Guardians of the Realms

This is the most recent photo prompt for the weekly Picture it and Write! (not a part of my Silver Nights series) I know this is rather soon right after my last entry but I thought I should actually attempt to keep up. Keep up. Yeah right, and pigs will migrate with Canadian geese. Let’s see how long I can go without missing a week. The following short (though a wee bit longer than usual) you’ll be reading, was one I stayed up about four hours (until 6 AM today) writing after I randomly decided to begin it when I was supposed to be studying Bio. I hope you like it. If you’re confused at any point, please feel free to ask in a comment 🙂 As always, constructive criticism is always welcome and I don’t not have to like it but I appreciate you voicing your thoughts!

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Via ermeliablog.wordpress.com

Thea was one of the ten Head Guardians, she was among her generation’s ultimate protectors and fists of justice. She held the mirror with no effort, its cold ornate frame and crystal surface so insignificant in her hands, would be a weight no mere mortal could bear let alone imagine. The Guardians were gifted. There were those who had influence over the elements of fire, water, wind and earth, some who assumed the shapes of animals, some were with the speed of light. There were only a rare few who could twist time and bend space. These were only a few abilities they were able to control, there are more, some yet undiscovered. The Guardians were the keepers of the realms, worlds, dimensions or whatever you care to call them. Thea was blessed with a talent even more rare than manipulating time and space. She could see all of the worlds in the Mirror of Mist.

She looked into the mirror’s surface swirling with grey-blue opaque fog. This was what her kind considers one of the most powerful objects in creation. Show me what I seek she commanded. The fog cleared and obeyed. In it she saw the past, one of the many things the mirror was capable of. Thea saw the time in ancient Earth’s history when it was invaded by the distant realm of Eidon. Then chaos had once ran entirely rampant, like untamed leaching weeds in the fertile, bountiful gardens, and ravaged the very surface of the Earth.

Life was a living burning hell, disorder licking the living with fiery tongues, consuming everything of light with an ever growing unwavering hunger, and from the ruins of what were once thriving cities, luxurious islands, frozen wastelands, exotic forests and dry, barren deserts, the strongest of the dying race of Nomads rose in unison like a phoenix from its ashes and smouldering flames. Nomads were misfits of their own kind, they were all born of humans. Something in their divine fabric was different from the rest.

In various cultures they had been – and continue to be – worshipped but in others they were hated and feared. Freaks they were called, mutants and abominations were words thrown at them like daggers of razor sharp ice. But that was before. Before they stood up and overcame the forces of evil that threatened their planet. Before they united with the Others from another realm not far a distance from the Earth. It was the Others that had come to their aid. Whether be it before or after, feelings towards the Nomads haven’t changed much if at all. These Nomads were the First Guardians, they made it their purpose to keep the peace but not only on Earth, for when they  joined league with the Others – humanoid aliens – they were given joint responsibility of the realms to guard the myriad of beings that inhabited them, with their lives. The Firsts had agreed willingly and their reason was not only to repay the favour but to show gratitude for those who respected them.

Thea sighed and looked away to the horizon where the triplet moons hung high and low next to each other in the darkening evening sky of Joric. This was yet another realm which one would consider it to be the base of operations, perhaps a ‘watch tower’ or a sanctum from which the Head Guardians keep a look out.

“Yet, these humans know not our efforts but we still hold their safety in high regard. They live in ignorance of our sacrifice. These were the creatures that taunted my race and it is they whom we have sworn to protect. Today to a majority we are not known as Nomads but as benders and shape-shifters and they know not of those of us who are Guardians,” she said to the pixie fluttering by her side, listening intently, “But I can’t complain too much since I came from them,” she continued, “they are still a part of us, I can’t deny this. We cannot deny this.”

There were some of the Nomads that chose to remain on the earth for what ever reasons, but unlike the normal humans, they were made to remember their history, their purpose and their roots. They must not forget. There are ranks within the structure that made up the Guardians, a sector of these were responsible to educate those of the Nomads there.

“This existence is a curious thing. There aren’t just a few forms of beings, split up into humans, Others, fae and what have you. Nothing is simple, black or white. There are shades of grey and bursts of colour; dizzying kaleidoscopes.”

“On Earth too, right?” the pixie finally said,” I mean, there are other life on Earth other than mundane humans and Nomads? There are definitely fae there,” she said with an annoyed huff. The fae, she believed, were obnoxious cretins and thought themselves so better than everyone else, “I’ve never seen any but do vampires really exist?”

Thea chuckled. She was certain she’d coerce the usually reserved pintsized Kashi into talking.

“Right you are. There are those and others too. You have the gods and monsters the Vikings, along with the Hindus, Mayans, et cetera, worship and boatloads and boatloads more,”  Thea replied. “We don’t fight battles for anyone, that is their business as they landed themselves in it.”

Kashi screwed up her naturally mischievous countenance in confusion and with her shocking green hair rioting, she flew over to rest on Thea’s naked pale shoulder and asked,“Then what exactly is it that you do?”

“Be it on Earth, Kavell or Saiba, we protect the realm itself from other realms on a whole. Most creatures are permitted to enter different realms and so we have Guardians in every one monitoring their activities – that fact alone should give an idea of our numbers – to keep them in line and to prevent an all out war between the foreigners and the locals of the realm they visit or migrate to.

For instance, say, if the different clans of Sibanians fight amongst themselves, that is their fight so we don’t interfere. But if a clan of the Sibanians coalesce with one of the Yamens and the Yamens plan on invading Saiba at their behest, then we go and let all hell break loose,” Thea elaborated. “It can be complicated, like many things. But do you understand?”

She looked to the side and peered at the pixie. Kashi’s freckles stood out as her face was flushed red with concentration.

“I think so. Let me get it straight: if a realm has its own civil war going on within the tribes and doesn’t involve other realms, you Guardians leave them to beat each other bloody. But if they make friends with other tribes of other realms and they call them over to nuke their enemies, then you move in to part the fight and give them timeouts?”

Thea laughed, “Essentially. The timeouts are dire warnings,” and in a more solemn tone, “ if unheeded we destroy the entire clan that breached the law, in some cases, entire realms.”

The pixie said nothing.

“The law is the law and it is hard. A bitter pill to swallow, and more often than not these devastating wars result from one man’s belief, ignorance and prejudice and it is the innocents who perish in his lead. It is his fault and everyone pays.”

Kashi nodded, silently agreeing.

Once again, Thea looked into the Mirror of Mist but this time she saw modern day Earth and everything in it. This one realm is the subject of considerable attention for as long as she could remember. It is so small, it seemed negligible and fragile beside the others. Only a fraction of the humans there are conscious of the other worlds, of the other life forms in their midst; vampires, the Nomads (benders and the shifters), the Fae, werewolves, and the list goes on. Look how they worry their heads on trivial matters of traffic and bad hair-days. Yet they continue to exist with no special power, at least any that is visible or detectable even to themselves. For eons countless wonder how and why, but Thea believed she knew a part of the mystery; the humans themselves, driven by emotions, and their mostly unpredictable nature.

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A note:

All Guardians were descendents from the original Nomads who were born from humans. All Guardians are basically Nomads but Not all Nomads (like the ones on Earth) are Guardians. (For those of you science types: it’s like how all enzymes are proteins but not all proteins are enzymes.)

• Guardians are all Nomads and are Part humans
• Nomads are Part humans but not all are Guardians

All of these –^ are unique to Earth.

• I am not, in any way, alluding to politics in reality, God forbid. I just made this world up on a whim and the opinions expressed, after much thought, are mine.

I hope, hope and hope to heaven and back that I didn’t generate migraines or kindled the ire of any of you. If I did, it was completely unintentional. I apologize in any case 🙂

Cheers!

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