Tenra

This story was written for a Halloween Trick or Treating event.

The newly knighted Guardian studied his reflection in the sparking lake. His platinum armor gleamed, and he proudly grinned. "Today is the day where I, the valiant knight, protect the noble lords and beautiful ladies from the foul creatures of the night!" he boomed, startling a pair of roosting birds in a nearby tree.

He galloped off into the trees, his armor clanking and ratting with each step. Maybe the noise would serve to frighten off the demons and ghosts that so frequented this day of Halloween.

Trees whizzed by as he ran, keeping his senses alert to any possible dangers. Luminescent eyes would gleam at him from the forest occasionally, but they did not attack, so he left them alone.

He skidded to a stop when a frightful roar, followed by a terrified scream, echoed around the woods. Where was it coming from? His head swung around, trying to trace the source of the noise even as it rebounded off all the trees. Then, something flashed in his eye. To the left of him, a swarm of small rodents raced out of the undergrowth, around his feet, and fled to the other side of the woods. A few deer bolted out of the woods afterwards, their eyes rolling and tails sticking straight up. They too vanished into the undergrowth again, leaving the Guardian standing alone in the middle of a small clearing.

The underbrush rustled again, and something cried out. Another deer staggered from the bush, eyes rolling, but it stumbled and crashed to a halt in front of him. It did not move again. The Guardian stared at it, wide-eyed, as the rear half of the deer was being stripped away before his eyes. Flesh, organs, even bone, were ripped away in layers and simply vanished into the gloom. He backed away from the deer, glancing down as he did so.

Shadows stretched unnaturally across the ground, shifting and grasping. A few almost resembled claws with far too many digits or gaping mouths with multiple tongues. If that was what had consumed the deer, he certainly did not want to find out first-hand. He sucked in a deep breath and blew out brilliant flames all around him. The shadows recoiled from the light and magic of the fire, but he knew it would only keep them at bay for as long as the flames existed.

Shuffling to the side, he snatched up a long branch that flamed merrily on one end in one of his golden gauntlets. Running on three legs was not particularly difficult, and he wanted his fire available in case more shadows blocked his way.

His armor clanked continually as he raced through the woods, his eyes flicking to the sides to keep track of the shadows. They followed him, staying out of the radius of light, but close enough that he could see eyes, claws, and teeth. Far too many teeth.

Ahead of him, he could hear something. Laughter, music, and the sound of many dragons talking. A celebration, perhaps. Finally, he broke out into a clearing. Many dragons and hatchlings frolicked there, the cave mouth festooned with colored lamps.

He slid to a stop, nearly bowling over a group of hatchlings that were excitedly chasing after an insect of some sort. "Get inside!" he roared. "It's not safe out here. The shadows are coming!"

"The shadows?" scoffed one dragon. "That's just a fairy tale made up to scare young hatchlings into doing what they're told. Go to sleep, otherwise the shadows will eat you! Stop harassing your brother, you know what the shadows do to bad hatchlings," he mocked. The Guardian ground his teeth as many dragons burst out laughing.

He strode forward and slammed his forefoot down next to a half-eaten deer. The dragon who had mocked him jumped and paled slightly. With a screech of abused armor, the Guardian snatched up the deer, twisted, and flung it into the dusky edge of the clearing. As soon as it passed the light's boundary, the carcass rapidly disintegrated and vanished. "A fairy tale, huh?" mused the Guardian, turning around to face the crowd of dragons, many of whom were as pale as their colorings allowed.

A moment passed where everyone just stood, motionless, and stared and him. Then, almost as one, they turned and fled towards the cave entrance. Mothers snatched up oblivious hatchlings, and many dragged their protesting siblings towards the lair. The Guardian turned back towards the shadows, slowly creeping ever closer.

Suddenly, his eyes widened. A lone hatchling, tiny enough to get lost in the taller grass, was stuck near the outside of the clearing. A grasping shadow reached out, slavering mouths eager to consume all that was flesh. Another deep breath, and flame blasted out, not touching the hatchling but repelling the shadow that encircled it. As the Guardian reached the hatchling, the shadows snarled at him, the sound a distorted amalgam of all the creatures it had ever consumed. "A Voice-stealer," the Guardian marveled, eyes wide. One of the most dangerous varieties, it could easily lure in other prey by using the voice of a dragon it had already devoured.

The flames were already dying down, so the Guardian snatched up the hatchling and sprinted back to the lair mouth. After depositing the baby into the safety of a grateful mother's arms, he turned back around. Already, the clearing had been halved, the shadows creeping forward, not even deterred by the weak light of the lanterns festooning the cave.

The Guardian tuned out the whimpers of the dragons in the lair behind him and dug his gauntlets into the soil, feeling the rich, black earth sifting through them. "Great Mother Gladekeeper, please hear the call of your loyal servant. Protect us from the grasping darkness and keep us safe until day."

The shadows were so close now, he could hear their victorious hissing. Ten feet away…nine…eight…

Then, he felt it. A shift in the soil beneath him. "The Shade take you all," he muttered grimly. Something thick and green burst from the soil underneath him, revealing a giant plant stem with massive leaves that grew almost instantly. Gigantic sepals peeled back to reveal white petals, and then the flower opened. A blast of blinding light filled the clearing, and even the Guardian had to shield his eyes through his helmet.

When the spots cleared from his vision, a gigantic snow-white sunflower sat in front of the cave, glowing brightly and lighting up the clearing as if it were day. In the distant recesses of the woods, a massive misshapen creature made entirely of shadows glared at the flower, its eyes promising a terrible retribution. Then, it dissolved and was not seen again.

The Guardian stared out at the clearing, searching for shadows before he finally spoke again.

"Do not mock the shadows on this night of Halloween, for this is when their power is the greatest, and only magical light can repel them until morning, when they shrink back into the deepest darkness from whence they came."

Then, the Guardian turned back to the lair, hiding a grin at the dozens of goggling eyes. He took a moment to compose himself before speaking.

"Is everyone alright?" he called. Many of the dragons could only nod.

The Guardian smiled underneath his helmet and nodded. "Very well then. Now, I bid you good night, and Trick or Treat!."