Rowan Fafnir: Prologue
#1 of Rowan Fafnir
** Rowan Fafnir**
Prologue
Lightning cut through the sky over the hidden keep, accompanied by a roll of thunder. The heavy rain splattered against the cold, dark stones, keeping an almost foreboding rhythm. Darkness blanketed the ancient keep like a shroud, its ivy-covered walls and towers blurred by the shadows. Though the keep appeared deserted, one figure, wrapped in a thick, heavily oiled cloak, approached it. The massive oak gates creaked open for him, and he passed through, without hesitation.
He passed through the courtyard without looking around, heading straight for the keep, itself. Again, the gates opened for him. Entering the passageway, he cast off his cloak and kept moving. Even in the darkness, his blue eyes shone with strength and power. He walked through the lightless passages with confidence, his posture proud, but his pace slow- as a man knowingly marching to his death.
It was a long march, though he knew where to go. The path to his destination twisted through the labyrinthine passages within the ancient keep. Finally, he stood before the final door. Reaching a single paw out, he pushed it open.
Bright light flooded out from the chamber beyond, and he was forced to cover his eyes. Even as he did so, he heard a deep voice from the other side of the door. A voice he knew all too well... "Thirteen, your failure is most... disappointing."
He lowered his paw and blinked as he adjusted to the much brighter lighting. Stepping into the hall, he spoke, "Boss... I had little other choice."
There, sitting upon a simple throne at the other end of the hall, nearly fifty feet away, was the Boss. His face was masked and his body covered by a hooded cloak. None had ever seen what the Boss looked like. None even knew what species he was. Thirteen glared at him as he stopped halfway through the hall.
"You could have obeyed orders," the Boss replied, "That would have been simple... Yet, you chose not to. You know the punishment for disobedience..." at that, the two Enforcers, one on either side of the Boss, grinned, and the Boss continued, "Before that, though... Have you anything to say?"
Thirteen shrugged, the light shimmering off the dusty copper-tone fur of his shoulders and upper arms, gleaming off the smooth black of his forearms and paws, and glowing from the cream colored fur of his muzzle, around his eyes, and over his chest and abs. He held his long, thick tail, stripped in copper and black, proud as he spoke, "Your orders had me killing needlessly. We may be brigands and thieves, but I, at least, am no murderer. I will only kill when there is no other choice."
The Boss' sharp blue eyes burrowed into Thirteen's for a long moment before he finally spoke, "Where you found such a code of honor, I do not know. It has no place here. A shame- it would fit well with the monks that once occupied this keep. No matter..." finished, the Boss held up his right arm, covered in a full gauntlet, with claws extending from the fingers.
Seeing this signal, the Enforces brandished their clubs. Thirteen's eyes did not falter, glaring at the Boss. The boss dropped his arm back down onto the stone throne with a clank, and the Enforcers approached.
Even as the clubs bashed his thighs, forcing him to his knees, Thirteen made no sound, nor broke his gaze. Even as one broke his arm, Thirteen only glared at the Boss. Even as another broke several ribs, Thirteen's eyes radiated their hatred. Finally, one slammed into the back of his head with a wet thud.
Blessed darkness...
... ... ... ... ... ...
_"...Boss' orders say burn th' barns, Thirteen," a fox was saying to the red panda, "Th' farmer didn' pay up. So, he's payin' with 'is prop'ty," the fox finished, holding up his torch.
"Be sure the barns are empty, first, Thirty Six," Thirteen replied as they walked up to them, "The farmer might need to repay with property, but he doesn't owe enough to pay in blood."
"Tch. Whatever ya say, sir..." the fox muttered, clearly not caring if they ended up killing someone or not. The fox went to the first barn and stepped inside. A moment later, he trotted back out, flames from the ignited hay quickly engulfing the building._
Then the fox went over to the only other barn and brought his arm back to throw the torch. His arm didn't move forward again, though. Confused, he looked over, grunting, "Huh?"
Thirteen was next to him, and had caught his wrist. His blue eyes were fixed on the doorway of the barn, "Wait..." he told the fox.
Letting go of Thirty Six's wrist, the red panda walked into the barn.
The fox was clearly confused, but obeyed. He couldn't disobey someone who's number was half his own, after all. It was twenty minutes before the red panda came back out of the barn.
"Put out the torch, Thirty Six," the red panda said, "Leave the barn. We're out of here," he told the fox, walking passed him.
Still confused, the fox again obeyed, smothering the torch in the dirt as he asked, "Was the farmer in there? Did he give you the money he owes the Boss?"
Thirteen didn't answer.
... ... ... ... ... ...