The Guardian
By: Ozonebaby
Chapter 1: The Beginning
"What's up with the sun today?" He thought as he wiped a trickle of sweat from his brow. No matter, there was no other choice but to keep wandering. The days on the path had been exhausting and lonely, but it was better than being butchered by the Guardian. His whole clan, the Hashiba, had been wiped out by the Guardian, and Rowen had been one of the few to escape. The Hashiba was no ordinary clan, though; it was an Elemental clan of air. The Guardian had a mission to eliminate all elementals; they were a supposed threat. The only threat the elementals posed, though, was to the dictatorship itself. Once the elementals gathered, they could summon the full power of the elements and overthrow the government, restoring the world to peace. But the power-hungry officials held the power now, and there was nothing to do about it but run.
Rowen had to run; he had no other place to go. His family was killed right in front of him. He could still hear the cries of his mother as father was given his last rites, then the sword came down.
He had been traveling for six months now, not knowing where he was headed, just letting his senses guide him. He kept on the back trail, just in case the Guardian had sent out a squadron on another search. He almost got himself killed on the last search...
* * *
"Stop where you are, traveler," the guard commanded. Rowen slightly lifted his head.
"What's this about?" Rowen asked wearily. He had become weak after days without food, there was just no way he could fight if he needed to.
"Elemental check" the guard grated with a rotten grin. The words clawed at Rowen's mind. Before he knew it, the guard grabbed Rowen's headband. Rowen tried to suppress his feelings; he knew what would happen if he lost it, but the power overwhelmed him. His dark blue headband snapped off, revealing a glowing blue kanji, which identified him as an air elemental.
"We've got one," said the guard. Rowen tried to struggle free, and as he did, the wind started to pick up. In an instant, a wall of dust blew the guards off of their feet and set Rowen free. He quickly gathered himself and took the guard's bag (there was a good chance that there would be some food in it.), then, he ran into the forest. Luckily, for Rowen, the guards did not dare follow.
* * *
"Night's approaching," Rowen thought. He stepped off the trail and went into the forest. Not far was a small clearing next to a pond. "This should b a good place to bed down for the night." He set down his pack against a majestic oak and went off to find some firewood. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream that pierced the evening air made Rowen's heart skip. He peered into the distance and without thinking, sprinted in the direction, sword in hand. Barreling through the forest, he slashed furiously at the branches that seemed to reach out and grab him. Blindly, he kept racing in the direction, when he saw, between the towering trees, a dimly lit clearing. He slowed his pace and cautiously approached it. Stepping into the clearing, he noticed the smoldering ashes of a once lit fire and two shadowy figures behind it, one of which giving off a faint green glow. Keeping his back to a tree, he squinted his midnight eyes at the figures as he brushed away a piece of blue hair that interrupted his sight. Fastening his grip on his sword, he inched closer to the glowing figure. As he got near, he could sense the energy and feel the magnetic pull of this being. It could be only one thing.
