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Darkness, pain, and suffering. Three of the many things that awaited those who found themselves unfortunate enough to be cast into the dungeons beneath the city of Brunar. They say that one goes mad long before death is granted, and that by the time it happens it's considered a mercy. Lucky for many, the horror stories about such a place is the closest they come to experiencing it first hand. Not everyone, however, is so lucky.

"Please, I swear!" A voice pleaded, breaking through the silence of the dungeon halls, grunts of defiance soon following. "I swear it wasn't me!" The voice continued to plead, to no avail.

Being dragged through the decrepit dungeon, was the owner of the pleading voice. A grey wolf by the name of Cedric. Dragging him were the looming figures of two large brown bears, dressed in city guard uniforms. Neither of the large men payed poor Cedric any mind. Upon reaching a dingy looking cell, one of the guards removed a heavy key ring from his belt and opened the door. The two bears tossed Cedric forwards into the cell without care, him hitting the dirty cobbled ground with a soft thud. Cedric heard the cell lock behind him, and got up to see the guards backs as they made their leave.

Cedric ran up to the bars of the cell, wrapping his paws around them. "I swear you've got the wrong wolf!" He pleaded once more, pushing his muzzle through the bars as though it made a difference. The guards just continued to ignore him, the light of their torch rounding the corner with them.

The only light source left was a single torch sconce on the wall a good fifteen feet away, the small flickering fire ever so slightly illuminating his grey fur. After remaining in the same position for a few more seconds, hopeful they may come back, he gave up and resigned himself to his fate, moving to the rotting wooden bench on the other side of the cell.

He took the time to look around his new home for the near future. As well as he could at least given the low level of light, his canine eyes helping him to see in the dark. Cramped, dirty, and smelly, with a bucket up the corner he hoped he was wrong about the use for. Your typical dungeon cell. His mood plummeted, his eyes watering up as he realised just how deep in the shit he was.

'If I ever find out who framed me for stealing that... whatever it is...' He said inwardly to himself for a second, unsure of how to complete the thought.

Cedric suddenly felt a burst of anger well up inside of him. Balling up his right paw into a fist, he slammed it down onto the bench beside him, rattling the chains hanging it to the wall. He wasn't sure where it came from, as even in the most extreme circumstances he never tended to hit things out of anger. The emotion soon dissipated, and he was left rubbing his slightly paining paw in his lap.

"So, did ya do it?" A smooth, masculine voice in the cell opposite suddenly asked. Cedric nearly jumped out of his fur, suddenly unsure whether he actually heard that or madness was setting in quicker than he expected. He squinted at the cell opposite, and could just about make out the silhouette of someone laying across the wooden bench. He couldn't make out any distinctive features. "Well? Did ya?" The voice asked again.

"Do what?" Cedric replied, his voice betraying him as to how nervous he really was. He got up and walked to the cell bars, hoping to get a better look at the person in the other cell.

"What, did the guards hit ya too hard over the head or something?" Teased the voice, Cedric now able to make out the shape of a bushy tail swinging in the air. "did ya do what ya say ya didn't?" They asked for a third time.

Cedric nearly slapped his paw to his forehead when he realised what the voice meant. Not two minutes ago he was shouting to the guards about how he didn't do it, and now here he was looking like a complete idiot who had already gone insane.

"Oh umm... no. I... I didn't." Cedric was practically wearing his nerves on his sleeves at this point, any hint of bravery gone from his voice.

There was an uncomfortable silence from the voice for a few seconds, before it finally spoke again. "And what was it that ya didn't do, exactly?" The stranger asked, in an almost mocking tone.

Cedric froze for a second, unsure of whether he should trust this random stranger. He soon realised however, that he had nothing left to lose anyway. "That I... stole from the Royal Family." Cedric blurted out quickly, as though it would burn his tongue the more the words stayed in his mouth.

Cedric heard the stranger jolt up in his seat, now nearly being able to make out some detail about his appearance. "Ya tried to steal from the Royal Family?" The stranger asked in shock. "You?" He added, almost like an insult.

Cedric suddenly got a bit of resolve within himself, standing up straight and crossing his arms. "No! Like I said, I didn't do anything!" He proclaimed once more. "And what do you mean by 'You?', why not me?" He added, a little insulted as to what the stranger meant.

"Yeah, I'm sure ya didn't do anything, Pup." The Stranger replied condescendingly. "And by 'You?' I mean ya just don't look the type." They finished. Cedric wondered how the Stranger could make him out, as he could barely see into the other cell.

Cedric wouldn't have to worry about that for much longer however, as the Stranger suddenly stood up and made his way to the cell bars as well. Reaching them, they leant on the bar running across the middle of the others, their forearms sticking out into hall.

Cedric finally got a good look the mysterious stranger. He was a wolf, much like himself, only his fur was more of a red tint than his own grey. He was also both taller, and more muscular than himself, though not by much. The Stranger was flashing him a toothy grin, picking at his own claws whilst staring him down. Under normal circumstances Cedric would have found him quite attractive, but these weren't normal circumstances.

"I tell ya, ya got balls kid. Stealing from a family like that." Cedrics annoyance rose as the stranger still didn't believe him. "Names Gryff, by the way." He introduced himself, somehow flashing that cheeky smile even wider. Cedric just stared at him for a few seconds, happy to finally put a face to the voice.

"Cedric." He simply replied, flatly. Resisting the urge to reach out for a handshake after realising they were separated by two separate sets of bars. Come to think of it, he wasn't sure why he thought about being so polite. It's the way he was raised, he supposed.

"Well Ced, better get comfy." Gryff replied, walking back into the shadows to sit on his bench. "We'll be in here a while." Cedric could hear the wood settle under the wolfs weight.

Realising that his dungeon mate is right, Cedric himself returned to the uncomfortable wooden cot in his own cell, lying down as comfortably as he could. His mind raced with the events of the day, and where he'd managed to end up. The thoughts must've been more taxing than he realised, because the sweet grasp of sleep suddenly found it's way to him, and he soon fell into a not so peaceful slumber.

"Hey! Pup!" Cedric stirred slightly, swearing he could hear someone trying to get his attention. He simply rolled back over, trying to get back to sleep. "Hey, wake up!" This time he was sure he heard it, and suddenly felt something small hit him on the back of the head. Jolting up, he turned groggily to see Gryff looking at him from the other cell. His eyes met the other wolf. "Get up!" Gryff whisper shouted across the hall.

Cedric sat up slowly, rubbing his aching eyes with the back of his paws. "What? Why?" He asked Gryff in a sleepy stupor, confused about what was happening.

"Just wake up. The guards are here for night duty." Gryff stated, flicking his head to his right, Cedric hearing the mumbling of guards talking around the corner.

Cedric continued to be confused, wondering why this warranted waking him up. "And?" He asked, still half asleep.

"Well, I assume ya want to get out of here alive, huh?" The red wolf asked him, the question waking him up a little bit.

"Yeeeah?" Cedric asked slowly, and wearily. Standing up to get closer to Gryff on the other side of the hall. He wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"Then today's your lucky day!" Gryff responded, holding his arms wide apart on either side of himself. He had a mischievous look in his eye that Cedric didn't like.

"What do you mean?" Cedric asked, meeting Gryffs eyes with mild concern. "What're you going to do?" He asked, hoping to get a straight answer out of him.

"Just follow my lead." Was all he got in response, Gryff throwing him a quick wink before turning towards where the guards were situated. "GUARD! GUARD! PLEASE HELP!" Gryff shouted down the hall in a silly voice, almost like a damsel in distress. It almost made Cedric laugh, even given the circumstances. "OH PLEASE, ONE OF YOU! MY FRIEND HERE NEEDS HELP!" Cedrics blood quickly ran cold as Gryff mentioned what must've been him, darting his eyes over to the wolf. "Now quickly, pretend to be hurt!" Gryff whispered to a suddenly confused Cedric.

"What? Why?" Cedric nearly screamed, eyes wider than an open window. His anxiety shot through the roof.

"Just do it, quickly!" Gryff told him, and though he wasn't quite sure why, he listened, balling up in the corner at the back of the room. A few seconds later he heard the heavy thuds of one of the guards round the corner, before getting louder as they came towards their cells. He shoved his muzzle into his folded arms, and waited. It wasn't long until the guard stopped outside of his cell.

"There look!" Cedric heard Gryff say, his act becoming more believable now he wasn't shouting. "There's something... wrong with him!" Gryff continued, only getting an affirming grunt from the guard. Cedric just kept his face in his arms, beginning to wonder why he even listened to Gryff in the first place.

"Hey you! Kid! What's wro--." Was all Cedric heard the guard say, before he was suddenly cut off, making a slight choking sound and a soft thud. Looking up to see what had happened, his eyes shot open wide again when he realised what was happening.

Past his cell bars, at opposite side of the slightly narrow hallway, Cedric saw the bear guard pulled tightly against the cell that belonged to Gryff, a red furred arm wrapping around the guards neck. One he knew belonged to Gryff himself. The bears arms were both swinging wildly behind him, trying to pry the arm from around his neck. Any attempts to stop the attack were futile, as the choking continued.

Standing up, Cedric rushed over to the bars of his cell to get a better look at what was happening. He could see Gryff better now, who was not only using his arms to pull at the guards neck, but his feet were also a few feet off the ground, planted against the bars, pushing away to give his arms some extra pull. It seemed to be working, as when Cedric looked back over to the guard his eyes were beginning to roll into the back of his head, and after another minute or so of not being able to look away, the bears body fell limp. Gryff slowly brought his body to the ground, making next to no noise.

It was only at this point that Cedric really processed what he had just witnessed. He'd just watched someone strangle another person to death. He wasn't used to this. It's not like he'd never seen death before, but to be so close to it happening in the moment was something different. He had to sit down, and without looking found the wooden bench and plopped himself onto it. His paws were covering his eyes, and the only stimulation was the rustling sound coming from the other cell. Cedric stayed like that to gather himself for what seemed like ages, before a voice broke him out his stupor.

"Hey, kid." Cedric looked up, seeing the same cocky smile coming from Gryff. Only now it wasn't coming from the cell opposite him, it was coming from the open door to his cell. In the time it had taken Cedric to process what had just happened, Gryff had managed to steal the keys from to guard and open both of their cells. Feeling a sudden, strange anger brew up inside of him, he charged up to Gryff until he was only a few feet away from him. It was also only now he realised just how much bigger the wolf was than him in both height and weight, though not by much. His anger remained, however.

"You... You just killed him!" Cedric almost shouted, pointing to the limp body on the ground. He still had the sense to not shout outright. "You just... he was just..." He couldn't form the sentences in his head, his thoughts only coming out an incoherent mess. He brought his paws to his head, suddenly beginning to panic slightly.

"Relax kid, it was the only way to get outta here." Gryff replied coolly, placing his paws on his hips with a smug smile. "besides, he isn't dead. Just taking a nap." The red wolf chuckled at this, finding it funny that Cedric thought the guard was dead.

Though hearing this made Cedric feel a little bit better, it didn't brighten the situation for him at all. He just leant back against his cell, resting his head against the cold metal, looking up at the wet dungeon ceiling to collect his thoughts.

"Well, now what?" He asked, directing his gaze towards Gryff. "We're practically escapees right now!" He had to catch himself again from raising his voice too loud. "I mean, we... we've attacked a guard, we've left our cells, we--"

"Chill out, fluff." Gryff interrupted, Cedric narrowing his eyes at being called a demeaning name. "I have a plan!" He continued with that same cocky smirk, raising his paws to either side. "Question is... do you trust me?"

"Huh?" Cedric cocked his head to the left, almost taken back by what he thought was such a stupid question.

"Do you trust me?" Gryff repeated, his smirk not wavering as he returned his paws to his waist.

"No!" Cedric answered, matter of factly. Unable to suppress a small chuckle at having to answer the silly question. He noticed Gryffs usual cool demeanour break for half a second, as though he expected the answer to be yes. "What reason in the heavens do I have to trust you?"

Gryff didn't say anything immediately. He just looked around at nothing as his demeanour once again began to falter, until he placed a couple thick fingers on his white chin, in an almost comical thinking pose.

"Umm... none. I've given ya none." Gryff replied, saying the words quickly as though it pained him. "buuuut..." He continued, raising as single finger as his smile returned to his muzzle. "If you trust me now, I can guarantee you a safe way out."

"Guarantee me safe way out?" Cedric replied in a shocked tone. "You got me into this mess. You owe me a safe way out!" He finished, pointing a claw square into the middle of Gryffs bare chest. He wasn't sure where this sudden bravery was coming from, but he didn't really care.

Gryffs ears lay flat across his head, as he brought a paw up to rub it. His smile remained however. "That, I guess I do huh?" He asked rhetorically. "Well..." he suddenly said, bending down to pick up the guards torch. "If you would follow me." Gryff said, before making his way down the hall. Cedric just rolled his eyes and followed.

The pair reached the corner at the end of the hall, and Cedric watched as Gryff slightly peaked around the corner to get a look. He soon turned around, and gestured his head down the hallway behind them, indicating that it was the way to go before setting off. As Cedric followed close behind, he looked behind him to see the other two guards playing some sort of card game, their backs facing the two wolves.

Cedric followed Gryff through what seemed like endless amounts of corridors. Some long, some short, some with other prisoners being held that they had to be careful to avoid. Not to mention the countless patrols they had to dodge, Cedric nearly coming close to being caught if not for Gryff effortlessly dragging him by the scruff of his neck behind some crates. The red wolf must've packed some decent muscles underneath all that fur. Cedric had to strike those thoughts from his head. Another time perhaps.

As was the case many times before, Cedric was following close behind the back of his new acquaintance down another indistinguishable corridor. His focus however soon shifted to a particular cell, in which an unfortunate fox was shackled to the wall by his wrists. Even through the fur, his ribs were visible, and he had an unthinkable amount of cuts all over his naked body. All that could be heard was a raspy, pathetic breath as the poor soul struggled to take in air. He'd heard the stories about what they did to people down here in the dungeons, but he never believed them. Old wives tales he would think to himself. Now however, undeniable proof lay right before him, and it made him feel sick.

His full attention now on the fox, he didn't realise that Gryff had stopped a little ways in front of him until it was too late. Colliding with the furry back of his companion, he let out a little grunt of pain as the wolf only slightly budged. Unfortunately, that was all that was needed, as Gryff lost grip of the torch he was holding. Falling to the cold, cobbled floor in slow motion, Cedric watched as it bounced and rolled across the floor, coming to a complete stop a few inches away from two lumbering guards a few metres ahead of them.

Turning to face them, both of the guards' eyes snapped open in realisation, as they quickly figured out that the two of them were not meant to be there. Before he could even think, Cedric watched as Gryff leapt into a jumping kick of sorts, his foot meeting the muzzle of one of the guards. He collapsed into the other, sending them both tumbling onto the ground in a heap. Neither were knocked out however.

Quickly darting past him, Gryff grabbed Cedric by the paw and dragged him in the opposite direction. "RUN!" Was all that Gryff let out, and Cedric didn't need to be told twice. Sprinting off in the same direction, Cedric found it hard to keep up with Gryff, yet he somehow managed it. He put it down to the adrenaline that was coursing through his veins.

They didn't get too far away before they heard booming voices behind them shout that prisoners had escaped, and it wasn't long until they heard the familiar thudding of heavy footsteps behind them. Cedric wasn't going to look back however, keeping his eyes firmly locked on the wolf in front of him. Last time he looked away things had gone wrong, and he wasn't about to let that happen again. They made their way through the never ending labyrinth of corridors, until Gryff came to a sudden halt above a small grate in the floor.

"Here, help me get this off!" Gryff commanded, Cedric not wasting a second as he gripped the bars on the opposite side. Pulling with all his might, the grate eventually lifted, and they both slid it off to the side. Cedric watched as Gryff leapt into the hole, hearing a small splash from his impact not even a second later. Cedric wasted no time, climbing into the hole and pulling as hard as he could to get the grate back on. The footsteps behind them were getting louder, and it wouldn't be long until they were right on tip of him. With a final burst of strength, he managed to slip the grate back into place, before losing his footing and tumbling down the hole. The light from above fading ever so slightly towards the bottom.

Landing hard on the floor about eight foot below, a red paw clamped around his muzzle. Realising this was Gryffs, he groaned in pain into the paw as he heard what must've been ten sets of footsteps pass over the grate above. Around a full minute later, the grip around his muzzle finally loosened, and he got to his feet. Cedric realised as he stood to that there was about half a foot of water below them, and that his backside was now drenched. He didn't have time to think about where they were standing, as he was met by the intense stare of Gryff.

"What was that back there!" Gryff practically shouted, making Cedric shrink in size. He didn't need to ask what he meant, as he already knew.

"I just... I saw this fox in a cell and... he looks so... bad, and I couldn't look away because..." He had to stop for a second, emotions surging inside of him. "I don't know, it's just..." Cedrics emotions were getting the better of him, and he could feel the water beginning to wet his eyes. Gryff must've noticed too, as his expression soon softened into a more pitiful one.

"Hey, kid!" Gryff placed a hand on Cedrics shoulder, causing Cedric to look up into his eyes. "I know it's... not a nice thing to see, but I need ya to calm down, okay?" Gryff continued, in a much calmer voice than before. He then placed his other hand on his other shoulder, making direct eyes contact. "I just need ya to pull it together, just for a little bit, okay?" He asked sincerely, Cedric actually beginning to calm down somewhat.

"Mmm hmm." Was all Cedric could respond with, sniffling as he tried to straighten himself out, only to find the ceiling in here was much lower than before.

"Good, good. Then let's go, follow me." Gryff said calmly, making his way down the fairly small sewer tunnel into the darkness.

Cedric once again followed Gryff, the mood now somehow more sombre than before. He had to cover his nose to block the rancid smell, but that seemed to hardly do a thing. It wasn't long until Cedric heard the slight sound of water crashing against something, the sound got louder, and soon the indistinguishable blue light of the moon bounced it's way down the tunnel, and a cool breeze brushed across his grey fur.

They pair of wolves made their way to the end of the tunnel, which thankfully began to open up more as they did. Reaching the end, Cedrics stomach sank as he looked down off the edge, seeing what must've been a hundred foot drop into a small patch of water below. He quickly backed off from the edge, afraid he might somehow slip and fall. He looked up at the almost amused smirk of Gryff.

"Please, please tell me that's not the way out of here!" He pleaded, begging Gryff with his eyes to say no.

"Unfortunately it is, pup. Best way out of this hole." Gryff replied, crossing his arms. Looking down over the edge.

"Safe." Was all Cedric replied with. "You said 'safe' way out. In what world is this safe?" He finished, bemused. The wind ruffling his neck fur as he did.

"It's easy, you just jump in there." Gryff answered, pointing down into the small body of water at the foot of the drop.

Cedric laughed, though not a genuine one. Laughter at how nonchalant the wolf in front of him was being about this whole thing. Not a drop of fear was present on that wolfs face, and Cedric wondered if he'd ever done this before. Yes was probably the answer.

"There has to be another way!" Cedric said, knowing there likely isn't, but is unable to face the fact. Gryff chuckles at what he says.

"Well, unless ya wanna go back up there and face Mr. Bear and his merry band of clowns," Gryff says, pointing his thumb back up above them. "then this is the way." He finishes, this time pointing off the edge again.

Cedric knew deep down that there was no other way, but was holding on to that glimmer of hope that there was. Finally coming to terms with what he has to do, he stands up straight to signify that he is ready. As ready as he can be at least. Gryff notices this, giving him a knowing smile.

"Okay, I'll go first." Gryff begins, taking a few steps back from the edge in preparation. "If ya don't see me resurface in fifteen seconds, then I'm dead."

"WHAT?!" Cedric shouted, eyes shooting open wide, his anxiety coming back to him in an instant.

"I'm joking, I'm joking." Gryff replied quickly, quelling the anxiety that had come back in Cedric, being replaced by annoyance and a hard stare. "Hopefully." Gryff muttered under his breath, Cedric not hearing, as he ran towards the edge and leapt off.

Cedric watched as the red wolf fell for what seemed like ages, until he splashes into the pool below. After watching intensely for a few long seconds, the wolf emerged from the water, Cedric breathing a deep sigh of relief. He watched as Gryff swam the twenty or so metres to the shore, exiting the pool and giving what Cedric hoped was a thumbs up.

The reality of what he was about to do settled in suddenly however, but he wasn't about to let it distract him. He had to do, not think. So with nothing really left to lose, Cedric stepped a couple metres back from the edge and set off. Before he knew it, he was flying through the air, the ground beneath him getting closer at a dizzying speed. It wasn't long until the water hit him like a punch to the gut, and he was looking up at the distorted visage of the moon above him. He heard a muffled splash, and before he knew it he was being dragged out of the water by someone. That someone being Gryff. His thoughts were melded into one, until he finally realised he was lying on a wet patch of grass, looking up at the smiling red wolf.

"You did it!" Gryff was beaming, throwing a celebratory fist bump into the air. "I knew ya could, I had my doubts but I knew I was right!"

Probably because of the rush of emotions, and the happiness of Gryff being somewhat contagious, Cedric soon found himself laughing in joy at what had just happened. Finally letting out all that nervous energy. Gryff extended a paw to Cedric, and he quickly took it, being pulled quickly up to his feet. The revelling soon died down, and the two were left looking back up at the almost monolithic looking jump above them. Cedric had never done anything remotely brave in his life, yet here he was, having just jumped a hundred feet into water. The adrenaline was like a drug, and he didn't want it to end.

"So..." Cedric heard Gryff say to his left, turning to face him. "What are you gonna do now, pup?" Gryff asked, confusing Cedric.

"What do you mean?" Though it's obvious what Gryff meant, somehow it never got through to Cedric. He looked at the bigger wolf, confusion plain on his face.

"I mean, you're a wanted wolf now Ced." Gryff began, Cedric now realising what he was getting at. "Ya can't exactly go back there," Gryff continued, gesturing towards Brunar with his paw. "and their sphere of influence is pretty big."

What Gryff was saying dawned on Cedric fast. He was right, it's not like escaping prison excuses your past wrongdoings, in fact it made them worse. Even worse however, was that Brunar held control over a large part of the continent. He'd be on the run for ages, that is if he never got caught, which would likely be a death sentence.

"I... I don't really know." Cedric looked at the floor, realising just how deep in the shit he really was. "I never really thought about it."

"Well..." Gryff started, moving to stand next to the smaller wolf. "I do have... a proposition, of sorts. If you're willing of course." He said, crossing his paws in front of him. Gryff was being coy, and Cedric wasn't sure why.

"What sort of proposition?" Cedric asked curiously, raising an eyebrow instinctively. He was interested to see where this went.

"You could... come travelling with me." Gryff responded, shocking Cedric a little with how forward he was being. They'd not know each other more than a day, and now here he was asking to come with him. He almost spat out the answer no right then and there, but the more he though about it, the more it made sense. Gryff clearly knew how to handle himself, something Cedric hadn't the slightest idea about. It was also very likely he knew the land, he seemed like the sort. The more he thought about it, the more it just seemed to work. He noticed that Gryff himself was already listing off reasons it would be beneficial to him, and tuned in at the last second.

"--nd of course I know all about the surrounding areas. It just makes sense, ya know?" Gryff finished, Cedric unsure of what he'd said previously as he wasn't listening. His mind was made up, however.

"Okay." Was all Cedric replied with, hoping to catch the wolf off guard, which it did.

"See, I knew you'd say that so--" Gryff had turned to face Cedric, the smile on his face suddenly gone, replaced with a surprised expression. "Wait a second. Did you say 'okay'?"

"Yeah, okay. It makes sense. I'll come with you." Cedric reiterated, looking amused at the still bewildered wolf.

"Just like that? No convincing?" Gryff seemed like he thought he was being tricked, like it wasn't a genuine answer.

"No convincing. I've made up my mind." Cedric just flashed a similarly cocky grin back at the wolf, happy to be on the upper hand for once.

"Umm... okay then!" That same smile on Gryffs face returned, turning on his heel to face the woods behind them, pointing. "That's the way we go, kid." He said, before setting off.

Cedric joined him by his side, walking in tandem next to Gryff. There was one question he had on his mind however. "So what do you get out of all this?" He asked, genuinely.

"Someone to talk to." Gryff replied quickly, meeting the questioning gaze of Cedric. "What? It's the truth! It gets lonely out here!" Cedric just simply scoffed, chuckling. He was unsure where he believed Gryff or not, but it was likely the best he was going to get out of the wolf for now.

Making their way into the darkness of the woods, the two began to chat away, though the conversation this time was much more high spirited. They were walking away as relatively free men, and their moods were certainly showing it. They disappeared through the Bush, and even though a part of Cedric was still anxious about the days to come, he was happy knowing that he wouldn't have to brave it alone.

Meanwhile, back in the city of Brunar...

"He escaped?" Came a posh, snobby sounding voice. "How did he escape, we have guards do we not?" The voice continued, gesturing towards a few worried looking bears in guards uniforms.

"Um... we do, sir. It's just that he managed to incapacitate some of them." A meek voiced badger replied, looking up to a figure sitting in the overly decorated throne above him.

The figure rose from his seated position, seemingly a giant when perched atop the impossibly white marble stairs. As though he didn't seem tall enough already, broad, wonderfully kept antlers rose high above his head, easily giving him an extra three foot. His expression remained neutral however, unwilling to betray his face as the anger surged within him. Standing up straight and proper, like a refined aristocrat, he made his way down the short marble stair case ahead of him. Eyes locked directly onto the badger.

"Tell me," He began, pausing as though for dramatic effect. "How a single wolf... managed to not only escape from my care," The stag continued down the stairs. "but managed to take out several well trained guards along the way?" He smiled pompously, not expecting a fulfilling answer. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he looked down at the now cowering badger, towering over him like a giant.

The badger backed up a step or two, before replying. "Well, that's thing sir. He wasn't alone."

This caught the Stag off guard, his expressing faltering for a second before returning back to normal. "Then who helped him?" He asked, eyes now boring into the poor badgers.

"We don't know, sir." The badger replied, instinctively shielding himself from harm. The Stags eye twitched, becoming restless with the incompetence he was witnessing.

The looming figure didn't respond immediately, only looking off to the side at some beautifully crafted artwork on the far wall. He approached it, looking up at what must have been a portrait of a family member, them equally dressed as sharply. Not responding for a few minutes, the Stag thought. The tension in the room was indescribable, and everyone, including the guards, were beginning to sweat. It wasn't long until the Stag broke the silence.

"You there, guard." He pointed to one of the bears by the entrance to the throne room, the bear immediately straightening into a salute. "please be so kind as to march Mr. Pembroke here down to the Obedientiam." The badgers eyes immediately shot open in fear, as though his family had just been brought out before him at knife point.

"Immediately, Sir Lysander." The guard ended his salute, and approached the terrified looking badger.

"No! Wait, please!" the badger pleaded. "I can find out who they were, just give me a chance!" He begged to Lysander, just as the guard roughly grabbed him by the arm.

Lysander stayed staring at the portrait before him. "You already had a chance." Was all the badger got coldly in response. He continued to kick and plead, until he was well out of the throne room and the doors slammed shut behind him, leaving the room in a deafening silence. The other two guards looked at each other nervously, unsure as to whether they would soon face a similar punishment.

Lysander turned to the remaining guards, beckoning the one closest over to him. "I want you to sweep the cells, find out who is missing, and discover who helped our little would be murderer escape. Am I clear?" He asked succinctly, the bear replying with a straight faced salute, marching out of the room.

Looking to the other guard, Lysander ignored him, electing to march right past him out of the throne room. He payed him no mind, as he passed him by without so much as a flicker of attention, passing through the opulent, heavy door of the throne room. The large doors slowly came to a close, as Lysander continued on with fire in his eyes, all behind a creepily calm demeanour. He was going to catch that wolf, and he was going to make him wish he had never been born.