The Guardian

This path does not have an ending, the walk is the purpose.

I continue to tell myself this as I trudge up the mountainside on my way to the “Entrance of the Guardian Realm.” Yeah, probably thinking the same thing I did after hearing that name – presumptuous much?

The name was unimportant, again the walk is what I wanted. I needed to see this through. I had been traveling on these pathways though the Redaran mountain range for years, I had found all of the little side jaunts and climbs that there seemed to be. I passed underneath the enormous red barked Gryshriner trees and smelled the fragrances of the moss and decaying leaves on the ground. That particular smell was my favorite.

The realization that some people only think of that scent as one of death or dismay boggled my mind. The inhalation of the odor gave me visions of not an ending, but also a beginning. How the cycle of life feeds the trees and the fauna that live beneath them. Life and death coexist within the same realm of the possible. Some who venture out into these forests feel morose thoughts of death, but these paths that I follow make me feel life. Not only the current life, but what lies beyond this mortal coil. What does it mean to truly move on?

This is why I am setting out on the insanity that is the pathway to the “Entrance of the Guardian Realm.” Not to find out where it ends,but to see how much of a beginning this path can be. My muscles flex as I churn through the muddy and treacherous terrain. I can feel that they are flexing and that I am working them, but that is all the feeling I have. This is my power.

Alright so, it isn’t much of a super power. I mean sure,some can move vehicles with their hands and others can do math faster than a mechanical apparatus. I can keep my body in motion for days at a time without tiring and without failing. As long as I have fuel as it were, I will not stop until I choose.I long ago gave up running marathons, they became trivial and boring. It wouldseem that I am the only one who obtained this ability within this realm.

Now, I move for myself – walk or run trails and paths to see where they go and what I can find that others cannot. I have seen more of this planet than any other human.There are only a few things left to be found – the “Entrances of the Guardian Realm” being one of these things. The name is for the path, not for the ending – nobody has seen the ending – some figure it just falls off the edge of the world and others think it's just a joke to get people to try it.

“Man, what happens if it really does take you into another realm?” asked my friend Leevi when I decided to head out on this trek. “Then I will walk through that one,” was my only response. Leevi got a much more useful gift, he can lift virtually anything. He once carried a Gryshriner tree down the mountain – nobody even knows how much those things can truly weigh.I opted to take the road less traveled as they say, the pathto the “Entrance of the Guardian Realm.”

Now, four days into my walk, I am beginning to wonder if it does have an ending. I haven’t been stopping to sleep, and have jogged some of the path – I think that I am in a different country at this point. The views have been spectacular thus far. Nights with stars that were innumerable, so bright that I did not need light to see the path. The twinkling lights piercing the darkness of the midnight canopy. Trees of every shape and size, running streams, and flower filled fields sparsely range the path in front and behind as I continue the walk.

I have not had a sense not touched on this trip. The rise and fall of the trail beneath my feet, the scent of flowers assaulting my nose with such variation that I could not even parse what flower was which, and the sounds of birds and scurrying small creatures within the dark underneath the gigantic canopy of trees accompanied by the howls of the Betharan wolves in the distance. Even without the sights, my mind would have been altered by everything that has come to mind on this journey.

Still I walk, hunting for this ending, searching for this finale to the world – to the incessant walking.As I top a rise, the trail leads out into a plateau spread before me is a field of waist high grass swaying with the evening breeze. I can see the trail leads out into the area, only darkness at the end showing me how close I might be, but still far to travel. I pick up my pace, and it seems as though the darkness may never get closer. Pitch back, with nothing to show within the void – am I truly traveling to the depths of nothingness?

Finally, I can see that the end is approaching. At the end of the trail within the darkness I can see a lone light, though I cannot tell what is making it quite yet. Within sight I see that it is a single lantern within a window of a small cabin. Only the front of which I can see. The shape, form of logs creating sharp jigsaw angles on the sides, and a large double wooden door in the middle. The lantern light I can see actually hangs from a dark metal hook beside the door. Perched on the railing of the porch is an odd creature. A bird like none I have ever seen, stark white feathers reflect the light of the lantern, but where the eyes should be seem to be pits of pure obsidian. Despite the seeming nothingness within the eye sockets, I can tell this bird is looking at me, as if staring through my soul.

I feel as though any thoughts, or feelings I have ever had are laid bare for those eyes – there would be nothing ever I could hide from this creature. While these ideas should have me in a shock of fear, I continue to move forward. I am mesmerized by the bird.

“Whoooo,” I hear coming from the creature. Is it asking me a question? Is that simply the sound it makes? I have no clue, but my curiosity is piqued by the events as they unfold before me. “Who?” I hear again, and this time I can tell it is a question. “My name is Nicholas, I am looking for the end of the Guardian Realm trail,” I say frantically, with much more fear that I realized my body contained.  “Good, that is good,” I hear in a voice that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The creature's head tilts slightly as if measuring me and my waning resolve. “This this what I have been seeking?” I ask the bird.

“Now,that is a question for the ages,” the voice says as the bird stretches wings. “Do any of us know what we truly seek?” The question seems to ring in the still dark air that surrounds me. What do I actually seek? I wonder what my purpose is, and what I truly want out of this life. “Are you the creature talking to me? I am confused as to what is truly going on, ” I stammer, trying to get a grip on my emotions and figure out what is going on. “The owl? Oh, he is just my eyes within your world,”says the ethereal voice. “I need to see, owls have amazing eyes, and can fly of course. It is more helpful than a cat.” The last part was started with a note of humor.

“This this what I have been seeking?” I ask the bird. “Now, that is a question for the ages,” the voice says as the bird stretches wings. “Do any of us know what we truly seek?”

The question seems to ring in the still dark air that surrounds me. What do I actually seek? I wonder what my purpose is, and what I truly want out of this life. “Are you the creature talking to me? I am confused as to what is truly going on, ” I stammer, trying to get a grip on my emotions and figure out what is going on. “The owl? Oh, he is just my eyes within your world,” says the ethereal voice. “I need to see, owls have amazing eyes, and can fly of course. It is more helpful than a cat.” The last part was stated with a note of humor.

Need to see within my world? What is going on here, I do not understand any of this. “I know that you are confused right now, trust me it will all make sense soon,” said the voice. “However, we have come to the moment of choice. Is this what you want, is this the end of your path?”

I do not know how to answer, what does this even mean? What path am I ending? I simply do not know. “I do not understand, what do you mean is it the end of my path?” I ask the air around me. “You have journeyed this world, traveled every inch you can think of have you not?” said the voice. “What is next for you? Will you travel further?”

How do I travel further, if he said himself I have seen it all. Am I do die and move to the next life? Is this my end? Is the bird my reaper?

“You do not have to die, it is not in the cards for you at this moment. Though, I have seen it,” says the voice. “Do you simply want to move to the next realm?” The question takes me back, there are more realms, this is not the only world. There is more to explore. I will move on!

“Good choice,” said the bird. “Just wait until you see what’s next.