The Cooper Adventures

Sir Galleth Cooper

Year: 1290 A.D.

Season of the Witch - Chapter 1: Something Wicked This Way Comes

~ August 27th, 1270 A.D. - Mistwood ~

The sound of horse hooves echoed through the misty woods as a carriage bumped and shook behind it, the passenger laying still as the chains clapped on her wrists and ankles shackled and swept across the dirty surface of the cage. Small quantities of hay hovered around with each sweep from the chains, some even falling out and coming into contact with the earth below. Knights on horseback rode behind the horse-drawn carriage to act as watch; not for any potential bandits or other typical threats, but for the person inside the caged carriage. The chained person laying on a small bundle of hay inside the small prison was a woman of early twenties. She was a black female wolf with long hair as black as the night, her dress black and slightly torn. Her eerie green eyes stared at the knights following them, almost taunting them with anticipation. It amused the maiden to see them quiver with fear; the fun never seemed to end. It wasn't long before the carriage started flying through the streets of a town; the citizens scurried off to the side while also screaming at the unexpected parade. Vulgar words were spewed out towards the woman in the cage, making the wolf grin. The fools.

"Open the gates!" hollered a knight as the carriage approached the town's castle.

The castle's gates opened just as the carriage approached, crossing the drawbridge and entering the courtyard. The townsfolk followed the carriage inside, surrounding it while screaming and welding various weapons. The castle guards acted with hast, blocking the carriage to the best of their ability. Soon enough, the chained woman was dragged out of the cage, her hair a mess as it was now frizzled and covered in hay. She was taken inside the castle and into the throne room, where she was then placed on a chair, her limbs restrained with chains.

Sitting on a throne was a young male raccoon who looked to be in his late teens or early twenties. He wore a scowl on his face when the woman appeared in his line of sight.

"Victoria Crims," he glared coldly while clenching his fists. "You sit before me today on trial for the heinous crime of witchcraft. Do you have anything to say for yourself in defense?"

The woman stared at the raccoon through her hair that covered her face. She sat on the chair, the chains not bothering her; it was almost like she treated the chair like her own throne and that the roles were reversed - that she was the royal and everyone else knelled before her.

"Witchcraft?" spoke the accused in calm curiosity. "I'm flattered. Tell me, My Lord, to what evidence?"

The raccoon almost looked bewildered. "You mean to tell me you do not recall your wickedness?"

"Oh, I'm fully aware," she replied. "I wish to hear it from you. Tell me, Your Highness; tell me of my crimes. I want to hear them from your own lips."

The raccoon's face paled. "Very well," he cleared his throat. "Your crimes, as followed, consist of the kidnapping of local children and livestock, the slaughter of your own family and my royal guard, and above all, the threat of my wife and offspring."

"Threatened?" Victoria let out a laugh. "Is that what you're calling it, Henry?"

"It is what it is," Henry spoke. "A threat; one that cannot go unpunished. However, above all the crimes you have committed, there is one far worse. Victoria Crims…" he let out a heavy sigh. "Did you make a pact with Lucifer?"

The entire room went silent.

"Yes," Victoria answered nonchalantly. "I did. Just as you had with me."

"Lies," Henry snarled. "The wicked is full of them! You speak like that of a snake!"

"A snake, am I? Then pray tell, what are you?"

Henry glared at the woman as he rose up from his throne. "I am the one who shall seal your fate! There is only one thing a wicked creature such as yourself is good for - burning. You shall burn for your crimes at the stake and sent back to Hell!"

XXXXXXXXXX

True to his word, King Henry had Victoria taken to the castle's courtyard, where a stake was waiting. The villagers swarmed around the center of the courtyard, chanting for the witch's demise. Victoria appeared as calm as can be, showing no fear. She almost appeared tired of her current situation, as if it didn't even matter. Just as she was tied up, King Henry walked onto the platform with a lit torch. He glared at the witch before him.

"Say your peace, Witch. Have you anything else you wish to confess?"

"Only one," the wolf's mouth twitched into a twisted grin. "This is not over, Henry. I shall return one day, I guarantee it."

"Doubtful," King Henry leaned in to light the stake.

"I speak the truth," Victoria assured. "If there's one thing that I've learned, it's to never bring your heart to your own execution."

King Henry stopped in his tracks and looked back at the witch in front of him. "What do you mean?"

"If you think you can simply burn me to death and end all of this, then you are terribly misinformed," Victoria remarked with a sinister smirk. "I know the dark arts; I can live forever with a certain spell. Believe me, Henry. I cannot die...not without it."

"N-No…" his eyes widen. "Impossible."

Victoria's grin grew. "Go on ahead, Henry, burn me. But rest assured, I shall return. This is my curse to you, King Henry: forever haunted with endless suffering. I will make you regret what you have done. I will destroy everything you love, starting with your offspring. You will watch your entire existence crumble, and only then, when I'm satisfied, will you meet your own demise."

Henry wasted no time and ignited the stake, stepping back as he watched the witch burn. Victoria cackled as she burned, as if the flames were tickling rather than harming her. The raccoon reached out towards a knight and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Get me Sir Hugo and contact the Church! Tis an urgent matter!"

The knight nodded without question and raced towards the castle. King Henry turned and watched the stake - now engulfed in flames - as the witch's corpse slowly began to melt. His heart began to race as sweat poured down his forehead. Only one thing was for sure at this point, and that was to make sure that this monster never rose again.

Not ever.

~ Twenty Years Later ~

"Bring forth the accused!"

The large doors creaked open upon the queen's command. Dragged into the room was a cloaked male raccoon in shackles and chains. Bystanders whispered among themselves as they eyed the prisoner being escorted towards the end of the room, where a female hippo sat on a rather large throne. The queen gave the prisoner a rather nasty look, her fingers becoming numb from clenching her fists. The guards brought their 'guest' a good few feet away from their queen before literally tossing him onto the carpeted floor, a slight grunt of pain escaping from his mouth.

"Slept well?" the queen asked sarcastically. "I suspect you know the reason for our...hospitality. A necklace was stolen from my chambers during our gathering last night."

"And you believe I took it?" grunted the prisoner, who was struggling to sit up without the support of his free hands.

The queen lifted an eyebrow. "Of course," she answered. "Why else would you run away from my royal guard? You were caught, and with that comes punishment. Tell me, shall I cleave your head from your body myself or allow my executioner to perform the task?"

The prisoner - now sitting up - let out a chuckle that made his audience confused.

"What do you find amusing, thief?" the queen sneered. "This is serious!"

"I find amusing how Her Majesty is so woefully overconfident." the prisoner looked up slightly, his face barely visible due to the hood. "Your Majesty truly does have grace and beauty, but not enough brains, I'm afraid. You clearly don't know who I am."

"And you clearly don't know who I am!" exclaimed the queen.

"Ah, but I do," the prisoner replied. "You are Her Majesty Queen Eugenia! But let me ask you, Your Grace...who am I?"

"You are a measly little thief who is about to depart from this world!"

"Wrong, but close…" the thief grinned. Before everyone knew it, the prisoner leaped up from the ground and flicked his head back, revealing his face to his audience. "I am Sir Galleth Cooper!"

"Congratulations," the queen said dryly before turning her attention over to her guards. "Escort him to the executioner at once!"

Sir Galleth grinned as he looked over his shoulder as he watched the two guards approach. "Go easy on me, lads. Tis my first time."

To everyone's shock and amazement, Galleth moved at a quick pace. He wrapped his chained hands over one guard's head before throwing him against the other. He then watched as another guard came charging at him with a sword in hand. Galleth then used this to his advantage by leaping backwards - far enough to not hit him, but close enough to break his chains. Everyone gasped and scurried away so their backs were up against the walls.

"Or perhaps not," Galleth quipped before looking over at the queen, who was now fuming with rage. "Farewell, Your Grace!" he bowed before running towards the window.

"AFTER HIM!" Galleth heard as he leaped out.

Galleth landed on the outer wall of the castle, where guards were already on his tail. The raccoon had to think quickly. He walked across a rope and leaped off, coming into contact with the village street below. People shrieked and scurried away as Galleth began to run, pushing people aside as the guards started to swarm through the village.

"Halt!" shouted one of the guards. He then pointed at a group. "You, go that way! The rest of you, follow me!"

Unfortunately for them, Galleth was keen on hearing, and he could tell what they were planning. A smirk appeared on the raccoon's face. This was going to be fun.

Galleth made a sharp left turn around the corner of a tavern, where one of the knights was waiting for him. Much to the knight's surprise, Galleth slid underneath him and swung his hooked lance. He then got up and slammed the knight against the building's wall, knocking him out cold. Galleth took the knight's sword from his unconscious body and continued his escape.

"Halt, thief!"

Galleth groaned when he ran into a duo of knights. Just as he was turning around, three more appeared.

"Alright," Galleth said to himself. "I've dealt with worse…"

Looking around, Galleth noticed a wagon filled with barrels of ale stationed a few feet away from him, and he felt a smile of inspiration come to his face.

"Well, tis a shame to have such a fine drink go to waste, but alas, sacrifices must be made!"

Raising his lance, Galleth swung it downwards and broke the lock holding the door to the wagon shut, making it open and causing the barrels of ale to tumble out of the wagon and roll towards the advancing guards. Galleth chuckled as he watched the oncoming guards fail in attempt to catch him, tumbling over each other as the barrels crashed into them.

Galleth looked over his shoulder as he continued to run, pleased to find no guards were after him. The male raccoon climbed to the top of a nearby roof and continued to leap from rooftop to rooftop, eventually making it over the kingdom's bridge that led out of the village.

"There he is!" shouted a guard. "He's heading into the woods!"

"Oh, Christ…" Galleth muttered.

Galleth slid down a slope and ran through some large bushes, hearing the sound of horses and the shouts of following knights. He quickly climbed to the top of a tree, staying perfectly still as he watched his pursuers rushing into the woods, unknowing that they had already lost him.

Once assured the coast was clear, Galleth carefully climbed down and let out a heavy sigh. He then reached into a small sack he was carrying on his belt and felt around until he detected his prize. A grin appeared on the raccoon's face as he lifted the bag out of his pocket and peered inside, finding the necklace that he stole.

"It was a close one," he commented. "But I did it."

Galleth tossed the small bag onto the table. The deer sitting across from him stopped eating due to being startled. He eyed the bag and looked up at the raccoon across from him, who wore a smug look on his face.

"Just as promised!" Galleth beamed confidently. "I suspect you'll keep yours and deliver what's mine?"

The deer took the bag into his hoof and poured the necklace onto his hand. He eyed the jewelry for a moment before giving the raccoon a smirk.

"Hmp, seems you really are a man of your word," he then bent down and tossed a much larger sack onto the table. "Just as promised - a handsome reward! This should be enough gold to get you to your destination, my friend!"

"Many thanks," Galleth took the bag and gave the deer one last nod before turning around to leave the shack.

"If I may," the deer spoke up. "Just where do you plan to go with all that gold?"

"That," Galleth turned his head. "Is none of your concern."

The deer wasn't given time to respond before his own door was shut upon the raccoon's exit. Galleth sighed, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air before making his way over towards his horse and mounted. Galleth began his journey away from his client's home, riding through the forest's dirt trail. He was slowly starting to get tired and was in need of a place to stay. The air was starting to get cold; the sky began to darken. As if his prayers were answered, Galleth soon came across a tavern, where he could smell roasted pork and hear music playing.

As soon as Galleth opened the tavern's doors, he was surprised by how lively the place was. patrons were gathered around each other, laughing while taking swigs of their ale. The women were either working as waitresses or whores for the men willing to pay. Galleth blushed and turned his head away as a young woman giggled while dragging a drunken man by the hand up onto the second floor.

Just as Galleth got himself seated at a table, he took out his bag and began examining his map. It was a long way towards his destination, but Galleth was certain he could reach it in two days time.

"Traveling, are we?"

Galleth looked up from his map to see a young female chipmunk in an olive green dress and white apron around her waist. She had blond hair that barely reached her mid-back and had green eyes that glistened in the light. Galleth could make out some freckles on her cheeks as she bent down to place a mug in front of him before pouring him a drink.

"Guilty as charged," Galleth joked lightheartedly, "I'm simply trying to decide where my next stop will be on my tour of England."

"I see," the waitress nodded with a smile. "Well, might I suggest here?" she pointed to a spot on the map near their location. "It's a lovely little town with a beautiful view of the country. Not to mention you'll find the most gorgeous set of trees during this time of the year."

"Interesting," Galleth gave her a nod. "I'll take that suggestion into consideration. Here," he dug out some gold coins and gently placed them in the waitress' open palm. "For your troubles and advice."

"Tis no trouble at all," the chipmunk took the gold. "But thank you."

Galleth watched as she turned to walk away. "Pardon me," he spoke, causing her to stop. "But what is the name of this place you've shown me?"

"Mistwood," she turned to face him. "Surely you've heard of it. There's even to be a royal wedding in just a few days."

"Is there now?" Galleth couldn't care much for a wedding, but the word 'royal' stuck out to him like a sore thumb. "A royal wedding?"

"Oh yes," The waitress nodded. "The princess is to marry her betrothed. It's said to be a beautiful ceremony!"

Galleth nodded. "I see," he tossed a small bag of gold over towards the waitress, which landed on her tray. "Thank you once again, my fair lady, for such wondrous news!"

The chipmunk looked at the bag and back at Galleth, giving him a skeptical look before shrugging it off with a pleased smile. "The pleasure is mine, good sir. Please, enjoy your time here." She then turned and left to tend to the other patrons of the tavern.

Galleth grinned as he began to drink from his mug, his inner thief going mad with anticipation over this new piece of information provided to him. Looking down at his map, Galleth stared at where the waitress was referring to - Mistwood. A royal wedding meant many distractions; ones that a thief could use in his favor. And if these people really were royals, that meant they must've had a treasury. Galleth began to think of a plan. Breaking into an entire room full of gold and jewels was nothing new to the raccoon. However, this was at a royal estate, which meant guards were going to be covering every inch of the castle. Galleth decided to sleep on his plan for entering and escaping the treasury without risking getting caught like last time. It was going to be a tough one, but with enough time, Galleth was sure he could pull it off.

Galleth left his table with a bag of gold before exiting the tavern. He had a journey to continue and a wedding to crash.

The castle grounds were swarming with servants and guards as an elegant-looking carriage approached the castle's front gate. Everyone was in a hurry to make the environment as clean and welcoming as possible. Two older raccoons stood at the front of their castle's front doors the carriage rode inside and came to a stop. Emerging from the carriage was an older female raccoon in a red and pale yellow dress with a matching headpiece. After her came a much young-looking raccoon - a male with messy brown hair and wearing a blue suit.

"May I present her majesty, Queen Elizabeth and her son, Prince James of Cresentwell!"

The two walked up the stairs to greet their hosts. One was a tall and slightly thick male raccoon with a scruffy black beard and a mop of hair to match under his crown. He wore grey robes and had matching eyes. To his left, a female raccoon around his age with black hair and blue eyes. She wore a purple and silver dress with a silver crown, which had purple jewels on it. Standing in between them was a much younger female raccoon with long black hair, blue eyes, and golden headpiece that kept her hair from falling in front of her face. She wore a pink-lavender dress with golden trims, and a golden silk fabric that was on display in the dress's front. She timidly stared at their guests - the young boy in particular - but still smiled kindly.

"Elizabeth," the older female embraced their guest in a hug. "How long has it been?"

"Too long, my dear Marietta." Elizabeth replied while pulling away. She turned her head over to the older male raccoon and politely bowed. "Your Grace."

"Please, Elizabeth," the royal raccoon smiled, "we are soon to be in-laws, there is no need for such formalities."

Elizabeth gave him a nod before looking over at the younger male next to her. She gently nudged his arm. "Stop staring and bow before His Grace!" she hissed. "Show some respect!"

The young prince snapped out of his thoughts with a blush before bowing. "King Henry, Sire, what a pleasure to finally see you again, after all these years!"

King Henry smiled before looking down at the female next to him. He gently nudged her forward. "Go on now, Alice, say hello."

Alice's face reddened before picking up both sides of her dress, bowing in respect. "I-It is a pleasure to have you here, Your Majesty!" she then timidly looked over towards the boy. "Y-Your Highness…"

"Go on James…" Elizabeth sternly encouraged through her smile.

James gulped before approaching Alice, taking her hand into his before planting a kiss. Alice blushed and pulled her hand away, looking away in embarrassment while her mother gently rubbed her back.

"Now that the bride and groom are acquainted," Marietta said as she motioned inside. "Let us continue in the dining hall! The cooks have prepared a special feast for this occasion!"

"Oh, thank the Lord!" Elizabeth gladly continued her way inside. "All this traveling has made me quite peckish!"

James looked over at Alice and politely offered his arm. Alice looked at it before looping her arm with his, walking together through the castle and into the dining room.

"It is a pleasure to see you again Alice," James complimented while following the adults. "I was wondering when I would finally get to see my betrothed once more."

Alice looked up at him with a timid smile. "I'm flattered, James. How long has it been? Ten years, I believe?"

"Quite right," James nodded. "But we were just children then. Now, here we are, to be married in less than a week - and on your birthday, might I add. How do you feel?"

"Quite nervous, actually," Alice answered truthfully. "While I was aware of our marriage, it still feels like yesterday when I learned of our engagement. Time has gone by too fast. Sometimes I wish I was five once more, so that I can relive all these years to better prepare myself."

"Better prepare?" James asked with an arched. eyebrow. "You mean to say that you have never given thought about our marriage?"

"N-No, that's not what I meant at all!" Alice insisted . "It's just...It is hard to believe that it is finally time for our marriage . I love you, James, I really do. But then again it feels as though..."

James stopped them in their tracks. "I know," he smiled down at her. "It is alright, Alice. I, too, have been astonished by how quickly time has passed for us. There is no need to explain any further."

"Then you…"

James nodded. "I understand completely. If you wish, I would like to enjoy more of your company before the thirteenth, if you would have me."

"I think I would enjoy that." Alice replied gratefully.

Unknown to any of the royals, another raccoon was making his arrival in Mistwood at that very moment. Galleth looked down at the village below him from atop a large hill. He examined his map once more to be certain that he was at the right location. A satisfied sigh escaped the raccoon's mouth as he lowered the map and put it away, grinning as he took in the sight that was Mistwood.

It was a rather rustic-looking village. The buildings looked older than any the thief had seen in other towns, which bought out character. A majority of the buildings were made from stone, while only a select few were made of wood. This surprised Galleth, for he barely saw any stoned houses on his journeys. While the village was quite a sight, the real beauty was the castle at the far end. Galleth took in the gothic architecture and was charmed by its beauty. With its many towers and windows, this heist was sure to be a much more entertaining one.

"Quite the castle," Galleth said to himself. "Now, how to get in...Hmm…" his eyes caught sight of two royal guards carrying a chest across one of the castle's stoned bridges leading into another tower. "Looks like they are heading inside that tower with riches, which means that tower there is where those royals keep their gold. Now that I know where the treasure trove is kept, there is only the matter of finding a way inside…"

Upon arrival, Galleth did his best to keep a low profile. There was no telling what could happen to him if his identity were to be discovered. Having hidden his horse in a nearby stable, the thieving raccoon donned a hooded cloak and hugged it close to his body while walking through the town, avoiding anybody who gave him suspicious looks. As he continued onward, Galleth was soon bumped into by a boy, a small white rabbit.

"Oops, sorry good sir!" he cried.

"It's quite alright," Galleth assured.

"Jackson! Over here now!" called a female voice.

Galleth watched as the child raced towards his mother's direction. He smiled and shook his head while continuing through the streets. Eventually, Galleth neared the castle, making it easier to see what he was dealing with. The thief hummed to himself as he made out multiple royal guards patrolling the castle from the courtyard, all the way up to the tallest tower. This was not going to be easy, but Galleth wouldn't have it any other way.

Galleth's ears perked up when he heard footsteps to his left. Turning his head, Galleth came face-to-face with a pair of royal guards.

"Sirs," Galleth greeted politely with a bow.

"What brings you to our king's castle?" one of them asked.

"No business here, I assure you," Galleth answered. "Just a lonely traveler sightseeing. I have heard news of a royal wedding coming to this kingdom, and I just had to see if it was true."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, peasant," the other one replied sternly. "But unless you have an invitation from his majesty, I'm afraid entry is prohibited."

"But of course…" Galleth walked away, tugging on his cloak. "Damn! How am I supposed to get in now?"

As if on cue, Galleth's ears perked up again at the sound of those royal guards speaking to another. Turning around, Galleth caught sight of an approaching farmer riding a mule-drawn wagon full of hay.

"Is this all of it?" one of the guards asked.

"No, Sir," the farmer answered. "Another wagon is on the way - not too far along."

Deciding to take advantage of this, Galleth quickly turned and left the area, though careful not to seem too suspicious. He peered around the corner of the local tavern to see another hay wagon on its way to the castle. With a grin, Galleth waited until the wagon passed before getting behind it and jumping into the hay, careful not to alert anyone around him - especially the unknowing farmer driving.

Galleth could make out faint sounds while buried alive in the large stack of hay. He felt the wagon being pulled, the wheels beneath him turning and bumping ever-so-slightly. Eventually, the wagon came to a complete stop. Galleth slowly peered through the pile of hay, taking note of his new surroundings. He was now inside the castle's courtyard! Galleth cautiously began to slip out of the wagon once the coast was clear and quickly ran for cover behind some stray barrels.

"Alright, now for the hard part…" Galleth muttered silently. "In order to ensure I do not land myself in the dungeon of this palace, I need a disguise, something...Ah-Ha!" A grin appeared on his face when he noticed a royal guard near his location. "If I can lure that guard away from his post, I can use his uniform without being detected! I simply need to get him on his own..."

Galleth looked around for anything that could be used as a distraction. He eventually settled with a pebble near his hand. He carefully emerged from his hiding spot and looked around until he saw a small alleyway near his location. An idea began to form in the raccoon's head. He threw the pebble at the guard's head and quickly dove back behind the barrels.

"Urk! What the bloody hell?!"

Galleth peered from behind his cover to see the guard looking around and rubbing the back of his head. He slowly moved behind the barrels until he was closer to the alleyway and picked up another rock, tossing it at the alleyway's entrance.

"Where the devil are you?!"

Galleth watched as the royal guard fell right into his trap, like a fly caught in a spider's web. As the guard began to inch closer and closer into the alleyway, Galleth slowly emerged and followed him at a quiet pace. Eventually, the guard was knocked up into the air by Galleth's lance and then slammed back onto the ground, falling unconscious as his head connected with the ground.

"Almost too easy," Galleth smirked. "Alright…" he took a deep breath as he began stripping. "Hopefully it fits…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Moments later, Galleth appeared onto the courtyard while wearing the guard's uniform. After successfully donning the armor, Galleth hid its former wearer in a nearby pile of hay. He hoped to get his hands on the royal treasure before the guard woke. Galleth took a deep breath and began making his way towards the castle's main doors.

"Halt!"

Galleth nearly cringed as he found himself coming to a complete stop. He cautiously turned around to see another guard approach him.

"Sir!" he exclaimed, saluting.

The guard raised an eyebrow at him. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, um…" Galleth mentally cursed himself. "Simply...checking in on the royal treasury! Been given direct orders by Her Majesty to make sure everything is accounted for!"

"Strange. The Queen never specifically asks one of us to do that."

"Y-Yes! It...It truly is!" Galleth agreed, hoping the guard would buy his lie.

The guard gave him a weary look. "Are you sure...that was your order?"

"Of course, why would I lie about our Queen's command?"

"Alright," sighed the guard. "Carry on, but hurry back as soon as you can! I don't care for my guards leaving their posts!"

"Understood, Sir! Thank you."

The guard watched as Galleth entered the castle doors. With a suspicious frown, he snapped his fingers, leading to another guard to come by his side.

"Follow him," he commanded. "I don't recall having a raccoon patrolling Our Majesty's castle."

Galleth cautiously wandered through the castle, doing his best to not draw any attention to himself. To his surprise, it wasn't quite hard to be discreet. Everyone in the castle practically paid no mind to each other due to the wedding preparations. It was amazing how one event could cause such a chaotic panic and uproar. Galleth continued to make his way through the castle, finding it somewhat difficult to find his destination from the inside. While this normally wouldn't be a problem for the thieving raccoon, this particular castle almost seemed like a giant maze.

He eventually found his way outside and onto a stone bridge leading to a tower across from him. Galleth grinned, feeling as if all this trouble was finally paying off. However, his lips formed a frown when he caught sight of two knights guarding the tower's entryway. The raccoon should've known there would be protection, and he cursed himself for it.

One of the guards raised an eyebrow as he noticed Galleth approaching them and held his hand up.

"Halt!" the guard ordered, to which Galleth obeyed. "What brings you out here?"

Galleth quickly thought of a convincing lie. "The King has ordered me to add some gold to the collection."

"Collection?" the other guard asked with an arched brow.

"But of course! The collection…" he looked back and forth between the guards. "This is the treasury, is it not?"

The first guard looked at the raccoon as if he had grown a second head. "Sir, I'm afraid you are mistaken. This is not the treasury, this is His Majesty's private quarters. The treasury is over there." he pointed to his right.

Galleth followed the guard's gaze and nearly smacked himself as he saw another tower directly in front of him.

"Shit," he mumbled before looking back at them. "My apologies, fellow knight. This is but my first day. Carry on."

Galleth casually made his exit, feeling completely stupid for the mix-up. Eventually, he managed to reach the right tower, this one also being guarded by knights. Galleth approached the two guards, who had stopped him like the last two.

"I come to add treasure," Galleth informed. "King's orders."

"Is that so?" the guard on the left asked. He shrugged and opened the tower doors. "Very well, then."

"You are too kind," Galleth said just as he entered, the doors being shut behind him. He could hardly believe that actually worked.

The poor fools.

It wasn't too long before Galleth ascended to the top of the tower and his eyes lit up, entranced by the many jewels and gold. He began to wonder how much he could carry as he escaped. Galleth cursed himself for not thinking this far ahead. Truth be told, he didn't think he would make it this far. Then, he saw it. Across the tower on a noticeably large pile of gold was a decent sized pink gem in the shape of a heart. Galleth grinned, knowing exactly what he would take. The raccoon approached the gem, lifted and studied it further, clearly liking what he was seeing. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a good sized sack. Galleth figured he'll be able to carry the gem and a few gold pieces out of here. Not too much, though, for he didn't want to be detected.

"WHERE DID HE GO?!"

Galleth flinched as he heard the uproar and slowly made his way to the tower's window, peering down to see the knight who caught him outside, four other knights flanking him. They were talking to the two who were in charge of guarding the treasury's tower before they were confronted by the first guard.

"What is the matter?" One of the treasury guards inquired.

"The castle has been infiltrated!" The first guard snapped. "Some charlatan raccoon hath slithered his way onto palace grounds like a serpent and deceived us into thinking he was in our ranks!

One of the guards looked up and noticed Galleth spying on them from the tower's window and pointed upward.

"HE'S UP THERE!" he bellowed.

Galleth had to think of a plan to escape before getting caught. He frantically looked around, desperate for a plan. Unfortunately, the only way in and out was the stairs. That was the case, until Galleth looked back out the window and noticed rope stretching from the top of the tower to another part of the castle that had multicolored flags hanging from it. Quickly abandoning his disguise, Galleth hooked his lance over the rope and making sure it was secure before zip-lining down the rope. The castle guards who were on the chase were too late, witnessing the thief's daring escape.

"ALERT THE CASTLE!" one of them barked. "A THIEF'S TRYING TO ESCAPE!"

Galleth laughed to himself, feeling victorious. However, his victory was short-lived, as he soon crashed through a window at the end of the rope he was riding down. He rolled around onto the stoned floors before eventually landing on his stomach, and groaned in pain. A faint gasp alerted him as he looked up, his eyes meeting a maiden in a pink lavender dress. The female raccoon in front of him stood next to her vanity mirror, a hair brush in hand which hinted she was in the middle of brushing. She stared at Galleth with shock and fear.

Before the girl could scream, Galleth quickly bolted up and dashed towards her, slapping his hand over her mouth.

"Shh!" he said with a finger over his lips. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to escape."

The female raccoon merely blinked in response, her eyes glued to the man in front of her as he stood there in silence. His brows were furrowed and his jaw was clenched as he moved his eyes to his right, scanning the door that lead into the room. The maiden was able to get a clearer look at the stranger. She took in his brown eyes and goatee, believing him to be attractive. Still, he violated her privacy by crashing into her chambers. The female raccoon pondered, the thought of stomping on his foot or smacking him aside the head coming into mind. At first, the idea of it working seemed doubtful, but after another few minutes of being manhandled did the maiden finally come to her senses.

Just as she was about to try to break free from the male's hold, the doors to her chamber opened, revealing Prince James.

"Alice, are you almost done? Your parents are- bloody hell!" he gawked as he noticed Galleth pinning his betrothed against the wall. His eyes narrowed and fists clenched. "LET HER GO, YOU BASTARD!"

Galleth quickly got off of the maiden dashed out of the room, shoving Prince James in the process. The prince looked back at Alice before approaching her. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Alice shook her head. "No, but he did startle me. Came crashing in from my window."

James nodded before heading out the room, shouting, "WE HAVE AN INTRUDER!"

Alice just stood there, in a daze as she touched her lip with a shaken hand. She hardly even noticed a couple of the castle's guards rushing in to check on her. While being escorted out of her chambers and into the throne room, Alice couldn't help but wonder…

Who was that strange man?

Galleth continued to sprint down the halls of the castle, eyes darting left and right for an exit or hiding place from his pursuers. He made sure to try and be as discreet as possible, hoping to at least try and slip away with ease. However, after hearing someone shouting about an intruder, Galleth began to panic. He barely got to the lower level of the castle before castle guards began swarming like bees.

"There he is!" Galleth snapped his head to his left, spotting a familiar castle guard. "The one from the treasury!"

Galleth had nothing to lose at this point. He sprinted through the halls of the castle as he heard multiple footsteps chasing him. It soon became hard for him to shake off his pursuers, and it was clear Galleth was running out of options. He needed a plan.

Taking a sharp turn, Galleth leaped off a balcony and landed just beneath a small set of stairs. Galleth hid in the shadows, his heart racing as he eyed the shadows reflecting off the castle walls above, his breath caught in his throat. However, Galleth's safety was short-lived as he began to hear some of the guards racing down the stairs. Galleth moved quickly, running down the dark hallway until he came across a door, which had a padlock.

Galleth began to panic and turned around to find any other doors, but felt his time was running out. He could already hear the castle guards spreading out in the lower level. Galleth looked over at the padlocked door and around the ground, hoping to find something useful. He eventually spotted a decent sized rock and got an idea. Without delay, he smashed the padlock and rushed inside the mysterious room, shutting the door from behind.

Galleth rested against the door as he began to catch his breath, mentally cursing himself for this heist. As he opened his eyes, Galleth nearly jumped at was in front of him. He appeared to be in some sort of underground crypt. Coffins and corpses laid scattered around the medium sized room, making the raccoon uncomfortable.

"Good God!" he exclaimed while covering his nose. "The ever-foul stench of death! Hopefully there's a way out. If not, then I suppose I'll have to wait here until the coast is clear."

Taking a gulp, Galleth began to search the room for any signs of a way to escape. It seemed unlikely, which filled the thief with dread. However, just as he began to feel like all hope was lost, Galleth noticed a small hole in one of the walls. He began to study it, taking note of the cracks surrounding the hole. The surrounding area looked weak, which gave Galleth the idea of breaking down the wall. As soon as Galleth did so, his uplifting mood disappeared and got replaced with dread once he saw that the only thing that awaited him on the other side of the wall was an urn.

"Damn…" he cursed. "Now what?"

Just then, the door bursts open, revealing a duo of castle guards. "HE'S IN HERE!" one of them bellowed.

Panicking, Galleth grabbed a hold of the urn and chucked it at one of the guards, knocking him out as planned. The urn broke on impact, allowing ashes to spill around the room. Galleth had hoped to fight the second guard and escape before their backup arrived, but it was too late. Before Galleth knew it, he was tackled and chained.

"Take him to His Majesty," one of them ordered before pointing at the unconscious guard that Galleth took out.. "And get him some medical attention."

Galleth was escorted out of the crypt, a group of guards carrying their unconscious comrade. Soon, the crypt door was closed, and unknowingly to them, the ashes that were spilled began to slowly hover towards the center of the room, swirling as it began to take a physical form.

The Cooper Adventures is BAAAACK! And with a NEW story!

I hope you all enjoyed this so far, and more is to come soon! This is going to get pretty fucking dark, so be ready for some good old fashion horror!

Until next time,

~Nixter97~