THE WATCHMAN

Antonios' Dream

Antonio woke up in a dark place, with high rocks and molten lava below. There was dead silence and no sign of life whatsoever.

Suddenly, he heard a loud shriek echo from a distance and then out of nowhere he saw what he thought was a very large bird. As it drew closer he realized it was a dragon and it was headed straight for him!

Antonio was shocked to see a dragon. He only read it in books, but he never expected to see a live one in his lifetime.

To make things worse he heard two other shrieks from afar and then saw two other dragons making a beeline for him.

He could see the puff of hot smoke coming out of the dragons' nostrils and it approached him, then a flash of light starting from its tail to its head, and then it opened its mouth and fire came out, directed at Antonio.

Antonio ducked to evade the flames, and then tried to teleport, but didn't work, neither could he manipulate time.

"There must be something about this place, that my newfound abilities don't work here". He thought to himself...

Suddenly he was swept off his feet, one of the dragons used its' tail to sweep him from behind and then wanted to pick him up with his claws. Antonio quickly got his from my laid down position and started firing straight at the feet of the oncoming dragon. This made it change its' direction while the other two dragons headed straight for Antonio.

Antonio knew he needed to be smart and he couldn't kill all the dragons, so he was going to use their might against themselves.

After evading the fireballs projected in his direction, Antonio hid in an opening of a wall so the dragons couldn't see him. After hovering about for a while, they flew away.

Even at this Antonio knew that for him to reach his destination, he would have to find a way to either kill or get past these monsters. He then decided to set traps for them.

He set traps for each of them but a noose to catch one alive. Then he made a noise to attract them. Immediately they set eyes on him the first dragon attacked him, as it approached him, he drew his sword and cut a rope that released a sharp-pointed wooden stake. It hit the dragons' neck and it fell into the boiling hot lava below. This enraged the other two dragons and they charged even harder towards him. You could see their red hot nostrils and the fire ready to be poured out in Antonios' direction. Unknown to them a net was set to catch one or both of them.

As they released the fire from their mouths, both in Antonios' direction, they couldn't see the net that was laid in wait for them, so they ran straight into it.

The net was too small for both of them, so they began to struggle to get free and in the process, they began to hurt each other as they scratched and bit themselves in rage. Eventually one of them died, but the one that stayed alive was too injured and burnt from the battle for freedom, yet he wasn't free.

Antonio managed to lure it into a cage he built, and he started tending its wounds and also feeding it with meat from the dead dragon. Antonio also ate the meat from the dead dragon and drank his urine.

After a few days a bond began to form between the dragon and Antonio, he noticed it was less aggressive whenever he approached.

He finally set it free and it didn't attack, he know that if he was to find the Fates, this dragon would lead him to where they were.

Anton then named the dragon " My Fuego", meaning "My fire". The dragon allowed him to mount its back and once he was stable it took to flight. It flew for hours unending until it came to a cliff.

There was a wooden bridge connecting the cliff to the other side but there was no spot for the dragon to land on the other side. He had to embark on the rest of the journey alone and follow the bridge to where it leads.

The bridge led into a dark opening, Antonio bravely walked in, knowing that at the end of the tunnel he would find what he was looking for... The Fates.

Then he came out to a great space. Then suddenly fire torches began to light up everywhere and then he heard three voices speak angrily to him at the same time.

" Who dares wake the Fates? Who dares to disturb our eternal rest?" The voices asked.

"It is I, Antonio De Castillo. I have come to seek answers concerning my life". He replied confidently

Fates: "Antonio! Antonio!! Antonio!!! A Watchmen with honor, fear above and by all! But you never accepted who you are and always cursed us under your breath. Don't be surprised... We see and know all!"

"You dare disturb our rest? No man has ventured this far into our realm and no one may return"

Fates: "You want the answer for the reason for the course of your life? Do you want to know why you have these gifts? You want to know the truth about your past and future?"

"Yes, I want to know!" Anton answered. "I want to know why you have been so unfair to me! Why I had to lose my parents at such a young age, why I had to fight all my life for all I have, why I had to lose the love of my life!"

Fates: "We are never unfair! They all replied angrily, You were given extraordinary gifts that you haven't even discovered. And your watch has always been our emphasis. You just haven't looked in... Hahahahahahaha! Antonio!!! Always looking outside".

"As for the questions you seek answers for, we have this to say; That which was given, was never taken, yet you have taken that which was never given!"

"What do you mean by all this gibberish? What you're saying makes no sense!" Antonio replied. He was getting frustrated and inpatient

Fates: "You have set in motion THE PROPHECY OF TEARS and by that, you have brought about an inevitable end to your world! You brought a curse to the world and everyone will pay for it!".

" Bu... but Susan didn't get pregnant! How can I be the one to set the prophecy in motion? Yes I have been with Susan, and so has Jorge but, she never got pregnant for Jorge or even me!" he said trying to defend himself?

"Are you sure of your claims that Susan is not pregnant? Go look into the water and see for yourself". The Fates instructed him.

Anton saw a body of water on his left-hand side. He walked towards it and looked into it. It was black and still, suddenly a light shone from below and it became like a mirror and he saw Susan, she was heavily pregnant.

"Impossible?" Anton exclaimed "I saw her almost two weeks ago before we were taken to be executed. She was perfectly fine! And by now she's probably dead already. So tell me how she's so heavy in just a few days?"

"A few days" The Fates replied, "You're in the Land of the Fates where time and destiny are intertwined. You can see the past present and future all at a glance!".

"What do you mean by that? Show your faces!" Antonio angrily requested

"If we show you our faces, you will not leave our presence alive. You encounter with us has already cost you the life of someone very dear to you, and your death would make that sacrifice be in vain". The Fates replied

"Get up and get going, a son awaits you". They said

" My son? But you just showed me Susan pregnant, and I have barely spent 5 days here, how can I already have a son?" Anton replied looking confused

"Hahahahahahahahaha! They laughed mockingly. Oh! So ignorant you are Watchman! And lest we forget!" Their voices were suddenly serious... "You killed two of our own, and have tamed the third. Know that there will be consequences on the earth realm because of this, but feel free to take her for your journey is far".

"But how do you get back to my earth realm?" Antonio asked

"That journey is one to be discovered. But you will find it at the flame and rest" The voices replied as they became distant.

"What do you mean I would find it at rest?" Antonio asked but there was no reply anymore.

Antonio returned to find the dragon patiently waiting for him. He mounted her and she begin to fly, but Antonio had no idea how to return to earth.

As the dragon soared above seas and mountains he, started to think about Susan. She didn't even know she was pregnant. In a few months, precisely 9 she would have his son. A child that would bring about the apocalypse.

"Would I have to kill my own son?" Antonio thought to himself... How would he explain to Susan and Jorge all the things he had heard and seen?

The dragon flew for days, yet there was no way out. Antonio decided to land on a mountain. He had gone without food and water for days and was famished and weak.

He laid beside the dragon and fell asleep.

*************************************

When Anton woke up from his sleep, he was back at the Orahas' mansion in the room he first was. He was relieved to find out it was all a dream.

Just as he was getting out of bed, a nurse came into the room, she was so shocked that she almost dropped the things in her hand. "Welcome back Mr. Castello," she said with a smile on her face. When she was able to place them on the table, she urged him to lay down, and then she ran out of the room to inform the orders

A few moments later, Jorge barged into the room, the nurse was behind him, along with the Oraha. A look of relief and joy flooded Jorges' face as he saw his friend sitting on the bed. "Amigos!" Jorge exclaimed as they shared a warm and long hug. The Oraha just watched with a smile.

"I thought I had lost you, Bro" Jorge said

"You know you can't get rid of me so easily"' Anton said mockingly.

"Welcome back Antonio", the Oraha said..." I always believed in you.

"Thanks, Oraha". Anton replied. " How many days did I sleep for? Anton asked.

"Five days Sir", the nurse replied

"Because I had the strangest of dreams". Anton continued... "

This one was not about someone else's life or my past. I fought three dragons and even tamed and rode on one, can you imagine that? Me flying a dragon?" He said looking at Jorges' face and laughing...

"I didn't have my gifts in the dream though but I met the Fates and they told me so many weird things like I will have a son with Susan. I told them Susan is probably dead and I saw her barely two weeks ago..."

He suddenly stopped as he noticed the change in their countenances while he told his story.

"Amigos, there's something I need to tell you," Jorge said softly...

At that very moment, they heard a loud shriek outside, Anton was familiar with that sound. It was Mi Fuegos's cry. Then the room door open and a boy of about four years old ran in. The same child he saw in the dream when the Fates asked him to look into the black water!

"What's going on here?" Anton asked with a perplexed look on his face.

"That's what I wanted to tell you Amigo, but I didn't want to rush you". Jorge said as he took Antonios' hands in his own.

The next words that would come out of Jorges' lips shocked Antonio to his bones.

" You have been gone for five years, Bro!"