New Age

With a bright flash, Paragon appeared at the base of the fabled peak of Everest. It took only a moment to acclimatize himself to the thin air of the area. It would only get worse from there. Once he caught his breath, he began trudging his way through the deep Tibetan snow. Harsh winds blew around him, sending snow flying at him like daggers. Slowly, he made his way to base camp 2, where he would eat, warm up, and continue on his ascent. Climbers at the camp considered him mad to be going without oxygen, rest, or even simply teleporting to the top.

"I have my reason." Paragon told the other adventurers. "One, I've always wanted to climb. Two, I have enhanced strength and endurance, so lactic acid doesn't build up at fast so I don't need to break as much as you. Three, boss's orders." With that, he continued his trek.

Night came quickly, and by this time he was making his way up the summit, when normal humans were a three day's journey behind him. His stamina allowed him to keep a steady pace, while his danger-sense kept him one step ahead of the mountain. The weather was working against him, with a powerful head-wind blowing snow dangerously off of avalanche ready snow packs. As he approached the peak, he saw a monastary.

This must be the place. But that strange that I've never seen that in the pictures or even heard anyone speak of a building up here... Must have been a real b!tch to build...

The gale force winds threatened to throw him over the edge, to what would likely be his death, as he ran the final few meters to the door of the ancient building. Paragon opened the door slowly and let himself in. Inside was pitch black, save the fire that burned beside Arrow.

"Well sir. That's one task down, what's my next challenge, eh?" asked Paragon with a sly grin on his face.

Paragon took a seat in the chair. The darkness around him was so thick, he could taste it, even in the thin air. He leaned forward, intent on hearing the tale Arrow was about to tell, while chucking to the old monk.

"The best time and place to learn to swim, is when you're in the middle of the deep end. Motivation is the greatest character builder... Sorry, I don't know your name, sir."

Paragon looked at Arrow. Two years!? That was a long time for the world to go without two heroes. He sat and pondered the request in silence. His head swirled with thoughts. What about the Phoenix Guard? I guess Sparda could lead in my absence. My girlfriend isn't going to be happy. This will make me a better hero, though. Is it worth it? After sitting in silence, Paragon took a deep breath and announced his descision.

"Count me in, boss."

With the fire dimmed, Paragon decided to get his rest as well. The old monk led him by candle light through the darkness of the temple to his chamber. The room was nearly empty, save the small bed in the corner, with a table beside it. The wooden floor had a small elegantly woven green carpet by the bed. The room it's self was lit by a candle and had a single window, looking over the majestic view of the Himalayas below them.

"This shall be your home. I will see you in the library tomorrow, young hero." said the old man as he turned to leave, leaving his candle behind.

"Wait! You forgot your candle." Paragon called after the monk.

Paragon could barely hear it, but as the old man dissapeared into the darkness, he could hear the old monk chuckle to himself, "I like him..."

Back in his new quarters, Paragon lay down on his bed to rest up for the night. It would be a long two years ahead of him.

Paragon woke up with a start the next morning. He had spent most of the night dreaming. Most of the visions made no sense, and he could barely remember more than half of it. He could swear that he remembered seeing Laura, his old girlfriend who had died in a tragic accident, swimming somewhere, but she had been dead for almost a year now.

He shook off the dream, and hurried toward the library, where Arrow would be waiting for him. Doors to other rooms of the temple flew by him as he ran top speed down the empty halls.

Turn right here, and this is where the library should be... he thought to himself. He went around the corner, and flew straight into a wall. "Sonofa... So that's what they meant by the halls change..." He brushed himself off and prepared to find the library.

After 15 minutes of searching, Paragon managed to find his way to the room where Arrow and the monk awaited.

Paragon looked around the room, and then raised his hand. "Question! Does 5 books really count as a library? If so, my bathroom sometimes doubles as one." He paused for a moment, to find that no one was laughing at his joke, and continued on. "Yes sir, I do realize that I can never understand everything, though I may try. My science only goes so far, and the magics of the world are both unpredictable and limitless."

"Ah, yes. You are both smart and wise." said the monk. "Now, choose a book so that we may begin."

"Is there a right one for me to choose?" asked Paragon.

"You will know. Choose the one that appeals to you."

Paragon eyed all the books, and analyzed all his choices. He loved the ocean, and was once a swimmer, but since it took Laura from him, it only reminded him of sadness lately. Not that one. He moved on to the book of stone. He grew up in the mountains and in a mining community, so it reminded him of home. However, the cover looked cold and heavy. That's just not me... The remaining book of light then caught his attention. He was almost drawn to it. Well, I have usually been the opposite of Arrow, and it goes with my powers, so this seems to be the logical choice.

Paragon picked up the book, and then monk nodded.

"Good." he said. "Now we shall begin."

The book of light glowed in Paragon's hands. Every answer to every question he ever had about the history of the world lay before him. His mind raced. Where would he start? Why did the dinosaurs die out, or the fall of Rome? See Da Vincci at work, or witness the signing of the Declaration of Independence? So many choices presented themselves to him.

"Wait. How does the book work?" he asked the monk.

"I've already said, the book will simply take you to where, or more when you want to go." the monk explained.

Paragon sat in silence for a moment, with the eyes of Arrow and the monk watching him, awaiting a descision. Well, I guess we'll start with something simple. he thought to himself.

As Paragon opened the cover of the book, the room around him seemed to melt around them. Colours swirled together and mixed to form the scene now set out before them. Paragon was sitting in an arena. The ice of the hockey rink was a brilliant white, and at center ice, was the logo for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics. On the ice were the starting line ups for the Canadian and American men's hockey teams. The crowd around them were roaring with enthusiasm as over 50 years of disappointments led up to this moment. As the puck dropped, Paragon felt the monk looking over at him. Paragon looked back and smiled.

"What? I was driving though the mountains when this happened. This was a big deal to us Canadians, eh."

The monk silently shook his head.

Paragon looked back at the old man. "Alright, alright. I was just testing the book. I didn't know how it worked, and I was kind of worried that something might happen to me if I were to say, have gone to the Vimmy Ridge or Gallipoli." Paragon closed the book and they appeared back in the library of the temple. "Now, was there something specific you wanted me to see to continue this lesson?" he asked Arrow.

Paragon's light blue eyes matched Arrow's gaze with a slightly confused look.

"You're telling me that this piece of literature chose me, and not the other way around, despite me going through my head and logically choosing the book after eliminating the water and earth books?" he asked and raised his eyebrow at his mentor. "Have the other two books already chosen their keepers? Do I know them? What does the water and earth represent if our's are the good and bad? Wait, what do you mean by this alternate earths thing? You mean like when Gambler had Wanda manipulate the world in favour of the Hellfire Club? Sorry. That's a lot of questions at once."

He sat back in his chair and tried to take in everything he had heard. His head was spinning in an attempt to take in all the information, and looked toward the monk for a logical explanation for the things he was just told, and the answers to his questions.

Paragon remained in the library, using the Book of Light to learn as much as he could in a short time. His head was swimming with thoughts drifting from what Arrow had said about other worlds. He would learn of this in time.

Time passed quickly in the library and before he knew it, it was time to meet Arrow.

"Frick! I'm going to be late!" he said as he saw the time. With a flash, he disappeared only to reappear in a dark hallway. "Double frick! Stupid shifty halls." With that Paragon took off down the corridor to where he could feel fresh air. He ran for some time, turning left, then right, and right again. Every hall looked identical to the last. The thin air caused Paragon to tire much more quickly than normal, and soon he slowed his pace down to a walk.

"Frick. I wish Arrow had taught me tracking before the books. It would have helped me out so much right now..." he said as he turned a corner, finding himself in the entrance room of the monastary, where Arrow stood waiting, with the old man beside him.

"You are late." chuckled the monk.