Chapter 3

guest reviewer asked me who Zalaph is, and he is the fedora and trench coat wearing shadow. speaking of which, this is where we see the main antagonist of the story and get to the crossover bits. onward.

John had never been in the wilderness outside of the palace, despite his older brother doing it. In truth, John was scared of the woods, the tree's branch's extending like arms over him, prepared to ensnare him. Which was why he was walking so close to Guy, Following Zalaph to their supposed ally.

"This is insane." John whispered to the snake after he got his robe stuck to a branch. "I don't care if the...thing knows someone, I rather do it myself" He then turned around, heading back to Nottingham.

"Woods...enchanted...master...trick...minds...beware." the shadow warned, which was enough for john to stop walking the other direction and continue to follow them.

"How much longer." John wined, much to Guy's annoyance.

"We...here." Zalaph said.

The lion looked grateful, expecting a rich manor, with white glazing walls, fit for a king. He did not expect a castle that looked like a meteor hit the roof, and the castle barley standing. The roof was completely gone, leaving a floor visible. Vines and plants crept up the castle walls. The window indicated no light, making it look abandoned.

"This...way." the shadow said, opening the door and entering, followed by a snake and a reluctant lion.

Inside was more of a mess then outside. The walls had branches coming out, as well as red stains. There was a podium holding a book and a jar with red fur inside against a wall. A long empty table sat in the center of the room. A spiral staircase was seen in the corner of the room, which Zalaph floated up.

"Sire." Guy said, pointing at a huge painting "I think the shadow's friend has some history with the hoods."

John looked at the painting and was shocked. The painting should two fox parents holding and a baby fox. The male fox was wearing black clothing lined with gold, with a side cape, and a red feather on his hat. The female fox was wearing a purple dress. And the baby was wrapped with red cloth. What was shocking was that the male and female fox faces wear shredded by what looked like claws. John couldn't help but wonder towards the book, which had a brown cover, and opening it. John squinted, trying to read the weird symbols on the page but to no avail. He sees a drawing of a knife cutting a ferret when he heard someone yell "YOU INVITED WHO IN THIS PLACE?!" john snapped his head to see a black hound running down the stairs.

He had gleaming white claws and teeth, his left eye closed and his red right eye having a black pupil. He was hearing a silver robe, and a black tippet. He was holding a crosier, which spiraled at the top. He was followed by Zalaph and another shadow with red eyes and looked like it was wearing a robe and a hood. The hound looked at the prince and glared.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT NOBILITY?" The hound then pointed his staff at john and fired five black wispy missiles. John ducked, the missiles missing and landing on the bricks, which began to be covered in moss. John looked at the bricks and then back the hound and gulped. The hound slowly walked up to John saying, "give me one good reason why I shouldn't make your body burst to flames right now."

The lion scowled "how dare you threaten the royal crown."

The hound only replied, "then I think it's time for a successor to take it."

The hound was raising his staff when Guy said "excuse me, um..."

"The black shuck." The hound said.

"Right" the snake said, "we're just here because Zalaph told us that you will help us capture Robin Hood."

The black shuck looked at the shadow. "Is this true."

Zalaph nodded. The black shuck smiled.

"My apologizes." The shuck leered "I just have some...history with nobility."

The hound indicated to the painting of the foxes. Guy gulped. "What history exactly."

"A bloody one." The shuck answered. "You see, Isabel betrayed me, making her husband think I was in love with her, so he exiled me to Sherwood Forest, where I got this."

The shuck pointed at his staff. "I then returned to kill Adam and Isabel, but that warthog defended the child."

"Now, here's a deal." The black shuck said holding out his hand. "I'll be your advisor to help you kill Robin Hood, but an only on one condition: I'll deal the fatal blow."

John looked like he was about to decline. "I've been planning his death for twenty years." The shuck said "and I think you may like some of them. I want to kill the fox. You want to kill the fox. Together, he'll be out of our lives soon enough."

John sighed and shook the black shucks hand.

"Now" the black shuck said, "let's get started."

The black shuck went to the jar with fox fur and picked it up. Then he went to the book and started flipping through the pages until he stopped. Guy peered over the shuck's shoulder and saw what he guessed was letters, as well as a picture of a caribou in a golden circle. The shuck nodded, when to a place in the room, opened the jar and pulled out the fur, pointed his staff at it, whispered some unintelligible words, then a red spark shot from the staff, hit the, and shot across the room to make golden circle. Inside the circle was a room with a bunk bed. On the bottom bunk looked like a cougar passed out. On the top bunk was a fox that looked a lot like Robin Hood except for his green eyes. He was Nick Wilde, wearing what looked like white shorts.

"Return to your palace." The black shuck said.

"What!" the lion objected. "No. I am the king. And I want to know what the plan is."

"I'll fill you in later." The shuck said. "For now, leave me in peace."

John wanted to object. He was the king, after all, so he was not used to have someone denying his order. But, on the other hand, the black shuck could kill him. John didn't know what else was in the spell book. John only left when he saw guy leaving. The black shuck then sneaked into the portal. The shuck then pointed his staff at the sleeping fox. The center of the crosier gained a blue glowing ball. The shuck then tilted his staff up, causing nick to float. The black shuck walked out, nick in tow. Once the shuck laid the fox on the table, he closed the portal. He then looked at the sleeping fox and smiled.

"Senko" the black shuck said to the hooded shadow "wake him up."

Senko nodded, and seeped into nick's head, shortly after, he started to whimper as well as toss and turn.

...

Nick was walking along a long, dark, stone hallway, wearing a robe and a lantern. Occasionally, he would hear footsteps and look behind his shoulder.

For the ninth time, the fox looked over his shoulder upon hearing footsteps, this time, seeing what looked like a deranged raccoon, who stabbed him in the chest.

Nick woke up with a start, looking around to see L-shaped stone room. On the walls where desks with bottles of bugs, fur, and gems, as well as a huge book opened with strange symbols. In front of him was the black shuck, with his two shadows, Zalaph and Senko.

The shuck smiled "forgive me for a rude awakening, but I do need to have a conversation with you."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" nick said, hoping off the stone table.

"Not important at this moment" the shuck said, circling nick with a forced smile.

Nick, creeped out by the hound acting like a vulture, noticed a painting of robin and his parents, his parent's faces torn by claw marks.

"Friends of yours?" nick said sarcastically.

"No, not since they betrayed me." The shuck said, now hovering over the book and turning a page.

"And how, exactly, did they do that." Nick snorted.

"The vixen asked me out to walk around the garden, knowing that the fox was seeing us, exiling me for 'dating' his wife." The shuck said. "They were murdered soon after, a shame really."

Nick nodded, having a guess who murdered them. "So, are you going to tell why I'm here, or are you going to send me back."

"You are useful to me." The shuck snickered "but I don't need to tell you why."

"So, I am a puppet." Nick said "fantastic."

"No, no, no." the shuck said, going to nick and putting a hand on his shoulder "consider yourself an ally. All I want you to do is...wonder around the woods for a while."

"Sounds like suicide." Nick mumbled. Brushing off the shuck's hand.

"It's a sword" the shuck blurted. "A sword that I gave to the noble as a marriage gift. The sword has the power to vanquish wicked spirits."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Sorry, cyclops. I don't believe in that hocus pocus."

Instantly, a knife flew and darted to stab nick face, who dodge's it, but the knife managed to cut nick's cheek and stab stone.

"You may continue." Nick said, shocked.

"After the murder, the sword was lost, maybe buried, in Sherwood Forest." The shuck said, "I want you to retrieve it for me."

"Why me?" nick said.

"Because we have some things in common. We both got a life on the streets, lost a father, and where both con men."

Nick folded his arms and looked down, not wanting to recall the murder of his father. The cold eyes of the reptilian. The flurry of bullets. His father's broken glasses. But he repeated his motto in his mind. Don't let him see that he got to you.

After he recovered, nick looked up at the black shuck and said, "And how do I know you're not leading me to a trap."

"Zalaph well be watching you." The shuck said, motioning to Zalaph, who slithered into nick's shadow, and turned to look just like nick's shadow, the owner of the shadow feeling a sudden chill. Nick decided to exit the castle, noting himself not to trust or meet the person again.

...

Nick did not know what was happening. It is not every day a black wolf wizard with two living shadows brings you to an abandoned castle, and then a shadow pretends to be your shadow and find an enchanted sword, and that same wizard knowing his past.

Don't you hate it when that happens?

Anyway, nick was currently washing his face from a nearby waterfall, trying to wake himself up. And after looking around, hoping he was alone, he bathed himself. After putting his cloth's back on, he noticed a blind fox wondering around saying "alms, alms."

As much as nick was suspicious of the fox, who by some coincidence was wander around in the forest asking for money, he couldn't help but feel empathy for him, knowing that was the same trick he used to con other animals before he met Finnick. It was only when he saw the fox trip was when he rushed to help the supposedly blind fox. Nick rushed to help the fox. Only to be shocked to see the fox stand up on his own, not even feeling around his surrounding like any blind animal will do.

But the real shocker was when the fox faced him. He looked a lot like him, save for the brown eyes.

It struck nick that he was face to face with his ancestor, Robin Hood.