I remember that fateful day. I was out on the plains on my
way home from pasturing when I saw a great light from where the Paper Cabin
is. A great foreboding none like I have felt before took hold of me and my
body went rigid and I was stuck in a moment stretched in eternity or rather,
eternity condensed in a moment.
I saw my life unfold, only backwards. I saw myself tending
to my cattle herd like what I was doing before the light happened. In the
next instant, I saw myself standing on my wife’s grave 2 summers ago. One by
one, my life flashed before me. Some brought back great pain. Some happiness.
I thought that the strange occurrence would end the
moment I saw myself inside my mother’s womb but how I thought wrong. Darkness
ensued and with it came an intense agonizing pain piercing through my skull
for what I consider now brief, though time seems to have no meaning in that
darkness. Then came another blinding light and with great suddenness, I saw
the whole expanse of the land. I saw the great trees of Loreroot, the cities
of Marindbell, the mountains of Golemus and the pits of Necrovion. I saw
people, places and events as what I could only describe as of the past. And
even those that I have not seen or read in any history books and possibly
those that have not been recorded in the Archives, I have witnessed
altogether.
On and on it went until I
realized that the piercing pain was subsiding. And a change was happening. No
longer I was seeing things from present to past to ancient but from past to
present, only in much much faster pace. Images blurred as they flashed before
me until I heard myself gasp for air.
The sun had not moved - it was
still as it was when I saw the great light.
“COME CHOSEN. HEED MY WORDS AND COME”.
Those words reverberated inside my head. Though stricken
with fear, an undeniable force compelled me to walk towards the cabin where I
saw the light.
Shull the Shield.
I
remember that fateful day. I remember most before I found myself in this
strange land but I realized that as days passed by, my memory tends to become
hazier. But one thing I am certain - I am not of this world.
The world from whence I
came is a world full of gods. They walk around the land breathing and smiting
life – in a constant cycle of creation and destruction. My Maker, may he
watch
over
me, may not be the strongest or the most powerful among the throngs of gods
but he is the most talented blacksmith of them all.
For
40 days and 40 nights he worked on his forge inside a fiery mountain. Each
stroke of his hammer gave me life and consciousness. I have no eyes and yet I
saw how he labored for days, no ears and yet I heard all the grunts and pains
from banefire burns. I have felt his passion and love. Do not ask me how, I
just did. And at last my Maker’s toil came to an end and he beheld me with
pride and said,
“Thou
art Shull and I am thy Maker. With thee, my love’s hand in marriage is
guaranteed!”
But
little did my Maker know, his older brother, despiser of all of my Maker’s
creation, who has been envious of my Maker’s talent since time immemorial,
stole me on the night of my Maker’s betrothal. And, with no bride price, the
betrothal was nullified. My Maker found me but was already too late. His
brother opened a portal and I was cast out of the heavens – out of the world
I have known as home.
That
is when I found myself inside a dusty cabin with an ornate desk and chair, a
wicker basket and shelves full of scrolls. And I heard my Maker’s voice:
“Fear
not, Shull. I may not be able touch you in this world and rescue you but I
say again, Fear not. Find comfort in knowing that all creation will return to
its creator. You will find your way.”
Those
were the last words I have heard of my Maker’s voice and indeed I have found
comfort in them. I sent out a cry for help and in mere seconds, someone heard
the call.
“COME
CHOSEN. HEED MY WORDS AND COME”
The Birth of BrightShield.
A sliver of light
illuminated the dark and dusty room as a man of mid 20’s, medium built, black
hair, tanned and average looking face peeked through the door.
“Come Chosen. I am here.”
The man walked through
the door, hesitation and fear written on his face. He looked around the room
and noticed several scrolls lying around the floor, a wicker basket full of
scrolls, shelves with many scrolls in them, ornate chair and table, and a lot
more scrolls.
“No wonder they call
this the Paper Cabin” the man said to himself.
“STOP DILLY DALLYING CHOSEN. I AM HERE, WAITING”
Startled, the man
frantically searched the room. “ Where are you?” He walked closer to the
table.
“CHOSEN, BEHIND THE DESK”
The man looked behind
the desk and found nothing – only papers and scrolls lying on the floor.
“Where?”
“GET THESE WRETCHED SCROLLS OFF ME AND BEHOLD MY
GREATNESS”
And so the man began to
clear the papers and was rather surprised to see an ordinary looking shield
underneath the pile of scrolls.
“BEHOLD CHOSEN. I AM MY MAKER’S FINEST CREATION. BE
AWED. YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF PERFECTION!”
“Uhm you’re not exactly
what I expected to find and to be honest you look rather like ordinary to me
‘except maybe you can talk?!”
WHY YOU INSOLENT BUFFOON! CHOSEN, You know not what you speak for
which I forgive you since it is you I have chosen.
“Uhm what am I exactly
chosen for? And how many of us did you exactly choose from. And will you
please STOP shouting inside my head. You’re making my head hurt. And stop
calling me chosen!! The name’s Berek.
The shield explained to
Berek its situation, how it got to this world and how it needed help. The
shield, reading Berek's mind, knew that the cattleherd is both a simpleton
and gullible and that the man could still refuse to give help. So the shield
fabricated a story that the cattleherd is destined for greatness and power
and that out of all the million people in land, he’s the only one capable of
using the shield’s power for good. And because Berek is as simpleton and
gullible as one could get, the cattleherd believed the shield.
“PICK ME UP CHOSEN, RAISE ME HIGH AND SAY BY THE
POWER OF GREYSKULL”
Upon doing so, a great
light filled the entire room and an amazing transformation took place. The once
medium built, black hair, tanned and average looking cattleherd turned into a
tall, muscle buff, blonde hair, handsome man that was later to be known as
BRIGHTSHIELD.
Where will Shull the
Shield lead our poor hero, Berek? What powers does BrightShield possess? Is
there a story behind the name? What adventures, and maybe tragedies, await
them? Join them on their journey to self-discovery.
