"A New Shade of Black - Chapter 1" by S. B. ´Kinko´ Hulsey

Never had the night been blacker.

That was what went through his mind as he looked up at the land around. He was a silver fox, black splotches dotting his fur here and there, his face illuminated by the plain brass lantern he clasped tightly in a sweaty paw.

Blue eyes darted back and forth. What was that noise?

“W-w-who’s there?” he squeaked, his voice quavering.

Nothing answered but the wind.

Trembling with fear and giving one last glance around in the cold darkness, he went back inside the cottage, closing and bolting the door firmly, leaning his back against it.

It was so quiet.

So quiet that his breathing seemed loud. So quiet that it made a shiver run up his spine and chill him to the bone. A cricket chirped, startling him and his lantern crashed against the door as he jumped.

He narrowly avoided the shattered glass, giving a slight moan as his only source of light went out. Looking out his window, he squinted to see if there was anything out there. However, the moon was new and the night was black.

No…not black. A black even blacker than normal black. But that didn’t make sense…

Then again, nothing made sense anymore.

Deciding there was nothing out there to harm him, the fox turned to head back towards his bed, giving a slight sigh of relief. Convinced that he would not be harmed. But that was the last thought that would run through his mind.

The flash of a sword was the last thing he would see. The hissing voice in his ear was the last thing he would hear.

“Die!”

Daybreak.

Princess Laranin awoke without a care in the world. Yawning, she stretched her arms and snuggled deeper into the warm, silk blankets. The morning was perfect. The young cat’s eyes closed and she gave a content sigh.

Her future was before her. One of two heirs to the lands about, called Klandir, she knew that she would rule someday.

Then, there was a knock, or was it a thud, against her door.

Laranin jerked up, her lip curling. What was it now?

“What do you want?” she snapped irritably, her black fur bristling slightly.

The door was smashed open.

Giving a gasp, the young princess sat up straight, her green eyes wide at the sight before her. She tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Her paw grasped the bluish sheets as she gave a cry.

“Rarpidas!”

The deep green draconic beast stood before her, sword in one paw, shield in the other. He was like a dragon, but he had four legs and two hands. He was one of the beasts that was not well known by the Princess, but she had heard about them. Rarpidas was a Dragitaur.

However, unlike other Dragitaurs, Rarpidas had wings.

Snarling, he held the point of his sword at her throat, “You’re coming with me, missy.”

Then, Laranin heard her brother, Benavolar, call from a short distance away, “Laranin, I’ve got something I want to show you!”

Laranin screamed, “Benavolar! He’s here!”

Rarpidas snarled, grabbing her by the front of her periwinkle colored nightdress, “You may have tried to alert your family, but they will be too late to save you, Princess,” he spat, then turned towards the window, clasping Laranin tight.

Benavolar ran up the stairs into his sister’s room in a flash, hefting a large spear he had pulled off of the walls. He lunged towards Rarpidas, yelling.

“Let her go!”

Rarpidas whirled, holding out his sword so that Benavolar would stab himself upon it. The Prince had no chance to turn aside or dodge. He had no hope and ended up running himself upon the sword.

Laranin’s brother fell dead.

The Princess screamed, “Benavolar!”

She grabbed at Rarpidas’s neck, hoping to choke him. He jerked his head so that her paws did not touch him, but instead she ended up grasping the golden medallion, the head of a dragon etched into its metal with silver, that hung around his neck from its metal chain, and with a burst of strength, she broke the chain.

Rarpidas grabbed her arm and twisted it so she dropped the medallion. He made a grab for it, but the Princess kicked it into the corner, out of his reach. Flinging her to the ground, the draconic tried to get to the medallion, but she grabbed onto his foot.

Kicking her in the head several times, Rarpidas tried to loosen her grip. She let out a scream and bit his ankle. With a bellow, he delivered one more kick and Laranin fell to the ground, unconscious. Rarpidas started to head for his medallion, when he heard the shout of guards.

Rarpidas wasted no time in leaping from the window and flying to safety, carrying Laranin along with him as he flew high above the ground, towards the horizon with surprising speed.

The draconic creature flew off into the distance, out of sight by the time the guards reached the room. Many a grieving creature wept for the loss, and the room was searched for any sign of the intruder.

All that was found was the golden medallion, and no one knew what it was or who it belonged to.

Thus was the end of the heirs to the throne of Klandir.

 “Move lively!” the ferret captain snapped, beating a squirrel slave over the head with a heavy spear. “Rarpidas is returning soon, and he won’t be happy if you all don’t finish that wall. Now move it, lazyheads!”

The squirrel, falling to the ground, moaned, covering his head as repeated blows rained down upon his frail body.

“Get up, fatnose!” the ferret snarled.

Whimpering the elderly squirrel curled into a ball, trying to shield himself from the spear shaft. Suddenly, the ferret was struck on the back of his neck by another one of the slaves, who had crept up behind him.

The squirrel looked up at his savior, a tall deep blue bipedal dragon, who was about seven feet tall. His wings were covered in indigo feathers that rustled slightly. He was called a Dragisus.

“Aaroven?” the squirrel sighed with relief.

Then, there was a shout from the other slavers, who leapt forward, holding their spear points towards the creature. The draconic whirled, green eyes narrowing dangerously as he shifted to a defensive stance, a growl deep within his throat.

The slavers circled closer.

Like a snake, like a lightning bolt, the Aaroven struck. Spears flew. Slavers scattered. Then, a trumpet sounded.

The alarm.

Soldiers came out of the castle, armed with halberds and dressed in hauberks and plate mail. They surrounded Aaroven, holding their weapons in such a way that he could not fly up and drop down upon them.

Then, Rarpidas flew overhead, landing, flinging Laranin to the ground. She was limp, and all could see that the cat was lifeless.

Rarpidas advanced coolly, his eyes narrowed as he approached Aaroven, “Ah, so you’ve tried to escape yet again? Or something else…? It does not matter. I have said, one more offense from you and you will find out exactly what happens to the creatures captured from Klandir,” Aaroven growled as Rarpidas laughed softly and coldly.

Rarpidas turned towards his guards, “Now.”

The guards advanced and beat the Dragisus upon his head until he was unconscious. Then, Rarpidas grabbed Aaroven and flew away once more, pleased with himself for being able to rid of an annoying slave. It wasn’t the first time.

And it wasn’t the last, either.

Garoh Brightblade.

Etching his name in the wood of a tree, Garoh smiled slightly as he took a few steps back, admiring his handiwork as he sheathed his knife in its elaborately engraved silver scabbard hanging on his black leather belt studded with sapphires, both gifts from Yarinda, the queen of Klandir.

A seasoned warrior, the gray fox had lost an eye in a battle for Klandir against an army of rouge dragons, earning a few scars on his body as well.

Adjusting his eye patch, Garoh drew his sword and began to walk, twirling the brilliant blade as he walked. Ancient runes ran down the length of the sword, engraved in black. He knew not the purpose of them, but he wondered if it gave some magical attribute, such as cutting through some of the strongest armor with ease.

His long, bushy tail swung through the air as he kicked a rock into the air, slicing it in two with his sword.

Garoh was enjoying himself.

However, his pleasure was short-lived. He spotted a messenger of Yarinda in the distance, racing through the trees.

“One of those Yarinda’s squirrels again?” Garoh sighed.

Why was it that whenever something happened, he was the one to get the call? Sometimes it wasn’t fun being Yarinda’s favorite. This instance being one of them. It wasn’t like she didn’t have other capable warriors in her court. Ah, well, all he had to do was hope that this wasn’t some stupid quest…

Again.

Like the one when he had to go find a plant. And what was the plant for? To beautify the gardens. Garoh knew he was better than that, and reluctantly turned towards the messenger, tapping a finger on a tree trunk with displeasure.

The squirrel reached him, panting heavily, “Important news…Garoh, sir!”

“What is it?” Garoh asked glumly.

“Princess Laranin has been kidnapped and Prince Benavolar has been slain! By whom we do not-”

“What?!” Garoh bellowed before the young messenger finished. “Did I hear what I thought I heard? Laranin kidnapped and Benavolar…dead?! How on earth? By who’s paw? I will slay the one that touched them! Who did it?”

The messenger stuttered, “W-w-we don’t know, sir.”

“Well, tell me this, scumbag! How are we supposed to avenge them if we don’t know who did it?”

“It isn’t my fault sir-”

“I don’t care! Now get me to Yarinda and fast! If this has happened, no wonder she went to me! Now where’s me traveling pack…ah here it is. Now you hurry up and lead me straight there. And don’t go ahead of me, you little varmint! Hey, come back here! Stupid squirrels…Get your tail back here and lead me, don’t make me race after you!

“Well that does it! How am I supposed to follow a run away squirrel? Gad, young ‘uns these days. Don’t know a bally bit of respect for their elders. Not a bit! Finally something urgent and they run away!”

Snorting irritably, the fox tried to figure out how to get to Yarinda’s castle. He failed rather miserably, not being one to know the land as well as some. The situation made the gray fox even more frustrated and irritated than ever.

Throwing down his pack with disgust, Garoh snorted.

“Well, by tarnation! That dadgum squirrel just left me here! Now how am I supposed to find Yarinda?”

Then, the young messenger raced back into sight, Yarinda behind him with her Royal Guard, dressed in their navy blue uniforms. They all carried pikes and large, rectangular navy blue shields, its decide a dove holding the branch of a cherry tree, the symbol of Klandir.

Yarinda was dressed in her plainest robes, which were deep brown and covered with elaborate woven designs of many different colors. The queen’s fur was black, except on her face, which was beginning to turn slightly gray with age. Green eyes, normally filled with compassion and kindness, were full of worry, grief, and desperation.

“Thank goodness we found you!” she gasped, a paw clasping her side as she attempted to regain her breath. “If you hadn’t of left, we would have been right there! We had to search all over! I thought you were missing as well!”

Garoh’s cheeks turned bright red and he mumbled, looking down at the ground, “Sorry, ma’am.”

“It doesn’t matter. Everything’s alright.”

Thankful for her forgiveness, Garoh then asked, “’Scuse me for sayin’, ma’am, but do you mean that there’s others missing?”

Yarinda sighed, “All over there have been disappearing people. Once they are gone, we never see them again. I am just thankful that you left a rather distinct trail once we looked a little!”

Garoh felt his cheeks and neck burning with embarrassment, “Sorry, ma’am…”

“Don’t be sorry,” the queen shrugged slightly. “It is understandable you acted the way you did…,” she gave a slight glare to the messenger, who shrunk sheepishly under her gaze; but then the queen’s face sagged and she buried her face in her arms, “Oh Benavolar…Laranin…. Fate turned in such a way that you were both lost to all of us forever….”

Garoh moved forward to comfort Yarinda, “There. there, everything will be alright in the end,” he laid a paw on her shoulders.

Twisting away from him, she looked him in the eyes, after quickly brushing away tears, “There must be someone who wishes there to be no ruler of Klandir. Whoever it is must be stopped before it is too late. I put that duty into your paws, Garoh Brightblade. The duty to find this murderer and stop him before he kills anyone else. And if fate takes me as well, I wish for you to send messengers to Darvanol, my brother, to tell him of these events and that he is to take the throne.”

“I will do as you command, your majesty,” Garoh genuflected respectfully, bowing his head to his ruler.

“Good,” she nodded. “I know I can trust you, Garoh. Now, let me show you this,” she pulled the golden medallion from a pocket in her robes and held it out to him. “Does this have any significance to you?”

Garoh took it and looked it over, his eyes narrowing, “Where was this found?”

“In Laranin’s room. It was the only thing the intruder left behind. It is all we have. Do you know what it is?”

“No, ma’am, but I will try my hardest to find out.”

“Good. Now leave with haste, my old friend. So that this evil can be stopped before it can take deeper route within our land.”

“Don’t you want this back?” he held out the medallion to the queen.

She shook her head, pushing it back towards him with a paw, “No. You will need to try to find out what it is and who it belongs to. You’ll need it for that. Now farewell…and good luck.”

Yarinda turned and left, her subjects following her, all of them leaving Garoh Brightblade to himself.

And to his thoughts.