"Aureus (Abridged) Chapter Four" by Harrison (Aureus) Gordon

Chapter 4

            “I just don’t understand,” said Aureus, with a disbelieving look upon his face.  His hands were interlaced with locks of his blonde hair and his jaw was having a hard time closing his mouth. 

            “Why not?  You are the son of one of the strongest people to ever live,” stated Garner.  “Of course you are able to be a Guardian.”

            “But why me?  Why now?”

            “Because!” Garner had lost his temper.  He noticed his anger, and calmed down again, his face looking older than before.  “That force I told you of before is going to come back, and we need Guardians once again.” Garner’s voice picked up a solemn tone as his head drooped.  “I am not strong enough to do anything.  I need a new generation to cope with this new threat.  That is why I am teaching them.”

            “Them?  You mean the elves up there?”

            “Yes, precisely.  But you won’t need as much training as they do, you are already half way there.”

            “But I haven’t done anything yet.”

            “No, but your father did.  See, this Familiar and this sword both belonged to your father, and both share his collected knowledge and skill.  All you need to do is trust in both, and you may just become stronger than him.”

            “But that sword looks awfully heavy if you ask me.  How would I even pick it up, much less trust it?”

            “Try.  You’ll be surprised.”  Aureus grabbed the hilt once more.  He held his hands there without permitting them to leave the sword, as the hilt once again glowed with such strength and the tarnish slowly disappeared.  The once old and rusted sword slowly took on the appearance of a brand new one.  There was not a single spot in which you couldn’t see yourself, except for the leather which covered the handle.  Upon trying to pick it up, Aureus accidentally flung it towards the ceiling, placing too much effort into such a light sword.

            “But, how could it be so light?  It looks like a hundred pounds,” asked Aureus, still dumbfounded about what had just happened.

            “And it does weigh a hundred pounds,” stated Garner.  “At least, for anyone except your father and you.  This sword is more than just a sword.  Much more is hidden from the world in that sword.  But, no one knows what, and the only one who did was your father.  As a precaution, the only ones who could use it effectively would be someone from his bloodline, including you.”

            “I see…”

            “Here, take this.”  Garner handed Aureus a sheath that looked like it was made of wood. “It’s light-weight, to match the sword.  Let’s go back to the others, and celebrate the coming of a new student.”