The Spiritguard

My mind flashes back to when Kael and I were younger, playing around at night even though we weren't supposed to. It wasn't just any night - it was something appropriately called the Day of Darkness. It happens every year, and always on a September night. The sun will rise that day, only to dip back down over the horizon. For the entire day, the world will be locked in eternal sunset. Then, when night comes, the moon will rise red, an orb of ominous red, as if the lunar body were stained with heavenly blood.

 Kael and I were playing outside and were mesmerized by the crimson sphere that hung in the sky. It was our first time seeing it, because we'd never snuck out during a Day of Darkness before. It's customary at home to keep the windows closed shut on that day. I remember, though. That year, we witnessed beauty and terror unlike any we'd ever seen.

 There is a reason it is called the Day of Darkness. On that day, the boundary between our world and their world becomes weak, and the Spirits can open up portals to infiltrate our world. That is the primary job of the Spiritguard—to protect the world every Day of Darkness against the incoming threat from the other world. Around Arcona Village, we don't have many problems. All we get here from the other side are Imps, which are considered to be one of the weakest forms of spirit around. 

 Still, an Imp, weak as it is, can do a lot of damage to two ten-year-old kids. In fact, that's exactly what happened. We were attacked by a rogue Imp that had managed to open up a portal right in the heart of town. It immediately tried to light us on fire, cook us alive. We'd always been told that Imps had an obsession with eating young children.

 That day, Kael suffered some nasty burns and the Imp had cut my arm open. Thankfully, a trainee soldier from the Spiritguard rushed to us and saved both of our lives. Ever since that horrifying moment, Kael has desperately wanted to join the Spiritguard and learn how to fight against the evil spirits so he will never be put in that situation again…

 I'm happy to say there was no drama in the Felice household over my decision. My mother loves the idea of me joining the Spiritguard. She's always had a love of adventure. That's why she married my father, after all. My father was a Spiritguard, and he died in the line of duty. Ever since then, I've been telling my mother that I wanted to become a great warrior just like my dad and protect the country from evil. She loves that idea. She also knows I'm not smart enough to go to one of the Universities and get a good, well-paying job with Vitarine Inc., so maybe that's her way of saying I'm doing the best I can.

 I don't mind. I don't want to be smart enough to work for Vitarine Inc. Intellect or not, I wouldn't be happy there. Neither would Kael. Both he and I have an insatiable lust for adventure that only the Spiritguard can satisfy.

 We stop by the town general store and I pick up my bottle of Vitarine. I chug it there, right in front of the store owner, and then throw out the bottle. Kael laughs a little uncomfortably at my less-than-polite actions.

 Now that I have some Vitarine in me, all my tiredness is completely gone! I feel like running around in circles, or doing a thousand jumping jacks, or some other ill-conceived and strenuous activity. I try to contain the influx of energy. Vitarine always gets me going like nothing else, especially when I drink it all at once. That's when it hits me.

 "Sigmund, you're shaking," Kael notices.

 I nod and laugh. "Yeah I am!" I bellow. "I'm quivering with excitement! Come on, let's go! We need to sign up!"

 I start jogging down the street toward the Spiritguard barracks, where the Commencement Day signups will be located. Kael runs after me. If there's one athletic thing Kael can do, he can run. That kid is quite the sprinter, but only for short distances. He gets tired, and doesn't have much stamina. With us jogging, though, we're at the barracks in less than five minutes. It'd have taken way longer if I hadn't un-zombified myself.

 We get there early, but already the area is crowded. There are a lots of people my age or a little older lingering around that I recognize from my village, though most of these people I've never seen before. They are from other villages in the area. Out of all of the towns in the northwest, small as it is, Arcona Village is the only one with a Spiritguard Training Center.

 "Oh, look who's here," I sneer, whispering into Kael's ear. "Lance McDouche."

 Okay, that was a little mean. His last name is McLoosh, not McDouche. I'm to understand that douches are useful to some people, and he is not.

 Kael gets up on his toes to try and see over the heads of all of the people there. It's not surprising, but Kael seems to be the shortest person in the bunch. As such, it's a bit harder for him to see around. "I thought he was going to the University this year," Kael says. "I wonder, what is he doing here?"

 "Must've gotten a big fat rejection letter," I say.

 Kael shakes his head at me. "Sigmund, he wouldn't be so mean to us if you were a little less hostile yourself. You two constantly butt heads because you're both so hard-headed and stubborn. Why don't you try acting a little nicer and see if that changes anything?"

 "No way!" I object. "If he wants me to be nice, he has to be nice first. I won't take anything less than him coming over here, bowing to me, and asking me to forgive him for everything he's ever done. And then, and only then, will I consider being nice to him."

 "You're impossible, Sigmund," Kael rolls his eyes. "Look. They're starting the signups!"

 I whip my head toward the barracks and I see that Kael is right. Already people are gathering around, wide-eyed and full of wonder as a man steps up to address us, the crowd. I can tell that the man is powerful and knows what he's talking about. Standing at a towering six and a half feet tall, the Instructor looks and makes eye contact with each individual person in the crowd, remembering faces. I follow his gaze as I myself look around at all of the different people that are gathered around. I'm surprised to see that each and every person is dressed in fancy attire. Well, all but one. I notice a girl with blond hair, she's wearing nice clothes but they are ripped and torn. She looks like she just came straight out of hell. That's good. She looks way less presentable than me, so she'll be the one who everyone remembers.

 The instructor throws his shaggy hair out of his eyes and starts to speak. "Good morning!" he calls out. "It's nice to see you all here today. I guarantee half of you will be gone within the next week."

 Even though he sounds arrogant and pessimistic, he throws a smile. "We'll be doing sign ups now, so if any of you actually think you have what it takes to endure two years of brutal training and then a lifetime of putting your ass on the line every day, then feel free. Come sign up. If you're on the fence about the whole thing, don't bother. We don't want soldiers who are 'on the fence' and 'scared'. We have enough of those already. We're here to recruit some stonehearted, remarkable individuals who have both talent and mental strength."

 He slams down a clipboard with a piece of paper attached to it. "There's about a hundred of you here, I see. I have a hundred spots available for names on here, so if you can't fit into one of those spaces, tough luck. Try again next year."

 Suddenly, people around me are inching forward. There's a sense of urgency now, and everyone is triggered to go write their names down as soon as possible. Nobody wants to be #101 to reach the sheet and find out that all of the slots are taken. I rush forward too, along with Kael, and we manage to sign ourselves in at number twenty-eight and twenty-nine.

 When all of that is said and done, and I've bumped elbows with a few of my future classmates, the Instructor smiles, looking over the clipboard, rifling through the pages. "Only ninety-seven of you. A shame. I do love to see the looks on people's faces when they're told that the paper's full. Oh well. We'll get you all processed, fitted for uniforms, take your vitals. Anyone that doesn't meet the initial requirements or is otherwise deemed too unhealthy to be a soldier will be dismissed immediately. No exceptions. Once you've got your ID and your uniform, you leave. And if you leave with your ID and your gear, you bet your ass you'll be back here at this time tomorrow to start your training and to move into the barracks here. And yes, I get the complaint every year, 'but I live down the street!' I don't care. You will all stay in OUR barracks and you don't leave without permission. Oh, and happy Commencement Day."