Redwall: War of the Four Banners

by PepperDeadSworn

"Young as autumn, old as summer, from sea to forest the cries of war shall come Four armies, one outcome, in ruin you shall find the truth Look to the place of my rest, for friend shall be foe, and foe shall be friend." A epic tale of Redwall in which four great factions battle for the fate of Mossflower itself.

51. Unnecessary Intrigue

Chapter 50: Unnecessary Intrigue

Milo sat in his office, staring down at the letter he was going to write to Minto in front of him. To his side was a large pile of discarded paper and ink which he did not bother to deny he had created, as he again brought his quill to the paper and slowly began to write. He had honestly no clue what to say to his son, or even what command to give. All he had to be was careful, as the thought crossed his mind that if Minto got his message late, something no doubt was happening. He frowned, and not even having written a single word down he angrily crumbled up the paper and added it to the pile. He sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin as he tried to calm himself.

He took up another piece of paper and brought his quill yet again to the edge of the parchment. He looked up towards the door, practically begging for it to open and for some beast to step through and smack him away fro his task. None came, so he sighed and forced himself to write much to his personal annoyance.

To my son and dearest Minto

I am writing to you in terms of information, and ask you within your personal time to think of your uncle Shaer. Things have happened on Sandbeach of the most evil kind, and although I know you are capable, you must be quick in your deeds. Your aunt Burba is dead. She was poisoned in front of me, at a feast with the Sultanate's vile envoy. Your uncle is beside himself and so am I. I order you to hold a memorial in her honor, but in that time I expect you to be extra vigilant. No doubt the whims of our benefactors desire to move against us. Be sure that Tarlo knows this as well. If Kamala is amongst your company, be sure she knows as well. She will know what to do in such a situation. Do not trust the cats from the west, for they are as much our boon as they are our bane.

Your Father

Emperor of Sandbeach and Mossflower, Lord of all Vermin, Master of All Slaves.

Milo looked over his letter and went line by line, and still was not satisfied and growled. Idiot boy, naturally he will likely just tear the damned thing up if I don't mention Green Isle or give him some praise. Blasted it, why'd I have to mention Tarlo? Milo felt frustrated, and he was half tempted to leave the island to give his son the news in person. He knew Minto's many faults, but they were temporary troubles when it came to his grander schemes.

There was a knock on the door and Milo turned his head up. Tolas spoke from the other side "My lord, may I come in?"

"Yes, Tolas. Is Morma with you by chance?"

"I was meaning to talk with ya about that."

Milo raised an eyebrow to this as Tolas came inside and closed the door behind him. The rat sat in front of him but did not get comfortable, as he knew what he was about to request was likely not to go over well. Milo set the letter into his discard pile, something Tolas was quick to notice.

"More letters to Minto I take it?"

"I have no time for this Tolas, it is bad enough knowing that my own cats would dare even consider strike against me. No doubt, a wonderfully played actor of our dear, and illustrious cleric."

"Dat got me thinken, me emperor." Tolas frowned and looked nervous. Milo blinked and couldn't help but ask "Something bothers you, Tolas?"

"Aye. It does." Tolas leaned forward in his chair, and pursed his lips "Chief, der isn't a lot of things dat don't sit right wit der official events of all dis foolery. Primarily of which, oh course, is dat I dink we let der slaves off a bit too easily. I get dey be dumb workbeasts an all dat, but why Burba of all beasts? She was a hound fer attention an' yer brudder's missus. I know, an ya know, dat dis is some fault of der sultan an his blasted kinbeast in someway. Wit yer permission, I'd like to-"

Tolas stopped before sighing and speaking a bit lowly. Milo listened closely as he could tell his captain of the guard didn't really wish to even say it. "I'd like to take some of der slave beasts here out to pasture as one way to put it, sir. Dey acten all innocent now, but I dink dey played a role in all dis. Dey were der ones to serve der poison. Me an der boys can make it quick if ya wish, an private. Keep der cries from ya."

"You suspect Morma?" Milo interrupted. Milo resisted the urge to chuckle, although from the way Tolas looked at him, Milo calmed himself and reassured his elite guardsbeast. "Tolas, that won't be necessary. The cat you found was sufficient enough. If I suspected the slaves of some kind of treason, they would be dead beasts ages ago."

"Ya sure, sir?" Tolas asked "Dat cat we caught, it just didn't make a lotta sense. I only ask cause I got a bad feeling an' when dings don't make sense I gotta look down at dem folk. Sir, I know ya like Morma an' all, but she was in dat kitchen along with Kurgle's personal slave an yer wife's. In fact, dey were der servers. I'd not ask dis if I didn't dink it were important."

"Tolas, you and I have known Morma for a long time, do you think she would be even capable of it?"

"I mean, yes, I know her." Tolas admitted "Don't mean she ain't bl-"

Milo interrupted him "Tolas, every slave in this palace knows what i can do to them and their families if they displease me. Most have been here since I was a young cub and my own father, our previous and beloved emperor, personally hand picked Morma. Hells, Tolas. She practically raised Tarlo and Cana. Even Minto dared not speak ill of her, let alone touch her. Not because of me mind you, but she is practically the most perfect of all servants." Milo sounded almost proud of the small dormouse.

Tolas sighed and shook his head "Okay, but what about der others?"

"Broken slaves, every single one." Milo reminded him "They have lived in our presence and know their place in this new world, Tolas. A proper world, even if my infernal wife keeps them in perpetual misery for her own desires. They know the consequences enough, they know what I can and will do. They are meek beasts, more meeker than vermin. Not to offend of course, Tolas."

"None taken." Tolas shrugged. He cocked his head "Ya sure about dis sir? Ya really trust dem slaves dat much?"

"Morma knows more secrets than even you do, my good friend." Milo said with a reassuring smile, before frowning as he turned back down to an empty piece of paper. He grumbled "Besides, Tolas. If I can't trust that the slaves aren't broken in, then I would have to admit I failed in some capacity. We paw picked them all, you know."

Tolas nodded "If ya say so sir. I'll still do me rounds wit yer blessing."

"You have it, but do keep your attention on my dearly 'devastated' wife, would you?"

Tolas looked surprised "Ya don't sound very trustful of dat she-cat, sir? Ya don't dink she is involved, surely?"

"No no no, of course not." Milo sounded almost insulted. Yet his mood darkened. "Just make sure she doesn't do anything stupid or upsetting, my good Tolas. I'd sooner trust the word of a shrew, if you get my meaning."

Tolas got up and lowly chuckled "Of course, sir. I do."

Tolas left, leaving Milo to his work. He looked back down at his paper, and sighed, and this time angrily crumpled the paper in his paws and threw it to his side.
_

Two younger otters, one a river otter of the Rudderwake Holt and the other of a sea otter of Riverdog blood walked the palace grounds of Sandbeach's keep in the night. The two kept their heads down as their white slave uniforms made them stand out from marching guards who didn't really notice them much. They moved with a purpose, being sure to keep out of the line of sight of the cats whenever possible. They made their way to the kitchens, which was dark and were worried they had arrived late or gotten the location wrong. From the darkness, a door opened into a dimly lit room, where a nervous Morma appeared. The two otters looked a bit frightful as Morma motioned them to enter.

The room was full of the palace slaves, all the personal servants of the Greeneyes. The Rudderwake captive was a personal servant of Gana, who brought her drink and food upon request and helped do her chores while she read and talked with others. The Rudderwake beast liked Gana a lot more than his previous master, a cruel overseer and murderous cat who worked him to near death in the island's forestry. The Riverdog sea otter that journeyed with the other was a cleaner who spent his days bending his back and making sure every crevice of the sandy palace was kept sparkling and free of dust. The Riverdog did not speak much, having come from being a heavy laborer on the docks who had left behind family and friends to be more comfortable amongst the others of the palace.

All around them were beasts of similar stories.

Some were fellow green isle otters who had been broken in by their seasons spent in this personal hell, serving a dead dynasty who should have been defeated long ago. Others were otters of various islands, some were dormice, and a couple groups of shrews whispered to one another. Many eyes were on a nervous looking white otter amongst them, the servant of Maria Felis who was easy to make out. Lumbert knew he wasn't exactly popular, being a cowardly and awkward creature. Yet, he sat next to many slaves, and none were more controversial than Morma who made sure everyone had drinks and food.

"He'll be here shortly, he just had to do a few things." Morma whispered in a friendly tone to her fellow slaves. They didn't really speak back, as all knew that Morma was as loyal to their hated master as any of his cats were. So it was a surprise she had called them to this secret meeting.

Skarv came out of the shadows, taking up a candle and lighting it from the dim source of light which illuminated the room poorly; a low burning lamp which Morma had procured as to not draw too much attention. Skarv's face was partly illuminated in the light, smiling widely as his gathered host.

"Glad ya could all make it!" He began.

The slaves gave him a strange and confused look, unsure of what to think of him. They awkwardly fiddled their paws as Skarv introduced himself, before getting to the immediate business.

"Alright lads, I won't keep you here long, but do listen before you make any rash decisions. I know you are all angry, tired, and hungry but I wanted to make a pact with all of you tonight. We are all captives of the Greeneyes, right? We need to pool our resources and our time to resist them and help ourselves. I know most of ya got kin to think about, or fear them rightly, but we can no longer rely on their mercies. We gotta be active in what we do, for our own benefit."

Skarv hoped his little speech would rouse the normally depressed and broken creatures. He frowned realizing they were giving him concerned and frightened looks. One of the fellow shrews asked "I don't know, seems a bit too risky. What if they find out?"

"They won't." Skarv said, almost threateningly. "Look, these cats are all damaging one another, and the more they do that, the more they'll throw us into the mix. That means they'll get each other killed, which could mean trouble for all of us here. Last thing we need is being blamed for one of them going missing. Which is why I am asking you folk to help us. If we can deal with the bad ones before it gets all out of paw, the better it is for all of us!"

Morma came forward, speaking calmly and faintly "I know all of you are rightly afraid, and I am as well, but Milo and his family aren't always the healthiest beasts, and I should know. We aren't asking you to do much but keep an eye on things and give us information when need be. Milo's brother, many you know, is quite a reckless and disagreeable kitten."

The other slaves looked at one another and nodded. One of the otters spoke up next "This isn't to get free, right?"

"Oh good heavens no." Morma chillingly said in a happy tone "Nothing as foolish as that. No one ever escapes from this place, as you all should know."

There was a mix of cringed looks all around and depressed sighs. Skarv felt like he could slap his own head as he heard Morma speak. Skarv again spoke up "Look, I know all of you are full well not exactly loyal to these cruel overlords and tyrants, let's not beat around the log about it. The first thing we need to look after is ourselves alone, and we can do that far better together than apart."

Morma interrupted partly "Exactly, and Shaer is the danger in this case."

"In what way?" One of the dormice said a bit confused "What does that cruel cretan got to do with any of this?"

"Well-" Morma said a bit embarrassed "Ummm, you see-"

"Ya know that one of the Greeneyes got killed, Burba?" Skarv spoke a bit louder, asserting himself further amongst the skeptical group "She an' Shaer were part of a plan you see, one which got me involved. That poison wasn't meant for her, it was meant for the other one. Maria. You know what would have happened had it succeeded?" Skarv asked to a shocked room. They looked to one another with fright, as Skarv pulled them in further with his gloomy speech.

"I don't need to tell ya where we would all be right now had I not switched those drinks. None of the cats are worth more than us, and I don't care what they say on that matter. They may call us slaves, but don't be fooled by it. The cats are damaging one another, and they are going to drag us down with them if we ain't careful."

"You killed one of them?" One of sea otter raised his voice with some hope. Morma and Lumbert's eyes widened and looked at one another, a bit shocked. Skarv's proud proclamation got their attention "Oh yes I did! I'd have gone through with it a bit more had we'd not all been in danger. I'd love to be free, but we can't be stupid going about it. I know many of ya got friends and family, as I do, and if we can damage these idiot 'masters' enough, they won't bother us or harm us unintentionally."

There was a positive vibe amongst the slaves who smiled and nodded. Skarv smiled back, as the slaves quickly threw around ideas on how to spy on their masters. That happiness wasn't shared amongst the beasts, as Skarv noticed much to his dismay of Morma and Lumbert sneaking out the back.
_

Skarv waited till the meeting ended as the slaves left one by one back to their barracks, not wishing to give the indication something may have gone wrong. Once out of sight and mind, the shrew rushed to find Morma and Lumbert. Thoughts raced through his head, of concern and the future. He even wondered if he should have stopped by the kitchens to pick a specific tool for silence, but he shook his head against it. He found the two, heading towards their own barracks and rooms at a slow pace.

"Morma! Lumbert!" Skarv silently yelled, trying to not draw attention to himself. The two turned to him with both giving him a pitied look. Skarv marched up to them, angrily chiding them "You two, what's the matter!? I thought we had plenty of time." Skarv wanted to give the two the benefit of the doubt, their midnight meeting was secured thanks to Morma's experience with their schedules.

Morma spoke first "I'm sorry, shrew, but we don't any part of this. Not anymore."

Skarv growled back "The hells do you mean by that?" Skarv looked between the two as Lumbert tried to calm him.

"Skarv, if you are worried that we would tell'em, you got nothing to worry about. Yet, we just don't want any part of this."

"Why not!?" Skarv demanded "Look, the both of you are better at this than I am, and you got both your master's trust. I neede the others to supply us with information. We got their help, so why back off now?"

"Those beasts were all too happy to hear about Burba's death, and if you plan worse things for Milo, I won't be part of such recklessness." Morma huffed. "This may come as a shock for you, Skarv, but Milo is not my enemy. I raised his kids, for the season's sake."

"I'm not after Milo, Morma, I am after Shaer." Skarv huffed. "Lumbert, you hate your mistress, don't you?"

"I mean, yes." Lumbert pursed his lips and looked away from him awkwardly "But I also fear her, an' for good reason. I'm not her first servant, ya know. If we speak out of line, Skarv, as you say they'll come down on us hard. I don't wanna die, ya know."

"Oh bleeding hells." Skarv threw up his paws in frustration "Where are your two's souls, hmmm? You think your lives are the only things to be lost here? Those beast, and me, we got kin to think of. If these cats decide to act on one another, how long till they drag us into their hellish designs? That cleric from the west wasn't even here for that long, and they had us poisoning an' what not. Morma, even you know if we told your master what was happening, you think he wouldn't believe us!"

Morma frowned and nodded "Aye, but your troubles aren't my own, Skarv. I am sorry for it, but we have our own lives to think on."

"What lives!?" Skarv yelled in anger "Living like this is not living at all! You two are dead, ya here!? If you don't have the strength to face them, they-they-" Skarv calmed down to lower his voice, but he noticed the fear and worry in the two's eyes. They remained unconvinced and uncertain. Skarv frowned at the sight and sighed deeply as he thought. Cowards, the both of them. Yet, the fact I need them. Swallowing his pride, he grasped their shoulders and whispered.

"Look, I need you two with me on this, cause I can't do anything without either of ya. Maybe killing Burba was a mistake, maybe it made them all paranoid and troubled, but trouble is what we need them to be. They need to be fearful to step outside this palace, let alone their island. I got a plan, but I need you two helping me."

"I won't agree to it." Morma huffed "Not if it harms Milo."

"Not harm him, but damage his allies an' friends. The ones we don't like. Milo's armies are all the way in Mossflower, right? What if we get rid of all the peeping eyes and plots, get them all paranoid of one another without getting them all killed. They'll be at each other's throats, sure, but they'll be all called back here. If we can cause enough harm to get Milo to call back his armies here, he an his kin will pull their forces back here till he or we perish."

Morma and Lumbert looked at one another, still remaining unsure. The plan was getting a bit too complicated for them. Skarv tried to explain "Shaer is our immediate threat, and he'll do whatever it takes to depose Milo, right? I say we expose it, pull it all out into the open without getting Kurgle in trouble, hmm? We declaw Maria, remove her ability to harm her husband or us. Get Milo paranoid of his own, break his delusions here and have him call his sons home with their armies."

Morma frowned, but ultimately nodded "I can agree to that, but it'll take work, shrew. If it keeps Milo and his kittens safe, I'll help you."

"Morma." Lumbert raised a paw, thinking it over "This plan is good an' all, but those slaves will want help to escape. They perked up because Skarv here just told them the Greeneyes can be killed. I like this plan in all, but i'd hate to have Minto back in the palace. If the armies are here Skarv, we will not escape, and we'll be slaves here forever."

"I know." Skarv said in a defeated tone. They waited for him to explain, as he caught his breath to speak up to them "I know ya two fear them, and in a way so do I. They'll abuse us, torture us, throw our corpses to the sea with a harshness. Yet, if we stay here, if they all are trapped here, it's means one less woodlander who has to go through this horror as we do. If me and my dearest gotta keep our heads bowed to prevent another terrible atrocity happening on the mainland or Green Isle, I'd gladly do so."

Morma kept her mouth shut and fiddled her thumbs on her paws. She slowly nodded at Skarv's acceptance of his fate. Lumbert responded with a sigh, as the albino nodded in acceptance himself.

"Alright. Just, don't scare us like that, okay? I'd rather not be a dead beast, ya know."

"Trust me, the only dead beasts will be the bad ones for certain. Now keep your eyes open, Kurgle isn't here, and no doubt his pa is going to just let him come back without some fool plan."

---

Shaer looked up at his home, awaiting this time for his father to use his ladder to get to the top. Their journey back to the quarry had been a silent one, weighed down by the awkwardness since Burba's funeral. Kurgle didn't really even know what to think or say. His mother was dead, but yet had shed no tears. Pulkan felt awkward, being overly apologetic and pitying his half brother, but the cringe of watching their equal father in his dirtied garb slowly ascend to the sandy house on top of the quarry was almost entertaining. Shaer was slow, losing his grip on one step up, and grumbled to himself as he finally got to ground level.

Kurgle looked around, his eyes set on one of his overseers who came up to him. He knew the overseer well, the cat nodding to him "Captain Kurgle, I am sorry for your loss."

Kurgle only nodded, and weakly spoke up. "The quarry does well I take it?"

"Y-yes, sir." The overseer gave a pained smile as Kurgle sighed, knowing already what was the trouble. "How many this time?"

"Ten."

Kurgle's eyes went up with surprise. "Ten!?"

"Y-yes." The overseer pointed to ten bodies of slaves who were either over whipped, starved, or simply having dropped dead of the heat. Kurgle frowned dramatically as he looked for his captain for some answer. The captain explained that without much guidance from him, the overseer explained his troubles. Poor food supply, harsh quotas, and confusion in care for the slaves and their capability to work all resulted in bad incidents. Ten dead slaves was astronomical, but Kurgle looked up at his father who likely awaited him, and abandoned him to fix this issue.

Kurgle knew these dumb plans would cause him trouble, as Pulkan joined him. The overseer was followed by a young shrewess, the daughter of his own personal slave. She brought out a map of the quarry for Kurgle who began to lay out orders and schedules. This was his element, commanding and making things efficient. "You will report these losses as a mine collapse." Kurgle demanded of his subordinate "If Maria ever got wind of this, she would have your head. Or mine."

"Kurgle Greeneyes, where the hell did you go!?" Kurgle looked up to see his father, red eyed in rage, looking down at him and gritting his teeth. Kurgle slowly arose and motioned Pulkan to stay behind as he finally began to move up the ladder. Kurgle didn't speak when he finally was on top, his father pointing for him to go inside as he coughed and demeaned him.

"Stupid boy, how dare you not follow me as I ordered! Its bad enough Burba is dead, but I won't tolerate you disobeying me, not in this time or place!" Shaer yelled. He angrily closed the windows as Kurgle stood in the room and kept his head down, awaiting for his father to calm himself. In time, he would, he just had to not engage him as he ranted.

"That cursed creature, that witch! She murdered my wife, my dearest! How dare she steal that from me, my prize! How dare my brother's wife outwit my own! How dare he tolerate her, clearly how could my brother not see that she-witch for what she is! Felis this, Felis that, a failed dynasty to beasts who can't even quarry rock properly! Bah!" Shaer kicked and slammed windows shut, coughing from the quarry air full of dust. He climbed over things as he got into a more 'comfortable' garb. By comfortable, he was wearing even less clothes as Kurgle shielded his eyes from his sight.

"Oh stop being such a useless, twitchy, kitten." Shaer mockingly said "Not like your mother is here to demean me for trying to not die of this blasted heat!"

Kurgle refused to even look at him till his father grabbed him and shook him into a submissive stance. "Listen to me, Kurgle, you useless wretch. Lest you forget, your mother is dead! Dead!?"

"I understand that concept, pa." Kurgle said in an annoyed tone, but also a dismaying one. This was a new concept to him in some sense. The thought of his mother being gone was haunting to be sure. Kurgle was shaken by his father "Well clearly not! You play little petty jobs down in the quarry when you should be thinking bigger, you blasted idiot! Now pack your things, you are going back to Sandbeach."

"What, why?" Kurgle was confused. The last thing he wanted was Tolas looking at him or being suspicious, especially after all this trouble. Their plan had backfired horribly, what else was there to do?

Shaer pushed his son to the side and began to pack random things into a sack "You are going back there to get my revenge on the she-cat! That witch!" Kurgle's jaw partly dropped as he tried to argue with his angry father "Pa, are you blind!? The last plan to kill her failed! All due to her blasted spy, some slave I couldn't even find!? I can't do this, I won't."

Kurgle got a deathly stare from his father, who was far from calmed down as he came up to Kurgle and clawed him across the face. Kurgle was taken aback as he touched his face, seeing it sting. He frowned and kept still as his tunic was grabbed and brought closer to a furious Shaer.

"I tolerate your insolence for only so long, Kurgle. You dare try to deny me?"

"If you want her dead, you do it, I won't be apart of this!" Kurgle spat.

"You will be, for you mother's sake, or for your own." Shaer gave a firm warning and let him go. Kurgle continued to touch his face as he tried to explain to his half insane father. "I loved Burba too, pa, but Maria outwitted us. She'll outwit me."

"No she won't." Shaer grunted as he went over to his table, and began to write things down "We got the Sultan's backing, remember? The poison failed only because you were stupid with it."

"Don't put this on me!" Kurgle yelled. Shaer rolled his eyes "Well, it wasn't my fault, and if it wasn't yours then it was Burba's! Maria humiliated us, and acts as the one and final barrier between us and Sandbeach. I must write more to our allies and get their aid, Kurgle, you are more than capable of handling a catess. You are strong, she makes kittens, it shouldn't be hard."

Kurgle had to ignore these little comments from Shaer who happily wrote away. Kurgle continued to refuse, putting his foot down suddenly that it broke a part of the flooring beneath him. He paused to look down, awkwardly looking back up and trying to explain "Pa, we were beaten, just admit it. I'm not risking my life or Pulkan's for this stupid desire to rule Sandbeach. Not like we'd want to rule it anyway. What is there to rule? It's a pile of debt and troubles."

Shaer looked up, anger in his eyes as he put his quill down. He popped his lips and curled his paws together "Well, if thats the case, Kurgle Greeneyes, then I have no choice but to turn myself on in."

"And-wait, what?" Kurgle watched his father get up and childishly walk to the door, complaining and ranting of his son's cowardice all along the way "Oh woe to me, my own son, who won't even take up arms against his own mother's murderer! What point is there then, I am sure my brother will be so forgiving to me!"

"Wait, pa, you don't need to-"

"Oh, now you are willing to do as I say?" Shaer's paw was on the handle of his door, ready to head out as he grimly smiled to a despairing Kurgle. He threateningly came forward and poked at his chest "Listen here, Kurgle, and listen well cause I am not repeating myself. You are going to Sandbeach or I will take this entire clan down with me if I cannot have Sandbeach! You are apart of this whether you like it or not! If I hear anything else from you, if I hear a peep, I won't hesitate to help drag you to the beheader along with me!"

Kurgle was frightened as his father moved away from him, his paw on his chest. He held back partial tears and despair, knowing it would do him no good. He calmed himself and stood, and quickly exited the room as Shaer returned to his papers. Kurgle stood on the railing of his home, looking down at the dead bodies of the slaves.

In a small but brief moment.

He envied them.
_

Skarv had only one purpose right now in Sandbeach's palace, and it was to tend to Kurgle and Pulkan's personal room. Morma had shown him an exhaustive list of duties which insulted him with the length of time he needed to complete them, and how much waiting it took. He had to make sure the sheets were spotless and soft, the flowers in the jars and pots needed to look healthy even if no beast was there to see them, the food on the table was at least partly fresh. Skarv spent what felt like a thousand years scrubbing and cleaning every tiny pot and pan.

He heard small footsteps running by, expecting Morma. He looked up to see the face of Pulkan peeking through the door much to his confusion. He smiled at him, as Pulkan opened the door and flew upon the soft bed and began to purr loudly.

Kurgle appeared next, escorted by Tolas who showed him to his room. Tolas looked down at Skarv who paused in his washing, looking confused and speechless before Tolas lowly growled at him to continue working. Skarv did as he listened to Kurgle's proclamation.

"As the emperor's nephew, Tolas, I don't need to explain each interaction or reason for my staying or going." Kurgle said in an annoyed tone. Tolas squinted his eyes "A reason is all I ask, Kurgle. Give me something at least, fer yer uncle's sake."

"My mother's tomb needed company." Kurgle said with an insulted huff "They did bury her here, rat. Lest you somehow forget. If I have to explain to my uncle each time I want to go give respects to my own mum, what kind of-"

Tolas held up his paws "Fine, fine. No need for that. I'll take it." Tolas grunted. "Just don't cause trouble, ya hear?"

When Tolas left, Kurgle kept an eye on the door for a long while and turned to his companions once he was confident the rat captain left. He smiled to Pulkan, but was less affectionate towards his slave who was still shocked to see him. Skarv had not expected the cat to be back already, maybe seeing him for months or half a season. Kurgle went with his father to lay low, so why the heck is here here!?

Skarv shook himself and looked to the cat who talked to his younger companion first "Pulkan, I will be right back, I need you to stay here for now. Need to scout out the palace and such. Slave, I need you to do something else for me. Go grab Pulkan something to eat, I will be back shortly."

"My lord, I-" Skarv couldn't get a word in as Kurgle went out the door, keeping a saber to his side whose handle was caressed by his paw. Kurgle walked about the palace, pretending to be busy as he kept an eye on Maria's room which lay across from a garden. The open-air palace was beautiful during this time of day, when the sun's beams mixed with the vibrant colors of flowers. Kurgle wanted to distract himself truthfully, to admire such things, but he continued onward towards the outside compound.

In truth, he was patrolling to look at where the guards walked and observing where Tolas and Lougar's guards would move. He was trying to find some hidden place he could grab Maria to and kill her, and have it all be done with. His heart sank seeing how little room or space there would be in such an act. He wondered if he could perhaps lure her into the kitchen and shove what remained into an oven, maybe put the blame on a slave? No, that wouldn't work either! If Tolas didn't kill every blasted slave here, its because Milo didn't suspect them to start with.

Kurgle didn't honestly know what to do, but he thought he could perhaps bribe one of Tolas's guards to do the deed. Yet, all the risks with that were already bashing his head in with a firm 'No, you idiot'. Tolas and his rats are loyal, maybe Lougar would be up for it? He and his cats always keep to Maria's side of this place. Kurgle then shook his head. Lougar had already had a reputation he didn't want to mess with, a skilled warrior whom he had already a bad feeling of.

When Kurgle was returning, he saw Skarv waiting for him, farther outside his room. He walked towards him, and silently speaking "You found him right, that white otter that serves Maria? You know where he is?"

Skarv remembered and nodded "Saw an' spoke to him, sir."

"Spoke?"

Skarv motioned for Kurgle to follow as they walked about the gardens, making their way to a side quarter where a couple other slaves were tending to the flowers. Kurgle was confused by this, last thing he wanted was any information being done in front of slaves who likely owed Milo their comforts, but a signal from Skarv was returned between them who arose and moved away. Kurgle congratulated him "You have been busy?"

"Have to be, sir." Skarv gave a pained smile "The otter fiend is out of hiding and I've seen him with Maria again. Caught him spying, you see, and we had a long talk. Sir, if I may ask, why exactly are you doing here?"

"You presume too much to ask." Kurgle said in the threatening tone. Skarv backed away and smiled, trying to keep up a suave voice to keep his master at an arm's length. "My lord, I don't mean to intrude only for my own health and the health me daughter. Nothing more an' nothing less. I ask cause if ya are going after Milo an his ilk, I can perhaps help."

"And by what reason do you mean to help me, hmm? I don't need the help of a slave, let alone a shrew, to aid me. If I didn't know bet-"

Skarv thought quickly, and began to stomp around "I can be an asset to you, my lord, but don't think it is out of loyalty or goodness towards you." Skarv wagged his paw at him. Kurgle paused, not really expecting that answer as Skarv became more authoritative and slowly worked up a rant. "Not like I ever wanted to be here to start with! I should be selling shells an' baubles on Green Isle, not being worked to death along with me own daughter in some blasted quarry on an island like this! This Hell, this hated and cursed place! Bad enough I serve you, but worse still the reason for my misery lays down in those blasted halls, not even aware his evil afflicts me! The fact I gotta even bow to that 'emperor' is the worst thing I'd not even wish upon me worst of foes!"

Kurgle gave a grim smile and thought. The shrew looked up to him it seemed, as he took a more authoritative and heroic stance to him. He put his paws to his side and gave a wicked grin "Well, your suffering is not my fault indeed. You have eyes and ears, right? You want to be rid of Milo and his missus, right? Good thing we are on the same path."

"Good indeed." Skarv again gave that pained smile, although he felt almost like laughing in his head. "Sir, let me help, I beg of you."

Kurgle thought and rubbed his chin, and slowly nodded "Fine, I got a plan, but I am going to need you to gather a few things. I want to make a poison, shrew. One which will make Maria's end painful. Through my genius and your service, I will overcome this she-witch and make her pay for my mother's own demise!" Kurgle slammed a fist into his paw, his pride overwhelming with the thought of such an adventure. He cringed suddenly and looked at Skarv "Pulkan doesn't know, so I'd prefer you do not speak to him about this. He has his fruits, right?"

Skarv nodded, and Kurgle gave a sigh of relief "Good. I think I know where to start. Poison should do the trick, they wouldn't expect it twice."

Skarv partly frowned when he followed Kurgle, going off to do his tasks. Kurgle looked around with suspicion, with Skarv having to subtly tell the cat to stop it. Seasons, if this rogue decides to ever do anything on his own, it'll be a disaster for us all!
_

Maria sat at her vanity, applying perfume to herself from the far west. Yet, she was not happy. In the eyes of Milo, she was pleasing to someone's eye, and more of a civilized trophy. As she looked in the mirror, the older features offended her, knowing that age would soon catch up if she didn't hide them away. Green Isle will be mine at my age, sooner than later. She liked to imagine herself wearing some warrior garb as her ancestor had, she cracked the knuckles of her paws as she applied more and more to herself to hide all those small infractions away. I will have Green Isle. At my age. God, I better, or I will strangle that old fool.

She heard the door to her room open and close behind her, lightly peering to her side to see Lumbert looking around anxiously. The albino sea otter slowly made his way with a caution up to her, bowing his head and awaiting her command. It pleased her to an extent that her servants knew at least who she was. She kept an eye on him, wondering if he would look up without her say so, or dare try something beyond what she commanded.

For Lumbert however, he was used to this.

He just looked down at his webbed feet, knowing full well he would have to wait until she was done or bored from trying to catch him off guard. Maria relented once she was done putting in her last earring before acknowledging his presence "News I take it then?"

"Y-yes, mistress." Lumbert gulped.

"Spit it out." Maria expected something boring, as nothing felt exciting since Minto left. She expected a letter back any day now, with Minto saying he found Tarlo's little pet prince, but the boring wait certainly dawned on her. There was no influx of new prisoners to torment or see the hope flush from their eyes, not even Shaer stayed long enough to endure her wrath. Her thought turned to him and his infernal wife, the troublesome 'addition' to Milo's brood would soon feel her full might once she got around to it. Yet, all she had expected was news of some lesser son of a captain of this infernal isle to come in and prostate himself, or her brother inviting some overseer in to discuss boring details.

"Kurgle an' Pulkan Greeneyes are here, mistress."

Maria's eyes went wide, turning around suddenly and hissing at him. Lumbert backed away in fear "Here!? Why!?"

"I,ummm, I-" Lumbert began to stammer and she came over to him and angrily shook him "Grab Lougar at once you stupid slave! Now!" Lumbert rushed out as she tried to piece things together. Her immediate reaction was to go to her closet and look at her hidden sword, her father's. She waited for the door to open. The fool wouldn't dare, would he? Shaer is an incompetent fool and a moron, but not stupid enough to do something so bold so soon! Kurgle being back only meant one thing to her; danger. My stupid nephew, if one can even call him that. Utterly no less the fool like his dull witted father.

She was relieved when the albino wild cat marched through the door with concerned looks and wide eyes. He calmed only when he saw Maria who rushed up to him and hugged him. Lougar hugged her back briefly before partly pushing her off of him and looking about "Myb lady, my sweetb flower. Whatb is wrong?"

"That fool Kurgle, he is here Lougar, now it is our time to be rid of that wretch." Maria gleefully grinned. Lougar frowned a bit, having believed he had been called in for something serious as Maria quickly closed the door. Lumbert was standing outside and attempted to walk in, but a scolding from her made him stay out. Lumbert knew what she wanted, to continue spying and prying at others. However, instead, he crept his ear to the door to listen on in.

"Youb are safe? Whyb do you callb me withb that whibte sea dog?"

"I know it may seem an insult, but my need is dire, my sweet. Shaer's brood is here, for a reason I can only guess. They tried to poison me, so my 'nephew' is here to finish the job."

"Nephebws."

"Hmm?"

Lumbert didn't see, but he could only imagine the cat raising his paw below his knees. There was a huff from Maria who mockingly spoke "Oh, him. That smaller bastard kitten. What of him?"

"He is hereb, my sweet. If the littleb one is here, you shouldb be less paranoid."

"My good white faris, you don't understand how stupid such beasts are, and I wish you could see that. It was stupid enough to try to poison me, no doubt having fumbled that attempt. The sultan, he offers me power, and the only way we will succeed is destroying what lineage that Milo has to offer so that my dear Minto will succeed. Lougar, I want you to kill them. Kill them both."

There was a silence before Lougar would speak up. Lumbert's eyes widened when he heard footsteps coming towards the door and he ducked towards the garden and hid himself in its bushes. He kept still as Lougar pushed the door open, being of a more stoic look as he looked around. Maria almost looked confused by his sudden change, as he closed the door quickly. Lumbert returned, curious to what they would say next.

"-vd inb the Sultanbate, my dear flower. I know their tricks, and theirb plots, and it is foolishb you go alongb with them. Are you absolubtely certain they have yourb back?"

"Of course I do Lougar? I would not even ask if I wasn't sure." Lumbert had never heard Maria sound so unsure and soft before. Lougar continued, but he kept his voice low "I willb gatherb my solbiers and we will disposeb of them in their rooms, but we must have full silence."

"You will. I will have dinner with my husband, a large and troubling affair which will distract Tolas and his rats. Be sure your guards deal with Kurgle and distract any of Tolas's little minions. That rat certainly more clever than he appears. I wish we could be rid of him."

"Web may have to if we got throubgh all this." Lougar sounded almost excited, something which disturbed Lumbert.

"Milo will never forgive me to do anything against my precious nephew. His love of his brother is worse, so we must be secretive. You will have to find a means to bury them an-"

"We'll dismemberb them and carry theirb pieces out towards the sea, drop theirb remains with the otherb slaves."

"Your effeciency know no bounds, my sweet white faris."

"I will strike when you are ready, my love."

Lumbert was mortified, and quickly backed away from the door. He turned and began to run towards Kurgle's room where Skarv was. Perhaps he could make it in time, but stopped and dove into some bushes when he saw several of Lougar's cats prowling about. They were unaware of what they were going to do, but Lumbert knew he could not be seen. No doubt Maria would strike quick, and the anxiety made his heart pump. Oh seasons, I hope Skarv knows what to do!
_

Pulkan was bored, and he had no clue what else to do on a hot day. He peaked outside his room, having waited for Kurgle and his slave to be back any time now, and he didn't want to be caught in the kitchens again. He remembers that dormouse having shooed him off from the kitchens before, and was reprimanded lightly by his brother. He prowled about the room, waiting for Kurgle to maybe take him along on whatever Shaer asked him to do. He was so bored, he even half considered going to an evening service at the mosque in Sandbeach, something his father and his uncle dreaded.

The door suddenly opened which caught Pulkan's attention as he was laying on his bed, with a white sea otter looking on in and then dramatically looking around. Pulkan was unsure what he wanted, all he knew was that he was just some slave. His white outfit matched well with his white fur, and his pink eyes peered all around.

"Can I help you?" Pulkan asked.

"W-where is your brother, Kurgle? Kurgle Greeneyes?!" Lumbert responded with a bit of fright. Pulkan shrugged "Kurgle is somewhere, why you'd ask?"

Lumbert was about to respond when he began to heard marching down the hall and he rushed to the door and locked it. He backed away, unsure if he was too late. He went over, grabbing Pulkan's paw as he was confusing pulled below his bed by the sea otter. Pulkan hissed "Hey! Just cause I am being nice, doesn't mean you can do that sla-" Pulkan's mouth was harshly covered by Lumber whose eyes went wide. There was soft knock at the door, catching Pulkan's attention.

Then there was a pounding which made the hairs on his head stand up.

"Kurgleb." Lougar's voice was loud and demanding "Open this doorb at once."

Lumbert was confused, but yet also relieved. His relief did not last after a few moments when he heard the door's lock jiggle. Soon, the door flew open with Lougar and his cats entering, their weapons in paw. Pulkan's eyes went wide and he became frozen as the soldiers began to look about the room, baffled as to why it was empty. Lumbert kept his eye on Lougar and his cats, who fanned out in the room.

One of the cats clumsily bumped into one of the stands with a bowl, which Lougar hissed at. He kept his voice low "Be silbent, and don't toubch anything! We need to makeb it look like they disbappeared."

The cats nodded and gathered in the center of the room, something which Lumbert took the time to uncover Pulkan's mouth and dragged the blanket above him to the ground. He could barely fit underneath the bed's edge, his body overly large as he pushed his tail inward as best he could. He looked to Pulkan, hushing him as he pointed to the door.

Pulkan nodded and followed the sea otter who crawled slowly as each move terrified him and Pulkan. They could hear Lougar and his cats not far off, arguing with one another.

"Theyb aren't here, Lougarb."

"I knowb that. Whereb could theyb possibly be? Theyb wereb here, right?"

"Theyb should have been, Jaxb saw the big oneb return withb his slaveb beast?"

Lumbert would have loved to know what they were talking about, but he would have to wait. He and Pulkan slowly arose and hid behind the bed, as they could see three cats in total had entered. Pulkan nearly rushed out of the room until he noticed another two cats were outside the door. Pulkan backed away as Lumbert looked towards the closet. It was likely the only place they could hide, but they would need to hurry and not attract Lougar's attention.

In the room there were two beds with two dressers, light shined in from a window which led out towards the garden. One of the walls held a decently sized closet for armor and clothes. Lumbert rushed back under the bed, much to Pulkan's confusion who nearly followed. Lumbert crawled his way to edge of the bed and began to shake the end table in a light way. He was careful, pulling his paw at the end and letting a vase and few other things slide off and splatter onto the ground. Lumbert immediately fled back underneath the bed, and crawled quickly backwards.

Pulkan was baffled by this at first, horrified that Lumbert had just given away his position but Lougar and his cats jumped and looked to where the bowl had fallen. Lougar cringed and patted at the glass shards with his boots. The white cat and his cats were stunned into silence and soon looked towards the bed. By the time they slowly realized the covers were pulled down, they slowly began to uncover them. Yet, as they look around, trying to figure out what had happened, they could see nothing. Lougar looked annoyed now, as he looked beneath the bed, and shook his head.

As the cats were distracted, Lumbert and Pulkan snuck to the other bed across from them and rushed underneath it. Like before, and with Pulkan's help, they used the blankets above them to drop them just low enough to make a barrier. Pulkan was anxious and mortified as Lumbert looked to the closet next.

He peaked just to the side of the blanket to see what Lougar and his cats were doing, and was horrified to see one of the cats opening the closet and pouring out its contents. Lougar was standing over them, looking down at the other bed in a curious way. He couldn't see him, as through the blanket his white nose and pink eyes were hard to make out. Lougar slowly looked around for clues as his cats poured with greater frustration in the room, looking for anything.

Lumbert wasn't sure how long he could keep it up, knowing Lougar would look beneath this bed next. So he kept to the shadows and put Pulkan behind him as one last ditch effort as Lougar's head peaked beneath the covers. He couldn't see much and began to uncover more of the bed till one of his cats shouted "Lougarb! Over hereb!" Lougar banged his head on the bed before he could stick it all the way in to see Lumbert and Pulkan stretching the limits of their bodies into a corner.

Lougar talked with his cat, who was excited "I thinkb I found somethingb." There a jingle of coin in which Lougar seemed to sigh deeply. "Web are notb here to lootb. Putb it back."

After some fruitlessly looking around, Lougar realized he was not going to find anyone here and gathered his cats together and declared "Heb is notb here. Mariab's dinner willb end soon. We'llb have to just dob this tomorrowb. Or in theb night."

"Whatb will we tellb her?"

"I willb tell her, you fearb not."

Lumbert and Pulkan weren't relieved as the cats marched out of the room and quickly slammed the door behind them. Lumbert and Pulkan held one another, breathing heavily and in a horrific manner as they waited and waited. After a bit of time, Pulkan found some strength and looked out from the room, the silence of his undue bed and the shattered glass on the floor was displeasing to look at as Lumbert peaked out next. He crawled out from the bed, wiping sweat from his brow.

Then the door opened again which made him jump.

Coming into the room was a surprised Skarv and Kurgle, and in their paws was a bag of various things. The clinking of glass was what Kurgle had, and he nearly dropped it but held onto it tightly as he looked at Lumbert and his undone room. Pulkan came out from under the bed, and a rush of rage overcame him.

Taking out hix axe from his belt, and advanced on the terrified white otter.

"Wait, brother! Stop!" Pulkan begged. Kurgle did as Pulkan began to explain. Skarv was mortified, thinking of some way to get Lumbert out of this situation as he looked around the room. Kurgle listened, mortified at what he heard and hugged his younger half brother who began to cry. Kurgle waited for Pulkan to recover as he looked at the terrified white otter who remained. Once Pulkan was done, he arose and approached him.

"You are Maria's slave. I thank you for saving my dear Pulkan, but what possessed you to do it."

"I, ummm, uhhh-" Kurgle didn't like what he was hearing and folded his paws. Lumbert slowly backed away in fear of him until Skarv came between the two. Skarv looked up at Kurgle who was not too pleased, but kept himself calm as Skarv tried to explain "My lord, forgive a woodlander for not wishing death on any beast."

"He should have thought of that before poisoning my mother."

Lumbert kept his mouth shit as Kurgle listened to Skarv's please "While true, it wasn't be his paw he did it, but by Maria's malice. This beast here is more useful to us alive than dead, consider that. Let him work for you, master." Kurgle paused as he felt Pulkan pulled at his pants, silently begging him to reconsider his violence. Kurgle sighed and put his axe back into belt and grunted. "Fine, you earn your life today, otter, but because of my brother's sake."

Kurgle pulled Lumbert to him and growled "Don't you forget how much you owe me, beast. Now go back to Maria till I have need of you!" Lumbert nodded furiously and quickly rushed out. Kurgle looked to Skarv who held his package of fouled herbs. "You better be right about this, slave."

"You won't regret it, sir."

---

It was night as Lougar prowled about with his cats, this time in night time attire. In black cloaks they approached Kurgle's room once again and opened the door, peering inside in the darkness. They crept on in, with Lumbert right behind them who volunteered to keep guard. Yet, after a few moment, Lougar left frustrated and growled at his cats "Whereb the hell is he!?" He whispered. Unaware, Lumbert knew where the two cats were, sleeping on cots in the palace's dungeon, information which he passed along to Kurgle through Skarv.

Yet Skarv himself was not with them, but was watching from behind a bush in the gardens where it was all unfolding. With him was Morma, shocked to see Lougar grow more and more frustrated. When they left, they began to go room to room looking for Kurgle or for any source of light, fruitless in their endeavors.

"Oh that nasty catess."

"See what I mean?" Skarv smiled with grim satisfaction.

Morma had a hard time believing that Maria would go so far, and so recklessly. The thought of Kurgle and little Pulkan dying would be devastating to hear for her. They had hidden in the bushes, watching the whole trouble unfold. "They are fruitless now, but it won't take long till even I make a mistake." Skarv grunted.

"Well, we can't exactly tell Milo that Lougar is trying to kill his nephew."

"How come?" Skarv asked, confused as he was by these strange ideals these cats had "He's a bleeding captain, not family."

"Yes, but he is still a cat, and Milo says-"

"Fine, fine." Skarv exited the bushes and helped Morma to her feet as they backed away into the shadows, making their way towards the kitchens. It was a safer place to head to, and didn't have much traffic. They still had to hide in the shadows and be cautious of their surroundings, but once inside the dark kitchens and lighting a small lamp, they felt a bit safer to speak their minds. "Look, we got to get rid of him, whether you like it or not."

"I mean, can't we just get him caught, it would be so much better." Morma feared anything drastic, and Skarv could at least partly understand that. Yet, it still frustrated him to no end. "Look, ultimately, if you want to save that crowned cat, we gotta get rid of Maria and Shaer both. They both want your master dead, both are reckless, and both cause us no end of grief! We don't need them dead, we need them neutralized. Gone. Damaged beyond repair!"

"I-I-" Morma sighed "Yes, I can see it, but what exactly do you suggest? We'd can't just go up to either of them and stab them. Shaer is back in the quarry, and Maria is-"

"Protected by that white cat." Skarv interrupted. He came closer to Morma and held her paws, trying to explain his ideas to her "Look, Kurgle is only here because of his blasted sire. We don't need to kill them, just damage them, and the best we can do is take away their toys. If we can remove all their means of harming each other, the better it is for us all."

Morma sighed and nodded "Fine, Skarv. Though I don't know how you'd do it?"

"First things first, we need to get rid of Lougar, but afterward, we need to split up our focus. I can handle Lougar, but you need to get Milo to bring Shaer here. A summon, a family visit, anything so we can keep his attention here so we can keep an eye on him."

"What about Kurgle?"

"Get his trust and drag him away from that fool father of his! I need Kurgle alive meself, his deal with me helps me own daughter. Kurgle is a fool beast, but I got an idea for him. Milo is more reasonable than Shaer is, and if we can get him away from his father's fool presence and-"

"Into Milo's." Morma interrupted him with a happy tone. She quickly apologized "Oh, sorry, this is all so exciting being a part of this kind of stuff. Usually our resident fox and spymaster did this kinda stuff. Didn't like her all too much."

"Noted." Skarv cringed. Morma nodded "I think I can do this, perhaps I can convince Milo to reconnect with his brother. It'll take a bit of convincing, but I think I can do it."

"All ya can do is try." Skarv said happily.

"If I may ask, Skarv." Morma suddenly said, partly frowning "How goes Kurgle's little escapades? You aren't helping him too much, are you?"

Skarv's smile widened "You have nothing to worry about Morma, not one gosh darn thing to worry about."
_

Skarv and Kurgle were in the kitchens by mid morning as Skarv shooed the slaves preparing the meals once they were done. Kurgle enjoyed this new comfort of having not worry about the slaves reporting him, as he set out vials, tubes, and equipment on the counter, which like before was makeshift, half broken, and frustratingly complex. The herbs that Skarv was sent to get was poor in quality, cause he had to buy them cheap with what Kurgle could scrounge up on his salary. Kurgle and Skarv blinked at their set, both cringing to themselves before setting to work on trying to brew a poison for Maria.

It did not go very well.

Kurgle thought poison was something that was quick and easy to make in some regard, it was always in tales of murder, and assassins from across the west used all manner of varieties. The thought of using a powerful poison on Maria was fantastical, but as he worked on making something, he felt he would be satisfied with anything. He crunched all manner of things into paste, until it create this blackish blob which smelled strangely sweet. It created this huge mess, but once put into a small vial, Kurgle had now no clue how to use it.

"Behold slave, it's-" Kurgle began to speak, but he frowned and squinted his eyes "Ummm, it's-"

Skarv listened only barely, because the last few days felt almost comical. He had first wondered if he would need to sabotage Kurgle's efforts, but Kurgle's pride certainly did more work than he could. He didn't know anything about alchemy himself, not that he needed to till now. He was nervous every time they completed a poison, wondering if they had created something perfect to use. The two tested their concoctions on the food of the gulls, their last few tests had lowered Kurgle's spirits considerably. Their first attempt was an overly seeding batch, which the gulls found inedible. Skarv believed the flaw with that one was the rancid smell it gave. Kurgle's second and third attempts the gulls actually ate, but all it ended up doing was making the gulls have to relieve themselves a lot.

Their last test had a gull peck at the black coated bits of fish that was fed to the birds, and as the bird ate it, Kurgle was hopeful that he had made something work. Instead, the gull's mouth drooled and it vomited back up the fish pieces before flying to a far corner of the aviary to sulk.

"Gah!" Kurgle put his paws to his face in rage and anger "Why is this so hard!?"

Skarv kept silent as Kurgle kicked the dirt as he turned back to his designs. Skarv was thinking about what to do next, but he was uncertain. He needed to get rid of Lougar who no doubt was getting wise to them. Lougar was thankfully avoided, as Kurgle meandered about, safely being with either Cana or Gana. Both catesses were decent to be around at least, but more importantly it kept the eyes of Lougar away.

When the two returned to their makeshift lab, Kurgle looked down in frustration at his work and paused for a long moment. God, why am I even doing this? Pa will learn eventually, and I have no clue what to do if he does turn himself in!?

Kurgle straightened himself and began to walk out the door, with Skarv unsure of what he was doing. "Sir? Sir. Sir!" Skarv had to partly chase after him as Kurgle walked a bit faster.

Skarv had to cut him off, worried he would do something rash "Sir? Mind telling me the plan at least?"

"I'm done with all this foolery, I'm just going to do it." Kurgle anxiously huffed "I am a blasted warrior, and a Greeneyes! I shouldn't need to cower and fail like this! I'm just going to do it and-"

"Oh blast it." Skarv grunted "And get yourself killed?"

"She's likely alone anyways!"

"You are in the middle of a stinking palace, cat!"

"She is who I am here to murder, slave. Not like you understand." Skarv cringed at this hard, but he could tell Kurgle's rashness was not because he was an idiot. It played a partial reason, surely, but the cat was rightfully stressed. Skarv calmed himself and spoke, motioning him to the kitchens "Sir, lets be smart about this without getting ourselves killed, hmmm?"

Once thinking it over a bit more, Kurgle sighed and calmed, following Skarv into the kitchens and looking at his playset of useless herbs and bottles. He complained "That money, I spend a lot of it. If Tolas ever finds out I-"

"Which is why I bought it." Skarv reminded him. "You need to do the deed, cat, I will take care of other things."

Kurgle was growing more comfortable with Skarv in a way he didn't fully understand. Back in the quarry, he would have looked over a shackled slave, but he was sort of enjoying the shrew's company. Skarv brought in a stool for him to sit on, and the cat slowly sat himself and frowned. Skarv looked at the playset, and smiled to himself before turning his full attention to Kurgle.

"Look, cat, these things take time and practice."

"Time we no longer have." Kurgle frowned "Lougar isn't an idiot, he'll find me or Pulkan! If I don't take care of Maria, he'll-" Skarv cut him off as the shrew spoke with more authority "Yes, yes. He'll kill you, Pulkan, an likely me as well. Look, cat. You need not be reckless, or even focus on Maria. Your immediate trouble is Lougar."

"Maria is my enemy, and she-"

"Yes, she killed your mother, as much as your overseers killed me wife and crew." Skarv grunted, folding his paws in anger. Kurgle blinked, not knowing this of his slave. "Yet, I don't go rampaging against every beast here for that, hmm? Look, think it through, use the blasted brain the seasons gave ya. Maria is a pompous creature who needs cats and slaves to do her bidding. You can't kill her without getting Milo's attention, let alone his kids. Maria needs Lougar to do her damage to you, so get rid of her tool."

"Get rid of Lougar? How?"

Skarv pushed his lips to the side, and thought. He had a sudden idea and ask his master "The problem we have, sir, is that Lougar has problems killing you here, right?" Kurgle gave the shrew a strange look, before listening to a plan which made his eyes go wide open.
_

Kurgle and Cana walked beside each other in the open sun of the palace garden, with Cana sharing her fears with her cousin. Of all the Greeneye Siblings, Kurgle knew Cana the least. She was timid and not well spoken, and often kept to her father's side if it were possible. If anything, she and Gana would speak to each other at length, speaking about books they read or admiring the scenes of their small island country. Cana laughed lightly as Kurgle joked with her. "I still find it hard to believe you'd even fall for Kain."

"You know how my pa is, Kurgle. If Kain asked to be heir, I think he'd give it to him with the amount of times Kain had saved him."

"I thought he was a terrible fighter?"

"Oh don't say that!" Cana nudged him "He isn't as great as Minto or Tarlo, but he isn't incompetent. He's quite sweet when he wants to be, though I wish he wouldn't speak so highly of, well, us."

Kurgle rolled his eyes "Right. I-" Cana interrupted him, grabbing his shoulder and holding him closer to her "I'm so sorry what happened to Aunt Burba, though I did not know her. Father tells me to give you his regards now that you are here, Kurgle."

"Thank you, Cana." Kurgle touched her paw and nodded "Me and my mother were not as close as I wished we were. Pulkan, bless his little heart, had more love to give her than I did. She was so distant, you know?"

"Oh yes, I know." Cana frowned "Mum and her blasted isle. Minto can be quite zealous about it. Did you know he told me an entire fantastical tale of all the things he would show me when he conquered the isle?"

"Oh, you mean when I conquer it." Kurgle raised a paw to himself. "Minto will be too busy in Mossflower, which means when the armies are more free, I'll likely be leading the beasts on Green Isle's shores." Cana let out a boisterous laugh, much to Kurgle's disappointment. He had been serious, but Cana had to remind him "Oh pish posh! My mum would never allow it, and neither would Minto. I think he'd throw you and pa off a cliff if he ever considered it. Though you know Minto, he'd gladly take you along, no doubt."

"It would be more an honor for him to be under my command, I was crucial after all in the last raid." Cana poked him and whispered "No it certainly wasn't. Gana said you and Minto fled like doves on the open waters to some pirate vessel."

Kurgle's eyes went open and became suddenly a lot more pathetic "Oh season, I can explain, you see Mi-" Cana giggled and whispered "Your secret is safe, Captain Kurgle. Gana only told me cause I would never tell pa about it, let alone ma. If she even cared." Kurgle smiled, but looked over her shoulder for a moment. He peered at something before returning his gaze to her "Excuse me, good Cana. I am late, I wanted to take my mind off things, and the slave quarter awaits."

"Oh? I thought you hated it down there?"

"I do." Kurgle grunted "Slaves are too open in that pen, in their own homes and under less strict orders. Not like how I ran things back in the quarry. If it were up to me, they'd all be chain gangs. No offense of course to Tarlo's missus, as naive as she is about such affairs." Kurgle sighed, and then whispered "Please don't tell her I said that, Cana."

"Again, your secret is safe with me."

Kurgle bowed and went off with a happy whistling to his tune, partly singing a nice song to himself as he went down towards the gate. He briefly spoke with Tolas before heading out, as Lougar and Lumbert revealed themselves from the corner of a pillar. Lougar smiled to himself and whispered to the albino otter "Tellb my officersb to meetb me at the dockbyard pub. Be swiftb." Lougar took up his spear and began to make his way towards the gate next, beginning his hunt for the Greeneyes scion.
_

Lougar and his White Spears marched down the path towards the slave quarter, the rancid smell of death and poverty was on the air. Lougar was used to such sight as he pushed past one hopeless sea otter, broken in by long seasons of servitude with shackles chafing at their legs. This prison city was in the distance, the gate and walls of it hiding the eye sore of the misery which lay behind. Lougar grimly smiled, for he could not have found a better place to be rid of Kurgle. The white cat and his companions marched down towards this miserable hell, coming up to its gates which were wide open. During the evening hours, these gates would be closed for curfew, as slaves pushed carts of stone and logs into these slums with broken abandon. The occasional crack of a cruel whip followed by a horrible scream made Lougar shiver a bit.

Normally, there were four overseers who watched the gate, not including the three archers who patrolled the upper wall. Yet, as Lougar walked over to one nervous looking overseer holding a whip, he was not suspicious. "Overbseer. I am hereb for Kurgle Greebneyes, he is here?"

"Yes, captain." The overseer huffed "What is this all about?" The overseer looked nervously at the soldiers behind Lougar, having almost over forty cats in total. They were well armed and well armored, with long spears and shields to their backs. Lougar huffed "Heb has been called back by the emperorb. I am here to collbect him, think nothing of it."

The overseer gave him a weird look and Lougar rolled his eyes, producing from his pockets a few coins. The overseer nodded happily and left. One of Lougar's subordinates looked beside him at a baffled slave who partly stopped working, watching as the last overseer at the gates left. He'd have stopped entirely had not the other members of Lougar's division looked at him.

The group marched inside as one of Lougar's subordinates looked around "Thereb is few slaveb handlers. Why?"

"No doubt Kurgle is just incompetent." Lougar reassured them. Yet, the other cats looked around nervously. They saw angry face looking down at them, most of them resting before replacing their colleagues who worked on the building projects all around Sandbeach or in some manner of logistics. They passed by one dormouse who was cared for by a sea otteress, the dormouse's back was bleeding and bumpy. Lougar scoffed at the sight. He was used to slavery in his own homeland, but Sandbeach made him pity such beasts. Yet, at least here, he had not joined their rank.

"They give us bad looks, sirb." One of the other officers said. Lougar looked and squinted at a shrew whispering to one of the bigger and older sea otters, who was giving Lougar a harsh look. Lougar was aware of such patriarches who held some sway here beyond that of the overseers, small time leaders amongst thralls. This older beast gave the cats a dark look, but Lougar continued to be dismissive.

"These beasts are toob tired and too weabk to stand agaibnst us, worry not."

They continued to march, but unaware to them, the shrew uncovered his head and smiled. The sea otter next to him nodded to him before motioning others to him. Skarv made his way towards the door, and motioned the otters waiting behind it. As he exited the slave pen, the otters closed the gate behind him and the shrew rushed off towards the palace.
_

Kurgle and an overseer talked and walked along the slums, the overseer nodding partly as Kurgle drank from a bottle. They stopped when they heard marching footsteps in front of them. Lougar's white fur mixed well with his white painted armor as he marched with his cats towards Kurgle. Kurgle paused and kept his paw on the hilt of his axe, looking on as Lougar marched up to him and kept a distance, halting in a line. Lougar called out loudly at him. "Kurgble Greeneyes, your emperorb awaits you."

Kurgle and the overseer looked at one another. The cat grunted at Lougar and folded his paws "You can drop the act, Lougar. There is no one here to deny you."

Lougar turned to the overseer and grinned. I'llb justb have to dealb with him as well, nob big deal. The overseer backed away slightly, knowing he was now in danger as well. Yet, Lougar found it strange, the cat next to Kurgle was in a uniform, sure, but he held no whip, no weapon, and certainly looked a bit frightened. In fact, there weren't many overseers around at all. Then he noticed that there were a lot of eyes staring at him.

A lot of angry and tired eyes.

The sea otters around the cats were gathering up in one place, some were sitting but others were grouping on in. The cats in Lougar's division became anxious and some even began to lower spears. Lougar was still not worried, Kurgle was the cruel overseer after all, and he rebuked the cat "The worbld will be better without your misbery, Kurgle. Come quietly, and I won't justb have these miserable slavebeasts tear you limb fromb limb."

Kurgle briefly paused before yelling up "You presume to command these slavebeasts, foreigner. Does Maria Felis command you, or do you do this yourself?" Kurgle put his paws to the side as the sea otters gave the cats a fearsome look "Your mistress brought these beasts here, Lougar. To this island. You presume too much to command them, and knowing you and your mistress's plans for them is not much better. You came to steal away these beasts to sell in the west, have you not? You and your sultanate masters!?" There was a murmur amongst the slaves as Lougar shushed them "Enoughb! There is not evenb rumor of suchb things, you mistress keeps youb here to-" Lougar silenced himself, soon regretting his words.

In a short moment, Kurgle continued to rile them up "Then why have you come? Kill me? For no other purpose than to be emperor yourself and bring worse things to these stupid beasts? The cats who live so comfortably outside even dread the sultanates of the west! They flee here, as you have, to be free. If they treat us as such, one can only imagine what they would do to these beasts."

"No, that is simplyb not true, th-" A rock hit Lougar's shoulder and he turned in anger to its thrower, an older sea otter who was soon rebuking him "Blasted cats, coming here and causing us more trouble! To the dark forest with yee!"

"Slavers! Nothing but slavers and murderers!"

"This is for my Missus ya cretans!"

Riled up, the sea otters began a light torrent of stone at the cats who soon began to raised shields. The cats cried out in fear as the stone grew larger and the angry cries of desperate servants filled the air with fury.

"Ya stole us here, an' killed me kin! Kill em!"

"Slaving wretches! This is for what ya did to me pups!"

"To the dark forest with ya!"

The torrent of stones got Lougar to shout for formations as the cats desperately tried to form a circle with spears outstretched. Lougar could see Kurgle being a bit surprised by the fury he had just unleashed, and retreated with his fake overseer towards the cliffs. Soon, a torrent of slaves began to surround at the cats who struck at them back, and a fight ensued. Spears were pulled from cats and used against them, as stone flew onto shields and stuck them on their faces and feet. The sea otters were stronger than Lougar had believed them to be, and soon they were throwing massive stones and rubble at them, crashing into shields at a terrible force.

"Forward!" Lougar ordered his beasts, the charge forward was to try to group up against some of the huts, but being pushed and overwhelmed the cats began to lose their number. No matter how many slaves they lashed out at, the cats couldn't even seem to keep them back.

Lougar was losing cats left and right, and in increasingly horrifying ways. One of his older members was pulled into a crowd of angry slaves who began to beat him to death with clubs and rocks, his screams echoing out and begging for his god to save him. A catess got separated and flew into a hovel to hold up in, only to be dragged out kicking and screaming by the crowd where they swarmed her before ending the unfortunate beast by smashing a piece of rubble on her. More cats were dragged away and were cut off, and soon were fighting alone and for their very lives.

Lougar didn't like his odds, so like any brave cats of the west, he abandoned his weapons and shield and rushed into a hovel while his cats outside were butchered in a disorganized fashion. He could watch some of his cats make their way hopelessly towards the gates, now being pounded on by reinforcing soldiers from the other side. Yet, none of those who rushed to the gates would live to tell the tale as they were also grabbed and pulled into the angry mob by the slaves. Lougar snuck through the small households until he was able to get himself to the dig sight, hearing the gates burst open. He wasn't too sad that all of his cats were likely dead, all that mattered was that he was alive and that he could train a new division of White Spears later.

He felt a twinge of fear seeing a few sea otters rushing into the construction site, he wasn't sure if the sound of battle was the reinforcements of the garrison, or the continued slaughter of his cats. Yet, Kurgle appeared with his axe in paw, approaching him from the far end of the site, his eyes gleaming with anger at Lougar.

The white cat picked up a pickaxe and fled towards whatever place he could gain distance, but he did not go far as he end up towards the high cliff, looking down at the skeletal and rotting remains of dead slaves on the sea rocks below. He turned, knowing he would have to deal with Kurgle.

Kurgle rushed up to him, slashing down his axe at Lougar who used his pickaxe to bash him away. The white cat tried to slam down the sharp end onto Kurgle, but the green eyed cat caught the pickaxe in his paw and fought Lougar for it. Lougar was surprised at how strong his foe was, but he quickly clawed at Kurgle's face to try to get the upper hand. It didn't work as with his free paw, Kurgle slammed it down on his foe's chest, which clinked against the armor he wore. Yet, it was enough force to cause Lougar to wince and for Kurgle to tear the albino's weapon from his paw.

"Waitb!" Lougar begged, holding up his paws. "Nob need forb that." Kurgle gave his foe a cold look, as Lougar tried to get out of his coming demise. "My-my princeling, the sulbtanate, they are our benebfactors! Spare me, and Mariab will reward youb well! We can work outb a deal and-"

Kurgle gave him a weird look next, informing him "Why would I want to share power with someone who tried to kill my brother?"

Lougar's eyes widened and he realized something, and felt stupid for being so blind to it till now. It was all starting to make sense, trying to blurt out "Youb fool, and me as wellb! Listen, Kurgleb, the sultanate, they can't be tru-" Kurgle was not listening as he slammed down his axe on Lougar's shoulder who screamed in pain. Kurgle held him close enough for him to hear "This is for Pulkan."

Lougar was let go and kicked from the edge of the cliff, and tumbled down and down towards the rocks below. Kurgle stood over the cliff, coldly staring down to make sure that white splotch which now covered the side of the sea cliff was not moving.
_

News came slowly back to the palace of what was happening, with Kurgle being covered in blood and met at the door by Milo and Cana who came to comfort him. Lumbert and Maria stood side by side as Kurgle told them news of what had happened, of how the slaves had become overwhelmed with anger and revolted. Kurgle tell a rather heroic tale of himself, with Milo happy to see his nephew for the most part safe, but what Kurgle quickly mentioned was of Lougar and his fate.

"He was brave, he and his white spears all, but all were felled! I saw captain Lougar was felled from the high cliffs, and fell into the abyss of the sea below. The slaves have been quelled with fewer casutalties other than Lougar who saved me from such indignity of being murdered by an angry servant!" Maria closed her eyes in anger and held herself together, as Milo put a cloak around Kurgle and rushed him inside.

When Maria returned to her room, she did not bother to hear Kurgle's remaining tale or her husband's decisions. She could gleam from the rumors of the guards what had happened; the slaves revolted at the worst of times. Maria had silently guided herself to the door of her room, commanding her slave to wait outside before tearing her room apart. Angry cries and furious smashing was heard as Lumbert awkwardly heard behind him. He felt Skarv's plan had worked a bit too well, and his thought turned to the slaves in the quarters below. Killing that many cats most assuredly had consequences, but Skarv had told him that things would work out.

"That blasted idiot! My sweet white faris!" Maria screamed. She continued to claw at her own bed and tear apart her fine dresses, throwing jewelry and cases against the wall. After her tantrum was done, she was a mess of herself, weeping softly before getting up and storming out, a wildness in her eyes. "Lumbert, clean it up. Now." She seethed before storming off. Lumbert dreaded the time it would take to do so, but immediately set himself to his task before the angry catess stormed off.

She knew full well she was now in worse danger.

Yet there was still one beast here who could help her.

Maria stormed off towards the barracks of the palace, where Tolas was commanding his rats about. Although most were little more than slaves themsleves with the brands on their cheeks, Tolas was respectful to them as he commanded them about and gave his orders. Dressed in fine green silk and well armed with spears and shields, the rats stood at attention in their barracks as Tolas complained casually to them.

"Blast it. Lougar got himself killed by a bunch of slavebeasts, that idiot. Well, we can't sit around an' leave half the palace unguarded. Yuda, go an' grab Morshar an' his boys. They'll do well as guards, an better yet, der neutral. Also grab some of dem leftover garrison vermin an' weed dem out for good ones we can add to our own here. Yer choice Yuda, so be swift about it."

"What about der slavebeasts, sir?"

"I don't know yet, it be Milo's choice." Tolas sighed "Though, better prepared den without, I suppose. Shag, go an grab a few of der gate guard an imprison der older sea otters. Older, male ones. Dey are likely der ring leaders of dis whole ding."

"I hope you don't mean to kill them." Tolas's mood sharply lowered as he turned to see Maria standing in the door of his barracks. Tolas waved his beasts to go about their business and they left awkwardly as they did, keeping their head low from Maria's gaze. Tolas put his paws to the side, huffing at her "Dis be my business, Maria."

"It was till Lougar got killed."

"I am still trying to figure out what he was doin down der anyways, or why he's been acten weird since Kurgle got here."

"Weird?" Maria was nervous in just saying it, but she was relieved to know Tolas did not suspect "Aye, Lougar an I know each other well enough, but we didn't like each other either. Blasted westerner he was. Yet, I respected him. So it be weird to know he an his entire division were murdered as dey were."

"All of them?" Maria sounded surprised as Tolas grunted "Yes, all of dem. I've dealt wit slave revolts before, but nothing like dis. This was purposeful an' organized, as if dem otters down der knew exactly what they wanted to do. I don't believe dem overseers fer a second, saying dey were cornered. A lot of dem were standing around der gate house, as if some beast excused almost all of dem. Absurd as dat is. Der is one beast I got in custody I swear isn't an overseer at all, but dem cats down der swear on der lives is. Kurgle is lucky to even be alive, all dings consideren."

He isn't that clever. Maria was beside herself as she slowly piecing things together. Lougar was suppose to be rid of this foe in the slave pens, but instead was ambushed by him. How Kurgle could have done so still perplexed her, it was so absurd she half suspected Lougar to come alive to fix such a paradox. Is he getting outside help? Is Shaer pulling some manner of strings?

"Tolas, I am deeply saddened by Lougar's loss. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement, you and me, to get justice for him and fo-"

"For Burba?" Tolas raised and eyebrow "Why ya care about Lougar all of a sudden? Is it cause he was an albino?"

"Partly, but that isn't important, he-" Maria grew annoyed when Tolas raised his paw "I'll stop ya so ya don't gotta waste yer breath, Maria Greeneyes."

"Maria Felis."

"Maria Greeneyes." Tolas seethed "Ya are just as owned as I am, maybe even lesser in some cases depending on who ya ask, as with all toys and play things of our emperor. Ya may be an ungrateful witch for Milo's pa for tearing yer misbegotten family from some impoverished island and making ya live in a blasted palace, but I owe Milo far more. I grew up here, an' Milo raised me for bein der best der is at what I do, so if ya dink for a second I will care about some manner of stupid plot you, or Minto, or Lougar had ya can think about it all over again. Just remember, Maria. Yer below my master, and in that we are equals."

Maria held her tongue as Tolas put his paws to his side, expecting her to answer harshly or reveal something to him. Maria pursed her lips and shook with anger like no other. She calmed herself and spoke after resisting the urge to slap Tolas. "Will you at least look into this, Tolas. If not for my sake, then my husband's?"

"I am already doing so, don't ya worry about it."

Maria nodded and went off, with Tolas giving her a suspicious look. Maria returned to her room, ignoring all manner of beasts before coming in to see Lumbert having only partly finished. He stood at attention, profusely apologizing as Maria silenced him with a glare. She sat at her vanity, looking on at her wild form, anger and sorrow pierced her eyes.

Enough of this. I won't allow him to get away with this.

Maria looked through her things and pulled a piece of paper and some ink. She then pulled out all manner of treasures and gifts from her drawer, all things Minto had claimed from his journeys. She began to write a letter in detail, looking over the things she put in front of her. One was a bracelet which read the name of a smaller sea otter, one of Minto's first slaves. She even held a nice stamp, a lesser noble stamp, but one which depicted the symbols of Green Isle upon it. She scoffed as she poured hot wax to seal her letter, and sealed it. Lumbert was watching, only able to guess what the forgery would read like.

"Lumbert, I have something for you to do." She ordered.

Lumbert looked at the letter in her paw and gulped. "Be sure it is in a place that Kurgle cannot find, but Tolas can. Like under a book, or in a dresser."

"Y-yes, mam." Lumbert took the letter in paw as she continued to look into the mirror. Her face was red in fury, and it amazed Lumbert how she was able to hold in such hate. Yet, the slightness of Lumbert's pause made her ever more darker "Go now, slave. Or I will do to you what Minto did his first slave."

Lumbert grew horrified at the thought, and quickly left, leaving Maria to the silence of her room.

---

Milo looked down at the report in front of him, utterly shocked at what he was reading. It was a detailed report of what had happened from eye witnesses, interrogations, and tortures. It even had a crude drawing which he would have found adorable had it not been such a serious act. Milo looked up at Tolas who sat a bit more uncomfortably in his chair, as Milo rubbed his forehead in frustration. Even the comforts of his office caused both to sweat and move around as if they were in a makeshift hovel.

"Seasons, Tolas. How many?"

"Forty one cats in total, my lord. All of Lougar's cats were killed, and we found der bodies all over der place. Of der slaves, around twenty one. I would have been suspicious of dat number meself, but Lougar was ambushed an overwhelmed pretty quickly. Yet, as I report, a few dings don't make a lot of sense. Lougar wasn't suppose to be down der to start with, not with dat many cats especially. Der overseers swear up an down dey were cornered in der whole ding, but none of dem had wounds, and dings died down once der last of Lougar's beasts were killed. A few broken bones from overseers is about all dey had."

"You suspect something, Tolas?"

"Yes." Tolas leaned forward "I suspect a lot of dings. Yer wife wanted me to investigate an' I had to tell her off. Kurgle was also down der as well, but got no wounds? If I had to guess, our entire garrison of overseers an soldiers were told to go enjoy demselves on a break, away from der work sites. Hells, even der slaves were on some manner of break. They got stones an' tore dem apart, Milo. In any other horde, we'd be clearing dem out an' killing dem, an instead I got der leaders awaiting it."

Milo nodded "Suspicious indeed. Lougar's death affects me, but what is worse is that it threatened my family. My own nephew had to fight his way out. You think the overseers were lying?"

"I'm not sure, but likely." Tolas added. Milo shook his head in disbelief "First my sister-in-law, and now my own captain of this blasted palace Tolas. The idea of another death horrifies me, Tolas. It also annoys me. Lougar was a good soldier, the idea a blasted slavebeast killed him does not sit well with me."

"Agreed, I await only yer order, sir."

Milo considered it for a moment, but there were a few things which poked the back of his head. "Such death, even for slaves. It will be considerable, Tolas. Kill a quarter, have the bodies displayed in the quarter and where they work. Be sure they see them and mourn them as they rot." Tolas nodded, getting at least half of what he wanted. Tolas arose, ready to fulfill his grim task when he opened the door to see Maria standing in his way. He nearly jumped with surprise, but the catess glared at him. Milo tried to command her "Maria, we will talk later, Tolas needs to get by an-"

Maria interrupted, staring down in anger at Tolas "Get back inside, rat. We'll discuss my slaves in my terms."

"Oh for seasons sake, Maria." Tolas complained. Maria didn't move and simply pointed to the chair. Tolas relented and sat back down as she came into the office as Milo raised his voice. "Maria, now is not the time for this."

"Not when it involves my otters, Milo." Maria hissed. Milo sighed as Maria loomed over the room, motioning to Milo "Liquidation, hmmm? You would take away my slaves from their much deserved fate?"

"Fate? Der slaves, Maria." Tolas tried to remind her. The mad catess lightly growled at him which made him sink into his chair "Slavery is their fate, you imbecile. You think I am not furious by these change of events, but yet you two morons would dare deny me what I was promised!? I was promised Green Isle, that was the arrangement of our marriage, Milo."

"Yes, it was, and have I not kept true to that? You will have your island in time an-"

"Everything on that island is mine, Milo. It's people, its shores, every little grain of sand, every fruit, every discarded grave. Everything, Milo. Those beasts down there who serve this horde are mine, they are my 'gift' to your horde. I am not your pet, oh dear emperor. I am your wife, and you will have at least that respect for me. You will not be killing my slaves, and anything you wish to heep onto them goes through me."

Tolas grunted at the thought "Maria, they killed a captain an his entire division, what ya want to do wit dem then?"

Maria was glad he had asked, raising herself and smiling with a cruel gleam "It is true, they did kill a captain because they are already being punished. They are punished for daring to resist my rightful claim, to resist their masters' rule over them. I am going to break them, and they will suffer in this life. Double their work, cut their rations, and humiliate them. They will live here, living to be exhausted and tortured. They will work and toil beneath my family till the stars themselves die. They will perish as I see fit, and no one else. Lougar and his cats will be avenged over the years, where they will regret it through toil."

Tolas blinked and frowned at such a statement, looking to Milo where he hoped was more reasonable. Milo sighed, and thought it over.

"Your cruelty is strange, Maria. Tolas, will triple the work be satisfactory?"

Tolas slowly nodded "I can see it done, though their leaders, they are-"

"They have no leader other than me." Maria scolded "Put these ring leaders in cages and hang them over the slums, or shackle them to poles for all to see. Lash them, take their eyes, do whatever. The only thing I ask is that you do not kill them, Tolas." Tolas became suspicious all of a sudden, as she stared at Maria. Why spare even der ring leaders? Odd, even for her. Milo arose and pounded his paw into his table. "Maria, leave such matters to me. You got your wish, so leave me and Tolas to our duties."

"I will be sure you keep to it, my emperor."

Maria stormed out, madness and anger in her eyes. Guards and slave alike parted way to her as Tolas arose next. Milo felt his head ache as he slowly shook his head. "I'd have more readily married my own brother than that infernal creature, Tolas."

Tolas nodded and moved out to fulfill his less grim duties.
_

Milo sat on his bed, looking down at his tired and old paws which he crunched as he moved his nails. The day had gone on about as much as he suspected, as Tolas reported back to him on strange tidings and stranger troubles. Tolas had punished the otters, giving a big speech about their behavior and giving them new work orders. The terrified beasts tried to resist, but that resistance was quickly quelled. Maria watched over the whole affair, giving out random humiliations to ring leaders and those that could have been proven to have killed. Kurgle, he was told, appeared and made a big spectacle, ordering those who had been accused to be shackled and worked to death in the quarry.

"They were calm about it." Milo told himself, trying to think why. Certainly being put in hefty shackles and told to work till death was a fate the slavebeasts would resist? Yet, he was told they did not. Even when Kurgle cruelly selected certain pups and families, they did not complain. It made him feel like a stranger in his own body to think on such issues, like a beast who was suddenly placed in some fantastical world. "Well, Milo. At least Maria didn't cause trouble with that."

Milo sighed as he was interrupted by the plump face of Morma peeking around the door. She was frowning, not having had a good day herself. She had spent some time yelling and despairing over Skarv's little 'plan', calling him the hypocrite he was. Skarv of course yelled back, as she had to be told of what would happen to the slaves who had just particpiated in a slave revolt. It was the one thing she feared would happen. She was only partly relieved when Lumbert told her that Kurgle was already 'punishing' them, sending them to a fishery rather than a quarry, where they could set themselves up in. Morma knew better, this was all so close, as she knew the only reason they had gotten this far was because of Maria's obsessions.

"Morma, are you alright?" Milo softly asked. Morma perked up and nodded "Oh, sorry my lord, just a bit tired. Let me get those big ol' clothes off of you."

Morma helped pull all the finery from Milo who sat on his bed, knowing it would be empty again tonight. He looked saddened as Morma spoke "You don't look well yourself, me lord. You want anything from the kitchens?"

"No, no." Milo answered in a weak voice. He stared out into the gardens of his palace, his beautiful home built for him and his family.

"Morma." He suddenly said, Morma listened as she helped Milo undress "I do not get it. I am no evil beast, yet I am treated as such. Am I not reasonable, am I not wise? Seasons, I swear my own mother may have been right. We were never really ready for this."

"You mother, my lord, as wise as she was didn't expect you to become the war-" Morma nearly said warlord, but quickly corrected herself "Emperor you would grow up to be. Your father was proud when he handed you that crown, you should be more proud and happy than any beast here."

"Yet I do not." The sadness in his voice made Morma stop what she was doing. "Morma, I am the child of conquerors and warlords, kings and warriors. I have conquered nothing, my first war starts so poorly, my title is mocked by some blasted priests who openly despises me, and I have no fought well in years. Shaer is somehow worse, but seasons, at least Minto had a proper tutor. Tolas can be a bit harsh, but he is skilled in what he does."

"I know, I'm sorry what happened in the slave quarter today."

"Morma, you have nothing to apologize for. They were punished as any disobedient slave was, as is my right as their master. Seasons, though. Even I tire of their brokenness and fear." Milo stood and walked over to his vanity, and Morma followed. She held her paws together as Milo looked himself in the mirror. He was older than he remembered, his whiskers a little overgrown for his taste. "Look at me, Morma. I am the son of wildcats, the greatest of all peoples and all species. I am the lord of all vermin. Master of all slaves. Yet I cannot even command my own wife to kneel, and she acts like she is a prisoner lashing out at me. My dear sons, oh how I miss them so, even Minto. That fool boy is still my boy at the end of the day, a creature of my bloodline. He and his mother will have their precious island. And it's people. A gift from me to him."

Morma frowned partly at such words, not even wanting to imagine what horrible fate could befall such an island if left to Maria and her son. Milo look back out at his garden, the sun coming slowly down overhead as the vibrant red flare creased over the whole island. He watched guards pass by and slaves tend to their duties.

"My father drove us to this, Morma. It was Margos Greeneye who crowned himself emperor of Mossflower, and it was Margos Greeneye who brought the whole of this horde together. We built up Gashan as a king of pirates, puppeted as a king of savages amongst the Juska. He and I allied with a king of ice and snow, and we traveled west to get patronage from anyone who would listen. Just as Tarlo is my golden heir, so was I to my father. And his father's before him. The badgers stole my land, killed our family, drove us away. Our destiny is to claim what is rightfully ours, and rule the land as we fit. I will be a powerful king as my ancestors were."

Milo turned his attention back to his room, looking with a softness at his armor stand. His old warrior armor still hung there, and he sometimes wondered if he would fit in it. Morma tried to be comforting to him "I'm certain you Margos would be proud of you, sire."

"I doubt so. I doubt he knows anything at all, Morma. Perhaps I just hate that priest too much, but I have never seen proof of a beast coming from the heavens as the western cats proclaimed. When I am gone, I will simply be gone, and I will have no clue as to when or how I perished. I do not think I will see my father again, as much as I wish to. That vile, red eyed creature. Nothing but honey and silver in his words, and poison for all those who hear them. I cannot wait beyond this life, if there ever is one, I must do what my father wanted now. As my sons claim my kingdom for me, I must deal with my 'allies' here."

Morma watched as Milo made his way towards the bed and sat back down. Morma had a sudden urge of bravery, speaking softly to him "My lord, I know you fear for your kin. I do as well, you know. Especially little Tarlo. I'm sure they are fine, but I hate to imagine what those rotten red painted beasts from across the sea plan for us all. Maybe we should gather your family, all together, master. Laid out a new plan, here and together in these halls."

Milo considered it, he truly did miss his sons and he worried deeply. Shaer was closer, surely, at least if his brother was here he didn't have to worry about him as much. His eye moved to something he had nearly forgotten which lay on his vanity. It was a small and brittle object, ancient even. Milo picked it up and put it in his paw, playing with it lightly. He smiled and showed an old ring, partly cracked with a gemstone in its middle. "A gift my father gave to me, Morma. I know you are a lesser beast, but blood to me is important. Trust as well. This ring belonged to the last queen of Mossflower. That is what my father said, he never told where he got it. Yet, I must trust it is a ring that secures my claim to this world." Milo put the ring back on his vanity and looked at it longingly.

"One day, I will give it to Tarlo, and Tarlo will give it to his own son. So on and so on, for all eternity. My father had trust in me, and I must trust my own sons. They are strong boys, Morma, they will understand the dangers of our 'friends'."

"And of Shaer?"

"My brother, well, he may be a fool, but he isn't stupid. Not like those idiots who slew Lougar. My brother will be safe, I am more than certain." Milo patted his slave on the head and prepared to head to bed. Morma anxiously helped him, feeling saddened by her master's delusions.