SquidgeWorld Archive

The Guardian
by Scorpio

"The world wasn't always like this, you know."

"Yes, Sire."

"Before the Hellmouth was opened everything was vastly different. I'm not too familiar with what the human's claimed it was like in the small village I found you in, because human oral tradition varies widely around the world, but it's pretty much consistent in the demon communities. The facts stay the same, it's only emphasis that changes."

"Yes, Sire."

"You see, for hundreds of thousands of years, humans were the dominant species. Not that they were *better* than us, mind you. They just outnumbered *all* demonkind by about 50,000 to 1. Humanity eventually built this huge sprawling civilization that covered the entire planet while demons lived by their wits and scarce traces of magic in the deep shadows. In fact, demons were considered to be myths, mere imagination by the time the Great Revolution happened."

"What *really* happened Sire? The elders of the village I originated from never told us much detail. Only that human's had been betrayed and that demons overran the world. That a sacrifice of one man saved us all."

"That is pretty much true, but there is a lot more to it than that. Human's were betrayed. By one of their own. As legend tells it, it was a man who had studied the magic arts. The *dark* magics that were forbidden. Some say that a demon prince he contacted on the neither plains drove him mad, other's say that he was tortured by his fellow humans for his secrets. A few even say that he went insane from love unrequited. Only the Guardian knows for sure, and he refuses to speak of that time. However, *all* agree that the human was called Rayne."

"How did this Rayne guy betray all of humanity? I mean, what did he do that opened the Hellmouth? Why didn't the Guardian stop him?"

"Ahhhh, that's just it, my darkling. There *was* no Guardian at that time. There was a Slayer."

"A Slayer? As in only one?"

"Yes. Originally, humans only needed one Slayer. Humans were dominant, you see? That time, right before the Hellmouth opened, there were two. For the very first time in history, there were two. *That* should have been humanity's first clue that things were beginning to change, but as I said, by this time, most of the humans simply didn't believe that demonkind existed at all. In fact, the man destined to become the Guardian was the one who has brought about each new line of Slayers, starting with that second line before the Hellmouth opened."

"Now there are ten."

"Yes, childe. Now there are always ten Slayers. Ten times the Guardian has pulled a Slayer back from death. Ten times he has split the bloodline and created another."

"Why?"

"It is part of his destiny. The Guardian is neither evil or good. He is so old that even he no longer knows how long he has stood at his duty post. Both Angels and Devils whisper in his ear. The only physical creatures he will even acknowledge stem from the bloodlines of those who stood by his side during the Revolution."

"What happened, Sire?"

"One of the Slayers guarded the area around the Hellmouth. At her side stood her Watcher, her sister, two witches, a Master Vampire of the Order of Aurelus and the man who was destined to become the Guardian. When Rayne attacked, he used his dark magics and many demons that he had recruited. He also used trickery. They didn't figure out his true plan until it was too late. Rayne opened the Hellmouth and all sorts of demons and devils were set free from the lower plains."

"But that was good? Right?"

"Yes. And no. It was good in that it tore the veil of illusion off of humanity's eyes and revealed demonkind to them. It also strengthened our numbers sufficiently that we haven't had to go into hiding again. Humans are now the hunted prey they were always meant to be. However, if the Hellmouth had stayed open *too* long, it could have destroyed all non-demonic life on the planet. No animals, no plants... no humans. Everything would have starved to death."

"Ugh, not a pleasant thought."

"No, it's not. So, they were desperate to close it. Unfortunately for the Guardian, there was only one way. Someone had to literally sacrifice themselves to become a living plug. They weren't quite sure what it would do to the person who was sacrificed, but it was the only way. Locked in indecision and arguing over who should do it, the Guardian dashed away from the group and jumped into the Hellmouth while screaming the words to the incantation."

"Holy shit! That's...that's..."

"Crazy? Brave? Stupid? Unimaginable? Yes, it is all those things. Yet, he did it. It didn't kill him, however, instead it bonded his life force to the Hellmouth itself. It also bonded him to the Gates of Heaven. He can never die, he can't be killed and any injury he suffers heals at an astounding rate. Nothing can get out of Hell or Heaven. He blocks the way."

"What about when people die? It's kinda creepy thinking that all these ghosts are just hovering around here, you know?"

"Yes, childe, I know what you mean. As far as I know, the Guardian ushers all dead beings on to their final destination. Dead evil goes to the lower plains and dead goodness goes to the higher plains. But only because *he* wills it to be so."

"Fuck!"

"Yes, childe. Exactly."

*****

I wasn't sure what I expected to see when we finally reached the Hellmouth. Some part of me thought that it would look like the rubble of the ancient human cities. We passed two of them on our journey here. They were these huge tracks of land where nothing grew. Just these unbelievably tall rusty metal skeletons towering hundreds of feet over our heads. Huge chunks of stone and concrete laying all over everything. Broken glass and twisted debris. Nothing recognizable, even the things that were in relatively good condition.

But the Hellmouth hadn't been anything like the Fonix Ruins or the Luz Veegus Ruins.

Part of me expected it to be a demon-mecca filled with various style buildings, both above ground and underneath. With many different species of demons scurrying about, rasing armies, teaching or performing strange and fascinating magics and open markets filled with a wide selection of bred humans and cows and dogs. The dense smoky air filled with the odd scents of herbs and blood and energy as dozens of languages were shouted out loud in an effort to be heard over the ever present din.

But the Hellmouth hadn't been anything like Dal'is or like Sand Burning Dinos was.

It was empty. Barren. The forces that swept up out of the demon dimension had wiped clean the very face of the earth with it's awesome power. Perhaps, right at first, there had been heaps of rubble and ruins for miles around. But that was several millennia ago.

Now, there was nothing. No grass, no plants, no birds, no animals and no demons. Just emptiness. Lifeless rocky soil under a cloudy gray sky.

And a stone palace.

An *immense* stone palace. Stuck smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

"Sire?"

My voice shook. I couldn't help it. I was afraid of this place. Very afraid. It wasn't like anything I expected or knew how to deal with.

"Yes childe?"

"Are...are we going... *there*?"

"Yes childe. Do not fear. The Guardian will not harm you. But he must be allowed to know you and you must meet him. You are of the Order of Aurelus. It is tradition."

I swallowed passed a suddenly dry throat.

"Yes, Sire."

*****

I tried not to tremble too noticeably. I *had* been here before, after all and my childe needed me to be strong. Brave. But it was so hard to do. I was terrified. Even though I know that the Guardian would never harm us. It was our fate to be his tools. And he always took care of us.

The same carved stone gargoyle that had led my own Sire and I through the castle when I had been but a fledgling led us through this time. It was all the same. Nothing here ever changed. Special courtyards filled with Greenhouses to grow plants with the aid of magic. Special barns and holding pens for livestock. Lots of rooms and libraries, all filled with ancient luxuries and the most modern of things meshed together into a truly awe inspiring eclectic look.

And the cats. Huge predatory cats with knowing sentient eyes. Watching. Ever watching. Hiding in the shadows, only to suddenly slip free of them, brushing passed me, touching me. Making me want to scream in fright.

They were the *true* legacy. The last gift that the Guardian could bestow. To family. And *only* to family.

The Guardian considered all those who stood with him during the Last Apocalypse to be his family and all those that descended from those warriors were granted this final choice. When death hit them, they had to chose. The Afterlife, or life as a sentient telepathic hunting cat.

I can't help but shiver whenever I see one of them.

Then we were there. In the Guardian's inner sanctum. He liked to sculpt. He created all of his stone gargoyle servants with his own hands and his own magic. And that was what he was doing when we arrived. Creating life.

He was tall, human looking, for that is what he was before he bonded his life-force to both Heaven and Hell. Dark hair streaked with silver, dark eyes streaked with unfathomable knowledge and pain. He was heavily muscled, most likely from wresting his creations from unyielding stone, but he wasn't overly big, or out of proportion. His skin and clothing were covered in a fine layer of stone dust.

Then he turned to face me. He seemed somehow sad. I don't know why. Maybe tired? Who knows. His is, after all, millennia old. I would say lonely, but he was surrounded by at least 50 large cats. Those who had chosen to stay on the material plain, with him.

"You have returned, Sabrina. Welcome."

I tipped my head in acknowledgment and smiled my most charming smile. Trent shook in fear besides me.

"Yes Guardian. I have come to present my childe before you."

"Ahhh."

The Guardian didn't put down his tools, but he stopped his carving and turned his dark mysterious eyes to the fledgling, a soft smile hovering about the edges of his full lips.

"Speak your lineage boy."

The words were spoken softly, but there was no mistaking that an answer was expected immediately.

"I am Trent, Sired by Sabrina. Who was Sired by Mikhail. Who was Sired by Lydia. Who was Sired by Joseph. Who was Sired by Tara. Who was Sired by William. Who was Sired by Drusilla. Who was Sired by Angelus. Who was Sired by Darla. Who was Sired by he known only as The Master. I am Trent, of the Order of Aurelus and I bestow upon the Guardian of Earth my second death and the ashes which shall mark my passing. Do you wish them now, my Lord?"

A long moment passed. It was the Guardian's right to stake my childe and claim his ashes right here and now. If my heart had still been beating, it would have stopped right then as we waited. Finally, he answered.

"No Trent, of the Order of Aurelus. I shall take your ashes only when your Sire or your own childe someday delivers them up into my hands."

I couldn't help myself, I sighed in relief.

The Guardian turned back to his carving then, ignoring our presence as if we weren't even there. I knew that we had been dismissed, but if we chose to, we would be welcome to stay in his home for as long as we wished. He would not turn us out. That didn't mean that to stay here would be anywhere near pleasant or fun. But we would always be welcome.

I was just about to turn and lead my childe away when one of the large cats rose from it's warm place by the fire. It was beautiful. Large, sleek and sensuous with deep gold and black markings on it's fur. And it's eyes...they were the most striking color blue and they held a wealth of knowledge in them.

The cat stretched it's body, extending it's razor claws once, twice, and then it strolled over to the Guardian and rubbed up against his legs. The Guardian looked down with a distracted expression on his face and spoke to the cat.

"What Spike? Oh... oh yeah. No problem. I forgot."

The Guardian turned back to face us again. I flinched slightly and hoped that it wasn't too noticeable.

"Oh, Sabrina?"

I pasted on my smile again.

"Yes Guardian?"

"I would ask a favor."

I winced internally, but refused to show it on the surface. The Guardian was well known to heap lavish rewards for favors done for him, but those same favors were often deadly. However, I couldn't refuse. I was of the Order of Aurelus, and thus, my very life in the demon community was under his protection. Only Slayers, sickness and natural causes such as sunlight weren't visited with his wrath for the final death of a member of my bloodline.

"Of course, my Lord."

He smiled softly again, but that didn't reassure me.

"Go up north to what was once called Washington State. There is a small human community of magic users that live outside of a city now known as Cas-cain'id. Be wary, they are demon hunters. One of their High Priestesses is family. She will be tiny physically, but strong in magic. Her hair will be as fire and her eyes like newly blossomed leaves. She is simply called Clarissa."

I frowned slightly in thought. That was a long journey, but a fairly safe one for the most part. With the exception of a few human settlements, almost the entire coast was populated by demons.

"Yes Guardian. And what should I do with her once I have found this... Clarissa?"

His smile wavered slightly.

"By the time you reach her, she will be big with child. Bring her to me."

I blinked as the true nature of the favor settled into my mind. The risk was not in journeying *to* Clarissa, but in bringing a heavily pregnant human to *him*. Passed hundreds of thousands of miles of demon territory.

"Between your fighting and hunting ability and her skills at magic, you should be safe enough. Especially once you come across the Slayer."

I hissed. I couldn't help it. There were ten Slayers in the world, but only one would honor the pact between the Guardian and the Order of Aurelus. I could only pray that it would be she that the witch and I ran into out there. I was pulled out of my thoughts by an odd ringing sound. Looking up, I saw that the Guardian had gone back to his sculpting and that the large cat, Spike, was laying at his feet purring.

A strange feeling of anticipation settled into my gut and I felt a mild compulsion to travel. Vaguely, I wondered if this compulsion was from my own need to get this over with or if it was a spell set upon me by the Guardian. In either case, Trent and I had a long way to go.

Turning, I gestured to my childe and he followed me silently as we left the inner sanctum of the Guardian and began the first leg of our adventure.

The End: The Guardian