The Way of Guardians

Prologue

"No, Elijah!" chastised Elder Eilmar, "you must remember your breathing exercise! Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Hold. Yes! Now, feel your Spirit Essence!"

Elijah sighed in frustration before closing his eyes and beginning his breathing techniques. As he began to focus more, he could feel his Spirit Essence increasing. "I think I got it!"

"Good, now concentrate so that you don't lose it!"

"Right!" Elijah nodded and began practicing the Second Form of Protector's Fist.

Elijah had only been accepted as a pupil in the Exalted Guardian Society just a few months prior and found that he was struggling behind the other pupils almost right away. Becoming an Exalted Guardian was not his first choice as far as careers went. He considered himself to be much more of a historian or scholar rather than a Cultivator and a being responsible for the protection of Earth, however this path was not chosen by him, but rather for him, it seemed. When he was just a teenager, Eilmar came for him and brought him to the Exalted Guardian Temple and put him to work as a servant before he could be accepted as a pupil of the sect.

Among Elijah were two other pupils who were selected, both teenagers like himself. Of the two, Elijah liked Hakkon the most. Hakkon was ambitious, yet humble, and although he excelled beyond Elijah at a much faster pace, he always took the time to give him some tips along the way. In many aspects, Elijah recognized him as a big brother.

Everyone grew silent and stopped their training as Sage Sovereign Barnath stepped foot in the training grounds area of the temple. "Hakkon," spoke the old sage, "come with me."

Hakkon exchanged glances with Elijah before nodding obediently and walked towards the Sage Sovereign.

"Interesting... It appears the Sage Sovereign has selected his prime disciple," Eilmar stroked his beard as he watched the young man follow behind the leader of their sect.

Elijah smirked to himself, proud of his friend as he went back to practicing Protector's Fist Second Form.

"No! Sage Sovereign!" came the shriek of one of the Grand Elders of the sect as soon as Hakkon and the sect leader were out of sight.

"What is it? What's happening?" Eilmar and the other Elders flew from the training grounds to see what was going on.

Elijah blinked as he and the other pupils slowly followed behind their mentors to see what all the fuss was about.

"Hakkon! How could you? What did you to do him?" cried another Grand Elder he pulled at the end of his beard in dismay.

Hakkon stood over Sage Sovereign Barnath with a bloody, red glowing dagger in his hands that appeared to be absorbing the Sage Sovereign's blood with each glow it emitted. Hakkon wore a grim smile of satisfaction as he looked up from the Sage Sovereign who laid on the ground before him, seemingly paralyzed as he lay there frozen, grasping his heart, where he had been stabbed.

"Seize him immediately!" shouted the Grand Elder as the other Elders all became surrounded with different colors of aura, exposing their powerful amounts of Spirit Essence that they had built over the centuries. Each Elder was more powerful than the next and together they surrounded Hakkon, some of them producing Spirit Fetters, which were thick chains made from pure Spirit Essence that were able to restrain an opponent and weigh them down, preventing them from fighting or fleeing.

The Grand Elders all charged at Hakkon, casting the Spirit Fetters at the young pupil, who simply raised the bloody, glowing dagger and sneered as a crimson red shield-aura formed around him, deflecting their attack.