The Blood Of The Gatekeeper - Chapter 1 Qawiun

In the mystical world called Deracht.

King Lig called Prince Nabih, headmaster of the warrior academy.

“Your Majesty, you called for me?” The headmaster bowed.

“Choose the best warrior you’ve trained in the academy. Send that warrior to Earth and make him the guardian of that newly born girl from the Gatekeeper family.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Headmaster checked the list inside his office. His son was the top one. “I won’t let him go and live with those low-level beings and waste his years as a warrior. It will only hamper his growth and ruined him with promiscuous Earth women. Hmm, who shall I send then?” He ran through the list and caught his attention on the name second to the last, Qawiun. The first Guardian’s name of the first Gatekeeper.

“This Qawiun will do. Ten years old, that’s fine, no smartass enemy to face anyway aside from the henchmen of the cursed banished sorcerer. Not bad, born from a skilled father, not too shabby from a poor family. Hmm, but fell to become paralyzed. This family is doomed. Humph, a family that gives their son such a well renown name and join the academy is surely after the rewards. Well, at least sacrificing him would give them a better life.” He clapped and a boy appeared. “Call Qawiun Kirzakt.”

“Yes, Prince Nabih.” The boy vanished and appeared in an instant with a blue-eyed young boy.

“Blue eyes? You’re from the fallen nobility’s blood?”

The boy kept silent though he was revolting inside. “You called for me, Your Highness?”

“Here, take this candle and go to the gate and meet the new gatekeeper.” The boy received a small disc and didn’t move. “Why are you still here? If you’ll ask why you were chosen, don’t ask. No time to answer. Just go, at least you’re giving your family a better life while you’re away.”

The boy remained standing. This annoyed Prince Nabih. “Speak!” His voice boomed, sending echoes in the hall to the training grounds. Everyone flinched in terror. Some collapsed, couldn’t bear the deathly power of Prince Nabih’s voice. Qawiun was ready for it though. He had earplugs designed for voice associated powers on his ears. He was glad to find this special device at the ruins near his home.

“Your Highness, can I go back home first and say goodbye to my parents and sister?”

“Fine, there’s nothing to hurry at the other side. Just make sure to leave, the latest will be tonight.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” The boy bowed and disappeared.

The next, he was inside his small brick house within the ruins of Atlelon. He knelt at his father’s bedside.

“Pa, I’ll be sent as a Guardian of the newborn child of the gatekeeper. From now on, you’ll be treated by the Royal Physicians. You’ll be healed, Pa.” Tears fell from the deep blue-eyed man lying on the wooden bed. “Li’l Sis Tilawa will be able to go to the royal school and Ma won’t need to work anymore.” The man’s tears kept falling. “Please don’t cry for me, Pa. I’ll do fine. The rumors about the Guardians immoral life couldn’t be true. I’ll keep myself pure until the right woman comes.”

“Why did they choose you when you’re in the lowest list of the warriors.” His mother came in covered with dust. A bottle of water in her hand. Her expression told him she wasn’t happy with his destined post.

“I’m not the last, Ma. I think they chose me because I’m better than the slowest.” He smiled and shrugged it off. “I don’t care as long as you’ll all be given a good life from now on. If life out there is better, I’ll bring you with me.”

Before his Ma could protest, they heard a sudden disturbance outside. Three Royal Guards came and took a knee in front of Qawiun. “Great Protector Qawiun, you better hurry. There’s some interference on the other side. You better go now before it’s too late. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of your family from now on.”

“Pa, Ma, Li’l Sis, Goodbye.” He kissed them, held the candle, and disappeared. He arrived at the gate. There was a vortex beyond the gate. It was reeling abnormally, making him dizzy looking at it. “What’s going on?”

A voice of a small child replied in his mind. “I’m the gateway. You might be the guardian of the newborn child of the Gatekeeper family.”

“Yes, I am,” Qawiun said.

“I’m unstable now because the Gatekeeper’s family is being assaulted by the cursed Sorcerer Lebros. The mother and the newborn granddaughter of the gatekeeper are in great danger. You better hurry to save them. Light the candle and I’ll send you straight. Hold yourself well and don’t vomit. I hate to clean myself.”

“Okay.” As he lit the candle his vision went reeling too. He thought his innards went circling inside and his last food was in his mouth. He covered his mouth and held the food in or suffer the gateway’s sermon.

He arrived at his destination. As he tried to stand straight, he heard a shout. “No, don’t touch my daughter.”

He scanned the room. A baby was on the bed, crying. He saw a man wearing a black suit strangling a woman. Blood was on the floor where the struggles took place.

“Stop that. I’m the Great Protector Qawiun commanding you.” He pointed a colorful ball on the man.

“Oh, Lig sent a babe. Come and kill me, milk mouth boy.”

“Go save my child.” The woman gasped for air between words. Qawiun hesitated for a second and the man started to grab the baby. Qawiun opened his palm and the baby went to his arms. The man got angry and tightened his grip on the mother’s neck.

“Go.” The mother whispered the word and closed her eyes. Qawiun vanished and stood outside the five-story building with the sign ‘St. Jude Maternity Hospital’. A man shouted from a window on the fourth floor. “I’m the Great Sorcerer Lebros, boy. I do believe you’ve heard my legends in Deracht. Give me back my bride or I’ll chase you to the ends of the Earth.” Lebros jumped from the fourth floor.

Qawiun didn’t wait and disappeared again. “This is a headache, I don’t know my way here. I need to buy a street map later.”

He found himself in the middle of a busy street. The baby’s cry attracted attention from the public. “That’s not the way to hold a baby. Let me.” A lady came and about to hold the baby when she yelled in pain. The face transformed to Lebros. “Curses! Damn this gatekeeper’s blood.” His hands got burnt and sagged in a slow manner. It’s literally melting. The surrounding people gasped in horror. He wrapped it with a plastic bag he pulled randomly.

Qawiun sprinted to a clearing ten meters from the road, heading to a park. Lebros shot a black light to him. Qawiun somersaulted, avoided the hit. It hit a street lamp post blasting it to smithereens.

‘This cursed Sorcerer is really strong. What should I do?’ Qawiun dashed to the trees. He tried to vanish again to a more distant place but Lebros sent another swift shot and interfered with his attempt. Trees fell and on fire. Smoke filled the air. He had to run back for the baby’s sake.

The Sorcerer pointed his good hand to an incoming truck and closed his palm. The truck flew like a kite without a string following Lebros’ movement. The driver shouted and the people cried in terror.

“Run,” shouted Qawiun and closed his eyes. “No other choice.” The baby disappeared from his hand when the truck hit him. His body flew a hundred meters away from where he stood. Lebros went to his side, looking for the baby. “Damn you.” He saw the people watching him in fear. “What?” He hollered, sending the people into a panic.

Lebros closed his eyes, trying to detect the baby’s presence. He totally lost touch of the baby.”Back to square one. Darn smart guardian, where did you send her?” Lebros walked from the scene unhindered. Qawiun smiled with eyes closed and blood-soaked body. “Be safe, li’l one,” and lost consciousness.