Odyssey of the Guardian Emperor

Alaric wanted to scream his head off. His fist clenched with the strength to shatter rocks, seething. Above, storm clouds churned, spitting thunder that echoed his fury. Just then, a heavy thud shook the ground before him.

Dara'k, the Heaven-Crested Eagle, landed with a glint of mischief in his golden eyes, his familiar aether pulsing like a heartbeat. He lowered his head, meeting Alaric's gaze.

"That fire in your eyes, Protector," Dara'k rumbled, "I like it."

"Do you?"

The eagle tilted his head, stepping aside with a low hum. "You have my loyalty… till I repay my debt for making you bleed. I will tear down your enemies for you. Just say the word."

His tone carried a weight Alaric couldn't quite place, a vow forged in the aether that bound them. He'd spoken in the Old Tongue, and that made his words binding.

Alaric rose, dust clinging to his cloak, his mind racing. 'We could return to Melbourne and… and…'

Images flashed through his mind—the Matriarch's cold expressionless face, the Emperor's Men in their bright vermilion colours, the Dark Mage's venomous gaze, tainted by the thirst for blood. Alaric's hand trembled, '…and then… what?'

"Alaric," LionHeart's voice cut through the haze, steady but edged with urgency. It was the sort of thing Alaric needed to keep himself from running mad.

The big man stepped forward, his white cape billowing, his eyes searching for reason in the boy's defiance. "We can't go back to Melbourne. If we do, I can't guarantee you'll come back alive."

Alaric whirled, his brows knitting, aether crackling around him like a live wire. "I'm not leaving her there."

"She's the Matriarch's prized possession and can't be harmed. You'd risk your life to save someone whose life is safe?" the big man snapped at Alaric.

"Safe?" Alaric's voice broke, sharp and raw. The air pulsed, and a gust of wind tore through the valley, scattering pebbles. "There's nothing safe about a Dark Mage holding her hostage."

LionHeart closed the gap, his towering frame looming, eyes locked on Alaric's. "This wasn't the plan, Alaric. Byron was probably sent to lure you back after sniffing out who you were. It's a trap. You know it."

"I'm not an idiot, LionHeart," the boy growled back into the man's face, "I know it's a trap."

"Then why walk into it?" LionHeart's tone softened, a flicker of concern breaking through his stern facade.

"I'm not," Alaric said, his voice steadying, though his fists clenched. "I just need a plan." His mind churned, replaying the moment Byron's rune-etched pill had torn Lucy away, the blue mist swallowing her. He'd been so close, his fingers grazing the edges of the spell, only to be thrown back by the explosive reaction of the two pills.

LionHeart studied the boy, his gaze softening. He'd known the boy long enough to recognise that stubborn glint in his eye—reckless, but not foolish. "You'd better come up with a good one then," he said finally, clapping a hand on Alaric's shoulder.

"At least tell us you have a plan," Scarlett's voice broke the tension, tinged with a rare tremor. "We know it's bad… but let's not make it worse by just handing you over to that Dark Mage."

The High Sentinel's deep voice rumbled from above, his golden feathers glinting in the fading light. "Your plan must wait. Night falls, and the demon scourge stirs beyond these mountains. You can leave at dawn."

"How do we know the mountains are safe?" Scarlett turned to the man.

"That's because I am here," the Eagle shrugged.

Alaric exhaled, forcing his shoulders to loosen. The clouds above calmed, their roiling edges softening, and the aether around him stilled, no longer sparking with his fury. But his mind was a whirlwind, replaying Lucy's wide-eyed panic as the teleportation spell took her. She was right there…

[I know, Alaric,] Alia's voice whispered in his mind, soft and heavy with shared grief. [I know.]

LionHeart's grip tightened on Alaric's shoulders, his eyes searching the boy's face. "We'll get her back, Alaric. But first, let's get through the night in one piece. You must be starving. We packed enough for two days, just in case."

The mention of food stirred Alaric from his spiralling thoughts. "I… I can eat," he mumbled, his voice softer than he intended.

"There we go. Come on," LionHeart's smiled, and he guided the boy back to the group with a gentle nudge. Bumi and Maple glanced up from their packs, beckoned by Sariah's wave to join the huddle. Dara'k trailed behind, his massive wings casting fleeting shadows as he kept a respectful distance, awaiting orders.

The group settled into a meeting to plan. Strategies and plans flew among them as they reacquainted themselves with the current situation. This meeting, unlike the one that brought them here, was even more heated, with Bumi hating their odds more and more… but the group powered through with Sariah's mediation and Alaric's radical compromises—Either do this or leave it to someone else-kind of compromises.

The High Sentinel promised them wood for a fire and the watchful eyes of his eagles for protection. That way, everyone would get a good night's sleep before the events of the day ahead.

As the discussion wound down, the group scattered to their tasks—some setting up camp, others to get their supper ready—leaving Alaric alone with his thoughts.

Night fell, stars dotted the black sky, and a cold breeze picked up, cooling the Barren Mountains down a few degrees. Alaric sat before the fire—not that he needed it. The perks of Body Tempering involved higher elemental resistance. The cold of the Barren Mountains was no threat to him.

Still, it felt normal to sit by the fireplace and drown in his thoughts. He's searched through his mind for several solutions, pored over the layout of Melbourne and constructed several stringent plans to aid him in infiltrating the Sisters of Fragrance and rescuing their Healer

Until Lucy was saved, his thoughts refused to rest.

Across the fire, Scarlett sat beside Sariah, her eyes flicking to Alaric between whispered words. Her curiosity burned brighter than the flames, fueled by many things but above all, the mystery of Alaric's bond with Lucy. As far as she was aware, he was just a boy immune to her Inborn Ability, yet his resolve to save her bordered on obsession. What tied them so tightly in so little time?

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"How do you know Lucy?" Scarlett finally voiced her thoughts, her voice cutting through the quiet, sharp with curiosity and a hint of unease. It was the sort of tone one used when they were afraid of the answer to their question.

The air around the fire thickened, embers popping in the silence. Bumi shot the girl a warning glance from across the flames, his finger landing on his lips in a sign for her to stay quiet. Alaric didn't notice, his gaze lost in the fire's glow.

Bumi cleared his throat, forcing a lighter tone. "More interesting than that—how'd you rip open that teleportation spell with your bare hands? Never seen magic like that."

The High Sentinel's golden eyes gleamed from the shadows, his voice a low rumble that startled the humans. "About that. It wasn't magic. It was will. It's something that gets easier to use the more powerful one gets."

LionHeart furrowed his brows. "Anyone can do that?"

"Only those with names that echo through he aether, like that of the Protector. The strongest names belong to the Fates. Legends say they could unravel reality with a thought," the creature explained.

Alaric turned to the High Sentinel, "Are you sure it's okay to be here, away from your clan?"

The majestic creature merely bowed, "Any less would be an insult to you."

Alaric's shoulders sagged, the High Sentinel's reverence weighing heavier with each word. "Will every Aether Beast I meet treat me like this?" he asked, his voice tinged with exasperation.

The eagle's laughter rumbled heartily. "Hardly. Most will seek to judge your achievements first. They know the legend of the Great Protector, but few have seen your power. My clan of Sentinels believe in the Great Protector because we are constantly surrounded by the signs of his greatness. Your Gluttonous Storm Shield is one such sign."

Alaric shook his head. The more he spoke to the creature, the more confused he grew, and the title "Great Protector" only muddled his thoughts further.

He let his gaze drift to the fire, its embers dancing like the questions he couldn't answer. Scarlett's face caught his eye, her expression holding a tinge of quiet sadness. Her unanswered question about Lucy lingered, mirroring the confusion in his own heart.

He'd never expected to care so deeply for someone in mere days, let alone risk his life for them. Yet the memory of Lucy's guardian lingered at the back of his mind. The wraith's look of hope burned itself into the back of his mind, its voice a desperate whisper in the dark, binding him to a promise he couldn't break.

Scarlett's eyes met his, her thin-lipped smile tentative. He returned it, small but genuine. "I made a deal with Lucy's guardian," he said softly, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Scarlett leaned forward, her voice sharp with curiosity and a flicker of protectiveness. "A deal? When?"

"Last night," Alaric said, taking a deep breath. The fire's warmth brushed his face, grounding him. "I don't know if she knows about it, but I made a promise to her that I have no intention of breaking."

Sariah furrowed her eyebrows, her fingers tightening on her ring. "Is that how you got her to come with us after your little fight?"

The boy nodded, his gaze distant. "Yes… Even after the Matriarch offered her ten times the price of a Storm Orb to drop the mission."

"Sounds like a promise only you, the Great Protector, could make," the High Sentinel's voice hummed.

Alaric's lips pressed into a thin line, his silence an answer.

'A promise I don't even know how to keep,' he thought, his mind racing through Melbourne's shadowed alleys, plotting Lucy's rescue with desperate precision. Every plan felt fragile, teetering on the edge of ruin.

'All I need now is to sort through these plans and come up with something that will help me rescue Lucy with the least amount of risk.'

[ Sounds like some of those candy offers Finn has never managed to ignore. ] Alia quipped.

[ Are you going to mock me or help me? ]

[ Both. ] She replied, her tone bright and unbothered by Alaric's brooding.

The boy sighed, [ Got any ideas? You've been eavesdropping on my thoughts. ]

[ Your plans aren't bad, just rough around the edges. But first… ]

The air around LionHeart shimmered, aether warping the fabric of space like cloth. A lion stepped through, towering taller than an elephant, its white feathers gleaming under the starlight. Elegant wings folded against its sides, and a regal crown of silver pulsed on its brow, drawing gasps of awe from the humans.

Aslan, LionHeart's guardian, approached Alaric with silent grace, his muzzle gently nuzzling the boy's shoulder. [ You'll need my power to outmanoeuvre a Dark Mage of the Steel Rank. ]

[ I'm not fighting him, ] Alaric countered, his voice firm in his mind.

[ No, Great Protector, ] Aslan rumbled, [ Ironic as it might sound, my strength lies in speed, in vanishing. Grab the girl and flee Melbourne, never to return. ]

[ It's Alaric, Aslan, ] the boy chided, softening as the lion's golden eyes held steady. [ Please. ]

The beast exhaled, [ Very well. But on condition that you accept my ability. Use it as you will. I pray the Constellations keep you safe. ]

Alaric nodded, a quiet resolve settling in his chest. The fire crackled, its light flickering across the faces of his companions, each wrestling with their own fears and hopes for the dawn.

He didn't have to focus… just like it had been with SwiftWind. It was almost like a guardian that wished to have their abilities copied was able to compel Alaric to copy them.

The boy swayed, power shooting through his whole body. He made a fist and struggled to withhold the sensation of having his body zapped with new information and hammered with modifications. Space loosened its grip on him, and for a moment, he forgot the significance of using his legs as opposed to teleporting.

For a moment, it made no sense to run when he could be wherever he wanted as soon as he wished it.

Alaric's power went beyond simply copying a guardian's power, though. A moment later, he forgot about the power he was inheriting and gritted his teeth.

Visions crashed into his mind, vivid and unrelenting, threatening to drown his consciousness.

One moment, he was in the Barren Mountains, the fire's glow warming his face. The next, he was somewhere else—an armoured dormitory, its stone walls lined with neat rows of beds. Children his age bustled about, pulling on dark green uniforms adorned with a single star on the epaulettes, their voices bright with anticipation.

Alaric couldn't control what he saw; the memories chose for him. His gaze locked on a boy, fifteen, with messy curly hair and piercing blue eyes—eyes Alaric knew too well. 'LionHeart.'

Yet this boy was a shadow of the man he'd become. Barely half the man's size, clumsier, his movements betrayed a rawness LionHeart had long since forged into strength. But his eyes burned with a fierce passion that was undeniable, untouched by the ruthlessness of the Valerian continent.

Seeing as the boy looked fifteen, Alaric could guess the boy had only recently been appraised. The boy, young LionHeart, packed his belongings with care, laid the bed before turning to another waiting at the head of the bed.

This boy's face was unfamiliar, but Alaric's mind filled in the blanks. This boy was from LionHeart's home town and the way his face lit up when he saw the boy explained it all.

They were friends.

"Ready, LionHeart?" Reginald's voice was eager, his grin infectious.

"Ready, Reginald," LionHeart replied, his voice crisp with excitement. "Let's go become Elite Guards."

Alaric's chest tightened, the joy of the moment laced with an ache he couldn't name.

He was reliving the guardian's memories of his master, vivid and fleeting. The scene shifted, pushing Alaric several weeks away, to a sparring ring under a grey sky.

LionHeart stood alone, gripping a practice sword, his face set with determination. His opponent was another student like him. The only difference here, though, was that the other student had a reptilian beast at his side whilst LionHeart stood in the ring alone.

"Show me that A-class guardian of yours, LionHeart," the boy taunted.

LionHeart had only a practice sword to use against the large reptile. Its forked tongue flashed, and it came hurtling towards him, going for the kill.

He swung his sword, but the beast was too fast. A brief, desperate struggle ended with LionHeart slammed to the ground, the back of his head striking the earth. Laughter erupted from the onlookers, sharp and cruel, as the duel ended in defeat.

LionHeart's gaze drifted to a nearby arena, where Reginald felled another guardian with a single, fluid swing of his blade. Alaric felt the bile rise in LionHeart's throat, mirrored in his own.

Activating spirit sight, LionHeart saw Reginald glow with a brilliant white aura, his Spirit Vessel radiant with power LionHeart could only dream of. In just two weeks, the gap between them had widened into a chasm.

'Why?' he cried.