Gideon

Gideon - Mighty Warrior.

“Oh you want to find out about my past? It's nothing interesting really. Both my parents were Guardians. I was a only child born in the Scarred Wasteland. They raised me until I was old enough to go searching and found Belladonna, my charge. Boring aren’t I? Haha… Anything else you need from me?”

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Gideon was born in the Scarred Wasteland with a almost clear view of the Sea of a Thousand Currents. Or at least that's where he hatched. Digging himself out of the ground where his egg was superficially buried he huffed looking around the almost empty terrain getting a tad overwhelmed. He then heard a quick intake of breath releasing and becoming a soft murmur from behind him. It did not sound threatening, in fact the noise brought instant comfort to him. He turned around looking into the deep blue eyes of a large female guardian laying eye to eye with him. He bounced a bit at the sight of her, then calmed a bit nudging her snout.

She chuckled nudging the small boy back before rising from her resting position to a sitting position looking down at him. “Ah aren’t you handsome, young lad.”, she said with a toothy grin pawing Gideon gently, as if she was inspecting him. “Hmm what shall I call you?..” She contemplated while allowing him to attack her paw playfully. She mouthed the beginning of names before shaking them away while watching him. “Ah! I have it!”, she said excitedly scooping him up and raising him the air. Him being surprised at first but quickly turning into joy as he spread his wings letting out a small roar. “Gideon! Perfect name for a resilient hatchling like yourself. I can already tell how mighty you will be.” the Guardian said cheerfully as she watched him stretch and flex his wings.

Gideon wiggled in her paw eventually managing to drop from it landing softly on the ground and attacking her other paw biting at it a bit too hard. “Okay how about we save that for hunting practice.” She said sternly pushing his chin up to look at her. Gideon looked up at her happily having a little trouble staying still, but not taking his eyes off of her. She smiled down at her small hatchling with the most loving, caring gaze of a mother.

“What are sitting up for Ara? I told you to lay low til I got back.” A male Guardian with bright red eyes said with a deep slightly hoarse voice. He approached from behind Gideon’s mother staring at her quizzically but with a glint of care. He carried a bag around his waist filled with food items taking them off and almost dropping the bag on Gideon, his mother pushing him gently out of the way in time.

“...Well Eric. Um remember our only surviving egg from the raid on our old den. The one you told me to leave behind cause it would be a burden.” Ara said with a nervous smile looking at the the male guardian with her soft blue eyes. “I may have snuck it with us here..” She said gently picking up Gideon and showing him to Eric.

“Agh why Ara?! Your not in proper health to raise a little one. And you can’t possibly expect me to stick around for him if the worst happens…” He said with anger and worry looking at Ara then turning his attention to Gideon. He glared at the small hatchling seeing him as more of a threat to her then him as a son.

Gideon squirmed trying to hide from his father's glare his mother quickly setting him down and to her side covering him with one of her wings. “Now you listen hear Eric.” She said sternly glaring back at him now defensive of her little one. “This is our child born from you and me. That means a part of me is him and therefore also your charge! If I do pass before he is grown you must teach him how to survive and act as a Guardian. Only then is your job with Gideon over!” She spoke fiercely though quickly her breathing got a bit shaky.

“Fine Ara. Only for you cause it's what you want… But you and I both know that isn’t really how charges work.” Eric said with a much calmer tone to attempt to calm her down. He sat down in front of her gently brushing his paw against hers looking at her with care.

“I know but if you really love me and care for me like you say you do every day. You will do this for me.” Ara said her breathing calming down and folding her wing back in exposing Gideon.

“So Gideon is his name?” Eric said looking at the small Guardian who was still unsure after his father's small outburst. “Good choice. Kind of goes with guardian.” He said with a slight laugh. “So I’m guessing he just so happens to be your charge that we have been searching for for so long… Judging by your actions.” He said looking at Ara curiously.

Ara smiled awkwardly knowing it had been a long search for her own charge. “Yeah when I saw his egg all alone I had a feeling and now that he’s here I know. He’s my charge I will protect him until the day I die… Which is hopefully where your gonna help me after I’m gone or until he is old enough for the Search at least.” Ara said looking at Gideon with concern.

“I will I promise.” Eric said bitterly moving closer to Ara and nuzzling against her neck glancing down at Gideon with anger and sadness in his gaze.

A few years later Ara passed from a unknown illness she had picked up in the Wastelands. Throughout those years they had gone to multiple healers in every flight searching for a cure, but only found ways to numb the pain she was in. She still did her best to raise Gideon with love, kindness and compassion. As she died she begged for Eric to care for their son, her very last words being “I love you Eric, don’t let me down.” She died holding Gideon in her arms.

Eric roared in pain watching the last breath leave his charge, his love. Tears dripped from his face as he looked down at her. Spotting Gideon in her arms he growled grabbing him and throwing him to the side in anger. “This is all your damn fault!” He roared at the boy, eyes filled with rage and sadness. “I wouldn’t have to still be here if it wasn’t for you!” He roared raising his paw and striking down against the boys face.

Gideon cried out as his father's claws pierced his skin leaving a gash on the left side of his face. Blood mixed with his tears from the loss of his mother he could hardly see out his left eye. He scurried to a nearby rock leaning against it looking at his dead mother from distance with his good eye. He whimpered softly but not too loud not wanting to make too much noise as his father sobbed over his mother's dead body.

“I’ll protect him Ara. I’ll protect him by making him one the toughest Guardian that has walked this wasteland.” He said bitterly over his charges body.

Eric buried his Charges body in a cave that in turn became his den, so he could protect her even in death. He kept Gideon with him in the cave, but never showed any affection towards him. From then on Eric began teaching Gideon how to protect and care for himself in the wastelands. He taught him how to hunt and gather, but would always ridicule him or beat him when he made a mistake. When it came to combat training Eric took every opportunity to take his anger out on the boy. Whether he was fighting Gideon one on one or throwing him to savage packs of mirrors or other ruthless foes they encountered. Always stopping only when the boy looked almost close to death.

Years later when it finally came for Gideon to go on his Search, his father had one last task for him. “Gideon. I have done what my charge, your mother asked me to.” Eric said watching his son as he got ready to leave. He smiled slyly getting up and moving a bit closer to him. “That means my time for ‘protecting’ you is over.” Eric said with a bit of a growl.

Gideon stopped filling his bag and set it down tensing up a bit. Eric launched at Gideon, but his training had worked. Gideon slid back and slammed Eric down with his claws piercing Eric's cheek. “Don’t get up old man. Or I won’t be so generous.” Gideon spit out at his father glaring down at him. He then grabbed his bag and turned to leave without so much as a second glance.
“Ha you think your being generous?! Living with you has been torture, death would be far more generous!’’ Eric roared slamming into his son from behind. Eric fought with murderous intent attempting to hit Gideon’s weakest point.

Gideon for the most part countered each blow attempting at first to subdue him, but then he realized his father was relentless and would not stop til he was dead. He began fighting with all the anger built from the years of abuse. He roared cutting deeply into his father, the two shaking the walls of the cave, it threatening to collapse with each collision. Gideon finally gave in with a pained roar as he dug his claws into his father's throat crushing it. His father fell and Gideon stood their watching as his father choked on his own blood. He sat down exhausted glaring at Eric’s body, but quickly his eyes filled with tears. Years of sadness and anger pouring out as he sat in front of his father's dead body. He buried his father next to his mother in the cave, grabbing his bag and exiting the cave. Before starting his journey he turned around one final time and slammed his body into it causing the cave to collapse making it very difficult for anyone to ever uncover.

While on his search Gideon was internalizing his guilt and anger from his upbringing. Anyone who attempted to jump him would quickly realize the severe mistake they made. He was very quick to react in fury, exhausting them in battle before explaining what they did wrong then he would usually end them or rarely he would let them scurry off with a missing limb or nearly deadly wound. Eventually he became slightly well known around the wasteland some unfortunate souls seeking him out to prove how strong they were. Most never lived to tell their ‘heroic’ tale and those that did well they usually never spoke of what happened and if they did it was a cautionary tale. The one detail they weren’t able to tell was the name of the Guardian so most just called him the Endless Searcher deriving from a silly backstory some dragon made up. Little did they know, or even he himself knew, his search would come to an end very soon.

Less than a year later he found his charge while wandering the Scarred Wasteland. It was one of the most euphoric, but strangest moments of his life. Quite the odd sight a mirror risking its own life to protect a lifeless corpse. Not something he was use to seeing for sure. None the less he quickly moved into action his father's training paying off quite well as he quickly dealt with the other mirrors. He wasn’t sure if his mirror charge could communicate so he just helped her with whatever she was doing. First he had to make sure her wounds were fixed up properly and she attempted to cover his scratches which were not nearly as severe as her wounds. Then he helped dispose of the corpse she was protecting, burning it so no other scavengers could attempt to eat it. As she began walking off he just followed her not seeing any sort of weirdness at first. Then she attempted to scare him off in which he just tried to smile as friendly as possible. The she said “Why are you following me?”. He became very glad they could actually communicate and thought everyone knew what a charge was so he blatantly and happily said “Your my charge.” She started running away yelling about how no one is in charge of her which startled him a bit, but he wasn’t going to lose his charge that easily so he ran after her trying to explain himself.

At first Gideon was just thinking it would be a friendly relationship with his charge, but quickly fell in love with this odd mirror. Every day she became more comfortable with his presence. Giving him more trust and wanting to learn more about his approach to life though she herself was making it change for the better day by day. He told her everything about himself, every disgusting detail and she accepted it without any judgement. They found solace within each other.

As for Gideon’s parenting approach, it was far different from his father's though similar to what his mother’s would have been. He was strict but loving and caring. Never letting his children feel abandoned or unloved. His partner has a bit more trouble showing affection, but he can tell she tries.




Ara/Mother


Eric/Father