Before True Light: The Awakening 2nd Edition

by Sarah Buchynski

Violently-erupting volcanoes forced their molten magma into the air. The air was thick with ash and smoke. The sky was a sombre haze of blackness. A river of lava ran through the valley of volcanoes. Waves of heat vibrated off the ground and dispersed into the air. It was, indeed, a nightmarish sight. Izanami found herself wandering around in this terrain. Sweat fell from her brow. She lowered the hood of her cloak to scan her surroundings fully. “Okay, so is this a dream? The heat feels real enough to me. Where am I and how did I get here?” A shadow swiftly flew past Izanami. The force from its passing made her lose her balance slightly. “What was that?” Izanami whimpered. The shadow stopped about five yards in front of Izanami. It was in the shape of a sphere, but then it began transforming. A monstrous creature, partially covered in flames and bent down on one knee, appeared. It slowly stood up, towering over her. It appeared to have a jackal-like head, with curled horns resembling that of a ram. Huge, intimidating fangs protruded from its snout. The eyes glowed red, and the shoulders and part of the torso were burning in flames. In a frightened voice, Izanami mustered up the courage to ask, “What are you?” The creature made a low growl which frightened and intimidated Izanami even more.

  “I am Igniferus, Guardian of Fire. You pitiful creature! Why do you dare enter my domain?” Igniferus snarled.

  “I…I, uh… I’m not sure how I got here. This can’t be real! C’mon, Izanami, wake up! WAKE UP!” Izanami cried, closing her eyes tightly.

  “This is no dream, it is very real. Now, prepare to die by the fires of hell!” At that moment, the shadowy parts of Igniferus’s body became solid. The body seemed more human-like, with short, dark grey fur. Its tail was held erect, with a sharp spade at the end. Its overall body was muscular. The creature stood well over eight feet tall. Its eyes became black as night. On its wrists hung golden bangles with characters carved into them. On the left arm was another golden bangle, just above the elbow. Igniferus let out a deafening, horrifying roar as he began to float several feet into the air. Rocks and fragments of earth began slowly spinning around Igniferus in a cyclonic motion. Flames surrounded his body and became intense. Izanami looked around to see if there was anything she could use to defend herself. She could not sense much around her to make a shield using transmutations and reactions.

  “I’m going to die! I’m going to die! Someone help me!” Izanami’s heart beat through her chest. She closed her eyes tightly and awaited the fatal blow. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, a vibrant, blinding white light appeared. A ferocious roar shattered the flying debris that was coming toward Izanami. The flames and debris were incinerated by a white barrier that protected both Izanami and the creature within the light.

  “Amyntas!? What are you doing here?” Igniferus growled.

  The creature that saved Izanami’s life was the chimera from the dark abyss. However, this time Izanami could see its true form. It had a lion’s body, but it was a white lion with a striking, dark brown mane. The massive wings did not resemble those of any animal she recognized. On its right shoulder was the mark of a quincunx.

  Amyntas growled back, “Stand down, Igniferus. Do you dare harm your new Master? How else do you think a human entered this world? Or has it been so long that you cannot remember what a human looks like?”

  “How can she possibly be…?”

  Amyntas looked at Izanami and then back at Igniferus. After exchanging looks with Amyntas, Igniferus transformed back into his fiery shadow form and bolted towards the volcanoes. Amyntas turned back to Izanami, “Shall we get you home?” Izanami nodded, but stayed very silent. The majestic silver wings with the black tips expanded. Amyntas lowered his legs so that his belly almost touched the ground.

  “Do you want me to get on your back?” Izanami hesitantly asked. Amyntas slightly closed his eyes then opened them fully; his crystal blue eyes gazed into Izanami’s. She slowly stepped towards him and pulled herself onto his back. “You’re a lot bigger than I remember. What do I hang onto so I don’t fall off?” Izanami said in a nervous tone. Amyntas chuckled with a slight growl. Immediately, he began to run. This jerked Izanami’s body backward. At the same time, she tightly gripped onto Amyntas’s mane. His wings began to flap, his feathers shining and fluttering in all directions. Soon they were airborne.

  Izanami had her eyes clenched shut and her knuckles were a pale white from gripping the mane so tightly. Amyntas turned his head back towards her, “Open your eyes, Izanami, and let yourself free!”

  “What do you mean ‘let yourself free’? And I’m good how I am, thank you very much!” Izanami let out a long, high-pitched scream as Amyntas went into an aerial spiral dive. “Are you trying to kill me?!” exclaimed Izanami.

  Amyntas chuckled with a slight growl once again. “I would be a terrible guardian if I let you die that easily,” said Amyntas.

  “Guardian…? Does this mean you’re my… Beast Guardian?” asked Izanami.

  “Is that what we are being called now? Well, yes, it would appear so. Since we are already in the Realm of the Guardians, which is quite the feat for a human to enter, let me show you around,” said Amyntas.

  “Um… okay,” replied Izanami.

  His left wing lowered as the right tilted slightly upward and Amyntas rapidly changed directions. This sudden shift made Izanami’s heart skip a beat. She opened her eyes and saw a glimpse of a mountain range, with one mountain that was undoubtedly more enormous than the surrounding mountains. Its tip was hidden by misty clouds. “Wow, that mountain looks so mysterious and beautiful,” said Izanami. Intense bolts of lightning cascaded down from the mist.

  “This is where the Guardians of the Heavens and Air dwell. From time to time they have quarrels and cause a ruckus. Shall we go say hello to them?” said Amyntas.

  “NO! There are bolts of lightning everywhere! Why would you go there?” Izanami shrieked.

  Amyntas sighed, “You are not very adventurous, are you? You are quite the opposite of the last human I protected.”

  “Last human…? I thought Beast Guardians only protected one human in their lifetime?” said Izanami. Amyntas became silent. As they left the mountainous region, Izanami noticed that the land almost completely disappeared. She could hear a thunderous roar, but could not recognize the sound. Izanami had never seen an ocean before. She had spent all her life in the forest, which was sheltered by a mountain range. “Wow, look at all the water! I’ve never seen a body of water so huge! It looks so peaceful, and that sound it makes…!”

  “Would you like to take a closer look?” asked Amyntas.

  “Can we!?” Izanami exclaimed with much excitement. Amyntas looked back at her. He smiled and nodded his head. As they began their descent, Izanami tightly grabbed onto Amyntas’s mane again. When his paws hit the sand of the coastal beach, Izanami jerked forward a bit. Amyntas lowered himself to the ground and she slid off and landed on the sand. “Oh, this is soft,” Izanami said as she stood up and brushed the sand off of her backside. She then walked cautiously towards the great body of water and stopped just where the water moved back into the ocean. “You know, Amyntas, I’ve never actually seen an ocean before. I’ve only heard about it from the observers and have seen pictures of it in books, but nothing compares to the real thing. There are so many things I’ve never seen or experienced because I’ve never been allowed to leave the forest. Were Red Mages of the past restricted in this way?” said Izanami.

  “No, Red Mages were free to come and go as they pleased. They were free to live among the people, the same people they swore to protect from the evils of the world. Young Mages, such as yourself, were well-respected by the people and were idolized by the children,” replied Amyntas.

  Izanami sat down and took her boots off. She extended her legs so that her feet were covered by the water flowing in and out. “Amyntas, come sit next to me. Would it be okay if I asked you some more questions? These last few hours have been very confusing. Actually, these past few months have been confusing…,” said Izanami.

  “To pro
vide guidance is one of my many services to you, Izanami. Ask any question you desire,” replied Amyntas.

  “Hey, wait! Won’t that flame go out on the tip of your tail if it gets wet?” said Izanami.

  “No, it is an inextinguishable flame,” replied Amyntas.

  “What does that mean? How can a flame be inextinguishable?” asked Izanami.

  “Some things you must discover on your own,” replied Amyntas.

  “Okay… next question. What were you doing in that dark abyss when we first met, and why did you stop so suddenly when you saw me?” asked Izanami.

  “I am not entirely certain how I came to be in the abyss. I know I was deliberately sealed away – that is where it must have been,” said Amyntas.

  “That’s horrible! Who would do such a thing to you and how long were you there?” asked Izanami.

  Amyntas became silent. His crystal blue eyes gazed off into the ocean. Izanami looked over to him. She could see sorrow consume his eyes. “If you don’t want to tell me then that’s okay, but if you really are my Beast Guardian, I want us to be able to trust each other with anything. You know, sort of like what friends do…” Izanami leaned over to Amyntas and wrapped her arms around his left front leg and rested her head on his shoulder.

  Amyntas looked down at her and thought to himself, maybe they are not so different from each other… they most certainly look similar, but that can mean nothing.

  “Are you okay, Amyntas?” asked Izanami.

  “I was sealed away in that abyss for almost a thousand years. It was a necessary sacrifice on both our parts…,” said Amyntas.

  “’Our’? What do you mean by ‘our’?” asked Izanami.

  Suddenly realizing what he had almost revealed, Amyntas quickly stood up. A slight growl masked Amyntas’s response.

  “Oh…okay,” Izanami sat up. A moment of awkward silence ensued. Amyntas had a look of guilt on his face, but turned his head away from her. To break the silence, Amyntas began to speak.

  “This ocean is where the Guardian of Water dwells. This Guardian resides mostly in the depths of the ocean floor. Rarely do we see him come to dry land. The Guardian of Terra resides at the foot of the mountain we flew past earlier. She hides herself deep within a dense forest whose treetops are covered in mist,“ said Amyntas.

  “Amyntas, can I ask you more questions?” asked Izanami.

  “Go ahead, Izanami,” answered Amyntas.

  “How old are you, exactly?” said Izanami.

  “I am more than a millenium in age. Why do you ask?” replied Izanami.

  “Oh, I was just curious… you don’t look your age… I didn’t realize Beast Guardians could live that long,” said Izanami.

  Amyntas began to laugh as he looked at Izanami. Izanami could see his massive sharp teeth, but they did not seem threatening.

  “Beast Guardians normally do not live as long as I have; it is a bit complicated as to why I’ve lived as long as I have. Usually, when the one being protected by their Beast Guardian dies, the guardian also dies. However, I am still living,” explained Amyntas.

  Izanami wanted to ask Amyntas more about his past, but she decided not to. She could see that the topic was sensitive. In Izanami’s mind, she believed that if Amyntas wanted to tell her, he will tell her when he was ready. “So, another question – if we are in the Realm of the Guardians, why haven’t I seen any other Beast Guardians?” asked Izanami.

  “That is because the Beast Guardians do not dwell in this world. The Guardians here and what you call Beast Guardians are not the same. The Guardians here are the five Guardians of the Elements – Terra, Fire, Air, Water, and the Heavens. They are very powerful and it is exceedingly rare to establish alliances with them. Beast Guardians live to protect and guide their human. I’m sorry I cannot elaborate more on the topic for you, but it seems that being in that abyss for 1000 years has clouded my past memories and knowledge of certain things,” explained Amyntas.

  “That’s okay… so, how can I get back to my world?” asked Izanami. Amyntas motioned for Izanami to climb onto his back. He began running, with wings expanded. Once in the air, Amyntas let out a massive roar that seemed to make the planet shake. A portal in the sky opened. Entering the portal, Izanami could feel the same pain she did in the abyss; that chest-crushing pain. Everything went black. It felt like complete nothingness for a few seconds, but those few seconds seemed like an eternity. Izanami had clenched her eyes shut.

  Finally, she felt the pressure release and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around. Her surroundings were dark, but familiar. Lying in bed, Izanami could see that she was in her hut. She laid her hands on her forehead and slid them down her face – she was confused.

  “Was it all a dream? Or did I actually enter the Realm of the Guardians?” Izanami whispered to herself.

  “It was no dream. But it was only your spirit that entered, not the body,” said Amyntas.

  “Amyntas, you’re here! In my world!” exclaimed Izanami.

  Now sitting, Amyntas’ flame on his tail was flickering and dimly lit the room.

  “You are now safe, back in your own world; it is time for me to go,” said Amyntas.

  “But, why do you have to go? Please, don’t go… I don’t want to be alone,” pleaded Izanami.

  “I will always be there by your side when you need me, Izanami. Now rest, young one,” replied Amyntas. Izanami rolled over on her bed, and when she turned to look back he was gone. Only a few of his feathers remained.

  “But, Amyntas, I need you now…,” whispered Izanami.

  Chapter 9