Chapter 1
1835 Words
The magical portal opened in the Earth World Realm, and Ray and Haven appeared. Ray found himself standing on a red stone platform and looked around. The Fairy Guardian fluttered beside him as he looked at the sight.
The realm looked nowhere near what Haven had shown him while training. The sky was dark; the only light was from the bright moon and twinkling stars. The air was humid, like a deep jungle, and the fresh foliage of the forest was vibrant and colorful.
The little fairy looked at Ray and smiled.
“Welcome to Earth World Realm,” she stated, and Ray smiled as he nodded.
“Thanks. Now, what is the first step in saving this place so I can get back home?” he asked, and Haven gave him a thoughtful look.
Ray looked around again and noticed a small pillar in the middle of the walkway. Surprisingly, it looked just like the one he had back in the Sanctuary Room. He looked up at his Fairy Guardian in question.
“Where did that come from?” he asked wide-eyed, and Haven giggled.
“This pillar has always been here. It is specially made for the Guardian of Earth,” she explained, and Ray thought for a moment.
“That must be how I was able to connect with Dig when I touched my statue. What else does it do?”
Haven gave him a thoughtful look and sighed.
“See for yourself. Go ahead. Touch it.”
Ray looked at the pillar and then his Fairy Guardian. He shrugged his shoulders and exhaled a breath.
“Alright. You’re the boss,” he breathed and walked over to the stone column.
Ray gave the fairy one last look and then put his hand on the stone. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and a sparkling green mist appeared and swirled around the Earth Guardian. Amazed, he watched as a black and green skin-like suit started to cover his body and stopped at his neck.
Soon, the suit covered Ray, and the arm braces that contained the claws appeared. The green fairy laughed, and he looked at her with wide eyes.
“What just happened?” he asked.
“You are now in your true Digger form,” said the fairy, and Ray gave her a confused look.
“What happened to turning into the creature as I did before?”
“Now that you are in Earth World Realm, your full Digger guardian form has taken over. Nothing has changed. You still have the same abilities as before,” Haven explained, and Ray only nodded.
“Great, now let’s go find Dig,” stated Ray as he clapped his hands together and started heading down the path.
The Fairy Guardian flew in front of the Earth Guardian and stopped. Immediately, Ray stopped in his tracks and looked at her in surprise.
“Not so fast. I think we should scope out the place. We should know what we are dealing with before we storm out like fools,” Haven said, and Ray blew a breath.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Come on. We will cut through the forest where no one can see us,” instructed the fairy, and Ray nodded.
Ray looked into the dark forest, and then he noticed something strange. Oddly, there wasn’t a sound in the air. There weren’t any crickets chirping in the moonlight, and no bugs were flying around. He gave Haven an odd look, and the fairy looked at him in question.
What’s the matter?” she asked, and he gave her a thoughtful look.
“It’s kind of creepy that there aren’t any bugs out making nice in the moonlight. Every forest I have been to has always had some big making noise,” Ray explained.
Haven looked into the dark woods and sighed heavily.
“When Belhazur took over our realm, the creatures of our world were either captured or went into hiding. The forest has always been full of life, but that stopped the day that monster was released,” explained the fairy sadly, and Ray looked at the ground.
The Earth Guardian then looked up at Haven.
“Then we should get moving. The sooner we know what we are dealing with, the sooner we can save our world,” stated Ray, and she agreed.
Carefully, Haven and Ray made their way through the dark magical forest, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. The leaves on the trees and bushes glowed vibrantly with neon patches, and droplets of rain glistened in the moonlight. The sight was breathtaking, and he blew out a breath.
“Wow!” he whispered.
“It’s beautiful. Isn’t it?” asked Haven, and Ray nodded.
They reached the forest’s edge and peered out at the city. Tall stone buildings and houses lined the empty streets, and everything seemed eerily quiet. Ray looked at the fairy and raised an eyebrow.
“And kind of creepy,” he added, and Haven shivered in response.
Suddenly, they saw two creatures emerge from the side of one of the buildings, and they started lurking down the street. Ray figured that the mutants were Duggers by the look on Haven’s face, but they looked different from the monsters he had fought during his training.
These Duggers looked like a humanoid pile of rocks and smaller versions of the beast he had come across during his journey to the Guardian Archives. However, these monsters had thick black veins with glowing red centers running all over their disgusting-looking bodies.
Ray looked at his Fairy Guardian.
“Those aren’t the creatures I fought in training!” he exclaimed, and Haven looked at him.
“Honestly, I did the best I could from memory. When Belhazur came into the realm and before he trapped Dig. He sent me to the gods. I’m sorry I didn’t get a better look at them,” she explained sadly.
Ray looked at her with care.
“You did the best you could,” he said lightly, and Haven picked her head up and smiled.
“Thank you,” she said gratefully, and he grinned.
“Anytime.”
Before either of them could say another word, Ray and Haven heard a mysterious voice.
“Haven? Is that you?”
Ray and the fairy spun around, but they didn’t see anyone and looked at each other oddly. Quickly, he threw his arms out, and the glowing green claws appeared.
“Who’s there?” he snarled as he looked around cautiously but still couldn’t tell where the voice was.
“Please, calm down. I’m sorry if I offended you. I promise I am not a threat,” stated the voice, and ray spun around again.
“Show yourself!” demanded the Earth Guardian, and then he heard a giggle.
“I am in plain sight. You are just not looking hard enough. I am down here.”
Haven gently touched Ray’s arm, and he looked at her with wild eyes. She smiled as she pointed, and he looked at the cluster of leaves where she was pointing. He looked at one of the leaves and saw a bright orange and green caterpillar. Haven looked at the magical creature with wide eyes.
“Shelby?”
The caterpillar nodded.
“Yes, dear friend, it’s me,” said the caterpillar, and the fairy grinned.
“I can’t believe it! You’re alive!”
The caterpillar raised her body, and Ray made his claws disappear. Shelby smiled.
“There are many of us that are still alive. When Belhazur came, me and the other magical creatures went underground, hoping someone would come to rescue us,” explained Shelby, and Haven smiled brightly.
“Well, we are here now. We have come to save Dig and our world realm.”
The caterpillar turned to Ray and gave him a questioning look.
“Excuse me, who are you?”
Ray looked at Shelby, offended, and Haven giggled.
“Shelby, allow me to introduce you to Ray, the Guardian of Earth,” stated the fairy, and Shelby immediately bowed her head.
“Forgive me,” she said, and Ray only nodded.
After a moment, Ray looked at the caterpillar.
“So, do you know where Belhazur sent Dig?” he asked as he crossed his arms, and Shelby shook her tiny head.
Ray sighed heavily as he looked at Haven and sucked his teeth.
“So, what do you suppose we do now? Should I just go destroy all the creatures in hopes that one of them tells me where my Spirit Guardian is?” he asked through gritted teeth, and Shelby looked at him.
He was already annoyed, and the muggy air wasn’t helping any.
“Getting angry over a situation will drive you deeper into a Dugger state of mind, making you more vulnerable to the Basilis’s stare,” explained the caterpillar, and Ray crossed his arms.
“Then what do you suppose we do?” Ray asked again, but this time with attitude.
Haven fluttered to the leaf and sat beside Shelby as she hugged her knees. The caterpillar looked at Ray thoughtfully.
“First, we should take you to meet the others. We have been waiting for a sign of hope for a very long time,” she suggested, and Haven scoffed.
“I think that is a little dramatic, seeing that I have only been gone for a couple of days.”
Shelby looked at her friend and shook her head sadly.
“No, you have been gone for at least six months. We have lost many, but many still remain.”
“Six months!” exclaimed Haven, and Shelby nodded.
“And it has been a horrible six months,” the caterpillar added.
Ray gave Shelby a thoughtful look.
“Where do we have to go? To meet the others?” he asked, and Shelby lowered her body onto the leaf.
“Follow me,” she said and crawled towards the ground.
As soon as the caterpillar reached the ground, she disappeared. Haven and Ray looked at each other briefly, and then Ray shrugged his shoulders. He and Haven vanished into the ground and found Shelby waiting for them.
“This way,” she said and began to burrow deeper into the earth.
Haven and Ray burrowed after the little caterpillar until they found themselves in an open chamber. He looked around the perfect circle-shaped room and was surprised that the place was completely empty. Ray thought that the caterpillar said that there were other survivors. He turned around and looked at Shelby and Haven in question.
“I thought you said there were others? Where is everyone?” he asked, and Shelby smiled.
“Just be patient, and you will see,” she said, and Ray looked at her oddly.
Suddenly, the caver began to quake, and the walls started to move. Ray couldn’t believe his eyes and stared wide-eyed.
- Writer
