The Gentle Guardian

Mystery ych for magarnan

Well, well, well. I was painting in the dining room, dad passed by and ask
"is it Budda?"
Then mum replied
"no, budda has a big belly"
So basically... It was not because this is a tiger with stripes and claws, no, it's because he is not fluffy (i don't remember Budda being so fluffy anyway). XD

Ah. Enjoy.
Hope you like this mystery pic as well!

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Narrative by Magarnan

Kiron walked softly through his favorite grove, deftly avoiding the low hanging branches in his path, intent on reaching the small lagoon at the heart of the grove. It served as a getaway for the tiger, a place he could retreat to ruminate and center himself in the quietness of the forest. And today, Kiron needed that, for great woes lay upon his mind.

"Why should I bother", the tiger whispered to himself. "Why should I gift them with the power which I carry”? He muttered as he reached the lagoon. Sighing heavily, he sat down at its edge, and peered at his reflection in the water. His movement did not go unnoticed, however, as a trio of bluebirds on a nearby branch were alerted to him presence. Uncertain of the tiger's intentions, the two adult birds and their young chick huddled together in their nest for fear of the tiger. Kiron, however, did not notice the rustling birds, as he'd fallen deep into his musings and concerns for the future.

Kiron extended one of his massive paws over the water and held a single claw over above it. "They seem to know naught but cruelty." He dipped his claw into the water, forming a ripple from his finger which opened to an entirely new scene. Instead of his reflection on the water, the smooth surface of the lagoon seemed to show the scene of a battle. Dark armored silhouettes maneuvered across a field to a nearby village. Closely behind them, massive siege weapons lumbered their way on the roads that dotted the landscape. Yet, the vision seemed to approach the town the assaulting force bore down upon, it was not the scene of a battle, but instead it was a vision of a slaughter. There was no opposing army, nor even an organized defense. Instead of fighting other Soldiers, the dark figures could be seen bursting into homes, looting, pillaging, and outright murdering those they ran across. Kiron watched sadly as none escaped the onslaught, not the young, not the old, nor the feeble, none escaped the blade. As the killing subsided a brief stillness returned to the scene. The stillness, however, was interrupted by bright flashes of orange and yellow as the marauders used their siege weapons to burn and demolish the town, ensuring that no witnesses would survive. Kiron bowed his head in a lament for the loss, and waved his claws over the lagoon, causing the vision to disappear.

Behind the tiger’s slumped form, the bird’s nest stirred. The young chick, curious at the unusual scenes emanating from the lagoon inched forward, in an attempt to get a better glance of the commotion within the water.

Kiron, still unaware of the small creatures observing him, continued his musing towards the water. "And if they are not outright cruel, they are just indifferent to the plight of their brethren..." He dipped his claw into the water again, causing a ripple to reveal a new vision. In this one, the border between the city commons and a rundown slum were shown. Strewn along the border of the slums sat blister laden beings, begging with outstretched arms for food and medicine. The miserable wretches clearly had not eaten or bathed in days, and some bore wounds that seemed to fester at the lack of treatment. Though Kiron could not smell anything that occurred in the vision, a chill went down his spine at imagining just how atrocious the odor must be. Yet despite their destitute state, Kiron observed that none would help those lined along the streets, instead many of the more fortunate beings passing through would cover their noises with some form of fabric as they passed, speeding their gait to hasten them away from the undesirables. Kiron shook his head and waved his claws over the water clearing the vision once more.
Scratching his head in frustration, Kiron’s tone grew into a dull roar. “Are there none who are worthy?!” He demanded of the lagoon, and began to dip his claw in the water once more, attempting to find some vestige of kindness or compassion within the world. Yet to his disappointment, only a scene of cruelty and indifference appeared before him. Frustrated, Kiron dipped his claw into the lagoon again, and again, and again, snorting in frustration each time as each scene was just a variation of the last. Cruelty. Greed. Indifference. Corruption. No shred of decency could be found in his search.

In his frustration, Kiron rose his arm as though he were to strike the lagoon, for its inability to provide him a vision to convince him to give of himself to the world. His arm, however, connected instead with the branch on which the nest sat. The impact caused the curious chick leaning out of the nest to lose its balance and fall chirping in panic into the lagoon.

On seeing their offspring fall helplessly into the lagoon, the adult bluebirds leapt from the nest, emitting their own panicked chirps at the young bluebird, flopping helplessly in the water. A surge of a guilt surge through Kiron, for he knew full well it was his fault. Bending down, he gently scooped the floundering avian from the water, and channeled a warm soothing energy through his body to calm the creature.

“I am sorry friend.” Kiron expressed to the young creature. “It seems I am not the one who gets to pay for my failures.” Silence returned to the grove, as the soothing aura surrounding Kiron calmed the adult bluebirds as well, removing any fear of harm to their treasured young. Gently holding the chick in his paws, Kiron stared deeply into his reflection on the water. “And to not act would be failure…” his voice trailed off momentarily, taking a moment to glance at the fragile life he held in his hands. “A failure that would cost all those who cannot stand for themselves.”

Kiron stretched his free paw over the lagoon once more. “Perhaps it is not about what I give to them.” Kiron mused, as he dipped a single claw into the water. This time, the ripple of the water opened to show a single being, a young German Shepherd whose ears still flopped downwards. The young canine appeared to joyfully scamper amongst the rocks of an ancient ruin along a shoreline. Kiron smiled gently at the being he beheld. “Maybe, it is about what I can teach instead.”