The Adventures of Nine Tails: The Tura Doraci Conflict

Prompt #2 - Tura Doraci

The Tura temples are both a representation of Aridin’s main religion as well as a vital part of the cities’ ecosystems. These temples rest on floating islands, some anchored to the ground with tangles of roots and vines and others floating freely through the city’s territory. Nearly all larger cities on Aridin have one, and many of them celebrate the Tura Doraci near the end of the year to prepare for the next year. This celebration calls citizens and visitors from all over the Paperverse to contribute magic to the orbs in the Tura temples to use to cultivate and repair the cities themselves and the surrounding rainforests. Small figurines of elemental gods are distributed and charged to glowing with magic, then brought to the temples to be channeled into the orbs. The gods are often depicted as figures that combine native wildlife and people to illustrate their purpose in bringing people and nature together. Show your character during the Tura Doraci. Your piece must include your character and a celebration or magic ritual in a rainforest, woven city, or floating temple.

 

 

      It wasn’t long after leaving the guild that Grimoire created a portal to go to a meeting he had. It was on Aridin, a planet he had never been to so he was confused to why he was being summoned there. Apparently there was a problem with the preparation for the Tura Doraci in one of the woven cities but that’s all the message said. Once he walked through the portal, he was immediately soaked as it was pouring rain. It wasn’t something he minded too much though; a little water never hurt anyone.

      As he looked around, he saw the temple but something felt off. He continued to walk towards the temple’s entrance, still looking around at all the architecture these temples had, but was stopped by a wolf guard in full armour wearing a sword. A bad sign.

      “I’m sorry sir but you can’t go in.” The wolf said as he held the hilt of his blade, ready to draw it.

      “I’m sorry but I thought these temples were available for public worship. Why is there need to an armed guard?”

      “I cannot answer your question. All I can say is you need to leave. No one is allowed to enter.” The guard was now slowly drawing his blade.

      “I’m supposed to meet someone here, in regards to the Tura Doraci problem.” Grimoire was getting ready to just turn around and portal back to the guild or his house and send a message to the person that requested him.

      “Oh.” The wolf said as he returned the small amount of his blade he unsheathed back. “So you’re the fox they’re waiting for. Go inside but watch your step, unless you want to lose your head.”

      Grimoire didn’t respond but rather just walked into the temple. The wolf didn’t seem like he was from the area, almost like he was some hired mercenary. Why would a temple need hired guards? What exactly happened here? As he kept walking, several other guards, all wolves wearing the same armour with the same type of swords, kept watching him; paws on the hilt of their sword ready for anything. Finally, he entered the main chamber where there was another wolf guard and a bigger wolf along with a panda. Everyone turned to look at him when he entered and the panda, wearing robes that you’d see a monk wearing, walked up to him.

      “Oh Tenko! Thank you so much for coming! Please, sit. I hope you didn’t have any troubles getting here.” The panda seemed more like how he’d imagine the locals would be like and guessing by the fact only he wore the robes, the rest weren’t actually from here.

      As he sat down, Grimoire spoke. “I had a little issue with one of your,” he pointed to the bigger wolf wearing nearly the same armour but much more decorated that was sitting with them, “guards telling me to leave and threatening to draw his sword.” The wolf only grunted at what he said.

      “They’re doing as they’re told. Maybe, if you weren’t wearing that hood, they’d have seen you’re the fox they’re supposed to let in.” Grimoire just removed his hood and stared at the wolf with a highly unamused expression. Mean while, the panda was getting more jittery as the tension increased.

      “I’m sure you can get an a-apology from that guard later. R-right? Anyway, th-that’s not why I asked you here. Both of you. Someone threatened to steal all figurines we give out during the celebration a-and we can’t have that! We need them all to restore our city and the forest.”

      Grimoire tilted his head. “If someone threatened to steal from you, then why am I here? The wolf seems more than capable to guard this place as I’m not much of a fighter.”

      The wolf scoffed. “Typical fox. Useless in almost every way. But he is right about one thing, us wolves are more than capably of guarding these little toys you need oh so much.”

      “Please, they’re not toys! They’re a depiction of our gods and deserve to be treated with respect.” The panda desperately pleaded but the wolf just dismissed him with a paw.

      “Same thing. Any ways, where do you keep the toys at?”

      “Figurines…” The panda said as he sunk into himself. “We moved them over-”

      Grimoire raised his paw and cut the panda off. “Don’t say anything else. Markus, here, is the one that sent the threat.”

      Both Markus and the panda looked at Grimoire with wide eyes. Until Markus spoke. “Well, I must hand it to you fox, I underestimated you. I’m not sure how you got my name nor that information but whoever told you lied about me being the one to send in the threat.” Hearing this only made the panda look back and forth between the two of them.

      “No one told me. Next time, keep your thoughts more silent so others can’t just hear them without trying.” Grimoire slowly started to try and get up when he felt something hard hit him in the back of the head forcing him back down.

      “Oh! So you’re a witch too. That makes this all so much better for us then. We’ll just take your head along with those little toys and sell them. I’m sure you have a bounty or two for using witchcraft.” He made a signal with his paw and Grimoire heard a blade get unsheathed behind him but before the wolf could strike, a vine grabbed his wrist and body and pulled him against the wall. Grimoire jumped up and formed a ball of earth in his paw and was about to throw it at Markus until he saw that he was holding a blade to the pandas throat. “Another step fox and you’ll have his life on your paws.”

      Grimoire’s lip twitched as he thought of a way out of this. He could hear more wolves running up behind him and knew he was limited on time. “I don’t want to hurt anyone so just let him go and leave and we won’t speak of word of this to anyone. Just let him go.”

      “You know what, that sounds like a fantastic idea. Except it doesn’t. I’m not leaving here without those dumb little toys and you’d be lucky to get out of here alive. Now, Po, where are the toys?”

      “Th-th-that’s n-n-not my name?” The panda was shaking and Grimoire knew he had to do something fast but he heard a guard getting too close for comfort.

      Quickly, his eyes turned yellow and he summoned a katana from his bag and quickly unsheathed it and blocked the wolf’s attack all before his eyes returned to normal. Before the wolf could retaliate, vines were holding him in place but when Grimoire turned around, Markus and the panda were gone. He quickly started to run deeper into the temple, down the only way they could have gone, but quickly fell to his knees when a throwing knife cut his cheek from behind him. He turned to see who threw it just in time to see another headed his way and with the split second he had, deflected it with his blade. Vines then grabbed the wolf’s legs and forced him to fall face first into the ground; ‘accidentally’ knocking the wolf out. Grimoire touched his face and looked at his paw and saw blood. He shrugged and continued to follow the pathway until he was in a storage room where Markus was with the panda and three guards; not sure where they came from as he didn’t see any other paths to get here but that didn’t matter since they were there.

      Grimoire stopped and stood there, katana in his right paw and it’s saya in his left since he didn’t have his uwa-obi nor the time to tie it. “I don’t want to hurt anyone else. Just step away from the panda and the figurines and I’ll let you walk right out of here unharmed.”

      Markus just scoffed again. “Oh look, how cute. The little fox is trying to play- wait,” his eyes narrowed and his head tilted, “where did you get that sword from? You didn’t have it when you walked in?” As Grimoire was taking a breath to speak, Markus shrugged. “Oh well. It won’t matter much.” He pointed to one of the guards. “Hurry up and kill him so we can get a move on. He’s blocking the only way out.” Again, how’d these guards get here?

      The guard he pointed at nodded and ran towards Grimoire, sword raised, but suddenly stopped right as he acted like he was about to swing. Grimoire, didn’t flinch nor move a muscle at the wolf’s approach. “Last chance to back down without anyone getting-” Grimoire paused, remembering the unconscious wolf, “anyone else getting hurt.” The wolf didn’t listen but instead swung his sword at Grimoire who blocked it with ease. Before the wolf could counter, Grimoire kicked his legs out from under him causing him to fall and drop his sword which was quickly snatched by a vine and pinned. Grimoire just held his blade to the unarmed wolf as he got back to his feet. “Against the wall.” After Grimoire said that, the wolf backed against the wall where vines quickly restrained him.

      “For someone that doesn’t like fighting, you sure do know your way around a blade, fox.”

      “I’ve studied Kendo and Iaido for more years than you’ve been alive.”

      Markus just laughed. “For more years than I’ve been alive? You’re what, 19? 20? I have so many more years on you I could be your father.”

      Grimoire just grinned. “If you were as old as me, you’d be a long lost memory.” When he finished his sentence, he revealed all nine of his tails that managed to emerge from a slot in the back of his robe. Markus and the other wolves just stared until Grimoire went back to just the one as fighting would be easier without all that fluff. “So, want to change your mind and run or are you still going to fight?”

      There was motionless silence for a moment before Markus finally spoke up. “Well, kill him already so we can leave! I don’t have all day!” The other two wolves jumped before taking a step towards Grimoire. They both ran towards him and swung their swords, the same way, so Grimoire just blocked both at the same time and pushed the wolves into each other making them stumble. One got up and went to strike which was once again blocked but the other had gotten up silently and went to attack Grimoire only to be met with his saya to his face without Grimoire turning to look at him. The three of them kept up this dance for a minute before Markus threw a knife at Grimoire, hitting him in his right shoulder. For a moment, the wolves gained momentum but Grimoire quickly composed himself and disarmed one wolf as he went to strike and used their sword to disarm the other. Before they knew it, both of them were pinned down with vines and Grimoire stood there, knife still in his arm, looking at Markus.

      “Your turn.”

      Markus laughed as he drew his sword. “You move Po, and I’ll kill you.”

      “That’s still not my name.” The panda said quietly to himself.

      Markus walked around Grimoire and spoke as he orbited the kitsune. “So what? You’re some sort of karate master with nine tails? I’m sure they’ll make a nice wall decoration after I sell your head to the highest bidder.” Grimoire remained silent, not turning to follow Markus making him think he’d have the upper hand; and he fell for Grimoire’s trap. Markus went to swing and Grimoire instantly knelt down and blocked his strike before striking Markus with his saya hard enough to make him stumble. Markus just growled and went to strike again but this time when Grimoire blocked, Markus’ sword shattered and Grimoire had him pinned down to the ground with vines before he could process what just happen.

      Grimoire and the Panda walked out of the temple and after contacting the authorities, the panda thanked Grimoire for everything he’d done for them as Grimoire patched up his shoulder wound; which luckily wasn’t bad. Before Grimoire left, he watched the Tura Doraci go off without a hitch and even contributed his magic by charging a small figurine that looked like some kind of canine. Then he turned to walk back through his portal to return to either the guild or his home.