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Temple Grounds

by: Kemino Sury

"blah"-speech /blah/-lyrics //blah//-thoughts :blah:-telepathy

"We all have our single place in this time.
It can be anywhere that we feel a strong connection to.
But no matter what the reason.. We have that place.."
My eyes landed on the surface of the water... And sighed as those words echoed in my mind.

I was what some would call short.. With red-gold eyes that literally gave the water a run for it's money when it came to reflecting the moon's light. My hair was a dark brown, almost black in the dim light. It was tied back in a ponytail by a black ribbon that wove through my hair as it came to my shoulder blades. My bangs however were a crimson red and gave the gold in my eyes a color stand out. My eyes seemed to grow harder...
I was wearing a black happi coat that came to my mid thigh... Okay maybe a bit higher.. It was tied with a black sash. I had two sheaths that held small silver daggers, one on my left and one on my right hip. Another sheath was across my back with a leather strap that went from the top of the sheath, down my left shoulder, across my chesy and middle, and finally connected again with sheath. The sword's handle was dark in color.. Nearly black.
My feet had thin, black, leather sandals with a small heel on them.
Also i wore a black choaker with a golden looking stone in the center.. I had on a 'glove' on my right hand.. It was a dark red in color.. It went around my wrist, then cut off and met at my middle finger with a ring of the tough material. In the center of the glove, on the top of my hand, was a black stone.. Only around the size of a quarter or coin.

My reflection glared back at me.. It was odd.. What had that person called me eariler today?... Was it attractive? Or something close to it. I didn't really know nor did I care. Looking nice didn't matter to the likes of me.. Or so I thought..

I was sitting on a low branch of tree that came out over a still pool of water... A hot spring.... My eyes looked around the quiet forest.. Nothing was there... Only thick trees with the occasional bush or smaller shrub.. The forest floor was covered by a soft, thick layer of moss and short grass.. The tree was what humans called a weeping willow... I think.

I turned my mind to the task at hand. I was getting away from here. This place had confined me a little too long to be precise. I was here.. Had been here for as long as i had known life.. And the whole time I was kept here for one purpose and one purpose only. To kill all that entered this forest. In the 13 years I had been able to fight I had murdered for the soul purpose of protecting the secrets that lay hidden in the deepest places... There were caves that were graves and held untold tresure... And a temple that was said to house the very source of power that gods drew upon... Of course I had always been told not to see nor touch these treasures... And was never to do such even now. ut of course a rule that is supposed to last for all time.. Is often broken. I was to kill any who came to close... So the land i was to watch over ended exactly 100 miles from the temple.. Every night and day I traveled a different path.. There were 20 in all so any intruders were bound to cross my path three times before they met with the temple.

But i was being held to this against my will.. True I was an outcast from what ever clan or family i had come from.. And had been given to the temple keeper as an 'offering'. The keeper who had a nose for new opportunities began training me as soon as I could walk... My first memories were of her teaching me all the things I had to learn.. And a little of what the temple walls held. I had learned several languages.. And enough fighting skills to take out anyone stronger then me with traps, poisons, weapons, and other things.. Though i went against my teachings and often went into a fight with only my blades and nothing more.. Though nothing less for sure. I had learned to move quickly and with no wasted energy with my attacks.. I even slept with all of my senses alert and literally awake to everything in my forest.

But that was going to end if i could only find a way to brake the one thing that held me here... Those blasted talisman cards that protected the boundaries from my wrath and movements..

"What am I going to do? It will take drastic measures to get rid of those.. And nothing I touch or create can harm them.. So what are my options besides getting help from outside?" I thought over this and my options were far and few between.. I had no choice but to control someone over the boundaries.. But I would need someone I had some sort of connection with..

"Guardian, it's time you began your potrols. There are a few troublemakers down on the southern borders. You had better take care of them." Yellow eyes found mine as I looked to my left at the shore. There was a small bent figure.. One wrinkled and weather worn hand held a staff with strips of cloth along the top.. She was shorter then me, with gray hair with strands of silver running through it as it came to the bun that held it.. Her eyes were an old hawkish yellow.. She wore priestess clothes but was far from it.. Her face was wrinkled and leathery.. A long scar running down the right side of it..
She moved with short rapid steps as she wadled closer to the tree's base. "Something bothering you guardian?"

I rolled my fierce eyes in answer, closing off my mind. She was as telepathic as i was and nerely as good at reading others actions. I had learned the art of avoiding her probings as I grew.. And now i could give her enough info to leave me alone.. Merely that something was bothering me and not an inch further into the truth.

"My name is Maru. Not guardian." I returned with a harsh tone. My crossed legs drawing up underneath me as i got ready to vanish if the enrgies i sensed grew closer.. They had stopped just on the inside of the forest.. They were still so more then likely the group was stopping for the night.. Easy prey for me.

"Your name doesn't matter. Your duty to guard these grounds DO." She replied.. Then narrowed her eyes as I left..
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3rd pov

Maru made short work of getting there... Her movements were silent and hardly anything short of untracable.. But her eyes were still shining strangely..

She stopped on a branch and took note of the small group.. Four in all... Two humans.. Maybe humans.. They had strong spirits for such.. And two demons with out a doubt. All of them higher then your normal trespasser...
::You had better be careful guardian.::

::It's MARU. Got that old hag.::

My thoughts snapped at her with out any thought as to how harsh or angery it sounded.. Nor did i care with all honesty. But I continued watching them.... The fire's light was dying.. But three of them were on the ground and the last in a tree nearby.. I would have my hands full....

Then i sensed it...
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