Theodore

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MrCIA
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Theodore

Post by MrCIA »

A little story I wrote after being inspired by this picture. Sweet Halloween Dreams

Theodore


He awoke at the fall of night, as his kind always and only did in this world. He was an old soul, one of the oldest of his kind. A Warden of the night for uncounted generations. He looked around his surroundings carefully, searching for anything out of place. He had long since abandoned the humor in trying to find something out of place in a child's room as he focused on searching in the dim light across the clutter for any clue of his ancient foe's return. It had been years since it had last shown it's ugly head to Theodore, and even though he had been victorious on that night it had almost cost him his life and the life of his ward. Theodore had come out of it with a few new stitches to add to all the old ones. His ward however was almost taken. Never before had he come so close to losing one of those he protected. Compared to that evil night the lesser Daemons and wraiths that came in the night were nothing more than practice for the ancient protector.

Satisfied that nothing was trying to pierce through to this place he sat up in the bed and stretched, his body sore and stiff from the lack of movement during the day. Once he had climbed up to his favored perch on Alexandra's headboard he closed his black eyes to better perceive his wards mind. Humans had such lovely mind glows, bright and full of color. So bright in fact that when they were awake they could hold off even the most determined and powerful of foes from his own realm without even noticing the existence of them. When they slept it was another matter entirely. The glow was diminished as they lay in their beds and dreamed and a particularly powerful Daemon could penetrate to them and feast on their sanity. Children were far weaker than an adult and Theodore's people had decided that protecting them was vitally important. So he and his fellow wardens took up their long nightly vigils to protect those who could not protect themselves. The duty was not without it's own advantages though. Not only could Theodore could often see and share in Alex's dreams through the connections they shared. Everything from bright flights of fancy to dark and terrible nightmares. He had now lived far longer than anyone of those he had grown up with and opposing the enemy, where ever it might show itself, was a task worthy of any champion.

He sat back down on the headboard and focused his will on the line connecting him to his ward. It was reaching its peak strength. She was getting old enough to properly understand that he made her safe from the things from beyond what her parents knew about. That knowledge, subconscious though it may have been, would tie them together in a bond that would follow them both for as long as they both lived. However nothing last forever, and the glorious bond between them would far to soon start to fade away as her mind grew away from such childish things as what went bump in the night. Soon after she would have no use for protection as her sleeping mind would have grown strong enough to protect her even without a warden present. Though the bond would exist till the day they died.

That time was thankfully still many years away for him and Alexandra. Looking around at the room filled with the detritus of a young girl, he smiled gently at the half remembered dreams he had of the times when his ward and the world around them was awake. Snippets of conversation, flashes of images were all he had ever been allowed to see of the world as the humans saw it. In this particular instance it was of a mothers gentle admonition that perhaps Alexandra would like to have a cleaner room. Apparently his ward had decided differently.

Theodore's attention snapped back to the here and now when his finely honed senses told him of approaching trouble. His gaze moved around the room searching for whatever was wrong, and it did not take him long to find it. Something from his own realm was trying to get into this reality. Focusing his considerable will upon the would be intruder he felt his eyes widen as recognition struck him. So the old foe had not been vanquished after all. He stood gracefully on the headboard and drew his sword and his shield in preparation for the struggle to come. He watched as the border between the worlds was warped and torn by the approaching Daemon. It arose from the floor. Slowly, painfully tearing it's way through to the realm of the humans. Theodore stood on his ward's headboard and waited patiently for it to finish.

“It has been a long time, Theodore.” The great maw, filled with razor sharp teeth, hissed and spat the words, clearly not designed for speech. The Warden stood a little straighter and stared into his opponents malevolent eyes.

“Never long enough Dragu. Return and I will let you live.” The Warden responded and pointed his mighty sword at the foe. The beast smirked, it's grotesque visage contorting in a twisted parody of enjoyment.

The strike came without warning. A claw sharp and large enough to cut a full grown human in half slashed at Theodore. Hoping to catch him of guard. It was a blow fully expected and just as easily blocked. The Warden let the blow glance of his shield and pass over his body harmlessly. He swept his sword down to block the next blow from the Daemon. The enormous claw striking sparks from his blade as it passed harmlessly by. With a twist and flick of his wrist Theodore's blade dug deep into the hand driving the claw. Muscle and tendon were sliced cleanly through until the blades edge found the joint the Warden had been aiming at.

With a roar of pain and anger the beast stepped back clutching its left hand. Black viscous blood flowed freely from the stump that was all that remained of it's finger. The severed claw lay twitching against the far wall of the child's bedroom for a few moments before vanishing in a puff of oily violet smoke. With a snarl the great beast moved in again. Determined to remove this champion so that he could feast on human innocence. But whenever he attacked there was always a block, a dodge or a counter attack from the diminutive Warden. Slowly the two great warriors worked away at each other. No more the rash open attack. No more the easy counter of an arrogant opponent. They had the measure of the other now and neither was willing to flee. Instead they both embraced the battle with all their formidable will. Thrust and counter, attack and avoidance. For seeming hours the battle lasted. Both of the opponents scored on the other. Though they each managed to resist well enough that neither took a crippling blow.

The great beast Dragu was bleeding from a score of slashes across his body. One had come so very close to ending the battle when it passed within a cats whisker of his right eye. He in turn had opened the Warden twice. Dragu pulled back from the battle. Just far enough to pause and plan for his next move when a quick glance out the window told him that dawn was rapidly approaching. He growled his frustration at his inability to get to the sleeping child in front of him. He knew he could have taken the Warden if he had only a little more time. But time was something he did not have anymore of. The opponent before him was still strong and still able, despite the gash Dragu had opened up on his leg.

“Run away Dragu. The sun will come up soon. Or have you forgotten what happened to Slestral?” Taunted by his opponents words the great Daemon snarled his defiance and lashed out in rage. The blow was faster than could be seen, with more power than any mortal would have believed. He had however forgotten that his opponent was not mortal either, despite the pathetic little body he inhabited. The Warden's sword flashed and the Daemons hand struck the wall behind the headboard. A terrible scream of pain and rage filled the room as the Daemon fell back, grasping at the stump that was all that was left of his right hand. A violet wisp of smoke flowed out from under the child's bed.

“I will come back for you little Warden, and I will feast upon her.” The great beast promised. Snarling and growling its rage and frustration it began to sink below the floor to return to whence it came.

Once the Daemon had gone, and Theodore could feel that it was not a trick. That the room and house was yet again quiet. He sat back down with his weapons crossed before him. His eyes closed in pain and fatigue. The link was still there and no harm had come to hos ward. Theodore could feel that the parents were waking up, and would soon come in to wake Alexandra for a bright new day. His weapons found their resting places before he climbed down and snuggled into his wards warm embrace. As the sun came over the horizon and the parents awaking mind glow pushed his own conscious mind further down towards sleep he thought one last thought before falling asleep.

“Not as long as I live Dragu.”
"When in doubt, assume everything is fucked."
"Life is better when you have a stick."
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DaZergRock54444
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Re: Theodore

Post by DaZergRock54444 »

That was good. You weave a very good battle: Not too detailed as to bring one down into the mire of the nitty gritty, but detailed enought that we see exactly what is going on. I hope to see more.
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LadyTevar
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Re: Theodore

Post by LadyTevar »

That was a perfect story to fit the drawing. Have you shown it to the Artist yet?
Image
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MrCIA
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Re: Theodore

Post by MrCIA »

Thanks for the positive comments.

Yeah, I asked for the artist permission before I posted the story on deviant art. He has yet to comment on it and I can't say for sure if he has read it though.
"When in doubt, assume everything is fucked."
"Life is better when you have a stick."
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madd0ct0r
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Re: Theodore

Post by madd0ct0r »

slightly over descriptive for my tastes, but well written nonetheless.
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