Dawn
Chapter 3
The Ogre War
"Man has entered the forest."
27 Years Later*
As the years passed, Goldenstar watched from a distance as the boy grew into a man. She had made a good choice bringing him to Agatha. The older woman guided the boy into manhood as well as any loving father could. That wasn't to say that Rumple didn't have problems to face. They were poor and barely getting by, even though Agatha did well supporting herself and Rumple on her own. His biggest problem however was his father's legacy. Malcolm's reputation covered the man cub like a shadow. No one save Agatha and herself could see him in a good light. It made him the prime target for bullies. Goldenstar protected him behind his back, and with her love of mischief set traps throughout town for the other boys who harassed Rumple which were mostly harmless pranks to teach them a lesson. Whenever he was sad because of his situation she herself would turn into a fluffy stray cat and cause mischief around town to raise his spirits. He always laughed when the fluffy little town menace stole fish from carts or tripped the big fat nobles as they walked down stairs. When Rumple came of age and married, she was forced to stay away. Not knowing her true identity, his new bride Milah chased her off with a broom.
However, Goldenstar had her own problems. Something terrible was happening in the forest. The wind began to taste bad as the acrid flavor of smoke and blood mingled in the air. A feeling of fear spread through the animals of the realm as the sky began to turn blood red. At first it appeared to be just another red sunrise that was common before storms. The coming storm however wasn't a natural storm. As she had left her humanity behind long ago, the imp could now see just how different humans were, even from the other apes. An animals concerns were to survive and to live a peaceful life, to take their place among the circle of life. They loved just as humans did. However, there was one thing that always separated man and beast. And it wasn't art or language as they so pridefully stated. It was greed. And greed spouted another ugly invention of the human race…war.
When animals went to battle with each other it was for survival, even when it came to fighting over territory or mates. Human lust for power and coin drove them to their wars. Goldenstar and the animals had always been allies with other magical races in the forest. She and creatures such as the Giants, the Goblin King Jareth(another former Fae that had faced the wrath of Blue for having the audacity of being born a male fairy) and others had been friends for almost as long as she held the throne. The ogres were no different. The only crime they had committed against mankind was that they existed. They only attacked those who came after their people first. They lived by the same code that she and the animals did. They only came after humans who had shown aggression. It just so happened that the ogres lived on territory that was rich in natural resources that could make the Duke wealthy for the rest of his life. The chief of the ogres sent a messenger to Goldenstar to spread the news. Humans declared war on his people. And like many human wars before, it bled into the animal kingdom. Soon she had no choice but to face this threat.
The fires of battle produced an eerie red glow in the sky. It was the full moon. While to the witch it was sacred already, and to her it held two meanings. Every time she looked up, the glow of the moon reminded her that there was a mother who loved her if she knew where to look. And as a feline and the queen of the animal kingdom, it was time to call the gathering of her kingdom. Not all animals of the forest could come once a month, but she encouraged the clan leaders of each species to at least make an effort. Any animal could attend however. It was a time when the food chain did not exist. Peace Rock otherwise known as Pride Rock was a high natural formation that exactly aligned with the moon, giving Goldenstar not a throne exactly but a place to speak to her citizens. The gatherings allowed her to hear their concerns, to dispute sometimes well…very petty arguments between species and within clans of the same species. It was all a matter of who touched me on the arse, who sniffed where they weren't supposed to, this one stole my mate, Hyenas in lionclan, who stole food, who crossed borders…the list went on. But tonight there was a far different concern. It was the common enemy, and in some beautiful cases the common friend that all animals shared. Man.
The Ogre wars weren't just about humans against ogres anymore. If they were willing to start a false war, killing literal children on the front lines to invade the Ogres lands for it's rich natural resources, what would stop them from invading her kingdom next? They already took thousands of horses as slaves. Many times she had held the necks of grieving mares as they watched their colts be whipped at the end of a cart. She had performed burial services for so many animals…and in sad cases human children. There was so much blood shed already, and it tinted the sky with an eerie red. Nature itself was grieving. As much as she loved some humans like that poor boy she had saved so many years ago, she could not allow any of them to harm her animals.
To make matters worse, she was going to be placed in between her own kingdom and the person who was supposed to be her parent and true love. The birds who had been her messengers had revealed a horrible truth to her. The duke was not alone in starting this war. Her counterpart and the dark one had been enthralled by the duke and was assisting him to run this war. Her own parent was about to take up arms against her. It brought her back to that gods forsaken farm all over again. Nothing would break her heart more than to fight Zoso. He was supposed to love her. They were supposed to be a family. Was this her legacy? Her enemies being the ones who were supposed to love her the most? Would Zoso really come after her? Her blood chilled at the thought. Torn between duty to her kingdom and duty to the dark one, she was going to have to make a choice. The animals were loyal to her and had always been there for her. Meanwhile, in these decades that he held his mantle even before becoming enthralled he hadn't so much as written to her. A heartbreaking choice was obvious. She was a queen now, and she needed to act like one.
Taking a deep breath, she stood on her crutches and lifted her neck high to the moon, yowling and roaring as her translator called out, magically amplifying her human voice. "Let all animals old enough to find their own food gather around Peace Rock!" She let out a powerful roar that echoed across the land.
From all directions, animals poured out from the regions of her kingdom and from the wild places beyond. There were thousands of them, but it was obvious that something was amiss. Instead of the usual racous sounds of roaring, barking, bleating and squeaking were replaced with silence. An eerie hush fell over the forest replacing the usual hoots and lows that fell in the air at every gathering before. Within eye of each mammal and reptile, bird and amphibian and beyond was a look of fear that their young queen tried to hide in her amber gaze. That night, peace rock held up to its name under the gaze of war. Prey animals were walking side by side with predator animals, practicing safety in numbers across species. Even the biggest predators were cowering and looking nervously up at the sky. Even mighty dragons tucked their wings and their tails against their bodies. Lions and hyenas, along with other pairs of natural enemies moved close to each other. The eyes of the animal kingdom were all on her.
Goldenstar whimpered under her breath as she fought the urge to suck on her kirtle. Her heart was hammering against her chest and she was grateful to not have eaten yet. She had faced many trials as queen of the animal kingdom, but no disaster had ever before come from human activity, at least not on this magnitude. "I don't think I can do this." She thought to herself as she gazed up towards the moon, blinking back tears. She was only mentally a child. Why had Nimue ever trusted her? She looked in panic to Sarabi who stood at her side and nudged her forward. "Yes you can."
The she imp took the form of a lioness and stood upon pride rock, now Peace Rock during gatherings, her amber eyes looking upon her people with sadness, masking the fear of a child. Thousands of animals bowed down in respect, crouching down for a moment, each stamping a foot down in tribute before looking up towards her with trepidation. "Tonight I bring sad news and a proposal." She took a deep breath. They were all silent, the eyes of all species full of fear. "The Ogre war as you all know has begun to affect our kingdom. Everywhere the light touches has been bathed in blood. The ogres have not asked us to fight alongside of them but I fear we can no longer stand aside." Everywhere she looked, creatures were nodding in agreement, some of the grass eaters pawing the earth to emphasize their agreement.
Pacing back and forth, trying to mask her anxiety and the recurring flashbacks of her father's fury coming to her mind, she lashed her tail as if to show anger. The lioness clawed at the ground. "They are killing our herds. They are polluting the air with smoke. They are enslaving horses and over hunting beyond survival. The food chain is breaking down. And for what!?" Goldenstar roared, sounding much older than the child that was trapped inside her powers and her body. "So their Duke can live a life of luxury!! I cannot let this stand! I will not let this stand!!" She let out another ear splitting roar which was echoed by the roars and squeals and barks of agreement. Plumes of fire erupted into the air from dragons who agreed.
"The age of recruitment for this war is sixteen. SIXTEEN! Human children have always been kind to our races. Look at them! They're KILLING THEIR OWN YOUNG!" Her roaring became even more fierce and filled with even more emotion. The killing of their own children was another thing that set humans apart from most of the animal kingdom. It was a barbarity that had been outlawed in the animal kingdom when Goldenstar took the throne. It was something that she had experienced herself. Even the lions had stopped their tradition of killing the cubs of rival pride leaders during takeovers. To her, there could be nothing more disgusting. It broke her heart to think that Zoso was behind such a barbaric tradition. The dark one was supposed to be better than that…better towards her.
After the resounding grunts and growls of outrage rippling across the sea of fur and scales that stood before her, she spoke again. "But as many of ye know, not all humans are bad." She didn't know why and could never explain but her mind went towards the spinner. She inwardly scolded herself. "So I am sending an ultimatum to the front lines." She pawed the air and a contract appeared beneath her paws. Contracts, promises and deals were the only guarantee in her eyes. They were binding. What good was someone's word? She had been let down and hurt by so many. A verbal agreement wasn't enough. "If one more animal is killed for the sake of the Ogre wars, we will ally with the Giants and the Ogres!" She let out another roar, "Be prepared!"
"Long live the Queen!" The hyenas howled.
"Long live the Queen!" The lions roared.
"Long live the Queen!" The horses and unicorns neighed.
As the full moon rose behind her, the animals all vocalized their loyalty to her and agreement with the she imps plan, one after another. The dragons fire blew into the sky as a warning to the humans who had created that red glow. Every animal, even the smallest herbivore and stray cat belted out their agreement to their young queen's plan, all crying out in unison.
"Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared!
Be prepared!!!"