Chapter 3

Zandor's Pov

All I saw was blackness. I couldn't feel anything, nor hear, see, even taste anything. I was like this for what seemed to be hours. After a bit I tried to move but nothing. I couldn't move, I couldn't even feel if my body was there. I thought I was consigned to some kind of hell until I felt something touch where my ears would be and slowly I started to hear a voice.

???: You are okay. You are in good hands.

I recognized the voice. It was the voice of the man who was with me one of the nights I was traveling to the capital. I then felt something touches my eyes, and my vision started to return. After a minute of blurry shapes, I saw I was in a room made of a grey-black stone. I tried to move my head but found that I could not. I could only move my eyes and when I looked to the man who saved me I saw that it was the one I met on the road to the capital. I tried to speak but nothing came not even the slightest sound.

Man: Zandor, I know you are confused but calm yourself. I am here to help you.

He then put his hand on my mouth and the feeling to speak came.

Zandor: Where am I?

Man: You are in a safe place, and my home.

Zandor: Why can't I move, or feel anything?

Man: Your body was severely damaged and...

He trailed off as I stared at him.

Zandor: and what?

Man: Your body is broken.

Zandor: Show me.

Man: Are you sure?

Zandor: Show me!

He bowed his head and grabbed a large mirror. He positioned it so I could see myself and what I saw, Made my stomach dropped. My legs were gone and were now burnt stumps. My left arm was gone up to the elbow and my right was completely gone. My torso was caved in, my insides being burnt mush. My face was damaged so much that I couldn't even see where my eyes or mouth was. I looked silent and broken.

Man: Zargoth destroyed your body. This is what is left.

Zandor: Am I dead?

Man: No but if I hadn't gotten there, you would be.

As I heard this, I knew that I couldn't go do anything. How was I alive? I shouldn't be alive right now, but yet I am.

Zandor: Is there a way to get my body back?

Man: Sadly not, but I can do something far better than that.

Zandor: tell me.

Man: I can create a new body for you, one that will make you better than before.

Zandor: How? I thought you couldn't.

Man: I can't rebuild your body but the one I can give is nothing you have ever seen.

I pondered on this and knew that if I wanted to live as close of a normal life again, it was the only way.

Zandor: Do it.

He nodded and stood up, straightening himself.

Man: Before I do this, I must tell you that, it isn't painless.

Zandor: Whatever it takes.

The man then nodded, and turned around, grabbing something behind him, then turned back around. He held a blanket made of some strange black material. He then later it over me and I then saw light, but it was like looking into the night sky. It wrapped around my body and my feeling returned, but then pain. Pain shot through my body like before and I cried out in pain before I blacked out.

Time skip 5 hours

When I woke up, I saw what I saw before I blacked out but this time I felt the blanket that was laid over me. I moved my arm and felt it move afterwhich moved the blanket away from my face then sat up. I looked around the room. The man from before walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

Man: How do you feel?

Zandor: Sore and...

I went to put my hand up to my head when I noticed that my arm looked exactly like the blanket except it had sparkles of white like stars in the night sky. I looked at my body and it was the same. I touched it and it felt normal.

Man: You have many questions but they will be answered in time.

Zandor: What did you do to me?

The man sighs.

Man: I told you I couldn't fix your old body but I created a new one.

I stared at my hands awe struck.

Man: Before I say anything else I should introduce myself.

He then let go of my shoulder.

Xander: My name is Xander and I am known as a guardian.

I look up.

Zandor: Guardian?

Xander: Yes, a guardian of this place.

Zandor: Which is?

Xander: This place or dimension is called the Aether. What your body is made of is Aether.

I look back to my hands. Xander then started to head to a door.

Xander: Now before you leave put on those clothes on the table over there and meet outside, I will explain more.

He points to a table to my right and leaves through a door way. I get up and get dressed seeing that I am wearing the same outfit as him except I don't have any armor or boots. I put my hood up and then walk out into a hallway. I followed it into a large hall with large black stained windows lining it. Green flame on torches provided eerily light to the place. As I walked through I looked out the windows and saw the same thing my body looked like. It was as if, we were among the stars. When I got about halfway, I saw Xander standing in front of a large book. The book floated in front of him, and as I got closer he turned around.

Xander: The outfit suits you well.

Zandor: It fits well. So what is it you want to tell me?

Xander: To start, I want to tell you what gift you have been given.

Zandor: Gift?

Xander: Yes, gift. This gift has been given to those who came before me and to me and now has been given to you. This gift is abilities beyond imagination. To start.

He then grabs a nearby touch and holds the flame towards me.

Xander: Touch the flame.

Zandor: Are you sure? I think it will burn me.

Xander then puts it closer.

Xander: Trust me.

I sigh then reached out. When I came close I felt heat go up my arm and spread through my body. Afterwhich the flame died. I pulled back and looked at my hand.

Zandor: What was that?

Xander our the unlit torch at his side.

Xander: Your body is able to to take and store energy. Like this flame, you absorbed the heat and stored it within you. With that energy you can use it for different things. Like this.

Xander then put his hand on the end of the torch and it lit.

Xander: You can use it for anything but if you don't have energy you can't do anything.

Xander then put the torch back.

Xander: Now as for the history of this place. It is simply this, Guardians have been around for ages and are tasked with fighting evil forces that arise. They have abilities to aid them in this. You have those abilities but as of right now you can't use them.

These abilities range from using the Aether's many forms to magic that comes from it.

Zandor: Okay so let me guess one of those evils is Zargoth?

Xander: Yes but you are not ready to fight him as of yet.

Zandor: Understandable.

Xander: Now usually when a new guardian is chosen, there teacher will forge and craft there equipment but for you, that is different.

Zandor: How so?

Xander: Follow me.

Xander then began walking to a hallway to our right and I followed. It led to many doors and I noticed that all of these hallways had large vaulted ceilings and had many passageways and rooms. We eventually entered a large circular room where a large black portal was.

Zandor: What is this?

Xander: We are in the portal nexus. This is where you can travel to where you need to go but since I brought you here this portal appeared and I have been unable to close it.

Zandor: Okay so what does that mean exactly?

Xander: The book you see me reading is called the record of the Aether. It contains all of the history of this place. As I studied it I learned one thing. Many of the greatest Guardians we have had spoke of this happening but the greatest one explained why this is. He wrote that this and other portals that will open lead to area where items, equipment, etc. created and forged by them except for one.

Zandor: One?

Xander: Yes but whatever it is I don't know. The guardians name was Tharon. He apparently was the one who created these portals for they will open when the greatest guardian will arrive.

Zandor: Me.

Xander: Exactly, so it would be beat you start going. Also take this.

Xander then handed me a sword.

Xander: You will need it where your going.

Zandor: Which is?

Xander: Deep into the mountains of Akëm. A mountain tribe lives there and the place where you must go is where there chief resides. Be careful. They  are not friendly to outsiders.

Zandor: Understood.

I then turned towards the portal and walked through arriving high up in the mountains. The portal closes behind me and I walk to the edge of the peak I am on.

Zandor: Lets go find this item shall we.

I then start my trek to where I must collect whatever it is that was left for me.