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Imfay sat bright eyed as the councilmen thought on his proposal, casting looks of concern and others of confusion. "It is quite the plan my King however it is simply.." the councilmen was cut short by Imfay. "I am well aware it is immoral, unethical, and against what most would call sane or descent but it is a means to and ends. Think about it how often are we presented with such an opportunity as this to take what we have an make it so much more with such simple actions," Imfay tried selling his idea to them. The second of the three councilmen took a turn, "Even if we agreed to this there is too much of a possibility of it coming back on us." "You are all so frightened but what could happen when you should be more concerned with what will happen. If you are foolish enough to ignore this opportunity you and I will fall from grace with the public as they too become victims to this scourge and after they are wiped out we will not be far behind. Realize this gentlemen your lives are no more safe then the average civilian however equally expendable," Imfay spoke with a sinister tone in his voice as he rose from his seat. The councilmen looked back and forth at one another before a simultaneous and unanimous decision, "Do what you need to King Imfay, it is not a pleasant choice but it is one we will have to live with." "You are making a smart choice boys," Imfay remarked smugly as he exited the meeting chambers.

"I am horribly sorry to have to turn you away sir however with the sickness going around I can not risk letting in the ill," the guard spoke from behind the immense door. "Quite so," Maxinimus replied, "would you happen to know where I could find any of the villages that are infected?" "Stranger, why would you want to go there?" the man responded utterly dumbfounded. Maxin began, "I aim to help them in anyway that I can; most are afraid of becoming ill themselves therefore those who could be of any help stay away, but I have no worry for that sickness. So which village should I seek to find the sick?" A folded piece of paper slipped through the slit, "We have marked the villages on the map, it also marks the paths closed due to the plague which are main travel routes. Good luck traveler." "Thank you sir, this will be of great help," Maxin said before leaving into the twilight of the evening.

The map shown that the majority of the southern Deer colonies were overcome by the epidemic leaving nearly every listed route closed to travelers. Maxinimus seen this plague as a chance to test himself, facing an insurmountable challenge for most would prove to be quite an adventure. With the powers he possessed he hoped to cleanse the world of this blight even if he must do so one person at a time. Maxin set his course to the nearest town and would proceed in such a methodical manner until he had visited each village on the map. Will would be the first village, the small village was that latest host to the outbreak.

As he had expected travel in the south had been difficult with the main routes closed forcing him to take the more rough paths to make the slightest bit of progress. It took nearly a full day before Maxin was able to reach the out skirts of Will a village which was only a short distance from his starting point. Maxinimus entered the city at dusk finding not a single person out of their homes or any lanterns lit for travelers. The town seemed entirely dead and Maxin could feel a strange aura lingering over the area, something heavy and dark that made even his strong heart beat in a weak tone.

"Hello, is anyone there!" Maxinimus called only to be answered by his echo. After having inspected the majority of the village without sighting a single person Maxin was ready to leave. As he made his way out of the town's center he was confronted by a small man in strange attire. "Excuse me sir..." the man interrupted Maxin, "Turn back now stranger, this land is sick, and all that remains here are the ill." Maxinimus studied the man for a moment before responding, "That is why I am here, I have come to help the people of this town, I believe that I can help those who have been stricken with this illness." The man became a bit cross in the face of Maxin's optimism,"Then you sir are a fool, try what you might, you will have only yourself to blame for your failure." The strange villager vanished before Maxin could converse with him much longer.

Knowing now that citizens had remained in the village Maxinimus began going door to door hoping anyone would answer. Luck was not on Maxin's side as every home he came to would not open their door the slightest crack for anyone stranger or not. Those who had been spared the disease would not allow him in for fearing he was another sick one begging for their help. The unlucky who carried the plague shut him out too believing he had come to murder or rob them with others thinking his aid would be of no use. After a night of trying at every door in the town Maxin gave in and decided to try the next town hoping to find people there more willing to risk trusting him.

It took days for Maxin to travel to the next village and all the while he saw in the sky a cloud of smoke hanging a dismal black over the land. Once he had finally reached the city and came to its center he found a large black pit with heat radiating from it. He stepped closer to find faint embers and ashes covering charred bodies which lay in a heap within the pit. "They are burning bodies?" he thought to himself. The storm clouds enveloped the sun and cast a thick shade upon the village as Maxin went on to investigate further into the matter of the pit.

"What are you doing here traveler!?" a voice called from a nearby alleyway. Maxin spotted a woman who looked in a sickly way lying in the alleyway with a small pool of blood beneath her. "I have come here to help, are there any of you left who are still healthy?" he inquired. She lifted her shaking hand to point at a large building at the end of town, "They have locked themselves in the city's main hall, too scared to even try to help any of us. Every other day one is sent to gather the bodies of the dead and put them in the pit to be burnt. If they are not back by sun down they are locked out permanently... no one has ever been able to go back inside." "Thank you, would you like me to try to help you?" Maxin said. The woman laughed a bit before coughing out most of her breath, "Sir, I have not much longer left... It actually surprised me I was able to finish my little speech. Do not bother with me I am to light the fire still and I will not ignore such an important duty..." Her body slowly slumped over before sliding to the ground where she lay motionless leaving Maxin to proceed to the hall.

Maxin stood in front of the hall taking in the extent to which the building had been fortified by the terrified civilians. "They certainly do not want anyone coming in," he thought to himself. A small window slid open on the highest floor of the building revealing a man armed with a bow, "Be on your way wanderer, we have no room for you healthy or not!" "I have not come for shelter, I am trying to help the people of the land...." an arrow grazing his right ear halted Maxin. "You have had your warning leave now!" the man demanded. Maxinimus would intrude no longer taking his leave without another word he decided that he must be sure he can fight this illness before continuing on his way.

Meanwhile the Foxes and Coyotes were tending to another pressing matter far from the grips of plague and devastation. "With our forces united we will be unstoppable," Sirius reasoned excitedly. Cerberus was slow to answer as he slowly forged a blade, "What of the Wolves though, your kind is not on the best of terms with them." "We will work through it, we have all had our problems in the past but we can always come together in the end," Siri shot back, "And beside the two of us are beyond normal beings therefore they will have no choice but to listen to us." Cerberus looked perplexed, "I am not certain they know of us and if they are who is to say they are not hiding one of there own like us." Sirius realized this possibility now, "True but I am certain we can make this all work and unite the three into one!" "I am on board Siri but if worst comes to worst I am not sure how much help I will be to you," Cerberus returned as he finished the blade. "Then we head north tomorrow and please do bring your hammer," Sirius spoke as she left Cerberus' shop, "Oh and those are quite interesting markings you have there, I would keep them." Unknown to Sirius, the crimson trails that dripped down Cerberus's arms were not his doing but something he uncovered one day whilst clearing the spire. He knew not how or why only that they were stained in his dark fur and remained unremovable.

The duo made haste traveling north to Roya, the largest of all the Wolf settlements and the resting place of Atlan himself. "Do you think they are going to just let us in?" Cerberus asked as they neared the gate. Sirius paused, "Why do you think it will such a problem?" "You are a nine-tailed Fox and I am not quite an average looking Coyote, have you forgotten?" Cerberus returned with a hint of irritation in his voice. Sirius thought on it for a moment, "Well I suppose they will try to capture us or at least me, they will probably just try to kill you but if they do just humor them and I will sneak in." Cerberus was irritated by this notion, "I do not like fighting my own kind, so you had better move quickly." "Trust me," Sirius said with a sincere smile as they stood at the gate.

"You there what business do you have in Roya?" the guard called down. Sirius replied to the man, "Business between the nations of the Wolves, Coyotes, and Foxes. We must speak with whom ever presides as Chief here!" The gate opened enough to allow a small contingent of soldiers to exit and surround the two. "Be you man or beast?" one man asked Cerberus. He would not answer the ludicrous question and stood stoic without a single motion. "My friend is perfectly normal, just do not make him angry," Sirius answered for him. The guard was reluctant to respond to the claim, "Very well, we will allow audience with the Chief however you both must relinquish your weapons while in the city." "Fair enough," Siri replied as she hand her staff to the man, "Cerberus." He looked to her slowly and in a low growl returned, "No." "We will not have to go about this using violence so please just hand over your hammer," Siri whispered back. Begrudgingly Cerberus slammed the head of the hammer into the earth in front of the guard before ordering, "Do not touch."

The two were brought to the Chief who had readied the Pack, the high ranking military unit, in case of trouble. "What do you want travelers, a Fox and a.... well yourself have no business in Roya," the Chief addressed them. "Sir we have come to ask you to join us as we form and unstoppable force by uniting our three nations," Sirius spoke as the Chief rose from his seat. It was then that Cerberus scanned the room to see the Pack's members lining the walls waiting for the call to strike. The Chief began again, "And why would you think we would join up with the Foxes who brought a dreaded plague that took the lives of so many of our own?" "Sir understand I was among the tribe of wanderers and I tell you it is true that we brought a darkness to your people but it was not of our control. We had been followed by a great evil one that caused such catastrophes, in the end I was the one who defeated it. So you have no need to fear such an event reoccurring," Sirius responded in a humbled tone in the face of those her people had accidentally wronged.

There was a brief moment of silence that came after Sirius spoke, a silence in which not even the most labored of breaths could be heard. Curious and quite a bit skeptical the Chief began, "You defeated the evil that followed your people? How does one go about such a feat by themselves and being practically a child no less?" Siri looked to Cerberus before continuing, "My companion and I are gifted; we have abilities no other can control that allow us to do what no one could ever do." "Show me then," the Chief stood in front of his guests, "if you are so confident in yourselves you will have no problem showing us these abilities you possess." The two paused uncomfortably, "You see the thing is...." Siri was interrupted by Cerberus, "These powers we hold are dangerous, so much so her people have named her a Lord in fear of her wrath." "Then what's your excuse?" questioned the Chief. "If you want proof of my gift have your men bring my hammer to me and you will see what I can truly do," Cerberus spoke while Siri stood concerned and confused by what he may have planned.

They waited for a time after the Chief had sent his men to retrieve the weapon but as they returned they were not carrying the maul. "Where is the man's hammer?" the Chief demanded shortly. One man spoke up, "It would not budge sir, none were able to move it the slightest bit." "It would seem I will have to retrieve it then," Cerberus said in a plain tone before departing alone. After obtaining his hammer he returned promptly however still caught the stares of many as though he were an oddity on display. "I constructed this weapon with my own hands," he said simply as he presented the tool to the Chief. Looking it over a look of doubt came across his face, "Now how is that possible." Without another word Cerberus took the knife he kept hidden within his boot in hand and held tight to it. After a short moment of stillness the metal began to drip from the between his fingers and out from the bottom his fist.

"You are demons come to destroy my city," the Chief spoke softly. "Sir, we are not anything of that sort, these powers we have been given are..." the Chief quickly silenced Siri, "I do not care to hear the words of a wretched monster, one wearing the fur of Fox no less. Dispose of them." As the men slowly closed in on the two Cerberus readied his hammer as Sirius stood outraged by the Chief's actions. "Cerberus stand down," Sirius uttered as she moved in front of him, "and cover your eyes." The moment after Siri released a wave of light that blinded the would be attackers leaving them writhing on the ground. The Chief set his gaze on his guests after seeing the Pack fall with one quick move from the supposed demon.

"May be you are not demons, I am not sure, you have incapacitated my men yet leave them alive," the Chief spoke. With a sudden motion he put the tip of his blade at Siri's throat where it remained as he waited for a response in kind. After moments that dragged on for eternity he removed his blade, "I suppose if you were demons you would have had the sense to try to stop me..." Another pause held the tension high as the two waited for the next word from the Chief. "You have the allegiance of the Wolves for your valor," the Chief finally broke the silence. "Thank you sir," Siri quickly replied. "The name is Atlai by the way," the Chief responded, "now come along we have much to discuss about the future of this land."

Maxinimus had been working diligently to save the ill tribes of the south but was making little if any progress despite his efforts. "Damn it, no matter how hard I try I can not save a single soul!" Maxin shouted hot off the heels of another failure. "It is not in the nature of your abilities to heal others Maxinimus, you are able to heal yourself because you hold the power," the voice reminded him. "There has to be a way to help them, I must find a way to harness my powers for the good of my people," Maxin spoke as though deaf to the voice of Nature. The voice echoed again, "This sickness is one of nature, we cannot turn against ourself regardless of the damage to your people." Maxinimus would not give up however he would continue his work finding any he could to use as his test subjects.

And to the Western lands war raged on and on as Orion II slowly worked his way across Nephus and into Balaa. The truce between the Lions and Tigers was upheld and allowed the two massive kingdoms to become united as they terrorized the land. Orion sought to conquer the globe in his time a job that would cost a great amount of time, work, and blood. Slowly territories were being acquired by the Legion as they built a network of cities that entrapped their prey, the Leopards. Once their expansion was completed they would move in tightening their grip on the land in which the Leopards called home.

Headed north Maxin sought to see the state of the towns which had closed themselves off from the disease. He had intended to study those who remained healthy as much as he could but as he came closer to the town of Will he saw an abundance of smoke rising into the clouds. The paths eventually led him to the city limits from where he saw the last buildings fall to piles of ash. Entering the town now he found no one nor even bodies strewn about in the fashion of a raid on the town. All Maxin found were footprints which led into the city from the main road north and out southward down the same path. There was no time to wonder what had happened here, Maxinimus knew that he must follow the path that lay before him to find his answers.

After tailing the rhythm of marching feet for miles Maxin arrived at the outskirt of another infected town. Deciding it safest to move stealthily around the town he crept through the underbrush carefully circling the village to get a better view on what was going on. He reached a patch of brush from which he could see the city's center where there seemed to be a gathering of sorts. There were Deer who knelt in a rows naked facing the walls of the buildings while a group of strangely dressed people walked amongst them. The outfits of the strange men covered their entire body making their race impossible to decide no matter the distance from them. A liquid was poured onto the Deer as they remained helpless where they sat; as this happened one of the men brought forth torches and motioned towards the hostage Deer.

"There going to burn them alive," Maxinimus thought to himself shocked, "I have to do something about this!" He quickly slipped out of the tree line and readied his bow as the Deer waited in horror of what was to come next. The flame of a torch moved ever closer to the back of a young girl when calamity arose as one man's suit was torn open by an arrow. Weapons were drawn as the group formed a back to back defensive pattern awaiting the next strike from their invisible assassin. Maxin was quick to sneak into the town and find a vantage point atop an exterior buildings roof where he would wait for his next opportunity to strike.

The strangers shown no sign of calming as they waited on for another arrow to come their way. Maxin moved quickly and released another arrow which tore its way through the side of one members mask revealing a small glimpse of fur. On another roof top Maxin halted to catch his breath as he took cover from the sight of his adversaries. Peering over the roof he saw the group becoming a bit more nervous as they searched the direction from which the strike had came. "Leave this village now! Those residing here are under my guardianship!" Maxin yelled from his hiding place. The group seemed to not acknowledge the call and remained in their position weapons ready and torches burning strong.

Moments passed and it became abundantly clear that this stand off was not going to end without some form of intervention. So with hasty movements Maxinimus slipped out from his hiding place firing another arrow which struck one down as he moved with grace across the roofs to another vantage point. With one of their own dead the group began to retreat but not before one member marked with a red band across his chest threw his torch at one row of Deer. The civilians bodies became engulfed in a chain of flames that reached to the last person in the row. Maxinimus could only watch as they screamed in terror while their fur and flesh burnt away and their lungs filled with smoke.

The surviving townsfolk fled to their homes as Maxin approached the corpse of the one he had slain. He removed his arrow from the neck and proceeded to raise the mask from the face of the fallen to reveal an Elk. "Imfay," slowly crossed Maxin's lips as he stared into the empty pair of eyes that cast their gaze upon him. He could not decide if Imfay would allow such horrible atrocities to occur under his reign amongst his own people or if this was a group radicals. Furthermore why were they murdering Deer so indiscriminately without any proof they were infected or was their intent merely to slaughter without mercy or regard to health. "I will get to the bottom of this no matter who is at the top," he spoke quietly to himself as he followed the trail of the other Elk.

The trail lead north all the way home to Desmus where Maxin would find the answers he had been seeking. His home had now been transformed into a nearly unrecognizable city walled off and guarded heavily with all he could see sporting similar outfits to those he had encountered. Maxinimus would not wait for the cover of night to enter the city he instead approached the gate and waited for its opening. "You there what do you think you are doing?" a gatekeeper called down to him. Maxin would say nothing thinking his waiting at the front gate was enough of a direct message. The gatekeeper paused for his reply but grew impatient quickly, "None may enter without proper protection, there is a sickness in the country you know!" Silence continued after the remark until the gatekeeper called forth guards to take care of the menace that still waited outside the city's walls.

"Leave now stranger. You may very well be infected therefore we have no business with you," the lead guard addressed his voice distorted by the mask he hid behind. "Imfay," Maxin finally spoke, "I must speak with him about the disease in the south." Not wanting to carry it out much longer the lead guard drew his sword and stepped closer to Maxinimus. However he would not even ready a strike roots of neighboring trees wrapped around his legs and pull him waist deep into the ground. With another sudden motion he hurdled the down guard and slipped into the brief opening in the gate and proceeded to the royal estate without stop. As he made his way there Maxin wondered if he had caused what happened however it was not of importance at the moment.

A quick kick to the door and he was in and heading directly for the throne room where he could only hope to fine Imfay. The staff within the estate were in a panic as they saw not only a man who wore no protective clothing rush through the building but to see the face of the boy they thought dead. It was only luck that allowed Maxin to evade capture and to find the throne room unlocked as he pulled open the massive door. However as he scanned the room he found Imfay no where in sight and as he realized this he also concluded he had not thought of any form of backup plan.

An icy spear point poked the back of Maxin's neck as he stood waiting for what was in store for him after such brash actions. "Turn around," a youthful voice came from behind the weapon. Facing his captor Maxin was confronted with the same face he had seen in his chamber the night of his return. "What are you doing here?" the boy questioned. "I must speak with your father about the sickness," Maxin's response was discrete and direct. No emotion crossed the young man's face, "You have been amongst the sick, you wish to make father ill as well." "I am not ill, you must believe me," he replied now becoming a bit frightened by the fact he may lose his life in a moment. The tension hung on for moments as the two's eyes remained locked, each looking for the same faint presence of falter.

A momentary look of hesitation passed over the boy's eyes giving Maxin just enough courage to kick back from the ground sending him rolling across the floor. Broken from his thought the boy leaped, spear in hand, stabbing into the ground where Maxin had just been. One swift kick broke the handle of the spear followed by an immediate escape as Maxinimus had no intention of engaging his foe. As he exited the room however Maxin encountered Imfay who waited just beyond a number of guards in the hallway all of which were heavily armed and wore even more protective clothing.

"Imfay call off your men!" Maxin demanded as he caught sight of the situation at hand. Imfay paused his guards for a moment, "I did not think I would be seeing you again. Tell me ghost what do you want with me now?" "An answer," he returned, "Tell me who is permitting the burning of the villages in the south?" Imfay was quiet a moment as he thought on his response, "I will not lie to you dear boy it was I. For the sake of the people of this country, Deer and Elk alike, I have ordered the southern towns to be cleansed to prevent further outbreak." Maxinimus's eye twitched briefly as he felt overcome with fury, "Your men are indiscriminately murdering the innocent and pure! They burnt those who had not even come in contact with the sickness. How could you allow this you vile murderer!"

Gradually a smile formed on Imfay's face, "You can leave us now boys, this man is no threat to anyone." With the guards dismissed Imfay came closer to Maxin his smirk remaining in its insidious form as he moved to him. "They are afraid every last person out there wake every day wondering if it will be their last. Driven by their fear they turn to me and beg for protection from the sickness and evil that lurks out there. The fearful promise to me all they have and more only expecting in return safety and health no matter the cost. So I muse why work tirelessly losing their faith and lives trying to make a cure when we simple destroy the masses of plague stricken in the south. Of course we will leave some to live on as a possible threat in the future."

"I can help them Imfay you must give me time, you have not the slightest idea of what these kind of action will do," Maxinimus spoke through clenched teeth. "I am afraid that will not be possible, your intervention is unwelcomed and as far as I am concerned you are infected. You are exiled from this land to the eastern territories of the beasts!" Imfay's toned turned far more stern now. Maxin would not allow such a thing to happen, "You dare try to exiled me!? I am the rightful ruler of this land if you have forgotten in your quest to reduce the southern lands to cinders." Guards quickly filed in as the argument grew increasingly louder, "Well it would appear you must be going now," Imfay spoke as the guards continued to form a circle around Maxin, "take him to the East." Maxinimus was far to outnumbered to fight his way out of this and could only issue hollow threats, "You will pay for this Imfay, I assure you that this is not the last you hear of me!"

By the next day Maxin found himself in a strange land to the East where very few had treed before him. This was the land of the Exiled, those who challenged the government but not to the extent to warrant execution. He was left with only the clothes on his back and all he carried with him before his banishment. Maxin felt very much powerless as the valley seem to lack any strong plants or trees from which he could draw power. The land instead was covered in weeds and tall grass broken by massive stones, stretches of pure earth, and what looked to be caves. As those who brought him out made their leave he noticed what look to be evidence of others inhabiting the area but what type of criminals could be lying in wait for him he was unsure.

The first thing on Maxinimus's mind as he found himself left to his own devices was to find a source of water and then a sustainable food source. Though in his searching he found an abundant source of fruits and other edible plant life he could find no water source in the area or anywhere westward. Maxin returned from his search to find a fire lit with other exiled huddled near by the site. The gang was rather meek looking as though they had been there for quite sometime; the state of their clothing too insisted that they had survived in this region for at least a number of months.

It was silent at first as Maxinimus made his way to the fire and settled by it filling in the spot to compete a diamond shape. The men seemed undaunted by the intruder who had come uninvited to what appeared to be their home. "What brings you here friend," the man across the fire asked. Maxin looked from man to man before answering, "The same that brought you." "Cleaver one are you," the man to the left laughed. The man across the fire interrupted, "So why exactly did they bring you here?"

Maxinimus was not shy about his exile as he was among others who had felt the wrath of Imfay and so he explained his story as the sun fell into the horizon. "Imfay is heartless, he has always been, he uses fear to control others," the man across the fire spoke. The third man who sat to Maxin's right had been quite the entire time he had sat there but would speak when he found it necessary. "You should have killed him," the man spoke, "Imfay is a tyrant and I doubt he will rest until he has killed any who do not obey his every command." With that brief thought the man departed, wandering eastward into the pitch darkness of the night.

None would speak after what had been uttered so filled with emotion and truth that nothing could succeed it properly. Maxin finally summoned a thought neutral to the topic, "Where do you think he is going, all that waits to the east are blood thirsty beasts." "He is going to his death," the man across said solemnly. Maxinimus shown a curious and worrisome look to the man before the other would start, "It is really quite sad; during Lienu's reign he lost his entire family and after Imfay took over he was exiled but he never would say why exactly." "I suppose to live like that death would seem a sweet release from your misery," Maxin spoke while staring deeply into the fire.

A thought came to mind as Maxinimus's mind wandered whilst his eyes remained wrapped in the roaring flames. Without a second thought he began chasing after the man leaving the others in their place to only guess what had come to his mind. The moon shown down casting light enough for figures to be visible in the darkness allowing Maxin to locate the man. They walked together for a distance before the man would speak, "I do not know why you are following me but know this I am not turning back and when I have reached my destination I will be dead." "What if I were to tell you that I have a plan to take Imfay out of power?" Maxin asked without any other thought in his head.

"Listen I do not know if you are very brash or simply stupid but what you are suggesting is impossible without an army," the man responded in a none to optimistic tone. Maxin was still upbeat despite the truth staring him in the face that his plan was fundamentally flawed. "Exactly and I know how we are going to acquire such an army. We will find those who live in the East and convince them to help us take back our city!" The two came to a full stop now as the man seemed to have had enough, "Now I am certain you are simply an imbecile. The beasts that live in the East will tear us limb from limb the very second they catch sight of us. How do you think we will ever be able to get a word in before they slit our throats for being so foolish to seek them out." "I admit it will seem as though we have a deathwish but trust me I have a plan!" Maxin finished confidently as they resumed their pace.

Days of wandering East finally brought the two to the region controlled by the Fox who's largest city, Seras, lay dead ahead of the travelers. Before the two had even entered the woods surrounding the city however a lookout had spotted them and went to relay the message to the guard. "Maxin you know that I have come all this way only seeking death, so I must tell you now if you have any desire to live you should turn back now," Rin said calmly as they paused for a moment a top a hill overlooking the forest before the city walls. Maxinimus was not moved by the man's words, "Rin I do not believe we will die today and for that I am truly sorry."

Before the duo had even descended the hill into the woods they were stalked by Seran guards who would quickly surround the forest. Unaware of their predicament the two carried on into the woods without a single worry or fear. Once inside the men found themselves encircled by military troops all of which were ready to strike at a moments notice. Maxin and Rin held perfectly still waiting to feel the rough and rigid points of the blades rip deep into their flesh.

"Outlanders you have made a fatal mistake to come here," a voice called as the legion parted way for entrance, "You should know well enough that we have no qualm with slaying your kind." Sirius entered the circle as the wall of troops closed once more making certain to not allow their prey to elude them. "Maxin if you had any sort of plan now is the time for it," Rin whispered. Maxinimus bowed to his captor, "We have come to beseech of you aid in our plight." The entire company roared with laughter at this until being silenced by the still sincere Sirius with a look of utter annoyance, "That may have been the most foolish request I have ever heard. You truly think we would help you? We have our own matters to tend to, your race could parish from this world and we would not be concerned."

Rin could see the negotiation falling apart as quickly as it had begun and so in a hasty decision he drew his knife and lunged at Sirius. Siri instinctively dodged his strike and with one nimble motion struck back, cracking her staff against his neck she had effectively granted his deathwish. The soldiers began to move in on Maxin as he stood calm trying to devise an alternative plan. With all his strength he drew upon the forest's power using the roots of trees to block the men's advances and isolated Sirius and himself. "Interesting, it seems you will be a match for me after all. Well outlander let us begin!" Siri spoke standing battle ready against Maxin.

"I do not want to fight please hear me out," Maxin pleaded as he duck beneath a swipe of Siri's staff. "Your words hold no worth and now that you have revealed yourself I am certain that you must have ulterior motives," Sirius said presumptuously still on the attack. Maxinimus could see this conflict could not be resolved with words so he continued to draw upon natures weapons using vines to whip at Siri. Missing a swing, directed at Maxin, Sirius staff became entangled in vines which gripped the weapon firmly disarming her. Maxinimus again tried to broker a deal to end their battle, "Can we please end this, I promise you for your service you will receive compensation." Sirius paused a moment considering the proposal and certain of her people's strength to overcome a possible trap was ready to come to an agreement. "I must be sure of one thing," Siri said before unleashing a mighty wave of light, amplified in the enclosed area.

"That burns! Why did you do that?" Maxin asked rubbing a scorched bit of fur on his chest. Sirius took back her staff from the vines, "I had to be sure you are not a demon. Now what do you have to offer us that could make us want to help you?" "Territory, in exchange for the support of your military in protecting our southern colonies," Maxin return in a short and concise statement. "What is your name outlander?" Siri asked breaking from the direction of the conversation. "Maxinimus, son of Lienu, former Prince of the Deer and Elk," he returned giving more incite that confused Sirius. Ignoring his status Siri finished her thought, "Well Maxinimus it had better be a large territory."

It did not take long for the pact to be made as Maxin hastened to be on his way back to help his ill brethren. The Fox were guaranteed a massive front in the south for their military protection while Maxin raced to find a cure. By the rising sun of the following morning the Fox set out to the south led by Maxinimus who had to remain at a slower pace than he would have like to accommodate the soldiers speed. Meanwhile Sirius kept pace with Maxin to further interrogate him hoping to force a slip of the tongue regarding any possible betrayal.

"Sir Imfay what is to be done about the plague," the servant inquired. Imfay sat pondering the best manner to deal with the problem, "We will go back to our earlier method, now without an unexpected entity's interference we should have no problems cleaning up this mess." As the servant made his leave Imfay's son entered, "Father may I ask you something?" "By all means my boy, what is on your mind," Imfay spoke warmly. "The man who came here looking for you what is his importance? You would typically have one like that executed. Is what he said true?" he asked with a tone of fear of his voice as though he were uncertain he wanted the real answer. Imfay stared on for a moment debating how he should answer, "Son what that man said was true, he is the true heir to the throne and that is why I did not have him killed. However despite his willingness to surrender control to our family I could not allow him to run free amongst the sick and that is why he had to be exiled." "But father is he a bad man? From what you say he sounds to be a friend to us and that now we have wronged him," the boy asked cautiously. Imfay sat facing his son, "He is not a bad man by any means but good men can do very bad things in the vein of doing right and that is why exile was such a hard choice."

Maxinimus and the Foxes neared the southern territory, the terrain had been easily overcome with Maxin's gifts and night's blackness served no obstacle for Sirius. They arrived late in the evening and settled themselves in the ruined city for the night. "Sirius do you think we will be able to fortify this city?" Maxin asked distant from the soldiers. "This is not much of a city, however we should be able to build a defensive block capable of holding back the Elk for quite a while when they come," Sirius returned as she studies the ruins. Maxinimus turned now staring at the rubble of the old town, "Very good, I do not want any of you exposed to the illness and that is why I have chosen this location. On a side note I would like to ask you to try and refrain from killing as many of the Elk as possible; they are good people simply misguided however do as you must to keep the defenses up. Also I thank you again for your services." "Do not mention it," Siri said as she returned to her tent.

In the early morning haze Siri woke to find Maxin had vanished without a word sometime earlier and had left nothing to suggest where he had gone. "Wake up!" she shouted from an authoritative point atop a bit of rubble, "Maxinimus has disappeared. I am unsure if he is keeping his word and gone to the south or we have followed him into a trap. In either case we will not back down and we will defend this spot now get to work on the northern block and ready a defense to the south as well." A lieutenant came to Siri's side, "Do you believe he has betrayed us Lord?" "I trust the man however I have made that mistake before," her tone was solid as she went to oversee the preparations for battle.

The sun reached its apex as the Foxes finished the construction of their defenses and still none were certain of Maxin's intentions. Clouds began to dot the sky and slowly mask the sun laying a shady cover across the landscape. With the shade came a sound on the horizon followed by faint silhouettes that drew ever closer to the Foxes. In swift motions the army hid themselves amongst the rubble becoming practically invisible to those approaching from the north. Weapons were drawn as the sound of marching feet grew closer and closer and the shade grew darker as storm clouds began to block out the sun.

Maxinimus had hastily made his way south in the early hours of the morning with hopes to finally remedy the sickness that consumed his fellow Deer. The villages had remained untouched after his exile the only thing which had changed was the increased number of corpses littering the streets. Fortune had shined upon Maxin though as he came across a woman writhing in agony as she tried to crawl through a rough route north in the forest. The woman had drug herself through patches of thorns, thick brush, and mud in attempt to escape the condemned village. Maxin carried the near unconscious girl to an area in the woods were two massive tree's roots intermingles beneath the soil.

"There is not much time left for her, are you certain there is nothing you can do to help save her before it is too late," Maxinimus called out to the forest. It was silent with the exception of the agonized noises of the woman. "We do not wish to turn against ourself Lord Maxinimus however there is you can save this mortals life," the voice echoed. Maxin was amazed to hear this, "What is it what must I do to cure this blight?" "It is not an easy thing to do it, it is very dangerous, and it could go wrong and harm you as well, you must be ready to take on such things," the voice began slowly.

She lay staring up into the canopy passing between conscious and unconscious every other moment allowing her only a faint glimpse of who had brought her there. Maxinimus planted his hand firmly at the center of her chest and summoned the roots that lay below the girl. Slowly they worked their way upwards breaching the earth to then wrap themselves around his arms working their way to Maxin's hand. The whispers of nature echoed through his head as Maxin began the final step of the experimental procedure. Lifting his hand the roots twisted together and formed a pointed spiral beneath Maxinimus's hand which still hovered over the chest of the nearly dead woman. Taking a heavy breath he gained the courage he required to plunge the gnarled roots deep into her heart.

The Foxes lied in wait as the Elk entered what remained of the village without noting the additional defenses that had been erected. Sirius waited for her prey in the center of the town ready to strike at just the right moment to signal to her men to attack. As the Elk came close to the her position she made her presence known as she released a beam of light towards the startled army. With lightning speed the Foxes engaged their foe who struggled to regain their sight or hesitated in the face of the beasts of the east.

True to their word the men were not quick to cutting down their foe but instead incapacitate those who were caught off guard. Those who did respond to the attack stood no chance by the time they drew their arms however not willing to risk their own the Fox would not waste time trying to spare their lives. Even the leader of the unit was almost powerless when confronted with one of his greatest fears. Sirius had not even engaged her prey before they had surrendered too overcome with fear to attempt to battle back. The survivors were taken as prisoners and held in what remained of a building, guarded at all times by the Fox soldiers.

The roots spiraled deep into the girls heart though so weak from the sickness she could not even muster the strength to cry out in agony. Maxin felt a twitch from the roots, something other than her heartbeat, which intrigued him greatly. The twitching became more erratic as Maxin tried to pull back and while doing so it felt as though it followed the root's every movement. While removing the roots Maxinimus released a seed within the girl's chest to heal the tear he had made. Finally removing the twisted roots a terrifying sight was to be seen as the cause of the twitching was exposed.

In the gap between the roots where they entwined wiggled a blood soaked worm but by no means was this an ordinary worm. The creature looked evil as it was its tail formed a sharp hook that still held a bit of tissue from the girl's heart. Its mouth was equally revolting as four sharp teeth closed together to make a pointed beak which like the tail was of substance as hard as stone. A rough coat wrapped the rest of the worms body and made a natural armor for it to hide inside as it could withstand much abuse. After the examination Maxinimus was fully certain that this was the root of the problem however he was unsure how this could have happened.

The worm stayed still within the roots only moving its jaw open and closed as it slowly became limp while it slowly faded away. Maxin took the worm and placed it in a satchel before releasing the roots from his service and tending to the girl. Her eyes barely moved but she was indeed alive after all she had been through and waited now for what Maxin would do next. He propped her against a tree and made sure her wound was healing now, "You need to head north on the paths as soon as you can. If you come across a city of Foxes do not be alarmed they will help you. But you must not return to your home until I can solve this problem permanently." Maxinimus headed north himself thinking he had now found a way to change Imfay's mind to allow him to save his people.

Returning to the Foxes Maxin moved warily as he approached those he thought to be allies waiting fully armed. Sirius waited with her men as he drew closer, "Were you able to help your people Maxinimus?" "In a manner of speaking, I believe I have found the root of the problem but I need to send a message to Imfay before I continue my work," he returned nervously as he came within Sirius's grasps. Her demeanor was unchanged despite the lack of even the slightest hint of betrayal, "Very well there are plenty of prisoners in good shape to take your message to Imfay."

After choosing the messenger wisely he presented him with the satchel containing the worm without a word of information of the content within. "Bring this to Imfay, tell him to stay far from the South or his men will die," Maxin commanded, "Tell him Maxinimus sent you." The man reluctantly obliged and was on his way as quick as he could, disappearing on the horizon in moments. "What was in that sack?" Siri inquired. Maxin paused a moment, "Proof. Proof that I can help these people." Maxinimus headed south again without a word, he knew now that this massacre could be avoided and now all he needed was time.

Days past as Maxinimus worked frantically to remove the carnivorous creatures from the breasts of the infected who still drew breath. Sirius and her men waited impatiently for his return with the rise and fall of the sun each day, anxious to be dismissed from their post. Unable to keep their captive enemies fed Siri let the soldiers go free after being completely unarmed. Imfay received the news of the developments in the south and was furious to find that Maxin was still a thorn in his side. He would then ready a heavily armed force capable of battling the Foxes so he may capture Maxin and finally execute him for his transgressions.

"Lord Sirius, do you think we may return home now? If Maxinimus were to have fallen ill himself would we not be wasting our time waiting for his return?" a man inquired. Siri had contemplated abandoning her post for some time but could not bring herself to break her promise. "We will stay but one more night, my only worry is that after releasing the prisoners that they rearmed themselves and are waiting for us out there." The soldier understood and return to his post while Siri sat gazing towards the southern treeline as the sun set on the horizon.

The sound of war filled the air as Sirius awoke to her men frantically moving about gathering their weapons and finding cover. A hail of arrows came down all around her before she could even budge from her resting place. As she began to pull herself up she was immediately shoved to the side and rolled behind a wall as another hail of arrows struck down the man who had shoved her aside selflessly. A quick glimpse revealed a well managed force of Elk moving forward with little resistance standing in their way.

Siri saw a group of her own pinned down close to the front of the charge, without help they would be slaughtered. The arrows continued to fall relentlessly as she tried to find an opening in which to move closer to the front. The power grew in her as she waited for her opportunity while her men grew panicked over their fate. For a brief moment the arrows seem to cease but before Siri could even think to make her move her men made their own. As they shot out from the rubble one last volley of arrows came ripping through the air.

None bared witness to the sight but all could her the quiet cold thud as the bodies stamped the dirt with darting noise of arrows whirling following shortly behind. Uniform marching began to turn into independent footsteps well all the while Sirius' rage began to boil over. She turn from behind the wall to face the attackers who stood in a closely knit group and as she raised her hand she released the bulk of her energy in on straight shot. The light burnt with such intensity those to close were horrible burned and those in the direct path were entirely destroyed.

As the battle commenced Sirius fell to her knees with exhaustion, her men charged forth to defend their position. Blood boltered the earth as both sides clashed near the edge of the desolate city each Fox fighting multiple Elk at a time. Siri pulled herself up with her staff to see her men and their valiance as they fought against more than twice their own numbers. Despite their lack of skill and poor weapons the Elk began to turn the tables on the more powerful and better equipped Foxes however. Sirius knew the end was near as more Elk flooded the battle field with no end to their army in sight.

A low rumbling of feet began from behind Sirius and grew exponentially louder into the sound of a stampede coming ever closer. She shifted herself tiredly to the other direction to see a massive militia of Deer charging towards her. They took no notice of her as they passed and directed their full attention to the battle that raged ahead. In the rear of the group slowly came Maxinimus with a weary look upon his face as he walked up to Sirius.

"Glad to see you are still alive," he said in exhaustion. Siri gave a weak smile to him, "Likewise. I guess you were able to help them after all." Maxin nodded back, "They are better for now but we still have not figured out how the worms entered them. How long has this been going on?" "Not too long but we had better do something about it," she replied. "I will handle this just take care of your own," Maxin spoke as he started on his way towards the fighting.

With a gesture of his hand the Deer brought up their shields and began to push back the Elk that charged at the Foxes. Following this Maxin summoned a mass of roots to clear the way for the Foxes to make a hasty retreat from their entrapment. The soldiers came to Sirius' side and not long after the Deer returned to Maxin's after pushing their way out. Furious the Elk were commanded to stand down as Imfay made his way to the front.

"Maxin how nice it is to see you again interfering with my plans once more to no surprise," Imfay said spitefully. Maxinimus became rejuvenated by his rage, "Imfay I let you lead our people because I thought you make a better ruler than I but now I see that was a horrible mistake. So I am going to give you an option return the throne to the rightful heir to this land or you will be butchered by him!" Imfay chuckled quietly a moment before breaking into laughter, "Boy your threats are as hollow as your head, I am not in the least bit frighted of you." A root grasped the heel of Imfay and drug him to the feet of Siri and her men. "I know you are not afraid of me but you are afraid of them, so be civil else I will allow them to be very uncivil with you," Maxinimus smirked callously at his foe.

Imfay shook as he stared up at the grinning faces of the Foxes imaging the horrendous things that awaited him if he were to disagree. Slowly he nodded speechless as he was caught in Sirius' fierce gaze that seemed to stab at his very soul. Maxin released his hold on Imfay an as he did so he rushed to his feet and fled for cover behind the Elk. The Elk army grudgingly bowed to their new and true leader in his moment of triumph and victory over Imfay. "I could not have done this without your help Sirius," Maxin said in the silence.

With Imfay defeated Maxin regained control over the lands of the Elk and Deer however would shortly be reduced to only the land of the Deer. Still drawing support from his people Imfay led the Elk as they became sovereign of Maxinimus's control. Despite disapproving Maxin would do nothing to stop the separation as he remained busy tasked with his end of the agreement with Sirius. Using his gifts Maxin cleared routes through the dense southern forests and removed the poisonous plants that remained. The Canine nation expanded exponentially following this allowing them to build their empire as large as it was powerful. Meanwhile in the western lands Orion hot off his conquest of the Leopard territories set his sights on foreign lands after seeing new lands, in his dreams, stained bloody red with billows of black smoke blocking out the sun. He had yet to know the how but was all too sure of the why, for glory, for victory, and conquest.