"I guess we know who this place belongs to," Vral hissed in my ear.

A horn blast sounded behind us. They weren't far now. Any moment, they'd break through the treeline. But the giant dragon thing in front of me had me rooted to the spot. Its large red eyes drifted from Tristan, to Farvad, to me, to Vral, and back to me. Its eyes narrowed as it took me in. As it did, a deep, terrifying sound rumbled up its throat.

Then it started walking toward us.

Despite the obvious danger we were in, I couldn't help but be awed by the monster. Each movement was measured, deliberate, graceful. Its wing unfurled as it walked. Step by step, it got closer. Fifty yards. Forty. Thirty. When it reached the center of the field, it crouched down low. Behind it, Fluffy slunk out of its hole and glared at me.

"We could make a run for it..." Tristan whispered. Her hand met mine. Our fingers wove into one another.

"We'd die before we made it out of the grove." I gave her hand a squeeze. I didn't know what to do, but I knew the solution wasn't running.

"Why isn't it attacking?" She whispered as it turned and walked to the left.

"I have no idea." Behind us, I heard footsteps retreating from us. If things went south, I prayed that Farvad would make it out. The monster turned again and stalked to the right.

"Easy, easy," Farvad said somewhere behind us, but the creature wasn't looking at him. Its eyes seemed to have settled on Vral and I. I could see the creature was considering us. Its eyes were intelligent. It seemed cautious. It was thinking.

I wracked my brain for what it could be. I couldn't be so stupid that all of Arden's instruction was for nothing. Something had stuck, right?

I took the monster in. It had scales on its back and great leathery wings. Fangs. A horn. Was it a dragon?

No.

Not a dragon. Fur lined its arms and back, and it had large, upright ears that made it look kind of like a shepherd or Doberman. In fact, its entire face was vaguely doglike. According to the manuals, dragons didn't have fur or ears.

So, definitely not a dragon.

But it was intelligent. Its offspring was intelligent. Its chirping and whistles were words of some kind. They were communicating. Okay. It was a magical beast of some kind. It had the traits of multiple monsters, and several of its qualities were clearly supernatural. A crystalline horn was on its head. Its eyes were glowing. Vral called it a guardian beast...

That rang a bell.

I could just barely remember sitting in the reading room with Arden. I was reading an old tome about native monsters of Reial. It was after I told him I wanted to become an adventurer. He insisted I learn everything about the monsters of this world. Said it would help one day. I laughed when I realized the book was similar to a D&D Monster Manual. We got sidetracked talking about our previous adventures back on Earth...

There was an entry about a rare type of creature.

What was it?

Another horn blast sounded behind us. They were nearly here.

Could I reason with it?

"Alex, they're getting close!" Tristan's voice was filled with fear.

I squeezed her hand again. "I know! I just need another moment. Please." The monster was close now. Its eyes were locked on mine.

Guardian beast...

It came to me. Guardian beasts. A divine beast. The Goddess's guardians in the mortal plane. Powerful beasts that protected natural places of power from harm. While they generally stayed out of human affairs, they wouldn't hesitate to defend themselves or the land if threatened. Ill-tempered with the arrogant, kind with the good-hearted, they demanded respect and rewarded compassion.

This was one of the Luminara.

"Everyone, kneel!" I could Tristan's gaping face out the side of my eye. "Drop to your knees!" I let go of her hand as she lowered herself to the ground.

Fluffy's mother's head turned to the side. She was regarding me, considering my words. After a moment, it almost seemed like a smile spread across her doglike muzzle. I stared into those intelligent eyes and stepped forward. Slowly, carefully, I took another step. And another. As I walked to the creature, I lifted Vral from my shoulders, took her in my arms, and walked to it. Its red eyes softened as I approached.

"Moron," Vral hissed. "You gonna offer me up as a snack or something? Because if I get eaten, I'll kill you!" Despite her injuries, she was feisty as ever. However, there was little strength to back up her words. Glacning down at her, I knew it was an act. Her skin was deathly pale, and her veins were bulging. Some had blackened, and her eyes were sunken. Despite her sass, I knew she wouldn't survive much longer. With a soft prayer to whoever would listen, I prayed that this wouldn't be her end.

There was another horn blast. I could hear cackling around us. I ignored it. I kept my eyes on the divine beast and continued forward until I was about mere feet away from its snout. Lowering Vral to the ground, I watched as blood trickled from her wounds. Her eyes met mine. She was scared. In pain. Taking her little hand in mine, I knelt behind her and bowed my head to the ground.

"Mighty guardian of this forest, child of the Goddess, I need your help. This woman before you was poisoned. She'll die without Her grace. Please, great guardian. Your aid is all that can save her." I didn't know the right words, but I spoke from the heart. I hoped that would be enough.

In the corner of my vision, I saw flashes of movement. Green skin. Grey fur. My heart raced. If this didn't work, we were dead, one way or the other.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Could I have been mistaken? Doubt crept in. I was wrong. This was just a monster. We were dead.

Then, it moved. I nearly had a heart attack. But, all it did was sit down in the thick grass. Okay, not dead yet. An arrow wizzed past my head. Don't move, Alex. Be cool. I tensed as the guardian lowered its head to the ground, its red eyes studying us intently.

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Fluffy scurried from its burrow and rushed to its parent. A series of squeaks and snorts sounded between them, and, with a huff, the larger creature nodded. I watched as it stood back up, rose on its hind legs, stretched its wings, and lifted its head to the sky. With a loud whoosh, it inhaled. The grass fluttered, and the wind shook. Then, it slowly exhaled, and a wave of blue energy escaped from her nostrils.

As the energy escaped its snout, the air itself crackled with power.

Glowing blue motes drifted down from the sky above, floating lazily through the air like dandelion seeds. They shimmered softly, reflecting off the guardian beast's eyes as it fell. The creature breathed in deeply a second time. A soft, slow exhalation sent them scattering across the clearing. Wherever they touched, thousands of sprouts grew. In moments, the entire area was covered in vibrant blooms of every color imaginable. Looking around, I watched as the new life was born all around us.

I pulled her up against my chest, and both of her hands found mine. Above us, one of the motes drifted lazily through the air, dancing on unseen winds. Slowly, one of them made its way to the air above the goblin in my arms. A second mote joined it. The two motes danced with one another as they sank to the ground. Stopping just above her skin, they played together until both softly fell onto her wounds. When they touched her skin, there were brief flashes of light. Then, a soft blue energy surrounded her. She gasped as her wounds closed.

"Alex?" Tears streamed from her eyes.

"I got you."

"Thank you," she whispered, squeezing my hands so hard it hurt.

The sound of galloping broke through the silence. I turned to see dozens of figures burst into the clearing. At the front of the pack, a bald goblin shrieked. His shriek was cut short and his eyes turned to saucers when he saw the massive creature in front of us. Before he could make another sound, one of the blue motes touched his skin.

In a flash, the goblin was gone, replaced by a stunted, twisted bush. Except it wasn't a bush. It looked kind of like a tree, but its branches were crystalline, and its leaves were gems that glowed with an inner light. His companions, not seeing their captain's fate, charged, their weapons held high, but they too were touched by the blue motes of energy. In seconds, all the riders were gone. Without a sound, each fighter turned into a beautiful crystalline tree.

The battle was over before it began.

Looking around the clearing, I saw all that remained of the attackers were their mounts, which meandered around the glade, completely pacified. The crystalline trees radiated an aura of peace and serenity. It was as if no harm could ever befall this place.

"Beautiful," Tristan said behind me. She fell to her knees next to me, took my hand, and reached out to take one of Vral's.

"It really is."

"Vral, you've been blessed by a divine being. Do you realize how incredible that is?"

Vral blinked her tears away and squeezed both our hands. "No." Her familiar grin returned. "But that makes me powerful right? Will it give me new skills? Am I a saint now? Saint Vral. That has a good ring to it." A grin spread across her face, and I could see the gears working behind her eyes.

Tristan laughed. "No, but it means you have a good heart. One worth saving."

Her grin vanished. "Huh?" Vral looked between the two of us. "Worth saving? I'm supposed to be a badass. Not some goody goody like you two."

Tristan and I laughed.

Vral's face screwed up. "Hey! Don't make fun of me! Do you even know who I am?"

"Now more than ever," I said, squeezing her hand.

"Our friend," Tristan answered.

"Ugh, you're gross." Vral blushed furiously. "I'm scary. The mighty Saint Vral."

We laughed again, and this time Vral joined us. It felt like a barrier broke down between us.

More blue motes of energy flowed around us. Wherever they touched my skin, it glowed, and I could feel my sore muscles loosen. Around us, the flower-filled field became even more vibrant. The tiny flowers' petals glowed with an inner light. They unfurled toward the sky as if they were living starlight. As they did, the guardian watched us silently, its expression unreadable.

Taking it in, I nodded to the beast.

It dipped its head in acknowledgment. "You revealed the depths of your character." The deep rumble of its voice shook the grove and shocked all three of us. Fluffy danced back and forth between her arms before climbing up onto its mother's snout. "Few mortals would approach this place. Fewer still would ask for aid. Even fewer would be worthy of it."

I bowed my head. "Thank you for honoring my request."

"Rise, champion."

Champion?

I cleared my throat, let go of Vral's hand, and stood. As I did, I looked between Tristan and Vral, but both seemed as confused as I was.

With the smallest inclination of its head, it regarded me closely. "What is your name, mortal?"

"Alex."

"You possess strength, Alex. Not only of body or mind but of spirit." It waved its hand, and several of the motes floated toward us. "I watched when you could have abandoned your ally. It would have been easy. You might have survived had you done so."

Several blue motes swirled in front of me. As they swirled, an image appeared. I saw Vral as she was not long before, barely standing and ready to give her life.

"You chose not to forsake her. Why?"

"Because she saved me. Saved all of us. It was the least I could do for her." I thought a moment longer, then added, "And I like her. She's never seemed like a bad person to me, ever since the first time we met. While complicated, I consider her my friend."

Vral squeaked behind me.

"I see." The guardian waved its hand, and the image faded. "The little one was little more than an enemy to you." The image shifted, and our first fight with Vral appeared. "She intended to slay you. Why did you spare her?" The image shifted to the three of us sitting against the tunnel walls.

"She was beaten, and she spared me the first time we fought. It didn't feel right. Even if she was an enemy, I couldn't kill her. Something told me she didn't deserve it."

The guardian waved again, and the motes scattered. "Your commitment to protect your companions shows the worth of your heart. That worth, in turn, will create change in this world."

I didn't know what it meant, but I bowed all the same.

"Priestess." The guardian turned to Tristan. "Stand."

I heard Tristan shuffle. A moment later, she was beside me, and her hand found mine again.

"You were given visions. Two paths lie before you. What is your decision? Our mother will bless either path you choose."

Tristan turned to look at me. I smiled at her. Something was behind her eyes, but I couldn't place what was behind them. She turned back and spoke. "I choose the second path, great spirit."

The light around us seemed to grow brighter for a moment. Tristan squeezed my hand. "So it shall be. Walk in the light, daughter."

"I will."

She nodded and turned back to me. "Without doubt or hesitation, these two will follow you through your trials. Always be worthy of their faith in you."

Tristan squeezed my hand again, and Vral squeaked.

"I'll do my best."

Her eyes shifted. I followed her line of sight to Farvad, who had backed to the edge of the glade and was hiding behind one of the crystal bushes. "Gnome." It nodded to Farvad. "Come closer."

For a moment, I thought he'd pretend we couldn't see him, but he eventually walked out from behind it and to the guardian.

When he did, she spoke. "Alchemist. You suffer from a disease of the mind."

"Yes..." He rubbed his forehead. "I've tried everything, but I can't heal. The illness resists magic and alchemy, and I lack the ingredients to concoct something potent enough to cure it." Farvad shuffled forward and offered the guardian a bow. "Would you happen to know the cure?" His voice was shaky.

"Your wounds are of the shadow. Through your engagement with dark forces, you have poisoned yourself with His essence. The old enemy wishes to return, though in what form, I cannot say. However, mortals who are touched by his darkness are destined for suffering."

"Is there no way to fix it?" The gnome asked.

"Go to the priestess's temple and rest, fair friend of the forest. There, you will find soime relief."

Farvad bowed to the beast.

"And, take this. You may find it to be of use." She reached out and plucked a single glowing leaf from one of the crystal trees and handed it to him. "May it bring you healing."

Turning back to me, her eyes flashed. "In time, we will meet again. Until then, my children, be well. Farewell, for now." Her voice echoed through the trees, filling me with warmth. Then, a mighty gust of wind knocked me backward as the guardian took wing and vanished into the evening sky.