The badger lord was seated upon his throne of vermin skulls, resting the sun bleached skull of a stoat in his right hand, leaning on his elbow. He stared into the eye sockets of the long dead creature, remembering the moment he had killed it in his invincible badger lord rage.
This lord of the badgers was named Urthstripe, a fearsome creature that was known as the destroyer of vermin and the champion of Salamandastron. By some, he was even known as the castrator. He was most well known for destroying an army of vermin with only fifty hares. He had gained this pile of skulls after his most recent conquest, the destruction of yet another horde of vermin.
He had launched his crusade nearly three thousand seasons earlier, where some may after a dozen seasons, or passed it on to the next generation, he continued on his path, his invincible army consisting of fifty hares backing him.
The army had run out of food within the first fortnight of leaving Salamandastron, but the badger had pushed on, knowing that he could not let something as petty as sustenance hold him back from his ultimate goal: The destruction of the vermin living inside the land of Mossflower.
Roughly three seasons after setting out, the lord of the badgers had encountered a horde of vermin, led by a fox known as Swagg the Earbiter. This fox had been known by many as a destroyer, razing villages wherever he went. He had nasty habit of biting the ears of those he fought, often never pulling them completely off. His horde of vermin was known throughout the land for having lost the fewest soldiers in a single skirmish with a group of mice armed with pitchforks. Urthstripe was determined to change that.
What followed was a short battle, Urthstripe and Major Sapwood using their infallible sense of strategy to bring down the horde. The army of five thousand vermin had quickly been surrounded by the 50 invincible hares, each one closing in upon the vermin, slicing in this direction, and that direction. By the end, only a few wounded vermin and Swagg the Earbiter were left alive. The wounded were rounded up, and Urthstripe closed in on Swagg. Needless to say, the duel was short, with the fox's sword being smashed in two, and his being propelled head first into an oak tree.
What followed the battle was considered a tragedy that the soldiers of the hare army lamented even to this day; a number of prisoners began falling upon the swords of their captors. Over the course of five days, the number of vermin prisoners dropped dramatically, going from about 400, to less than 150. The hares did not understand what was happening, many of the vermin had been travelling in front of them, only to fall backwards on the unsheathed blades of the hares. Some of the vermin complained of not being fed, and not being allowed any rest at night. Eventually, the vermin all died, be it from tripping onto swords, lack of food, or extreme exhaustion.
It had been nearly three thousand seasons since the Swagg the Earbiter had been embedded into a tree, and there had been no hordes of vermin spotted since then. The badger lord would have grown restless, though he knew within himself that the vermin would come again, and that he must be ready.
The badger lord used his invincible badger lord strength to crush the skull in his hand, and lifted his gaze up towards his army of hares. Major Sapwood returned the gaze, and knew that the time had come. His lord had sensed a horde.
Sapwood stood, looked at his men, and stated to Urthstripe, "My lord, we are prepared." The badger lord responded by saying, "Good. It will take us five days to reach this new horde."
Without another word, the army, led by the badger lord, began to walk in the direction of the sea, reaching the shore, and walking below the waves.