"The Dog Guardian - 01 - Prolouge" by Katherine Bates

Prolouge

            The Dog Guardian was sitting with his dog, Teker, in their house, at the temple of the dog, near the peak of their mountain. Dusk was creeping across the mountain side, casting deep shadows across the courtyard. The Dog Guardian sighed slightly and leant back in his chair, staring out across the courtyard. Night wasn’t really his place, he liked to feel the sun on his face and see what he was doing. He was getting to old for this he reasoned, and so was Teker; they were both to old for this sort of thing, he needed to speak with the Guardian Master.

            Teker lay down to sleep beside him, the greying muzzle resting on the ground lightly. The Dog Guardian thought that a very good idea and leant back even further into the chair, closing his eyes.

            Dusk had longed pass and night swept in when Teker looked up, ears pricked; the doors to the compound had opened by themselves, they only ever did that for one who wore the dog medallion. Teker looked up at his master, the Dog Guardian was still asleep, blissfully unaware of what was happening; he looked back to the courtyard, confused, the dog medallion was right here on his master’s chest, why had the gates opened.

            A shadow moved across the courtyard, a dark form at the corner of Teker’s eyesight. Teker jerked his head round and tipped his head, growling softly. The air didn’t feel right; it seemed somehow, somehow electric, full of magic, powerful magic Teker didn’t recognise. The form moved again, into another shadow, and then again, practically unseen.

            A man stepped out of the shadows at the back of the room. Teker growled softly and then stopped, the flash of the dog medallion round the man’s neck had caught his eye, only his master wore the dog medallion, friend. The man was masked in black, only the eyes showing, a blade held loosely in both hands, identical to the one that the Dog Guardian owned. Teker laid his head down again, nothing to worry about.

            The man stepped forwards, raising the blade above his head, eyes fixed on the Dog Guardian. Teker growled softly, swords weren’t usually raised inside the house. The man glanced at Teker once and then swung the blade down.