Authors note: So now here's a new chapter, which I honestly thought was going to be longer, but I decided to keep some other stuff for other chapters. I actually had to change a lot of stuff for the story to make things work, so bear with me if it takes longer to upload, I got stuff to change.
There's some development in Mewni in this chapter, and then a bit of character development with Fulgore so you can get to know him, but just a little, along with another character I introduced. Not a whole let left to say except I hope you enjoy the new chapter.
Chapter 2: Dire Developments
O-O-O
It had been six months since the royal wand had been cleaved. While the powerful artifact still worked, it was only half as powerful as it was before, even if it looked 'cooler' as their daughter Star put it.
The king and queen of Mewni had been counting the days since it happened, and every day they would send in their most powerful warriors out on quests to retrieve the missing pieces of the wand. Usually, their warriors would return empty handed or wounded from monster attacks, but the worst that happened was when some didn't return back home.
Every day that passed, the royal Butterflies grew more concerned and paranoid about the missing wand pieces, always fearing that someone else found it and decided to use it for their own purposes, and while it was only half of the wand gone, the lost pieces still wielded a power that could bring most foes to their knees.
Queen Butterfly tapped her fingers on her throne impatiently while her husband looked back at her with concern, he had never seen his wife like this since Star was gifted the wand.
"Darling? You seem... off today." Pointed out King Butterfly, concerned more for his wife's sanity than the wand at the moment.
She sighed in response.
"I should be, River." Addressed the queen by her husband's name. "The last time we sent out knights, they never came back."
"I'm sure the ones out now are fine." Assured River. "They're some of the best in the entire kingdom."
"It's not just that." The Queen got up and paced herself around the space of her throne. "So much is going on now, that even we don't know how to handle it."
The king frowned and got up as well, going to the queen and placed his hands on hers.
"It's stressful, I know. So much has happened over these last six months."
"Tell me about it." The queen squeezed her hands on her husband's. "Not only there are problems at home with monsters, but we could have lost our daughter."
"She's strong, Moon." Assured River once more. "After all, she's just like us… in her own Star way."
The queen merely sighed, not out of annoyance but out of concern.
"I'm worried for her, River. She's going to be queen one day and I'm not sure if I can handle seeing my daughter like, well me."
"Stressed and beautiful?"
Moon let out a light giggle, and the two shared a light kiss.
"This is why I love you, darling." Smiled Moon. "No matter what the situation is, you're there for me when I need you."
River smiled as the two took their seats back on their thrones, adjusting their postures as they began to converse to each other once more.
"Now then, I hear there's something about-
The doors to the throne room burst wide open without alarm.
The king and queen were startled by the action, and saw that there was a man clad in a steel cuirass covered in dry blood, stumbling his way onto the ground as royal guards came to the man on the ground, pointing their halberds at him as he struggled to get up.
"W-wait! I have something for the king and queen!" Shouted the man, sounding like he was out of breath as the royal rulers stood up.
"Guards!" Exclaimed the queen in a commanding voice. "Let the man speak his mind! He must have something important if he came like this."
The guards relented almost immediately, stepping away from the man who got up and walked to the bottom of the steps to the thrones, bowing while trying to catch his breath.
"Goodness man!" Exclaimed the king, surprised to see the man in such a horrible condition. "What happened to you?"
The man rose as he looked at the royalty with dilated pupils. He was filthy all over, his clothing underneath his armor had rips and tears, a few cuts could be seen as well and had bled their course, his face and armor was stained with crimson blood, and he had a look on his face as if he had seen hell itself.
"I apologize, your majesties." Panted the man. "I shouldn't even be here."
"In this room?" Asked Moon.
"In this kingdom."
The king and queen gave each other a look of confusion, and were curious as to what the man was talking about. Another good look and they could tell why he said that, and even recognized the man before them.
"You're one of the officers, aren't you? Geoffrey, is it not?"
The officer nodded his head to the queen.
"I sent you to the West Lands all those years ago." Remembered the Queen. "What happened?"
Geoffrey lowered his head down in shame, feeling ashamed to have gotten here at all. But he had to be here, and he had no other choice but to be here.
"I have much to tell you, your majesty. And it does involve my former position back at the colonies." Geoffry took a deep breath. "You won't like what you hear, but please, it's dire news you need to hear out."
"Proceed then. Tell us what you know."
Geoffrey took another breath as he began to tell his story.
O-O-O
Meanwhile at the West Lands, the once decent mining village was now nothing but smoking ruins.
The buildings were both burning or charred ruins, the wall gates broken down, and the people now gone. The only inhabitants left were the Gnolls that scavenged the bodies of dead Mewman troops for their gear or the buildings left standing for anything they want for the taking.
The rest of the Beastial warriors were at the outskirts of the village, celebrating the victory with taking down walls, standing around fires to drink ale and converse, or simply reentered the village to destroy whatever's left of it.
All while the primal celebrations were going on, Fulgore wandered around the camp, attending his duties to make sure everything was in order. He was walking around the crude camp, observing his warriors as they celebrated their victory, proud of what had been accomplished here.
A Krion then came up to Fulgore, standing six feet tall and was colored grey. He was one of the older Beastials here, messy fur hung beneath his goat like chin, tied in a few messy braids. The ram creature also wears several colorful beads and bone necklaces, and wears a decorated cloak that covers the Krion from head to toe, except his hands, lower legs and part of his face, for his hood covers most of it and goes through the horns and only reveals parts of the front.
The decorated Krion wields a wooden staff he balances on, carved crudely by hand and is decorated with a few rib bones and a skull of another Krion, with a pair of smaller mewman skulls hanging lower.
"The ritual is complete?" Asked Fulgore, walking alongside the Krion.
"Yes, chieftain." Responded the Krion in a raspy voice. "But if I may, why bother letting the Mewman live?"
"To send a message. Sending one of our own will get them killed, but using a Mewman will guarantee that Mewni will learn about us." Said Fulgore confidently. "We're ready to take on the Mewmans, and they will finally learn how to suffer as we have done."
The old Krion frowned at the statement in disagreement. "Fulgore…"
The two Beastials stopped at a clearing by the ruined village's gate, as Fulgore turned to look down at the six foot Krion, almost in annoyance.
"I know you want Mewni to pay for what they've done. Their kind has harmed our people far too long, but it seems… unwise to reveal our survival to them so soon."
Fulgore snorted out of frustration, not wanting to hear that statement. The old Krion quickly picked up on Fulgore's behavior.
"I'm saying that as your advisor, it's not a good idea to strike at the Mewmans too early." Argued the old Krion. "It's better to work in the shadows to build up our strength rather than to-
"We are strong!"
Fulgore's interruption sounded more like a roar, silencing the old Beastial.
"For too long, we've been hiding and running from the Mewmans! How much longer until we have to strike back? Until we're all dead?!" Exclaimed a frustrated Fulgore. "You know nothing of war, Hundak. Shamans don't even support war, so I question why the Elder Council gave you to me in the first place."
The old Krion sighed at Fulgore's outburst, who was interrupted again by Fulgore.
"Don't even give me the whole, 'I'm your uncle' talk, not even family can convince me when I know what's best for us all."
"I'm not here to just be your military advisor, Fulgore. I'm here to teach you how to be a good leader." Argued Hundak. "And good leaders don't rush in blindly to war and warn their foes of their destruction without considering other options."
"Hah! Good Leader." Scoffed Fulgore. "I've lead this army better than the Elders of the alliance. You shamans and your elders are not as wise as you claim to be, and the only thing I still find useful in shamans is their magic."
"You're not even-
"I am listening!" Fulgore shouted. "I've been listening my whole life, and I want to actually do something instead of listen to you prattle on about accepting our fate and moving on!"
Fulgore eyed a group of Gnolls coming his way, appearing to have caught a few Mewmans they were dragging with them.
"The elders can kiss my ass for all I care." Continued Fulgore. "I've done more for our people than those old sacks of shit who pray to flowers, so I'll attack as many Mewmans as I please."
"I hope you know who truly leads this alliance." Warned Hundak cautiously. "The elders are the ones who truly command us, not you."
"I do know." Said Fulgore direly. "So I hope you know too."
Fulgore walked to the Gnolls with Hundak still following, but talked boldly once again.
"The old ways are dying, uncle. In order for our people to survive, we need to change and adapt, like the nature you worship oh so much."
"Our old ways are just fine."
Fulgore chuckled out of slight disbelief, yet was not surprised at the response.
"You really are stubborn to a fault, but I can't blame you for being a follower of deception. It's not like you're…"
Fulgore stopped himself from talking, as if he didn't want to say anything more.
The two Beastials arrived to the Gnolls, who growled lowly as they bowed to Fulgore, while the captured Mewmans looked at the Beastials in horror. One of these prisoners was the former lord of the village.
"By the queen and king." Said the lord in shock. "You monsters are still alive?"
"We never went extinct, Mewman. Whatever lies you were told are false." Snarled Fulgore. "We've returned."
"No… you won't get away with this!"
The lord was punched in the gut by Fulgore, forcing the lord on his knees.
"You managed to get away with near genocide of our kind! I'll see to it that your sins become your people's downfall."
"What will you do with the survivors?" Asked Kundak with a cautious curiosity.
Fulgore simply walked past the Gnolls, ignoring the cries of mercy from the Mewmans.
"What survivors?"
Kundak shook his head as he followed suit, and the Gnolls knew what to do next as they cackled gleefully and showed their teeth. The last that could be heard from the Mewmans were the screams of pain and agony as flesh was torn apart, with a quick look by Kundak who saw the gory fate of the survivors.
"You know I can't let this go. I have to tell the council what you've done here, and you're going to have to hold off on your campaign that they'll make you cancel." Said Hundak.
"Fine. Tell them. I've been needing to talk to them for a while."
The old Krion frowned at Fulgore's arrogance.
"I'll pray to the spirits for you."
Fulgore stopped walking, crossing his arms to look at Hundak once more.
Hundak lowered his head and held it forward, as Fulgore sighed and lightly butted his horns against his uncle's as a sort of goodbye.
"I hope you learned something today." Said Hundak solemnly as he started to walk away.
"I did, uncle! I learned that I'm far stronger than you!" Exclaimed Fulgore at his fleeting uncle.
Hundak stopped as he turned around once last time, and delivered a cold message to the chieftain.
"Then say that to your father."
Hundak never turned back as he walked away, leaving a frustrated Fulgore to slam his fists on the ground. Fulgore panted as he observed the ground, staring off into it as he got up, placing his hands on his head.
The chieftan slowed his breathing, calming himself to regain his composer and got up, deciding to go back and order his troops to finish up what they were doing and to leave back to the mountains, back to their new home.
The Beastial chieftain didn't need his buttons pushed, he already had a nasty temperament as it was and he wasn't the sanest of leaders, he knew that too well. Now he had to meet with the people he considers as one of the greatest threats to his people, who he despised almost as much as the Mewmans.
He went through multiple talks with the Elder council, the oldest Beastials of the alliance that dictated the decisions, but Fulgore was defiant. He never approved of their cautious nature and unwillingness to wage war, he thought of it as cowardice and weak, to let your old foes bully you out of the last place you had to hide.
Fulgore knew there was nowhere else to go and that sooner or later, the Mewmans would find out about them and would strike when they were weak. He had to change that somehow, and he had to do it quick unless his people risk extinction once more. He has larger armies than the one he has now, he knows the West Lands better than any Mewman would, and he has an aura around him that can draw his people to his support and can even gain new alliances through it, the Gnolls being a prime example.
But first, Fulgore had to talk to the council.
Either they listen and let him continue his campaign, or he would make them listen.
O-O-O
Disclaimer: I do not own Star vs. The Forces of Evil, but I do own the Beastials, Fulgore and Kundak.