Valence

The year is A.A. 2900 in the Azelia system. Peace has lasted for the past 1000 years, after the formation of the High Council and the new process for selecting High Kings. The only trace that remains of the Great War are the neglected Valence worlds, and that abomination of magic, known across the galaxy as "the taint". A remnant of the deep, forbidden magics that were created long ago, those that began the war in the first place. As the taint began to ravage the worlds, the high council ordered the formation of special units, under the command of the High Kings, who were to be called the Celestial Knights. Their sole missions were to travel through the worlds, and obliterate the taint as it spread. As years went by, their names became muddled and each of the constellations began calling their nights by their own names. In the Avian constellation, the Angelic Knights; In the Flame constellation, the Inferno Knights; And the knights around whom our story will unfold: the Crescent Knights, of the Crescent constellation. Heroic men and women with great power come from all across the constellations to join their respective knights, vowing to fight to their deaths for their worlds, and their brave and mighty High Kings. Our story will open upon a rather new member of these knights, Asir, whose newest mission carries him to the world of Le Fauna, home of the shapeshifters, where the taint's influence can no longer be ignored.

To be continued...

(For more details on the world, see the post in the discussion section)

Le Fauna: 2900 A.A.

Through the tall bamboo stalks, a mellow breeze rustled, knocking the poles together in a relaxing melody of wooden clinks. High above the world, the magical barrier that protected against unwanted visitors glistened, almost un-noticeably, just as it should. Within a small clearing, a large rock sat, rather mundane, but fitting for the scenery. Everything was just as it should be. Until...

Down from the sky shone a narrow point of light, barely a speck upon the surface of the rock. Starting slowly, and then quickening rapidly, it scrawled out runes across the stone and ground into a moderately sized spell circle, before disappearing, leaving the glowing runes behind. Moments later, the barrier above ripped open, just for a second, as a ball of light plunged towards the ground, smacking into the spell circle and tossing up dust and a multitude of rogue lumens. As it cleared, there, upon the unbroken boulder, sat a figure, robed and shrouded in white, simply sitting as though he had been there all along and surveying the forest. In his hand he held a stack of cards whose surface shimmered with light golds and silvers across their patterns. After a few moments, he dropped the cards into a pack at his side and folded his legs, placing his hands together in front of him loosely in anjali mudra and shutting his bright green eyes, barely visible past his hood and mask. Three cards slid out of his hand where he had kept them, wrapping around his arm and glowing very faintly as he sat in meditation, blocking out the world around him for a moment as he waited for what he knew was coming.

Currently the Four Guardians and their families were attending a meeting. Essence of "the taint" had been appearing on Le Fauna and this drew the attention of the families and their academies. The darkness of "the taint" has not touched Le Fauna for a while, but it seems it was finally their time. Unless they could find a way to rid their beautiful world of this evilness.

Suddenly though all the members present felt a shiver up their spine as they looked up at their clear view ceiling window. They saw the minute breakage of the barrier and more strongly felt the entry of an outsider. Everyone stood still as they tried to pinpoint the location where the intruder landed and perhaps what origin it is of.

"A knight, what perfect timing," Lady Gaia of the Tiger spoke as everyone released a breath they were holding. Speaking between the families started for a while until Guardian Sol held up his hand for silence.

"As Lady Gaia spoke, this is perfect timing. For a Celestial Knight to befall upon us as we were discussing how to rid us of this "taint"...we must be thankful the country of Titania is keeping a watchful eye on everything. Now then the more important thing to do is to greet our wayward knight," the leader of the Phoenix said as he cast his eyes around the room for any volunteers.

Lady Gaia cleared her throat and raised her hand, beckoning with her fingers for someone behind her to step up.

A tall young man, white of hair and azure eyed moved forward to stand next to the seated female guardian.

Lady Gaia looked up fondly at her second son and the latter returned the fond smile and bowed slightly.

The others were quiet as they listened.

Lady Gaia spoke up, "I volunteer my son Albane to go greet our visitor. Any objections?" she asked as she looked around at the other leaders. The other three shook their heads no, favoring this decision for it was well known that the second son of Lady Gaia was quite capable of handling himself and had a friendly face that allowed others to open up to.

Albane nodded his head and with a bow to the other families, turned on his booted heel and left the council room.

As he walked out of the edifice, he made sure he was wearing his equipment before racing off in the direction of the bamboo forest, home of many shifters but particularly the panda shifters.

As he approached, the pandas gave him a nod of respect as he passed them. His speed carried him towards a isolated area where the scent of the visitor and magic was very strong and concentrated.

Soon he reached a small clearing where sat a robed figure sitting atop a boulder. Albane came to a graceful stop and silently as a stalking cat, made his way closer to the figure. As he neared the figure, Albane's azure eyes locked onto the three cards that floated in a circular motion around the figure's hand. Tarot card magic.

"Greetings Celestial Knight. Might I say you have the most impeccable timing. I was sent to greet you and to fetch you to the Guardians of Le Fauna," Albane spoke up with a light smile on his face as he stood about 5ft away. A slight wind blew, rustling the bamboo leaves. Bane's white hair flow slightly with the wind and he caught sight that he wasn't the only fair haired one at the moment.

The eyes of the visitor opened slowly, fixing on Albane for a few moments as he sat still. The cards continued to hover around his left wrist, revealing their faces as they did: The ace, two, and three of cups. Eventually he stood, sliding off the boulder and coming to stand a foot or two closer to Albane. His stature was significantly shorter, but just as regal and well trained. He reached up his right hand and pulled back his hood and mask, revealing white hair and a smiling face. Young, 19 or 20 at the most. He gave a small courteous bow. "Hello. Thank you for welcoming me." He returned dutifully to standing up straight. "I am Asir of the Crescent knights. We received indications that the taint had entered your world. I'm here to help in its eradication." He glanced around at the bamboo. "I'm sorry for the unannounced and rather unauthorized entry. I forgot Le Fauna had a barrier around it." Realization seemed to strike him and he gently waved his left hand, the cards sliding back into their pouch so he would seem less threatening. "I do hope I didn't startle you too much. Would you mind taking me back to meet the umm... Guardians was it?" He smiled happily, the tail that protruded from his robes swishing slightly and the ears atop his head perked.

Bane watched carefully as the hooded figure rose from his seat on the boulder and walked closer to him. It was clear that the Knight was lacking in height but that was insignificant details Bane chose to ignore as he awaited how this knight would greet him in return. What Bane did like was how the knight presented himself as regal and his aura told the shifter that the knight knew what he was doing. Confidence--a very good trait to have in moderation.

Azure eyes flicked to the hand that rose to pull back the hood and mask to reveal a head of white hair much like his own, sparkling feline eyes and a jocular face. Bane knew they would get along well in an instant. The face that greeted him was young too, probably younger than him in years.

"Impressive status for one so young. Perhaps a new knight?" Bane thought to himself as he stood watching.

An anthropomorphic. A race similar to the Faunians sans the fact that anthros only had physical characteristics of their animal counterpart. Faunians were the animals themselves. Unlike the knight, Bane had no ears or tail reminiscent of his other half.

"Hello. Thank you for welcoming me." He returned dutifully to standing up straight. "I am Asir of the Crescent knights. We received indications that the taint had entered your world. I'm here to help in its eradication."

Bane nodded his head in acknowledgment of the knight's introduction. In return he gave a bow with his right hand over his heart, a sign of respect in his land.

"Asir is it? I welcome you to Le Fauna and give my gratitude on behalf of our people for your assistance. I am the second son of Lady Guardian Gaia, Albane, but please call me Bane," he responded as he stood up from his bow, his azure eyes sparkling as he grinned slightly at the younger male.

"I'm sorry for the unannounced and rather unauthorized entry. I forgot Le Fauna had a barrier around it." Realization seemed to strike him and he gently waved his left hand, the cards sliding back into their pouch so he would seem less threatening. "I do hope I didn't startle you too much. Would you mind taking me back to meet the umm... Guardians was it?"

The Tiger waved his hand in a gesture that told Asir to not bother with too much formalities.

"It's quite alright. We are not hostile till we know who or what has entered our lands. We knew the second your presence bypassed the barrier that you were no threat," Bane spoke as he watched the tarot cards float back into where he assumed the rest of the deck was being held in the robe.

"Come then, I shall take you to the Guardians and along the way please take time to admire the land you have stepped foot on. I assure you from my own experiences, Le Fauna is very different than Titania," the Tiger spoke and then turned sharply on his heel and started walking the way he came, not looking back for he knew that the knight would follow or risk getting lost.


"The Guardians have recently discovered the essence of "the taint" on our home. The damage so far has been minimal but we do not risk letting this darkness run amok for too long. Let's not take too long," Bane gave a terse briefing of the status of Le Fauna before breaking into a run but slowing down for the anthro to keep pace.

"Asir is it? I welcome you to Le Fauna and give my gratitude on behalf of our people for your assistance. I am the second son of Lady Guardian Gaia, Albane, but please call me Bane,"

Asir smiled, his ears dropping a bit at the wave of Bane's hand to take away a slight bit of the rigid formalities. "Thank you Bane. Pleased to meet you." Asir's robes rustled as he looked around, stepping past Bane to get more glimpses of the scenery. Past the bamboo grove, there sat a small town, where the Panda shifters lived, from the looks of the architecture. The people wandering around in the distance gave pause to look at the visitor in the strange clothes. He turned to face Bane once more.

"It's quite alright. We are not hostile till we know who or what has entered our lands. We knew the second your presence bypassed the barrier that you were no threat,"

"I see" He replied, smiling at Bane pleasantly. "So the rumors that your people are strong in magic sense are clearly not false, if you were able to detect that so remotely." The Lynx anthromorph fiddled with the pack that held his cards in what was almost, but not quite, a perceiveably uncomfortable manner, as though he were used to the feel of the cards around his wrist. He paced in a circle for a moment, his tail twitching as he looked out again across the town in the distance.

"Come then, I shall take you to the Guardians and along the way please take time to admire the land you have stepped foot on. I assure you from my own experiences, Le Fauna is very different than Titania," As Bane stepped past Asir, he smiled and nodded, taking pace behind him. "Thank you. I see that it is indeed quite different. The landscapes are beautiful. And we do not have these particular... plants I suppose" he gestured to the bamboo "on Titania." As they passed through the village, Asir acknowledged the people with curt nods and smiles, the eyes of the villagers immediately gravitating towards the crescent emblem on the wrists of his sleeves.

"The Guardians have recently discovered the essence of "the taint" on our home. The damage so far has been minimal but we do not risk letting this darkness run amok for too long. Let's not take too long,"

With a small grin, Asir increased his pace to running to keep up easily with Bane. "Acknowledged. We'll take care of it quickly. I'll wait to get a more in-depth briefing from the guardians. Pardon my asking but, will my cards being out be of any alarm?"

Bane glanced at the young anthro quickly before looking away. The scent and the features led Bane to believe that the boy was a lynx anthro. How quaint. The tiger couldn't help but admire the strength of one so young. Faunians respected skill, intelligence, courage, leadership, and good of heart above all. Asir held many of those qualities.

"I see" He replied, smiling at Bane pleasantly. "So the rumors that your people are strong in magic sense are clearly not false, if you were able to detect that so remotely."

Bane slowed slightly so he ran alongside Asir so they could talk.

"The rumors are true. We have four classes of people in our realm. The Dragons are the most adept in sensing magic, the Tigers are second best while the Tortoises and Phoenix have skills but cannot be compared to those of the former two. The first to sense the barrier fluctuation was Lady Guardian Jade, leader of the Dragons. But any one can be well trained in the art of magic if they attend the Dragon Academy where magic is the focus," Bane explained a bit to Asir as they moved along.

As they passed by people, the citizens bowed in greeting to Bane while giving slight nods of acknowledgment to Asir as the duo passed by. The people knew that anyone in the company of the second son of Lady Gaia was to be trusted.

"Thank you. I see that it is indeed quite different. The landscapes are beautiful. And we do not have these particular... plants I suppose" he gestured to the bamboo "on Titania."

A slight chuckle escaped Bane's lips as he once again glanced at the other white haired male.

"There are many things that separate my world from yours, but trust me when I say that the people are not all that entirely different. My people live in peace and we want no trouble as I have learned the same on Titania. The worlds may be different, and so may the people be physically, but emotionally we are not all that different. You and I see very similar," Bane added the last part with a toothy grin towards Asir, referring to the white hair and feline features the boy possessed.

They ran until Bane stopped in front of the giant gates that lead to the four capitals of Le Fauna. The large rhino and elephant shifter guards opened the gates for Bane and with a nod of his head to the two, Bane walked through at a brisk pace towards the council room where the others were still gathered and waiting the two's arrival.

"Acknowledged. We'll take care of it quickly. I'll wait to get a more in-depth briefing from the guardians. Pardon my asking but, will my cards being out be of any alarm?"

Bane paused for a split second to look at Asir and remembered the tarot magic.

"If their presence comforts you, then please go ahead. I trust that you will know what fate will befall you should you decide to play us," Bane told Asir, giving the younger male a sharp look with dangerous azure eyes that held a hidden threat should Asir be an impostor.

"Shall we then?" Bane said, reverting back to his friendly self as he walked into a room with a large round table where the Guardians and their respective families were gathered.

Bane stopped short and fell to his knees, making a slight gesture with his hand for Asir to do the same.

"My Lords and Ladies, I present to you the Celestial Knight Asir. He has been graciously sent to our land to aid us in the eradication of "the taint". Asir if you may," The tiger waved his heads for Asir to proceed with his greetings and explanation of his agenda.

The guards closed the doors to the council room and all was silent as many pairs of eyes fixed themselves on the young male in front of them.

None of the people gathered seemed bothered by the fact that magic was currently being used by the young male.

"Celestial Knight Asir, welcome to Le Fauna. Come please join our council as we discuss the appropriate method to deal with this darkness that has befallen us. Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Lady Gaia, leader of the Tiger family. By my left is Lord He, leader of the Tortoise family. By my right is Lord Sol, leader of the Phoenix family and across from me is Lady Jade, leader of the Dragon family," Lady Gaia said as each Guardian she introduced stood up and nodded their heads in acknowledgment to Asir. Lady Gaia indicated a seat that was brought for Asir. It rested between Lady Gaia's seat as well as Lord He's.

Bane then moved to stand by his family but his blue eyes remained riveted on Asir, watching how the young lynx would handle himself in a pressured situation such as this, meeting the four Guardians of Le Fauna and their families.

"A moment please, Scribe! Come forth!" Lady Jade called and a inner door opened and a petite girl came running in with scrolls in her arms. A comical scene proceeded to play out as the young girl dropped a few items as she was walking to her scribe seat and in the process she tripped over a fallen scroll and fell ungracefully on the floor.

A few soft chuckles, good naturedly of course, were heard from the gathered ones around the table. Bane and a few other Guardian children went to help the young girl.

"Ah Skiiya, when will you properly learn your magic to help you in your duties. Seems we will have to increase your training," Reina the eldest daughter of the Dragon family said to the girl, Skiiya, as she bent to help the girl to her feet as Bane and a son of the Tortoise family and son of the Phoenix family picked up the fallen scrolls and carried them to the scribe seat.

Skiiya smiled, blushed in embarrassment at her clumsiness and bowed to everyone.

"I apologize for my behavior, please Sir Knight continue with your agenda," she said as she hurried to her seat, unfolded a scroll, dipped a calligraphy brush in ink and prepared to record the discussion.

Bane and the others returned to their positions by their respective families and waited for the meeting to official begin.

"The rumors are true. We have four classes of people in our realm. The Dragons are the most adept in sensing magic, the Tigers are second best while the Tortoises and Phoenix have skills but cannot be compared to those of the former two. The first to sense the barrier fluctuation was Lady Guardian Jade, leader of the Dragons. But any one can be well trained in the art of magic if they attend the Dragon Academy where magic is the focus,"

Asir nodded and listened closely to the explanation, seeming to file the information away for further use or reporting. "Dragons, Tigers, Tortises, Pheonix. I see. How interesting. And you are from the Tiger house. How interesting." He smiled slightly, leaping nimbly over a small rock in the road.

"There are many things that separate my world from yours, but trust me when I say that the people are not all that entirely different. My people live in peace and we want no trouble as I have learned the same on Titania. The worlds may be different, and so may the people be physically, but emotionally we are not all that different. You and I see very similar,"

"Agreed" He smiled back, a little timidly, not sure how to interpret the rather toothy grin. "I feel no less at home here than on my world. The people seem quite friendly" His pace slowed as they approached the gates and he bowed respectfully to the guards as they opened the gates, then sped his pace to match Bane's. At his allowance for the cards, he sighed gently, seeming relieved, and the three cards from before slipped out of their satchel and back into their place, hovering gently around his wrist in a non-menacing manner.

"If their presence comforts you, then please go ahead. I trust that you will know what fate will befall you should you decide to play us,"

"Of course, I understand. So many strong fighters could easily overwhelm me." He smiled and continued alongside, dropping to his knee at the indication from Bane and bowing his head.

"My Lords and Ladies, I present to you the Celestial Knight Asir. He has been graciously sent to our land to aid us in the eradication of "the taint". Asir if you may,"

Asir rose, smiling courteously to the crowd around him. "Lords and Ladies..." he copied tactfully, "Guardians of Le Fauna. I thank you for welcoming me to your world. The High King of the crescent constellation, Reks Uni of Titania, sends his regards, and word that any further support you should need will be granted, to the best of our abilities. Please, accept my aid as a proud member of the Crescent knights." With that introduction, he bowed to the council and rose again, smiling happily.

"Celestial Knight Asir, welcome to Le Fauna. Come please join our council as we discuss the appropriate method to deal with this darkness that has befallen us. Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Lady Gaia, leader of the Tiger family. By my left is Lord He, leader of the Tortoise family. By my right is Lord Sol, leader of the Phoenix family and across from me is Lady Jade, leader of the Dragon family," Lady Gaia said as each Guardian she introduced stood up and nodded their heads in acknowledgment to Asir. Lady Gaia indicated a seat that was brought for Asir. It rested between Lady Gaia's seat as well as Lord He's.

Asir bowed slightly to each in turn as they were introduced, then made his way to the seat offered to him. He sat regally and smiled at the guardians on each side of him, thanking them softly. As the scribe entered the room, he turned to watch, and as she tripped and fell, he let out a small laugh, but his eyes remained on her in a calculating way until she took her seat. He cleared his throat softly as she whet the pen and looked around the table calmly. "If it's not too much trouble, could I please ask for a map of the world? I know the basic geography, but detail would be extremely helpful."

"Lords and Ladies..." he copied tactfully, "Guardians of Le Fauna. I thank you for welcoming me to your world. The High King of the crescent constellation, Reks Uni of Titania, sends his regards, and word that any further support you should need will be granted, to the best of our abilities. Please, accept my aid as a proud member of the Crescent knights."

Everyone gathered nodded their heads and some smiled, liking the personality of the young knight. Bane had his eyes on Asir the entire time, a sparkle in their blue depths, blue depths that held a sea mysteries.

The four Guardians and their mates were seated as their children stood behind them. Many of them turned to Asir and smiled at the knight, greeting him fondly.

"We graciously accept your aid Knight Asir. May we work together to rid Le Fauna of "the taint" and make it one less tainted world. We will humbly listen to your suggestions and you have access to all our warriors. I will assign my son Albane to be your aid. Bane, aid our savior as you may," Lady Gaia spoke to her son and Bane took his eyes off Asir as he bowed deeply to his mother.

"Of course my Lady. Whatever he wishes, it shall be done," the tiger said as he returned to watching Asir.

As Asir made his way over to the seat offered to him, Lady Gaia and Lord He smiled warmly at the young knight as he joined their round table.

"We trust that your journey here was well? Bane did not greet you too roughly did he?" Lady Gaia asked good humoredly to lighten the atmosphere. The others around chuckled as Bane's reputation as a fairly "playful" greeter was well known.

Lord He chuckled as he beckoned forth some servers and they brought wine and refreshments to the table. Lord He gestured for Asir to make himself at home.

"Please, I'm sure world jumping takes a toll physically," he commented as he lifted his wine class and took a sip.

Skiiya the scribe had rolled up her sleeves and was prepared to record all that was spoken in this meeting. In the meanwhile she grabbed a few refreshments and was munching on them as she waited to write, much to the chagrin of Lady Jade who eyed her harshly.

Bane looked at Asir and at the four guardians expectantly as he wondered what would be discussed.

"If it's not too much trouble, could I please ask for a map of the world? I know the basic geography, but detail would be extremely helpful."

Lady Jade and Lady Gaia nodded their heads at this request.

"Of course of course," Lady Gaia said as she waved her hand towards Bane. Lady Jade waved her hand at her son and the two males raised their hands, using magic to conjure a virtual map floating above the round table for all to see.

Bane made slight hand motions and the map laid itself flat on the table so that all could see the layout and geography of Le Fauna. The map was intricate, showing the details and colors and infrastructure, almost as if they were having a bird eye view of the world itself.

Lady Gaia waved hand at the map as she turned to Asir.

"Would this suffice? Please let us know how you wish to orient it," she said allowed Asir to continue.

"We graciously accept your aid Knight Asir. May we work together to rid Le Fauna of "the taint" and make it one less tainted world. We will humbly listen to your suggestions and you have access to all our warriors. I will assign my son Albane to be your aid. Bane, aid our savior as you may,"
"Of course my Lady. Whatever he wishes, it shall be done,"
"We trust that your journey here was well? Bane did not greet you too roughly did he?"

Asir acknowledged the help thankfully, nodding to Lady Gaia, and then to Bane. He blushed slightly under the extended, piercing stare of the tiger's bright blue eyes, shifting his own gaze to other things. At Lady Gaia's question, he shook his head and smiled, not picking up on the subtle humor. "Oh no, not at all. He was perfectly courteous. A wonderful greeter." He accepted a few refreshments with soft 'thank you's, eating and drinking in a polite manner. He carefully avoided anything alcoholic, for personal reasons it seemed.

"Of course of course," Lady Gaia said as she waved her hand towards Bane. Lady Jade waved her hand at her son and the two males raised their hands, using magic to conjure a virtual map floating above the round table for all to see.
"Would this suffice? Please let us know how you wish to orient it," she said allowed Asir to continue.

He smiled, his eyes fixed on the map as it formed, though he did not look surprised by it at all. "Yes, this will do perfectly. Thank you very much." He folded his hands and studied the map in silence. A flick of his wrist and slight glimmer at the tips of his fingers and the map turned itself, allowing him to take in all of the features. Finally, he pointed his index finger and a small ring of light circled a small area of the map, a few miles across. "There. I recognize that. Our taint researches did a brief examination of the affect on the world, and they've narrowed down the source to somewhere within this area. I verified it's relative position to my entry point while I was waiting for someone to arrive. That's where we'll need to put our focus for the moment. It seems only moderately affected, so a few soldiers should be all we need. Most likely it will be low level beasts." He looked up from the map and smiled around, waiting for comments and discussion.

"Oh no, not at all. He was perfectly courteous. A wonderful greeter."

Chuckles were heard around the room at Asir's comment. Obviously the young knight didn't get the joke. Bane's older brother slapped him on the shoulder chuckling. Usually just for fun, Bane would ask the guests for a mock battle, just to test them. And by the end the guests would be so shaken that they would be stuttering with shaking knees once they came to the council room. That was not Bane usually greeted the guests. And the Guardians were fine with it because it was good natured and their way of greeting.

Bane chuckled, looking at Asir and winked.

"I'm flattered by your compliment," he said with a grin as he was handled a class of wine by his brother and the two toasted with good cheers.

Murmurs, eating and drinking were taking place as some members discussed the current situation while others talked of random things. But all were muffled as Lady Gaia held up her hand for silence as Asir moved the map and things became serious.

Finally, he pointed his index finger and a small ring of light circled a small area of the map, a few miles across. "There. I recognize that. Our taint researches did a brief examination of the affect on the world, and they've narrowed down the source to somewhere within this area. I verified it's relative position to my entry point while I was waiting for someone to arrive. That's where we'll need to put our focus for the moment. It seems only moderately affected, so a few soldiers should be all we need. Most likely it will be low level beasts."

The four Guardians leaned in to view the spot that Asir pointed to as well as their families. It certainly was by where Asir had dropped in. In the vicinity of the panda shifter's community, an outskirts of land had become tainted and thankfully had been evacuated early.

Lord Sol, the leader of the Phoenix spoke up.

"We had a suspicion that "the taint" was a bit more concentrated in that area. Therefore we had the civilians evacuated from that area days before. The panda shifter community that resides not too far away is protected by a strong barrier," he spoke as his son nodded his head to confirm the details.

Lord He turned to Asir.

"What is it that you would like us to do Knight Asir? Tell us and we will supply you with that you wish," the Tortoise leader said as the other three Guardians nodded their heads in agreement.

Bane turned expectantly to Asir as he awaited for the young white haired lynx to create a plan of action.

"What do you suggest? We have magicians, warriors, and mages at your disposal. The Dragon Academy produces the strongest magicians, the Phoenix Academy the strongest warriors, and the Tiger Academy gives us our formidable mages who are a combination of warriors who can use magic. The Tortoise Academy possesses one of the largest library databases in the galaxy and you are welcome to use that as well," Lady Jade added and the others nodded their heads.

Bane chuckled as he raised his glass of wine to Asir.

"Your plan then Sir Knight?" he asked him with a coy smile but his playful eyes held seriousness in them as he awaited a response.

"We had a suspicion that "the taint" was a bit more concentrated in that area. Therefore we had the civilians evacuated from that area days before. The panda shifter community that resides not too far away is protected by a strong barrier," he spoke as his son nodded his head to confirm the details.

Asir smiled and flicked his ears in an approving manner. "Very good, just what I would have done. I'm afraid if we let it too much further, the barrier won't hold, no matter how strong. The taint is very powerful." He sat in contemplation for a moment, examining the map and the area around where he had circled, taking in the landscape features.

"What is it that you would like us to do Knight Asir? Tell us and we will supply you with that you wish," the Tortoise leader said as the other three Guardians nodded their heads in agreement.
"What do you suggest? We have magicians, warriors, and mages at your disposal. The Dragon Academy produces the strongest magicians, the Phoenix Academy the strongest warriors, and the Tiger Academy gives us our formidable mages who are a combination of warriors who can use magic. The Tortoise Academy possesses one of the largest library databases in the galaxy and you are welcome to use that as well,"
"Your plan then Sir Knight?" he asked him with a coy smile but his playful eyes held seriousness in them as he awaited a response.

Again, Asir sat in contemplation, closing his eyes silently as he thought, his eyes darting back and forth beneath his closed lids. Finally he opened them again, looking around the room. "Excellent. I'll need roughly 10 ranged mages, 10 warriors, Bane, myself, and two other magic warrior. Could anyone tell me if there are any important features, people, or artifacts that were based within that radius? It may help us locate the source. The taint source is indeed random, but it has a habit of latching on to important things."

He looked up at Bane and grinned back. "I'll tell you my plan." He pointed to the hills that held the vast bamboo forests surrounding the area. "We'll one unit on either side of this circle, in the hills and hidden in the forests. The units will consist of five mages, five warriors, and one magic warrior on point. Bane, you and I will travel into the radius and locate the source directly. There will likely be heavy resistance from taint beasts. We will draw the majority of their numbers, and the source if it happens to be sentient, into a wooded area, from where the units will strike from either side, after we have notified them of our position. The attack will be carried out quickly, with the mages firing a volley of ranged magic just before the warriors charge in. Is there anything else you would like to suggest or ask?" He leaned back in his chair, smiling smugly at Bane.

"Very good, just what I would have done. I'm afraid if we let it too much further, the barrier won't hold, no matter how strong. The taint is very powerful."

The Guardians nodded their heads in unison agreement with Asir's words.

"As we are not too familiar with 'the taint' besides that the Seekers have told us from other worlds, we trust your judgment on this. As you said it is best if we not waste much time in eradicating this darkness from our bright world," Lady Gaia said and words of agreement were heard all around.

As the knight was contemplating the plan, everyone in the council room waited in silence for Asir to speak up. The only sound that could be heard was the light rustle of brush against paper as Skiiya the scribe wrote fast, recording the details and majority of all that have been spoken so far.

"Excellent. I'll need roughly 10 ranged mages, 10 warriors, Bane, myself, and two other magic warrior. Could anyone tell me if there are any important features, people, or artifacts that were based within that radius? It may help us locate the source. The taint source is indeed random, but it has a habit of latching on to important things."

Immediately once Asir's words left his mouth, the son of the Dragon family used telepathy to issue orders to round up 10 of their strongest ranged based magicians while the daughter of the Phoenix ran off to issue a call to arms to pick out 10 of their best fighters. Bane's older brother went off to round up a few more mages while Bane stood on standby for further instructions.

At Asir's question, Bane looked deep in thought.

"A monument of the Four Guardians was built in honor of us in the vicinity of that area. The local Faunians there give great value to that monument. Perhaps that would be the beacon that draws 'the taint'." he voiced as he looked to his younger sister for confirmation to which the white haired younger girl nodded her head.

"That is correct. It is an ancient monument of the oldest of the Guardians before our time. The statue is a symbol of peace and prosperity to the civilians. Will it be harmed in the cleansing of "the taint"? Lady Jade asked Asir, worried about the condition of the statue.

He looked up at Bane and grinned back. "I'll tell you my plan."

Bane smirked at Asir and mouthed, "Cheeky kitty but then listened to the plan.

"We'll one unit on either side of this circle, in the hills and hidden in the forests. The units will consist of five mages, five warriors, and one magic warrior on point. Bane, you and I will travel into the radius and locate the source directly. There will likely be heavy resistance from taint beasts. We will draw the majority of their numbers, and the source if it happens to be sentient, into a wooded area, from where the units will strike from either side, after we have notified them of our position. The attack will be carried out quickly, with the mages firing a volley of ranged magic just before the warriors charge in. Is there anything else you would like to suggest or ask?" He leaned back in his chair, smiling smugly at Bane.

Bane's face was one of seriousness as he listened to the plan. The more he listened the more admiration and respect he had for the young knight. Oh and how he was cheeky, giving him attitude. The little brat.

"Nice plan there kitty," Bane whispered as he stood right next to Asir.

"If that is all," Bane left off as he looked around to see the the members returning, "it seems we are all accounted for then Sir Knight," the Tiger said with a smirk as he tipped his drink to Asir and then drained his glass of wine.

"Then we move out Sir Knight?" Bane asked as he set his glass down and got ready to head out.

"A monument of the Four Guardians was built in honor of us in the vicinity of that area. The local Faunians there give great value to that monument. Perhaps that would be the beacon that draws 'the taint'."

At the mention of its value, Asir grimaced slightly. "I see..." He said darkly, staring at the map a bit. "If you would be so kind?" He indicated the map in a gesture that asked the tiger to place a marker on the map at its place. He seemed troubled by the mention of the monument. "It's highly likely that the taint has taken this on as its source, but it's not entirely certain. We'll investigate there first."

"That is correct. It is an ancient monument of the oldest of the Guardians before our time. The statue is a symbol of peace and prosperity to the civilians. Will it be harmed in the cleansing of "the taint"?

Asir let out a troubled sigh, his brow furrowed a bit and his ears perked. "I'm afraid..." he began slowly, "That if it is taken over as such, the only way to help would be to destroy it... I'm sorry if it turns out that way. Such an important piece of history. It would be a shame to lose it." He smiled over at Lady Jade, and, attempting to find some optimism in the situation, added on, "Well... I suppose, what is a statue compared to a planet, hmmm?" He rose from his seat and turned to Bane, but directed his next comment back at the Lady. "I will do all I can to try to keep anything important from damage. If the statue must be destroyed, Reks will be happy to have a replica built for you."

"Nice plan there kitty," Bane whispered as he stood right next to Asir.
"If that is all," Bane left off as he looked around to see the the members returning, "it seems we are all accounted for then Sir Knight," the Tiger said with a smirk as he tipped his drink to Asir and then drained his glass of wine.
"Then we move out Sir Knight?" Bane asked as he set his glass down and got ready to head out.

He smirked at Bane, happy to have impressed him, and shrugged off the playful jab behind the word 'kitty' with no reaction. Instead, he swept his eyes across the small group of fighters that stood before him and gave the slightest of bows as a thanks for their help. "Thank you all. If everyone is informed of the plan, then we'll get started. If not, I'll fill you in on the way." He turned and gave a deep bow to the gathered guardians. "Thank you for your support. I will return after we have finished to report before I make my return." With that, he turned on his heel towards the door and began marching out, waving his hand for the troops to follow. "Alright! Let's make this quick! Move out!"

"I see..." He said darkly, staring at the map a bit. "If you would be so kind?"

Bane merely gave a few flicks of his wrist and a marker appeared on the map indicating the location of the monument and potential area of "the taint". He also took a head count of all the members that would be participating in this little ambush and threw in the markers for each individual so that it showed their current location at the council room but would move to show their progress. That way the members that remained in the room could see what was going on.

A number of colored dots appeared huddled in the council room on the map. There were two white triangles for himself and Asir, and the other combination mages were white circles. The blue dots were Dragon magicians and the red dots were Phoenix warriors.

"It's highly likely that the taint has taken this on as its source, but it's not entirely certain. We'll investigate there first."

Expressions of dread seemed to overcome most of the members gathered. None liked the prospect of damaging such an important piece of their history.

"I'm afraid..." he began slowly, "That if it is taken over as such, the only way to help would be to destroy it... I'm sorry if it turns out that way. Such an important piece of history. It would be a shame to lose it." He smiled over at Lady Jade, and, attempting to find some optimism in the situation, added on, "Well... I suppose, what is a statue compared to a planet, hmmm?" He rose from his seat and turned to Bane, but directed his next comment back at the Lady. "I will do all I can to try to keep anything important from damage. If the statue must be destroyed, Reks will be happy to have a replica built for you."

Reality was painful, but it could not be ignored. If worse comes to worse, the statue would have to be sacrificed for the good for Le Fauna. It was a small price to pay.

Bane was the one who spoke up.

"It would be a shame no doubt, but as you said, a statue for our world. It is a small price to pay," he said and others nodded their heads in agreement with his statement. Everyone knew that, and slowly they came to accept the truth.

"Yes and although we are grateful for your offer, we Faunians would like to reconstruct the statue ourselves if anything does happen to befall it," Lady Jade added with a sad but hopeful smile on her face.

"Thank you all. If everyone is informed of the plan, then we'll get started. If not, I'll fill you in on the way." He turned and gave a deep bow to the gathered guardians. "Thank you for your support. I will return after we have finished to report before I make my return." With that, he turned on his heel towards the door and began marching out, waving his hand for the troops to follow. "Alright! Let's make this quick! Move out!"

The warriors, magicians, and mages checked their equipment one last time before nodding their heads in unison. They were prepared to protect their world.

The four Guardians stood up to send off the fighters, all placing their right hands over their hearts in the Faunian salute to which all of the fighters returned. Bane did the same as he gave his mother and siblings a hug.

"Return our people safely, my son," Lady Gaia said as she patted his shoulder, not too worried about him particularly returning safely for she knew he could take care of himself. Bane nodded his head in agreement. "Of course mother," he told her with a grin.

As soon as Asir turned on his heel and began to march forward, Bane left his family's side and walked right next to the lynx anthro and the troops gave a holler and marched behind the two white haired males.

On the map the dots lead by the two white triangles have begun their movement towards the marker where "the taint" was concentrated.

Bane turned around as they marched to speak to the troops.

"As Knight Asir had said before. We plan an ambush and frontal diversion. Magicians, you will scale the nearby hills and plateaus for ranged firing while the warriors and mages attack from all sides. It will be a continuous barrage until they are decimated. Understood?" he called out and the troops replied with "Yes Sir!"

Bane then nodded his head and turned to face forward as he walked. He glanced at Asir for a second before patting the younger male's head.

"Impressive for one your age. Are you a new knight perhaps?" he asked in speculation.

"As Knight Asir had said before. We plan an ambush and frontal diversion. Magicians, you will scale the nearby hills and plateaus for ranged firing while the warriors and mages attack from all sides. It will be a continuous barrage until they are decimated. Understood?" he called out and the troops replied with "Yes Sir!"

Asir nodded in approval as Bane relayed the information, then made the signal with his hand to speed up, breaking into a run in the direction of the area. "We need to be quick about this. The taint IS mildly sentient. It will probably already be manufacturing forces to fight us off. They'll keep to the affected areas for the most part, but expect resistance once we get in range." The cards around his wrist swirled and opened up another space, letting a fourth card slip into place, the four of cups. Asir hardly acknowledged that he had done anything at all, still running at a good pace.

"Impressive for one your age. Are you a new knight perhaps?" he asked in speculation.

Asir grinned slightly, nodding a little. "I suppose I could be considered new. I've been in service to the High King Reks for a year now. Fairly new compared to most of the knights. Some of them have been crescent knights for many years. It's surprising that I became a commander in such a short time." He smiled at Bane, then switched his gaze forward again as they approached the forests. He made the motion for the group to split off into their respective places, sliding to a halt outside of the speculated area. He turned to Bane and nodded. "This is it. Stay close to me. I assume you have magic, don't hesitate to use it on creatures that you don't recognize, but let's try to keep our presence hidden for now. Lead the way to the statue, if you please. I'll follow behind." He motioned for Bane to go ahead, the cards around his wrist bobbing and spinning readily.

From inside the area came a deep chill, the familiar feel of dark magics and their hateful affects. He shivered slightly, never used to that feeling, but stood strong, his hand dangling beside the card pouch, ready to draw when necessary. His eyes shifted around the many possible hiding places in the forest, watching for movement and ready for an ambush if it were to come.

Bane threw up a hand signal for the troops to speed up and in unison the footsteps behind him began to sound quicker, fast paced.

"We need to be quick about this. The taint IS mildly sentient. It will probably already be manufacturing forces to fight us off. They'll keep to the affected areas for the most part, but expect resistance once we get in range."

As Asir began talking, Bane raised a hand and touched it to the side of his head, using some mild magic to transmit what he was hearing to all the troops at one time, much simpler that way. That way he didn't have to explain it to them later.

The slight movement of the fourth tarot card caught Bane's attention as his azure eyes locked on to the floating card for a few moments before focusing on where he was running. He did not need to look like an idiot when he tripped.

"Understood. We'll be on guard and prepared," he told Asir as well as the troops using telepathy.

"I suppose I could be considered new. I've been in service to the High King Reks for a year now. Fairly new compared to most of the knights. Some of them have been crescent knights for many years. It's surprising that I became a commander in such a short time."

Bane nodded his head at this new information about the young knight. Impressive.

"I commend you on your achievements. I can tell from the way you handle yourself that your skills and knowledge are beyond your years," he complimented as they ran.

Soon though Asir halted before entering the tainted area and Bane did too, holding up a hand for the troops to also halt.

Using his animal senses, Bane listened for any unnatural sounds. Hearing none he silently divided the magicians group, sending one group to the west and the other half to the east. Silently they obeyed and marched off, leaving the 10 warriors and 5 mages.

"This is it. Stay close to me. I assume you have magic, don't hesitate to use it on creatures that you don't recognize, but let's try to keep our presence hidden for now. Lead the way to the statue, if you please. I'll follow behind."

Bane smirked slightly at Asir as he looked at him.

"You should stay close to me kitty," he whispered to Asir but then addressed the troops.

"Men prepare yourselves. Have magic and your weapons at your disposal and be on your guard. We are all going home today," he said as he flexed his hands and then took the lead. Moving with the grace of his wild animal counterpart, his footsteps hardly make a sound as he proceeded cautiously into the area. His ears were tuned into any slight vibrations in the air and his nose sniffed for foul scents.

The large monument was in sight and Bane approached it carefully. The warriors and mages had started to make a circle formation, keeping their backs towards each other and facing all sides in case of unexpected attacks.

The metal bands that Bane wore on his arms slowly liquefied and moved down to pool into his hands so that he could have easy access to them. He was slowly shifting halfway, his blue eyes glowing and his canines becoming more pronounced as he prepared himself for a fierce fight.

"And so it begins," he whispered to no one in particular as he had a gut feeling things were about to explode violently.

(yay chaos!!)

"You should stay close to me kitty," he whispered to Asir but then addressed the troops.
"Men prepare yourselves. Have magic and your weapons at your disposal and be on your guard. We are all going home today," he said as he flexed his hands and then took the lead. Moving with the grace of his wild animal counterpart, his footsteps hardly make a sound as he proceeded cautiously into the area. His ears were tuned into any slight vibrations in the air and his nose sniffed for foul scents.

Asir blushed a little at the comment, trying to think of a retort but coming up blank. Instead, he turned and watched as Bane addressed the troops. He smiled as he listened to banes brief speech. His attitude towards the battle, and value of his troops lives was certainly worth respecting. Asir could see he was a great commander. Once Bane was ahead of him, Asir took up behind him. It wasn't exactly how he'd wanted the plan to go, he'd rather have the warriors ready for ambush in the forests, but a rear guard seemed like a good plan now too. He trusted Bane's judgement.

As they approached the monument, a familiar chill ran down Asir's spine. That dreaded feel of the taint. Sadly, it seemed the statue was the source. He let out a beleaguered sigh and approached slowly, but his ears perked at a rustling. He whirled around, eyeing the trees in the clearing. His senses kicked in and he growled softly, sweeping the area as he spoke softly. "Here we go... ready yourselves, it's going to fight back."

"And so it begins," he whispered to no one in particular as he had a gut feeling things were about to explode violently.

From the bamboo stalks, there suddenly burst a roaring cacophony of noise as taint beasts poured from the depths of the forest. There were a mix of mutated boars, raging taint bears, and a few shadow warriors, and the enemies poured at them, rushing down into the clearing. Without hesitation, Asir snapped a card from his pouch into his right hand, the four cards around his wrist glowing and spinning rapidly. With a flash of a spell circle on the card, Asir called out its form. "Sword suit! Ace: Highwind the Acrobat!" The card flashed and was quickly replaced by an epee, its swirling hand guard glistening with the embedded crystals. Asir squatted into a deep plie and leapt high into the air, soaring over the heads of the warriors and landing atop a boar, his sword plunged deep into its eye. Before the creature could even fall in death, he withdrew the thin blade and cartwheeled across the heads of the oncoming enemies, drawing the sharp surface nimbly across their necks in fatal motions.

He lept off the last enemy, now behind the oncoming hoard, and surveyed the damage done. A trail of enemies lay dead, their bodies beginning to disintegrate already. He shook his wrist out nonchalantly, and then dove back into the fray, cutting down enemies as he went and getting in closer to Bane's position, nimbly dodging the clumsy enemy attacks with his acrobatic moves. "Tell the mages to start firing, and tell the warriors to guard against the aerial magics that will be coming down from the assault. We need that support now. This hoard is big, but it's not all of it! He back flipped over a swinging paw from one of the bears, slicing its hindquarters as he landed and flicking his wrist. The sword turned back into a card and he swapped it effortlessly for a different card. Sword suit! IV: Gladius, the Raijin-Spear!" With another spell circle and a flash of light, the new card was replaced by a long, ornate polearm which he immediately tossed high into the air, point first. He crouched and used a magic boost to leap after it, grabbing it and spinning it around. "Heavenly Spear Technique!" He gripped the pole tightly, halting its rotation and holding it high above his head. "Ikazuchi Dageki!!!" On the second word, he thrust the spear downwards, sending it careening into a group of enemies. As its blade struck through a shadow warrior and into the ground, a thunderbolt struck from the sky, right upon the end of the pole, sending a blast of electricity out of the weapon that knocked back the enemies around it, killing a few. Asir landed gracefully beside the weapon and pulled it from the charred corpse, spinning it around in his palm and glaring seriously at the other enemies, ready for more.

"Here we go... ready yourselves, it's going to fight back."

Bane nodded his head ever so slightly and as if on cue, all hell broke loose in those few seconds.

A dissonant screech of noises erupted from the nearby bamboo forest and Bane whipped his head around to come face to face with a hoard of shadow creatures, fueled by "the taint". And where they a sight to behold.

The mages and warriors behind him braced themselves, for a split second fear gripping their hearts. Bane knew, and he would squelch their fears. In a split second, his body shimmered, a coating of light touching his body and then in a blink of an eye, he was in a midway shift to his other half. His face was now that of a tiger, azure eyes blazing with adrenaline and vigor. He was taller, arms and legs slightly more muscular.

The metal that had pooled into his hands instantly formed two weapons of his liking. In his right a ginormous sledgehammer that looked as if it could create huge craters in the ground, and in his left a thick and heavy halberd.

Bane drew in a breath and released a deafening roar that shook the shadow beasts to their non-existent core. But for the warriors and mages, it was a sound of encouragement. Soon the warriors were shifting midway as well into their various animal forms while the mages did the same or remained the way they were. They leaped into the fray of the battle.

Bane maintained his center foothold as he batted and hacked away at all the beasts that approached him. His halberd slicked through and pierced enemies like shish-kabobs and his hammer smashed the dark beasts into oblivion.

Chaos was around them, the air was filled with beasts roaring and magic firing in all directions.

Bane beat a bear creature with his hammer, sending it flying into an incoming horde of more until he smelled and felt Asir at his back.

"Tell the mages to start firing, and tell the warriors to guard against the aerial magics that will be coming down from the assault. We need that support now. This hoard is big, but it's not all of it!

Immediately Bane tapped into his telepathy powers and rallied the magicians standing on high ground to begin their assault.

No sooner had the orders left his mind then a volley of magic spheres and magic arrows came raining down to pierce the tainted beasts. The masses of darkness fell from the onslaught of attacks, disintegrating before the fighter's eyes. But there was more of them.

Bane growled loudly as he stabbed the point of his halberd into the charging head of the boar, spearing it all the way through and then tossing it aside like trash. As they foot fighters fought, the rain of magical attacks continued to rain down around them, hitting their intended targets with deadly accuracy.

He looked over at the warriors to see some fully shifted into their animal forms, rhinos, lions, elephants, and more attacking the dark beasts with fury. The other mages were whipping through the beasts although it seemed a few suffered casualties.

Suddenly in the corner of his eye he saw two beasts charge Asir, but then one was aiming from atop.

"Asir, duck!" Bane roared as he swung his hammer backwards, aiming at the harpy-like dark beasts that was about to descend upon the lynx knight.

The hammer made contact with the beast and the sheer force of the blow destroyed the harpy. Whipping his hammer back, Bane continued his path of destruction.

Victory was on their side, he could just taste it in the air.

Asir hefted the polearm in his hands, swinging it and knocking aside a small wave of oncoming enemies. As he turned and looked up, he saw a monster descending upon him. No time to counterattack with the heavy weapon he had. He growled, swinging the pole around anyway until Bane growled in his direction.

"Asir, duck!" Bane roared as he swung his hammer backwards, aiming at the harpy-like dark beasts that was about to descend upon the lynx knight.

Immediately, he did, and the hammer flew barely over his head, knocking aside the monster up top as Gladius pierced the creature charging him from the front, "Thanks Bane! He yelled at him. "Impressive work" He stepped out of the way of a falling magic arrow and growled as still more enemies poured out of the forest. A small group of enemies circled him and he pierced the ground with the blade of his weapon, a shockwave of thunder knocking them back as he jumped up onto the end of the tall pole. He flicked another card into his hand, holding it above his head and concentrating. "Let's get this over with! Wand suit! VII: Omega Rain! Fifty fold!" A dark spell circle burst from the card and as the enemies in the clearing gathered a faint red glow around them, a barrage of fifty dark arrows burst from the circle, flying into the air. As they turned at their peak and flew down towards the ground, the enemies began to be drawn up into the air, toward the projectiles. They collided midair, exploding and decimating the enemy forces. Asir grimaced and dropped his hand, the card slipping back into its case along with the Ace, II, and III of cups, leaving only the fourth orbiting his left wrist.

He dropped to the ground and hefted the polearm from its perch, deftly shifting it back to its card form and replacing it with a different one. "It's time to end this! Sword suit! V: Bolos, the silver Rhino!" The card flashed and became a long, tapered, triangular sword, with Asir's hand fitting inside of its larger end. He hefted it and swung it backward as though it were nothing, then charged at the statue with a yell, whipping the sword around as he brought his body into a spin and connecting with the stone. On contact, the four faces of the blade split open slightly and a mighty explosion blasted outward, shattering the statue and sending stone flying in all directions. The remaining enemies halted and cowered, visibly weakening at the destruction of the source and as Asir turned back towards the battle, many fled, running out into the forests. He sighed and let the sword revert to card, putting it away and waving his hand for the remaining warriors to pursue any enemies. "Bane, let the mages know that they can chase the enemies at will. The battle is over. You and I will report back to the guardians."

Bane saw that luckily he did not lop off Asir's head. But since the immediate danger to the young knight's life was over, how ironic that sounded, Bane returned to focusing on destroying the enemies that approached him.

Although surprisingly enough it seemed the dark beasts, some of them anyway, hesitated to approach him now. He wondered for a split second if the beasts had conscious minds of their own rather than just bestial instincts.

"Thanks Bane! He yelled at him. "Impressive work"

Bane growled slightly in acknowledgment of Asir's words, but he was more focused on beating away some dark creatures.

He noticed that some of the raining arrows were missing their marks. With a roar, Bane brought his hammer to his halberd and mixed the metal weapons together, creating a long and heavy double-ended spear staff. He spung the staff around with swift motions and would raise it in the air to magically draw the arrows to it.

The magic of the arrow would follow his spear as he threw some magic arrows at enemies with deadly accuracy. The beasts fell immediately and dissipated.

The tiger looked around and saw of his men injured but still pressing forward. Faunians, stubborn beasts they were, but loyal to the bone. Luckily though, one mage went around healing the wounded.

At a cry from Asir, Bane and the other Faunians turned to see the young knight charge at their beloved monument with his weapon. Time seemed to pass slowly as they watched the weapon collide with the statue.

Despair filled Bane's heart for a second as he made a shield with his metal to protect himself from the raining debris. The remaining warriors and mages did the same, protecting themselves from the remains of the statue while fending off some lingering beasts.

But it seemed with the destruction of the statue, the tainted shadow beasts looked confused and weakened, verifying the idea that monument was the source of "the taint".

Bane lowered his shield as the raining rocks stopped to see many shadow beasts running into the forest.

Asir came over to him.

"Bane, let the mages know that they can chase the enemies at will. The battle is over. You and I can report back to the guardians."

Bane's weapons liquified and formed two arm cuffs again and he shifted back to his human self. Shaking his head like a tiger getting rid of water, he placed a finger to his temple to let the magicians know to finish off the retreating beasts with homing magic.

"No need to give chase. They'll all be finished in a flash," he told the knight as he nodded his head for the mages to do the same. The magicians on the high grounds and the mages summoned homing magic and shot them into the forest. Few seconds later and the dying cries of the remaining beasts were heard and silenced forever.

Bane turned to Asir.

"I will assist in healing the wounded first before I return. As a commander, it is my duty to look after my troops. Please go ahead to the guardians and wait for me there. I won't be too long," he told Asir with a wink as the tiger ran off towards some injured warriors and mages and starting healing them with his skills.

As he was helping with the healing, he pumped his fist into the air and roared.

"We may have lost a piece of our history, but our home is safe and victory is ours!!!" the tiger proclaimed and the voices of the other Faunians joined him as they cheered for their win.

"No need to give chase. They'll all be finished in a flash,"
"I will assist in healing the wounded first before I return. As a commander, it is my duty to look after my troops. Please go ahead to the guardians and wait for me there. I won't be too long,"

Asir acknowledged him with a small salute and smiled. "You're a good fighter, and a great commander. When you return to the guardian's palace, speak to me. I have a proposition for you. Now go tend to your men." He grinned to the tiger and turned on his heel, running back towards the palace. As the yell of the troops behind him rose above the bamboo forest, Asir chuckled a little, remembering the battles with his own comrades and their victories. As he passed through the panda village, the people cheered for him and he smiled and waved happily to them, continuing on his way.

He soon reached the looming gates and the guards, recognizing him, let him through. He bowed respectfully and entered, glancing around the courtyard and continuing briskly into the hall. The guardians and families greeted him and he bowed to them all, straightening to give his report. "The taint has been dealt with. The remaining troops are picking off the rest of the enemies and getting healed in the aftermath. The battle was a success. Unfortunately, it was as we suspected. The statue was in fact the source." He paused to let the information sink in and to gauge the reactions of the group, then pressed on. "Due to the small affect the taint had shown so far, It was unnecessary to completely obliterate the statue. Many large pieces were preserved and I believe that, were you to wish to repair it, they could be easily incorporated into the new statue." He smiled slightly to lighten the mood and convey the positivity of this scenario. "There is nothing left to report. Thank you. If you have anything that you would like to ask or say to me, I will be here for a while longer." With his closing line, he bowed again, and as the group began to mingle and discuss, he approached Lady Jade.

"Milady." He began respectfully. "A word, if I may." Asir stepped off the side with her, smiling happily as he spoke up to her. "Your son shows excellent talent in battle and wonderful leadership skills. I want to commend the training he was given, and the family he was raised in. Thank you for offering his support in battle. It was much needed." He swished his tail and smiled again, continuing on. "That said, I would like to make a proposition. The crescent knights are always looking for new warriors, and Bane is a very promising candidate." He bent over in a bow of respect as he spoke his next words. "It would be my honor, with your permission, to recruit Albane into our forces milady. I wished to ask your blessing on the matter." From his bowed position, he lifted his head, looking at Lady Jade for her response.

In the council room, the guardians and their families were up and about, some talking to others, some waiting with slight impatience seen in their tapping feet, others were pacing back and forth, and a few were just silence and brooding. They had seen the battle somewhat occur on the virtual map. The black dots represented the tainted beasts and now they were virtually none left on the map.

The tension in the room was due to the fear for the monument.

As soon as Asir entered everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around the round table again to await the much dreaded news.

"The taint has been dealt with. The remaining troops are picking off the rest of the enemies and getting healed in the aftermath. The battle was a success. Unfortunately, it was as we suspected. The statue was in fact the source."

Hearing the battle was a win was a relief, a few cheered, but with the news of the monument being the sources, some expressions turned sour at the mention of a piece of their history's destruction.

"We feared as much," Lord He spoke as his wife leaned into his shoulder and a few tears escaped her eyes.

Some others also shed a few tears for their former Guardian's memories.

"Due to the small affect the taint had shown so far, It was unnecessary to completely obliterate the statue. Many large pieces were preserved and I believe that, were you to wish to repair it, they could be easily incorporated into the new statue." He smiled slightly to lighten the mood and convey the positivity of this scenario. "There is nothing left to report. Thank you. If you have anything that you would like to ask or say to me, I will be here for a while longer."

Some light was shed on the gloominess as some gathered members lifted their heads up in hope. They had a chance of rebuilding their statue. There was hope!

Soon some claps were heard and the room was applauding the young knight for his actions. Lord Sol walked over and clasped Asir's hand in a firm handshake.

"We give you our gratitude Sir Knight, for sparing our monument from complete obliteration. Our builders and artisans would be delighted to know that they have something to work from to recreate the landmark. You have done our world a great deal, despite how small it may seem. If you ever are in need of assistance, please know that you are welcome to our country again," the Phoenix guardian said as he bowed before the young lynx knight and then the others followed suit, bowing their heads, their right hands over their hearts in a salute to Asir.

"Come then, we must celebrate our victory!" Lady Gaia shouted as she clapped her hands twice and the room lit up. Servants came in bearing food and refreshments, laying them on the table for all to enjoy.

Lady Gaia turned to Asir and beckoned him to the table.

"Please Young Knight, stay and celebrate with us before you leave. We should at least send you off with a full stomach," she chuckled as she and the others clinked their glasses of wine in cheers.

"Milady." He began respectfully. "A word, if I may." Asir stepped off the side with her, smiling happily as he spoke up to her.

Lady Jade looked up and blinked at Asir for a moment before following him off to the side. She wondered what he wanted to speak to her about.

"Your son shows excellent talent in battle and wonderful leadership skills. I want to commend the training he was given, and the family he was raised in. Thank you for offering his support in battle. It was much needed." He swished his tail and smiled again, continuing on. "That said, I would like to make a proposition. The crescent knights are always looking for new warriors, and Bane is a very promising candidate." He bent over in a bow of respect as he spoke his next words. "It would be my honor, with your permission, to recruit Albane into our forces milady. I wished to ask your blessing on the matter."

Silence greeted him as Lady Jade looked lost for a second before giggling for a moment.

"Oh you silly boy you. Although it delights me to hear you praise Albane so highly, I'm sorry to say but it seems you have mixed up the mothers. Lady Gaia is Albane's mother and she raises her children amazingly. Although I'm sure you mixed our beauty up, it's quite common," Lady Jade teased Asir slightly as she switched her beautiful sapphire blue hair and blinked her green eyes at him.

All the guardian families shared common physical attributes. The Dragon family had blue hair and green eyes. The Tiger family had white hair and blue eyes. The Tortoise family had black hair grey eyes and the Phoenix family had red hair and golden eyes.

Lady Gaia laughed merrily and waltzed over to Asir and Lady Jade.

"I do apologize Knight Asir. I overheard but I couldn't bring myself to correct you soon enough. Thank you for your kind words of praise. It pleases me greatly to hear how Bane as impressed you. I have had high hopes for him to become a Seeker since he since birth has shown great skills in fighting but a mind for adventure and discovery. And how with your proposal, it seems he might get that opportunity afterall. While you certainly have my blessings, the final choice is up to him. If he wishes it, then I will send him with you in a shower of hugs and kisses and wish him the best," she told him as she curtsied to the young knight.

Lady Jade smiled and walked away to give the two some private talk as Lady Gaia walked closer to Asir.

"I must ask of you. If he chooses to leave with you, and if...if something were to happen to him...please promise me that you'll bring his body back home to us. For us Faunians, it is the greatest honor to be burned and buried where you were born. Can you promise me that Asir? Bane may be my second son, but he is still my baby and I would like to see my baby before I bid him farewell," she told him as she took his hand and stared into his eyes for a confirmation.



At that moment the doors to the council room opened and in poured the warriors, mages, and magicians come back from the battle. They were greeted with open arms and hugs and congratulations. Bringing up the rear was Bane as he waltzed in looking regal and majestic. Only a few scratches on his outfit suggested he had seen slight action, but other than that he looked fine as he ran a gloved hand through his white hair.

His blue eyes fixated on his mother talking to Asir and he started making his way towards them.

Lady Gaia turned back to Asir waiting for his answer before her son reached them.

"Oh you silly boy you. Although it delights me to hear you praise Albane so highly, I'm sorry to say but it seems you have mixed up the mothers. Lady Gaia is Albane's mother and she raises her children amazingly. Although I'm sure you mixed our beauty up, it's quite common,"

Asir blushed deeply, clearly embarrassed, and flattened his ears as he laughed nervously. "O-oh... my apologies Lady Jade... I am quite new to the world and I got the two of you mixed up!" He bowed again in apology. "I'm deeply sorry... the two of you do in fact look similar." He still seemed a little flustered as Lady Gaia approached and he bowed to her. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to mix the two of you up."

"I do apologize Knight Asir. I overheard but I couldn't bring myself to correct you soon enough. Thank you for your kind words of praise. It pleases me greatly to hear how Bane as impressed you. I have had high hopes for him to become a Seeker since he since birth has shown great skills in fighting but a mind for adventure and discovery. And how with your proposal, it seems he might get that opportunity after all. While you certainly have my blessings, the final choice is up to him. If he wishes it, then I will send him with you in a shower of hugs and kisses and wish him the best," she told him as she curtsied to the young knight.

Asir slowly recovered his composure as she spoke and cleared his throat, smiling again. "Of course, the decision should be up to him. I'll make sure to ask him. It looks like his chance to be a Seeker has come, though I'm not quite sure what you mean by it. I assume it's a... traveler of sorts?" He continued on, not seeming to need an answer. "The high king would be glad to have such a strong fighter among his knights. And of course, he would always have the ability to visit home."

"I must ask of you. If he chooses to leave with you, and if...if something were to happen to him...please promise me that you'll bring his body back home to us. For us Faunians, it is the greatest honor to be burned and buried where you were born. Can you promise me that Asir? Bane may be my second son, but he is still my baby and I would like to see my baby before I bid him farewell," she told him as she took his hand and stared into his eyes for a confirmation.

Asir extended his hand as she took it and smiled, glancing over as the troops walked into the hall. He hurried his answer as Bane started towards them. "Of course Milady, it would be done. But think not of such things. I'm sure it will not happen anytime soon. I will be watching over him as his commander." He smiled and bowed, then turned as Bane approached, bowing to him. "Bane. Good to see you back. I had something I wish to speak to you about."

"Of course, the decision should be up to him. I'll make sure to ask him. It looks like his chance to be a Seeker has come, though I'm not quite sure what you mean by it. I assume it's a... traveler of sorts?" He continued on, not seeming to need an answer. "The high king would be glad to have such a strong fighter among his knights. And of course, he would always have the ability to visit home."

Lady Gaia nodded her head as she answered him.

"A Seeker is a traveler of sorts. If you would like to know, Bane can tell you all about it. But anyway thank you for this gracious offer. Although it pains me to see my son leave my side, I know that he has a greater purpose in life than to stay in one place for the rest of his seasons. Do drop by sometime, you are always welcome," she told him with a genuine smile, almost as if she were treating Asir as her own son.

"Of course Milady, it would be done. But think not of such things. I'm sure it will not happen anytime soon. I will be watching over him as his commander."

Lady Gaia smiled, a sad glint in her eyes but soon was overpowered by hope and pride as she saw her son walking towards them. She leaned in to whisper into Asir's ears.

"I know he is in good hands. I wish you two greatness in your future," she told him and then pulled away as Bane walked up to them.


Bane didn't think much of his mother and Asir talking, for all he knew his mother was probably spilling all his dirty secrets to the young knight. His mother loved to spread gossip around.

He came over and his mother broke away from Asir to come give him a hug. Bane enveloped his smaller mother in his arms and she returned his embrace.

"Well done my son, you have done your family proud," she said as she pulled away and touched his face with her hand.

Bane turned and kissed the palm of his mother's hand in respect as he smiled down at her.

"It is my duty Mother. I did what I set out to do," he told her and the two smiled at each other.

"Bane. Good to see you back. I had something I wish to speak to you about."

Bane turned from his mother to see Asir and gave him a small bow. Lady Gaia pulled away from her son, touched his arm and then walked away to give the two some time to talk.

Bane turned back to Asir and gave him a grin as he walked closer and patted Asir's shoulder.

"Before you say anything though might I say your skills were astonishing. Seeing you in battle made my heart race. I would like to spar with you one day if you would allow me the honor," Bane told the young knight with a light smirk on his face.

A servant stopped by offering them wine and Bane took the two glasses, giving one to Asir as he made a small toast.

Raising his glass up he spoke, "A toast to our victory," he said and with a wink drank from his glass. After he lowered his glass and fixed Asir with a gaze.

"And so what did you want to speak to me about?" he asked, his interest piqued.