Temple Guardian (Haremlit Fantasy Adventure)

The museum was eerie and deserted. Nothing was out of place, no broken glass, no alarms going off. The only lights were the emergency exits and signs and Hana’s ring which she shone in front of us. She had trouble keeping it trained in one direction as she admired the interesting displays. The first exhibit we were in was an ancient Egyptian exhibit on loan from the London Museum and she marveled at the gold sarcophagi, causing Hana to have to shush her several times.

We needn’t have bothered being quiet, there was clearly no one but us. But in a way that made the whole thing even more creepy. I whispered to the girls that we should move on, we needed to find an exhibit where the tea whisk might be located and it certainly wasn't in ancient Egypt.

The next exhibit was Jomon-era pottery and sculpture. Hana giggled and tugged my sleeve, shining a light on a rather busty nude lady made out of clay. “It looks like Mistress Hana,” she tittered playfully.

And just how does she know that?

Hana swatted her behind and she yelped. I glared at the two girls, shushing them loudly with a finger to my lips. The sound echoed in the quiet dark as if it had a life of its own and we all quieted, looking up at the walls.

“This way,” I hissed, dragging them into the Muromachi period where the tea ceremony had been invented. I never thought paying attention in history class would come in handy, certainly not in this way. But things have a way of working out like that.

This exhibit was in stark contrast to the Jomon era.

Here we marveled over beautiful colorful kimonos, paintings, tapestries, and various farming and cultivation instruments. But none of it was what we were looking for. I was beginning to get frustrated when I found it. A section on the tea ceremony.

I brought Kira close and had her shine her light on the text outlining what the display had in store. It was of a famous monk, master Utabashi. I didn’t know the name but I felt an immediate connection. I read on to find out he had traveled around Japan teaching the art of the ceremony, he felt it best-encapsulated balance, a way to connect not just with society, but with the spirits. A kind of meditation present in the very way in which one served and received.

On display were his clothes and various implements but I could not find the whisk.

“Here, it’s here!” Hana said loudly and I winced at the sound but turned. There, in its own glass display case was the whisk all by itself. We stared, all three of us. This I had not expected. There was no break-in, it had not been stolen. Miku was not here. So what were we to do? And why had the doors been open?

“Well? Let's get it!” said Kira, she extended two hands and I saw her nails sharpen. “I can get us through this glass, easy.”

“Hold up,” I said. “Up until now we’ve been trespassing, but if we do this. We are thieves.”

“What choice do we have?” asked Hana. “If we don’t get this now, the summoner will. And he has no problem breaking the law.”

I searched my brain for a better way. Any other way. I heard Kira let out a feral snarl. I saw her arms were fury, claws fully extended, and her eyes glowed red as Fenra’s had in my dream.

“Kira stop!” I yelled, but she did not hear me. A change had come over her. Hana tried to subdue her but she lashed out, knocking her onto her back. I ran to Hana, cradling her head and helping her up. She grunted and said she was fine, but the brief lapse in my vigilance was long enough for the cat girl, possessed as she was, to complete her task.

Claws shining in the light reflecting from her ring she smashed her way through the glass display case and grasped the whisk inside, a wicked grin upon her face. She held it close to her chest and began walking forward. She was half in her cat form, her shirt ripped in a dozen places and her pants torn off at the bottoms. She seemed not to care, walking forward with a crazed grin on her face and fangs out. She pushed passed the two of us. The light of her ring winked out.

“Kira, where are you go-”

But the rest of my question was drowned out by the loud wail of sirens.

“Shit,” Hana cursed, getting to her feet. Suddenly I was blinded by light We were surrounded by three burly police officers shining flashlights in our faces.

“Get down! Get down on the ground!” they yelled.

“Wait! Stop, let us explain,” said Hana.

“Thieves! You are under arrest!” another of the officers yelled. “Comply now or we will be compelled to use force.”

The officers came closer, Hana and I had our hands up. There was something odd about them, the way they walked, so stiff. Their faces were shadowed by their caps.

I heard a hiss from behind them and saw Kira sitting cross-legged by the exit sign, the whisk in her lap, her eyes still glowing red. I willed her to go on and get out of there but she seemed amused by the whole situation. I could not feel our connection anymore.

When the guards reached closer one went around either side of us, grabbing our hands roughly and handcuffing them behind our back. “Listen, if you’d let me explain…” said Hana. A loud slap echoed in the air.

“Quiet, hunter bitch!” the officer in front of us yelled. With two clicks I heard the cuffs lock into place. Hana spat blood onto the floor and glared up at the one in front of us.

“Hunter? Hana he’s…” I said, realization dawning upon me.

“A demon,” she finished.

The man tilted back his cap and I saw red eyes glow from below it. “Very good, humans. Very good. But now you are ours. Too late.” The police officer in front of us transformed, his shirt ripping open to display a muscular red chest and his cap flying off to be replaced by two curled horns. From behind us, I heard the beating of wings. Then they pushed us to our knees. The other two officers came around, two jet-black stone-skinned gargoyles also with red eyes. They stood at the shoulder of their large demon overlord. They looked up at him.

“Should we kill them, master?” one asked.

“Should we eat them? The plan is complete!” said the other.

I heard them, but only peripherally. Ever since the strike upon Hana, my blood was boiling. Once more I had failed to protect my lady. I would not let this stand. I heard more talking, Hana’s voice, I felt heart upon my skin.

I ignored it all, closing my eyes. I was in the fields, I was in the temple, I was in the monastery. I saw black robes, I saw grandfather. I opened my eyes and all was a torrent of wind. I would stop them. I would protect them. All of them. I rose to my feet and ripped apart the bonds around my wrists. I roared. I saw the demons step back

I saw Hana below me, struggling to stand. I unsheathed the sword at my side, grabbed her arms, and smashed open the lock with the butt end of my katana. Hana nodded thanks and reached down to grab her own weapon that she dropped. She tapped it twice and the staff emerged. It pulsated with blue crackling energy as if in response to the demonic presence around it.

She twirled it and grinned. “I like this thing.”

“Good,” I said. “Because it’s time to show me your hunting skills.”

The demon laughed first and then his gargoyles, a sound like dry crunching leaves. “Bring it on puny humans.

I leveled my sword. “Gladly.”