Salamandastron's Shore

"YOU LET THE SLAVES ESCAPE?" screamed Kamataya, fangs bared.

Traz the weasel tracker lay dead on the ground, while Dedclaw and the other slavemasters were on their knees, trebling with fear.

"We were about to catch 'em, yer majesty, on me oath we were!" cried the fearful rat.

Kamataya swiped her claws, leaving four red scores across his face. "Did I ask for excuses? No, I asked for results! Now, how did you lose slaves that you were, as you say, 'about to catch 'em'?"

Dedclaw winced. "Some other vermin attacked us, they caught the slaves! I swear! They were shouting' somethin' like 'Silvertung! Silvertung!'"

Those last two words saved Dedclaw and his goons' life. Kamataya looked up, forgetting about the sniveling vermin. "Silvertung... Grimfur!"

Grimfur came to his wildcat master and bowed his head. "What, your majesty?"

"Silvertung's here."

The weasel's eyes widened. He feared they wouldn't be, and didn't expect him to be, but he was, and Grimfur's life was saved. "Good, good, your majesty! So we can defeat them, now!"

The wildcat laughed her mad, wicked laugh. "Ahahahah! I coming for you, Silvertung! Grimfur, tell the hordes to prepare to fight. We'll be killin' today!"

ooooooooooooo

"I told you all I know, I swear!" cried the weasel Alca.

"I never said you didn't," replied Silvertung calmly.

The weasel struggled in his bonds. "What do you want me for?"

"I want you to join my horde. You're a skilled tracker, and we can use you."

The weasel bit his cheek. "I'm loyal to Queen Kamataya-"

"Yes, we know. You told us. But think. With the toad's help, we have the largest force. We've already infiltrated Salamandastron with a disease. I have a cure for my horde, but all others will die. My horde gets well-fed and nice conditions, and better once we finish conquering. Of course, if you refuse, I'll take that chair you're tied to, weight with stones, and throw you into the sea." The fox kept his calm voice, which made Alca ever so more frightened.

Biting his cheek, the weasel said, "Gaah! Wot's the point. Sound's gud to be in yer army, and I'll die if I don't."

Vafír patted the weasel's shoulder, then cut his bonds, glad to see the weasel didn't run. "Good. Now, go about and tell my vermin here to start heading south."

"W-why?"

"If what you told me is true, Kamataya wishes me dead. The mad cat will march south, and we'll want the toads with us for the battle. The toads are south. Understand?"

The weasel nodded his head.

"Good, now go!"

ooooooooooooo

"Brockhammer, nice to see you here!"

"Same to you, cousin!"

"Now, who are your friends?"

"Well, we have Amamo the Brash and Aar Krullen the Greedy-"

"Hey! I'm not bra- okay, that's fair."

"I'm not that greedy."

"And there's Findelo the Bard, Anera the Fair, Tharius Squirrelprince, and the goat is Hurqu the Proud."

Captain Fabian came running into the hallway. "Lord- oh, my."

Brawblade laughed. "Welcome, friends. I have not met a goat in my life, though I always have wished to meet one. Though you are in great danger. You see, a disease has spread through the mountain, a very deadly one placed by some vermin-"

"Vafír Silvertung!" cried Tharius.

"You know him!"

The squirrel's face was an image of hate. "That scum murdered my family. I'll kill him!"

"I hope you do, but you'll have to wait."

"Lord!" said Fabian. "I bear bad news and good news. The bad news is that Rhys has contracted the disease and Tenac's gone bloomin' mad, confirming it's Mortifer's-"

"WHAT?"

"Mad! He's rambling about everything. Rhys is sick, so she can't help. She says Tenac will be gone by sundown, wot!"

Brawblade put his head in his paws. Tenac! That hare was his friend, oldest on the mountain. And with Rhys sick, they were all in greater danger. "What's the good news, Fabian?"

"Well, one of the vermin hordes, Silvertung's, is goin' south, followed by the blue 'uns, who are ready for a battle! One of them will lose, and then that's one less problem to worry about, wot wot!"

oooooooooooooo

"Kam-a-tay-a! Kam-a-tay-a! Vengeance! Vengeance! Kam-a-tay-a! Kam-a-tay-a! Vengeance! Vengeance!"

"Silvertung! Silvertung! Victory's in sight! Silvertung! Silvertung! We will win this fight!"

"Draaaaaaaaaaaaag-wa! Draaaaaaaaaaaaag-wa!"

Tridents and arrows flew through the air, cutting off the first rank of the Blue Hordes. Kamataya screamed for her vermin to charge faster, and she herself ran in front of them all.

An arrow flew through the air, catching her in the shoulder. Her vision going red, she tore the arrow out. Reaching the first rank, she used just her claws to kill a rat and a toad. Her hordes came right behind them to fight the Silvertung Hordes.

Where the armies met was chaos. As they weren't as well trained, slightly outnumbered, and they were fighting in a swamp against toads, they quickly began losing the battle.

Kamataya would not let this happen. Barraging for the ranks she killed all in her way, even two that were of her own side. Bleeding from a score of wounds but not noticing, she slaughtered her enemies mercilessly.

Dethfur the rat and Foulpaw the ferret fought easily, slaying the blue vermin. Stabbing a weasel in the throat with his cutless, Dethfur laughed. "Hah! Easy, I tell you! We'll win this fight, then once we take Salamandastron we'll kill Silvertung! Haharr!"

Foulpaw laughed as well. Stabbing with his spear, he said, "We're well-trained fighters that outnumber them. They're attacking us in our own land! The fools will-Aaaargh!"

A great maroon wildcat ripped his throat up with her fangs, killing him instantly. Spitting him out, she gnashed her bloody fangs. Screaming, Dethfur dropped his cutlass and ran back through the horde.

Laughing, Kamataya charged through the army, her red eyes intent on the white fox that stood out in the sea of beasts. Not noticing as she slaughtered beasts with ease, she tore through the swamps as a Dibbun would tear through a grassland with a cake on the other side. Ripping creatures to bits, she laughed as she came close to the one she vowed revenge on.

Vafir grinned and ordered his creatures to clear the way to get to him, saying they'd have no chance at killing the wildcat. Her eyes as maroon as her fur, Kamataya laughed as she reached the white fox.

Her claws grabbed on to his right arm. Growling, Vafir was glad for being left-pawed, something that was uncommon through the lands. Hacking at her arm with his sabre, she released and took a step back, then renewed her charge, screaming as she leapt at Silvertung.

"Die! Die, fox, you will pay for murdering my brother!"

Her claws raked his face, giving him the second, third, and fourth scars he had ever gotten in his life. Growling, Vafir shouted, "Your brother was a fool, and you a bigger one! I am Silvertung, greatest Emperor to ever exist!"

Kamataya cackled, then grabbed his left shoulder and sunk her claws in. "Oh, but I'm here to end you! You will pay!"

Vafir squirmed away, then struck again, digging his blade half-deep into her shoulder. The maroon wildcat screamed in pain, but did not die, in a great bloodwrath similar to those of badgers. The wildcat roared and charged at Vafir.

The fox grabbed a trident from a toad bystander. He held it forward as Kamataya charged right into it.

Letting go, Vafir jumped aside as the trident pierced and she fell to the ground, the hilt pushing further up through, the three points tearing right through the other side of her back, tearing through her.

Queen Kamataya, ruler of the far north, was dead!