Candlelight (And Charlie)
He opened his eyes. The world was a great big place, fulls of strange shapes and colors he had never seen before. Although, to be fair, he had never seen anything before.
The young sapling looked around with bright-eyed wonder. He fixed on another small, green being that looked a lot like he thought he himself probably looked. It was rubbing it's eyes and searching around nervously.
He got to his feet, stumbled, and tried again, determined to say hello to his companion. Before he could make it very far though, a shadow fell over the two tiny beings. He fell down, while the second Sapling squeaked and dove to hide in some grass.
What was casting the shadow was a third creature, though he wasn't green and he seemed to be missing his leaves. Was it fall already?
"Hello little ones" The Giant said warmly. "Welcome to the Green Groves."
The Sapling felt like he should say something to be polite, but discovered he did not know how to speak. So he settled for sitting down with his legs crossed, while his fellow peeked out from their hiding place.
"You are Saplings of the Treefolk, liberated from some nasty... well, I'll tell you when you're older" The Giant explained. He had a warm smile. "Me and my wife have agreed to take you in. I'm told you're from the Battle Caste, but I couldn't tell if Starborn was joking or not"
These were a lot of words the Sapling did not understand. So he just raised his branches and mimicked the man's arm movements. The Giant chuckled and sat down on the grass himself.
"I don't see your sister any- Ah! There she is" he said as the second Sapling finally came out of hiding. "You know, one day you'll be as big as these guys. And then I won't have any trouble finding you!"
The first Sapling looked around at the trees that ringed in the grassy clearing they sat in. It seemed impossible that he could ever be THAT big. But, he decided as his sister cautiously climbed into the Giant's hand, he probably had a few months at least to grow.
*
100 YEARS LATER
He was no longer a sapling. Now pushing four feet, and with a full beard of moss, he felt like an adult, as most adolescents usually do. As he walked through the woods, searching for his sister, he couldn't help but still feel dwarfed by the trees around him.
"There you are!" He called at last. "The visitors are almost here, Charlie. Da and Mum want us back at the house"
His sister dropped down from the branches she had been attending. She was only about half as tall as him and much leaner, with hardly any leaves or bramble. She could almost pass as Human!
"You should grow more," He bluntly told his sister as they started walking back side-by-side. "Stop spreading your roots so thin"
"And YOU, Candlelight, need to remeber there are more important things than being tall" She shot back. "Do you know that almost this entire planet is desert and sea? Green Groves is practically the only forest!"
"You're planning on covering the entire globe?" Her brother scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure we can do that"
"I'm not either" Charlie said, just as a noise directed both their attentions to the sky. "Come on, that's them. I'll race you!"
The two took off running as a small cruiser appeared in the sky above them, heading directly towards their home. By the time the siblings had made it there on foot, the strangers had already disembarked and were talking with the Treefolk's parents.
There were a half dozen of them, all taller than Candlelight's Da. But then again, his Da had been much taller years ago, before he had bent like a tree in a storm and his skin had grown wrinkled like his children's bark.
But his smile was as warm as ever as he spotted the siblings and beckoned them over.
"This is Candlelight and Charlie" Their Da said, beaming with pride.
Candlelight looked up at the strangers. They were all wearing big, heavy coats and wide brimmed hats. They did not look like the pilgrims or monks who usually visited, but like hard men and women of war, soldiers.
"Hey there" The Captain said, bending down on one knee to look the two in the eye. Charlie wanted to hide behind her Da's legs but bravely stayed rooted to the spot. "Your Father tells me you two have been getting up too some trouble."
"No Sir" Candlelight said quickly. But the Captain had a twinkle in his eyes.
"Trouble-making isn't always a bad thing" He said. "In fact, I indulge in it pretty frequently myself. You've been sneaking out of the Grove, to hunt Skorpions?"
Candlelight and Charlie exchanged embarrassed looks.
"We got to big for the ones in here" Candlelight muttered.
The Captain and their Da both chuckled.
"Yes, I suppose you have" Their Da admitted. "You two were created to fight. BUT... you were raised to defend, to protect those who can't protect themselves. You are too be Guardians, never forget that"
"Just like us" The Captain agreed, straightening up and unsheathing a sword. "I'd like to train you, to be Guardians. If you're willing to work hard and always fight for what's right, that is."
The two Treefolk eyed the sword.
"Do we get one of those?" Charlie asked.
One of the other strangers laughed and clapped his Captain on the back.
"I think they'll make fine recruits, Sir"
*
Candlelight and Charlie did work hard. The Guardians taught them marksmanship, sparring, history and more. They brought all manner of books and strange weapons on their visits, coming to think of Green Groves as a much needed break from their Guarding.
The training went on, even after the Treefolk buried their parents. The Guardians probably wouldn't have made good replacements, but luckily the Treefolk had already grown far older. If they still snuck out to fight Skorpions, it would have been very one sided fights.
The years marched on. The Guardians grew old. Green Groves was strongly considered, but they eventually chose a different world to retire to. Candlelight thought he was going to be lonely without them, until a new ship appeared in the sky. It carried the Captain's son, ready to carry on the Guardian mantle.
Time continued to fly. Settlers came to the Planet, finally given a name (Green Groves, of course). Candlelight fought Skorpions again, now to defend the colonies springing up across his continent. His sister was rarely seen, though her handiwork now covered thousands of acres.
The Treefolk still saw each other of course, as decades turned into centuries. They sat together, looking up at the Stars, discussing Guardians new and old and how proud they were to carry the tradition, even in their own little corner of the Galaxy.
*
700 YEARS AFTER CANDLELIGHT FIRST OPENED HIS EYES
He was no longer four feet tall. He stood over a story tall and the ground shook when he walked. He carried a sword on his back and wore a coat and hat of his own.
Candlelight slowly walked through the woods, apparently talking to himself.
"Trouble is coming" His spake in his low, booming voice. "I can feel it in my roots."
A pair of birds landed on his shoulder and started building a nest, as the trees around him seemed too whisper back a reply.
"I know it" His sister said. "The Guardians are spread thin again, pushed on every side by enemies. But what can we do?"
"I think... it is time I left" Her brother said thoughtfully. "Green Groves is under your protection. There are worlds out there that do not have a Guardian."
"I... understand" Charlie whispered sadly. "But I will miss you brother."
With his mind made up, Candlelight sold the old family Grove and bought a ship. He gathered his supplies and arranged to meet with the other Guardians. It felt strange, thinking that soon his roots would feel other soils, other worlds beneath them. He looked over his shoulder at his home, the green and orange treetops swaying in the wind.
And too his surprise, he saw a familiar face quickly walk out from among them.
"Charlie!" He exclaimed. "You're coming?"
He had not seen his sister as a biped in ages. This was clearly a hastily assembled body: her true form was the forest now covering most of the continent.
"Part of me at least" The small, Human-like Treefolk announced, grinning up at her brother. "Besides, it looks like you need a crew."
Candlelight glanced at his ship, the biggest he had been able to find. He wouldn't fit in it outside of the cargo hold.
"And we'll find one. Together" He agreed. "Welcome aboard, Guardian Charlie."
The young sapling looked around with bright-eyed wonder. He fixed on another small, green being that looked a lot like he thought he himself probably looked. It was rubbing it's eyes and searching around nervously.
He got to his feet, stumbled, and tried again, determined to say hello to his companion. Before he could make it very far though, a shadow fell over the two tiny beings. He fell down, while the second Sapling squeaked and dove to hide in some grass.
What was casting the shadow was a third creature, though he wasn't green and he seemed to be missing his leaves. Was it fall already?
"Hello little ones" The Giant said warmly. "Welcome to the Green Groves."
The Sapling felt like he should say something to be polite, but discovered he did not know how to speak. So he settled for sitting down with his legs crossed, while his fellow peeked out from their hiding place.
"You are Saplings of the Treefolk, liberated from some nasty... well, I'll tell you when you're older" The Giant explained. He had a warm smile. "Me and my wife have agreed to take you in. I'm told you're from the Battle Caste, but I couldn't tell if Starborn was joking or not"
These were a lot of words the Sapling did not understand. So he just raised his branches and mimicked the man's arm movements. The Giant chuckled and sat down on the grass himself.
"I don't see your sister any- Ah! There she is" he said as the second Sapling finally came out of hiding. "You know, one day you'll be as big as these guys. And then I won't have any trouble finding you!"
The first Sapling looked around at the trees that ringed in the grassy clearing they sat in. It seemed impossible that he could ever be THAT big. But, he decided as his sister cautiously climbed into the Giant's hand, he probably had a few months at least to grow.
*
100 YEARS LATER
He was no longer a sapling. Now pushing four feet, and with a full beard of moss, he felt like an adult, as most adolescents usually do. As he walked through the woods, searching for his sister, he couldn't help but still feel dwarfed by the trees around him.
"There you are!" He called at last. "The visitors are almost here, Charlie. Da and Mum want us back at the house"
His sister dropped down from the branches she had been attending. She was only about half as tall as him and much leaner, with hardly any leaves or bramble. She could almost pass as Human!
"You should grow more," He bluntly told his sister as they started walking back side-by-side. "Stop spreading your roots so thin"
"And YOU, Candlelight, need to remeber there are more important things than being tall" She shot back. "Do you know that almost this entire planet is desert and sea? Green Groves is practically the only forest!"
"You're planning on covering the entire globe?" Her brother scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure we can do that"
"I'm not either" Charlie said, just as a noise directed both their attentions to the sky. "Come on, that's them. I'll race you!"
The two took off running as a small cruiser appeared in the sky above them, heading directly towards their home. By the time the siblings had made it there on foot, the strangers had already disembarked and were talking with the Treefolk's parents.
There were a half dozen of them, all taller than Candlelight's Da. But then again, his Da had been much taller years ago, before he had bent like a tree in a storm and his skin had grown wrinkled like his children's bark.
But his smile was as warm as ever as he spotted the siblings and beckoned them over.
"This is Candlelight and Charlie" Their Da said, beaming with pride.
Candlelight looked up at the strangers. They were all wearing big, heavy coats and wide brimmed hats. They did not look like the pilgrims or monks who usually visited, but like hard men and women of war, soldiers.
"Hey there" The Captain said, bending down on one knee to look the two in the eye. Charlie wanted to hide behind her Da's legs but bravely stayed rooted to the spot. "Your Father tells me you two have been getting up too some trouble."
"No Sir" Candlelight said quickly. But the Captain had a twinkle in his eyes.
"Trouble-making isn't always a bad thing" He said. "In fact, I indulge in it pretty frequently myself. You've been sneaking out of the Grove, to hunt Skorpions?"
Candlelight and Charlie exchanged embarrassed looks.
"We got to big for the ones in here" Candlelight muttered.
The Captain and their Da both chuckled.
"Yes, I suppose you have" Their Da admitted. "You two were created to fight. BUT... you were raised to defend, to protect those who can't protect themselves. You are too be Guardians, never forget that"
"Just like us" The Captain agreed, straightening up and unsheathing a sword. "I'd like to train you, to be Guardians. If you're willing to work hard and always fight for what's right, that is."
The two Treefolk eyed the sword.
"Do we get one of those?" Charlie asked.
One of the other strangers laughed and clapped his Captain on the back.
"I think they'll make fine recruits, Sir"
*
Candlelight and Charlie did work hard. The Guardians taught them marksmanship, sparring, history and more. They brought all manner of books and strange weapons on their visits, coming to think of Green Groves as a much needed break from their Guarding.
The training went on, even after the Treefolk buried their parents. The Guardians probably wouldn't have made good replacements, but luckily the Treefolk had already grown far older. If they still snuck out to fight Skorpions, it would have been very one sided fights.
The years marched on. The Guardians grew old. Green Groves was strongly considered, but they eventually chose a different world to retire to. Candlelight thought he was going to be lonely without them, until a new ship appeared in the sky. It carried the Captain's son, ready to carry on the Guardian mantle.
Time continued to fly. Settlers came to the Planet, finally given a name (Green Groves, of course). Candlelight fought Skorpions again, now to defend the colonies springing up across his continent. His sister was rarely seen, though her handiwork now covered thousands of acres.
The Treefolk still saw each other of course, as decades turned into centuries. They sat together, looking up at the Stars, discussing Guardians new and old and how proud they were to carry the tradition, even in their own little corner of the Galaxy.
*
700 YEARS AFTER CANDLELIGHT FIRST OPENED HIS EYES
He was no longer four feet tall. He stood over a story tall and the ground shook when he walked. He carried a sword on his back and wore a coat and hat of his own.
Candlelight slowly walked through the woods, apparently talking to himself.
"Trouble is coming" His spake in his low, booming voice. "I can feel it in my roots."
A pair of birds landed on his shoulder and started building a nest, as the trees around him seemed too whisper back a reply.
"I know it" His sister said. "The Guardians are spread thin again, pushed on every side by enemies. But what can we do?"
"I think... it is time I left" Her brother said thoughtfully. "Green Groves is under your protection. There are worlds out there that do not have a Guardian."
"I... understand" Charlie whispered sadly. "But I will miss you brother."
With his mind made up, Candlelight sold the old family Grove and bought a ship. He gathered his supplies and arranged to meet with the other Guardians. It felt strange, thinking that soon his roots would feel other soils, other worlds beneath them. He looked over his shoulder at his home, the green and orange treetops swaying in the wind.
And too his surprise, he saw a familiar face quickly walk out from among them.
"Charlie!" He exclaimed. "You're coming?"
He had not seen his sister as a biped in ages. This was clearly a hastily assembled body: her true form was the forest now covering most of the continent.
"Part of me at least" The small, Human-like Treefolk announced, grinning up at her brother. "Besides, it looks like you need a crew."
Candlelight glanced at his ship, the biggest he had been able to find. He wouldn't fit in it outside of the cargo hold.
"And we'll find one. Together" He agreed. "Welcome aboard, Guardian Charlie."
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