The Blood Of The Gatekeeper - Chapter 2 Frances Kirzak

Qawiun opened his eyes and welcomed by a beautiful painting on the ceiling. He saw a glistening city full of tall structures in the medieval times. A sun shone its radiance high above a majestic castle. The sunlight encompassed the whole ceiling. By staring at it, he thought the painting was real but distant.

He saw himself on a soft bed covered with a white blanket. The room was spacious and the windows had trellis of vines rooted on its sides. His gaze went to the two men talking. One of them, he thought, probably, in his fifties, blond hair with few whites, light brown skin, and squinty eyes, wearing an ordinary white shirt and blue denim, was holding an opened folder. The other one was older, copper-colored skin, chocolate brown eyes, gray wavy hair, and wearing a plain brown polo shirt and black pants.

The squinty-eyed man saw him watching them with curious eyes. “You awaken, good. I thought it would take weeks for us to wait.”

“Huh? Who are you?” Qawiun shielded his eyes from the light emanating from the approaching man. “Where am I?”

The guy stood at Qawiun’s side, the other man followed. “I’m Wusdaq Jayid. Your mentor here and this man’s Protector.” He patted the arm of the gray-haired guy.

“Hi, welcome to Earth. I’m David Abella. I’m the present Gatekeeper.” David gave him a warm congenial smile.

“Earth? Gatekeeper? Protector? What’s that?”

The two saw a genuine confusion on his face. Qawiun’s questions alarmed Wusdaq. The Protectors, though battered badly or being hit by a truck like Qawiun, won’t easily die or get amnesia. This was because the moment they left Deracht after appointment, the power of the Great King would envelop their bodies when they pass through the gateway, though they wouldn’t notice the change right away.

“Do you know your name?” Wusdaq said. He suspected something but had to test to prove his conjecture.

Qawiun closed his eyes and opened again. He was trying to recall his name. A name came to mind. “I think I’m called Qawiun?”

“You think? Good thinking. Your name is exactly Qawiun. Do you know why you’re here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know that place painted on the ceiling?”

Qawiun stared at it. “No.”

“Do you know a place called Deracht?”

“No”

“This is bad. He did something really bad.” Worry pasted on Wusdaq’s face.

“What did he do?” David was worried as well after he saw his Protector’s reaction.

“He erased the link between him and your granddaughter.”

“How did you know?”

“The disappearance of the baby, his type of power, and his loss of memory.”

“Please explain in terms I can understand.”

“Oh sorry, I always forget you’re not a Derachtus. When a Derachtus see that painting there,” he pointed the ceiling, “his spirit will react to it. It will jolt back his innermost memories and make him wish to return home.”

“And?”

“You saw him, he didn’t react. That means he forgot Deracht.”

“About the rest you mentioned, proving your assumptions?”

“Oh, that? You always amazed me with your questions. You really live out your reputation as a college professor.” Wusdaq looked up, crossed his arms on his chest and scratched his chin. “Hmm, I think this boy had one of the rare powers that can make things materialized anywhere but he has to cut a link to that thing by erasing his soul imprint.”

David stared at him, more confused.

“I’m really bad when it comes to explanation.” He scratched his nape. “As your protector, I have your mark in me and you have mine. This mark emerged the first time we shook hands and it connects our spirits. I’ll know when you’re in danger and you’ll sense if I’m in the same predicament, but I don’t have the ability to erase that mark. Only those with rare powers can do that. This punk did it. I don’t how, but in the process, he sacrificed his past memories.

“And?”

“Upon erasure of his memories, your granddaughter will be safe from Lebros until the link will be reconnected. I really don’t know how it works, just heard rumors. He might have covered or smeared the mark on the baby to keep Lebros from finding that special blood in her. At the same, he sent the child to a distant place he knew would be safe. But in exchange, he will totally forget his past. Everything … including his family.”

“What selfless act, what sacrifice, for his Gatekeeper’s sake, but … pitiful to sacrifice his memories, including his family and Deracht.” David sighed, thankful but sad.

“Young warriors, willing to risk anything.” Wusdaq shook his head. “He might have been cornered and saw his disadvantage and did it as his last recourse.”He pitied the kid. Still in day one as a Protector and lost half of his life inadvertently. “I really hate the one who sent him. He’s too young for this job. They should have sent someone with more experience seeing your granddaughter is a special case.”

Qawiun was confused by listening to them. “What are you both talking about?” His head throbbed in pain trying to analyze their conversation.

“Young Qawiun rest for now. You need it badly.” Wusdaq placed his palm on the boy’s forehead and the latter slept.

“Is this irreversible? Is there a way for him to recover his memories?” David said.

“There is but it will nullify what he sacrificed.”

“Meaning?”

“Lebros will detect the baby again and the chase will continue.”

“Oh, yeah, you said it.”

“Yup, the only thing to do is let him touch the baby and he will recover everything.”

“But ”

“Yes, the big but. And he can only do that stunt once in his age. That is actually a taboo in Deracht, so don’t waste his efforts.”

“I agree. What a poor fellow. When are we going to make them meet then? As official protector and gatekeeper.”

“When the time is right, but surely not now.”

All of a sudden, they heard several shouts and cries of torment outside. “Ho ho, Lebros is really desperate. He sent men to scout us, probably, to spy if we have the baby. Hehe, go ahead, send more to my hungry plants. ” Let him penetrate and see if he had the capacity, he thought.

“Okay, I better go and console Daniel. This was really tragic. A girl born for the first time. We should be celebrating but we’re mourning. Oh, by the way, where’s my granddaughter now?”

“She will surface base on how long this kid intends to keep her in secret.” Wusdaq felt David’s fears. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s totally fine and well fed. This boy’s power is great, better than mine, but untapped.”

“I take your word as assurance. I trust you.”

“I know. By the way, take the left gate, Lebros men are lurking at the right wing, within my lovely garden.” Wusdaq rubbed his palms together and was smiling with evil intent on the way to his ‘lovely garden’.

Before reaching the gate, David partly saw Wusdaq’s ‘lovely garden’, more like a forest filled with deadly plants. He saw men bitten to death by gigantic Venus flytraps or to be exact, human trap.

. . . . .

In Deracht, in a big spacious house, Qawiun’s mother was holding the baby. After the baby’s disappearance from Qawiun’s hand, his mother received a communication from him in the form of a hologram and the baby appeared on her bed. This startled his mother.

Qawiun’s apparition said, “Her Ma died. I wasn’t able to protect them both. Look after my gatekeeper until she goes back to Earth. She’ll disappear here and reappear on Earth when her safety is assured.” His body faded.

The mother’s chest tightened. She wailed like he was dead. He left hours ago with eagerness and this happened. She understood what he gave up and the outcome of his sacrifice. Her wailings went on until she heard the baby cried.

She calmed herself before lifting the baby. “For now, you shall be called Frances, means Free One, and you shall carry his surname since he sacrificed us for you. Frances Kirzakt, feel at home for this is the home of your Great Protector Qawiun.” She kissed the sleeping baby’s cheek and hugged her. “Save him when you go back.” More tears fell in silence.