Protector

**Protector**, also known in his human form as **Ryman**, is the First Skoll Emperor Beast, former East King of the Trawn Woods, and one of Lith's true friends who knows about Solus as well as Lith's past lives.

## Appearance

### Human Form

He has the appearance of a barbarian, standing 7' tall with a rough and savage face, square jaw, and cleft chin. He has ungroomed flaming red long hair and stubble, and emerald eyes. He wears a hunter set of heavy clothes made from warm animal fur and boots bigger than a bucket.

Ryman's body is also a mass of dancing muscles that would put a Greek god to shame, and is equipped with "heavy artillery."

### Ry Form

He was almost as big as a horse, with fire colored thick fur. He stood 1.6 meters (5'6") tall, and eventually gained shades of white in his fur.

### Skoll Form

He has a shoulder height of 2.5 meters (8'3"), with flaming red fur that has shades of white and yellow. His whole body is enveloped in a deep blue flame that is of greater intensity on his neck, almost like a mane. He has 2 curved horns coming out of his forehead, right in front of his ears. Eagle-like feathered wings come out of his back and he has a flaming tail. In this form he weighs a few tons.

After reaching the bright blue core, his shoulder height reaches three and a half (11'") meters, his fur flaming red with streaks of yellow and white all over. The flame enveloping his body becomes bright blue, and is actually cold to the touch.

### Hybrid Form

Ryman's hybrid form is covered in flaming red fur, with his head turned into that of a wolf with fangs instead of teeth.

## Personality

Protector has a calm, wise nature. After evolving into a Skoll, he is content with living life with Selia and lacking a thirst for knowledge, studying magic only during his free time.

## Abilities

After having repaired the walls of his home so often from his hybrid children's claws, Protector becomes a professional carpenter. Despite being a new species, Ryman's practice of magic and experience with his new body are lacking due to devoting most of his time to being a father.

## Equipment

During a mission to the Weghan Region, Faluel lends Protector a full suit of Adamant armor called **Ouro** capable of shapeshifting that covers his human form fully and offers limited protection in his Skoll form to his heart, head, and spine. He also wields an enchanted mace called **Boros**.

## Background

Protector lived as a wolf for 8 years, and lived 30 years as a Ry.

### The Ry

Protector meets Lith when Solus makes her last ditch attempt to find a suitable host by emitting a buzzing sound. Bothered by the sound, the Ry attempts to destroy the pebble, after which Lith attacks him and manages to run away with the pebble. Later, when Lith is ambushed by Orpal's friends, he recalls Protector's ability to strengthen his skin, leading to his discovery of fusion magic.

When Lith goes through a breakthrough after battling the Byks Irtu and Gerda, he encounters Protector, who nicknames him "Scourge" for killing/becoming the King of the west Trawn Woods. Over the next few years, Lith develops a friendship with Protector, asking him for advice about fire and air magic, while Lith helps out with problems in the east zone of the Trawn woods. Protector seeks out Lith's help to kill the Wither, an Abomination, meeting the other kings Reaper and Lifebringer.

When Lith returns to Lutia and is about to kill the bystanders for not intervening to help Tista, Protector intervenes, revealing that he moved in next door with Selia Fastarrow. He had visited her after transforming into a human for the first time, and the two began a relationship. Protector had evolved from a bright cyan to deep blue mana core in the three months Lith was away at White Griffon Academy and explains he met Scarlett the Scorpicore while she was asking after Lith to learn more about him. She explained to Protector about Awakening and brought him to the Trawn Woods mana geyser, teaching him true magic and helping him Awaken, as well as learning to manipulate elements other than air and fire and to shapeshift so he can "travel the world and learn about [him]self." Protector reveals his new form, the first of his kind, which Lith dubs a Skoll.

Protector later joins Scarlett as her second-in-command, leading the magical beasts in battle. During Balkor's attack on the Griffon academies, Protector fights a Valor alongside Professors Nalear and Ironhelm after Trasque is critically injured. He subdues the Valor and sacrifices himself by calling Ironhelm to attack them both with a darkness spell, cracking his core as a result, its mana seeping out. He wills himself to stay alive until he sees Lith again. Lith cracks his life force trying to save Protector, and by sharing their life forces, inadvertently learns about Protector's past, how he lost his first mate and pups to disease, hunger, or hunters. In turn, Protector learns about Lith's past, even about Solus and his past lives. After Lith falls unconscious and Scarlett stabilizes both their conditions, Protector demands Solus and Scarlett to tell Lith he failed and that he is dead in order to prevent Lith from throwing away his life like that again, and moves with Selia out of Lutia.

### Ryman Fastarrow

After nearly dying Protector seeks out Faluel the Hydra to learn about Healing and Forgemastering. He works for her for a year before she accepts him as an apprentice, taking jobs such as killing rogue magical beasts, human hunters that harmed her forest, or even dealing with Abominations.

His newfound proficiency in Healing insures his first daughter Lilia's birth is delivered smoothly. His daughter being a hybrid causes Selia to lash out at Protector for lying and kick him out of the house. After a few days, she calms down and allows him to return home, becoming desperate for help as she has no idea how to raise a hybrid and afraid that if humans find out about Lilia, they would kill her. Things calm down after Protector manages to make their daughter turn into her human form, and after a few months, she forgives him. They proceed to have a son, Leran, with Selia carrying a third. Selia picks all of their names in Lith's honor, as without him she and Protector would never have met and that without his sacrifice she would have been forced to raise their children alone. She appoints Lith their godfather.

Understanding the need to study magic more seriously, Protector apprentices under Faluel the Hydra, who informs him of Lith's situation with a group of Awakened in Zantia. He reunites with Lith there, meeting Friya in the process. Together they manage to prevent them from carrying out large-scale Forbidden Magic. Lith visits Selia's in her new house, finding it a replica of Lith's due to Protector sharing his memories. After Protector had found a proper place where to settle down, equally distant from Faluel's lair and from a human settlement, Protector wanted to give his wife the perfect home. However, he had no idea what made a human home comfortable, so he had built their love nest based on the projects stored inside Lith's memories, the only changes being those Selia requested. Protector invites Lith to meet Faluel, who had expressed interest in his Wyrmling form and Origin Flames.

After Lith returns from Kulah he asks Protector and Selia for help in revealing his hybrid nature to Kamila for their upcoming one year anniversary. Kamila warms up to the cozy family and their hybrid children. Protector shows her his hybrid and Emperor Beast forms, before Lith reveals his hybrid form to her. She accepts him and Protector explain to Selia some of the details. Faluel helps Selia through childbirth and offers to be godmother to Fenrir, who is named after her.

Nalrond makes his way to the Fastarrow home after a couple of months of failing to mingle with human and beast communities, proving extremely useful with his hard light constructs. However, he inadvertently reveals Solus' existence to Selia, and Lith introduces her to the couple in humanoid form after materializing the tower. Protector accompanies Selia back to Lutia when Lith reveals his Hybrid form and Awakening to his family. Protector explains how becoming an Awakened works and reveals the existence of the Council to them, going into detail of the internal power struggles that Lith has become involved in.

Lith brings Protector and Nalrond to the Feymar crystal mines to rescue the Ernas sisters. Protector makes his way to the mines with one of Solus' Sentries, Warping them outside the caves to the tower. Protector and Nalrond shapeshift into their human forms and introduce themselves. While away on a mission for Faluel, he is contacted by Nalrond in a group call after the latter realizes his communications with Lutia are cut off as a result of Night's attack. This prompts Protector to abandon the mission and rush home.

Lith and Kamila visit the Fastarrows after the mission to the Lost City of Kolga. Lith tells Solus and Protector about his meeting with Mogar and Carl and the revelation that he is an Abomination. Protector admonishes him and tells him he is different because he had chosen to protect life rather than destroy it unlike Abominations, urging him to take his time to appreciate what he has. The Fastarrow and Yehval families have dinner at the Verhens for Blackest Day before bringing the kids to the village fair. Protector watches over Lilia, Leran, and Fenrir while Selia takes a night off with the other women.

After Protector returns from his latest mission in autumn, Selia plays a prank on him to teach him a lesson for being away so often. She has the kids ask him who he is, and they play their role so well and make the charade last long enough that it doesn't hurt any less than if it was real.

As the new year starts after the winter solstice, Lith decides to teach Aran, Leria, Lilia, and Leran Tier 1 fake magic in the mornings before his Awakened Academy lessons in order to let them blend in with human society without arousing suspicion of their abilities. Protector participates in the lessons as well to spend more time with his family while on break from Faluel's missions and to learn to blend in with human magic society. In the evenings, he attends swordsmanship lessons with Phloria as he had never received formal training, still relying on raw speed and power rather than technique. He trains to make up that as well to prepare for joining a mercenary guild and to fight on par with older beasts more skilled than he is.

Protector reaches the bright blue, requiring him to start learning Spirit Magic. Faluel sends him, Quylla, and Nalrond on a mission with Morok to help Ajatar the Drake lure out Morok's estranged father Glemos. The group is assigned to subjugate monster tribes in the Weghan region, where they encounter mutated monsters wearing collars around their necks and a deep cave system. The group realizes the collars and the rich world energy of the geyser have enabled the monsters to revert to their pre-Fallen forms. They witness a reverted Balor named Rhona leading other Balors in using their eyes to artificially germinate and grow mana crystals. Rhona inadvertently reveals the group's presence.

After a prolonged battle, the monsters are killed. Morok alerts Ajatar and the group continues exploring the cave. The group comes across a room filled with Harmonizer-wearing test subjects, and interrogates a survivor to learn that the mastermind is posing as Ajatar. They escape a capture attempt thanks to Quylla's Home Stone. With the Verhens away in the Blood Desert to visit Salaark, Faluel decides to visit her family in the Gorgon Empire, inviting the Fastarrows. Selia accepts, eager to travel outside the Kingdom and see other schooling systems. After meeting with Faluel's mother Fyrwal, Selia and Protector debate their options for their children's future magic educations.

## Quotes

* *"Stupid humans and their greed bring only troubles. They are incapable even of taking care of their own."* (Chapter 12)
* *"Being weak is not a fault and neither is being stupid. No matter how aggravating it is, rabbits will run away and fawns will dumbly stare until it's too late."* (Protector to Lith, Chapter 165)
* *"You are not a monster, but as any human, you can turn into one. You must decide if to ride your inner demons as a tool for an end, or to become their steed, enslaved by your urges."* (Protector to Lith, Chapter 167)
* *"You are the first friend I ever had. You may be a magical beast, but you have always been like a brother to me. You always treated me as an adult, annoying me with your words of wisdom and trying to make me into a better person."* (Lith to Protector, Chapter 216)
* *"You wanted him to die, you crazy f\*cker! Did you think I had gone deaf? I heard your whole conversation with that pompous \*ss, whoever she was. You can forget me helping you again in the future! If you don't want to make an enemy out of me, you'd better do as I say."* (Protector to Scarlett, Chapter 217)
* *"Hate is a double-edged sword. It can give you the strength to face your enemies and protect those you love. Yet if it becomes your reason for living instead of a tool for survival, it will turn into a venom that will consume you."* (Protector to Solus, Chapter 217)
* *"Even if we met late in life, even if we aren't even the same race, know this. I've always loved him like a son and I always will."* (Chapter 217)
* *"What I did, instead, I did it for you. To stop your madness. It was the only way I had to give you a better future and judging from what I've heard, I'd say I succeeded. I never abandoned you. I simply couldn't afford to return and waste our sacrifice. You are only right about one thing. I owe you. Without your reckless, selfish act I would be dead. I live on borrowed time, your time. My life is yours to take if that's what you truly want."* (Protector to Lith, Chapter 572)
* *"Do you really know even about arrays? Does this Kamila really exist or is she made up? He can't possibly take care of her, his job, their cubs, and be so good at magic!"* (Protector to Lith, Chapter 574)
* *"Thank you, Solus. I hope you get a body soon. Fire and stone are not enough to express who you truly are. Whoever did this to you either loved you so deeply that they couldn't stand the idea of losing you or was a heartless monster."* (Protector to Solus, Chapter 585)
* *"Humans are more complex than beasts. They are so grey that most of the time is really hard to tell if they are bad or just desperate."* (Protector to Lith, Chapter 586)
* *"Appearance might indeed be deceiving, but do your criminals wear a tag to warn others of their nature? Do undead flaunt their status when they mix among you humans in social events? I'm not asking you anything but to give us the benefit of the doubt and to not judge my family just because of who I am instead of what I do."* (Protector to Kamila, Chapter 763)
* *"Are you telling me that my children are in danger? Fuck the mission, I'm going back."* (Protector to Faluel when Night attacks Lutia, Chapter 1099)
* *"You are not an Abomination because you build rather than destroy. Because you protected your pack when you could have easily sacrificed them in exchange for greater power. You are still grief-stricken from your past, but you're not fixed in time."* (Protector to Lith when learning he is an Abomination, Chapter 1263)
* *"The boy needs to get laid."* (Protector to Nalrond, Chapter 1554)

## Trivia

* "Skoll" is possibly a reference to the sky wolf Skoll, child of Fenrir, that chased the Sun trying to eat it at Ragnarok.
* Protector (before he was known as Protector) is Lusername's cameo.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 1550: Fire and Metal (Part 2)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chapter 165: Domestic Affairs (3)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Chapter 167: Reunion (2)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 12: Encounters (2)
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 30: Prizes
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chapter 765: Moment of Truth (Part 1)
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chapter 1556: Harmonizer (Part 2)
8. ↑ Chapter 212: Valor
9. ↑ Chapter 1262: Undead Tell Tales (Part 2)
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chapter 1560: The Price of Success (Part 2)
11. ↑ Chapter 45: Darkness Falls
12. ↑ Chapter 202: Gods and Men
13. ↑ Chapter 214: Battle to the Death (2)
14. ↑ Chapter 217: After the Storm
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Chapter 586: Lost and Found (Part 2)
16. ↑ Chapter 573: Catching up (Part 1)
17. ↑ Chapter 575: Desperate Moves (Part1)
18. ↑ Chapter 929: Upside Down (Part 1)
19. ↑ Chapter 741: Plans and Blueprints (Part 1)
20. ↑ Chapter 767: Opening Act (Part 1)
21. ↑ Chapter 905: Meet Solus (Part 1)
22. ↑ Chapter 907: Open Wounds (Part 1)
23. ↑ Chapter 932: Upside Down (Part 4)
24. ↑ Chapter 1031: Phloria’s Choice (Part 1)
25. ↑ Chapter 1034: Nova Onslaught (Part 2)
26. ↑ Chapter 1099: Mourning the Dead (Part 1)
27. ↑ Chapter 1263: Family Business (Part 1)
28. ↑ Chapter 1344: From Blackest Day (Part 2)
29. ↑ Chapter 1550: Fire and Metal (Part 2)
30. ↑ Chapter 1449: Too Much of a Good Thing (Part 1)
31. ↑ Chapter 1453: Past and Present (Part 1)
32. ↑ Chapter 1555: Harmonizer (Part 1)
33. ↑ Chapter 1561: Saving the Wrong Side (Part 1)
34. ↑ Chapter 1617: Down Memory Lane (Part 1)