Chapter 1 - The Two Lords
Submitted June 1, 2008 Updated October 7, 2008 Status Incomplete | In a world where animals speak and act like humans, a cat named Blaze is the heir to the leader of his home. However, a dark threat is lurking, and Blaze will have to master the ways of his father's mysterous sword if they are to survive.
Category:
Fantasy » Misc. Fantasy |
Chapter 1 - The Two Lords
Chapter 1 - The Two Lords
PROLOGUE
The harsh night winds blew down on the open moorland. The only movement was the exposed grass swaying back and forth in the wind. A chilling silence hung about the windswept land. The silence was broken by the paw-steps of many creatures, getting louder and louder as they got closer. They were marching to the sound of a drumbeat, which appeared to be keeping them up to speed.
A huge white dog-like creature was in the lead, with a blood-covered sword clasped in his right paw. Next to him was his captain, who was second in command. He was a fox, and was making the continuous drumbeat on a ragged looking drum. It was little more than a barrel with the skin of a poor woodlander stretched taut over the top and bottom. Marching behind them was the leaders horde. Five hundred or more wicked looking beasts; foxes, badgers, oversized rats and wild dogs, each carrying a weapon and wearing silver armour. Regardless of how daunting these creatures looked, their leader was much worse.
He was the largest wild dog in his horde, and looked wolf-like. His ragged white fur was stained with dirt, dust, and mostly blood. Covering his back, he had on a magnificent red velvet cape, trimmed with pigeon feathers. He had on a little silver armour, but not as much as his horde. He was so strong and powerful; he didn't need it. All though his fur was white, his heart was dark. It was filled with hatred and desire to conquer the new land ahead, no matter the cost. Throughout the lands he had become known as Darkfang.
Darkfang and his horde had been marching for nearly a season, with little rest and on rationed food and water. Darkfang had ordered a score of his horde to stay behind the others with spears and swords. As well as being on the lookout for surprise attacks, they had been ordered to kill any creatures that couldn't keep up with the rest. No one new where they were going, or how much longer this pain-staking march was going to last. No one that is, except for their leader.
Darkfang had heard about a breathtaking land filled with foliage, food, water, and most importantly, lots of inhabitants. He would make them fear his name, and make them follow under his rule. He planned to use them as slaves to build a fortress where he and his horde would live. If any opposed his decision, however, they would regret the day they were born. He already had with him a number of slaves, each of which he had caught in the previous land he had conquered. In the middle of the horde were two score of starved, exhausted, and miserable creatures, in which their only warmth was the ragged remains of their clothes. All were woodland creatures, made up of hares, squirrels, cats, and numerous other helpless animals. None had any hope for the future, and they lived only knowing that their death could be any day soon.
In the horizon, Darkfang could see very faintly the greenery of a distant forest. That meant that they were near their destination. Another five days walk at the speed were goingHe thought to himself. He was not happy with their progress. He wanted to be there in at least two days from now. A wicked grin broadened across his face. He stopped dead in his tracks, the confused horded bumping into each other at the surprise halt. A selfish badger named Stripejaw sat down tiredly, taking advantage of the situation. Many others followed his example.
"Blacktooth come over here" he growled, almost friendly like.
The captain paused in his drumming momentarily and shakily moved closer to Darkfang.
"Yes my lord?" he said, his knees quivering. There was no telling what this wild dog was up to.
"Do you think we're making good progress while you are drumming?" The dog said, still sounding friendly.
"Uh..ummm I think so my lord"
"You think?"
The fox was unsure how he should answer
"Uhh, yes my lord"
"Do you think you could go any faster?"
"I'm going as fast as I can my lord. If I go any faster, some might not be able to kee..."
A swift stab with the leaders sword silenced him forever.
"Let this be an example to all of you hopeless excuses for a horde!" He growled, all hints of his friendly voice now completely gone.
The horde suddenly rose to attention. All except Stripejaw that is. Darkfang strode over to where Stripejaw was sitting and pointed the sword tip towards his bare neck, making him stand.
"Did you not hear properly Stripejaw? I could kill you right now but I have decided to spare you. You are my new captain. What you lack in loyalty to me you make up in strength. Besides, I never did like old Blacktooth anyway. Now make your way over to that drum and beat it at double time." Darkfang stoped momentarily and gestured towards the body of Blacktooth. The grass around him was stained deep red from the blood of the dead fox.
"Oh, and Stripejaw,"
The badger stoped dead in his tracks and turned to face his leader.
"If you ever decide to not do as I command again, you will follow in the paw-steps of this fox."
Stripejaw, fearing for his life, stumbled toward the drum and picked it up. Darkfang turned towards the rest of the horde.
We are going to get to the forest in two days walk. At this rate, my whiskers will turn grey before you lazy beasts get there. Be wary to keep up, because you know what will happen to you if you fall behind."
With that he strode to the front and kept walking at double speed, stepping on the limp body of Blacktooth as he did so. The horde struggled to keep up and many felled victim to the spears of those at the back of the horde. As the group marched on, all that could be heard was the beating of the drum, and the anguished cry of those who could not keep up.
"AAAARRRRRGGGG!!!" A dark brown tabby cat screamed, jumping out of bed suddenly. His face was dripping with sweat; his eyes blood shot. He stared into the stillness of the room he found himself standing in. It took him a while to realise that he was standing in his chamber room, the familiar place calming him down. It must have been a nightmare. Nothing to worry about. In his ears he could still hear the pounding of the drum. How could he not worry?
Boom, Boom, Boom
"AARRGGG!" He screamed once more. "WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?"
Everything seemed to blur in the room, then he collapsed on the floor.He was seeing images. He saw a huge white wolf-creature in silver armour, and the black shadows of marching beasts. All of which he had seen in his dream. But what he hadnt seen in his dream startled him the most. It was only a quick flash, but he knew instantly what it was. It was himself lying on the ground, unmoving. Blood stained the grass a rich red around him. He was dead.
He couldn't take it any more, he wanted to escape this horrible place; back to his chamber, where he was safe. As if somebeast had heard him, the images stopped, and he found himself looking at the ceiling of his chamber. Panting hard, he realized he had fallen, and without any hesitation he stood up and made a mad dash for the window. He was so high up, and he could see almost everything from here. He searched the land for a sign of evil. Mostly the wicked white beast he had seen in his dream. He could see nothing of the sort however. The peaceful land of Blossomtree forest seemed to stretch for miles before him.
Just as he thought the images had gone, one more flashed in front of him, although this one didnt give him the horrible feeling the other ones had. A great fire roared, and he could feel its intense heat upon him. Out of the flames, a light brown tabby tom calmly walked towards him, drawing a great battle sword out over his shoulder hilt as he did so. It had a glowing amber eye carved on its handle, and the silver blade seemed to catch the light once it had been fully drawn. The carved amber eye on the sword looked exactly like those of its holder, in which a fire seemed to burn as brightly as the embers behind him. This cat was young, but the way he walked so fiercely, yet so calm, made him look like a true warrior. The cat raised his sword high over his head, and then swiftly brought it back down for a killing blow. The premonition ended just as the blade was a whisker length before the older cat, and once again, the dark brown tom found himself looking over Blossomtree country. For some strange reason, this vision seemed to fill him with hope, and had soothed his pain for the few seconds it lasted. He was not at all scared of this mystery creature, as he felt as though he new him, although he only had a faint idea who the creature may be. Most of the cats face had been shadowed, and the only part of his face he remembered seeing was the glowing amber eyes.
One other thing that had stunned him was the amber-eyed sword. It was the very same sword that he himself possessed, although the eye had never glowed like that for him. The leader turned towards his bed in which his sword was leaning against its foot. It looked the same as usual, nothing strange.
A small red robin flew past his window and caught his eye, bringing him out of his thoughts. He watched it fly to a tree and land on its nest, a delicate weaving of small twigs. He could see faintly that the nest was filled with tiny baby birds. The mother fed its children carefully, making sure that each one got an equal fill, and then started to prune them affectionately. The cat watched in awe at the wonderful sight. It would be spring in a few days. How could such a peaceful land be poisoned by such evil? He could not answer this question as he thought about the horrible wolf beast. The image of the amber-eyed cat had not made him forget about the evil wolf in his dream, and his body, lying still in grass.
Although it had just been a dream, it had felt so real. He clutched his neck with his paws and rubbed it. His neck felt like it had fell victim to a sword, yet he was still alive, and there was no blood. I know what this pain is,he thought,it is the pain of my own death. He looked out into the forest once more. What ever it was, he knew something was out there, he could feel it. As he stared out into the distance he said to himself quietly, as if somehow that evil creature could hear him,
"I know my end is near, but I, Russetfur the warrior, ruler of this land, have one final vow. My blood will spill yours, and the path of death you leave behind you will end forever."
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The harsh night winds blew down on the open moorland. The only movement was the exposed grass swaying back and forth in the wind. A chilling silence hung about the windswept land. The silence was broken by the paw-steps of many creatures, getting louder and louder as they got closer. They were marching to the sound of a drumbeat, which appeared to be keeping them up to speed.
A huge white dog-like creature was in the lead, with a blood-covered sword clasped in his right paw. Next to him was his captain, who was second in command. He was a fox, and was making the continuous drumbeat on a ragged looking drum. It was little more than a barrel with the skin of a poor woodlander stretched taut over the top and bottom. Marching behind them was the leaders horde. Five hundred or more wicked looking beasts; foxes, badgers, oversized rats and wild dogs, each carrying a weapon and wearing silver armour. Regardless of how daunting these creatures looked, their leader was much worse.
He was the largest wild dog in his horde, and looked wolf-like. His ragged white fur was stained with dirt, dust, and mostly blood. Covering his back, he had on a magnificent red velvet cape, trimmed with pigeon feathers. He had on a little silver armour, but not as much as his horde. He was so strong and powerful; he didn't need it. All though his fur was white, his heart was dark. It was filled with hatred and desire to conquer the new land ahead, no matter the cost. Throughout the lands he had become known as Darkfang.
Darkfang and his horde had been marching for nearly a season, with little rest and on rationed food and water. Darkfang had ordered a score of his horde to stay behind the others with spears and swords. As well as being on the lookout for surprise attacks, they had been ordered to kill any creatures that couldn't keep up with the rest. No one new where they were going, or how much longer this pain-staking march was going to last. No one that is, except for their leader.
Darkfang had heard about a breathtaking land filled with foliage, food, water, and most importantly, lots of inhabitants. He would make them fear his name, and make them follow under his rule. He planned to use them as slaves to build a fortress where he and his horde would live. If any opposed his decision, however, they would regret the day they were born. He already had with him a number of slaves, each of which he had caught in the previous land he had conquered. In the middle of the horde were two score of starved, exhausted, and miserable creatures, in which their only warmth was the ragged remains of their clothes. All were woodland creatures, made up of hares, squirrels, cats, and numerous other helpless animals. None had any hope for the future, and they lived only knowing that their death could be any day soon.
In the horizon, Darkfang could see very faintly the greenery of a distant forest. That meant that they were near their destination. Another five days walk at the speed were goingHe thought to himself. He was not happy with their progress. He wanted to be there in at least two days from now. A wicked grin broadened across his face. He stopped dead in his tracks, the confused horded bumping into each other at the surprise halt. A selfish badger named Stripejaw sat down tiredly, taking advantage of the situation. Many others followed his example.
"Blacktooth come over here" he growled, almost friendly like.
The captain paused in his drumming momentarily and shakily moved closer to Darkfang.
"Yes my lord?" he said, his knees quivering. There was no telling what this wild dog was up to.
"Do you think we're making good progress while you are drumming?" The dog said, still sounding friendly.
"Uh..ummm I think so my lord"
"You think?"
The fox was unsure how he should answer
"Uhh, yes my lord"
"Do you think you could go any faster?"
"I'm going as fast as I can my lord. If I go any faster, some might not be able to kee..."
A swift stab with the leaders sword silenced him forever.
"Let this be an example to all of you hopeless excuses for a horde!" He growled, all hints of his friendly voice now completely gone.
The horde suddenly rose to attention. All except Stripejaw that is. Darkfang strode over to where Stripejaw was sitting and pointed the sword tip towards his bare neck, making him stand.
"Did you not hear properly Stripejaw? I could kill you right now but I have decided to spare you. You are my new captain. What you lack in loyalty to me you make up in strength. Besides, I never did like old Blacktooth anyway. Now make your way over to that drum and beat it at double time." Darkfang stoped momentarily and gestured towards the body of Blacktooth. The grass around him was stained deep red from the blood of the dead fox.
"Oh, and Stripejaw,"
The badger stoped dead in his tracks and turned to face his leader.
"If you ever decide to not do as I command again, you will follow in the paw-steps of this fox."
Stripejaw, fearing for his life, stumbled toward the drum and picked it up. Darkfang turned towards the rest of the horde.
We are going to get to the forest in two days walk. At this rate, my whiskers will turn grey before you lazy beasts get there. Be wary to keep up, because you know what will happen to you if you fall behind."
With that he strode to the front and kept walking at double speed, stepping on the limp body of Blacktooth as he did so. The horde struggled to keep up and many felled victim to the spears of those at the back of the horde. As the group marched on, all that could be heard was the beating of the drum, and the anguished cry of those who could not keep up.
~
"AAAARRRRRGGGG!!!" A dark brown tabby cat screamed, jumping out of bed suddenly. His face was dripping with sweat; his eyes blood shot. He stared into the stillness of the room he found himself standing in. It took him a while to realise that he was standing in his chamber room, the familiar place calming him down. It must have been a nightmare. Nothing to worry about. In his ears he could still hear the pounding of the drum. How could he not worry?
Boom, Boom, Boom
"AARRGGG!" He screamed once more. "WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?"
Everything seemed to blur in the room, then he collapsed on the floor.He was seeing images. He saw a huge white wolf-creature in silver armour, and the black shadows of marching beasts. All of which he had seen in his dream. But what he hadnt seen in his dream startled him the most. It was only a quick flash, but he knew instantly what it was. It was himself lying on the ground, unmoving. Blood stained the grass a rich red around him. He was dead.
He couldn't take it any more, he wanted to escape this horrible place; back to his chamber, where he was safe. As if somebeast had heard him, the images stopped, and he found himself looking at the ceiling of his chamber. Panting hard, he realized he had fallen, and without any hesitation he stood up and made a mad dash for the window. He was so high up, and he could see almost everything from here. He searched the land for a sign of evil. Mostly the wicked white beast he had seen in his dream. He could see nothing of the sort however. The peaceful land of Blossomtree forest seemed to stretch for miles before him.
Just as he thought the images had gone, one more flashed in front of him, although this one didnt give him the horrible feeling the other ones had. A great fire roared, and he could feel its intense heat upon him. Out of the flames, a light brown tabby tom calmly walked towards him, drawing a great battle sword out over his shoulder hilt as he did so. It had a glowing amber eye carved on its handle, and the silver blade seemed to catch the light once it had been fully drawn. The carved amber eye on the sword looked exactly like those of its holder, in which a fire seemed to burn as brightly as the embers behind him. This cat was young, but the way he walked so fiercely, yet so calm, made him look like a true warrior. The cat raised his sword high over his head, and then swiftly brought it back down for a killing blow. The premonition ended just as the blade was a whisker length before the older cat, and once again, the dark brown tom found himself looking over Blossomtree country. For some strange reason, this vision seemed to fill him with hope, and had soothed his pain for the few seconds it lasted. He was not at all scared of this mystery creature, as he felt as though he new him, although he only had a faint idea who the creature may be. Most of the cats face had been shadowed, and the only part of his face he remembered seeing was the glowing amber eyes.
One other thing that had stunned him was the amber-eyed sword. It was the very same sword that he himself possessed, although the eye had never glowed like that for him. The leader turned towards his bed in which his sword was leaning against its foot. It looked the same as usual, nothing strange.
A small red robin flew past his window and caught his eye, bringing him out of his thoughts. He watched it fly to a tree and land on its nest, a delicate weaving of small twigs. He could see faintly that the nest was filled with tiny baby birds. The mother fed its children carefully, making sure that each one got an equal fill, and then started to prune them affectionately. The cat watched in awe at the wonderful sight. It would be spring in a few days. How could such a peaceful land be poisoned by such evil? He could not answer this question as he thought about the horrible wolf beast. The image of the amber-eyed cat had not made him forget about the evil wolf in his dream, and his body, lying still in grass.
Although it had just been a dream, it had felt so real. He clutched his neck with his paws and rubbed it. His neck felt like it had fell victim to a sword, yet he was still alive, and there was no blood. I know what this pain is,he thought,it is the pain of my own death. He looked out into the forest once more. What ever it was, he knew something was out there, he could feel it. As he stared out into the distance he said to himself quietly, as if somehow that evil creature could hear him,
"I know my end is near, but I, Russetfur the warrior, ruler of this land, have one final vow. My blood will spill yours, and the path of death you leave behind you will end forever."
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Comments
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darkwolf333 on October 9, 2008, 11:20:55 AM
darkwolf333 on
Awsome this sounds good. I like itAtomicMoat on July 23, 2008, 11:08:35 PM
AtomicMoat on
oo good start,eagerly going to read your other chapters now
wagz20 on June 6, 2008, 2:13:03 PM
wagz20 on
wow, I don't know too much about writing, but what I do know is this was awesome! great job! very descriptive, really painted I picture in my head as i was reading it :). which is what I like when I read. yeah, a very good begining like the whole animal/antro thing, sounds like a story I'd enjoy. hay, you should draw the characters in your story, just an idea. but anyway awesome job and I hope to get around to reading the rest soon.Maradara on June 5, 2008, 8:20:07 AM
Maradara on
Awsome, i like it =)FizzyG on May 31, 2008, 9:19:24 PM
FizzyG on
lol! about the last comment deleted!anyways like i said i loved it!
i loved the way you fitted animals into it
it made it more interesing!
good luck with the next chapter!^_^