Salamandastron
"Wot the..."
A young hare called Allis, realizing she had been infected with the disease, headed to the infirmary, to see a gruesome sight. Each hare was dead in a bed, their throats slit. The healer replacement for Rhys was on the ground, a hole through her stomach. Two otters were down near the window, one clearly dead, while the other was gasping in pain.
Allis immediately ran to the gasping otter. "Wot happened, you're one of the Rogue Crew, aren't you?"
Krudeblade nodded. "F...Fox. Dark...gray fur. B...Black cloak, an'...hook... Killed 'em all, e...even my ole pa, there..." The young otter looked up at her, his eyes dimming. "I... I'm go...going..."
The sea otter shivered and went limp in her arms.
"No... no... I still don't understand... wot happened?"
Krudeblade never answered, nor would he.
Allis let the body fall from her arms. Sobbing at the loss of so much life, she called. "Murder! Murder!"
Four hares came running, nodding. One, a young one, had tears on his face. "Aye, we saw 'em. Corvil, Welber, Dina, and Lortro. All... oh, no. Wot's 'appened 'ere?"
The oldest hare, Corporal Martull Borbon, wiped a tear from his face. "Sad, wot's happened here. The murder of many, look, poor Yla, who was brave enough to step in for Madame Rhys, even though her life was virtually forfeit. How is she rewarded? Death, along with the whole infirmary. Who could have done such a thing?"
Allis pointed at the body of Krudeblade. "He said it was a dark gray fox with a black cloak and a hook."
The hares nodded sadly. The young one that spoke sighed. "And now are lives are forfeit too. We're not allowed to leave this room once we've entered, we're doomed."
oooooooooooo
Darktung took the Icetor Cure gratefully. "Oh, thank you, Emperor. Clever of you to bring that."
Vafír nodded. "Now, go back to your crew."
The gray fox got up and moved towards the flap, then turned back. "How could I repay you?"
Vafír grinned. "Keep me updated on Dethfur's crew. And when a rat called Bloodtoe wants to join them, support him."
Darktung nodded. He understood the white fox's intentions completely.
ooooooooooooo
Dethfur was furious when he saw Darktung returning alive. Growling to Scrags, he said, "Blast it, that fox... Why isn't he dead? Should be with Vulpuz by now."
Scrags the rat shrugged, and drew his poisoned knife. "Well, it appears he's bringing a rat with him."
"Hmm?"
"Look, that rat behind him. Completely gray. I think 'is name is... Bloodtoe, aye, that's it, 'e's a cap'n."
"Wonder wot he wants. Come on, let's go."
The rest of the crew came to meet him, following Dethfur and Scrags. Darktung exchanged a glance with Dethfur, and the rat saw the fox knew what was going on.
Shaking off the eerie feeling, Dethfur pointed at the rat. "Wot's 'e 'ere fer?"
Bloodtoe answered. Bowing his head, he said, "I'm Captain Bloodtoe, of Silvertung's guard."
Dethfur nodded. "And why are ye here?"
Bloodtoe grinned. Looking side to side, he lowered his voice. "The emperor has not been good to me. Last night I heard your crew talking of a plot to kill him, don't worry, I didn't turn you in, I've come to help you."
Before Dethfur could retaliate, Bloodtoe followed Darktung as the fox walked away for their afternoon naps and snacks..
Growling, Dethfur turned to a sniggering Scrags once the rest of the crew returned to their positions.
"Wot're yew laffin' at?"
"Heehee! Look at the fox."
Dethfur turned, watching Darktung swaggering back, then the fox stopped, and put a paw to his neck, gave a gurgle, and fell to the ground.
Dethfur turned excitably toward Scrags. "Haharr, ye killed 'im, with yer dagger!"
Scrags chuckled. "Aye, yes, heheheh. Lookit Bloodtoe, seems completely confused."
Dethfur chuckled as Bloodtoe dropped to his knees, confused. "What's happened, matey? Oh, my! Are you..."
"Kill that rat," commanded Dethfur, laughing.
Then Dethfur felt a sting at the back of his neck. He turned in shock to Scrags, who was twirling his dagger, laughing. "Hoho! Darktung dead, you dead, Raej dead, an' soon Bloodtoe. Now it's time fer Cap'n Scrags, hoho, I like the sound o' that!"
Dethfur gave a gurgle and fell to the floor, his cutlass half drawn. Laughing, Scrags leaned over him, brandishing his knife. "Cap'n Scrags, lets 'ere ye say it, O Mighty One!"
This was Scrags's last mistake. Dethfur finished drawing his cutlass completely, and swung it upward, catching the runty Scrags in the side with his last breath.
Scrags gave a gasp as he realized his fatal mistake. But now, it was too late...
ooooooooooooo
It was Radge the stoat that found the bodies. The plump little stoat was completely shocked and speechless, unable to cry out.
A weasel called Varjyl noticed the stoat standing over their bodies. Always ready to manipulate one, he patted Radge on the back. "Hoho, my matey! Wot 'ave ye done? Taken out the Captain an' 'is pet assassin, all by yourself! Y'know wot that means?"
Radge moved his jaw, trying to find his ability to speak. "Y-yer n-n-not g-goin' t-to k-k-k-k-k-kill m-me, are y-you?"
"Kill ye? Ye defeated the captain! That makes ye..."
Realization dawned to the plump stoat. "Isn't there a better candidate? I-I m-m-mean D-D-D-Darktung..."
"Oh, Darktung's dead, didn't you know? The new 'un, Bloodtoe, found 'im, we think Scrags did it. So you be captain, and if it's good with you, I could be your advisor, I've been captain for a while, you know."
Nodding dumbly, Radge's mind seemed to open to new ambitions. Him, Captain Radge! Slayer of Dethfur, and then he'd kill Silvertung...
Varjyl called out to the rest of the crew. "'Ey, mateys! Guess wot, we got ourself a new cap'n!"
Stumbling around, the crew came to them. Most of them had on skeptical glances, as they watched the small fat stoat taking the cutlass from Dethfur's paw, then turned and waved it up in the air. "Hoho, me mateys! I'm yer new cap'n, ye answer to me! I killed Dethfur an' Scrags, oh, an' Darktung too, that wuzzent Scrags doin', that wuz mine!"
The crew looked critical for a second, then Varjyl winked at them. Understanding, the crew let out a hearty cheer.
Except for Bloodtoe, who let out a dark chuckle.
ooooooooooooo
It was midnight. The dark gray fox Darktung Ripphook looked side to side as he slowly got up. Long ago he had built an immunity to most poisons and diseases. Pulling his cloak up, he vanished into the night. Without leaving a mark on the sand, he swiftly headed north of the coast. Nobody would know he was still alive.
He passed the mountain of Salamandastron, and headed until he found his quarry. The fleet of Kamataya's ships.
He pulled his blackthorn staff from his cloak. Placing it in the sea water, the water slowly moved apart, leaving a dry path on the sea floor heading straight for Kamataya's ship, The Revenge.
Walking along the sea floor, he came to right in front of it. He lifted the staff and drove it into the ground, vanishing, while the path became filled with water once more.
He reappeared on the deck of the ship, and brandished his silver hook, grinning.
There were four guards on the ship, all blue, and all weasels. They were still oblivious to the demise of their queen. Darktung snuck up behind them and shoved his staff into the timbers, and they froze completely.
Darktung came in front of them. He closed his eyes for a second, then reopened them, though now they were different. A whole array of colors, swirling around.
His voice barely above his whisper, he commanded the five guards. "The smallest ship in the fleet, it carries the same name as this one, The Revenge. You will go to that ship, and you will follow what ever orders I give you, no matter what."
He stabbed his staff into the ground once more, and they could move again. Wordlessly, they nodded and ran, jumping overboard to swim to the smaller ship.
Darktung vanished from one ship and reappeared at the next, gathering beasts that were left to guard and sending them to the smaller Revenge.
The last ship, The Bloodwave, Darktung came upon the two he hoped to find.
Murgu and Fedge, the torturous ferret twins, immediately gave gasps as they saw the dark gray fox appear before them. Immediately they fell to the ground, bowing their heads.
"Oh, master–"
"Enough groveling! You know what to do, yes?"
The ferrets nodded. "Yes, master, we–"
"Filled The Revenge with vittles and prepared it for sea. Shall we–"
"Go?"
The fox nodded, and the ferrets immediately got up and leaped to the water, swimming to the ship.
Darktung sighed contentedly. Then he drove his staff into the ground and reappeared on the smaller Revenge.
It was a small ship, but it was made from wood from a strange land that was dark with a luster of its own, and even sea water couldn't rot. Darktung Ripphook had made it long ago in a distant place, on his own quest for revenge.
The sail on it was lifted by Murgu while Fedge cut a rope that was connecting it to the other ships. The ship sailed off into the night, crewed by hypnotized blue vermin and two gray weasel torturers, and captained by a dark gray fox from a distant land.
A/N: You probably don't understand that last scene. However, I'm going to make a whole saga that will explain, once I'm done with The Dark Empire.
