Fire of Mugatabe

Mugatabe, the great warrior who traversed the chaos planes and slew the daemon lord J'kyygl transitioned from physical existence long ago. Though his fleshly body died, the power of his spirit was so strong it could never be extinguished and it lingered in the astral realms of eternity for centuries. Until the faithful moment when he encountered the wizard Katu, who had sought out the spirit of the mighty warrior in order to combat a new and dire threat. Katu explained to Mugatabe that once again the realms of existence lay threatened by various evil entities originating both inside and outside oblivion. These beings were powerful, dark, and ancient, possessing a vast array of insidious knowledge and capabilities at their disposal. They posed a risk to the sanctity of everything good and just, thus it was time for a new champion to arise. Once again a warrior must be called forth, one strong enough to due battle with these entities....katu sought out the spirit of Mugatabe for this specific reason.

At first Mugatabe resisted, but seeing the threat in its entirety, decided to aid the hapless wizard in his quest. There was only one problem, Mugatabe's physical body had perished long ago. In his present state he could not offer any kind of aid to the sorcerer save for mere words.

Katu explained that through his meticulous research and instrumentation he had devised a method to ensure the warrior live again. Katu had located a present day ancestor of Mugatabe, a young man who lived on earth named Robert Carlson. Since the same blood ran through his veins the sorcerer would be able to transfer the attributes of the ancient warrior. into the young man, thus enabling Mugatabe to walk the physical realm once more.

Robert Carlson need only to except these gifts for the transfer to take place.

Robert Carlson came home from working the late night shift at his security job down on bleecker street. It was a long train ride home and he was tired. He wanted nothing more than a hot shower and to hit the sack. He lived alone in a small studio apartment in brooklyn, NY.  He didnt even manage to make it to the shower as soon as his head hit his pillow he fell fast asleep. He never realized that this was caused by an actual spell cast on him by the wizard. It was an ethereal slumber, allowing enough time for his spirit to leave his body and travel to the astral plane. There he came face to face with his mighty ancestor Mugatabe, who stood before him sternly.

"Who...who are you? Where am I? What sort of place is this?"

The young black man didnt know what to make of the situation. It was as if he was dreaming but wide awake at the same time. He could literally feel everything...every single iota of sensation. It felt like all of his senses were supercharged. The being that stood before him was a huge, tall, massively muscled dark skinned man. He had a full whitish beard, large piercing brown eyes, and a bald head. He was dressed in only sandals and a gold and blue robe. His expression was a serious one, and his menacing gaze never strayed from the young man's...not even for a split second. His arms were folded, the sheer scale of them exuded unfathomable raw power.

Robert Carlson's spirit grew afraid at the sight of this strange visitor. He cowered before him. There was no man anywhere on earth that could compare to this being standing now in front of him.

"Listen to me very carefully boy. We haven't much time. I need you to focus on me and pay very close attention to everything I am about to show you. Do you understand?"

Robert Carlson not wishing to erode any kind of anger in the gargantuan warrior just shook his head sheepishly.

"Ok...I know you are wondering who I am and how you got here. You are not dead...no, your soul has left your physical body back on earth and you are now projecting in the astral plane. This is just one of the planes of existence boy, there are many. In time you will get to know all of them very well.  I am your ancient ancestor from many many millennia ago. It is my blood that courses through your very veins. I dont have much time to explain everything so instead I will show you what it is most important for you to know."

Robert answered him inquisitively, the experience was still too surreal for him to adequately comprehend.

"Y...you are my ancestor? You mean we're related? Like family? I....I was raised in a group home...in foster care. I was told that I was an orphan and that my parents died at my birth. H..how is all of this possible?"

The large stranger answered him sternly,

"Yes...I see. Everything that you were told were lies boy. You are not an orphan. I do not have the time to explain this to you. Seek your answers with the wizard when you meet him. Now...look here!"

Mugatabe waved one of his massive arms and the very fabric of the swirling reddish pink nothingness surrounding them began to change and take shape. Suddenly a large screen appeared and images began to play like a television screen.

"I was once of mortal flesh like you. My name is Mugatabe, I was once a fearless warrior. My penchant for battle...for decimating my foes grew so great that I was recruited very much like how we are recruiting you now. There was a war back then....evil beings...daemons roamed the outskirts of reality. Killing, slaughtering, pillaging, all that was good and decent. Great heroes of the day rose to challenge them....to thwart their vile efforts. All fell...each one..until only I remained. In my anger and grief I stormed the black citadel called N'klaa and once there engaged the lord and commander of the daemons, a fiend called J'kyyl in single combat. The battle was long and terrible, we fought and fought literally shattering the chaos realm to pieces. Finally...miraculously....I defeated my enemy and held his bleeding head up high for all of his minions to see. With their general slain, the daemons scurried back into the foul pits of the abyss from whence they had come. I had saved all reality and ensured the safety of countless generations. I thought my work done...when my eyes closed for the final time and i breathed my last, my soul journeyed to the great beyond wholly content that never again could such evil dare threaten the innocent. Finally I felt i could rest...reclaim the kind of peace I never achieved when i walked in physical flesh. It was not so....no boy...rhe wizard came to me..sought me out. It is he who awoke my spirit from blissful slumber with magic words. A war brews on the horizon once more boy....but this storm is different from the one that came before. It is greater...darker...much more sinister than I could ever have imagined. The need for great heroes has come again. You must face the coming darkness boy.....just as I once did in ages long past. Find your voice...find your inner strength..the will to fight...the willingness to die for what you believe in. Let that be the fire that burns within your soul boy. Here....take my hands...I give you everything. I bequeath unto you all I know, all I've seen....my past, my present, and my future. Do you accept this offer?"

Robert was terrified both from Mugatabe's words but also from the images that paraded across the screen. He glimpsed everything that the strange man spoke of and it chilled him to his very core. Trembling and afraid he reached out his hands and Mugatabe placed them inside of his. They seemed as small as a child's compared to his. Mugatabe held on to them so tightly he felt pain, yet he dared not cry out in any expression. Instinctively he just closed his eyes, wishing that this new nightmare finally be over.

"Robert Carlson I bestow unto you my spirit. The blood of your ancestors, all that I am now resides within you forever. Do you swear to use these gifts to vanquish evil wherever it emerges? Do you swear to protect the innocent and avenge the wronged? Do you promise to safeguard the sanctity of all life as it exists, while following the path of righteousness?"

Mugatabe's eyes changed color to white and his voice grew thunderous. It was like he wasnt actually speaking, Instead Robert heard all of his words in his mind. Still not knowing what to make of it all he simply answered back in his head.

"Y....y..yes...I...I guess....I do."

Mugatabe released his hands and there was a powerful white explosion of energy. It sent Robert careening backward. He heard the ancient warrior speak one last thing in his mind.

"Good...then it is done."

Robert Carlson awoke in his bed drenched in sweat and still wearing his now completely  saturated blue security uniform. He wasnt sure what had just happened. It was like a dream but it felt so real...realer than reality itself. He got up and raced to the bathroom. He urinated then proceeded to take off his clothes. After placing them in his dirty clothes hamper, he turned on the shower and stepped inside. The hot water hit his face as the steam rose up to kiss him. He gulped down a mouthful just to see if he could taste it...just to make sure he was still alive......