Fer was suddenly enveloped in a bright flash. He closed his eyes against the blinding light on instinct and covered them with his left hand. There was a burning sensation on the same site that had been wounded by a knife not seven days before. He gritted teeth but there was no pain. The warmth had been more startling than anything. 

Slowly he felt the warmth decrease. He opened one eye experimentally and noticed that though he could still see spots, his eyes were regaining their vision. He opened the other eye and his vision soon recognized he was in a dimly lit room with what looked like stone walls.  A slight glow at his feet caught his attention and he managed to catch the receded light of some sort of intricately carved circle. Though his eyes had returned to normal, there was still a warm feeling in his left forearm. Instinctively he retracted it to his chest and placed his right hand upon it. Instead of skin, the right palm felt metal. 

He raised his forearm to his face in alarm, almost slamming into his nose. His eyes hurriedly inspected the scene before him. There was something that appeared to be some sort of ornate jewelry but he would later come to know it was a bracer that extended from behind his wrist bone to 4 inches before the bend of the elbow. There seemed to also be a sort of jewel but the color seemed to change and swirled as if there was some sort of smoke inside it. 

“Welcome Shield Hero” a voice spoke and brought Fer out of his musings and inspections. People seemed to materialize from the shadows robed in white. He introduced himself as Master Eric. Fer cautiously took in he was surrounded but felt no ill will towards him. Still he remained on the alert, every now and then taken glances behind and to his sides making sure nobody was advancing for a surprise attack. 
“[color=003471]Where am I?”[/color] He had spoken in Spanish but unbeknownst to him, his Shield was translating. [color=0076a3]“I am sure you have many questions. Please come with me and I will explain it all”[/color] Fer cautiously followed the man and noticed the other monks(?) filed behind them at a respectful distance. 

As he was led past an open courtyard, he noticed that it was dark but the hue in the sky resembled the early pre-dawn hours he had spent on lookout. Fer followed the robed man only because he wanted to collect more intel on where he was and how he came to be here. The buildings and people seemed nothing like the humble huts near the train station or the tan leathery inhabitants of the mountains. Even the lofty homes of the rich in his country could not compare to the architecture he saw as he traversed a walled compound. His mind fought with the idea that this could be a castle from one of the stories his little brother was so found of. But he decided to concentrate on the here and now and leave the wondering for later. 

Finally they arrived at a wooden door which opened into a decent sized room with a  bed and room enough for a table and two chairs. There were no windows and judging from the distance traveled, they must be near the center of the complex. Fer continued to look around unsure of what to make of his situation. The monk sighed in understanding and he motioned for the young man to sit on one of the chairs. [color=0076a3]“Please sit Shield Hero. I know this is too much to take in but I shall attempt to explain as much as I can.”[/color] Fer made his way to the chair but did not relax his guard in the least. The monk offered him a smile and launched into his tale to a captivated Fer. When he was done he waited for the young man to ask any questions but Fer had too much to mull over without adding to the mix. 

The monk excused himself and left the young man still sitting on the chair. His mind racing and trying to grasp what he had just been told. He could not be dreaming as his mind was not capable of coming up with the setting and premise which had been presented to him. His little brother would have been the one who had read extensively.

He could not be dead for even though he had not been religious, the few times they had gone to mass portrayed a heaven and hell much different than the modestly fancy room he now sat in. Having no other explanation for his current situation, he had to work on the premise that what he had been told was true. That on his forearm now rested some sort of magical shield and he was one of four people who had to somehow help the people of this place against monsters, based on the descriptions. 

He was still deep in thought caressing the bracer in his left arm when he heard a few knocks at the door. He blinked his eyes and wondered how much time had already passed. He made his way to the door and opened it. An armored clad soldier with an open face helmet stood respectfully a few paces away. [color=0076a3]“My apologies Shield Hero, but you are summoned by the King.” [/color]
The young man followed the soldier through the halls. Once they came to the courtyard again he noticed it must be early morning based on the shadows. He was silent, only nodding as a few people greeted him in a deferring tone he was not used to. Soon they arrived at the tall doors that led into the throne room. 	
																								
The doors parted and Fer saw before him a throne where a young looking man sat and two equally looking men stood near it looking in his direction as he entered. This made him feel a little self conscious due to how appropriate the others seemed to dress and his own clothes made him stand out. He was wearing a white T-shirt that boasted a young Michael Jackson but that Fer had no idea who it was. His jeans were also worn and faded. 

One of the young men at the front motioned for him and asked him [color=f26522]“Hey buddy you alright?” [/color] Fer nodded his head. Even if he was not, how could he possibly communicate that everything around him was not ok. So he kept his mouth shut and moved forward. He was unsure what to do since he had never been before a King so he awkwardly did a hand motion and bowed as he had seen someone do in a movie before. His voice was tight and unsure as he spoke [color=1b1464]“Good morning, Mr. King. I am Fernando Gutierrez….uh…I was told I’m here to help….after..can I go home?”[/color]
His eyes tried not to meet the King’s it was not that he was afraid but he had always been taken advantage of and everyone in leadership had left a distrust in his heart. However, he knew the fastest way home had to be to finish whatever duty he had here and perhaps they would send him home.