Chapter One (part one)
Heya! Here's the next part of HLH. Sorry I forgot to sub in the usernames in the prologue, but here they are now. My apologies.
Garderox: @GMChessminator
Akujirok: @Hashiro_Sama (Sabashiii)
Now onto Chapter One! This is going to be long, so thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
Chapter One (part one)
“Nothing.” The growl reverberated through the eerie quietness. It trembled slightly, filled with barely-concealed rage. The Canisari general was of the wolf type, with smoky gray fur and pricked ears. His plated armor rattled as he flung his mace at a leafless, charred tree. The spiked iron ball stuck for a shuddery moment, the wood creaking in pain. Then it fell to the ground with a thump, quickly followed by the rattling chains and wooden shaft. The formerly grand, tall sequoias were all burnt to a crisp, the smell of ash and filling the air. The ground was a striped, torn up mess of brown, yellow, and black that crunched under pawsteps.
And blood. The smell of it, covering the place with splashes of red. The moon shone brightly, coating the area in a dim silver light. The night was as black as a polar bear’s skin. A baker’s
Yes, nothing was a very good word to describe the aftermath of a Canisari ambush on the last known peaceful Nyxalune settlement. Once called Arboria, reduced to nothing. Its former warmth and feeling of safety eradicated, replaced by the stench of fear and cold drafts. A place almost unrecognizable from the haven it once was. Only one Nyxalran was left alive in that desolate place.
She kneeled trembling on the ground, completely at the mercy of the Canisari. Her calico face, one side black and the other orange, gave way into white around her muzzle. She was wearing a blue knee-length tunic over a white shirt, the sleeves long and tight fitting. Her brindled tail was quivering and curled fearfully around her legs. A neatly carved wooden bow lay at her side, first used hurriedly but then abandoned in hopelessness. On a different night, she would have been beautiful and smiling. This night, however, she was covered in blood and ichor that once flowed through the veins of both Nyxalune and Canisari alike.
Her paws gripped desperately at a body sprawled on the ground. It was her beloved, one of the best bowmen in Arboria. His rich tawny fur had been scorched, matching the black of his unique leopard rosettes. He had been dressed, not for a fight, but for a day that was supposed to be joyful; in a beige tunic, earthy brown trousers, and leather boots. But all that was a mere dream, a false respite in a world of instability. It was the only comfort left for everyone. A wind blew through, ruffling the gore-tipped fur that remained. Gray ash was sprinkled on his flame mutilated figure, his olive-green eyes open yet milky and unseeing. Staring forever at the dead grass that glowed the red of charcoal.
His name was @Chessboy1094.
But in battle, names don’t matter to the Canisari warriors.
The general snarled menacingly when the female Nyxalran didn’t respond, still huddled over her partner’s form. Still hoping for a sliver of warmth, for the slightest hint of life. But there was none, and she flinched at the wolf’s growl. She attempted to speak, but her throat was choked with grief and fear. Her grip on Sagika’s clothes tightened slightly, protectively. She found it in her to look up at the furious warrior, her blue eyes petrified and tearful. Her muzzle shook as she struggled to form her words.
“W-Why, @Deflection..?”
Time seemed to still. It had been twelve years since @GMChessminator’s death, and it felt like those hundreds of millions of seconds were passing again. The general tensed up, like she had uttered a swear word at him. Then a clock’s tick could be faintly heard, counting another moment gone.
Without warning, claws ripped through flesh. Another feline body, to add to the hundreds slain that night, crumpled to the ground. Blood flowed slowly from a gash in her throat, her eyes widening as she fell on top of her leopard kin. In her last ragged breaths, her own blood stained the patches of orange, white, and black on her fur a deep crimson. Then, she was dead. The tears she had been holding back finally leaked from her glassy eyes.
Her name was @miamorbellows.
The general was breathing heavily, his tail lashing. He drew a saber and held it, blade-down, over the two bodies. Together even in death.
“Never will you call me by my name again, cat.” He spat, baring his teeth. Slowly, he maneuvered his sword until it was point down, aimed at the two bodies piled onto each other. After a moment of steadiness, the general drove the saber into the two Arborians. They were both skewered, one on top of the other, pinned to the earth by the weapon. Blood gushed for a brief moment as Deflection (Spooky) watched with his ears flat against his head. He let go of the saber, leaving it forever piercing the ribs of the cats. Wiping his paws on his shirt under the armor to get rid of the blood.
The Canisari general huffed, and turned around to take in all the other masses of bodies his battle party had killed. He narrowed his eyes, the smell of carnage and ash stinging his nostrils. He spotted one of his subordinates coming from behind a smoldering tree, looking left and right for Spooky, who kept an authoritative stance. When the soldier got closer, his features came into clearer focus as he bowed respectfully at the general. It was a mastiff-type Canisari, the skin on his fawny face sagging a bit. He was wearing a lightweight set of chain mail over his black war uniform, and sturdy buskins.
“Yes, @CHESS_XXDD? Do you come bearing news of a completed mission?” Spooky barked, crossing his brawny arms.
The mastiff, CxD, sheathed his broadsword at his belt. He shook his huge head, which was black around his muzzle and ears. His tail dropped slightly, and his voice was a deep rumble, with a hint of apprehension.
“I bring apologies from the pack and myself.” CxD murmured, “We searched everywhere but were unable to find the last Arborian.”
“D’yik nare!” The wolf snarled, almost howling in anger. “How can you call yourself a Canisar, if you can’t even use that cursed snout of yours?!”
His alpha’s gale of rage made the mastiff flinch a little, but he held his ground. “It is a small one, sir. As it is a Nyxalune, even smaller than your pup.”
Spooky seemed to perk up slightly, and a malicious grin tugged at the corners of his maw. “A small one, you say? Very well. That will make it all the more fun to find and break, yes…”
The general seemed to be trying to convince himself of the positive side of a failed mission, as he was always the one to complete any tasks he set for himself. After a moment of thinking, Spooky appeared to come to a conclusion, and he flicked his tail dismissively.
“Go and gather the others, CxD. We shall head home. There is no use staying here.” The gray wolf had calmed down incredibly fast. He had frequent mood swings like these, and his pack was used to it. It was one of the things that made the Canisari accept him as a leader, this unpredictability. Along with his focus on the work given to him and his brute strength, Spooky was always one of the best candidates to lead pack missions.
CxD nodded deferentially, and went to heed Spooky’s orders, tail swishing. Soon he was out of sight in the haze of smoke, the only evidence of his existence a set of boot prints and his doglike scent. Spooky watched him go, and tilted his head to point his muzzle at the moon. He licked his lips, and pulled his arms back slightly, relaxing his tail. The Canisari warriors’ work here was completed.
A clear, ringing howl echoed through the night.
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