Bond of Brothers

A brother can be good or bad,

Having two can drive you mad.

But I would never say,

That I want them to go away.

Fun and games all day long,

Banding together if things go wrong.

That is what brothers do,

I can surely say that’s true.

I won’t say we never fight,

But the brother bond is very tight.

We can fight with each other,

But don’t you dare touch my brother.

As days and months turn into years,

And we leave behind childhood fears.

When toys are gone, and life is the game,

Our brother bond will be the same.

New Justyce – Episode 5

Episode 5: Mindwave and the Minotaur

“If you want to know what happened, I suppose I could tell you. As I drove through town, I turned onto Sunset Street, and that’s when it happened.” Bryson began his story of the fight with Taurus the Bull.

As Bryson drove through town, he took a right turn onto Sunset Street, and without warning, a car fell from the sky and landed upside down in front of him. Bryson slammed on the brakes but smashed into the other car’s side.

Shaken but unhurt, Bryson got out of his car and rushed to see if anyone needed help. Bryson got to the other vehicle, looked in, and saw two unconscious men. The vehicle lay on its roof, and both doors were wedged shut. Bryson peered in through the smashed windshield to see if he could pull the victims free. The driver was pinned in place by the steering wheel. The passenger hung upside down from the seatbelt and moaned softly. Bryson called 9-1-1 and reported everything he saw. After he hung up, Bryson crawled into their car to see if he could do anything while waiting for the paramedics. Bryson began feeling pain all over his body, then heard a voice. He looked at both men, and they were both still unconscious, yet a voice clearly said, “Oh God, please help me. I can’t feel my legs. I hope Brett is OK.” And someone different crying, “Oh my God, what was that thing. It looked like a bull. I can’t believe it picked up the car like a toy. Why can’t I wake up? Where’s William? I can’t see anything!”

Bryson shook his head. What the hell just happened? Was he hearing their thoughts and feeling their pain? Bryson searched to see if he could find the names William or Brett anywhere in the car, but then he felt different feelings. Bryson was now filled with white-hot rage and heard a roaring inside his head so loud it felt like his skull may bust in two. He fell to his knees and grabbed his head. Slowly, Bryson turned toward the road and wished that he hadn’t. Bryson found himself face to face with something that should not exist outside the movies.

The creature was seven feet tall and looked to Bryson like a minotaur out of Greek mythology, but he could still see human features beneath the dark brown fur. It had a brown leather-like hide that completely covered its massive body. The creature’s head closely resembled a bull, but the muzzle wasn’t quite so prominent. The monster also had large, sharply pointed horns protruding from its head. Its arms and upper body would put the bulkiest bodybuilders to shame, and its tree trunk-sized legs ended in hooves instead of feet. Bryson could not believe his eyes. He was almost too stunned and scared to react at all. Bryson tried to slowly back up but immediately hit the wreckage of the cars. Bryson nearly fainted from shock when the creature began to speak.

“Stand aside or share their fate. The stones they possess must be mine.” The bull creature stared at Bryson with glowing red eyes and waited for him to move.

The thoughts that ran through Bryson’s head were, “Could this thing be talking about one of the blue meteor rocks? Can he possibly know that I have one too? Can I live with myself if I let him do whatever he wants to these injured men? What do I do?” The words that came out of his mouth were, “Are you really a bull? I called the cops already. Should I call animal control instead?”

The creature roared as it charged at Bryson. He reacted without thinking. Bryson ducked under the creature’s outstretched arms and extended his arms towards the bull, palms outward. He felt a power surge through him, and he saw the beast thrown through the air back towards the center of the street. The bull was even angrier now. “Who are you, little man? You must have a blue rock, too. Taurus the bull shall grind your bones to dust and take it from you!”

“Taurus the Bull shouldn’t refer to himself in the third person. It’s pretentious, especially for a heifer like you.” Quipped Bryson.

The bull lowered its head and charged again. Bryson tried to do the same thing he did before, but it didn’t work. Pain exploded in his right side, and he was lifted off the ground and tossed thirty yards down the street. Bryson smashed into a row of mailboxes. He looked back towards Taurus and saw the bull trying to pull one of the men out of the car. Bryson was scared, but he knew he had to try and protect the men from Taurus. Bryson groaned and stood up. He thought about how he had thrown the creature using only his mind. Bryson needed to access that power again. He looked around at the mailboxes and posts, broken and scattered at his feet. Bryson closed his eyes and pictured picking up a mailbox with his mind. When Bryson opened his eyes, one of the mailboxes was floating in front of him. He concentrated, and the mailbox flew incredibly fast and smacked Taurus right in the back.

Taurus snarled and turned to face Bryson, letting go of the man in the car. The bull strode forward, head lowered, and yelled. “I’ve had enough of you, little man. I’ll beat you into a pulp and then finish what I came to do.”

Bryson crouched behind the pile of mailboxes and started sending them out at Taurus. Taurus, caught off-guard by the sudden rain of metal, stopped and covered his face with his arms. Seizing this opportunity, Bryson let his new weapons fall and sent his power out at Taurus, sending the creature flying about fifty yards backward through the air.

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing ever closer, drawing Bryson’s attention. Bryson saw two police cars blocking the end of the street. The police were not attempting to move any closer. Bryson waved at the cops, trying to get them to come to help the men in the car. He didn’t even care if they wanted to help him fight Taurus. Bryson knew the cops saw him, but they moved no closer. While he watched, an ambulance drove up. The police initially stopped the ambulance, but Bryson heard raised voices. Then, the ambulance pulled onto the sidewalk and drove past the police roadblock. Help was on the way. Now, all Bryson needed to do was distract the giant homicidal cow.

Bryson positioned himself in between the ambulance and Taurus. The bull was back on his feet and ready for a fight. Bryson could hear the creature’s jumbled thoughts. “You’re from the docks? Who were you before you became Mad Cow Man?” Bryson asked with a smile.

“Get out of my head!” The Taurus yelled. “I’m gonna shut your wise-ass mouth for good.” Taurus charged at Bryson. Still listening to the bull’s thoughts, Bryson easily dodged the charge. He kept taunting Taurus and leading him further away from the paramedics and the two men in the car. It was too late when the bull realized what Bryson was up to. They were three blocks away when Taurus noticed the ambulance driving away in the other direction. He turned towards the accident scene when two army helicopters landed in the street.

Men poured out of both helicopters. Taurus started forward, then thought better of it and ran off, roaring in frustration. Bryson considered checking on the men in the car, but he caught random thoughts from the army guys. They planned on questioning him, so he decided to leave before they could grab him. Bryson darted down a side street and disappeared into the city.

“And then I ran off to my friend Grace’s apartment to get her input and help with everything. I think you all should meet her. She can help us.” Bryson said.

“That sounds good, but I’ll have to talk to my two brothers first,” Harvey said.

“I’m on board with whatever Harvey decides,” Ash said.

“OK. So, where was I? Oh yeah. I just arrived at Grace’s place.”

Bryson was out of breath when he reached Grace’s apartment. He took a few minutes to gather himself and then went upstairs and knocked on the door. Bryson heard Grace yell from inside the apartment, “Come in!” Bryson opened the door and went inside.

“Bryson, what happened to you? Your clothes are all torn. Are you OK?” Grace asked.

“I need your help, Grace. Even more now than when I called you. Have you seen the news yet this morning?” Bryson was pacing as he talked. The events of the morning had him pretty freaked out.

“If you are talking about the meteors and the fires, I’ve seen all the footage. What does that have to do with the fact that it looks like you just went ten rounds with King Kong?”

“Turn on your TV. Maybe you can see it for yourself. You gotta see this, or you won’t believe it. I don’t believe it, and it happened to me.” Bryson waited while Grace turned on the TV.

“What is this, Bryson? This can’t be real. Is this a movie stunt? Wait… is that you?” Grace looked from the TV to Bryson and back again. “What is that thing?”

“It’s not a movie stunt. I just fought a freaking minotaur or something close to a minotaur, anyway. It called itself Taurus the Bull, and he was hunting two other people, but I found myself right in the middle. Taurus was looking for these.” Bryson pulled the blue rocks out of his pocket.

“Are they pieces of the meteor?” Grace asked, reaching forward.

Bryson closed his fist around the rocks. “Don’t touch them. Something happened to me when I picked them up. I’m different now, Grace. I could read their thoughts, the two injured guys in the car and Taurus. His thoughts were jumbled, but I knew Taurus came from the docks, and there was a big explosion down there during the meteor shower. It must be all tied together. The rocks made Taurus into that monster and gave me powers.” Erik lifted Grace’s coffee table with his mind, spun it around, and sat it down.

Grace was in complete shock. She could not believe or understand what she saw, even though it was happening before her astonished eyes. Bryson had been right. She would have never believed it if Grace hadn’t seen it herself. Grace didn’t want to consider it even now. “This is a lot to take in, Bryson,” Grace said, running her fingers through her long dark hair. “What else can you do?”

“So far, I can read minds and move things. If I can do anything else, I haven’t discovered it yet.”

Grace looked closely at Bryson. “Your eyes have changed. They are a much brighter green than they were before. You’re not wearing colored contacts, are you?”

Bryson ran to Grace’s bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. He came back into the room and sat down again. “They are brighter. It has to be connected. My friend Erik Reilly found a meteor, and his hair changed color. Give me a minute to send him a text. I have to see if he’s experienced any other changes yet.” Bryson sent Erik a text, which was not immediately answered. “I need to go look for him. Will you help me find out what’s happening, Grace? The army showed up while I was fighting Taurus. I know you have high-level contacts in the government.”

“I’ll do what I can, Bryson. Go look for your friend. Keep me in the loop. Lay low. You were on that video clip. The army will probably come looking for you. You may want to stay somewhere other than your apartment.”

“That’s a great idea, Grace. I didn’t even consider that. I’ll find Erik and let you know if anything else happens.”

“Buy a new phone. Call me when you and your friend are both safe. I’ll contact my sources and wait for your call.”

“Thank you, Grace. I knew that I could count on you.” Bryson ran out of Grace’s apartment, toward Erik’s house, and down the street.

————————————————————————————————————

“While Bryson ran to my house, I walked into the park. I would say that what I saw was unbelievable, but you both were there.” Erik said

Erik didn’t have a plan of action after leaving Bryson’s apartment. He decided that he wasn’t going to class. There was too much on his mind to focus on college. A pleasant stroll through the park might be just the thing Erik needed to clear his head. Erik started to hear noises when he was about halfway through the park. He slowed his pace and left the path. From behind a stand of bushes, Erik peered into the big picnic area in the park’s center. What he saw, Erik could hardly believe. For lack of a better word, two monsters terrorized a family near the barbecue pit.

One of the creatures looked like a mythological centaur. The centaur was a female with long chestnut brown hair that matched the color of her horse body. The second monster was something Erik had never seen before. It had the basic shape of a man, and Erik could see that it had human facial features, but the skin had a reddish hue, and things that the family threw at him bounced off as if the skin was a hardened shell. The creature’s left arm ended in a relatively normal-looking hand, but the right arm ended in what looked more like a giant claw. Erik wondered to himself if this could be his own fate. Were these monsters caused by the effects of the blue meteors? Would he turn into one, too? He’d have to find an alternate path to get home, but should he call 9-1-1 first? Could he do anything to help? Could paramedics or even the police help against monsters? Erik snapped pictures with his phone, then turned and ran back towards the school as he called the police.

“And that was when I ran into you guys,” Erik said.

————————————————————————————————————

“As Erik said, I got to his house, but he wasn’t home. His father had no idea where he might be, so I decided to retrace his steps back to a place where I knew he had been. The park was one of those places.” Bryson said.

Bryson ran the three blocks from Grace’s apartment to Erik’s house and banged on the front door. Erik’s father answered. “Hi, Bryson. What brings you here?”

“Hi, Mr. Reilly. Is Erik home?”

“No. The last I saw Erik, he was heading to see you. Didn’t he show up? That was quite a while ago.”

“Yeah, he was at my place earlier. I thought he’d be home by now. I’ll walk through the park and see if I can meet with him. He’s not answering my texts.”

“Is everything alright, Bryson? Is there anything I can do?”

“No, Mr. Reilly, there’s nothing to worry about. When you see him, tell him to text me.”

“OK. It was nice to see you again, Bryson.”

Bryson was a little alarmed that Erik wasn’t home yet. He should have had plenty of time to get here by now. Bryson turned and walked toward the park.

“I made it to the park and found Erik going supernova. I guess that catches us up. I am going to do my own research, and I’m also going to relay all this to my friend Grace. You guys don’t mind that, do you?” Bryson asked.

“No. That’s fine.” Harvey and Ash replied in unison.

After the four boys exchanged numbers, Harvey clapped Ash on the shoulder. “I have to get home and check in with my brothers. We should probably get off the streets anyway. I’m not ready for another fight! Do you need to go home, or do you wanna hang out at my place?”

“I have no reason to go home. Let’s go.” Ash looked a little sad, but he gave Harvey a small smile.

“Hey, guys, before you go, do you know anyone else who may have come in contact with the meteor rocks? Harvey, what about your brothers?” Bryson asked.

“Logan left early this morning but said nothing about the blue rocks. Gavin didn’t know anything about them because he looked confused when we saw the news report. Our dad is in the army. I’m pretty sure they know something because they activated his unit, and the only one at school that did anything weird was this guy.” Harvey pointed at Ashton and grinned.

“Yeah, the thing with the desk was bizarre, but now I know it was related to the whole superspeed thing I got going on.” Ashton shrugged. “To answer the question, no, I don’t know of any other freaks but us.”

“OK, guys, stay in touch. Harvey, text me after you talk to your brothers.”

“I will. See ya later.” Harvey and Ash turned, jogged out of the park, and took the turn toward Harvey’s house.

————————————————————————————————————

The trauma surgeon stormed up to the Emergency Room Nurse’s Station and slammed his fist on the counter. “What happened to my patient. The guy with the two crushed legs. I expected him in my operating room fifteen minutes ago. Now I find out that he isn’t even in the hospital anymore! Why wasn’t I updated! Where did he go?”

The nurse took a deep breath before answering the angry surgeon. “Please do not yell at me or any of the nurses, Dr. Jackson. I know that two men in lab coats came in with paperwork from the hospital administration. It permitted them to transfer your patient and another patient who came in simultaneously.”

“Where did they take them? They were in no condition to be moved.” The doctor said wonderingly.

“I’ll check the records and see if I can find out.” The nurse replied. She hit some buttons on the computer, clicked away with the mouse for a few minutes, and then looked back at Dr. Jackson. “Looks like they were transferred to Justyce Labs. That’s weird, isn’t it, doctor?”

“Very, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Caleb Justyce donates more money to this hospital than all the other donors. I don’t know what he plans on doing with those two young men, but the hospital would never say no to him.” The doctor scowled and left the nurse’s station.

————————————————————————————————————

As the other two boys ran off, Erik turned to Bryson. “All that power in the hands of teenage boys just trying to figure themselves out. I hope there aren’t many more rocks out there. This could be a global disaster.”

Bryson gave Erik a half-smile. “We’re not doing much better than them. You nearly went supernova! You’re right, though. Someone needs to take charge of this thing. We need to know who was affected, how many rocks are still unaccounted for, and why we all react differently to the meteors.”

“Harvey said the army is involved. Won’t they figure all that out?”

Bryson rolled his eyes. “Never trust the government, Erik. Even if they do figure it out, they’ll never tell us. If the government got their hands on anyone with powers, they’d be lab rats for life… or turned into military weapons. I’m gathering my own data, and I have a friend who is an investigative journalist who is also working on a few leads.”

“I trust you, Bryson. That’s why I followed your voice out of the fire.”

“You want me. I knew it.” Bryson smirked.

“Don’t ruin the moment, jerk face.” Erik blushed.

“Let’s return to my place and wait for Grace’s call.”

“Quick stop to check on my dad, and maybe some burgers on the way? Flying really makes a guy hungry.”

Bryson shook his head and laughed. “I wouldn’t know, but I’m hungry myself. Let’s go.”

————————————————————————————————————

After Bryson left her apartment, Grace Santos scrolled through her contacts. She almost clicked on one of her top government sources but thought better of it. Grace didn’t think anyone in the government would give her a straight answer to this, even if they knew. Instead, Grace called a number that she had not called in years. Grace called an old college friend, Caleb Justyce. Grace didn’t hang out in the same circles as Caleb, but she knew this problem would pique his interest. The call went to voicemail, so Grace left a message and waited.

Grace sat behind her desk and thought about Bryson, trying to wrap her mind around what he told her and what she had witnessed with her own eyes. Bryson had picked up her coffee table using his mind. An hour ago, Grace would have laughed at the idea. Her focus was now on how it happened and how to proceed. There wasn’t just Bryson to consider. There was also the monster he fought. How many others were out there? She knew that Caleb was the best shot at finding answers. Grace glanced at her phone again. Still no return call from Caleb. After a while, Grace decided to go straight to Justyce Labs and talk to Caleb face to face. Caleb was the most intelligent person that Grace knew. He graduated from high school when he was fifteen and had a master’s degree in mechanical engineering by the time he was eighteen. When Grace started college, Caleb was twenty-eight and working towards his third master’s degree. Now, he was thirty-seven and had his own research lab. If anyone could figure out what was happening, that man would be Caleb Justyce. Grace left her apartment, avoided downtown, and drove as fast as possible to Justyce Labs.

Grace paced in front of the entrance to Justyce Labs, peering through the windows. She saw no movement, and Caleb had not answered any calls or texts. Grace didn’t want to drive back home yet. Grace went for a walk while waiting to hear from her friend. She was close to the high school and explored in that direction. Bryson told her that he saw fires near the high school last night. Maybe Grace could find a piece of this troublesome meteor.

Grace saw the only unusual thing at the high school was that it was deserted. The school must have let out early today. She wondered if that was related to all the strange events going on. It had to be. She kept walking past the school but stopped short when she reached the baseball field. There were scorched patches of grass all over the area and a sizable crater right where the pitcher’s mound should be. Grace opened the gate and walked in.

Grace didn’t see any of the blue stones near the scorched patches of grass. Grace made her way to the crater. She guessed someone else must have removed the meteor that caused the hole because she saw footprints everywhere. At least two different shoe treads and one set of barefoot tracks. Grace knelt down and examined the indentation at the center of the crater. That’s odd, she thought. It looks more like a body’s outline than a rock’s shape.

As Grace stood up, she didn’t notice the other shadow that merged with her own. Before reaching the top of the crater, Grace felt a cold chill run up and down her spine. She shivered and rubbed her arms. Grace stepped into the sunlight and never gave the weird feeling a second thought.

Coming Soon: Episode 6 – Puzzle Pieces

Upon the Sea

The sand squishes between my toes,

And the sun beats down on my nose.

The beach is where I find my Zen,

That, or writing with my pen.

I get up from where I sit,

And jump into the water for a bit.

The power of the ocean calms my mind,

Allowing my tired body to unwind.

Whether I swim, surf or ski,

I long to be out upon the sea.

The crashing waves and rolling surf,

Will always be my home turf.

Tourist Town

The crowds come every summer.

For us locals, what a bummer.

A tourist town is where I live.

People flock here with money to give.

To stores and attractions where they go,

to buy some stuff or watch a show.

Even at the ice cream shop,

the line’s long, I will not stop.

They visit my town every year,

but let me make one thing clear,

though they spend lots of cash

they also make lots of trash.

To the bars, they go at night,

to get drunk and then they fight.

I know they spend lots of dough,

but I wish that they’d go

elsewhere else with their money,

and their kids and their honey.

But to the town, cash is king.

They want the tourists and their bling.

I’ll end this rant with one wish,

they don’t find where I fish.

I need just one place,

where I won’t have to face

a tourist with an angry voice.

Quiet time is my choice.

If they find my fishing hole,

then I know just where I’ll go.

I’ll have to run on the beach,

where I’m always out of reach.

Though in the end, the crowds will come,

they won’t bother this beach bum.

Summer Dreams

You lay back in the sun

after a long hard run.

The ocean’s waves lap the shore,

and you relax down to your core.

Your eyes close, your muscles unwind.

Tension leaves your body and mind.

As you slowly drift off to sleep,

happy thoughts, your dreams keep.

The sun shining, the sky clear,

nary a cloud found far or near.

Time goes by, then slowly you wake,

rising from the sand with a shake.

Running your fingers through your hair,

sand, sand everywhere.

Hair and clothes now free of sand,

feeling connected to the land.

Your feet moving, your mind now free,

your thoughts as happy as can be.

Towards home, you go, leaving the beach,

your dreams now feel within reach.

Together

One is all, all is one,

Teamwork helps get things done.

Try to always keep individuality alive,

But work with others and you’ll thrive.

Stay true to your spirit and soul,

But help the group as a whole.

The world includes more than just you,

Together, there’s nothing we can’t do.

My Sister

For a brother, a sister can be,

A blessing and a curse you see.

A sister picks on you, that’s true,

But she’ll always be there for you.

Growing up we’d fight and play,

Annoying each other all day.

But anytime I’d fall in the dirt,

She’d check to see if I’d been hurt.

There have been times we’d barely talk,

When one came in, the other would walk.

Then one day I got sick,

By my side, my sis would stick.

Day and night, she was there,

Showing me that she did care.

My sister has turned eighteen years,

She’ll leave soon amidst many tears.

California is where she’ll go,

College life is what she’ll know.

I will miss her very much,

I hope we always keep in touch.

Whether times are good or something’s amiss,

With all my heart, I love you, Sis.

Sad No More

He sat alone, so very sad,

One friend and he’d be glad.

He held back tears, refusing to cry,

He just wished that he knew why.

Why did they hate him so?

Their reasons, he didn’t know.

He used to be their true friend,

Why oh why did it simply end?

He hated to be always alone,

Sitting with just his phone.

He heard a sound, looked in surprise,

And saw a pair of beautiful eyes.

The eyes, a dark chocolate brown,

Belonged to a boy who did not frown.

The new boy sat down in a chair,

And began talking, without a care.

A smile crossed the first boy’s face,

And his lonely heart began to race.

Maybe this boy could be the one,

To turn his sad days into fun.

The lunch bell rang, he turned to go,

Newfound happiness starting to show.

Summer Rain

Clouds darken the summer sky,

hiding the sun from my eye.

I gather up what I can reach,

hurrying to get off the beach.

I know the rain is almost here,

the thunder sounds all to near.

Up on my feet and off I go,

but I am still much too slow.

The sky opens, the rain pours down.

If I look up, I just might drown.

I race off the beach and to my car,

thankfully, it’s not too far.

Sudden rain ruined my day,

but it is not here to stay.

Another day will soon be here,

the sun will shine, the sky so clear.

On that day, I guarantee,

On the beach is where I’ll be.

Rise of the Cursed Twins (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3

The great green dragon, Colossus, soared through the bright blue, cloudless sky. His mission for Bahaar was complete, so he flew towards the north, looking for a suitable new home. He flew up and over a chain of mountains. Down the other side of the hills, he soared. Colossus spied a small town at the base of the mountains and at the edge of a great forest. He wanted to avoid towns, but he was curious about what kinds of creatures lived near where he might choose a home. He flew over the village. Gnomes. The corners of Colossus’s mouth twitched in what was as close to a dragon can get to a smile. Gnomes once freed Colossus from a very hefty burden and allowed him to explore the world. Colossus’s mind wandered back to that story as he continued his flight north, searching for a home.

A long time ago, a colony of gnomes lived in the northern kingdom. The gnomes were a peaceful race. Most young gnomes learned the healing trades, healing both plants and animals. Whether physicians or arborists, they helped as much as they could. Most gnomish families were comprised of a mother, a father, and three or four children. The eldest child, male or female, inherited the parents’ lands. Upon adulthood, the other children would complete their training in their chosen field and leave the family home. If they were lucky, they would find work within the colony. If not, they were sent out into the world. Gnome healers were the best in all the lands. They could be found in every kingdom in all the known world.

Within this colony, in the town of Gnarlack, there lived a vast family of gnomes consisting of nine brothers. A tragedy recently struck the family. Wild beasts killed their parents. Their parents regularly traveled back and forth between villages, and on one such trip, they never returned. The family estate was quite large, as were the flourishing physician practices left by both parents. Knowing he needed help, the eldest brother agreed to recognize the second eldest as an equal partner in the estate.

The younger seven brothers met one night after their elder brothers retired to their beds. The most senior spoke first. “My brothers, we must decide what we are to do. Our elder brothers are searching for wives and running the estate. When they start families of their own, there will be no place for us here, yet we are not old enough to start our own estates. Let us devise a plan so we are not displaced with nowhere to go.”

One of the younger brothers yelled out. “Adventure!”

Another young sibling chimed in. “Yes! Adventure! Let’s explore the lands outside the colony, my brothers!”

A third brother added. “All of us together!”

The eldest spoke again. “Do you all want this? It may be a tough life to leave the colony so young. With all of us together, though, we should be able to handle whatever comes our way.” He looked at the youngest, a tiny gnome of just seven summers. “Brody, you are the youngest of us. If you agree to this and are willing to risk the wild unknown, I will also agree to go.”

“Josiah, it was I who first shouted for adventure. I love our farm, our colony, but let us go and find new things.” Brody replied with a grin.

Josiah cleared his throat and looked from one brother to the next, looking directly at each one. “Very well, then. We will begin gathering supplies tomorrow and leave within a fortnight.”

————————————————————————————————————

The brothers gathered around the large, dark crevice in the earth. They left their town, their entire colony, behind weeks ago. They passed through several small human villages and met a few traveling gnomes. However, they mostly followed the mountain’s edge towards the west, looking for a passage through the mountains. They dreamed of traveling south. They knew of no gnome who traveled beyond the hills and wished they would find a way to be the first.

In their journey, they made no new discoveries or exciting adventures until now. Josiah dropped a stone into the crevice, and they could not hear it hit bottom. He looked at his brothers and spoke. “We’ve wanted an adventure. The south wall of this crevice looks climbable. Shall we go down into the crevice or pass it by?”

The third eldest brother, Ezekiel, spoke. “I say we go—all of us. If only one climbed down and all was well, time would be wasted returning for the rest of us. And if there is danger, it would be safer for all of us to be together.”

They all agreed on the plan and began the descent into the crevice.

The gnome brothers, now on the floor of the impossibly deep chasm, huddled together. Brody looked up, eyes wide. “I can’t even see the sky anymore. And what’s with the weird blue glow coming off the river?”

A wide river wound through the chasm, disappearing into the distance. The blue glow from the river dimly lit the abyss and made the gnomes’ pale yellow skin look almost the same shade of blue as their eyes.

Josiah spoke. “Brothers, this is an extraordinary thing we have found. The chasm is so deep that we cannot see the sky, yet this river glows with a blue light. I’ve never seen or even heard of anything like this. Shall we continue ahead or climb out of this place?”

Brody answered. “Josiah,” he looked around the circle. “all my brothers, it is because it is new, different, and weird that we should go forward. We left our town to find a new place for us in the world. We wanted an adventure, and this is that adventure. I say we go forward, not back to the same old boring things on the surface.”

The other five brothers all voiced agreement with Brody. After a brief rest, they all got up and followed the river upstream. The river wound through the rock, sometimes winding one way and sometimes back the other way. The cavern surrounding the river was always uniformly large. The small-statured gnomes felt even smaller than usual in such a large cavern. Even Josiah, the eldest and almost an adult, stood barely four feet tall. The diameter of the cavern had to be over fifty feet.

The gnomes lost all track of time in the weirdly glowing caverns. There was no sun, moon, or stars to judge the passage of time. Days, weeks, months, they no longer knew. They were tired. They were hungry. They bickered with each other about every little thing, with one exception. They all agreed they had to continue forward and not back towards the crevice.

The sameness of their seemingly unending journey numbed their minds, and they almost failed to notice the sparkling green lights flickering all around them. The second youngest, Jaedon, noticed first. “Brothers!” Shouted Jaedon. “Look! All around us, even on us, sparkly green light! I’ve seen nothing like it since we’ve been down here. What can it mean?”

Matheus, the middle of the seven, replied. “Jaedon, you are right. It’s the first different thing we have seen down here in a very long time. Let us hurry. Maybe we are near the end of our journey.”

The brothers quickened their pace and rounded the next corner. As one, all seven stopped dead in their tracks. The tunnel ended in a cavern that was even more massive than the tunnel itself. The ceiling loomed at least a hundred feet over their heads. The glowing blue river ended at an enormous lake that glowed with the same blue light. A waterfall cascaded down into the opposite end of the lake. The waterfall flowed out of a crevice near the top of the cavern.

All of this amazed the gnomes. However, these wonders paled in comparison to the cavern’s lone occupant. A tremendous green dragon sat quietly beside the lake, staring at the gnomes. The dragon lowered its head until it looked straight at them with its massive yellow-green eyes. “Who are you, little creatures, and how did you find your way into my domain? I have been here for an eternity, and you are the first beings I have seen since the elders left me here. Why have you come to the source of all magic? If your intentions are evil, I will destroy you. Answer quickly, but answer true. I will know if you lie to me.”

While the dragon spoke, the gnomes fell to their knees and bowed their heads to him. Josiah lifted his head, looked directly into the dragon’s eyes, and stood. “Oh, great and powerful lord dragon, we are humble gnomes from the village of Gnarlack. Our parents were killed in the forest by beasts, and our two elder brothers took over the care of our home. We decided to adventure out to find our own way in the world. We discovered a massive crevice in the ground, leading us here. We knew not of the existence of this place or of you. If we are unwelcome, we will gladly leave and never return.” Josiah fell to his knees and bowed his head.

The dragon’s eyes narrowed in concentration, then he opened his eyes, looked at the group of gnomes, and spoke. “Stand, little gnomes, for I sense the truth in your story and goodness in your hearts. My name is Colossus, and I was the first living creature created by the Elders, whom you refer to as the Enkali. I stand guard over the source of all magic, and I have since my creation. The hole in the ground of which you speak should not exist. Since you spoke of it, I have searched with my mind and found seven such holes throughout the world. This troubles me. I possess great power, but I still cannot protect seven places simultaneously.”

Brody allowed his childish emotions to escape and interrupted Colossus’s speech. “Lord Colossus, sir. Oh, great and powerful dragon, there are seven of us. May we assist you?”

Colossus swung his massive head towards Brody. “Little one, silence your rude and loud tongue! However, you make an interesting point. Seven gnomes, seven chasms. The fates may smile on me this day.” He looked at them all in turn. “After thousands of years in this cavern, I am weary of my task. I long to see the outside world. Now, with those chasms, my task becomes even more difficult. If you all are willing, I could grant you immortal life and bestow upon you great power. There would be conditions and limitations, however.”

Jaedon scrunched up his tiny face and looked up at the dragon. “What do you mean by conditions and limitations?”

Colossus began to speak again. “What I mean, young gnome, is that though you would have unlimited access to the purest form of magic, you would only be able to wield it when someone casts a wish. The one casting the wish must make an offering fitting the wish they cast. Furthermore, the fulfillment of the wish must not affect the balance of good and evil. Keeping the balance is the most important task. I don’t mean the individual’s wish can’t benefit a good or an evil cause. It can. The wish may not unbalance good and evil for all time.”

The brothers began speaking amongst themselves. They made their decision, and Josiah stepped forward. “Lord Colossus, we came looking for adventure and our place in this world. You offer more than we ever dreamed possible. We wish to help you. What must we do?”

Colossus looked them over and nodded to himself. “First, I must test you, mind, body, and soul. Dip yourselves into the river of magic and return to me.”

The gnomes completed the task and returned to stand before Colossus. Brody spoke to the dragon. “Lord Colossus, we dipped ourselves into the magic. What more do you require of us?” Brody waited expectantly for an answer.

The dragon did not speak. He, instead, drew his head back and belched forth green fire. The dragon fire engulfed all seven gnomes. The gnomes screeched in pain and surprise. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the fire disappeared.

The gnomes looked at each other, and all started talking at once. Then, Jaedon disappeared in a flash of light. The remaining six brothers were all struck speechless. They turned and looked everywhere, looking for their missing brother. Auberon disappeared not a minute later.

Josiah spun around to face Colossus. “Lord Dragon? What happened to my two brothers? Have we failed your test?” Before Colossus could answer, a scream from Brody interrupted them.

“Josiah! Josiah! Ezekial and Zhalker disappeared, too! Shall we disappear next?” Brody buried his face into his brother’s sleeve and wept. Josiah turned towards where his remaining two brothers stood just in time to witness Matheus and Brody disappear in twin flashes of light. Suddenly, Josiah found himself alone with the great dragon. He turned and faced Colossus. “Oh, great and powerful dragon, have we failed? Are my brothers all dead? Am I next? In your infinite power, could you grant us another chance?”

Colossus looked down at the tiny gnome. “My little friend, quite the opposite is true. You have all passed the test and been accepted as the new guardians of the source of magic. I have been freed from my bonds. I am forever in your debt.”

“What happened to my brothers, Lord Colossus?” Josiah asked, concern still in his shaky voice.

“They have been sent to the other six chasms I spoke of before. The knowledge they need to perform their task has been given to them by the elders. You are the guardian of the chasm above us. I will tell you the rest of what you need to know.”

Josiah sighed in noticeable relief. “It is good to know that my brothers are alive and safe. I will never see them again, though, will I?”

Colossus bent his head down close to Josiah. “No, my friend, you most likely will not. Sit a moment, and I will tell you of your task as guardian.”

“As you wish, my Lord Dragon.” Josiah sat in front of the dragon’s snout and listened.

Colossus began. “As a guardian, you must protect the chasm from intruders. No one must be allowed to enter, such as you and your brothers did. Build a well over the mouth of the chasm. The well will become a symbol of the wishes that can be granted. You now have immortal life and unlimited power, but both are tied to the wish magic. Other beings that draw upon the magic draw upon it diluted through the land. The source funnels magic into all living things. That is the magic that those in the land above draw upon. Only you and your brothers draw upon the undiluted source. You can only use the magic in response to a wish, however. And even then, you may never unbalance the scales of good and evil. An individual wish may seem good or evil, but the wish must not alter the overall balance. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Colossus, I understand.” Josiah nodded, still listening intently to the dragon.

“One final thing before I leave you. You only remain immortal if you remain near your well. If you abandon your post as a guardian, your powers will fade, and time will catch up to you. Do you still accept this responsibility?” Colossus waited for his response.

“Yes, Lord Colossus, I understand and willingly accept this responsibility. I know the limitations and consequences of all you told me.” He bowed his head to the dragon.

“Do not fear, little gnome. One last bit of dragon fire to send you on your way.” Colossus breathed a puff of fire that surrounded Josiah. Josiah disappeared in a flash of light as his brothers had before him.

Alone again in the cavern that has been his only home throughout his unnaturally long life, Colossus leaned down and took a deep drink from the river of pure magic. Then, he, too, disappeared in a flash of light.

Colossus reappeared in a lush green forest. He looked around at all the things that he had never seen before. He breathed in deeply of the fresh, clean air. Finally, for the first time, he flapped his massive wings and rose into the air. He roared in happiness and excitement as he flew off to start an adventure of his own.

Colossus’s mind cleared, and he, once again, became aware of his present-day surroundings. He flew many miles while his mind wandered through the past. He was now near the intersection of two mountain chains, near the land of the trolls. He landed outside of Troll Nation and found a suitable cave for a home. Colossus was tired from his journey and settled in for a long, well-deserved sleep.