“You guys don’t have to guard the waterfall all the time you know? It must be boring-” 

“It’s not!” Another dog suddenly barked. 

“Dogs are the pinnacle of loyalty; we never lie and see beyond the outside and only look within. We’ve heard how loyal you are to the people you trust...it’s an honor to serve you until the end of time.” She explained with a giggle. 

“Our loyalty is to you and this cave Guardian Canis-” 

“Eos.” 

“-Eos.” She quickly corrected herself, my tail only quickening its pace. 

“-Whatever and whenever you need us, you can simply call us by howling!”

I widened my eyes at the sudden information, I could summon my own dog army at will? That was definitely another perk added to being a Guardian! Although...I didn’t see too much I could use the skill for besides asking them to hang out with me if I was lonely, I was relatively capable of handling myself and the village was safe from threats most of the time! If Paladins were to come, however? I suppose these guys would be finding a new chew-toy sooner than later. 

“Well...I hope to find a use for y’all soon, I doubt it's exciting to be in this cave.” I whined, causing me to walk closer to the falls as the dogs bowed their heads with a small 

‘Be well Eos.’ as I passed. As I stood at the front of the waterfall, however, the feeling of small droplets spraying onto my fur giving me a cooling feeling as I began to stick my tongue out, it wasn’t too much longer before the falls began to crack open. 

The ground started to shake, butterflies began to erupt in my stomach and my eyes were fully directed forwards. It had been...weeks? Maybe a month since I’ve seen Ibis? I wanted to see if she fine, to see if her wounds were fully healed and if she could talk unlike before!

There was so much I wanted to talk to her about...so much advice I needed besides the fact I now took her place as a Guardian for the time being. But, the small peak into the depths of the falls where Ibis rested? 

A small tree covering her overhead while her body was covered by a blanket and her head rested on top of wet moss? My excitement swiftly began to falter. Like before, she was still, the only movement being the short and shallow breaths she took while large wounds covered her body. Long gone were her once healthy and almost shimmering feathers...replaced with bald spots here and there while her beak was severely broken, half of it just barely hanging on by the use of a bandage wrap. 

The faint glow of the blanket, however? It gave me some sort of hope still...a silent sign that she was desperately and tirelessly working to try and heal her wounds despite her state of coma. 

'She'll be up...soon enough, she'll be up.' I chanted inside my head as I slowly walked into the falls, a whine beginning to leave me as I grew closer and closer to the owl before I finally found myself standing right before her. 

A strange type of wonder it was...if that was the right word that is, seeing her in a state of injury? 

No glare to be shot back at me. 

No words of disdain, praise, or encouragement all mixed into one strange smoothie of care. 

No advice nor words of what could and what wouldn't happen? 

It was all strange, not so strange to the point I wasn't warring with myself inside my head like I seemed to constantly do nowadays since she's been in this state. 

One side tells me to rejoice in this moment, it's been long coming to her! Caring for her was a form of Stockholm Syndrome...hell, she was technically my owner! She resurrected me into this world, put a collar around my neck and declared me hers! As soon as that collar fell off? 

I was free. 

No longer was someone in my head constantly, knowing my every thought as well as every act I was going to do. 

No longer was someone in my head, whispering words of what was best and what wasn't.

My decisions and secrets were mine and mine alone like they were seemingly so long ago...

But...all at the same time? She was the reason I had gotten as far as I did in this world. 

A mix of hard-work on my part and her knowledge. 

If she hadn't given me tidbits along the way, words of advice on what not to do and what to do...I would've been a lost sheep. 

I would've been weak, I didn't learn how to use fire magic nor how to use my legs for offensive purposes all on my own damn it! 

H-Hell, she got me back into the sport that I had given up and turned it into something useful! 

To say she wasn't useful to me...?

Much less say that I didn't consider her a friend or family? 

It was not only insulting to her, it was me merely lying to myself. 

"Strange seeing you here like this bird," I said with a weak chuckle as I gently nudged her body with my paw, quickly jerking my paw back as soon as I grazed her body. 

Cold as ice. 

I gulped, another whine escaping me as soon as I dared to lay down beside her, hoping that some of my heat would provide some sort of use. 

She was right here yet...I still felt so empty, so alone. A cruel repeat of what the eternal darkness after death felt like. 

No one but yourself and your memories. 

"Strange that you left me all alone to handle your unsurprisingly dull servants." I continued, a huff leaving me afterward. 

"Thanks for leaving me all alone in this y'know?" I whispered with a brittle tone.

Barely a flinch. 

“Did you hear Ibis? Thanks for leaving alone!” I barked. 

“It was hard enough being the right-hand of a deity but now...? I-I am the deity!” I continued to cry out. 

“I-I don’t know how to handle this...you’ve never taught me, now-” 

I placed a gentle paw on her wing, the feeling making me flinch a little. 

“-Now what am I going to do? I’ll admit...I’m not sure this is something I can just learn along the way or ‘wing it’.” I sniffled. 

"This...this isn't something you can wing bird...I-I'm not ready, I have things to do! And yet...here I am!" I scoffed. 

"...Trying to come in and take your place...I feel as ready for this as I once did for a test I didn't study for." I grumbled, causing my head to fall to lay right next to hers. 

Suddenly however, my ears suddenly perking to the sound of a bell ringing before I quickly turned my head around to see a small dog trotting up from the entrance. It was... oddly colored, nothing unusual for this world.  its fur was short and sleek-looking but it was colored pink as if it were cotton candy while its two doe eyes were as black as obsidian! 

Unlike the other dogs I saw, this one had a bell around its neck, the object equally colored as its eyes. 

“I’ve never seen a Guardian cry before.” The dog gasped; its voice high-pitched as if it were a chipmunk’s. 

I raised a brow, causing me to run my paw over my face before I realized tears were going my face. 

Wet.

“Why wouldn’t I be crying? She’s a former Guardian.” 

“I’m newly dead! Can’t you tell by the bell?” The dog barked before she pawed at the thing on her collar for a moment. 

“But...I never knew the Guardian but I know you!” I merely looked at her with a confused expression, sure I had only really met the dogs today but out of all the ones I’ve seen? 

They had a certain grace about them! 

This one? 

It was like looking at a chihuahua that was the size of a bush-sized rat...it was odd, to say the least.

I let out a small huff. “What do you even want? Heck, how did you even get in here?” I asked. 

“Spirits can follow after their Guardians too you know.” She hummed.

“B-But, I really came to comfort you! Dogs can sense sadness you know!” 

“I’ve been one for a good while now, I think I know that.” I scoffed, causing the dog’s tail to begin wagging until it was nothing but a blur before the dog started to trot around me.

I struggled to keep in an annoyed grumble as I rose to my paws, making sure to step over Ibis slowly and gently before I sat on the other side of her. 

All I wanted was some alone time, was that too much to ask!?  

“Then you should know that I can’t leave you alone until you’re feeling all better! Let me help!” 

“I’m not exactly in the mood to laugh or joke,” I grumbled, a low growl threatening to leave my throat.

“Of course.” It bowed her head a little. 

“You’re in mourning but, I meant lifting your mood through encouragement! New and inexperienced doesn’t mean bad.” 

My eyes began to narrow, I didn't even want this, I never wanted it. I made it clear from day one! 

Being a deity? 

It was completely out of my area. 

“...I don’t want to be a Guardian, that’s the issue,” I said, causing the spirit to cock her head to the side a little while I sat down. 

“Why not?” I scoffed, shaking my head. 

“Why not?” I repeated. 

“Because, it’s simple really, I don’t want to. Being in charge of so many lives, being expected to act and look a certain way? Hell, the thought of having to choose a champion someday?! It’s-It’s too much!” I huffed, a whirlwind of worrying thoughts beginning to invade my head.

“I’m human...as selfish as it is, I want my life to be done how I want it to be done. When I take on responsibilities? It’s because I chose to take it on, not because some higher power thrust it upon me.”

“Well... you're immortal correct? You don’t have to take on a champion!” 

“Lucky me...it only means I have to deal with Ibis’ spirits for the rest of time and hear them refer to me as the owl instead of me by myself,” I said. 

The atmosphere soon fell into an awkward silence, a small flame encasing me before I found my hands entangling themselves into my hair while my chest heaved up and down rapidly, It was too much...where did the old days run and hide to? The days where I had nothing to worry about and I could spend each day smiling and grinning with ease?! Fantasy was supposed to be easy, I once thought that, but now? It was nothing more than a harsher old reality without the use of the internet. 

‘To think I once begged on my knees to be in a world like this.’ I thought. Being reckless and not thinking? That was beyond over. But, even still, I continued to feel the spirit stand next to me. 

“Are you done?” She asked. 

“Done with what?” 

“Sulking and being pitiful.” She huffed, my eyes widening before I looked to see her eyes begin to narrow.

“The hell?” I asked, more surprised than upset. 

“What? You’re the one having a silent pity party!” 

“I’m not! I’m upset!” 

“Not over the old Guardian, I presume?” The spirit said with a small scoff following suit. 

“Forgive my openness but...words travel, even in death.” My brow rose. 

“I’m new and even I managed to learn from the older spirits that you were quite the headache! Word of you always being a reckless person, rarely thinking.” 

I couldn’t help but flush, news got around in death? Much less being reckless? 

It was for a reason at the very end of things! 

“My recklessness got things done and still will.” I defended, the dog merely shaking her head with a heavy sigh. 

“Maybe, but too many times have you risked death in the process. You can’t be like that anymore.” She continued to scold before I rolled my eyes. I thought I was the one in charge now? 

“...Still doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to be a Guardian,” I grumbled.

 “Yes, because you know your past deeds will no longer go correct? Your actions are scrutinized by worshippers, what you do, they will do and they? They may not be so lucky.” She hummed.

“You are the new Guardian, some things...you just can’t do anymore. You now have millions looking to you-” 

Slowly but surely, I began to tune the little dog out, pep-talks? 

Trying to get me to agree with the whole ‘people are looking up to you’ crap? 

It no longer worked. I only needed the stress of a rapidly growing town and finding a way to continue on in the war. 

I wanted to help people in any way, shape, or form that I could. Truly I did.

But...caring for unknown millions? 

It was more pressure than I could even think to handle.