THE WATCHMAN

No place like Home

"What do you mean by I've been gone for five years?" Anton asked, still trying to process the information he had just received. "I thought you said I was out for five days?" He asked looking angrily at the nurse for answers.

"Yes, she is correct". the Oraha replied. "That dragon outside brought you back five days ago. We thought it was here to attack us, so we attacked, until our drones picked up your image on its back, so we let it land. It took us a full day and a lot of tranquilizers and so many men to be able to get you. It was protecting you!"

"Okay then, whose child is this?" Anton asked while pointing at the little boy playing in the room.

"He's your son". Said a familiar voice from behind the door. The door open and Susan stood there smiling at Antonio.

Antonio could not move nor say a word. He just sat there in shock staring at everyone.

" So it wasn't all a dream?" He said to himself

"I actually went to see the Fates and lived to tell the tale!"

Susan walked up to him and they shared a long warm hug. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she squeezed him tighter. Then she turned to the young boy and said "Antonio Jr. come and say hello to daddy". The young boy ran to them and said "Hello".

Antonio was overwhelmed with emotion, he led the boy and his mum in an embrace as they both shed tears of joy.

Everyone left the room to give them some family time. As Jorge was about to leave, Anton called out to him. "Hey Jorgy, don't go, stay bro". So Jorge stayed with them.

After a few days of rest, Antonio stepped out of the house to check on Mi Fuego, immediately The dragon set its eyes on him he began to struggle to get out of the chains by flapping its wings.

" Get these chains off him!". Antonio ordered the guards on watch. The guards rushed to obey his orders and soon, Mi Fuego was free and flapping his wings in joy. Antonio mounted him and went on a little joy ride around the estate. They were so happy.

When Antonio returned, the Oraha summoned him.

"I hate to do this, but whats a at stake is so important, our survival depends on it. " How do you mean?" Antonio asked, "Everything has been just fine since I returned, I've never felt so much peace in my life".

" That's because you're in Africa, and Nigeria precisely. We didn't want to bother your mind, being that you just returned. Antonio, the world is at war. The Barons of the Watchmen and Timekeepers have formed an alliance. They have turned the League into a political tool, people are being killed by Watchmen before their time. "

"Our location is hidden and by magic, if not we would have been found out since!" Your dragon found us because it's not from our world.

The Oraha continued... World governments have been toppled and the Barons now control a majority of the world's armory and it seems the Fates have deserted us or even declared war on us!".

Antonio, just stood there, bemused at what he was listening to. "An underground resistance is being led by Susan, but your help is needed now, more than any time!" The Oraha concluded.

"What would you have me do?" Antonio asked.

"Firstly you would need to return home to Spain and contact the sleeper cell of the resistance in Madrid, they would tell you the next move to make". the Oraha replied.

"Okay... Antonio said as he walked out of the room.

"Wait!* The Oraha suddenly said... "What did the Fates request?" He asked.

"Nothing!" Antonio replied, shrugging his shoulders

"Hmmmm....." The Oraha sighed and he sat deep in thought. "The Fates never give anything for free... They always collect what is due them"

In the following weeks, Antonio, Jorge, and Susan prepared themselves for their journey back to Spain, leaving Antonio Jr. behind to stay with the Oraha.

Antonio rode on Mi Fuego along with Susan as Jorge used a helicopter. It was a long and battle-ridden one. They realized that the world had changed. Strange animals were released by the Fates as punishment for Antonio killing two dragons. These creatures began to take over the earth and attack humans. Cities had been overtaken by these beasts, everything was in utter chaos.

When Antonio arrived, he, Jorge, and Susan headed for Costa De Sol. They would be staying at Jorges Manor. When they arrived they met a deserted place. The windows were shattered, furniture destroyed, valuable items had been stolen and carted away. The whole house had been plundered and destroyed, even some of the horses at the stables had been stolen or killed by wild beasts over time.

" What happened to all the guards?" Jorge asked in shock. as they rummaged through the destroyed items in the house. He headed straight to check the armory, the digital lock had been destroyed but, they couldn't gain access into the armory to Jorge's relief.

Not long after they had settled in they received a message from the Barons, summoning Antonio.

"How did they know I'm alive and in Spain?" he asked Jorge. "Well you did arrive on top of a dragon and that's bound to attract attention". Jorge replied in a teasing manner.

Antonio waited a full week before going to Madrid to honor the Baron's request, and he went alone.

Antonio arrived at the Barons Villa at 9. am in morning. It was a heavily guarded place, with armed guards on every fence and at every corner. There were surveillance cameras and motion sensors mounted at strategic points and drones hovered all over the Villa.

It was a large fortress and guarded like a military zone, which was strange to Antonio because Barons never needed such before.

On arrival, he was taken straight to the room where the Barons were having a conference. Things had drastically changed since he was last in Madrid. The Barons had increased based on the new system which required each country of the world to have a Baron with the headquarters in Spain. Twelve Baron Generals headed over all the Barons and their countries.

Antonio sat behind and watched as proceedings took place. After several hours the conference came to a close. And the Barons retired to their various lodges but the Baron Generals went into an inner room and Antonio was called in. He counted nice Generals, with three seats empty which he knew was unusual.

A long period of silence followed, and then one of the Generals spoke. "Welcome Back Antonio, everyone thought you were long dead, only for sources to tell us you surfaced somewhere in Nigeria, only for you to disappear again, and now you have reappeared after five years? I believe it's not a coincidence..."

Antonio gave a wry smile and looked on...

"The Baron General continued speaking... Five years ago you were apprehended and sentenced to death for committing the highest crime a Watchman could make, Sleeping with a Timekeeper, quite how you escaped your punishment has been a mystery to us. No man has ever escaped such captivity before and we would like to understand how you and your friend were able to do it. Also, we would love to know where. you have been for the last five years. Your oath is to the league and you're under obligation to tell us ".

Antonio narrated his experience for the last five years to the Council. How he discovered his powers and how he went to the realm of the Fates. But no one believed his story. They could not comprehend that someone would have both the powers of a Watchman and a Timekeeper, so they order him to be arrested and tortured till he told them the truth they desired to hear.

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

It had been five days since Antonio went to see the Council of Barons and he hadn't returned, Jorge and Susan were desperately worried. Intel had gotten to them about Antonios' arrest.

" We need to do something quickly and get him out, only God knows what they may be doing to him! I warned Anton against this!" Jorge said visibly panicky "I've always known the Council was debased t***s, but I never thought they would do something like this".

"We could mount a rescue mission" Susan proposed... "You know that's impossible!" Jorge replied. "The estate is impenetrable! With all the surveillance mechanisms and guards on watch day and night. How do we want to accomplish that?"

After a few minutes of silence, Jorge asked, talking to no one in particular. "Why can't he just teleport out of the goddamn place? Or rewind time like he did when he saved my life".

" They have probably used the suppressor on him". Susan replied. "Suppressor? What is that?" Jorge asked looking rather confused?

"It's a device worn on the arm, and it somehow takes away or you. an say it suppresses your gifts or powers" Susan replied.

Susan went on to recount her time in captivity and with the Barons and how she found out more about the device.

After a heated debate they decided to launch a rescue mission to get Antonio back. They would use Mi Fuego to give them an edge, but even at that they you it was huge ask to get Antonio out safely

As they stood around the table deliberating on how to proceed, they heard a knock on the door.

"You're expecting anyone?" Jorge asked Susan... "No, I'm not". she replied sharply, a curious and worried look on her face. Jorge then decided to go and check who was knocking.

Suddenly, Susan heard Jorge pleading with someone saying; "No! No!! you can't do this please!" and suddenly

Bang! Bang!! She heard two gunshots followed by a loud thud. She quickly got her sword and ran over to the entrance, only to find Jorges' lifeless body on the wooden floor with a bullet hole in his head.

She was shocked to her bones, she lifted her head to check who had done this but there was no one at the door. She was about to rewind time when she heard footsteps behind her and the c*****g of a gun. She turned around to see who was behind only to find herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

She closed her eyes tightly...

Click!

The person squeezed the trigger before she could say a word!