the dark diamond, parts i-iii

8/7/2019 The Dark Diamond, Parts I-III

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The Dark Diamond

Part I

It was a dark and stormy night.

It always is, thought Thys. He rolled over and looked at his alarm clock: 3:00 am. In 4

hours he would report for his first day at the Guardian Academy. Everyone was thrilled.

Everyone but him.

At the party the night before, Thys was showered with cards, gifts, and well-wishers. He

could tell that every young boy wanted to be in his shoes, and every old man was remembering

when they had been. Thys would trade places with any of them. The last thing he wanted was

to be a Guardian.

Eventually he counted enough sheep to drift off to sleep for what seemed like a few

minutes when the alarm clock sounded. He thrust his arm out of the blanket and smashed it

quiet. His mother soon burst into the room, singing.

What day is it? Ill tell you sir,

The day that weve all been waiting fer.

The day your adventures will begin,

Today you become a Guardian!

Thys mother beamed, as proud of her song as she was of Thys.

I just made that up!

Youre kidding.

Laughing, she pulled the blankets back and pulled Thys up to sitting position.

Here, she said. I didnt want you to open it in front of everyone.

Thys took a small package from her. It was fairly thin and rectangular. As he flipped it

in his fingers, he could guess what it was.

Open it! Thys mother urged.Slowly, Thys opened a corner and carefully began unwrapping. It was a sort of hinged

box. He opened it to see a black and white picture of a young man on one side. He was dressed

in a dark suit, his chest decorated with medals. The other side of the frame was blank. Thys ran

his thumb across the glass.


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That was the day your Grandfather graduated from the academy. Thys mother

explained. He was at the top of his class

Thys cut her off, I know.

Thys mother blinked and tapped the other side of the frame. She nudged him gently,

Guess what the other side is for.

Me. He replied flatly.

Ding Ding! You win! Thys mother clapped, trying to lighten the mood. Well put

this on the piano just as it is, waiting for you. At the end of theyear, youll fill it in. She hugged

him tightly, then rubbed his head and told him to come downstairs for breakfast.

After a quick breakfast they hopped in the car and were on their way to the Academy.

Thys listened to his music and tried to ignore his familys nervous energy. Why couldnt he be

as excited as they were? No one seemed to understand that he didnt want to be a Guardian. He

didnt care that he fell in line to 15 generations of Guardians, that the blazing blue diamondinsignia was stamped on every book in his home. He didnt care about the glory, the honor, the

prestige, or the reputation.

In front of the school he saw boys and girls his age, milling about, looking anxious,

nervous, thrilled, or a little nauseous. Thys felt nothing but a pit in his stomach.

Part IIOpening day of the Academy always starts the same way. Thys Dad had told him all

about it. . . several times. Chancellor Scott would begin commencement with a retelling of thehistory of the Academy.

Everyone stood quietly for the playing of the National Anthem. When they sat down,

Chancellor Scott marched to the microphone. He was a giant man, barrel-chested and ruddy-

faced. He cleared his throat, smoothed his glistening mustache, and began:

The Legion of Guardians has existed since the dawn of time. Though our methods

evolve and our skills sharpen, our mission has not changed since light and dark were

separated. Selected by birth, made extraordinary by our purpose, we protect the earth from a

darkness they cannot comprehend. . . .

Thys quickly grew interested in a fraying thread on the hem of his jeans. He had heard

this story since he was three. . .

When the earth was formed, light and dark were separated. All

the light and fire of good rose and lit the world as the sun, shining

pure and strong in the sky. The sun gives life, hope, and light to


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the world, hourly fighting a darkness that tries to encroach on

mens souls. All things have their opposite. All darkness, deceit,

and evil found its place as well. As the light rose, the darkness

sank lower and lower, clinging to itself and was slowly pressed

into a stone, then a clear diamonda diamond that holds all thedark evil created to counter the light of the sun. The diamond

sank deeper and deeper into the earth, settling into a cave filled

with other glittering diamonds. There it has stayed, emanating an

evil mostly contained within the cave. Through the fissures of the

earth some of its evil power seeped, creating confusion, despair,

and greed. But still, its full power remains deep below the earth,

guarded valiantly by the Legion of Guardians, those tapped by the

light to guard the diamond and ensure that the evil-hearted donot free it and unleash its power. Only a Guardian can protect it,

because only a Guardian can find it. Should anyone else (and few

have) find the cave, it would only appear as a glittering cavern,

the dark diamond safely tucked anonymously amidst thousands of

twins. But, when those of the Guardian bloodline appear, devout

and ready to protect, the diamond glows blue. Every Guardian

must make this trip once in his or her life, kneeling before the

diamond, not out of respect for the diamond itself, but as a vow to

humanity, to keep the presence of the diamond secret forever and

to protect it from those seeking it for their own dark ambition.

The Academy is where the Guardians learn how those before

have done this and find the courage to do it themselves.

It was a story Thys had heard so many times, told in hushed tones with an air of

reverence and honor. He respected the story, believed it even, but he didnt want to be a part of

it. He wasnt a Guardian, he was a musician. He didnt feel the thrill of studying the history of

the mighty Guardians and their thrilling successes, keeping the location of the diamond away

from the villains of the world. He preferred to walk into the woods with a good book and sharp

knife, gathering wood and whittling faces into sticks and escaping into poetic words. He

simply wasnt Guardian material. But nobody believed him. Everyone was convinced hed find

his inner Guardian at the Academy. So here he was, watching Chancellor Scott drone on


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about honor, valor, obedience, and unity. He was unmoved, and certainly unprepared for what

would come next.

Part IIIThe Guardians were not the only select group that knew about the Dark Diamond and

centered their energy on its power. The Somermek had known about the Dark Diamond for as

long as the Guardians, but had a very different goal. They had been seeking its power for

centuries, plotting against, attacking, kidnapping, threatening, and bribing Guardians in an

attempt to find the Diamond and bring it to the surface. If they could find it, they could harness

it, and the world would be at their mercy. They were there on opening day of the Academy as

well. They always were, watching and waiting for the one Guardian that looked different from

the rest, for the one Guardian that they thought could be their key, this time, to finding the

Diamond and bringing its power to light. This opening day one lanky, tan boy with sandy-

colored hair and intelligent blue eyes caught their attention. Every other new student sat

perched on the end of their seat but him. He studied the ground, his shoes, his pants, anything

but that obnoxious Chancellor Scott as he carried on about the glorious Guardians. He didnt

look angry or rebellious, just out of place. Just like someone who didnt want to be where they

were. He was the one they could use. He was the one they would watch and wait for, and once

he had learned everything the Academy could teach him, they would take him and convince

him to use it for them. Convince him in whatever way necessary.

the dark diamond, parts i-iii

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