Saker

From the depths of the Tangled Wood, the Shadowbinder has approved of another gladiator to fight in her name.

The oldest/youngest in his parent’s first clutch of eggs, Saker was destined for glory. He was born in the Southern Icefield and trained by the cold, harsh winds to be greater than his parents and carry on their legacy. Saker showed hints of his father, Onyx, a strong Guardian gifted with combat tactics and strength, who won the favor of the Shadowbinder and battles in her name. While Saker’s sibling learned magic with their mother, Saker and his father spent days in the desolate cold, training endurance and stamina. Soon, he began to loathe the freezing wastes and longed for a warmer climate.

After journeying back to his parent’s lair in the Scarred Wasteland, Saker learned that sometimes, wishes do come true, though it wasn’t what he expected. The Scarred Wasteland was, sure, a warmer climate, but it wasn’t exactly what Saker intended. The blazing sun glaring upon the red soil was almost too much for the poor Guardian to bear. Nevertheless, he pushed on. Saker and his father wandered the Abiding Boneyard daily to fight beastclans and learn survival skills. At this point, Saker had become quite the skilled fighter, and was very intimidating. Before anything could happen, however, Saker’s father wished to have the Shadowbinder’s approval of his child; bragging rights, as you might call it. The day dawned upon the frightened Guardian. It was the very first time in his life that he had ever felt scared or anxious. Saker knew, of course, how large of an honor it was, to be approved by a god. As his father entered the heart of the Tangled Wood, the shade-ridden General at his side, Saker knew what must be done, and timidly followed the pair.

As the three entered the large clearing, the very first thing that Saker’s father and the General did was sink to their knees before the shadowy mass lurking in front of them. Saker tried to do the same, though he stumbled before regaining his balance, and, with a feeling of absolute dread, Saker heard a slimy chuckle at his stumble.

“Isssss thissss the child?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Full of potential… I ssssee the fighting sssspirit. Very well. Saker hassss my blessssing. Go on, young Guardian, and fight assss a Gladiator in my name.”

Finally looking up, Saker witnessed the goopy mass that was the deity that lay in the clearing. With a dark laugh, the deity waved an arm and dismissed them.

”Thissss will not be the lassst you sssee of me, Saker. In a time of need, you will fail the ones you love most. Be wise and heed my words, Gladiator.”

And with that, Saker’s heart sank. He was the only one who heard the whispered words, drifting on the wind. Saker’s father beamed at the blessing, though he did not hear the prophecy delivered by the god. As they turned to leave the clearing, Saker was startled by a fading tundra standing next to the murky deity.

”Be wary, Saker, for I give you Hope. But remember,


t͉̅ͬͬ͜h̨͚̬̣͇͉͗̅͑ẹ̔ͬ̋̈́̍ ͍͕̙̼͔̳̋S̻̟̯̆͂ͬ̽ͯh͉̰ͨ̓̎̐͘a̮̮͉̳̲͑̃̿̃ͤ̀d̷̥͈̺͉̒̂̍͊̋͋o̊̃ͨ͠w̴b̗̰̭ͤ̎̂̑i̵͙̰n͎̰̣ͮd̶̳̲͈̳͇̦̩̊ͣ̊͗͒ͫ͌ḛ̫̪̪̝̂̃̿ͧ̐͢ṛ̞̫̋̐̋̒̚'̠̪̬̆ͪ͝s̅̆͢ ̫̼̺̍̌̌̕c̛̥̗̣͔̗̯͉ͣͯ̊͊ͣȟ̪̤̩̲̠̇ͧ̏͊͂ͤi̟̟̖̐͜l̳̱̥̫͚͕̘͞d̼͈͆ͥ̆́̇ͩ̚r̸̫ė͇̪̙͉̦̩̋nͤ̊̓̽ͩͦ̊҉̱ ̮̥̲̝͕͓̠ͤ̏̌̚͘a̶͖̬̜̗͙̫̠͋ͭͫͦ̒l̡̋͐̂ͧͬ͌ẇ̦̥̀ͤa҉̩͇y͖̳̹͚͙̯͘s ͎̗̰͕͔̰̈́̆͊͐̒̆͜c̹ͤ͂̍̅ͮõͨ͋̒ͫ҉̩͎͔m̘͉̗̣͇̯̳͐̓̈́̓̅͗ͥe̷͓̤ͭ͒̈ ͚ͫ̅ͣͨ̋̎h̅̄͢o̸̫̪͈̟ͫ̈m̞̼̯̘̮̜ͪ͗̉̎͑̅̅e̫̫͖̍ͬ͗͌̽͑́.̴ͫ͌ͮ”

Disturbed, Saker glanced back towards the Guardian and Imperial leaving the clearing. When he turned back, both deity and tundra were gone. Frightened, the Guardian scampered after the pair.

Upon returning to the clan, Saker walked around with a new view of things. The thought of failing his clan, his family, his friends loomed in Saker's mind. He took to meditating alone in the darkest parts of the laboratory where the clan lived; honing his skills and practicing fighting. He came up infrequently, and distanced himself from his clanmates and even his father, who NAME had once relied upon heavily. Soon, everyone had forgotten the bioluminescent creature that had once been so loved. Only his parents remembered him and upon a trip to the main rooms, Saker's father broke the news that his brother had left the clan to pursue dreams of sorcery. Devastated, the Guardian retreated to the depths for longer and longer, before he had decided to pack up his things and pursue a new life, one where he would be remembered for who he was, and not for being honored by a deity.

With a small satchel of food and the few belongings he owned, Saker bid a final farewell to his parents and went on his way. Saker decided a hike through the Tangled Wood was perhaps better than being drowned by water dragons or blown away by wind dragons, and started off in that direction. After an hour or so with no contact, a noise in the eerie silence stopped Saker right in his tracks. It was the Tundra he had met in the Shadowbinder's clearing all those years ago.


"t͉̅ͬͬ͜h̨͚̬̣͇͉͗̅͑ẹ̔ͬ̋̈́̍ ͍͕̙̼͔̳̋S̻̟̯̆͂ͬ̽ͯh͉̰ͨ̓̎̐͘a̮̮͉̳̲͑̃̿̃ͤ̀d̷̥͈̺͉̒̂̍͊̋͋o̊̃ͨ͠w̴b̗̰̭ͤ̎̂̑i̵͙̰n͎̰̣ͮd̶̳̲͈̳͇̦̩̊ͣ̊͗͒ͫ͌ḛ̫̪̪̝̂̃̿ͧ̐͢ṛ̞̫̋̐̋̒̚'̠̪̬̆ͪ͝s̅̆͢ ̫̼̺̍̌̌̕c̛̥̗̣͔̗̯͉ͣͯ̊͊ͣȟ̪̤̩̲̠̇ͧ̏͊͂ͤi̟̟̖̐͜l̳̱̥̫͚͕̘͞d̼͈͆ͥ̆́̇ͩ̚r̸̫ė͇̪̙͉̦̩̋nͤ̊̓̽ͩͦ̊҉̱ ̮̥̲̝͕͓̠ͤ̏̌̚͘a̶͖̬̜̗͙̫̠͋ͭͫͦ̒l̡̋͐̂ͧͬ͌ẇ̦̥̀ͤa҉̩͇y͖̳̹͚͙̯͘s ͎̗̰͕͔̰̈́̆͊͐̒̆͜c̹ͤ͂̍̅ͮõͨ͋̒ͫ҉̩͎͔m̘͉̗̣͇̯̳͐̓̈́̓̅͗ͥe̷͓̤ͭ͒̈ ͚ͫ̅ͣͨ̋̎h̅̄͢o̸̫̪͈̟ͫ̈m̞̼̯̘̮̜ͪ͗̉̎͑̅̅e̫̫͖̍ͬ͗͌̽͑́.̴ͫ͌ͮ"

With those words, Saker ran. He ran right out of the Tangled Wood, and into the Sunbeam Ruins, startling a few light scholars in the process. The Tundra stood on the boundary between the two regions, groaning horribly. The scholars frowned at him and whispered. One scholar, however, stepped away from the group and up to Saker. The bogsneak stared at him.

"You don't seem familiar with these parts."

"I-I'm Saker. I've never been here before."

"You don't look like the other refugees from the Tangled Wood. Hm. There's something about you."

"I don't-"

"And judging by Hope over there, you're definately wanted by the Shadowbinder. You're coming with me. No questions."

"But-"

"We're leaving."

Left with no other choice, Saker followed the yellow bogsneak to the Shifting Expanse. A new clan welcomed him, and it was there that he started his new life.