The Chronicles of the Black Crystal. Vol: 1: Andrew River
Chapter 14: The Follower

“You know the where about of my father’s Crystal? How is this? You told me ago, you could not seem to relive your past. However, you know the region where the Crystal resides?” Master Jim said.

“Master Jim Hensworth, please let me finish. I can explain.” I replied.

“As your request, please proceed.” As he motioned to me in gentlemen, like way.

" Moments ago, I saw myself in a dream or memory. It was as clear as day. I placed the Crystal in a secret compartment in the satchel, over yonder. ” Pointing with my eyes the location of the satchel.

" You saw it in a fantasy.” He summarized.

“Indeed, I did,” I said.

" I see. You agreed that you had these ‘visions’ before this?”

" Indeed, I did,” I repeated.

" How long since, when they had begun?”

“When you showed me the room full of relics.”

“Explanations are now visible. I am to predict when you picked up the satchel the first time; the crystal recognized you. Because, of course, you handled it once before. But it felt something different in you; it could not decide what it was. You, on the other hand, did not recognize the presence. It was, as to you, a sickness. Your body, better that your mind tried to fight off the Crystal. The Crystal’s power was too strong for you to handle. You only harvested up a couple of images. I am to perceive?”

“Yes, you are most certainly correct. Each ‘vision’ became clearer as I lived here. They were faded together, in the beginning, now I comprehend them much more. I believe some were memories.”

“This does not surprise me.” Master Jim continued,” As your mind grew to the presence of the Black Crystal, it gave you more. Then, when it sought for the right time, it retired your memories to you.” He paused, then went on. ” Were they memories you had or was there more?”

I hesitated to tell about my nightmare, but I decided that I should, ” I had a dream of Dylan before. Before he came to the mansion, that evening at dinner.”

“The Crystal most likely knew that Dylan had been searching for it. Knowingly, you, at the time, endowed with the Black Crystal. Dylan had been searching for you as well. Thus, it warned you of that monster.”

" I determine I knew him before he snatched me. I had a memory of Dylan and me, but I had not been called Andrew, I was called Sky-lar. How I communed with him, I had been with him for a period.”

“You said your name was Sky-lar?”

“Indeed, it was, have you heard mention of the name?”

“I have, I found out he was tenacious, powerful,” He hesitated to finish, ” follower.”

“Of whom?”

" He was no doubt a follower of Dylan.”

" No, this cannot be. I am not those men that brought anguished upon me. That was not me!”

" Who am I to say that you were. You have no recollection of your later years.”

I started to defend my name, ” If I was a faithful follower of that monster, why would he have given me such a pain? Do you have an answer to that as well?”

" He acquired something from you; it did not matter if you were with him once. Dylan is not a compassionate man. Nor is he forgiving.” Said Master Jim.

" There must be more in my life, than with...with...with Dylan! You mentioned prevoulsly that I had vanished, and you knew me once. What happened between us?” I was the one interviewing him now.

He started to speak about my tale, ” When you left this mansion I remember it clearly as if it was yesterday. Nevertheless, in most stories you should go back a little further until you get to the present. And so, this is what I will do.

" As I already mentioned, my father lived in this mansion before I inherited it from him. However, it was never just myself and my father that lived here. Dylan lived here as well.” I was silent in shock. Dylan walked the same halls that I walked in, every day! He continued, ” My father brought him in one day because he felt compassion for Dylan. Dylan never had a family to call his own, and my father always wanted more children in the house. My mother left us when I was quite small. It was just my father and I, for a little while. Until Dylan appeared in the picture.

“Dylan is very close to me in age. He is only a few years younger than I. As you can imagine; we became very fond of each other. I considered Dylan as my brother. Then one day my father invented the Black Crystal. It was a joyful time in all our lives. My father told us once, the power that the Crystal possess can help humanity in so many obstacles. We just had to figure them out. I honestly, do not know if my father could grasp the power of his invention at all. Dylan and I were the first Keepers, or protectors, of the Black Crystal. It showed us so many things in the world. It could tell you your past, your present, and your future with a touch of a finger. It taught us to use the power of nature. To fly as the clouds, to move water as the moon, and to ignite a fire as lighten. And much more. At first, we both were excited to use our new-found powers for good. We could not have been more pleased with ourselves. Then Dylan saw the evil that he could produce. He enjoyed himself too much. One day Dylan did the unimaginable, the monster took the Black Crystal and used it for his liking. He killed many innocent souls and reached havoc unto many. That monster almost destroyed himself in the process. Dylan wanted to learn more about the evil art and become more powerful as well, so he stole the Crystal. I regained it with a price. Dylan took away my skills. He saw himself invincible. When I had the Crystal, it told me everything that Dylan had done and learned. He was stronger than anyone could imagine. There was a price for his power; he could be vanquished. The Crystal learned of his weakness, but it never told me what it was.”

I interrupted, ” Master Jim, where was your father in all of this?”

“Dylan hurt many, including my father. Consequently, he wasn’t the same. But he did keep his compassion. That was when you came along. You were just eighteen at the time when my father met you. He brought you in, and you became part of our family. As time went on, he too told you about the Black Crystal and even the story of Dylan. He was open to you. You hardly even believed him.”

" How did I believed your father?”

" Everybody knew the name of Dylan. And what he can perform on you. And the Black Crystal told you a different side of the story as well. A story that you did not grow up hearing. As time went on, you found favor with it. Henceforth, it showed you everything, including the darkness. You were as powerful as both of Dylan and I combined. The Crystal made known of the weakness of Dylan to you. But it made you swore, never to tell a soul, including me.

" Not too soon after that, did my father leave. And you left. The Crystal disappeared. And I was alone, considering what should have been accomplished for many years.” He concluded.