The two new friends arrived at Crisis' normal sleeping spot. They had been talking the whole trip and it was completely dark by the time they reached it. But Crisis was not paying attention. She was too dumbfounded at what she had just heard. "You mean to tell me," she said in disbelief, "that there is a universe where I am somewhat famous?" Guar simply nodded, "So I have been told. I can't believe I didn't recognize your name when you said it, to be honest. It was my last hop, even. They think, though, that you’re just some fictional character, created by some guy who goes by the name of Karbo." Again, Crisis was amazed at the statement. "And these people who know of me... they WANT me to eat them?" Guar laughed, "Well, they don't actually WANT you to, but they do fantasize about it." Crisis began licking her lips, a smile spreading across her face. "Man, I wish I could come across some. They must be very tasty." Her smaller passenger didn't seem so happy about it. "Well, fortunately for them, they don't even believe in Dimension hopping. Probably won't discover it for another century or so. Speaking of which, I need to talk to you about that."

Crisis took her passenger off her shoulder and lay down on her back. She curled her tail up as she gently placed him on her breast, so she may look at him while they talked. “What is it?” she asked enthusiastically. Guar’s face didn’t show so much excitement. “We have become friends, Crisis, have we not?” Crisis nodded. “Ya, I would say so, even though it’s only been a few hours.” Guar nodded in response and sat down atop his perch. “Crisis, I am a protector of sentient beings. Human and Humanoid alike, I have taken a life oath to protect them.” His sadness deepened. “But I am at a loss and confused, both with you and those who chase me.” Now it was Crisis’ turn to be confused. She cocked her head to the side, trying to grasp what he was talking about. “Who is chasing you?”

Guar’s head bowed low, a single tear tracking its way down his furry face. He was silent for a while before answering. “His name…” he began, “his name is Cobalt, Cobalt Hollister, a supernatural hunter. He and his gang have been hunting me for the past thirty hops. See, in Dimension: zero-zero-two-four-point-five, or as we like to call it, “The Legacy Dimension,” There are a group of humans who spend their entire lives tracking down supernatural, mythical, or rare dimensional creatures. Some they lock up into zoos for display while others they deem as better off extinct. Thus was my race deemed.” Guar’s sightless eyes lifted up to the moon. He wanted to howl at it, as most canines do, but he knew he would get no answer from any of his kin. “They hunted us to extinction, Crisis. They are the reason I am the last. As immortal as we are, they have found a way to kill us. We lost most in their dimension. The rest we lost when they chased after us.” His demeanor deepened in sadness even more.

“And we could not fight them. Our oath forbids us to fight humans, only those who hurt them. This brings me to you, Crisis.” He looked into her eyes and again Crisis shuddered at the gaze. Though he felt it and knew why it happened, he never broke eye contact. “Crisis, you are a being that harms humans. I cannot allow that in my presence. I cannot sit by and watch as you eat what I have sworn to protect.” Crisis could not help but feel like she was being told to never eat another human again. And his stare caused her not to argue back. She could not take the gaze anymore so she looked away, sadness in her heart and plastered on her face. How could she not eat another human ever again? They were an important part of her diet. And they tasted so good! How could she stop?

After a while, Guar simply looked away and sighed. He pulled out a tin whistle, one he carried with him often. “Crisis, do you like music?” Crisis looked at him again, fearing to make eye contact. “Yes,” she said rather timidly. A smile crossed Guar’s face. “Then I shall play for you.” He brought the whistle up to his mouth and began to play. The sound that Crisis heard was incredibly beautiful. Never had she heard such a lovely tune. She breathed deep, taking in the notes. Closing her eyes, she saw pictures in her head based on the melody. She saw deer running through the forest, rabbits scampering in the leaves, and bears fishing in the lakes. She saw butterflies landing on flowers and birds singing to the song which came from the small protector of men perched on her breast. It was strange for her, for though she had never seen such animals before, she knew what they were.  She could see herself moving through the brush, enjoying the sight of nature on a world alien to her. She walked…walked? Crisis looked down to see that, rather than her tail, she had legs, Human like legs. But she was too focused on the song and the seen to really care. She was in a place that seemed more magical and more beautiful than Felarya.

Guar felt Crisis’ chest move in a steady pace beneath him. Her breathing told him that she had indeed fallen asleep. Good, he thought. The Song of the Forest from his home dimension usually had that effect. The hypnotic melody caused dreams from that dimension to occur. Dreams so real and so vivid, it always seemed better that the world you were from. It was a shame, he thought, that his home was no longer as beautiful as the song made it out to be. He slid from his perch gently and down to the ground. Using his hand to guide him, he felt his way past her shoulder and up to her face. He kissed her cheek (as best as he could at his height) and continued up to her ear. He leaned in and whispered, “Crisis… Crisis… can you hear me?” Slowly, the giant Naga’s head nodded in response. “Good,” he said. “Crisis, my eyes may not see what you may see, but they see into your heart. You may be a man-eater, a consumer of what I am sworn to protect, but you have a good heart. Devious as you may be at times, you have a good heart. Know that I do not hold any contempt for you, lass. Nor am I going to stop you from eating.” It was hard for him to say the next part, but it was what he believed. “Crisis, when you wake in the morn, know that you may eat what you may. But not when I am around. Not that you need it, but… you have my permission… to eat humans.”

It was like a shot through his heart. Never before had he allowed someone to harm what he must protect. But it was his right as a Taur’Draug: to allow one friend to surpass his oath and do as they pleased. He walked away into the forest. He didn’t have much need for sleep, after a few hours in meditation and he would be just fine. He stopped for a second to look back on her heart. In the vision of his people, he could see all she had done, all her emotions, and all she had been through. And through it all, he smiled. “Yes, my large friend, your heart is the best I have ever seen.” He walked into the forest. It was time for him to practice.

The training ground that Guar set up was rather crude, but the best a member of his blind race could do. He could sense where each dead log was, smell their presence, and hear the creak of the vine ropes he used to tie them. He stood among them and listened to them for a second. But his mind was not in the clearing, but in Negev City. He knew that Cobalt would fallow him and that he was most likely in the city now. That’s why he decided to try his chances in the surrounding Jungle. With lightning sped, he whipped out his bo staff and struck the nearest log, shattering it into splinters. This caused a chain reaction where a knife was flung at him. He ducked it, but still his mind was not on the fight. He had seen Cobalt’s heart and it was blacker than the most bottomless pit in hell. How could a human be so vile? The knife hit the tree behind him, cutting a vine and sending two logs swinging in on either side of him, aiming to crush him. He stuck his staff between the two, stopping them in there deadly swing. He leaped backwards, kicking his staff out from between them in a back flip, and punched forward with both fist at them, again shattering them. Catching his staff, he began to twirl it around his body in a defensive pose, his demeanor like a raging tornado. But, still, his mind was on Cobalt. Now he had led them here, what would probably be a gold mine of mythical and dimensional creatures for them. He spun his staff near the ground, kicking up leaves, dirt, and grass. This tripped another log to be flung at him, which he again deflected. He was out of logs, so he began to attack trees. Twisting around them, ducking imaginary blows, and smacking each with a blow that would normally kill a man. Now he had more than just humans to protect. Every creature in Felarya would be hunted by this group. He had to clean up his own mess. As he had feared from the start, he would have to face Cobalt Hollister.

The image of Crisis in a cage came to his mind and rage built up within him. He climbed the tree he was attacking and faced to the south, toward Negev City, and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Come for me, Cobalt! Come and face me! Upon my grave, I vow that you shall not harm these people! I shall no longer allow you to harm my friends!” He slumped on his perch, exhausted from his rage. He placed his staff back on his back, where he always hung it, and pulled the tin whistle out again. Its song always made him feel better. Without another moment, he played another melody, one of his own compositions. A song that seemed both happy and sad at the same moment. Its notes floated above the jungle canopy. Off in the distance, a pack of kensha beast, hearing the notes, howled in reply, adding their voice to the melody that seemed to float for miles.