I feel lost. Staring at my paws, I feel lost. The night is still young, and the gentle breeze of the wind blows past my fur, but tonight, I cannot appreciate the beauty of my world. Standing at the edge of this cliff, I glance at the crimson moon. The primal urge to howl at it builds up with uncanny speed, but I resist. Tonight, I want to gaze at the stars and listen to their cries. The rest of my pack says I'm a weird one, but they do not understand the sorrow I feel deep inside.
The dragons, the basilisks, and the griffins have all left, abandoning our world. They said it's dying, but I believe we can save it. I believe I can save it. I tried to convince the council that we can fight what is to come, but they called me a mad wolf. Now, even the members of my own pack want to abandon our world, but I can't. I will face the source of the foul and conquer it to restore balance to the realms. All guardian beasts need someone to guard and guide, but I feel like the only one needing guarding and guiding is my world, Raan.
"I can protect you, Raan. Trust me, I can. I'm the last bearer of the true Veilstones among all guardian beasts, and I thank Father for helping me hide them," I whisper into the night, trying to find strength and courage from my words.
Like a distant wail, the stars shine upon me with a sad light. It's as if destiny is calling me out there, as if a part of me is missing in the far realms of a distant galaxy. Destiny? What is destiny? There are many answers to this simple yet complex question.
"Sidgar, the Alpha requests your presence." I am disturbed by the voice in my head. Ray, the Beta, speaks through the mindlink. Sighing, I take one last look at the distant stars and leave the cliff, heading for the Alpha's cave.
Raan is beautiful even as it undergoes its slow demise. One cannot ignore the beauty of my world, with its vast expanses of terrain dotted with luminescent rocks of various sizes, from pebbles to towering boulders. These rocks emit a soft, multicolored glow that pulses in rhythm with the world. They cluster in formations resembling natural sculptures.
Forests of giant crystalline structures, known as the holy grounds of Raan, range in color from deep blues and purples to bright greens and pinks. At night, these forests are a breathtaking spectacle, with light refracting and creating mesmerizing patterns.
Underground, vast networks of caves are lined with glowing crystals. These caves are bathed in a soft, ambient light, making them feel otherworldly. The walls, ceilings, and floors are covered with clusters of luminescent minerals that pulse with 'spark,' guiding travelers through their labyrinthine passages.
The flora of Raan includes stunning crystal flowers that grow in abundance. These flowers have petals made of delicate, translucent crystal that glow softly in various colors. Some flowers bloom in response to specific magical energies or phases of the moon.
As I slowly make my way back to the Alpha's cave, my mind is on the beauty of my world—the same world they all want to abandon, the same world that birthed everyone. Now they feel ready to look for mortal souls to guide. But Father told me something entirely different. He said that we guardian beasts were turned into slaves the moment we are bound with a mortal. That's why I am willing to fight for my world and ensure all guardian beasts never have to bond with a mortal again. But Father also said that by opposing the natural laws, I am placing everything in danger. And right now, we are already faced with enough danger as it is.
Without realizing it, I had already arrived before the Alpha's cave. Two twin Dire wolves stood guard. One was pure black with white irises, while the other was pure white with black irises. These two were Daken and Lex, prophesied to be the ones to kill the basilisk leader, Jetun. Here in Raan, every guardian beast is born with a prophecy. Just like the Alpha, he was born with the prophecy that he would be a guardian to a Deity. Well, that's only the first part of his long prophecy. And then there's me, whose name didn't even appear in the book of prophecy when I was born. Father always said that it had something to do with the Veilstones hidden in my eyes, on my back, and beneath my paws. Luckily for me, they seem to be dormant. The only time they seemed active was the day the foul began spreading. My Veilstones lit up, and I hurriedly lost consciousness. But my father, who was there, witnessed everything and told me not to reveal them. But now, I was done hiding.
Nodding to the two wolves, I slowly made my way into the cave. But then my nose picked up a strong scent, the scent of blood mixed with a familiar scent. Dashing forward with great speed, not taking my time to appreciate the beauty of the cave walls, I soon arrived with the scent only getting stronger. Looking around, the Alpha was not in his usual place. But a few yards from me, green fur, a stumped ear, and a familiar scent. "Father!"