Guardians: World of Shadows "Keira! Watch your step on the ice! Richard, make sure your little sister isnt going to fall" said Mother. Richard sighed "yes mother, Keira, why dont you come inside? The snow is getting thicker and I'm freezing" he said walking towards the young Keira who ignored him, throwing powdery snow in the air. Snow and ice tumbled down the hill that surrounded the Manor, Richard looked up and a frown came across his face "Hello Richard, long time no see" said a low voice. "Adrian, go back home." Richard said, his dark green eyes hard as he grabbed Keira's arm and pulled the little girl towards him. "Aw, but I just wanted to say hi and introduce you to my little brother. Pyro, mom and dad have been busy and we havent been able to stop by. Also, your mother has had security high since little Keira was born" he said grinning at Keira. Richard turned and pushed Keira inside, glaring at the two. —————–—————————— 10 years pass by "Mother?! Where's Keira? She should be back by now?" Shouted Richard through the dark halls of the Schenee Manor. "Its the last blizzard of the season, it's always the worst!" Shouted Mother back to her oldest son. Richard growled "she's probably lost... Cant she just do what she's told to?" He said putting his coat on and strapping on his rifle to his back. He opened the large door and pushed through the icy blast that met him. "Keira! Keira!" He called the wind carrying his voice away, he made his way up the slope to the top of the hill that sheltered his home. A dark figure stood over another figure that was laying down on the ground, Keira turned to see her older brother. "Richard! Come quickly!" She shouted at him, fortunately he heard and came running up "what happened? Why are you out here?" He asked as he approached the two, he shut his mouth ad he saw his bloodied grandfather on the ground, wounded but still living. "We need to get him home" Richard said very worried, he picked up and started to drag his grandfather through the thick snow. Keira followed silently after them, she had no real connection with her grandfather and she rarely saw him. She guessed he spent lots of time with Richard before he became a Guardian. She had no idea what a guardian was but their job was to protect the people. They got home as clouds covered the sun and the wind picked up "Keira, go to your room." Richard ordered calling for Mother and Father. Keira sulkily made her way upstairs and opened her squeaky door to her shadowy room. She climbed onto her bed and sat looking at her wall, she lifted up her hand and the shadows started to move and form into shady beings. They moved but had no voice she sighed and flopped back onto her bed looking at the mirror on the ceiling, her blue eyes sparkling on the reflection as the shadows moved around her "why am I shut out all the time?" She whispered. Keira stayed in her room until night fell and the thin#moonstarted to rise on the horizon, she was so bored and wished she could go outside when a loud crash erupted below her, she felt the whole house shudder. Getting to her feet she raced downstairs and went in search of the origin of the noise. She went through the main hall and saw a flash of white light. She raced foreword her breath coming in short gasps she slid to a halt where the light came from. Three bodies of her parents and grandfather lie on the ground #lifeless but Richard was at the far end of the room cornered by two people the ground pulsed and a large dark green flame appeared next to Richard. Fear flashed through his eyes as the two took out knives "No!" Keira screamed and held up her hand, shadow rushing foreword from it in sharp icicle-like form, the two attackers ducked and the shadow pierced the green flame. Richard yelled in agony and Keira was plunged into the black abyss of unconsciousness. Keira blinked open her eyes to see a tall, thin set woman who had on long purple robes "Welcome Keira though we would have liked to see you later than this. Your older brother's death is a tragedy but I see a bright future for you." The woman said. "M-My b-b-brother's dead?!" Keira exclaimed backing away, her chest felt like it was crushing, a black flame came out from her "this is your soul, Guardians live forever as long as the soul is preserved. If the soul is damaged or reenters the body your #life will end, good luck" she said giving Keira a warm smile. Snow whipped her face as Keira was plunged into reality again. She shook her head, it was throbbing and her ears were ringing but she stood and looked around, the only thing se could see was grey and snow. She started foreword, having a little trouble in the snow rifts but got the hang of traversing the white powder. It had been some time since her journey started when she came upon a tall house that seemed oddly familiar, "what is this place?" She asked herself in a whisper. She was so entranced by the house that when someone called her name behind her she almost fell into the snow " Ack!" She exclaimed and turned around to see a tall boy with short blonde hair that stood up and spiraled together like a flame atop his head. "Keira? Is that you?" He asked his dark amber eyes glistening in the cold sunlight. Keira turned around "Pyro? Is that you?" She asked astounded he remembered her name, but he looked much older than when they last met. Pyro's face beamed "you're back from your journey! How was it, did you find the people responsible for Richard and your parent's deaths?" He asked awful chipper for such a touchy subject. "J-journey?" Keira asked confused. Pyro looked at her funny "your eyes....the-they're black..Keira, are you alright? You should probably get home to your aunt and uncle" he said starting to usher her towards the Schenee Manor. Keira pushed him away "I-I cant, Pyro I promise I will explain all of this to you but for now I need to find somewhere to lay low and I cant go home.." She said hoping he would understand and not press the matter. Pyro just looked at her with a sympathetic look and nodded "sure, you can stay in the barn." He said starting towards his own home. Keira breathed a sigh of relief as they went i to the cover of the barn, there was an unused stall at the end "here, no one should find you in here. We dont use this stall because some of the side boards are loose and rotten" Pyro said bringing in a bale of hay for Keira to lay on. He sat down on the floor as Keira settled herself on the bale of hay. "So, we haven't really talked" Pyro said awkwardly playing with a piece of straw "and your point is?" Keira asked him her eyebrow rising. Pyro threw the straw "well, I would like to get to know you better, who knows how long you're going to be here." He said looking up at her "Okay, what do you want to know" Keira said laying on her side getting comfortable. Pyro thought for a moment then perked up "what's your semblance?" He asked. Keira smirked, "if I show you mine, you show me yours" she said. "Deal" Pyro said. Keira sat up and held her hand out, the shadows around the room came together and formed the basic shape of a little girl. "Wow" Pyro said "so what is it exactly?" He asked "Umbrakenisis" Keira said and put her hand down, the shadows dissipating and returning to their origins "your turn!" Keira said laying back down. Pyro sighed and piled up a little bit of straw and set it on fire, he then moved the fire around the stall until it came back to him and vanished "pyrokenisis, thats where I got my name" he said giving her a sheepish grin. Keira cracked a smile. "That's nice" she said brushing her hair back. Pyro looked at his watch "well, its dinner time. See you later Keira" he said and took off for his home. Keira lay on her bale of hay in the stall, she looked out the end of the barn and watched the half#moonrise in the dark velvety night. She wondered where Pyro was, her stomach was starting to rumble with hunger. She stood and walked outside looking to see the top of her home, she longed to be there yet she couldnt. Never, she would never go back to relive her #life there. Her hand rested on the hilt of her rapier, she sighed and clicked the metal against her boot. Turning around to go back inside, blinding lights flashed out the windows of Pyro's home. She raced up the steep hill to the house and busted open the door. She made her way through the house to the back of it. Her heart plummeted as she saw a familiar scene. Pyro and Adrian along with the two impostors that killed her father, mother, and Richard. However, she was too late, the flame had already come up from the ground but it had not been penetrated yet. "No!" She screamed and unsheathed her sword, the shadows around them moved and entrapped the two attackers. They fought back ferociously and part of the house broke off and tumbled down the cliff that was next to the house. Pyro set fire to the shadows and the black ropes glowed with power. Keira rushed foreword and let the shadows return, one of the attackers, wearing white, went for Pyro and both of them toppled over the edge of the cliff. Keira slashed the other one and he fled away into the house. She looked over and saw that Pyro was gone. "Pyro..." She breathed and threw herself over the edge and aimed herself for Pyro. The white attacker was gone, which was odd, but Keira's mission was to save her friend. The wind buffeted her face and something inside her came a flutter. Suddenly her body was transformed into that of an oversized raven, she grasped Pyro with her talons and lifted him up. She slammed her head on the ceiling of the mannor. Both of them fell onto the ground, Keira pushed herself up rubbing her sore head "Ow..what was that?" She asked and looked at Pyro, his face was frozen in horror. She followed his eyes and saw Adrian, who had sunk to the ground his flame was gone and he looked #lifeless. Pyro suddenly became enraged and threw a large fireball at his home, he turned and advanced on Keira "You said the flame couldnt be damaged! And it wasnt! Unless you let THEM harm it!" He shouted he was standing over Keira. "They never touched the flame..However, if it reenters his body he would have died..I have no control over that" she said trying to stay calm. Pyro growled at Keira and turned back to his dead brother "now what?" He asked still furious. Keira sighed and felt like she was being sent back to when Richard was murdered. "I-I guess you'll be the next Guardian.." Keira said as a warm orange and yellow light came from Adrian and engulfed Pyro. Many minutes passed and soon Pyro came back into the real world and he seemed to have more of a warm glow to him and warm waves rolled off of his body. "Well?" Keira asked and Pyro looked at her his amber eyes now like little embers glowing in the dark. "I'm the new guardian of Fire.." he said kind of shell shocked. Keira nodded and jumped as a flaming piece of wood fell behind her and the large house moaned, struggling to hold itself. Pyro grabbed Keira's shoulder "we need to go" he said and both of them raced out of the flaming and crumbling building, snow battered their face's as they dove into the fresh powder. Pyro looked behind him to see his home collapse to the ground in a blazing fireball. He turned back to Keira "well now what? We have nowhere to stay" he said getting up and brushing himself off. Keira sat in the snow, the cold not bothering her too much. She pondered for a minute then remembered the moment she first became a Guardian, that woman obviously knew what she was talking about and probably would keep both of them safe. "I know where we're going" she said and looked out into the black distance, somewhere out there was a sanctuary where they would live forever. "Lets start our journey then" she said and transformed into her Raven form. Looking expectantly at Pyro who was looking kind of flustered "uh....do I transform into a raven too?" he asked. Keira blinked and flew into the air, not able to communicate with him. Pyro took a deep breath and leaped into the air expecting to feel the wind through the feathers he was going to grow but instead he landed hard on four paws, a flowing mane on his neck. His body was golden and lithe, he was a lion. Keira swooped down and Pyro leaped onto the raven's back and both of them made their way through the blizzard. They traveled for 3 straight days, flying past villages, towns, and cities with ease. They had entered an area that was said to be remote and uncivalized. Keira was exhausted but pressed on forth, not wanting to rest until she had found the woman she met with, Pyro said that their was a woman when he became a Guardian. As both were flying over a flat plain Keira's wings gave out and her and Pyro fell to the ground and rolled across the grass until they finally stopped. "Keira, next time give a heads up" Pyro said picking himself up "Keira?" he said looking around, the tall grass waved in the breeze. he stood up and brushed his golden hair out of his face "Keira!" he shouted and slashed at the grass frantically. He stepped on something squishy and looked down to see Keira at his feet, he kneeled down and held Keira in his arms, she was unconscious but alive. He sighed and looked around there was nothing in sight except for grass and shrubs. Pyro stood up and slung Keira over his shoulder, starting to go in the direction they were going on foot. The sun was dipping behind the horizon when finally Pyro collapsed of exaustion. The ground had short grass and lots of sand. He laid down and closed his eyes, drifting off into the soft waves of sleep. Pyro yawned and sat up he rubbed his eyes and blinked to un blur his vision. He was in a lavished room that was elaborately decorated, he was covered in blankets and a table with a glass of water was next to him. Pyro blinked again "where am I?" he asked and got out of the bed. Keira wasnt in the room with him. He saw his two long knives on a table. He picked them up and tucked them in his belt in the back. He then walked out of the room cringing as the wodden board creaked and moaned under his weight. "Pyro?" A woman asked, she was behind him. Pyro turned around "uh...yes?" he said cautiously. The woman held her hand out "I'm Jessica, Head Guardian."
