The Rise of the Guardians
By: Lita Knightstar
Come here and I will tell a tale filled with adventure and surprise. A story of those so brave, they gave their lives for humanity...
Chapter 1- Phoenix
A dreary day indeed for the young MaSho named Hariel Yotomia. He stood at his post as usual outside the audience chamber of his lord and master Arago Talpa. He sighed softly and sifted slightly, the armor clanking slightly with every move. Slender twin katanas were held loosely in his hands and he looked about. Six days had passed since the Dynasty forces marched from the citadel in the exact center of the Dynasty. Hariel looked about and gritted his teeth as another sandstorm blew up rather violently, the dust particles stinging his face. Hari muttered a curse and readjusted the facemask of his great helm. A figure in dark blue armor stumbled up to him. "Commander this is madness!" he cried, his voice faintly heard over the storm. "We need to find shelter for all the horses, this storm doesn't look like it's about to end anytime soon!" "Secure a shelter then!" Hari replied and nodded. "I will help!" "Sir! You are on guard duty to the Emperor!" "He is capable enough to defend himself. Without mounts our speed to conquer the north will be crippled! I am sure he will understand!" The figure in blue nodded and Hari ducked his head in to his Master's tent. "Master, I will go help secure shelter for the horses; this storm is too much for them." Talpa looked at him narrowly and then waved him off with a nod. Hariel sighed and went back out into the storm. He slowly made his way to the makeshift stables and helped make them stronger, by shoring them up with every spare bit of wood he could find. The figure in blue watched Hariel work for a bit and marveled at he First Division commander's skills in carpentry. Hariel simply smiled and then looked back at the other. "Second Division Commander, get some linen to block the dust coming into the stables. Make sure it is breathable for 15 horses!" Hariel said stiffly and then sighed. Though he was a MaSho, he enjoyed working with animals and taking care of them was his way of blowing off steam. He smiled softly as his companion came back with the linen. "Now what!" he cried. Hariel went over to him and smiled taking it. "Get to shelter...I will take care of it." Hariel said his eyes gentle under the mask. "Sanji, I'll be with you presently." Sanji smiled faintly as he left for shelter. Hari sighed and put up the cloth barrier struggling with the wind. "Blasted wind! He muttered and finally got up the cloth barrier. He worked his way back to the camp...or tried to. The storm had grown worse to the point where he could not even see. "Sanji!" he yelled. His voice died in the wind. Hari looked back but could not see the stables at all. "Damn...is this my fate! I refuse to die in this storm!" he said to himself and then saw it. That white armor appeared to him again and beckoned him to follow. Hari stared dumbly at it and then shrugged. The White armor led him to a nearby cave. He sighed and stripped off his helm blinking several times. There was another there...a red and gold armor with fiery wings. It looked at Hari, screeched and vanished. Hari started and looked at the White Armor which had stood there. "Kikoutei...what are you telling me...are you showing me my path?" The armor drew a sword and pointed it at Hari and then drew the other and pointed to where the other armor was. Hari blinked. A gentle voice was then heard from the Armor. "To get Phoenix, one must pass through the trial of Inferno. One must bear Kikoutei and die." Hari stared. "So what you are saying is I must die to get that red and gold armor?" Kikoutei just stared at him silently. Hariel knelt. "Show me the true path of Virtue, Kikoutei. Show me the Light of Reason." Kikoutei stared at him and then placed a gauntleted and on the head of the young Commander. What it showed Hari burned into his mind. Slavery and torment, the burning of innocent people, the murder of thousands. And all the while the red standard of Arago Talpa flapping. The hand was removed and Hari looked up at him. "I accept my destiny and will die for the sake of defending others, the true purpose of virtue. Kikoutei let me bear you and use your power to destroy Talpa!" Kikoutei burst into a flurry of Sakura petals and reformed on Hariel, the black sub armor forming first then the white plates. Hari smiled and stepped out of the cave. The storm had died down and he was overlooking the Camp. The other four leaders ran to him worried. 'Commander, we were worried sick!" Sanji said sharply and then gasped. 'Kikoutei! Hariel bears the sacred armor of eternal flame!" The other three cheered and stood behind him. The Five divisions looked up and knelt immediately to their commanders. 'Talpa Arago! I am the bearer of Kikoutei! I hereby renounce my title as Death Knight of the Dynasty and choose the light and path of flame! Sacred Kikoutei, guide me to the path of the Phoenix and show the trial of Inferno! Phoenix, guardian of the flames of Earth, I take you as my guardian and will be your knight!" Talpa rushed out of his tent and stared balefully at Hariel and the other four commanders. The Five Divisions were already assembled behind them each division behind its commander. "Hariel, so you have betrayed me!" 'No demon! I have chosen what the correct path of Virtue is. Your lies and deceit befit you as I can now safely tell the Five Divisions your true plan!" Hari snapped. "Five Divisions, Talpa plans on using us as pawns to take over the Nether Realm. After he is done, he plans on sacrificing your High Commander to his Dark Gods to gain more power to take on the Mortal World!" The four commanders stared at him and Hari drew the Soul Swords from their sheaths on his back. "Demon, today you will pay!" Hari cried out and leaped from the rocks to the dust blown ground. Talpa was enraged and drew his own sword, a deadly blade of evil. The two battled for hours on end, and each time it seemed that Hari was getting the upper hand of the Demon Lord. Suddenly it happened. Hari moved to leap back and Talpa saw the opening. The evil sword was thrust and everything froze for a second to Hariel. The sword was then yanked out and Hariel dropped to his knees. "Phoenix, my trial of Inferno, I call you. Guardian Phoenix, show me my destiny!" Hariel cried out blood spewing from his abdomen and he fell over, dying rapidly. "Talpa, you won this fight, but let it be known that only one of true virtue can ever wear this armor. I have cursed it so." Talpa cursed, and slashed Hariel's throat. At that moment Hariel's body lost life and a screech was heard. A scarlet bird landed nearby and burst into flame. The flames hit the White Armor and a huge wave of flame came over Hariel's body. It burned rapidly to ashes and the ashes themselves sank into the hard ground. The four commanders then fled to the Mortal realm taking their troops with them. Talpa was furious. Not only had Hariel died, but the Legendary Kikoutei was gone. Hariel had effectively crippled the Dynasty at his death, for after that, nobody fought for the Dynasty for three generations.
By: Lita Knightstar
Come here and I will tell a tale filled with adventure and surprise. A story of those so brave, they gave their lives for humanity...
Chapter 1- Phoenix
A dreary day indeed for the young MaSho named Hariel Yotomia. He stood at his post as usual outside the audience chamber of his lord and master Arago Talpa. He sighed softly and sifted slightly, the armor clanking slightly with every move. Slender twin katanas were held loosely in his hands and he looked about. Six days had passed since the Dynasty forces marched from the citadel in the exact center of the Dynasty. Hariel looked about and gritted his teeth as another sandstorm blew up rather violently, the dust particles stinging his face. Hari muttered a curse and readjusted the facemask of his great helm. A figure in dark blue armor stumbled up to him. "Commander this is madness!" he cried, his voice faintly heard over the storm. "We need to find shelter for all the horses, this storm doesn't look like it's about to end anytime soon!" "Secure a shelter then!" Hari replied and nodded. "I will help!" "Sir! You are on guard duty to the Emperor!" "He is capable enough to defend himself. Without mounts our speed to conquer the north will be crippled! I am sure he will understand!" The figure in blue nodded and Hari ducked his head in to his Master's tent. "Master, I will go help secure shelter for the horses; this storm is too much for them." Talpa looked at him narrowly and then waved him off with a nod. Hariel sighed and went back out into the storm. He slowly made his way to the makeshift stables and helped make them stronger, by shoring them up with every spare bit of wood he could find. The figure in blue watched Hariel work for a bit and marveled at he First Division commander's skills in carpentry. Hariel simply smiled and then looked back at the other. "Second Division Commander, get some linen to block the dust coming into the stables. Make sure it is breathable for 15 horses!" Hariel said stiffly and then sighed. Though he was a MaSho, he enjoyed working with animals and taking care of them was his way of blowing off steam. He smiled softly as his companion came back with the linen. "Now what!" he cried. Hariel went over to him and smiled taking it. "Get to shelter...I will take care of it." Hariel said his eyes gentle under the mask. "Sanji, I'll be with you presently." Sanji smiled faintly as he left for shelter. Hari sighed and put up the cloth barrier struggling with the wind. "Blasted wind! He muttered and finally got up the cloth barrier. He worked his way back to the camp...or tried to. The storm had grown worse to the point where he could not even see. "Sanji!" he yelled. His voice died in the wind. Hari looked back but could not see the stables at all. "Damn...is this my fate! I refuse to die in this storm!" he said to himself and then saw it. That white armor appeared to him again and beckoned him to follow. Hari stared dumbly at it and then shrugged. The White armor led him to a nearby cave. He sighed and stripped off his helm blinking several times. There was another there...a red and gold armor with fiery wings. It looked at Hari, screeched and vanished. Hari started and looked at the White Armor which had stood there. "Kikoutei...what are you telling me...are you showing me my path?" The armor drew a sword and pointed it at Hari and then drew the other and pointed to where the other armor was. Hari blinked. A gentle voice was then heard from the Armor. "To get Phoenix, one must pass through the trial of Inferno. One must bear Kikoutei and die." Hari stared. "So what you are saying is I must die to get that red and gold armor?" Kikoutei just stared at him silently. Hariel knelt. "Show me the true path of Virtue, Kikoutei. Show me the Light of Reason." Kikoutei stared at him and then placed a gauntleted and on the head of the young Commander. What it showed Hari burned into his mind. Slavery and torment, the burning of innocent people, the murder of thousands. And all the while the red standard of Arago Talpa flapping. The hand was removed and Hari looked up at him. "I accept my destiny and will die for the sake of defending others, the true purpose of virtue. Kikoutei let me bear you and use your power to destroy Talpa!" Kikoutei burst into a flurry of Sakura petals and reformed on Hariel, the black sub armor forming first then the white plates. Hari smiled and stepped out of the cave. The storm had died down and he was overlooking the Camp. The other four leaders ran to him worried. 'Commander, we were worried sick!" Sanji said sharply and then gasped. 'Kikoutei! Hariel bears the sacred armor of eternal flame!" The other three cheered and stood behind him. The Five divisions looked up and knelt immediately to their commanders. 'Talpa Arago! I am the bearer of Kikoutei! I hereby renounce my title as Death Knight of the Dynasty and choose the light and path of flame! Sacred Kikoutei, guide me to the path of the Phoenix and show the trial of Inferno! Phoenix, guardian of the flames of Earth, I take you as my guardian and will be your knight!" Talpa rushed out of his tent and stared balefully at Hariel and the other four commanders. The Five Divisions were already assembled behind them each division behind its commander. "Hariel, so you have betrayed me!" 'No demon! I have chosen what the correct path of Virtue is. Your lies and deceit befit you as I can now safely tell the Five Divisions your true plan!" Hari snapped. "Five Divisions, Talpa plans on using us as pawns to take over the Nether Realm. After he is done, he plans on sacrificing your High Commander to his Dark Gods to gain more power to take on the Mortal World!" The four commanders stared at him and Hari drew the Soul Swords from their sheaths on his back. "Demon, today you will pay!" Hari cried out and leaped from the rocks to the dust blown ground. Talpa was enraged and drew his own sword, a deadly blade of evil. The two battled for hours on end, and each time it seemed that Hari was getting the upper hand of the Demon Lord. Suddenly it happened. Hari moved to leap back and Talpa saw the opening. The evil sword was thrust and everything froze for a second to Hariel. The sword was then yanked out and Hariel dropped to his knees. "Phoenix, my trial of Inferno, I call you. Guardian Phoenix, show me my destiny!" Hariel cried out blood spewing from his abdomen and he fell over, dying rapidly. "Talpa, you won this fight, but let it be known that only one of true virtue can ever wear this armor. I have cursed it so." Talpa cursed, and slashed Hariel's throat. At that moment Hariel's body lost life and a screech was heard. A scarlet bird landed nearby and burst into flame. The flames hit the White Armor and a huge wave of flame came over Hariel's body. It burned rapidly to ashes and the ashes themselves sank into the hard ground. The four commanders then fled to the Mortal realm taking their troops with them. Talpa was furious. Not only had Hariel died, but the Legendary Kikoutei was gone. Hariel had effectively crippled the Dynasty at his death, for after that, nobody fought for the Dynasty for three generations.