Heroes Aren't Born - Ch. 4 - The Watchdog

     Lewis had been walking along for several hours, and still no sign of civilization. He noticed by the few leaves on the trees and the temperature that it had to be around early-mid spring on this planet.
    He had been walking for what seemed like an eternity when it started to rain. For the first few moment, it was only a drizzle, so Lewis paid no mind to it. But the drizzle quickly turned into a rain, and the rain into a downpour. Lightning began to lash across the sky and Lewis knew he had to take shelter.
    He looked around, squinting through the heavy rain, and his eyes locked on a large cave, much bigger than Honeydew's had been. He sighed and ran towards it, thinking, 'Wonder if I'll find another dwarf...'
    He took a deep breath as he jogged to a halt within the cave and ruffled his soaked black hair. He turned and glanced out at the rain. It was coming down hard and didn't show any signs of letting up anytime soon. Lewis saw a light out of the corner of his eye and turned to the inside of the cave again. It was true, there appeared to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
    Curiosity took hold of him and didn't let go as he walked down the tunnel. As he did, the light got brighter, until he turned a corner and froze. The wall just stopped. It was a dead end. He was faced only by stone. But light was still somehow radiating from it, spreading all across the cave. It was almost like magic.
    Lewis's eyes narrowed in confusion, and being a man of science, he stepped forward to touch and and find out why it was doing this. But instead of stopping on the rock face, his hand went right through it as though it weren't even there at all. His eyes widened and he jerked his hand back out. He blinked in alarm and looked around for some sort of holo-emitter that could prove it a hologram, but he couldn't find any. It had to be some sort of superior technology... It couldn't ACTUALLY be magic... Could it?
     Lewis huffed, brows furrowed in unwanted confusion and raised his hand again. He slowly reached out and put his hand through the wall again. This time, he moved it around a bit before pulling it back out. He stared at the wall for a moment before making up his mind. "Balls to it."
    He backed up several steps, then took a deep breath and let out a loud battle cry. He continued to shout it as he ran to the wall and dove through as though he were being chased, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt himself land on the ground and he tumbled several feet before running into a wall. He flopped onto his back with his feet propped up on the wall and opened one eye. He appeared to have been completely relocated. A second ago, he was in a cave, but now he was in the hallway of some sort of mansion. He stood up, brushing himself off as he looked at where he'd come from. His eyes widened.
     Behind him was not a cave wall, but a painting of some video game. How had he gone through that? Lewis looked around him, but there was still no sign of a holo-emitter in sight. He couldn't think of any sort of science besides that that could explain what had just happened.
    "My, my, he's finally arrived."
    Lewis spun around and froze. A few meters down the hall from him was a man he could have been certain hadn't been there before. He was ginger, his hair parted so it fell airily over his left eye. He wore a black and gold trench coat with a white blouse underneath and old fashioned boots. Over all, he looked like something out of a renaissance. Lewis eyed him curiously. "What d'you mean?"
    The man smirked. "How interesting. A man of science and deduction. You're more interested in an explanation than who I am. You are interesting indeed."
    "Yeah, but what did you mean?" Lewis asked.
    The man smirked and locked his fingers together behind his back. "I brought you here."
    "Into the planet?"
    "No, into the cave."
    "How? I came into the cave by my own will."
    The man smirked. "Why?"
    Lewis raised one eyebrow. "Have you looked out a window? It's pouring."
    "Yes, I know." The man replied. "I caused the rain to come. Don't worry, it'll pass soon."
    Lewis stared at him in confusion. "Who are you?"
    The man gave him that smirk again and started to make his way leisurely towards him. "A watch dog, Commander Xephos. I am the guardian of this place and I couldn't help but notice you trespassed on my territory."
    "I crashed on this planet. Trust me, I'd go if I could but I'm kinda stuck here." Lewis replied.
    "Regardless." The man stopped in front of him. "If I were a lesser man, I would kill you." He scanned Xephos's face as the off-planeter's eyes narrowed, then he smiled and lowered his voice a bit. "How lucky for the both of us that I am a god."
    Lewis's eyes narrowed. "What, so you're saying you're god?"
    "One of the few, yes."
    "Yeah, but what's your name?"
    "I have been called many names... My personal favorite is Ridgedog." He smirked again. "My friends call me Ridge."
    Lewis glared at him. Something ticked him off about this guy claiming he was a god. "Whatever, just don't go calling yourself immortal or I'll just have to prove you wrong."
    Ridge chuckled. "I'd like to see you try, spaceman. But for now, I have a job for you."
    Xephos crossed his arms. "What makes you think I'll do it?"
    "Because if you don't, I'll strike you dead right here, right now." Ride replied.
    Lewis wasn't scared. "Prove it."
    "Are you sure about that?"
    "Absolutely."
    Ridge smirked once again. For a moment, nothing happened. Then he crossed his arms and took a tiny jump up. But instead of coming back down, he hovered there in the air, several inches above the ground. He chuckled at Lewis's skeptical expression. "Go ahead, Commander." He said. "Try to find a string."
    Lewis hesitantly reached out and moved his hand around as Ridge moved into a position with his hands behind his head and one leg crossed over the other as though he were relaxing on a couch. After a moment, Lewis stepped back in shock. "How are you doing that?" He asked.
    Ridge landed on the ground again. "Magic." He said. "Now, will you do you job for me, or will I have to kill you?"
    "Depends on the job." Lewis said, crossing his arms and pushing his awe from his mind. "What exactly am I signing up for here?"
    Ridge took a small breath before replying, as though the god were collecting his thoughts. "I need you to traverse the world. Don't settle down, if possible. Go from town to town. Seek out danger and remove it. Protect the people of this world at all costs. Do you understand?"
   "Yeah, pretty much, but... Why me?" Lewis asked.
   Ridge took another, deeper breath. "You see, Xephos... I can see the future. All that was, is, and will be. Problem is, I can't tell it to anybody. Specifics, anyway. Spoilers, you see." Lewis nodded understanding. He hated spoilers and, coincidentally, loved surprises. "But I can tell you this: You, Commander Lewis Xephos of the United Federation of Planets, are going to be a great man; a great leader one day. But not alone."
    "I don't understand." Lewis said with a shake of his head. "I'm nobody. I'm just a runaway from Deep Space Station Nine, not a hero. Not to mention, the last time I led anybody, he died in a shuttle crash. I can't do anything right, let alone save a life."
   "Didn't stop you from saving the dwarf, though, did it?" Ridge smirked as Lewis stopped. "You see, you have an instinct deep inside you; one that only makes show when a split-second decision has to be made. In a moments notice, you would sacrifice your life for a complete stranger. This is why I chose you; why I led you here."
   Lewis sighed and nodded. "I'll do it." He said. "But where do I start?"
   Ridge turned and pulled open a large drawer of a desk pushed up against the wall of the corridor. "There's a village not far from here. About an hour's journey." He pulled what looked like a sword inside a brown leather sheath and held it out with one hand. "You'll be needing this."
    Lewis took it in two hands, held it horizontally and eyed it carefully. He glanced up at Ridge who gave him his customary smirk. "Go on. Give it a try."
    Lewis hesitated for a moment in caution. He'd never really used a sword before. Only weapon he'd ever handled was his ray gun. Then he took a deep breath and pulled it out of its sheath. It looked like it was made out of some refined steel or iron. It was white, with a wooden hilt wrapped tightly in leather. It had good balance, he could see, as he held it up in front of his face.
    "Like it?" Ridge asked. "It's name is Olim Propriis. It's about four hundred years old, but still in great condition, as you can see. Got a special ability, it does." Ridge glanced mischievously at Lewis. "I'll let you find that out on your own, though. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."
    Lewis rolled his eyes and resheathed the sword. He started to tie the belt around his waist, but Ridge stopped him. "It's not a side sheath. It's over-the-shoulder."
   "Oh cool!" Lewis smiled a bit as he pulled the sword onto his back and did the belt buckle over his chest. He grinned at Ridge. "Awesome." He said. "So which way do I go?"
    "After you leave the cave - the rain's stopped by the way, you're  welcome - head east. It's only around midday so you should make it there about sunset. It's a cute little town called Fordston. If suggest staying in an inn there; try to find trouble. It shouldn't be too hard. I've seen what you get yourself into."
    Lewis nodded once, both his hands wrapped around the belt crossing his chest. "Guess this goodbye then."
   Ridge shook his head. "Not goodbye, Xephos. Not forever." He smirked one last time. "I'll be watching. Oh, and if you need me, gimme a holler." He winked. "See ya later, Shitlord." Then he snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash of light.
    For a moment, Lewis stared at the place he'd been. Then he took a deep breath and turned to face the painting again. "Well," He said quietly. "Guess this is it... The start of a new chapter." He smiled a bit as his heart sped up in excitement. Adrenaline coursed through his veins at the thought of an adventure. A real actual adventure. This was going to be amazing.
    Lewis stood a little bit taller and walked confidently towards the painting. But this time, instead of going through, he smacked into it head-on. He fell roughly onto his backside and glared up at the painting. "Ridge!" He shouted.
   There was a laugh from somewhere out of sight. "Sorry, I had to! You just looked so excited!" There was another laugh before there was a click of the fingers and Lewis's hand went through the canvas. Lewis took another deep breath and this time proceeded with a bit more caution.