Temple start

“Warrior Guard Serket, come, you have a new assignment.” Calls the royal advisor, Eadred, while he sits in his office.

“Yes, sir, you summoned me.” Serket, a young yet seasoned jackal hybrid, answers as she walks into his office. Bowing her head as she stands before the royal advisor.

“You will be assigned to the ancient temple of sealing to the north.” Eadred states with a stern tone as he works on documents on his desk, not bothering to look up at the guard in front of him. “You will begin your post tomorrow, so you best prepare accordingly.” He continues as he finishes writing the document he was working on, setting his quill down in the shallow ink pot as he looks up at her.

“I know I shouldn’t ask, but what is the reason for my post change, sir?” Serket asks hesitantly, her head still bowed out of respect. Her form is steady yet coiled, as if on edge in such a formal place.

“You dare to question the kings’ decision, a mere guard.” Scoffs Eadred as he stares her down, irritated at a mere guard questioning the new assignment.

“I know it was out of line to ask, Sir, though I can’t help but be curious, as that assignment is known to be restricted to only three guards. Did something happen to the previous guard to cause my change in post? " She asks rapidly, as if scared she will be reprimanded for speaking at all, never mind for questioning an order from the royal advisor, the very man who speaks for the king in such situations.

“Your predecessor was how shall we say… retired, the guards posted there as well, and I decided that a new jackal guard is to be assigned there in his place. Now, enough questions, or you will be removed from the guard as a whole, and another will take your place.” Eadred states firmly as he pushes an envelope to her. “This contains the details to your new post and the directions to get there; it’s up to you to figure out how you’re getting to the location. But you are expected to be there by tomorrow evening, and with this position you will be given a bed in the guard building near the temple. Though I doubt you will be resting much.” He adds before going back to his paperwork and waving her off, dismissing Serket from his office. She nods as she takes the envelope with the royal seal, bowing again before leaving to pack her belongings and make arrangements for her trip to the ancient temple.

Delete

As Serket makes her way back home, other guards avert their gazes as she walks by. They all know that the temple assignment is dangerous and that any who get sent there won’t come back unless they can no longer fight. The ancient temple is the sealing grounds of an old magic that, in a long past, used to belong the the humans of the world, during the great war, where the magic had been used to decimate the continents plant life and water sources as an act against the hybrids’ rebellion forces.

Serket gathers her few things from the barracks she had called home ever since she became a guard, taking in the old mattress that had seen better days and the room she had shared with countless other guards, some making it beyond a trainee while others failed to pass the rigorous training needed to become a guard for the royal capital.

“Goodbye, old friend, you have served me well.” She mutters as she glances over the small space that her bed occupies, knowing a trainee will use it once she is gone. Turning away, slinging her few belongings in her pack over her shoulder as she leaves for the last time, not expecting to return.

Once Serket has left the barracks, she makes her way to the city gates, hoping to find a caravan for a ride or even a simple horse to borrow to make the trip less taxing on her own body, the news of the new post weighing heavily on her mind. As she walks all who have caught wind of her new post either look away, pretending to be busy with other work or they look at her with gazes of sadness and sympathy for her situation. Serket then sees a older man, she assumes is a farmer, about to leave town and head home for the day as the sun grows closer to the horizon.

“Sir, where might you be heading? " she asks an older man with a weathered face who sits on what she believes to be a farm cart.

“Not likely anywhere you are headed, I doubt a city guard has any need for travel out to the farmlands.” He answers her in a casual tone as he scratches his back, not phased by her status and armor.

“I’m headed to the temple in the north, a new assignment. Will you be going in that direction at all?” Serket insists as she steps closer to the man. “I can pay coin for the troubles if you could cart me to the forest edge.” She offers while pulling out a coin purse containing her savings from being a city guard.

“That’s unfortunate news. How much are you offering for such a trip? It’s quite a ways out of my way if you want to go to the forest edge.” He commented. The man was more interested in the coin than in any risk on the road.

“How about 10 silver coin, and I will keep us safe during the travel as well in exchange for the ride.” She reasons with him while pulling out 10 silver coins, showing them to the farmer, who would be lucky to make that in a day working the city market.

“You have yourself a deal miss soldier.” He nodded before hopping onto the cart bench and grabbing the reigns. “Hop on and we shall get going before the sun sets”

“Thanks.” She nods before getting on the cart and the farmer snaps the reigns for the horse to begin the path out of town and towards the forest, and Serkets’ new position as a temple guard.