All Eight Guardians

Karri's P.O.V.

We had been traveling for about two days now and we were somewhere between the Kingdoms of Clover and Peace.

To the left of us was a baren wasteland and to the right was a ginormous forest.

The night before while we were camped out and resting, Roman and Knight told everyone not to go into that forest, known as the Forest of Fantasy, unless we really had to because strange things happen in there. Most people who enter don't come back out.

Up ahead I could see a group of people coming from the other direction. It wasn't uncommon to see other travelers, but something about the people coming toward us just didn't set right.

Nick sensed my discomfort and said, 'Don't pay any mind to them. They'll pass us and be in our rear view in no time.'

'Rear view?' I repeated, 'We're not in a car.' I said as I smiled and shook my head at him.

'Yeah...but I wish we were.' Nick said quietly.

'Unfortunatly, I don't think they are far enough ahead in technology to start producing cars here.' I replied.

'If I had the right tools I could practically build my own car thanks to all those shop classes I have taken.' Nick said.

'Sure...but there's one major problem with that.'

'What?' Nick asked as he looked up at me.

'I've never seen a wolf build a car before.' I said as I smiled.

Nick sighed and looked at me through the corner of his eye and muttered, 'Shut up.'

I giggled at Nick and then we caught up to the others just in time to hear the end of what Annabelle was saying.

"I just don't understand why we have to drag these weapons around if we never have to use them!" Annabelle said loudly.

"You carry your weapon for your own protection." Knight said.

"If you could learn to use it right you could probably protect yourself, that is." ROman added as he chuckled.

"I know how to use a katana just fine!" Annabelle growled.

"Do you? Do you really?" Roman asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! I really do." Annabelle replied, growing heated with ROman.

"Aahhh, excuse me?" someone questioned.

I looked all around until my eyes landed on the travelers who were supposed to pass us. They didn't. Instead they were all standing before us, blocking us from moving forward.

I noticed there were six of them, each of them having a different hair color to tell them apart by. They were all very buff looking and were all wearing the same clothes; they looked to be some kind of guard uniform similar to the kind Knight and ROman were wearing when we first met them.

The ravenette in the group stepped forward and asked, "Are you or are you not looking for the Guardians of Omega?"

Roman stepped forward and crossed his arms as he asked, "Who wants to know?"

"We are guards from the Kingdom of Ovation." the ravenette said, "We are under the orders of Princess Bristol to tell you to stop searching for the Guardians."

"How do you know we're searching for the Guardians?" Moose questioned.

A silverette stepped forward and replied, "Let's just say King Ode isn't the only one with a magic map."

Someone else had a magic map? That's impossible. If I remember right King Ode said his magic map was one of a kind.

I shook my head, "I don't believe you."

The silverette smiled a fairly creepy smile as he said, "We can show it to you."

There was no way I was going to go anywhere with those guards. They just seemed too suspicious.

I half smiled at them and replied, "No, it's okay. I'll take your word for it."

The silverette took another step forward and said, "It's alright. I'm feeling generous. I'll escort you to Ovation right now to see our magic map."

Roman looked the silverette directly in the eye as he said, "We're not going anywhere with you."

"Awh. Why not?" the ravenette questioned.

Roman shrugged his shoulders, "Oh you know, places to go. People to see. That sort of thing."

"And by that do you mean Kingdoms to search and Guardians to snuff out?" the ravenette questioned, "Sounds pretty boring if you ask me."

"Actually, I'm taking my friends to the festival in the Kingdom of Shade." Base spoke up.

"Shade?" a purplette questioned.

I nearly jumped because the purple haired male was standing on the other side of the wagon. I didn't even see him step away from his friends... He just sort of appeared.

"You don't have enough provisions to get there and back." the purplette continued.

"We were planning to get what we need to travel back home after the festival." Base replied.

The purplette shrugged his shoulders, "Well I s'ppose you can do it that way, but buying anything in any kingdom during or after a festival can be murder on your wallet."

"Yeah...we didn't really plan it out too well. It was like a spur of the moment kind of thing." Base said.

"We were told about this awesome festival currently going on in Shade and we decided to go check it out." I added.

The silverette smiled, "That sounds like a believable story." He then dropped his smile and added, "Too bad we don't believe it."

The ravenette signalled to his guard friends and said, "Round them up. We're taking them all in."

"Go into the forest!" Knight told us.

Annabelle tilted her head to one side, "But you said not-"

I know what we told you! Forest! Now!" Knight snapped. To proove he was serios, he smacked Lillix in the hand quarters and she took off into a gallop so the guards of Ovation couldn't catch her.

I turned to Base and quickly asked, "We're not gonna stand up and fight?"

"Guardians don't fight unless there is no other option." Base replied. Before I could say anything else, he snagged onto my wrist and we began to run into the forest. Along the way Base said, "We've got to get into the forest before they catch us!"

"Won't they just follow us into the forest?" I asked as I did my best to keep up with him.

Base chuckled as we entered the forest, "No, they're smart enough not to."

I paused and asked, "Wait, does that mean we're the dumb ones?"

"Don't focus on that. Keep running!" Base replied.

X-----X-----X-----X-----X-----X

After running for a while, Base and I sat down on a giant rock to rest.

I sighed, "I know we're in the middle of this forest thing, but where are we exactly?"

"I don't know." Base said.

"Where are the others?"

"I don't know."

"How do we get out?"

Base shrugged his shoulders and again said, "I don't know."

"Then what do you know?" I asked.

"I know this place is called the Forest of Fantasy. Those who do actually make it out tell tales of what they encountered inside. Everything from talking trees, to constricting vines. Enormous quick sand pits, and unbelievable large venus fly traps." Base replied.

"Wait, so you're telling me not only did we enter some kind of forbidden forest and we got seperated from the others, but now we also have to worry about going crazy if and when we do ever make it out of here?" I questioned.

Base rubbed the back of his neck and quietly replied, "Yeah, pretty much.

I sighed and was silent for a moment before I said, "...I wonder if the others are okay."