Diety's Gift : a one x one

[Mystic White Raven]

Her parents were once well known adventurers and thrill seekers. They traveled the globe in search of fame, and fortune. When she was barely a year old, her parents traveled to the deepest parts of an unexplored part of an jungle island. it is during this trip that her parents would meet their untimely demise. Abandoned, and alone, alone predator would discover the child. Instead of killing her, she takes pity, and adopts the child as her own. Since then, she is raised by the predator as her own child. In reality, the predator was the spirit of a deity. For proving herself worth, the Deity granted the child with shape-shifting abilities, and gave her the role of guarding her tomb, and the treasures that lay within. Now, year later an expedition team is lead to the Jungle island, in search of the rumored treasure supposedly laid buried somewhere on the island. But things go wry as the expedition team is quickly killed by the Shifter, now an adult woman. She spares a single boy, around her age. Curious about this jungle woman, the boy follows her to the temple she guards. It is here where he discovers the startling secret. The deity then allows the boy to take something from the tomb back with him, but he has to prove himself worthy first, he must learn to survive in the jungle as the Guardian has, and the Guardian will be the person to do it, however the guardian hates outsiders, and humans.

[Mystic White Raven]

reserved for the heck of it

[Mystic White Raven]

Her name had been Mina, eleven years ago. Technically, she still was, but no one ever spoke the name. She could barely remember her parents calling her that on their trips. Her family spent more time in exotic places then in the house they returned to each time. She had been eight years old when they came to this jungle. She had been eight years old when they died, caught by a flash flood, leaving their only daughter alone in the make-shift camp. It wasn't until close to her ninth birthday that a curious jaguar investigated, and then befriended her, taking care of the lone girl as if she were the jaguar's cub. Mina called her Seida, which meant 'spirit of the forest.'

Under Seida's tutelage, Mina learned how to survive, how to hunt, how to find water, how to stay warm. For what she lacked in teeth and fur, Mina made up for in determination, making her own weapons by trial and error. Seida stood vigilant over Mina throughout, defending her from other predators that were to large for Mina to defend against. That relationship continued for three years.

Then one day, Mina raced along the soft dirt floor of the jungle, her feet leaving imprints while her amber eyes looked ahead, following the flash of gold and black fur of Seida. There was a clearing ahead. Perhaps Seida could smell prey up there, that was often why she lead Mina on hunts, but when Mina broke through the forest cover, instead of prey, Seida had turned and was waiting for her in front of an ancient shrine.

Seida spoke in her head, explained that she was a spirit, a powerful one, and that this shrine was to her. There were relics there that could grant power to anyone who possessed it, and treasure to make someone rich beyond imagining. Seida had chosen Mina as the Guardian of the Temple. Mina had shown great courage and determination, so now it was time to repay Seida's vigilance in protecting her, by her protecting Seida's temple. However there were a few things still needed to be done. Before Mina could react, Seida pounced and pinned Mina to the ground. Mina was frozen, shocked. The jaguar-shaped spirit touched her forehead against Mina's and power rushed between them.

-------------------

Mina opened her eyes and blinked against the light filtering down from the trees. It was a beautiful day. She could barely make out the blue skies, but the wind the danced lazily between the trunks cut the heat of the day. Lazily, she got to her feet and ran a hand through her shortly chopped black hair. Thirst made her lick her lips so she dropped from the branch she had been dozing on to the ground below.

[Jin Kiryu]

Poseidon had been most kind to them this voyage. For three months now, the Expedition crew had been out on the water, they were tracing the footsteps of an adventuring couple who had vanished five years ago. Before they're disappearance, the couple stated that they were on the verge of making the discovery of the life time.

A team of of highly skilled mercenaries and doctors were put together, to try and find they're whereabouts. It took months of investigative work but they were finally on the right track. Amongst the group was a young man named Taro, a journalist looking to make his career, he was assigned the task of chronicling their journey, from beginning to end. After three gruelling months of wondering the seven seas, the ship finally reached shore. Upon reaching the island, they saw another boat that washed up shore. It was old, and beat up, it was automatically assumed that the boat belong to the couple.

The forest trees were thick and dense, the jungle was untouched by man, and still as unforgiving. They were perhaps a few hours in when they suddenly heard a roar echoing through the trees, the expedition team stopped at the sound, senses were on high alert.

[Mystic White Raven]

Mina knelt by the waters edge, bending low over the water to get a drink. She cupped her hand and dipped it in the pool. She glanced at her reflection as she did so. Her face was smudged with dirt, but even so, the black leopard markings that decorated the left edge of her face and down her neck to her shoulder were clearly visible. She was proud of those marks, they were a symbol of what she was, what Seida had given her.

*Guardian* Mina smiled and turned, not surprised to see the glowing pale form of a jaguar behind her. Seida had looked like a real jaguar the first years, but after Mina learned what she was, this form was just as good and easier for the spirit. However the smile left Mina's face when she studied Seida's body language. "What is it?" She asked, all business.

*Strangers have come, do with them what you will but protect my shrine.*

Mina felt rage begin to boil from the pit of her stomach. It swelled and grew, her sight taking on a red haze. The first time humans set foot on the island it was a group of bandits. They had tried to take the treasure and harm Seida. The next time had been the same. Outsiders were bad, humans were despicable.

The black marks on body began to glow and the black color deepened. The black spread over her skin like water over a shore, coating everything. Her limbs shortened, her lower face stretched and her body sprouted fine black fur as her hair shrank and changed texture. When it was finished, a black leopard stood in her place. She threw her head back, roared once, and sprang into the woods to hunt the invaders.

[Jin Kiryu]

The expedition seemed to have been going well, they continued on despite a couple of problems here and there. Taro followed as closely as possible but he wasn't exactly an outdoors men. A few hours after their search began, they arrived at what was left of a camp site. "Any idea what might've happened here?" Taro asked snapping some photos away. The Expedition Leader, a tall gruff man examined the scene closely. "Looks like most of it got washed away during the monsoon season...guess we know what happened to those Adventurers...it's getting dark, lets set up camp for the night."


Night fell quickly, and Taro was in his tent entering his log for today's journal. After a moment of this, he lets out a yawn. Closing his note book, he lets out a yawn and falls asleep. Outside, two guards sat watch over an open fire, their eyes scanned the jungle in search of potential threats.

[Mystic White Raven]

The black jaguar crouched on a low branch just out of sight of the invaders camp. It took all her restraint not to charge in there and destroy every living thing. But doing so would be dangerous. Better to wait until there were only a few night watch-men and then pick them off, pulling them into the forest, ripping out their throats or breaking their necks before stashing them up in the branches where the others wouldn't find them.

She watched as they made a fire at her parent's old camp-site. Her tail lashed in aggravation at that. How dare they not only invade her island, but one of the two places she hold dear. Her restraint slipped just a little and a growl reverberated from her throat. Fortunately, the human ears were to pathetic to be able to hear it.

Finally, most of the humans went into their tents, leaving only two to guard the fire. She wasn't sure how to go about getting them both without alerting the camp. She was about to wing it when her own ears picked up something the taller one said, "Hey, I'm gonna go take a wizz, I'll be right back." His companion only nodded. Mina couldn't believe her luck as the one with a full bladder headed her direction. He pushed past the first layer of undergrowth and then straight into her waiting paws. He made no sound before he died.

[Jin Kiryu]

A few minutes would pass, and the single guard would look into the fire. Letting out a yawn, his partner had gone into the bushes to empty his bladder. But this was a few minutes ago. Fearing for his partner's safety, the hired gun leaves the comfort of the fire, with the rifle in his hand he headed towards where his friend was. He saw no sight of him, letting out a gasp, he quickly runs back to the tents to alert everyone of the disappearance.

[Mystic White Raven]

Mina cursed herself for not snapping up the second guard as soon as he approached the woods edge. Now with everyone on alert it would be so much harder to eliminate more. She might have to be content with only one kill tonight. It was like kicking an ant hill. Let them calm down, go back to their business, and then stomp on it again later. In the meantime, she had to eliminate the body. Her skin rippled and her body contorted, the black of her fur fading back underneath her flesh as she resumed her human form.

The body's head lolled unnaturally as she heaved it up on her shoulder. Drops of blood hit her calves as she carried him as easily as a man would carry a bag of potatoes. The cats of the jungle often stored kills in the branches of trees and that was exactly what she planned on doing with this one. She flung the body as high as she could, where it landed on a low branch, then she hauled herself up after it. She continued this way until it was high enough it couldn't be seen from the ground. Then she went back to the camp and watched and thought.

Perhaps she could continue picking off guards. Perhaps she could sneak into the tents when they were asleep. Perhaps she could let them glimpse her in human form and entice them to follow, leading them into a trap. The possibilities swirled in her head as she watched the reaction to the sentry's alarm.

[Jin Kiryu]

Within minutes of the guard's death, the entrie camp was alerted and now awake, though not fully. Taro had only gotten a good three hours of sleep, he was groggy and not really there when an emergency meeting was. "What happened?" Alex, the expedition leader asks. "I...I....I don't know Pablo went out to take a leak, but he didn't come back! Oh god...this trip was a total mistake, I know it!" The panicked merc says. "Put it together, man!" He says. "Alright, we'll double security for the night. No one leaves unless escorted, understood?" He asks. The group nods, and climbs back into t heir tents asleep.

One of the mercs was found dead...the jungle had gotten him. This thought a lone scared Taro half to death, he tried to fall asleep, but found he was too much on edge. Taro thought morning would never come, as light broke out over the drewyry camp, they continued on into the forest. Everyone was on guard, and kept on high alert.

[Mystic White Raven]

Mina had returned to her jaguar form to watch the camp the rest of the night. Her feline eyes were superior in that form, rather then her humanoid one, and her ears were better as well. She took a small sliver of satisfaction at hearing the panic in the remaining sentry's voice as he told the others what had happened.

With day break, the invaders started into the forest once more. As with hunting herd animals, she watched for one to fall away from the group. She had taken her human form again before they left, using her improved dexterity to follow from the branches, never setting foot on the ground. The explorers rarely looked up. She used that to her advantage. When one finally stopped to look at something and the others didn't notice, she dropped onto his shoulders and broke his neck. This time, she jumped back into the cover of the branches without the body, in case the others heard the gasp he had managed to make before he died. Let them think he broke his neck by tripping over a root or something, if they bothered to turn around at all. If they didn't, she would hide his body like the others.

[Jin Kiryu]

As they continued through the thicket of the jungles, Taro couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was...being watched almost like the jungle had eyes. Little did he know that a jaguar had been stalking them since this morning. The Jaguar was Seida, she feared for her tomb, but these group of humans intrigued her. In particular, Taro. He was not well armed like the other men, nor was he a doctor, yet here he was amongst this group. The way he looked at the world, with the child-like innocence of his, it brought warmth to Seida's heart, it reminded her of the days of Mina's childhood.


The jaguar continued to move amongst the trees, wanting to stay one move ahead of the group. By mid afternoon, the group stopped by a river to fill up their water gourds. After a few minutes, one of the mercs stands up, his face dripping with water. "Wait...do you hear that?" He asks one of the mercs. The mercs nods "Yeah...some kind of buzzing, getting louder" He says. Suddenly a black buzzing cloud emerged from the jungle. Letting out a gasp the merc yelled "Locust!!!!" The swarm covered the group in seconds, causing much confusion and panic. Two of the mercs fell into the water, thier lives ended quickly as the crocodiles decided into the waters. A few of the group became scattered, running into the jungle in an attempt to escape the swarm. Taro didn't fare well either, he tried desperately to swat the bugs away, eventually he too fell into the rushing waters. And now the young man fought for his life against the rushing current.

Seeing this, two crocodiles swam after him, but Seida leapt foreward, and stood ontop of a rock, she snarls, showing rows of stained canines, and shot a glare at the crocs. The crocs backed off. As Taro fought against the current, he sees he was coming towards a branch. He reached out and grabbed it as he passed, and held onto it for dear life. Summoning all of his strength, Taro climbs the branch and pulls himself to shore, exhausted and soaking wet, he lays there for a moment to catch his breath.

Seida watched this from the brushes, and took off in search of her daughter. Finding her, the jaguar emerges from the brushes "Mina, the Locusts have done their job, the humans are now separated and lost in the jungle. They should be easy picking...if the jungle has not claimed them already. There is more, there is a young boy with them. I'm sure you've noticed that he is different from the others. I have decided to allow him to live, I want to test him. Find him, but do not kill him understand?" She asks

[Mystic White Raven]

Mina smiled as the invaders fled in a panic from the locusts. The crocodiles feasted on the bodies that fell in the water. She saw the younger one fall in as well and Seida stopped the reptiles from eating him as well. Why would she do that? Didn't she realize this was a human? He would take Seida's relics, her treasure, he would desecrate her temple! Mina's nails dug into the bark of the tree she was in. The golden jaguar soon joined her on the branch. Seida looked into Mina's rage-filled eyes and was unaffected. She instructed Mina of what was to me done. Mina did not like it. Not one bit, but Seida was the one in charge, and Mina dropped her gaze from Seida's crystal eyes in acceptance. First, she could kill the remaining humans.

She transformed into the jaguar form and followed their trails. One would not survive the anaconda he had found. Most of the others she ripped to shreds, sank her teeth into their flesh and tore them apart, appeasing her anger in the act of killing them. Even the leader of the expedition fared not much better, although he managed to cut her flank with his machete a few times before she tore his arm off. He screamed as he lost the appendage. He made no sound when she found his jugular and hot blood gushed into her mouth.

Now, to find the last one, the one Seida insisted on letting live. He we still on the shore, he looked dazed and half-down but definitely still alive. How unfortunate.

[Jin Kiryu]

Taro had passed out shortly after, after a few minutes he regained consciousness he wondered what happened to the resy of the team. He reached for his belt and pulled out a walkie. He had hoped that it still worked, even after being dragged through the raging water. "Alex you there?" He asks, but was only met back with static. "Is anyone there? Hello! Hello!" He says taro dropped the radio that wasi n his hand and brought his knees closer to his body. "s**t...s**t! Thet're all dead...every one of them!" He says as he begins to panic. He was unarmed and lost in the jungle, not exactly a good situation to be in. "Alright, alright. get yourself together Taro..you can pull through, you still got a job to do" He says to himself. Taro looked around the shoreline, he found a broken off branch and a piece of rock. Taro sharpened the rock against another until a sharp point was formed. Taking a down branch and some vines, he tied the rock into a spear and ventured out into the jungle.

Seida had watched as the man fashioned a makeshift spear. "Mina, I want you to show him the way to my tomb. Once there, I want you to test his resolve. Understood? We will see how badly he desires my treasures" He says

[Mystic White Raven]

"Why? Why does HE deserve your treasure? He's a human! He won't appreciate it, he's just going to take it to get rich!" Mina hissed through her teeth. Seida did not bother to answer, only looked her daughter in the eyes coolly.

Mina's jaw clenched, but she gave in and nodded at Seida's request. The boy had armed himself quickly, though she doubted he even knew how to effectively use the weapon he created. A spear was a good choice, though, she grudgingly gave him that. It could be thrown, stabbed, or slashed. She had a spear of her own at the temple for when she spent her days in her human form.

Now, the question was which form to present herself in? Human, most likely. He would be more inclined to follow a fellow two-legger. She approached the edge of the wood in her human form and stood there, watching him, waiting for him to see her. She could only imagine what he would see. A wild woman, thin, muscled, darkly tanned skin, darker streaks where blood had dried, her chest and groin were covered with tattered remains of cloth and leaves she had stitched together from what she had scavenged from the luggage left from her parents. If he got close enough, he would probably also see the leopard marks on the left side of her face and neck, and her right hip.