“AHHH!!! NO! NO!” Dexius cried out after awakening from a nightmare that he was having during his slumber on a cot inside of Castron’s Cabin dwelling.

  Covered in a cold sweat, the Blue Guardian had just ‘escaped’ from a nightmare, which contained ‘dark memories’ of his tragic past back on the now decimated world of Guardinas.

  Confused and disoriented, Dexius looked around at his newfound surroundings before running his left hand through his sweat-drenched hair

  As Dexius sat up on his cot, entering the room was Lord Lakarias.

  “Lord-Guardian, what’s wrong? I heard you screaming.”

  “Huff… Huff… Tis nothing, Castron. Huff… Huff… Huff… Tis nothing. I am well.”

  “BUT I HEARD YOU SCREAMING. What troubles you, Dexius?”

  Dexius still remained silent whilst looking downwards at his palms, which rested between his blanket covered thighs.

  “What is it, Lieutenant,” Castron pressed as he took a seat in a nearby wooden rocking chair. “Tis alright. I shall not judge you. You can trust me.”

  “Whilst I was sleeping, I had… A NIGHTMARE,” the Blue Guardian finally explained in a grief-stricken tone.

  “A nightmare? What was it about?”

  “THE PAST. ‘Twas the night-cycle of ‘the Grand Jubilation Festival’ back on Guardinas. The night-cycle before the Vexans invaded.”

  “I see. Was there more???”

  Dexius nodded.

  “I also experienced events from the day-cycle of the cursed Invasion. Events that I do not wish to discuss with you, my Lord.”

  “Tis alright, Dexius. I understand. You and the Lady-Princess have been through quite the grand ordeal. Being one of the few remaining Guardinians in the whole Known Universe is a heavy burden to bear.”

  “As well as possessing the Pyramid of Power,” Dexius grimly added.

  Looking at Dexius more worrisomely now, Lord Lakarias stated, “Not to bring on ‘bad tidings’, Lord-Guardian, but if the Vexans find a way to locate the whereabouts of the Pyramid then they will come for it… IN FULL FORCE. Just as they did with Guardinas… And the other unfortunate worlds before it.”

  “I know. Tis what frightens me the most, Castron.”

  Looking down at his palms once more, Dexius kept silent as his raging emotions forced him to ball his hands into tightened, zilitium-hardened fists.

  “You are strong, Dexius… And VERY brave,” Lord Lakarias truthfully stated. “But you ALONE cannot stand against the Vexan Horde in all of their wicked and DESTRUCTIVE might. YOU NEED MORE ALLIES. Other beings, like yourself, who are willing, strong, and BRAVE enough to stand alongside you in the defense of this world, its people, the Pyramid… AND THE LADY-PRINCESS from the Brothers Vexas and their cursed thracking Empire.”

  “I KNOW, CASTRON… All too well,” Dexius bitterly replied. “Tis the reason why the Lord-King Luxor entrusted me with the other ‘championless’ Guardian Energy Shifters. He wanted me to find other life-forms… Aeshlarans… HUMANS to join me and take on the sacred roles as ‘Guardians Warriors’... But WHERE am I to find such ‘champions’???”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “I do not have an answer for you, Lieutenant. Earth is a BIG planet. TWICE THE SIZE of Guardinas. There are many who inhabit it… All with their own goals and motives. To seemingly just ‘find’ six humans out of nearly SEVEN BILLION to wield the awesome might of the Guardians would be like trying to ‘catch’ air.”

  “So… You are saying tis HOPELESS then? YOU ARE SAYING that we, Princess Ashanna, and EVERYONE ELSE on this planet are ULTIMATELY DOOMED???”

  “No. Tis NOT what I am saying, Lord-Guardian. Not at all.”

  “Then what ARE you saying, Lord Lakarias?”

  “What I am saying, Dexius, is that you, nor the Lady-Princess, nor even I are not of this world. Though I have been here since after the ‘Fall of the Crattusian Empire’ twenty-cycles ago, when King Luxor made a decree to have myself and many of my other brethren from the ‘Guardinian Extragalactic Exploration Society’ branch out to other nearby worlds in neighboring Galactic Sectors for possible ‘habitation’ one day-cycle, I have still yet to FULLY understand mankind.

  “Whether you wish to call them ‘Aeshlarans’ or ‘Humans’, one thing is for CERTAIN, Lord-Guardian: Their species is a vexing one. Some love; some hate… Some build; some destroy… Humanity is an ever changing and always conflicted race of sentient beings who NEVER know what they truly want out of this so-called ‘existence’... But where there be struggle, Dexius, there must ALSO be…”

  “Hope,” Dexius answered, which was a word that the Blue Guardian Warrior believed in… Once… BEFORE THE VEXANS INVADED HIS HOMEWORLD.

  “Yes, Dexius. You must ALWAYS retain hope,” Castron stated strongly and with passion. “Whether it be in a vast amount or a mere morsel… You must always have hope for the better. For, if you do not… THEN ALL ELSE IS LOST.”

  Leaning closer towards the conflicted, teenaged alien soldier now, Castron said, “Remain hopeful, Dexius, and I can MORE than assure you that you WILL find your six champions. Just remember to keep hope. ALWAYS KEEP HOPE and the rest shall follow.”

  Nodding, Dexius was about to reply until the door to his room suddenly opened.

  Peeking her head in through a crack in the doorway was the Lady-Princess Ashanna Pronos.

  “Oh, uh… Forgive my intrusion. Lord Lakarias, may I please have a word with you? Tis MOST important.”

  “Certainly, Your Majesty,” Castron nodded after turning towards the strangely ‘scared’ looking Guardinian Royal. “What is the problem?”

  “I, uh… Well, I… Um… I… Well, you see, Lord Lakarias, I seem to have accidentally started a ‘TORCH-BLAZE’ in the kitchen area of your dwelling.”

  Castron’s eyes immediately widened in shock as did Dexius’s.

  “You see, my Lord,” Princess Ashanna nervously continued. “I was trying to make some more of those ‘scrambled eggs’ that you had crafted for Dexius and I earlier this morning-cycle and I believe that I went afoul some…”

  “STARBLAZES!!!” Castron cried out as he quickly rose up to his feet and hobbled swiftly out of Dexius’s Room.

  As the old hermit hobbled past her left frantically, Princess Ashanna looked back at Dexius and merely shrugged her bony shoulders.

  “Are you well… Anna?” Dexius asked, causing the Lady-Princess’s eyes to briefly widen before a slight smirk grew on her bronze-skinned face.

  “Yes… Dex. I am well,” Princess Ashanna nodded back as she smirked at Dexius for a few milli-cycles, of which he did right back.

  “THRACK! OH, THRACK!” Castron shouted from the kitchen area of his home as he blew out the moderately raging flames with a Fire Extinguisher.

  Hearing the old hermit’s cries, Princess Ashanna quickly turned away and scurried to aid him, causing Dexius to briefly smirk before rising from the cot.

  Now left alone once more, Dexius rolled his eyes as he then swung his legs over the left side of his cot.