The Beast King

"You expect me to show mercy?"
-General Kisliv

Pain shot through Itoum as quickly as lighting tore through the skies. He hadn't been a stranger to pain but this was different, like his very soul was being molded. Opening his eyes he could see why. Two sets of black and matted white fur.

"King?" the response was dry and pained. Rubbing his eyes he saw that he was under no illusion, King was there standing before him. He couldn't belive it, he screeched at his old friend, "I thought you died! I thought I had died"

King stood there staring at Itoum, his black eyes hiding whatever the beast was thinking. King lifted his head and spoke "We did."

The silence between to two could be felt throughout the forest. Not a single bird sang nor did a single squirrel chitter. Two powerful forces beyond the comprehension of the forest critters were in deadlock. Two forces clashing with each other with a cacophony of emotions bearing down onto eachother.

"You mean to tell me that not only can the preistess can revive anybeast she want but so can you!" Itoum cried indignantly, "All the fine beasts we lost in the war, all of the generals! We could have done so much with this ability and only now you choose to reveal it!?"

King stood unshaken. "You think bringing someone beyond the veil is easy? Much less something that comes without cost?" King strode up to Itoum, towering over the hawk. With King so close a few things became apparent to him. The first being that the rot he saw on the corpse had not gone away but was simply hidden by the fur, the second being that most of King's musculature was gone, the once intimidating arms and legs which could crush boulders were now nought but twigs. Looking at King now Itoum would be hard pressed to see the respected mage beat even one of his newest recruits.

Even with the state he's in Itoum figured that couldn't be all, magic did tend to be rather volatile. "So what all has bringing me back cost you then? And what of the preistess?"

"The preistessess are in rather poor condition, they'll be unable to preform their duties in the church for a few days. Seeing as I revived you alone and so soon after my own resurrection, I'll be unable to use my magic for some time, possibly a few months."

Itoum looked to the stars in the sky. The humans were still here and his king unable to use his powerful magic. Even if they had escaped the wrath of the man gods, the fight was still far from over.

"Lord, there was a small town of beastmen which call themselves ponies nearby. A human pest* of knights was on their way to it and I was unable to stop them. We should see if there are any surviors." Itoum knew they were unlikely to find any, but anymore beasts they could rally to their cause would be a great boon. They were on a new world, if they could exterminate the humans here and now his kind would be safe to flourish forever.

After receiving a nod from King Itoum began to walk to the town. He could feel what King had meant when he said resurrection took quite the toll. His legs felt like they were melting off as he walked and the two of them had to take several breaks on the relatively short walk to the town. Luckily the sun was down else he feared he would have truely melted into a puddle.

Exiting the treelines he saw just a he expected. Ruined building damaged by flames and signs of battle. As he and King walked into the town proper he saw something odd. It looked as if there had been a corpse pile. Such atrocities had not been uncommon after the extermination of a beastman city but what was odd was that it had been removed. He could see the outlines of the bodies in the dust, the charred remains of flesh, but the bodies were gone.

"Itoum" his king called, "I was under the impression that you came alone, what are your men doing here?"

Looking over to where King had spoken he saw them. There were the corpses of his men, the newest member was there as well. It brought a great sadness into his heart. His men must have come looking for him only to find him dead. Kneeling besides the hawkkin he closes the dead beasts eyes so that he may rest.

"There are signs of battle but no human corpses. What the hell happened here?"

The question wasn't something Itoum could awnser. It was obvious that a battle had taken place but what perplexed him was the lack of corpses. Only the beastmen were left behind. "I don't know why."

"Then let us find out."

The response was simple but profound. The only way they would find out was if there had been a survivor, or if King spoke to the dead once more.

"But King! Your condition!" He shouted in protest.

"We are weak without many of our generals and in a vulnerable without information. You know I won't stop until we are safe." Looking towards the outskirts of town King began to walk away as Itoum got up to follow, stumbling slightly due to the burning in his legs.

It was in the outskirts that the two saw to corpses that were badly burnt. Inspecting the body Itoum noticed that the burns were not of a human priests magic but something else. The human magic would peel away at a beastman, these burns were more similar of a natural fire, but something was still unusual about it, something he couldn't tell. He was so fixated on the unusual state of the bodies he didn't notice King's call the first time.

"Itoum!" after gathering his attention King then pointed to a group of unusual ponies that had surrounded him. "Are these the ponies you were talking about?"

There was something unusual about these ponies but the resemblance was still there. The most notable was a pony that was seven foot tall, eye level with King towering over the rest. Not only was she about a foot taller but she had a horn atop her head, big powerful wings and the much more defined muscles he saw on the third group. The rest of the ponies were strange in the fact that their wings resembled that of a bat, their eyes were slit and their ears were much fluffier looking.

"I am Princess Luna, ruler of the night and protector of these lands. You have quite the never to show up here. Surrender now and you will be taken to be purified by the human preist Nina." The tall one bellowed.

The words spoken were heard but not understood. How could the ponies be working with the humans after what had happened? Were they not aware of what he had done to save them?

"This is outrageous! I had laid down my life to stall the human assault on your town!" He cried, furry enveloping him.

"Bold words coming from the ones who laid sedge to our town and committed such atrocities to our ponies." Luna accused leveling her sword at the two.

Itoum was about to confront the bitch princess before King interjected. "And how do you know it was we who attacked your people? Were there surviors who told the tail, or did you merely stumble apon these ruins and were fed false words by the human aggressors?"

The princess narrowed her eyes at King's words and lowered her sword if only so slightly. "Not only did we receive reports from out scouts detailing your beastmen from Private Gentle Wind, but the position of the corpses suggested that your kin were the aggressors."

"If you say so, yet as King to the beastmen I have ordered no attack on this town so your claimes are suspect. Rather than argue about what may have happened instead let us ask he who was here." King proclaimed much to the confusion of the princess. After he spoke King moved to the burnt corpse of one of the hawkkin. Focusing his magic a wisp manifested before them all and began to take place.

Before him Itoum saw his second in command Kur. The wisp saw his comander and cried out, "Lord, I thought the humans had killed you!" Itoum she'd a tear knowing he couldn't tell Kur the truth. Looking over to King he saw blood begining to drip from his nose and a strained look in his eyes. Glancing at the princess he saw the look of shock yet a sense of complete attentiveness.

"Kur, I'm sorry but there isn't much time, please tell us what happened at this village." It was then the wisp saw who he was looking at and cried with pain in his voice, "Her! She's the one who killed me, after we avenged this village!"

"Avenged? Were you not the ones who brought seige to this village?" She snapped back.

"No, the villagers were long dead by the time we arrived. We were to late to save their lives or their souls so we did the next best thing and brought death to the ones who snuffed their light." Kur's apparition said angrily, though whether the anger was directed at Luna or the humans he couldn't tell, though it was likely a mix of both.

"But the preistess Nina said human magic only cleanses corruption, how do I know that this is not just a trick?" Luna said her sword now at her hip rather than levied at them.

"You've seen me speak with souls," King panted, clearly exhausted from the excessive use of magic in his injured state. "Let us see the souls of the beastmen who were slain by humans and not your own kin." And with that King made his way to the corpses in the center of town, the bat like ponies clearing the way for him.

As King stood over the body he poured his magic into it and yet nothing happened. Itoum knew it would do nothing as there was no soul to be found. He thought this would prove King's case but Luna gave him a scrutinizing glare.

"I can see you lumping magic into the corpse but how is it I know you are truely trying to speak to the soul?" Her tone clearly indicated mistrust and King looked worse for the ware. How he would prove their case was beyond him.

"Then take my hand Princess, I can show you what a soul looks like."

Luna looked at the beast scrupulously. She couldn't trust him, but if what he says is true then her sister and ponies would be in great danger. She hated the situation she was in but it was her duty as the protector of her kind. She looked at this 'King' and nodded, taking his hand. At the very instant she set her hand on his she felt power wash over her as her eyes burnt and she felt her magical core react in such a pleasant way. She felt her magic bolster to new heights, it was euphoric.

"Luna, look at me and tell me what you see." came the raspy voice of the king. She looked to him and saw he was no longer the frail looking goat she had seen but moments before, but instead an imposing figure that inspired a slight fear in her.

"What am I looking at?" she asked.

"No longer are you seeing what is physical but instead you are seeing my spirit. My soul. Look around and see for yourself what the humans had done." He said glancing at the corpse she had slain she followed his eyes and saw the dimming soul she had just spoken to as it was slowly being siphoned into a breach within the sky, the breach into the veil was the most beautiful thing she had ever peered into. It was inspiring.

Though she gazed into it for only seconds it felt like an eternity of bliss. A cough from the goat brought her attention as he drew her attention to the beastman he had just tried to speak with. She looked at his body and saw nothing. There was no soul being led to the veil like the other body, nor was there a new soul like what Nina had led her to belive was the case.

Luna looked into the eyes of the goatman with so much on her mind. Did this mean that he was right? That her dearest sister was in danger? Did she murder an innocent beastman due to a misunderstanding? She didn't know what to say and the king seemed to realize.

He let go of her hand and he returned to the frail state she saw before. "I can see that you'd mind is not yet made," he began in a soft and understanding tone, "return home and ask the human once more what had happened here and compare it to what you've seen for yourself. After that you should have your awnser."

And with that the king began to walk off with his follower in tow. She didn't know what to say. In one day she had seen more horrors than she had ever experienced throughout her lifetime. The chaos of Discord nor the destruction of Tirek could compare to the situation she was in now. She had so many questions, and she will have her awnsers soon at the capital. Turning address her hunters she spoke. "We must make haste to the castel. There are many question which we must have awnsers for.