The opening of the great mountain gaped open, its entrance covered in a heavy fog. The chasm appeared to have teeth, pale green fangs that gave the mountain the appearance of a great beast, its angry mouth opened wide, as if it was waiting for something to enter it, only to have its jaws snap shut over the unsuspecting victim.

As the cavern dipped down into the mountain, it widened, revealing hundreds of smaller caves that dotted the walls of the cavern. Many of these caves were connected by thin paths cut into the rock. Fiery beacons and torches were scattered around, lighting up each pathway. Large platforms rose up everywhere, rising above the gaping black chasm below.

The Catacombs was bustling with activity, with hundreds of grublins, goblins, harpies, wyrms, and other beasts traveling through the caves. The place was colossal, like a city within the mountain. Large towers of stone became homes for many of the flying beasts, looking like beehives as the hideous creatures flew in and out of the holes they had made in the rock.

Out of the hundreds of caves here, one was larger than all the others. Two stone columns rose up on both sides of it, their tops holding a large torch. A long, thick arch connected the pillars together, framing the entrance of the cave.

It was here that Desraa walked, very slowly, very quietly, with his arms behind his back and his gaze set on the ground in front of him. His face was the picture of worry as he tried to calm himself down. The cheetah knew that his master would not be pleased with the news.

Only several paces away there was a small, black door. On either side was a tall ogre, their hulking bodies blocking the doorway. Each one of them held a long pike in one hand and a shield in another. As Desraa approached, they stared at him with their black, beady eyes, lowering their pikes slightly in a menacing gesture. Desraa stopped his movement forward and stared into the eyes of the ogre on his left, and declared with an authoritative tone, "I have news to bring to his majesty. Step aside."

Upon hearing this, both ogres reluctantly stepped to the side, allowing Desraa to pass through. The cheetah nodded his head once approvingly before he walked forward, knocking on the door three times with a closed fist. He waited, eyeing the ogres to his sides warily. After only a few seconds, he heard the sound of the doors beginning to move, the sound of rock grinding against rock as the door began to slide into the wall, slowly but surely. As the inside of the room was revealed, Desraa looked down to the earth, not daring to look ahead of him as the door ceased moving.

As soon as the movement had stopped, Desraa took five steps forward, and kneeled down, still staring at the ground. The door began to slide shut again, making the same, loud grinding sound as before. Desraa waited for several seconds until the door closed. Without looking up, he yelled out in a loud voice which echoed around the cavern, "Hail, Lord Malafron, son of Malefor! Ruler of the Underworld! Controller of Darkness! Master of the Mind!"

He waited, not daring to lift his head. The sound of his shallow breathing was all that could be heard until an almost infantile voice broke the silence.

"Save it, Desraa, my commander. Rise up."

Without hesitation, the nervous cheetah rose up from his position, looking up for the first time since he had entered the room.

The place was dark, illuminated only by an ancient chandelier that hung over the center of the room, along with many torches that were scattered about. The firelight flickered slowly, reflecting off of the smooth walls of the underground chamber, giving it an eerie appearance. However, Desraa's eyes were not focused on anything else around him, save for the small figure that stood far away from him, up on a rocky ledge that poked out into the center of the room.

A young dragon, no more than a year old, peered down at Desraa. His head was held high, his facial expression revealing his annoyance at this sudden intrusion.

"Well, Desraa," Malafron said disdainfully, "May I ask why you have chosen to barge into my throne room unannounced?"

To the casual observer, the dragon looked almost comical for his position. The young dragon stood only a meter high, and his horns were not yet fully grown. His head and neck were a solid shade of bright purple, but his body was blotched with dark purple spots. His tail was an extremely dark shade of mauve, completely disproportionate with the rest of his body. His eyes were a deep aquamarine color, bright and filled with life. However, these eyes were now glaring coldly at Desraa, angry at him for his unexpected visit.

The cheetah tried not to hesitate, but had to pause for a few seconds to think of what he was going to say. He thought, and responded respectfully, keeping his voice from shaking as he did so.

"My Lord, your commander wishes to share some news regarding the invasion force at the Valley of Avalar."

The fire in Malafron's eyes lessened, and he smirked with satisfaction at his reply. "Very well, then," His childlike voice echoed. "What news do you have for me?" His tail twitched expectantly.

Desraa began to relay the news to Malafron, calmly but fearfully. "Well… the messenger we sent out to receive word on the invasion force in the Valley of Avalar arrived only a few hours ago." He paused, swallowing hard. "When he got there… well…"

"Well, what?" Malafron began to grow impatient. "Tell me, Desraa. What is it?"

"Um…" He braced himself. "Everybody there was…" He paused. Malafron rolled his eyes. Suddenly, he blurted out, "…dead."

Malafron was stunned. If he hadn't been angry before, he certainly was now. He gritted his teeth together hard, baring his fangs at Desraa. Even though he was a very young dragon, his face still looked fierce.

"Dead? What do you mean, dead?" The purple dragon screeched, his high pitched voice sounding even louder as the sound reverberated around the cavernous room. Desraa, feeling very afraid, began to get onto his knees.

"They were attacked in the night. None survived." His tone turned to one of pleading. "Forgive me for bringing you this tragic news, my lord."

Ignoring Desraa's plea, Malafron questioned him once again, still shouting.

"Attacked? Who attacked them?" He demanded to know.

Desraa, twiddling his fingers nervously, replied lamely, "I do not know, my lord. None of the attackers were found at the scene. Perhaps they carried their dead away from the battle scene…" He tried to change the subject, but winced as Malafron's voice cut into him like a scythe, causing him to shake in fear.

"You do not know?" Malafron mocked him. "Of course you do? Who else could it be, you imbecile?" He stopped, looking at the pitiful form of Desraa beneath him, on his knees. "You should know the answer to that question better than anyone here!"

Knowing that he could not play dumb with the Master of the Mind, he answered quietly, "The Cheetahs of Avalar."

"Yes, the Cheetahs of Avalar! Who else could it be?" He shook his head, enraged. "Those damned Avalarians have gone too far this time, wiping out fourscore of my army! At first they were only a nuisance, striking at random, but now they have crossed the line." He paused, hatred apparent as he spat out these words toward Desraa. The cheetah general stayed there, helpless, not knowing what Malafron was going to do next. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Malafron spoke again, his voice quiet…evil.

"They will be wiped off of the face of the earth. The world will hear their screams of anguish by the time I am through with them." He said, nodding his head once, happy with his newfound resolution. As he turned his head to face his commander, he noticed that he was still on his knees.

"On your feet, my commander," he smiled thinly. "I need to ask you something."

Desraa, newfound fear on his features, rose up, noticing Malafron's unnerving smile. To think that such a young dragon could emanate so much evil…

"Tell me, Desraa," he began, "How many fighting warriors are in the village of Avalar?"

"I… I do not know, my lord," Desraa stuttered. "It has been many years since I was banished from that place. Much has probably changed since then."

Malafron tapped his claws on the rocky plateau on which he stood. All his anger apparently gone, he smiled a bit wider, showing his small but very sharp teeth.

"Ah, I see." His eye twinkled in the torchlight. "No matter, then." He stretched his wings, and then carried on. "What is a force of five hundred to the Cheetahs of Avalar?"

Desraa's eyes widened. Quickly, he voiced his opinion.

"My lord… surely we could beat them with a force of only one hundred!"

Malafron grinned wickedly, his white teeth gleaming.

"I do not want them beaten. Oh no, Desraa. I want them broken."

These words caused the hairs on the back of Desraa's neck to prickle, which sent a shiver down his spine. Malafron was planning a massacre.

The purple dragon watched as Desraa's face lit up with surprise. Pausing for dramatic effect, Malafron then uttered, "…and you, my commander, will lead them to Avalar to carry out the attack."

Desraa, upon hearing this, staggered backward. "But… but, milord…Surely you could get a more able commander to…"

"Silence, Desraa!" Malafron hissed. "You know the land better than any of my other commanders. After all, I did find you wandering the plains…"

Desraa thought that it would be wise to stay silent. Keeping his eyes aimed at the young dragon on the rock, he listened.

"Now, now, I understand that you might have mixed feelings about going back there," said Malafron, mockingly, "But won't it be nice to see all of the people that banished you again, with a force of five hundred at your back?" He grinned wickedly.

Not daring to argue with Malafron, Desraa could only nod his head. Malafron gave an arrogant smirk.

"Leave within one day's time, my commander." He paused, closing his eyes in relish. "Bring with you a force of five hundred. March upon the Cheetah Village."

Seeing that there was no other option but to do Malafron's bidding, Desraa decided that there was no use in trying to argue with his master. He bowed low, saying in the most reverent voice he could muster, "As you wish, milord. It shall be done."

"Good, very good." Malafron appeared satisfied. Desraa stopped bowing and got up, turning around and heading for the entrance. Desraa waited until the door had completely opened before taking another step forward. However, as he began to walk away, he heard Malafron shout out from behind him, "Oh, and Desraa?"

Turning back around, Desraa replied, "Yes, milord?"

"Remember… leave none alive." His voice was cold, heartless.

"Y-yes, milord. As you wish."

Desraa stepped through the doorway, making his way down the length of the cave, vanishing from sight as the door slowly closed behind him.

…

Hunter awoke to the heat of the sunlight on his face.

Groggily, the cheetah stretched his arms above his head, his fists brushing against the bark of the tree he was propped up against. He slowly got up from his sitting position, feeling the tingly sensation of the circulation coming back to his legs as he stood up. Hunter wiped the sleep from his eyes with his paws, and slung his bow and quiver of arrows around his shoulder. He sauntered over to the village, the thatched roofs of the huts peeking up over the top of the wooden wall. Hunter could hear the sound of feet pitter pattering on the other side of the wall faintly, and frowned. He usually got up before everybody else.

Inside the village, Meadow saw Hunter out of the corner of his eye, walking slowly in his direction. He waved to the other cheetah, smiling.

"Good morning, Hunter. Tired from the battle last night?" He inquired in a good natured voice. Hunter said nothing, only nodding his head wearily.

"Yes, I am." He looked down at the ground, not moving toward anything in particular as he passed by. As Hunter walked, Meadow saw a small limp in Hunter's left leg. Concerned, he called out, "Your leg okay there, Hunter?"

Hearing Meadow, Hunter looked down at his leg, replying absentmindedly, "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just a little sore from last night." He stiffened his leg, wincing slightly as sharp pain lanced up his body. Even though it hurt, he kept his leg straightened out with each step, trying not to focus on the pain. Meadow saw him wince, but said nothing more.

"Okay," he said, "I'll see you later, Hunter."

He waited for a few seconds, but heard no reply. Perplexed by Hunter's strange behavior, he walked away, muttering, "That Hunter's a strange fellow, for sure."

Hunter could still see the archer, crouching in front of him, bow in hand. He could still feel the air tickle the fur on the side of his face as the arrow zipped by his head, piercing the flesh of the giant ogre behind him. And worst of all, he could still see the bright red eyes of the archer peering into his own, his childlike voice haunting him like a pale white specter in the night.

Who was he? Why had he saved his life, only to disappear the moment Hunter had looked away?

Hunter looked around him, until he saw Chief Prowlus only a few paces away. He said in a loud voice, "Good morning, Chief."

Prowlus turned slowly, a look of mock surprise on his face. "Goodness, Hunter. I thought you would never wake up. Did you sleep well?"

"Sure did." Hunter lied. He quickly cut to the chase. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to leave for a day or two."

"Leaving?" Prowlus sounded surprised. "What for?"

"Nothing. It's just been awhile since I've been alone," he stated lamely. Prowlus furrowed his brow, appearing skeptical.

"Um… well, alright then." Prowlus patted Hunter's shoulder. "Are you sure there's no other reason?"

"I'm sure." Hunter retorted. "I just want to be alone for awhile."

Both cheetahs stood there, facing each other for a second before Hunter broke eye contact, walking away, mumbling a quick farewell to Prowlus. The Chief watched Hunter as he walked away, a worried look on his face. However, he soon stopped worrying, saying to himself, "Bah. That's just the way Hunter is. He'll be fine."

The cloaked figure faded off in the distance, towards the rising sun.

Hunter was on a quest to find the archer.

…

Author's Note: Sorry if the ending of the chapter seemed a bit rushed. I just REALLY wanted to get this thing updated. That's probably why this chapter is so short, too.

So, is my story still capturing your interest? Do things not make sense? If so, they will make sense soon. I promise. :3