The Third Key

GUARDING THE LIGHT SERIES

Book 1.

© Copyright 2012 – V. K. Ramsey

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to all those who follow, protect and cherish principles of Light.  You and your deeds are very important.  I owe you so much. Geoff, special thanks go to you. Without your support I would never dare to publish my stories.

V.K. Ramsey 11th of February 2011

Govardhan, Mathura, India

Table of Contest:

Dedication

Preface

Part 1: It’s a New (Ordinary?) Day

Chapter I.

Chapter II.

Chapter III.

Chapter IV.

Chapter V.

Chapter VI.

Chapter VII.

Part 2: Kailash: (Please Don’t Try This at Home)

Chapter VIII.

Chapter IX.

Chapter X.

Chapter XI.

Part 3: Third Guardian

Chapter XII.

Chapter XIII.

Chapter XIV.

Chapter XV.

Part 4: Cracking It

Chapter XVI.

Chapter XVII.

Part 5: Temple of Tyn

Chapter XVIII.

Part 6: St. Peter's-on-the-Wall

Chapter XIX.

Chapter XX.

Chapter XXI.

Chapter XXII.

Part 7: The Clash

Chapter XXIII.

Chapter XXIV.

Chapter XXV.

Part 8: The War

Chapter XXVI.

Part 9: Face Off Demon

Chapter XXVII.

Chapter XXVIII.

Chapter XXIX.

Part 10: If They Only Knew

Chapter XXX.

Glossary

Copyright

Preface

“You can’t blame the blade, you can’t consider it accountable – it’s all about the attentions of the person behind it.”

1.

Jason observed his students performing the hardest part of their training. In the last few months, they had worked hard at mastering the skills of a close range fight against multiple attackers. Now the time had come to put their training to the test. These few selected students in his Warrior Academy worked hard to apply all that he had taught them.

Michael, Jan and the others knew they were more than privileged; the methods and fighting skills given to them were entirely different from anything they had seen. By now, their hearts had entirely identified with the teachings about Light that Jason presented with his every step, and subtly, their moral and spiritual values had followed suit. But despite all the training time they had spent together, the Warriors really did not know who Jason was, and how soon he would need them – for the fight of his life.

Many times they felt as if they had entered into a comic book world – scenes such as breaking stone blocks, a baseball bat or a 3-inch metal rod by the simple touch of Jason’s palm now became a part of their reality. Jason was not only the ‘living example’ of martial art perfection, but he was willing to train them! All of them had tested several martial arts schools and styles, but had gotten frustrated at the limiting rules and concepts that failed in real situations. Jason’s teaching didn’t hold a trace of the ‘choreography’ that they had found elsewhere. Kill or be killed – disarm or be harmed. The Warrior Academy students were gradually fine-tuned into nearly flawless warriors who could instantly kill or disarm multiple opponents – if they had identified with forces of Darkness, they would have become skilled assassins. That was achieved by hard training on the part of both student and teacher – Jason had barred every potential student who seemed to show any demonic traits.

Four students, wearing full sets of neoprene protective gear and using real weapons, were attacking Michael with full power. That way, they could practice the real extent of their skills. Protective shock-absorbent layers, specially made for this purpose, successfully deflected all the punches, kicks and Dim Mak* blows. There were no rules, no cage and no tatami– only reality.

With two minutes left of the ten-minute attack sequence, Jason could see Michael’s energy waning. The ‘attackers’ were also shaken from the blows and throws received. Jason could see a few moves ahead. He saw Michael taking a bad position that quickly turned into a serious injury, and knew this had to be the last moment of practice.

“Enough!” The power of Jason’s voice stopped them immediately. Michael had just applied a solid wristlock and was ‘finishing’ the attacker on the ground. All eyes were raised, looking at him through the protective masks, their faces dripping with sweat. Jason took over and showed them the danger of being on an ‘open side’ … as a demonstration, he took Michael’s position and took out all of the ‘attackers’ within seconds.

As they headed off toward the showers, Jason looked around the Warrior Academy. He and Gunnar had found this building, labored over every piece of equipment, whittled down their list to suitable students, and trained men to engage with evil. No training would be wasted, but he wondered sometimes – how would they use it for more than training some day?

2.

Quabil opened his eyes with difficulty. Nothing around him looked familiar. The pain of his broken arms and ribs was stunning - despite his trained mind, Quabil struggled to remain conscious. The last thing he remembered was total defeat and the bitter taste of sand in his mouth.

“What is this place? Am I dead or living?” He realized the absurdity of this question – of course he was alive! “Who saved me? Am I saved?” Hundreds of similar thoughts flashed through his mind; the lack of answers kept him awake.

Blinking hard, he stopped questioning and looked around. His naked body, covered in bruises, was chained to a metal table. Every time he moved, he discovered another injury. Green light beams pointed at his body from several places, pulsing in perfect rhythm with his heartbeats. Quabil soon realized that his pain was slowly ebbing, and he understood that he was being healed by technology never seen by humans, though healing was taking the place of pain much slower than he wanted. To distract himself, Quabil called to mind the most enjoyable moments of his life.

He enjoyed a stream of violent scenes. Torturing cats, birds and dogs became as boring in his early years as bullying schoolmates. He clearly remembered his expanding expertise in the hobby of physical abuse, and his followers who eagerly helped him. He took shelter in remembering all the pain, sorrow and fear in the eyes of the victims that he and his followers caused. As a son of the powerful Shahzad dynasty, he managed to avoid the law even for the cruelest deeds. In Somalia, people were normally sentenced to death for actions similar to Quabil’s normal weekend entertainment with his crew. Remembering those ‘good days’ kept him alive. The sounds of begging for mercy, from all the girls they gang raped without mercy, was like a sweet balm for his soul. It helped ease the lingering pain of his defeat – he had never met a Guardian before who had destroyed him so completely.

His real soul food, what he really fed on, was that particular moment of helplessness and fear before the death of his victims. That made him feel in absolute control and dominance, and he hunted that black nectar all his life. The demonic nature of his was strong even for his sociopath friends, and they mostly went along with him for fear of what he would come up with next. Quabil went on to explore the magical black arts, its demonic rituals and practices, until he became a skilled practitioner.

Recalling the darkness of his life, and how he was finally taken to the lower dimensions by demonic forces, his memories unwound to the moment when he proved to be the best candidate within the Demonic Alliance. Training with them strengthened his powerful ability to enjoy death and pain, and his appetite grew while performing the most horrific acts. He was introduced to the Inner Darkness, powers that made any Black Wizard on planet Earth tremble in awe and reverence. Despite the bodily pain still present, now he felt extremely good, as if he were engaging in his most beloved pastimes. But there was another reason for his excitement:

“Though I was defeated, I am saved by my all-powerful masters of this Universe. This is surely a place for healing. If my Masters saved me, they have good reason for it. That tells me only one thing: soon I will be more powerful then ever before.”

His eyes half-lidded, Quabil stared at the ceiling and imagined what he could do after a full recovery. The green lights pulsed on in the dead.

Part I

It’s a New (Ordinary?) Day

I.

A familiar melody brought him back from the pleasant but somewhat unusual dream. Perhaps that was the only “warning” he would get, but he never could have imagined the upcoming events of this day. At 6:00 a.m., one of his favorite alert melodies ('Hallelujah') played from his iPhone. Opening his eyes slowly, he looked out the window. The soft light of the early morning sun was reflected all over the grass, trees and courtyard. Everything he could see from his bed, even the heavy punching bag, looked as if it were covered with thousands of shiny pearls. Fresh air carrying the smell of autumn filled the room.

“This will be a day to remember". He couldn’t know how much truth was in that.

A morning meditation session generated an energy boost and sharpened his mind as always. A general feeling of goodwill flowed through his body – he was ready for the morning Tabata cardio* session. He quickly changed into running clothes. Slapping his palm over his left arm, he remembered: "I was lucky, it's not broken. I have to be careful and keep that in mind; I am vulnerable again."

A flashback of yesterday rolled through his mind. He had been explaining the methodology of effectively blocking round kicks to his students at the Warrior Academy, and got carried away for a moment. He told them: "One picture is worth more than a thousand words", a principle he used a lot while teaching. He requested an experienced, six-and-a-half feet high Thai Boxer to kick him with full power... and he didn’t block the kick. He could easily block it but he stood there ‘eating’ that powerful blow, demonstrating just what happens if you do not block or move from the line of attack. But, he forgot that he was not above the pain anymore. Just for a moment he forgot the 11th of November five years ago. Since then, everything in his life had become completely different.

“Good timing, hope everything there is as usual…” Jason checked his wristwatch. 7:42 a.m., the last of 6 sprint sessions, and he was on his way back to the house. Other than some slight twinges in his left arm, and a bird cheeping too loudly outside the house, the day held only the promise of a slightly sleepy normal life.

II.

“Am I going to see her?” His thoughts were so loud that they were almost visible as he turned the last corner. Tension evaporated when he saw a gorgeous Japanese girl standing in front of the villa just across his house, innocently waiting for a car to take her to school. Somehow, he was able to understand her state of mind from one short glance. Even before she smiled back at him, he instantly felt that everything was O.K. This ‘morning ritual’ kept them both satisfied for the moment, but the future was not clear. There was no physical relationship, but it was obvious when they looked at each other how much they cared. Next to the students in his Warrior Academy and friendship with Gunnar, Sumiko was a good part of the reason he did his best at trying to live a normal life. He had not chosen to retire in this place – but he liked living in beautiful Prague. In the past five years, Jason Raiden had become attached to a simple life without much stress, free of the intensity that comes with a ‘hunt and kill the bad guys' lifestyle. He didn’t even seem to miss it.

He was already in front of the house, and the metal gate opened automatically -but he did not enter. He wanted to find the eyes of Sumiko one more time. Her ride had arrived already, but before she disappeared into the back of the armored Hummer, their eyes met again. Jason felt as if hundreds of butterflies were doing a dance in his belly but he controlled them – they would not master him. Again, he was able to read her thoughts: "I am fine, thank you again! That animal I have to call "father" is afraid and keeps distance from my Mum and me. Just please stay here, do not go anywhere! I depend on you. We depend on you! I cannot imagine what would happen if he would lose that fear of you."

Her eyes, glimmering with emotions, glowed even through the dark glass of the Hummer that slowly moved away.

“What I am supposed to do with this girl?” he often wondered. He knew that soon he would have to move forward. A short while before, he had (quite literally) scared the shit out of her abusive father Matsumoto, when he caught him drunk and beating both Sumiko and her mother. He was not just anyone; Matsumoto was a very powerful man that used the cover of a Japanese diplomat to protect and expand his ‘no rules – no mercy’ underground fighting business. Jason’s threats were all that kept Sumiko safe from her father’s abuse. But, he felt a lot more than a desire to protect her.

“Things must flow naturally. She is only 20 and safe for now, but very young. I am not sure how, but it will all work out”. Thoughts like this often rolled through his mind about Sumiko, and sometimes they were so distracting that he just had to put those thoughts aside. It’s not that he was looking for reasons to forget the gorgeous Sumiko – far from it - but on days like today, there were important things that demanded his full attention. He had planned a five-day seminar on pressure points striking for the next week, critical skills that were needed especially for serious martial art students.

Jason made hardly any money from his Warrior Academy because he charged only a minimal amount for his lessons and seminars. Martial arts were his forte and he really enjoyed teaching, but he didn’t want to turn teaching into a business like everyone else. He carefully selected whom he wanted to teach, and without hesitation rejected anyone whose mind contained even a small dose of evil or malice. He had the ability to feel the ‘black souls’ as well as those who had completely sided with evil, but had zero tolerance towards those people. He had perfected methods of hunting and killing them for years.

The life he had led until only five years ago would be difficult to imagine for any human mind (even to those with a good dose of higher knowledge). As a 'Guardian of the Light' he had endless resources on his disposal. But, once he had 'retired', he was on his own. While eating breakfast, he mused on that day – the day of "coming back" to human existence. That was his choice and despite all the trials, he did not regret that decision.

Taking a sip of fresh orange juice, Jason remembered that it was Gunnar’s day to present his business proposal. Gunnar Friedl was Jason’s best friend and brilliant business coach, whose ideas had made him a millionaire. Though Jason didn’t quite want that responsibility, he was intrigued to see what Gunnar had to show him today.

“Jason, my friend, I have a great idea on how to triple the profit we make now”, he remembered Gunnar saying. “I’ll fly over in two days and tell you all about it”.

As financier and advisor, nobody could touch Gunnar’s brilliance, and his lightning-fast mental prowess with spreadsheets was nearly uncanny. He could make an ordinary business plan sound like the new wave of the future. But if Gunnar said they could triple profits, they could – it had happened before.

Five years ago, Gunnar had found Jason unconscious, floating on a lake with no clothes on. He saved him, took Good Samaritan care of him until Jason had fully recovered, and they had slowly become close friends and business partners.

Gunnar had become a self-made millionaire by selling educational programs online. His company was responsible for a few of the best weight-loss programs on the market.

For him, it didn’t take long to turn Jason’s martial arts expertise and turn it into an online self-defense video course that sold like hot cakes. Self-defense proved to be a profitable niche and income skyrocketed. Profits piled up but neither of them cared about the money! What they lived for and cared about was achieving the goals they had set. Jason could not imagine how strongly and how soon the chances of achieving those goals would be shaken to the core. There was no indication of the danger that would put everything he cared for on the edge of existence.

III.

Jason was preparing for a morning training session. He looked at his watch. It was showing 9:07 am.

“I have enough time”, he peacefully concluded and walked toward the library. He reached the heavy oak doors but before he could open them, he was thrown to the ground by an unknown force. He looked up, fully blinded for a moment by a massive eruption of white-gold light, five feet away from his nose. The whole room started to vibrate, and a familiar sound filled the place.

“Aaaaammmmmmmmmm!!!”

It was a sound he easily recognized. He knew exactly what would happen next but he didn’t know why!

“It’s not going to work, my body will crash! Did the great souls from the ‘Council of Light’ forget that I don’t wear armor anymore?!” Question after question streamed through his mind while he placed his body in the diamond position, getting ready for the inter-dimensional jump.

“Ssssssssshhhshh” – the fizzing sound of the Vimāna* was actually pleasant to hear but this time Jason felt vulnerable and uneasy.

“I really hope they have this all planned well…otherwise that’s it for me in this lifetime.” Jason’s reasoning was simple. He knew that the material body couldn’t bear conditions that dominate the higher spheres of the universe. The material elements of his body would simply disintegrate when in direct contact with higher energy.

The white-gold light of the Vimāna was all around him. A feeling of pressure all over his muscular body reinforced his fear, which he tried to control. The vibrations and fizzing sound lasted for only a few moments, but it seemed like many more. Once it stopped, he knew the trip had ended. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around. There was a layer of blue light – some sort of energy was all around him, and he was actually in the middle of that sphere, floating.

“OK, this is new”, he said loudly, exhaling and releasing all the stress and fear from his lungs.

The next question flashed through his mind:

“I seem to be all right but what is going on, why I am here!?” His inner dialogue went wild.

IV.

Through the protective layer of blue energy he looked around and - all of a sudden -recognized a familiar face. Despite the surprise, he felt warmth and happiness surround his heart. Spontaneously folding his palms in front of his chest, he offered his respects to a 16-foot being in front of him, who had been looking straight into Jason’s eyes from very moment he arrived. It was a comforting and kind look, at odds with the sculptured body that would have made any human faint on the spot. In eyes of this mighty warrior - one of the rulers on the higher planetary systems - Jason could sense urgency and mixed emotions. He had never before seen Kartikey show that sort of vulnerability. That in itself was reason to be worried. Jason knew there was something big behind all of this, but there were no clues so far.

“I welcome you, Jason”. Matching his look, the voice of Kartikey carried a clean and warm vibration.

“It is good to see you again. Unfortunately, we don’t have much time, therefore please listen carefully and be prepared …” He paused and then continued, “...the reason that made us call for you is nothing you could ever hope for.”

“Scary”, thought Jason, but before he could start worrying about what he couldn’t hope for, the powerful voice of Kartikey reinforced the significance of his thought.

“That is correct – all of us have reason to feel fear. Here is the message for you. Quabil is back. He is NOT dead but active again. The Council of Light has concluded that there is no other choice but to request your return. You must decide very soon…”

Kartikey continued explaining but alarm bells in Jason’s mind went wild:

“Impossible! Quabil is dead, I have killed him!” His memories rebelled against everything he was hearing. While the chaos of conflicting emotions streamed through his mind he was teleported a few billion yojanas* back to earth, into his living room.

V.

Impossible. Impossible! The word rolled through Jason’s mind on an unending loop.

Jason remained sitting on the floor, on his knees … he was shattered. He didn’t know what to do. The only time he remembered feeling so helpless and desperate was while watching his mother dying. As an eight-year boy, he couldn’t stop cancer from taking her life - there was nothing much he could do – and now he felt the same as a man, years later. Quabil was active again as a Medium of the evil forces, and it seemed that he had come back stronger than ever.

Backed up by the combined forces of advanced technology and demonic power, he was not just alive but already a few moves ahead. Jason realized that if the Council of Light had come to him as a desperate last measure, they must have explored all other options. Quabil’s mission hadn’t changed, no doubt, from the last time that he and Jason had faced each other, but how would Jason destroy him again? Letting Quabil just take over wasn’t an option.

If he succeeded, the people of planet Earth would experience a living Hell. Quabil had been given ways to achieve those goals and all evil forces of the universe would swarm to help him...as they would aid anyone who tried to destroy Earth. Demons from the lower planets had pursued this goal from time immemorial, because this planet has always held a special position among the many populated planets of this creation. For ordinary souls, it offers the easiest way to spiritually advance and grow. This disturbs all demon kind - death and not growth is their goal - so they try to control humans and keep them in dark. However, sometimes the desire to possess human soul energy becomes so dominant that directly invading planet Earth becomes their no.1 priority. When the veil lifts, the dimmest of humans could see the danger of their position. After all, food made of human flesh and blood is a demon's favorite delicacy…

“Dear God, how this could happen?!” - Jason’s mind was screaming. He was faced with the terrible truth, before a decision that seemed impossible for him to make. He needed a piece of advice, some help … now! He pulled out his iPhone and tried to dial Gunnar’s number but the battery was dead – no juice.

"Apple did not make you 'inter-dimensional travel resistant', I guess", he said ironically, moving toward the office. Maybe a landline was the answer. Before he could reach the office on the 2nd floor, the control panel of his GE Simon XT home alarm system spoke up. A voice like a battle-axe growled out: "I have opened the gate for Mr. Gunnar – full access key holder".

Relief! Changing direction instantly, he headed downstairs, running to greet his friend. He had probably never needed him more than he needed him now. Jason felt the unbearable pressure of making an impossible decision without any time to reflect, and was hoping Gunnar would offer him some sort of insight. He felt like his head would explode. His usually stable inner dialogue now sounded as if football commentators were all describing a ball game at the same time.

Gunnar saw immediately that something was wrong. The absence of his friend’s usual welcoming words and bear hug deepened that feeling.

“We need to talk, now.” Jason’s tone was serious. Gunnar slammed the door of his dark blue BMW 700i and quickly followed his friend inside the house. In the living room, they sat down face-to-face and Jason managed to calm down. Looking at Gunnar, the only human on the planet who knew and could understand Jason’s past, gave him some badly needed composure. His extensive studies of spirituality and ancient scriptures provided him a solid foundation of knowledge, but the association and friendship with Jason was the real ‘discovery’.

Jason relayed the news and everything that had happened since the morning in one breath. It was an emotionally charged outburst.

"O.K. you have to cool down … we have to calm down", began Gunnar.

"I AM CALM!" Jason responded in a shout, then stopped as he saw his friend’s face.

"Sorry - I am just not able to think straight!" he continued apologetically.

"Exactly my point. Let’s see if I got this right...correct me if I’m wrong", continued Gunnar. "The Council members have just learned that this….Quabil person is not dead but back in action, plus he already managed to eliminate all three 'Guardians of the Light’ guys who are powerful as you were while you were Guardian?”

"Right", said Jason, nodding.

"How is that even possible? You’ll have to explain more later but right now…" Gunnar waved his hands helplessly but continued.

"Guys from the Council -” he paused, realizing his error. “… okay, sorry, Demigods, Higher Beings, Protectors of Light from the Council…All of them agreed that you are the only one who can stop this guy? So, they actually want you to return to your former powers?" asked Gunnar, puzzled.

"Correct. On TOP OF THAT -" Jason shouted but lowered his voice, "the Council strongly believes that we have only about 42 hours! In that time, unless they are stopped, they will be able to find the location of the Diamond Gate”.

"Ah, the Gate, the ‘back entrance of the Gods’”, said Gunnar with raised eyebrow, “the one you told me about before? But demons can’t use it…or can they?"

"With all three keys in possession – it seems they can. Quabil already has two of the Keys. Two Guardians are dead and as we speak, he’s on his way to find and kill the Third one! And I am supposed to stop him, they claim no one else can.”

"Wait - why don’t they simply kill him once and for all? You would have to use the same powers and...." Before he could continue, the loud BAMM sound of Jason’s fist, slammed on the thick wooden table between them, stopped him from finishing the sentence.

"THEY CANNOT INTERFERE! Remember the Big Man up there? Earth is like a chess table, it always was. They can plan and make moves but they need someone to play them", Jason explained.

"Right! I totally forgot. Sorry, all of this is just a little too much for me. The day’s barely begun”, said Gunnar, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, tell me about it”, sighed Jason, rubbing his own.

VI.

"Now, if this is all true (and I know it is because they never play games with these things), that means that all the universe beginning with our planet is open to a demon invasion.”

"But, wait!” Gunnar jumped up. “You don’t have the Armor and Weapons of a Guardian anymore.... will they just give them back to you?"

"If only it was that easy. No! I would have to go through the Initiation again – remember that Durjay is the only one who bestows the Guardian Powers and you heard about my history with him...!" Jason stared into his friend’s face and got worried, really worried.

"So, correct me if I am wrong…" Gunnar asked again. "You are supposed to save the whole Universe but you are worried because you have unfinished business with that massively important character... Dura … something?”

"It's not just that! I can swallow my ego but I am not sure that he would be willing to do the same....he really is NOT my biggest fan!"

"O.K., but the Demons are coming, they are on the doorstep - right? He will just have to give you the powers back. The Big Man is watching.” Gesturing toward the sky, Gunnar tried to prove his point.

"He will at least try to give me an exciting time”, said Jason sarcastically.

“Last time we met my head was spinning for weeks afterward. But I do not really care about that …"

"Then, what’s the matter?" Gunnar asked, perplexed.

With shadowed eyes, Jason tried to explain. "I don’t know, I guess I became identified with this life, with the Academy, with our business success.... all that ends once I go back to a Guardian’s duty."

"Hey, are you hearing yourself? If you DON’T go, all of us here will probably end up as a demon soldier’s lunch!"

"Yeah...yeah." Jason’s soft and hushed voice wasn’t sounding clear.

"Just a ‘Yeah’?" Gunnar asked, faking a disappointed tone. "What’s the matter? I don’t feel like you’re telling me everything."

"Sumiko is there! Satisfied?” The answer burst out of Jason.

“Sumiko? Sumiko who?”

With a tone in his voice that Gunnar had never heard before, Jason spoke:

“There is a girl. She lives across the street, at that Oriental Villa. Her father used to beat her AND her mother. A couple of months back, I showed him how easily a person can die and scared him half to death....."

"Okay that I understand.” Gunnar sat for a minute without saying anything. “No wonder this is hard for you.” He paused again. "Having said that, I’ll be honest and direct with you, as always. If you go, you have a chance to save her along with the rest of us here on Planet Earth. If you don't, you’ll have to watch her and others suffering and dying in the most horrible ways! It all ends for us, if you don’t stop that Quebec demon..."

"It’s Quabil, not Québec! And originally from Somalia, not Canada", said Jason, trying to be funny and not doing it very well.

"Look, my friend. Just go! Go up there, take your powers back, do whatever it takes. I will make sure this girl stays protected while you are busy saving our asses..." Gunnar smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Jason sat quietly on the edge of a chair with an elbow on his knees, looking down at the ground. Gunnar understood what was going through his mind. The Guardians of the Light had a fully different life with great power and privilege, but they couldn’t really enjoy themselves in female company. Gunnar knew that. They both knew it, and speaking about the ‘elephant in the room' was not necessary.

VII.

After a minute Jason stood up, his eyes filled with pain. The future seemed very unsure and distant. This sublime duty called out to him … he had to go despite the cost. If not, the consequences would be horrific. He had seen the horrors that occurred when demons invaded Zeinn, a planet populated with a simple-minded humanoid race that surrendered to the demonic forces. But, if he did accept the position of a ‘Guardian of the Light’, he had to be at peace with all of it. That would mean an entirely different future. That would mean losing Sumiko, losing the Warrior Academy and friendship with Gunnar …… practically everything he loved and cared for right now. All for duty.

He placed his muscular hand on Gunnar’s shoulder, looked directly into his soul and smiled:

“It is my duty, I have to go. Thank you my friend. Thank you for everything.” Gunnar could see the fire of determination burning in the eyes of his friend.

“Can I do something, can I help? Should I prepare a Jet, gather a team … anything? ” Gunnar asked intently.

“There are no Jets flying where I have go”, smiled Jason.

“A few things only”, Jason continued. “Please make sure Sumiko is O.K.”, pointing to the window with his finger, “at that Villa. The file on Matsumoto and everything about him you will find on my hard drive, you know the password.”

“Matsu…who?” There were seriously too many new people in this conversation that he didn’t know about, Gunnar decided. He resolved to ask Jason about his double life, later.

“Her lunatic father. You know some things about him, I believe - not an innocent guy. If needed, call Ivan and hire five or six of his ex-military men that I trained. Be aware that Matsumoto is well connected…”

“Don’t worry, what else?”

“The boys. Tell Michael to take over the trainings and seminars at the Warrior Academy. Help him, see what’s best to do …… those boys are great, we shouldn’t leave them hanging”.

“Hey, it’s not over yet”, said Gunnar, wanting Jason to keep his eye on the future. “May the Lord be with you. If I can help you in any way, you know where to find me.”

Jason smiled. “Of course I do. Be well, my friend, and pray - pray with all your heart. You can also organize the group meditations and chanting of mantras as you did on the Solar Eclipse. But you would have to multiply the participants by a million at least”, Jason grinned, trying to comfort Gunnar before taking off.

Jason’s eyes narrowed as he turned away, and the laser-like determination was obvious. He took off his clothes and Gunnar could see a few new bruises on his strong muscular body. Wearing only underwear, he took the diamond position, sitting on his knees with arms resting on his lap. He prepared to leave in his mind. Behind Jason’s determined eyes, Gunnar was able to recognize the sadness of his difficult decision, but it didn’t stop him. He started breathing deeply in preparation for another “quantum jump”.

Jason spoke calmly. “Maybe it is best that you leave now. Everyone on the Council and elsewhere are panicking (since those on the higher planets are panicking) – we’d better not risk you getting teleported with me. I need you here.”

Gunnar moved toward the doors. Before he reached them, an explosion of golden light blew him against the wall of the next room. With a fizzing sound, the room began vibrating, and only trained reflexes saved Gunner from smashing his head against the wall. As he regained his balance, the pressure vanished with the bright golden light. It was dark, and the place on the ground next to the bookshelf was empty.

Part 2

Kailash: (Please Don’t Try This at Home)

VIII.

There are many breath-taking places in this universe but there is only one Kailash. It is not simple to describe a planet where everything resounds with spiritual power. It’s even more difficult to describe the person at the center of that place. Everything, simply everything there is structured around Durjay. Over the centuries, different cultures have given him various names that display his good qualities. Durjay or ‘ The Unvanquished’ is one of those names.

Even the most powerful personalities on higher planetary systems offer him respect. His position in the Council of Light was one of the highest, and not that long ago, Jason had been one of the rare souls ignorant enough to dare to disrespect him. Normally, those unfortunate souls were sent to the lower hellish regions of existence; Jason was one of the very few who had managed to avoid that destiny.

Jason did not exactly have a perfect ‘work history’ with Durjay but perfect or not, Durjay alone could provide the Weapons, Armor and Power of the Guardian. It was one of his obligations – he had lived much longer than other living material entities and acted as controller of all the powers and principals of destruction. Durjay alone could test candidates and decide who was ready and who wasn’t.

The golden light of Vimāna (the ‘inter dimensional transporter’) looked as shiny as the Sun on Earth, but here on Kailash it looked like the weak light of a glowworm. While traveling, Jason kept his thoughts on Durjay.

“I will probably have to face Durjay but there is no time to waste, and he knows that. I just hope I can get my weapons and tools back without re-doing the whole initiation test. It needs to be quick so I can track down and kill that monster before he gets us all killed and ruled by the Demonic Alliance. Maybe after that, I will figure out a way to simply go on with my life.”

Jason slowly opened his eyes. He was again floating in drop of blue ‘protective energy’ but this time he faced the powerful Durjay, himself. Durjay actually looked very attractive, even beautiful if you disregarded the snakes around his neck, a garland of skulls, and his long matted hair. Jason could not help but feel overwhelmed by his powerful and attractive appearance. His mind erased all bad memories. A controller of this universe was right before him, peaceful in meditation, below the huge banyan tree.

“I need to go easy - forget all the events in the past. After all, he is a great wise man.” Jason tried to think clearly and come up with a strategy.

Before one came, he saw the big lotus-like eyes on Durjay’s face opening and their eyes met. Out of respect that he actually felt, Jason bowed down. Just as he opened his mouth to offer verbal respect, the powerfully deep vibrations of Durjay’s voice stopped him. His words were calm, but his voice filled every space, making all objects and the spaces between vibrate - as if caught in a dance.

“I see you do remember me, O human warrior. And you came again to demand powers from me.”

“O glorious Durjay, who could forget your all-powerful grace.” Jason tried to sound as humble as he could, without being servile. “I was simply sent to you on a mission, I do not demand from you - ”

“Of course you do! I, I, I…I this, I that. You have not changed much since our last meeting. If you came to ask me something then ask, human.”

“In that case, with your permission, I was hoping that you could kindly bless me with the Armor, Powers and Weapons of a Guardian of the Light. It is the opinion of the Council that I am…”

“Stop with singing your glories! You are playing with my patience … again. You came to me and want to become a Guardian of the Light again. And since we know you are eligible then you can just pass the initiation tests as is customary.”

“All-powerful One, I was sincerely hoping that we could put it aside at this time.” Jason racked his brain for a way to please him. “Agents of Evil are a few moves ahead of us and - ”

“You would spend your time better in preparation for the initiation test rather than flattery. Do we not know that time is short? It has ever been thus. No one has ever bypassed the initiation. What makes you think that you deserve special treatment?”

“I humbly beg you to reconsider, O Ruler of Kailash.” Jason was getting desperate. “After all, saving Earth and its inhabitants is important for you as well….” Jason’s voice drowned out due to the tremendously powerful words pouring out of the mouth of the Demigod.

“You seem to lack the ability to understand simple words! I think humans use this one expression…. I hope you can understand this: tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.”

Saying this, the mighty Durjay closed his lotus eyes and re-entered into meditation, entirely disinterested in more discussion.

This way of dealing with him made Jason angry, furious. He felt frustrated and humiliated, mistreated and offended all at the same time, and wondered if Durjay was subject to the desire for revenge or if this was just an early test. But, he was determined to fulfill the mission that was given to him. Stakes were just too high and too valuable for Jason to indulge further in hurt feelings. And, he could see the reality; there was nothing he could do but surrender to Durjay’s decision.

“It is just a pure waste of time.” His ego grumbled and ground its teeth, but he said nothing.

He knew he could pass the test without serious difficulties, the same as he did the last time, but the Initiation test was never easy. There were three parts to the test: physical, mental and spiritual skills. Just as every man and woman on earth needs to strive with heart and mind while trying to achieve something big, one could pass the initiation test in the same way. However, these tasks were not of an ‘Earthly’ nature.

IX.

“All right. Let me out from this bulb and let’s start!”

As soon he finished that thought, he felt a sudden turbulence and shifting around him. The next moment he saw the bulb, the energy layer that protected him from getting in touch with the atmosphere of Kailash, expand multiple times. In front of him, between Durjay and where he was standing, various objects started to manifest out of ‘nowhere’. Jason realized that despite his contemptuous words, Durjay was not willing to waste time either.

Still trying to calm down from anger and frustration, Jason knew he badly needed to focus. “Great. This will go fast, let’s do it!” he said softly, as if just for himself. He took a few deep breaths and settled down in a lotus position.

“Ready!” With a loud and clear voice Jason gave the sign, announcing that testing could begin.

“I am Jason, 318th in line of the Guardians. I came to request the Armor, Weapons and Shakti (mystical power) of Light!”

That was exactly how the initiation had to begin; it was a part of the ritual. He looked up but the face of Durjay didn’t show anything new, as if he didn’t hear his words. Nevertheless, the first part of the test had begun. Objects from every angle started to fly towards Jason’s body with no warning.

In real time, it probably lasted about 20 minutes. Beginning at a moderate pace, attacks expanded in quantity and speed. There were different sizes of metal plates, wooden sticks and other objects (stones, metal balls, hard wood splinters, etc.) that tried to slam into his head, arms, torso and legs. The only task that a candidate had in this test was to keep his body protected. Anything preventing him from successfully blocking, punching, evading, kicking or just moving away from the attacks would mean failure and disqualification. Slow reactions, bleeding, moving slowly or any other sign of weakness increased the strength and power of the attacks.

After a few minutes of fighting with flying objects, Jason’s muscles began to feel a lack of adrenaline. His muscular body moved fast as he was forced to use all of his martial skills. Blocks, steps, and jumps were just enough since it was better to break some objects before they crashed into his head or body, such as watermelons or ice crystals or wooden sticks. It was worse than playing a reality Wii game. Other sorts of objects were better to be avoided, sharp objects such as axes, swords and knives. Sharp blades flew towards him in no particular order, some in a straight line, some in zigzags, and some rotating in circles. Not a pleasant place to be.

It looked like a special effects scene from Hollywood Studios, although a normal human eye would fail to recognize anything. A fog of movement and particles made of ‘everything and anything’ was splashing and exploding all over Jason’s fists, fingers, underarms, and legs – without the benefits of slow motion.

Just when he started to fight for breath, it all stopped - like when you switch airflow inside a Bingo machine and all the table tennis balls drop down at the same time. Jason’s body was covered in sweat and his muscles shone in the bright light of Kailash. He was breathing fast and his heart pounded in his ears. He remained in the ‘neutral’ attacking position without moving, with his arms in full guard. His eyes quickly checked the space around him, space that just a moment ago was the source of deadly attacks. He looked up. No change on the face of mighty Durjay, the controller of destructive forces.

“Wwwwwaaaaaammmmmm!” The space suddenly filled with loud and tremendously strong but pleasant sounds of heavenly instruments, announcing a victory.

The muscles on Jason’s body relaxed, and he felt relieved.

“I passed the first part. But for some reason, I think this was harder than before”, he thought briefly but regained his focus immediately. He knew that the next part – a mental strength test – would not be easy either.

He could feel the power of Durjay’s look. The lotus-like eyes on the big face of the warrior were open, but somehow he sensed it was not necessarily a positive sign.

Again, without any sign or sound or warning, it started. Time was ticking away (even there on higher planets) and Jason really wanted to end this fast. Illusory energy started to cover him like the smoke curtain of a magic show. He started to feel hunger and thirst of indescribable intensity. He just wanted to eat. Delicious foods and specialty cuisines that Jason loved to eat paraded past him, within easy reach. Drinks were served, and the air was filled with tempting aromas of fresh foods and spices. His mind and body trembled with desire; it was all right in front of his face.

He did not fail!

After that, he was exposed to the draw of lust and sexual desire. The urges he felt were like a burning volcano ready to explode inside his brain. As he resisted, it felt as if his mind and body burned from within. Any Viagras or aphrodisiacs could not produce the intensity of these longings. He was exposed to feminine beauty that no human ever had the chance to see. Desire and thirst for sexual enjoyment that these women could evoke would make any man beg on his knees in a matter of minutes, casting into shadow all of the Heidi Klums and Rihannas ever born. They offered themselves entirely to Jason, dancing graciously, touching his body and softly whispering into his ears. Jason did not move! It was very hard but his mind remained focused. Not exactly calm like the surface of a mountain lake, but he did not move.

Again, the sound of “Wwwwwaaaaaammmmmmn” filled the space, with musical instruments such as horns, bells and trumpets announcing the victory.

“Such a relief!” Jason took a deep breath. He was enchanted by the ability to think freely again.

“Boy, this was NOT like the last time. That was really close…” Catching himself admiring the fact that he got through, Jason tried to gather his mental power back.

Before he could, the turmoil of the initiation test started to blast over him. He knew this would be the hardest one. He was confident but the expression on Durjay’s face reflected a doubt.

Was it too much???

X.

All of a sudden, Jason’s consciousness was transformed without any warning. All of a sudden he began to ‘see’ everything. Those tri-kāla-jñā * powers are not easy to wrap your mind around while staying sane. EVERYTHING that occurred in the past, EVERYTHING that took place now and EVERYTHING that would happen in the future was there, easy to see, to understand and feel. It was easy to comprehend, as natural as breathing or blinking your eyelids.

Constantly shifting possibilities of the infinite number of future time lines were all there, on the screen of his mind. He felt the powers of the Supreme. Never, ever had Jason felt power compared to this – and it went on, expanding and growing, reaching out to cover over the entire universe.

The next moment he was charged with the ability to do anything to anyone, to change anything that had happened in the past, and create the future. He could manipulate Time and Space within the material creation as he wished. He could do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING – he was in full control. He could see it was real – not an illusion. His mother’s death … Josh and Kevin, the boys that bullied him regularly from 1st to 4th grade … a house in a fire and children screaming in pain … four men raping a young girl ... thousands of ready-made situations that were easy to undo, to change, and to influence. Every particle of his soul was tested – his whole body trembled with the severity of the experience and he was crushed in pain. He knew that manipulating the free will and destiny of other living beings was a demonic thing to do, but now he was able to DO SOMETHING…and surely that was a good thing! To stop injustice, catastrophes, genocide …

Scene after scene, situation after situation, the pressure was becoming endlessly painful - intolerable. A new crescendo began. He saw Sumiko crying in fear, bruises on her face … she was trembling in terror, screaming. ‘Life streaming’ was plastic even as it was realistic, but this was as if he was right there. In possession of that power he knew – he could be there in a split second. Then he saw Matsumoto forcibly entering her room, obviously intoxicated and in a rage - he could smell the whiskey and stink of cigars. He weaved quickly towards Sumiko, obviously intending to beat the shit out of her. She tried to escape and from the corner of her room she was now crying, loudly begging her father: “Papa please stop! Please do not...”

That violent scene was simply unbearable. Jason had to react! He used the power and in the next millisecond he was there in Sumiko’s room. He could burn Matsumoto’s rank body to ashes in one move – the desire for revenge was strong. Using the last particle of self-control that he had, he used the newly bestowed power and ‘quantum jumped’ to room 108 of the Four Seasons Hotel, where Gunnar stayed whenever he was in Prague. He had found a solution – he would approach Gunnar who would ‘solve’ Matsumoto, though perhaps not in time to save Sumiko. Jason could solve the problem without misusing the Divine Powers in any way. When he appeared in a room, Gunnar was working above his laptop in the corner of the big luxurious room. Jason was just opening his mouth when suddenly … whhoooommm!!!

The entire scene vanished – he found himself back on Kailash, without the tri-kāla-jñā* powers … everything was gone, out of his reach. He was in shock and felt helpless.

The familiar sounds of instruments announcing victory had begun but were stopped immediately. Durjay, raising his hand above his head, started to speak. He looked at Jason’s face in front of him, tired and lined due to the severity of tests but looking satisfied. Jason was thinking:

“I did good. I gave it my best. It was close but I did it! I have to recover fast and…” he was already focusing on ways how to eliminate Quabil.

Durjay, controller of destroying forces, spoke up:

“You offered us a good show. It’s a pity those five years on Earth made you weak. You couldn’t control your mind and tried to misuse the Divine Power. For that reason only, you failed the test.”

“What? What just happened???” Totally disbelieving his ears, Jason felt as if he had taken a heavy blow directly to the solar plexus. He was speechless! Shocked. But the heavy voice of Durjay rolled on, flattening him further.

“Your attachments made you weak and vulnerable. You do not truly respect the offer of the Council of Light – you have appeared in front of me dressed improperly. Pride is the dominant feature of your character. I do not see you worthy of Guardian powers”.

Jason felt like he was losing his mind and he couldn’t really say anything. Without a word, everything would be wrapped up and in a moment he could be back on Earth, without anything to help him in his mission.

“So, it all ends here? Demons will just take over. Is that what you wish, mighty Durjay?” Jason asked in a humble tone. But inside, his mind skittered around, trying to figure a way out:

“I have to make him change his mind! The whole future depends on that!” Knowing the power of the Demigod he faced, he simply had no other choice but to entirely and without reservations open his mind to the lotus-eyed leader.

“I know you see my thoughts, O Glorious One. I humbly beg you to reconsider.” Jason said, looking straight into the large eyes in front of him. “Without the Powers of the Guardian, I have nearly no chance of tracking down or destroying that demon, supported as he is by all evil. Their army, the forces of the Demonic Alliance are eager to take over my planet… which of course you know. I merely speak from the overflow of my heart, my willingness to do all that is necessary to restrain evil and save my planet.” Jason held his breath, hoping against hope.

Silence. No answer was offered and each new moment seemed as long as four Yugas*, eons of years. Looking into the face of Durjay, Jason gradually lowered his eyes to Durjay’s feet with another expression of submissiveness and humility. He still hoped to pacify Durjay and make him change his decision, and bestow on Jason the blessing needed to regain the full equipment of a Guardian of the Light - Armor, Weapons and Mystical Powers.

Time passed but each and every moment of silence felt harder to tolerate.

“You are no longer qualified. There is nothing further to be said.” Durjay’s voice rang out loud and clear into the open space.

XI.

“Your words confirm that your faith is weak and poor. All that happens in the life of any living soul is there for the sake of the highest good and it seems you have lost that knowledge, human.” Durjay had concluded, and there was nothing more to be done.

In that moment, something cracked inside of Jason. It was an entirely fresh experience. In that very moment he couldn’t know that the “cracking” he felt was the ‘sound’ of his false ego giving up the control of his mind, body and spirit.

Later, he would learn that in that moment he went through the one of the highest spiritual experiences that a soul in a human body could have. With every part of his body and soul he realized one of the universal truths: all that exists and happens is controlled by higher powers but at the same time it all depends on our usage of free will. He realized that the secret of proper action is not at all complicated; it simply is made of two elements. One, ‘to endeavor as if EVERYTHING depends on that endeavor’, he had already practiced. The second key factor was ‘having the deep understanding that ALL existence is under the control of the Divine Power’; this was not easy to understand and apply. That was a piece of a puzzle that had been missing, and now he had got it! He was excited and felt an unknown inner peace and happiness in the midst of the terrible situation.

“O human warrior, your intent is noble and the fire of your soul is now burning in full.” Durjay’s voice had changed in tone.

“It is decided. You have my sympathy but you may not receive the gear of a Guardian. Keep in mind one thing, best of mortals – the fire of spiritual realization you have ignited here contains many times more power than the Armor, Shakti and Weapons for which you came. The energy of spiritual realization is always above the matter!”

That was totally unexpected and rather shocking, but in a strange way Jason felt that it was a solid explanation of what had just happened inside of him.

“Now you must leave. It is time, and you know your way – go in peace!”

Before he could respond, the force of the Vimāna was all around him. The pressure of the ‘quantum jump’ travel followed by the familiar fizzing sound prepared Jason. In the next few moments he would return to Earth with a mission to track down and face dangerous enemy without the Armor, without the powerful Weapons of Light and without any familiar Mystic Powers. He tried, but really couldn’t understand how that would work. ‘Guardians of the Light’ used those supernatural abilities and tools in order to fight the demonic powers, their black magic and advanced technologies that they used. The worst thing was that as he exited the sphere of Kailash, his feeling of failure increased. Time had been lost, and he could not see a way to destroy Quabil, an opponent backed up by all the Demonic Alliance, with naked fists.

Part 3

Third Guardian

XII.

“How predictable”, said a man, comfortably leaning back in a luxurious chair. Thin lips were slightly smiling on his sharply lined face but it wasn’t a smile of kindness. The expression of his green eyes in the dark, olive-toned face did seem excited – but the two men standing in front of him felt more nervous than ever.

This man was of a special kind, the kind that gets excited as the people surrounding them suffer. Everything about this person pulsed with symbols of power and supremacy. Everything visible that was on and around him glowed with material opulence – from his Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers watch down to his waxed black Louis Vuitton alligator leather shoes. However, even while taking a bath he was scary, and most people never felt comfortable in his presence, even if they wielded power of their own. Even his allies or assistants feared him – especially after his “resurrection”.

“Sir, I am not sure I understand”, a bold man with wide shoulders asked cautiously. “Predictable? Do you mean us …?”

“No, fool. I am looking at the pitiful attempts of a human that deserves my attention now”, replied the man from his luxury chair.

On a thin screen that levitated in front of him, he was able to access any device connected to the Internet, on 3G or 4G networks. Using advanced demonic technological devices, they could easily scramble the data banks of any agency or government of any country on Earth. But, unlike the ‘super-sonic spy’ movies, it was done without risk – this technology was unknown and undetectable to humans, and truly able to achieve the impossible. Demons could bring someone back to life via their technology. A small device, implanted inside his chest, allowed the man to manipulate any object containing metal. With another implant on right hemisphere of his brain, he could influence and control the minds of others.

The list of his powers was long and scary for an average person – but not at all for Quabil Shahzad, the topmost servant of the Demonic Alliance. All that power was backed up by mystical black magic that, same as the demonic technology, would torture and suck out life energy. Just as the milk touched by the tongue of a serpent carries poison, anything created or touched by the demonic mind, even if meant for good on the surface, is meant only to serve black demonic goals.

“Last time we met, I promised him an ugly end. However, he escaped …” Quabil mused for a moment with his fingertips touching.

“Before crushing his skull, now that I am back, I will make him watch me destroy every single person that he loves”.

“Sir, it seems that you show him special attention. Why does he deserve that attention, please, sir?” The big man with a scar on his face knew that he was taking a chance by asking, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.

When Quabil looked straight into his face, the man was forced to take a step back, both arms raised in apology.

“He deserves EVERYTHING I have for him!” The blood-freezing answer filled the air. “He will soon come to find me -” the cold voice continued, “- and in his miserable mind he thinks he can stop the Invasion of Darkness. “While we have two and soon the Third Key of the Diamond Gate he is absorbed with a game, playing two roles. One is the role of a Yoda and the other is a Sensei…” He started to laugh…“and another is the role of a neighborhood watch, hahaha!” He laughed with a bitter twist to his words. Then all of a sudden his voice became serious.

“Stupid human! He had no clue about what is to happen… but now… I feel that now he knows we are here. Somehow, he knows and I am waiting for him.”

Quabil enjoyed the nodding of two men in front of him. They responded with confirmative gestures after every sentence he spoke, worshiping him and offering respect to all his words.

“Let’s speed this up. Bring the prisoner to the ‘room of honesty’ now. I’ll personally make him tell us where the Third Key is! Let’s see how he will resist me!” The two men who jumped immediately to fulfill his order felt scared at the tone of these words.

Quabil, a descendent of the powerful Shahzad dynasty, had seen the real face of evil from early age – and liked it. His father and grandfather were senseless and cruel rulers, real decision makers that affected even a few countries besides Somalia. He was trained to mercilessly pursue more power and more wealth ‘regardless of price’. But, his real nature and mission were not then revealed to him – nor was it revealed during his education at the best American private schools. It started about the time he was at Princeton when he killed his roommate with his bare hands. It was all over a senseless argument; he just wanted to prove ‘what death is’. It started then - his father pulled him back to Somalia and soon after, his real transformation began.

He was chosen by the controllers of the Demonic Alliance as a perfect candidate for fulfilling their purposes on this planet. (This evil force of the material world’s lower planetary systems would never be quite understandable to the human mind, either in their power or their purposes, but these beings strove constantly to destroy human life.) Demonic beings, although many times more advanced than humans, are entirely devoid of any spiritual values and totally hate anything of a higher nature. Anything that reminds them that they are not supreme controllers, they hate and want to destroy - angels, demigods, sages – anything reflecting the principles of goodness! Demonic leaders know about the special position of planet Earth, especially during this particular time Kali Yuga* – Planet Earth is a place where spiritual advancement is easiest to achieve. Demons think that by populating this planet and annihilating the human race they will destroy the expansion of spirituality and of God!

Yet, even with all their advantages, the Demonic Alliance couldn’t destroy Earth without opening the doors to this dimension – hence the need for access to the Diamond gates. Quabil Shahzad was adopted, trained and then transformed into their most powerful agent who had easily killed two powerful Guardians, and taken the two Keys they had kept safe. Only one Key remained. With it, the Demonic Alliance would easily invade earthly regions.

The Third Guardian had also been defeated and captured. But the Key was not on him. That is why he still lived – refusing to say where the Key was being held.

XIII.

Quabil jumped up and start undressing out of his spotlessly ironed Alexander Amosu suit. The Vanquish II Brioni coat had been customized to him only a few days ago. He carelessly threw away the coat (which could have covered five or six months of bills for an average Chicago family). He walked towards what looked like a wall and the space opened without a sound.

In the ‘room of honesty’ there was nothing but a man hanging in a cross position, hands and legs tied to the wall by metal shackles that looked like iridium. The man’s body was tortured and bruised. On his left hand he had 2 fingers left, but the fresh wounds were (strangely) not bleeding. On his right hand and feet he had no fingernails, and even without bleeding, it was just all a bloody mess. He was kept alive and conscious, tortured again and again. He was hardly recognizable as the strong Guardian of the Light that he had been two days ago.

One quick signal to Quabil’s two assistants made them quickly start reviving the man into consciousness. Small injections in the back of his neck made him open his eyes and start screaming in pain. Quabil pointed a finger towards his temple, and the man was instantly relieved of all suffering and pain. He spoke in a deep soothing voice like a teacher instructing a child:

“I have two things to tell you:

First - all that my men have done to you so far is nothing compared to what I can do to you. They have introduced you to the tip of the pain and torture iceberg – I am the rest of it!

Second – I only need ONE small bit of information from you. A few numbers, a GPS location, an address – as you wish. Give me the location and live free of pain, as you are right now. Otherwise, I’ll double it, and then triple it - I won’t stop. I won’t let you faint or die! “

The defeated Guardian visibly trembled in front of this man emanating horror all around him.

“You have exactly one minute to decide…….” These words were interrupted by the sound of an iPhone vibrating on a metal surface.

There were three mobile phones on a metal table in the corner. All belonged to former Guardians.

“This may give you a few minutes more….or maybe not”, announced Quabil. He curiously raised his eyebrows in the direction of a bold man operating the glassless monitor in a corner of the room…checking caller ID.

“It’s him - Mr. Shahzad!” he announced while another assistant handed the vibrating iPhone5 to their master.

“How nice to hear your voice again”, answered Quabil, the person that Jason was hoping to find but NOT in possession of this phone. He decided to speak fast.

“If you stop what you started and return to whatever hellish place you came from, I will spare your life this time. Go back to your ugly friends and stay away from earth. If you don’t do that, you won’t die, but this time I will make you suffer eternally”, pronounced Jason clearly.

The effect on Quabil was as if he had heard a hilarious joke for the first time, and he laughed loud and long, an infectious and honest-sounding laugh. Jason gritted his teeth, willing it to end. Without warning, Quabil’s laughter shut off and he switched to a cold, cunning but controlled tone: “Due to Steve Jobs’ blessing, let me introduce you to your dear colleague, I apologize for his dress code”, pointing the camera toward the captured man who was visibly trembling in fear as Quabil continued. Jason accepted the video call and was hit hard by the scene.

XIV.

“We were just about to have a chit-chat …” Jason could hear demonic laughter on the other side of the line.

On another line, in a presidential suite of the Four Seasons Hotel sitting next to Jason, Gunnar was in front of his computer sharing data with several hackers. They were all trying hard to crack the scrambling shield that stopped detection of the geolocation of the phone. (On the screen, the signal was jumping from Cairo to Bora Bora, from Chicago to Madrid, and so on – making the hardcore hackers angry and busy as a swarm of bees – they had never seen this level of protection).

“Are you ready for me, ‘Guardian’?” With a cynical tone, Quabil moved back, so the camera could show the scared and tortured man with eyes wide open in fear. He could feel that something even more horrible was about to happen to him.

Jason knew that this would be hard to watch. The ‘fallen Guardian’ hanging there helplessly in front of evil personified was already scary, but he fully focused all his mental powers to be ready to help. What else could he do?! Even if Gunnar could detect the exact location, only a short time was left. However, there was one thing that inspired Gunnar to try harder. He knew about Jason’s psychotronic* power he had had from birth. Geolocation would help Jason to focus his power. He had to act fast, as soon as he knew what to do!

On the phone’s screen, the face changed to a painful mask. It was clearly on the edge of toleration.

“I just made your nerves double in sensitivity – I can do it again. You won’t faint, you won’t die – you will feel more and more of everything …until you tell me what I want to know.” Just the sound of Quabil’s voice made his target completely desperate, writhing in his bonds.

Jason used his powers only when absolutely necessary, but this was one of those moments. As he started to invoke his inner powers, the room started to vibrate. To those that see beyond averages, the room was bursting into red-orange light, formed into balls of energy that grew in power and size. With the speed of thought, the energy explosion formed into a blue beam of protective energy, wrapping itself around the body of the captured spiritual warrior.

The energy shield did create an immediate effect. Suffering and pain disappeared from the man’s face, and in his eyes a tiny spark of hope was born.

“What a nice try!” Quabil’s loud reaction did not promise a great future for that newly born hope. Without any further comment, Quabil started attacking the bulb of protective energy with his dark powers. Those with vision could describe the scene as dark thick smoke mixed with grey fog attacking a bright light in a blue sky. Without vision, one could only follow the reactions on the face and body of a person caught in the midst of the fight.

The protective beams of energy accumulated again, but the receiving signal on the iPhone5 screen was disturbed from the charge. As white forces grew, so the dark force strengthened in this power struggle of opposing forces. It looked like there was a chance of success for the powers that Jason used to protect the secret location of the Third Key. Demons needed the Third Key, and only that was stopping them from invading Earthly regions right now!

Both men were using their powers in full; this was the real battle of light and darkness. Energy contained in the room would have been hard to deal with for anyone - it strained the face of the tortured Guardian. Sensing a turn of events, Quabil Shahzad began to produce in vibration the sounds of verses from demonic scriptures. Not many mortals of this planet have heard those sounds and lived to tell about them. Those who did mostly melted out of the power contained in those metallic, teeth-gnashing chants.

The ancient demonic ritual started to take form. The room suddenly changed – darkened- all light began to die. Starting with the electrical bulbs and lights, then the electronic equipment, mobile phones – every device lost its glow as if sucked out by a strong vacuum. On the other end of the video call, the signal turned black. But the light-sucking vacuum that Quabil created with ritualistic chants of evil continued to grow.

Staring hard at the black screen of his iPhone, Jason could only hear the screams. The sound of suffering was so disturbing that Gunnar just ran out of the room. He was a strong man with a rock-solid understanding of this life and beyond, but hearing suffering turn into begging for mercy – helpless to help - was far beyond anything he could imagine. Gunnar knew that these were the sounds of destiny threatening to take over this world. It was announcing that fate – the fate of a world taken over by the Demonic Alliance.

XV.

Before the gut-wrenching screams stopped, Jason could hear words that set the tortured man free a few minutes later. Pronouncing those words was the worst possible outcome, for 7.043 billion additional reasons besides the man’s death. Those spoken words carried the potency to end the lives and loves of 7.043 billion people on Planet Earth – children, men, women…. ‘when’ became a question of few hours. Those spoken words were:

“..it is…below… green copperas altar…Temple of 39. T10ETG”

Both warriors heard, and their hearts sank. Quabil, obviously satisfied, ‘allowed’ his prisoner to die. He understood those words and started moving fast, shouting out orders, right after hearing them. “Let’s get that Third part of a damned Key! Take the equipment, prepare the Jet, we move right now!”

Jason, on the other hand, could not understand anything about it. Especially 39. T10ETG part … what it is, where it is, nothing. What next? He sat down, trying to make some sense out of it.

Part 4

Cracking It…

XVI.

Gunnar was walking up and down, silently uttering his favorite set of prayers. Many times in the past, these had helped him focus on solutions, not on problems. On his path of life, from a poor kid to a self-made Internet millionaire, he had gathered plenty of experience. One of the things he learned was that when nothing else helps and everything looks totally hopeless, sincere prayer helps. This time, they did not need anything else but help – the world needed a miracle.

Gunnar could understand the meaning of silence on the other side of the doors - everything must have ended badly or else Jason would have already called for him or run out with good news. Gunnar saw that Jason’s protective powers formed a shield that seemed to be effective against the evil of Quabil Shazhad – hope grew strong but was crushed unexpectedly by powerful rituals. Jason’s psychotronic* power had been overpowered, and that silence in the other room meant that the tortured man had died in the most horrific pain.

With eagerness in his eyes, Gunnar entered the living room. Surprisingly, the main room of the spacious presidential suite was empty. He called out:

“Hey... My man … I’m sorry I could not tolerate those sounds! Where are you, you okay?” Gunnar searched for his friend all over the large luxury suite.

He found Jason on the floor in a corner, behind the big sofa. He was on his knees, palms sinking into the soft Persian carpet. His iPhone had sunk into the carpet in front of him. His t-shirt had completely soaked through the back, and he was breathing deeply.

“Is everything… are you okay - what happened?!” Gunnar asked, worried. He had never seen his friend looking so exhausted. Gunnar placed his palm on Jason’s shoulder and got a shock! His body was burning hot.

“Mensch* you’re burning! We have to take your temperature down…right now!” He took his phone out and started to dial 1391, for medical emergency.

Jason stopped him with a hand and spoke in a weak, soft voice:

“No, stop. This will pass in a few minutes, it’s just a reaction.” Though soft, Jason’s voice was filled with intense emotions. Gunnar’s attention was completely focused on his next words.

“I need your help, my friend. I have failed to protect the location of the Third Key. My powers were overpowered by evil and darkness.” Jason paused for a moment, trying to catch his breath.

“The darkness almost managed to suck out the life from my body but I’ll be all right. We have work to do.”

Gunnar watched the tired face of a warrior. He just nodded and listened carefully instead of saying anything.

“Listen: The Key is hidden below a green copperas altar of some Temple of  39. T10ETG. Please, 39.T10ETG must be the answer … send this to anyone you think may help us determine what or where is this 39. T10ETG. We need a location for that Temple. Could be a church, maybe a cathedral … check everything”, explained Jason, still breathing deeply. “Send this to your best guys – if you think we need help hire anyone who can. Price doesn’t matter, you know that.”

“O.K. , O.K. we are after the location … some sort of a Temple..” Gunnar was already typing an email.

“We will crack this code! What happens afterward?” Gunnar wanted to know.

“Exactly! Please prepare the Jet. Get together five or six of your best guys. Call Michael and Janis to join us. Get all the tools. As soon we know where, we just take off!” Jason’s voice already sounded a bit stronger. “Just keep in mind – Quabil is already on his way. That Temple located on 39.T10ETG - whatever it is - is clear to him but not to me. Otherwise, the fallen Guardian would still be tortured. And he wanted me to hear that – I think he wants me to find him. But he is way ahead of us ….!”

Gunnar was worried to hear this. He wasn’t used to hear anything even near to concept of ‘giving up’ from his mighty friend. It had to be a reaction from the attack and fighting the dark forces, maybe even a fever.

“I’m on it. Are YOU going to be O.K.? We can’t do shit without you…!” Gunnar asked in a slightly raised voice.

“I’ll be just like new in an hour or so, no worries. But, 39.T10ETG means absolutely nothing to me – focus on that. We have to try…” With an uncharacteristic voice wobble, Jason spoke about the puzzle that stood in their way. Time was short but he didn’t even know where to go. Not a good starting point, not at all.

“I’m on this my friend. Please just …” Gunnar paused for a moment “…do whatever you plan on doing and come back to normal. I’ll be in my Web room, you know the code.” Gunnar left to go to his private office on top of the Four Seasons Hotel, where his office with extra fast Internet access and a few power machines made his task somewhat easier.

“See you soon”, Jason promised while changing his body posture from one Asana* to another – part of the procedure that would help him recover faster.

However, a bigger issue was slowing Jason down. Gunnar could not see it, and Jason alone had just become aware of it. There was something in the side of his heart, many times more devastating than a time gap between Quabil’s and his advancement towards the Third Key. That something was growing inside him and he had to deal with it. No position of a body and no pranayama* technique that he applied would help.

Jason could understand that those conflicting feelings and pressures that grew inside him were not there by accident. As the temperature and blood pressure of his body slowly returned to normal levels, it started to become clear to him.

Next to deep breathing and yoga positions, he started to apply special Chi Kung * and acupressure techniques. The emotional pressure of eruptions was getting very annoying. It was all mixed inside of him; anger, disappointment, frustration, fear of failing to stop Quabil …

Once his body had calmed down, Jason went into meditation, from Alpha to deeper levels…then down to the subconscious parts of his mind where he finally could face the causes of his inner struggle. These were the hard facts that tortured him:

-        He admitted that he was angry at Durjay and destiny that allowed him to fight bare handed, against an enemy that used an abundance of weapons and black power

-        He faced a strong disappointment in that injustice that he’d been subjected to

-        He then welcomed the frustration in failure … and finally

-        He looked right into the eyes of his fear and with his higher understanding he simply concluded:

“I am where I am. We never receive the tests that we can’t solve. Despite all the shit, I have to believe. What else is there for me to do? It all looks bad, very bad, demons could be opening the Diamond Gate right now! But, what else is there left but to give my best with mind, body and soul.”

That was it. Having processed all the dark clouds swirling around his heart, his mind cleared, and he felt peace and focus again. For him there was now only one thing left in the whole world … to get up and fight. Getting the location was top priority now.

XVII.

The Web Room was buzzing. Gunnar had managed to engage a team of seventeen people to crack the code and get the exact location – they worked hard. Some were engaged on getting the meaning of “39.T10ETG”, others on churning out ideas and comparing data from all over the world. But he was there alone. All of the team members were top experts with the skillsets needed for this difficult task, and they were all in different locations and time zones. All data, ideas and hints were shared on a safe platform tailor-made for Gunnar. The creator of this powerful software, Vijay B., remained one of the most wanted scramble-coding wizards in the world. The CIA had abducted him from his village of Navadvip in West Bengal when he was 19 years old, just 36 hours after he had successfully broken in, cloned and locked the NATO server’s data – something he did for sheer fun. After that, the things he started working on were not so funny, so he welcomed all positivity and creative tasks from Gunnar.

Gunnar had a chance to literally ‘save the world’, something he had dreamed about from childhood. While the team worked on data comparison, patterns began moving into place. Meanwhile, Gunnar’s mind was dwelling on a wave of memories. Though the impression was rational in nature, it carried an emotional charge all the same.

All of his life, Gunnar had been searching for the absolute truth and he never accepted defeat. Next to his Internet entrepreneurship skills and success, he was well versed in metaphysical disciplines. His search brought him to many places and through some wild experiences, but the gratefulness in his heart rested entirely on the world that opened after meeting with Jason.

They did not exactly meet. He remembered clearly that day. About five years ago, on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, he was walking in a Park next to a lake. Out of the blue sky, something splashed into the lake and Gunnar saw Jason’s body, floating. He did not seem dead but he did not give any signs of life for a good while, even when Gunnar hauled him to shore and performed CPR. He remembered that day and felt deeply thankful and touched because … there was much more to it.

A few months before that day, Gunnar had been going through a very difficult period. He was missing direction in life. All of the money, success and wealth that he had created couldn’t pacify the pain in his heart. There was something missing in his life and after trying to fill that hole by material enjoyments of this world, he became even more frustrated and determined to find a way out of the misery. He knew that he could do so much more to benefit this world, but WHAT? He knew there was something missing; a mission, guidance, answers. He started praying for a sign, for a direction and for a way out. It all became clear on that Sunday afternoon five years ago – a ‘sign’ literally came to him ‘out of the clear blue sky’.

Since then, the lives of both men changed dramatically. It’s not only because of friendship and good times they shared but it’s about the synergy and meaning they both received from their friendship. For Gunnar, new doors opened wide but all that he learned about Jason’s fight was a proof to him - a solid living proof of something he felt in his guts. That was a reality he missed being in. For example, he always knew that this planet is in constant danger – his studies of ancient scriptures did reveal to him many secrets about the forces of Light and Darkness that constantly fight over this planet. But Jason was a materialization of everything he was pining for. He always wanted to help change the world into a better place, but he got frustrated with all the attempts, charities, religions and “missions” he was introduced to. Now, the retired but real ‘Guardian of the Light’ just fell into his life. With his presence and perception of reality he offered him answers and meaning of life that Gunnar longed for. Gunnar really felt blessed by the touch of destiny.

“And very soon…” – fast forwarding to the present moment in his mind, Gunnar concluded, “…all of that could vanish! I really can’t take it … my inability to crack this simple code can’t become a reason for this world to fall into demon hands! We have to crack this puzzle right now – or else, may God have mercy on us all.”

The buzz of the security system announced that doors behind him have opened. He turned back and smiled. Jason had obviously returned to full power (as much as he could without Armor, Weapons and Mystic Powers of a Guardian), his eyes simply shimmering with energy. He was back and he was ready!

“Nice to have you back!” Gunnar greeted his friend.

Placing his warm palm on Gunnar’s shoulder, Jason spoke in a deep voice charged with concern.

“How is it going?” The answer was obvious on the face of his friend in front of three wide Retina screens.

“God help us! If we fail getting the location on time, I am afraid even God cannot help us…” Those words, though honest, did not help much at this moment. Knowing that he and the team of experts were doing their best, Gunnar tried to remain positive. “Regarding the action team, all is ready and prepared. We have the best guys on call, and packed for action.”

Jason thought for a moment. “I would like to take my Butterfly Swords. Or, can maybe Michael get them…?”

“It’s already arranged. Don’t worry. Your action gear is packed with Michael and the other guys. Jet’s on the Airport but I’ve prepped vehicles just in case… if we have to drive, you know. Let’s see…” Gunnar spoke as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

“Good thinking, thank you for that.” Jason spoke softly, but he no longer sounded exhausted. Suddenly switching gears, his voice vibrated in urgency:

“What about the locations… please, tell me. Any ideas?” Gunnar knew they had a good reason to feel the need for urgency, and he spoke the best words he could find.

XVIII.

“We are near, very near, I guess a few more minutes. We are about to close on all possible meanings and indications that may tell us anything. If you look here are our top choices right now ….” He pointed to the place on the nearest monitor screen. “Now, it goes fast, I have dozen of my best guys working together” – Gunnar showed more key places on the left and middle screens in from of him. Data reloaded constantly on the Retina screens. Chat boxes were filled with exchanges; lines of text were streaming and webcams around the screen edges showed the intense faces of focused people. Despite their obvious work ethic, these images did nothing to calm Jason’s mind.

With his leg, he dragged over an office chair, and began to analyze all the data he could see. Before he had time to say anything, Gunnar jumped up from his chair.

“Looks like we’re done! Two conclusions look very possible. This ‘green copperas’ deal was hard to crack. Turns out it’s a name for green vitriol, a term used in Middle Ages Alchemy experiments … in essence it’s iron sulphate, but anyway, here are 2 winners.

1st possible meaning for 39.T10ETG – 39th page of “Top 10 Eyewitness Travel Guide”, the Dorling Kindersley book, shows the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, or the Tyn Temple, right here in Prague! The connection to alchemy is, as you know, very clear and green copperas was used when the original Altar for the temple was made. It has to be there, hidden below a church in the catacombs…

2nd possibility: there is a priest, 39th in line of head priests at St. Peter’s Chapel, oldest church in the UK, in Essex. He drives a Volvo with a car plate - T10ETG. That place has strong tide to alchemy and green copperas was used when the altar there was made.

What do you think?” Gunnar was feeling proud and very pleased. It had to be it. With a happy expression on his face, he waited for answer. There were two options and both seemed equally good.

“Well, I think we need wheels, you prepared more than a Jet! The Essex church, St. Peter’s Chapel … somehow I do not think that’s the one. Prague makes sense to me. Call me lazy but the Temple of Tyn, Old Square is only a 10 min walk from us!” The excitement in Jason’s voice was obvious.

“That’s probably why Durjay could go on like that … without giving me the full gear of a Guardian! He knew I’d be here, just a few steps from the Third Key. The Council of Light and Durjay all knew I would get to where the Third Key is, long before Quabil can! Now it all makes sense. The Third Key is just in front of our noses, let’s move!”

Jason suited word to action, and Gunnar had difficulties keeping pace. Jason whipped out the phone and dialed Michael’s number for news. Prague’s Four Seasons Hotel Resort was normally a twelve-minute walk from Old Town Square but they arrived in 6 minutes – Gunnar was trying to catch his breath when they came to the spot. They both knew about the history of the Tyn Temple. The big church building attracted crowds into the thousands. Guides were followed by large groups of tourists, holding umbrellas and remote mikes. Silly explanations of history could be heard in Spanish, English, Russian … a busy, busy place.

However, no tourist guide could explain the hidden history of the Tyn church, one of the main centers of Alchemy and secret societies operating in that part of the world. This is why only the main church was opened to the public, and that’s what held the attention of the crowds. The real location of the original Altar and the Third Key was elsewhere.

As they walked, Gunnar managed to pull up several plans of the church building on his iPad. The altar of ‘green copperas’ had to be somewhere in the labyrinth of corridors below the church. The easiest way to enter the secret part of this place was through the ‘Wizards’ Gate’. For centuries, these gates were used for entrance into secret meetings and rituals. They entered a narrow street on the left of the church, walking by high stone walls towards the southeast corner of a huge building. They found a mystical and scary-looking old door that had to be the original gate.

Walls made from white granite stone were now a dark brownish-grey, marked by time. The massive wooden gate doors were a few centuries old, protected by hand-made ornaments of iron. If only the small staircase facing them could tell stories.

“Locked of course … very rarely used. No one has entered here recently”, Gunnar concluded after a quick look around the entrance. “In any case – the guys will be here any minute so we’d better wait for them”.

Jason’s response was in a sharp tone, and Gunnar quickly realized that the warrior in him had awakened.

“We can’t wait! Quabil may already be here. The situation is clear – the key is inside the building, below the altar. If you can navigate, I can be in and out with the Third Key. You stay here and wait for the team. Now is the time to test our technology. Hope T-Mobile reaches through this thick stone “.

Gunnar handed him a normal-looking headset. “We’d better use this one. This Etymotic EtyBlu2 will work.” Gunnar’s ability to think a few steps ahead of others had served him well in business, especially when hi-tech gear was involved. He had snatched the EtyBlu2 headsets for later use while they were taking off from the Web Room.

“Now, let’s hope for the best. As soon they come, help them secure this entrance, that exit, and this street.” Attaching the Bluetooth headphone to his ear, Jason pointed towards the locations, waving like a tourist appreciating the beauty around the Tyn temple.

“Keep a low profile – we don’t want attention. Just tell me if anything looks suspicious, don’t react – if you have to, make sure it’s a kill shot. Repeat that to Michael if you have to.” Jason was sure that Gunnar thought he knew what power his team was up against – they were tough guys – but this power was out of this world. “Most importantly, I have to personally fight Quabil! Whatever happens, if I do not face him, the whole plan may just collapse.” Using his knife, Jason prepared to open a big metal lock with his knife, and eased open the large wooden door.

“I leave now, may the Lord be with us. Hope to see you soon.” Saying this, Jason hugged his friend and entered the dark hall.

“Me too. Find the Key and come back safe”, was Gunnar’s reply.

Part 5

Temple of Tyn

XVIII.

It was dark inside, and confusing. The corridors inside showed eerie patterns of red, blue and green light, reflecting onto the walls from the huge stained glass windows above. Jason moved swiftly and silently through the ancient architecture, his mind outracing his feet. From the outside, the maze of corridors had been clear to him – from the inside it was more difficult to locate the altar. His life depended on silence. If Quabil was already here, and Jason only carried a short Tanto* knife, he would be nearly helpless before the demon horde. But in his heart, he still had hope of finding the Third Key of the Diamond Gate in time to stop the plan of the Demonic Alliance.

Racing through corridors, he came to a spot that didn’t show on the map. The main tunnel now led to a smaller space that separated into three separate tunnels, not high enough for a grown person. Would one of those tunnels lead to the altar, or all three? Jason didn’t know. Instinctively, he chose the middle one but then stopped.

“I’d better check this with Gunnar”, he thought, but the familiar voice began telling just what he was hoping to hear.

“Middle corridor is the fastest way to go, says the map”, Gunnar said while looking at his iPad screen.

“I simply love you.” Jason’s quiet answer echoed through the corridors.

“Happy to help. Just keep going straight - ” Gunnar’s instructions took Jason further along, “… on the 2nd crossing, there is a V-shaped split…” Gunnar paused, waiting for the pulsating point of Jason’s GPS signal to catch up.

“Now, you should find some staircases - ”

“Yeah, up and down”, Jason whispered.

“You have to go left, downstairs.” Gunnar heard only light breathing. Jason moved almost without sound.

“Now, it gets tricky. Down there, when you arrive to the lowest level I see 1, 2…3….4 doors, yes 4 of them. You will be there in a minute or so; I doubt you will see anything there… try the iPhone screen. ”

“Here, I see …which way?” Jason silently pulled out his Tanto*, ready to break the door lock if needed.

“Counting from your left, take the Third door. Looks like the fastest way. Just one thing: soon as you enter that way, you’ll enter a zigzag tunnel. If anyone’s waiting for you, they’d pick that spot for an ambush.” Jason appreciated the warning from his ‘eyes and ears’.

Gunnar waited, knowing Jason couldn’t talk while navigating the zigzags – especially since he’d just warned him about possible danger points. However, patience was not Gunnar’s forte, and all he could hear was breathing.

“If I just had time to set a thermal imaging gear, this would be easier”, Gunnar said to release tension. He was afraid for Jason – even if he hadn’t cared about Jason personally, he would have been nervous. The fact that the future of the world and everything in it depended on his friend just added to the anxiety.

“OK, you’re approaching the ending of that corridor. Dead ahead is a narrow oval-shaped space…take the right wall. You need to find a narrow tiny space…yeah, right there”.

“Nothing but wall here”, Jason whispered back after checking the spot with his fingertips.

“Tiny space, tiny space!” Gunnar repeated, frantically checking three different maps. “Got to be there!”

Checking his perimeter very carefully and listening for the slightest sound, Jason replaced the knife into its holder. Using the bright flashlight on his iPhone, he went over the walls, inch by inch. Nothing, absolutely nothing was there.

“Are you sure we’re on the right spot?” – Jason wanted to raise his voice but kept it at a whisper, hoping that no one else could hear him.

“There has to be that tiny space – there’s no other pathway to use! It leads to a corridor with a spiral staircase at the end of it. Those stairs directly connect to the main Ritual Room that holds the altar.”

Jason’s eyes found nothing. But, searching for an answer urged him to look deeper. Despite the unnatural light and conditions, by iPhone light he discovered that some stones looked just a little bit different than others on one part of the old wall. Using the metal handle of his knife, he carefully tapped the area. Once he found it, Jason whispered a little louder:

“Got it, but it’s been closed for a while. I have to dig up and remove the stone. Send down Michael and two more guys as soon they arrive.”

“I’m on it. They’re on their way”, Gunnar replied.

However, the men also had to be cautious on the zigzag corridor, so when they arrived, Jason was already half-way done. Tanto knives are short and durable, perfect in these situations. However, Jason was grateful for the strong flashlights and full gear that the men carried for this sort of work. The only problem were the echoes.

“Keep your voice and movements down, boys.” Jason whispered. “This would be faster with C4 but we need to keep quiet.”

After twenty minutes, four men were able to remove big pieces of stone, one by one. A tiny passage opened, just enough to pass through.

As they moved closer to the Altar Room, Michael handed Jason a hard black bag. Jason felt almost euphoric – he knew that his chances of defeating Quabil had just grown stronger. He couldn’t help himself; he had to take a look. Michael brought exactly what he wanted him to bring. No shotguns, no Scorpios or Desert Eagles – only a pair of butterfly swords. The laser-sharp swords had blades as long as his forearm. With black-and-red engraving on the handle contrasting with the silver-blue glow of the blades, they gleamed with power even to the inexperienced eye. Anyone experienced in the art of close combat knew that in the hands of a master, these weapons were deadly. They move faster and are more dangerous than Japanese Katana swords, or any other type of edged weapon. One of the greatest living masters of the art of the Butterfly Sword smiled in an underground corridor, pleased to be reunited with his dear friends.

The small group of warriors continued moving towards the Ritual Room following Gunnar’s directions. Just before the entrance, there was a bigger corridor that seemed brighter and more airy. Just when they stepped in, they heard what they had feared - voices! They stopped and took offensive positions, ready to attack the enemy.

Voices and steps were getting closer. Jason signaled the ‘ready 3, 2, 1’ gesture with one hand, holding a Butterfly sword in the other hand. The others had Glocks, Scorpios and Eagle Deserts ready in their hands. All eyes waited for the “Go!” sign, but Jason signaled ‘stand down’. The men were confused, but soon Michael and others could see the reason – a group with a fat priest and three monks passed by, carrying boxes with wine bottles. They couldn’t know that their sure deaths had been seconds away.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, the warriors quickly entered the abandoned room. Everything inside the Ritual Room was covered by dust, mold and heaps of old objects – the Altar was invisible through the mess. After fighting with dust and spider webs they located it, just where it should be – in the south-east corner of the room, directly below the church. The Altar had the unusual shape of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life carved in the middle. They all thought the same thing: “we are just minutes away from finding the Third Key”.

Now, it was only a question of time, a very short time. They were still very careful, but Quabil was obviously not here, and they had to move fast before he got near the Temple of Tyn.

Part 6

St. Peter's-on-the-Wall

XIX.

Moments after the dying man breathed out the location, Quabil was moving. Time was not his only advantage - demons possessed data research technology hundreds of times faster than humans. He knew exactly where to go, shortly after the location was revealed. Quabil had been chosen especially for his extremely ‘action oriented’ nature. These qualities could have been used for good, but with his black and demonic personality and mindset, they could not be much appreciated by humans with a heart.

After he fought Jason the first time, Quabil had been killed; but he was also ‘resurrected’ and electronically enhanced into a near cyborg by topnotch scientists within the Demonic Alliance. They turned him into a living killing machine and empowered him with black magic – to a much higher level than ever before. This time, he didn’t need a team. He could easily kill hundreds of humans. But that was not the plan for now. Quabil was sent to quickly move in and out, opening the Diamond Gate for the army of demons that were ready, waiting to pour in through the gap. Once he had the Third Key, his mission would be over…and so would everyone else’s.

The plane shuddered upon landing at the small private airport. It was eerily still, and everything worked as planned. Just 10 minutes from landing they were packed with two cars were heading towards their goal. Quabil had arranged a second Range Rover filled with equipment and weapons, just in case – that was the name of this game – before the Diamond Gate opened. He still had to keep a low profile - no unnecessary exposure. It was an annoyance, but at the end of the day, all was going well. He was in possession of two Keys and only the Third Key separated him from the ultimate goal.

From the airport, the drive to St. Peter's-on-the-Wall at Bradwell-on-Sea lasted only 40 minutes. The roads in this part of Essex were lovely, and driving was a smooth experience. This St. Peter's-on-the-Wall was one of the oldest churches in this part of the world, but Quabil was only interested in his goal:

“We are near the Third Key, the last that separates us from the utmost success and glory. Let’s keep this clean and simple. The key is below the altar – let’s get it. I will do the rest”.

Both cars parked on the side of the road, in front of the St. Peter’s church parking lot. Taking his two assistants, Quabil headed straight towards the main gate while the third man guarded the Range Rovers. Quabil didn’t need a team to tell him how to get where he wanted to go; his right brain implant easily allowed him to connect to any database, Internet network or device. He sometimes gave a vacant impression of no presence – while in fact he was just searching the screen of whatever data he was analyzing at the moment. He hacked into and set off the alarm system of St. Peter’s complex, and the nearby church and ministry school.

The sirens and lights went off. While panicking people began to clear the area, Quabil and his killers entered the main church hall where the Altar was easy to find. As they began searching, a security guard with a reddish face and grey hair appeared in front of them, trying to clear the church. Without warning, he was killed faster than thought.

All of the tourists, visitors, priests and nuns were out wondering about the sirens and alarms. The sky was dark, and the crowd buzzed about, waiting for police and firefighters to arrive. Some watched out for signs of fire, and some speculated about possible causes of this whole mess. Suddenly, a strong glow of white bright light emanated from inside the church hall. Huge windows of differently colored glass were all illuminated from the inside. The church now looked as if there were huge movie screens on all the walls, glowing with light. The crowd began muttering, not liking that they didn’t understand this new turn of events.

A few security guards were near the main entrance, looking as confused as the other people in the crowd. They had concluded that the strong glow of light illuminating the crowd was definitely not a fire. One of them, a tall man with a very typical English face was nervously trying to reach his friend:

“Raymond do you read…? ….. Ray ..? Where are you, mate….”

When twenty minutes had passed and one of their colleagues did not respond, the guards felt a strong desire to react. The remaining two members of security decided to move in, before the police cars arrived:

“Might take ‘em 20 minutes more to come”, one of them commented in a strong Essex accent. “May be somefin’ we have to solve, at the end of the day.”

“Wait, please. I will go with you.” Rev. John Summers, the head priest of St. Paul, stopped them with kind but loudly spoken words. All three people went inside the church but they would never have suspected that they were just a few minutes away from the ugly face of death. None of them ever returned.

XX.

“Anything suspicious up there?” Jason’s face and voice reflected his worry.

Everything seemed too easy. They were on the right spot and should soon find the Third Key of the Diamond Gate. There was no sign of Quabil but something just didn’t seem right.

“All clear up here. How about down there?” Gunnar replied.

“Same here. We should be out soon. Keep your eyes peeled, they may be planning on an ambush since we’ve done the heavy lifting.”

“Good point! I’m getting the latest scan of surrounding vehicles from the police. If anything looks strange, I’ll…..scream.” Gunnar grinned.

“You do that.” Jason grinned, but he was focused on his team. They went over all the possible hiding placed for the Key without finding anything. They checked all around the altar, and all the spaces below it. They looked under the altar’s large base, moving the huge structure made of stone and metal to peer beneath it. They checked all the edges and every place inside the altar. The newest generation metal detector was no help! Time was running out and they had nothing to show for their work.

“Guys, let’s light up this place. It’s time for those power vacuum cleaners.” The team brought in powerful pumps, normally used to pump out water, to quickly remove the dirt layers from the ground below the altar.

“Let’s check this place all over again. Switch the spots. Check the photos Gunnar shared on your devices – memorize the shape. We need to find this object!”

Four muscular figures made systematic sweeps of the whole area inside the Ritual Room, inch by inch. Powerful flashlights and cleaned floors promised they would now find the hidden object. 20 minutes passed... 40 minutes. Nothing.

“Let’s look below the altar.” Jason tried not to sound desperate. How ‘below’ had the Guardian meant? Jason wondered if it meant ‘below the ground’. They lifted up the heavy stone squares, exactly where the altar made of green copperas was placed. No key.

“It has to be here somewhere – below in a box, hidden somehow.” Jason was starting to repeat himself, but then, he remembered another possibility! That would be much easier to check.

Jason’s voice now sounded openly nervous:

“Gunnar, we’ve found nothing so far. This is my idea: keep the rest of the guys in position but 2 or 3 guys have to go to the main Church. Start a fire alarm or something, just find a way to empty the place so you can go and check the space below the altar, there in the main church.” Jason paused, giving his friend time to react. “We can’t do anything else here but start digging the earth.”

“Of course,” Gunnar replied and added for Jason’s peace of mind, “sometimes the simplest things are the best in life and we miss seeing that.” He spoke while moving toward the main Church entrance.

The fire alarm was the easy part - it took a good 15 minutes for all the tourists to evacuate the area. Gunnar and three ex-military professionals began to hunt for the key.

“This search looks more like summer cleaning than saving the world”, thought Gunnar, when he saw clean space inside the wide and high space of a church hall. When everyone left, they locked all the doors from inside. Just like the team below, they searched for a palm-sized metal piece inside a room. Armed with metal detectors, they were all sure it would be an easy task.

After half an hour of intense searching, it no longer looked easy. The fireman squad had begun banging on the door, which meant that Prague police would arrive soon after. After 45 minutes of searching, their hope of finding the Third Key there became very weak and shaky. Soon after, hope in the hearts of the four men died entirely. Facing the facts killed it.

They left the church hall using the back door exit, and met with the rest of the team. Each man was covered with dirt and sweat. Tired from the intense search and digging in the ground below the altar, they could see defeat on each other’s faces. They were exhausted but the feeling of hopelessness disturbed them the most. All of them - Gunnar, Michael and the others - were hoping to hear a word from Jason that would offer the answer or their next move. Jason was there but he seemed absent; sitting on the stone of the stairs he stared in front of him at a distant spot. Finally, he spoke in a voice of deep exhaustion.

“Go, take some rest.” They were the only words he could utter.

XXI.

Inside St. Peter’s church in Essex, the search after the same missing object was taking place. However, those after Third Key here only looked like humans - those with eyes to see knew the truth. These ‘men’ were demonic creatures, monsters in human form. Moving extremely fast, two of them swept around the altar while their commander stood silently with his hands crossed over his chest, eyes filled with expectation and delight. Moving a few steps towards his assistants made them move faster, nearly at a run. Without words, they knew he wanted results and he wanted them quickly. Ten minutes later, nothing had been found although every single inch had been searched of the ground below and around the altar area. Suddenly both assistants felt immense pressure around their necks. They were forced to turn toward the leader of their special demonic unit.

“I need it, now!” The cold, metallic tones of his voice scared his followers, though his thin lips hardly moved.

“Bring the molecular scanner – that is why we have it with us… tracking data is already loaded. We have no time to waste.”

They nodded while looking down at his feet. Two metal sticks of the size of a folded umbrella were suddenly in their hands, and screens of about 20 inches wide materialized in front of both men. These techie gizmos were much more sophisticated than anything on Earth. In less than a minute, the bald assistant in a green Armani suit raised his hand. Moving towards Quabil, he humbly presented the object he found hidden in a double layer bottom of an altar basement. Seeming pleased, Quabil silently moved towards the side table. Carefully taking out the remaining two Keys from his pocket, he laid them on the table.

Because of the protective nature and importance of the Diamond Gates for the balance and security of the universe, the joining procedure for the Three Keys was shown only to the Guardians. Even Quabil did not know how to join those three parts together, and no technology could tell him. The procedure was very tricky and risky because there was no ‘reset button’. Once someone began to connect them he had to continue until the end, as shown to the Guardians of the Light. With one wrong move, they would simply disintegrate. That was the ultimate security system applied by the Council of Light.

Quabil felt uneasy despite the emptiness in his heart. One mistake could destroy all chances for achieving his ultimate goal. First of all he had to open the Diamond Gate, the doors of a universe. The Gate existed in this dimension in order to assist Angels, Demigods and other forces of Light. Unfortunately, powerful demonic forces like those behind Quabil, when in possession of the three parts of the Key, could open the Doors and use the Diamond Gate for their own demonic goals.

The dark forces of life-sucking demons - monsters, demonic warriors and twisted fiends - were all lined up on the Planet Rahu, waiting for the gate to open to the lower regions of this universe. Sounding like a continuous rock fall, they ground their sharp teeth in expectation of the upcoming event. A feast of blood, a feast rich with life energy and human souls was just moments away. They grew impatient… the sounds they created there and how they looked would have been enough to make anyone faint out of shock and fear! Just waiting there, clinging to their weapons, breathing heavily while waiting to invade Planet Earth …. even horror film screenwriters could not begin to imagine it. But this was not a movie – it was about to become Earth’s reality.

They all waited for Quabil’s next move, but he waited for images to appear on his device’s screen. Even with all his powers, he alone couldn’t move a step nearer towards the goal. Demonic technology could be of great help and he could follow the simulation on the screen in front of him. But he alone could make the right moves.

He had obtained the simulation of how the Keys fit together by destruction. After he killed all three Guardians of the Light, he had sucked out memories from their brains, then fed those memories into his demonic device. Together, the memories formed the necessary patterns, and that ‘manual’ came to life on the device’s screen.

Quabil took all 3 Keys and placed them in front of him. Each piece was made of metal resembling iridium, but the metal’s structure was mixed with a diamond dust. Each part had different shapes, with jewels of different colors, and was about the size of a human palm. By themselves, the objects looked attractive but rather undefined. The Guardians of the Light wore Keys around their necks and so received the power and protection of Higher Spheres.

Quabil studied the combinations of possible ways to connect the Keys helped by the simulations presented on the screen, and he began to work. His failure would spell the end of him and his demonic allies. His success would open the Earth to the power of demonic forces, and everything on it. So he took his time. He started to move slowly, the movements of his hands resembling the light, precise touches of an artist on its sculpture. The first two parts clicked together with a metal sound. He paused ... everything seemed all right for now. He filled in the last Key sideways and turned it 180 degrees. That allowed him to rotate the first and second parts in a complicated set of motions. As soon the Third Key clicked into place, a soundless explosion of bright light lit up the church and everything around it.

Then the illumination took on a spherical shape and began floating 10 feet above the ground, right above the altar. Inside the sphere of light, energies formed in a mixture of colors … starting to form a picture. The image shown became clear and took on an elliptical form with edges of orange … it emanated a light blue glow as if burning at an extremely high temperature. Inside that elliptical opening, there was undefined matter - space and time was mixing there and the feeling of looking at its image was overwhelming – this was the Diamond Gate. Quabil was excited!

“It is all coming together”, he thought, nearly faint from blood thirst. He was excited, but he sensed that something was not fully according to his plan.

The demons could only wait. Three demonic figures stared at the image and waited, willing the Diamond Gate to open. Seconds passed, then minutes. Nothing changed … nothing was happening.

Quabil had expected that the doors of the Diamond Gate would manifest on the spot, as soon he connected all three Keys correctly. His own ego almost trapped him. That is how demons influence this world so strongly – their egos are focused completely on their twisted goals. The core of a Demonic inner dialogue is:

“I am the controller and I am meant to enjoy anything and everyone around me, bowing to my will. Hurt and pain are merely roads to my pleasure.”

But those of the Demon race possess advanced intelligence, not egos alone. That’s why he could understand the ‘naked truth’. A fact that he accepted, though it made him grind his teeth in rage, was that he couldn’t do anything to influence the appearance of the Diamond Gate. The Gate was of a higher power – and therefore untouchable for him. He could only use it once it became accessible. That disturbed him, but his trained demonic mind remained calm (unlike a human mind, unless trained in real martial or spiritual arts).

XXII.

The image they were looking at that moment started to twinkle, then to fade. The Gates wouldn’t manifest there – it wasn’t the real location of the Diamond Gate. Thinking quickly, Quabil realized that he still held all three Keys in his hands and finding the exact location was the only thing stopping him from achieving his evil mission. His first order of business was to find out the Gate’s exact location.

Within the next few seconds, the image grew weaker and weaker, but Quabil had already photographically memorized each and every detail from the image – another ability he had achieved by the help of his little friends.

“The stone of a dark structure below, a metal handmade structure that resembles some type of altar. Rich ornaments that form a diagram of circles like those presented in books on Kabbalah prior to the year 1890….” This was his next goal.

As the image disappeared, it shook the air as the powerful bright light illuminating the room died also. Quabil began processing all the information he had absorbed when the two security guards and a priest had appeared near the exit. He looked through them as if they didn’t exist; his mission was his 1st and topmost priority. The two assistants killed the guards before they could move, bullets exploding through their bodies.

Both guns turned toward the head of the Rev. John Summers, who realized that he was about to die. His eyes opened in shock - then he closed his eyes, folded his palms and prepared for death. The killer shots did not bow his body into the ground. On his knees, trembling in fear, the only thing that he heard was the sound of a leather shoes walking toward him. The steps became louder, but he did not move, beginning to pray:

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women….”

Hoping that he might be spared from death, Reverend John could hear his own prayers filled with fear. The sound of the leader’s shoes passed near him and began to move away, followed by two other pairs of shoes. His heart jumped up in hope and he opened his eyelids into slits, still shaking and uttering verses of “Hail Mary”.

The head priest could see a man’s shadow, just about to exit the church. But before opening the door, he quickly turned back. A voice that was filled with gravel and horror and men’s bones made the priest start praying more and louder than ever:

“It’s disgusting to see the face of your illusion. You will soon meet with real gods and masters of this Universe, o ‘holy man’.” The ice-cold cynical voice resonated in the hall of a now dark Church. Alarm sirens screamed on, but the priest could hear every word.

“However, you will serve me perfectly for the small presentation I want to offer to humans. Very soon they will see the rest of it”, added Quabil, and with a relaxed arm pointed toward the priest. Two massive candleholders made of brass started moving from the corners of the church, making a scratching sound. The confused priest prayed on, but he screamed in fear as he began to levitate above the ground, as if an invisible giant’s hand had grabbed him. Rev. John Summers was moving his feet and arms in the air, in total shock and disbelief.

“How can God help save you from me? ” were the last sounds he heard.

The next moment, his body was forced to a big wooden cross that decorated a central wall of the church. Two candleholders started flying toward him with enormous speed. The pain was intolerable and the man fainted as candleholders pierced both of his palms now on a wooden cross. Blood spurted over the white walls when a third candleholder pierced his feet, and everything under the cross turned into a bloody mess.

“I have no time for a crown. I just realized where I have to be” said Quabil to himself, and exited the church. Behind him was the horrific scene of a priest pinned and hanging on a wall - a beginning of horror.

Followed by his assistants, he walked toward the two Range Rovers parked just across the parking. He walked quickly, focused entirely on his next destination.

Part 7

The Clash

XXIII.

It could all be solved by now. The pain and tension could be far gone; earth could be eons away from demonic invasion. They all could continue peacefully living out their lives … if they had found the Third Key.

But they hadn’t! Only two things were possible: they had gone to the wrong location or Quabil had been far faster in getting to the Key.

In either case, it was late now. It was only a question of minutes, maybe hours until the Diamond Gate opened and the demonic invasion on Earth began. Jason knew he would feel it hard in his soul when it all started - he felt helpless, frustrated and angry.

Jason and Gunnar sat silently in his car. The M5 version of a BMW X6 looked normal on the outside… but inside the car had exploded a silent but emotional fireworks display. Inner dialogue and helpless desperation ruled their minds in silence - both men knew that words couldn’t help.

“Do we have any time left?” Gunnar couldn’t tolerate the silence anymore.

Jason took his time in answering. After taking in a deep breath, he finally spoke:

“I really can’t tell. I do not know. We may be near the end of our journeys…” – Jason started with a pessimistic approach. “…I am searching for anything that makes sense”.

“We probably went to the wrong location. But, when I think about the other one… I do not feel it… at all. That St. Peter’s church isn’t the one either.” Jason’s voice was filled with strong dose of bitterness.

“I just don’t sense that we need to look there.”

“One thing bothers me … as we sit here, they have got the key and it’s too late, right? We have lost the battle and soon we will lose everything we ever cared for.” Jason paused and took another deep breath.

Gunnar hoped that this sentence was not conclusive, or it would be the first time he had heard that sort of defeated attitude from Jason.

“But, the whole thing is just … something just tells me that they do not have the Third Key, yet! You see, Quabil wants to kill me. This is only reason he shared the whole horrible thing and he wanted me to hear the location of the Third Key. They have the same information that we do, right?” Jason saw Gunnar nod affirmatively. Good, they were on the same page.

“Now, wherever they have been, from practically any part of the world they could have arrived at both locations, Essex or Prague… about 2 or 3 hours ago. You see … nothing’s changed. They don’t hold the Third Key either!” Jason concluded.

“But ... does that… it means we have time…?” Gunnar’s eyes brightened, but he laughed. “We ‘only’ have to figure out where they are now……”

Just then, an incoming email tone ‘tinged’ inside the BMW X6 cabin and Gunnar checked the Retina screen of his iPad reflexively. His eyes opened wide and his eyebrows lifted into a u-shape as he spoke:

“This is may be the greatest or the worst news…! Something just appeared on police scanners in the UK, Essex local police unit. A forceful break-in - 4 victims, priest crucified - violently hung on a cross, no property missing. Listen to this … 52 witnesses describe some strange phenomena and ‘unexplainable’ light…” Gunnar paused and looked up, trying to gauge Jason’s reaction.

“That’s it!” Jason confirmed. “When was that?”

“Four hours ago, but where is the best thing – St. Peter’s Church.” Gunnar almost sounded smug.

Jason thought out loud:

“Of course, St. Peter’s! So, four hours plus police delay means … they had been there at least four and half hours ago! That, my friend, I call REALLY good news!” New energy returned to Jason’s blue eyes. “If the Diamond Gates were opened, I would feel it…. but even if I didn’t -” Jason was picking up steam - “…horrible creatures would have arrived in a killing rage and the whole world would be screaming in pain. Last thing before we move…” Jason scanned all possibilities in his mind’s eye. It was dizzying to watch his eyes go back and forth.

“Scan all the news, news portals, all the networks … any sort of disaster, attack, bombing, genocide…”– Gunnar’s was already typing search terms on the screen of his iPad along with his team. It took a minute for results:

“Let’s see… U.S., Canada nothing from there. Latin Americaaaa looks like … no. Africa noup ….”

It was all clear now. Quabil and his demon team were in the same position – they did not have the Third Key in their possession!

The fight was clearly not over yet. His subconscious, conscious and super conscious mind started working in synergy, connecting the dots, analyzing and searching for the best possible moves.

But … nothing that made any sense….

“Pull out that last one for me again”, Jason asked, and reviewed the top 5, then the top 10 ideas that Gunnar’s team had churned out hours ago.

Again – nothing! Pressure built again, and Jason felt that he was missing something essential. He took in a deep breath, and relaxed. Beside him, Jason could feel that Gunnar was praying intensely and at this moment of desperation he began doing the same, in his own way.

Suddenly, an idea hit him like a thunderbolt! He remembered Kailash, his ‘failing’ on the test … Durjay. He remembered his intense experience and Durjay’s message after he ‘failed’ the test. An AHA moment!

“Surrender fully and let go.” That was the missing element. As soon as he surrendered fully in his spirit, he was instantly led to inspired thoughts and actions. And he spoke to Gunnar in his warm deep voice:

“Listen, what if the location, the ‘39.T10ETG’ is not the main part of the puzzle. His last words as a dying Guardian of the Light … what if he spoke them not out of weakness but out of duty! Now, I can understand it.” Jason blinked back tears of respect, of awe.

“He didn’t just say those words to get relief. He was suffering immensely but he spoke those words in order to assist us in destroying the Demonic Alliance -” Shaking his head, Jason tried to move on but Gunnar had to jump in:

“Wait, wait … what? How? I don’t get it, where do you see that…?”

“Think a minute. He knew exactly what he was doing! His last words were true in the sense that they contained truth … therefore Quabil could not feel anything suspicious … He helped us and Quabil actually got cheated, all at the same time!”

“Now … I am totally confused … I think”, said Gunnar with a confused look.

“Just listen; his last words were:

‘..it is…below… green copperas altar…Temple of 39. T10ETG”.

I believe he gave up the location of the Diamond Gate but not the location of the Key. As a Guardian, he knew what the others (including Quabil) couldn’t know … that location is reviled to those of evil who are in possession of all Three Keys …” Jason paused so Gunnar could mentally adjust to the news.

“I am sure, he calculated his last moments perfectly. He created a chance to trap and destroy them, my friend! He died gloriously by carrying out his mission. Knowing about the demonic nature, he was able to predict how Quabil would react. They are for sure on their way here, right now!”

“You mean … right now, right now?!“ Gunnar raised his voice. He had been hoping, a little bit, that they wouldn’t have to face another showdown. Jason still had to stop the powers of the Demonic Alliance without Armor or Weapons. Right!

XXIV.

Gunnar had faith in the arrangement of the Universal Laws (destiny, the Creator, or whatever word people use for the power behind everything) and in Jason’s judgment…at the same time, he could not stop himself from dwelling on the rational aspects of the situation. The managing ‘board’ of this Universe, the Council of Light that held the reigns of this universe, for some reason had ‘allowed’ this impossible situation to happen. It looked like a really unfair advantage on the side of evil forces. That really bothered Gunnar, and some part of him couldn’t let it go.

Gunnar picked up the CB unit, planning to call up team members. Jason’s hand stopped him before he could press the red connection button.

“Call no one”, he said seriously. “If they came, they would all be annihilated. Even Michael is not ready for this sort of enemy. Paying with their own lives, they could only buy me a short time or no time at all. You ALL should leave, right now!” Jason’s voice held no room for argument.

“But we could ambush them or come up with some sort of strategy that ….” As Gunnar started with explaining his idea for how the team could help, Jason placed his strong hand behind his neck and responded in a deep voice filled with honest concern:

“I appreciate that, but it is just too risky, too dangerous - a needless loss of lives. If the Higher Powers and the Creator are going to empower me, I’ll be victorious even if I face the darkness alone. Please, go in peace, my friend. This is a fight that I must carry out alone.”

Gunnar couldn’t be at peace, not yet, he felt disturbed without a chance to interfere, help … at least try something… yet at the same time, deep in his heart he knew that the words of Jason carried truth. He decided to stay away but as near as he possibly could. He could at least obey the letter of the law.

XXV.

Nothing human-made would be useful to Jason in this upcoming war. He really missed his Armor, Weapons and the Mystic Powers – he felt practically naked without Guardian gear - but he would miss them a lot more when the war began. Jason felt like a person on the shore of the ocean, looking at the approaching waves of a Tsunami. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. At least the man or woman running in front of Tsunami waves has no idea what to do. Jason knew exactly how to defeat the Demonic Alliance agent since he’d already killed him once – with his powerful Gear.

Jason recalled his last fight with Quabil, reviewing it for clues… but nothing from past could help him now. The only preparation he could do was to focus and collect all the strength he possibly could.

He sat on the stairs in front of the entrance of the Temple of Tyn – from there, one could enter the secret corridors that led down to the Altar Room. In front of the gate was a place where three narrow streets connected. Fortunately, the beggars and street musicians were all gone and only a few people could be seen on the streets, walking by. It was already dark and quite chilly, so tourists were already in their warm hotel rooms, in restaurants and the well-known nightclubs of Prague. It was peaceful before the storm - more dangerous and devastating than any storm known on earth.

That peaceful feeling subtly began to change. First, it was just a ‘feeling’ that Jason had already met in the past while carrying out his duties as Guardian, though this feeling was stronger and more overwhelming. Coldness crept around his heart, followed by a sense of disgust, like he had smelled or heard something horrible. Jason knew – Quabil was near.

From where he was sitting, on the staircase in front of the massive doors of the Temple, Jason could hear footsteps coming towards him, coming out from the narrow street that led to Old Town Square. The footsteps in their leather-soled shoes echoed in the narrow space of the street. As the steps grew louder the ‘feeling’ grew in strength, until Jason felt like he was swimming in a sewer – pressed down on every side with evil. He jumped up and took a few steps down the staircase in order to see the street, and to meet the oncoming wave. There, about fifty feet away from where he was standing, between two high buildings, he saw three dark figures moving towards him. With the bright light of the Old Town Square behind them it was easy to see two men with guns in their hands, or something equally sinister. Those men were walking ten feet ahead of the third figure. Protecting both sides of a man in the middle, they moved with caution, sweeping the space before them.

Jason knew the man in middle; not so long ago, he had fought that man and won. He had left a lifeless body lying on dusty ground near Punakha, in an odd country named Bhutan. The ribs were broken and most of the internal organs were damaged beyond repair, due to the severity of the blows. For a second, Jason relived the shock he’d felt at knowing that man had come back to life! Judging on the basis of how fast he had killed two Guardians and what he’d done to the third Guardian, the demons who had raised him up had done an excellent job – Quabil was more powerful than ever.

As soon they noticed him, the two bodyguards pointed their weapons towards Jason’s chest, preparing to fire. Both turned towards their leader, expecting to see him give them permission – but no sign came. As they moved closer, they could see the figure of a man under the streetlight. Dressed in a white T-shirt with a red Hayabusa logo across the chest, in dark pants and Army boots, he looked like he was waiting – poised for attack. The blue glow of the neon light carved out the shape of his powerful arms, chest and shoulders - he seemed to have no weapons but it was obvious that this warrior waited for them.

Both men moved with intent to kill. They squeezed the triggers to fire - but they couldn’t!

“Hold your horses!” snapped Quabil. His assistants, confused, kept their guns trained on their target, but it didn’t stop them from thinking:

“We’re minutes away from blowing open the Diamond Gate. Our army is ready, the Alliance can end the freedom of the Human Race …why does the commander stop us from wiping out this cockroach? Why does he care? “ Obedient but confused, the two men watched their master pace panther-like toward the man in the Hayabusa T-Shirt.

Jason was standing in front of evil personified, not able to fully realize his powers. The Demonic Alliance had invested everything into this person. Jason’s horrible ‘feeling’ reached the highest intensity – his skin crawled with it. He tried to focus his mind but the peace was gone. He felt overwhelmingly small, face-to-face with an enemy whose next move would destroy everything Jason loved and lived for. Images poured through his mind of the Alliance moving through men, women, babies, sick and old … humans enslaved, raped … annihilated. Knowing the effect he had, and savoring the moment, Quabil stood right in front of him looking straight into Jason’s eyes.

“Nice T-Shirt! Last time you had on shiny armor!” Quabil’s voice had a vibrating tone to his mockery that stabbed at Jason.

“I was hoping we would meet, human. You see…” the demonic soldier looked eager to unleash the rage but he wanted slower revenge…“…I was sure that when I saw your face, I would just kill you that same moment…” His smile would have frozen anyone’s guts. “But now, seeing you I just want to laugh! This is just hilarious, don’t you think?”

Jason did not answer. He just kept looking at him, ready to move.

The malice in Quabil’s voice grew stronger, wave piling on wave. “You made my day! Correct me if I am wrong: you came to stop me, alone without any help. You have no protection of your funny friends from above, no armor, no weapons but those two funny knives hidden in your boots…” His short laugh made the whole scene ridiculous.

“…And you probably expect me to be afraid of you … and your T-Shirt?”

Jason did not answer anything but smiled. War would start soon.

“Did the cat eat your tongue? Or do you just consider me not ‘worthy of your words’?” Quabil raised his voice, gathering power.

In deep level tones, Jason responded with one question:

“Empty words come from a man I have already killed once. It is useless to postpone your inevitable destiny of dying from my hand again. Who has eaten your courage?”

Part 8

The War

XXVI.

The rage inside Quabil erupted - the smile of ridicule changed into a furious grimace. He jumped as if he had been doused in boiling water!

“As you wish”, he hissed. “Why don’t I simply relieve you of your pitiful existence!”

With no further warning, Quabil unleashed his rage on Jason, who felt a strong pressure around his neck. An invisible force lifted his whole body from the ground. While Quabil raised his erect arm, slowly the pressure around Jason’s neck made breathing hard - he was fighting for air. This fighting with an invisible enemy appeared weird and grotesque.

“Now, he needs a few holes on his arms and legs. DO NOT kill him!” Quabil ordered his assistants, who were just waiting for that.

Jason then realized that for some reason, Quabil needed him alive. He stopped fighting the pressure of the invisible hands that were strangling him, reaching instead for the butterfly swords in his boots. The first few bullets were surprisingly easy to avoid. Their weapons fired orange beams that were more damaging than bullets but the cold, mirror-like surface of butterfly swords redirected them effectively.

His years of martial art practice and intense training now did pay off, more than ever before. Jason successfully redirected the orange beams with his blades, so they smashed into stone walls and the roads below them, melting holes the size of tennis balls into the stone. The baldheaded attacker on the left was shooting at Jason more, and with much better precision than the other attacker, but the handles of both swords got hotter after each hit. Jason could smell skin and wood coming dangerously close to the point of ignition. He had to end this soon.

Quabil decided the same for different reasons. It had been intriguing to watch at first, but now Jason’s demonstration of skill, speed and reflexes annoyed him. In an attempt to end this, he closed his fist forcefully. That made the pressure around Jason’s neck intolerable. His face became red, and movement slowed. He started to lose focus and felt he would faint any second …

Using practically the last molecules of oxygen, he moved both arms almost simultaneously. A double throw attacking movement, when used diagonally with a sharp-edged weapon, cuts the target at an unpredictable angle that is very hard to block. There were three enemies in front of Jason, and only two swords. He had to choose the targets in a split second. The sword catapulted from his left arm with surprising speed and momentum. Cutting the air in a downward diagonal rotation, it ended deep in the left side of the bald man’s neck. The man instantly fell down bleeding from a severed carotid artery. The right sword was thrown towards Quabil’s neck, but he deflected its killing rotation to his right arm, just between the shoulder and bicep muscles.

Quabil did not even move. His arm remained in the same position, but he took his eyes off Jason’s face to glance at the sword sticking out of his arm. The cold steel blade had sliced through the rich surface and straight line of his black Alexander Amosu jacket. His disbelief was obvious. With his attention redirected, the power around the neck Jason’s neck weakened and his body fell a few feet lower but remained in a grip of invisible power.

Taking a much-needed breath, Jason filled his lungs with oxygen. He glanced below, noticing a streetlight chandelier on the right very close to his feet.

“If I could reach it somehow…” Jason knew now was a perfect moment to get out from the invisible grip.

Quabil seemed hesitant about what to do about the sword sticking out from his upper arm, as if he’d never planned for Jason’s resistance. Taking a step back, he moved his other hand toward the sword handle sticking out of his flesh. Continuing to ‘struggle’ with the invisible force around his neck to avoid unwanted attention from his legs, Jason began his next move. The light chandelier had ‘branches’ with three lights on the top – maybe he could reach a branch with a metal-covered lid and use it as a lever. On the first and second attempts, his boots made a flat, clunking sound as they bounced off the metal. Jason knew it was the last chance before Quabil regained his focus for the next devastating move.

Jason turned away, back to the chandelier and bent over, lifting his legs as high he could. He threw his spine backwards, the heels of his boots reaching under the u-shaped metal. From the corner of his eye, he saw Quabil reaching the handle of a gun, aiming and ready to shoot.

“It's now or never”, he thought calmly.

Doing the most powerful ‘leg curls’ of his life, Jason flexed the muscles of his legs and calves, until they contracted to the point of tearing apart. The massive metal structure of the streetlight chandelier began bending over, making a short squeaking sound. The pressure and pain in his muscles was overwhelming. Jason body now stretched between ‘nothing’ and the chandelier, his face and belly button facing the ground. This attempt to escape looked impossible even for him but it was the only thing he could do – and it worked. Suddenly, he escaped the power that pressed around the neck, but the vigor of his leg-pull catapulted his head towards the hard massive metal body of the chandelier. He instinctively used the power of movement, redirecting it around the round surface of the street chandelier like a gymnastics high bar. With all of that acceleration and power, as he spun around, his boot kicked the handle of the sword sticking out from the flesh wound on Quabil’s forearm, nailing the sword deeper at the exact moment when Quabil tried to pull it out. The sharp sword practically severed Quabil’s arm, and the power of the kick threw him a few feet away.

As Quabil flew back towards the wall, Jason managed to land safely. He saw the gunman’s move, and jumped aside to avoid the shots. Zigzagging towards the attacker, Jason searched for the best way to attack without getting shot. The real danger was a few feet away but he had to get rid of this distraction. The third zigzag step allowed him to reach the attacker’s hand, slapping the gun with his open palm while attacking with the elbow. Using full kinetic power, he connected his elbow with the temple of the gunman. With a grating sound of ‘bone on bone’, his head flew back and smashed onto the stone wall. Jason knew the guy was dead before he could hear the crack of the skull hitting the stone wall, so he immediately turned towards the real threat.

Quabil was smiling, looking straight into his face, while pulling out the butterfly sword from his arm. No pain showed in his face – no, more than that - he looked delighted.

“Jason, Jason, Jason… you love to piss me off, every time we meet…” His bloodthirsty voice contained a bigger dose of arrogance and egoism than any sane person could possibly generate.

The sound of the blade pulled out from flesh echoed between the high walls in that narrow street. Still smiling, Quabil began playfully rotating the sword covered with his own blood on his side. His wounded hand hung at his side as if paralyzed, but there was surprisingly little blood – only a few drops dripped down from his fingers.

“One arm less to care about”, thought Jason while keeping his eyes on the playful movement of the sharp-edged weapon in the hand of the demonic master. Fighting against a knife or a short sword needed a special skillset. He took a neutral guard stance without sticking his arms out – a position known to all who master close combat and barehanded defense skills against edged weapons. Without any limbs to sever, the attacker is forced to come close in order to slash and cut, opening the doors for efficient defense. Jason was focused on neutralizing the arm with the weapon, then the attacker. He felt happy to see the fight reduced to this – hand-to-hand combat.

Quabil wielded the sword like a true master. The playful rotations on the side were switched to diagonal slashing movements in front, the sound bouncing off the stone walls. Jason simply waited for Quabil to move.

What happened next, he really couldn’t have expected. The hand of the killer didn’t move an inch but the sword did! Impossibly fast for the human eye to follow, the sword moved straight upwards in a diagonal slashing direction, missing Jason’s groin by half an inch. It would have connected, except for the palm block he used while moving sideways. It was really hard to fight against the invisible ‘opponent’ - nothing could be blocked or controlled - only an unpredictable and free-moving sword in front of his face, ready to slash him to pieces.

Without hesitation, the sword moved to stab him in the chest…and nearly succeeded. A fraction of a second afterward, a powerful blow into his ribs made his head explode in pain. He could hear the sound of bones cracking. His body bent over in pain but his mind searched frantically for a way out. That hit had just broken at least two ribs, and it was only an appetizer – what would come next? He tried to guess ...and again he was taken by surprise.

“You are the master, right?” The cunning voice of Quabil was filled with ridicule. “Come on, show me your skills!”

The flying butterfly sword attacked the main artery on Jason’s legs, behind the knees. The sword moved swiftly and parallel to the ground, moving faster and more dangerously now. Jason jumped up and trapped the flying sword with his left boot, then deflected it, managing to use the force of its movement against the attacker. The powerful round kick landed on the head of the demon soldier with extreme power and precision. With only one arm, it was very unlikely that he would be able to block it or move away.

Since he jumped high, the kicking boot was moving slightly downward, aiming at the pressure points on the back of the head with 240 pounds of muscle behind it. It felt really good! He knew that anyone should go down after taking that hit on the back the head. But he was wrong! When that jumping round kick connected, Quabil was shaken, his body was out of balance for a moment but he was still standing right there. In shock, Jason just turned his back to a wall, expecting the next attack by his own weapon in the grip of demonic powers. The sword was there, levitating and ready to strike again. These tense moments were short but it seem like hours to Jason. Any moment Quabil could attack… but he didn’t. The sword just simply fell down as if dropped onto the stone, and the loud clang echoed for a moment. That sound was overpowered by a very loud, angry voice emanating from a raging mind:

“I tried to be kind to you and kill you gently! I am done playing games, pitiful human being…” The fire in his eyes could be seen from distance. But Jason hadn’t waited for permission to move.

While Quabil spoke, Jason already had thrown himself halfway forward, knowing that emotional expressions lower the attentiveness and ability to react. The last words were still echoing in the air when a ‘superman punch’ was thrown expertly. When executed properly, it’s a powerful attack where one’s body focuses on one point like a spear – but Jason missed the cluster of pressure points on the side of his target’s jaw by less than an inch. Feeling the disappointment of missing the target, Jason knew he had opened himself to the negative ‘make it or break it’ side – he was open to attack.

Fortunately, Quabil could only escape the attack by moving left, allowing him to use his one arm to counterattack, but that was the wounded arm. The punch Jason received was not a devastating one, but it hit him right on the solar plexus. Air exploded out of his lungs. Fortunately, this was not his first fight. He instantly relaxed the chest area to keep the ability of breathing, acting as if he was breathless and in pain – a trick used in one-on-one close combat. The force of his ‘superman’s punch’ move and counter-strike positioned his right shoulder above the head of his enemy, and the trick he used gave him just enough time for his next move (not attractive but very effective). Bending back as if suffering, he placed his arm below his chin and secured that position with another arm. From there, he moved onto Quabil’s back in no time, locked both legs on his waist and started strangling him with both arms. When attacked like that by a skilled master, unconsciousness usually results in less than a minute!

Quabil obviously was not one of those people. He stood straight under Jason’s choke of death, as if nothing was on his back and neck. Despite Jason’s strong squeeze, Quabil started to speak:

“Game over, you annoying human cockroach!” The only sign that Quabil was affected was the rough tone, from the pressure on both sides of his neck.

Part 9

Face Off Demon

XXVII.

Jason felt his sixth sense, his inner alarm going wild.

“Why? How? There is nothing Quabil can do!” His mind raced, reviewing every possible option.

Then it all started. At first he felt only a strange sort of trembling, something like earthquake but he just continued squeezing his arms around the neck and his legs around the abdomen, hoping to quickly ‘put a sleep’ on the enemy. His grip had started to change but he couldn’t understand why. A second or two later, he realized that now he was trying to choke a neck that had become somehow bigger, and an odd size. Though his common sense rebelled at what he saw, the body of his enemy started to change in shape and size so much so that he couldn’t keep his hands and legs connected anymore. Jason released his grip and jumped backwards more out of disgust than out of fear.

“What is going on … sweet Lord …. I thought I had seen everything.” The monstrous form in front of him could be described as a humanoid snake … or a reptile in human form. This was one of the ugliest looking demonic forms of a body –the two legs and arms of this creature remained in the same clothes, but its shoes blew apart due to enormous, newly grown feet. Added to Quabil’s reptilian eyes, the scene was totally grotesque. There was no time for exploring much disgust or anger – the reptilian humanoid monster attacked Jason with full power.

The demon did not move his body – it just stood there - but Jason felt the blast of attack more than ever. He could even see the venomous energy that attacked him, hitting him on major pressure points, paralyzing him. The effect of the venomous attacks was immediate, as if a rain of snakes were biting him. There was nothing to be blocked, avoided or counterattacked … he couldn’t move or use his mental power! In that helpless state, he tried to move, tried to protect himself and when nothing else worked, he tried to escape. But he was unable to do anything about now even more painful ‘rain of attacking venom’ blasting all over his body.

The last thing he could remember was the shape of that face. Yellow eyes with a line in the middle, and sharp teeth in a big open mouth, the monster stared straight into his eyes… before everything went black he could only hear the horrific sound of his laugh.

Pain. Sharp pain all over his body brought him back to consciousness. Opening his eyes was a great struggle, as if lifting the eyelids was a painful experience. His vision was blurred and it took him a while to start recognizing objects around him. First, he understood his inability to move – his body paralyzed, lying on a floor of some dark room with his back leaning against a stone wall. The pain was so intense that it occupied his full attention. He was aware of who he was, and he knew it was not where he needed to be. Clearer thoughts began to trickle through:

“There has to be a reason why I am still alive.” He tried to detach his mind, and focus away from pain.

His surroundings looked familiar. He recognized the oval walls of the Ritual Room hidden in the corridors below the main Temple. As his vision cleared, he saw a good part of the room and the shape of the altar, with shadows moving in front of the altar. The stone blocks on the floor below the altar had been removed and scattered, and the figure of a demon hunched over the uneven floor.

Ridiculing words spoken by the humanoid serpent were easy to understand:

“Welcome back, human. You made a mess here. You always make a mess.” The monster’s twisted face bore an expression of superiority. Jason could see it well, because it was standing very close above him.

“I hope you enjoy the pain. I have more, much more of that for you but we have work to do…” Saying that, the demon turned towards the altar and pointed to the metal structure of the ancient Alchemical sanctuary.

“Your conclusion is correct. I may need you. If not, you will receive special honor and become the first human to witness the beginning of the new era of human development…” These words were spoken slowly and with attention.

The reptilian form of Quabil stepped in the direction of the massive metal altar. In front of the altar’s table, the three Keys were placed next to each other. The metal surface mixed with diamonds was shining even in that weak light – maybe because the contrast of the dark velvet surface beneath them. They looked stunningly beautiful. But the fact that they were in possession of demons was most disturbing. In that moment, Jason understood that it was only a question of minutes until the Gate would be opened. It would be really impossible to watch demonic forces entering this dimension. He would rather die than be there, helpless to do anything! But, he couldn’t move an inch. He could only watch that ugly humanoid reptile preparing to connect the keys right there on the spot to open wide the Gate doors.

“He needs me … for what?” Jason tried to think of an answer through his fog of pain, but nothing was coming to him. But, he was alive and he knew there had to be a higher plan and a meaning behind it. (At least, he was trying to believe that.)

“You should feel honored, O fallen Guardian”, the demon mocked. “I hope you feel anything besides the weakness. You don’t look your best, you know.” The transformation of his body hadn’t changed his wicked nature.

Jason did not care about the ridicule or the pain. But being helpless and watching the defeat without a chance to do anything did threaten to tear his heart apart!

Having gained the knowledge on how to join the Key, Quabil began the process, exactly like the last time, but without hesitation. His long reptilian fingers helped him to join the Keys even faster. The oval-shaped Ritual Room exploded with bright light, creating the same sphere of energy as in St. Peter’s church in Essex. However, in this time and dark space, the glow of this energy was so strong that vision was difficult. The monster had to squeeze his yellow eyes nearly shut, but Jason could see his reptilian face smiling. Quabil was happily looking at the magic of the Diamond Gate. It had started to manifest in the middle of the Ritual Room, below the Temple of Tyn.

XXVIII.

The spherical energy of the Three Keys formed a Vortex that began to float around the room, slowly as if checking the space. Jason knew exactly what was going on - hope and desperation mixed inside his mind. The Energy Vortex was searching for the spot marked by the force of higher intelligence that had created the Keys and the passage between worlds – the Diamond Gate. The Energy Vortex refreshed Jason’s mind but devastated him at the same time, knowing that the Key was in control of demons – years of self-discipline alone kept him from screaming. Thinking about the fact that the end was near made him try one more time, one more attempt to stop the demonic invasion. He gathered all of his power of mind and body, but he just met with pain even bigger than before.

The monster felt his pain, turned his head toward him for a moment and smiled. It was obvious that his power entirely controlled him – no human reactions were left. The pain doubled in intensity and Jason had to do something. Instinctively he started channeling the pain out by screaming in a particular sound and tonality. His face was a painful mask, and Quabil’s pleasure deepened. When Quabil took that long look of the enjoyment, he opened the doors for Jason’s mental abilities. Despite the pain, and beyond Quabil’s powers, Jason finally understood why he was being kept alive.

The Vortex of bright light suddenly stopped floating right above the center of the oval room, probably where the altar had stood originally. When the location of Diamond Gate was matched by the Vortex of the Keys, a second explosion of light occurred. Keys were joined and began to levitate right there between Quabil and the place where Jason helplessly leaned onto a wall. He understood that the Key of a Gate was ‘searching’ for a carrier – someone who could open the doors. That was why Jason had not been vaporized on the spot.

Quabil was not sure if he would be eligible for this ‘tiny’ part of the task. He lifted a hand of grey rough skin and reached for the Key, now joined into a full circle that rotated slowly in the Vortex. When his long bony fingers touched the key, Jason saw the effect that happens anytime a godless demonic energy comes in contact with a source of spiritualized energy. Those are the opposing ends of this universe. They fight each other, from time immemorial – always have and always will. The moment when Quabil’s hand reached the Key, his reptilian demonic body was smashed into the opposing wall with great force.

This blast weakened the venomous power that was keeping Jason paralyzed, just a bit. This tiny window of opportunity would be all that he got. Despite terrible pain, he threw himself in the direction of the Light, trying to get ahold of the Keys. Only one hand reached it, and Jason was hit by the enormous power of the keys. Shock! The power was overwhelming, but for those devoted to goodness and spirituality, this energy is the utmost source of protection and strength. Jason felt recharged. For a moment, he was free from pain.

But Quabil had already regrouped, and furiously attacked him from behind. Horrible sharp pain and suffering returned now, multiplied in intensity. Jason fell down on his knees but managed to keep his hand on the Keys, the only thing that kept him alive. His whole body now became a meeting point of two opposing forces, blasting at him from two sides. One force was giving him life and strength, and the other wanted to annihilate him.

XXIX.

Quabil moved, grabbing Jason’s head with both hands. He had to get in possession of his mind entirely before the moment of death, so that he could use him for opening the doors of the Gate. That plan was now delayed because of his demonic mentality and arrogance. The serpent in humanoid form was roaring and raging in fury; he was investing all his powers to detach Jason from the surface of the Keys that gave him power to resist! His monstrous form began to expand in size and a green glow around it became visible, like a fog in early winter morning. Quabil (or what was left of him) was backed up by the full powers of the Demonic Alliance. The stones below his feet began to melt. Jason’s body slowly started to lean toward the monster, away from the Keys and the Vortex of light.

The pain was becoming impossible to tolerate. Jason was getting away from the source of life-giving force, touching the Keys with only two fingers, hanging on to them for dear life. The pain grew stronger and stronger - he could feel his mind power evaporating – but Jason knew that if this were an impossible task he would never have been placed in this situation!

“Is this the end? What else I can do?” was the only thought in his mind.

He was giving all he could to resist, but Quabil, channeling the power of all the lower planetary systems, their advanced technology, millions of their black magicians and this bloodthirsty, demonic creature ... all were backing him up. The struggle seems to near its end. The two fingers that were hanging on became one finger, and then the last one just gave up. All connection to the Vortex and Keys disconnected. Jason was entirely overpowered by the raging anger of the demon. He was now just like a puppet in the hands of a puppeteer, exactly as Quabil had planned. Once his mind and body were under the spell of demonic forces, he could use Jason to get what he wanted, just like using a glove to open the hot doors of an oven.

Hope of stopping the Demonic Alliance army entering and killing all that moved - was dead. Everything was lost and all chances were dead …if, just if Jason would forget the final lesson he had gotten on Kailash instead of the Armor and Weapons of Light. But he did not forget– nothing else was left. He entirely and selflessly surrendered to the higher power. He did all he could; he gave it all up to the will of destiny!

He was entirely under the grip of Quabil’s demonic power - that much he was able to understand. Despite his mental screams, he watched his arms move beyond his control. Quabil got ahold of his wrists, and just like using a tool, he moved towards the Key rotating in front of his face. On the other side of the Diamond Gate, the lined-up soldiers of the Demonic Alliance already could see the movement in ether and the sphere of light forming in front of them. There on a demonic planet Rahu, millions of bloodthirsty soldiers were lined up and ready to move.

As the hands of Jason were used for the worst thing he could ever imagine, the core of his heart and soul underwent the change that only lower souls go through. No one could have expected or planned for this. Being now in full harmony with the Higher Power of Light, in tune with the spiritual nature of his mind and soul, Jason’s body accepted the qualities and the nature of the ultimately powerful Energy of Light. That very moment his entire existence became spiritualized, and from that very second Quabil could no more touch the ‘flesh and bones’ of Jason’s body. Now he was in direct contact with the Power of Light, like iron in a fire becoming like the fire – and the reptilian humanoid became fully exposed. Because he was totally invested in the process of opening the Diamond Gate, he couldn’t have gotten away even if he had tried. Direct exposure to the Higher Power had a devastating effect on the demonic body and mind of Quabil. His body started to shake, tremble and in a few seconds he started to disintegrate. The entire devastation of Quabil lasted only a few seconds.

When Jason understood that something unexpected was taking place, the reptilian body on his back was already half destroyed. All of a sudden, an indescribable feeling of freedom and bliss washed over Jason, now that he no longer was tied to a creature channeling the powers of the Demonic Alliance. Overwhelmed, he turned to see the snakelike body of the demon screaming in pain, and gradually falling apart. There was neither smoke nor fire, but it looked as if Quabil was being burned alive. That ‘burning’ without the fire looked more like evaporating due to the extreme temperature.

As Jason turned back, the demon form was annihilated. Only silence was left, the pleasant energy of the Vortex and the levitating Keys of the Diamond Gate. Feelings of bliss were reinforced by the powerful emotion of gratitude that manifested deep within Jason’s heart. Taking the Keys into his hands, his bliss and inner enlightenment became complete. It hadn’t been so long ago when he had done it the last time – he disconnected the Keys respectfully and with care. The Vortex of bright light disappeared instantly and without a sound.

On the lower planet Rahu, the light disappeared in front of the faces of the leaders of the Demonic Army. The roar of confusion sounded helpless and desperate, but there was nothing they could do now … the doors of the Diamond Gate would stay closed.

Jason took all three parts of the Key, wrapped it in dark blue velvet cloth, and headed towards the corridor and exit.

Part 10

“If They Only Knew...”

XXX.

It was a sunny autumn morning in Prague, one of those that make people sit in gardens and benches in parks, enjoying the warmth before the winter and cold creep in. Birds were still chirping and flying around while people were walking on the streets, mostly going to work. Prague’s Old Town Square was waking up. Two friends were sitting in front of the Tyn Temple on a sunny part of the stairs. While looking at people who were passing by, both of them felt grateful and happy. Simply sitting there and looking at the world go by was a manifestation of the supreme Higher Power and its all-pervading presence.

“If they only knew…” Gunnar’s face was very serious and his tone was filled with gratitude and compassion. Just now he was hearing all the answers he had asked from Jason, and those answers and explanations strongly resonated inside his mind.

“…they would all live their lives differently. I wish, somehow, we could make the world aware of what the reality of this morning could have been…”

Jason’s white T-shirt was dirty and his body was tired, but surprisingly, there was no serious wound or damage. Even his ribs did not feel broken anymore. He looked at the face of his friend and smiled. He understood his mind and knew there was no need to answer him. He looked in the direction of the street leading to Tyn’s Temple entrance. From there he could see Michael and the other members of his Team, busily running in and out to their cars still parked in front of the entrance. They were taking care of the mess left behind in the fight.

“Let me take you home -” Gunnar’s voice changed and he sounded worried.

“You must be exhausted …”.

“Yes, let’s go … everything is arranged here anyway”, Jason agreed.

His team was covering all the signs of activity in front the Temple, inside the corridors and the Ritual Room. Most importantly, all Three Parts of the Key were safe, in the shoulder bag close to his body.

“All this is just the pure mercy of the Higher Power…” Still floating in a cloud of bliss and gratitude, through the car window he peacefully watched the streets of Prague already crowded with hundreds of tourists. The M5 tuned machine in their BMW X6 was growling peacefully, slowly advancing toward the Warrior Academy building and Jason’s house. As they drove through town, all of the buildings, streets and people on this bright sunny autumn morning looked simply beautiful.

Seeing men and women, children on a playground and life going on just like yesterday felt fantastic. Seeing people buying groceries with normal lines of worry on their faces, Jason remembered what Gunnar told him. When they approached the familiar neighborhood, those words received more weight and significance. The high walls of Matsumoto’s property were just in front of them and Jason’s heart started beating a quick tattoo, so fast and loud that he glanced at Gunnar to see if he had noticed anything.

Gunnar raised his eyebrows:

“What?” He couldn’t understand Jason’s look.

They approached and stopped in front of the main gate of his house, waiting for a gate to open. Jason tried to stay calm but it was not an easy thing for him to do. He was hoping to see her soon. Acting as if he did not care, he turned slightly to the right. He could see a big part of the courtyard in front of a big Villa in Japanese style. When he saw the rear end of a black limousine parked there, his heart started beating like a drum, and he twisted around in his seat and then jumped out from the car. At last, he was just a few feet away! Sumiko was about to get into the limousine that drove her to school. Their eyes met and they both felt that indescribable pleasure and relief inside their minds and all over their bodies.

“As you said my friend … if they only knew…”, Jason replied to Gunnar, still looking at those most beautiful black eyes, across the fence.

Glossary

* Dim Mak - The Touch of Death refers to specific martial arts technique. Sticking only pressure points of the body master of this Art kills a person easily. You can’t find many real masters left. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Tabata cardio – One of the most intense types of cardio workouts. Only topnotch athletes use it in its original and total form. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Vimāna - Reference to ancient flying and inter-dimensional vehicles transportation are found in most ancient scriptures here on this planet. These are not only "anti-gravitational” but real pathways between the dimensions of this Universe. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Yojana - Vedic measure of distance used in ancient India. The exact measurement is disputed amongst scholars with distances being given between 4 to 9 miles. (Back to story ----> click here)

*Tri-kāla-jñā – knowing the past, present and future or having ability to totally be aware of those. Ability to comprehend ‘three times’ is only given to elevated souls who wont misuse it. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Psychotronic – mental powers achieved by mystical disciplines and normally not in few lifetimes but achieved trough several incarnations – therefore often considered as  ‘given on birth’. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Yuga – Cycle of time. There are four Yugas and shortest, one that we are in now, lasts 432.000 years. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Kali Yuga – age of quarrel and hypocrisy. “The citizens will suffer greatly from cold, wind, heat, rain and snow. They will be further tormented by quarrels, hunger, thirst, disease and severe anxiety.” On a positive side, there is 10.000 years long ‘golden period’ in each Kali Yuga cycle where spiritual advancement is made simple. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Mensch – expression for man, originating from German. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Asana – Yogic positions of the body used for relaxing, energizing and healing the body. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Tanto – Short knife of wide blade sharp as Katana, Samurai sword. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Pranayama – breathing exercises given in Yogic scriptures and other ancient mystical practices. When used properly they result in multiple benefits for body and mind. (Back to story ----> click here)

* Chi Kung – ancient Chinese art of controlling the life energy in body. (Back to story ----> click here)

For additional information and discussions you can visit authors blog.

Copyright and Disclaimer

© Copyright 2012 – V. K. Ramsey

© Cover Art/Design © Copyright 2012 - V. K. Ramsey

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.