Light, Dark, and Balance - A journal

Journal Entry 1

I’ve never been very good at journaling, but being a human tribute to the Water Guardian, it’s part of my job to record major events that take place here. This is to be a document for those who wish to understand our world and why things happen the way they do. I live in a world called Stātera where nature is governed by spiritual entities known as guardians. There are nine guardians in this realm: Water, Earth, Nature, Dark, Light, Lightning, Moon, Fire, and Air. Each guardian has a human tribute who learns how to control their element. 

When a human arrives in Stātera, all the guardians who don’t have a tribute gather to see who the human will pick to serve and learn from. The most recent human to arrive was Nate. He’s tall with black hair and in his early to mid 20’s. When we learned of his arrival, Lady Water had sent me to record which guardian Nate chose. The two guardians present were the Light Guardian and the Guardian of Darkness. Each guardian has a shape humans have used in mythology for characters or creatures of symbolism. Light arrived as a great golden lioness and Dark as a large black dog who switched between having one head and three. Nate stood between them in a field, carrying a journal in his hand. After introductions were made and a minute of deliberating, he chose Dark.

Now Light was the only guardian left without a human tribute. When Nate decided to align himself with Dark, her fur glowed with a cold jealousy. After pinning back her ears and growling at Dark, she turned and left, her golden tail swishing back and forth. Dark led Nate away to his home in the caverns. When I returned to Water’s Lake and reported who Nate had chosen, she sighed, a sound like bubbles forming under water. 

“She’s always had a campaign against Dark. I fear that Light won’t let go of her grudge so easily.”

~ Tasha

Journal Entry 2

The other beings that live here aren’t humans, but manifestations of different elements known as minions. They spend their time serving the guardians and protecting the land from outside threats. Each minion takes on a form that represents their guardian but retains their sprite-like shape. Lady Water’s minions are blue and their forms are constantly moving like flowing water. Dark’s minions are made of black smoke and Light’s embody pure white light. 

Before humans arrive on Stātera, they study each guardian and their realms. This makes the choosing of who to follow simple and short. As tributes, we are to train with our guardians until we master everything they have to teach. Then, we return to our world to put those skills into practice and help keep the world alive.

Journal Entry 3

There is a small town run by minions where us human tributes can buy food and materials. It’s a frequent place to hangout when we aren’t training. Yesterday I had an encounter with Nate while in town. He found me sitting under a tree reading about ice techniques and asked if he could join me. He had his notebook tucked under his arm and a thick black book open in his hand. After introductions, he sat down beside me.

“How is your training with Dark going?” I asked.

“It’s going well. You were in the field when I chose Dark, weren’t you?”

“I was. It’s my job to record new recruits when they choose their guardian.”

“Which guardian do you serve?”

“Water.” I bookmarked my page and closed my book. 

“Why is it your job to keep a record?”

“Every time a new tribute arrives, the guardians pick one experienced tribute to record the event and any significant occurrences after. This time I was chosen.”

“I see. How long have you been here?” 

“Just a few months. I had to pick between Water, Dark, Light, and Nature. Water was the best fit.”

He paused for a second, looking around to see who was nearby. “Is Light always that angry when she isn’t chosen?” he asked in a low voice.

“Only when it comes to Dark. Now she is the only guardian without a tribute and I think she’s embarrassed by it.”

“That doesn’t give her the right to be mad at Dark.”

“No,” I sighed. “But that’s who she chooses to be angry at. I’d be careful if I were you. Light can’t directly intervene with your training, but you never know what her minions might do.”

Journal Entry 4

It seems discourse is not limited to the human race, but runs between guardians as well. There have been whispers among the minions that Light is jealous since she is the only guardian without a tribute. In her opinion, Darkness doesn’t deserve a human. She herself cannot act on this, but her minions could. Dark is keeping Nate close, doing his best to ensure nothing will happen to him, but he knows that Light’s minions are stronger than his during the day. Thus far, Nate has heeded my warning and is always very aware of his surroundings when I meet him in town. With Water and Dark’s permission, us two tributes train together at an underground river near the edge of Dark’s realm. We learn how to camouflage in fog and shadows and we spar with each other using ice and weapons made of darkness. Through our training, I can fight in the dark better and Nate is getting a stronger understanding of shadow manipulation.

Journal Entry 5

We’ve received news that Nate was taken by Light’s forces just as dawn broke. Despite Dark’s efforts, his minions were overpowered. Now a battle is waging at the Fields of Illusion where Nate is being held. When I arrived this morning, Water stepped out of her lake and came towards me. Her dress and long hair swayed like seaweed underwater. She carried blue armor in her arms and presented them to me. 

“Put these on, then take a horse and ride to Dark’s caverns. Tell him you are to record the battle between his and Light’s forces. If you choose to rescue Nate, use your powers to help him escape. Take him to the river where you train. He’ll be safe there.”

I donned the armor and rode for Dark’s caverns. He was pacing back and forth in his tunnels, all three heads uneasy. He calmly listened to Water’s plan and nodded. 

“I will keep my remaining minions at the ready and wait for you at the river.”

I rode quickly for the battlefield. Lists of techniques and water spells ran through my head as I parted the fog around me.

Journal Entry 6

I made my way through the forests to the battleground. Using the fog. I was able to shroud myself and move along the edges of the field with ease. Most of the fight was happening in the middle of the field, a large cloud of darkness surrounded the armies with lights flashing all around. Dark and light spells flew in all directions and minions turned into the puddles of shadow and sunspots when they were hit. Eventually they would turn back into their original sprite form. 

Taking a deep breath, I charged into the darkness and was immediately met with minions from both sides. It was like fighting in a thundercloud. All that was missing was the rain. The fog kept me cloaked as I navigated around spells and brawls. Nate sat in the middle of the darkness, guarded by many of Light’s minions. They shined like a beacon in the storm. Several groups of dark and light minions battled between us. 

As I maneuvered around a clump of light minions, a light ray struck me in the arm, causing the fog to fall away from my arm. I quickly drew the fog back around me, pushing my horse into a canter away from the brawl, ignoring the burning sensation on my arm. I squinted my eyes as I neared Nate. He was throwing shadows at his captors, trying to keep them from grabbing him. After I closed the distance between his guards and myself, I looked for an opening where I could charge in and grab him. 

The light minions packed together like sardines, forming a wall between Nate and me. Seeing no way in, I thought of another idea. Backing away a bit from the fights, I sent small bits of ice floating through the air towards Nate, guiding them around the minions. A few dark minions were attacking the pack from behind, giving me a distraction. The ice drifted forward. One landed on Nate’s arm, another on his cheek, and the third floated in front of him. He watched the ice float past him and touched his arm before looking in my direction. I sent more ice so he could see where I was and then formed it into a horse briefly. He nodded before turning his attention to his adversaries. Using his shadows, he pushed a path towards me until the minions boxed him in again. 

Tightening my horse’s reins, I waited for an opening to form and then charged. Forming a staff of ice, I swung it at the light minions, knocking them out of my way. When I was close enough to Nate, I laid the staff across my lap, dropped the fog from my arm, and reached out for him. His hand grasped my forearm as I pulled him onto the horse behind me and we charged through Light’s minions. They shot at us with light weapons as we ran, shrouded in fog and clearing the way with ice and shadows. Once we made it through the pack, I cast an ice wall behind us in an attempt to slow them down. We then galloped out of the darkness and into the woods.

Journal Entry 7

Got away from Light’s minions. Nate is fine, all things considered. I have a few cuts and minor burns from the scuffle, but nothing serious. We made it through the forest, but Light’s surviving minions were soon on our tail. Nate cast dark spells when he could to take some out or slow them down. After an hour of hard riding, we made it to the river where we trained. Dark was waiting for us, all three heads growling and his eyes ruby red. 

“I will take care of Light’s minions. I have the right to guard my realm from their reach,” his middle head said.

We dismounted from the tired horse, our muscles stiff and achy. On the horizon, a great beam of light was growing in the night sky like a rising sun. Hundreds of Light’s minions surged forward with their weapons raised. The dozen or so dark minions that were left stood beside Dark, armed with shadow weapons and ready to fight. Dark sent out a wave of energy, knocking the first few rows of minions to the ground. The rest continued on top of their fallen comrades, reducing them to puddles of sunspots. 

“Dark may have fewer minions, but he’s more powerful than them. Especially now that it’s night.” Nate said, watching Light’s soldiers fall as shadows reached out of the sky and ground to pull them off their feet. 

“He shouldn’t be the only one fighting them,” I said. Stretching my arms forward, I felt the water in the river behind me form into a huge wave that flew over Dark’s head and crashed into Light’s forces. The next waves grew dark as Nate sent his shadows as passengers to immobilize the soldiers once they landed. After a few minutes, only a few of Light’s minions remained. Held in place by shadows and Dark’s minions surrounding them with weapons, Dark approached and spoke with his red eyes burning. 

“You will tell your mistress that having a human tribute is something us guardians have no control over, that by taking another guardian’s tribute doesn’t change who that human is aligned with. I understand her frustration and disappointment, but choosing to harm others to get what you want is never the answer. If I ever hear or see evidence of your forces attacking a member of my realm again, I will reduce all of you to puddles and send you back to your mistress in a vat. Do I make myself clear?”

The minions nodded vigorously, fear wide in their eyes. The shadows released them and they wasted no time scampering back to their mistress’s home. Dark’s three heads morphed into one and his eyes no longer glowed like a fire. He turned to Nate.

“Did they harm you?” he asked calmly. 

Nate shook his head. “Just a few scrapes. Nothing to fuss over really.”

Dark nodded before turning his attention to me. “And you?”

“I’m no worse for wear.”

Dark’s expression softened and he motioned for his minions to return to the caverns. “I hope this experience hasn’t made you hate Light, but instead helped us all learn something from this. Just because you feel you are entitled to something doesn’t mean you always get it. Nor does it mean that you should take something away from others because you feel they deserve it less. I think that is a lesson everyone can learn.”