The Legend of Samuel Mason Pt. III

Chapter 13

"Decen, it's time for the Guardian Ceremony." Jonna woke me up.

I got up from my cot. The Guardian Ceremony. We were ready to get our Guardians. I wondered what I would get. I really wanted a wolf to help me in my hunts. But I wouldn't mind a huge dragon to aid me in aerial combat.

"Jonna, what Guardian are you hoping to get?"
"Definitely a snake. Can you imagine how cool that would be? As I take down my enemies and my Guardian drives them under the sands?"

Jonna and I joined Icarus, who was waiting at the Coliseum.
"Let's get our beasts." Icarus greeted us with a grin.

We entered the ceremony. There was hundreds of us, and they called us out, name by name.

"Paladin Horcas!" The Elder called out. A blonde man went up to the stage.

His body resonated with the orb as he touched it, and energy exited it, as it took shape, and materialized. Horcas stared at the being.

The monster emerged, goat horns, and everything.

"Paladin Horcas, your Guardian, from this day on, shall be Tauros. The Bull. From here on out, Tauros and Horcas will be one, Tauros will you dedicate your life in service to Horcas, The Paladin of Tenacity?"
"I shall." The beast grunted.

We applauded.

The ceremony continued, one by one, we were greeted with a myriad of beasts. From bulls, to hawks. One guy was lucky enough to get a huge soldier angel thing. The soldier saluted his master.
"I, Apostheyon, shall serve."

We finally got to Icarus.

Icarus stood on the platform, touching the orb. Suddenly, the rustling of leaves filled the air. The energy circling the entire theatre as all the Paladins mumbled with one another.
"Damn, Icarus got a good one!" Jonna whispered.
"Damn right he did. That's the Paladin of Light for you."

The energy materialized into a huge serpent. Which towered over all the other Guardians in the room.

"Holy...." I muttered.

The Elder's voice boomed. "Paladin Icarus, your Guardian, from this day on, shall be Polyth. The Serpent. From here on out, Polyth and Icarus will be one. Polyth, will you dedicate your life in service to Icarus, The Paladin of Light?"
"It shall be done. It is an honour to meet, you." Polyth hissed, attempting to shake Icarus' hand. He even had a sense of humour.

Polyth reduced to a normal size, snaking around Icarus' shoulders. Icarus joined us. Jonna clapped him on the back.
"Nice one, Ic! I got Celestia, but it's all good. She's real friendly. I wonder what Decen is gonna get?"

Icarus grinned at me. "Very likely a wolf. He is a hunter, a warrior who has seen countless battles."

"Hell yeah."

"PALADIN DECEN." The Elder announced my name. Here it was.

I climbed the steps to the podium. Jonna was cheering. "Get em, Dece!" Icarus gave me a thumbs up.

I approached the orb, which was swirling with orange light. I looked at my reflection. My long hair barely showing my eyes, but if it did, it would have seen the most excited Paladin yet. I wondered if I could call him nicknames. Like Fenrir. Or Hound.

I put my hand on the orb. Energy shunted into my body, and suddenly I felt my memories being probed.

A GUARDIAN SERVES AS THE PROTECTOR OF ITS PALADIN. THE PALADIN AND THE GUARDIAN ARE ONE, AND SERVES TO COMPLETE THE PALADIN IN AREAS IT LACKS. The voice boomed in my head.

Shit. I was capable of hunting already with my senses. It's all good. I lacked the aerial advantage. A dragon wouldn't be half bad.

The energy exited my body and pooled with the energy coming from the orb, and materialized.

The shape was a bit small for a dragon. Maybe it was in its mini form like Polyth? I looked closer, my heart beating at ten times its pace. The energy slowly took form... into a... person?

A girl emerged, no older than me. Probably 18 years old. She had wavy frizzy green hair that reached her shoulders. Perfect skin, her eyes lined with makeup. She looked athletic, sporting an open dress shirt, and leggings. Her eyes were piercing, green, like her hair, but almost glowing. She looked me in the eye.

"What the hell?" I muttered. Good looking, athletic. She was a popular girl type. Probably one to hang out with the chads in a high school class.
In other words, she was everything I hated put together in one person.

"Who the hell are you?" I exclaimed. "Where's my damn dragon?!"

"Paladin Decen..." The elder spoke. "No way. No. No no no no no no." I muttered.
The elder continued. "your Guardian, from this day on, shall be Merrow. The Mermaid. From here on out, Merrow and Decen will be one. Merrow, will you dedicate your life in service to Decen, The Paladin of War?"

Merrow flipped her hair behind her shoulder. My eye twitched in annoyance. "Yeah, whatever." She said nonchalantly.

Everybody was silent. I could hear some snickers in the back.

I put my hands up. "Hold on! This has to be a mistake. Where's my beast? Everybody has a badass animal, or some kind of familiar. I don't even mind a pixie. But her?! This has to be a mistake. Let's restart."

The elder cut me off, sternly. "Paladin Decen, a Guardian is to complete the Paladin in where he or she lacks. There is no mistake. Merrow shall be your Guardian, and that is final."

Merrow rolled her eyes. "Okay Cheesen. Let's get one thing clear. I'm not here because of you. I'm here because I need a job. I couldn't care less about what happens to you, quite frankly. You're like... the last person I would want to see on my Tinder."

My vision was red in rage. "NEXT!" The elder shouted.

I returned to the others. Merrow followed me as we stood next to each other, watching the rest of the ceremony.
"Ugh, don't stand so close to me you weirdo." Merrow muttered.
"Shut up, you stupid green haired..."
"Green haired what?"
"You... green haired girl..." I grumbled. Merrow smirked. This was going to be one hell of a night.

"Well... erm. That was unexpected." Icarus tried to cheer me up. "I'm sure this was for a reason. Nothing is an accident."

I glared at Merrow, who had pulled out her phone, probably texting her buddies. She caught me staring, and gave me an annoyed look. "What?"
"Could you show some respect? We're in a damn ceremony."
"Yeah, well I need to plan movie night. Could you not interrupt?"

Chapter 14

My vision changed. Merrow and I stood at the top of a tower, overlooking all of Acadia.

"You're... not bad. For a nerd." Merrow mused.
"Yeah, you're not bad either."

Merrow leaned against the railing. "Decen, what would you be, if you weren't a Paladin?"
I thought about it. "I don't know. Battle is all I know. I guess... maybe a musician?"
"Why?"
"Because I like creating things. Not just destroying. When I play music, it's just... so universal. Like even someone who doesn't understand our language could find enjoyment."

I turned to Merrow. "What about you?"
Merrow smiled. "I want to be an adventurer."
"An adventurer?" I held back a laugh.
"What's so funny about that? I like visiting new places. Maybe I could become a blogger. A personality on the internet. I have the looks."
"Yeah, okay there Ariel."

Merrow laughed. "I considered it, but I realized that I was bound to become a Guardian. It's just what I'm destined to do. Still... if I could be free..."
"I'm sorry." I suddenly felt guilty.
"It's okay. You're, not as annoying as I thought you were. I guess I won't completely lose my head if I lived with you."

"But if I ever was free. I would want to explore the world. Film it all, so I could share it to those who aren't able to travel. Who are stuck, financially, or physically. That's what I want to do."

Everything went back to the present. Merrow struggling to breathe, choking as the cyan blade from Ulthreal sprouted from her stomach. I held her tightly, sobbing and begging her to stay awake.
"Stay with me, Merrow. You got this. We got this. Please... don't leave me. Don't-"

Merrow's eyes twinkled, as she put her hand on my face, removing my goggles.
"Your eyes..." She croaked.
"My eyes?"
"Even with the soul link... still magenta. So... nerdy..." Merrow burst into a fit of coughing.

I cradled her head in my arms. "Yes I am. I'm a stupid nerd. I never even held hands with a girl before. I'm a total loser. That's why I need you. I can't... I can't do this without you."
"No..." Merrow smiled, the life in her eyes slowly leaving her. "You're not a loser."

Tears streamed down my face. "I... I lied. When I told you about why I didn't want a girlfriend. It wasn't because I saw it as a weakness... it was because-"
"You were alone, and it hurt you." Merrow finished my sentence. I stared at her.
"You... you knew?"

"You were so young. We were so young back then. We were completely different... people." Merrow was struggling with her words.
"No... stop. We need to get help. We can heal you. I'll beat up Ulthreal for you. Then we can take you back to Lazarus and-"
"You have people with you now. My job is done." Merrow's eyes began tearing up.

"Don't say that. Don't say it."
Merrow coughed. "I used to find you so annoying. But now... I can't imagine my life without you." Merrow put her hand on my hair, stroking it.
"My Paladin of War. It's an honour to serve you." Merrow sobbed as her breathing stopped. Merrow's lifeless eyes staring at mine.

I sobbed as I held the lifeless body of my Guardian in my arms.
"Decen." A voice appeared from above me. I looked up.

A man, dirty blonde hair, wearing plaid. On his hand was a serpent, and on his other, was a chain.
My eyes went wide. "Icarus? You're... you're supposed to be dead!"

I looked around, and everything was frozen in time. Ulthreal approaching me, stuck in time.

"Where are we?"
"The Motion Force. You summoned me, in your emotional ordeal."

"Icarus..." I muttered. "I..."
"It's okay, Decen. I know. I knew, from the day you put me down, to your days as Samuel Mason. The inner turmoil that you had buried deep. You hated yourself for what you did."

Icarus knelt down, stroking Merrow's hair. "She was the best of the Guardians. The most loyal, despite being so different."
"She was."

Icarus looked at me. "Now, you must face the Aspect. Knowing he had slain the one closest to you. You need to keep your centre."
"What do you mean?"
"You let your rage get the best of you that day, when you killed me. What will you do once the Aspect is gone? Will you continue to kill?"
"No! I... I hate killing. I hate consuming. I hate myself."

Icarus put his hand on my shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with being yourself. But you need to remember who you are. Are you a killer, or are you Decen, the kid who just wanted to be the best version of himself?"

Tears streamed down my face, dripping to the ground. "Icarus... I'm... I'm so sorry. For everything. I wish I could apologize to everybody I have ruined. All the families I have destroyed. I feel so unworthy of everything."

"And you have a right to feel that way. But you must accept that what you did is done. What will you do now?"
I looked up. Green sparks appearing in my vision, my body vibrating with the Motion Force. "I will fight. I will fight for these people."
"And why is that?"
"Because it's when a soldier is cornered in battle, do their true colours show. A warrior from a coward."
"Because war isn't just bloodshed, is it, Decen?"
"No."

"I am a Paladin, I stand for those who fight to protect the people they love. I am one who preserves hope."

Time began to flow forward, as Icarus dissipated, entering my body. My vision, glowing green with light, stars flowing and ascending.

I am Decen. The Paladin of War.

Chapter 15

I stood up. Ulthreal bellowed in glee.

YOU HAVE AWAKEN THE MOTION FORCE WITHIN YOU. INTERESTING. WHAT WILL YOU DO, AGAINST MY FULL POWER, LITTLE PALADIN?

I looked up, my body wreathed with the green glow of the Motion Force and the red swirls of the Restoration Force.

I shot forward, with unbelievable speed. Time slowed down as I launched my fist right into Ulthreal's midsection, the momentum causing massive distortion. Ulthreal flew out of the throne room, creating a massive hole. I emerged from the mess, my soul-links returning.

"Young master, what happened? I no longer sense Guardian Merrow." Sentry asked.
"Oh no..." Celestia whispered in my mind.

"You two. Give me all your power." I commanded.

Celestia and Sentry did not argue, and I powered up, my black and blue Darkfire wreathing my body, and Celestia's purple lightning boosting my strength.

I yelled as my body gained an additional green glow from the Motion Force. I put on Wheeler's Goggles, activating my Hunter's Eye, and manifested Sentry's armour on my left arm.

I jolted forward, slamming into Ulthreal before he could process what was happening. Ulthreal flew into a building, but I was already there, grabbing him by the face and dragging him hundreds of stories down, leaving behind a trail of destroyed glass and windows as I smashed the Aspect into the ground below. Ulthreal growled, summoning hundreds of swords which flew my way.

I activated the Motion Force, dodging them all. Then closed in, but Ulthreal laughed sinisterly, blasting me in the face with a massive explosion, bigger than the ones he used against Mavus and Merrow. I took the blast head on. Then leaned forward, glaring at the Aspect.

YOU He muttered.

My face regenerated. I said nothing as I kicked the Aspect into the air, then launched forward. I winded my fist back, and unleashed several thousand punches in the span of half a second.

ACK Ulthreal groaned as he hit the ground, smashing the road and causing mass chaos.

I landed on the ground.

YOU ARE SURPRISINGLY STRONG. BUT I WONDER HOW WELL YOU FARE WHEN YOUR PRECIOUS HUMANS ARE ON THE VERGE OF DEATH

Ulthreal punched the ground, and a shockwave appeared. I stomped on the ground and time slowed down as I zipped around, collecting the civilians and putting them in a safe place. A mixture of Celestia's Blink and The Motion Force allowed me to complete the task quickly.

The shockwave levelled several buildings, causing tons of the windows to shatter. But it was too late. I had already evacuated everybody to the other side of town.

HOW The Aspect's face was incredulous.
I wasn't in the mood to give him a snarky remark. I zoomed in, powering up to Form 5.

"Celestia, boost."
"Aye aye, captain."

My Form 5 underwent a massive boost in power, the magenta flames becoming purple. I aimed my palm right at Ulthreal's midsection as I unleashed everything I had. All my emotions coming out as I screamed. All the pain. All the guilt. The loss of Merrow, the death of Icarus.

Ulthreal roared as he became engulfed in a purple light, my ultimate blast disintegrating his body.

The light died down, and Ulthreal's body lay on the ground. Barely conscious.

"What will you do? Paladin of War?" Ulthreal muttered, his demonic voice gone.

I opened my hand, manifesting Merrow's spear. "I'm going to take your powers. To save millions."

I jabbed the spear into Ulthreal's chest, his powers entering mine as Ulthreal screamed, his body crumbling to dust as his essence was absorbed.

Junon and her squad reached my position. I turned to her, wielding Merrow's spear. I took off my goggles, not hiding my tears.

Junon ran up to me and gave me a hug. It was over.