The Beast Kingdom…
A long forgotten castle in the forest run by powerful wolf-like creatures…
They were once persecuted by humans before one stood up for his kind…
He became known as the Beast King, and vowed to exact revenge on human kind…
Rage built up in them, until the Mana began to disappear, and they saw their chance to prove themselves…
The heir to the throne, half-human, half-beast, was not content with this…
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A moist tongue licked Kevin's face furiously, threatening to cover him in saliva if he didn't wake up. Spluttering, the young beast-human sat up, casting a joking glare at the wolf pup beside him.
"Ah, stop Karl, stop!" he giggled, hugging the pup around his neck.
The shaggy brown canine nuzzled against his friend's arm, a content rumble sounding in his throat.
Kevin looked about them, the familiar sight of deep sage and fuchsia leafed trees surrounding the duo, their branches twisting high into the atmosphere. A dense fog settled upon the forest, causing transparent clouds to float above the ground. The earth beneath them was carpeted in grassy tufts, interspersed with waving violet and white flowers. He switched his hazel eyes over to his partner, a grin spreading across his tanned face.
"You sleep well?" Kevin asked as he fixed his ultramarine beret that kept his wild, spiky orange hair in check.
Karl nodded with a tiny yelp. Chuckles escaped Kevin's mouth as he ruffled the young wolf's ears.
"Ahaha, Karl, that's a dog cry. You may still be little, but you still a wolf. Now this, this is wolf cry!" Kevin stood up and tilted his head to the starry night sky and gushed forth a true wolf howl that broke the calm silence. For a split second, Kevin could feel his bestial heritage pounding through his veins, but when he stopped, the rush was over. He was glad of it, too, for it made his body tingle all over, as if something strange were to happen.
Patting his companion on the head with a dark skinned hand, Kevin commented aloud, "Me and Karl, so much alike. Karl look like wolf, but still a little puppy. Me, beastman, but human blood… and both, no mother." Sighing heavily, the young man gazed at the soft loam underneath him as he fiddled with the hem of his orange vest, tracing the blue tiger-stripes that also adorned his matching pantaloons.
Karl whimpered, nudging Kevin's hand with his cold, wet nose. Raising an eyebrow at the little pup, he declared, "It's okay! Karl friend! I protect like Karl's mother."
Giving a happy yip, Karl ran a short distance away, glancing over his shoulder to see if the beastman would follow.
"Wait up!" Kevin called as he jogged towards his friend.
Together they traversed the forest, with Kevin pointing out various things to the wolf pup. Here, a chipmunk, there, a vine that did a decent impression of a snake. Karl darted ahead again, becoming lost in the dense undergrowth.
"Karl? Where you go?" the beastman called out, searching for his beloved friend.
A yelp nearby caught Kevin's attention as he thundered through the bushes. He burst into a clearing, his eyes sweeping all over for a view of Karl.
And there he was. Something was different about him, though. His body was fuller, larger, as if he had grown into an adult in a matter of seconds. Crimson-misted eyes glared over a complete set of bared, yellowed fangs, unlike the tiny set of canines the normal Karl had. Hackles raised, the wolf circled Kevin warily, digging its claws into the dirt for supportive footage.
"What? What going on? What's wrong?" Kevin questioned as he backed up towards the nearest tree.
A snarl was his answer as Karl leapt for him, jaws aiming for the jugular. Kevin's martial arts training came to him as he dove under the wolf and came up on the other side. They squared off, each one looking for a clear opening to take control of the fight. Kevin faltered as he tripped over a rock, and Karl jumped in, clawing fiercely at his unprotected chest.
Spitting in his opponent's face, Kevin grasped the wolf about his middle and tossed him away like a rag doll. Blood dribbled down his chest in the creases of his muscles, outlining him in red. Karl took advantage of the lull and attacked again, biting deep into Kevin's ankle, down to the bone. Wailing in pain, the young beastman stomped upon the wolf's throat, forcing him to release his relentless grip.
"You not Karl," Kevin growled as he threw a right hook at the canine's face, narrowly missing. "Karl fight better. You no deserve fighting me."
Hisses of rage issued through the wolf's fangs as he pounced Kevin, biting into his left earlobe and tearing off a chunk of flesh. A bloody fight ensued as they rolled about on the ground, trying to gain the upper hand. Kevin had pure power and intelligence behind him, while Karl had instinct and agility.
Karl soon won out over Kevin, knocking him to the edge of consciousness. The beastman's mind swum through a fiery haze, his senses jumbled in a heap of anger and frustration. He couldn't let his enemy win. Not this warped, deformed version of Karl. He could conquer this wolf that thought he was king.
A terrible howl ripped from his lungs, filling the night air with its deadly sound. Something was happening, and Kevin knew it as his body began to change.
An immense strength flowed through Kevin's body as he bounded to his feet. Gray fur rippled over his dark skin and newfound tail, covering him like a blanket. His face elongated, turning into a true canine snout, complete with sharpened fangs and keen ears. Claws grew from the tips of his fingers and toes, similar to the ones a wolf had, fully capable of mauling a creature. Rips appeared in his clothes as his wrist and ankle bindings broke with the massive pressure of his transforming body.
Adrenaline and the potency of the moon pumped through his veins, lighting his usually calm eyes with Luna's fire. The wolf was unprepared for this and hesitated, allowing Kevin to close in for the kill.
Kicking high at the wolf's midsection, he sent the canine flying into the air, followed by a swift punch to the ribs, the cracking of bones rewarding him. Karl landed on the ground, his muzzle distorted with pain.
Kevin didn't stop, though. As Karl got up, the beastman delivered a series of hits to the wolf, finishing off with a roundhouse kick that sent the wolf burrowing into the soil.
Wolf and werewolf blood alike lay about the clearing as Kevin edged over towards his opponent. He gazed down upon the limp body, and it was then the realization that Karl was dying struck Kevin a heavy blow to his heart.
The fur receded as Kevin fell to his knees, his tail slurping back into his spine. His normal body came back to him as tears filled his aching eyes.
"Karl… what… what have I done?" he sobbed as he cradled the wolf's head in his lap.
Karl's tongue lolled out, licking Kevin's hand one last time. A high-pitched whimper fell upon Kevin's ears as he leaned down, tears drenching the wolf's fur. His head then rolled to the side, strangely heavy in the beastman's hands.
Karl was dead.
"No… no no no!" Kevin squalled as he let the lifeless body slip from his embrace. "What did I do? Why? Why?!"
The beastman raised his head to the sky, a plaintive wail pouring from his lungs and spreading through the forest. Grief and pain echoed through his body as he ended the keening lamentation, the only remaining sign being the liquid beads that dripped down his face.
"Why, Karl, why…"
Kevin leaned his forehead upon the cool glass, closing his eyes as his mind wandered back to the day before. The day that he finally discovered his bestial heritage and the dangerous blood that ran through his body. Being half-human and half-beast had many downfalls, the werewolf shifting being the most prominent.
Sighing, he pictured the site where he had buried his friend. A fresh mound of dirt lay upon the grave, weighing down the two sticks of bluebells, forever ringing to mourn the tragic loss of Karl. His life-long companion was gone now, only a memory in the corridors of his mind.
Who did he have to turn to now? He had only his fellow beastmen, who treated him with a distant respect and kindness. They would kid around with him and talk to him when he was bored, challenge him to duels after meals and pester him with questions about the royalty of the Beast Kingdom. There was no royalty, there was only power.
The power that his father, the Beast King, had. And it was he who looked upon Kevin with disgust, wishing he could be less gentle, less caring, and take up the true reigns of the beastmen kind.
Kevin was not that way, though; he wished only to live his life in peace and not be bothered. He wanted Karl back, the only one that he ever understood, and the only one that took time to understand him.
"I didn't protect Karl… I killed him," Kevin mumbled to himself. "Don't know what happened. Became beastman, one of them. I hate it. Hate it!" His shoulders shook as he heaved a mighty sob, all attempts to hold back his tears becoming futile.
"Hey Kevin, what's wrong?" a beastman shouted from across the room.
Kevin looked up through bleary eyes at the creature. The beastman was almost identical to his werewolf form; light brown fur, unkempt orange hair, complete with a green cloak and typical slate blue uniform.
"Nothing," he answered, walking away from the guard to wander the halls.
The young man traced his fingers over the walls as he ambled along, going over the bronzy columns and across the smooth, tarnished gold-colored walls. The navy blue tiles below him were cold on his bare feet, dust keeping the corners company.
A voice nearby knocked him from his thoughts as he crept towards a door, gilded with tuscan-painted hardwood. Pressing an ear firmly to the metallic parts, Kevin listened to the conversation going on behind it.
"By order of the Beast King, our war against the humans will immediately begin! Our first target shall be the Holy City Wendel," declared a recognizable voice, that of General Lugar. "It is payback time; we'll take their precious city and make them cry. And when we meet up with the Priest of Light, no mercy will be shown! Hang him! Gut him! He shall be our dinner on the night of our glorious victory. Show no mercy!"
"Show no mercy!" several other voices chorused in reply, those of warrior beastmen.
Kevin wondered what was going on. An invasion of the Holy City? Why?
Opening the door, Kevin stepped into the middle of militant beastmen, all chatting about their favorite tactics and ways to kill a human. In the back of the group he spotted Lugar, a smug grin upon his face as he saw Kevin.
"Hey Kevin, guess what?" the General smirked as Kevin came to stand in front of him. "We're going to invade the city Jad, and then move on to take Wendel! And the Beast King chose me instead of you to lead the invasion!"
Kevin muttered under his breath at this statement. He never liked Lugar, from the time he met the vicious beast in training camp. That blondish mane, that brown-gray fur, that powder blue vest and crimson sash and cream pants, those piercing, smoky eyes that struck fear into his opponents were all part of Lugar, the commanding General of the Beast Army, only second in rank to Kevin.
"Great," the young man growled with mocking sarcasm. "You gone for while then, eh?"
Lugar put his face close to Kevin's, hazel eyes matched against light gray. "Yes, Master, gone out of the Beast "Prince's" hair. Pitiful to know the Beast King didn't chose you to lead any invasion, huh?"
"Could care less," Kevin retorted, tempted to spit in the General's face.
"Aw, little baby, gonna cry?" Lugar snickered as he pushed Kevin roughly away.
"Never," Kevin growled, whirling to give Lugar his favorite roundhouse kick.
A lightning quick hand from Lugar grasped Kevin's ankle, holding him precariously balanced on one leg. "You try anything and you're dead, Kevin," Lugar snarled, letting go.
Glaring at his longtime enemy, Kevin backed away towards the door. "Have fun, Lugar. Hope you die."
"Go make daisy chains, pansy," came the hissed response.
Snorting, Kevin exited the room, anger raging through his mind. He never liked Lugar. And that was why.
Kevin leaned against the stone wall of the ramparts in the evening, gazing out at the sinking sun. He enjoyed the wild colors of the sunset, something that never penetrated into the Moonlight Forest. The sky was the thing he missed most when spending time with Karl down in the trees. His poor friend Karl…
Sighing, Kevin straightened up as the beastman guard walked by. It was about time to go inside and get dinner anyway.
As he treaded past a wall, Kevin heard sounds. Voices. His ears pricked up, latching onto the voices to try and identify them.
"Deathjester," a deep voice rumbled, "your dark magic pleases me." Kevin noticed the hints of power, command, and cunning in the voice, and knew it right away as the Beast King.
"As I said before, your Highness! Dark magic at your beck and call!" replied a whiny, high-pitched voice that Kevin had never heard before.
Deathjester, this creature was called? A magical being was let into the kingdom? Strange, for the Beast King usually despised any form of the supernatural. He pressed his ear firmly to the thin wall, listening in further on the conversation.
"You made a wolf pup turn into a true wolf and attack Kevin. Impressive, I must say," the Beast King complimented.
"What?!" Kevin cried, trying to keep his voice down.
"He can transform into a real werewolf now. Your job here is done. You may leave now." Heavy foot steps plodded away from the scene.
A strangled, surprised sound came from the Deathjester. "Beg your pardon? I just got here!" he exclaimed, hurrying to catch up to the departing Beast King.
Kevin could not believe what he was hearing. The Deathjester had used magic to make Karl into a full grown wolf that attacked him? That was what had happened? The Beast King had ordered this mysterious being to put a spell on Karl and have him try and kill Kevin just to make him turn into a werewolf? That was what the Beast King had wanted. He had wanted his son to become powerful, to become a true beast that would take over the reigns of the kingdom.
And he had done that at the expense of Kevin's best friend.
A wrath of fury took over Kevin's body as he pushed against the wall. There was no way to the other side, to the Deathjester and the Beast King, but through the wall. Backing up a few paces, Kevin lowered himself to the ground and charged the rocky formation, throwing all of his weight into it.
Raucous sounds filled the air as the wall split right down the middle, allowing Kevin to break through successfully. In a cloud of dust and rock shards, he hurtled through the sundered wall, landing on the other side. Shrapnel echoed off the ramparts as he skidded to a halt, his heart pounding rapidly.
"Beast King, hold it!" Kevin shouted at the top of his lungs.
The Deathjester whirled around and met the fiery eyes of the young beastman. He was a typical jester, dressed in the usual purple and teal wear. A floppy, three armed hat adorned his head, complete with golden bells that jingled as he moved. From the emotionless turquoise mask came the cry of "Aieee! Kevin!"
The Beast King was a fearsome sight as he faced Kevin. He was clothed in his full regalia of a copper and sapphire velvet cape and matching tunic, accented with orange wrist and ankle bindings. Silvery hair flowed from down his back, completing a full circle on his head with a dignified beard, contrasting with his fuscous fur.
A gruff laugh escaped his mouth as he saw his angry son before him. "Kevin, such hatred, such emotion! The blood of the beastmen runs strong in you. You turned into a werewolf, didn't you? You're truly capable of taking over the reigns of the kingdom, now. The Beast Kingdom, Kevin! It's part of me and now part of you. Never forget who you are!"
Kevin nodded towards the Deathjester, hands akimbo. "You made Jester put spell on Karl, didn't you?"
"I had to do it for your own good, Kevin! Don't you see? He was a wolf pup, and abandoned orphan. Let nature take care of him. You need to be here and learn the ways of the beastmen and understand your history. Listen to your father, Kevin!" The Beast King held out his paws imploringly.
"Give me one good reason to!" Kevin yowled, urgency tinting his voice.
Chuckling at Kevin's mood swing, the Beast King answered, "Why, Kevin, aren't I the one that's given you all of this special training? I've given you everything that would make you the perfect heir. Getting you to become a werewolf was your last step. Now you have the power to become a king!"
"Gah! Shut up!" Kevin growled as he edged closer towards the Beast King.
The king's eyes narrowed as the beastman advanced upon him. "Don't even try it."
Kevin wasn't listening, though; he was vaulting forwards, snapping a quick uppercut towards the Beast King's chin that would surely knock him out. The Beast King was no fool, though. Catching Kevin's fist in a swift claw, he blasted him straight up into the air over the wall, out of sight and sound.
"Deathjester?" came the flat voice of the Beast King.
"Y-yes, your Highness?" the jester stammered back, still amazed by the feat of strength his master had shown.
"Go take care of Kevin." The swish of a cape followed as the Beast King pivoted and went inside his castle.
"U-understood!" the Deathjester stuttered in reply as he sprinted away to find the beastman.
Kevin landed flat on his back in the Moonlight Forest, nearly unconscious. He rubbed his sore forehead with a hand, gazing about at his foggy surroundings. "Back here again," he mumbled, sorely climbing to his feet.
A tinkling of bells alerted him and he whirled to face the Deathjester.
Growling menacingly, Kevin closed in on the jester. "What did you do to Karl? Give Karl back!" he demanded.
"Aiiieee!" the Deathjester wailed as he backed up. "It was the Beast King's orders! Not my fault at all!" He held up his hands, pleading for mercy. "The reason I came after you is that I know of a way to revive Karl and get him back!"
"Get Karl back?" Kevin questioned as he put down his fists.
"Yes, yes! I know of a way. You know that the Beast King is planning an invasion of the Holy City, Wendel, right?" The Deathjester waited for the consenting nod from the young man before continuing. "The Priest of Light lives in Wendel, and he should know of a way to get your beloved friend back."
Curling his lip up in a snarl, Kevin flung his head at the jester. "Lies! All lies!"
"I have no reason to lie! But you should hurry, before the Priest gets in a bit of a jam, you know," the Deathjester commented.
Sighing, Kevin put his hands down to his sides again. "Which way is Wendel?"
"This way!" A brief puff of smoke filled the air as the leaves in front of them shriveled up and disappeared. Kevin gazed down a faint dirt path that ran through the undergrowth of the forest.
"Just through the woods you'll find a charming little town by the name of Mintos. From there, all you have to do is follow the coastline until you get to Jad, the Castle City. Wendel is just a short hike away from there! Make haste, before Lugar and his fellows arrive!" The Deathjester then bowed and tipped his floppy hat to Kevin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to. Ta-ta!"
The Deathjester snapped his fingers and disappeared into thin air.
Hanging his head, Kevin stared ahead at the path. "Karl… I'll go to Wendel to save you, just you wait. My precious friend, Karl…" He trailed off, trying to gain a hold of his emotions.
"But Beast King, not my father! That is why my mother ran." Starting to trudge along slowly, Kevin voiced aloud his next though. "Is mother out there?"
Gradually increasing his pace, Kevin ran blindly through the forest, his only company being the thoughts that raced through his mind. He thought of his mother, his father, Karl, the Deathjester, the beastmen, Lugar - each one a brief glimpse, a piece of his past.
But now Kevin was striking out into the unknown to make his future. Staying in the shadows, he crept through the Moonlight City, Mintos, not wanting to make a scene with the common people.
At the docks, Kevin gazed out over the water and towards the horizon. Somewhere, beyond the ends of the earth, lay the Holy City of Wendel where the Priest of Light resided. This priest that would be able to tell him how to bring back his precious friend and possibly find his mother that he never knew. The human mother that ran from the Beast King for the same reasons he was fleeing. Escaping, and becoming his own person with his own purpose in the world.