A Kings Legacy

A King's Legacy

Chapter 33: What Remains

Just as Aster and Stahl were preparing for their climb up the mountain that morning, many miles away, in a more remote location off the beaten path, a certain peacock was preparing to glance into the future of the human king at long last. The battle had taken a lot from her, and her recovery had not been as swift as she'd hoped. The enigmatic Madame Mist felt she had put it off as long as she could, despite Dally not wanting her to go through with it at all. The husky spoke in a quieter, begging tone.

"Mist... We don't have to do this. It won't change anything, and whatever revelation you had before may have simply been misread..." In truth, the musician knew far better than that. His lover divined the future through the power of blood magic, through the power of dealing with death itself, and that was the one deity that didn't lie to its children. The avian stood, just finishing up her preparations. There was a circle of the human's hair scattered around her, such essence a needed material for the process. She answered her canine in understanding.

"It is alright, Dally. It's only a couple of days..." The husky snapped back.

"Sure... and how many times have you sacrificed `only a couple of days?' How many months, no how many years of your time have you bartered away for the sake of a world that doesn't want to be saved? How much more time with you must I have stolen from me? How much more must you part with? How much more could you even possibly have left at this point?!?" The avian exhaled slowly, casting her gaze below herself. She answered quietly.

"When all the time you were given was borrowed from the start, it makes it a little easier to give some of it back..." Dally could only feel himself growing more angry, this was far from the first time they had disagreed on something like this. He barked back his answer in futile desperation.

"That should only make that time even more precious to you, not a gift to be squandered!" The avian went silent as she pondered those words. She answered in a decided tone.

"I have treasured every second I've had with you, Dally. I have been thankful for all the borrowed time I received, because I could spend it with someone like you. I know you worry for my sake, but I must do this... I have to know." The canine clenched his jaw tightly as his anger peaked. His words took on a defeated, and heartbroken tone as he gave his last reply before she began.

"I cannot keep watching you cut more and more of yourself away... I cannot keep doing this, Mist... I cannot live in constant fear that one day, you won't be waking up from that condition it leaves you in... This is the last time. This is all my heart can take... If you ever do this again, I won't be here when you wake up... IF you even wake up." Mist weighed those words heavily for a moment before responding warmly.

"Alright. This is the last time. The rest of my time will be yours, save for emergencies. This will be my last reading if that's what it takes to keep you with me." Dally didn't answer, He merely turned, and walked back towards the wagon to check on Milky. Mist watched her defeated husky sulk off with sadness... It wasn't like she wanted to do this either, but she had to, or at least, she felt she needed to. Without another delay, the elegant peacock closed her eyes, and began speaking the words.

"I wish to make a deal of gods. I wish to deal with death." A familiar presence answered her, the voice hollow and low.

"One of my children have called upon me. Speak child, what do you ask." Mist spoke calmly, her sultry voice quite familiar with the one she bartered with.

"I wish to know the path ahead. I wish to peek through your eyes. I wish to see what lies in store for your child known as Solis Aureus." Death went silent, something that was quite rare in her experience. The deity answered a moment after.

"The future is always uncertain, but his path has been set, it is only what happens after his choice that remains malleable. The last of these visions will be merely the most likely outcome of that. Knowing this, will you accept my terms? Your price has not changed, my child, I'll be taking what time I deem fit in exchange." The peacock spoke her answer firmly, never hesitating.

"I accept your terms." Death chuckled at the deal, speaking once more before granting the request.

"Careful. Sometimes, the future is better left unseen by you mortals. My eyes are yours, peer through the last moments of my children, and find what paths may await the one in question." Mist took a deep breath, and exhaled, speaking a quick chant before her green flames sparked up the circle of human hair around her. As the bits of essence shriveled and melted away, leaving a ghastly stench in its wake, the avian closed her eyes, and concentrated. As her visions began, the circle slowly burned, the flames spreading like the wick of a candle as more of the hair was consumed around her.

She was a feral mouse for a moment, trapped in the jaws of a snake as the human staggered up the mountain nearby, mere meters away. The young king was missing an arm, and briefly lost his footing with a curse. As the rodent's life slipped away, so did the vision. It was quickly replaced by another, set a few hours later.

She was a baby robin, fallen from the nest far too soon. She was vainly letting out a final, weak chirp, just before growing still forever on the unforgiving earth. Just a few paces away, the boy stood beside his wolf, peering over the peak of the mountain in absolute awe of something. The vision faded to black, along with the young hatchling's life. Another followed it, set sometime after.

She was a rabbit, twitching in the talons of an eagle, her sides bleeding out from the piercing claws in her ribs. She was soaring through the air, being carried back to the nest to become nourishment for the new life that flourished there. She peered down, and saw the boy was walking again, a defeated look in his eyes as he made his way through the area, the wolf trailing just a little behind. Her sight faded from her just as the rabbit's did.

She was a gecko, trapped in a larger spider's web, her organs failing from the venom injected into her. She was trapped on a dusty windowsill high above, her dimming sight catching a glimpse of the human staring at a wall as tears fell from his face. The vision faded, replaced by another set only moments after.

She was a young beast, gasping and sputtering through her own blood, gazing up into glowing red eyes bearing far too much pain and power. As this too faded from her, she was granted another vision as the last of the hair smoldered around her body.

Darkness. All darkness. She saw countless views, all of the same thing. Millions and millions of lives, snuffed out almost instantaneously as darkness fell upon all, each desperately trying to cling to life in a world that was no longer suited for such things. It was so dark... It was so cold... The final point of view she had, was one never meant for mortal eyes.

She was the great light, the one that held off the great darkness above. Her light couldn't shine anymore, the last piece of her heart had finally crossed over to the afterworld, and her flames dimmed along with it. She watched all of it die. She watched the very world itself grow cold and still in her absence... and then she saw it.

Golden, glowing eyes, set into bare sockets that should have no means to hold them. White bone, connected by intangible shadows and strips of ragged cloth beneath a shredded cloak. A great horn, one that had been pulled from its very own skull, resting in its hands. It raised the weapon solemnly, made a final cleaving motion, and then her vision faded once more as she watched the legendary beast of death perform its final duty in this world of cruelty.

Then it was all over. The flames flickered away to nothing, her legs and mind grew weak, and she collapsed on the spot, a sharp pain in her heart as her consciousness faded from her. She should have listened to the warning... Sometimes, the future was better left unseen by such mortals. Death could only chuckle at such naiveté. He would only charge her a single day this time, she had received far more than bargained for, after all.

===

"So every time a feral makes a noise, do you hear words?" Rust had been asking the little human a million questions since they had all set out the morning after their initial conversation. Flose didn't mind though, Rust was actually pretty nice, despite being a beastman. That made sense to him though, most of the feral foxes he had spoken with were usually friendly... mischievous, but still friendly. The human answered the question the same as he had been.

"Well, yes and no. If I focus on them, I can understand them, but it's deeper than just sounds. It isn't so much that I hear words, it's more that I can hear the intentions behind the noise or action. The better I get to know the type of feral in question, the easier it gets, and the same holds true for them. It's almost like our minds link up, if that makes sense?" Rust nodded, answering with his own experience there.

"It makes sense to me. My dad has a similar bloodskill where he can talk to most of his nearby family, or the ones that share the skill anyway. He said their thoughts, memories, and even emotions bleed into each other when linked." Flose thought that sounded pretty awesome, but needed to clarify.

"It's kind of like that, but not quite. The longer I connect with a feral, the more their mind changes as well. Take Mercy for example, we've been together for nearly five years now. Since then, she has learned entirely different ways of thinking than a normal bird would. She feels things more like a human now, but that isn't to say it doesn't go both ways. I've learned a lot on how most birds think in return. I can understand what she is trying to say with the smallest peep from her now. With a new type of feral, I would have to focus on thinking like they do for a while before having full conversations." Rust thought about that explanation a little before further prodding.

"Wait, so if you ran across a deer, you wouldn't be able to communicate with it?" Flose smiled a little before he replied.

"I could, but it would take a little while to learn how a deer thinks since I've never met one. I do get more efficient each time, though. I've probably connected to only twenty different types of ferals at this point. The first time with a species is always a bit difficult, but I haven't had much chance to talk with a lot of ferals. I can't use it on most fish or insects for some reason, and I haven't exactly had much opportunity to go looking for more. I did have a few short conversations in the forest before I got too sick though, so that was really nice!"

Rust thought that was one of the coolest bloodskills he had ever heard of. As if right on cue, Mercy swooped down from her latest round of scouting, and landed on Flose's shoulder with a quick chirp. The human answered back.

"Oh? Good find! Thanks Mercy." Before Flose even had the chance to elaborate, Rust was already pestering him with another question.

"What did she say?" Flose laughed a little at the enthusiasm before he answered this as well.

"She found some fruit nearby! Do you think we can go stock up really fast? My supplies are running low." Rust answered a bit obliviously.

"Uhh. Well, we have plenty of food still, since Oust hunted down that boar we roasted before finding you. Would you like some of the meat?" Flose looked to the ground uncomfortably for a moment. It was Sir Corper that answered, causing the smaller human to jump at the gruff, and sudden interruption once more.

"We can stop for a moment. Rust, would you assist our guest with his task?" Rust gave the bear a questioning look. He answered skeptically.

"Sure, I don't mind... But why eat berries and such when we have meat?" Corper explained what the boy was too embarrassed to.

"Tell me, little fox... would you eat Oust?" Rust laughed at the question, answering quite obviously.

"Absolutely not... especially if he tastes as bad as he smells." Corper continued patiently, knowing most beastmen didn't usually understand at first.

"I feel the same. He is a friend to you, is he not?" Rust felt extremely foolish all of a sudden. The little fox stopped walking as he realized what the bear meant. The adolescent spoke to the human thoughtfully after.

"Sorry, I guess I didn't think about it that way... You don't eat ferals, do you?" Flose was averting his eyes, knowing his picky diet had a tendency to piss people off for some reason. He still answered though.

"No... I just can't do it. I've talked to so many, and even though ferals eat each other all the time, It's a little different when you can hear them begging for their lives... I don't mind if you do though, and even the ferals understand the food chain better than most, but I can't do it. I'm sorry to be difficult." It was Oust that finally chimed in. He had been mostly letting the fox ask the questions for him up to that point, as to not unsettle the boy again.

"It makes sense, you don't have to apologize, and I don't think it's difficult at all, just a quick detour. We all like different food, but if you can't eat it, you can't eat it." Flose looked to the tiger again, and nodded in appreciation. Oust wasn't as mean as he looked, but the human was still very cautious of him. He was the one that had captured him, and the first beastman he had ever ran across in general. The boy felt there was some lingering uncertainty there. Still, Flose forced a smile his way, and mouthed the words all the same.

"Thank you." Oust smiled back, careful not to show too much of his fangs this time after the last disastrous attempt he made had failed so badly. The tiger succeeded in his efforts, and shortly after, the fox and the boy set off to gather some of the fruit. The group was back on their way before even twenty minutes had passed, steadily making their way north, to where Flose's settlement lie hidden. They would continue on, resting every so often until nightfall fell upon them, and their campfire was burning steadily.

===

Aster was sweating profusely, every inclined step he took seemed to be a mountain of itself. He had paused for a brief moment to catch his breath, his flesh feeling unusually hot. Stahl had carved him a longer walking stick around the size of his staff to help brace with his left hand, and while it had helped immensely, the human king was growing quite tired. They were only around a third of the way up the slope, and it was already pushing well into the late afternoon.

Stahl was hanging back just a little, making certain he could stop his mate's sliding were he to completely lose his balance. It was the next best thing he could do since Aster refused both the beast carrying him, or even bracing up against him. Aster was determined not to be a burden, but this is exactly what was becoming a problem for the wolf.

Stahl understood how shitty it all was. He knew Aster was always one so desperate to stand on his own two feet. He was the kind that refused help, even when he needed it most... but watching his lover struggle for nothing more than pride was really starting to bother the beast. He was letting his mate be angry for a while, like he needed to, and he would even coddle his wounded boy to a degree, but the beast was preparing to intervene soon. His king may have been stubborn, and even more so in lieu of his injury, but enough was enough. The wolf spoke, his worry clear in his words.

"Aster... we can sit down for a whi-" The human cut him off, speaking between uneven breaths.

"I don't want to sit down, Stahl. I just want to see the other side. I know I'm moving slowly, but I want to make it to the peak today, and I need to do it on my o-" It was the wolf's turn to interrupt.

"No, you don't NEED to do it on your own, that's just how you always WANT to do things that make you feel small, things that make you ashamed of yourself, that you think I wouldn't be able to accept. You're making yourself suffer to prove a point that doesn't need proving. I love you as my mate, and I follow you as my king, but don't ever believe I would ever stop loving you, no matter how much of yourself you may lose. You said it yourself, `I will love even the worst parts of you.' That includes your worst days. Now... will you please rest for a moment, and can I PLEASE help my king climb this fucking mountain afterwards? He really wants to make it to the other side soon."

Aster was silent, he wouldn't look back at the beast quite yet, but he was thinking carefully. He never answered Stahl, but he did move off to a larger stone nearby, and took a seat for a moment. The boy just gazed up at the path before him in both dread and determination, all at once. They were cutting up at the lowest incline on the slope, aiming right between two smaller peaks so they wouldn't have quite so much terrain to fight. The way the path seemed almost smoothed over went unnoticed by the human, but the beast with tracking experience could see what Aster was missing. Stahl walked up beside his mate, and squatted next to the boulder, joining his human in the moment of rest. The beast spoke in a complacent tone.

"It's a little strange." Aster looked at Stahl, and simply waited for his wolf to elaborate a bit more on that sudden statement. Stahl didn't keep him waiting, pointing to the edges of their path as he spoke.

"Do you see the mounds of dirt piled along both sides of our trail here? They are out of place. Sure, they're weathered down, broken in many places, and overgrown with weeds, but I think there may have been a loose road here at one point." Aster glanced at the rocky mounds, and realized his beast was probably right. He was quick to ask the question.

"And where do you think this abandoned road leads to?" Stahl took a deep breath in, and smiled softly, that beloved fang of his catching the boy's eye per usual. The wolf answered in a more positive tone.

"No idea, but it's somewhere we are going together, so that's enough for me." Aster really tried to hold back the scoff, but the small almost-smile that followed was plenty worth it for the wolf. The human dropped his gaze, but held the faintest trace of cheer for the first time in a while. He answered softly, his tone warm and kind at long last.

"You really are a fool sometimes, my wolf." Stahl poked back playfully.

"For you? Always." The beast paused, and spoke once again, his optimism finally infecting his mate a little.

"Hey, Aster. Turn around for a moment." The human raised his eyes, and locked them with those silvery ones for a brief moment before turning back and looking over his shoulder, just as Stahl asked of him. As Aster wondered what he was looking for, the wolf spoke again.

"We aren't even that high up yet, but just look down. Everything back there is getting smaller and smaller the further we go, and we've already risen higher than that forest. We still have a good bit of distance to cover, but if we go together, I bet we can make it to the top of this mountain a lot easier. Just think of how small all of that stuff behind us will seem then, when we've risen far above it, and can look back on it with a more clear point of view." The king looked to his knight, and just for a moment, just for a single, precious second, there was warmth in those eyes, and a faint, yet true smile on those lips.

Aster didn't reply, but stood from his rock a moment later, and turned, holding his left hand out to his wolf. Stahl took it gratefully, rose to his paws, and leaned forward to plant one of his softer kisses on top of his lover's head. The young king let out a heavy sigh, and spoke in a tone that was tired, but perhaps, just a little hopeful as well.

"I really don't deserve you, but I am thankful to have you beside me now more than ever. let's go, my wolf... and I do mean together this time." Stahl felt the tension in his gut ease at long last when his mate spoke those words. The beast just knew then, they were going to be alright.

===

It was around three hours before dusk when Tyfin and his guard finally made it to the outskirts of the smaller town of Cayne. They camped off a ways beneath a large oak, the landscape more familiar now as they traveled away from the thicket, and back to the sweet smelling fields of Alora. Tyfin was grateful for the moment's rest, as they had been walking pretty steadily the last few days at that point. Getting time to quite literally stop and smell the flowers was something the beast king would always appreciate. He spoke a bit mindlessly out loud, to nobody in particular.

"There really is nothing like the scent of an Aloran spring, however late into the season it may be now... It's good to be home." Captain Rix answered as gruffly as ever.

"We aren't home, not yet. Don't get too comfortable, bu order of my king, I still have to train with you in a moment." Tyfin smiled playfully at the bull, and answered accordingly.

"Yes Sir!" Rix groaned, and turned away, muttering something about royal brats as he stepped off a short ways. Tyfin was grinning ear to ear all the while. He couldn't help it, it was just too easy to tease the bull, and well, it was so nice to finally have the end in sight, to see the goal just ahead of them at long last after such a long journey home.

Tyfin had never been thrust into any kind of situation like the one he had found himself, and his knights in. There were a lot of sad parts to their story so far, but the beast made sure he found the good in all of it too. The beast king made sure he was learning, and paying attention to all of it the entire time... So for just a moment, he felt he could relax, and enjoy the simpler pleasures before his training began. The beast stood, and stretched heartily before gazing at the town in the distance, the sweet sign of civilization at long last. The king spoke mostly to himself once more.

"We are going to make it back, and the rest of our group is going to be waiting for us when we get there." Tyfin turned to Fraxis and asked the crocodile a question.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" The croc shook his head as he answered the king.

"Not really. I'm not a noble, nobody is going to recognize a common-born with no renown. It should be pretty easy, just a traveling mercenary stopping by a town for some supplies. It's a pretty normal thing." The prince answered, his out-of-place smile still lingering on his muzzle.

"I've only been through markets on a few occasions, but they are always a great showcase of what the locals really bring to the table. I'm almost a little jealous." Fraxis replied sort of flatly.

"I've been to plenty, and worked in plenty, they aren't that special. I guess it's different when you live there though. I will agree that there's a good sample of the culture in most, for better or for worse." Tyfin smiled and nodded to his guard. Speaking once more before heading off to the awaiting bull.

"I'm glad to know a professional is on the job. I am thankful for what you've done, Fraxis, and even if the captain won't say it yet, I think he sees some potential in you as well. Don't let his defenses fool you, I have it on good authority from a flirtatious hare that he is actually a rather kind beast, he just hides it well." The croc nodded and watched the young lion go, his own sword in the king's grasp. The reptile found himself looking back towards the town he was to infiltrate at the crack of dawn. The common-born knight let himself marvel at the thought for a moment.

`A mission directly from the young king himself, huh? I can't wait to tell ma.' Fraxis Maxillos was a reptile of few words, a beast of simple pleasures, and, (above all else,) a huge mama's boy. He wouldn't do anything that meant he didn't make it back home to her. He used that desire to steel his resolve, accepting his mission, however small, with a re-forged sense of purpose. The lion was right to trust him.

The prince and the bovine began their sparring session as the laid-back reptile lingered on the stories he could one day tell of the time he traveled with a prince. The three had come to enjoy each other's company the last few nights, but it would still be the last night they would all be spending together on their journey. The bull was right to worry.

===

"Ok, so you're telling me there are almost three-hundred humans in your settlement alone? And nearly HALF are sick? That's... that's a lot of healing." Rust had wasted no time at all making Flose fit right in among his rapidly growing list of friends, allies, and interests.

The inquisitive little fox had question after question for the boy, but Flose appreciated the distraction... The tiger sitting next to him always felt like it was stalking him for some reason, like he was always glaring at him in something like rage or hunger, both equally as unnerving to the frail human. As things usually went with Oust, his timing was unfortunate. He had a question of his own though.

"So... Have any beasts ever visited your people?" Flose didn't flinch this time, but he was still hesitant to answer. He shook his head, stalling his reply a little.

"No. We don't stray far for a reason. If even one found us and reported it..." Oust nodded in reply. He understood. Rust was quick to say it.

"Well, don't worry! I have family that's human, so your secret is safe with me!" Flose looked at the adolescent, and finally asked what he had been hesitant to do.

"You said Solis was your uncle? I think you called him Aster though. May I ask how exactly that happened? Is the stolen king of Adamare married to a fox, or?" Rust laughed a little at that, not realizing he had been so busy talking about the human, that he had barely even talked about himself or Aster. He corrected that.

"No, but he is partnered to a wolf right now." As Flose took a moment to process that information, Rust finally told the human everything there was to tell about Aster, (that didn't seem too personal,) and how he had come to join his family. Flose went silent for a while when the cub finally finished. At long last, the meek boy finally commented on it.

"That's kind of shocking to me, if I'm being honest... I didn't think there were any real amount of you that would ever be sympathetic towards my kind after all these years. And to think a human could be with a beastman in this day and age? That's even more surprising. It seems..." Flose trailed off, not wanting to seem rude, Rust pressed a little further anyway.

"It seems? Go on..." Flose sighed, and finally said it.

"It seems a little doomed to fail. I don't think our kind can reach across the table like that... I think the world still hates us too much. I don't see how they can ever even feel safe together, because I don't think a lot of people on either side are going to understand." Rust went silent, not sure if he was simply surprised, or offended. The reply came quietly, the gruff voice heavy with something the human just couldn't quite place. Sir Corper was speaking.

"It was a hard path for us then, and it will be an even harder one for them now, but you would be amazed at what two people's love for each other can withstand, no matter their differences." Oust never pried in his master's past, it never seemed his place, but the question slipped out before he ever had the chance to ponder it.

"Master, how did you and your wife handle the disapproval of both beasts and man? I imagine it was easy for someone so level-headed?" For a moment, you could've heard a pin drop. Rust was lost in anticipation, Oust was second guessing how appropriate his question was after all, and Flose had stopped breathing altogether. The bear closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and grumbled out a "Hmphh," before continuing. He scratched lightly at his head and thought hard about how to even go about giving such an answer. After a moment, he found his starting point.

"Well... I'll have to give a little backstory to answer that... It all started with a young thief, a bellowing roar, and a tiny little human that stood up to a bully..."

===

The young general Corper Paxus was enjoying a few days away from his duty as the queen's guard. Every so often, the burly beast would take a break from nobility, and simply spend some time away among the common born, drinking heavily, fighting anyone that looked like a challenge, and fucking any female that felt like spreading her legs for a noble of his status. Being childhood friends with the king and his closest knights had its perks for staying out of trouble, and since the war with the west had ended and King Alocer had begun his reign, the bear had no shortage of booze or boredom-killing on most days.

To put it quite lightly... Sir Corper was once an absolute drunk, a renowned whore, and an overall bully to anyone that had something to say about it. When you're a nine-foot tall bear in your prime, loaded down with muscle, a fortune, and a family name sitting in your back pocket, all topped off with a title outranking most others, you wouldn't often meet your match. But the general certainly was about to on that particular morning.

He had a killer hangover, was on his way to soothe it with another drink, and the grumpy bear was not in the mood for anybody's shit, to say the very least. As usual, that's when it landed right on his plate.

"STOP HIM! THIEF! SOMEBODY STOP HIM!" A merchant was yelling out in the streets behind him. The bear smiled. Normally he wouldn't give a single care about some common-born thief running through the market, but in truth, the bear just felt like punching someone that day. He had a sour attitude, and maybe cracking a few bones would make the morning a little brighter...

He kept walking for a moment, pretending not to hear as the approaching thief drew closer and closer. As soon as the thief stepped in range, the bear swung his right arm out, catching the fleeing adolescent right by his neck with a quick hand. The young weasel was yanked to a stop by the grip, and quickly began wheezing vainly as his throat was nearly crushed by the powerful general. He dropped the stolen apple, his hands moving to weakly try and free himself. Corper smirked and turned to the adolescent beast firmly trapped within his grasp. He spoke threateningly.

"Bad day to get caught, cub, but at least you'll remember this lesson for life..." The great bear turned, the struggling thief fearing for his life as the general raised him even higher. Just as he was about to slam him against a nearby wall, a clear voice behind him rang out through the air.

"Stop! He's a child!" Corper figured this snot-nosed little shit's mom was coming to his rescue, and was fine with her opting to go the "alternate," payment route if that was the way she wanted to settle it, as it often was... But the general had no real way of being prepared for the woman who had spoken on the weasel's behalf.

A human... there in the heart of Alora, was a human visiting that day. She had a smaller frame, barely five and a half feet tall, with long, blond hair woven into a large, golden braid clear down to the small of her back. She had an emerald ribbon trailing through that braid, one that matched those eyes that were quite busy sizing the general up so thoroughly. She spoke once more, her words saturated with a degree of elegance that seemed far too out of place in the slum markets of the capital.

"You wear this nation's crest, so does a knight of Alora usually resort to such cruel punishment for one of her children merely seeking a meal?" Corper stopped in his tracks. Surely this uppity bitch wasn't trying to make a scene here? Who the fuck did this human think she was? The general answered with a scoff, turning to stare at the woman as he kept his grip on the adolescent's throat.

"A thief is a thief, I am well within my right to handle this matter as a general to this country. It is you who oversteps, human." She was quite the quarreler, quick to call him out, more so after flaunting his rank so boldly.

"Ah, so, the very generals of this country would behave so unknightly. I'm afraid that's even worse." Corper tightened his jaw, he didn't usually hit females, given he wasn't in a battle, but she was really starting to get under his pelt. The bear doubled down, letting his temper carry his words.

"Ah, and you seem to be mistaken... were I to show you unknightly behavior, I'd just squeeze this little thief's head until it popped, and then come carve that judgmental glare right out of those pretty green eyes of yours." The woman never flinched or even backed down for a second, jumping instead straight to her response. Her argument was far more calculated than the general's itself was, living up to her reputation as a worthy ambassador.

"And tell me, great general of Alora, would you be able to do it while his sister watched?" The human gestured off to the side, where a smaller weasel was crying silent tears as she watched her older brother struggle in the general's grasp. The bear sucked in a breath of realization, but the woman kept on cutting.

"I wonder how it will change her destiny? To watch her brother killed for trying to undoubtedly steal her something to eat, to carry such guilt forward in life... To watch those sworn to protect their citizens murder someone simply for being hungry, like so many of your people are during this famine. Ask her in ten years what it was like to watch a great general of Alora kill her brother, all because he felt like it... One who likely still sat on plenty of wealth, and who never knew the pain of an empty stomach... One that could've just paid for the damned apple in the first place. Will she even last that long without him? Would she even want to? Perhaps you should simply kill her too? I'm sure a beast of your morals could find a way to justify it as a mercy."

Corper was fuming! He loosened his grip on the adolescent, but didn't quite let go. The weasel sucked in a gasp of oxygen, and possibly not a moment too soon, either. The bear began walking forward, his demeanor and appearance unnaturally calm as he approached the woman. People nearby in the streets were looking on in utter shock, did that foolish human not realize who the famed general was? Needless to say, the intimidating bear soon towered over the woman, his shadow alone engulfing her frame more than two times over as he loomed above her.

Corper stared down into those sharp and calculating eyes and she stared right back, not even a hint of fear in her gaze, only serious, and unyielding fury in the face of injustice. The general took a slow, and deliberate breath in, crouched down to where his face was mere centimeters away from her own, and let out a bone-shaking roar at the top of his lungs with every bit of power he had, his large, ivory fangs nearly brushing against her very skull. As the air around her seemed it would shatter from the sheer weight of that bellowing, the woman never budged even a single inch, still staring into his eyes all the while, daring him to actually do it and calling the bluff for what it was. Somehow, someway, Lady Akhalari Le'gere, or `Khala' as he would come to know her in time, saw some shred of good in that absolute piece of shit who dared to ever call himself a knight that day.

Corper stared in pure awe, not even the most foolish or strongest beasts he knew would've just stood there so firmly the entire time. Nobody dared make a single sound, the silence piercing after such a deafening roar. Corper peered into those encaptivating eyes for a while longer before he straightened up, and dropped the young weasel off to his side. The adolescent quickly scurried out of the way, his younger sister quick to come to his aid. The great general finally tore his eyes away from the woman, turned back towards the cubs, and walked over to them.

As the siblings cowered in fear of the bear, their terror was soon replaced with disbelief as a clinking sack of gold was dropped right next to them. The brother looked at the bag with an uncertain gaze, and right back up to the bear for a short second. The general spoke in that gruff tone of his.

"I'll let the palace guards know to expect you tomorrow morning. We have work for you, work that pays well enough for you, and your sister to eat. Consider that a starting bonus. You would be wise to show up." The cub nodded once, and snatched a hold of both the gold and his sister. He darted away, putting some distance between them as his mind tried to accept that for the first time since he could remember, he wouldn't have to steal their dinner that night. The general watched them go before he turned back to the woman and spoke once more, his tone still firm, but far lighter.

"You're crazy but brave. I like it. Want to grab a drink?" The woman smiled softly, answering as if she hadn't just been threatened by the beast mere moments before.

"Alright... I suppose I'll be buying though, considering you did just give away all of your coin?" The burly general huffed and replied with a playful smirk and a practiced wink.

"I'll allow it. I'm certain I can find an alternate way to pay you back." The woman raised her eyebrow at the unrefined bear, cocked her head lightly to the side, and answered with a look of worry.

"General, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to insinuate something vulgar about the ambassador of Peuforet..." Corper began panicking, surprised his flirty charm was being brushed aside so easily, something he didn't encounter often. A melodic laugh filled the air a short second later, and from that moment forward, Corper's fate was absolutely sealed. The bear smiled as he realized she was messing with him, and soon, (through the most bizarre exchange the onlookers had ever witnessed,) the pair were laughing together in the slummy streets before they set off to get that drink. They would only get a few, precious years together, but it was more than enough to change the bear for a lifetime.

===

"From that point on, we didn't give a single care to what anyone else thought of our relationship, she had already proven she would stand up to any beast, and I never hesitated to stand right beside her. That's how we dealt with the disapproval of both man and beast, we let them disapprove, and we loved each other regardless, right in front of their judgment." As the bear finished his tale, not a single of the three younger listeners could really respond. It was Rust who finally said what Oust was thinking.

"Soooo... You were kind of a piece of shit back then, huh?" Corper chuckled to himself, noting the adolescent's courage to be so bold once more. The bear answered earnestly.

"I most certainly was, what were you expecting? I was a spoiled noble with both close ties to the king, and the skill to back my talk up, of course I was an out-of-touch jerk. I was constantly angry for reasons I didn't even understand, and I went around making that everyone else's problem. I have said before, she taught me more restraint, patience, and understanding than anyone else ever could." Oust just stared at his master, never believing that the wise bear before him could've ever started out as something so nasty. As if Corper could read that very thought, he answered his student too.

"It's eerily familiar, isn't it young one? Maybe now you will start believing that true potential of yours is actually possible, even for beasts like us, or rather, beasts like we used to be." The tiger looked down, taking that lesson to heart as he thought for quite a while on that. Corper looked to the human who had remained silent, and decided he would ask after all.

"And you, boy? Did you enjoy my recount?" Flose peered off to the side, took a short breath in, and answered quietly.

"She sounded very brave, it's almost hard to believe, as a smaller human myself." The beast smiled softly as he gave his answer.

"Bravery is often seen as unbelievable when brandished by the weak, but that is what real bravery is, foolishly standing your ground in a fight that you know you can't win. It's standing up to injustice wherever it may rear its head. It's doing what you can for the sake of others, even if you believe you may fail." For just a short moment, all three of the young lives stood in awe of that answer. The bear smiled, closed his eyes, and let himself reminisce just a little while longer. He drew a heavy breath, held it for a moment, and exhaled slowly, letting the thought run through his mind.

`My Khala... Your light was truly blinding that day, and not a moment goes by that I do not miss such a beacon in my life...' The former cocky general cracked open a single eye just the slightest, peeked towards Flose ever so unnoticeably and finished the thought with a sense of gratitude.

`But I am thankful your light found a way to keep on shining. You would be quite proud of your nephew, the little bud of Peuforet has certainly bloomed.'

===

Aster was still having a rough time with his climb, the boy's body aching all over. Nevertheless, with the wolf's assistance, the two were making steady progress. It was starting to approach the early evening, the sun dropping down the western sky as the boy and his wolf fought their way up the terrain. Aster lost his footing suddenly, hitting a knee as the loose gravel stole his traction away from him, forcing a curse from his lips. Stahl was bracing against and supporting his mate once more before the boy had even slid a few inches. The human panted heavily as he struggled to catch his breath, and even after when he spoke to his beast.

"Sorry." Stahl was reassuring the boy immediately.

"It's alright, Aster. Do you want to rest for a moment?" The stubborn human shook his head in reply, steadying himself as he stood. He answered the beast more verbally than he had been.

"No... We've only got a short ways left, and I just want to make it to the top while there is still a little light left. I want to see what lies before us with my own eyes, Stahl." The wolf didn't argue, Aster was being better about resting when needed, so the beast would trust him to impose his own limits. The beast spoke gently to the human.

"Don't worry, we will make it there soon, my love. Are you feeling alright?" Aster answered his mate in turn.

"Yes, my wolf, just as alright as the last time you asked me... less than five minutes ago..." The human trailed off, not meaning for that to sound as harsh as it had. He continued in a kinder tone. "Yes, Stahl, I am alright. Sorry, I'm not trying to still lash out at you..." Stahl moved in closer, and gently held his mate from the sides. He leaned down some, and pressed his muzzle softly into the boy's hair. He planted a quick kiss on the top of Aster's head and answered in understanding.

"I know you aren't, it just happens when people are frustrated, hot, injured, and tired." The boy took in a heavy breath, held it, and released it into a sigh as he responded to that.

"I'll get better than this Stahl... I promise you, I'll find a way not to be so defeated by all of this one day." The wolf answered patiently.

"We will find our way forward together, my king. Even should you stumble, or lose your footing entirely, I'll be here to catch you, dust you off, and help you find our path once again. I already told you, you can feel how you need to about all of this, your wolf is here to pick up the slack in the meantime." Aster smiled, nodded ever so slightly, and pushed on, the two making steady progress in their race against the setting sun. That was a race they would end up winning after all.

Just a few hours later, as the blue sky gave way to the flickering streaks of golden, setting sunlight, the pair was approaching the last few steps to where the two smallest peaks met. At this point, Aster was absolutely drenched in sweat, and his body was aching unreasonably so. The human king took one last short rest before pressing on, overcoming the mountain set before them at long last. As Aster gazed just ahead, where they would soon cross the threshold, the wolf spoke confidently, wrapping a tender arm around his lover's waist as he drew him a bit closer for the moment.

"I know you're tired of me asking, but being where we are, I feel I need to... How are you feeling, my love?" Aster leaned his head against his wolf, closed his eyes in the short reprieve, and truly took a moment to consider that answer. He spoke a little reservedly.

"I'm suddenly feeling nervous, if you could believe it... It's just... we battled exhausting conditions in that desert, we suffered unrecoverable losses in that village, and we nearly lost our way in that forest... You say it all gets smaller as we climb, but sometimes, this dark string of events feels like only the beginning, like it's all just going to keep getting worse after this mountain. I- I don't know how much more of 'worse,' I can take..." Stahl turned and lightly nosed into Aster's neck, softly giving his answer, his words warming the boy as his whiskers tickled at his skin.

"It has been a lot, my love, but we've survived every bit of it so far. Do you remember what I said the first time you gazed upon a river?" Aster nodded, recalling that day tenderly. The beast continued, giving his mate a reassuring squeeze as he spoke strongly in that moment.

"It may not have gone as planned, but we saw the forest together, and we made it through even when it tried to swallow us. We've nearly toppled this mountain, and though it has been tough, we have survived yet another challenge. I don't know what oceans we may have to one day cross, and I don't know which town you will truly get to experience first, but my statement hasn't faltered even the slightest." Stahl brushed his nose tenderly against the boy's cheek, nudging him in an affectionate way as he continued.

"I still want to see those oceans and the towns with you, I want to see many more forests together, and conquer the countless mountains we have yet to scale, and I will be right there beside you for all of them, just as I said. I will always be right here to make sure you don't give up until we've seen this entire world of ours together if that is what it takes. We will keep pushing on, we will make our place in this world, and we are going to be happy one day. We will find a place to call our own. If we cannot find one, then we will simply build it from the bones of all the challenges that try to stop us along our way." Aster listened closely, hanging on to every word. He didn't answer at first, but it wasn't long until the beast got his reply in a more refocused and dedicated voice.

"Thank you for being here, even when I am at my weakest. Let's go see what's waiting on the other side. We can descend tomorrow, it should be easier than today was." The wolf gave his lover a final kiss, stood, and held his hand down to his mate, helping the young king to his feet. It wasn't long before they reached that peak.

With ragged lungs struggling to find air, Aster finally got his left hand secured around the final little pull needed to scale the apex of their trail. As he pulled himself up on the ledge overlooking the other side, Stahl gave his king a little boost and climbed atop the platform to join him. The wolf helped his panting human to his feet once more, and the pair finally gazed forward, walking a few steps to the edge to really take a moment to process such a view.

The first thing the boy noted, was the largest and most endless expanse of water he had ever imagined possible sitting along the northern border, where the cliffs of the mountains disappeared into the choppy, glittering waves of the ocean. The mountains themselves made a partial circle, the peaks rising high in a crescent shape along the southern border of the valley. Aster realized they had climbed at the southernmost peaks of that semicircle, framing his view with mountains on either side bathed in the golden rays of dusk. Set in the center of this half-circle, a short ways back from the ocean, was undoubtedly a town, or at least, the remains of one.

There were larger clusters of buildings arranged in the natural shape of the mountains around them, forming a half-circle with three larger roads separating the many buildings into cone-shaped sections. At the center of those roads, where they all joined at the tips of the cones, there sat a large and partially crumbled wall, a large hole seemingly blown right through the center gates in a battle long ago. Setting just passed that wall, beyond an overgrown courtyard, was a very large building. Aster quickly realized this was a castle larger than even the Venatus estate. He also quickly realized it was abandoned, even at such a distance.

The front door had been caved in along with the left side of the front wall, the entire corner crumbling into a dilapidated pile of cobblestone after years of sitting in disrepair. There were five stained glass windows once adorning the front wall, the two on the left face of the wall consumed frame and all by the damage, the center of the remaining three was shattered, with many pieces missing from the one on the far right as well. Even still, the human could make out the final one, the one mural in the center of the five that had somehow survived the test of time, the colored glass shining colorfully in the evening twilight, even after so many years untouched.

The glass formed a depiction of a golden shield, adorned with both curvy, white markings, and an amber gem set into the center. It sat high above those broken doors, once proclaiming to the world that all seeking shelter within would be protected by that legendary shield. As Stahl realized what they had discovered, his eyes immediately went to Aster. What he saw was his mate trembling in either rage or sadness, which of the two it was lurking behind that gaze the beast could not decipher.

Aster Venatus gazed upon the remains of Adamare that evening. The bearer of the shield set his eyes on the place where his people had once lived, where they had been undoubtedly slaughtered by the beastmen of Alora in the end. The stolen king gazed upon the ruins where he was once destined to rule at long last.

It was finally time. The boy would learn. The boy would know. The boy would make his choice.

===

Well, here we are. I'll be musing in my afterthoughts here for a bit more than usual, but I feel I have a lot to say. The first, should probably be this.

I think I will be ending book one after this arc. I've been reviewing my story a lot, and I think this is a good stopping point. (I believe you'll agree soon as well.) What would've been the Aschefell arc and the Endeavor arc after would've suffered from far too many scenes cut. In truth, I just wanted the second book to pick up after the time skip, but after sitting down and mapping out EVERYTHING I have planned, I think defaulting back to five books is the best way here, with the time skip happening after book two concludes with the endeavor.

Not counting the couple thousand words I plan to add with the final revision, especially touching up the early chapters, my word count is definitely already high enough for book one, and by ch. 40, this will be even more true. Maybe it's a bit of a pipe dream, but I think I could even publish this with some polishing, and I know for certain my husband would be happy to hear that the thing consuming most of my free time since December could possibly pay off a little. I'm not even sure if there is enough of an audience for it to be worth the effort, and would maybe even have to cut out all the sexual parts to do it, but idk, maybe it is worth exploring. I have like no experience there, so feel free to leave your thoughts on that matter. I do know I'll be continuing this story regardless of the outcome there.

With that said. Holy fuck. We are finally here. I am shaking in my nerves at what is to come, even as I type this. I hope I can deliver something satisfying to my readers, and I hope I can pull it off the way I imagine it. If nothing else, I hope you get the answers you wanted. We have one final chapter now, and then the hammer falls. If you want to do a reread, and can suffer through my awful wording in the beginning once more, now would likely be the best time to do it, (or simply wait until 40 is out, and binge it all.) really, it's up to you as a reader!

One last thing. Mercy is a chimera cardinal, or a bilateral gynandromorph. It's a really neat natural occurrence in our world, and since cardinals are my favorite birds, wanted something different for her role. Google is your friend there, if my description didn't get across.

As always, thank you for reading, and I would love to hear your thoughts on any of it. I truly hope you appreciate what is to come now.

~PupBayou