FSE

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Part 39

The sounds of battle greet my ears as I return to consciousness. Metal on metal, screams of pain, the smell of blood on the air. Then the pain hits, driving my eyes wide as I try and fail to scream. I manage to look down and I see where my trident had been impaled in my chest. Only now it is gone along with my armor. It would seem I was out of it long enough for both to have vanished.

I try and take a breath but my lungs feel as though I am drowning. As I try and force a breath I move my right paw to my chest. I feel the blood that has soaked my fur and clothes. Carefully feeling around I find what I feared, three still bleeding holes in my chest. Two would be in my lungs one in my heart.

As my need for air increases I can feel the holes rapidly closing up as they heal under my fingers. Once they are closed I mange to pull in a tiny breath of air only to instantly quietly cough up blood. As soon as the fit ends I'm left with a rather large amount of blood in my mouth that I quickly spit out before greedily sucking in more air.

Despite the tinge of smoke and blood on it I have never loved air so much as right then. I move my right paw to my shoulder expecting the ruined mess that Aduro made of it. Instead I find that it is nearly fully healed. Cautiously I try lifting my left arm. It is a bit weak at first but strength rapidly returns to it. It looks as though Daniels plan has indeed worked and returned me to life.

Its then that I notice the glow coming from my right wrist. I turn my paw so I can see my trident. There glowing a soft blue is my trident with three stars above the points, but as I watch it begins to change. The blue light shifts to a golden color before the trident changes into a spear placed in front of a sun. Around the spear and sun are four stars one each red, blue, white, and green. All the parts of my new tattoo glow with their own respective light before fading back to a normal color.

I try to study my new marking but I'm quickly interrupted by the sounds of feet scuffling and the twang of a bow. Looking up I see Jasper standing a few feet away rapidly shooting his bow in several directions. Each shot is accompanied by a yell and puff of smoke. Just beyond him Rick and Rosalie are back to back fighting in a circle of shadow creatures. Despite searching I can't see Shadow from where I lay.

Jasper takes a few steps back till he is right next to me and I hear him growling, "Get back you abominations. You will not lay a finger on him. I won't let you."

I know he is fighting to defend me even in death and I couldn't be more proud. But at this moment I need a hand up. I reach my left hand up and grab a hand full of his cape and pull. Instantly I realize this was not the smartest of moves to make. But considering I was dead a few seconds before I think it can be forgiven.

The second I tug on his cape he spins around loosing an arrow that impales the ground by right ear. It is still twitching as I look up and see he has his bow drawn with a notched arrow pointed at my face. Looking up into his face I see first rage and hatred, then confusion, then a joy I have not seen in his eyes since he was a pup.

Instantly he drops his bow which dissolves into the air and is on his knees beside me helping me to a sitting position saying excitedly, "Seeker, your alive? Thank any gods that exist. But how I saw the damage. There's no way you could have survived."

I let out another cough before saying, "Yes Jasper I'm alive. I don't have time to explain right now. Help me up will you."

He is instantly to his feet and helping me get to mine. At first all my muscles feel incredibly weak as though I have been ill for a week. But as I stand and flex them energy as I have never know floods into them and I feel more alive than ever. After a moment I let go of Jaspers supporting arm and stand on my own two feet as I slowly rise to my full height.

My sudden return to the land of the living has not gone unnoticed however. All around us the creatures that Jasper had been keeping at bay have frozen in their tracks with looks of fear and confusion in their eyes. Like a ripple travels in a still pond so did the sudden stopping of movement on the battlefield go. Eventually it reached the circle where Rick and Rosalie stood.

As one the creatures surrounding them stopped their attacks and turned towards me causing Rick and Rosalie to do the same. Instantly both of their faces go through the same transformation Jasper's went through a moment before. Dropping their weapons which both return to water and earth, they begin running towards me and embrace me in a tight hug.

I can feel both of them sobbing into my fur as Rosalie says, "Oh Seeker, thank heavens your alive."

Rick mumbles something I can't quite make out into my shoulder as his own joy overwhelms him. I give them both a pat on the back before slowly prying them off me saying, "I know you have questions and I promise to answer them in time. But right now I need to find Shadow and Aduro. It's time we end this bloodshed."

Rick manages to disentangle himself from me as he wipes his eyes with his left paw and points with his right towards a large mass of shadow creatures. With a choking voice says, "Their fight went that way. Shadow was fighting like a demon, but Aduro was just as fierce."

I nod and start walking in that direction motioning for the three of them to follow. They all reform their weapons and fall instep. Rick on my left with Rosalie on his left and Jasper on my right.

As we move through it's as though there is a wave going ahead of me. All of the shadow creatures stop what they are doing and part around us. Not one gets so much as a toe within ten steps of us. I'm not sure if they are confused as to what we are doing or if they can sense that something new has entered the fight. Whichever it is I'm grateful for the reprieve and chance for my guardians to catch their breath. While I'm sure I look like hell brought to earth I feel as though I could run for hours and never miss a step.

Eventually we reach a wall of rather large creatures that parts before us revealing Shadow and Aduro locked in fearsome combat. Sparks fly as their weapons clash time and time again. For a moment I just watch them from the sidelines taking it all in.

All around the ground is burnt and charred black. Flames still flicker weakly along the edges where their fight has ignited the very ground. Small craters are scattered around where one of the fighters missed his target.

Shadow's armor is dented, scratched, and chipped in several places. His cape has been ripped into tatters that are barely attached. Aduro's armor is not much better. Unlike in our fight where his armor constantly repaired itself it seems that now the damage done to it is lingering. What I see makes it clear that my mate has been giving at least as good as he got, making me wonder where he found the strength. That's when I see it and the pieces fall into place finally.

Shadow makes a fierce, flaming swing that cuts across Aduro's chest leaving a deep gash in both his armor and flesh. His wound heals almost instantly while his armor seems to burn before it does something else instead. For the second while his sword is in contact with the armor tendrils of darkness seem to flow from the armor into Shadow's sword. As it does his now ruby blade glows both brighter and a deeper red.

In that instant I realize with excitement that Shadow is in fact destined to be the next guardian of darkness that Daniel hoped for. That excitement quickly turns to fear however as I look up and see the giant creature watching the fight as well with a calculating expression. With a moment of clarity I see that if it realizes my mate is the new master of its power it may try and possess him as it once possessed Haran. Only this time it would have an immortal body that is fully compatible with the power it has. Such a combination would spell disaster for us and for me.

Seizing an opportunity I charge into the clearing right up to the two combatants. Shadow pulls his arm back to deliver a mighty blow that Aduro is already moving to counter. Instead I grab Shadows wrist and stop the motion mid air saying softly, "That's enough my love. Don't let your grief control you any longer."

Instantly the pair freeze and turn to look at me. In Aduro's face is a look of pure terror while in Shadows is only tears and anger that quickly turns to confusion then unrestrained joy even greater than what the others had.

Instantly he drops his blade which vanishes into a flash of flames and he wraps his arms around my neck and sobs unashamedly into my fur. I gently pat his back as I whisper into his ear, "I know Shadow, I know. It's ok I'm here now. It will all be ok, I promise."

He pulls back and looks up me and asks, "How? Why?"

I place a gentle kiss on his lips to quite him, "I will explain later. Right now we have more pressing matters."

A yell comes from beside us, "You most certainly do!"

I turn to see Aduro swinging both of his axes down at us the blades glinting evilly. Acting on pure instinct I put my right hand out and try to summon my trident out of habit. This time however instead of water flowing from my tattoo to form my trident as it has for thousands of years balls of light form from the air all around me before streaking to my hand and forming a ten foot shaft of brilliant gold topped with a foot long iridescent blade that glows with a shifting pattern of light.

Before Aduro's blades can hit, the light from my new spear causes his axes to dissolve in puffs of smoke and shadow. Leaving him disarmed. As he stumbles back in shock I right my spear and stand it next to me giving him a glare, "You just wait right there, we are not done yet."

I turn back to my mate and say, "Shadow, you and the others have done well. I am very proud of the fact you have all become masters."

He looks up at me with confusion, "What do you mean masters?"

By way of an answer I direct my gaze to the others, "Look at their weapons."

Standing a short distance from us is Rosalie leaning on her sapphire trident, Rick has his emerald hammer resting on his shoulder, and Jasper has his diamond bow held in front of him ready to be drawn. Shadow studies them all in awe for a moment before looking back at me, "All of us? Even me?"

I nod as I say, "Summon your sword."

He holds his hand out and with a burst of flames his now ruby sword forms in his hand. For a moment he just stares at his blade before looking up at me again asking, "How?"

I place a paw on his shoulder and smile, "Your love and grief for me helped you reach the next step." I turn and look at the others, "Like it did for all of you."

Looking back at Shadow I let my smile fade as I say, "Now I want you to stand back with the others. You have all done enough, its time I finish this fight once and for all."

I turn to look at Aduro then glance back at my guardians and say, "And when I am done. The five of us are going to have a little chat about following orders."

Of the four of them only Rick shows any sign of shame and that is just a slight shuffling of his feet. Rosalie stares right into my eyes with a raised eyebrow. Jasper inclines his head as though daring me to chew him out for doing what I knew he would. Then Shadow just looks at me with those beautiful silver eyes of his and I know I won't be able to stay mad at him.

With a grumble I redirect my attention to Aduro who is slowly trying to back away with a very concerned look on his face. I lower my spear so it's at my side parallel to the ground and begin walking towards him, "Where are you going? I thought you were going to make me suffer while killing all those I held dear?"

He shakes his head back and forth muttering, "No this can't be happening. You died I killed you. And that spear, there is no way you could be. My master said that power was beyond anyone's reach. It's impossible."

I look down at my new weapon then back at Aduro, "Funny thing about legends and impossible things. They have a nasty habit of being very real and possible things. If a bit theatric at times."

He lets out a vicious snarl and charges at me summoning both of his axes again. I raise my spear with both hands and block his attack. The impact sends a shower of sparks into the air singeing my exposed fur. With a growl I throw his attack back with a spin. As I finish the move I turn to see him charging again.

Time and time again he tries to hit me but each time I block his blades. With one particularly fierce blow the sparks we create actually cause what's left of my shirt on my left arm to catch fire. With a yelp of pain and surprise I jump out of his range and quickly pat the flames out. That brings a peel of laughter from Aduro.

As his laugh dies down he says, "The praised guardian can't handle a little fire huh. Too bad you lost your armor when you got that new toothpick. Otherwise you might have had a chance."

I glare at him as his armor finally manages to repair itself as his injuries have done. Lowering my singed arm I look at him, "Just who said I lost my armor?"

His smug look vanishes as I hold my spear out in front of me and focus on reforming my own armor. What looks like liquid light begins to flow out from my right wrist and spreads quickly up my arm, across my chest, then down my other limbs. As my head is incased in the flowing material I reflexively hold my breath till it finishes.

For a moment all I see is bright gold light. Then in less than a heart beat the light vanishes to be replaced with a golden armor. The finish is nearly mirror smooth, catching and reflecting any light that hits it. I lift my left paw and look at it. On the back of the gauntlet is the spear and sun like my tattoo along with the four colored stars around it. Looking down at myself the symbol is repeated on my chest and shins.

In the areas surrounding the prominent symbols are very fine landscapes incorporating earth, fire, air, and water. They are so fine in fact as to be easily missed at first look. This armor is just as much a work of art as it is combat gear. Then I catch a glimpse of my cape fluttering behind me. It has the same iridescent glow as the blade on my spear and I know, even though I can't see it, that the symbol of my new guardianship is also embossed on it.

Once my vision clears I look back at Aduro and see that he is blinking his eyes rather hard. Once his vision clears he takes several steps back, fear and uncertainty clear on his face. Looking past him I spare a quick look for the creature that has been directing this assault. In its gaze I see a very cold calculating gaze directed at me.

I can feel its rage and hatred towards me. At the same time I also feel a strange pull towards the creature as well. Like opposite sides of a magnet seeking to touch. But I know that if that were to happen it would be a contest of wills the likes of which has not been seen in untold centuries. For now I return my focus to the enemy in front of me.

Slowly I advance on Aduro as I begin speaking, "Once I called you my brother. You were one of the most important people in my life. I would praise your accomplishments above all others. But that wolf died a long time ago and you walked away wearing his face."

I lower my spear till it is pointing at his chest as I approach, "Since that day you have destroyed our home, our friends, and our family. For centuries you have hidden in the shadows committing who knows what evils in the name of your master. All of this has led to today where you waged war on a peaceful place. You sought to destroy what you could not control and it will be your undoing."

I wave my spear in the direction of Shadow and the others, "Instead of the complete destruction you wanted you have created even more powerful enemies. Four new masters have arisen in the world this day. Beyond that you have also brought about the return of the one power that will destroy you and your master once and for all."

I raise my spear high pointing it the sky and call out in a challenging voice that reverberates around the area, "Today for the first time in untold years a Light Guardian has taken up arms. I stand as a sentinel against the forces of evil that would destroy this world. Never again will I allow your corruption to take hold."

With that I feel a surge of power flow through my body into my staff and a beam of pure white light shoots high into the sky. As it rises the darkness that has been blocking the sun turning the sky a blood red burns away. The sky returns to its beautiful clear blue, white clouds replace the smoky ones, and the sun once again shines bright.

All around us shadow creatures are howling in pain and running for the cover of the forests. Aduro shields his eyes from the sudden brilliance. Even the towering creature above us seems to diminish a bit.

But before our hopes get raised to high it lets out an ear splitting roar and the wave of darkness it is generating begins to push back against my own power until we reach a stand still. For a long moment I stand there trying to hold back the dark but I quickly begin to feel my strength waning against its assault. With reluctance I stop fighting back against it. For now.

As the darkness returns a chuckle comes from Aduro, "Nice speech there guardian. Lot of good it did you. My masters power is still no match for you, despite your new guardianship, it is time you give in to the inevitable. I will enjoy killing you a second time as the vessel of my masters will!"

In the split second between what he says reaches my ears and he raises his axe high, I realize what is about to happen. I try to rush forward for an attack but I'm too far away to stop it.

When his ax reaches the highest point above his head what looks like a black lightning bolt strikes it. But instead of lasting for only a second the bolt lingers and seems to be feeding energy into Aduro.

At first nothing seems to happen then my eyes widen in shock. As I watch his body begins to grow quickly reaching ten then twelve feet tall. His limbs grow thicker and more powerful as muscles stretch and grow beneath his armor. From his head, in between his ears, two black horns begin to grow out both tipped in razor sharp points. His tail lengthens and shifts from that of a wolf into something more reptilian in origin though it retains its fur.

As he flexes his larger paws, which are now tipped in claws that look as though they could rip a person in half, a pair of black bat like wings erupt from his back showering the area in flecks of blood. As his gruesome transformation ends he throws his head back and lets out a deep soul piercing howl. That is when his armor begins to shift to become just as terrifying as his new form.

Instead of the simpler black plate of before it becomes a scale armor covered in spikes. Getting in close to him now will not only be a challenge, but likely very deadly as well. His howl stops and he begins slowly swinging his ax around. That's when I see that his weapon has also been changed. It is easily as long as my own spear but now has two cruel blades on it. The staff is shaped to look like interconnected bones while the connection between the blades is shaped to resemble that of a human skull on one side and a wolfs skull on the other.

I look up into his eyes expecting the familiar orbs I've been seeing. Only now they are a blood red and seem to glow with an inner evil light. As we make eye contact he begins to laugh in a deep toxic voice similar to that of the creature above us, "Now you can see the true power of darkness that my masters have."

With that he charges at me much faster than I would have thought possible given his increased size and mass. I manage to dodge to the side and swing my spear at his right leg. A long bloody gash trails behind my swing in his leg but it heals almost as quickly as before. This time however the armor around the wound seems to boil from contact with my spear before reforming.

Unfortunately I let my focus too long on the damage I inflicted on his leg and lost sight of his ax. I look up just in time to see it swinging around towards my face. Acting on instinct I raise my left arm in a vain attempt to block it with my armor and close my eyes.

But instead of the pain I expected a loud echoing gong reverberates through my arm and the area. Opening my eyes I see that a large round shield has formed on my raised arm in the shape of a sun, complete with spikes around the edge. It is still vibrating from the force of the impact leaving my arm a bit numb but unharmed.

Audra lets out a roar of anger and proceeds to pound away at my new shield with his ax. Each blow sending out the same ringing note as before. After three blows I am forced to drop my spear and use my right arm to support my left putting all my strength into holding him at bay. With each blow, however, a dent appears in my shield making it less effective at deflecting the next blow.

I am incredibly thankful for the new piece of gear but if I am going to be forced to hide behind a shield I won't be able to do much in the way of attacks. Sooner or later his shear ferocity will overcome me and one of his attacks will finally succeed in making it buckle leaving me vulnerable.

As I am crouched behind my shield trying to figure out a way to turn this fight back around my ear catches the faint sound of a bowstring being tightened. I spare the tiniest peeks around my shield just in time to see one of Jasper's arrows impale itself into Aduro's arm. He lets out a roar and turns his gaze in their direction yelling, "You whelp! I'll skin you alive for that!"

As I drop the shield on my arm and I once again summon my spear I let out my own growl, "You will never again lay a finger on them!"

Before he can fully turn back to me I lunge forward and, with both paws holding it tight, jab my spear as deep into his side as I can. Instantly his cry of pain fills the air as blood pours down my spear and coats my paws and arms. Aduro tries desperately to claw me off but I hold firm doing my best to dodge his claws.

Soon more arrows impact his body as the earth rises up around his feet and legs locking him in place. From somewhere behind me I hear a voice call out, "Seeker move!"

Without even thinking about it I let go of my spear and dive to the side as it dissolves back into light again. Before the wound I was keeping open can seal however a shard of ice shoots back into it followed soon by a jet of fire. It would seem that Rick, Jasper, Rosalie, and Shadow were unable to remain on the sidelines.

While a small bit of pride inside of me says that I should I have been able to do this fight alone. Another part reminds me of what Daniel said about it taking all five of the first guardians to stop the evil the first time. I let out a bark of delight I once again reform my spear and charge in to attack the creature that was once my brother.

With the other four striking from a safe distance they are able to keep him off balance and distracted allowing me to close in and do significant damage. Unfortunately most of the damage I do seems to heal rapidly. Rolling out of the way of a strike from his axe I come to a crouch panting and say to myself, "As much as I like this new spear I could sure do with a shorter blade or sword to get in close with."

As though responding to my request my spear begins to glow and shrinks down. After a moment it has reformed itself into a hand a half sword. The hilt is the same burnished gold as the shaft of the spear was while the long blade is the iridescent metal as the spear point. Staring at the blade I get an overwhelming feeling that if I were to put into words would be something along the lines of ask and you shall receive.

With a smirk I remember what Daniel said about the powers of Light and Dark being alive in their own way. It would seem that I have a lot to learn about my new abilities. Here's hoping I will have the chance to learn them all.

Aduro's eyes go wide with anger as he sees how my weapon has changed. He lets out a growl of aggravation and breaks free from his earthly restraints with a wave of darkness. I manage to reform my shield and hold it in front of me as the wave hits. Out of the corner of my eye I see Rick and Rosalie summon walls of ice and earth in front of the four of them. We all manage to avoid the worst of it thankfully.

Lowering my shield I look back at my foe as I stand up holding my blade ready. He is standing there, in the center of a burned out crater, panting with a wild look in his eyes. He looks less like a wolf and more like a feral beast as his eyes dart rapidly between all five of us. Seeing that look on his face strikes a chord in me and I choose to try one final time to see if it is possible for the wolf I once called my brother to be saved.

Though I know in my heart that it will be a long shot, I feel that I owe at least that much to my brothers memory. Slowly I approach him saying, "Aduro, it is not too late for this to be stopped. Renounce your powers, break your ax, and surrender."

His eyes lock onto mine and in that instant I reluctantly give in to what I had always known would happen. This fight will only end in death, there truly is nothing left of the bother I once loved inside that monster. He lets out another roar and charges at me swinging his ax wildly at my head. As his rage has increased his control has decreased. It would seem that he has sacrificed skill for raw strength. In time I will be able to counter him but I may not have much of that valuable resource.

He charges at me ignoring the blows thrown at him by the others. His single minded rage focusing solely on me. I roll to the side narrowly missing his ax as it strikes the earth where I stood a second before. Where the blade hits the earth a small crater forms sending bits of dirt and rock in all directions.

Before I can retaliate his massive tail swings in my direction. Acting out of reflex I drop the blade of my sword so that it is edge on with the pillar of flesh heading for me. As our two attacks collide mid air there is a moment of resistance then the unmistakable sound of flesh being cut in two.

With a spray of blood that splatters over my armor and the area around me nearly two thirds of Aduro's tail is cut off. The severed piece falls to the ground with a sickening thump where it twitches for a moment before falling limp as the last blood held in it drains out. The scream of pain that comes from Aduro causes my ears to flatten as I watch him spin in place.

As he rotates madly he flings blood everywhere but the flow quickly dies down as the wound seals itself. As it does I notice that the tail doesn't re-grow but simply becomes a stump. I take a grim satisfaction in learning that his vastly increased healing does have limits after all.

That satisfaction is short lived however as his cries of pain turn into snarls as he regains his focus on me growling, "You will pay for that humiliation you mutt!"

He charges at me again but this time his movements are more clumsy and off balance. The loss of his tail has proven to be a major weakness as it would for any werewolf. Perhaps even more so given his increased size and mass. He tries to use his new found wings to compensate but they prove to be almost more of a hindrance than a help as a gust of wind, directed I'm sure by Jasper, catches the membranes and causes them to swell behind him.

The sudden resistance Aduro experiences as a result allows me to get behind him. Willing my sword to shift back to a spear I give a hard jab to his back sending the point deep into his left shoulder blade. As his arm goes limp at his side from the severed nerves he tries to swing his weapon around but over balances himself and begins to fall. He tries to maneuver the axe out of his way but it catches on a clump of dirt and sticks in place as his fall continues towards it.

I watch with a sickening lump in my stomach as he falls on his own axe which embeds itself in his stomach. For a long moment everything around us falls silent as all movement ceases. I stare down at Aduro's still body. After a moment it shudders then begins to shrink down in size.

The wings and horns receded back into his body till nothing of them remains. His increased muscles and bone structure fade back to normal. Even his armor and axe shrink in size before they dissolve in wisps of smoke and darkness.

Cautiously I approach his still body and turn him over so he is looking up at me. Across his chest is a deep gouge stretching from his right shoulder to his left hip. It is easily deep enough to have caused massive amounts of internal damage. Even his enhanced healing will not be enough to save him before he bleeds out. In the end it was his own rage that was his undoing.

I kneel down beside him and reach out a hand to close his eyes only to have his paw latch tightly onto my own. I jump in surprise as his eyes manage to focus on me as he speaks in a raspy, blood soaked, voice, "You may think you won.... guardian....... But you haven't....... My master.... knows about..... the next one...... He will...... claim him.... forever..... You.... Lose...... Brother...."

With those final words the life in Aduro's eyes fades and his paw falls limply from my wrist. I let out a sigh and close his eyes saying, "Even in death you can't accept defeat can you. At least now you will never hurt another person as you sought so desperately to hurt me."

I stand and turn to look at the others with a grim smile. That's when several things happen at once.

An unearthly scream resonates in the air around us. I see Haran running towards Shadow with a look of utter terror on his face. The rest of the guardians all turn with looks of equal fear aimed skyward. Last but not least a horrible dread fills my stomach as Aduro's dying words sink in. I turn to see the creature that has been above us all this time diving down towards us. It's form shifts from that of an rough human into that of a smoky eel or serpent. For a moment I fear it is attacking us then I realize that it's not trying to attack us. It is wanting to possess a new host.

Filled with panic I begin running as fast as I can towards my mate yelling, "SHADOW, LOOK OUT!"

At the same instant that Haran and I both reach Shadow, trying to pull him clear, the creature impacts his chest. Instantly the world goes black as night.