The Forest & The Sentinel

ItsFulgrim

❤︎⊹𝓢𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓽⊹❤︎
A gust of wind stirred the dust on the cold streets Josiah patrolled, tossing litter around like confetti. Today, sadly, he was not assigned his usual job of peacekeeper.

It had been a rough week within the order. Reports of missing people, some incarnations taking a bad turn, and the retirement of one of their best assets had all taken a toll. That old man got under Josiah's nerves all the time, but if he was honest, he deserved a break.

No one was as skilled as Tom, especially not any human. He had been a teacher and protector to many across the years, including Josiah himself. Now, Josiah was meant to take over his old teacher's assignment. Fun. But he would never say no. As much as he dreaded the task, he always followed orders, even though Tom had merely proposed it if he wanted to.

Josiah kept his hands in his pockets, a neutral expression plastered across his scarred features. The hideout was close. He wondered how many guardians would be at today's reunion. Not that he was particularly eager to see any of them. At least Tom would do all the talking, or so he was told.

Regardless of what the old man said, in the end it would have to go up to the council. They would decide what should be done about this important incarnation and who would be her guardian.

But something still bothered him. Who, and why would they go after someone as important as Mother Nature herself? He knew there were some who wanted chaos, but to try and disrupt the natural order was unthinkable. Even Death understood the importance of her existence.

His train of thought was interrupted as he opened the door to their keep and found himself face to face with a rather full room. Guardians, incarnations, some he hadn't even seen before, all surrounded the round table they used for debate, now turning to look at him as if he had done something wrong.

He paid no mind and walked up to the table, seeing Tom already in an argument with one of the other council members, Light, defending his reasoning as to why Josiah would be ideal for the job. It was a bit embarrassing. It reminded him of when he was taken in by Tom, as much as the council had fought that decision back in the day.

"He is old enough, besides, you have seen his reports. It is clear as day how capable Josiah is for the task," Tom said, raising his voice as his usually composed tone was shattered by anger. He was, of course, interrupted by Light and his right hand, Armaos.

"Would you truly think this is a wise choice? The years have turned you to a fool. He is part of our kill team. He is NO protector. You might as well send her to an active warzone!"

As they continued to argue, a fist slammed upon the table, ordering silence as it echoed around the room. Speak of the devil—Death, and her right hand, Ramona. She sat in silence, taking in a deep breath that signified only frustration.

"Enough. The rest of the council agrees with Guardian Farley. I have personally worked with young Guardian Josiah. There is no one better for this assignment. The vote goes out eight to two. Now, scatter. You all have matters to attend to. I need a moment of privacy with Farley and his apprentice—And the ward, of course..."

She brought a hand to her forehead, covering her furrowed brows as the many guardians and their wards left for different tasks. She was tired.

To think it would be such a controversial task to change a guardian... But it was time, as much as she wanted to avoid all the trouble, it was not secret that their order had turned to, well, disorder. Over the years so many incarnations had appeared, problematic ones among them, that they needed all the help possible to keep the balance in place, even if that meant giving a great burden to someone as young as Josiah.

Josiah bowed in greeting, not speaking a single word unless prompted., instead, he looked around, expecting to see who would be his responsibility from now on.
 
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Terra smoothed a hand down the front of her dress, erasing imaginary wrinkles and trying to remind herself she was the embodiment of Mother Nature. She'd managed to hold her ground against Tom's arguments and had already gone one round with the entire Council. Meeting Tom's replacement shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Checking her reflection one last time, she nodded in approval. For this she'd decided to wear a dress. Not only because she'd be in Death's intimidating presence again, but because she wanted to make a good first impression on her new Guardian. So she'd picked out a modest green dress that matched her eyes and paired it with sensible dark brown ballet flats. Not even Death and a new Guardian could get her in heels. Her hair was pulled up on the sides, otherwise left to fall in its natural waves to the middle of her back, and she'd even swiped on a bit of makeup.

Deciding that she'd done the best she could with what she had, Terra left the restroom and headed back towards the thick double doors that marked the Council's chambers. She arrived just in time for Tom to step out, his weathered face and tired brown eyes spotting her immediately.

"It's time, Terra. Come on in." He didn't smile. There was no softness in his eyes or tone of voice. Tom was always on duty, even now his eyes scanned the otherwise empty hallway for potential threats.

Would he miss her at all? Or was he relieved to be nearly free of the burden? It was impossible to tell how Tom felt on any given day. His stoic face gave nothing away and he'd never been one to dole out soft words or affectionate touches. Despite that, she'd miss him. She believed he cared about her, in his own way, and she hoped he wouldn't go back to the cabin. That sounded lonely to her. But Tom hadn't shared his plans for retirement with her, and she hadn't asked.

Nodding, she followed the stiff backed Guardian into the Council chambers. Tom went to stand at a vacant spot around the antique war table that looked out of place in the otherwise entirely modern room.

She greeted Death and Ramona with a small smile and a respectful dip of her head. Her eyes searched those present while she took her place opposite Death and demurely clasped her hands in front of her. It only took a moment for her to find the unfamiliar face in the room. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe, but she wasn't just admiring a handsome male, she was searching him for weapons.

Not because she was paranoid, it was simply a game she played and her Guardian was an unwilling target. Tom always had weapons tucked somewhere on his body, and she was pretty sure he showered with a knife. When she was twelve and bored out of her mind, she made a sport out of trying to guess where Tom hid his toys. She got pretty good at it over the years. It was a handy skill to have, and you learn a lot about a person by the weapons they favored.

After her unashamed perusal, she gifted him with a wide, playful smile and a twinkle of pure mischief in her eyes. "I take it you're the poor sap they saddled with babysitting me?"

Death sighed heavily and Ramona put a comforting hand on Death's shoulder. "You know it isn't like that, Nature. Many of us make use of the Guardians, it's their whole purpose in existing."

It was an old argument, and they wouldn't bend on this any more than she would about going to the city. Instead of beating a dead horse, she nodded and turned her attention back to Tom's replacement. Unfolding her hands, she strolled over to him and politely held out a hand. "I'm Terra."
 
Josiah's expression was just as unimpressed as always, as if taking care of Nature was nothing he would worry about.

Truth be told, he was incredibly nervous, both due to the arduous task this would be, as well as the simple fact that, well, she was stunning.

He expected this from the incarnation of something as grand and beautiful as nature itself, but even then he didn't expect to be so flabbergasted just at first sight. However, despite everything running through his mind, he just, bowed lightly, offering his respects to the woman, his eyes avoiding hers in a weak attempt at keeping cool.

Josiah was not exactly what one would expect of a guardian, long disheveled hair framed his scarred yet soft features. If anything, he was dressed as if he was an office worker. Many opted for more fancy attire to show status, but he simply wore, what a civilian would, ignoring the bandages wrapped from his forearm to knuckles.

It was easier to blend in that way, and given his previous work, it made sense as to why he has made a habit out of dressing as so.

Not to mention, he was clean, no weapons in sight. No knives or fancy swords, not even a handgun that he may use.


The greeting caught him off guard, he expected his ward to be more, difficult, but if they could at least get on a first name basis, it would suffice to get a positive relationship going.

"Josiah. Nice to meet you..."

He accepted the handshake, firmly, maybe a bit to firm, not enough to harm her, but he was clearly the one guiding the motion of the greeting.

Soon enough he released her hand and waited for orders again- though he was met with more chatter, which he didn't welcome particularly happy.


Ramona offered a smile as she clasped her hands together, letting Death have a breather from the clear tension in the air.

"You will get along perfectly. Trust us Nature, there is no one more qualified for this than Jolly."

Josiah tensed up, shooting her a rather murderous glare, but composed himself quickly, not wanting to cause trouble with death right in front of him.

He hated that nickname with a passion, it was so- Humiliating, it felt as if he was being underestimated, but he tried not to take it too personal, after all he was being praised about his skill.

The tension was cut once more by Death's silent yet firm tone of voice, this time addressing Terra.

"We have... Reviewed your request to be relocated to a different home. While I still do not agree, you've been insistent about this and given your new Guardian's availably- You are granted permission to move into the city along with Guardian Josih to a site prepared specially for you- However, and I will only say this once, do not, cause trouble, you are no longer away from prying eyes, you must take this into consideration-"

She tapped her long nails against the round tabled, shooting glances to the three who remained.

"Anything else to add, Farley?..."
 
Josiah had a firm grip, and like the weapons one favored, you could tell a lot about a man by his handshake. His was almost too hard, but she found it reassuring. That handshake had conveyed respect she hadn't expected. It bode well for how they might get along in the future. Tom still treated her like a child, but maybe Josiah would be different.

Josiah and definitely not Jolly. She didn't miss the look he gave Ramona at the name. What was the story behind that? Maybe she could get him to tell her one day. If he'd talk to her. Tom hadn't been much of a conversationalist.

All their attention shifted to Death as she spoke, and it took everything Terra had not to sputter in indignation. They were granting her permission? Once again she was being treated like a child. Sure, she could move into her own place, but it would be with a 24/7 bodyguard, in a location of their choosing, and only now because their chosen Guardian was conveniently available.

You're getting what you want, be grateful, she told herself, but it wasn't exactly what she wanted. Still, she'd take it. Other than a brief stiffening of her spine, there was no outward sign of her internal thoughts. It wouldn't do to ruin this now. Not when she was this close.

"Terra," Tom's low, rumbling voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "You know what you promised - you do what Josiah says, when he says it, and any questions are asked after you are safe."

That was it. All these years he'd raised her, taught her how to do everything, and one sentence was all he gave her before addressing the man who would take his place.

"I hereby relinquish my duty to Nature and pass Guardianship to Josiah Blair."

"Witnessed," Death said with a definitive nod, immediately echoed by Ramona.

Tom walked over to Josiah, handing him a black card and a manilla envelope. "The card grants access to Nature's funds. We've already purchased a place and a SUV - the keys to both are in the envelope, along with her identification documents. You'll also find the address of Nature's new home. Josiah...," the older Guardian looked around the room before giving his replacement a somber look. "She's a high risk target. Nobody knows this address except the people in this room. Incarnation Memory has already wiped the knowledge from anyone else's minds."

Terra couldn't take it anymore. He'd handed over her funds like she was too irresponsible to manage them herself, and then given Josiah her papers like he was passing along a pedigree pup. She was angry and hurt and ready for this changing of the guards to be over.

"I hate to rush this along," she said, pasting on a tight smile, "but I'm anxious to get to my new home."

Ramona laughed, but Death gave her a considering look. Death's right hand was oblivious, though. "I'm sure you are. Go on, then. Both of you. Jolly, we'll expect weekly reports," she added, and Death nodded in agreement.

Terra dipped her head in a respectful farewell, then turned to Josiah and swept a hand towards the door. "After you. You've got the keys."
 
"I swear, as you bear witness, that I will accomplish my duty without failure. I will sacrifice blood and flesh if need be. I take this upon myself."

Witnessed. He was both terrified and relieved that it was already over.

If it had been anyone else, he would have called Nature's actions rude, disrespectful, absolutely unforgivable. No one should ever rush death. But he had to admit, he appreciated her fire. At the very least, he knew he would not be bored around her. Whether that was a good or bad thing was yet to be decided. Regardless, he also wanted to get out of that place as soon as possible. The added pressure was certainly helpful.

Josiah bid farewell to Death and Ramona, thanking the former for the opportunity once more. Tom received a similar gesture of gratitude, though Josiah did take a moment to remind his old teacher to take a break and not get involved.

Tom showed a bit of emotion, something uncommon for the man.

"I cannot promise that. I have to keep an eye on you to make sure you are doing your job correctly."

Josiah was quick to reply, of course.

"Absolutely not. I am not a child. You said it yourself, I am capable. Don't get sentimental now."

Josiah may have been reckless and often had complications with authority, but no one could deny that he respected those who deserved it. Tom was one of them. As much as Jolly protested and treated the man as if he were an annoyance, he cared for him deeply. The last thing he wanted was for Tom to be in danger, especially at his age.

He held the envelope tightly within his grasp, taking out the key to their vehicle and examining it carefully as he made his way to the door.

Once he opened the door, he beckoned Terra to follow, not making much conversation unless she initiated it.

The halls of the keep were intricate, clearly designed to confuse anyone unfamiliar with them. They served both as a defense mechanism and an aesthetic choice made by Death and Change. Personally, Josiah hated them, but he was no expert in home decor.

Eventually, after several winding staircases and many doors leading to different places, they arrived at the oddly normal-looking parking lot of the compound. There awaited their expensive vehicle. At the very least, it was not flashy. It was reinforced, of course, but it was well hidden, making it appear as any other vehicle on the street.

Josiah was kind enough to open the door for Terra first before getting in himself. He examined the interior, the glove box, the compartments—everything out of habit. It wasn't that he didn't trust his colleagues. Well, no, he didn't trust them, but it was more a matter of his own comfort.
 
It was a strange silence that settled between them as Josiah led the way through the winding halls of the Keep. Terra wanted to say something, but had no idea where to begin. He'd just been given one hell of a promotion; should she congratulate him? Probably, but she couldn't feign happiness at the moment, not even for someone else.

Tom's behavior had hurt a lot, even if she knew better than to expect some kind of grand, emotional display. He wasn't the type. But a kind word, a look, even a token touch on the shoulder...that would have been better than the nothing she'd been given. She loved that man like a Father, but he wasn't an affectionate one, and she reminded herself it wasn't fair to expect him to act any differently now. Maybe she'd just been a job for him.

Now she had Josiah.

She had no idea what to make of him as they approached the SUV. He didn't smile, and his eyes gave away nothing as he opened the door for her, waiting for her to buckle up before he closed it and got in the driver's side. She watched as he searched around, not sure what it was he was looking for. The SUV still had that new car smell, there was nothing in any of the compartments that she saw, but there was a user's manual and a spare set of keys in the glove box.

"Do you think they've put a tracker on the car?" she wondered aloud. She wouldn't put it past Tom to place one. He was a certified control freak, and while he'd seemed nonchalant about handing over responsibility of her, it wouldn't have been easy for him. The old Guardian had known where she was every day of her life since he'd had her.

She turned to Josiah. "You might want to check underneath the car. Unless you can sense things like that? My own gifts are tied to the natural world, as you'd expect. I can't sense technology like I can other things." Her fingers twisted the hem of her dress at her knees. "I know it's fine that Tom, Death, and Ramona know where I'll be living, but I don't want them tracking me every time we leave the house." Okay, so sure. Death could find anyone, anywhere, at anytime. But that didn't mean they had to make it easy for them.
 
Jolly raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had actually thought of the same thing, though he didn't believe it would be underneath. He made sure to let her know his suspicions.

"Farley definitely planted a tracker... Though I doubt it's underneath. He knows that's the first place I'd check."

Soon enough, he checked one of the pockets in the back of the seat, usually used for storing litter in a family car, but instead, he pulled out a small flickering disc. Josiah 1 - Tom 0.

"I can't sense these things, but I can predict his habits. It's not the first time he's left one of these lying around inside." With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it out into the parking lot as if it was no big deal.

Without ceremony, he started the vehicle, which rumbled in response. It was a nice car, though he was bored of it. Yes, it was new, but they ALWAYS assigned this type of car to every agent. At best, if you were lucky, you'd get a silver one instead of the typically black exterior... He was looking for things to complain, he wasn't tipically like this, but he wanted to put his mind somewhere else at that moment.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he tapped his fingers against the leather of the steering wheel cover.

He had to say something. He wasn't obligated to, but it felt rude to leave her to her thoughts. He wasn't a mind reader or particularly good at understanding people, but he still held a level of empathy. He guessed she likely wasn't too comfortable being treated like a kid either. Her attitude, her request for a new home, and the way she seemed to rush them out gave him the impression she was trying to gain some semblance of control in this situation. And he couldn't blame her if that was the case.

Eventually, the vehicle began moving, and Josiah spoke, albeit quietly and briefly.

"The old man spoke about you a lot." He paused, not looking away from the road once they had left the darkness of the lot and integrated into the streets of the vast city.

"I was surprised he didn't say much when we left. I guess he didn't want to look weak."

He admitted all of this in a rather careless manner, almost as if he was mocking Tom, but it was quite the contrary. He really admired Farley, and regardless of exterior appearances, was even fond of him. Truthfully, if Josiah had been in that situation, he would likely have been holding back bitter tears and constantly looking away in an attempt to keep himself from crying.


The "ice" so to speak felt pretty much intact, at least on his side. He wasn't yet comfortable or even calm; his nerves were all over the place, and he couldn't believe how alert he was at the time. It was awful, did Tom feel like that on the daily?

"Is there anything you would like for your home... other than the basic furniture that is already provided?" he asked.

It was a good start, at least for someone with such terrible communication skills like him.
 
She couldn't help but grin at him. It was a moment of connection, a little something they had in common - this knowing of Tom and his habits. And when the tracker went out the window, she relaxed a little further. Tom knew where they were going; he didn't need to know the exact route they were taking to get there.

As they exited the parking garage and merged into the traffic, she found herself as enthralled by the city sights as she'd been on her way to council the first time. The lights, the people, the buildings, outside those windows was a distraction that helped keep her grounded as the memory of leaving Tom made her chest ache.

"Did he? Speak of me?" She went on as if she hadn't asked a question. "Tom is a complicated creature. He's never been overly affectionate, but he cares for me in his own way." A soft chuckle left her and she nodded, even though Josiah likely couldn't see it. He kept his eyes on the road, and she kept hers focused outside the window. "He'd hate to appear weak in any fashion. I lived with the man my entire life, and never seen him dressed in anything but creased slacks, a white button-up, and his jacket." In fact, she'd never caught him having a "human" moment of any kind. It was like even his bodily functions obeyed his commands.

She was really going to miss him.

A short moment of silence fell between them, and she wracked her brain for a conversational topic. The problem wasn't finding a question to ask, it was which one to ask first? Which would be polite? Maybe she should ask him where he kept his weapons. Would that be weird?

She'd only spoken to Tom, the council, and now Josiah. In a way, Josiah was her first real conversation. And she had no idea what to say.

When he beat her to it she let out a heavy sigh of relief. "I'm not sure what's there. I think I'll know more once I see it. Maybe we could stop by, take a peek, and then go to the store and get what we need? I have ideas for colors, and we'll need plants, of course. I'd like soft places to curl up and read, and I'll need a computer if there isn't one already there."

"What about you? I'm not the only one who will be living there. Do you have any preferences?"
 
Josiah couldn't help but show a weak smile at the mention of Tom's dress code. He looked down at himself for a moment, adjusting his collar.

"I hate to admit I may have picked up some of his habits... Regardless, as for your question, yes, he spoke of you, often. I dare say, too much at times- Not that I minded. You seemed interesting, but you understand, right? Every time we trained, he would always go on and on about how well you were handling your abilities, and how you were growing up and so on..."

Jolly felt a pang of jealousy, his knuckles turning white as his grip on the wheel tightened. He wasn't entirely sure why he was mad about it, but to think she spent so much time with Tom while he had essentially begged for his attention when he was younger... He shook his head at the thought. That sort of emotion was not acceptable, irrational even.

He appreciated the change in topic, fearing he might have made himself too obvious with his facial expressions, even though he had remained as unmovable as a rock so far.

For a moment, he pondered about what could be added to the home. But again, he wasn't an expert in interior design or home decor. He would just get things to keep her happy, and that would be about it. Maybe he wouldn't even need to touch her funds, given that he already had a decent amount of money himself.

"Well, I am not particularly picky. My actual home has nothing special but a decent kitchen. I guess a new set of knives wouldn't hurt... Speaking of, any preferences on food? I need to keep you healthy after all, so I may as well start by learning what you prefer to get high-quality ingredients and so on."

He wasn't necessarily implying he wanted to cook for her, but, well, he was. It just felt right to say so at the time. He was going to be her guardian, and if he wanted to give a good impression to both her and Death, he would do an outstanding job at it, as he did with everything due to his obsessive need to become better at anything he was meant to do.

Josiah also felt that if he spent more time with her, he would manage to buff out the less likeable parts of his opinion on her. He didn't hate her, not at all, and it was not personal. But he always felt as if other incarnations were more well taken care of, while he was essentially Death's dog. Speaking of which, that was another thing he would not mention to Terra. He wasn't sure how normal people handled the knowledge that they were living with someone with as high of a kill count as him.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye, trying to gauge her reaction to his words without being too obvious. She seemed thoughtful, perhaps considering his offer. He felt a strange mix of anticipation and dread. He wanted to show everyone he could be more than just Death's enforcer. But he also feared that she would see through him.
 
Tom talked about her all the time? It was a revelation. It also explained where he spent a great deal of his time away from the cabin. She always wondered, and she wasn't sure how she felt about what she'd learned. Tom had spent so much time with Josiah, but never said a word about him to her.

It was too much to process right now. Far easier to let the conversation move along. She'd think about it later when she was alone.

Her first instinct was to just say Josiah could fix whatever he'd like for himself. She didn't want to be a bother. Tom had never asked her opinion on the weekly menu. And he'd never cooked anything more complicated than spaghetti with jarred sauce. She'd tried to cook, but after an accident while trying to make fried chicken she wasn't allowed to use the stove anymore.

What Josiah offered was another little piece of freedom she could take for herself. She could choose for herself what she wanted to eat. "I...," she trailed off with a frown. "I don't know what I like." Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment while she revealed just one of the many ways she'd been sheltered.

"We had simple meals. Baked chicken. Rice. A lot of hamburger and pasta variations. Tom, uh, didn't cook much. Which was fine! I don't require a lot of food. But I always wanted to try seafood, or something exotic like...like...curry! Could we try that? Order it from somewhere, maybe? Because, erm, I can't cook. I can clean, though! Tom insisted on the cabin being spotless."

She flashed him an apologetic smile. "You'll discover soon enough there are a great number of things I don't know. But I learn quick, so...be patient with me?"

She really wanted to get along with Josiah. She didn't want the same kind of distance Tom had kept between them. They were going to live together. He was going to be with her all the time. Terra didn't have it in her to ignore his presence, or treat him like part of the background.

What she wanted was to pretend he was just a roommate, and that he wasn't because of a potential threat hanging over her head. She didn't want to think about the risk at all. If she did, she'd be living in fear all the time. That was just a different sort of prison.
 
He listened to her list the few things she was used to having as meals, his facial expression immediately showing how unamused he was by hearing about Tom's cooking habits. It made sense, he was not the kind to care much for fine cuisine, but at least he hoped that he would've done anything that was not unseasoned and effortless food, especially given how important Nature was.



He simply ran his left hand through his curls as he thought, taken out from his mental calculations for this week’s expenses by the sound of her voice again. A clear answer, perfect. Seafood or curry? Simple enough, he practically made curry every weekend, it was a sort of ritual, a way to clear off his mind from the heaviness of his job, it was nice.

He nodded slowly.

“I believe I can make you something. Tonight, we will manage with what is available closest to us- I promise tomorrow I will try and make you some curry. Deal?”




As they reached a stop light, he made sure to turn his head ever so slightly looking at her for the first time in what felt like hours from their drive, despite it being at most a twenty-four-minute drive.



When she asked him to be patient with her, he couldn’t help but sink a little into his seat, maybe he’d been too cruel when he misjudged her earlier. It was not exactly her fault that things had turned out the way they did.



"Patience is my... Second name." He said with a deep breath and a forced smile.



Tom said the first few days would be the hardest, he wondered how true that statement was.



Eventually, they reached their stop, a large apartment building, from what was informed to them, at the top of the building, and given the fact it even had an assigned name, he could only guess it was an extremely expensive suite, he didn’t mind, but it would be much harder to find things to fill all the space with.



He slowly but surely parked the SUV, the rest of the parking lot was, rather empty. He wasn’t surprised, this was likely managed by Death anyway.



With slow, deliberate movements, he got out of the vehicle, inspecting the surroundings with narrow eyes before eventually going to Terra’s side, and letting her out too. He was already preparing himself as if they were in danger, which they likely were.
 
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