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Chapter- 1 "Meet the Vile"

Are you Looking for a tale? One with tails? Perhaps Elves, Dwarves, sentient beasts and monsters of yore, death, love, and battle? Well then welcome to the World of Alta! Our story begins like many before, outside of a small village tavern. The season was that of early fall. Leaves are beginning to turn, businesses and locals shift their trade to match as the harvest season is upon them. Rattling down the worn road came horse-drawn cart. A crimson hooded rider resided in the middle of the driver's bench. Light of the Tavern flicked softly in the distance, the drone of hooves and the occasion whispering of wind echoed over the nearby fields and scattered groves.

A long sleek muzzle appeared from under the veil for a moment pointed skyward as barely audible plip, plop of rain began to dot the cart and the dirt road around the rider.

"Ya!" The rider barked and cracked the reigns spurring the horse into a light gallop. The Tavern ahead looked well-worn with a browning thatch roof and a door so warped and banged up one could several gaps around its frame. The ground before it was barren of grass and had heavy traffic. Inside one could see it was just a small rural Tavern with only a few tables on the left near the fireplace and a small bar on the right. It was cozy, to say the least. A jarring burst of laughter drowned out the few other patrons and ambient rain that was nearly a full downpour as the cart pulled up.

The door creaked open guided by a slender clawed hand, its coal-colored fur shimmered in the firelight before disappearing back under the crimson cloak as the rider ducked slightly to enter. The noisy door clicking shut behind the rider while emerald orbs darted around the tavern quickly taking in the other occupants before fixing on an empty bar stool and making his way to it. Rather than shedding the rain-soaked cloak, the rider hid under its cowl exposing only the dripping snout of what the bartender could only assume was another shady traveler. The kind best served and left alone.

"Anareecie?" the bartender suddenly called drawing the attention of a young woodland elf girl stacking dishes behind the counter. She appeared to be your standard barmaid save for her fiery red hair neatly tucked behind her trademark ears highlighted only by the paleness of her skin. Uncommon it was, as Wood Elves were often darker in complexion

" tend to that lot before they get too rowdy." he said, nodding towards a table in the corner nearest the fireplace. The barmaid grunted under her breath with disgust. The rider gave a sidelong look at the maid while she approached what appeared to be a massive anthropomorphic lion creature accompanied by a few humans and dark elves. All proudly wearing various styles of armor and weapons save for the Lion.

The riders gaze shifted to the beast as a roar of laughter erupted from his chest, barren of cloth. It appeared the lion liked to wear his scars with pride as several marked his torso covered only by the criss-cross of the straps that struggled to hold an oversized hand ax to its back. The beasts mane sparkled with gold and precious gems carved into various beads that decorated it. As it laughed one could even see its fangs bore golden rings. Vanity was ripe with this one.

"it's about time!" The lion barked and slammed his empty mug down.

"can I get you something?" The bartender asked the rider. He gave no response as his attention was wholly on the situation behind him.

The barmaid attempted to gather the tables empty mugs for a refill but before she even reached for the first the lion snatched her by the wrist and yanked her to his side. Even though he was seated standing next to him, she appeared as but a child in the shadow of this gargantuan beast. Make no mistake the rider was tall at nearly seven feet but this lion could easily be described as a mountain. Anareecie struggled against the beast which only angered him as he grabbed her head with his other hand and yanked it to his muzzle where he whispered something. Unheard to all but the most sensitive ears he growled.

"yer dirt farming father better pay up...less he wishes to pay with you." the lion grinned and licked his chops before roughly releasing her. She glared daggers at him and held her tongue as she grabbed the mugs with a loud clatter and retreated back to the bar. Not before the lion could get a swat on her rear eliciting an embarrassed shriek from her and a chuckle from his "gang".

"you want a drink or not?" The bartender spoke again to the rider ignoring the scene at the back of the Tavern. The rider finally hearing him snapped his attention to him.

"yes..my apologies." The rider replied. He shuffled under the cloak for a moment before producing a few gold coins and set them on the bar. The bartender snatched the coins and set a frothy mug before him, foam spilling over the side. The barmaid almost in a rush brushed past the bartender quickly filling the mugs she had making a bit of a mess and hastily returned to the table for assuredly more harassment.

Meanwhile, the rider took a long thirsty gulp from his own tankard before shuffling under the cloak once more and producing a small scroll that he set on the counter. The barmaid returned behind the counter flustered and visibly upset she fixed her hair and went back to the dishes this time with a little more aggressive clatter as she did. The rider winced slightly as the scrapping and clanging of the kitchenware assaulted his delicate hearing, a curse and a blessing some might say.

"Excuse me miss?" The rider beckoned her. There was a pause as he waited for a reply but only the noisy dishwashing continued. "miss?" he tried again trying not to sound too gruff.

She stopped for only a moment.

"what." she snapped giving the rider a stern glance.

"A moment of your time." Anareecie sighs and moves over to him somewhat impatient in her motion.

"Yes?" The rider extends a hand and spreads the scroll with his claws revealing a weathered wanted poster of none other than her lion friend, or at least a crude drawing of him, scrawled across the bottom were the words " Titus Treefeller, wanted dead or alive ". She shakes her head before he can speak and gently shoves his hand and scroll towards him.

" we don't want any trouble." She says in a dry tone casting the lion a momentary glance. The rider in one fluid motion gently overturns her hand and places a coin in her palm with the other exposing his leather bracers. For a moment she caught a glimpse of his form. Armored in light leather from shoulder to heel. Clearly, he was some sort of bounty hunter and she wanted nothing to do with it. Bounty hunters were often seen just as undesirable as bandits in these parts.

Thugs with kings blessing were what many considered them. Often they would terrorize locals when looking for targets and willing to do just about anything to collect a head.

"No trouble...just information," he muttered just barely over a whisper.

Looking more annoyed now she glances to the bartender and pockets the coin before leaning on the counter. She looks at the scroll for a moment then to the faintly visible eyes under the hood of the rider.

"yeah it's him."The rider took the scroll back and gave her a slight smirk. "indeed... does he come here often?." She shook her head.

"He only comes here a couple times a month...his bandit squalor is here all the time though." The rider nodded slightly.

"one more question if you would be so kind..." He paused waiting for her answer to which she sighed while visibly feeling over the coin he had given her in her apron assessing its worth. It was quite heavy, nearly a weeks wage she assumed. They locked eyes and he proceeded.

"you live on a farm I presume? I'm seeking shelter from the rain for myself and my horse. I would happily stay in any barn or stable you might have...I can even pay."

Anareecie started to walk back to her work

"no.. my father would never-" He cut her off producing yet another coin, running his thumb around the edge of it as he spoke.

"would he permit a family friend?" Anareecie stopped on her heels giving him a curious look as he held the coin up for her to see the face of it. Unlike the other, this one was larger and looked to be stamped in silver with the kings crown in the center crossed by two swords. Along the edge were elvish words. "Long live King Locke" it read. She knew this coin well as they were awarded as proof of acceptance into the King's royal guard. Her eyes shifted from the coin to the Riders once more.

"My brother was in the guard... you..knew him?" Suddenly her eyes went wide and she turned away back to her dishes.

The riders ears twitched and a split second later a dirty golden furred hand slapped down on the counter next to him. Its claws dug into the polished wood. The rider's hands quickly retracted into the cloak. His head turned down and away slightly as if to hide his face further. He could feel the lion looming over his shoulder. Instinctively one hand went to the small of his back gripping the hilt of one of two daggers nestled in they're sheaths forming an " X " on the small of his back.

"tell yer pa..." The lion staggered drunkenly nearly leaning on the rider. "tell em he's got two days...two days then my friends an I will be dropping by to collect." Titus chuckled nodding to his entourage as they all went to leave he paused at the door looking to the barmaid once more with a vile grin. "I'll have you yet little girl." The all cackled as Titus slammed the door open and the group left. Anareecie looked disgusted and terrified all at once, her eyes shifting back to the stranger's woeful gaze, his hand releasing the dagger.

It seemed she might have had a change of heart after all.

"my brother, you knew him?" The rider nodded.

"Eldin was his name no?" That was all she needed to hear. Somehow, somewhere this secretive wolf knew her brother...and the way he spoke of him, he knew also that her brother was dead. Not only that with how drunk Titus and his gang was she feared running into them on the way home.

"I can't make any promises....but I will ask my father if you can stay in the barn... for the night." The rider gave her his best smile and lowered his hood. His ears popping up and flicking a bit from having been pressed down under the fabric for so long.

Finally showing his face she took in his features quickly while trying not to stare. It appeared that he was indeed just another anthro like Titus muzzle and all. Her eyes fixed for a long moment on something just under the collar of his cloak. What looked like a nasty scar across his neck as if it had been cut from one clavicle to the other. "ahem" the rider cleared his throat and adjusted the cloak.

"forgive me." she pleaded. Her eyes jumped around the room in embarrassment. "let me just finish here and we can go." The rider nodded and took another large drink from his mug finishing.

"Splendid I will wait for you outside," he said matter of factly and excused himself before slipping out into the night. The rider unhitched his horse and cart giving the white Clydesdale a pat on the nose who until now was happily staying dry grazing under cover of the tree it was tied too. "luck may be with us tonight friend." He sighed putting his hood back up as the rain had yet to subside.

Not long after. A familiar figure trotted from behind the tavern on the back of a small painted horse.

"ready?" She asked The rider nodded grabbing up the reigns.

"aye, no lantern?" he asked. Anareecie scoffed slightly and started off down the road.

"you beast aren't the only creatures that can see in the dark you know." The rider gave the reigns light crack to follow

"my apologies." Anareecie had been cooking up some questions about this stranger she was about to head home. things her father would certainly ask her at his mention. "so what is your name if I might ask?"

"Haraku." He replied

"No last name? I thought your kind took pride in that sort of thing?" she balked.

"I thought yours lived in trees." he retorted.

Anareecie smirked. This wolf was clever indeed.

" I'm Anareecie, Anareecie Voltarie...so how did you know my brother?" Haraku sighed.

"Well...uh... we met in the guard as glamorous as it sounds all our unit did was take the kings personal belongings from one castle to another. Some times it was furs other times it was vast volumes of scripture, art, whatever King Locke decided he needs to travel with. On a rare occasion, we would escort the royal family here and there." he cast her a glance as she continued to grill him.

"you were companions then?" Haraku rocked his head side to side

"of..sorts." Anareecie slowed her pace a little trotting next to Haraku's cart giving him a suspicious look. Haraku chuckled shaking his head.

"Our relationship was more...professional than anything most of our time together was much like this. On the road I mean. There was a long silence between the two of them both seemed lost in thought.

"turn here."

Anareecie pulled off down a narrow side trail that led from the main road and through a dense thicket. She once again took the lead down this narrower path. "were you there?" she suddenly blurted after some time.

"I'm sorry?" Haraku replied.

"when...when he died...were you there?" Anareecie was hesitant in her words. Haraku's throat knotted slightly at the question.

"I was not." he lied "I left the guard a few years prior." Anareecie went silent for several minutes.

"how did you know he was dead then?" she finally asked. Haraku was starting to dislike this line of questioning.

"word gets around when something like that happens. The guards were transporting a part of Locke's fortune when they were wiped out by bandits....it was no small incident villages for miles heard of the stolen gold. The kings family was even killed on that transport the whole kingdom saw it as a loss." Anareecie sounded a little agitated now.

"you mean when Titus and his bandits slaughtered them all." Haraku was unsure of what to say.

"I suppose so yes" he replied.

"He killed his own men there too, his partner I heard." Raku adjusted his cloak a bit.

"yes...I suppose that happened to." Thankfully Anareecie changed the conversation as she pointed to a small house and what looked more like a large shed than it did a barn.

The farm sat on the edge of the woods the different crop fields ran along the treeline, a few chickens could be seen pecking about the property. Smoke wafted from a single stone chimney, a dim light flickered from a few of the windows of the rather well-crafted homestead. Then again this was an elvish farm quality was in they're nature.

" this is it just ahead. go ahead and pull up to the barn ill meet you in a minute. Haraku was never happier for a ride to be over and nodded steering over to the barn as Anareecie rode up to the house, fowl clucking and scattering.

"adar im am bar!" she said to her father who met her at the door. Haraku sat quietly in his cart looking over his ears adjusted to listen in on their conversation. It sounded as if the two were speaking they're native tongue a common form of Elvish.

A language he was actually somewhat familiar with.

"Who na- cín guest?" her father asked and pointed to Haraku. He wasn't fluent by any means but he could make out a few words.

"A radag uin tavern ho wishes na staui in i barn." Anareecie replied. The male elf looked concerned.

"A radag? In mín barn? Reecie..." his voice sounded worried. Radag Haraku knew well "radag" meant "Beast". But what was that at the end? Reecie? was that a nickname for her? Haraku huffed a small chuckle from his snout. " it seemed now she was almost begging him as she spoke.

" Titus na- coming in tád anor sets. I crops gar- wilted adar. Ho will paui a leave in i erin. " All of it was a bit to fast for Haraku to keep up but he translated the last part as "he will pay and leave in the morning." clearly they were discussing the payment he had promised. Preemptively He climbed down and lifted the bench seat. Inside was a small stock of various supplies. Rope, a few flasks of presumably water...or alcohol, an old soldiers sword, some flint and a few scraps of cloth. Haraku dug a bit before producing a modest coin pouch as well. He turned and held it up for them to see.

Anareecie pointed, her father ran a hand through his sun-weathered white hair with a heavy sigh. He looked every bit the farmer he was dark skin from long days in the sun and heat and fit for his age at least as best Haraku could tell. Garou's, Beast's and Wolfkin age differently from elves the same as humans age different from both as well. So nailing down an exact age takes a lot of guesswork at times. Haraku figured he was at least 400 human years, Anareecie maybe 90.

that was his best guess anyway... "What will cin ceri- ir i úan arrives a cin treneri- hon cin don't gar- i mal plural gold? Ho's an iar mellon -o eldin's uin tiri- cin tur- estel hon!" Anareecie stamped her foot. Her father let his arms drop and nodded defeated. She was right they needed the money badly. Haraku heard Eldins name in that last part it seemed as if that was the straw that broke her fathers back. The old elf retreated to his house and Anareecie hurried over to him.

" Are mín man?" he said and tossed her the bag. She nearly didn't catch it hearing him speak elvish out of the blue.

"you.. you speak our language?" Haraku chuckled and just repeated the sentence in common tongue. " are we good? " She blinked for a moment before nodding and backing up towards the house.

"y-yeah we're good..."Haraku nodded and bid her goodnight before grabbing a flask from his cart and then unfastening the horses harness dropping the front end of the cart to the ground. "Goodnight.." she parroted and turned towards the house shaking the sack a little as she went. Haraku was just happy to finally be out of the rain for a change as he slid one door open and disappeared inside with his horse. Her father watched from the window as his daughter returned.

"So?" He asked.

Anareecie shook her head.

"it's still not enough" Her father sighed wringing his tired hands together.

"what are we to do what...are we to do..." Anareecie set the bag down on a small dining table.

"what if we fight?" A flash of lightning lit up the farm for an instant.

"no..." he replied, the booming of thunder following his retort. Outside the dull pitter-patter of rain was starting to get gradually louder. "Oh I hope this rain doesn't flood the fields again. " Anareecie's brow furrowed

"we can fight, I can fight I'll put an arrow square in that stupid cat's eye!"

Her father turned sharply and slammed a fist down on the table making the bag and a small vase of flowers jump slightly.

"ANAREECIE stop it!" he shouted. She recoiled slightly and her gaze fell to the floor.

"I'm sorry father..." She pulled a chair up next to him and he took her hands in his planting a kiss on the back of one of her hands.

"I wont lose another child to violence...they can burn the farm for all I care I wont lose you....I've already lost so much...promise me." Anareecie shook her head angry and terrified her eyes started to tear. "Reecie you must promise me you will let me handle this no matter how ugly it gets... Promise me..." Anareecie couldnt fight it any more and started to sob resting her head on her father's shoulder. "We are farmers Reecie... not fighters. I will figure something out."