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Deep in the woods there was a cabin, belonging to nobody. At one point it had belonged to someone, but time and memories had forgotten it. Many were afraid of it, for it seemed to hold some strange energies around it. Those who accidentally found it on their travels through the woods were never the same again.

It was in the clearing where this cabin stood is where the cub was found, lying next to a stump, crying. The little brown bear cub did not know where why or how he became to be there. His cries echoed through the clearing for several minutes before he fell asleep.

The windows of the cabin seemed to darken almost like a tint, as the door opened slowly, a dark fog seemed to flow from the cabin, spreading around slightly, till it coalesced into a tall hooded figure. It walked over to the sleeping cub. Looking down upon him, the figure chuckled, a slight air of glee to its voice.

His thoughts were interrupted by a presence which roared and then tackled him to the ground. The dark figure disappeared, reappearing within seconds standing next to the stump.

"Be gone Tetherial, he is not yours to claim. He is lost, and you know the rules," the presence growled, forming into a massive white tiger.

"Aah Caerian, still protecting the lost," Tetherial, the dark figure then shook his coat, revealing a black serpent.

"Teth, you honestly want to fight for him? He's a cub for god sakes! He's too young to know the ramifications of such a decision. Besides, I sense something strange-," Caerian's words were interrupted by a brilliant light surrounding them.

A booming voice shouted, "YOU SHALL NOT HAVE HIM! HE IS ALREADY MINE" The light reduced and standing over the cub was a large golden dragon. "Tetherial, Caerian, this cub is and has been mine for a while. It was his pain which called me to protect him. He is here, because, he needs your help. This cub is in a lot of pain. Someone more powerful than all of us has hurt him. Not physically, but his soul, his spirit. I am one with limitations however. He can only withhold my rage so long. Although I am his anger, his voice of retribution, the pain he experiences is immeasurable. If I accept it, nobody will be able to stop him, or me for that matter."

The cub stirred. "Dragon? Where are we?" The small cub awakened, a small gold collar around his neck and markings over his torso.

The dragon sat down next to the cub and curled up around him. "We are where we need to be. Somewhere that "HE" won't be able to find you. Tetherial will see to that." He pointed a claw at the black dragon.

The black dragon looked at the golden dragon and then smiled, chuckling. "Rogal dear brother! How are you? It's been a long time," he laughed walking over to the golden dragon and hugging him. "You always did gravitate towards the lost souls."

Rogal returned the hug and smiled, looking into his brother's eyes. "Only to keep them from becoming another one of you my dear brother," he replied. "One of you is bad enough. Heaven help us if we get another from you. So Caerian, yes Tetherial is my brother, we were hatched together. Your reputation precedes you Caerian. Course, even you wouldn't lift a claw to harm one so young."

"I assure you Rogal, I would never dream of it. Even I have standards. Low as they are, they are still standards," the tiger said bowing slightly.

"Please do not bow to me. I am no lord or god. Although some in the world worship us as gods, we are not deserving of their praise. We are as much as they are. We are born, we grow, we raise families, and we die, "Rogal responded, a slightly tone of sadness in his voice.

"Dragon? I'm getting hungry," the cub whimpered.

"Tetherial brother, may you have some food for the young cub? We've been traveling for a while and it's been a day or so since he's eaten, well both of us actually," Rogal asked.

"I would never turn down a request from my brother. Do come in. Let's get this cub out of this and into something warmer," Tetherial pointed towards the cabin and the door instantly opened, as the interior began to brighten.

_ _ As they all went into the cabin, Tetherial stood at the door and looked into the clearing. A hint of sunlight shone through making a circle of light on the ground next to the stump where the cub lay.

"I don't know who you are, but if you know me, you will know that you cannot enter this house," Tetherial growled under his breath as he turned away and closed the door after him.

On the edges of the clearing, HE moved swiftly and silently in circles, cursing the clearing. HE knew the black dragon was right. Something in the woods prevented him from moving any closer. HE growled and cursed under his breath and fled back into the dark woods.

A little while later

_ _ Both brothers and the tiger sat in the small living room, watching the little cub on the floor, crayons and pencils in his paw coloring.

Rogal smiled as the tiger and his brother looked at him. "I've been carrying them ever since I found him. The coloring seems to calm his mind. Considering he's all alone in this world, I'm the closest thing he has to a father right now," Rogal sighed sadly, removing a tear from his eye. He felt his brother's paw on his shoulder.

"Brother, it's what you were intended to do. To help those who cannot do so themselves. This is your destiny. As it is mine to corrupt them. But honestly, seeing this cub, seeing you again. I don't want it anymore. Besides, there are far worse out there than me," Tetherial smiled, looking into his brother's eyes and kissing the top of his forehead. "It's getting late cub. Time for bed."

"I'm not sleepy Teth," the cub whined and then yawned loudly, rubbing his eyes with his paw. Tetherial chuckled and walked over, picking the cub up in his arms and carrying him upstairs into one of the bedrooms. Pulling back the covers, he surrounded the cub with pillows and stuffed animals, including a stuffed lion. Rogal came in a minute or two later.

"Ill stay here for a while with you cub. My brother will take the next watch, and the tiger will take the last," Rogal said, slipping into bed next to the cub and cradling him in the dragon's arms. "Let's get you all settled." He pulls the blankets over him and the cub and lays down next to him, letting him get settled. Within minutes, the cub is fast asleep. Rogal glows dimly and disappears back into the collar around the cub's neck.

As the cub slept, there was a stirring in the forest. HE was back, trying his hardest