The Guardian

A short story written from the perspective of the final boss in a video game.

“Our walls have been breached,” the Knight informed the Guardian.

The Guardian stood with his back to the Knight. He took a moment to regard the throne upon the raised dais in front of him. The Guardian of this realm had been placed here, in the throne room to a crumbling kingdom, for whoever defeated him would be the new ruler. But first, they must prove their worth.

“Close the door,” the Guardian commanded. “Guard it with your life. I shall await this opponent here. Let us see if they make it this far.”

The Guardian heard the heavy wooden door thunk shut. He unsheathed his sword and bowed before the empty throne. The Guardian entered a meditative stance, awaiting the opponent. Deep in his meditation, he did not hear the Knight battle the opponent outside the throne room. His trance only broke when the door flew open and the opponent entered.

Rising to stand, but still facing the throne, the Guardian said, “For whoever defeats me will be free to claim the throne to this crumbling kingdom. Who are you that you think you are worthy of such responsibility?”

“I am Kendra the Brave.”

The Guardian turned around. In the doorway stood a small woman. The armor she wore was rusted and dented. Her sword dull and brittle. She wore no helm, and her lilac hair was tied back. Slightly affronted, the Guardian said, “You? You are hardly more than a twig, and you think you can best me? I have stood as guardian to this realm since its founding. You think to defeat me?”

Kendra smiled and stepped inside. “I mean to try.”

Better to end this quickly, the Guardian thought. It took three quick strides to cross the chamber and one thrust to drive his sword through her chest. Blood sprayed the wooden door and across the stone floor. Kendra collapsed in a pool of blood. Her body dissolved, cast into the afterlife.

The Guardian wiped his blade clean and returned to his meditation before the throne.

Once again, the thundering crash of the door to the throne room flying open broke his meditation. Standing but still facing the throne, the Guardian said, “For whoever defeats me will be free to claim the throne to this crumbling kingdom. Who are you that you think you are worthy of such responsibility?”

“It’s me… again.”

The Guardian turned to find Kendra the Brave standing in the doorway once again. A pity, it would seem this opponent had not learned her lesson. But the Guardian did notice she seemed to have found some better armor. She still wielded the same dull sword, but now she had procured a gleaming silver saint armor set, one of the finest in the realm. Engraved down the breastplate were all the moon’s phases. Anger boiled up, for he knew who that exact armor set had belonged to.

“You killed our Lady Moon Knight?”

Kendra blinked, then glanced down at her armor. “Oh, uh, yes. She was quite difficult though.”

“You are still no match for me.”

“I think you’ll find I’ve learned a thing or two since we last battled.”

Kendra lasted almost a full minute before the Guardian bested her. She had improved, but she was still no match for him.

Thrice more Kendra interrupted him. Each time, she died within a matter of minutes. And yet, each time, she improved. She learned his moves, how to dodge and parry them.

The door flew open, crashing into the stone wall. The Guardian stood. “For whoever—”

“Defeats you will be free to claim the throne. Yes, yes, I know.”

“Kendra,” the Guardian said, turning around to face her. Her blood and viscera now decorated the throne room. Yet she stood there, unperturbed by the surrounding gore. The reminders of her many failures. This time, she bore a new weapon. A powerful greatsword with a lion’s head on the pommel. “I see you defeated Griffin.”

Kendra smiled as though pleased with herself. “Can you feel it? I’m getting closer to defeating you, Guardian.”

“I am eternal. Immortal. Made from the same essence that created this realm. You cannot defeat me.”

“We shall see.”

The two met in the center of the room with a clash of steel on steel. And the Guardian found that Kendra had improved. Landing her own blows, the Guardian’s blood now joined Kendra’s, bathing the throne room red.

The Guardian stumbled backward after a particularly brutal strike from Kendra. He clutched his stomach. “You are able to grow. To change. Given infinite chances to best me. While I remain forever trapped, held captive in this room.”

“You could leave,” Kendra said, gesturing to the door.

“I’m afraid my sacred duty will not allow that. You have fought well, Kendra the Brave. I will grant you this one chance; leave now and never return.”

Kendra raised her blade. “Not when I’m so close.”

The Guardian sighed. “Then you leave me no choice.”

The Guardian drove his sword into the stone floor. The entire throne room trembled. Overhead, the glass ceiling shattered. The Guardian transformed, allowing his celestial form to break free. He became not something of this realm but beyond it. A being made of star shards and comet dust, he erupted.

Kendra trembled before him, but still she raised her sword. She dared to face him in his infinite form. And for that, he bowed before he eviscerated her.

This time, when Kendra returned, she found the Guardian returned to his previous form, but instead of kneeling at the throne dais, he stood in the center of the room, gaze upturned to the glass ceiling, beholding the stars dusted across the indigo sky.

“Kendra the Brave, you have unlocked something within me. A stirring. A longing. But I fear I am imprisoned to this throne. To this realm. And so, we must continue our dance of death.”

Kendra nodded and made a strange gesture, something the Guardian chose to take as a sign of respect. This time, when Kendra released the Guardian’s celestial form, she lasted longer, but still, he defeated her.

The Guardian smiled as he watched her body dissolve, for he knew she would return. He admired her persistence, her dedication. Perhaps this Kendra would be the one to finally vanquish him.

All in all, it took Kendra over one hundred times to best the Guardian. The Guardian fell to his knees in his celestial form. His head fell back to behold the stars. At last, he would be allowed to fade. Released from his sacred duty.

Kendra approached him. She knelt before him. “You were a worthy adversary,” Kendra said before she drove her sword into his chest, dealing the final blow.

“I entrust the protection of this sacred realm to you, Kendra the Brave. May your rule be long and just,” The Guardian gasped before he died, released at last to reclaim his place among the stars.