The Abbey Gatehouse

"My name is Arbor Brock, son of Iro Brock. I am the first lord of Salamandastron.

My father was a brilliant emperor. He had all the creatures living in peace together, united under a single banner for peace. They helped each other, and they grew and prospered. But my father was worried this would not last forever. He was worried that there would be a civil war, or one of his descendants would mess things up. But then my mother, Rosestripe, died. My father was crushed, and his concerns increased tenfold.

He made a plan with his generals. They will be listed now in a lengthy order, and is not so much as important, so if you are reading this document I grant you freedom to move on past these words."

Uggo looked up from the document. "Should I read it?"

The others nodded vigorously. "We need all the information we can get," said Sylva.

Uggo continued.

"There was Garro the Great, a wolverine with fantastic power. And Crendo the Architect, a truly brilliant toad. Fando the Artisan, an intelligent lizard. There was Fentar the Skillful, a rat that could break from any prison, Brif the Mighty, a formidable wildcat, and Tera the Brave, a very courageous feral cat. And Haway the Braw, a squirrel that was the greatest fighter in the lands. Falton the Quick, Temveer the Bright, and Gru the Powerful, weasel, ferret, and stoat. The Allseers, Miko the Knowing, Fazwel the Wonder, Eclipse the True, an Tamv the Wise, magpie, crow, raven, and jackdaw. Anya the Clever, a sable, Nive the warrior, a pine marten, Rordon the Fighter, an otter, Bren the Boxer, a hare, Dorro the Mighty, a goat, and Xeymar Silvertung, a fox.

Xeymar came up with the plan. He was one of those who could harness the power of magic, and bend it to do things he'd want it to do. He was part of the reason the empire was so successful.

Though this time the fox would need to cast a much more powerful spell. So he gathered seven great identical stones with the inscription of magic upon them, cast it in a cavern near the great volcano of Salamandastron, the most magical place known, and was prepared to light one of the blue flames.

The blue flames were ice-blue colored fires held on seven-decimeter staffs. They are used in spells to increase the strength and length of the spell. When the flame is put out, the spell ends. However, it is virtually impossible to put a blue flame out.

Haway, Rordon, and Bren were the only ones wise enough to refuse this spell. They all should have. For Xeymar tricked them. The spell was to create all of their kind with similar traits to themselves. This is what happened.

Toads and lizards were fantastic architects and artisans once. They even created this beautiful redstone castle I'm writing this in, called Codíra. Now they are cowardly scavengers. The blackbirds were similarly affected. Cowards, scavengers, and evil.

Rats, weasels, stoats, ferrets, and feral cats all became greedy beasts that search for bloodlust and plunder. Shadows of the noble ones they used to be.

Wildcats, sables, and wolverines were overcome with lust for power. They were only content if they were first, and as such, they almost drove themselves extinct. Pine martens were similarly affected, but they were more able to just accept a high power, if not first.

Badgers like myself and my father did not get off bad. Instead, most of the time we remained noble and brave. Our sense of duty became stronger, however, and something strange happened. When our blood is roused, we become cruel beasts overcome with a more intense bloodlust than any known; we call it the Bloodwrath. Goats were similar, but without the Bloodwrath. To our misfortune, we participated in so many wars and battles that came after this, and almost drove ourselves extinct.

Foxes came as the spell intended. Power-hungry, sly, clever, cruel, cunning, deceitful, powerful, ambitious, and deceiving, like Xeymar.

There is some hope. Xeymar created a powerful emerald that will remove the effects of the spell. I know a rat that did this. But I chose not to. For... reasons. There is more hope. If the heir of those generals I mentioned (and my heir, who would be my father's heir) would be too use this emerald to free themselves, or the flame would be put out, we would be saved.

I have created a fortress in Salamandastron, the spell ended its flow of magma, with the help of freed toads. I will hold it to protect the lands against the vermin, and with the help of Bren and other hares.

This is my tale.

Arbor Brock"

The North Coast

Verane the otter through her dagger. Her aim was spot-on; it caught the gull right in the eye. The renowned otter knife thrower laughed heartedly..

"Haharr! Krudeblade and Fenna, get a fire going. Marko, take the rest to catch some fishes. All except you, Deyo. Keep watch for some dirty vermin."

The otters nodded and ran to do their tasks. Krudeblade dropped some firewood on the ground as Verane threw another knife, catching a gannet.

"I can see Salamandastron. If we walk through the night we'll make it there."

Verane nodded. "You're right. Fenna, what do you think?"

The otter twirled her blade. "Aye! Let's march."

"We'll see what Marko and the others think. We'll have some nice food, so it wouldn't be on an empty stomach."

Verane got another gull and Krudeblade and Fenna started a roaring fire. Marko and the others returned with a score of fish.

Krudeblade poured hotroot on the food and they dug in. The Rogue Crew were voracious eaters. Stuffing their faces with food, they through away their scraps.

"Attack! A-"

Deyo came running. An arrow went through his throat, and his corpse fell on the fire.

"Get your weapons!" called Verane.

Hundreds of blue vermin were marching forward, shouting their warcry. "Kam-a-tay-a! Kam-a-tay-a! Vengeance! Vengeance!"

"There's to many! Run!" shouted Verane.

The otters shook their heads. It was against the Rogue Crew way to run. The otters charged at the blue vermin, swinging their axes. Fenna fell, a sword in her gut and a throat in her teeth.

An otter called Argu swung his axe, taking out a weasel and a rat. He shouted his final war cry as he plunged into the dark blue horde. "Heeeeeeeeylaaaaaahoooooooooo!"

The Rogue Crew members slowly began to fall, each taking a dozen blue vermin with them. "Capture them!" called the leader, a maroon wildcat with wild eyes and yellow fangs.

"We need to run!" shouted Verane, last with Marko and Krudeblade. A great net fell upon them before they had a chance.

Ferociously Krudeblade slashed at the net until he was freed. He ran at the vermin, swinging his great axe. Bleeding from dozens of wounds he finally fell, crushing a weasel to the ground and two rats caught on his axe.

Kamataya strutted up to the two surviving otters. The mad wildcat laughed. "I will get my information! Yes, then the mountain will be mine, and I can kill Vafír!"

Marko and Verane looked at each other.

ooooooooooooooo

Alfar Miggory was practicing with his Katana. slashing it downwards, he noticed a prone figure lying on the shore. He ran forward, hoping the tide wouldn't sweep the figure away. He was a young male sea otter with a large beard ferocious axe.

"Waaaaaater..." he croaked.

Alfar nodded and began to drag him. But he thought better of it. The otter was bleeding from a score of wounds, sand would infect it. Hefting the otter on his back, the lanky hare almost fell over. He gasped. How could he carry him all the way to the mountain. Nevertheless he trudged on, hoping some other hare would see him.

His wishes were granted as Brigadier Krumlo Bristlefur returned from his morning run.d

"'Lo, young un. That otter looks a little 'eavy, wot!"

Alfar gave a tired nod and a grimace. Bristlefur nodded and ran over, easily lifted the otter off his back.

"It's a good thing you exercise, but aren't you fit enough?" asked Alfar as the graying began doing a job.

"Hah! Fit means adequate, wot! I strive for more than that! That's 'ow com I've lived so long, wot wot!"

Alfar chuckled. The brigadier was old, but tougher than any hare he'd ever met. Even the trader who'd given him the katana, Amamo, had never met one as tough. But despite his old age, Bristlefur was also the strongest hare he'd ever met. They quickly made it back to Salamandastron.

"Waaaater..." croaked the otter again.

Alfar nodded and ran off, quickly returning with a glass of cold clear water. He poured it down the grateful otter's dry throat.

The otter smacked his lips. "Thank ye. Ye can put me down."

Bristlefur let the otter go. He was a bit wobbly on his legs, but walked. "Let's take you to get patched up, wot!" exclaimed the ancient hare. "Where did you get all those cuts?"

"Vermin... blue vermin..." muttered the otter. "I'm Krudeblade."

Kamataya's Camp, North Coast

Branos sat happily in the bamboo cage the vermin had built for slaves. He delighted in the sunlight, something he hardly remembered except for the small hole his oar went through. He gleefully welcomed the two new otters.

"Hallo! I'm Branos Tuffqwill. Welcome to being a slave!" exclaimed the hedgehog as he held out his paw.

The two otters gave him strange looks and didn't accept the paw, instead going to the corner of the cage.

"We aren't slaves. They're going to torture us. Just sending us here so they can get their stuff from the ships," said Marko

"Oh, that's too bad. I though ye'd stay. Ah well."

Verane shook her head. The hedgehog was quite the strange one. "Hmm... I wonder how they'll torture us."

ooooooooooooooooo

A stoat captain called Earburn sat on a rock cleaning his claws with a dagger. "Murgu! Fedge! Are ye ready?"

Murgu and Fedge were identical ferret twins that had been the official torturers for the Blue Hordes for years. They had stringy gray hair, wild eyes, hunched backs, and sharp brown teeth. There voice was odd, a bit scratchy, with a highland accent that sometimes broke through, and finished each others' sentences.

Fedge began. "Arr, it be-"

"Ready. Bring-"

"The otters. We'll-"

"Make 'em talk. Ach, they'll be-"

"In trouble. Huhu! We'll make-"

"'Em talk. Haharrharr!"

"Aharrharrharr!"

Earburn rubbed his forehead. "Well, then I'll go get 'em."

The stoat captain ran off, then returned a couple minutes later, he returned, a rope around the neck of the two struggling sea otters. "'Ere they be. Do as ye wish, short of killin' them."

The ferrets laughed, throwing back their stringy gray hair. "Aharrharrharr! Haharrharrharr! Aharrharrharrharrharr!"

Earburn returned to his rock and continued cleaning his claws. Moments later he jumped as heard the dreadful cries of the otters.

ooooooooooooooooo

Kamataya sat on a wooden throne brought from the ships. Laughing villainously in front of the two Rogue Crew otters, she prepared for interrogation.

They both had a double ended sharp fork between their chin and chest, held by a neck loop. If either of them let their head relax, it would stab through their chin and chest. Marko's body felt loose; he was stretched from two poles he was nailed two. He kept whimpering as Murgu and Fedge kept throwing salt on the holes in his paws. Verane was crying. The two ferrets had given her some foul concoction that made her see terrible things. All the vermin she had killed were coming back to haunt her, killing her family and her friends. She was chained and could not help. Her right leg below her knee had been painfully split off and she almost died of blood loss.

Kamataya laughed. "Well done, Murgu, and you Fedge. I was worried you wouldn't be able to break two hardened sea otters. But you really outdid yourself."

The ferrets beamed. "Thank yer,-"

"Yer majesty."

Kamataya grinned and threw a fried fish two the hunch-backed ferrets, who ravenously devoured it. The wildcat queen turned her attention to Verane and Marko. "Well, what can ye tell me?"

Marko scooted back. "We were just comin' teh see if there was anythin' to be excited 'bout, that's all."

Kamataya frowned and spat on one of Marko's pawholes. The hardened sea otter that loved battle and violence whimpered in fear and pain. "Tell me! The real reason you came! And everything you know about yon mountain!"

Marko cried out as Murgu threw powdered hotroot in his left eye. "Aaaagh! Please! No! I was tellin' the truth!"

Verane felt blood run down her chin as the double-edged fork sunk in. Kamataya scowled. "Take those things off them. I don't want them dead, at least not yet."

The ferrets nodded and quickly undid the neck loops. "Yer should be-"

"Lucky."

Kamataya scowled again. "Now! What do you know about the mountain!"

"A badger rules it! And there's a lot of hares! Please! No!" He cried as Fedge started cutting at his cheek with a sharp dagger.

"Murgu! Give the other one a cure so she can tell me what she knows!"

The ferret nodded obediently a poured a vial of purple liquid down Verane's throat. The otter blinked twice then started moaning as she realized that half her right leg was missing.

"YOU! What can yeh tell me about the mountain!"

Verane whimpered and backed away. "I won't- Aaaah" She backed away as Fedge came up with a green liquid. "I'll tell ye! I'll tell ye!"

Kamataya relaxed. "Good. Now talk!"

Verane whimpered. "There's eight-score hares guarding the place, each one trained to fight. And a big badger called Brawblade rules."

"Where do you enter?"

Marko answered as Murgu came with more salt. "To the south! It's well-guarded. And there's an entrance at the top of it."

Kamataya laughed. "Earburn, send 'em to the rest of the slaves. Murgu, Fedge, good job. Tell the cook ye get extra rations, I know we're gettin' low."

The ferret twins laughed and ran off. As Earburn and three others roughly helped them walk, Verane and Marko cast sorrowful looks at each other. What had they done?