Untold Story

The sun rose, dragging with it another uneventful morning as Cassius walked their morning route, ensuring no one had tampered with any of the enclosures at the park. The unusual and magical creatures exhibit put on by Aelix every year was a huge hit and a target for the rebels to steal any new valuable splices that Aelix created that year. A soft crunching sound emanated from the smallest enclosure as a lemur-like creature chewed on a branch. Its large eyes tracked Cassius. Snap. The branch snapped and fell to the ground with a light thud. Cassius smiled and flowed around another corner. Only to see a man touching the barrier for one of the dragon enclosures.

“Get away from there!” Cassius commanded, breaking into a sprint.

But then the man turned to face him, with a wicked grin, as mechanical wings sprung from his back as he shot into the air. Cassius slowed as he reached the place where the man had been standing; the dragon in the enclosure was a scaled beast with metal adaptations over its wings, horns, and claws, as well as a semi-circle along its temple with small, embedded indicator lights. Ice blue eyes met his gaze, and he stilled. Cassius had heard of dragons leaving their enclosures if they desired. They usually were content to help Aelix show off the latest technology in bio enhancement, but what if this one was not content? He took a step towards the barrier. The toe of his boot hit something soft, worn, and thick. He broke the staring contest he was having with the dragon to see a small black notebook lying on the biocrete. The man must have dropped it when he was rushing away.

Cassius fell into a squat to read the title of the little book.

Book of Past, Present, and Future. Was written on the cover in matte black block font. If he had no adaptations for enhanced eyesight, he might not have read any title because the lettering was so worn. Another moment of looking at the book had him taking in all of the other details, slight scuffs in the leather, rounded corners that were lighter towards the edges, the back cover seemed to bough, maybe a collection of loose items were tucked there? A stretched-thin elastic band kept the journal from bursting open.

A huff of air hit Cassius’s hair as the dragon stood directly in front of him. No longer behind the barrier. Cassius lifted his hands, slowly lowering into a cross-legged sitting position as the beast bent to push the book towards him.

“You are not supposed to be out of your enclosure,” Cassian said to the beast, half expecting the dragon to take off as the man had. Instead, it just nudged the book towards him again before laying down on the warm biocrete.

“Am I supposed to open this? It isn’t my book. I should just turn the damned thing into lost and found.”

The dragon growled and nudged the book into his lap and snapping its teeth in a small chattering movement that Cassius could not place as either a threat or just the slight nip of chill in the air.

“Fine.” Cassius groaned. Not willing to pick a fight those teeth or glinting talons.

He pulled the elastic band loose, and the inner cover and main title page were covered in sketches of the dragon before him. Beautifully rendered in deep black ink with a small message in the same blocky font that graced the cover that said: In Case of Loss Please Return to: The Guardian; As a Reward: 20,000 Credits.

Once he had finished reading the small note, the book flew open to the next blank page. Well, not exactly an empty page. There was writing that started to appear.

Cassius, you are the next Guardian. Thank you for returning the book to the rightful Guardian, 20,000 credits have been transferred to your account.

Cassius dropped the book and scooted away from the beast, who was observing him. Twenty-thousand credits were enough for him to never work again! What was a guardian? There must be some type of mistake. The dragon just nudged the book towards him again.

I am Aerie. The book’s page continued to fill; you are now a Guardian for Aelix. Your first assignment will be delivered in this book. Please always keep it with you. It is a matter of life and death; the rebellion will target you if you do not keep this book on you at all times. This book will keep you safe, and so will I. The dragon stood a bit prouder as the book typed out the details.

“Rebellion?” Cassius stammered. “I want nothing to do with this. Take it back.” Cassius felt his pulse start to climb as he shoved the book back towards the dragon. What did it say its name was? Aerie. “Take this back, Aerie!” Cassius only knew about the rebellion from the newsreels. The horrible humans who had decided the Eldars should not lead the newly created floating lumps of land called plates. They were always blowing up a building or stealing resources from places that needed them. Why would he want to be a part of that fight? It looked terrifying. The newsreels had dubbed the war only just beginning as the Resource Wars. To Cassius, the war was about control and power, not the resources that the Eldars always made sure to provide to everyone regardless of belief or political alignment.

The book is never wrong. Data does not lie. You are the next Guardian because your whole life has been in service to others. You are always trying to do the next right thing. This book is for you to tell the story yet to be told. As you help Aelix and I rid this planet of the rebel armies and establish the Eldar Council. Everyone can be a hero if they have a place to record their story.

Cassius groaned. “I don’t get a choice, do I?” His voice shook, but somehow the jagged anxious edge in his mind had soothed with Aerie’s words.

Would you ever choose to let others lead while you waste away on chips and walking this same boring route every morning?

Cassius chewed on the tip of his tongue. Would he really be the type of person to leave the world’s future to fate? Did he want a say in the future he would live in?

“I suppose I wouldn’t if given a chance to make a change.”

Here is your chance, take the book and claim your place as a Guardian. We have work to do and a story to write.