Breath of Fire 1. Default Chapter

   
  
1 Dragon Chronicles  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
"Any day that dawns is another chance to change the world. And every change is another chance." Anonymous  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
It was a long time ago…that the Great Goddess Myria started a war to top all wars. Her soldiers were the race known as Guardians, who spent their lives training to protect their goddess. It was the beginning of the Dragon War. The dragons had immense powers. A few even had enough power the destroy the world and Myria. Many dragons died during the war. And many guardians also died, though few dragons fought. In the end the dragons were eradicated. After this, most guardians entered the stone sleep, believing that they had succeeded in making the dragons extinct. Three did not. Three guardians lived and three of the most powerful dragons lived. Two of each were destined to shape the world while the others were destined to shape them. These are the chronicles of that shaping and of their destiny.  
  
   


	2. Book One:Chapter One

1.1.1 Book One: The Beginning  
  
   
  
   
  
1.1.1.1 "Thank Ladon for small favors…" Prince Ryu  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
Chapter One  
  
1.2 Last of the Guardians  
  
   
  
Garland, the last of the guardians, walked down the road to Angel Tower. Again, he would stop before performing the rite that would call the goddess and let him enter the stone sleep. Again, he would turn away with a feeling of foreboding, a feeling that his work was not yet done, a feeling that the dragons yet lived.  
  
As he had done for years since the dragon wars were over, he turned back, but not to the home he shared with his father. He went to the cliff overlooking the sea and watched the waves pound the shore. As always, he was a bit nervous near a body of water this large but it did give a form of perspective. But on this day, the sea did nothing to calm his troubled soul. And so he took to the air, hoping to find solace.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
A small boy wandered the forest he calls home. As he searched for wood to complete his house, he caught a scent of …something strange. Something he had never before smelled but, though he did not know it, a scent he would become familiar with in the years to come.  
  
The small half-tiger ran towards the new scent. Something had invaded his territory and he was not going to rest until he figured out what. The child was running so fast, he did not notice the rather large being blocking his way. He also did not notice it was the one giving off the strange odor.  
  
BAM! The small child bounced back and fell down. Slowly, he looked up to the largest person he had ever seen in his short life. Quickly assessing the situation, he decided it would be better to make it look as if he had done this on purpose. Using skills he had learned during the years he lived alone in the forest, he managed to grab the creature's weapon without it noticing. Shakily, he stood up and tried to hide the over large spear. Unfortunately, the being had noticed the…minor…collision. The half-tiger experienced a jolt of terror unlike anything else. He tried to stand taller to cover up the spear behind him but it just brought the creature's attention to it.  
  
Slowly its massive hands reached out and lifted the spear…with the child still holding on. Slowly, the boy looked down and swallowed hard. Looking back up, he suddenly let go. His terror grew as the creature began making strange noises and glaring at him. He had almost got back into the trees before it began speaking.  
  
"Who are you?!" it said in a tone both curious and irritated. A tone the half-tiger knew very well. "Well?" it continued becoming more irritated sounding. The boy froze as what he thought before was a glare became something that gave new meaning to the word. He turned and fled.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Garr, formally known as Garland, stared after the little boy who had stolen his spear. Curious, he stared after him. Unfortunately, due to the great difference in their heights, following the small boy with stripes was difficult to say the least. After a long time, or what seemed like it, he picked up the child's trail again. He trailed him through the forest, before losing the trail once more.  
  
Just as Garr was about to give up, another human crashed into him. This time, the human was closer in size and cloaked so that only the feet showed. Garr reached out and put a large hand on the human's shoulder. A shudder ran through the cloaked man.  
  
"Small one. Tell me where the striped boy lives." Garr said with a hint of command in his voice.  
  
"The striped boy? You mean Rei?" Garr nodded. "He lives in the center of the forest. I can take you there if you want!" Garr looked off into the forest. "Eh……if you'll excuse me sir, I must get back to my wife."  
  
Garr looked back at the man sensing a lie. He shrugged. He really did not care what happened to this man. It was the striped boy, Rei, that he wanted to see once more.  
  
"Go home, Small one. Go back to your nonexistent wife………And do not let me catch you lying again. The goddess hates that." Garr gave him a look that would ensure that as long as Garr was around the little man would not bother him again. Garr watched, satisfied, as the cloaked man scurried off. He turned and faced the heart of the forest.  
  
"Rei… you have thrown in your lot with a Guardian. The choice was made."  
  
  


	3. Book One:Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
The Half-Tiger  
  
   
  
Rei burst the locked door open and ran up the stairs. He slid under the bed with his heart racing. He stayed there for what seemed like eternity. When nothing came to eat him, he stuck his head out from under the bed. Cautiously, he slid out from under the bed and crossed over to the door. His heart was beating so loud, it sounded like footsteps coming in the house. Suddenly, he froze, his heart stopping. The noise continued. Rei spun around in a panic and dove back under the bed. He whimpered until he heard the door open slowly.  
  
"Rei?" the voice of that creature called out. Rei's eyes bugged out and his heart stopped again. He listened to the thuds as the creature walked around the room. He stayed perfectly still. Were it not for the fact that he was breathing, he could have very well been a statue. He was sure that he would prefer it.  
  
The thuds were receding and eventually they stopped all together. Rei let out his breath in a rush of air. The tense muscles relaxed and his whole body loosened up. Suddenly a head poked into Rei's field of view. Having nothing better to do, he screamed as a tiger would. Unable to tell the beast in its own language to get away, he used his own.  
  
It pulled back the arm it had stuck under the bed, which was now scratched. Rei took the opportunity and dashed out of the door and out of the house. He ran as far and as fast as he could until he collapsed, exhausted.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Garr snatched back the arm Rei had scratched. He blinked as a small blur of color sped through his legs and out of the room. Garr sighed and set off after him. Rei could only maintain such a speed for a small amount of time, he reasoned to himself. Therefore, Garr would have an advantage over the striped child. Or so he thought. This time the trail was relatively easy to follow. Especially for one used to tracking in the shifting sands of the desert. Rei was making no effort to hide where he had gone and Garr took advantage of that. After a while he found the boy asleep beneath a tree where he must have collapsed.  
  
Garr smiled and pick the boy up. He blinked, surprised at how light Rei really was. Then he noticed that his ribs showed and the clothing wasn't exactly high quality. Garr made a decision and began walking off into the forest.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Rei woke up to a gentle rocking back and forth. Unfortunately for him…he got motion sickness. He blinked and struggled to get off the boat. There was something restraining him. This time he really blinked…and panicked. The creature had him! The creature's voice gently told him to stop struggling. Rei relaxed as the voice droned on and on. It was a deep voice, but not unpleasantly so…unlike old man Bunyan. Rei stared up at the bird- like face, still inherently wary.  
  
The creature stopped and took out a canteen. He handed it to Rei…which meant the creature had been restraining him with only one arm! Rei's panic came back slightly. Rei took the canteen and stared at the creature.  
  
"Drink up little one. It's just water." Rei blinked again and tried looking into the canteen. It didn't work. The creature took the water back despite that Rei was holding onto it with all the strength he had left. Which at the moment wasn't that much. It took a swallow and gave the water back. After a moment it spoke again.  
  
"See, I'm still alive. It's not poison." Rei just continued staring at him. The creature sighed. Rei blanched and held on tightly. He was not going to fall from this height. Rei waited a few moments more, then took a small sip after sniffing for the few poisons he knew by scent. Again he waited, this time for the excruciating pain to start. When nothing happened, he drank greedily.  
  
"Easy! Too much of a good thing is bad." The creature said suddenly. Rei stopped drinking and tried to figure this out. He wasn't having much success, so he went back to drinking. When all the water was gone, Rei sighed and was over come by overwhelming fatigue. Gratefully, he sank into sleep, feeling a sense of safety in the creature's large and obviously strong arms.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Garr looked down at the sleeping child in his arms. Gently, he detangled the canteen from his rather possessive hands. Again, he started off towards the desert home of his people. He was returning. But he was not returning alone this time. 


	4. Book One:Chapter Three

Night had fallen on the holy city. Although it really did not qualify as a city. But it was the home of the Patriarch. And home of the Guardians. No one noticed the dark shape that skirted around Urkan Tapa. No one noticed that there were two sets of glowing eyes, one golden and one a dark glinting blue. No one heard the various comments. No one understood them either, not even the travelers. Only once, could you see that the night creature was in fact two separate beings, but that was shortly before they disappeared into a house set away from the village. 


	5. Book One:Chapter Four

Chapter Tree  
  
The Father  
  
   
  
   
  
Garr closed the door behind him and slipped into his room. He gently let Rei down on the floor. Throughout the journey the little half-tiger had begun to trust him. Not much, but enough so that he no longer panicked or tried to run away. Immediately he started poking his nose (literally) into every where. Rei even found the emergency stash of food Garr kept in his room.  
  
Rei dragged a sealed pack to the middle of the floor. "Do you want a knife?" Garr asked. Rei shook his head and began scratching at it with his nails/claws. Getting frustrated, he swiped at it, sending it fly across the room. Garr retrieved the package and opened it easily. Rei pounced on Garr, sticking his nose in the package. Sneezing, he backed away. Rei continued to sneeze, surprisingly loud for such a small kid.  
  
Garr froze as he heard footsteps approach the door. A voice even deeper than Garr's called out.  
  
"Garr, is that you? Don't tell me you're getting sick!?" The door swung open and a VERY tall Guardian stood in it. Rei looked up to see who had said what. And he kept looking up…and up…and up, until he fell over backwards. He kept his eyes on the new Guardian. Garr also kept his eyes on his father. He also kept his mouth shut, sure that anything he said would get him in even more trouble.  
  
"……Who is that? Wait. Tell me everything that happened since you left this morning." Ganlon said. "Or rather tell me why you left with no word, then, tell what happened." He continued giving Garr a mild glare. Rei slowly moved until he was directly behind Garr. Garr felt sharp little claws pressing into his back and a quivering body pressing next to his. So in a very tense mood the story was told.  
  
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"And that's what happened." Garr said, his throat dry from talking for so long. Garr looked out the window and saw that the sun was just beginning to rise. Rei had long since fallen asleep, despite his terror of Ganlon. Slowly, Ganlon nodded.  
  
"And you think he's going to stay here?" Ganlon queried.  
  
This time Garr nodded. "I don't know why I did the things I did but this is how it's supposed to be. Otherwise why would it happen?" Ganlon blinked unable to think of an…appropriate…answer.  
  
Rei yawned and managed to shift position without removing his claws or moving very far from the safety of Garr's back. Ganlon got up and moved to the door. "He'll be your responsibility. And you will not let it interfere with your training." He turned to his son. "Which reminds me that in half an hour it will be time for the morning session."  
  
Garr sighed, but did not protest. Twisting around, he tried to disentangle Rei's claws from his robe but soon gave up and fell asleep sitting up.  
  
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The first thing Rei noticed was that Garr was gone. Of course the frighteningly tall person was gone too…but Garr was a bit more important. Rei fought free of the robe that had gotten twisted around him in his sleep and sat up. He slowly crept to the door and opened it.  
  
Sticking his head out, Rei was once again struck by the size of everything in the house, from the doors, to the chairs, to the books. Still keeping an eye out for the giant Garr talked to last night, Rei's curiosity overcame him and he began to explore.  
  
Finding no sign of either Guardian, Rei was both relieved and worried. On one hand the tall person, which Rei gathered to be related to Garr somehow, wasn't around. On the other if he came back, Garr wasn't here to protect him. Rei decided to go look outside so that if the tall person did come back, he wouldn't find him.  
  
Rei got outside and immediately was overcome by curiosity. There were the strangest sounds coming from the cliff above the pond. Garr's scent was there too. Rei looked around for a way to climb up without getting wet and concluded that there wasn't a way. So Rei went around through the forest and up.  
  
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Garr jumped out of the way of what, if they were using real weapons, would be a killing blow. "You must anticipate my moves, Garr." His father said not wasting any time for Garr to get his senses. Garr desperately parried the next blow and went on the offensive. "Better, Garr, but defense is just as important." Ganlon praised and chided. Garr just nodded and kept striking. Eventually, he did get a blow past his father's defense.  
  
"That's enough for now." Ganlon said, stepping back and rubbing the bruised area. When Garr did get through, he hurt. Fortunately, he was not yet good enough to get through often. Just then a striped head poked out of the trees. Garr smiled and waved Rei over. Taking care to stay FAR away from Ganlon, Rei crept over to Garr.  
  
"Doesn't he talk?" Ganlon asked, watching his son and his son's…friend. Garr took a small drink of water and looked up.  
  
"I don't know. I've never heard him but he does get what he wants across regardless." Ganlon looked at the tiger-like child and then looked back at Garr.  
  
"Meow?" Ganlon looked back at Rei and not taking his eyes of him, asked Garr what he was saying.  
  
"How should I know?! If it's important, he'll make us understand." Garr said leaning back and capping the water. Rei took the canteen up and shook it. He looked at Garr, irritably.  
  
"WHAT!" Garr said defensively. Rei hissed softly. "I don't need that much water." Garr explained gently. Rei climbed up on Garr and uncapped the canteen. He tried opening Garr's mouth with one hand. That not working, he just dumped it on Garr anyway.  
  
Ganlon stood off doubled over with laughter which died quickly as Rei jumped off Garr and stalked over to him. "Garr…what does he want…" He said nervously. Dripping wet, Garr merely looked at his father. Brilliance suddenly struck Ganlon and he quickly uncapped his canteen and drank it all. Rei started purring in a self satisfied way.  
  
Through out the day while Garr and Ganlon were training, Rei would go and get water and force them to drink all of it. And when they wouldn't, he'd dump it on them. Rei stayed the night…and the next…and the next…until it seemed like he was always there. He was Garr's brother and Ganlon's son. He was home.  
  
   
  
   


	6. Book One:Chapter Five

Chapter Four  
  
The Voice  
  
   
  
Garr and Ganlon were training, as usual, no matter what the day's heat. Rei was the water boy, who made sure they were either soaking wet or they drank all their water. Every time Rei got them to drink the water, he would purr in a self-satisfied way. Finally, Garr got tired of hearing the same thing over and over. During their break he grabbed Rei's hand, before Rei could try and force the water issue.  
  
Looking as stern as he could be with Rei, he decided enough was enough. "Rei." Garr stated solemnly. Rei looked up at him with large eyes. "I am going to teach you to talk." Rei looked at Garr like he was crazy and spoke as he rarely did.  
  
'But I do talk!'  
  
"Not in our language." Garr persisted. (If nothing else Garr was stubborn…almost as stubborn as Rei.) "You are going to learn how to speak our language and I am going to teach you!" Garr started with the simplest way he knew how. He tried teaching Rei his own name.  
  
After many tries and many days, Rei could finally say his own name in Common. Unfortunately, that was all that Rei seemed to want to learn. Each day, Garr would sit with Rei after supper and each day ended the same. All Rei could say was his own name. After a few months of this, Garr began to despair and lessons ended earlier and earlier.  
  
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Garr put his head in his hands and accepted the water that Rei brought. By now, both Ganlon and Garr had just given up convincing Rei that they didn't need the extra water and just drank it to keep him happy. The day was already hot and the sun had just risen.  
  
Garr drank all the water and wearily handed Rei the canteen. On impulse, Garr hugged Rei. Rei stood there looking at him. Then Rei smiled the most self-satisfied smile ever and spoke.  
  
   
  
"Thank you, Brother."  
  
   
  
Garr nearly fell of the ledge where he had been sitting. "WHAT!!!!!" Garr grabbed Rei and kneeled so as to be closer to him.  
  
"I said 'Thank you, Brother.' You are my brother right?" Garr blinked. Then he swept Rei up into a bone crushing hug.  
  
"EH! LET GO! LET GO!" Garr immediately let go. Rei fell several feet and landed on his feet. Rei just stared up at Garr. If his vocabulary wasn't quite as limited as it was he would have told Garr several things. Instead he contented himself with glaring.  
  
"Well! Are you my brother?!" Rei crossed his arms and continued glaring up at Garr.  
  
Garr laughed. "Of course, Little Brother." Garr hugged Rei again, but this time left Rei on the ground. "FATHER!!" Garr said, unable any longer to contain his excitement.  
  
Ganlon came over. "What's wrong? Did Rei kill you?"  
  
"No. He's my brother. Why would I do that?" Rei said, anticipating the expression of shock he would get. There was a loud thud and the earth shook. "Did I kill him!?" Rei asked Garr.  
  
Garr ran over to his now laying down father, and shook his head. "No, but he is out. You better go get some water." Rei ran off as fast as he could. When he got back, he anticipated Garr's orders and threw the water on Ganlon, something he had not done in a while.  
  
Ganlon slowly opened his eyes. The first face he saw was Rei's. "You. What did you call Garr?" Rei blinked and backed away.  
  
"Brother…" Ganlon looked fierce.  
  
"Then what am I?" Rei blinked and backed into Garr. He grabbed Garr's hand and got ready to hide before he answered.  
  
"…Daddy…" Again, Rei was swept up in a bone crushing hug and again he was dropped. Rei started muttering to himself, as he rubbed his shoulder.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
After that day, Rei's vocabulary increased astronomically. Within days, he was talking as well as Garr and Ganlon. After a few more days, Garr took him to go see the Patriarch of Urkan Tapa.  
  
"Make sure you're polite to the Patriarch." Ganlon said, warning Rei whose vocabulary included several ways to yell at people. Garr and Ganlon were the ones who Rei happened to practice on.  
  
"The…what??" Rei asked, slightly confused.  
  
"The Patriarch." Garr repeated.  
  
"The Patriak…the Patrikarch…the…the…THE PATRICK!" Rei said finally, getting fed up. Garr and Ganlon burst out laughing. Suddenly Garr sobered.  
  
"I wonder if his name really is Patrick…"  
  
"Huh?!" Rei asked, paying attention once more.  
  
"Never mind we better get going."  
  
"BUT!" Rei protested. Garr looked at him  
  
"But nothing. We're going. Now."  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Garr and Rei went to a room that Rei had never been allowed in before. Guardians do hold some influence among the priests. Rei walked ahead of Garr and got to point to Garr as his pass. Needless to say, Rei was very happy with this arrangement…until they got to the prayer room.  
  
"YOU!" The head priest shouted, jabbing a finger at Rei.  
  
"mewr?" Rei pointed to himself eyes wide.  
  
"YOU!! You make the Lord very, VERY nervous!"  
  
"…what'd I do…" Rei turned to Garr. "What'd I do!" Garr just shrugged and stepped over Rei. Suddenly, the head priest found other things to do than yell at little kids.  
  
Rei followed Garr up the stairs, turning at the last minute and sticking his tongue out at the head priest. Then he scurried to catch up with Garr, who was standing in front of a HUGE rock.  
  
"Is that the Patrick?"  
  
Garr started laughing as he easily moved the rock from the groove it had worn into the ground.  
  
"You moved the Patrick!"  
  
"I what!?"  
  
"Moved the Patrick…are you allowed to do that?" Eyes open wide, Rei stared at Garr, suddenly worried.  
  
Garr doubled over with laughter. "No…"  
  
"YOU'RE NOT!?" Rei's heart began to race.  
  
"I…"  
  
"BUT YOU JUST DID!"  
  
"But…"  
  
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! They're gonna KILL US!" Suddenly the assistant, aroused by all the yelling came out.  
  
"SEE!" Rei ran in front of Garr and began apologizing. "We're sorry! We're sorry…we didn't mean to move the Patrick! Honestly! Don't kill us! WE'RE SORRY!"  
  
By this time Garr was rolling on the ground laughing. "This isn't funny! WE'RE ABOUT TO BE KILLED! And YOU'RE laughing!" Garr tried to get enough breath to reassure Rei, but was laughing far too hard. The assistant looked from the…hyper…little kid, to the Guardian that was by no means dignified and sat down, totally confused.  
  
"One thing…Who's the Patrick?" she asked no one in particular. Rei whirled around to face her.  
  
"The guy Garr just moved!" He said in a panic.  
  
"Guardian Garr named the rock?" she asked, confused.  
  
"NO! That's the Patrick! And Garr moved him and now you're going to kill us and I don't want to die and …and…and…an…d… you're not mad…" Rei paused, thoroughly confused. Now the assistant was immobilized by laughter.  
  
"Do you mean…" she laughed some more "to say the Patriarch?" She said, dissolving into laughter once again.  
  
"Didn't I say that?" Rei asked, even more confused. Garr finally got his laughter under control.  
  
"Rei…that's just a door. I was going to say 'No…that's not the Patriarch.' But you beat me to the end!" Garr explained between fits of laughter. "The Patriarch is waiting inside!" Garr got up and shook his head slowly. "Well, Rei, shall we go see the Patrick?" Rei sulked for a while before taking Garr's hand and following.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
The assistant got up and trailed behind, still laughing. When their eyes adjusted to the dimmer light inside, the first this Rei saw was a really old guy sleeping. He tugged on Garr's robe.  
  
"Is that the Patrick?" he whispered. Garr nodded, as the still laughing assistant went to wake the Patriarch up. "What's he doing?" Rei asked still whispering.  
  
"Meditating" Garr said in a low voice.  
  
"No, he's not…he's sleeping." Rei protested. Garr nodded.  
  
"I know…just don't let him know you see through his act."  
  
"Why?" Rei persisted. Garr just shook his head, staying silent. Rei looked at Garr for a moment before turning back to study the sleeping Patrick.  
  
Finally, the assistant succeeded in waking the Patriarch up. Slowly, the Patriarch blinked clearing his sight.  
  
"Ah…Guardian Garr. You have not come to see me lately. Who is that that you brought?" The Patriarch said in a voice that sounded as old as he looked.  
  
"I'm Rei! I'm his brother!" Rei spoke up, not waiting to be introduced.  
  
"Guardian…" The Patriarch said, warningly.  
  
Garr nodded solemnly. "It is true. Rei is my little brother. I wish you to acknowledge it."  
  
"Do you know what you're asking?" The Patriarch asked, incredulous. Rei looked at Garr, but kept silent by tone in their voices. "Did you talk to your father about this?"  
  
Garr nodded again. "It was my father that suggested that it was time. Rei is a part of our family as surely as if he had been born into it. There is nothing that this can change, he is already family. Both the burdens and the joys." The Patriarch said nothing, but looked at Rei. Rei not really understanding what was going on, stared back, but moved closer to Garr.  
  
"All right then…I recognize Rei as your brother and Ganlon's son." The Patriarch closed his eyes again and fell instantly asleep. Turning, Garr picked up Rei and carried him outside. Instead of going through the prayer hall, Garr just jumped off of the roof/pathway.  
  
"AH!…DON'T DO THAT!…or at least warn me…" Rei said, startled out of the quiet mood that had fallen over him.  
  
"Sorry…Let's go home…" Garr said sounding tired. Rei blinked and looked up at Garr. He wriggled around and gave Garr a hug.  
  
"Let's go home, Big Brother." 


	7. Book One:Chapter Six

Nearly a year had passed since the day a Guardian met a Worren. Nearly a year had passed since a half-tiger became family with Guardians. Time had passed quickly as it is in the habit of doing. The half-tiger grew. Half in the forest of his birth half in the desert of his home. The time went faster and faster until the little half-tiger once again found the next key player in the game to come. The Destiny still clouded, the Future yet unclear, small Rei rolled the dice.  
  
Â  


	8. Book One:Chapter Seven

Chapter Five  
  
The Scholar  
  
   
  
Rei ran across the branches, refusing to look down. The only way to get the necessary pieces for his house. Rei grinned, with Garr's help it was going much faster. Rei stopped suddenly, losing all the wood. He paled, remembering the day almost an exact year ago when he smelled a strange scent. This time it was recognizable as human but…different. Strangers were in HIS forest.  
  
Rei shook his head with a sense of apprehension. This was beginning to be a bit too close to the time he met Garr for his comfort. He began trailing the scent through the forest. Shortly before noon, he found what he was looking for…  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Momo sighed and looked into the forest, making sure her constant companion, a small chrysm powered mechanical soldier named Honey, didn't stray to far from them. Momo turned a page in her notebook and began another entry. She stopped and looked at her father's back. Ever since her mother had died, he took her along when he went traveling, searching for the origin of machines. One day, he had said, he would even let her help him with his experiments. But for now, she was too young.  
  
Momo stuck out her tongue, remembering what her father had said. Already she was better than him at fixing Honey.  
  
"Daddy, when are we going to stop for lunch?" She asked.  
  
"Not yet Momo. I want to get out of the forest before then. The villagers warned me there were vicious animals here. They even said a tiger lived here."  
  
'I'm not a tiger…' Momo blinked… "Daddy……did…you hear that?"  
  
"Hear what sweetie?"  
  
"Guess not…" Momo looked around the once friendly forest and moved closer to her dad.  
  
Suddenly, there was a low growling noise. Momo ran to her father and pulled out a sling shot. "Don't you hurt my daddy!"  
  
'I'm not vicious either…it's not my fault they decided to come into my territory…' Momo blinked again. Quickly she looked for a rock to shoot. She grabbed one and fit in her sling shot.  
  
"I'm warning you! Come out or I shoot!" she shouted into the forest. "And I mean it!"  
  
'how loud can she get…what a great pair of lungs she must have…' Honey wandered out and randomly shot into the forest. Several cracking noises were heard. "uh…oh…" 'I think I'm in trouble…wait a second…I know I'm in trouble…' Even more creaking was heard, along a scrambling noise "AAAHHH!" a tannish yellow ball fell down along with several branches. "AAAAAHHHH…" the yell was broken off as it hit the forest floor.  
  
Momo ran forward and began throwing the branches off of the……boy. Momo's father rushed to help her. "Daddy! He's hurt!" Momo's father brought out his Med. Kit.  
  
"Well Momo. What do you do first?"  
  
"I don't know and I don't care. I just want you to heal him!" She said, looking like she's about to burst into tears. Momo's father handed her a handkerchief.  
  
"Calm down. Yelling won't help." he said placing his hands on the boy's cracked and bleeding skull.  
  
"yes it will…it'll make me feel better…" Momo muttered to herself. She contented herself to watching her father heal the boy. A glow gathered around her father's hands and passed into the gaping wound on the boy's head. Slowly, the wound closed, new skin covering the area where there had been none. Her father pulled back his hands and sat back to catch his breath.  
  
Momo grabbed the bandages and some sterile water. Without bothering to tell her father, Momo just took over. She cleaned the blood off and covered the new and still tender skin with a bandage. Suddenly, Momo found herself looking into a wide pair of blue eyes.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Rei opened his eyes slowly and managed to overcome the impulse to flee. That girl was putting something on his head. He still couldn't tell what she looked like, but this time it wasn't the distance. Everything was spinning and there were double of everything.  
  
He stopped and thought about that for a while. Two…of…her! Again, he managed not to move. This time, however, he wanted to scream in horror.  
  
"Sit still. The skin's still new and easy to rip." The girl ordered in a bossy tone. Rei, of course, didn't do anything, but that was more to the dizziness than her command.  
  
"Get out of my forest…" he managed to growl. The girl glared at him.  
  
"NO! and you might show a little gratitude! My father wasted his energy healing your cracked skull." She stuck out her tongue at him. Apparently, she had a temper to match the hair.  
  
"…so that's why there's two of you…" Rei mused sitting up.  
  
"HEY!! You're not supposed to be sitting up!" She reached over and tried pushing him back down. Only excellent reflexes prevented her fingers from being removed permanently. She glared at him and he glared back, growling softly.  
  
Momo's father came over. "Now stop it both of you. Momo, that's no way to act to a stranger. And you. It's not polite to bite someone's hand off when they just tried to help you." Momo sighed and turned away going to the other side of the clearing to mutter some more about ungrateful people who try to bite your hand off.  
  
"I heard that…" Rei said glaring in her general direction, his vision still spinning. "GOOD!" was the shouted reply. Momo turned back to her father. "I'm going to look for chrysm. I'll find my own way back." With that, she disappeared into the forest.  
  
Rei stared after her and then dismissed the problem of her from his mind. He stared at the person who they said had healed him. Said person was currently mixing something up.  
  
"Here, It will get rid of the dizziness." Momo's dad said.  
  
Rei shook his head. "No way. For all I know it might be poison." Rei leaned over and sniffed the cup. It didn't smell like poison…in fact it smelled like that girl that just left. However considering her temper maybe it was poison.  
  
"All it is, is a few common herbs. Tokon, Garana, Pinco-pinco, Chamomile, and some powdered cloves to give it taste." Again nothing was poisonous. All of them were just used to heal and get rid of pain. Rei warily accepted the cup. Once more he sniffed it.  
  
Taking a wild chance, he drank the whole thing. If he was going to drink poison, than he might as well drink all of it and skip the suffering. Soon all the pain left and his vision had solidified. Taking another wild chance, he stood up.  
  
"NO PAIN!" Rei grinned. "uh……sorry for being so suspicious…"He shuffled his feet feeling uncomfortable. At least the red-headed terror wasn't around to see this.  
  
"No problem…" Momo's dad began cleaning up. And doing other odd chores that didn't need to be done. And standing looking into the forest. And sitting looking into the forest. And pacing around the clearing. Rei just stood there, watching him while the day started turning into evening. "Where could Momo be…"  
  
Rei sulked. Now they would never leave. "Fine. I'll look for her. AS long as you leave once she's found." He set off after the infuriating little red headed she-demon.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Momo stormed off into the forest. She kicked a rock that happened to be lying in her path. That stupid weretiger…who was he to yell at her. She absently rubbed her hand where she had touched him. Sighing, she bent down to study the rock she had just kicked. Normal granite.  
  
The only remotely interesting thing today was that tiger-boy and she was NOT going to think about him. Too infuriating. Again, now that her anger cooled, she felt sad. Kind of an emotional depletion like she lacked the energy to feel anything but down.  
  
Again, she kicked a rock. Thinking like that got her angry again. This time at herself. Momo wandered through the forest looking at the occasional rock. It was starting to get a little dark when she found the most interesting rock.  
  
It was a dark shiny blue. When she touched it, it hummed in her hands. Not a loud humming, but one that was more felt then heard. She stared at it for a long time before noticing that it had begun to glow faintly. As it got darker, the stone glowed brighter.  
  
Momo turned to go back before she realized she was hopelessly lost…and in trouble. Standing in front of her were two of the largest monsters she had ever seen. She had heard about them but…she didn't realize they were this big. Currs.  
  
"ehh …...DADDY!" she screamed hoping he would be able to hear her. No response…  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"DADDY!" Rei covered his ears. "ooooowwwww…" He glared in the general direction of the scream. "So that's where you wandered off to…" Suddenly, he caught another scent. This was far more familiar. Currs. Rei cursed in his native tongue. "Now they'll never leave." He set off towards the racket. Suddenly, he stopped struck by an idea "I wonder… no…they wouldn't understand her." He started off again.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Momo screamed again as she felt the hot breathe of the curr hit her face. She was trying her best to keep the currs away, but a sling shot can only do so much. Her breath was coming faster and faster. She backed up against a tree. "God help me…" she prayed. She closed her eyes and pressed as small as possible against the tree's roots. Momo's eyes flew open and she heard yet another scream…a scream of rage.  
  
"STUPID DOGS!" a small blur of color bounced all over the place. The tiger- boy. She watched wide eyed as he managed to kill, not one, but both of the Currs. Her savior turned and glared at her.  
  
"You can't leave if you're dead."  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"You can't leave if you're dead." Rei said irritably. Stupid currs…invading his territory and trying to kill the she-demon. Momo gave a little cry and latched onto his leg. "EH?! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"  
  
He looked down at the now tear-streaked face. Her body was trembling like a leaf in the spring storms. Rei relented, somewhat. Momo buried her face in his pants and was now sobbing openly.  
  
Rei stared down with open mouthed disbelief. She could...and…but… Rei gently disentangled himself while watching her warily. She just sat there sobbing.  
  
"Stop that. …You're making me feel bad!" He stared at Momo uneasily. "Fine! Fine! I'll bring you back to your father! JUST STOP crying!" Momo nodded and tried to stop. She succeeded partway. She wiped her face and sniffled.  
  
Then…Then…Momo walked over and took Rei's hand. He looked at her and realized how young she must be. He mentally berated himself. She may have acted tough, but she was what? Two?! Three?! And she didn't have the advantage of living with Guardians.  
  
Rei muttered as he led her back to the semi-permanent camp her father had set up. He argued with himself. They were invading his territory, but then again they didn't know better. How annoying to be stuck with such a little kid. Not to mention one who doesn't even know how to protect herself. By the time they reached the camp Rei had stopped thinking of her as a she- demon and more of a little kid. An intensely annoying and brave little kid, but a little kid none the less.  
  
"MOMO!"  
  
"DADDY!"  
  
Momo let go of Rei and latched on to her daddy. She started crying again, but this time it wasn't quite the same. Rei faded back into the trees and watched the scene play out. Momo was still crying, but now her dad was holding her and rocking her back and forth. Slowly Momo opened one hand and showed him something. He smiled and hugged her close. Momo got up and pointed back the way they had come. Her father also stood up. Momo started tugging on his hand. He said something to her. Her face fell and she went into the tent. Her father stood there for a while before turning and going in after her.  
  
Rei blinked hard. He recognized how much Momo's dad loved her. He turned and disappeared into the forest thinking of his own dad…and brother.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
The very next day, Rei went out looking for food. Instead, he found the baby she-demon. And the healer. Many, many animals stayed far, far, far away from the cursing blur of light.  
  
"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE!" Rei shouted at the tent. It didn't do any good. There was no visible sign of life. Just then, a tousled red head popped out of the tent.  
  
"YOU'RE BACK!" Once again, the small she-demon attached herself to him. This time, she looked up, smiling as bright as the sun. "Thank you for saving my life!" She hugged him one last time and let go.  
  
Rei looked at her scared. Momo mad was impressive. Momo scared was…well…scary. Momo hyper was terrifying. She grinned up at him and took his hand. She opened it and placed the stone she found last night in it and closed it back up.  
  
"AH!" Rei dropped it like a burning coal. "It…it…it hums!" He looked at Momo. "Are you trying to kill me or something?"  
  
"No. I don't even know your name! So I can't yell at you properly, let alone kill you." Rei blanched. If Momo hadn't really been yelling…… "So you noticed the humming too…Daddy didn't. He thought I was just in shock….he was probably right. Shock from you saving me." Rei growled softly.  
  
"Will you just get out of MY forest!?" Rei shouted, now officially annoyed. Momo grinned.  
  
"Sure! Once Daddy wakes up." Momo bent down and picked the rock up. She looked at it for a while, a shadow seeming to pass over her mood. She sighed and held it out to Rei.  
  
Warily, he took the rock again. Suddenly he blinked as the previously tuneless humming sorted itself out into notes and rhythms. He blinked again.  
  
"I've………heard this before." Momo looked at him. She started humming along with the stone.  
  
"That one?" Rei stared at her.  
  
"How did you know it!?"  
  
"Jeez, I don't know. I HEARD it!" Momo looked away with a mixture of sadness and anger on her face.  
  
"Eh? What'd I do now…" Rei asked himself.  
  
"NONE OF YOU'RE BUISNESS! OK!?" Momo shouted. She turned away, leaving Rei standing there holding the rock and very confused.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Momo turned away, not wanting the tiger boy to see how close she was to tears. That song……… She shook her head angrily and stared at a tree. Suddenly she wished she could just …BURN it or something. Out of the blue, the tiger boy spoke.  
  
"My name's Rei."  
  
"I DON'T……oh…hi Rei…" She turned back around and curtsied like she was supposed to.  
  
"My name's Momo. I'm an engineer!" she announced proudly. Rei just watched kind, of confused. It didn't help that he didn't know what an engineer did. Rei sighed. At least she wasn't acting funny.  
  
"……….hi………uh….don't get mad…but…what's an engineer?" This time, Momo sighed.  
  
"We fix things! And make them better and find out where all the machines come from." Rei thought about this for a moment. Finally ,he pointed at Honey, whom he hadn't noticed before.  
  
"And that's a machine?" Momo nodded proudly and began to go into all this technical jargon. Rei just turned his ears off giving appropriate comments every now and then.  
  
"…and she's run on chrysm. It gets vaporized and turns into energy and…"  
  
"When are you leaving?" Momo turned to glare at him. Before she could start off, however, her father came out.  
  
"Now." Momo turned to protest, but he just looked at her and she fell silent.  
  
"…I wish I could do that…" Rei mumbled to himself. Momo turned and gave him a dirty look before going to help with the tent. In a surprisingly short time they had gotten the tent down and packed away. "I am going to show you the quickest way out!" Rei said, glaring at Momo who was starting to protest. She fell silent and returned his glare evenly. "…then I can finally get some peace around here…" he muttered, setting off.  
  
The sun had just reached noon when they finally got to edge of the forest. Despite the many arguments that had sprung up along the way no one was killed or even harmed severely. Momo had gotten bitten a few times and Rei now had a lump on his head from her sling shot. At the edge of the forest, they both refused to acknowledge the other one.  
  
"Well Rei, it was nice meeting you. We won't go in your forest again unless it's absolutely necessary." Momo's father said. "Now Momo we'll never see him again so you might as well say good bye."  
  
"Fine.. Good bye. …and good riddance…" She said, sulking still.  
  
"Same here. I won't save your butt next time so stay out!" Rei said, just as happy to be rid of her.  
  
Rei stood watching the two figures walk off into the distance. When they were out of sight he turned and walked back to the now peaceful forest. Back to his…in comparison…calm life with Garr and Ganlon. 


	9. Book One:Chapter Eight

Chapter Six  
  
The Memories  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
Rei stood, carefully supervising Garr. "NO! over to the left more."  
  
"Who's left?!"  
  
"MY left!"  
  
"My right?"  
  
"NO, THE LEFT!"  
  
"So my left?"  
  
"NO! NOT THERE!" It was too late. Garr had already placed the last log….in the right place? Rei stared at it for a while.  
  
"How'd you do that? The log isn't big enough to cover the whole hole." Rei scampered down to the log and inspected it carefully. "No FAIR!!! How come you can use magic and I can't?" Rei started mumbling about something to that effect. Garr sat down, tired by the days exertions. "Are you tired!?"  
  
Garr looked up. "Do I look tired?"  
  
"Yeah. How can you be tired? It wasn't that hard!"  
  
"That's because you did all the shouting and none of the work." Garr said looking at the half-tiger. Rei had shot up the past two years. And for some odd reason, he kept in touch with Momo…loving to remind her on how short she was. Or rather, how much taller Rei had grown while she remained almost the same height.  
  
Garr shook his head, smiling at the years. Rei had become a part of the family, more so than if he was born into it. Garr stood up and stretched his wings.  
  
"WATCH OUT! Are you trying to kill me or something!?" Rei now started off on the new subject.  
  
"REI! Shut up." Rei stared at Garr, shocked. "We have to get home. Very quickly." With that, Garr leaned over and picked Rei up. He started flapping his wings. Soon dirt was blowing everywhere but there was no one to see it.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ganlon stared at the horizon, willing for the shape of a flying Guardian to appear. Garr could not be late this night. It was too important for him to be late. His future as a Guardian was at stake. Either he would start on the road to mastery and become a full Guardian, probably one of the most powerful ever, or he would stay a young Guardian and never do more than guard Urkan Tapa or Angel Tower.  
  
Slowly, almost so slow that he did not notice it, a dark shape appeared on the horizon. This was what he had been waiting for. He went into the house and set out Garr's formal robe and polished his spear for him.  
  
The time of judgment had come. All he could do was prepare his son.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Garr landed right beside the pond out back. He set Rei down and then dived in the freezing cold water. The cold water woke up senses dulled with long flying and cleaned the dust off his skin. Garr waded out and grabbed one of the towels kept nearby. Rei watched with a touch of alarm. Garr never went willingly into water unless he was long overdue for a bath, which happened very infrequently. Garr took sponge baths just to avoid large bodies of water.  
  
"What's going on?" Rei asked his concern echoing in his voice.  
  
"Not now, little brother. I have to prepare……to meet the Great Goddess." Garr pushed past Rei and into the house. Rei watched him go confused and forlorn. Suddenly Rei thought of a way to help and raced into the house.  
  
  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
   
  
  
  
Dark had fallen and the time of the meeting was close at hand. Guardian Garr and Guardian Ganlon were dressed in the formal robes. The small half- tiger was also dressed in formal robes. The light streamed from the door and silhouetted them. Two guardians on either side of a small person. Those that saw the sight never forgot it. There was an air of duty, an air of destiny, around them. The path was in sight, the choice to be made, The Great Goddess had called and they had answered.  
  
   
  
  
  
   
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
   
  
Garr stood nervously at attention. Rei was standing behind him and his father beside him, but now was the time of testing. He fixed his robe one more time and waited to be admitted to the Patriarch's abode. There neither Rei or Ganlon could follow him.  
  
"Garr?" Garr blinked and looked down at Rei.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's the third time I said your name…what's going on?" Garr sighed, as he realized Rei knew even less than he did.  
  
"I go to meet my goddess." A short answer would be all that was required, all that there was time for. The assistant came out.  
  
"Guardian Garr the Patriarch is ready." Garr started to go. Rei pulled his spear out of his hand and attached something to it. Rei gave it back to Garr. Garr stared at Rei for a moment more before turning and following the assistant.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Rei yawned and tried to force his eyes open. He felt himself being lifted up in a pair of strong arms. He yawned again and twisted around until he found a comfortable spot. His eyes were just begging their final descent for the day when the door opened and a strange odor wafted out.  
  
Rei BOLTED upright and clung to his father. Garr came out looking tired but quietly happy.  
  
"I'll take him if you're tired." Garr offered, holding out his arms. Rei shook and clung even tighter to Ganlon. "Or not……" Garr shrugged.  
  
"Can we please go home!? I don't like it here!" Rei begged Ganlon, twisting around to look at his face.  
  
Ganlon looked down at Rei. "Of course." Garr nodded his assent. The three of them made their way back home. Rei climbed into bed that night and dreamt a nightmare worse than any he had ever had. Eventually, he did something he had not done since the first night. He climbed into Garr's bed and fell asleep shivering against his back.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Early the next day Rei woke up. Yawning, he tried to figure out how he had gotten from his bed to Garr's. He tensed as the memories of last night came flooding back. He whimpered softly and moved closed to Garr's reassuringly large back. Large and strong. Very strong and very safe.  
  
Garr sighed in his sleep and turned over. Rei just looked at him. As usual when Rei did that Garr woke up.  
  
"Morning…" He said, still half asleep. Rei just burrowed close, the aftermath of his terror slowly receding. Garr put his arm around Rei. "All is well and as it should be." He smiled down at Rei. Rei looked up at Garr and relaxed. It was true. The sun was shining, the she-demon wasn't here, and the strange scent was gone.  
  
Rei sat up, suddenly hyper. "YEAH!" He bounced out of bed and ran outside. Garr, however, fell back to sleep. And woke up again to a little half-tiger staring at him. "Are you going to sleep all day?"  
  
"I was hoping to………"Garr groaned and reluctantly sat up. Rei just gave him one of his special 'I don't believe you' looks. Reluctantly, Garr got up and moving. Rei ran off to go bother someone else. Most likely, Ganlon or one of the priests. Garr got up and made breakfast and the moment Garr was done Rei came back.  
  
"FOOD! FINALLY!" Rei waited patiently for the food to cool before shoveling it down. Garr watched amused. The day passed as all other days did.  
  
After supper that night Rei got struck by a sudden idea.  
  
"How old is the Patrick?" Garr glanced at his father.  
  
"Umm……not as old as I am." Garr offered. Rei went and curled up on Ganlon's lap. He thought some more.  
  
"Maybe it's been the same Patrick all these years……" Garr looked at Rei.  
  
"I've seen him die at least twice that I remember" Garr said quietly contradicting him. Rei thought some more.  
  
"I'll bet he gets reincarnated! See when the old Patrick dies, the one that takes over…" Garr and Ganlon shut their ears to Rei's incessant chatter. It would be too confusing to listen. "And then…HEY! Are you even listening?" Rei accused.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then what did I just say about three sentences ago?!" Garr thought quickly.  
  
"I don't remember, but I do know that I have to go train now." He said.  
  
"You weren't listening…..oh well. Why do you have to train this late?" Garr looked at his father again.  
  
"Eh…well……it's a special form of training. I train with the Goddess." Rei flinched back unconsciously.  
  
"What's a goddess………" Garr shrugged and left. So Rei turned to pester Ganlon for the answer. The…discussion…lasted most of the night.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Garr stuck his spear in the ground outside the door and stretched his wings. He was going to be sore tomorrow. Wearily, he opened the door.  
  
"GGGAAARRRRRRR!" Rei came bounding up. All of a sudden, Rei stopped mid- bound. His eyes flew open wide and he began to tremble. Rei gave a small whimper and raced off towards the minor safety of under the bed. Garr stood there in slight shock.  
  
Ganlon stood up looking after Rei. "He reacts strangely to the mention of the Goddess……perhaps he senses her aura on you?"  
  
"Perhaps………but why react so badly?" Ganlon looked at his son. He turned slowly and took a forbidden book off of the shelves. He opened it to a marked page. A picture was on one page text on the other.  
  
   
  
"Long years before the Dragon War, some Guardians aided the Goddess in eradicating the Worren race. On the page opposite is the only Worren known to have killed Guardians. He killed Guardian Greai and Guardian Gamore. This Worren went by the name Alaoni. He was reputed to be the instrument of the prophecy. Thus the Honors given to Guardian Gatsero for locating and immobilizing this Worren. The Great Goddess herself executed this evil being."  
  
   
  
Garr stared at the picture for a long time. He slowly turned the page. Again another drawing and some text. This time it was of a female.  
  
   
  
"Crisenta was the last of the Worrens to die. This amazing fighter managed to evade the Great Goddess for 10 years. Many Guardians were sent to find this elusive Worren. Some were found with their wits missing. When they were found, they had forsaken the Goddess among other maladies. When the Guardians finally found and brought this fugitive to justice, she was found in Cear Xahn. Right beneath the Goddess's citadel. Once again the Great Goddess oversaw the execution of this evil being, also thought to be part of the prophecy."  
  
   
  
Garr looked at the drawing and paled. "That's……that's….Cris……" Garr looked at his father, praying to be contradicted, praying that it wasn't the little girl he had known so well, had watched grow into a young woman, and fall in love. He got no such comfort.  
  
Ganlon nodded, knowing how much this would shake Garr's faith. "She was part of the prophecy. Or at least that's what they thought. Now I'm not so sure…it refers to them in such vague terms. The Worren boy…the tempered one… Alaoni and Crisenta" Garr nodded weakly, remembering the temper Cris had inherited from her mother.  
  
"But………this doesn't look like the Cris I know…" Garr protested, trying to find something, anything, that would mean that picture was not Cris, not Crisenta.  
  
"I'm sorry……" Ganlon closed his eyes and bowed his head. He moved to close the book but Garr held on.  
  
"Rei looks so much………so much like Alaoni…but with Cris's eyes……" Garr studied the pictures mentally putting them together and reducing the ages. The picture looked startlingly like Rei.  
  
Garr jumped up and got a piece of paper and a pencil. Slowly he put the paper over the picture of Crisenta and traced her eyes. Next he put it over the picture of Alaoni and traced the rest of the face in. Beneath it he redrew the face to match the age that Rei was now.  
  
Ganlon leaned over. "That……looks like Rei…" Garr met Ganlon's eyes over the book. "It would appear…that Rei is the child of Crisenta and Alaoni…"  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Rei shivered uncontrollably. He could hear the low voices of Garr and his father in the other room. Tears leaked out of his eyes and he curled up into a small ball. He slowly fell asleep. And Rei dreamt. He dreamed of many things that night. Of the past and the future. And he understood none of it! He woke up when a heavy footstep sounded next to his head. He stared at Garr's upside down face.  
  
"Garr…………I'm scared." Rei crawled out and onto Garr's lap.  
  
"I know Rei…I know…" Rei hugged Garr tight and wouldn't let go. Rei started crying softly. Garr put his arms around him and stared off into the distance, remembering…………  
  
   
  
" NOW where am I?!" Garr asked no one in particular. He had gotten lost (again) and was standing on the outskirts of a village.  
  
" You are in Worent, home of the Worrens." Said a female of the race.  
  
" Can I speak with your leader?" he asked.  
  
" You're looking at her." The woman stated flatly.  
  
" But… You are a female!" Garr said.  
  
" And you are a thick-skulled Guardian. Your point being…?"  
  
Garr looked at her, confused. "But… but…"  
  
"Do you need help or not?! If you do, follow me. If not stay here and feed the monsters." She said sweetly, turning and entering a nearby house. Garr followed her after a moment. "So you do need help. You are obviously lost to be out here."  
  
" …Something like that." She rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
  
" It's beginning to get dark. Unless you want lots of trouble, I recommend that you stay here overnight." A pair of children ran in.  
  
" Mama, Crisenta's trying to kill me!! AGAIN!!!"  
  
" You deserve it, you jerk!!!"  
  
The Worren female sighed. " Now what?" Clearly, this happened before.  
  
"Cray was teasing Marin again! You told him not to, but does he ever listen?! Noooo!" She whirled to face her brother, who stepped back. " You've gotta be the dumbest brother anyone could have!!!!"  
  
"If I promise not to do it ever again, will you stop trying to kill me?"  
  
The girl, Crisenta, considered for a minute and then nodded. Cray scampered out, before he could arouse her wrath again. Her mother looked at her and raised her eyebrows. Crisenta suddenly became aware of Garr. She looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything. Her mother bowed formally to Garr.  
  
" My name is Bianca. I lead this community. This is my younger daughter, Crisenta." The small girl bowed to Garr as well. He nodded at her, smiling faintly. She grinned back. Her mother continued. "In the morning I'll provide you with a map and compass. Crisenta, will you please show the Guardian to the guest house."  
  
"Yes, Mama. If you will please follow me, Guardian," Crisenta walked out the door and lead Garr to the guest house. "Here you are! You have the whole place to yourself… Not many people come this far. Sorry that it's so dark, but the fire place is right over here. You can start a fire if you want. And… What's your name?"  
  
Since the question was so random, it took a bit to sink in. " My name is Garr."  
  
" That's a nice name." She said cheerfully.  
  
   
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
   
  
Ganlon walked in the room to check on Rei. All seemed to be well… Rei was clutching Garr like his life depended on it even though he was asleep. But that was just a normal reaction. Garr had fallen asleep holding Rei. Ganlon turned to leave before realizing that Garr had fallen into, not sleep, but some sort of trance. He leaned over and waved his hand in front of Garr's face. No reaction. "Garr? Hello?" Ganlon knew enough not to try to force Garr back, but that didn't stop him from trying just a little. Ganlon settled down to wait.  
  
   
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
   
  
Garr stood watching from the outskirts of the crowd. Not that he minded, given his height, but he did wish he could be closer to Cris. He had been living in the village for quite a while now and had gotten to know Crisenta very well. Always around this time of year young boys and girls went through the Time of Testing. Cris, having just turned 13, was eligible for it this year. Garr had practiced with her for days before.  
  
"Crisenta Tsukino. You have passed the Test." Garr held his breath. A strong friendship had sprung up between the Guardian and the Worren. "Crisenta, I present you with the weapon you have earned." A hush settled over the entire crowd as the elder gave Cris a polished bow. The wood gleamed with a hidden power that few in the crowd could see.  
  
Cris went through all of the required rituals with a sudden impatience. All she wanted to do was show the bow to Garr. Thanks to his help, she had risen to Archer. The only one in over a millennia. The only known female archer ever in the history of her people.  
  
"GGAARRRR!" Cris ran up, waving the bow over her head. Garr wisely stood where he was, seeing as if he moved he probably would get his eye poked out. "I DID IT!" Suddenly she looked just a bit malicious. "Cray didn't do so well. He got a big log thing. Serves him right!"  
  
Cris threw her arms …halfway…around Garr and nearly squeezed his life out. She grinned up at him. "Thanks Garr."  
  
Garr tried to get his breath back. "Well if strength was all they were looking at you certainly deserved it." Cris laughed and ran off to show her mom.  
  
   
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
   
  
Ganlon looked at the rising sun and back at his son. Still no change. Ganlon got up and cooked breakfast and brought all of it back with him. Back to his vigil over Garr.  
  
   
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
   
  
Slowly, Garr came to be accepted, even respected in the village. He began to have a place in the community, working with the youngsters to prepare them for Ceremony of 13, more commonly called The Time of Testing. He also proved indispensable for his fire magic. Every time a fire went out and couldn't be coaxed back to life, Garr was the one they turned to.  
  
Cris had become like a sister/daughter to him. Everywhere he went, Cris was almost sure to be found. Garr didn't mind, he liked her company. She told all her secrets to him and he to her.  
  
One day Cray, Cris' brother, finally exploded with jealousy. "Cris isn't around to defend you this time now is she? All you are is an overgrown rug with wings!" He glared at Garr, daring Garr to insult him back. Garr was having minor difficultly doing this, due to the fact he was trying not to laugh.  
  
WHOOSH! A tannish yellow blur dropped down on Cray's shoulder. "What did you call him?" whispered a voice close to his ear.  
  
"EEK!" Fortunately Cray knew enough not to move. He also realized that giving an answer would be a BAD idea. A VERY bad idea. Cris sprang from Cray's shoulder to land lightly in front of him.  
  
"That's right…Answering is a bad idea. So is insulting MY friends, especially Garr. Any last requests?" Cris said in a quiet hissing voice. Cray swallowed hard.  
  
"Yes," He squeaked. "Please don't kill me!" he continued his voice, far above its normally low range.  
  
"Too late for that…" Garr placed a hand on Cris' shoulder.  
  
"I don't need to be stood up for. I can take care of this. Besides he's your twin. If you kill him……" Cris growled softly, not wanting to be reminded of anything that could possibly stop her from killing Cray.  
  
Cris broke from Garr's grasp and pushed her arm back. "See you on the other side, dear brother." She let loose. Cray went down like a lump of sand. Fine sand that can't hold any shape to save its life. Cris rubbed the split skin on her knuckles as she stood over her brother's unconscious body.  
  
"Let that be a warning. And if you're going to insult Garr again at least do better than an oversized rug."  
  
   
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
   
  
Rei woke up. The first thing he noticed was that Garr hasn't moved. Fine by him! The next was that Daddy was sitting staring at Garr. Rei followed Ganlon's gaze up to Garr's eyes. It looked like Garr was daydreaming.  
  
"Hi Garr!" No answer. "Garr?" Still no answer. Rei turned around saw the food. He fell upon it, his terror of the night before having made him very hungry. When he had finished and Garr still hadn't moved Rei sulked.  
  
"fine then…I'll just go outside and train without you!" Rei stuck out his tongue and went outside, feeling extremely mature.  
  
   
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
   
  
Garr woke up to a cold moonlit night. The fire had gone out, but that was not what had awakened him. It was the sound of soft footfalls and a door creaking open and close.  
  
Garr scanned the room with his limited night vision. All was normal except for the dark lump that was Cris. Cris must have gotten up and left. Slowly Garr got up and out of bed. He fumbled around for a piece of straw, anything that might burn. Finally he found what he was looking for. Lighting the incredibly small piece of wood, Garr checked once more for Cris. No sign of her.  
  
Garr eased the door open and blew out the flame. Already, it had lasted longer than most would have. Garr caught a glimpse of a shadow disappearing towards the slow flowing river that ran through the village. He looked up at the moon and took to the air.  
  
Slowly circling the river, Garr found what he sought. A small shape huddled on a rocky outcropping. Garr dipped down silently. He may not be the most graceful on land, but he was simply more at home in the sky.  
  
Cris stared at the calm water. The moon reflected off it making a pathway up to heaven. She jumped as a hand settled on her shoulder.  
  
"Garr! You surprised me. I didn't hear you come up."  
  
"I flew." Garr sat down next to her. She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing……yet." She closed eyes and started to cry gently.  
  
"Come on, something's wrong. What is it?" Cris wordlessly shook her head. Garr tilted her face up and looked at her. "Cris…you can tell me. What's wrong?"  
  
She stared up at Garr, her closest friend. "You have to promise not to tell anyone. And………you have to promise to leave and never come back." Garr stared at Cris, shocked.  
  
"What do you mean? Never come back?"  
  
"NO! You have to promise me Garr. You have too…" Garr nodded, struck by the intensity in her voice. "I dreamt Garr…I dreamt true. I saw a great war begin. The Worrens were exterminated. All that were left was me and my child. Alaoni's child…I had been running for almost 10 years. I don't know how I knew this, but I did. And …after I hid the child…I was found…I died. And the child…he watched me die. Oh Garr…that poor child." By now, she was sobbing and it was getting hard to understand what she was saying. She took a deep breath and continued. "Garr, you MUST leave. If the Goddess found out that you were friends with me………"she trailed off.  
  
Garr didn't need any further explanation. "But Cris…surely there's some way I can help!?" She shook her head.  
  
"You can help by staying alive. That's all you can do."  
  
   
  
Garr started seeing small pieces of memories. Cris waving her bow, Bianca inviting him to stay the night and other half-forgotten memories all came swirling back. The following morning, the light shining on Cris and her fiancé. Cris giving him a hug and singing a song into his ear. A song sung from one heart to another……….  
  
Garr began a final spiral into darkness and into the song. 


	10. Book One:Chapter Nine

Chapter Seven  
  
The Losing  
  
   
  
   
  
Ganlon watched his son's eyes begin to close. Just as the sun sets so did Garr's eyes. Rei bounded in unable to stay away any longer. "Is he done daydreaming yet?"  
  
"Not yet……he seems to be falling into a deep sleep." Ganlon yawned and got up. "Which would be a good idea for the rest of us…"  
  
"But I'm not sleepy!"  
  
"I know that. Will you please just put on your pajamas and sit in bed keeping me company?" Rei considered this suggestion for a while looking for the trick before shrugging.  
  
"ok!" Rei got changed and hopped into bed. Ganlon gently got in next to him. Before long the deep even breaths of sleep heralded Rei's demise into dreamland. Ganlon stared at the ceiling for several more hours before falling into an uneasy sleep.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Early the next morning Ganlon woke up and got breakfast going. He hadn't slept much but then again neither did Garr. He just stared at the wall on and off all night drifting off to sleep between daydream thingies.  
  
"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO FAIR! NOT AGAIN!"  
  
"Yup. Rei's up." Ganlon said to himself.  
  
"YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU! OOHHH! You're worse than the she-demon!" Rei came barreling out of the room. He stood there glaring at Ganlon with his nose wrinkled. Unfortunately that just made him look cute. Ganlon started laughing softly.  
  
"IT'S not FUNNY!" Rei turned away and pouted for a while. After a while he turned back with greater things on his mind. "What's wrong with Garr?"  
  
"……I don't know.." Ganlon looked off into his thoughts.  
  
"Well…when's he going to wake up?"  
  
"…………………………….." Rei poked him.  
  
"I'm going to stand here and poke you," he warned. No response. "Not YOU too…" Rei turned and stormed out of the house. "I'm going to go bother Brother Peter!" His called back. Rei stormed down the path and to the gatehouse. Brother Peter was always to be found there. The priest was the official welcomer to Urkan Tapa.  
  
"BROTHER PETER!" Rei came barreling into the gatehouse.  
  
"Rei…what's wrong with you?"  
  
"WHAT'S wrong with ME! What's wrong with Garr?" Rei asked.  
  
"I don't know……I haven't seen him all day."  
  
"Is Garr avoiding you too?"  
  
"I suppose you could say that…….Garr's been avoiding you!" Brother Peter just caught on to the impossible. Garr….avoiding Rei? Impossible.  
  
"yeah……"  
  
"You've been having a bad day haven't you?"  
  
"A BAD DAY! I've been having a bad yesterday a bad night AND a bad today." Rei started off on how he can't just have one bad DAY!  
  
"Care to tell me about it?" Brother Peter said resigned since Rei was clearly going to do just that. Rei started off on a VERY long rendition of it with numerous comments about the people that he didn't like. Brother Peter listened very patiently.  
  
"And now Garr's avoiding me!" Rei sighed. Today had been very long. He pensively looked out the window.  
  
"EK! I've got to GET HOME!" Rei ran off without a word of warning. Brother Peter looked after him and shrugged.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Garr slowly opened his eyes. He stretched his stiff wings and stood up slowly. One really got stiff when you stayed in the same position in a long time. Garr walked over to the door and opened it.  
  
"Is Garr awake YET?!" Rei's voice complained.  
  
"Yes I'm awake….."  
  
"GARR!" Rei came racing around the corner and managed to not slam into Garr again. "What do you think you were doing!"  
  
"…..remembering…."  
  
"Remembering what."  
  
"I'll tell you when you're taller." Rei half-glared at Garr. The he turned and ran off. Garr stared after him perplexed until Rei came back with a stool. In all seriousness he placed the stool down got on it and stood up on his tippie toes.  
  
"There…I'm taller. Now TELL me!"  
  
Garr laughed. "I meant when you were taller than me." Rei thought for a moment. Suddenly he turned and ran outside. Garr followed. Rei climbed up onto the roof.  
  
"THERE!" Rei stared triumphantly down at Garr. Garr shook his head and flew straight up. He looked down at Rei. "NOOOOOO! IT'S NOT FAIR! You have WINGS!" Garr landed next to him and wordlessly swept him up in a hug. "EH? What's wrong with you?! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!!" Garr hugged him tighter and gently set him down.  
  
"..well at least you didn't drop me…." Rei muttered. He pouted for a moment. "Anyway! I'm hungry!"  
  
"Then lets go in little brother." Garr easily flew down. Rei stared after him for a minute then shrugged and jumped down after him.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ganlon sat looking through his journal after Rei and Garr had gone to bed. He flipped through remembering those long ago days when he had been a young Guardian. He smiled unconsciously. Garr's memories were sure to be as good as his.  
  
Suddenly Ganlon looked up and felt the familiar tingling that heralded the Goddess's descent. "GREAT GODDESS!" Ganlon kneeled and bowed his head, "Great Goddess may I ask what brings you to my home?"  
  
"Guardian Ganlon. I have been to the Patrick. Eh. I uh mean the Patriarch. He has told me that you harbor a Worren. Is this true?"  
  
Ganlon paled. It was a good thing that his head was bowed or the Goddess would have seen that dead giveaway. Ganlon considered his options quickly. He had no choice. The Goddess could smell a lie easily. Unless one believed totally and utterly what one was lying about she could detect the lie. He could not make himself believe Rei was not here and part of the family any more than he could make the sun rise or set.  
  
   
  
Ganlon erased his memories of Rei.  
  
   
  
"You do know the price of lying don't you." Ganlon looked up, all traces of the internal struggle gone from his face.  
  
"I do, I also know that we do not have a Worren here." The Goddess looked at him. "I have one request. Garr fell into a trance and was in it for over 24 hours. He just came out of it. I ask that you do not disturb him. He is in his room." Silently the Goddess cursed. His request was perfectly reasonable. She smiled suddenly. However, so was hers.  
  
"All right. I give you my word I shall only stick my head in." Ganlon nodded. Myria tore threw the house. There was no trace of the Worren child. The only room left was the young Guardians bedroom.  
  
She berated herself for promising only to stick her head in. A mortal may break a promise to another mortal. But a God or Goddess could not break their word no matter to whom it was given.  
  
Myria opened the door and stuck her head in. Nothing but the young Guardian. She was drawing her head out as she heard a whimper.  
  
"GUARDIAN!" Ganlon came at a dead run.  
  
"Yes Goddess?" Either her Guardian had found a way to lie to his goddess or he truly didn't know there was a Worren hiding in his house. Myria wordlessly stepped aside. Ganlon stepped into the room.  
  
"Daddy..?" a soft voice asked.  
  
"Do……….I……..know you?" Ganlon said confused as to why a Worren child would be calling him family.  
  
"Daddy…I'm scared." Wide eyes filled with terror stared into his face.  
  
Myria turned away disgusted. No doubt the child was trying some Worren magic. Just as there was no doubt that her Guardian did not know that he had been hiding in this house. She glared at the wall remembering the few Guardians that had run into the Worren Mage. They had lost their faith in her. And all because of that Worren female.  
  
Myria ascended back to her floating tower. It wasn't worth killing two of the last three Guardians just to get that child.  
  
"Daddy…you…don't know me?" The Worren boy asked. Ganlon stared at the boy with a sense of confusion. He felt the urge to comfort this child, his enemy. But he didn't even know him. Not to mention that fact that it was his race that was destined to help kill his the Goddess. But that prophecy had been averted. Right? Ganlon shook his head slowly and backed out of the room.  
  
"I don't know…you. I'm sorry…" with that he turned and left the house.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Garr woke up suddenly with a strange feeling. He sat up and looked around the dark room. Everything normal……except he could hear crying. It also felt like to Goddess had been there but that's stupid. Why would she visit their home?  
  
"Garr….? Daddy……doesn't know me….." Rei spoke up from inside the darkness.  
  
"What!"  
  
"Daddy…doesn't know me. He said so. He said it when the bad smell was here."  
  
The goddess…so she had come. "Rei……I think…that Father wiped his memories. He did it to protect you." In the darkness Rei shook his head even though he knew Garr wouldn't see it.  
  
"But Daddy doesn't know me….."  
  
"Oh Rei……….."  
  
"I have to go home! I have to…" The dark shape that was Rei threw off the covers and jumped out of bed. "I have to go HOME!" he repeated fiercely. Rei ran off into the darkened house. Garr looked after him and then leaned back and stared at the ceiling. God help Rei. Not the Goddess but God. 


End file.

Breath of Fire, Adventure