Edited by buggabee

2014 Copyright © A. M. Forest

All Rights Reserved

A young girl studied the man as he tucked her into her bed, the flames of the candles casting shadows on his body. He was a beauty to marvel at; long silver hair that reached just past his shoulders was pulled back with a strip of leather revealing a narrow face and strong jaw. His face was almost scalped, with his high cheekbones and straight nose. His lips were thin but fit the form of his face well.

What always made the girl pause, though, were his eyes. They were a rich golden color with the round pupil of his griffin form. They held a knowledge and wisdom that she only wished she could touch. That was why she grew to trust him so much.

He looked too young to be the mentor of such children like her and Argon, but he was more than twenty years older than them, and given his knowledge and experience, he was the best of the best to teach them everything they needed to know in order to become a Guardinal.

He moved the duvet up to her chin and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight, Apolla. We have a big day tomorrow, so you rest up."

He was about to get up when she spoke. "Labren, can you tell me the story again?"

A knowing glint appeared in his eyes as he broke out into a warm smile. "But I've told it to you so many times. I wouldn't be surprised if it was imprinted in your memory."

Her eyes grew large as she pouted. "Please, Labren? You tell the story in such a way that helps me sleep," she pleaded.

He sighed and sat back down. He could never resist that look. "Very well, where would you like me to start?"

"The beginning." she replied as she sat up on her pillows made of down feathers.

He chuckled before he began. "There were once five Celestial kingdoms that lived in harmony.

The first kingdom was home to the Winged Celestials. They were creatures with the ability to fly: beautiful wings of either black or white on their backs. They were the protectors of balance.

The second kingdom was home to the Elementals. They were Celestials with the ability to manipulate natural elements to their will. They were the protectors of peace.

The third kingdom was home to the Shifters. Those Celestials had the ability to shift into any animal known to the inhabitants. They were the protectors of nature.

The fourth kingdom was home to the Walkers. These were Celestials that drank the blood of the inhabitants to gain the power to transform into creatures of the night. They were the protectors of justice and morals.

The last kingdom was home to the Fae. They were thought to be the creators of all Celestials due to their main source of power, magic. They used their magic to teach and heal the inhabitants. They were the protectors of all magic.

The Guardinals, though not a kingdom, were magical creatures that gained the ability to change form. They became companions to the kingdoms and their inhabitants, eventually turning into warriors to protect the five kingdoms from adversaries of all kinds. Their sole purpose was to keep the kingdoms from war.

These five kingdoms ruled together in peace, protecting and fighting with the inhabitants against those who strayed from the path of peace. In order to stay in harmony they came together and created the Celestial Warriors, Celestials paired with a Guardinal and sent to fight those who came against the kingdoms."

Apolla's eyes were wide in curiosity. "How did a Guardinal become a Celestial Warrior?"

"Well you see, the way to become a Celestial Warrior was a hard one. Firstly, you would have to be compatible with a Celestial being who was mentally prepared to become a warrior. Guardinals are already trained to fight; however, most Celestials were just regular civilians. This meant the Celestial had the choice to refuse to become a warrior and continue to live the normal life. In turn, the Guardinals can decide whether to join the Celestial in civilian life or continue as a soldier until the next compatible Celestial, most likely the child of that Celestial, comes along."

Her face scrunched up in thought. "What was the probability of that situation happening?"

"Surprisingly high. Most of the Celestials enjoyed their normal lives and very few Guardinals chose to enjoy it with them."

"So how many Celestial Warriors were there in total?"

Labren paused. "I don't know for sure, but I would assume about two per kingdom, so ten in total." He looked up at the gold painted ceiling. "It must have been nice back then," he said with a sigh.

Apolla noticed the wishful tone in his voice, but chose to ignore it. She slapped both hands on the blanket to grab his attention again. "And then what happened?" Her eyes glowed with excitement, he was getting closer to her favorite part.

He eyed her for a full minute. "Why don't you tell me what happens next? Something tells me you enjoy this part more than the others." Labren's face stretched into a sly smile. Her face brightened and he knew he guessed right.

"After centuries of peace, war broke out. The Guardinals chose their sides and fought, killing each other and Celestials alike. With sources depleted and creatures almost extinct, the Guardinals were labelled too dangerous to keep around and were forced to leave the dimension of Earth. No one knows what caused the war, and those who do aren't allowed to speak of it.

The Celestial Warriors disappeared after that and were never to be seen or talked about again." Apolla smiled proudly, reciting it perfectly as if it was read from a book. Her smile faltered and in return, his did, too. "Labren, why did you tell me this story if you know it is forbidden to speak about it?"

He looked out one of the small windows scattering the far wall. "It is because that was once the foundation of the Guardinal Facilities. We were once trained to protect, now we are trained to kill each other for sport and I don't want you nor Argon to be brought up in the same mindset as these tyrants." He turned his full attention to her and brought his hand up to cradle her cheek. "You both deserve better than this life of barbarians."

She grabbed his wrist with her smaller hands as he continued. "But what lies before you is unavoidable, so I'll train you both in all I know to make sure you live to tell the tale of the Celestial Warriors once more."

She opened her eyes to meet his determined gold ones and saw the hidden message there. 'To help control the beast inside of you, as well.' and in the reflection of his iris, she could see the dragon in hers.

~~~

Apolla awoke with a start. It was dark and she was naked. She looked around in fear and when she saw nothing harmful, she dropped her head in her hands. It's been over twenty years since that day and she still has nightmares from that creature she saw in the reflection of his eyes.

A hand grabbed her upper arm and in quick response she had the culprit face down in the plush surface underneath her, the arm that grabbed her pulled behind his back, pinning him down.

She put more pressure on the arm, making the man cry out. "I didn't think you could hurt me more then you've already have today, but I was gravely mistaken." he hissed out, his voice registering in her head.

She immediately released him and looked around again as she realized she was in her bedroom. "I am so sorry, Argon." she exclaimed, horrified. The events of earlier that night played in her head and she blushed in the dark. "I completely forgot where I was."

Argon got up and rolled his shoulder, wincing. "Clearly."

She crawled across the bed to where he sat, his naked back to her, and wrapped her arms around his muscular torso. She kissed his spine between his shoulder blades. "I'm sorry," she whispered against the back of his neck.

He turned to wrap his arm around her and pulled them down into the multitude of pillows. He was silent for a moment. "It was the dream again." It wasn't a question. She nuzzled into his chest, squeezing him tighter against her. That was all the answer he needed as he kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. "It's going to be alright, Apolla. Go back to sleep, I got you."

And with that, she did. But the dragon in the back of her mind smiled.