*This is a story of fantasy, prejudice, magic, triumph, loss, and eventual interspecies love between two or more men. Should this not be your cup of tea, turn back now. Also note that this story shall focus on the plot and character development for quite some time until it gets to the sex bits later into the chapters. This is to be a love story, a looooong one. (I'm finally writing this shit cause it's taking up way too much space from my other stories/worlds in my brain. So yeah, I pretty much have it all mapped out up there.) Not exactly quick smut to rub one out to, (Just so it's upfront.) Also be aware you may find some grammatical errors. Feedback is always appreciated, but be kind please. This isn't the first erotic story I've written like this, but it is my first time writing with anthro based characters. Usually, I write shorter chapters and publish more frequently, but I think this story will require long chapters as I combined two ideas to bring it to life, so I can't promise fast updates, but they are coming. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story I tell. -Bayou
A King's Legacy Prologue: The Fall of Man
A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the scene in the castle through the remains of the tall, shattered, stained glass windows. The heavy rouge color of blood lacquered the floor amid the bodies of fallen soldiers, both of those already dead, and those still desperately trying to cling to the last fleeting moments of life before the lights went out entirely. The once dull, now shiny cobblestones reflected the flash eerily, highlighting the grizzly scene. The clash of steel had began to lessen, with more and more time between the sounds as the night continued. Wails of pain and final curses echoed from the lips of fallen soldiers around the mostly now empty entry hall as the battle for the castle continued towards it's climax.
A panther knight, clad in silver armor with a velvety red cloak soaked completely by the lifeblood of his victims and the relentless downpour over the last two days, pulled his sword from the ribs of the most latest victim to meet his steel with a heavy grunt. He took a short step back followed by a deep breath inwards before whispering to himself as he exhaled,
"Just a bit longer, Felicity. Just hang on a bit longer for me." His attention was quickly drawn back to the battle at hand as he noticed a younger soldier charging at him from a few paces away. The experienced cat first noticed his age. He was a young boy, barely able to be called a man, maybe only on his 15th year. The second thing, was the clear lack of discipline or training the boy had. Honestly, he wasn't even so sure the boy had ever held a sword before, likely just a farmers son who was roped into the wars of kings... but that didn't matter in a battle, less so considering the task at hand, and so the panther easily sidestepped his charge, and plunged his steel into the boys gut, catching him for a moment as he fell against his own body, one of his final breaths hitching in his throat for just a moment in shock as he gazed into the eyes of his killer. With a mild grunt, and without breaking eye contact, the knight drove his sword deeper into the boy, forcing a sputter of blood from his lips along side a cough. The panther hated that look, to watch as anyone realizes their fight has been lost, as well as their life, but it was honor among knights that made him hold his gaze until the youth's body staggered backwards, sliding off of his steel and onto the floor with a dull thud to join the rest of his fallen kin.
"Should you deem yourself worthy of taking another's life, at least have strong enough conviction to look them in the eyes while you do it." His father's words rang clearly in his mind, just as they had nearly every time he found himself wanting to look away from those he had reluctantly ended. This is what being a knight meant in times of war.
The panther shifted his gaze from the fresh body beneath him, and turned it towards the center of the hall where his king and one other of the elite guard stood, their attention upon a large double wooden door blocking access to the throne room of King Calium, the ruler of what was, until recently, the last surviving human settlement. The panther took a step over the fresh body and walked over to the space on the left of the great lion as he began to speak.
"King Alocer, the siege is nearly won. What little remains of the human forces here are being dealt with as we speak. Our victory is in sight."
"Thank you, Jagón, perhaps it's time I settle things here then." The imposing lion looked over to his right side as he spoke and nodded at a petite calico cat dressed in long black robes before continuing, "Alice, if you would be so kind to get the door? My guest is waiting, and it would be rude of me to have him wait much longer."
Alice, though young in years still, had already mastered some very powerful offensive magic. (A feat impossible to humans, thus helping immensely with their conquest.) Further proof of such power was easily visible in the far corner of the hall, where a large portion of the castle's roof was caved in along with the front door from one such previous blast the day before. The chilly rain poured in through this chink in the castle's armor, washing away a small bit of the evidence left of the battle at hand, as if nature herself were attempting to soothe the scornful heat rising from the red pools on the floor. The cat only nodded at her king's request once before raising her right arm. She began mumbling something quietly, as the lion and the panther knowingly turned and took a few paces back and out of recoil range while she prepared for her blast.
Jagón took this moment to further survey what was left of the battle dying out around them. His eyes passed over the countless heaps of bodies growing colder by the minute as he assessed the area inside just as he had outside the castle over the last four days. His eyes were straining and his head ached from fatigue and near non-existent rest in that time, but more than anything, his true worry lied elsewhere.
"Care to speak what is on your mind?" the king interrupted, although, he was quite aware of what was bothering his lifelong ally. His wife was at home with child, but it seems things had taken a sour turn over the last few days. The lion had tried to dismiss the knight from the battle to return to her side, but true to a member of the Elite King's Guard, he had refused to leave his liege until the battle was won.
Jagón, however, dodged the true meaning behind the question, and simply gave his battle report up to that point. "The loss of our troops was greatest on the first two days of the siege. We lost around 30% of our vanguard, and another 15% of our backup and supporting forces. The medical support is making good time and healing most of our wounded almost immediately at this point. However... The near entirety of the 7th and 8th battalions were crushed before the battle even began due to the tricky bastards being clever enough to set explosives in the mountain pass ahead of time." The large black cat paused for a moment in thought before continuing in his deep but soft voice, "In the end, we are still lucky that we only have this loss to account for. This could have dragged on for quite some time longer had we not been able to get behind the wall and blow a hole through the front door under the cover of this godforsaken rain..." The panther trailed off at the end of the statement and looked away from his king for a moment. The lion listened patiently, knowing his friend was finally getting to the point.
"My king... if I may be so bold? This is the third and final of the human kingdoms we've brought to their knees. I know what they took from you... The suffering they have brought to your family and upon our great kingdom... I will always stand by your orders, and nothing could ever change that fact, but do you still believe what we are doing is right? To take so many lives, many of which are undoubtedly innocent?" Jagón turned back to face his king once more as he finished speaking.
The Lion's face grew darker and harder to read as he closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, and slightly lowered his head. He paused for a moment, seemingly contemplating exactly what his friend was asking him before he spoke.
"Jagón, you have stood by me since the beginning, and I do mean the very beginning. Through my father's war with the west, through my crowning and the great famine that followed, and... The assassination of your queen... My one true love of this lifetime and the next... My cub's mother, my Talia..." He opened his eyes and turned to lock them onto his friend's own. Jagón couldn't help but to be taken aback by both the overwhelming sorrow, and burning vengeance emanating from within his King's gaze as he continued, his voice filled with a malice sharp enough to pierce even the heaviest of armor,
"And that means I'm going to burn down and raze every single thing those furless, conniving bastards have ever cared about or built in this world. They snuffed out our brightest light, so let the shadow they cast upon our country engulf them in their own foolishness as they beg me to spare what's left of their so called `humanity.' The extermination of pests that have plagued this world for the last time with their selfishness and plotting. Genocide very well may be my mission, Jagón... And if that horrible crusade condemns my soul to an eternity of suffering in the next life, I can at least look forward to hearing their blackened soul's cries of agony forever alongside my own as we rot in the deepest part of the afterworld." The lightning struck once more, illuminating the deathly seriousness of the King's expression. The panther felt the hairs stand up a bit on the back of his neck and shivered ever so slightly. He understood.
"Fwtt-Tooooom," The pair was interrupted, (to much appreciation of the panther,) by a loud crash as the spell Alice had been working on released, slamming itself into the timbers of the door, splintering them easily behind the massive force. The scent of burning oak filled the air and mixed into a odd combination when paired with the smell of rainfall and blood as the smoke and dust from the magical blast settled. There were no humans left alive in the hall by this time.
As the haze cleared and their sights could focus on what was left of the door before them, the king spoke a single sentence. "I do this part alone." Jagón and Alice shot each other a worried look before the panther spoke his worry, after all, the main duty of the King's Guard was to guard the king after all.
"My king, surely you don't intend to needlessly endanger yourse-" Jagón had abruptly ended his sentence as his liege briefly glanced his way. When you've known someone long enough, a mere look can tell you more than you need to know, and what the panther knight immediately understood was this was something his king NEEDED to do alone for whatever reason. His statement wasn't a request, but an order, and debate was no longer on the table. The knight bowed his head in understanding as his king began making his way toward the ruined doorway, the sudden silence that fell upon a room that was so recently filled with metal clashing against metal left the panther's ears with a ringing sensation.
The lion had made his way to the threshold of the next room before he paused for a moment to speak one final order to his knights in a tone lacquered with the presence of his malice, and the finality of his decision.
"Search the grounds, kill any remaining human on sight." And with that, the beastman king stepped into the human king's throne room for the final battle of his crusade against the people he had come to despise and resent so fully. His army let out a cheer, then went about following the duty assigned to them. True to the order, there were no survivors.
The panther knight had shed half his armor as he sat bare-chested in the remains of the entry hall, allowing his tired eyes a moments rest alongside fellow members of the King's Guard roughly two hours later that same day. Some of the knights were offering cheery, congratulations to one other, some were resting after battling through their exhaustion, (Alice one being completely drained, resting against a fallen pillar by this point,) and some wept quietly as they mourned the loss of their comrade's lives that had been claimed by the gods on that day. The panther, however, appeared calm and to be relaxing. In truth, his mind was still racing to process everything that had come to pass over the last few months.
The assassination of Queen Talia, his King's declaration of war mere days before his wife's news of expecting another child, the feat of conquering three separate human kingdoms in battle only months apart, and of course, the news of his wife, Felicity, falling ill most recently. His kingdom had won, he could only pray that good fortune would hold true for the rest of his battles still being fought. Regrettably, he would soon find that fortune smiles favorably on no one for too long.
"General Venatus! General Venatus! I bring urgent news from your wife and house for you." A young coyote had come shouting and running into the hall brandishing around a piece of parchment frantically as he closed the gap towards the panther that was now eagerly rising to his feet to intercept the messenger. A few moments later, he found himself hesitant to break the letter seal bearing his own family crest stamped upon the parchment.
"Jagón Venatus, General of the King's army, member of the elite King's guard, survivor of countless battles... terrified of opening a letter." The panther mumbled to himself, however, there was a grave feeling in his gut that made the simple parchment feel heavier than a greatsword. Nearly two minutes passed by with most in the hall too on edge to move as the panther stared down in a daze at the letter in his hands. King Alocer's touch on his shoulder managed to break the big cat's concentration as he glanced over to meet the lion's gaze. His king only held the eye contact for a moment before motioning over towards the throne room. Both king and knight made their way into the room a different king had lost his crown in only moments before. Jagón couldn't place it, but there was something off about the lion standing before him compared to before the final duel... Some faint glimpse of... Tenderness perhaps? None of the lion's soldiers had saw what happened inside the throne room of the human King during the fight for life, but the only part that mattered to most of them was it was their own king who had emerged from that room the victor. The panther found himself mildly curious now, but that thought was pushed away by the task at hand.
"Some privacy in this setting is nigh impossible, but I can at least give you this room for your personal matter on hand. I'm going to have the other guards begin assembling the troops out front for the trek back home now that we've all had a moments rest... When you've done what you needed, rejoin me..." The lion hesitated for a moment before he continued "And Jagón... I say this today as your friend, not your king. No matter what fate, or that letter holds in store for you, remember, there are lives that depend on you... I consider myself blessed to be counted among that lot." The great king felt there was so much more that he needed to say, but the words simply weren't there, so he left it at that. He placed one hand upon his friends shoulder, offered him a final squeeze of support, and turned to make his leave. As the king made it nearly halfway to the door, the panther once more turned to the lion, and called out a question burning in his throat.
Jagón, even to this very day, couldn't begin to understand what made him ask what he asked, but at the time, it felt far too important to remain silent. In retrospect, these simple words may have shifted the very path of history itself, and certainly far from course on what either big cat, (or any other person still alive on that battlefield,) could've ever possibly imagined.
"My king... Does the loss of life end here?"
The lion paused in his step as the question rolled over him. He could tell by the faintest trembling in the panther's voice, His friend was tired. He performed his duties as expertly as ever these past few months, but it all had taken it's toll on the cat, and Alocer knew it. The king was silent for a moment before giving his answer in such a quiet tone that the panther could barely hear, all while never turning around.
"The loss of life never ends my old friend... But now... And I swear this to you as a king to my most trusted advisor, your blade may rest. No more blood shall be spilled by my command under this night's moon." And with that, the king left.
The panther watched until the other big cat was out of view, and turned himself towards the throne at the end of the large, regally decorated room and the fallen king near the bottom of the platform. He ignored both in favor of sitting on the opposite side of the stairs leading up to the throne's platform. The panther knight took one final ragged breath in, used his thumb-claw to crack apart the wax seal, and unfolded the letter to begin reading what was written inside.
My dearest Jagón, tonight, I write you two letters to be delivered based upon what the night brings. If this is the one you have received, then please know the greatest joys I've ever known in this life were my moments spent with you by my side.
You and our sons gave my life purpose, happiness, and the most unfathomable love I never believed could have existed since the very day each of you became a part of my story, and from the moment I first became a part of yours. I know your heart may fracture from the news, but I beg of you, don't let your sorrow alter who you were meant to be. Do not honor me by raising your blade for my sake as our king has for his fallen bride, but by raising our sons into the most amazing, and truest versions of themselves possible. You were always the knight who came to my rescue, but not all of our battles are meant to be won. Instead, I now ask that you be that knight for our cubs. Leaving you alone to raise three boys may be the most selfish thing I could ask, and probably one the toughest fights you've ever had laid before you if I know our children like I think I do, but they will need you to be there to get through both this loss, and this life.
Please, shower them with more kindness, more patience, and more love and respect than you ever knew that you had to give. Grow with them. Play with them. Teach them. Learn with them. Love them scores more than you even loved me. This is the last I ask of you, my tall, dark, heroic knight. Forever grateful for being a chapter in your story, With more love than you will ever know.
~ Felicity Astrin Venatus.
(I know it falls to the father to name the cubs, but I've found myself quite fond of Aster, a name worthy of our little star.)
The knight's hands trembled as he finished the last of the letter. His attention turned to a smaller bit of parchment that was folded inside the letter which had spiraled to the cobblestones below upon opening it. His shaky digits managed to trap the paper between them as tears welled into his eyes.
"For the love of all things kind and good in this world, please, no more heartache today," The panther squeaked to himself as his voice began to break. He wiped the tears from his eyes enough to see before daring to read what was written in a handwriting much different than his wife's.
"The child did not survive. He will be laid to rest with his mother."
The knight clenched his jaw shut and his lips peeled back into a snarl, his hands now violently shook, tearing the smaller note in half from the force as his body began to break down. The panther leaned forward, trying so desperately to catch a breath that just wouldn't come. His hands moved to clutch the back of his head, his claws dug into his damp fur until small red droplets began forming at the tips, leading to trickles of blood gliding down the cats ivory claws. After what seemed an eternity, his screaming lungs finally made purchase .
The large cat inhaled sharply, stood up, threw his arms to his side, tensed his entire body, opened his mouth, leaned his head back, and roared in his anguish. He let loose two agonizing screams before he fell to his knees. He kept on roaring, letting all his anger, rage, and feelings of hopelessness out into the night air. Eventually, his body fell forward, barely catching himself on trembling arms and knees, tears fell freely onto the backs of his hands as his mournful howls echoed around the throne room. His heavy calls eventually began to die down as his voice broke, leading the great knight to instead hoarsely and weakly just weep in place as he closed both his eyes, and his heart off from the painful truth.
In all this tragedy, the last thing the panther expected was for another's cries of mourning to join his own. But sure enough, the cat's breath hitched in his throat as his ears heard the unmistakable cry of an infant.
"M-my son lives?" The panther thought to himself within his delirium, his mind desperately wanting to make some sense of the tragedy, to make it true. Surely he couldn't have lost both his wife and his cub? The gods weren't that cruel were they? His head shot up as another cry echoed into the night, his ears perked in their search for where the sound was coming from as he looked frantically for the source of the cries. He struggled to stand, and staggered briefly doing so, but managed to get a hold on his footing. He heard another round of the cub's frantic call, locked on to where it was coming from, and made his way towards the empty throne.
King Alocer knew his knight may receive the worst of news, but nothing could prepare him for hearing the ear-splitting, piercing roars of defeat echoing even outside the thick castle walls that confirmed what the messenger had already relayed to him. The king knew of the sorrow of losing a wife and the mother of his sons was agonizing, but a cub too? Knowing his friend now had to endure even that as well crushed his own heart. That, and the final words of king Calium seemed to hang fresh in the lion's already heavy mind. Something about what he was told by the man in his final moments made him uneasy, (much of his faith in things would begin to fade into doubt from the day's events in time,) but he wouldn't speak on that for quite a while to come. Instead, he mourned with his friend as he bared his soul to anyone within earshot of those haunting howls, and mentally, the king accepted he would allow his knight all the time he may need... and whatever else may ease his suffering.
Jagón was frantically feeling around the metal of the throne for some groove or hitch, the cries were coming from behind the King's chair somewhere, and the only explanation that made sense in his mind was some hidden chamber. He was correct in this assumption, and soon realized the throne could be slid over, revealing a shadowy tunnel. Daunting stairs seemed to disappear into the unknown darkness of the tunnel, but the wails were now even clearer, so the panther quickly sprinted over to the wall, removed a still-burning torch from its bracket, and returned to the askew throne with a renewed sense of purpose.
Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew what he believed to be was impossible. Instinctual alarms from years of surviving countless battles sounded in his consciousness, "This was clearly a trap set by the enemy, Your son wouldn't be here." but any voice of reason was smothered by the pursuit of the often unrealistic ray of light we simply know as hope.
The panther made his way down the steps and into the darkness where the cries were coming from. The knight realized it was only maybe a fifteen by fifteen stone room upon reaching the base, furnished with nothing but two chairs, and a single bed. `It was likely used as a secret hiding place for the royal family during times like this.' The knight thought to himself before he turned to face the bed and the source of the wailing bundle atop of it. He saw a hook for the torch to the left of the bed, so he hung it there before slowly walking over to the wailing mess impatiently kicking against it's own bedding now that it had realized it wasn't alone anymore.
At this point, his sense had begun to return. His dedication was faltering as the reality that his son was not under those blankets became more and more evident, but still, the knight had too much hope to turn back now. He stepped up to the mattress, pulled off the top blanket, and picked up the noisy creature, bringing it up to his face in the dim lighting.
Staring back at the knight, was a plump, human child. No, only a cub, probably on his first year still... The child had a silky, dark brown tuft of fur on his head the color of muddy soil, though, the humans called it `hair.' His eyes were a rich brown color that reminded the cat of stained walnut wood, the grain of such wood mimicked by the tiny golden lines forking through the dark brown of his eyes. The cub only stared wide-eyed back into the gaze of the panther, whose demeanor had now began to shift.
His head dropped to the floor as the reality set in. His wife, and his cub weren't here. They weren't going to be anywhere else ever again either. His anguish began to build again. The knight felt foolish that he had allowed himself to hope, angry that this world would take so much from him when a time of peace finally seemed in sight after endless fighting, and cheated by fate, and the fate of his broken family. He was angry for his two remaining sons growing up without a mother. He was angry with himself for refusing to return to her side and instead choosing the battlefield. He was angry at the humans for starting this damned war in the first place.
A cold-blooded growl began to build in his throat, growing louder by the second, the same sound many a soldier had heard moments before their gruesome deaths. The panther was preparing to lash out at the child as it slowly brought it's eyes back up, fangs now clearly visible beneath his snarled lips, the off-white bone color clashing gruesomely against his red mouth and black fur. His ears flattened against his head and his jaw began to part, never letting up on the wicked snarl escaping from his maw all the while.
`I beg of you, don't let your sorrow alter who you were meant to be. Do not honor me by raising your blade for my sake.'
His wife's final words flashed across his mind, soothing over the anger that was welling up inside the big cat. He felt his breath hitch once more and closed his eyes. He was so tired of crying. He was tired of all this hurt. He was tired of all this heartache. He was tired of all this bloodshed. Perhaps the human cub was too...
Jagón gasped and opened his eyes in shock as he felt a gentle touch. What he saw, was the child's hand outreached into his now open maw, gently grasping ahold of the panther's fang. The human looked away from, (but didn't release hold of,) the fang he fancied and shifted his sights back to the knights gaze with a look of utter awe mixed with intrigue. Jagón found himself completely unable to move. He was simply that taken aback. Was this foolish creature really so naïve it would cling to the very thing that was about to slay it? The panther received his answer shortly when the baby discovered something in the cat's eyes that made him first crack a mostly toothless smile, and then release a laugh that seemed far too whimsical considering the circumstances of what had transpired there today.
`You and our sons gave my life purpose, happiness, and the most unfathomable love I never believed could have existed.'
More of his wife's words flowed into the panthers mind, whether he wanted to be reminded of them or not.
`You were always the knight who came to my rescue, but not all of our battles are meant to be won. Instead, I now ask that you be that knight for our cubs.'
Why was this coming to him now? What was the reasoning for this? To further torment him? To have him dwell on what may have been?
`Leaving you alone to raise three boys may be the most selfish thing I could ask, and probably one the toughest fights you've ever had laid before you'
The knight closed his eyes and let the tears fall freely now, humoring the cub before him and letting him keep his hold on the cat's ivory fang. He understood, realization washing over him as he recalled her final wishes once more.
`Please, shower them with more kindness, more patience, and more love and respect than you ever knew that you had to give.'
It was quite an obvious thing now, what Felicity would want... What a kind heart like hers would wish of me here...
Grow with them. Play with them. Teach them. Learn with them. Love them scores more than you even loved me. This is the last I ask of you, my tall, dark, heroic knight.
The knight finally scoffed out loud a bit, breaking through his turmoil at last as he thought to himself, `Oh Felicity, truly, what a task you've laid before me here. I-I don't know if I will even be able to... King Alocer... I don't even know how this can be done yet, but I will try, my love. I swear on my life, I will try.'
Jagón freed up one of his hands to meet the human's own tiny one, gently pulling the boy's grip free from his fang and closing his jaw. The cub didn't much care for that, and let out a whine of protest. The panther merely chuckled to himself, pulled the cub a bit closer, and held up a finger to the boy's lips, shushing him before speaking in the softest tone his tired voice could muster at the time,
"Worry not, little one, your father is here. I have come to take you home, my little Aster."