A Guardian And Hero

In Hero Chronicle, the Guardian is responsible for the Hero's summoning. She is the only one who can. 

Much like Araleon, she loses all her memories every cycle. 

However the Guardian is not summoned rather she is born naturally into the world. Once the Calamities start to near, supernatural signs point towards the next Guardian. 

The Guardian is capable of remembering the past lives, eventually, as the Calamities approach. 

And the strangest part was that her life was tied to his.

If one died, the other would soon follow.

A failsafe, supposedly placed by Goddess Vielia herself, so there would never be an old Hero left wandering the world while a new Guardian was supposedly to summon him.

Soulmates, in the most terrifying way possible.

It was one of the game's most unique mechanics. Those developers, bastards, they put several mechanics to make the game VERY difficult.

Because now I had not one life to protect, but two.

Her duty was to guide the Hero.

To help him grow stronger.

To recover items, knowledge, and power he would need.

To lead him through dungeons.

To prepare him for the Calamities.

That was the special relationship between Hero and Guardian.

I stood before the door for a moment, then raised my hand and knocked.

A voice came from inside.

"Come in."

I opened the door.

Elmi's room was quiet and bright, lit by soft sunlight that spilled through the window and across the wooden floor.

Books were everywhere.

On the desk.

On the chair.

Stacked beside the bed.

Even tucked beside the wall as if the room itself had surrendered to her reading habits.

Elmi sat near the center of it all, buried in one enormous book.

At the sound of the door, she looked up.

Then immediately bowed her head.

"Hero."

I froze.

Long silver hair.

Blue eyes.

Pale skin.

And a figure so striking that my brain, for one brief and deeply embarrassing second, stopped functioning entirely.

She was even more beautiful in person.

I had seen her hundreds of times on a screen.

But that had never done her justice.

Not even close.

My eyes stung.

For a ridiculous moment, I actually felt like crying.

This was Elmi.

This was the Guardian.

This was the girl who would stand beside the Hero through every cycle.

The girl I had watched, loved, feared for, and remembered with every scenario.

And now she was here.

In front of me.

Alive.

I took a breath and forced myself to speak.

"Elmi," I said.

She blinked, then straightened a little.

"Yes, Hero?"

I let out a soft laugh.

"Don't bow so formally. We're tied together, aren't we?"

A faint blush touched her cheeks.

She nodded.

"Then... I understand."

I looked at the bed beside her.

"May I sit?"

"Of course."

I crossed the room and sat down carefully.

The mattress dipped under my weight.

Elmi closed her book and set it aside, then turned toward me with a calm, attentive expression.

"Have you remembered anything yet?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Not yet."

I smiled anyway.

"That's fine."

She looked at me, slightly puzzled.

"It is?"

"Of course."

I glanced around the room.

"This is nice."

"It is?"

"Yes."

She looked surprised by the answer.

"My room?"

"Your room."

"It belongs to the castle."

I nodded.

"Still nice."

Elmi's gaze softened. "This used to be simpler."

"How so?"

She went on to tell me about her hometown and where she used to live, on a farm. With her two brothers and parents. Of course, a barely listened to that, as, well, you know. I completed the game a hundred times. 

"When you entered the room, I had a feeling..." She hesitated. "Like I had been waiting for you."

My throat tightened slightly. A little blood rushed to my face, and my heart skipped a beat. Yes, thank you mysterious developer who sent me here. I love it.

Of course she had.

Even without her memories, something inside her still knew.

I forced a smile.

"That probably means we're doing this right."

Elmi tilted her head.

"Doing what right?"

"Being a Hero and Guardian pair."

That made her smile a little.

Then she noticed I had gone quiet.

Her eyes drifted to the wall behind me.

To the mounted leopard hide.

For a moment, her expression changed.

Not much.

Just enough.

My smile faded.

I stared at the hide too.

Then looked away.

Elmi noticed immediately.

"Do you not like it?"

I blinked.

"What?"

"The hide. You looked at it strangely."

I let out a small breath through my nose.

"It's not my favourite thing."

"Why not?"

I hesitated.

Then shrugged.

"I like cats."

Elmi stared at me for a second.

Then she laughed.

"I don't like it either," she said.

My brows rose.

"You don't?"

She shook her head.

"I found it already hanging there."

That surprised me.

"Really?"

"Yes."

She frowned faintly and glanced at the hide again.

"It's ugly."

I couldn't help it.

A smile returned to my face.

"Yeah. It is."