Two Sides to a Tale

The day was peaceful in the kingdom of Korizane, a light fog shrouded the Crimson Paw Brigade's encampment. When the light of dawn, shone upon it, the barracks began to thrive with activity, as anthromorphic cats, foxes, and one human marched out. The human was special and only recruited because he was extremely intelligent with his IQ of 143 and was pretty decent in size standing at 6’3” and weighing 200 ponds. His name is Garwhyn and he walked alongside his friend Scratch, an anthromorphic domesticated house cat named Scratch, Scratch was much smaller and not as bright as Garwhyn. Scratch had been there for Garwhyn ever since they were kids, since Garwhyn was picked on for being human, Scratch stuck up for him. Garwhyn had always wanted to be like the others, but never knew anybody to consult about it, although he contemplated discussing his issue with Scratch. Garwhyn and Scratch, had walked alongside other furs in uniform as they marched towards the main complex.
When all the furs settled in at the complex, a small and elderly cat came out and said, “We all know the typical routine, we need at least 8 of you on guard duty, 8 of you to cook, 8 of you to hunt, and 8 of you to bring in water.” Since Garwhyn was human he always had the boring job where he had to risk his life: guard duty. Scratch had volunteered for guard duty, to make sure he stayed safe. After the meeting was over, everyone dispersed to go do there jobs, as Scratch and Garwhyn headed for the armory to equip themselves. Scratch had picked out his typical charred-black steel armor with a white trim, it matched his fur. He also grabbed a long sword and a shield that his father died with. Garwhyn had no choice but to grab the worst weapon a warped short sword, leather armor that has been charred and cracked, and a wooden shield that looks like a pot lid with the Crimson Paw Brigade emblem over it. Scratch looked over at Garwhyn, and said, “Sorry you have to be so ill-equipped, but if you use the other armors and weapons, you would be considered a thief and possibly executed.” “It’s alright, I’m used to it.” said Garwhyn, “Besides, it’s not like we are going to battle any time soon.” Scratch nodded as they set off towards the southern tower which faced some mountains.
The frail and elderly cat, had sat down in his quarters to relax and began to fill out papers. Before he heard someone step into his room, he looked up and it was a cloaked figure and a large black and purple dragon that could barely fit in the room. He asked, “What do you want, Vampiryu?” “Nothing, Blazer, we have come to give you a bit of information.” answered the dragon. “Oh, and what might that be?” Blazer looked at them and listened intently. The cloaked figure spoke up and informed, “There is a major threat approaching this encampment. He goes by the name of Riukken, I think you may have heard about him.” Blazer nodded, he fought alongside with Riukken in the civil war of Korizane, and even had a relationship with him once. Blazer looked away in shame, and returned to the conversation with tears in his eyes. “What are his intentions?” questioned Blazer, “He can steal powers now, so he is combing the land in hopes of finding new powers, I sensed a strong one here and he might even take yours.” said Vampiryu. “Do you know which way he approaches?” asked Blazer. “Yes, he approaches from the south, he will be traveling much faster since we are here. Only the gods know how much he hates me and Shaviine. So I predict it will be about an hour until he reaches us.” Before Blazer could say anymore, the two enigmatic figures disappeared into a black mist, as the elderly cat called in his slave, a horse, to go alert the southern tower about this future assault.

Riukken was flying around the mountains maneuvering them very cautiously. He was the essence of neutrality and the creation of two people, a human named Robert and the dragon Vampiryu. To sustain life he was made of rubber and flesh. He had been traveling to the Crimson Paw Brigade only because he sensed Vampiryu and Shaviine there. He would never go to an area with Blazer there; not after their affair at least. Riukken was a vampire, and hated Vampiryu for turning him. Although Riukken was much smaller standing at 6’4” and weighing only 170 pounds compared to Vampiryu’s height of 8’7” and weight of 500 pounds. Riukken continued flying until he landed on a small mountain, that overlooked the camp. It was set up to have four towers, and a stone wall surrounding several buildings and a poorly made palace. “Typical...” scoffed Riukken as he began to walk down the mountain and approach the southern flank, hoping that diplomacy might help him for now.
The slave horse, had finally reached Scratch and Garwhyn who were sitting in a 20 foot-tall tower, “Lord Blazer, has asked me to tell you guys that a warrior approaches from the south threatening to destroy this encampment.” “Are we allowed to go out now and fight it?” asked Scratch. The horse shook her head, “He ordered you stay here and guard the encampment until that warrior approaches. Be warned, he is a dragon and a vampire.” As soon as the horse had left, and was at least 100 paces away from the tower, Scratch and Garwhyn looked at each other. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Scratch. Garwhyn nodded and smiled, as they left the tower and headed towards the mountains, unaware of how strong their opponent might be. Riukken saw a human and cat heading up the mountain so he hid behind a crag to avoid them. As Scratch and Garwhyn walked past Riukken, Scratch heard something moving behind them as he lunged at the sound with a slice of his sword, injuring Riukken’s arm.

Riukken roared out in pain, as he barely bled and the wound healed almost instantly, as he blasted the human and cat with a razor wind. Garwhyn’s shield snapped in half, as he fell, and tumbled down the mountain. Scratch managed to stay upright and began to hold his paws over his own chest, as he glowed a fiery red, he latched onto Riukken’s long tail, hoping to avoid any damage this way. Riukken shook his tail, trying to get Scratch off, but turned to look in shock seeing as Scratch began to melt into Riukken, his armor falling off and legs fusing with Riukken’s tail. To Riukken’s surprise, Scratch was actually enjoying himself as the cat was fully erect when he finally merged with Riukken. If Riukken attacked Scratch he would hurt himself, and vice-versa. Garwhyn however was unaware of this as he charged back up the mountain and swung at both of them blindly. Riukken dodged, and wrapped his tail along with Scratch around Garwhyn holding him still.
The two of them struggled, yelling and swearing before, Riukken shouted over them, “Shut the hell up! Why did you bastards attack me?” Scratch looked at Garwhyn, who tried to speak up, before Riukken said, “The human offers no information to me, I want to hear from the cat.” Garwhyn looked away, extremely mad and upset. Scratch wasn’t the best at lying, so he ended up informing Riukken, “We were told by Lord Blazer to attack you, you are a threat to the camp after all.” Riukken couldn’t help but laugh maniacally, “Blazer, oh how me and him knew each other.” Riukken devised a plan, sensing two weaknesses from the both of them and how to cover this up as just a mistake. Riukken looked at both Garwhyn and Scratch, and his eyes had a hypnotic stare instantly breaking down any walls in their mind and changed the humidity of the air around them so they had to breathe slowly, Riukken asked the two questions as they were both under his control, as Garwhyn told him blankly he never wanted to be a human, and Scratch was in love with Garwhyn. Riukken smiled, using his strategy, he could make their fantasy come true.
Scratch was told to separate himself from Riukken, and he listened obeying Riukken’s orders, as he detached and stood there naked and completely relaxed. Garwhyn was told he was a rubber dragon, and kept repeating what he must look and feel like, as Riukken secreted a liquid from his tail, that turned Garwhyn into a rubber dragon wherever it touched him; spreading over his body completely and at the base of his spine a long tail was formed, and on his back where his scapula is wings, grew out. Riukken looked over Garwhyn’s new form, seeing an exact copy of himself and turned to Scratch. Riukken commanded that Scratch merge himself with Garwhyn’s newfound tail. He obeyed, as the two merged together, Riukken told them they must return at once where they came from. In his mind he knew that they would be mistaken for himself. They followed, and Riukken went the opposite way, until they were about 500 paces from camp, they came to. They looked at each other confused, and looked back at the mountains. Scratch tried to attack Garwhyn thinking he was Riukken, and Garwhyn tried to calm him down shouting, “It’s me! It’s Garwhyn stop hurting me!” Scratch stopped suddenly and blushed, he asked, “How did you get transformed?” Garwhyn shrugged his shoulders, however they were interrupted by the sound of the Crimson Brigade’s alarm.

The whole Brigade rushed to the southern side of the town, seeing that there was an attacker, through the fog they couldn’t recognize Scratch. Blazer approached and commanded, “Aim your bows at that vampiric dragon! He has come to assassinate me!” Both Scratch and Garwhyn tried to yell over Blazer’s commands to tell the Brigade that it was them: Scratch and Garwhyn. The arrows, sliced through the air most of them missing both Garwhyn and Scratch. Before one nailed Garwhyn in the chest killing him almost instantly. Scratch, was dying now that his host was gone. Quickly he detached himself, and ran towards the brigade, shouting, “Riukken’s dead! He’s dead!” Blazer noticed that Scratch disobeyed his order’s, and took a longbow; loaded an arrow and fired at Scratch hitting him in the throat. The cat fell to his knees, gasping for air, as blood poured out, before he finally died holding up his hand in mercy. Several soldiers set out to retrieve both bodies, first they burned the body of Scratch.
Later on; during the night, Vampiryu and his companion Shaviine returned, hearing that Blazer killed Riukken. “We killed him, now do you have any rewards in mind?” informed Blazer. “No...” said Vampiryu, “What?! What the hell do you mean no rewards?!” shouted Blazer. “Not that... This isn’t Riukken, this is Garwhyn. Riukken tricked you.” said Vampiryu. “For trying to deceive us, and calling us out here, this encampment serves of no use to us.” continued Shaviine. As Vampiryu let out a bloodcurdling roar, and decimated Blazer with dark fire, the two villains ran amuck in the camp destroying buildings, and killing soldiers until they burnt it to the ground. Vampiryu looked up at the moon which was full, and swore, “I will find you Riukken and I will kill you when I do.”