"Alright, what do we have going on here?" Commander Johnson asked as he entered the infirmary. The Matron followed close behind, smoking her cigarettes as usual.

  A second later, a red lash of energy whipped the Commander in the leg violently before retreating. He looked down, unfazed by the sudden attack and watched as it retreated back into Kevin's hand.

  "Well, that's new," he said, his voice betraying no pain.

  "His spirit is under siege," Elder Sameru replied. Another crimson lash whipped out, this time aiming for the Elder. Paz swung her staff to deflect it, the energy crackling against wood.

  Carl stepped closer to Kevin's bed, positioning himself between his friend and the others. "The energy only attacks when someone speaks," he observed. "But it doesn't lash out at me."

  Johnson studied Kevin's unconscious form, then reached for a bag on the wall. He pulled out cotton balls and handed them to Carl. "He doesn't need his ears to breathe."

  Carl hesitated but plugged Kevin's ears and set pillows on either side of his head. Paz spoke deliberately: "Do you really think that will stop…" She paused, waiting for the lash that didn't come.

  "Thank you, Commander," Carl said, relief evident in his voice.

  Johnson's eyes narrowed. "Now that we've handled that immediate problem, tell me straight - is he the one from the prophecy? Is he the Sword Master?"

  The question caught Carl off guard. "You... know about that?"

  Johnson and the Matron exchanged glances. The Commander moved to the window; silhouette framed against the light. "Two thousand years ago, a great darkness fell upon these lands. The Rowen Princess summoned a hero to become the Sword Master and defeat a demon called Malikhil." He turned back to Carl. "That hero was your friend, wasn't it?"

  Carl's stomach tightened. "For us it was twenty years ago, not two thousand."

  "Time flows differently between realms," Elder Sameru said, his eyes studying Carl. "What you experience as days in your world could be years or even centuries here. Just as what appears as centuries to us might be mere moments in other realms."

  The Matron inspected Carl like a curious specimen. "What matters is that the Anbar Empire now seeks to conquer again, using the beast-kin as an excuse for their crusade."

  "I don't understand what any of this has to do with Kevin's condition," Carl said, frustration building. "He absorbed a corrupted sword-fragment. We need to fix that, not discuss history."

  "It has everything to do with his condition," Johnson replied. "The Sword Master's weapons were scattered after he left. The fragments grew corrupted without their wielder. When Gardros brought that scimitar here…"

  "It recognized its master," the Matron finished.

  "Well, it's killing him," Carl snapped. "So, unless you have a solution…"

  "Thirty years ago," Kevin's voice rasped from the bed as he pulled the cotton from his ears. "It was thirty. Sheesh, you can't even count the years right." His eyes opened, unfocused and rimmed with red. "What were these things supposed to do anyway? I swear nobody ever gave me this much attention before."

  Carl looked over to Kevin who stared at the ceiling. He spoke in a tone Carl rarely heard from him - cold, distant, with an undercurrent of something darker.

  "Bud, you're awake, thank the gods," Carl said.

  "Whatever," Kevin replied, his voice flat but with a new edge to it. "And quit calling me bud. I'm a Captain of the Advent Guard. I think I earned that honorific title."

  "Captain," Johnson said cautiously. He paused for a second, waiting for a red lash to emerge from Kevin's aura. When none came forth, he continued, "What is your status?"

  Kevin's jaw clenched, a vein pulsing at his temple. "I have a serious headache, Commander, no thanks to you and that ability if that's what you're asking." The crimson glow around his hands intensified as he spoke.

  Carl stiffened. "Yo, what's with the attitude?"

  Kevin failed to sit after several attempts. Carl moved to assist, but Kevin batted his hand away with unexpected force. "Get off me. I don't need help from someone who couldn't take a hint before."

  The red energy flickered across Kevin's skin as he spoke, growing brighter with each word. He looked at the Spore-Beasts, then back at the Commander. "Well," he said, finally sitting up and looking at his palm where the sword had disappeared, "after all these years, these animals have summoned the damn swords again and for what? To fight your battles?" His voice rose, the crimson aura pulsing in rhythm with his words. "I was perfectly happy doing... fuck... what was I doing? Hell, doesn't matter. I was left alone, but now..." He pressed his palm against his forehead, wincing. "Everyone get out. Now. Commander, when I'm sorted, I'll come in and report as ordered."

  "Proceed, Captain. Take all the time you need," Johnson said, his voice calm but his eyes alert. "Give the man some space."

  Paz and the Elder started out the room, followed by the Matron and the Commander. Carl caught Johnson's arm at the doorway. "What's happening to him?" he whispered.

  "The sword fragment's anger is feeding his own," Johnson replied quietly. "Watch him, but don't push too hard." With that, he left Carl alone with Kevin.

  Carl turned back to his friend. "Kevin, man, we need to talk about…"

  "Dude, go away," Kevin muttered, his voice suddenly exhausted. The crimson glow dimmed, but didn't disappear. "Seriously, you're like a helicopter mom. Go be Carl somewhere else for a bit. Shit."

  Carl stood there, torn between staying and respecting Kevin's wishes. Twenty-two years of friendship pulled him to stay, but the stranger wearing Kevin's face clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Finally, he backed toward the door. "I'll check on you later," he said, unsure if Kevin heard him.

  "He doesn't want to see anyone," the guard at the infirmary door told Carl for the third time in as many hours. "Captain's orders."

  As Carl paced outside the infirmary, the pendant the Empress had given him pulsed with unexpected warmth against his chest. He pulled it out, studying the strange symbols that shifted across its surface.

  For a moment, he thought he saw a symbol flash across it, the mark of the J-Clan, his warrior brotherhood back on Earth. But that was impossible. No J-Clan tech should exist in this realm except his own.

  The pendant cooled as quickly as it had warmed, leaving Carl wondering if he'd imagined the whole thing. With a sigh, he tucked it back under his shirt and resumed his pacing. One mystery at a time, right now, Kevin was his priority.

  The Matron appeared at his elbow, smoke trailing from her cigarette. "Come. Sitting here won't help either of you," she said, not unkindly. "Let me cook you a meal."

  Despite Carl's notion to stay near his friend, the Matron figured it would be best if he joined her and the others at her tavern. The change of scenery might help clear his head, though he doubted anything could ease the knot of worry in his gut.

  Marner's Creek was about as common as an inn or tavern could get. He knew it had a rustic feel to it, as common as your Cracker Barrel back at home. Instead of a gift shop that delays you before sitting in the hopes that you purchase something, here, at the Matron's headquarters, you had a bed and breakfast.

  She said that while he was here, she would rent a room out to him. However, knowing that he was obviously an outsider, he would be put to work for his meals. He didn't mind that much because he had no intention of staying long.

  He stepped on several wood chips before he sat to a bowl of peanuts at one of the empty tables in the corner. By now, it was after the breakfast service, as most of the tavern had gone about their daily work. He was actually fascinated how life could go on to normal after an event the day prior. The resilience to him was intriguing, but also infuriating. How could everyone act normal when Kevin was... whatever he was now?

  Kiyo, whom he'd met at the farm, brought Carl a plate of food consisting of eggs, potatoes and small layers of pancakes. A side of bacon fell onto another plate, followed by what could have been orange juice.

  "The Matron wanted you to eat as you may not have eaten since you arrived." She pushed a set of silverware next to him. "It is in your best interest to not upset her, as she made this food personally."

  Carl touched the plate to push it aside but stopped. "Wait, she made this personally?"

  "No, bonehead, the cooks did," she replied in an agnostic manner. "But treat it like she did. It is in your benefit."

  He stared at the food, appetite gone. Twenty-two years of friendship, and Kevin couldn't look him in the eye. What was the point of all this if he couldn't help the person he'd come to save?

  Carl pushed the food around his plate, memories surfacing despite his efforts to suppress them. If his brothers were here, Kenny would have some wild scheme to fix Kevin. Something dangerous and half-baked, but, Kenny never gave up on family, blood or chosen.

  "What if I can't do this alone?" he whispered to himself.

  He remembered the last time he'd seen Kenny, arguing over Carl's J-Clan duties, Kenny insisting there were "other ways" to protect people besides following their father's rules. Carl had called him reckless, irresponsible. Now, Carl would give anything for Kenny's brand of unpredictable creativity.

  Lieutenant Bryson and Corporal Pizer approached his table, breaking his reverie. Though their company was the last thing he wanted right now, at least it distracted him from thoughts of home, of family he might never see again if he failed here.

  "Is it true?" Pizer asked taking a piece of bacon. "You are the… damn it what is it they called him?"

  "The Lightning Fist. Given to him by the Rowen when they defeated the Malikhil in the stories."

  He stopped mid chew when they inadvertently said his code name. How would they know what he name is back in the Earthen Realm? The J-Clan never visited the Rowen Dimension and for the life of him, that was intentional as this realm was never to be accessed.

  "That was a long time ago," Carl replied acting it didn't phase him.

  "Well, we did not actually come here to bother you," Bryson said. "But you know there is a lot more questions then answers at this point. Alot cannot be help though we want to figure this out for the Captain."

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Pizer continued as he swiped another piece. Carl at this point pushed the plate to him. "The fact is that we have not seen him with this much emotion before. When he arrived her some odd years ago, he had no emotions at all. It was enduring because we did not have to question his orders as they were always direct and to the point."

  "You would think that you would know a guy, but to turn out to be a legend is something no one could have predicted."

  Carl's irritation grew. Kevin was amassing a fan club. The Matron spoke next as he inadvertently look in her direction and she may have caught the notion.

  "Carl, listen," the Matron said interrupting the two Guards. "I think we get the gist of what is going on. The beast-kin problem will only grow worse if and when that Bishop pushes more inward. Like the Commander said earlier. The beast-kin vs Anbar isn't a Rowen issue, but he is concerned that if the Anbar tries to push its way through the two major cities to get to the … what you call it… the Temple Palace up north, then, the Rowen will inadvertently have to get involved."

  "I am failing to see how any of this is my problem," Carl replied. "My intention is finding these pieces to his soul, and we are going back to our realm. You all will have to find a new legendary hero, but this recycling shit is getting old."

  He was seriously thinking about leaving to convince Kevin one way or another to start looking for these pieces. Yet, he knew he would run into a problem…

  "Captain Kevin will not go with you," Cayce said walking past the tables. Kiyo was right behind him as his burly self leaned against one of the pillars. "But you do not need them to tell you that simple truth. Which I am kinda getting weirded out that you are not giving this boy some room."

  "Cayce," Matron said, "You know how aggressive the Anbar are. We are in the perfect spot for them to overwhelm us and establish a foothold for an all out offensive against Mordecai and Port City. Now the Commander will do his best to protect us but against a Bishop? I would much have an ace up our sleeve and it's not an IF he will come it's a WHEN. Especially now since we ran his emissary out of town."

  "That boy is in no condition to do any fighting, let alone be your legend in the story. I am in agreeance with Carl. He knows that kid better then you all do. Let him eat and take his friend home to a family like he said. Their problems are not ours."

  "Fine," the Matron said nodding Bryson and Pizer to leave. When they left, the Matron stood next to Cayce. "You know that the Anbar will never let you go back to your farm. And even then, the Commander will deem it to dangerous for you to go back anyways."

  "Then we will deal with that when the time comes," he replied. "Now, let this boy eat and let him rest."

  He nodded to Carl who did not look back. But he knew he was fortunate enough to know that there were good people here.

  As Carl wandered the Commons, a peculiar sensation crawled across his skin,

  He paused near the central well, watching as ripples formed in puddles despite the absence of wind or rain. Several townspeople had gathered, muttering about strange lights seen in the sky the previous night.

  "Did you feel that tremor before dawn?" an older woman asked her companion. "My Resonance stones went haywire, all colors at once, they were. Never seen anything like it."

  "Aye," the man replied. "The watchman said he saw the stars wobble, like something tore the sky open for a heartbeat."

  Carl's hand instinctively went to the pendant beneath his shirt. It thrummed with energy, warmer than it should be. Something had changed in Rowen overnight, something fundamental to the fabric of this reality.

  Carl was good with plans. He knew from the back of his mind on his core mission. Unconsciously he flipped his visor and the now blinking cursor sat on his screen… waiting for the next mission parameters or the next team member with a dumb comment. However, all he saw was his own portrait, staring at himself in a mirror, asking the basic questions of what the hell he was doing here.

  "We need to purify the corruption of the Fire Sword," a voice said from out of nowhere.

  It snapped him out of his senses when Paz appeared from the other side of the well.

  Exactly how long has she been standing there?

  "By making that statement, you do not have a damn clue as to how to do it," he replied. He didn't need her shit right now. "Oh and hello to you. Common courtesy and all that shit."

  "You are the companion who messed everything up. You are here to unmess the damage you caused."

  He did not need her accusatory tone. "Go away. You are annoying."

  However, she remained steadfast across the way. Her hood moved with the breeze with her staff adjusting positions. "Only you can purify the Power Sword. You need to take control of your own destiny and do it."

  "I DON'T HAVE TO DO A GOD-DAMNED THING!"

  The anger came out of nowhere. In fact, he was tired of it. People with their own agendas, their own problems, and now yet another soul is trying to steer him the way that they want, not what he wants. It was tiring and annoying.

  He didn't know the silence that erupted after the outburst. He felt eyes accusing him everywhere.

  Yes, he didn't need this shit.

  Carl walked off a second time. He paid the front gate a visit, where the tower soldiers who were in rebuild mode stopped what they were doing and whispered to themselves. He wondered if the rumor Bryson and Pizer mentioned about him being the Lightning Fist reached their ears.

  Hell, for that matter, it served no purpose if it did or didn’t.

  He ended near the temporary encampment where the Spore-beasts were laying low. He thought about them having to run away from their homes and having to borrow space from neighbors who did not care about their war. He wondered if it came to saving the city or the Spore-beasts, would they make a decision based off of safety? Or do the right thing and save everyone?

  He knew what his father would say. "Save every soul, no matter how much you hate them." He did not hate anyone, because he did not have a reason to. Out of all the J-Clan, he was the only one who did not bear a grudge against anyone. He wondered why that was, and the thought came in the form of Kevin, way back when they were younger.

  ["We do not have to fight. We can chose to walk away. But when walking away does not become an available option. Be sure that together we will kick their asses."]

  Kevin always had the answer out. It was this adventure with him that taught him peace.

  Yet, another reason why he owes this dude. And more of a determination to do right by him. Whatever the costs.

  "Young Jackson, you look conflicted…" said an elderly voice.

  Once again someone broke his train of thought and he realized it was the elder Spore-Beast bear. He was accompanied by Cayce, in which it looked as if they were just passing by.

  "Does the look of my face give it away?" Carl replied, but wasn’t expecting an answer.

  "You have a heavy soul, young Jackson," the Elder replied. He motioned is hand as to lead him on a walk, in which Carl did not say no despite wanting to be left alone. "There once was a young spore-beast sprite. Easy as confused as you are. This poor kid lost her siblings in an Anbar raid, when the Peace Accords did not hold. She held the same eyes as you, in fact, the very same manner."

  "What happened to this kid, Elder?"

  "Well, she became a Champion, and she fought and won her struggles," he replied. "With the help of some friends of course. She was such a fire cracker, that spirited young child. She knew what she wanted, and she did not stop striving for it. She too was granted an impossible mission and doubt also crept through her mind, but she became an inspiration for all future champions. To include that young owl that you poured your feelings onto unarbitrary."

  And like that, Carl realized that his thoughts got the better of him. His anger got the better of him. Whether it was an influence of the that corrupted Power Sword or his own intrusive thoughts, he was wrong.

  "However," the Elder continued, "There is someone else who may want to help guide you… young Jackson."

  He motioned behind him when he saw Kevin standing next to the well. He was talking to Paz, and she was yapping his ear while his face soured. It was probably lecture at this point.

  Carl turned back around and the Elder and Cayce strolled off ahead. He walked back to the well where he could hear Paz yapping about prophecy.

  "…have to acquire your Rainbow Sword and drive back the round ears." she said with Carl catching the tail end of said lecture.

  "If I was summoned once again to become the Sword Master," Kevin replied angrily, "then so be it. But I am not under any obligation to give you focus or attention because your people need saving. Save yourselves first. I will do my part when I am called to do it."

  "We need to clear the corruption of the sword that is in you," Carl said.

  Kevin looked annoyed. "What is this… an echo? Is this some sort of catch phrase you two are doing? Whatever. What are you doing here Carl. You said you was not going to return, yet the only time you return is when the so called summoning happened. You can go back home. I do not need your help as I know where all the swords are."

  "This isn’t you talking. Its the corrupted Power Sword," Carl said stopping his statement. He did not have the patience to argue with him. "Like I said before. I am here to bring you home. Back to Earth."

  Kevin shifted his weight to his other leg. The red glow around him intensified. "I AM home. I have always been home. You know. In a way, this is all your fault."

  "What the hell are you going on about. How is this my fault."

  "I said I wanted to stay and I was prepared to do that," he replied. Kevin's aura glowed brighter. "Oh but nooooo, you couldn’t live with that. I do not know what deal you made but when I woke up, I was left wandering Rowen with no memories. The only memory that burned into my freaking cranium is You. You and that damn Ajinin Retsam. I don’t know what you both conspired but I know what happened to my memories and everything I have ever known is because you two couldn’t stand to see my wishes come to be. Both of you with your stupid selfish attitudes and your 'oh I am so right' mantras."

  Carl’s eyes crackled. "Listen here bud, you have family back at home, like I did. We promised each other that we would go home together, but no, somewhere, somehow, you got in your head… not mine that you refused to go home and deal with your problems. You wanted to run away and I wouldn’t let you. So yes, you want to talk about this right now? Let's talk. Your punk ass was too afraid to go back home."

  Kevin exploded. From the palm of his left hand, he pulled at a handle that appeared out of nowhere. He grasped it and pulled out the corrupted red scimitar. "You, oh high and mighty, think you are always correct. What were you jealous that I was the chosen one? Sidekick? You have a family. I never had what you have. What? Do you think that once we got back that I would be adopted by you. Your little pet friend? Get over yourself. I made my decision to stay here, and your actions only caused grief. But what… after twenty years? Twenty damn years you want to come back and pretend that we are friends again. Fuck you, Carl."

  "Don't you even dare," Carl replied. Clouds appeared over the well area, and thunder struck mysteriously. Carl’s eyes turned azure, and lightning crackled his palms. "I was fucking there for you. Don't you dare think that I did not feel a bit of guilt for what I have done. And you know what? I do not care what you think. You have a family back at home, and I made sure that you did not go through the shit that happened to me.

  My family was torn apart by some cosmic fucking Soul War, and I have to fight to keep the world from caving in by yet another cosmic god wannabe. So yeah, when these assholes summoned you back, I was pissed, and I swore to your wife that I will bring you back home. Now if I have to find those damn swords myself and drag your sorry ass kicking and screaming back to that portal you better believe that I will not hold back. But afterwards, instead of locking this realm, I am going to destroy it, like I should have done from the get-go!"

  Kevin swung the scimitar in which Carl blocked with his claws. Lightning coursed from the tips of the metal and they both pushed each other off. The came after each other again, swiping blow for blow. Carl knew that this boy was wrong, and he didn’t care if the Anger Sword was feeding off of their emotions.

  Paz tried to interfere, but he could see that the power was too intense for her to intervene. He could hear her yelling in the background. Was it at them or at others? He did not care which. Kevin was wrong. Carl knew that. He wanted a cop out and to live in this fantasy world instead of facing his demons head on, and though Carl knew it back then, a part of him wanted to call him out on his shit.

  As Kevin and Carl circled each other, lightning crackled between Carl's fingers and the red aura pulsing around Kevin, the pendant against Carl's chest suddenly burned hot enough to sear his skin. He gasped, pulling it out, the symbols across its surface were racing now, rearranging themselves into patterns he recognized from J-Clan communications protocols.

  It was trying to connect to something. Or someone.

  The ground beneath them trembled, a ripple of energy washing across the Commons like an invisible tide. For a moment, Carl could have sworn he heard a familiar voice carried on that wave…cocky, irreverent, impossible.

  "Kenny?" he whispered, his concentration breaking as Kevin lunged.

  The power of the sword and claw struck again, causing pulsing waves to explode outwards. The overhead covering of the well exploded into pieces in the air, and the windows of the nearby buildings shattered with explosive force.

  Carl did not want to fight his friend. This was not the way he imagined this to go. He felt foolish to think that Kevin would agree to do anything he wanted if he made the right promises.

  "THIS IS YOUR FAULT CARL! NOW LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE AND GO BACK HOME!"

  "You have lost your ever-loving mind Kevin. Stop running away from your problems and your family!"

  "SHUT UP! I HAVE NO FAMILY! AND YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND!"

  Lightning flew from Carl's hands deflecting the power of the Sword's lashes. By the way Kevin was aiming, he wasn't trying to cut him but push him away. When he charged him and tackled him to the ground, he pushed the claws onto the Sword and pinned them into the earth.

  Kevin violently squirmed and punched with his other hand to free himself.

  This wasn't Kevin. Carl looked into his eyes, and he saw the tears forming. This was pure anger, but what was it feeding off of? What was it that Kevin was really running from? "Kevin, stop fighting me!"

  "Fuck you, Carl. Let me go and Leave me alone! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"

  That was when Carl saw it. "What was not your fault? Stop fighting and tell me what the hell you are talking about!"

  As they struggled on the ground, the pendant around Carl's neck flared with blinding light, its symbols rearranging into what looked like a distress signal. The ground beneath them trembled with another dimensional pulse, stronger than before.

  "Move aside!" shouted a female voice from behind him.