The Guardian

Alexander had mixed emotions about reconnecting with someone he hadn’t seen since he was five. A lot had changed over the last thirteen years. Would Dr. Jason remember him, and had the doctor’s current life altered him since the last time they were together? Alexander was filled with questions for the Doctor. How had Jason managed to survive living among the Jinkinki and the Beast Masters, and was there anything left of the civilization he remembered as a boy? Probably the most important question Alexander could think of was, did the good doctor know how to destroy the evil invaders?

Later that evening, after the festivities were over, Alexander lay on his bed staring into the darkness. His mind refused to sleep, preferring to replay the conversations he had with Cronos and the other elders instead. Crossing interdimensional boundaries, bringing beings from that dimension back to Earth to serve as a marauding army was stretching his young mind to its limits. What had happened to the Beast Masters in their early lives to generate such an overwhelming amount of hate for the human race? Was it even hate or was it greed and power that drove them? Questions on top of questions with answers playing hide and seek in his mind.

Exhaustion eventually took control, and Alexander finally drifted off into a fitful sleep filled with dreams of Jikininki, dire wolves, and attacking crabs. When Leo rousted him out of bed, he felt just as tired as before he went to bed. The boys went to the cafeteria for breakfast, where they met up with several of their other friends who were still pumped up from yesterday's festivities. Alexander let the conversations wash over him while he picked at his breakfast and feigned interest in everything going on around him. All he wanted to do was go back to bed.

Alexander’s demeanor shifted from sluggish to high alert when a young girl entered the cafeteria, bubbling over with excitement.

“I saw the beasties, the very scary beasties!”

The poor girl was immediately overwhelmed with questions, and her behavior transformed from excited to terrified. People wanted to know what the beasts looked like, where she was when she saw them, and whether they saw her. The questions seemed endless, but they all came to an abrupt halt when Actos entered the hall and raised both hands, signaling everyone to be quiet. The elder waited patiently until the only audible sound was the ticking wall clock at the front of the room. He then turned to Alexander and motioned for him to join them. That was not a move that anyone expected, especially Alexander, but he complied without saying a word.

“I asked you to join me because I think this young lady will be more comfortable with someone closer to her own age to talk with. I know you’re older than her, but you are nearer to her age than I am. Have you thought of any questions to ask her?”

Alexander stared at Actos for a long minute, then kneeled on one knee to appear less intimidating to the girl and said,

“Hi, I’m Alexander. What’s your name?”

She stared at both men, trying to assess her situation before totally focusing on Alexander.

“My name is Raven. I’m seven.”

“Raven, that’s a pretty name. I was around your age when I came to live here. Raven, can you describe what you saw and how many there were?”

“There were three of them, and they looked like great big dogs except they had strange heads.”

“Can you describe what their strange heads look like and what color these dogs were?”

“The dogs were all black except for their white heads, and their bodies kept changing shape. Their heads didn’t have any skin or fur on them, just bone. That’s what made them so scary looking.”

“Well, you’re a very brave girl, Raven. I know those creatures would have scared me. Can you point in the direction where you saw them?”

“I was walking along the top of the wall where it goes by the big woods when I saw them. Can I have something to eat now? I’m hungry.”

“Sure, you can, Raven. You’ve been a real big help, and if you go with Leo, he’ll get you something to eat and sit with you until your mother gets here. I need to talk with Actos now, but we can talk some more later. By for now, brave girl.”

“What do you think, Actos? Those creatures aren’t Jinkinki. Have you seen them before?”

“They are called Shadow Beasts because their bodies appear to fade in and out like shadows. They are ferocious beasts and consider humans to be delicacies. We thought we had hunted them into extinction in this part of the world, but with fewer people on the planet, they have returned.”

“Great, one more creature to worry about. I wonder if Dr. Jason has had to deal with them as well?”