1.1.1 Book One: The Beginning
1.1.1.1 "Thank Ladon for small favors…" Prince Ryu
Chapter One
1.2 Last of the Guardians
Garland, the last of the guardians, walked down the road to Angel Tower. Again, he would stop before performing the rite that would call the goddess and let him enter the stone sleep. Again, he would turn away with a feeling of foreboding, a feeling that his work was not yet done, a feeling that the dragons yet lived.
As he had done for years since the dragon wars were over, he turned back, but not to the home he shared with his father. He went to the cliff overlooking the sea and watched the waves pound the shore. As always, he was a bit nervous near a body of water this large but it did give a form of perspective. But on this day, the sea did nothing to calm his troubled soul. And so he took to the air, hoping to find solace.
~~~~*~~~~
A small boy wandered the forest he calls home. As he searched for wood to complete his house, he caught a scent of …something strange. Something he had never before smelled but, though he did not know it, a scent he would become familiar with in the years to come.
The small half-tiger ran towards the new scent. Something had invaded his territory and he was not going to rest until he figured out what. The child was running so fast, he did not notice the rather large being blocking his way. He also did not notice it was the one giving off the strange odor.
BAM! The small child bounced back and fell down. Slowly, he looked up to the largest person he had ever seen in his short life. Quickly assessing the situation, he decided it would be better to make it look as if he had done this on purpose. Using skills he had learned during the years he lived alone in the forest, he managed to grab the creature's weapon without it noticing. Shakily, he stood up and tried to hide the over large spear. Unfortunately, the being had noticed the…minor…collision. The half-tiger experienced a jolt of terror unlike anything else. He tried to stand taller to cover up the spear behind him but it just brought the creature's attention to it.
Slowly its massive hands reached out and lifted the spear…with the child still holding on. Slowly, the boy looked down and swallowed hard. Looking back up, he suddenly let go. His terror grew as the creature began making strange noises and glaring at him. He had almost got back into the trees before it began speaking.
"Who are you?!" it said in a tone both curious and irritated. A tone the half-tiger knew very well. "Well?" it continued becoming more irritated sounding. The boy froze as what he thought before was a glare became something that gave new meaning to the word. He turned and fled.
~~~~*~~~~
Garr, formally known as Garland, stared after the little boy who had stolen his spear. Curious, he stared after him. Unfortunately, due to the great difference in their heights, following the small boy with stripes was difficult to say the least. After a long time, or what seemed like it, he picked up the child's trail again. He trailed him through the forest, before losing the trail once more.
Just as Garr was about to give up, another human crashed into him. This time, the human was closer in size and cloaked so that only the feet showed. Garr reached out and put a large hand on the human's shoulder. A shudder ran through the cloaked man.
"Small one. Tell me where the striped boy lives." Garr said with a hint of command in his voice.
"The striped boy? You mean Rei?" Garr nodded. "He lives in the center of the forest. I can take you there if you want!" Garr looked off into the forest. "Eh……if you'll excuse me sir, I must get back to my wife."
Garr looked back at the man sensing a lie. He shrugged. He really did not care what happened to this man. It was the striped boy, Rei, that he wanted to see once more.
"Go home, Small one. Go back to your nonexistent wife………And do not let me catch you lying again. The goddess hates that." Garr gave him a look that would ensure that as long as Garr was around the little man would not bother him again. Garr watched, satisfied, as the cloaked man scurried off. He turned and faced the heart of the forest.
"Rei… you have thrown in your lot with a Guardian. The choice was made."
1.1.1.1 "Thank Ladon for small favors…" Prince Ryu
Chapter One
1.2 Last of the Guardians
Garland, the last of the guardians, walked down the road to Angel Tower. Again, he would stop before performing the rite that would call the goddess and let him enter the stone sleep. Again, he would turn away with a feeling of foreboding, a feeling that his work was not yet done, a feeling that the dragons yet lived.
As he had done for years since the dragon wars were over, he turned back, but not to the home he shared with his father. He went to the cliff overlooking the sea and watched the waves pound the shore. As always, he was a bit nervous near a body of water this large but it did give a form of perspective. But on this day, the sea did nothing to calm his troubled soul. And so he took to the air, hoping to find solace.
~~~~*~~~~
A small boy wandered the forest he calls home. As he searched for wood to complete his house, he caught a scent of …something strange. Something he had never before smelled but, though he did not know it, a scent he would become familiar with in the years to come.
The small half-tiger ran towards the new scent. Something had invaded his territory and he was not going to rest until he figured out what. The child was running so fast, he did not notice the rather large being blocking his way. He also did not notice it was the one giving off the strange odor.
BAM! The small child bounced back and fell down. Slowly, he looked up to the largest person he had ever seen in his short life. Quickly assessing the situation, he decided it would be better to make it look as if he had done this on purpose. Using skills he had learned during the years he lived alone in the forest, he managed to grab the creature's weapon without it noticing. Shakily, he stood up and tried to hide the over large spear. Unfortunately, the being had noticed the…minor…collision. The half-tiger experienced a jolt of terror unlike anything else. He tried to stand taller to cover up the spear behind him but it just brought the creature's attention to it.
Slowly its massive hands reached out and lifted the spear…with the child still holding on. Slowly, the boy looked down and swallowed hard. Looking back up, he suddenly let go. His terror grew as the creature began making strange noises and glaring at him. He had almost got back into the trees before it began speaking.
"Who are you?!" it said in a tone both curious and irritated. A tone the half-tiger knew very well. "Well?" it continued becoming more irritated sounding. The boy froze as what he thought before was a glare became something that gave new meaning to the word. He turned and fled.
~~~~*~~~~
Garr, formally known as Garland, stared after the little boy who had stolen his spear. Curious, he stared after him. Unfortunately, due to the great difference in their heights, following the small boy with stripes was difficult to say the least. After a long time, or what seemed like it, he picked up the child's trail again. He trailed him through the forest, before losing the trail once more.
Just as Garr was about to give up, another human crashed into him. This time, the human was closer in size and cloaked so that only the feet showed. Garr reached out and put a large hand on the human's shoulder. A shudder ran through the cloaked man.
"Small one. Tell me where the striped boy lives." Garr said with a hint of command in his voice.
"The striped boy? You mean Rei?" Garr nodded. "He lives in the center of the forest. I can take you there if you want!" Garr looked off into the forest. "Eh……if you'll excuse me sir, I must get back to my wife."
Garr looked back at the man sensing a lie. He shrugged. He really did not care what happened to this man. It was the striped boy, Rei, that he wanted to see once more.
"Go home, Small one. Go back to your nonexistent wife………And do not let me catch you lying again. The goddess hates that." Garr gave him a look that would ensure that as long as Garr was around the little man would not bother him again. Garr watched, satisfied, as the cloaked man scurried off. He turned and faced the heart of the forest.
"Rei… you have thrown in your lot with a Guardian. The choice was made."