Carat has a minion!

Keeper the Guardian of Diamonds

story by Belle
premade profile by Chen

diamond guarding can be stressful

Carat tucked his tail neatly between his legs and leaned back towards his wings. This was his favourite sitting position, where he could peer right back at whoever was looking into the depth of his diamond, the Blue Lagoon. His other brethen had been dispersed between the other stones cut from the huge diamond the Lagoon had originated from, and weeks of hearsay had Carat excited. Apparently, he would be going to the jewelers' soon where he would be able to meet his brothers. Decades of warding off dirty- fingered burglars, first in Rome, then in Paris had him feeling a little under the weather, and the arctic wolf felt like he could use a good polish to restore his essence and tranquility along with a friendly catch-up. He rubbed his eyes with a front paw- the grime on the Lagoon's surface was getting a little thick for his liking- and decided to curl up for a nap before anything else happened.

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Nothing like a top class treatment to get rid of winter blues. Carat and his brothers had been subjected to careful inspection and luxurious scrubbing, and it was now spa time. They all guffawed over the sound of the sonicator as a young pink foxee, guardian of a pink diamond of great clarity, told tales of her magical exploits, and trembled mirthfully in the high frequency. Comfortably drip drying in the light, all prepared to say their goodbyes before their final rub- downs and return to their respective abode.

But wait - what was this? Three plush cloths later, all thirty of the diamonds and their guardians were placed on the same velvet cushioned tray. The younger ones twitted excitedly, while the older ones got ready for upheaval and sent brief warnings to the others. Carat was one of the first whose stone was recut - he dashed quickly to a corner and stayed alert as his home was marked and decisively struck. He watched with joy as a dragon spirit immediately blossomed within the new chip. The dragon jauntily saluted him - Keeper, with whom Carat would become great friends in future. One by one, the diamonds were treated with precision and many spirits were born that day to the delight of their guardians.

Finally, the thirty diamonds were moved to their new setting - a royal tiara, which would be extremely well guarded, worn only on rare occasions and certainly polished after each appearance. The guardians ascented out of their homes, congratulating each other on the sudden turn of events. Gone were the days of loneliness, worry and trepidation. Their combined powers meant they would always be safe together, and the close proximity meant they could freely ascent and visit each other's homes as they wished. Carat's halo beamed as he conversed with Keeper, and he noted that his new acquaintance, the sassy pink foxee, was blushing at something her companion had said, a mountain wolf assumed to guard a magnificent brown diamond six stones away from him. Carat grinned inwardly. The new residence arrangements were already proving interesting.

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