Guardians: An Alliance to Safeguard the DeFi Sea

Delphinus launched himself into the water and swept his tail up and down, propelling himself forward with impressive speed. He dove deeper and deeper until the water was dark and almost silent. He liked it down there. It was quiet and calm. Both things that he wasn't feeling enough of these days.

He sighed, pointed his muscular frame towards the surface, and swam hard. He broke the water's surface and flew through the air, then landed back in the water with a splash.

"Delphinus! You scared me!" a cheerful voice cried out. It was Salacia.

"Nothing scares you," he laughed.

"If only that were true," replied Salacia, sounding far less cheerful than she was just moments ago.

"I saw Aquavallo yesterday..." Her voice trailed off for a moment.

"That old seahorse? What's he up to these days?" asked Delphinus. "Living like a king, I bet."

Salacia shook her head. "He looks terrible. He'd never admit it, but he's overworked. He says there were three DDoS attacks on the exchanges on his side of the water last week. He can't stop them all single handedly."

Delphinus immediately felt a pang of guilt for being so flippant. He dipped his head underwater, then resurfaced and shook his fins, almost trying to wash the guilt away. "You're right, and he's not the only one. I see spear phishing attacks all the time these days. Times are changing."

"And not for the better." Salacia finished his sentence.

"Does Neptune know what's going on?" Delphinus already knew the answer.

Salacia nodded solemnly. "He's worried. He's been watching the beasts for weeks. They're stepping up their attacks all over the sea. They're getting bolder by the day. And you know how he cares for those humans."

Delphinus cracked a smile. It was hard to see through his golden armor, but Salacia knew him well enough to spot the change in his demeanor. "Your husband and his affection for those reckless humans will be the end of us all, I swear it. But... I can see why he likes them so much. They're courageous. And I wish I still had their hope and bravery."

"But you do. And so does Aquavallo. You know what's lurking out there. The scams, the exploits—you fight them every day. You don't have to, but you do."

"We can't do it all ourselves. There are too many of them. Just when I think I've stamped one out, two more appear. I tried to warn one trader yesterday. They were angry with me for trying to help them." Delphinus shook his head. The frustration in his voice was obvious.

"I know..." Salacia bowed her head. "Neptune and I are going to see father tonight and his brothers. We can't be the only guardians who have noticed what's going on. He'll rally support to protect DeFi. I know it."

Salacia paused for a moment, then continued, "We may be a while. But I'm not turning my back on you all here. I learned some firewall spells recently. They won't help the traders; they're too complex right now, and I'm still learning the finer details myself. But they can protect the exchanges. That might take some of the burden off you while I'm gone."

Delphinus nodded his head in thanks. Anything that could be done to reduce the beasts' attempts at intrusion would be welcomed. "Aquavallo will appreciate that. Where is he right now, anyway?"

"The last I heard, he was off investigating a raid against the liquidity pool to the south. He says hundreds of traders’ funds were at risk."

Delphinus gasped.

"Neptune is working on some idea he's heard about a scroll of insurance. That could repair the damage if the attack succeeds," explained Salacia.

"That would be a huge boon for us," replied Delphinus excitedly.

"Aquavallo doesn't see it that way," sighed Salacia.

Delphinus rolled his eyes. "Let me guess," he quipped, "he doesn't see failure as an option?"

"He takes his role as a guardian seriously," nodded Salacia as she allowed herself to be lost in thought.

Aquavallo, Salacia, Delphinus, and Neptune had known each other for eons, and they'd faced similar struggles together before. There were always new frontiers for humans to explore, and new threats lurking around every corner. The guardians had committed to working together to protect the explorers. But something felt different this time.

Perhaps it was because humanity had changed. They were more worldly and had their own "magic" in the form of technology. They had no need for the old gods. Or so they thought.

Delphinus, seemingly aware of Salacia's train of thought, broke her reverie "Aquavallo knows the humans still need us. He'll never stop fighting, and neither will I."

Salacia smiled "Well, they do still like their boating accidents, don't they?"

"I need to go on patrol," said Delphinus. "I saw some mermen sneaking around earlier. They always make me nervous. Rumor has it one of their leaders met with Gargantuworm recently. His malware in their hands would not end well. I must figure out what they're planning."

Salacia nodded, "I won't keep you then. Be careful out there. Stay safe, and keep us informed. We leave tomorrow to meet with the other Gods and Guardians. Please come see us before we depart if you can. Neptune always appreciates your counsel, and Aquavallo may be there too."

"I will do my best," nodded Delphinus as he turned and surveyed the waters, then waved a fin at Salacia and swam off to the east, off in the direction of the main forum the mermen liked to frequent.

He felt slightly better then. Between Salacia's firewall, Aquavallo's tireless efforts, and Neptune's plans to gather allies, there was hope. The beasts were relentless, but they weren't that smart. Working together, he knew he and his guardian friends would be able to protect DeFi.