The Guardians

[Nataku]

The following is a very brief history of the founding of the world and of the guardians. I have written much on the subject, but much of it had to be cut out for succinctity, and thus it may feel disjointed and somewhat vague at times. If anyone wishes to know more about it, I will post up a more robust story at a later date. Until then, this is how the guardians came to exist:

The Gods have and will always exist. Time began as they did, and all of creation was by their hands alone. They began with the formation of the world. Commencing with nothing but hard rock and water, the gods introduced various animals, creatures, entities, and denizens to the world. The world slowly developed, eventually reaching fruition where the gods were no longer needed to actively participate in the world’s affairs. They had merely assembled the clock and turned the key. The gears were in place and were moving on their own now. Only when broken would the world ever be seen by the gods again. And inevitably, it did break.

The gears were all in place, but not had worked as had been foreseen. Some species developed in such twisted and perverted ways that they were no longer creatures, no longer even organic. They were the first of the demons. They slowly spread at first, consuming few tribes and small civilizations, before they discovered a lost artifact…a memento from the gods to their creations. A powerful sword, it was taken up by the strongest of the demons, Baneous. Under his command, the demons jumped beyond obscurity and spread across the world like the plague. Baneous was concerned not merely with the Earth, but with the heavens above as well. With the artifact sword, he was determined to open the gates of heaven and destroy his makers and take the world as his own.

The first of the Great Wars had broken out between those that lived on the world, and the demons that spilled onto its surface. Countless species were erased, and innumerable innocents were slain before the gods finally broke their vow of silence and sent angels to push the demons back to the lands beneath the earth. Baneous was reportedly slain, the sword lost. To prevent the future perversion of any surviving species, the gods created new creatures, this time in their own image. These creatures were guardians, and very many were assigned to guard each culture and species that remained on the world. The gods saw that their creations were good, and again returned to their silent, non-interfering observation. As with all the other surviving species, the wolves were given guardians. The first was Arc-Lineas, followed by many more. Nearly gods themselves, they chose to lock their powers away, even from themselves, never to discover what they were capable of. Such was the command of their creators. They took the forms of their safeguards, either as wolves or wolfen. As the gods had not foreseen, the wolf race had become strong. They had become so strong, that guardians, all of which had not the means to unlock the power that lay within them, began to thin out and become few. Some were slain while attempting and failing to protect a wolf. Others were slain attempting to prevent civil wars and crashed down upon their heads.

A much smaller group than the original remained as the ages past, as was the same for all other species and civilizations. Arc-Lineas, the greatest of the wolfen guardians, had finally unlocked the power of the gods that lay within him. With his power, he created a second generation of guardians, exhausting his powers and life in the process. Arc-Lineas sacrificed his own existence in order to provide his charges with more protectors. These protectors were a lesser kin, and had not the full power originally granted by the gods. Still holding immense power, these guardians were given their orders by the few remaining original guardians, known now as Arch-Guardians. The second generation of wolfen were a great benefit to the wolves of the world, and the wolves continued to expand and prosper. Among the new guardians was a wolfen named Tak-Gara, soon to be known among his charges as ‘Nataku’. Unknown to him and his colleagues for some time, he was special in that he had been born with both guardian blood, and the blood of otherworldly wolves known as Shadow Wolves. He was not half of either group. Instead, he was all of both. Though special in this way, he was to play only a small part in a Second Great War that occurred shortly after the creation of the younger guardians.

The Second Great War again pitted the demons against the dwellers on the surface, though Baneous was absent, as was the sword he had wielded. He was replaced by another, Raneous, a descendent of his who had usurped the throne of Hell during the interim years between the two Great Wars. Raneous, though lacking the fervor of his great grandfather was nonetheless a fierce warrior and motivating leader. His success was compounded by the lack of intervention by the gods. For whatever reason, the denizens of the world were left to their own devices. Luckily, guardians still remained. Dozens in every major group and culture gathered to protect their charges and push the demons back down into Hell. Many guardians were lost in the battle that raged covertly for centuries. Unlike the open, and ravaging First Great War, this war’s existence was unbeknownst to the normal residents. Only the guardians, a select few mortal warriors, and the demons were involved in this second war. The wolfen faction was led by a guardian by the name of Tha’Erru, who was in fact a second generation guardian of much promise. He not only led the wolf faction, but through various victories that proved his mettle, he was voted to lead the entire force of Earth against the demons. Other prominent warriors of the battle included Digralaas, a guardian of the bear race, Akrada, the leader of the feline groups, and Thirin, who led the guardians of the great birds. Also involved was a very special human known as Enalicia Nerayno. A very special warrior with the ability to find the key to the location of the Hell Gate, she was instrumental in finding the demons’ only strategic weakness. She was a momentary charge for the second generation guardian, Nataku. This lasted only briefly when she was taken under the personal wing of Tha’Erru and Tak’Gara (Nataku) was returned to the lines.

After centuries, the demons were again pushed back into the void beneath the Earth and the species of the world were safe again. Many guardians disappeared during this time, some to retire permanently, others merely to rest and recuperate after several lifetimes worth of battle.

The guardians remained in prominent existence for a few species of the world, but many, including the wolves had lost most of their mystical protectors. For the wolves, some of the surviving guardians went into centuries of slumber. Others gave up their roles and disappeared into foreign lands to live as mortals. Nataku was one of the few to remain and protect his charges, though recently he too has given up his role as guardian and disappeared into the world. He was last spotted heading to the eastern lands, presumably to begin life anew. The wolf species arguably has no formal guardians remaining, though they have managed to thrive and excel on their own. For the wolves, the guardians have largely become a myth believed only by the few who have ever met one.