Follow the King Valaron, a lion who strives to lead his kingdom; the blackbird Anadrin, who serves in the Kings army and finds love amidst war; and Rinnie, border collie son of a lowly family. As unknown creatures from the far south invade their lan...
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"My king, this news it not good, not good at all. We've heard the same story from two different sources now. I believe we need to act with all haste." The king looked sternly at the wolf who spoke. The wolf had white and grey fur, with a slightly browned muzzle and ears. Valaron had come to rely on his council for many years now, and the king knew what he said was true - the reports from the south were very concerning. The king stood from his chair and slowly paced the length of one of the audience chambers in the great keep. The kings red and orange fur was fierce and imposing. His great fire born mane circled his stern face and nose, his wispy whiskers were straight and true. The ends of thick sharp claws could be seen on his paws, and the rest of his fur was as well kept as can be, as befit a king of a great kingdom. The audience chamber was simple yet lavish, with sturdy stone walls hung with inspiring pictures from past wars fought for the kingdom of Aminir, and a map of the towns and villages. A long table with chairs stood in the middle, wrought from dark wood.
The king sighed after a minute of his sure and steady pacing. "There is so much we don't know about this situation. I cannot send an army to face whatever this is, not yet. We need trustworthy and detailed reports, not half-sightings from fishermen and traders."
A knock on the door disrupted the lion's train of thought. "What is it?" The king said distractedly. The door opened slightly in reply, and a blue green lizard strode through, his long scaly tail dragging against the stone floor, and two jet black swept back horns on his head.
"My king, your presence is requested in the throne room. A criminal requires judgement." He said simply. His dull green body and blue belly was not an unusual color for a lizard, and the king had to admit, it made him very easy to spot should he ever need call for assistance. The king nodded shortly in reply, and motioned to the old wolf who still sat watching. "Come, Frened. We can discuss this as we walk."
The wolf rose roughly and followed his king. The great keep was half military fortress, half home for the royal family, built thousands of years ago and restored every few hundred to keep it in good working order. It was a very defensible position, but had not seen true war in many many years, hopefully it wouldn't anytime soon, the king thought to himself as he walked through it's halls.
"The town was completely destroyed, then?" The king asked of the wolf.
"Indeed my king. That much we can say for certain. Pillaged and burnt to the ground, most of the inhabitants were hunted down and slaughtered. A few may have survived, if so they are likely sheltering in nearby villages, but we've had no time to search as of yet." The king nodded sadly in reply. These were his people, they relied on his command to protect them from danger. This random attack by an unknown assailant on a peaceful town could not be tolerated. The kingdom must be shown justice.
Their path led them through the courtyard, filled with white flowered trees and bushes. It also revealed an impressive view of the city, sprawled out below, it's mass of houses and shops and canals, and the dock far in the distance. Always alight with life the city was. The king often sat on the benches here and watched the city, his city.
"Send a small troop from the main army to the south. No more than 50 men. Reliable, and trustworthy. They'll avoid conflict unless necessary, their task will be to investigate the destroyed town, and provide reassurance to the nearby villages. Make sure they have good messenger birds, we need as constant a line of communication as we can. Reports of everything they see, and everywhere they go. With good horses and a fast pace it should take them two weeks to reach the southern towns, they are to start their return four weeks after arrival." The lion said, as he stared at the city landscape. His voice and command that of a king - strong, and without hesitation. In reality, the king feared deeply for the choices he made everyday, lest they lead to more death. It was the kings burden to never show such fear.
Frened nodded deeply in reply. "Very good, my king. I will assemble the troops immediately, for departure tomorrow." He reached his arm forward to rest a paw on the kings orange furred shoulder. "We'll figure out what's happening down there." the wolf said reassuringly. The king smiled slightly in reply.
"Thank you, Frened. Reassurance can oftentimes be lacking in this fortress. I'm glad I have you as an advisor." With that, they parted ways. The king to pass judgement on the criminals of the day, and the wolf to assemble troops for an expedition to the south.
