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Later on that evening...
He tiredly descended the stairs leading to his
dungeon. He felt so tired and heavy.
At times he wondered where his strength came
from. Here he was,ten years old yet being able to carry weights meant for twice his age for one so fragile and yet Gofrin who was two years older with more flesh could merely lace his own shoe. He remembered once when one of the king's trained horsemen commented on his strength and stamina.
"That boy has the strength of a dude twice his age!"
But what use was strength without freewill. He
couldn't do as he pleased and chances are that he would be spending all his years in this no-good castle. Unless,of course his so called guardian was right that he had a great future ahead.
Better not to hope that have your expectations
dashed.
But talking about his guardian,couldn't he learn
something new tonight?
He got excited and forgot his tiredness. He went to the corner where he had kept it but it wasn't there and then he remembered he could summon it.
"Engriptus le guardian"
The book appeared,shining as it came. He
smiled,took it up and unstrapped it.
Scribbling...
"Howdy my guardian!"
"Howdy!And what made you summon me so late?"
"I need some practice"
"We can try tomorrow..."
"No now,you very well know that I don't have spare time during the day. At least not with little devil around!"
"Okay,your wish is my command!"
"Okay,I need to know how to produce fire."
"What for?"
"Just general knowledge. Could probably come in handy,roast my own meat or set Gofrin's hair on fire!"
"For the second I won't. Magic isn't meant to be used as a weapon for unjust cause..."
"You say unjust?Do you know what I've had to
endure under Gofrin's service. There'd be no better definition of justification"
"No son,you do not understand. But very soon,you will."
"So?"
Scribbling slowly.
"Enflamare!"
He said the words aloud and pointed it towards the wall,fire came out and burnt his clothes that he had kept in a corner. He quickly thought of a way to quench it.
"Aquarianti",the book wrote.
He quickly said it and water from his palm gushed out to put out the fire.
"Cool!"He said loudly. He quickly put his hand over his mouth. He feared he might wake someone up.
"Okay,how do I open doors and silently so?"
"Aperi portam!"
He said it to himself a couple of times so he could get used to it.
He moved close to his door,held out his hand
towards it.
"Aperi portam!"
The door flunged opened immediately causing quite a sound. He quickly went to the back to hide incase any of the guards on duty had heard it. He waited for some minutes before coming out. He decided to have a look outside and when he did,he saw just ahead of him a hooded figure. His heart skipped a beat. He dashed back in. He had wanted to get right
back to and fall asleep but his curiosity had the
better part of him. He peeked out again but saw no one. He had decided that maybe he had been
hallucinating when he heard a sound. He got out and tried to trace the source,tip toeing as he went. He traced the sound to Manterror's room and pressed his ears against the door.
"That can't be!I eliminated everyone. I watch them die,I did. It can't happen!"
It seemed he was having a nightmare. He had once heard a guard explaining to his fellow guard that nightmares were special dreams where ones past comes to hurt him if it hadn't been lived rightly.
What could be the particular wrong that Manterror had done in his valiant past?
He turned to go when he again saw the hooded
figure gliding out of sight. He pursued it not minding that he might attract one of the guard's attention.
The fire at the end of the passage seemed to have gone dim and he couldn't make out the figure standing just some distance from him.
"Now is the time. Run away,save your innocent soul from the impending danger. Your days are numbered and the signs are all true. A lot lies on your young shoulders. You must run"
Then he disappeared.
The voice had been faint and weak like those of an old man but he had heard just about everything. He turned to go when he received a punch to the head.

Mczigx:
U're gud 2 go boss

Thanks bro.Nixe morning to y'all.

What's up guys?Lemme know if I'm getting it. Does this look much like the last one I had before Nairaland crashed?

The kitchen seemed a little bit quieter than it had been earlier on and a lot more spacious. He retired to a corner and sat on a crate. He began eating and hastily so. Mr Mutton,the chief cook smiled at him and gave him two more slices of bread. He mumbled a 'thank you' just audible for him to hear as he had stuffed his mouth with more than he could chew at once. He allowed his mind to replay the incidence that had just happened and smiled to himself.
"There's more where that came from!"he thought to himself.
In about five minutes,he was done and just as he was about helping to do his own dishes,
"Dannnnngggggggggg!Dannnnnggggg"
Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen from where the sound had come. George was confused as he had never heard such a loud sound before. A sound that shook the whole castle. The sound lingered for some seconds and then came to a stop. Then like a tide sweeping through the kitchen,everywhere suddenly became noisy as everyone was chatting about what they had just happened. George was confused as he could not make out the meaning of the whole happenings. One thing he knew for sure was that the sound they had heard was a bell,possibly the tower bell overhead the castle.
But what could it have signalled?
He couldn't ask anyone ad they all seemed pretty occupied in their conversations and he couldn't help noticing the note of anxiety in their voices.

dastancypayne:
I dey feel you die. But that one no means sey u nor go update today, if not. I go just move you, d way George take move the cup.....LOLZ......stil following.

Lol.Thanks for following.I will try and update before going to bed.Keep following.

kenchukscole:
Well done sir...
The story has derailed to much nah...come update abeg

I've updated.So what do you think?

He tethered the tray with one hand and with the other quickly open the door of Gofrin's bedroom. The young prince laid sprawled on the bed. Saliva had formed on the side of his mouth and was beginning
to drop. He placed the food on the table by the
bedside and decided to play some tricks on the
cluless Gofrin.
He reached for the seam of his shirt and drew out a thread. He held it up and allowed the lower end to drop into Gofrin's ear and removed it quickly. The unconscious Gofrin sensing the tickling sensation from his dream,poked into his ear and scratched
lightly and continued his sleep.George repeated the action allowing the thread to stay for some few more seconds.
"Hmmwhmm!"he mumbled scratching again,this
time a little prolonged.George smirked allowing
himself to catch some fun.He put his hand over his mouth and ducked down just in time for Gofrin to half consciously raise his heard to see who or what was disturbing his precious sleep.When he saw nothing,he plunged back to the bed.
George thought to himself.
"See,you it was who said I must serve you breakfast by six knowing fully well that you'd be in bed and yet you wouldn't hesistate to deprive me of my own sleep"
He made up his mind to do something wild.He
looked around and then seeing the trayful of
Gofrin's breakfast,decided to try some fun.
He went over to the table and picked up one of the cover plates made of stainless steel and held it up high and allowed it to crash to the floor.
"Clnnnnghhhhhhhhhhsssnrnnnnnnnnn"
Gofrin sprunged up with a terror-striken face that George had never seen on him before.
"You devil!!!" he shouted.
He ran out of bed towards George and held him
tightly by the collar.
"You did that with an intent,didn't you?"
"No my prince,twas a mistake.The plate fell as I
brought your breakfast sir."
At the mention of breakfast,he looked beyond
George to see the table set.He brushed George
aside and quickly made way for the table.
"Prince,you can't have breakfast now.Not until
you've brushed up your teeth and..."
"Sharrap!who are you to instruct me?Even if I don't brush for a year,my teeth would still be more healthier than yours"
"Ok,go ahead then"
"Like I needed your get go",he said sarcastically.
He descended on the dish even without washing his hands.
George went towards the window and drew the
curtains up and looked out.He saw the servants
moving about their business.He looked back at
Gofrin and then an idea struck him.
Why not practice a few stunts on Gofrin?
He took out the book carefully but silently and
unstrapped it.
He couldn't talk and so he tried to think-talk to the guardian cause it could hear his thoughts.
"How do I move things?"
A muffled scribbling...
"abscidonda"
Gofrin's plate from which he was eating suddenly flunged itself to the edge of the table. The baffled Gofrin who was about putting a slice of bed in his mouth,stopped with his mouth agape. He looked towards George's direction but he,George quickly turned his back to face the window and pretended like he was adjusting the panes. Gofrin shut his mouth and cleaned his eyes. He wondered how he
could still be dreaming when he was wide
awake. Was he getting mad?By the time he finished wiping his eyes,the plate had returned to its position. He concluded that indeed he had been hallucinating. He reached for the mug containing tea but just as he was about to touch it,it moved. He extended his arm for it and yet again it moved. He was getting scared.
"George!George!!"he screamed.
He turned from the window to look at him.
"Come over here,quickly!"
He went over to the young prince's side.
"What's the position of this cup?"
George pointed it to him. He nodded.
"Try holding it."
George reached out to it and held it. Gofrin was shocked. He had expected it to move. George pretended to be amused.
"What's the matter my prince?!"
The young prince kept numb for some seconds and then slapped himself twice,one on each cheek. He felt the pain and so wasn't dreaming. He then turned to face his servant.
"What did you do with my breakfast?You enchanted it,didn't you?Wait till I tell my dad",he quickly put on his shirt and slippers and made for the door.
"And just what will you tell your dad?That I'm a
wizard?Come off it!If I was you should be dead now."
He stopped to consider. It was true that he wouldn't last a day if George could do spells. He'd have his head split in two or could have been transformed into a pig as George like to refer him. And just how could a pitiful fragile servant be a wizard?He was even ten years old. He shrugged and walked back.
"Take that rubbish from here. I've lost my first breakfast appetite."
First breakfast indeed!True though,for Gofrin ate twice every morning. One by six and the other by 10a.m. Little wonder he had such a bulging stomach.
He happily took the tray downstairs towards the kitchen where he would thrill himself to some rich tea and nutritious bread. He had never had so much to eat for breakfast all his life.

Chapter Three
"Damn!"

An attendant carrying a trayful of cheese had collided with him,staining his already worn out shirt.

"Sorry dear. Its my fault. I wasn't looking where..."

"Don't mention. Twas my fault as well. 'Cud have made way for you"

The fat woman gave him a wide grin as he sped along. The lace of his worn out shoes had come undone but he couldn't stop to tie it. He was late. Gofrin as his father's only son was given all he needed and requested for. He had asked for a slave when he was just four and I guess you know whose feet fit into those shoes. He demanded that his breakfast be brought to him in bed no later than six am. He required George to dress him up,comb his hair,get his shoes on,do his laundry,make the bed,tidy up his always messy room and even flush the toilet whenever he was done disposing of his foul-smelling, constipating excrement. For George, hell would be a lot more comfortable place to be in than in Gofrin's presence. He made his life a living hell causing him pain from dawn till dusk. Gofrin saw George as his living puppet which strings were readily available for pulling at any time of the day. He ensured that George never had thirty minutes of daylight to himself.

Once when he was seven,he had ordered George to go on all fours, carrying him on his back everywhere he willed for the obscure reason that his feet was sore and so couldn't place them on the floor. The memory and scars of that day still lingered and so had Gofrin's conscienceless inhumanity. George longed for the day he could pay him back even if it were a little bit. Just a slice of his own cake. Anyways,he need not do more than the little,for any measure of pain above little would kill Gofrin who was as defenseless as an amputated spider.

As he carried Gofrin's breakfast of whole-grain bread,scrambled eggs and green tea,he allowed his mind to delve into a scene that happened some thirteen months back where he had gotten the good laugh at Gofrin that he had always craved for.

It was a sunny morning and Gofrin had decked himself with a cowboy's outfit ready to horse-ride his way through the ranch. On getting to the stable,he had met George mucking one of the horses. His joy knew no bounds as he would have found difficulty climbing onto the horse. He took some giant strides towards where George was standing and motioned at him.

"Hey!"

George who hadn't seen him walk in was taken aback. He looked up from the horse he was tending to face his little boss.

"Woh...I didn't notice you come in!"

"Why would you when you have the deafness of your mad pauper of a father!"he sniggered. He seemed happy with himself.

"What do we have here?",George asked eyeing him from top to finish.

"What!you haven't seen a cowboy before?"

"Not that. Just that I think cowboy's outfit with all the strapping are meant for those skilled in horse riding"

"And who said I'm not?"

"Well,those who detest burnt fingers shouldn't play with fire"

He raised his hand to strike George but gave it a second thought. He had a million and one ways to punish the....

"Bend on all four. I want to climb unto this horse"

"What!but I'm gonna be stained all over and besides,I'm not done tending to the horse"

"You dare question my instructions. You had better oblige before I run to tell my dad"

George on hearing his threat quickly crouched and painfully watch the weighty Gofrin use his body as a spring board.

Gofrin balanced himself on the horse and took hold of the reins and urged the horse out of the stable. It yielded to his will and this pleased him. It trotted cutely some few meters away from the stable but the self-acclaimed brave boy wasn't satisfied. He hadn't come out dressed the way he did just to have the horse trek with him on its back.

He drew he reins backward steadily just like he usually watch his father do and the horse stopped trotting and broke into a gallop. The young Gofrin tried all his effort to get it to slow down but the horse seemed to have grown deaf. It sped on knocking off Gofrin from its back. Only the reins which he held tightly kept him from crashing to the hard baked floor. He was dead scared as he glided along the floor with his legs stretched apart. He screamed aloud like a mother in birth process.

George gave a good laugh as he stood watching the horse circle round in top speed for about ten minutes before one of the trained horsemen in Manterror's service came to his aid. He had later spent a week in bay as he went down with fever and cold. He kept complaining of bruises and headaches. George shook his head as he took the stairs. He had learnt his lessons or so he thought.

..

The book then snap shut and strapped itself. He wondered why the book had given him that information.



"What's that suppose to mean?"He thought.



Scribble..



That story has a relation to you. Its not just a fiction but has bearing with the real world. You are on course to changing history and its important that you'd be conversant with past happenings.



He had gotten over the shock of learning that the book had access to his thoughts and was now trying to comprehend what he had just read from it.



"So is that what you've been up to?"



Apparently!I went to be updated.



"Is that what the use to which you were created?"



In a way. I am the magic book,THE GUARDIAN.I was created a thousand years ago and I have been handed over the generations to those on whose hands the safety of the generation depends. I provide information on vital links and ensure that my wards are well prepared for the future. You are the savior of your generation and the fate of a people rests on you. You are to find that out very soon.



His head was bent in thought. It felt like too much to take it. What was important about him. A mere toddler,servant boy whose existence dependent on his waiting on two cruel people who didn't care so much as to whether he eats or sleeps. How could he be have been born with magic?savior of his generation?He felt like laughing. It sounded ridiculous to him. He very much doubted the words from the book.



Scribble



The path may seem blurred right now but its only a little while before things will start getting clearer. There's light at the end of the tunnel.



He sighed



"So what else I'm I to know?"



Scribbling.



Lots more. But they will come a step at a time. You'll learn quite a number of things soon.



His eyes brightened. He was always eager to learn new things.



"Wow. I'm anxious to see what I can learn"



You were born not of nature but of magic. So,its only obvious that magic resides in you



"By reside you mean?"



'I mean that you have the inherent capability to make things happen without you necessarily physically causing them to. Magic is an accessory to be used to aid one's course. You have a very important destiny .You must never fail, a whole kingdom awaits your return.

He was getting more confused.



"Can you be straight forward please, I'm getting confused?"



Its only a matter of time. Your curiosity shall be satisfied. For now, let your mind settle on improving your inner strength for in there lies the source.



"Okay,I will settle for that. So when do we begin?"

Whenever you are ready


"Of course I'm ready now."



Okay then,we'll start with the basics. There are little spells you will need to help in your daily activities



"Okay...like making heavy loads lighter?"



Yes,like making heavy loads lighter. The spell is 'burdeno lessenia'. You let the words fill you and then you imagine it with your mind and see it happening there.



He tried it. There was a heavy log at the corner of the room that he had always used as a seat. He imagined it getting lighter and then spoke the spell.



"Burdeno lessenia"



He tried carrying the log and to his amazement,it felt like carrying an empty pail. He couldn't contain his excitement and shouted



"Yesss!"



He quickly recognized his mistake and ducked low pretending he was asleep. In split seconds, a guard came by and looked in. He appeared to have been woken by his scream.



"Tis da little jerk talking in his sleep!"He said to another guard.



He waited for some minutes before getting up again. He got up and headed straight for the book. He held it in his palm as he unstrapped it. He tapped it but there was no response. He scribbled

'Let's continue'

Still no reply. He tried again and again but still got no reply. Finally, the handless scribbling began but his excitement was short-lived as he read the words,

Enough for one night, we continue tomorrow.

I stil dey wait o. Bros

No vex bros.I've updated now.I was just trying to put some things in order.

Timothy3113:
guy u start any time am there for you

Thanks man!

It feels so good to be back.How I wish Timothy3113 was here and also Aisha.I missed you guys.I'm gonna be updating frequently now.I've got my fingers back!

CHAPTER TWO

The breeze blew across his face as he stood facing the river. The water flow had ceased and what he now saw was a clear reflection of himself;his boyhood frame,smallish arms,fragile lips,sunken eyes and a head that seemed too big for his body size. Yet,he had the eyes of an angel,bluish brown. His jaw line was perfect and his teeth were white. He inhaled the fresh,clean,Gofrinless air. It always felt good to be out in the open air all by yourself. He retired to a sitting position and began to pick pebbles which he threw leisurely at the river and watched as it hit the surface of the water and the splashing sound they made. He enjoyed being by himself.
Suddenly,from the bottom of the water came a bright light. Gradually,it shone getting brighter as it arose. He wavered in curious excitement. He got up and looked in awesome bewilderment.

What was it and where had it come from?

It came close to him blinding his vision, his eyes began to hurt and just as he was about to scream out,he woke up with beads of sweat streaming down his body. But the burning sensation that were on his eyes lingered. He couldn't open his eyes.
"Stop it!stoppppp!"

The light grew fainter and he slowly opened his eyes. He couldn't see a thing. He mopped his eyes with his hand and opened them again. This time,he was able to make at an object,the source of the light. It was the book.

"What the hhhh!"
"What are you and what do you want from me?"
He asked with mixed fear and anger.
No answers came. Instead,the book unstrapped itself and opened.

"Me?Read to my death?!No I won't!!!"

The book moved close to him. He crawled back on his bottom till he got to the wall and could no longer go backward. Still,the book advanced.

He was dead scared

READ OR DIE!

His mind plagued him. He had to. What more could happen than hadn't already. He had brought this upon himself for accepting a gift from a total stranger. He had to brace up to the consequences.
He took the book in his hand and read...

HIS BEGINNING:BIRTH AND EARLY AGE

Once lived a great king in the land of PATHANDRA. He was the greatest king the land had ever had. His dominion spread through all the regions. Through his wisdom,he led his people to conquer territories and wherever he went,people revered him. He had principles which he followed and lived by notheless the situations. His every words went out as a decree.
One of his decree was that in the course of battle,the women and children were to be spared....
King Prince was a handsome king,six feet two,fair-faced and blue-eyed. He had a lovely wife,Lavena Prince who loved him with all of her life. Their marriage was blissful but lacked the seal; a child.