"Eos!" The dog barked all of a sudden, the sound reminding me of chalk being dragged against a blackboard. 

"What?!" 

"...You are not like the other Guardians-" 

"Yeah, yeah, not this clique line-" 

"Let me finish." She suddenly snarled, my eyes widened at the act. 

I was annoyed at the way she gave me pep-talks as if I was a child, reminding me that I had responsibilities not just in the mortal plane but in the immortal plane as well...I didn’t like it one it but, slowly but surely, I was growing respect for the cotton-candy dog. She had spunk that wasn’t like the other spirits or even Ibis’! Was it because she knew that I wasn’t from this world? Or did she just understand the fact that deities weren’t all that they were cracked up to be?

Whatever it was, I liked it, more or less. 

“You being bonded to a Daemonium? That makes you a soon-to-be immortal, running away from your duties will do you no good. What you must complete, even if you try to hide, it will always find a way to bother you again and again until you complete the task.” 

I kept quiet. 

“We aren’t asking for perfection you?” She sighed before placing a surprisingly warm paw on my own, causing me to look down at her. 

“All Guardians were mortals once, it’s a spirits job to help you know? Why act like you don’t care about people when you clearly do?” 

I chuckled quietly. “My care goes out to the bottom-feeders and the oppressed, my...my old life’s was riddled with that mess,” I admitted before the spirit suddenly in front of me, her tail resuming its wagging before her tongue stuck out. 

“Then help this world avoid the mistakes of your old one. Care about our bottom-feeders and oppressed.” 

Like earlier before, my attention shifted over to Ibis solely. Did I not make it clear time and time again that I cared for this world...? Everything, from the moment I went to the village and took on the mantle of being their leader all the way down to the moment I agreed to go to the Desert to take care of the issues there.

At the end of the day? It was all for this world! 

I could've bitched and complained the entire way there...annoying the crap out of the bird about how it wasn't my business or anything but...no. 

I agreed. 

I cared, whether it seemed that way or not. Whether my care secretly had selfish gains or not. 

I wanted the best...even if it was simply because of the fact that I didn't want another Earth. 

This world was Balerion, every little quirk and unique culture making me fall more and more in love with it. 

Why...why would I ever ask for another world with humans solely when I knew the result of such a thing? 

At the very end of that type of story? It was nothing more than a tragedy that could've been avoided. 

“...You miss her.” 

I nodded my head slowly with a small whine. 

“I understand you don’t want the title of Guardian...believe me, you aren’t the only one who wishes to escape from a title placed upon their heads with no chance of escape.” The dog barked. 

“But the joy is that you have a choice as to how you wish to do things. Would you rather make the world a better place with the powers given to you or would you rather ignore your duties and risk things falling into turmoil? Adding onto the chaos that already plagues Balerion?”

Still, I kept quiet. 

“This role can and will be hard but, I along with the other spirits beg of you...take the role. Wear it with honor and be the one to lead Balerion into a new age.” 

An empty chuckle left me as I continued to stare at the bird who rested peacefully.

She did this to me.

Before? I never wanted to be champion; I only took the role because it was better than staying dead in pitch darkness. I just wanted to spend my life in the unknown, living life day by day as an adventurer who slept underneath the stars and made friends along the way! Exploring and helping from time to time suited me. But...as the universe continues to prove to me time and time again for no reason, it has weird ways of throwing someone towards a better fate. Something that suited and benefited them in the long run. Although I still felt the role of Guardian was a bit much, my original goal to help people?

 Never would it ever be that hard nor bad, helping this world reach a better age, much less helping out the forgotten? 

If I did it so much in my past then I might as well continue to do it now

. “...Quit with the pep-talk will you?” I sighed as I got up, giving myself a quick shake. 

“I’ll do it, I have no choice but to agree now don’t I Candy?” I continued with a small smile. 

“Yes- wait...Candy?” 

I nudged her body with my paw gently. “Your fur is pink, you look like cotton candy, besides, it’s better than calling you ‘spirit’. Especially when you have so much attitude.” I chuckled.

“O-Oh! I didn’t mean to-” 

"It's fine! Besides, you already said it, no point in taking it back now." I laughed before I started to trot off, my heart beginning to thump with a familiar feeling of excitement as plans began to run through my head like a starting car. 

The plan was simple...although I still had to convince Ryzel to let me participate in the war, in terms of being a Guardian on the side while leading the town? With the tiny dog’s blunt encouragement? I felt more confident in doing so until Ibis was all healed up and finally woke up! The town has proven time and time again that they could take care of themselves, they always had each other to rely on, and when things got too hard? Torin was always there to lead them like he always had. 

“Not to mention, it's not exactly fun to have everyone agree with what you say.” I chuckled before Candy and I finally reached the end of the waterfall. 

Candy snickered. “I'm sure you'll be having a lot of fun with the old Guardian's spirits then.” 

I rolled my eyes. “They're just tolerating me, I think they're all secretly praying that Ibis wakes back up in at least a day or two.” I chuckled.

However, once Candy and I had reached the slowly opening waterfall, causing me to say a quick good-bye to the tiny dog before I performed some small duties around the cave. From answering prayers and a few blessings of my choice, things that were surprisingly simple once I got the hang of it with the help of Ibis' spirits. It wasn't too much longer until I was finally allowed to go back outside! 

The feeling of snow being underneath my paws once more? I couldn't help but sigh before I shifted over to being a human, causing me to pull the cloak around my shoulders closer to my body. "Ah damn it." I cursed underneath my breath at the sight of the village in the far distance. 

I'd really have to work on that teleportation skill.

Nonetheless though, at the sound of trotting hoof steps, I was quick to turn my head before I grinned at the sight. Ares, a recently dead deer on his backside all the while Cronos was by his side. The events of the Sayri’s kingdom falling...it left me feeling pity for him, after all, he had revealed not too long after that he was sold to the kingdom as a slave! 

Either he fought for them until the day he died or he would be killed by a group of starved Incubi and Succubi.

Despite the centaur's protests at the time, I felt like it was good for him to have someone that looked like him to be around the village! Though the centaur would never show it most likely, I was certain that he must've felt lonely being the only centaur around the village all the time. 

“If it isn’t my favorite centaurs.” I chuckled, Cronos bowing his head a little while Ares merely narrowed his eyes. 

“What are you doing out near the forest?” 

“My teleportation is off as all hell right now.” I huffed, scratching the back of my neck. 

“More than that it seems, you’re beyond the burning tree,” Ares grumbled before he pointed his spear towards the tree in the distance. 

“She’ll get there, practice makes perfect,” Cronos said, his voice soft like a dove’s coo before Ares bent himself down a little to allow me to get onto his back. 

“That doesn’t apply to her, it’s been years and she still can’t match me in combat with a spear,” Ares said.

I could almost hear him rolling his eyes. 

“Spears are hard to use dang it! Maybe if you didn't constantly use your hooves to nearly stomp me to death then I would be better!” 

“I use my legs as a shield, if you can properly fight me then you can fight anything,” Ares said with a small scoff, placing his spear back into one of its slots before he crossed his arms. 

Suddenly although, I heard Cronos let out a small gasp. 

“By the way...Eos, someone was looking for you earlier. Someone with horns.” 

“Why would the Incubus be looking for her?” Ares asked with an annoyed tone in his voice. 

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, even now, even after knowing the clear fact that I was in a relationship with him and that I truly cared for him. He still didn’t approve of Ryzel! Sure, I was an adult now and didn’t really need his approval but...still, he needed to get over the superstition that Incubi were looking to stick their things into anything that moved. 

They were actually quite pleasant! A bit charismatic and flirtatious but, it only added to their charm. 

“He told me to tell you that he wished for you to meet him in the forest where the Daemonium tribe lives.” 

I cocked my head to the side a little, my head running through all sorts of reasons as to why he'd want to meet me there before a nervous bead of sweat went down the side of my face. 

I cocked a brow, my head running through all sorts of thoughts before...a nervous bed of sweat went down the side of my face.

Did I ever announce my relationship to his older sister? Everything in me told me that she had already known about us! But...what other reason would he want me to go there for?! Ortilla was nice, flirtatious, and playful like her brother but much calmer and more relaxed as well as willing to listen to people no matter what! Although I considered myself scummy for even thinking such a way, perhaps...perhaps I could convince Ortilla to convince Ryzel in a way? 

To participate in the war, even if it was for a short time was better than no time. 

I was desperate and this time? I couldn’t take no for an answer this time. I had to be confident that Ortilla would at least attempt to see my side of things. 

After all, I’ve been getting into fights this long without dying.