 Rules1. No pansy remarks like 'good job.'
2. Be helpful in an intense way, but not negative.
3. Extreme constructive critisism and peer editing only upon request of author.
4. No stupid edits, like changing an entire chapter into "w00t hotdogs!!1". <-- Common sense, I'd hope...
 The Guardian Legacy, Serious Help Needed!
| Cuine100 |
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Ink Slinger
Group: Ink Slinger
Posts: 3
Member No.: 152
Joined: 22-September 06
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I am roughly 1/4 don with tis story. Please, no conventions or formating problems,I just Copy and pasted this from Word. Enjoy. C&C.
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Prologue: Final Matters
“Now, for the final powers.” said the first Guardian who had gold armor and a white body.
“Yes, the purism serum. And the Avin Pill, do not forget that my Lord Light.” said another Guardian. This one had a scarlet and blood red body with bronze-gold alloyed armor. He added the last two ingredients to a mixture which was poured into the veins of a bio mechanical shell that resembled the first Guardian but with a different mask.
“Now, my siblings, we shall give birth to the next great Guardian Lord, Lord Guardian Light, Elda Toam Avohkii Dool.” said the Lord Light.
Five Guardians, including the red one and Lord Light placed their hands over a generator and channeled their power into it. One Guardian, however, channeled too much power into it and began to fade. “I will… be at… VFD…” the fading Guardian said. He was green with emerald colored armor. “He will… learn air… bendingl… himself… after… he retrieves… Le… Mek. Do… not… forget… me…” The Guardian faded from the other’s very eyes.
“Now, there are no more air Guardians.” said Lord Light. “Now, we must wait to create more until the new Guardian is able to settle Lewaang’s spirit. Now, for him to live…” Lord Light moved the generator with Guardian power in it over the shell. He pressed a button, and the shell rocked as it was hit with a silver and gold tinted bolt of energy. He then threw his hood and teleported the three remaining Guardians as the shell opened its eyes. The shell looked something like this when it stood up.
My Awakening
I slowly opened my eyes. “Ugghhh,” I moaned. “Where am I, who am I, and what is my purpose?”
A hooded figure with a sword on his belt walked up to me. “Hello, your name is Guardian Light, the new Lord or head Guardian. You are in the birthplace of many like you. Now, your purpose, or destiny in this tongue and the power tongue, is very complicated, much more so than any Guardian before you. Now, I shall tell you a few legends, and please, do listen.
“This is the tale of how we Guardians came to be. The first Guardian, Guardian Avohkii, was built by humans to exterminate a now extinct race, whose name has been lost to us. Avohkii created new Guardians from the six elements, forming six of the seven clans, water or Ga, fire or Ta, earth or Po, air or Le, shadow or Kraakshaan, and light or Avohkii. Guardian Avohkii was called to be leader of the new race, and he formed a Council of Elders, one leader from every clan. The accomplishments of the Guardians during the Golden Ages were amazing. They formed the Power Tongue, brought peace, hope, and justice to those who had none.
“One day however, the shadow clan leader Mekutha betrayed us. He was exiled, as were all Guardians that broke the Honor Code, or laws Guardians must follow. Over the years, he summoned immense powers to himself, the unspeakable ancient horrors that walk this land. He then recruited other exiled Guardians and the entire Shadow clan to form the Legions of Dark Guardian Lords. He gave them small amounts of his unspeakable power, and when they were al finally ready, marched on our city of Du Citor Avohkii. Mekutha demanded surrender, and when we refused, he attacked and destroyed the sunvalta, our greatest monuments to the virtues of honor, selfless sacrifice, and destiny. He fled the city, only to attack us at dawn five days later, to begin the Eternal Kraakshaan, Mekutha’s Curse. The now extinct elves and dwarves joined us, only to be completely wiped out. The war lasted many brutal years, we may have out numbered them six to one, but their strength could down ten Guardians in a single blow. The only Guardians that survived the war were Avohkii, the five other clan chiefs, and a silver Avin by the name of Plasmium. Of the Dark Lords, Staus, Mekutha, Zecal, Cilfitumis, and a few other whose names are lost.
“Now Lord Guardian, are you ready to face your destiny, by traveling to the Village of Avin?”
“Yes, I am!” I said excitedly.
“Good!” boomed the hooded figure. “The Village of Avin is due northwest of your teleport location. I wish you luck Lord Guardian, for we shall meet again, soon.” I stepped through the portal the hooded Guardian had just generated.
The Village
When I finally came out of the twisting, chute like, blue and purple portal, I landed hard on sandstone. Thud! As I examined my surroundings, I observed that I was on a flat plain, with huge, steep cliffs in the far away distance. I saw a black smudge on the horizon. It must be the Village of Avin! So I began the long, long walk toward it. During the walk, I saw giant black holes in the cliffs and ragged, broken fences of farmland in the distance.
As soon as the outskirts just barely came into view, I heard a whoosh! And another. Before I could even blink, I was blindfolded, and my hands tied behind my back. I felt like I was being lifted and thrown into a cart. Ouch! The trip was terribly bumpy and rough. The wheels creaked when they spun and the cart moaned as it trembled back and forth, up and down. Finally, when I felt the cart stop, I felt severe aches from the ride in my back, behind, and legs. I was thrown out on to the ground, lifted up on to a pole, pushed up it, and tied there with cold, hard metal chains. They were so cold that they sent chills through my warm body.
At last, when my blindfold had been removed, I found I had been bound on a charred, wood pole with rusty chains in the center of a circle of dead grass and ashes. “Who are you people? Where am I? What’s with the angry mob?”
“Shut up. I’ll be the only one asking questions here. So, who are you and what do you want with the Village of Avin?” yelled someone who looked like a leader of the mob. He wore a hooded brown cape, much like the first Guardian, but with his hood down and with some sort of metallic cape. He looked much younger, probably in his twenties or so, with black hair and brown eyes, with a light Asian accent.
“This is the Village of Avin? I came here looking for the Kanohi Vask. I am Guardian Light. I was sent here by some Guardian called Lord Light.” I replied.
“You must prove you are Guardian Light to be released. If you cannot, we will dump you in the Cilfitum Caves to be eaten.” said the leader.
“Okay, I will do that then.” I replied. I concentrated as hard as I could, and I turned intangible and gently floated to the ground.
The crowd gasped. “Oh my god. It really is him. The rumors were true.”
“It really is you Guardian Light, we are sorry.” said the leader. As we walked, he continued, “Come, I will introduce you to the Council of Elders and our Chief Anasazi Olmec. I have forgotten to introduce myself, I am Admiral Kwong, Lord Commander on the Council of Elders, but you may call me Kwong. You are known to the Council as Lord Guardian. Everyone on the Council is addressed by Lord whatever-their-position-is. There is Lord Chief, Lord Farm, Lord Gamefish, Lord Citizen, well you get my point. Lord Chief will introduce you to everyone. Oh, here we are already. This is the council tent. In the council tent is where the Council of Elders meets and discusses issues and the like.”
As we entered, an old man’s voice spoke out, “Lord Commander, please do join us. And who do we have here?” he said as I walked in.
“Lord Chief, Eldercouncil,” Kwong began. “I am pleased to introduce Guardian Light, our new Lord Guardian. He was sent here by You-Know-Who, so I admitted him immediately after proving himself. He has come to our fair village seeking the Kanohi Vask.”
“Ah, Lord Guardian. We have been expecting you for quite little time now. Less than a year in which the Dark Lords have won a great many victories as a matter of fact. Please have a seat across from Lord Commander and I will tell you what you must do.” said the old chief. “You have come here to seek the Kanohi Vask. The Kanohi Vask are a very powerful group of items that must be collected in order to stop Corrilla. They come in many varieties such as the Mek, the Faey, and the Tik. You must follow the legend and collect them in order. We can only give you one clue. That is where to find Tik Lonlat, the Locater Talisman. You can find it where the four winds meet. It will allow you to locate the rest of the Kanohi Vask. Where every Kanohi Vask exists also lie the guardians of that area. They range from powerful, giant insects to retired or defeated guardians who have become one with their element. The Kanohi Vask they guard is related to them and the habitat they reside in. The one that they guard is also their weakness. Now, Lord Guardian, the time has come to prepare for your journey as you will leave tomorrow. Lord Commander shall help you. You will need a map of Khuhuxan, a weapon, a copy of our and any other relevant histories, an identification stone, some basic survival remedies, a pen and parchment to record your adventures, and an Irit-Ivy pack to hold everything in. Lord Guardian, Lord Commander, you are dismissed.”
I stumbled out the tent flap behind Kwong. “Well, that answered a lot of questions, some that I didn’t even have.” I told Kwong.
“Let’s go. We have a long night ahead of us.” He said as we walked off into the glowing sunset.
Beginning the Journey
Kwong and I walked into an empty tent. “This is where you will live and sleep. My tent is right next door, so feel free to come by anytime I’m home.” Kwong said.
“Thank you, that is very kind.” I replied. “Now, how about we get started on preparing.”
“Good idea.” Kwong replied. “First, you need to get an Irit-Ivy pack. It’s a kind of magical backpack. I have one already made. Here you go.” Kwong handed me a strange, gold backpack. “Next you need your written documents. Come with me. We will go to the library and consult Lord Wisdom, or George Egroeg.” We walked a few blocks down and then we came upon a large structure. “This is the library and Lord Wisdom’s house. Come in.”
As we walked in the door, a hoarse voice greeted us. “Welcome Lord Commander and Lord Guardian. I trust you find this evening well.” The man who spoke to us was one of the men whom I had met at the meeting. “What have you come for?”
“We came searching for a full historical record, a map of Khuhuxan, and a writing kit, Lord Wisdom.” I replied with a bow.
“Well you have come to the right place. I have all those things right here.” he said. George handed me a rolled sheet of leather, a set of scrolls, and a set of pens and parchment. It was all very heavy, but when I put it in my pack, it weighed nothing. That must be the magic of my pack! The power of lightness!
“Thank you Lord Wisdom, but we must leave. Thank you. We shall return some other time.” said Kwong as we stepped out the door. “So let’s see, next on the list is a trip to Lord Smith, Matthew Wehttam. He will give you a basic weapon, an ID stone, and a Kanoka launcher. Let’s go.”
We must have walked half across town before we got to Matthew’s house. Kwong knocked on his door. As the door was opened, the person who answered the door said, “Ah Lord Commander, over so soon, I didn’t expect you for ‘bout a week.” in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. There was a long, awkward pause. “Nah, I was just kiddin’ Kwong. Come in, come in. Lord Guardian is welcome too.” He sat us down in his living room with some hot tea. “So what you come for?”
I replied, “We came to get a basic weapon and identification stone. Can you get us those?”
“Can I? Can I? I don’t know, can I? Yeah sure I can. Come in to my workshop and come choose what you need.” We walked into Lord Smith’s workshop. He handed me a white Kanoka launcher, some disks, and a stone that was imprinted with my mask symbol and my name in some sort of weird writing that involved circles. “Now for your weapons. I will give you an arrow knife, a light hook, Climbing Claws, and Twin Light Blades. They will all fit in your pack. Here you go.”
As he handed me all the items, I replied, “Thank you Matthew, we will now be on our way.” Kwong and I walked out the door. Once we were outside, I asked Kwong, “What’s next on the list?”
Kwong said, “One item left. Basic survival remedies. I have those back at my house. Come on.” We went back to Kwong’s house and then he gave me the remedies. They included, food, water, cooking and hygienic supplies, among other items.
“Thank you.” I told Kwong. “Well, we better hit the hay. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow. Good night Kwong.” I said as I left his tent-cabin to go back to my own, where as soon as I got there I slumped into bed as I had had a very long day and was very tired.
The next day, I awoke with a start. When I opened my eyes, I saw Kwong leaning over me. “Morning already? Did you have to wake me up?” I moaned sleepily.
“Yes,” Kwong replied. “We have to reach VFD before noon. It’s several kio north of here so we need to leave as soon as possible.”
“Wait a minute, did you say we? Do you mean your coming with me?” I asked, now fully awake.
“Yes, I meant just that. Now come on, we have a lot of walking to do. Twenty-one miles, to be exact.”
“In my miles, that would be,” I began. “Twenty-one miles in less than six hours! You are crazy! We have to walk that far?”
“It will take us two hours and if we take the shortcut through the Beringian Passage. But we must beware of the Gibats that reside in it. They should be no problem for us to defeat though. Let’s go, we have a long day ahead of us.” Kwong said as I was getting on my pack.
We set out at about six-thirty with Kwong in the lead. When we had been walking for about forty-five minutes, I saw a huge cliff with a hole in it and a flight of rickety, worn-away stairs carved into the cliff around three hundred yards away from us. “Come on, we have to go through the passage way.” Kwong said as we started into the darkness.
The Passage
“Kwong, wait!” I called as I sprinted up to him.
“What is it Guardian Light?” he replied.
“It’s awfully dark in there; shouldn’t we have a light source of some kind? I asked.
“I think you can answer that. We do need one, but you are it. You aren’t called Guardian Light for nothing. Your mask can emit a beam of light five times brighter than the Guardian-Avin Star, Polaris. The mask in itself is not only our light source, but also our weapon. Gibats fear Guardians, especially ones whose element is light or fire, but they do not openly show it.”
“Okay, but how do I make my mask do it?” I wondered aloud.
“You’ll learn soon enough. Come on, we must hurry. We must get to the Village of VFD in the Valley of Four Drafts before the golems show up.” Kwong said hurriedly as we rushed into the Beringian Passage.
As soon as we entered the cave, the light from outside vanished, but my mask light kicked in a split second after. I heard a loud skitter and a screech that pierced the unbreakable light with blinding darkness. “What was that?” I said, quicker than I could blink.
“That was a Gibat, your just going to have to get used to them.” Kwong replied, unusually relaxed. “They’re nothing to worry about. Remember your disk launcher.”
All of a sudden, I heard another. But the sound did not return. Kwong gestured for me to come on. We were wasting time. After a while, I heard the noise again, except much, much louder. The Gibats were coming, in much greater numbers. I raised my bow as Kwong did the same Kwong and I sprinted through the cave without another word.
As soon as we got out and our vision was back to normal, we surveyed the area. We were just below a high ridge. I said to Kwong, “Maybe I should give my powers a try. I hope Lord Light was right about me being able to fly, if not, then this trip will have done nothing to stop Corrilla. Ready?”
“Yeah, do what you need to do Guardian Light.” Kwong replied hastily. I concentrated as hard as I could, I bent my knees, and the next thing I knew, I felt my feet leaving the ground! I was flying! YES! Before I knew it, I landed perfectly on the ridge. “Wow! That was amazing! I didn’t even believe you could, but the legends were true! You have the power to stop Corrilla!” Kwong said excitedly. We raced to the edge of the ridge. On the ground far, far below us, we could see a massive valley and a small village, only half the size of the Village of Avin. Kwong urged me to begin the decent. So I did. I jumped off the edge holding him in my arms. I summoned my newfound power of flight to attempt to slow our decent until we were at a safe enough speed. We landed hard on what looked to me like slate or dolomite. I had mastered the powers of flight. I had a feeling deep inside of me that I would be relying on them greatly in the near future.
Twisters and Tornadoes
Kwong and I began walking toward the small village. Before long, we came upon the massive outer walls and two towering guardhouses. “Halt! Who goes there?” yelled a voice as two guards in chainmail armor rushed up to me and Kwong, blocking our path with twin, double-edged swords.
“Lord Commander and Lord Guardian of the Village of Avin.” I replied.
“Captain Jaller,” called one of the guards. “Captain Jaller! We got two diplomats from Avin! One’s a Guardian! Captain Jaller!”
“I’m right here ye scurvy dog.” angrily roared a tall, husky man in brown robes who had just run out of the left guardhouse. “Kwong! How are ye mate? ‘Tis been a long time since I last saw ye. And who do we ‘ave ‘ere? ‘Nother light Guardian?”
“I am Guardian Light Captain. I am very pleased to meet you sir.” I said with a bow. “Wait a second; did you say there was another Guardian?”
“Aye, indeed. Come with me as it is a long tale to tell. Guards, you are dismissed. And please, do not call me sir or Captain. Call me Jaller.” He said as we walked into the Village of VFD.
Inside the town, we walked into a cone-shaped tent with a hole in the roof covered with animal hide. “Where were we again? Ah yes, the Tale of the Lost Guardian. Many years ago it was. About twenty years ago. His name was Lhikan. He was a fire Guardian, or Toam in the Power Tongue, of great power. He collected the Kanohi Vask faster than any other Toam before or after him, except for Corrilla. Almost as fast as Corrilla himself did. He also perfected the art of turning objects of power into Kanohi Vask, one you must learn. But Lhikan is called the Lost Toam because he went to destroy the Cilfitums, but he never returned, but he was never found dead as his power light still shined as bright as the roaring embers of his heartlight. He vanished less than a year ago. Now, as it is every Toam’s destiny to travel here first in there journey, you have a great deal to do today, as tomorrow, you must seek Tik Lonlat. You have many appointments around the village. Your first one is with the chief. He will guide you from there.” told Jaller. “What are you waiting for? Now GO!” he roared as I scrambled out the door.
I sprinted toward the largest tent in town, trying to avoid citizen attention, stopping briefly to ask a passerby where the chief was. She told me that he lived at the northern edge of town. I rushed to the northernmost tent. Inside I saw an old man with silver metallic clothes on in a meditative position.
“Are you the chief of VFD? A man named Jaller sent me here and I…” I began panting for breath.
“Silence!” cried the man. “You are Toam Avohkii, Guardian Light. I know why you have been sent here. You seek a list of your appointments and advices on the Kanohi Vask do you not? Teaching about the Kanohi Vask is Guardian Sage’s job, not mine. Take your list of appointments and be gone!” He handed me a thin piece of birch wood with silvery writing on it just as I scrambled out the door.
Once outside and a good distance away from the house, I checked the piece of wood. My first appointment was with the weapons master across town. I decided to fly. Once there, he showed me how to use all my weapons and gave me a pair of Great Hawk wings. My next appointment was with the Guardian Sage. All of a sudden as I turned around, an old man in brown robes that covered him from head to toe materialized out of nowhere! I jumped startled as he said, “Please calm down young Guardian. I am Guardian Sage, your next appointment. Please, come with me to my house. I shall teleport us.” said the old man as he raised his staff and we were surrounded by a bubble of golden light as we dematerialized. An instant later, we appeared in a well decorated shack. It was made out of a kind of golden wood I had never seen before and had several chairs and a leather sofa. “Please sit down as I sense you are drastically overwhelmed.” said the man as I sunk into the nearest chair. “I am the Guardian Sage. I assist Guardians when they come here. My job is to teach you the art of Kanohi Vask creation and meditation. But, first, I must ask you a question. Do you know your destiny?”
“Yes, I do, to put an end to Corrilla.” I replied.
“Well, that’s part of…” mumbled the Guardian Sage when he abruptly cut himself off. “Anyways, I am called the Guardian Sage because I am too a Guardian, but I am a retired one. My name was Guardian Sage, and I was a light Guardian, or avohkii Toam. I wish to take you on as my apprentice. Learn from me and you will be ready to stop Corrilla in no time.”
I was stunned at this news. “You are a Guardian? Show yourself!” He pulled down his hood and I saw a golden mask on his face glowing brighter than the sun. It had a wave pattern in the regions around the mouth and a rounded rectangle shaped hole in the top. When he further removed his robe, he had bright, white limbs and body, with a gold tinted chest and shoulders. In one hand he held a silver, hard staff, the other a white hook. After a long pause, I said, “Yes, take me as your apprentice. Lead me. Guide me. Take me. Be my mentor.”
“Good. Now, we have much work to do. First you must learn light bending, the power to control light at your will. Hold out your hand, wrist flat, and concentrate on unleashing a stream of light.” I did as he said and in no time, a golden beam of true power shot out of my hand, across the room, and it hit the wall where it just vanished. “My walls absorb power beams. We can practice as much as we want in here without worry. Now of course, Guardians do run out of their element stored inside them eventually, so you must now learn to absorb light into your self after you are out of light energy. You simply sit on a flat surface; put your palms on your knees, and cross your legs. Focus on something, anything you want.” I did so, and in no time, I was feeling strength surge through my body and my legs leaving the ground. I was floating!
“Good,” said the Guardian Sage as he put his robe back on. “A Guardian has many more powers than this, such as flight, teleportation, mind bending, intangibility, illusion, and more. Soon you will learn them all, whether on your own or with me. Now, any questions?”
“Yes, I was wondering if you could teach me how to create Kanohi Vask. I learned about that when I was told about the Legend of Guardian Lhikan.”
“Kanohi Vask creation! A skill that every Guardian must learn no matter their destiny! You must come with me to find Kwong and bring him here. I know where he is, come with me. He rose his staff again as an orb of light surrounded us and we vanished.
We reappeared an instant later in Jaller’s tent. “Come on Kwong.” I said as I grabbed his arm and we teleported back to the sage’s house.
When we reappeared, Kwong was quite off balance and stumbled and landed on the couch. “Huh? Wha? Where are we? Guardian Light, who’s the guy in the hood?” stuttered Kwong.
“Oh don’t worry Kwong, he’s my new mentor. His name is Guardian Sage.” I chuckled as I replied. Guardian Sage removed his hood and gestured Kwong to relax.
“What’s going on?!” cried Kwong.
“Calm down Kwong. He’s just a Guardian. He is my new mentor and is going to teach me Kanohi Vask creation. He is also coming along on the journey. He just went to get you.” I replied.
“Now come. We must travel to the Mangai Volcano to teach you how to create Kanohi Vask, Lord Guardian. The process is simple. First, use the pure lava from a special spout of the Mangai. Second, the item must be taken to the Sea of Eternity and dipped in the pure water. Last, the Kanohi Vask will take shape and you will have created a new item of power. But, we do not have time for this. We must travel to the Valley of Four Drafts so Guardian Light may get his first Kanohi Vask, Tik Lonlat. You will make very effective use of your powers there.” continued Sage. He motioned for us to stand up and hold hands. “To VFD!” cried Sage.
“To VFD!” we all cried in unison as an orb of light surrounded us and we vanished.
Tik Lonlat
We reappeared an instant later in a valley with winds raging in four directions: North, South, East, and West. No wonder it’s called the Valley of Four Drafts. Go figure. The winds all blew with equal force and the equalized each other. They caused a tornado here a typhoon there, etcetera. I started levitating just as Sage began to speak. “Ah, VFD, the Valley where the four winds meet, the first peril a Guardian must survive. Your current knowledge and prowess will be tested here, Lord Guardian. Now, Tik Lonlat lies in the center of the Valley, where its guardian, former Guardian Lewaang resides. Lewaang was a very powerful air Guardian, he is the reason the winds blow strongly through here. I wish you the best of luck, Toam Avohkii.”
“Thank you brother, I will fare well.” I said as I flew off. I started towards where the winds were fiercer. As I moved on, it was becoming harder and harder to fly, even with enhanced strength. At one point, the narrow cliffs opened up into a vast plane dotted with sandstorms, tornadoes, and dust devils. I was forced to walk since the winds were so strong. Wait, I thought, I can turn intangible and just phase though these winds. Why didn’t I think of that in the first place? As I prepared to do that, a strong gust of wind hit me that was not in flow of the winds.
Through a dust cloud, a tall green figure appeared. “I take it you are Guardian Lewaang?” I asked. His answer, a blast of air. “I will take that as a yes.” I groaned, struggling to my feet. All of a sudden, I turned around and saw a pillar in the distance, about three hundred yards away. It had an odd looking tablet on it. I supposed it was Tik Lonlat. It was, because as soon as I attempted to fly towards it, I ran into a dust devil filled with sharp debris that felt like my armor. I wasn’t hurt, only annoyed. I leaped, did a front roll and landed a spin kick square on Lewaang’s ankle. Lewaang sent several air missiles at me, all of which I avoided.
I realized I would have to bait Lewaang somehow to make sure I wasn’t hit by another tornado or dust devil, as the closer we neared to the post, the more powerful Lewaang became. He seemed to be reading my mind, as I attempted to throw a light punch; he grabbed my fist and seized my throat. I was forced to rethink; I used a small amount of flight power to loosen his grip, which worked quite nicely. He let go as soon as I got about ten feet off the ground.
I shot up into the air, grabbed Tik Lonlat off the post, did a perfect triple flip and unleashed a streaming beam of light at Lewaang. He fell, and didn’t rise. I flew away at high speed, not looking back.
Some time later, I found Kwong and Sage. I explained what had happened to me and my little battle with Lewaang as we began to hike. Kwong and Sage seemed very interested in it.
We hiked with Kwong leading the way for the next two days. He and Sage seemed to be hiding something from me, as whenever they talked alone, as soon as I walked up, they stuttered and changed subjects. Oh well. As we hiked, Sage taught me how to use my powers of speed, invisibility, light bending, and intangibility at will for something called the Guardian Techniques, or Ringmar. His exercises were very hard, as it took so much concentration, it was rigorous beyond belief. He always said, “Remember, these are only the basics, to fulfill your destiny, you must learn what few lived long enough to discover. Do you wish to destroy the Legions of Dark Lords or not?”
As Kwong, Sage, and I pitched camp later two days later, around the fire Sage began explaining my next task to me. “We have camped right next to the Lake of Dragoon, home of Ga Mek, the Mask of Water. Soon, you will get it and learn the element of water. I have an old friend who lives in a hut on the island in the middle of the lake. She will teach you to dive and some minimal water bending. Humans have long been able to bend the elements, but not nearly as well as the average Guardian.”
When the fire was put out and I crawled into my tent, I thought about that day’s events and what the future held for me as I dozed off.
A Crone and a Lake
When the first rays of dawn broke through, I felt something very wet hit me. It smelled like, nothing. It was cold and icy. I thought, we must have camped too close to the water, now it’s high tide! I better find Sage and Kwong. As I sprinted out of my tent, I found them roasting beef sausages on sticks over a fire. “What the? The tide just swept into my tent? Why didn’t you wake me?” I exclaimed, very shocked.
Kwong and Sage chuckled. “A test of a Toam’s patience and temper, Kwong’s idea.” replied Sage humorously.
I chuckled back, “Well, I suppose, nah. Anyways, what’s for breakfast?”
“Hot sausages.” replied Kwong.
“Great, I’m starved.”
After we packed up camp, Sage addressed Kwong and me, “We must find three trees for canoes, no saplings or sprouts, and we need ones at least twenty feet tall. Get moving!” We all moved out, I felled several trees with light beams, Kwong with fire which seemed to come from his hand even though he claimed he was so proficient that he could light one with his flint up his sleeve, and Sage with throwing knives and an axe. We lugged the logs on to the beach and as soon as we got them all lined up, Sage continued. “Good. Now, Toam Avohkii, carve these logs with Ringmar punches. We do not have all day! Come on!” He barked as I threw light blocks and punches on the logs. A half hour later, I had three canoes, Sage’s willow and pepper, Kwong’s beech and reed, mine pine and yew. We crafted paddles from reeds and extra pepper tree wood.
After we did all that, we set off, Sage in the lead. We were silent as we paddled, all deep in our own thoughts. Not much later, I spotted an island with trees dotting it and a cabin in a small clearing. “There it is!” I shouted. I took the lead and rowed faster, driven by the fact I had only been in Khuhuxan for 4 days and yet I was already about to learn water bending.
“Slow up, Lord Guardian!” yelled an old, hoarse, female voice. The voice came from an old woman in a canoe who was in amazingly good physical condition. The woman wore silver hair in a bun with a deerskin leather suit; body, chaps, and all and wrinkles were absent from her. She was in a short narrow canoe with gems embedded into it. It seemed to be made of a mix of woods bounded together with bending.
Sage paddled up from behind me. “Why, hello Nasu! It is us, Sage and Kwong from Avin and VFD!” Sage paddled past me with amazing speed.
Nasu replied, in a somewhat Asian accent, “Sage, where have you been? I haven’t seen a Guardian since Corrilla!” Sage and Kwong began talking to her in parts of the Power Tongue I couldn’t understand. I heard Sage utter at one point, “Du ota Vohkiia, Kwong Hikhanl, elda Toam Avohkii dool.” Nasu understood, and with a further very surprised and wide-eyed gesture, took us to her house wordlessly.
As we rowed up to the wooden dock, I scanned the island. It had a small dock, many trees, and several rocks and platforms around the island. In a clearing of the trees, I spotted a log cabin, figuring it was Nasu’s house. We tied the canoes to long stakes as Nasu lead us inside. She had a very cozy house, with a main room/kitchen and bedroom. In the main room, there was a roaring fire, several benches of many woods, furnished with reed pads. “So, Guardian Light it is, I assume?” asked Nasu.
“Yes, it is, or Toam Avohkii in the Power Tongue.” I replied, sitting on a bench. “I have come here to retrieve Ga Mek and learn water bending.”
“We will save water bending until you get Ga Mek, so I must teach you to dive to retrieve it. Come, do not waste my time.” We scrambled out the door. On the dock, was tied a two-man birch and fig canoe I had not seen before, and inside it was a leather backpack and long tube-hose, and a glass helmet. “This is your diving equipment that you must use to retrieve Ga Mek, the only Kanohi Vask that resides below the water. Get in your canoe and follow me.” I did as she instructed, as she paddled off. As we came up to a deep spot, Nasu stopped. She continued, “This is where you will dive for Ga Mek. Now get suited up. Connect the backpack to the helmet and attach the tube.” I did just that and jumped into the water. It was cool, refreshing, and very pure. “Now go down and find that mask. It is blue and is very blocky. But beware of the sea life.”
I climbed back on to the boat and jumped off. As I swam down, the light quickly vanished. My mask activated, so I could see. The light scared off the fish and reflected off the kelp and algae as I touched down. The ground was covered in a wet, fine volcanic sand. It wasn’t before long when I stubbed my foot on something hard. I reached down and picked up the blue mask. Excellent, I thought. Now to get back up. I kicked off the soft ground when something tapped on my shoulder and another wrapped around my leg.
I turned around, and right there, was a giant, massive jellyfish. Its tentacles were at least one hundred feet long and very strong. Its body lit up and on its head were two glowing read eyes the size of my mask. Blast, I thought. It started to drag me back with amazing speed, when all of a sudden, my air tube tore! I immediately took in a breath and without further thinking, struggled to put Ga Mek on my face, which worked. I breathed in water without choking and before my eyes on my shattered helmet, Ga Mek glowed gold and became it. I blasted a light tentacle at the jellyfish which made it release its hold on me. I swam towards the light, up. It tried again and again to grab me, but I felt more agile it the water and avoided all its blows, when I was twenty feet from the surface, the creature released ink, which I couldn’t see through. I struggled upward, but the jellyfish grabbed me by the chest. I struggled but no matter what I did, it would not slacken its grip. All of a sudden, I went mindless and created a vortex column of water, which propelled the thing through the air, and it landed on the far shore. I then sent a light blast at in and it fell in the water, dead. I then sank back in the water and returned to normal as I blacked out.
When I woke up some time later, I felt like I was laying on something very soft but firm. Sage, Kwong, and Nasu all stood over me. “Wow, that was some amazing bending.” said Sage. “I have never seen a Guardian able to do that without training, and you pulled it off magnificently.”
“You did well, Toam Elda, Lord Guardian.” added Nasu. “Never before have I seen such talent, even from Corrilla. Now, you have water bending to learn, so let’s get moving.” said Nasu. We hiked to a relatively large platform roughly five hundred yards from the dock. It was a mere sandstone slab on which Nasu instructed me in basic water movement, such as pushing and pulling the water. She called water bending Ga Ringmar, or Water Guardian Techniques.
That night, Nasu showed us to her basement to sleep. It had several pinewood bunks in it, with shelves around the edge. The mattresses were made of woven reed outsides stuffed with grasses and the blankets woven grasses and needles, sealed with pine pitch. I couldn’t help but to admire Nasu’s resourcefulness. They were quite comfy as well. I bunked on my own, whereas Kwong and Sage bunked together. Nasu shut the trapdoor as Kwong and Sage sat conversing in the Power Tongue while I recorded what I had done so far on my adventure, and therefore, creating the beginning of this Legend.
The Face of Evil
“Come on Lord Guardian, it’s not that hard!” Nasu said as I struggled to raise a sphere of water bigger than my head. As I rose it, held it for five seconds, and dropped it, Nasu continued, “Excellent, much better that before. Now cast a shield of water in front of yourself.” As I did so, Nasu sent daggers of water at me which froze as they flew. Instinctively, I rotated my shield into a raging cyclonic form. The daggers broke on contact. “Very nice Lord Guardian, now…”
Nasu drilled me in various techniques, such as shields, whirlpools, changing the current, aiming spheres, freezing, and unfreezing water. None of which proved super difficult, but all were challenges nonetheless. We soon established a routine, wake up, breakfast, quiz on yesterday’s teachings, new techniques, lunch, review, and miscellaneous topics to round out the day, such as combined bending and Ringmar Ga, Water Guardian Techniques. Every few days however, I would work with Sage. he drilled me in fitness and showed me more light bending. And he also taught me how to meditate to recharge my energy.
After one straight month of work, Nasu told us all, “Enough, the Toam Elda has learned all he can from me. It is time for you to depart. Now, Lord Guardian, your destiny lies elsewhere, but I must present you with these water bending scrolls. They will teach you more advanced water bending only a Guardian is capable of, as I age, I am less capable of more strenuous techniques. In fact, I believe you may be the last Guardian I teach, you will have to teach any future water Guardians as I will be leaving us soon, if not for Mekutha’s curse upon me.”
“Mekutha’s curse?” I asked.
“Aye, the king of the Legions of Dark Lords, he cursed me to a human existence instead of a more proper one during the Eternal Kraakshaan, the fall of our-I mean your race.”
“What do you mean ‘our race.’ That would mean you are a Guardian!” I replied in shock.
“Okay, we have gone far enough. Thank you Nasu, we are in your debt. Let us go Guardian Light.” Sage cut in as he dragged me out the door.
“Sage, you owe me a few explanations, and I wish you to answer them truthfully.” I began.
“Lord Guardian, I will answer all your questions once we pitch camp, but please, endeavor to hold your tongue on the canoe ride.” Sage replied sharply. He seemed to be hiding something from me.
After the long ride back, as we sat around the fire that evening, I thought I heard something in the bushes. “Erm, Sage, do you hear that rustling?” I wondered softly.
“Yes Lord Guardian, our camp is surrounded by Comslaves; the plasma based artificial life forms serving the Legions of Dark Lords. Let us get rid of this scum.” replied Sage.
We all stood in a triangle as a liquidly blue translucent figure emerged. It was hideous. You could see a pink thin brain on top floating in its body and crudely constructed facial features. The eyes were merely red pieces of some kind of metal. The nose I doubted worked; and there was black thin tubes running throughout its body. It was truly the most disgusting thing ever.
More Comslaves emerged, around twenty or so. Sage said “Wait for it,” as one stepped forward and drew a ray gun. “NOW!” Sage cried as the Comslaves began firing. I tucked into a ball as I flipped to challenge one. As I threw punches, it absorbed all my blows, when I threw a chop to the back of its neck, it collapsed on the ground. I neck chopped all the others who opposed, while Sage and Kwong cut the Comslave’s throats with small, arrowhead like stone knives. When they were all eliminated, Sage instructed us to toss them into the fire, and they exploded.
As we sat back down, I observed camp. It was largely undamaged and hardly different, except for the large pile of Comslave bodies in a bonfire set by Kwong. “Now Sage, for those explanations, I need one about Comslaves; Guardians before me, especially you Sage, and Lhikan; and Kwong, how can you shoot fire?”
“Whadda ya mean, shoot fire? That’s fire bending.” Kwong retorted.
“Oh, don’t play with me Kwong, you fire bent when we were creating canoes and when you lit the bonfire.”
“Fine, fine. I can fire bend. My master was Guardian Lhikan. He taught me for twenty years before he vanished, taking me on at the age of five as an apprentice. I was devastated when I learned of his disappearance.”
“So, Kwong, it’s your duty to teach me fire bending as you can fire bend like a Guardian and there are no fire Guardians left?”
“Correct, Guardian Light.” said Sage, who looked very solemn, like he had lost an old friend right there and now.
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| Cuine100 |
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Ink Slinger
Group: Ink Slinger
Posts: 3
Member No.: 152
Joined: 22-September 06
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| QUOTE (Mac the Camp @ Sep 25 2006, 05:15 PM) | | Didn't you just post this in the other section? |
Oops, I can be so forgetful sometimes. I am such a bonehead.
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