hotel.
* * * * *
The bar was set back off the main strip. A quiet little establishment that not too many people knew about so wasn't overly crowded.
A lone figure walked through the door causing the patrons to look up briefly before returning to what they were doing. Looking around, he took in the atmosphere before making his way over to the bar and having a seat.
"What can I get you?"
"Double Glenlivet on the rocks."
The bartender turned and poured the drink and set it down. Paying for the drink the figure took a sip and watched as the bartender turned to another customer at the other end of the bar.
The figure set the drink back down on the bar and looking down at it softly said. "Hello Rocare."
A gruff looking biker setting to his right smiled. "Hello Danteai. I was wondering when I would see you. It's been a long time you know."
"Yea it has been hasn't it? How are you doing? Destroyed any planets lately?"
I heard a soft chuckle before he replied. "You tell me. I have a feeling that you had something to do with the fact that there was only one guardian there."
"You know I can't let you continue."
"You know I won't let you stop me either."
"You have no choice, I will stop you." Danteai replied.
"Why don't you join me? You know we could rule the guardians. With the father out of the way we could make our own rules. Create life like it should be created."
"You know only the tree can create life."
"No I don't, and you don't know that either. That old dipshit has you so whipped that you don't even question it. When are you going to stop letting them control you?"
"They don't 'control' me. What I do, I do because it's the right thing to do."
"The right thing?" he hissed. "Was the right thing to not help Sharnah? No one lifted a finger to help her. The tree didn't even attempt to bring her back. Tell me, is that the right thing? Is the right thing to take away the one thing that meant everything to me? To utterly destroy my hopes and dreams?"
Danteai was still looking down into his glass when he replied in a gentle voice. "The tree could no more bring her back than I could. You know we would never have put you through this if we could have changed things. You know there was nothing to work with. There was nothing left, everything was destroyed. I wish it were different but it isn't."
He jumped up and shouted. "Bull shit, you didn't even try."
Danteai looked around and saw that everyone was staring at us. Rocare looked up following his gaze. He waved his hand and everyone just seemed to lose interest in us. "You just gave up like everyone else. I'll never forgive you for that."
"Believe me, I wanted to help but I couldn't. There was nothing I could do."
"For that, I've sworn to kill you."
"I know, I wish things could have been different."
"So do I. I used to enjoy it when we would get together. Remember the fun we used to have?"
"I'm sorry, I can't remember anything. I haven't been able to remember anything about who I was."
Rocare turned to Danteai. "You can't? Look at me." Danteai turned to him and looked into his eyes. "You can't remember it." He reached up and placed his hand on the side of Danteai's head. It was as if bright fireworks went off. he saw a bright flash then images started to flood his mind.
The flood gates had been opened and the memories that his human mind had suppressed came flooding back. He suddenly remembered it all, from the first day in front of the father until now. He saw it all, including how he died. He saw his body lying there battered and bleeding. He saw Rocare standing over him. He saw the tears slide down his face as he reached out for the dragon stone that was Danteai.
He watched as there was a bright flash and his stone disappeared leaving Rocare looking around confused. With a howl of anguish Rocare turned and stomped off.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it. I just wanted to stop you from going after me. When you were lying there I couldn't believe it. I just wanted it to be undone. I thought if I could reunite your heart with your spirit, that we could be friends. It seems that I wasn't meant to do that. When your stone disappeared, I thought you were lost forever. The last person who understood me. I don't know what happened after that except that you were gone. Just like Sharnah was."
"But I'm not gone. I'm right here. Come with me. We'll go talk to the father and we can once again protect the life we were sworn to protect."
"It's too late for me. When you died and I could do nothing to bring you back, I could feel myself change. I've destroyed too many lives to go back. I... I've killed too many guardians to stop. I can do this though." He reached down beside his stool and picked up a briefcase that sat there. "I would like you to have this. I have a feeling that one way or another, I'm not going to need it anymore. I want you to have it."
Danteai took the briefcase and set it on the bar. Slowly he opened it and viewed its contents. Inside nestled within foam cushioning were seven Dragon Stones. Seven guardians that never made it, seven brothers and sisters that had fallen to Rocare. Slowly he closed the briefcase and turned back to him only to find the stool was empty with no sign of him anywhere.
Standing up he took the briefcase and his newly unleashed memories out into the night.
* * * * *
He was being followed. He could sense someone behind him wanting to get the briefcase. He thought that whatever was in it could make him rich. Turning Danteai made my way over to a construction site not far from the bar he was in earlier. Waving his hand, the entrance gate unlocked and swung open allowing him entrance.
Once inside he took his natural form and waited. A minute later his follower stuck his head inside and slowly followed it.
Danteai grabbed him in his claw, picking him up and holding him in front of his face. He could smell the fear in him as he realized what had a hold of him. Indeed, it smelled as if he had filled his pants with fear.
"You know they say crime doesn't pay." Danteai rumbled to him. "Hard work does. Now go clean yourself up and find a job." Danteai set him back down and watched as he quickly ran from the construction site.
A few seconds later he emerged and made his way back to the hotel. His mind was in turmoil. He wanted to help Rocare and reunite the guardians. But then again He knew there was nothing he could do.
He was lost to us.
* * * * *
Without even thinking or knowing that I did it, I found myself opening the door to my house and watched as Sienna came running over to me and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her to me. Looking down into her eyes I could see a spark, a seed awaiting the day it would sprout. The power of a guardian awaiting the knowledge to utilize it.
I lead her into the living room and sat her down on the couch. "I want to try something. A little experiment if you will." I took the next half hour to explain to her about the armor I had displayed during the last meeting.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Call it a hunch I have."
"A hunch, what do you mean?"
"You understand how I called the armor?" She nodded her head. "I want you to close your eyes. Now just for my own peace of mind, I want you to call the armor as if you could do it."
"But why?"
"Please, just do it this one time for me."
"Alright."
I watched her for a minute before a blue liquid began to flow from every part of her body covering it up. "Picture how the armor looked.
Picture the head, the body. I want you to have the same except make yours to look as if it had a bluish tint to it instead of being the chrome like mine was." The armor solidified around her forming the exact replica of mine except the color.
I stood there in awe as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at me. "What's the matter? Why you staring at me like that?"
I shook my head then taking her hand, I pulled her up to a standing position. Gently I steered her over to the mirror and watched as she stared at her reflection in shock.
"It... it's... but how?"
"When I stared into your eyes earlier, I saw something in them. Something that was familiar yet not you. It took me a second to figure out what it was. The essence of a guardian. The core from where we all get our power, the seed if you will from the tree of life. It only took me a second to figure out what it meant."
"That I'm a guardian?"
"No, the heart isn't there but something else is. Now it all falls into place. I bet if I look into the rest of the pack I'll find the same thing in them. It means that you have some of the powers that I do. It means that this fight just got more interesting."
"But... how do I remove it?"
Caressing the dragon head I smiled. "Just close your eyes and do the reverse of calling it." I watched the eyes on the helmet close then begin to melt and flow back into her body. When it was gone I leaned in and softly kissed her lips. Her eyes fluttered open briefly before she leaned into the kiss and closed them again.
I held her for what seemed like hours but in reality was only a few minutes before I released her. Looking down into her eyes this time I saw a hint of uncertainty in them. Slowly I brought her back over to the couch and sat down, pulling her down to sit on my lap. Pulling her tight against me, she nuzzled her head into my chest and looked up at me.
"You have nothing to fear from this. Indeed it's a blessing."
"A blessing?"
"You have the essence of a guardian. It is the very core that we are made of. Without it we are mortal. But add to it our heart, mind and soul and we are the caretakers of life."
"What does that mean? I could be a guardian?"
"Potentially, only the Tree of Life can give you the essence and only the tree of life can make you a guardian. But long ago, before this planet was seeded with life there were some mortal creatures that were given the essence of a guardian. They became our allies, our "Guardian Knights" because of this. Creatures who believed in what the guardians stood for who would help keep evil in check. You by the grace of the Tree of Life have become a Guardian Knight."
"I... I still don't understand what it means or why I was given this essence."
"What does it mean? It means that if I look I believe that the Wolf Pack has become the first Guardian Knights to be seen in over nine hundred trillion years your time. It means that the tree of life has seen what we are up against and is helping us the best way she can. It means that Rocare isn't as much of a threat as he thinks he is."
"I'm scared."
"Why?"
"I don't wanna change. I wanna be me."
"Silly little doe. Close your eyes." Sienna looked up at him. "Close your eyes for me." She closed her eyes. "Take a deep breath." She did as he asked. "Now tell me, do you feel any different?"
"No."
"Has your thoughts changed? Has your heart changed? Are you thinking any different?"
"No."
"And you won't. This gift doesn't change you. You will always be you. You will ALWAYS be the beautiful doe I fell in love with, the doe that I want to be with, the doe that I love with all my heart and soul." As Tom said the last word he kissed her on the end of her nose and watched her slowly open her eyes. He could see the fear and uncertainty were gone from her eyes, replaced with her pure love for him.
She leaned up and kissed him back with more and more passion until she had to part to breathe. Then wrapping her arms around him she lay her head upon his chest and gave off a contented sigh.
* * * * *
Several hours later the WolfPack was assembled in a field a little ways away from the village wondering what was going on. Tom took a minute to look over each member of the WolfPack. A smile crossed his face as he saw the essence shining in each of their eyes. Turning he made a gesture as he bowed his head. Quietly he whispered, "Thank you sacred mother of life."
When he lifted his head he was about to speak when Steve said, "Since when did you become religious Tom?"
Everyone laughed at the outburst and when it quieted back down Tom replied. "Since I found out some information that has changed everything." He held out his hand and Sienna passed the briefcase to him. Slowly he opened it up and showed everyone what was inside. The foam that lined the case had twelve indentations in it and seven of them held gems. Not any ordinary gem though. Each gem was about four inches across but only a half inch thick and deep red in color.
"I told you what happens when a guardian dies."
There was a gasp from those assembled and Tamanae asked in a quiet and shaky voice. "Is that..." Xelinia and Clair had their mouths covered in shock and Diane turned burying her head in Duvole's chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Yes. Seven brothers and sisters that Rocare has taken from us." Holding the briefcase in one hand, Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out another stone. "Tanya was also a guardian." He placed the stone in an empty slot then pulled out another stone from his pocket. "As was Pearl. Nine brothers and sisters. Nine Guardians, Rocare has killed. Nine protectors of life, that are not around. But... the Tree of Life has answered Rocare's challenge. She has not created any more Guardians, but she has blessed some creatures to become the ancient assistants of the Guardians known as Guardian Knights."
"Guardian Knights?" Steve asked.
"Yes, A Guardian Knight was a creature who believed in helping those who needed help. Who wouldn't back down because they were outnumbered. Those who could adapt to protect life. Those who the tree found worthy of such a gift." Tom motioned for Sienna to come forward.
"Each knight had been granted the life essence of a Guardian. Within that essence was some of the powers of the Guardians. The ability to create guardian armor was one."
Sienna suddenly was covered in a blue substance which seemed to seep from her very pores. When she was completely covered it began to twist and bend until an exact replica of Tom's armor was formed except it was blue.
"They also had the ability to summon a weapon that they could wield, even if they never seen that weapon before or used one. It would be a weapon best suited to their form... A weapon created from their very essence... A weapon that they alone could control with the upmost precision and skill. When they closed their eyes, the weapon that they could best wield would appear in a vision. By holding out their hand they could call it forth."
Everyone watched as the armor Sienna wore slowly began to move. The eyes closed and the head bowed down as if in concentration. Slowly she lifted her hand away from her body and turned her palm down to the ground. A light glow surrounded her hand at the same time as it appeared on the ground under it.
The grass seemed to flow and sway as the glow intensified. No one could take their eyes away from the ground as the grass seemed to draw back from whatever was pushing through it. Soon a double bladed battle ax came floating up to Sienna's palm and she curled her fingers around it. Turning she set the handle on the ground with the blades resting beside her.
The ax itself was something out of a fantasy movie. Each blade was about a foot and a half long and six inches thick with what appeared as ancient writing running in an arc parallel to the blades. The handle was of a material the likes which none of the pack had ever seen before. It appeared to be made of pure ivory with darker swirls that seemed to flow around the handle.
Sienna turned and walked to a spot about seventy feet away from the group and stood as if she were an ancient knight guarding a doorway. Tom turned back to the group.
"Guardian Knights were the most feared and trusted allies against evil. They were the pinnacle of hope for those who fought for what was right. They were what nightmares were created from for those who fought for evil. They were feared for their courage in battle. They were feared for their dedication to the preservation of life. They were feared for their ferocity in combat. They were believed to be immortal."
Slowly Tom pulled out a fifty caliber pistol. "But mostly they were feared for two things. The first was their armor." Turning quickly, Tom began shooting Sienna where she stood and to everyone's amazement the bullets just bounced right off the armor, not even causing her to flinch. "Which was almost impervious to mortal weapons. And second," Tom said as he holstered the pistol, "was their weapon itself. A weapon which was so attuned to their being that it appeared to be an extension of their own body."
Sienna turned and made two slashes at a tree that stood next to her. Both cuts appeared to have missed as she walked around behind the trunk. Everyone watched in amazement as a piece of the trunk slowly slid out and landed on the ground. As the tree began its trek to the ground, Sienna started spinning the ax as if it were a baton and she was in a parade. Then, as if she were shot from a cannon, she jumped onto the trunk of the tree and began running up towards the top spinning the ax the whole time.
Upon reaching the top she jumped backwards doing a flip and landed beside tom. She had one leg bent while the other was straight out behind her and a hand on the ground to keep her balance. The hand with the ax was held straight out to her side keeping the ax parallel to the ground.
Everyone watched in awe then utter amazement as a couple of seconds later the tree crashed to the ground and seemed to break apart. Chunks of the trunk rolled in every direction slowly coming to rest as the tree finally settled down.
Sienna slowly stood up and stepped over to Tom. Standing there she bowed her head and everyone looked on as the ax slowly faded away and the armor receded to wherever it had come from. Tom reached an arm out and placing it around her shoulders, drew her in for a kiss before just holding her.
"So how many of these Guardian Knights are around?" Steve asked. "And how do we find them? Cause I mean I think we're going to need all the help we can get." Everyone shook their heads in agreement.
"I have already contacted them and asked them to meet with me so they can understand the changes in the game."
"So where are they?" Tamanae asked.
"Think about it. Guardian Knights were those that believed in helping others. They wouldn't back down from a challenge. They would always adapt to any situation. They were loyal to each other making them the most feared fighters in existence." There was a gasp from the group as Diane looked up.
"Are you saying that..." She looked around almost as if she was afraid to finish her thought. Then looking back at Tom continued. "That we're these Guardian Knight's that you told us of?"
Tom walked over to Diane and with a smile he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head up to look him in the eyes. "Close your eyes. Picture the ultimate suit of armor. Something that you could see yourself wearing, if possible. Picture the color... the feel... the texture of it. Now picture what it would feel like to be encased in the armor. To be protected by something that comes from your very soul. Something that you would create to combat any evil. Something that is an extension of you."
Slowly everyone watched in amazement as the same liquid that had covered Sienna appeared on Diane and began to cover her. The only difference was this liquid was red and black swirling and rolling as it covered her. Slowly it settled down and took on the appearance of the armor I had seen once in a video game. It was futuristic in appearance and had a large helmet with a broad faceplate.
Steve walked over and slowly circled Diane. Then with a smile on his face he rapped his knuckles on the top of the helmet and said, "I thought you didn't like that game."
Diane turned towards Tom then looked back at Steve. At least Tom assumed she was looking at him, you couldn't see anything through the gold reflective faceplate. She reached a hand out and wrapped her fingers in Steve's jacket. Slowly Steve was lifted off his feet. "I lied." Was all she said before setting him back down.
"Alright chief, let's get back to the point" Tom said smiling. "Yes, I did contact everyone I knew of that had the spark of a guardian." He looked at everyone around him. "Yes, the tree had selected the best of the best to fight this evil. And yes... to a person you answered the call. Now it is up to you. Will you accept this challenge and avenge our fallen comrades? OUR brothers and sisters who no longer can fulfill their destiny?"
Steve walked up to Tom and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not gonna say I speak for everybody when I say this, although I think we know what their answer will be. When you joined the Wolf Pack, you became my comrade, my friend... my brother. Since then we have fought evil on many battlegrounds. Evil that was hidden behind many faces. That knew no bounds in their attempts to rein terror. This... is just another face of that same evil. I did not give up on you then, I will not... give up on you now. And if there is ever a day that I may be granted the opportunity, I will be the first one to drop to my knees and thank the tree of life for allowing me to continue to fight at your side. My brother."
Tom reached up and clasped Steve's hand, unable to say anything in return. One by one the rest of the Wolf Pack placed their hands between them and looked up to Tom expectantly.
"Thank you my brothers." He quietly said, and then in a clear voice he spoke the magic words. "To the gates of hell and back..."
"That son of a bitch had better watch out for the Wolf Pack!" Steve said. Everyone broke out in laughter.
Tom stepped back and watched everyone talking about what these changes would bring, what it meant to them and what they might face next. Out of the group a lone figure walked up and leaned over towards him.
In a low voice they spoke to him. "I just have one question. How do I take this thing off..."