Edited By Tanya Allan

As they made their way out, John was worried about his sword. Without it he felt helpless.

Shaking his head, he put the thought out of his mind for the moment.

The group carefully sneaked through the house, checking each room they came to for their weapons, or any weapons for that matter.

On rounding the corner in a corridor, they came across a substantial door. They had no idea as to what lay beyond. The tracker placed his ear to the door.

“I can hear nothing,” he announced.

“Try to open it,” suggested one of the others.

“You try,” the tracker said to John.

John looked at the massive, heavy wooden door.

“It looks heavier than the place in which we were locked in. But I guess I can give it a try.”

John braced himself against the frame and kicked with his right leg, so the sole of his right foot slammed into the door level with the lock. There was a loud crack that came from the other side of the door.

“That was the hinge, give it another try,” said the tracker.

“Let me try something a little different. Wait a moment,” John said, turning and walking back down the corridor. Then he turned and ran full pelt towards the door, jumping at the last moment and smashing both feet against the door, with all the weight of his body behind the slam.

The door shattered like glass, with splinters of wood showering all within range. John, now in a heap inside the room, stood up, brushed the fragments off himself and grinned.

The others entered and they all looked around them. It was a storage room, containing over a hundred robotic beasts and many spare parts. There were cats, hippos and everything in between. None moved, but they all knew that it was only a matter of time.

“Oh crap! If only I had my sword!” said John, looking at his hand and trying to will his sword to it.

Suddenly, they all heard the sound of something crashing through a series of hard structures, like wood and stone.

“What’s happening? Where’s that noise coming fr….?” The tracker never got to finish his question.

Some debris fell from the ceiling, so the men scattered, fearful of another attack. It wasn’t an attack, but more debris fell, to be followed by the sword. It freed itself from the wood and plaster, hovering in the air just in front of John.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about," he said, grabbing the sword.

As he did so, the sword imparts to John the memory of an attack. Following the memory, John ran his hand down the blade. As his hand passed down the blade, sparks emanate from the blade, showering into the room. John spins in a circle like a top and comes to a stop with a circle of electricity around him. He slams the sword into the ground and a massive shockwave like a E.M.P. blast shuts everything down. An aroma of burned-out circuits filled the air, with an eerie light coming from the blade and the man who held it.

“Hey, John, are you alright?” the tracker asked.

“Huh?” replied John, feeling weird.

“You hair, it’s growing longer,” one of the men said.

“Yeah, and it’s changed colour!” said another.

John shook his head, noticing a change.

“You’re right, it does feel a bit longer. My chest is tight, but, hey, what the hell, we need to get out of here,” he said, leading the way through another door from the store.

Not wanting to be left behind, the group followed John, but as they caught up, they encountered the first trap.

The first was a huge hammer that was released as John passed under it. He caught it in mid-swing with a right hook and sent it flying down the corridor, where it crashed into the wall with a loud bang.

The next trap came some distance afterwards. This time, a large, round boulder fell from the ceiling as they approached. It hit the floor and rolled towards them. It was too big to get past, but they didn’t need to. John simply kicked it once and it shattered into thousands of dust particles.

“I’m getting fed up with this place,” John said, as he turned to the others. “Look, meet me at the end. I’m going to clear the way for you.”

With that, he ran at full speed, destroying every trap he passed until he encountered an even bigger door.

He tred to kick it, but this one wasn’t giving too easily. Feeling strangely tired, John sat down to wait on his friends to come and help. However, as soon as he let his head rest against the wall, he fell asleep.

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JOHN'S DREAM WORLD

John awoke to discover that he was in a white room. In the middle of the room was a pedestal, and on the pedestal was his sword.

Feeling light-headed, he walked over to the sword with the intention of picking it up and leaving. When he was about five feet away the sword rose into the air and started to glow brightly and spin round. As John watched, mesmerised, he saw the sword change into a beautiful woman wearing leather armor.

The woman began to speak. It was in no language John had ever heard, but he understood every word.

"I am the sword that you have found. I was forged at the beginning of time when the blast that created the universe. II was forged with enough compressed metal to equal three suns. I possess a soul, and can grant my soul and all my power to anyone I choose to wield me. That person will, in due time, become an immortal god or goddess. My name is Gentex.”

“So, what am I doing here, Gentex?" asked a bemused John.

“I have chosen you to wield the sword. So you may expect to undergo many changes in a short space of time. You may not like the changes at first, but, believe me, in time you will understand why they are necessary.”

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John was suddenly awake, to find himself sitting on the floor by the door The tracker was shaking him.

“Wake up, John, we have to get going!” said the tracker.

“Fine, let’s go. Just let me and Gentex open this damn door,” he said, lifting the sword.

“Who is Gentex?” one of the men asked.

John looked baffled for a moment, but then shook his head.

“My sword, of course. It has a name, you know.”

With one swipe, he cut the door open with the sword. Beyond the shattered door they look into what could only be the laboratory of the evil man they sought.

Not twenty feet away if that man, looking alarmed as the door shattered with one mighty blow. He was working on another robotic beast. He looked surprised to see them.

“I thought you’d take a little longer to get through the door. But, hey, I guess I was wrong. Now, what shall I do next? Oh, I know. How about this?”

With that, he grabbed a glass vial, throwing it onto the floor next to him. Instead of splashing everywhere, the liquid, that appeared strangely metallic, spread in a direct blob, heading towards the feet of the man himself.

He laughed as the metal climbed up his legs, covering him within seconds. As it covered him, the men watched as it started to take form, like armor, but also like a beast. When complete, the man stood before them dressed in what appeared to impenetrable armor designed to look like a cross between a gorilla and a bear.

Before John of his companions could react, the man struck quickly, knocking John’s sword from his hand. It slithered across the room, so John watched, hearing the shots of his friends shooting at the man in the animal armor.