The Warden of Time - A CoS story

🍂Chapter 9🍂

Two shapes appeared behind the massive one.

"Verdant? Ardor?" I wanted to know if this was really them. Were my eyes playing tricks on me?

No, they couldn't be. My friends could see them too. They stared at the fog, wide eyed. Their gaze flicking between me and the possible wardens in the mist. I didn't even care how cold I was at this point, all I wanted to know was if my other friends, technically parents, were still alive and breathing.

"You're a warden!" I could hear a voice cry.

That was BOREAL'S VOICE.

"W-Wha?" Was all I could get out before Verdant came rushing up to me. Ardor yawned as he came into view and Boreal had a warm, fatherly smile on his face. "I don't think you saw it, but 'Warden's rage' was activated during the eruption." The Easter Warden begun, staring at me intently as if she was examining my features.

"The ring was very faint." Boreal joined in, "you could barely see it, but when I saved you from the storm, I noticed your rage filtering into a magical ability. That's what 'Warden's rage' is, basically." He explained things so calmly, even after a massive eruption that shook Sonaria and slaughtered about half the population.

I shuddered. I didn't exactly want to be reminded of the time, just a couple of hours back, when I was caught in the meteor shower, and was basically dying. I could've imagined myself laying on the floor, bleeding as my demise grew nearer. In fact, I believed that even after Boreal saved me from the eruption, I would've still died from my wounds. Yet, I lived on.

I let out a little sigh before looking up again. "How did you all survive?" I cocked my head as I asked them the question. Ardor was the first to answer this time. "We all had a shelter nearby. Except for Boreal, of course. He can take a lot of hits, though, not to mention he saved you. He was quite badly hurt when we all regrouped and tried to find you." My tail shivered a little as the cold air of Famine blew over us.

"You thought the volcano was the only danger you Wardens have to face?"

The voice started me. It startled my friends and my fellow wardens. "Who's there?" Questioned the Christmas Warden, cocking his head in suspicion. A creature stepped out of the mist. Smaller than Boreal, obviously, but it looked kind of about the same size as me, maybe smaller. The creature was made up of dark coat colours, along with red patches. It looked like it had exposed bones on it's arms, but that must be some kind of a pattern.

It's spines and claws looked overgrown, not to mention the teeth were jutting outwards. Boreal narrowed his eyes, while Verdant and Ardor looked onwards in disbelief. My gaze travelled from the newcomer, to my friends, and then to the wardens. "W-Who's that?" I asked, my expression shocked and all. Nimbus and Flake were confused, they stared at the new creature as if they had seen a ghost.

The newcomer let out a laugh as Boreal's expression turned to one of pure RAGE.

"Garra."