Fox-spirit: Chapter two- Runaway
"Pick up your paws, you lazy scum! We must get away from the castle before my sister awakens!" said the commanding Nakatomi, bringing up the rear of the horde by hitting the slow ones' footpaws with the hilt of his sword.
"Why do we hav' ter leave th' castle?" a bold stoat asked his comrade. A rat turned to the stoat and said, "I dunno. Did yer 'ear about th' quarr'l th' Queen 'ad with Nakatomi? 'E tried t'kill 'er! I think Nanaka's too quick for 'im.-" the rat was cut off as he stared dumbly at the sword point that seemed to grow out of his middle. The stoat, Slimjaw, gawked at Nakatomi as he withdrew his blade from the back of the slain rat.
"Never mention my sister's name," he snarled. Wiping the bloodied metal upon a patch of moss, he turned to the ranks and yelled, "I suppose all of you are wondering why we are leaving the castle," There was a murmur of 'yes' among the regiment, "I understand that some of you are former corsairs and rapscallions, used to plundering and killing. All of you just happened to enter my father's troops by chance. Your luck will be rewarded! As of now," his voice boomed, sending woodpigeons to fly off in the distance, "I will be known as Duke Nakatomi the Rapacious! Like a true Warlord and his horde, we will take what we want and all live like kings!" a tumultuous uproar ripped from the throats of the evil vermin, unknowingly waking the slumbering Queen Nanaka Kitsune.
The Queen of The Midnight woke with a start. Not knowing what had roused her, she quickly ran to the main chamber of the castle, hoping to find her brother.
"You! What is your name, rat?" She asked a vermin guarding the room.
"Th' name's Throatlash, Queen." He said quickly.
"Has Nakatomi passed by here?" Nanaka inquired, her golden eyes staring into the cold, gray ones of the stoat.
"No, Milady. 'E left early this mornin'. 'E took 'alf th' troops, too. 'e must've said sumthin', I 'eard some noise come from outside." Said the rat, grinning slightly that he could give so much information to his Queen.
"Nakatomi!" She yelled, running to the ramparts of the castle and looking down along the ground for signs of her brother, much to the surprise of the sentries on duty.
"Nakatomi! Have you forgotten? You must come and kill me!" She yelled from the stronghold.
"Lord Nakatomi's long gone, Queen." Said a brave stoat. Nanaka glared menacingly at the vermin.
"Why, in the Kitsune name, would you let my brother out of the castle?" She said menacingly at the sentries on duty; two stoats and a rat.
"We obeyed 'im, like we do ter ye, Queen Nanaka." the rat said from behind her. Like lightening, Nanaka spun around and drew her sword from it's decorative sheath, the blade quivering mere inches from the rat called Bloodrash.
"Who is ruler, Bloodrash? Is Nakatomi ruler of the Kitsune royal family? And when is the last time you obeyed me 'like ye do ter 'im'?" she said, questioning her troops' loyalty.
"I serve ye like I served yer fath'r." Said the quivering voice of Bloodrash.
"Hah! You lie, rat," she removed the sword and sheathed it, "I will not make an example of you yet, vermin. But mark my words one day I will gain my troops' loyalty. I am no coward!" she stormed away, baring her fangs at the apprehensive regiment.
"Nanaka's gone mad." A stoat whispered loudly to another like himself. The Queen spun around and threw her sword headlong at the two, slaying each instantly. She picked up the weapon and rubbed the blood along the back of a rat. She sheathed it quicky and tore off, leaving a trail of dust behind her. Nobeast dared to speak.
Nanaka sat silently on the throne once belonging to her mother. She gazed up at the stained-glass windows displaying her ancestors. Nanashi the Obscure, Narashite the Deathringer, Nago the Wolf-Fang, even Namari the Leaden Hearted One.
"Gather as many soldiers as you can," She broke the restraining silence, making the rat next to her jump, "bring them here." The vermin ran to do her bidding without question. Nanaka stared at the likeness of Namari, the tinted pane reflecting the light fully. It was an intimidating image, the ghostly black form of the First Kitsune carrying a weapon much like that of Nanaka's blade. The sword was positioned in front of Namari's face, obscuring her snout. The founder of Kitsune castle seemed to stare down into Nanaka's eyes with golden-hued, opalescent irises. Nanaka broke away from the trance, only to look upon the distrusting faces of the ranks of vermin before her. Her usual warm and gentle eyes took upon them a role of a fierce leader, and she began.
"Duke Nakatomi has run away from the castle," she paused, "taking most of my army with him. Lord Nakatomi is my brother, and he does have a large command over my regiment. But," she stood up, staring at the likeness of Namari again, "that is unacceptable. He belongs here, and I will not let him leave. As my first order as Queen of Kitsune castle, I order you to search the woodlands for Duke Nakatomi, and bring him back at all costs!"
"Pick up your paws, you lazy scum! We must get away from the castle before my sister awakens!" said the commanding Nakatomi, bringing up the rear of the horde by hitting the slow ones' footpaws with the hilt of his sword.
"Why do we hav' ter leave th' castle?" a bold stoat asked his comrade. A rat turned to the stoat and said, "I dunno. Did yer 'ear about th' quarr'l th' Queen 'ad with Nakatomi? 'E tried t'kill 'er! I think Nanaka's too quick for 'im.-" the rat was cut off as he stared dumbly at the sword point that seemed to grow out of his middle. The stoat, Slimjaw, gawked at Nakatomi as he withdrew his blade from the back of the slain rat.
"Never mention my sister's name," he snarled. Wiping the bloodied metal upon a patch of moss, he turned to the ranks and yelled, "I suppose all of you are wondering why we are leaving the castle," There was a murmur of 'yes' among the regiment, "I understand that some of you are former corsairs and rapscallions, used to plundering and killing. All of you just happened to enter my father's troops by chance. Your luck will be rewarded! As of now," his voice boomed, sending woodpigeons to fly off in the distance, "I will be known as Duke Nakatomi the Rapacious! Like a true Warlord and his horde, we will take what we want and all live like kings!" a tumultuous uproar ripped from the throats of the evil vermin, unknowingly waking the slumbering Queen Nanaka Kitsune.
The Queen of The Midnight woke with a start. Not knowing what had roused her, she quickly ran to the main chamber of the castle, hoping to find her brother.
"You! What is your name, rat?" She asked a vermin guarding the room.
"Th' name's Throatlash, Queen." He said quickly.
"Has Nakatomi passed by here?" Nanaka inquired, her golden eyes staring into the cold, gray ones of the stoat.
"No, Milady. 'E left early this mornin'. 'E took 'alf th' troops, too. 'e must've said sumthin', I 'eard some noise come from outside." Said the rat, grinning slightly that he could give so much information to his Queen.
"Nakatomi!" She yelled, running to the ramparts of the castle and looking down along the ground for signs of her brother, much to the surprise of the sentries on duty.
"Nakatomi! Have you forgotten? You must come and kill me!" She yelled from the stronghold.
"Lord Nakatomi's long gone, Queen." Said a brave stoat. Nanaka glared menacingly at the vermin.
"Why, in the Kitsune name, would you let my brother out of the castle?" She said menacingly at the sentries on duty; two stoats and a rat.
"We obeyed 'im, like we do ter ye, Queen Nanaka." the rat said from behind her. Like lightening, Nanaka spun around and drew her sword from it's decorative sheath, the blade quivering mere inches from the rat called Bloodrash.
"Who is ruler, Bloodrash? Is Nakatomi ruler of the Kitsune royal family? And when is the last time you obeyed me 'like ye do ter 'im'?" she said, questioning her troops' loyalty.
"I serve ye like I served yer fath'r." Said the quivering voice of Bloodrash.
"Hah! You lie, rat," she removed the sword and sheathed it, "I will not make an example of you yet, vermin. But mark my words one day I will gain my troops' loyalty. I am no coward!" she stormed away, baring her fangs at the apprehensive regiment.
"Nanaka's gone mad." A stoat whispered loudly to another like himself. The Queen spun around and threw her sword headlong at the two, slaying each instantly. She picked up the weapon and rubbed the blood along the back of a rat. She sheathed it quicky and tore off, leaving a trail of dust behind her. Nobeast dared to speak.
Nanaka sat silently on the throne once belonging to her mother. She gazed up at the stained-glass windows displaying her ancestors. Nanashi the Obscure, Narashite the Deathringer, Nago the Wolf-Fang, even Namari the Leaden Hearted One.
"Gather as many soldiers as you can," She broke the restraining silence, making the rat next to her jump, "bring them here." The vermin ran to do her bidding without question. Nanaka stared at the likeness of Namari, the tinted pane reflecting the light fully. It was an intimidating image, the ghostly black form of the First Kitsune carrying a weapon much like that of Nanaka's blade. The sword was positioned in front of Namari's face, obscuring her snout. The founder of Kitsune castle seemed to stare down into Nanaka's eyes with golden-hued, opalescent irises. Nanaka broke away from the trance, only to look upon the distrusting faces of the ranks of vermin before her. Her usual warm and gentle eyes took upon them a role of a fierce leader, and she began.
"Duke Nakatomi has run away from the castle," she paused, "taking most of my army with him. Lord Nakatomi is my brother, and he does have a large command over my regiment. But," she stood up, staring at the likeness of Namari again, "that is unacceptable. He belongs here, and I will not let him leave. As my first order as Queen of Kitsune castle, I order you to search the woodlands for Duke Nakatomi, and bring him back at all costs!"