Guardians by Design - Land

Part Two of Guardians by Design - Land

Omnivorous

Hundreds of years ago

Just beneath the crown of a towering pine tree, a sloth hung upside-down from a sturdy branch. Suspended by four lanky limbs, Ermun’s hook-like claws allowed him to remain in such a precarious position comfortably for hours at a time. Below the sloth, about a hundred yards away from the trunk of the tree from which he hung, a peculiar pack of herbivores was facing a challenge they had been convinced only they could endure.

Unbeknownst to the team of herbivores, Ermun was on assignment to monitor them. Like a nosey raven, the sloth remained shrouded in the shadows of densely clustered pine needles and young deciduous leaves. Swaying lightly in the warming breeze, the foliage briefly disrupting his vision. Their light rustling caused auditory annoyance as well – but luckily, Ermun had additional methods of tracking.

The pack Ermun observed consisted of a bear, a badger, and a wolverine – all relatively common for the region. However, each member of the pack was quite unique for its species. Much larger and more proficient in battle than others of their respective family, the group had been augmented for preparedness to face any obstacle they came across; whether it be foe, famine, or seasonal challenges.

Ermun groaned deeply as he shifted his weight under the branch to provide himself a better angle. He had become bored of these repetitive observational missions long ago. Yet here he was, like a species bred for a singular function, such as a leech or similar parasite… set to perform a repetitive task over and over until the end of time.

“Wrong way…” Ermun muttered to himself, straining his long neck to keep eye contact on the group. They clearly had no direction, or resemblance of a plan. “Not sure what you expect to accomplish here…”

No… I won’t be a parasite, he thought, considering the possibility of this being his sole purpose for the remainder of his days. This is the last time I latch onto a group of Guardians.

Repetitive mind-sets and paths of various groups tired Ermun more than anything. Inevitably, they inevitably performed the same tasks, in the same place. It was like returning to the same river, at the same time of day, every week expecting a different display. Just as water flows over the path of least resistance through a concave river bed, this pack of Guardians would diligently follow a trail that had been trekked numerous times.

The warmth of the air currently passing through the gap between his stomach and the branch from which he hung, combined with delicate sun rays that breached cracks the pine branches was making him somewhat drowsy. It would be possible to sleep through the encounter, then come up with some false report that would be believable. He’d done it before, after all. Yet, for the first time in years, something about this team made them remarkable enough to keep him awake – a true feat indeed.

The unique physical features of the herbivores had been their most intriguing aspect – not their ability to communicate or coordinate. What had once been flat teeth lining the respective creature’s jaws were now becoming elongated, and sharper. Each of the mammals had two long, pointed teeth on either side of their top jaw, resembling canines.

Initial reports from the beasts told that it was becoming difficult for the animals to eat. The bear, for example, had normally consumed leaves, berries, and roots. Now, with the inconvenient feature of the longer teeth, she struggled to pull and chew plant-based food.

Longer teeth. What purpose could they possibly serve? Piercing bark? Biting through the tough shells of nuts? Perhaps carrying bundles of sticks? Ohmlur had never found them to be a practical addition for their species before… What changed? A wave of sickness passed through Ermun as he feared history repeating itself. Was Ohmlur losing his grip on these species as well?

The next stage of the animal’s dreaded development was the raising and sharpening of molars within the badger and wolverine’s mouths. These teeth, similar to the bear’s canines, had caused difficulties when consuming flora of their normal diet as well. The consensus of the group was they ‘had begun to feel that flesh would make a more suitable meal for their changing jaws’.

Additionally, each Guardian had miraculously sprouted claws from their paws. Ermun optimistically hypothesized that the claws were to be utilized in a similar fashion of his own; climbing and hanging from trees to avoid carnivores – but this did not seem to be the case in practice. Only the bear was witnessed to be capable of climbing trees, but solely in quick bursts to reach the lowest branches. It was not for the purpose of resting, like the sloth, but to seek food in previously unreachable locations.

Lastly, this group was being observed during a specific task because of their recently-increased aggression towards other animals. In fact, the group seemed to be quarreling amongst themselves at this very moment.

Claws… sharpened teeth… aggression. It can’t be happening again, Ermun thought desperately. Not to these species… not so soon… not here. They are some of his most prized accomplishments. To lose them would be devastating. Omnivorous tendencies were always the first stage.

Ermun stayed as still as possible to avoid causing any noise. Fragmented sentences and various words were seldom heard, however. The only indication of discussion the sloth recognized were thin, visible blue streaks that bled from the Guardian’s mouths into the cool, spring-evening air.

With his neck strained and eyes squinted, the only dialogue the sloth could gather included “North… predators… food,” from the bear.

“Stupid… food… mission,” the badger said in an irritated tone.

Ermun noticed that the wolverine had remained oddly uninterested during both of his partner’s propositions. Something seemed to be distracting him from engaging in the verbal confrontation. Jagged blue streaks escaped the badger’s mouth when hissing at an embankment that rose sharply towards a ridgeline. The unknown disturbance gained the attention of the bear and the badger just before they tore into each other.

The defensive nature distracted Ermun as well. His gaze darted along a ridgeline that towered above the Guardians. About half way up the crumbling embankment, a pack of mountain lions mingled near sagebrush to shroud themselves. The current direction of the wind had carried the Guardian’s scent up and over the hill face, granting the feline predators with invisible intel on the group’s current location.

Without hesitation, the four mountain lions quickly descended on the disoriented group. There would be no reason to prowl or attempt to sneak up on them now; the wolverine had already spotted them halfway to their destination. Although the group of ‘herbivores’ had never been accustomed to it, their only chance of survival was to stand their ground and hope to bite first. Teeth and claws… Ermun thought hopefully. They stand a chance at fighting for their lives.

The bear took the front line. Rearing to her hind legs, she was only able to hold the posture for mere moments as the pack of cats charged. Standing erect, she towered over the cats. However, size alone did not prove to be threatening enough to warrant a retreat. Hackles raised, the wolverine growled and hissed mixed with a frantic pant. His eyes darted back and forth between the encroaching enemies.

The first cat lunged, unsheathing razor-sharp claws in an instant from wide, sturdy paws. The hidden weapons easily penetrated the hide of the much smaller badger. Baring his teeth at his attacker, the badger helplessly snapped at a leg, neck, or anything he could grab. Now on top of the small mammal, the lion sunk her teeth into the side of the badger’s neck, quickly letting enough blood to make him dizzy. With a wet gurgle, the badger grumbled promises to his group – something about ‘seeing them in another life’. Before he could take another breath through his perforated throat, his eyes glazed over and he fell to his back. Leaves dropped from branches above on command to cover his rigid body.

Attempting to defend her friend, the bear arched a clawed paw at the attacking cat. The swing was successful. She caught the lion in the middle of the rib cage and threw her to the side, away from her prey. Deep lacerations contrasted fur against open flesh as blood ran down the cat’s side. Unfortunately, it was too late – the badger would not stand again.

Ermun released from his branch to relocate for a better angle. Dropping in now would only widen the cat’s palates.

Noticing that one cat was distracted by her ally’s injury, the wolverine seized the moment to lunge at her hind leg. With a barking hiss, he tightly clamping down into solid muscle. The hesitant cat’s whiskers stood rigidly vertical as it roared in pain, but it was only momentarily phased. Like chasing its own tail, the mountain lion whipped around to catch the rump of the wolverine with drawn claws. Ermun could only imagine the piercing pain, as it caused the wolverine to release his grasp on the lion’s leg instantly.

Now pinned to the ground, the wolverine frantically scratched at loose soil to escape the penetrative clutch of the deadly claws. It was no use. Even the weight of merely a paw held the wolverine’s torso against his grave. As the wolverine’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, his muscles relaxed into a bed of welcoming, wet grasses. The flaccid green blades quickly contorted to mummify the hemorrhaging hero as his lids became heavy.

Behind his fallen body, the bear roared through a slack jaw as she alternated arched swipes at the feral cats. One cat now injured, there were still three more to deal with. The bear took a lumbering charge straight forward. Although they could have easily pounced on the beast’s back, the cats instinctually leapt to the side to avoid a gaping jaw lined with predatory teeth.

The bluff worked. The bear continued forward towards a cedar tree with layered bark, jagged enough to grab onto. She seemed to trust that the cats did not yet possess a similar proficiency in climbing. This was her last chance at survival. Abandoning her fallen friends, the land claimed them instead, blanketing them in roots, leaves, and long blades of grass.

Ermun silently shifted his position once again. Taking to the tree that he suspected the bear to be charging for, he buried himself in crown to look directly down at her.

Rigid claws dug into porous bark, allowing the bear to quickly scale the tree Ermun had landed in. Arms wrapped around the trunk, she maintained a hugging grip while ascending with solid jerks that waved through her body. The three cats still fit enough to fight paced the bottom, shocked that a creature of her size was able to quickly move in a vertical fashion.

Just after passing the lowest branches of the tree, the bear prepared her next move. She was losing her grip. The look on her face told that she couldn’t just hang out here all night, but the cats were prepared to. Sap bled from the wounded bark, releasing the light smell of cedar. The scent wafted up to Ermun, filling his nostrils and reminding him of home. Should the bear survive this, her reward would be to return to the safe-house scented of cedar.

A moment passed. The bear’s paws trembled, sending light reverberations through the trunk towards the observing sloth. Foliage rustled, and the bark creaked, penetrated by young claws. Then, she released. The bear spun in mid-air to land on the back of one of the cats with a solid thud. A chilling crack coincided as the immense weight of the beast instantly snapped the predator’s spine, and likely shattered other bones. The lion’s limp body was pulverized between thick, solid roots that sprawled from the base of the tree, and the body of a grizzly bear.

The moment of recoil the bear experienced due to dropping from such a height provided enough of an opportunity for the two remaining cats to pounce, seemingly invigorated by the sight of their family member being crushed like an overly-ripe strawberry.

Four sets of claws shredded the back of the bear. Ribbons of fur and flesh were thrown from the beast’s back as she made a lumbering run down-hill. A roll to her side tossed one cat from her back, followed by an arching slash at its face. The other lion immediately replaced the assault, face soiled. Finally, the bear let out a wet cough laced with blood. Soil depressed under her staggering weight. Warm blood sparkled in the summer light as it coagulated and ran down the slick surface of hydrophobic blades of grass.

“Another group down…” Ermun grumbled once the bloodbath settled. “Perhaps it’s for the best; they were taking quite an unfortunate physical turn, after all.” He scratched an itch beneath blonde, matted fur, then released the grip of his remaining limbs from the sturdy branch. Grass, moss, and leaves provided by the land sprung at the opportunity to blanket the fallen ‘herbivore’, preserving the bear’s lifeless body.