Album Vulpes

by Jay Riffic Draken

The duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald was the lynch pin in how the wizarding world would progress. Dumbledore made a fatal error and lost. Grindelwald began his conquest and gained most of Europe. The muggles in his domain suffer, the muggleborn only slightly above them in the hierarchy. Interment Camps filled with muggles all over his domain. Unaware he had created his bane

Prologue

The moon shone eerily in the starless night. Its mystic light shining over the dark forest below. Giving light and producing larger shadows that seemed to claw at the ground.

The night was one that was waiting in excited anticipation for something to happen. For something to give. Until it happened.

Crunching twigs, fast breathing and with a heart that was beating out of his chest a boy ran through the thick brush of the forest. There were many an impediment in his way but he either jumped over them or avoided them entirely. He could not afford to stop with them so close on his tail.

A dark red beam of light hit the tree just ahead of him. The wood splintered at the force of the spell and he stumbled a bit before he pushed himself up and changed course hoping to lose his pursuers.

It was not to be.

Up ahead from what he could see there was a heavy fog. The sight caused him to slow his pace and re-evaluate his escape. Fog always meant that there was water nearby. A shout was heard behind him and he barely managed to dodge before a metal spike impaled itself in his leg. He yelped in pain, he wanted to scream but held it back. He wanted to take it out but that would cause more harm than good.

He looked to the fog and limped as fast as he could to try and gain cover in its misty confines. He was a few steps from the fog and was going to jump inside when the ground in front of him blew up.

His body was thrust back and he collided with a large rock with a sickening crack. The air in his lungs escaped and he coughed violently trying to take it all back inside. His ears were ringing loudly and his vision was getting blurry. He raised a hand slowly to the back of his head and felt the wetness of blood seeping out of his head.

He tried to stand but it was futile. He looked up at the moon with his crimson eyes, begging whatever deity was to hear his pleads and deliver him from this evil.

But reality hit him with cold water as he heard the boots and the rough laughter behind him. That laughter reminded him of a hard truth that had been drilled into his head from day one.

Don't try begging to the gods for help. They stopped listening a long time ago.

His world was getting darker but for a fleeting moment he looked up and saw curious silver orbs staring at him. The fox regarded him for a moment before it slowly edged away from him and the darkness took over and he knew no more.