I feel lost. Staring at my paws, I feel lost. The night is still young, and the gentle breeze of the wind blows past my fur, but tonight, I cannot appreciate the beauty of my world. Standing at the edge of this cliff, I glance at the crimson moon. The primal urge to howl at it builds up with uncanny speed, but I resist. Tonight, I want to gaze at the stars and listen to their cries. The rest of my pack says I'm a weird one, but they do not understand the sorrow I feel deep inside.
The dragons, the basilisks, and the griffins have all left, abandoning our world. They said it's dying, but I believe we can save it. I believe I can save it. I tried to convince the council that we can fight what is to come, but they called me a mad wolf. Now, even the members of my own pack want to abandon our world, but I can't. I will face the source of the foul and conquer it to restore balance to the realms. All guardian beasts need someone to guard and guide, but I feel like the only one needing guarding and guiding is my world, Raan.
"I can protect you, Raan. Trust me, I can. I'm the last bearer of the true Veilstones among all guardian beasts, and I thank Father for helping me hide them," I whisper into the night, trying to find strength and courage from my words.
Like a distant wail, the stars shine upon me with a sad light. It's as if destiny is calling me out there, as if a part of me is missing in the far realms of a distant galaxy. Destiny? What is destiny? There are many answers to this simple yet complex question.
"Sidgar, the Alpha requests your presence." I am disturbed by the voice in my head. Ray, the Beta, speaks through the mindlink. Sighing, I take one last look at the distant stars and leave the cliff, heading for the Alpha's cave.
Raan is beautiful even as it undergoes its slow demise. One cannot ignore the beauty of my world, with its vast expanses of terrain dotted with luminescent rocks of various sizes, from pebbles to towering boulders. These rocks emit a soft, multicolored glow that pulses in rhythm with the world. They cluster in formations resembling natural sculptures.
Forests of giant crystalline structures, known as the holy grounds of Raan, range in color from deep blues and purples to bright greens and pinks. At night, these forests are a breathtaking spectacle, with light refracting and creating mesmerizing patterns.
Underground, vast networks of caves are lined with glowing crystals. These caves are bathed in a soft, ambient light, making them feel otherworldly. The walls, ceilings, and floors are covered with clusters of luminescent minerals that pulse with 'spark,' guiding travelers through their labyrinthine passages.
The flora of Raan includes stunning crystal flowers that grow in abundance. These flowers have petals made of delicate, translucent crystal that glow softly in various colors. Some flowers bloom in response to specific magical energies or phases of the moon.
As I slowly make my way back to the Alpha's cave, my mind is on the beauty of my world—the same world they all want to abandon, the same world that birthed everyone. Now they feel ready to look for mortal souls to guide. But Father told me something entirely different. He said that we guardian beasts were turned into slaves the moment we are bound with a mortal. That's why I am willing to fight for my world and ensure all guardian beasts never have to bond with a mortal again. But Father also said that by opposing the natural laws, I am placing everything in danger. And right now, we are already faced with enough danger as it is.
Without realizing it, I had already arrived before the Alpha's cave. Two twin Dire wolves stood guard. One was pure black with white irises, while the other was pure white with black irises. These two were Daken and Lex, prophesied to be the ones to kill the basilisk leader, Jetun. Here in Raan, every guardian beast is born with a prophecy. Just like the Alpha, he was born with the prophecy that he would be a guardian to a Deity. Well, that's only the first part of his long prophecy. And then there's me, whose name didn't even appear in the book of prophecy when I was born. Father always said that it had something to do with the Veilstones hidden in my eyes, on my back, and beneath my paws. Luckily for me, they seem to be dormant. The only time they seemed active was the day the foul began spreading. My Veilstones lit up, and I hurriedly lost consciousness. But my father, who was there, witnessed everything and told me not to reveal them. But now, I was done hiding.
Nodding to the two wolves, I slowly made my way into the cave. But then my nose picked up a strong scent, the scent of blood mixed with a familiar scent. Dashing forward with great speed, not taking my time to appreciate the beauty of the cave walls, I soon arrived with the scent only getting stronger. Looking around, the Alpha was not in his usual place. But a few yards from me, green fur, a stumped ear, and a familiar scent. "Father!"
"Father!" Without thinking, I dashed toward my father, who lay on the ground, his fur covered in blood. Before I could reach him, something hard and heavy slammed into me, hurling me back with enough force to shatter the cave walls. I curled my body to lessen the impact and hit the wall heavily, smashing right through it. I bounced back up immediately, shaking the debris from my fur. Then I focused on my attacker—Ray, our beta, standing a few yards away with an apologetic look.
"Stand down, Sidgar, and listen to what the alpha has to say," Ray commanded, his tone filled with authority. I bared my fangs, struggling against the urge to submit to the beta.
"Ray, why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice strained.
"Because of your father's deception," a deep voice echoed through the cavern. It was the alpha's. The urge to submit intensified tenfold. Clenching my teeth, I resisted, but it took immense strength. Just as I was about to stand up, a firm paw pressed down on me, pushing me into the ground. Golden fur—it could only be Barron, our alpha.
Believed to be born of the purest essence of the universe, Barron was feared by all guardian beasts, his only rival being Ragnar Darkwing, the dragon leader. Barron's paw remained on my back, his metallic claws digging into my skin.
"You and your so-called 'father' have sinned against the pack. Because of your ignorance, the world that gave birth to us all will perish. It's all because of you and him." The alpha's tone was filled with great anger. I couldn't see his full appearance due to being held down, but I imagined his golden eyes glowing with fury. Despite the terrifying Echo of Resonance pouring down on me, my thoughts were solely on my father, lying motionless a few yards away. Normally, I would have been able to hear his heartbeat, but now, with the alpha in front of me, everything was a blur.
Deciding to stay down, I stopped resisting and submitted, unable to defy the alpha. Sensing my surrender, Barron lifted his paw and stepped back.
"You've realized that resisting is futile? Good, young pup. Now, explain to me why you bear true Veilstones, when even I do not possess them." The alpha paused, then continued, "Tell me who inscribed them on you and how I can get them." His voice commanded obedience, compelling me to answer.
"I was born with them," I responded, the only answer I could give. Looking up, I finally saw the alpha clearly. Barron stood before me, a towering figure of golden fur that shimmered with an almost otherworldly glow. His coat, unlike any other, seemed to radiate its own light, catching the dim cavern light and reflecting it like polished metal. Each strand of his fur, from the tip of his imposing mane to the tuft at his tail, spoke of his immense strength and ancient lineage.
His eyes, twin orbs of molten gold, blazed with an intensity that pierced through the gloom of the cave. They were fierce and penetrating, capable of instilling fear and commanding respect with just a glance. Those eyes stared directly at me, and I felt my soul trembling. "You mean to tell me that you, a disgrace born without a prophecy, were born with true Veilstones inscribed on you? Why would the source do such a thing?" Alpha Barron questioned, but I could not give him an answer because even I did not know why.
"Show me." The alpha requested, but how could I grant his request when I don't even know how to reveal them myself?
"I can't," I answered truthfully. There was a brief moment of silence.
"So you refuse to show me? You do not care about the one that raised you from a pup? The one who guided you from the day Raan decided to birth you?" He paused, closing his eyes as he spoke. "Very well then. Ray, kill him." The alpha commanded, but Ray seemed a bit shaken, as if he had not heard the alpha.
"But Barron—" before Ray could continue, the alpha growled, "You dare question me?" Alpha Barron turned to look at Ray. Ray shook his head and gave me an apologetic look before moving toward my father. The moment Barron instructed Ray to kill my father, I lost it. I could see them speaking, but I could not react; it was as if all my strength had left my body. But then my father, who had been motionless all along, moved a bit, struggling to stand on all fours until he succeeded. Turning to face me, he gave me one of his assuring looks.
"Why do you look so disheartened, kid? Don't you have faith in this old wolf? I told you I was born to guide and protect you, so let me do the protecting." My father spoke slowly. Turning his attention to Ray, who was approaching him with a look of pity, my father's expression turned somber. "Back away, Ray, and I will forgive you for what you have done. If not, then I have no choice other than to use lethal force against you." Father spoke, releasing his Echo of Resonance.
Father's Echo seemed to grow stronger with each passing breath. His wounds healed on the spot, and his green fur became riddled with inscriptions that were unfamiliar to me, but it seemed like Alpha Barron knew what they were.
"The rumored ancient sealing sigils. It seems like your deception is deeper than I initially thought, Ruzgar." The alpha spoke in a calm voice, not shaken by the scene in front of him.
Father retracted his Echo and closed his eyes. "Seal of Abyssal Tranquility; Open."