Chapter 1: The Girl that Changed It All
It was another spring day when I woke up at dawn. I furrowed my eyebrows and took a deep breath to further awaken my mind. I didn't want to trip over anything just because I was still half asleep. If I did… well, Cecilia wouldn't let me live through it.
Ah, right. My name is Aziel. I am a silver-wolf Guardian. Perhaps you wouldn’t know, but Guardians were loathed by humans. As for the reason… that’s something I, myself, was interested to find out about, too. But because of all the hating and pitchforks that would come after me, I had to somehow conceal my identity. That’s where my magic came in. Using a hide spell to make my ears and tails invisible to humans, I could avoid attracting unnecessarily negative attention from the town folk. "Tails?" you ask? Yes, I was not mistaken. I had twin-tails.
As for Cecilia, she’s a human offspring who had been travelling with me since her village got burnt down. We may not have had a wonderful beginning, but she’s slowly grown to become more useful along our journey together.
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The Guardian's ears perked in attention and twitched at the sound of incoming footsteps. He figured it might have been a lost child based on the pressure of the steps against the earth. Eyebrows knitted, he was on the defensive when the child decided to peer through the metallic bars. Youthful, emerald eyes met his dual-colored ones.
Must be from the nearby village.
"Wow… pretty eyes," marveled the human offspring. His left eye was a light shade of blue that rivaled the skies - a trait from his mother; his right eye took after his father, which was a beautiful indigo. Nobody had ever complimented his eyes before, much less a human. Heck, they were even thought to be an ill omen by the very humans who locked him there in the first place. With widened eyes, the silver-headed man was briefly caught off-guard before reverting his gaze to its former cold, uncaring look.
She probably doesn't know, he thought to himself. Soon, however, she'll turn into one of them. At this point, the man was struggling to keep his surging bitterness towards humans in check.
Many seasons had, one after the other, come and gone, with the number of those in charge of him gradually decreasing from old age. Newer generations dared not fill the empty positions that were left behind. Mothers would warn their children against playing near his prison. As a result, the Guardian was abandoned and left there to die and rot.
It was a belief for humans that Guardians, or better known as Beast-kins, were ferocious, blood-thirsty carnivores who wore humanoid masks to hunt down their livestock and children. Perhaps it was good news for the villagers if he really did end up dead one day. However, he was no ordinary Beast-kin. No, he had far more fight and endurance than others of his kind.
Deep in his own thoughts, the Guardian paid no heed to his supposed “visitor”, who seemed to be waiting for a response of some sort. Seeing that she would not get any of that otherwise, she decided to initiate another conversation herself and asked, "Can you talk?"
This pulled his attention back to her.
Her tone was that of pure curiosity instead of the condescending kinds he would normally get from the late cell-keepers. He knew better to tell that apart. He could see it in her eyes.
In a deep, hoarse voice that had not used for over a century, he finally answered, "Yes."
Instantly, the girl's eyes lit up, but soon fell at the realization of the man's condition. Her eyes trailed from the scars and dried blood-covered skin to his torn, filthy clothes, to his messy, unkept hair that was long enough to be used as a broom if he so wished to. He also lacked physical strength, probably due to starvation, thirst, or worst… both. No person should be treated the way he was. I must get him out, she thought. But how?
As if reading her mind, the Guardian spoke. "Bring me some food and water. I’ll be strong enough to break myself out.”
The human girl nodded as hard as she could before rushing off. He heaved a sigh. Finally, he was going to leave this place. It was pretty ironic considering how humans were the reason he was in this situation in the first place, and now he was relying on a human offspring to help with his escape.
Eventually, the girl returned with some bread and a bag of water in hand. Stretching his stiff-aching muscles, he slowly got onto his feet. At first, his legs gave way to his weight and he stumbled to remain standing. But after a little wobbling and leaning against the stone wall, he managed to reach the human child.
The Guardian ate slowly, careful to not strain his jaws from chewing too fast. His “visitor” just stood outside and watched with fascination.
“Do you really have stare while I eat?” he asked with a condescending tone in his voice. The girl merely nodded with her big, doey eyes on him. He huffed. Looks like he was not going to have the privacy he was so used to having.
Not long after, the Guardian could feel sheer energy coursing through his veins and sinking into his muscles. This was it.
Without the maintenance required over the last few decades, the spells in the prisoner’s cuffs, which were meant to seal off his overbearing physical strength and magical powers, wore off by more than half. This made looking for cracks in the remnants an easy task for the beast humans so feared.
He closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to travel within the layers of lingering seals. With little effort, he spotted a large crack in a fragment and upon using a simple spell break, the remaining chain of spells collapsed. Instantaneously, the cuffs around his wrists and ankles fell to the cold floor, the impact producing a sharp, metal-colliding echo.
Now free, the Guardian prepared himself to blast open an exit; but of course, he wasn’t careless enough to forget about the human girl's presence.
“Go home, now,” he commanded. He was giving her a choice to either run before he busted his way out or be killed during the process. The child chose the earlier, but had one final question she deemed worthy to risk her life for.
“Will I ever see you again?”
In all honesty, the Guardian did not want to see any more humans if he could help it; one's tolerance could only withstand so much. But there was also no denying that the girl had assisted in his escape. He was no coward to admit that. For a while, he pondered over a suitable reply to give to his supposed “rescuer”, even if all she did was satisfying his stomach’s needs. Eventually, he settled for a decision that surprised even himself.
“Only once, you may call my name when you need it most.” He left no room for complaints, not that the girl had any to begin with. He sighed before saying, “My name is Aziel.”
Satisfied, the girl gave a toothy grin and ran from the stone building. She turned back to wave her arm at him and shout, “Bye bye, Aziel! My name is Cecilia, don’t forget it!”
The silver-headed Guardian snorted. The girl sure was loud for someone a little more than half his height, for he was a man standing at 187cm.
As soon as Cecilia was out of sight, Aziel ignited an azure-colored fireball on his palm before single-handedly flinging it towards the wall ahead. From the size of his palm to that of his head, the fireball then spontaneously tripled in volume. It collided with the mossy stone wall, creating a hole big enough for the man to exit and leaving not a single trace of burnt marks.
Alas, he was free.
Hesitantly, Aziel took a step out of the old building, suddenly conscious of placing his feet on the leaf-strewn soil. It was a foreign feeling after being locked up in that cell for so long.
After a little getting used to, Aziel dug his toes into the loose soil comfortably and let loose a delighted smile. He took a deep breath. The smell of nature stung his sensitive nose and he cringed in excitement. Soon, he broke into a run towards his newfound freedom.
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“But I told you, it’s true!” claimed the girl upon her arrival home. Life had not been an easy start for her when her mother decided to leave her at the doorstep of the village church. She was but an infant at that time. However, the old pope took her and other orphaned children in and raised them like his own. He was not amused, though, whenever one particular child would return home with bogus stories to tell, especially the latest one about a handsome man with wolf ears and tails. As far as he knew, all Beast-kins were either killed or driven out from their village.
Nevertheless, he had to somehow sooth the excited child. It was high time he put a stop to her dangerous adventures and crazy stories. Who knows what kind of trouble she’ll end up throwing herself into in the future? Next thing he knew, Cecilia would be telling him she married a fairy!
“Alright, Cecilia, calm down and take a seat,” he coaxed, grabbing a wooden chair for both himself and the girl. “I’ll listen to your story.”
The girl puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Clearly, he did not believe her when she previously shared her discovery. What could he possibly want to hear from her, and what could he come to as a conclusion? Surely, he would not think she was out of her mind, would he?
Aziel was not a ghost… right?
Just then, a load roar echoed from outside the church, followed by a huge impact that shook the entire church. Fire began to spread ferociously from the main entrance, engulfing whatever it could to feed its hunger. Wood cracked under the fire’s heat. Screams and cries for help could also be heard from neighboring villagers.
A strong force suddenly pushed Cecilia from behind. It happened far too fast for her to make any reactions. After gathering herself up, Cecilia turned her head back, only to find the elderly man buried under fallen rubble from the previous shake. Hot tears instantly filled her eyes and rolled vigorously down her face. The man appeared to have too little fight left in him to last any longer. “Father…?”
“Cecilia… listen to, me…”
“Father, don’t die! I’ll get help!”
“No, Cecilia… Run, while you… still can…” With shaky hands, he wrapped his wrinkled ones around Cecilia’s small, tender ones. He forced a smile. “You need to… live on.”
The girl sobbed. “I won’t leave you here. I’ll call for Aziel!”
“Enough!” Cecilia flinched. “Enough… please try to understand… that I’m doing… all this, for your own… good. I love you… Ceci…lia…”
The old pope’s eyes closed, his hands loosen their grip on hers as they fell limp. He’s dead, was the only thought that went through Cecilia’s mind. She broke into a heart-wrenching cry at the loss of someone important before screaming Aziel’s name.
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At once, a bone-chilling breeze creeped into the room. Ice cracking sounds could be heard. Frozen ice spread from the entrance of the cathedral and calmingly overpowered the burning flames. At the doorstep stood the young Guardian, no longer dressed in his previously ragged clothing, nor was he covered in his former filth.
His former long, tangled hair had been brushed out and chopped off, which now fell just above his shoulders. He wore a black armor pad with golden linings over his left chest and a silver pauldron on his left shoulder. Underneath was an unbuttoned, dark blue sleeve-less vest that only covered half his torso, and a white kimono with the same colored trim. Golden linings were also engraved on the kimono. Over his garments were silver gautlets and faulds, and his blue trousers were messily tucked into his leather boots.
However, something was significantly different about him. The Guardian’s eyes were glowing a golden hue instead of their normally different colors. His facial expression was also notably stoic, heartless even, in comparison to the last time she saw him. She did not know why, but somehow, Cecilia became frightened.
Having said nothing so far, Aziel paid no heed to his destroyed surroundings and walked over to the human girl’s side, clearly ignoring her growing anxiety. Cecilia shut her eyes tight and firmly held onto the old pope’s hands. She was no longer sure whether the person she saved was an ally… until she felt herself being carried. Gently, the Guardian rested a hand on her head and pulled her body close to his chest.
His heartbeat was calm and soothing like a metronome, beating a steady rhythm. At that moment, Cecilia felt a sense of security. She could trust him, couldn’t she?
The next thing she knew, cold wind swept her face mercilessly as Aziel began to make a run towards the exit.
“Ah, Father is still back there!” she exclaimed suddenly. Aziel had no intentions of stopping as the only thing he did was hasten his pace while at the same time, dodging falling rocks and debris. Who’s 'Father'...? Then it dawned upon him.
“There’s no use saving him--”
“No! We have to go get him… He died protecting me…!”
The Guardian did not utter a word, quietly allowing the human child to thrash, cry, and hit him in protest. Even after escaping from the cathedral, Aziel made no effort to stop until they reached a nearby hill, far from the reach of the fierce flames. There was where he finally let her down.
By now, the entire village was completely engulfed in yellow flames. Whoever had caused this certainly was a coward to resort to such lowly methods; though, they most likely were not enemies common humans could handle, considering how little time it took for the fire to consume the entire village.
Aziel was sure there were survivors that could take care of the girl, but decided against looking for an adult human before the fire died out. It was growing dark and he urgently needed to find a place to settle the girl anyway, who had apparently fallen asleep from exhaustion. He soon spotted a nearby cave.
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That evening, Cecilia had a dream where the pope was still alive, lecturing her about venturing into dangerous grounds and coming home with scars and bruises. What seemed to be a normal day suddenly melted into the image that was engraved within her memory – the very man buried under rubble and fallen wood, lifeless. It was simply too heavy a burden a child could take.
She got up with a scream, her vision blurred by tears that have formed in her sleep. Instinctively, she wiped them off, only to find herself in an unknown environment. The sun had long set and the moon hung high in the dark sky. An abrupt cracking of firewood and tree bark from the burning campfire caught her attention, and she began to recall the events that afternoon.
It all happened so fast. It was then that reality struck her - she was all alone now.
Just then, Aziel returned with sticks and bark in one arm, and a small, makeshift basket full of fish in the other. His eyes no longer glow the eerie color they once took on and they seemed to have reverted to their original calmness. Dumping the “fire fuel” nearby, the Guardian sat in front of the fire, opposite to where Cecilia was placed, and started to roast the fish he caught.
Never once had he looked her in the eye since his arrival to her rescue.
The two were silent throughout the night, only exchanging simple sentences of concern like “Is it good?” or “Are you cold?”
Later that night, Aziel awoke to soft whimpering from the other side of the cave. Maybe she’s dreaming about that again.
He would be lying if he knew how she felt – losing someone dear to her, yet for unbeknownst reasons, he felt a surging helplessness with each passing second. Choosing to ignore it, Aziel returned to sleep; yet after countless of tossing and turning, he concluded that he was unable to do so without doing anything. With a light groan in defeat, he propped himself up, staring at the tiny, fragile back facing him before soundlessly crawling to the girl’s side. He sat with her facing his way before carefully laying back down.
Cecilia had giant leaves covering her body up till her shoulders, her eyes stained with dried tears. Subconsciously, Aziel held out a hand and pulled her into a hug, subsequently stroking her light brown hair.
As if snapping out of a trance, he promptly attempted to withdraw his arm, only for it to be used as boulster. Not knowing any other way of prying himself out of the human’s grasp without waking her, he huffed and remained still.
It was a strange experience, but the Guardian could feel a warm sensation in his heart.
What is this feeling…? he wondered.
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“Where are you going?”
There seemed to have been a change in mood for Cecilia since morning broke - she seemed to have regained her normal curious, adventurous spirit back. Why, was something Aziel could not fully grasp just yet.
After breakfast while Aziel was planning on leaving for the next village, he was stopped.
“You’ve saved my life and I’ve saved yours. We’re even now, so I am no longer in your debt.” Glaring down at the small hand grasping onto his sleeve, he said, “I’m leaving.”
“Then take me with you.”
“No.”
His reply was instant. Not a single ounce of hesitation was present. To Aziel, the girl was merely a useless baggage that would slow him down. Cecilia did not show signs of a magic user, nor was she strong enough to make herself useful in any way. However, the look in her emerald eyes made him think twice.
“Alright, but only if you can keep up with me.” It was actually said on a whim. Little did Aziel know how this very sentence would drastically change his life forever..
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“You sure you don’t want to give up? You can still turn back.” Aziel couldn’t help taunting the girl. The two had already been travelling for a day.
Being the sceptical man he was towards humans, the silver-headed Guardian still could not pinpoint the reason of him letting such a vulnerable thing of a human tag along with him. As far as he knew, she could be used by enemies as hostage against him. It was a low and cowardly act - something he would never do... but that wouldn't apply the same for bloodthirsty, greedy bandits lurking in forests.
“N-no… I can still go on…”
No, you can’t. At least, she didn’t seem like it. She was wheezing desperately and had drastically slowed down in pace. Her eyes, however, told another story. They showed determination to not lose sight of him, persistently unwilling to back down.
What have I gotten myself into…?
“We’re stopping for a bit, human,” he said when he came to a stop at a shady spot. He proceeded to leave before a weak grip tugged onto his wrist.
“Where are… you going…?” In spite of her depleted energy, Cecilia managed to catch him possibly running on her.
“Just to get water,” he lied with a straight face, but the girl was smart and did not buy it. Instead, she tightened her grip on him, even if it meant wasting the remaining energy she had left. Cecilia feared he would never return. Being left behind was something she did not want to experience ever again.
“I’ll… come with you,” she insisted, but was clearly not in the state to be walking any longer.
Feeling his temper wearing thin, he finally snapped. “You will rest here and go home! I do not need a human child following me.”
Aziel yanked his wrist free, his eyes clearly showing his anger boiling. “You humans are nothing but a bothersome existence!”
“Fine!” Struggling to hold back her tears, Cecilia darted into the dense forest with her newly found strength.
So much for keeping promises!
Just as Aziel prepared to set out, he heard a cry. He spared no second thought before rushing towards the source of the voice, willing the owner of the voice to be safe. He did not have to reach far before finding the brunette cowering with a caterpillar on her hair.
He would very much like to punch himself at the decision he was about to make. Regardless of race, Cecilia was a defenceless girl that needed protection. With her foster parent gone, it was uncertain whether she would find another to replace him with the two already so far from the village.
He facepalmed his handsome face before removing the insect from the pathetic girl’s head. In a defeated tone, he said, “Fine, you can come along with me.”
“…What did you say?”
“I said, 'you can come along with me',” he repeated in a louder and harsher voice as he glared at the child. Cecilia childishly stuck a tongue out at him and laughed. That was when he realized he had been tricked.
Maybe she was not as stupid as he thought she was…