"Look not upon the beastmen with hatred, but with pity. They were meant to be born pure and as our brethren. Do not face them with hatred, but with hope that they born anew into the gods loving arms." - Priestess Nina

Itoum looked throughout the room, beastmen of all shapes and sizes waited before King. The group amassed before him were mostly the generals, captains and lieutenants of the army though there were a few members of King's council and a few beastmen he didn't even recognize.

King himself had a most dour expression, no doubt due to today's eclipse. They only had eight days. Everyone in the room knew King had brought them here to discuss the end times. What bothered him wad that he and the other generals had finished their job, they had subjugated the other beaatmen and destroyed their false idols. What could be so important that King had to gather all of them?

Their leader stood slowly as the room fell to complete silence, the clopping of King's hooves on the ground echoing throughout the throne. Every beastman bowed before him as he grew closer.

"Ladies and gentlemen please rise," King began, stopping before them, "As we all know, the man-gods will awaken in exactly eight days..." he stopped. Itoum eyed him cautiously. This wasn't like King, even when he was unsure, he would always put up a brave face.

"I had planned for a grandiose speech today, but now that I stand before you all.... it just doesn't seem appropriate." King paused for an uncomfortable length of time, the beastmen in the room growing anxious at the delay. Itoum ruffled his feathers in anticipation as King drew breath once more. "I gathered all of you here today to discuss your part in saving our kin. Since the man-gods have begun stiring I could sense their strength and now know that there is nothing I can do to stop them."

It was then the room erupted into chaos. Beastmen screaming and shouting, demanding to know what the plan is and what they were supposed to do know. Taking a deep breath Itoum screeched as loudy as he could and the hall went silent. Itoum nodded to King as he smiled weakly.

"I've known I couldn't defeat them for some time now, and so I've spent the past years peering into the veil to find our find our awnser. Beyond the veil their are many worlds not of our own. And on many of these world the gods lay no claim, many gods which do not know of us and many which bare no gods at all. We will pull our magic and force our way into one of these worlds. A new world where we are free from the persecution of the man-gods!"

The room was filled with cautious excitement, the beastmen unsure of what to make with this news. Itoum though, he knew something was wrong. He was no master of the magics, but he knew that a spell powerfull enough to do that would come at a great cost. He had seen ambitious young lamia be turned inside out attempting to perform spells above their level.

"This will not be an easy thing to accomplish. Most, if not all, of you know the cost of magic. Our salvation comes at a hefty price, one not even I alone can pay. So I have gathered those beastmen who posses the biggest and brightest souls to aid me in this ritual." King monologed as he walked back to his throne, looking throughout the room and taking a deep breath.

"I will not lie to you. Should you participate in this ritual, there is a strong possibility that you will not survive, and if you do, you will not live the same as you are. So I ask that you go home tonight, say what you need to your loved ones and steel yourself for what's to come." With that King had left the room. Itoum swiftly followed leaving the rest of the confused and unsure beastmen behind him.

Breaching the doors to the throne room he didn't see King nearby. Itoum made his way to the nearest balcony. Their was always one place King went when he was upset. Flying out to Minmi forest Itoum would find out his awnsers.

After a half hour flight Itoum spotted the forest and began to descend. Reaching the edge if the forest Itoum could feel its unease. The burial grounds of the thirteen treasonous arch-magi. King would definitely be at the cemetery.

Following the trail it didn't take him long to find his target. Standing before a gravestone was King.

"That didn't take you long Itoum." King panned in a sinister voice.

"There's no way we can conduct such a ritual. It's not possible is it?" Itoum asked.

"You'll hate me if I tell you."

"I'll hate you if you don't."

The two stood in silence as King tried to gather his words. Itoum wanted to comfort his friend but he must stand firm. King was definitely doing something wrong. He knew that whatever it was he was doing was wrong. Itoum waited patiently for King to respond. He had always been the moral compass of the group, whatever King did wrong, he'll ammend the mistake.

"Two-thousand human souls will be used to fuel the spell. We are to simply guide its strength."

The sounds of the forest went silent, the birds stopped their mournfully songs and the wind itself seemed to die. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Such an act would betray the very reason they fought. It was one thing to kill a human, but this? Doing this would make them no better than the humans. This would obliterate two-thousand human souls. Bile built in Itoum's throat as he contemplated it, stomach churning in disgust.

"Itoum, I didn't want to do this, but there's no other way. We must save our people, you understand don't you?" Desperation began to show in Kings tone as he pleaded to his friend. King knew what he was doing, he chose to do it anyways. Itoum wanted to strike him. All that nonsense about being better than the humans. That once they won the humans would be shown the error of their was and spared mercy. It was all a lie.

Itoum felt the rage in his mind building as a putrid heat washed over him. He wanted to claw the cowards muzzle off, he wanted to hug his friend and cry, he didn't even know what he wanted. The revelation shook him to his very core. Desperate and unsure he took to the skies, not eager to make a rash decision in such a turbulent state.

"Itoum wait please!"

Itoum ignored the desperate cries of the man he once called friend as he flew towards the outskirts. No being able to hold onto his feelings he let loose a desperate cry of sorrow. There was nothing he could do. One way or another, thousands of innocents were going to die. The humans who would have their souls destroyed by King, or the beastmen who would have their souls destroyed by the man-gods. He wept at the cruelty of the world.

Yogimur sat on the hardwood bench outside his cabin enjoying a cigar. He was nearing his two-hundreth year, even amongst the beastmen Yogimur old as sin and was more beast than man. Resembling a bear that walked on two legs. He did so enjoy the natural world more than the cities of man or the hybrid woodland cites of the beast king. Nevertheless, he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the commodities both sides brought. The humans had such beautiful art, and the beasts made such delicious food.

Dragging from the cigar he noticed that the woodland birds stopped their beautiful songs as the distant cry of a hawk grew closer. Yogimur ignored this, the hawk would go away soon and the birds would continue their melody.

Finishing the cigar Yogi noticed the hawk grew louder as if it was coming straight to him. Looking to the sky he heard the cry louder than ever as he was brought to the ground by a tremendous force. Tackled before he could even see what had hit the old bear. Growling he shoved his attacker away and rose to his feet only to see a slobbering Itoum.

He remembered that little scamp from before even the unification wars. Always so proud, eager, and willing to do right dispite the nature of their kind. Yogi couldn't help but smile at the cub. Picking the young birdfolk up in his bulky arms he chuckled. "Something must be quite wrong for you to visit me. You young kids. Never visiting your old folks less yah need somethin."

He set the crying boy onto his bench and went to his cabin, shortly emerging with his honeyblock treats. Itoum always did love these things when he was a cub.

Plopping himself onto the bench next to Itoum he wrapped the cub in one of his arms as he waited for him to calm down. Didn't take all that long after he spotted and subsequently snached the honeyblock. Wiping the tears from the cub's eyes he asked, "What's gotten you so upset. You're a hero aren't you little Itoum? Heros don't cry."

The cub sniffed as he drew his words. "It's just awful Yogi. It's King. He's going to do something awful and I just don't know what to do about it."

Nodding Yogimur already knew what had happened. King and Itoum had been friends since before his fathers so called prophecy. Being raised by that dark mage, King was always a cold cub and Itoum had always acted as his moral compass. King must have done something behind Itoums back, what with the end times coming. Still, he knew his cub needed to rant, and so Yogi sat their for the better part of an hour listening to the cub, an occasional break taken for honey treats.

Looking to Itoum he knew their was no good way to put this. Sometimes bad must be done to achieve good. King was the only one strong enough to defeat the old gods and he was the only one strong enough to beat the man-gods. If King believed sacrifice was necessary than it probably was, but he couldn't just tell his cub that.

Itoum always tried to be the noble knight that he was read to about. The cub even went out of his way to save a human cub that had gotten stuck in a tree dispite nearly getting blasted by gifted magic for his troubles.

Sighing he ponded on his dilevery. He couldn't be harsh to his little cub, but he knew that something must be done to stop the beastmen's extinction. "Did you belive King when he said it was the only way?" He asked somberly only to have sharp talons dig into his hide. Itoum's silence told the old bear all he needed to know.

His cub didn't come for awnsers, he already knew. His cub came because he was afraid of the awnser, because he needed comfort. So Yogimur sat their with his cub buried into his coat as the birds began singing their beautiful tune once more.

King paced throughout the room anxiously. He knew that failure meant the extinction of his race, he knew the evils he was allowed to comment, but at the moment neither of those things crushed him as much as the loss of his only friend. Even if he had saved their kind what awaits them in the next world? There be other hostile races towards his kind? Will he just be thrown into another war of extinction? Even if that isn't the case, What is there for him on the other side? His family is all dead, his only friend left in disgust towards his actions, his people only respected him due to his strength.

No, he pushed the thought through his head. He needed to be strong if the spell is to work. It was his duty to protect and guide the beastmen. Even if he lost everything he mustn't yield.

Marching to the throne room he prepared himself, steeling his mind and strengthening his soul. Pushing open the large oak doors he saw all of his generals before him. All save one. No. He couldn't think of that. Not now.

The humans had already been executed, it's too late to turn back. It has been too late for some time now. The souls of the dead knew what was coming, they wailed and moaned. The damned cursing King with all of their hatred, latching their souls onto his. Focusing his magic he dampened their moans, forcing them into submission.

Focusing back onto his generals he told them what to do. They needed to focus on hope. Hope for a new world, free of man. A world where the young can live without fear of damnation. A world where they can be free. This hope should help guide them to a more preferable world.

As the generals got into position around King as he focused the souls into power for the spell. He was ready to begin when the doors burst open. King turned to see the intruder and his heart sank. It was Itoum. The featherfolk silently walked to the circle and began pouring his soul into the spell much to King's surprise, the convicted shaking the rest of the beastmen. The surety of the room began bolstering in the raw power of Itoums soul and King understood. His friend may not forgive him, but together they would save their kind.

The spell began. The power ripping the room apart, beastmen began screaming as their souls were consumed and their bodies turned to ash. King wept at the plight of his kind and put his soul before the spell, bering it's brunt. As the spell consumed him he felt the world shake violently. He may not have done great in life, maybe not even good. But in saving his kind he felt he could give himself a pass, even if the world itself scorned him.

Itoum woke after a time, he couldn't tell how long it had been since the spell had been performed. Looking around he saw far fewer beastmen than their was before, the room covered in a fine soot. Of the beastmen that were still alive he could only recognize three, only one of them was stiring. He stood shakily as his senses regained and that's when he saw it. King.

"King?" Itoum asked, his voice weak. He walked to his old friend before his leg collapsed. The spell had taken more out of him then he thought. He crawled to his friend only to see a partially rotting corpse. Putting his hand on King he pleaded. Even if what King did was wrong, he didn't want his last interaction to be one of anger. Crying over the body he pleaded for his friends life.

"Uuuuuunnngggg," One of the voices moaned, "Are you going to keep crying or are you going to help me?"

Kisliv. The vile Arachne. If Itoum was Kings better half then Kisliv would be his worst. The spider rose much more stabliy then Itpum had, seemingly unaffected by the spells drain.

"Did the spell work?"

Itoum didn't know how to awnser. The little knowledge he had of the intricacies of magic was dwarfed by the loss of his oldest friend. The only thing he knew was that magic needs a strong spirit to cast. He didn't know if the spell had succeeded or not.

"So you don't know? Then go find out." The cold words of Kisliv spat. Itoum couldn't belive it, their king lie dead and Kisliv commands him to go out on a scouting mission. He wanted to curse the damnable spider before he started once more. "I will take King to the Kitsune priestes Milana. She will know what to do with him. In the meantime we must confirm if the spell had worked and if we are in any immediate danger."

Itoum hated it. It had always irked him when the spider was right. Kisliv walked up to him and handed him something from his pouch. A glass vial with a concoction of some sort.

"Take this. It will get you to the border and back. Be quick, be safe. As annoying as you are, we can't afford to lose you right now." Kisliv said in a kinder tone than Itoum thought was possible of the spider.

Nodding he drank the vial and took out the window. Itoum flew as fast and as hard as his wings could take him. In just a short hour he made it to the border. Kisliv's brew helped immensely but Itoum could feel his body eating away at itself. He needed conformation and to get back as soon as possible.

There was a human village just a few miles north, a remote village free of the temple, ignorant of the beastmen right outside their doorstep. If he could just make it their he would know.

As much as he desired it, fate had a different plan and his body began to fail him. He landed as gracefully as he could and took rest under a nearby tree as sleep overcame him. As his eyes shut he saw something strange. A beastman of equine figure, though it appeared to be some kind of reverse centaur. As strange as she was.... she did have beautiful feathers.

Author's Note

I won't be apologizing for that joke