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

Chapter 1

            “Tell me more about daddy!”

            “Again?” the old elf playfully whined, with a smile on his face as he looked into the bright, big eyes of the little child sitting on his lap, “I already told you about Daddy!”

            “But, but…  Please?” the little child begged, his hands clasped and outstretched towards his uncle, “Please tell me more about daddy?”

            “Alright, alright, don’t make such a fuss, you’ll wake up your mother.  She’d kill me if she knew I was telling you these stories,” he said, with the same playful grin he kept on in the presence of the child.  “Once upon a time, lived a great elf, by the name of…”

            “Daddy!” the little child shouted.

            “Yes, Daddy,” chuckled the uncle. “He was a brave warrior, who would fight very hard to protect people all over the lands.  He was the greatest of all elves.  People would say that whatever he set his mind to, he would ultimately shape into reality.  Daddy was the first Guardian.”

            “The first what?” the child gasped, with youthful curiosity.

            “Why, the first Guardian!  A guardian is a person who watches over the weak and unfortunate, someone who protects the innocent and the pure.  Your father has yet to be beaten,” his uncle exclaimed, with a sly smile and a wink of an eye. 

            “What happened to him?” the child asked, as his eyes slowly closed.

            “Why… umm…” the uncle looked down, and saw the little elf had fallen asleep.  He took the young one and walked to the other side of the room, tucking him under the covers of the small bed in the corner.  The uncle walked towards the window, with a bit of a limp, and stared out at the cloudless night sky.  The stars and moon were especially bright tonight; it was a true sight to see.

            “Oh, Aureus…” he whispered, the smile and twinkling face the child was so accustomed to having faded.  “Your father…died.” 

            The once sprightly uncle now slowly moved towards the door, looking more disheveled and old.  The door shut with a slight creak, and Aureus slept with wonderful dreams of his father.