The Friends Who Would Be Gods

Gather 'round, little ones. I would tell thee a story thee shalt not soon forget. 'Tis a story of friendship, adventure, and heroism.

However, only one can be a god.

Indeed, our story begins in a home of no great splendor. Yes, quite modest. Here, two friends of the same age as thee at this time. Indeed, young.

The day would come that one of them would be declared to have a plague. His cries were unheard. Indeed, his friend wept more than he. This story, though possessing a dark beginning, it fails to end so.

-

Aaron lie crying on the sofa next to his friend's chair. His friend, although slightly irked at this display, did not chastise Aaron. Indeed, how could he? That would have been most selfish indeed.

"Niro," Aaron said through tears. "How are you so calm?"

"Because, Aaron," Niro answered gently. "It's not so bad when you are the one suffering."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, that is slightly relieving to hear, however, only slightly," Aaron admitted. However, he had not been crying just for his friend. He had also been lamenting his own inability to save him, or at least do what was necessary to do so. He decided to bring it up with Niro, at least to let him know.

"Niro, I have something I wanted to run by you."

Niro looked up at Aaron in response, bidding him tell.

"There is a legend of a place where all kinds of miracles can happen, with the technology we have now, we can go and search for it."

"Are you saying it is in the Rift?" Niro asked.

Aaron nodded.

The Rift, both boys, knew, was indeed a dangerous place. But if there was even the smallest glimmer of hope of bringing his friend to this location that grants all manner of miracles, then for Aaron it was indeed worth it. And Niro, who did not want to be selfish, thought that it might take his friend's mind off of their predicament if they were to go on what seemed to them a small adventure.

Needless to say this "small adventure" would transform their lives.

-

The two friends stood, unhindered on top of a mountain, the blistering cold was beaten into their faces by a driving wind. They were accompanied by a young guard who was skilled in lance combat. His name, Krandall. He was a man with ambition.

To have a guard accompany two children with no other guardian was normal, and the guard likely believed that this would lead to nothing.

The two boys set off down the mountain. Their destination: the tallest peak a hefty ten leagues away. There, there was rumored to be a thing that would grant any miracle.

They traveled for a long time, and during their travels, they spoke. They spoke of what they were going to see, and when they mentioned it in the presence of the guard, his ambition was ignited. He began to formulate a plan to take this object for himself.

"Aaron, what would you wish for?" Niro asked.

"I'd wish for your health."

Niro sighed at this response. "What about for yourself?"

"I would wish nothing for myself. I have no need for anything."

Niro sighed, and then laughed a bit. "You are truly too humble sometimes."

They would stay the night at a campsite, and it would be that night that Krandall would betray the boys. He carried the boys to a nearby hole in the ground he had noticed just before they had established their camp, and he dropped them inside it.

The boys awoke at the impact. And their cries of protest were heard for many long hours. When the two finally went silent, they had made peace with their end.

Knowing that they were destined to die regardless of their actions, Niro made a choice to explore this cave they now found themselves in. Little did they know what the Ancient of Days had in store for them.

The lads went deep into the cave with no light, led by the walls they clung so close to.

Eventually, the lads rounded a corner and saw a soft glow. The luster just enough to be visible to the human eye.

"You see that?" Niro asked.

"I do," Aaron replied.

The two raised their pace as anyone who sees the end would, and soon they reached the source of the gleam. As it were, the gleam was not caused by a crack in the roof of the cave, but rather a sword. The sword was beautiful, gorgeous even, to the lads. The sword was simple in shape, but oh so intricate in design and other aesthetics. The sword was five feet long total, one foot of handle, four feet of blade. The handle was not gold, it had that appearance, but it was much too hard to be gold. The grip was black leather while the pommel and hilt were both made of the same material as the handle but had a white color rather than gold. The blade matched the color of the hilt and pommel but had an added aesthetic. Its color shifted depending on the angle, like oil on water. Upon the blade, were many intricate designs. The scabbard was nowhere to be seen.

"That sword is glowing," Aaron noted.

Niro didn't answer but instead looked at what was around the blade. The sword itself was lying on the earth, and there was no one else around to be seen. Not even a body.

Niro went to the blade and lifted it. It was heavier than he had expected, but not excessively heavy. He looked at it and raised it over his head to see how far the light would shine. The light shone no further than the entrance to the tunnel they had just come from.

Niro looked at the sword, and then handed it to Aaron.

"Keep it, Niro," Aaron told his friend. "You found it."

"Indeed, but I won't be around much longer to use it"

Aaron tried to protest, but Niro would have none of it. Aaron eventually and reluctantly accepted the sword.

"The tunnel goes deeper still?" Aaron asked.

"I believe so," Niro answered. "It is hard to see for sure."

The two, emboldened by the new form of protection they had procured, moved forward in the cave. Eventually, they once more saw light that they believed to be the exit. And the exit it was.

The two lads took a deep breath of the air outside the cave; however, they were clueless as to their location. They looked around and finally spotted the peak they would be travelling to. Knowing that Krandall would not have stopped for a brief respite, they broke into a run in the direction of the peak.

-

The two lads had never moved that fast before, little did they know that they would never travel any slower than that again. They climbed the mountain, struggling on the cliffs, trying to avoid vertical climbing if at all possible. Finally, they reached the summit.

Atop the summit the earth was flat and in the center of this nigh perfect circle of a peak, was a writhing mass of light. It shifted and changed color at random. Standing next to this light was Krandall, his spear stuck into the stone, the blade was black as night, long - almost half as long as the shaft of the spear - and where the blade and the shaft met, there was a hollow circle. The shaft itself was gold.

Krandall was just finishing his wish.

"-to be stronger than any other, that I might rule this Rift as a grand king."

The light began to flow into Krandall who opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.

Niro pulled himself up to stand as an obstacle to Krandall.

"Step away from that. You are unfit to be a king."

Krandall's eyes cut to Niro. "Who are you to judge?"

"Your actions here on this excursion were evidence enough for me. Any who would leave two young boys defenseless to die is unfit to be king."

Aaron rose to stand beside his friend.

Krandall heaved a sigh of exasperation, cut the connection, and turned to face the boys. "You would stand against me?"

"We would," Aaron stated.

"Very well," Krandall said, pulling his spear out of the ground. "Then you will be the first to die for this cause."

Krandall started toward Aaron first, as he had the weapon, and Aaron stood his ground. The two crossed blades and thus their fight began. Aaron fought like he had never fought before, but it was still incredibly one-sided, Krandall was trained, and Aaron was not. It was all Aaron could do to defend himself. He turned his eyes to the light and thought to himself his wish in this moment.

"I wish for the skill to defeat my opponent." He thought to himself.

A piece of the light flew into Aaron who began to fight better. But it was not long before Krandall noticed the stream of light and cut it off. As soon as this happened, Aaron went for the kill, but was knocked down and stabbed in the chest by Krandall.

Niro cried out for his friend and moved toward Aaron, but Krandall appeared behind Niro and stabbed him in the back.

"You remain here while I finish your friend. He deserves harsh punishment for his insolence."

Krandall moved toward Aaron and began to kick and beat the lad. Niro tried to protest and crawl toward them but was unable to. He looked at the light and then turned his eyes to heaven.

"Grant me the strength, however fleeting, to protect my friend." He prayed silently. The light moved to Niro and was immediately absorbed by him unknown to Krandall.

"Go, my child, defend all who are innocent. If they are threatened without just cause, defend them. I permit you, destroy the man Krandall. Rise, my Guardian Angel, I will sanction you." A voice spoke in Niro's mind.

On command, Niro rose and held out his hand. Immediately a golden chain flew from a crack in mid-air, such is the nature of the Rift.

Niro cast the chain toward Krandall's spear and attached to the base of the shaft.

Krandall whirled around and grasped the chain, tugging on it. But to no avail. He turned his spear to cut the chain but failed. He looked up at Niro with something akin to fear.

Niro regarded Krandall coldly, leveled his free hand to Krandall and flicked. When he did so, Krandall was thrown from the mountain, his spear was left behind. Niro then leveled his hand again and snapped his fingers. When he did so, all was silent, then there were flashes of golden light and all of the mountains in the surrounding area, the trees, the stones, and Krandall himself were rent to pieces over and over again until there was nothing left visible to the naked eye. The only thing left unscathed within twenty leagues was the area immediately around Niro: his friend Aaron, the spear and the piece of the mountain directly underneath his feet, leaving a strange pillar-like formation.

Aaron stares in a mixture of awe and fear at his friend.

Thus, the Guardian Angel came to be, and the journey to power for his friend Aaron was just beginning.

-

Indeed little ones, the two friends' stories are not over, indeed, they have only just begun. But for now, I must rest. Return home and wait for my energy to return.