Chapter 1

Nikos was completely bare, his jerkin, belt and weapons were taken off of him, while he was unconscious. He had to time the moment just right, as soon as the cart he rode on bumped into a large rock or dipped into a deep divot, he would fall off and lose the beasts. The fox had gotten lucky and as soon as the cart made a large bump, he fell out of the cart like a rag doll. Two mice saw this and they weren't going to put the beast on the cart. So they decided to just dig a grave for Nikos. They dragged the limp figure deep within the woods and found the perfect spot to dig the fox's grave. The two mice used their spears as makeshift spades to dig a hole. What they've should have payed more attention to was that Nikos had gotten up. The fox snatched a spear from one of the mice, he thrusted it in their chest. Nikos then grabbed the last mouse by his throat and lifted the poor creature high in the air.

"Wha? Wha? We saw you die, Mattimeo killed you!"

The mouse wheezed out. Nikos made no emotion whatsoever, he simply stared at the mouse. Nikos then spoke to his adversary.

"Redwall will feel my wrath."

Then the fox started slamming the poor mouse hard into the trunk of a tree, while repeating the last word he said to him.

"Wrath, wrath, wrath, wrath, wrath, wrath!"

The awful sounds of the mouse's spinal column breaking was music to Nikos' ear. He threw the limp body of the mouse and ran off deep in the woods.

Five seasons had gone by and Abbot Matthias stood at the grave of Constance. He sat down at her tombstone. He conversated with her gravestone.

"Hello, it's me, Matthias. I was just wondering how've you been so far. How's Summer Forest, I bet it's wonderful. Being Abbot has its ups and its downs. I'm the leader of our Abbey, but sometimes that responsiblity weighs on you like a pile of rocks."

Matthias heard his name being called out.

"I've got to go, I'll take to you later."

The one calling for Abbot Matthias was Jube, he needed to know what was to be prepared for the Mid Summer's festival. Matthias patted Jube's head spike and chuckled.

"Do not fret, Jube. All will be fine, I can assure you."

Jube mumbled to himself.

"I hope you're right about that, Father."

Matthias chuckled, he then spotted Cornflower, Tess, and Cynthia picking the apples from the orchard, they talked and laughed amongst themselves. Father Matthias soon saw Basil strutting along, the old hare was trying to impress the fine ladies of Redwall, but his efforts were in vain, they all giggled at the hare.

"Oh, Basil, when will you learn, age comes before beauty."

Cynthia giggled out, clasping her paws to her mouth. Basil scoffed at her.

"Psshah, Cynthia Bankvole, beauty has always came before age."

"You're too old for me, you hoppin' foodbin."

Cornflower said without trying to burst into laughter. Basil's ear drooped and he stormed off.

"Hmmph, some manner those ladies got, no matters at all."

He mumbled to himself. Matthias saw Sam, Elmtail, Cheek, and Mattimeo on the ramparts. The four beasts clothing were completely new. Sam wore a red and white tunic with belt, and chainmail sleeves, Elmtail wore a brown sleeveless robe and adderskin sash, Cheek wore a fine jerkin, and Mattimeo wore a long sleeved jerkin, with the sleeves rolled up and the Sword of Martin at his hip. Matthias ascended the stairs, smiling at the one who were protecting Redwall.

"Hello, son. Hello all."

"Hello, Father Abbot."

Mattimeo turned to his dad.

"Father, what brings you up here?"

Mattimeo asked his much older dad. Matthias placed his paws in his habit sleeves and responded.

"Why, I just needed to see how my son and his band of warriors are holding up."

Mattimeo blushed from embarrassment, he attempted to not look at his father.

"Were fine, dad. Were not little dibbuns anymore."

Matthias loved to torment his son like that. He patted the Warrior of Redwall on the back and went down to Cavern Hole. Inside thr Cavern, Rollo had just one more lesson before becoming official Recorder of Redwall. Tim sat down with the young bankvole.

"Alright, Rollo, this your final lesson. We are going to learn how to translate other scriptures and writing not of our own. Now let's start, these symbols are of a long and forgotten alphabet, Loamscript. Methuselah knew about this, as did my father. Bless their hearts and minds for studying hard, it nearly took me almost seven seasons for me to learn the entire Loamscript alphabet."

Rollo silently nodded to his mentor and looked hard at the symbols and letters. The young bankvole looked at the parchments of both his Abbey's alphabet, and the one long lost to time. Rollo's eyes shifted back and forth to each page. Tim patted his protege on the back.

"You keep studying, and in a couple of hours we'll do some exercises, alright?"

Rollo turned to face his mentor.

"Yes sir."

Rollo turned back to the pages he was studying.

In Salamandstron, Orlando was becoming very old and gray. He knew he could pass on at any moment, he then heard a knock on his door. General Halsbrook and two other hares came in.

"Good morning, sir. Pleasure to see you alive and well."

Orlando saw the hares holding a large bundle. It was the average size of a baby badger. Using his walking cane, Orlando shuffled towards the baby beast. His assumption was right, it was a baby badger, a female to be exact. When the tiny one opened her eyes, Orlando was stunned at what he had saw, she possessed two beautiful rose tinted eyes. The very old badger looked up to the hares.

"Where did you find her?"

He whispered. Halsbrook smiled and said.

"Poor mite, she was stranded on the road, her mum and papa were slain, the poor thing didn't have a bally clue what had happened. Almost brings a tear to me eye."

Halsbrook sniffled. Orlando placed a gentle paw on the soldier's left shoulder.

"It's alright, this little one is safe."

Halsbrook gathered himself and fanned his eyes.

"Righto, sir. I best be on my way, don'tcha know."

"Of course, dismissed."

Orlando turned to Captain Winston, and asked of him to bring the baby badger down to mountain's nursery. He saluted and took hold of the bundle. Orlando smiled at the baby badger, he knew deep in his heart, she was to be his successor.

In the far East, a large encampment of vermin were settled in, a large sum of almost 1,000 were present in the camp. The vermin wore chainmail armor, and wielded long pikes and spears. The higher ranking vermin wore silver armored breast plates, velvet cloaks, and wielded swords. Their leader was greatrat named Mandus Chipaxe. Their Chief wore a silver breast plate, chainmail vest underneath, long emerald green cloak, steel helmet, and wielded a long double bladed pike axe, with a chip on one of the axe blades. He sat in his tent with a guest, he was a fox with a bandage over his eye. The fox wore only a dirty and very tattered cloak around him. The fox was eating his food and drink like a rabid wolf. Mandus leaned in towards their famished guest.

"My, my. You certainly were hungry."

The fox stopped eating and replied to the greatrat's remark.

"Guuh, you think. I had to survive on berries and such. Those are hard to come by. This, this is a proper meal."

Mandus sipped from his golden goblet. He drank down their finest wines.

"Do you wanna know why I wanted you in my tent?"

"Because I was starving?"

"No, I see potential in you, I see a fiery rage, and a lust for vengeance that cannot be quinched so easily. I've seen it before."

The fox stopped eating, he wanted to know who this creature was. He had to know more.

"Who are you?"

Mandus smiled at the fox.

"Let's just say, I've been watching for sometime, even back five seasons ago when you took over Redwall Abbey, tis a shame you couldn't have held on to it longer."

The fox's paws trembled from just hearing the name, Redwall Abbey. It screamed hatred at the fox. He no longer wanted to rule it, he wanted it to be destroyed. How could he, he had no weapons, no beasts to command, that is where he was mistaken. Mandus had two of his best vermin carry out a large trunk. Upon opening it, there was a nice blue and white tunic, adder belt laid across it, a sword with a slight curve, and a bolas with three thongs attached to metal balls. The fox donned the get up. Unfortunately the bolas were rusted and the thongs could snap at any moment, so he tied a piece of string to them and fastened it around his neck. Mandus then escorted his newly appointed henchbeast outside.

"You will command your own private army, the Reavers. Tomorrow we head for Redwall. We will show them what pain truely tastes like. Don't you agree?"

The fox nodded and smiled at Mandus.

"Yes, yes. They all will feel pain, I Nikos the Reaver will show them all, pain, suffering, and dispair. Their walls must burn for their crimes against me, they took everything from me."

Nikos said in a hateful tone, Mandus knew he picked the right one.