Temple of the Tiger
Part one. …Journey To the Temple
Chapter Two…. Decisions made

He wandered through the forest, tall wondrous trees, small sweet scented bushes, flowers, and grasses. It was not that he hadn’t seen these things before, but somehow they were different, sharper, sweeter, and taller. But something, on the edge of his vision, and every so often a blurring of his sight where the forest disappeared and he saw something else, he knew it was calling him, he knew he should try to remember, but then the forest reappeared and the vision faded.

He shook his great head, and a wind blew through the forest, ruffling the leaves of the trees and stirring gently the tops of the tall trees, he waited until the wind had died down, then moved silently forward, turning his head slowly this way and that to capture every sight, every scent. A tiny bird flew down, and fluttered in front of his face, he lifted his face and it landed on his large snout chirruping away its song for him to hear. Other animals now came out from the forest and joined him in his walk, despite his large size none were scared. He felt peace all around him, and the mist that was threatening to engulf him ebbed away from his vision, the voices in his head became quiet.

Far away, a village died a little more.

The Elders had gathered once again around his bedside, he did not find the release of Death but lingered here, his body wracked with pain, fever befuddled his mind. On his clear spells he would ask questions. The Winged one had come, they had sent out the message,
“ What can we do now” they kept asking him
“ wait” he replied before closing his eyes once more.
The Elders were at a loss; the people were beseeching them to find the way to stop the fever that was plaguing their village, to stop the disease that had the fruit trees in its grasp, to stop the never ending rains that threatened to wash away the mountain and with it, them!
They could do nothing, except pray that the Winged one had delivered the message, and someone would answer their cry.

The Great Beast wandered, he knew not why he wandered, something pulled him, but he knew not where. As Darkness fell the little animals left his side and scurried away to sleep for the night, he needed no sleep. He saw as well in the Dark as he did in the light and so he kept wandering, soon he would reach the edge of the forest but he knew not where he would go then, just follow the call. He stopped and turned his head back where he had come from, he had travelled a great distance already, but he could not remember how far or where from? He knew, deep in the back of his mind that he should remember, that he was needed back there, that something bad would happen if he didn’t go back, he half turned, and then he stopped again and raised his head, the call, the pull was much stronger than the thoughts trying to battle with it. He shook his head, again a wind blew through the forest, and he stopped. He knew that with a shake of his body trees would bend and some would fall in the wind that would follow, if he roared the earth would shake and mountains would tumble, he turned and continued his wandering.

Diseased fruit fell from the trees in the village.

They had called a meeting of all the villagers, it had been decided that they would send out a the strongest among them to follow the way of the Winged one, that person would take the strongest and fleetest riding beast and would travel the long road as swiftly as possible, they were a peaceful people and did not raise warriors, for they had never had the need. For centuries He had protected them, and now they were lost. If word got out that He was lost, they would face the prospect of having to fight to maintain their beautiful lands beneath the mountain, if they were not completely washed away by the rains.
A young man stood in the centre of the circle, Kal, he was a tall strong young man, and for the last few years had been trying to persuade the Elders to allow him to go out in to the world and learn all he could, they had kept him there, after all the Great one knew everything what was there for him to learn?
Now Kal would get his chance, he bowed before the Elders, “ I shall do all that is within my power “ he said to them. Now they all followed him as he walked towards the Black and White beast he would ride.
He mounted the Horse and bowed once more, and then digging his heels into the flank of the Beast he set off on the long road to follow the Winged ones trail towards Duranbro.