Chapter Four
Temple Of Life

Before the sun has risen over the temple barracks, the door flings open and a tall Human woman ducks through the door. “Morning, ladies, it’s breakfast.” The woman doesn’t wait for the three fox brothers to wake up, instead she pulls each one out of their bunk by their ankles. “I said get your arses out of bed, furballs” Arvik sits up on the floor and takes the blanket off his face before his clothes hit him in the face. The tall woman turns to leave as they start to get dressed and the brothers see this woman carries a tower shield on her back. Decorated very oddly this shield seems to represent all of the gods, good and evil. Under the shield is a massive sword, as tall as the fox brothers. 

As soon as the brothers are dressed, they walk outside and Mailo looks at his temple uniform. “I look like a martial artist… That is awesome.” The follow the human monks into the dining hall and get a plate of food each. Arvis sits at a table and his brothers join him. “What the hell is this slop?” Maria speaks up as if she had been sitting there the entire time and Pinwae flinches as she startles him. “It’s good and healthy, eat it.” Arvik takes a large spoonful into his mouth. “She’s right, it’s delicious.” Penwae and Mailo start eating and soon are finished. Maria waves her hand as she walks out of the dining hall. “Follow me, you three have training to start. 

Mailo gives her backside a scan “Are we training with you?” Maria stops in the courtyard and points to the tall woman. “No you’ll be training with my partner for life.” Arvik, Mailo, and Pinwae walk past her to the tall woman sitting at the fountain eating a fresh apple. Pinwae looks around to see no fruit bearing trees anywhere in the temple courtyard. Pinwae licks his lips. “Hey where did you get that.” The tall woman finishes the apple and tosses the core into a nearby plant pot “If you want fresh fruit, you have to climb the mountain. I’ve already gone, but I would like another. One of you will get it for me. Follow me.” She stands and walks past them to an opening in the temple wall with an archway. Pinwae realises she couldn’t be less than seven feet tall. As they follow her, they realise the valley where the temple lies is actually a carved out mountain as they look off the side miles down to a massive forrest. 

Arvik walks up beside the tall woman. “I have questions, if you are willing to answer. The tall woman nods. “Ask all you wish, I have nothing to hide.” She points to another nearby mountain, much taller than the temple’s mountain, The mountain was so tall fog covered the peak. “That is our destination.” She points to a long bridge connecting the mountains. “First we must cross.” As she starts up the path to the bridge Arvik paces her. “I wanted to know what you are and what your name is.” The tall woman laughs. “You’ve never seen humans before? The southern continent is full of us, I do not think we were created by light or darkness, but we are as certain as death. My name is Akura Indigo Temlin.”

Arvik Looks a little confused. “You have the same name as the Gryphon lady, is it like a clan designation?” Akura laughs and slaps his back. “There are no clans here, my friend. Maria’s birth name is Kenira, she attained my name when we pledged our lives to each other under the blessing of the gods. Eternal peace and love does not have a physical form, therefore you must love who you are drawn to or you may never know true happiness.” Arvik stops for a second, trying to understand why or how two women could be with each other as life partners. Mailo pushes him forward as he starts asking questions. “Is there sex is a relationship like that? How does that work?” Akura lets out an exasperated sigh, then stops and turns to Mailo. “Yes there is sex, I will not speak any further about my intimate life.” She flicks him in the nose and continues up the path.

Pinwae has been quiet the entire time, when he speaks, they all stop to listen. “You must love her a lot if you let her have your name. I wish I had someone like that.” Akura walks back towards him and kneels in front of him, to be eye level with the youngest of the fox brothers. “I love Maria with all of my being. That kind of love happens only once, when you find it, never let it go. Now come, we are almost there.” She stands and takes him to the front to cross the bridge first. “Don’t be scared, a fall from this high would be a quick, painless death.” Pinwae freezes “That doesn’t help at all.” Akura gives him a shove onto the bridge to which he yelps and holds on to the side rope. Akura sends Arvik next and Arvik helps his brother Pinwae stand and walk across Mailo walks on after Arvik, leaving Akura at the end to bring up the rear.

After fifteen heart wrenching minutes Pinwae walks off the bridge and hugs a nearby tree. “Land!” Akura lets out a hearty laugh and pushes him off the tree. “Come on, we are only halfway” The next few hours Pinwae spends in agony as they climb sheer cliffs and narrow pathways all while finding it harder to breath as they climbed. Near the top, Mailo slips and gets caught by Arvik and Pinwae who work to pull him up, then they tumble backwards as he comes over the top. The tree lay in a heap at the top of the mountain as they look up to see three trees, an apple tree, a peach tree to the right side and a pear tree to the left side of the apple tree.

Akura stands in the middle and takes a deep breath, then sits down on the center of the meditation circle carved in the rock. The three brothers struggle to catch their breath as they may their way over to the trees. Mailo gets a peach, Arvik gets an apple, and Pinwae gets a pear. Akura looks to Arvik. “I’m waiting on my apple.” Arvik grabs another plump red apple and tosses it to her. Akura catches it without looking and takes a big bite. “Eat the fruit, they will help you at this elevation to store energy. Now sit, use this time to meditate.” Mailo plops down beside her. “I’ve never meditated before.” Akura smirks and looks over. “That’s Very obvious. Don’t cross your legs like that, it restricts blood flow.” Arvik and Pinwae sit and follow the instructions given to Mailo, slowly mastering the meditation as Mailo learns.

Akura spends her next few weeks learning about the brothers and how they work together. In battle as she finds they are well trained, seamlessly matching each other’s movement. Arvik, the alpha male, leads and decides how the battle moves. Pinwae, the scholar, learns and adapts, and shows the others two what to do. Lastly Mailo, slow but powerful, moves last but usually makes the final blow. Mailo has brawn and charisma, Pinwae has incredible intelligence and is also the youngest. Arvik, the eldest of the brothers, is lean, fast, and a cunning tactician, a perfect leader for a pack of stealthy warriors. These were three incredible warriors, and Akura was happy to have someone to spar with.