Guardian Force Series II Specials: Adventures in Almerak I-II

By Benjamin Louie

Author’s note: These stories tell Faith Midas’s origin story, how she gained her powers and the Soul Swords.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Benjamin Louie
• Release date: Jul 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005719555

Benjamin Louie

Sometimes images appear in my dreams, they are just image fragments. I have recurring dreams with the same images. I piece those fragments together to form scenes. I put scenes together to form plots. And I turn plots into stories.Join my discord channel to discuss my novels with other fans, find out about new releases or give the author suggestions

Book preview

guardian force II Specials

adventures in almerak I-II

Contents

Threat of The Demon Summoner

The Prince From A Distant Land

Demon Infestation

Demon Summoner

Rubeus's Plan

Temple of Woes

Fallen Monks

The Recovery

Trouble in Almerak

Mystery of the Healing Power. Origin of the Queen

Onward to a New Journey: Find Star Hill

The Place of Healing. Mystery of Star Hill

The Eye Opener...Village in Ashes

The Summoning Ceremony. Save the Kingdom!

Threat of The Demon Summoner

Threat of The Demon Summoner

[A] - The Prince From A Distant Land

The Kingdom of Almerak, located north of the continent, is known for its peace and prosperity. Its king is a kind and loving soul, and never starts wars with other kingdoms, always doing what it takes to keep the peace. And the king has a beautiful daughter, the Princess of Almerak, who loves him very much. The father and daughter get along very well, and is said to uphold ideal family values.

At least that is how things appear to outsiders. Princess Faith just ran away from home, unable to deal with her father’s tyrannical behavior. A search party has been sent out to find the princess, however, she is nowhere to be found.

Somewhere in the forest that borders the Sunrise Village, a young girl was sitting on a tree branch, waiting for her companion to return. She had just spent the night sleeping on the tree, and just awoke.

Faith yawned and stretched her arms out. Ever since she ran away from home, she has not slept on a comfortable bed, or taken a decent bath. Not only that, but she’s been wearing the same clothes all this time.

She wore a pink blouse with short sleeves, a perfect accessory for summer, a short pink skirt, and pink toeless shoes. She keeps a sword sheath in her back, under her blouse. All she has to do is reach her hand over her back to draw the sword out at a moment’s notice.

I’m hungry. Where’s Marianne? Faith asked herself.

As she said this, her friend just returned. Hey Faith! yelled Marianna. She was holding a basket of fruits. Unlike her friend, Marianne was not born of nobility, but rather, she was born in a village on the outskirts of Almerak. Even though she came from a poor family, Marianna always has a positive outlook on life, and even became friends with the runaway princess.

Unlike the princess, who wears bright colors, Marianna wears dark colors. She has skinny black pants, a blue shirt, and always carries a patch of arrows on her back. She has long, silky hair of dark blue color.

Marianne!

Breakfast is here! She threw an apple and Faith caught it. Then Marianna jumped onto the branch and sat down next to her friend.

Faith took a bite out of the apple, and it was succulent and juicy. She’s always thought that food found in the wilderness is bad for your health, but actually, it’s pretty good. Being a princess, all her meals were prepared for her from morning till night. Faith had the best meals, prepared by top rated chefs.

But ever since she ran away from home, Faith has learned to appreciate living the simple life, the life of a commoner. Its moments like these that makes her appreciate life itself, eating a delicious apple on a tree, sitting next to her best friend.

How’s the apple? Marianna asked.

It’s delicious! Faith exclaimed.

Fruit tastes best when it’s fresh. she explained.

You always know how to pick them. Faith continued to munch on the apple until it became a core. While they were eating, there was silence for a few minutes.

So, princess, what is our next destination?

The village closest to us is the Village of Sunrise. If we walk there now we should be there by the afternoon. said Faith.

Sunrise? Isn’t that the village that rumors say is being attacked by demons?

Yes, and that’s why we are going there.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sweet sound of a musical flute. The music was distant, yet their ears can hear the tunes clearly, and they became silent, waiting for the music to get louder.

So pleasant to the ears the music was that they were almost mesmerized by it. A man was seen walking down the path, playing the flute. As he came closer, the music grew louder. He did not see the girls on the tree branch, and continued along his merry way.

This man was dressed completely in black clothing. His face was young and handsome, with a fresh haircut, indicating he is no older than 20 years old. He also wore a cape, red in the front and black on the back. By the way he dressed, he is probably from a wealthy family, or a famous warrior. Judging by the fact that he carries a sword in his belt, he must be a swordsman from a wealthy family.

The young man opened his eyes and saw the girls sitting atop.

Faith clapped for him. That music was delightful.

You must be very talented. Marianna said.

He smiled. Thank you for your compliments, young ladies. It is my pleasure to meet your acquaintance.

The pleasure is ours. How can we greet you?

The young man bowed. "You may call me Darian. I have come from a far away land."

A foreigner, eh? said Marianna. My name is Marianna.

And I am Faith.

Faith? Darian repeated. What a wonderful sounding name, it is fitting for beautiful young lady like yourself.

Oh, you flatter me. Say, are you hungry?

Well, I actually haven’t had anything to eat since I woke up.

Faith grabbed an orange from Marianna’s fruit basket and tossed it to him. Darian stared at the orange for a bit. Thank you. Listen, I am looking for Sunrise Village. Do you know where it is?

Sure thing. said Marianna. Just go down this road, keep going straight ahead and eventually you’ll see the village.

Thank for your generosity. I will be on my way now. Darian played the flute as he walked away. The further his distance, the lower the volume became, until it was inaudible.

What a well mannered gentlemen. Faith commented.

I think he likes you. Marianna said, elbowing her friend.

What? No he doesn’t.

Sure. He called you beautiful. And the way he looked at you, he was totally coming on to you.

You’re imagining things.

Sure. You’ve never had a boyfriend, right?

Faith blushed. Why are we talking about this? Suddenly, her expression grew serious. Still, he has an aura about him. He’s definitely not a commoner. The way he dresses, and the way he carries himself, he’s of nobility.

You’re right about that. He’s no ordinary man. Marianna replied. So he’s going to Sunrise? I wonder what business he has there.

Sunrise. That’s the village we are going to.

Maybe we’ll run into him again.

Faith and Marianna arrived at the Village of Sunrise by sunset. The village was quiet and peaceful, unlike the busy city they used to live in. People were shopping at the marketplace, while some were done shopping and ready to go home. A bunch of little kids were playing tag, running past them, laughing without a care in the world.

Eh, so this is Sunrise? Faith commented.

It’s quite a contrast to the capital city, isn’t it? Marianna asked.

I can’t imagine why demons would attack this place. This village is so peaceful.

It’s just a rumor, we don’t know if it’s true. said Marianna. Besides, we need to find a motel to stay in.

It’s a small village, it doesn’t look like they have a motel.

An old woman with white hair approached them. She was a hunchback, holding a stick. You two are not from around here, are you?

Faith and Marianna glanced at each other. No, we are from the capital city.

Oh my. the old lady exclaimed. You’ve traveled a long way here. You must be exhausted.

Well, kind of. Faith replied bashfully.

How’s about you stay over at my place tonight?

Marianna waved her palms, saying, No, we wouldn’t want to trouble you. Although, the truth is, it would be nice to stay at a house for once, instead of sleeping on hay every night.

Faith also jumped on the bandwagon. Yeah. I appreciate your kindness, though.

Oh it’s no trouble at all. Young people are so modest.

Faith looked at her friend. Well…

I live alone, so I wouldn’t mind having company over. It’s been a while since I’ve had guests in my house.

Thank you, old woman. said Faith.

Marianna elbowed her friend in the arm. Faith, don’t call her that. It’s rude.

Faith quickly apologized. Oh! Sorry, miss...

The old lady smiled heartily. You can call me Tanae.

So Tanae took the young women to her house. As expected of this village, this house is very primitive, its walls are made of wood, and its roof is triangular shape, made of wood and covered by straws.

Faith and Marianna kneeled over a bonfire. There was no furniture to sit on. The floor was just a mat over solid concrete.

Please make yourselves at home. Tanae went into the kitchen and came back with a tin bowl of soup. She placed it over the bonfire.

Thank you for letting us stay here. Marianna said.

No worries. The old woman laughed. Like I said, I haven’t had company in a while. Since my husband died I’ve been lonely.

I’m sorry. said Faith.

Tanae poured soup into their bowls. Drink it while it’s hot.

The girls drank the soup, and judging by the looks on their faces, they enjoyed it.

So tell me about yourselves. Where are you from? Tanae asked.

We’re from the Capital City of Almerak. Faith replied.

Capital City? Oh my, that is a long way from here. You girls must be tired.

Marianna then responded: I’m used to it. I grew up poor so I travel a lot, going from town to town to find jobs.

Tanae noticed they were carrying weapons. Capital city is a big place, full of people and full of life. What brings you to a small town like ours?

Faith took a sip of the hot soup. We’ve heard rumors that here are demons attacking the village.

Ohhh. Are you two swordsmen?

Marianna responded: You can say that. So, are the rumors true?

Tanae got serious. Sometimes at night, people can hear strange voices coming from the woods. The voices aren’t the voices of humans, they sound monstrous and bloodthirsty, as if they’re out for human blood. One of the villagers found a trail of blood in the woods, not far from the village’s south side. He heard growling sounds, and he got scared and ran away. Then he went back into the woods with a bunch of fighters, and a demon attacked them. It was only one demon, so they were able to handle it. They captured the demon, beheaded it, and burned its body.

When did this happen? asked Faith.

Just last week. Tanae answered.

Last week? repeated Faith. That’s fairly recent.

Suddenly, they heard a loud ringing sound coming from a bell. *Ding Ding Ding* Everyone became alert.

Marianna shouted: What’s that?

The village is in danger. It’s probably a demon! said Tanae. Faith and Marianna stood up and headed for the door. Don’t go, it’s too dangerous.

Marianna answered: Don’t worry Miss Tanae, we can take care of ourselves. With that said, they left the house.

[ B ] - Demon Infestation

The villagers were frightened as the demons approached in groups. They were commoners who carried pitchforks and sticks, with no combat experience, this is a scary experience for them. They swing their weapons at the creatures, but it was no use, the creatures kept on advancing.

The demons were red-skinned creatures that resembled goblins. They can walk on two legs, and they have two arms, and like goblins, they have point ears, sharp eyes, and razor sharp teeth. They do not speak, they only growl and drool at the sight of their prey.

One of the villagers swings his pitchfork at the demon, the demon grabbed it and broke it in half. The village stepped back and tripped over a rock. The demon was about to attack, and he covered his eyes, fearing for the worst.

Suddenly, an arrow hit the goblin’s forehead and it died on the spot. The villager, surprised that he’s still alive, wondered who threw the arrow. To his surprise, it was two women, one dressed in pink, the other in dark blue.

So, you’re the ones who’ve been attacking the village and slaughtering innocent people?

What you’re doing is unforgivable. declared Marianna.

The demons stared at their new prey and growled.

Don’t worry, we’ll handle things from here. Faith announced.

The goblins charged at them, Faith slashed them. Marianna kept her distance, loaded her bow with arrows, and fired them. *Twang* As a skilled archer, she can shoot up to 3 arrows at once and all will hit their target. Not only that, but she can transfer her ki into the arrows, and the arrow will automatically lock on to the target, much like a heat-seeking missile.

*Slish* Faith just cut a demon’s head off. One of them snuck behind her, but she is smarter than that to be ambushed from behind. She ducked and turned around, stabbing the demon’s stomach.

Marianna loaded up three more arrows and fired them, hitting demons near Faith. That is their strategy; Faith would slice the demons from the front, while Marianna would be her support from the back.

The villagers were astounded by the fighting skill of these girls. They don’t even know who these young girls are, yet they are killing demons and saving the village.

They keep on killing the demons, but they are still coming out from the forest. Marianna and Faith were getting exhausted, and they had to step back, as the demons keep on coming at them.

Darian showed up and saw the girls fighting the demons. Without hesitation, he stepped in and joined the fight. After slashing a few of the creatures, he decided it would be best to use his secret weapon. He took out the flute from his waist and put it on his lips.

The tune he played was a pleasant one, one that would make you feel as if you’re on an endless field of green grass, you’re lying down, and looking up at the sky. It’s very peaceful and quiet. But this tune is deadly for the demons, as it hurts their ears. It doesn’t hurt people, however, as the frequency only damage’s demon’s ears.

The demons held their ears and cried out in agony. Unable to fight, Marianna and Faith took this chance to finish them off. With them practically disabled, they were lamb for the slaughter.

Meanwhile, a lurker in the trees saw what happened. He was a man dressed in dark blue clothes, but his face and his other features are concealed in the darkness. "Ohh. This is will be of utmost interest to Lord Rubeus."

After the last of the demons were taken care of, Faith and Marianna show their gratitude to Darian. Thanks, you saved us. said Faith.

You don’t have to thank me. You would’ve done the same.

Marianna said: I didn’t know you can use your music as a weapon?

It’s my specialty. Darian replied. Not only can my flute play tunes, but it be used in the battlefield as well. This flute is one of a kind, you cannot find it anywhere. I can put my ki into the flute and use it as a weapon. I can control the frequency of the tunes so that only demons are affected by the music, not people.

Wow, that’s an amazing ability you have. Faith exclaimed.

Thanks. I’ve had this ability since I was little. I never go anywhere without my flute.

It turns out our destination is the same. And so is our objective. Marianna declared.

I came to Sunrise because I heard there’s a demon infestation. I wanted to investigate to see what’s causing this.

Several villagers were injured, and they were taken to the hospital. It is just a tent with a bunch of beds inside. Doctors were treating some of the wounded, and the others waited for their turn. Faith and Marianna went into the tent. What are we looking for here? asked Marianna.

I just want to try something. Faith replied, picking a random patient. I have lost the ability to heal people. I know I have the power within me…but I don’t know how to use it.

That was a long time ago. Just forget it.

The patient’s leg was bandaged, but it was still bleeding. He was groaning unconsciously.

Faith put her hand over the guy’s leg and closed her eyes. She looked like she was calm and at peace, as if she’s done this many times before. Several minutes