Disclaimer: I claim neither Bloody Roar's properties nor any characters who were not created by me; I make no profit from the writing of this story.

Warning: Mild violence

Prologue: A Twisted Tale

A New Commander and a Cruel Monarchy

During the Age of Feuding between humans and Zoanthropes, a new kingdom was born.

Founded upon a dream of peace and equality for humans and Zoanthropes alike, this new land attracted scores of Zoanthropes from far and wide. However, the kingdom was young, and it relied heavily on it's Zoanthrope army for security and it's special brigade of Zoanthrope mercenaries for income. Even more troublesome for the infant nation were rumors of cruel experiments being carried out on Zoanthropes to discover the secret behind their mysterious ability to transform into fighting beasts.

Though nearly everyone, human and Zoanthrope alike, opposed these experiments, no one could prove these experiments were actually taking place.

Everyone who had worked in the castle, from the highest nobles to Tabatha Ray, the elderly nanny of the castle, was present at the signing of the treaty, and even some civilians had been able to sneak onto the castle grounds to watch the suspenseful singing of a treaty that would hopefull bring prosperity to the kingdom. The two men sat at an elogant table, covered in gold and jewels, King Orion, king of the newly-founded kingdom and Gado, a well-known Zoantrope mercenary were reading over papers, making idle conversation about the documents in front of them. King Orion was an elderly man with a beard that went down to his waist, his grey hair was covered by a tall, blue hat that bore the royal crest. He was, as usual for the king, dressed in his grey robe, also adorned with the royal crest. Gado, on the other hand, was a towering man with blonde hair and a scar that ran from his forehead, over his left eye, and down to his jawline. How Gado aquired this scar was a mystry to everyone, but judging from his violent past, it is assumed to be a battle scar. Unlike everyone else in the room, Gado was in his street-clothes and didn't dress up for the occasion. He wore his usual beige pants that had a red and white triangle on the thigh of each leg and a red, white and blue bullseye on the outside of either knee, below that were a series of green and yellow stripes. Gados shirt seemed to outline his body and cut off at his shoulders, displaying Gado's bulkign arms and the claw marks he had received on either shoulder from anti-Zoanthrope warfare, though he was a Lion Zoanthrope himself. King Orion then turned to Gado, but Gado continued to read,

King Orion: Peace for humans and Zoanthropes will now be your job to insure.

Gado and King Orion stood up shook each other's hand and King Orion stared a hole into Gado,

King Orion: You must remember, humans are not evil, they are just afraid of your powers. Tread with care, Gado.

King Orion put up his left hand and Gado put up both of his hands, showing that peace might just have been reached between humans and Zoanthropes. King Orion then smiled and with a polite wave, left the room as Cronos followed behind him.

Cronos, a young Zoanthrope, was in the attire he saved for special occasions. He wore a yellow and black shirt that cut off at the top of the bicep and had a color, but cut off just below the shoulder bone. The black sleeves ran about an inch down his arms then stopped, exposing his arms up until his hands, where he had a pair of black wristcuffs and biker gloves. The buttons on his shirt glistened with the light of the sun as he stopped dead when his father told him his plans. The black pants on his legs tightened, causing the white knee-pads to shift a little. The sun's light hit the knives strapped to his white, ankle-high boots. Cronos yelled at his father, King Orion after the news he had just been told about the rumored experiments.

Cronos: You've ordered another round of experiments?! That's insane!

At this, Cronos took out one of the knives attached to his boots with great speed and held it up and turned it around so that the blade was facing him. The light of the sun glared off the blade, blinding a passing civilian who had snuck onto palace grounds. The civilian looked at the confrontation and decided to let the two handle it and not get involved for two reasons. The first was that it dealt with Zoanthropes, something that this civilian believed were scum and rejected by ay higher power, and secondly because if she was caught, she would killed on the spot for she was not supposed to be where she was and she was a lower-class civilian. Cronos then took aim for his throat, ready and willing to end his own life for the sake of the discontinuation of these cruel experiments.

Cronos: You'll have to do it alone!

Cronos then tensed his arms, ready to pierce himself with his knife, ending his existence.

King Orion: NO!!!

King Orion turned around with a surprising amount of force for a man of his age, backhanded Cronos in the arm, knocking the knife from Cronos, and knocking his son to his knees. The knife slid to the walls and the blade shattered up on impact with the ground.

King Orion: If humans and Zoanthropes are to live in peace, the research must continue.

Orion sternly glared at his son, who averted his gaze. A silent conversation ensued followed by Orion turning around and walking away.

Cronos still on his knees stared off blankly at the sky as he contemplated his father's words.

Cronos: Humans...Zoanthropes...in peace.

Cronos got up from his knees and looked at his father with eyes like that of a child who had just done something wrong and King Orion walked down the corridor and exited the castle, with Cronos on his tail.

The crowd cheered as King Orion addresed his people, but Cronos gave no heed as he stared at the sky, again contemplating the research and if it was neccessary for the experiments to continue.