The Ring of Kraig
-Story by SonicBlu
Unauthorized duplication without the written 
consent of the author is a violation of copyright. 
Characters, places, and events are (c) 2003 SonicBlu. 
Any similarities with characters, living or dead, 
are purely coincidental.

 
	In an age where technology was a long way from 
becoming a concept, and the world existed in an era 
known as the medieval times, life for these primitive 
settlers was dangerous, if not exciting. The year was 
1187, and the long list of threats brought forth by 
evildoers seemed like mere child's play compared to 
the ongoing battle against the fiercest dragon ever 
to have taken to the clear, blue skies of the vast 
country of Tikal. For generations, the black dragon 
Kraig Murlen wreaked his evil bidding upon the world. 
In addition to vandals, hooligans, thieves, and 
gamblers that came out of the woodwork, Kraig's 
threats were topmost priority. 

	The village of Forbin resided among the foliage-
enriched land, and was kept hidden around a thriving 
forest. Still, danger rode as tall in the saddle as a 
powerful warrior on his majestic steed. A noble  panther 
king by the name of Farrow ruled Forbin. He and his warriors 
fought for freedom and protection of Forbin Village. One 
mighty warrior recently retired from the kingdom to 
settle down with a family. He was a well-loved cougar 
among his peers and his family, and had won the trust 
and honor of the village commoners. His greatest treasure 
he had ever laid his amber eyes upon was the birth of his 
son, Benny. It had been eight years since Benny came into 
the world, and Sir Edwin cherished every moment of his new 
family life. Even though he had to lay his glimmering suit 
of armor to rest, he felt the time for a change in his 
life. Sir Edwin married his true love Muriel shortly 
before Benny was born. For eight years, Sir Edwin walked 
the streets of Forbin with a better feeling of 
tranquility and calmness - something he could never 
accumulate as a fighting warrior of peace. As a warrior, 
Sir Edwin was the finest fighter King Farrow ever saw, 
and was quite disappointed when he decided to resign. 
It took a great deal of time for King Farrow to fully 
understand Sir Edwin's wish, for no other warrior he's 
ever had was able to face up to Kraig Murlen and live. 
While the moon's light shone upon the land, Sir Edwin 
took up a small chair and carried it across the room 
to his son's bed.
 "The Call to the End of the Universe," Sir Edwin 
whispered to his offspring in the late April month. 
The wise cougar smiled upon his only son as he watched 
him curling up in his small bed. The covers covered his 
entire body, up to the fur upon his chin; his whiskers 
glimmered softly from the moon's light shining through 
the window. Young Benny looked up at his father with a 
great look of happiness upon his face. Sir Edwin took 
in the peaceful setting and never wanted it to end. 
Although he was a retired knight warrior, he felt his 
next goal in life was to raise a strong, ambitious son 
who would be the next to carry on his father's work. 
  "Yes, tell me about your quests, Father," the young 
feline replied. Edwin pulled up the hard, wooden chair 
to the side of his son's bed, and proceeded to tell of 
the tales he grew to accept as his own life story.
  "It was so very long ago, and we were so few. I was 
knighted under King Farrow, to help aid the kingdom and 
all who live there in the ultimate quest for peace. The 
fire of the dragon kept our adrenaline at a continuous 
rate. Nobody knew where to run, for the entire sky was 
painted crimson-red. The smell of smoke and burning 
sulfur tainted the air of which we breathed. The sun's 
rays were shut out of all its light from the smoke-filled 
stratosphere. Villagers were passing out left and right 
from the intake of the toxic fumes and gasses from the 
fire of the dragons. Yes, son, this was to be what we 
all deemed 'Hell on Earth.'" 
  "Oh, Edwin, do you really think this story will be 
appropriate?" Muriel asked as she stood at the entryway 
into Benny's room. 
  "I feel I must tell it to him sooner or later, my 
love," Edwin called back, not even turning his head. 
He held his concerned gaze upon his son as he took in 
a deep breath through his nostrils.
  "Please, Father. I wish to hear of your tale. I 
understand this may be scary, but it's for my own 
good, right?"
  "That's right, son. What I have to tell you may 
save your life someday, but you must be brave. To 
be a knight as powerful as I, you must possess a 
heart and nerves of steel." Edwin rose from the 
chair and glanced out the window as he drew in 
another breath. Muriel had already returned to her 
bedroom to prepare for a night of slumber, and 
anticipated the appearance of her mate. Tonight 
was the night he decided to tell young Benny of 
the threat of dragons in their small village, and 
Muriel knew Sir Edwin meant well. She gave a gentle 
sigh as she gazed at the ceiling, hoping that Sir 
Edwin's story would not go too far. Although the 
villagers lived in more peace than turmoil, the 
arrival of the evil black dragon and his minions 
was always unpredictable. 
  "It was a night just like tonight. We never 
expected it to happen, but there were five of us 
together. With our loaded catapults outside the 
kingdom walls, we were always prepared for a sudden 
ambush. The time seemed to go on forever, and since 
none of us settled down with families, there was 
nowhere else for us to go. We would spend months 
at our guard posts, and we never went anywhere."
  "I thought being a powerful knight was a lot more 
than this, Father,"
  "It is, Son, it is, but it can't always be fighting 
and triumphs. What nobody else cares to mention is the 
waiting for a battle to arise. See, we were tough and 
merciless, but we carried with us a great sense of 
dignity. We never went to look for a fight, for we 
believed that if we did, we would be digging ourselves 
a much earlier grave."
  "I don't get it," Benny whined.
  "You will, Son. Someday, you will understand the true 
nature of being a Forbin knight. Like I said, you will 
need to know everything, for it may save your life one 
day."
  "Well, I know there's the waiting, but what about the 
important stuff, like the battle?" Edwin smiled softly as 
a gentle snicker left his mouth. 
  "Alright, I guess that part of the story is rather 
boring, and the hour is getting later as we speak," he 
replied as he shuffled across the bare wood floor. He 
returned to a seated position at his son's bedside and 
continued.
  "In the early hours of the morning, that's when we heard 
the awful, high-pitched shrieking of the evil dragons. 
Sure enough in the distance, we could spot their elongated 
bodies soaring high above. From the head of the group, 
the meanest, most ugly dragon of them all glared onto 
the Earth with eyes of brightest red; his scales were 
black as a desert night. 
  'It's time! Get your weapons ready!' I shouted to my 
fellow knights. We managed to take out a couple dragons 
with our catapults, but Kraig dodged all projectiles. 
Sir Benett took aim with his spear, of which he used as 
a last resort of attack. With a strong thrust of his 
brawny arm, he cast the weapon through the air. The tip 
of the spear skewered right through the neck of one of 
the minions that accompanied Kraig Murlen. The dragon 
instantly let out this ear-shattering call, and breathed 
a huge gust of fire straight ahead of him. He was close 
enough to burn the evil, black dragon to a crisp, and we 
hoped the fire from his heavy cries would have singed the 
scales right off its body, but to no avail. We looked up 
through the fiery gusts, and as sure as I stood, I saw the 
wretched beast come away as if the fire was not even there. 
Fortunately, the other dragon choked to death on his own 
blood and fell right out of the sky. Kraig Murlen knew 
his number was diminishing. When we did away with the 
rest of his minions, Kraig knew it was time to finish 
the fight. Kraig seemed unaffected by the breath of fire 
that engulfed his body. For all we knew, he acquired more 
power from the blast, for he was much stronger of a foe 
than any of us ever imagined." Benny's bright amber eyes 
grew wide as Edwin stopped his story. He placed his large 
paw upon his son's shoulder before continuing onward.
  "So how would one kill him? Even after being torched by 
his own minion?"
  "Nobody knows, Son. Everything we have tried did nothing 
to him. Fire only made him stronger. We don't know how he 
lived through the weaponry we used against him, but his 
scales seemed to be built as solid as stone. We were 
beginning to wonder if he was truly a dragon, or if he 
was spawned from the purest of evils. This dragon was 
unique, no doubt about it. We knew we had to do 
something to put a stop to his reign of terror onto 
our land."
  "What did you do?"
  "Whatever we could do. We never had a problem dealing 
with the lesser-powerful dragons, but Kraig was beyond a 
doubt, the most inflexible being I have ever encountered. 
When he looked back and saw the carcasses of his minions, 
he let out the loudest roar any of us ever heard. Some 
villagers say the dragon was capable of awakening the 
dead with his cries, but we never would have believed 
it for ourselves. We later considered this 'the Call 
to the Edge of the Universe,' for it may have traveled 
such a distance. We knew right away we were no longer 
dealing with a creature of mortality. What we were 
going up against was paranormal."
  "What does that mean?"
  "It's another word for something we as mortals do not 
understand - something that does not coexist with logic 
or understanding. Even science cannot come to reasonable 
enough conclusions. Things like this can only be created 
from the supernatural, of unseen spirit with the energies 
of all that is evil."
  "Like ghosts?"
  "Worse, Son. Demons."
  "You say this Kraig Murlen is a demon?"
  "That's the only conclusion we can come up with, Son. 
Kraig Murlen is ageless - mightier than the gods, and 
more powerful than that of mortal being. I will never 
forget glaring deep into his unusual, red eyes. I could 
practically feel the heat of his breath from his 
nostrils, right through my heavy armor. As I stood 
looking eye-to-eye with the unnatural beast, I saw 
the redness of his eyes swirling, like tiny clouds 
of smoke. If it weren't for the bravery of my fellow 
knights to divert his attention, I would not be here 
today. Sir Gilliam was the first to die. He was consumed 
whole by the colossal giant - armor and all. I never saw 
such a terrified face. Even through Sir Gilliam's helmet, 
I saw his eyes. The poor panther knew his day was up, 
and before any of us knew what had happened, he was 
gone - a simple morsel given to the beastly dragon's 
appetite, that would not have even come close to 
satisfying his hunger. His terrified yells were still 
heard even after his head disappeared in Kraig's huge 
muzzle. His screams were burned permanently in my 
memories. The teeth on this evil beast were immense, 
and they constantly dribbled his foul mucus onto the 
ground. I don't think Sir Gilliam survived longer than 
five minutes. If he did, he suffered in antagonizing 
pain. Still, his screams continued to be heard, even 
in the pit of his stomach. They slowly dissipated, and 
it wasn't long before Kraig swallowed another one of 
my comrades. The rest of us grouped together and used 
whatever we had in our paws to vanquish him. From the 
sharpest blade to the longest spear, nothing we used 
even put a dent in his entire, massive body. We were 
five warriors of peace, but we were quickly reduced 
to a fighting pair before we retreated. I never spoke 
of my three friends who died that day until now; it 
still affects me to this very day." 

	Edwin covered his soft-furred face in his paws and
tried to hold back a shedding of tears as Benny slowly 
raised his head. The fur on his head stood on end, and 
his eyes were as wide as the circumference of dragon eggs.
  "How will such a dragon be vanquished, and how can such 
a tale save my life?"
  "It can only save you if you do not show fear. I feel 
that is the only thing that saved me from being consumed 
by the vicious dragon, Kraig Murlen. Had I lost my nerve, 
I would not have lived."
  "You said you might not have lived if it were not for 
the aid of the other knights."
  "That, my Son, is the other half of triumph. Teamwork 
is essential in the battle of good against evil. Use 
these teachings wisely, Son. I know you will need to 
refer to it sooner or later."
  "Thank you, Father. I will."
  "Get some sleep, Benny." Edwin slowly rose from the 
chair and scooted it back to Benny's small desk. As he 
stood in the archway of his son's room, he dimmed the 
lantern until the room was completely dark. A pale-blue 
moonlight glow provided enough luminescence for the 
young cougar to see the shadowy figure of his father.
  "Father?"
  "What is it, Son?"
  "Will you ever fight again?"
  "Oh, Son. My warrior days are done. My job now is 
staying here to tend to you and your mother. I'm not 
required to return to King Farrow, unless by his 
royal decree. I'm hoping I never see that day. Now, 
go to sleep. Tomorrow shall be another day."
  "Thank you again, Father," Benny whispered as a 
yawn escaped from his mouth. Edwin returned to his 
loving mate and slipped his white robe from his body. 
Muriel opened her eyes slowly and turned her head 
to face her mate. Through the dim-lit lantern, she 
could still easily see the old battle scars he bore 
upon his naked body. He slipped into the bed next 
to her and pulled the covers up to his neck. 
  "Edwin, I still don't think you should have told 
him of your stories. He's still a trifle young, you 
know."
  "I agree with you, Muriel, but you must understand 
that he must learn of the dangers his life will sooner 
or later endure while I still live and breathe. We 
must prepare him for his own good."
  "Do you really think that evil dragon will return 
anytime soon?"
  "Who knows? For the sake of the beings of Forbin, 
I sure hope we've seen the last of him. Douse the 
lantern, will you?" Muriel reached over to put out 
the soft illumination of the lantern and then 
settled her head gently upon the soft pillow. She 
let out a sigh as she awaited her realm of slumber.

	The family of cougars resided in the outskirts 
of Forbin. The villagers all lived in peace within 
the tiny community, and many beings of different 
species lived in great harmony amongst one another. 
Discrimination was hardly a problem, yet the crime 
rate of the village was volatile. Regardless of 
misdeed brought onto the village, only one event 
brought about a great fear into the hearts of the 
Forbin settlers - when the evil dragon and its 
minions came to hunt and kill. Nobody knew where 
Kraig Murlen came from, nor did they know how old 
he was. Kraig was ageless, and his legend dated as 
far back as the beginning of recorded history. 
Every year, Kraig migrated to a different village. 
His main objective was to plunder the villages' 
riches, and to consume the bodies of those that 
attempted to cease his heinous intent. 

	Kraig's dwelling was indeed a great mystery 
to every living being on the planet. Those whom 
tried to follow him to his homestead never made 
it back alive. In the year 145 AD, a band of 
brave knights grouped together to follow the 
horrid beast back to his resting place. While 
on their journey, three knights suffered from 
an unusual, fatal disease, two others plummeted 
from a tall cliff, and the remaining four began 
to turn against one another as if they were being 
controlled somehow. They knew they were in the 
presence of something evil, but there was no way 
to inform anyone of what they discovered. To this 
very day, their remains still reside within the 
mountainous regions of Northern Tikal. Every 
year, Kraig went into hiding, where he laid in 
wait for his next desire to strike. Once his 
deeds were carried out, he returned back to his 
domain a richer and more powerful dragon.

	In a cavern far from chartered territory, 
where the core of the Earth became hot as 
hellfire, Kraig Murlen dwelled peacefully. 
While his body was at rest, his eyes were always 
open. He had a great power of second sight, and 
he often saw events that occurred as far as the 
other side of the world right before his eyes. 
When he was ready to take flight, he let out a 
loud shriek as he faced the deep river of magma 
to summon his minions. Although they were brought 
forth from fire, these dragons were not anywhere 
near as powerful as Kraig himself. The demonic 
dragon never felt fear, but he knew he could 
cause more damage with the dragons he summoned 
to aid him on his travels. 

Dragon history within the land of Tikal dictated 
their existence as being a race all to themselves, 
and there have been few chaotic encounters with 
their kind since the beginning of time. Other 
dragons presented true and noble personalities 
onto anyone they met, for they felt their race 
was far too superior for low morality. Of all 
sizes and colors, these dragons existed, yet the 
attitudes of each one were always unpredictable. 
What appeared to be a dragon of agitation and 
brute strength might have been good-hearted on 
the inside, whereas the gentlest-looking dragon 
of them all could have turned out malicious in 
the end. In most cases, if the dragon race was 
not bothered by anyone, they did not become much 
of a threat. No dragon in the world was as hellish 
as Kraig Murlen, for when he soars the skies, 
nobody was safe from his wrath. Earth became 
reminiscent to the blazes of hell when he exhaled 
his flaming breath, and natural resources 
disintegrated all throughout the land. Driven 
by greed, destruction, and the taste of blood 
and meat, Kraig Murlen was declared less than 
a dragon, but more than a vicious predator. 

It wasn't until the year 829 AD, when war between 
kingdoms and villages ceased, and formed a union 
against the fierce dragon. The new alliance brought 
about a greater peace within themselves across the 
land, but whenever Kraig took to flight, not even 
the collective forces of the entire land was 
enough to stop him. Now, in the year 1187, King 
Farrow aimed to return serenity to the world. 

	King Farrow was a panther of great power and
strength; his attitude towards his knights and 
guardsmen were always reasonable. Much like any 
fair king, he had his trying moments of failure, 
as well as his greatest victories. No matter what 
the situation, he never failed to sustain an 
outlook of grandness and leadership. His kingdom 
fell under Kraig's attack five times before, and 
this was to be the longest duration of silence 
Forbin ever saw. Many villagers believed Kraig 
to be deceased, while others felt skeptical 
about his disappearance. Not a single word was 
mentioned of Kraig's fate, which made his 
subsistence a great mystery. The village square 
went from the site of executions to a place where 
Forbin villagers congregated to settle their 
differences. The rusty, bloodstained guillotine 
stood looming in the center of the square as a 
solemn reminder that justice prevailed for those 
that took to a life of crime. King Farrow 
continued to live in worriment, wondering if 
he ever saw the last of the evil dragon, and 
wished for justice to be served once and for all.

	While the villagers of Forbin rested for the night, 
the nocturnal beings of King Farrow's kingdom stood guard 
around the castle's outer walls.
  "Sure has been peaceful around these parts. I hate 
peaceful," one of the taller bats grumbled; his wings 
wrapped tightly around his brown-furred body as shelter 
from the chilling, night breeze.
  "I beg to differ, Danber. Most of us guards don't 
care to patrol the area, but I enjoy it. The nighttime 
is rather relaxing. Much better than having to spar 
and fight every day."
  "Avery, you'll never become a knight with that 
attitude. I, as well as the rest of the royal guards 
prefer action." Danber sighed as he leaned against 
the butt of his bayonet. The air upon his furry chest 
felt chilly, but he learned how to deal with all 
different types of weather. 
  "What's this?" Avery asked as he stood at attention 
and raised his own bayonet in his paws. From the 
distance, a shadowy figure came running towards the 
castle from the surrounding forest.
  "I sense it too. Seems to be approaching from 
precisely twenty miles away, and heading straight 
this way." Neither Danber nor Avery could see 
through the darkness, for their senses of radar 
were more resonant than their eyesight. 
  "Shall I ring for backup?" Danber asked as he 
reached out for the rope attached to the castle 
bell.
  "Belay that. I don't sense aggression with this 
creature. I feel his anxiety stronger than any 
other emotion.
  "Hey, what's going on? Why are you two stopping?"
a wolf approached as the pair of bats held their 
stance.
  "Someone is coming, Erik. We are going to make 
sure they don't plan an ambush." The wolf leader 
Erik peered into the darkness and could make out 
an outline of the running being. He swished his 
tail gently as he set himself at ease.
  "That is but a messenger. There is no cause for 
alarm. As you were," he ordered. The alpha wolf 
shuffled his foot paws across the grassy field of 
the castle's perimeter and huffed to himself. Erik's 
mind was constantly filled with an ongoing admiration 
of becoming a knight to serve under King Farrow's 
forces, and his aggressions for being stuck in a 
job like General of the Royal Guards continuously 
surfaced. Often, he would take his anger out on the 
other guards for reasons that were often easily 
understandable. Still, Erik's attitude towards his 
fellow guards made security a stronger factor in the 
Kingdom of Forbin. Erik's strictness rendered Forbin 
Castle impenetrable by that of any living being. The 
guards were not worried about vandals or thieves, nor 
were they worried about hostile takeovers. The royal 
guards' main concern was to protect the castle from 
the aerial attacks of dragons' fire. Ever since the 
first attack from the mighty dragon, King Farrow 
ordered that his castle be guarded day and night. 
He hired the best males for the job, and they all 
served their king well. Only a small handful of 
guardsmen retaliated from a life of constant 
surveillance and warfare, and Sir Edwin was the 
last known warrior to be added to the list of 
retirees.

	Danber and Avery went along their way to 
patrol the outer perimeter while Erik stayed 
motionless; his eyes carefully watched the 
approaching figure. As he came into clearer view, 
Erik could easily see the species bearing that 
of a young, male lion. The messenger was dressed 
in a formal red uniform from the elite forces of 
Guruko - a village that resided fifty miles away. 
Whenever a red uniformed being approached Forbin 
Castle, the news couldn't possibly be good.
  "Halt, who goes there?" Erik grunted as the 
exhausted lion tried desperately to catch his 
breath.
  "Message for King Farrow, it's urgent!"
  "I'll be the judge of that," Erik said as he 
opened the scroll. The parchment read the words: 
  "May the power and protection of the gods be 
with you, and we pray you receive this message 
safely. We, the people and kingdom of Guruko, 
regret to inform that you shall soon be under 
attack. Kraig Murlen rises again."
  "Kraig Murlen? His minions have long since 
fallen, and the fierce, black dragon fled away 
ten years ago."
  "I know that, sir, but he returns! You must 
warn your king immediately! Kraig already burned 
down our once-thriving forest. He fled towards 
the north and should be here shortly; I suggest 
you take immediate action. Good evening to you, 
sir," the petrified-looking lion tipped his hat 
before retreating back to the darkness of whence 
he emerged. Danber and Avery joined up with Erik 
as he closed the parchment.
  "What do you wish of us, sir?" Danber asked; 
his yellow eyes squinted out of seriousness to 
add a bit of drama to his inquiry.
  "What I want you two to do is to stand guard 
right here. Everybody, stand where you are and 
keep your eyes pointed to the skies. Nobody moves 
an inch until I return," Erik said as he increased 
the volume of his voice to address the rest of the 
guards. "I must speak with King Farrow."

	The chamber doors squeaked loudly as Erik entered 
into the large room of the king. A light snoring 
emanated from the middle of the dark room. The 
worried wolf gulped a lump down his throat and 
reached down for the king's bare shoulder sticking 
out from the silk sheets.
  "Sire, I come to you with urgent news. Please 
awaken," Erik whispered. 
  "Wha...what is the meaning of this, Erik?" Farrow 
asked as he slowly raised his head. As the weary 
panther attempted to regain consciousness, Erik had 
already lit the lantern hanging next to Farrow's bed. 
The first thing that ran through King Farrow's mind 
was that the presence of his chief guard in the 
middle of the night was not going to be a pleasant one.
  "Urgent message from Guruko, your majesty," Erik 
replied as he passed the scroll to the king's 
waiting paws. He yawned, gave an intimidating 
growl, and rubbed his eyes at the brightness of 
the lantern before looking back down onto the 
scroll.
  "At ease, Erik." The king slowly raised his 
upper body upright against the headboard of his 
bed, fully exposing his naked, muscular torso.
Erik performed a double take, as he saw the large 
build of the black-furred panther and instantly 
figured he must have been quite a warrior in his 
day. Farrow quickly read over the small note 
inscribed within the parchment, and then gave a 
worried sigh.
  "What do you propose we do, Sire?" Erik asked 
as he took the scroll from Farrow's paws. The 
king slowly raised his gaze into the wolf's worried 
eyes and whispered softly. As fearless as the King 
of Forbin appeared to be, the news he had just 
received made his strong outlook seem like child's 
play.
  "Round up our knights. Set up camp for our 
guards, and do not let anybody deny my request. 
I want immediate action taken, Erik. Go now!"
  "Sire, half of our knights have been taken by 
the foul dragon, and we have not yet reinstated 
our line of defense."
  "We still have our best warriors in reserve. 
Go to them first, and then we shall see if we 
need any more. Are there any more questions? 
Because if you are finished, I would like to 
prepare for the forthcoming onslaught."
  "Just one, Sire. I would like for you to consider 
Corbus DeTante into knighthood. I have monitored 
his success, and I feel he can be a true asset 
to our defenses."
  "Corbus DeTante is a renegade, Erik. You know 
I can't have someone like him among my warriors. 
He can barely follow orders as a messenger. 
Last time I sent him out on urgent matters, he 
drew his sword in anger to King Devaro when he 
would not accept Corbus's message."
  "If I may protest, your majesty. He is well 
respected among his peers, yet I do understand 
he is the worst enemy to cross. His mind and 
strength are perfectly equal within himself, and 
he stops at nothing to complete what he sets out 
to accomplish - King's orders or not. This is 
exactly why we should knight him. Does he or does 
he not get our messages delivered?"
"Yes, Erik. He does do his job as a messenger, 
but do you know how many times he has gotten into 
fights while doing it? Once, he raced through 
Castle Emberwood with his dagger clenched tightly 
in his paw, stabbing at anybody who dared get in 
his way. He claimed the canine castle guards 
threatened his life because he was a cougar 
entering onto their land. Corbus has a very 
bad temper."
  "I understand that, Sire, but this is no 
mortal soul we are out to defeat. Every time 
that monstrosity hits our village, it's always 
the overly obedient knights that get killed 
first. They try to think too much in the face 
of combat. Meanwhile, the knights that have 
deadly instincts thrive through even the toughest 
of battles. I understand that your orders are to 
benefit the good of the kingdom, but won't you 
please reconsider my request? We do not have 
much of a choice, and now we are running out of 
time."
  "Erik, now is not the time to contradict my 
decisions. Now, go and carry out the deeds of 
which I have asked of you. As you were!" Farrow 
said as he pointed a sharp claw towards the 
slightly opened door. While Erik motioned slowly 
towards the door, Farrow reached for the lantern 
to dim the light, returning darkness to his large 
room once again.
  "Corbus DeTante, a warrior? What balderdash! 
Why, he won't even live to see himself as a squire, 
what makes him think I will knight him? Surely, 
Erik must be joking," Farrow whispered as he nuzzled 
his head lightly against the soft, goose-down pillow. 
It didn't take long before the gentle snores of a 
deep sleep emanated from his nostrils once again.

	Outside the castle walls, tents were pitched left 
and right, and the king's entire messenger service was 
sent out to inform the rest of his guards of the 
approaching battle. Before the light of the sun 
peeked out over the horizon, Erik's hard-earned 
efforts were greatly rewarded. He walked along the 
lineup of warriors and guardsmen to make sure nobody 
was neglected. Once he reached the end of the line, 
he removed his helm to scratch at a patch of fur behind 
his ear.
  "Where is Sir Edwin? Has he not received a message?"
  "Yes, sir. I delivered it to him myself," a large 
griffin said as he unfurled his left wing.
  "Step forward, Kurgeaux," Erik said as he signaled 
with his paw for the yellow griffin to approach. 
Kurgeaux maintained a majestic look in his bodily 
form as he stepped away from the lineup.
  "What did Sir Edwin say to you when you 
requested his presence?"
  "He said he was not a warrior anymore, that 
he's a family cougar."
  "Sir Edwin was one of the last known warriors 
to face Kraig Murlen and lived without a scratch. 
I suggest you return to his abode."
  "Oh, there is no cause for worriment. You see, 
I have always been known for the most hypnotic of 
gestures. He'll be along soon."
  "You never cease to amaze me, Kurgeaux. Too bad 
you can't use that same treatment against the 
dragons," Erik said, as he tried to hold back a 
smile.
  "I never tried. Do you think King Farrow 
could knight me?"
  "Kurgeaux, you must be strong in muscle as 
well as in mind, otherwise you will not even 
cause a tinge of interest with our fair king. 
Your mind may be strong, but you are nothing 
on the battlefield in the ways of weaponry.
You cannot hold a bayonet straight, nor wield 
a mighty sword. What makes you think King 
Farrow will let you on his defense squad?"
  "Because I possess a magical skill he would 
be interested in." Erik held his paw up to 
silence the griffin's pleas.
  "We'll talk about this later, right now we 
have more important issues to tend to. Return 
with the others." Erik followed closely behind 
and announced his final message.
  "You all know why you are here. We are in 
preparation for another encounter with Kraig 
Murlen. As you can see, we are fully prepared 
to shelter you. I want the royal guards to put 
in as much time as they can stand before 
retreating back to camp for rest. The messengers 
will be standing by, half of you at the camp, 
and the rest of you in the castle vestibule. 
There, you will await further instructions. The 
only ones I want to see out here are warriors 
and guards. Is that understood?"
  "Yes, sir!" the group replied.
  "Erik, I have one question. Why are half of us 
messengers having to stay at the camp when the 
other half won't even see the battle?"
  "Your jobs are to deliver, are they not? Whether 
it's to deliver a message to another village or 
kingdom, a weapon to a defenseless knight, or a 
goblet of water to a thirsty warrior, your job is 
to deliver. That is why I want some of you out 
here. Any other questions?"
  "Sir, why can't some of us stronger elements 
battle as well?" Corbus DeTante asked as he stepped 
forward.
  "Because, Corbus, each of us has a job to serve 
under the protection of the kingdom and the village. 
Without your role as a fighting messenger, the 
kingdom is much weaker. It is within King Farrow's 
decree that everybody be given his duties for a 
specific reason. Do not question them. Is that 
clear?" 
  "Yes, sir!" the small congregation replied in 
unison. Although Erik was the alpha wolf of the 
royal guardsmen, he still had ultimate control 
over the messengers as well. Deep down inside, 
Erik knew he had to take his own brief commentary 
to heart. As difficult as it was, he knew he had 
to remain silent about his retaliation against his 
own job as head of the royal guards. Erik hoped that 
Corbus would have been able to aid the battle 
against the dragons, and as he walked by the high-
spirited cheetah, he was struck with an ingenious 
idea. Feeling a slight tinge of guilt for having 
to enforce his guards and messengers to stick to 
their duties, he leaned in close to Corbus's ear 
and whispered gently.
  "That also means the delivery of a mighty blow 
to the enemy, but not a single moment until I give 
you the word, understood? If King Farrow ever knew 
I allowed such a thing, he would have me beheaded, 
so remember what I told you, and do not louse this 
up." Erik leaned back to see a smile instantly 
form upon Corbus's muzzle. In reply, he simply 
nodded his head, and decided upon not telling 
anyone else of Erik's proposal. Just as the entire 
group of beings settled down at the campsite, the 
appearance of Sir Edwin caused an immediate silence 
among the colleagues of whom he was once associated 
with.
  "Sir Edwin! This is a pleasant surprise!" one 
of the canine guardsmen called out. Edwin only 
walked forward; his eyes stared straight out of 
the slit of his helm.
  "What's with him?" one guard asked. Immediately, 
the bulldog that addressed Edwin advanced to the 
smiling griffin leaning against a tall post. He 
was joined with a short hyena with a hunched back. 
Wearing a large smile, Jonas looked up into Kurgeaux's 
eyes.
  "Kurgeaux, you were the one that fetched him. 
What did you do?" Jonas asked. The griffin only 
smiled in response and turned to stare the grinning 
hyena directly in his eyes.
  "I have my ways, Jonas. Don't ever question my 
capabilities, or you'll wind up leaving here with 
the mind of a different species." Kurgeaux replied 
while giving his irises a quick swirl. Being a hyena, 
Jonas couldn't help but to burst into uncontrollable 
laughter; his voice echoed into the distance. Erik 
shot a mean look over his shoulder at the commotion 
and glared angrily at Jonas, who was now rolling 
on the floor, unable to control his own body movement.
  "Come on, it was not that funny, Jonas. Will 
you get up? This is highly embarrassing. Come 
on, Dakwood. Let's go somewhere else and leave 
Jonas to his maniacal behavior." Kurgeaux 
escorted the burly bulldog to the opposite side 
of the camp, where they immediately seated 
themselves upon the soft dirt. 
  "What are you going to do about Jonas? I think 
we have all had enough of his behavior. Nobody 
of this kingdom can ever hold a decent conversation 
with him," Dakwood said as a grunt left his throat.
  "I'm sure he will get his due sooner or later," 
Kurgeaux replied; the tenure of his pride was well 
evident in the tone of his response. The tough-
looking bulldog let out a quick snort through 
his nostrils as he looked over his shoulder at 
the hysterical outcome of the annoying hyena. 
  "Sure wish you would do something about Jonas's 
attitude."
  "In due time, Dakwood. My magic is not something 
to be used so freely, for I take great pride in 
what I do." Kurgeaux leaned back as the light of 
the moon reflected within his pupils, giving a 
more mystical appearance to the powers of magic 
in his eyes.

	Edwin, now coming out of his trance, slowly 
removed the helm from atop his short-furred head. 
He recognized Erik pacing back and forth, and 
attempted to catch up to the fast-moving wolf as 
his memory miraculously returned.
  "Erik, could you come here, please?" Erik 
stopped in his tracks, but remained with his back 
turned to the bewildered cougar.
  "What has happened to me? Why am I here?" 
Knowing what Edwin was referring to, Erik slowly 
turned with a look of disbelief upon his face. 
He twitched his ears slightly at the sight of 
the only griffin in the kingdom sitting in the 
far distance, and then stared into Edwin's eyes.
  "It was Kurgeaux. He used his mystic powers 
again to bring you here."
  "I thought so," Edwin grunted and glared into 
the direction of the griffin in the distance, 
"but why was I ordered to come back here? Have 
I the choice of whether or not to return? I have 
a family now, and I cannot go off and leave them 
alone."
  "Much as I would like to sympathize with you, 
Sir Edwin, we have not the time nor place for 
heartwarming spirits. Get your weapon ready, and 
tell the others down at camp to do the same. 
Tonight, we wait for the arrival of Kraig 
Murlen."
  "Do you really think Kraig will return here 
so soon? He might outsmart us and attack when 
we least expect him."
  "Let me tell you something, Sir Edwin. Expect 
the unexpected, for if we are ever caught with 
our paws tied, we would be deemed worthless to 
our village and our king. Now, get back down to 
camp," Erik ordered, and then pointed his gaze 
up towards the early-morning skies, "for I 
believe we're in for a very long day - with or 
without that wretched beast's presence."

	Meanwhile, in the safety of the warrior 
knight's homestead, Benny wiped his stout muzzle 
with the back of his paw, cleaning himself of the 
egg breakfast his mother prepared for him.
  "That was good, Mother. Will Father be alright, 
do you think?"
  "Benny, that is a question neither you nor I 
can answer properly. If I know Edwin, he would 
not give up without a fight, and he would give 
it his all-mighty best to succeed." Muriel placed 
the dirty platter into the washbasin and quickly 
wiped it clean. 
  "Mother, does it seem strange to you that Kraig 
is coming right after Father told me about his 
heroic tale?" Muriel stopped cleaning momentarily 
as she slowly removed the apron and placed it on 
a hook by the washbasin. As inferior as her son 
seemed to be, it was apparent in his barrage of 
questioning that perhaps her little kitten 
possessed a mind of great reckoning. Although 
Muriel was once a skeptical cougar, she was 
ready to believe anything when the subject of 
Kraig Murlen reared its ugly head. After living 
with Edwin for so long, she eventually became a 
strong believer in paranormal territory.
  "What's the matter, Mother?"
  "Benny, what exactly did your father tell you?"
  "He said that he fought the dragon and its 
minions and won. He lost a few of his friends, 
but he killed off the other dragons, and then 
Kraig flew off."
  "Did he mention anything else?"
  "I can't remember, Mother. All I know is that 
he fought and won."
  "I know that already, but did he tell you 
anything else about Kraig?"
  "Demons. He said the dragon was spawned from 
demons."
  "That explains it. So now, because of his 
storytelling last night, Kraig Murlen is 
returning. He must have summoned that wretched 
beast somehow with the mention of his name. 
The nerve of him!"
  "Mother, it wasn't his fault. Please do 
not blame it on him."
  "Benny, you fail to understand what those 
beasts are capable of. I should have talked 
to you about this myself, but alas, I had to 
play the role of the silent one."
  "Talk to me about what, Mother?"
  "Sit down, Son." Benny nodded and advanced 
slowly across the room. He pulled up the 
nearest chair he came to, and perked his ears 
as he awaited the telling of another story.
  "Well, I didn't want to say anything, 
because it's all for the best for you not 
to know so much."
  "What do you mean by that, Mother?"
  "Never mind. Son. What's done is done, 
so just listen to what I have to say. This 
planet of which we live is far older than 
history itself. After the ninth century, 
occurrences of demons grew strong, for it 
was when their activities were written into 
the pages of history. This country was the 
foundation of many demonic rituals back in 
those days, and there have been many portals 
left open for the creatures of Hell to enter 
into our world - portals so strong, that when 
someone goes as far as to mention their names, 
the demons came to wreak their havoc. Some say 
they can hear us speak even from across the world. 
Those that even mention the name of a demon could 
wind up with a life-long curse."
  "So it is true about Kraig Murlen being of 
demon spirit?"
  "Yes, Benny. The fact that you mentioned his 
name last night made him awaken, and now he is 
on his way to Forbin."
  "Mother, I don't believe this can be true. It 
all seems like..."
  "Like a tale of fiction, Benny?"
  "Well, yes."
  "They're real, and nobody knows how strong 
they can become. Nobody knows how to vanquish 
one once a demon arises."
  "So we don't know how to kill Kraig Murlen, 
but it sounds like I'm to blame for his arrival."
  "Benny, please don't say that." 
  "It's true, isn't it, Mother?"
  "You didn't know about this, Son. It is not 
your fault."
  "No! I did this. I caused this to happen! 
It is my fault! If only I never mentioned it, 
then Father would be here, and we would not 
have to worry about anything! Now that I spoke 
of the demon's name and made Father tell me 
about him last night, he's coming to attack 
us!" Tears immediately streamed down his face, 
and matted the fur to his cheeks.
  "Oh, Benny, listen to me. Even if you did 
not mention his name, eventually someone else 
would. You can't take the fall for everything 
that happens, but it's how you fight through 
the bad things in life that count the most."
  "Like Father does?" Benny asked as he slowly 
uncovered his eyes. 
  "Exactly like your father does. Just remember 
that, and someday soon, you too will be a powerful 
warrior."
  "I will try, Mother. I want to make you proud."
  "You already do make me proud. You are only 
twelve years old, but in mind, you are much 
older. You take to your studies with a greater 
admiration than anybody has ever done in our 
family." Muriel kneeled down and gently wiped 
Benny's face with a damp handkerchief, and then 
gave him a gentle kiss upon his forehead - the 
only place where moisture had not dampened his 
fur.
  "So, no more talk about demons?"
  "No, Mother."
  "No more blaming yourself for the presence of 
Kraig."
  "No, Mother."
  "Alright, run along and play. Just stay by the 
house where I can see you. If you hear anything, 
even the slightest noise you're not sure of, I 
want you back in here. We are under a close watch."
  "I understand. Don't worry, Mother. I will not 
get hurt." Benny shoved the chair out from under 
him as he leapt onto his foot paws, and then ran 
for the entryway to their small house. Muriel 
leaned up against the kitchen wall and uttered 
a small prayer under her breath.
  "Please, bring peace back to our village, once 
and for all."

	The news of Kraig's arrival brought panic to 
the settlers of Forbin, and it was instructed by 
royal decree that no being was allowed to venture 
out of their homes until further notice. Families 
were trapped within their homes, unable to carry 
on with their daily affairs. Merchants and mine 
workers alike shared the same feeling of 
relaxation, yet they still felt the tingling 
emotion of fear rushing through their veins. 
The only being that had enough courage to face 
the outside world wore the heartfelt emotion of 
a mighty warrior. Benny held a large stick in 
his paw, as if he was wielding a sword while 
facing the evil Kraig Murlen. 
  "Had enough, have you?" Benny asked the tall 
oak tree that grew in his front yard. The leaves 
in the treetop waved gently in the breeze, and 
Benny accepted the swaying leaves as Kraig's 
way of saying "not a chance!"
  "Then, prepare to taste my wrath! Take that!" 
Benny shouted as he continuously whacked the 
stick against the wide tree trunk. It didn't 
take long before the stick was broken into 
pieces, leaving Benny with a tiny stub in his 
paw. With a grunt, he cast it aside, and acted 
as if he had put up a strenuous struggle. He 
began to breathe heavily as he clutched at the 
trunk with his paws.
  "You may have won against my sword, but you 
have not defeated me yet!" With that, he 
increased the power of his grip, and a tiny 
growl emanated from his throat. From inside 
the house, Muriel smiled as she watched her 
son at play. Almost instantly, the light of 
the sun seemed to be obscured as a floating 
mass passed by. Benny automatically assumed 
it to be a cluster of puffy clouds, and then 
continued along with his imaginative game-
play. He made his way around to the back of 
the tree when he finally looked into the sky 
as a loud shriek rang out. Benny's eyes grew 
wide with fright in an instant as he was now 
gazing upon the massive body of Kraig Murlen.
  "Benny, come inside at once! The evil dragon 
has approached! Get in here now! What is the 
matter?" Muriel called out from inside the 
house, but her son had no intention of moving. 
The dragon's body appeared to come closer as 
he swooped downward. The apparitions of four 
red dragons faded into view as Kraig edged 
closer to the planet's surface. The young 
cougar could do nothing but remain stunned 
at the sight of the terrifying, gargantuan 
beast. Another shriek rang out, this one much 
deafening than before, and Muriel's heart rate 
immediately increased.
  "Benny! Benny, come inside!" Muriel screamed. 
All Benny could do was freeze in the very spot 
he stood, petrified by the wretched sight. 
Kraig touched down a few yards away from where 
Benny stood and gazed deeply into his young, 
amber eyes. Benny managed to open his maw 
slightly, but his throat was much too weary 
to make a single sound. The body of the fierce
dragon appeared to be thousands of feet high 
through Benny's eyes, and his wingspan seemed 
more immense than he could comprehend. Closer 
and closer, Kraig inched towards the young 
cougar. Benny felt his legs quivering with 
sheer terror as he could now feel the hot 
breath of the dragon before him. Kraig glared 
angrily with his evil, red eyes, and then 
gave a snort through his nose; a small trail
of smoke seeped through his nostrils as he 
held his stare. Kraig opened his muzzle 
widely as he gave a mighty roar, which 
caused Benny's fur to sweep back. Kraig's 
breath smelled foul with a combination of 
sulfur and decay; his light-yellow teeth 
were like several sharp swords. Several 
strands of saliva dribbled from the sides 
of Kraig's mouth onto the grass, followed 
by the smell of burning chlorophyll. Benny 
closed his as tightly as he could, and was 
knocked over by the wind velocity of Kraig's 
flapping wings. He stared straight up at the 
sky as he watched Kraig soar into the direction
 of Forbin Castle. When the coast was clear, 
Benny found the strength to rise to his foot 
paws, where he nervously entered the house. 
He was immediately greeted with open arms of 
his mother as her tears fell like tiny streams 
from her eyes.
  "Praises to the gods of great and small, 
Benny, you're alive!" she uttered as she 
held her son tightly. Benny's throat was 
still not strong enough to reply, for what 
he saw was far more terrifying than anybody's 
ever had the displeasure thereof.
  "Benny, speak to me! Are you alright?" 
Muriel asked, as she looked her son over. 
The concerned mother felt every muscle in 
his arms, shoulders, and legs for any possible 
injuries. She felt safer when she saw Benny 
was unharmed by the fierce dragon, and set her 
mind at ease. Still, questions of wonder came 
to mind as she pondered why Benny was not 
attacked or consumed alive. 
  "You saw him. I can't believe you saw him 
up close and lived! He's up to something, 
but what?" Muriel whispered. Quickly, she 
scooped Benny's small body into her arms 
and carried him off to his room. Benny's 
eyes were still frozen wide with shock, 
but Muriel hoped it would subside after 
a much-needed rest.

	Upon the grounds of Forbin Castle, everyone 
scurried to their designated posts as the first 
glimpse of Kraig's body was seen in the distance.
  "It is time! Man the catapults, and stand the 
warriors at the ready!" Erik shouted. The large 
catapults were armed with giant boulders, while 
piles of other implements of arsenal sat nearby: 
cannonballs, slabs of stone, and even poison-
tipped spike balls were among the ammunition 
used with the catapult. Projectiles were fired 
left and right, but none of them seemed to cause 
any damage to the horde of evil dragons. Kraig 
hovered above in the skies as the four red dragons 
swooped down onto the grassy field near the 
castle's entrance. Without word, the waiting 
warrior knights rushed to combat the dragons 
with swords and spears. Dakwood carried a 
crossbow, and fought the battle from afar. 
Normally, the tough bulldog never feared close-
range combat, but when it came to battling 
dragons, he didn't want to take any chances. 
He ducked behind a nearby tall tree and threw 
his supply of bolts onto the ground before his 
foot paws. One by one, he fired his bolts at 
anything bearing scales of red. Not even 
looking to see his results, the canine relied 
on his sense of hearing to determine whether 
or not his shots were landed. From out of 
nowhere, Kraig used stealth movement to sneak 
up behind the unsuspecting bulldog. 
  "Cease your fire, men! He's too close to 
the others." Erik hollered. The guardsmen 
complied as they stood guard at their catapults, 
and Erik muttered under his breath.
  "Behind you. Look behind you. Come on, 
Dakwood, don't you hear him behind you? Look 
behind you. Look behind you!" Erik chanted as 
each word from his throat slowly increased in 
volume, but still not loud enough for Dakwood 
to hear from such a distance. 

The other knights were busy fending off the 
attack of the red dragons, and several acres 
of the field were already blackened with their 
fiery breath. The red dragons were doing their 
fair share of dodging sword attacks from the 
knights, and their weapons didn't even seem 
to make much of a difference. They counter-
attacked by heaving their fiery breath upon 
the armor-clad warriors. Being of strong and 
quick instincts, the powerful knights dodged 
every breath. As if the dragons were operating 
on the same wavelength, they hovered high 
enough into the sky where they were out of 
range from the swords, and created a ring of 
fire before touching back down again. The heat 
became intense, and the armored warriors felt 
as if they were locked inside a huge oven, but 
they continued to fight regardless of the 
discomfort. The knights found great difficulty 
trying to see through the black smoke, and 
relied on instinct to fight the unearthly beasts. 
The sulfuric gasses mingled with the oxygen, 
creating a source of noxious fumes, which quickly 
became unbearable for the entrapped knights to 
breathe. Dakwood watched from a distance, 
unaware of the silent-approaching black dragon 
behind him. Erik had already started running 
across the large field into the direction of 
the unsuspecting bulldog. Erik tried not to 
become a diversion for Kraig, but he hoped 
his warning chant would perk in Dakwood's 
innate sense of hearing. Dakwood, hearing 
neither the silent dragon behind him, nor 
Erik's foot paws racing frantically, advanced 
a couple paces toward the deadly ring of fire 
while raising his crossbow in his paws, ready 
to place his next bolt into position. Before 
he could reach down for his supply of 
ammunition, his world immediately turned 
into darkness as Kraig swallowed his body 
whole. He started with Dakwood's head, and 
allowed his body to slowly inch further 
into Kraig's throat. The heat from the 
dragon's intestinal walls was severe, but 
not strong enough to kill him instantly. 
Dakwood screamed as loud as he could, but 
he knew nobody would come to his aid once 
the vicious dragon's muzzle closed around 
his body. The walls of Kraig's internal 
stomach seemed to come alive and sprouted 
many small arms, which helped pull Dakwood's 
body deeper inside. Through the grill of his 
helm, Dakwood could barely make out the 
appearances of several hundred small, vague 
bodies; they moaned and cried in unison as 
they pulled Dakwood's body deeper inside. 
Shortly after his entire body was consumed, 
Dakwood's screams no longer rang out. He 
became the newest warrior added to Kraig's 
ongoing appetite, and the next lost soul to 
reside forever within the pit of his stomach.

The king's messengers stood inside the castle, 
watching in sheer terror as the battle raged 
on. The guardsmen were at too far of a distance 
away to stop Kraig's carnivorous act, and the 
messengers at camp were glued to their posts. 
The only one that could have done anything was 
Erik, who left his mark from the catapults' 
ceased fire to offer whatever aid he could, 
but he arrived too late.
  "He just ate Dakwood! He ate him whole!" 
Jonas shouted from the campsite as he pointed 
to where the bulldog once stood. Erik stopped 
in his tracks behind the massive body of the 
black dragon, and he knew he could no longer 
be of any help. Erik decided that there was 
nothing more he could do, but to rely on the 
good judgment of the royal guardsmen near the 
castle as he darted towards the campsite at 
the grounds' perimeter.
  "Alright, I need some strong, quick males. 
Corbus, Rivet, Brakkus, get out there. Get 
some water on that fire, quickly! Those warriors 
cannot tolerate much more of the gaseous fumes. 
Come on, move!" Erik hollered. The trio quickly 
nodded and grabbed three large buckets of water 
each, which were stored in great quantities near 
the castle gate. They were not concerned in the 
least about being discovered by Kraig Murlen, 
for their main concern was to free the knights 
from their scorching imprisonment. Rivet leapt 
first to the scene of the fire, and immediately 
doused a section of the ring with water. Through 
the pillowing smoke, the remaining warriors were 
able to see the outline of the fierce dragons. 
Without hesitation, each knight thrust their 
swords forward, hoping for the curtailment of 
the dragons' eyesight as well. Another bucket 
was thrown onto the remaining inferno, causing 
the ring of fire to be completely extinguished. 
Rivet and Brakkus both fled back to the camp, 
where they threw their buckets down. Corbus 
remained behind with a full bucket of water 
and stared deep within the smoldering smoke. 
  "Corbus, get out of there! What are you 
doing?" Erik called out from the campsite. 
Corbus drew back his arms and unleashed the 
water onto the first dragon he could spot. 
The doused dragon screamed loudly as his body 
slowly melted, having the same effect as if 
being contaminated by the strongest acid. Now 
down to three dragons, the remaining knights 
continued to stand their ground against the 
dragons' attacks. The warriors were weakened 
from the sulfuric fumes, yet they felt the 
strength of a million horses racing wildly 
within their veins. 

Being a cheetah, Corbus raced to the campsite 
faster than any creature under King Farrow ever 
ran before, where he continued to await further 
word from Erik to return to the battlefield. 
  "I know not what you were thinking, Corbus, 
but it looks like water is a good weapon against 
them. Do you feel up to delivering some more?" 
Erik asked.
  "You know I am, sir."
  "Good. Since you have the greatest speed in 
all of Tikal, I want you to get back up there 
with another bucket."
  "Wrong. I will get up there with two more 
buckets," Corbus called out as his presence 
before the alpha wolf quickly became a memory. 

	Meanwhile, Kraig hovered into the skies, 
waiting for the smoke to clear. He eyed the 
congregation of royal guards and messengers 
at the castle grounds and decided to make 
his entrance. The guardsmen knew it was a 
good time to resume their onslaught of 
attacks. Projectiles from the catapults 
never seemed to cease, but to Kraig, they 
were merely children's toys being flung 
into the air. Kraig landed in the center 
of the castle's grounds, where he took it 
upon himself to start the consummation of 
mortal bodies. He started with the nearest 
pair of guards that happened to be in the 
wrong place at the wrong time. 
  "No! Not my guards!" Erik exclaimed as 
he took off for the scene of the battle. 
"Come on, guards, give him all you got!" 
Erik called upon approach, as a large 
group of guardsmen rushed to the massive, 
scaled body of the dragon. Each of the 
guardsmen fought with their bayonets at 
the ready, but not even the collective 
efforts of the king's men were enough 
to stop Kraig from carrying out his evil 
intention.

	The number of guardsmen was quickly 
reduced, and the catapults had used up 
all its ammunition. On the battlefield, 
Corbus was able to bring two more red 
dragons down, and he decided to remain 
behind to help the last standing knight. 
Four knights have already fallen from 
intolerance to the smoldering smoke and 
sulfur, and Corbus knew how to use a sword. 
He took a chance without the protection of 
armor to help aid Sir Drake with the 
remaining red dragon. 
  "He's got to fall sometime," Sir Drake 
called onto his ally. Corbus grunted, 
uninterested in replying to the swift 
fox knight, and moved quickly around 
behind the dragon.
  "By the power of the gods, please guide 
this sword to vanquish the evil beast," 
Corbus uttered under his breath as he brought 
the sword downward, thrusting the blade deep 
into the dragon's back. It writhed around on 
the ground in pain as his blood ran like a 
stream from its open wound. He yanked the 
sword free from embedment, and the pair 
raced towards the scene of battle, not even 
waiting for the final red dragon to die. 
It continued writhing and screaming in pain 
on the ground. Jonas stood before the 
agonizing beast with a full bucket of 
water and a huge smile on his muzzle. 
  "Shut up already," he said sarcastically 
as he emptied the bucket onto the dying 
beast. The red dragon's screams grew higher 
in pitch, and continued to fill Jonas's 
sensitive ears until the appearance of the 
dragon was reduced to a puddle of steaming 
goo.
  "That's got him. Come on, we still have 
one more left!" said Kurgeaux as he joined 
up with the hyena.
  "Ha! I refuse to be anywhere near that 
beast. You want to tackle him, the honor 
is all yours."
  "Coward!" Kurgeaux shouted as he unfurled 
his wings and soared to where the last 
remaining combatants stood. As the griffin 
touched down, the first thing he noticed 
was a great shortage of population. Before 
Kraig could consume the final group of 
guardsmen, Sir Drake called out from behind.
  "Hey! You forgot about me, you sick, 
twisted beast! You killed all my friends, 
but I still live. Come on!" Sir Drake held 
his sword aloft as Kraig turned around to 
face the angry fox. The remaining guards 
took for cover at the foot of the hill near 
the camp, while a small paw-full remained, 
and surrounded the enormous dragon. Kraig's 
eyes were focused on Sir Drake's movement, 
which made Corbus's work that much easier to 
surprise him with an attack from the rear. He 
brought the sword up with his paws, but before 
he could bring it down, Kraig swept his large 
tail across the ground, knocking Corbus back 
several yards. While his body flew into one 
direction, the sword darted into another. The 
dragon's attention was shortly detained by 
getting rid of Corbus, and Sir Drake used this 
as the perfect opportunity to drive his own 
sword into Kraig's ribbed stomach. He shrieked 
at the sudden strike and yanked the sword 
from his belly as if it was a mere splinter. 
He cast the sword aside and began to give 
chase to the fleeing fox. 
  "No, no, please do not bring him here," Jonas 
uttered under his breath as he watched the chase 
commence. Before Sir Drake could run another 
step, the huge mouth of the beast closed around 
his head. While Kraig swallowed the fox's body, 
Kurgeaux stood before the dragon, hoping Kraig's 
actions were retarded while eating. Corbus, who 
had just discovered Dagwood's discarded weapon, 
decided to rush to the aid of his best friend 
fully armed.
  "I hope this will work!" Corbus uttered as he 
loaded a bolt onto the crossbow.  
  "Kurgeaux, how many does this leave us now?"
  "I am unsure. It may be just you and I now. 
Come on, look into my eyes, you worthless dragon," 
Kurgeaux muttered, hoping Kraig would happen to 
stare into the hypnotic eyes of the griffin. As 
the black dragon fed upon the last warrior's body, 
he kept his eyes closed completely, relying on his 
other senses to detect any sudden or threatening 
moves around him.
  "Kurgeaux, I have a plan. See what you can do to 
hypnotize him while I attack. This may be the only 
way."
  "I am already ahead of you, Corbus. As soon as 
he opens his eyes, the first thing he sees will 
be me." Kurgeaux stopped speaking as he suddenly 
met eye to eye with the fierce dragon. The deep 
glare from the dragon's swirling irises along 
with the eerie glow of his pupils sent shivers 
through Kurgeaux's spine; his concentration was 
suddenly broken as a result of such a horrific 
sight. As such, his eyes were unable to function 
the way he intended, for his own eyes swirled 
aimlessly as he spoke in a timid tone.
  "You...you are now in my control and...must do as 
I instruct," Kurgeaux stuttered. Kraig, being 
spawned of a demonic realm, was in no way affected 
by the attempted hypnosis, but it was enough of a 
deterrent for Corbus to raise the crossbow to meet 
its target - directly into the pupil of the 
dragon's left eye. Kraig grunted as if to say 
"enough of your worthless trickery," and wrapped 
his large muzzle around the griffin's body. 
Kurgeaux attempted to flap his wings to free 
himself. At this point, there was nowhere else 
to hide from becoming the next living morsel of 
his monstrous appetite. Having no time for a 
wishful prayer, Corbus pulled the trigger of 
the crossbow, sending the bolt soaring swiftly 
through the air. It struck the dragon's eye in 
the dead center, which caused an ear-shattering 
roar coming from Kraig's mouth. Kurgeaux was 
halfway into Kraig's throat as Corbus struck 
his good eye with another bolt. An identical 
cry of pain emanated from Kraig's throat, and 
the griffin's body was immediately brought 
down to the ground. Kurgeaux's feathery wings 
and furry appendages were dripping with dragon 
saliva like napalm, and began to singe various 
areas of his body. Kraig released Kurgeaux's 
body from his maw, and he lay on the ground 
before the fallen beast; his body was stained 
red of his own blood upon the singed shades of 
black. Corbus removed the bolts from Kraig's 
eyes, and noticed they had gone from swirling 
red to a dark shade of ebony, and a small 
trickle of thick, yellow fluid ran down his 
face from the wounds.
  "Kurgeaux! Speak to me!" Corbus refrained from 
touching Kurgeaux's body, for any movement could 
be fatal. From the castle grounds, five figures 
were seen heading towards the site of Kraig's 
slaying: Rivet the brave raccoon messenger, Danber 
the mighty bat guard, Avery the peace-loving bat 
guard, Erik the alpha wolf of the Royal Guards, 
and King Farrow himself. Jonas remained huddled 
inside one of the tents, and refused to emerge 
from hiding, even after hearing the thunderous 
call of the dragon's dying breath. He felt that 
the wrath of his comrades would be just as worse 
as having to face up to the massive dragon, and 
decided to lay low.
  "You did it! You brought him down! How did you 
do it?" Erik asked as he joined in with the 
rejoicing party. 
  "Lucky shots?" Danber asked through a shroud 
over his face to block the sunlight from his 
eyes.
  "No, far from it. The dragon gave away his 
secret weak spot before he tried to eat Kurgeaux's 
body, so I knew right away what to aim for."
  "Now, how could you possibly know it was a weak 
spot without given a small tip before? A cougar 
like yourself does not know well enough to analyze 
the situation." Erik explained, knowing that he 
could see through Corbus's heroic explanation.
Corbus knew he had been discovered by Erik's keen 
sense of awareness, and shrugged his shoulders.
  "Well, Sir Edwin told me one day. He said it 
would save my life. I guess he was right," Corbus 
said as he removed his hat and placed it to his 
chest. "Now, he is but a faint memory, having given 
his life to fight for the freedom of the kingdom. 
May his soul rest forever among the gods of the 
heavens." As much as he would have loved to share 
the happiness of his colleagues, Corbus felt 
sheer remorse for the lives that were lost in 
the battle. While mourning over the losses, 
Kurgeaux let out a weary cough, followed by a 
deep moan.
  "Kurgeaux! He lives! Quick, get him to medical 
attention!" Farrow called. Erik quickly complied 
with the king's request with the help of Danber 
and Avery to bring him into the castle for 
treatment. Kurgeaux screamed and howled in 
pain as he was carried away; the air that blew 
against him constantly triggered unbearable 
pain. Farrow remained at the scene of the 
slaying and knew now what he had to do.
  "Corbus, will you kneel please?" King Farrow 
asked in a noble tone. Corbus immediately
followed the king's request and lowered 
himself onto one knee. Farrow removed his 
sword from its sheath and tapped the cheetah's 
shoulder with the tip of the blade.
  "From this day, henceforth, you are hereby 
knighted under royal decree of the king," 
Farrow finished by tapping his opposite 
shoulder in the same fashion. "Rise, now, 
Sir Corbus, and keep with you the courage 
and endurance you have proven yourself worthy 
of." The feeling of pride ran strong in 
Corbus's veins as he raised himself upright 
once again.
  "Thank you, Sire. I will serve you well," 
Sir Corbus replied. As he pointed his gaze 
back onto the grass, the first thing he noticed 
was that the body of Kraig Murlen somehow 
dematerialized from sight, leaving behind 
only a huge patch of blackened grass where 
his body once laid. A quick sparkle of light 
flashed in the circumference of the singed 
area. Upon a closer inspection, Corbus 
identified the sparkle as the sun's reflection
from the ring Kraig once wore upon his finger.
  "What is it, Sir Corbus?" Farrow asked 
curiously. Corbus bent down to retrieve 
the ring from the ground and held it close 
to his eyes. In the center of his paw resided 
a large, silver ring bearing three mystic 
stones; each one was surrounded perfectly 
within a meandering symbol, which intertwined 
with the placement of stones as if being held 
in place by the body of a serpent.
  "It seems to be an unusual ring, my liege. 
With your permission, I would like to obtain 
ownership of the only remains Kraig left 
behind in this world - a token from an 
undertaking battle of good against evil."
  "Permission granted, Sir Corbus," King 
Farrow replied as he escorted the cheetah 
back onto the castle's grounds. Erik quickly 
returned to the grounds as the pair headed 
up the hill.
  "Kurgeaux is now in the safety of the 
medical unit of the castle, Sire."
  "Good work, Erik. Where are Danber and 
Avery?"
  "They're relieved of duty for the rest 
of the week, Sire. They were both barely 
able to remain awake when I fetched them 
to aid the battle."
  "As long as they didn't decide to sleep 
from the vestibule ceiling again. Danber's 
snores are quite thunderous." Erik held 
back a chuckle as he shook his head.
  "Not to worry, Sire. They're in their 
own chambers. So, what do you say to a 
celebration in your honor, Corbus?"
  "Correction, Erik! He is now known 
throughout the land as Sir Corbus," Farrow 
replied. The panther's comment seemed to 
have filled Erik's heart with two separate 
emotions - ranging from happiness for the 
cheetah's brave efforts, to sorrow for not 
being given a title of knighthood himself. 
  "What about me, Sire. Have I not served 
the kingdom well?"
  "You have, Erik, but you know how I feel. 
Somebody must lead the Royal Guards, and 
you're the right wolf for the job. I can 
never entrust anyone else to fill your suit 
of chain mail." Erik quickly withdrew the 
need to retaliate, since he knew it would 
get him nowhere. Having been turned down 
for knighthood several times in the past, 
Erik learned how to keep his irreconcilable 
comments to himself. Instead, he huffed 
through his nostrils and gnashed his teeth, 
refusing to utter another word. Erik 
believed that his job was indeed an important 
one, but what he wished for the most was a 
title of being called Sir Erik of the Dragon-
slaying Regiment.

	After a large victory banquet brought 
forth by King Farrow, the joyous party was 
blessed with another spark of good news. 
The castle's medical aides came rushing into 
the large dining hall, overzealous of their 
hard work and effort. The pair of tigresses 
dressed in clean, white uniforms stood on 
either side of the king, and stared directly 
onto the face of their majesty with their 
words.
  "My liege, we have most wonderful news to 
bring forth."
  "This day keeps getting better and better," 
King Farrow uttered as he turned to face the 
nurse that spoke onto him.
  "So tell me. What is the state of Kurgeaux's 
recovery?"
  "He has come out of his coma, Sire. He wants 
to talk to all of you at once!" Without a single
moment sooner, Farrow rose from the table and 
requested that Erik and Corbus follow.
  "Coming, Sire," they replied in unison. 

	The anxious group arrived at the archway of 
the medical quarters, where they immediately 
saw the griffin's blackened body lying upon a 
single mattress. 
  "Kurgeaux! You're alright!" Corbus exclaimed 
as he noticed the light sparkle of Kurgeaux's 
blue eyes reflect the light of the sun from the 
nearby window, giving the appearance like that 
of a flicker from a distant torch within pure 
darkness.
  "Corbus," Kurgeaux uttered; his tone sounded 
weak, but eager to talk.
  "Looks like it takes much more than a few 
singed feathers to faze you out, right?"
  "You can say that again," Kurgeaux said, as 
he tried to hold back a laugh.
  "Nurse, how long will it be before Kurgeaux 
is fully recovered?" King Farrow asked as he 
placed his large paw upon Kurgeaux's chest. 
He noticed that his breathing patterns were 
still erratic, but it was to be expected after 
coming out of a fatal loss of consciousness. 
  "If you know what I think, the griffin is a 
most extraordinary species. That attack would 
have killed any other, but Kurgeaux is living 
proof that miracles can happen."
  "Well, Nurse, your thesis does contain logic. 
Kurgeaux is a most particular being after all."
  "Sire, with your permission, I wish to continue 
to aid the kingdom. I cannot let these battle 
scars become the death of me." Kurgeaux uttered; 
his voice still weak and scratchy.
  "Nonsense, Kurgeaux. You'll be grazing the 
dirt with your talons before you know it. You 
just get some rest. If you need anything, my 
nurses will attend to you."
  "We sure will, your majesty," one of the 
tigresses said with a soft smile. 
  "Come along, the both of you. There is to 
be a great speech in your honor, Sir Corbus." 
With the king's words, the three strong beings 
turned and headed valiantly for the archway as 
both uniformed tigresses proceeded to aid the 
recovery of Kurgeaux - the only griffin in the 
entire kingdom, whose life was a long way off 
from seeing a bitter end.

	The happy trio marched gallantly through 
the village, but the streets were just as empty 
as they were when Kraig first arrived. Not a 
single soul had enough courage to face the 
outside world during the battle, but the presence 
of King Farrow was not to be deceived. 
  "Come one, come all to the Forbin Village 
Square! By royal decree, each and every one of 
you is to gather. Let not a single living being 
neglect my words. Come one, come all!" the king 
shouted using a tone of voice that not only spoke 
with power, but with enthusiasm of an everlasting 
peace. One by one, the villagers emerged from 
hiding. They were unsure of the result of the 
battle, but they were pretty sure King Farrow's 
stomp through the commoners' village had to be of 
greatness. Seeing the large smile on the noble 
panther's face brought about an even greater sense 
of comfort with the villagers. The only possible 
disruption came in the form of heart palpitations, 
for the anticipation of what King Farrow needed 
to announce.

	The villagers all gathered in the square, 
which was resided in the center of the village. 
The crowd gathered together in wait at the steps 
of a large, white monument. Of all the rustic-
looking houses in Forbin, the village square was 
the only structure that showed a greatness of 
immaculacy; its walls built of the strongest stone, 
and four ivory columns adorned the front of the 
establishment. Two unlit braziers stood on either 
side of the coliseum. Down on the grounds where 
the spectators stood, there existed a pair of 
rusty guillotines; the blood from past executions 
was stained on the blades and woodwork. Beings
of many types of species were gathered together, 
and engaging with one another in chatter. From 
afar, not one single word could have been made 
out, but the content of the conversations all 
seemed to lean towards Kraig Murlen nonetheless.
  "I think he's been vanquished," a young lion 
said to his friend.
  "I disagree. Kraig Murlen is ageless. There 
is no way to kill something that's ageless, 
where is your brain?" a leopard replied. A 
pair of nearby lynxes overheard the conversation, 
and decided to join in the conversation.
  "I saw King Farrow's face. He was not 
grieving at all. He was filled with pure 
happiness," the taller lynx cut in.
  "Looks can be deceiving, brother," the 
shorter one replied. 
  "Yes, well I assure you I will be resting well 
tonight, for I feel Kraig Murlen has been 
vanquished. That is merely my belief - an opinion.
Not you, nor any other being on this Earth can 
burgle me of my thoughts."
  "Oh, come now. King Farrow's men probably 
scared him off like they usually do. How many 
times have we heard that before?" the skeptical 
leopard spoke. "If you ask me, I think this is 
just another useless assembly for him to plunge 
his majestic ways onto us commoners."
  "Think what you wish, Leopold, but I feel 
King Farrow has finally won."
  "I will place my pouch of gold pieces on a 
wager that our king made Kraig go free, and 
that he is here to find more knights and 
squires to replace the ones that were consumed 
by the vicious beast. I have my pouch right 
here," the lion said with a smile as he shook 
his brown, silk bag containing his stored 
savings. Greiger may have been a popular lion 
in his young years, but he also had a large 
reputation amongst his peers as a gambler.
  "Gambling, Grieger? You know how I feel 
about you young hooligans engaging in a gamble. 
Not while I am martial law in this village," 
replied a strong-looking hyena in a light suit
of armor. "You know what happened last time I 
caught you with your paws clenching the evidence 
tightly."
  "Magistrate Kempe, I did not see you there. 
No, sir, I was not engaging in a gamble, for my 
preceding statement was merely a fictitious one," 
the lion replied with a sheepish smile. He 
swished his tail nervously as he stared into 
the blank expression of the magistrate 
standing before him. Kempe was the type 
of hyena that was hardly forgiving, and 
could easily see through Grieger's false 
statement. He reached out for Grieger's 
tunic and gave it a tight squeeze with his 
gauntlet-clad paws.
  "You listen to me, you little whelp. I 
did not get to be magistrate by taking things 
lightly. You see that guillotine over there? 
That blade had not been used in quite some 
time, and it is getting quite thirsty for 
fresh blood. Keep it up, and you will be 
the next to experience what it feels like 
to loose your head. We would not want that 
to happen, now would we?"
  "No, sir. I do not wish for that to happen," 
Grieger's tone changed from a sweet-talking 
lion, to a cringing coward. The magistrate 
released Grieger's tunic and went along his 
way, pushing through the crowd as he returned 
to his post. He kept his eyes centered on 
the group of juvenile felines among the 
crowd of other beings that were most likely 
the next to stir trouble.
  "I tell you one thing, that magistrate has 
ears and eyes all over this village. No 
wonder why King Farrow appointed him to 
carry out the law of the land," Leopold 
said to break the silence of the group.
  "Shut your yap, Leopold. He almost 
snagged me for placing a wager with you 
felines."
  "Hey, lighten up, Grieger. You were the 
one that said it, so you should be the one 
to take the heat." Grieger turned to the 
short lynx that uttered his statement and 
glared angrily in his blue eyes. The taller 
lynx stepped in with an angry outlook to 
match, in an attempt to defend his younger
brother.
  "That is enough, Grieger. I may not know 
you on a personal level, but I have heard 
more about you than I can handle. Come, 
Quinn, let us depart from this troublesome 
group." The pair of lynxes moved slowly 
through the crowd, not taking a single 
glance back at the lion that started the 
whole fiasco. Leopold stood and shook his 
head slowly as he watched Quinn and Raleigh 
squeeze their way through the chattering 
crowd.
  "I would not let those two get to you. 
They will get theirs."
  "It's the king!" an eagle shouted as he 
pointed his wing towards the trio. The 
scattered conversations of the villagers 
instantly turned to cheer as King Farrow 
and his royal men took to the height of 
the stairs, where they anticipated for 
the crowd to stifle their noises. Once 
the environment was calm, King Farrow 
took a spot at the front of the structure 
in perfect alignment between the row of 
ivory columns. He spoke in a loud and mighty 
voice; the columns amplified his voice 
quite nicely.
  "My faithful villagers of Forbin, lend 
to me your undivided attention. As you
know, we have had a vicious struggle with 
the evil beast of Kraig Murlen and his 
minions. Suffice to say, we come before 
you to bring forth a message of great 
peace, but also of unbearable grief. 
First, I wish to extend a moment of 
silence for those that have given their 
lives to fight against this evil wonder."

	King Farrow removed his royal crown; 
Erik and Corbus removed their helms, each 
of them placing their headgear to their 
chests. The villagers followed suit, and 
for that one moment, not even the wild birds 
soaring across the sky could be heard. When 
the moment was surpassed, Farrow cleared his 
throat and spoke again.
  "Let us remember our warriors for who they 
once were, and that they are now in a much 
better place away from the evils that our planet 
can bring. There is to be a memorial service in 
honor of the fallen men who gave up everything 
they possessed to bring us peace once again." 
King Farrow continued with a reading of the 
names of those whom lost their lives due to 
the vicious battle. Sir Edwin was the last 
name mentioned, for he knew none of the others 
had families. Their purpose was lived out in 
the kingdom, and they served it well until their 
death. A pair of loud, sorrowful cries emanated 
from the center of the crowd - both belonging 
to the remaining Hartfords that would never 
again see the masculine figure rear his head 
within the walls of their home.
  "No! Not Edwin! Please, not my Edwin!" Muriel 
exclaimed. Benny was too busy crying and 
clinging to his mother's side to speak out. 
As the shocking cries of Muriel and Benny 
slowly began to dissipate to a light sob, 
Farrow continued.
  "Let this not be a time of great sorrow, 
for I also carry news of triumph. The wretched 
beast that has plagued our fair planet for 
centuries past, have now been vanquished 
forever. We give great pleasure in presenting 
to you the one who has taken the life of a 
horrid monster, and thwarted him back to the 
depths of hell from whence he came. I present 
to you our knight warrior of peace: Sir Corbus 
of Forbin!"

	As the cheetah took to the center of the 
platform, the crowd cheered loudly. Those who 
were not showing fanfare busied themselves in 
question as to whether or not he was really 
vanquished. 
  "Fellow villagers of Forbin. Although the 
battle was tough, it was the sake of our 
fallen heroes to help aid in the fight for 
freedom. King Farrow speaks of truth and 
honor, for the evil dragon is dead. The only 
remains exists within this silver ring of 
which was left at the scene of his death. 
With this ring, I shall prove to the Kingdom 
of Forbin and all the world, that we will 
never go down without a fight, and we shall
overcome against evil!" Another uproar of 
cheer arose from the crowd as Sir Corbus 
held his arms aloft. In his right paw, the 
ring of Kraig Murlen was clenched tightly. 
He brought his paws down before his chest, 
and slowly revealed the gothic-looking ring. 
His paws were trembling with a mixed array 
of emotion as he slipped the ring upon his 
finger. The ring was a bit loose, but it 
didn't seem to matter to the excited cheetah. 
From the reaction of the crowd below him, 
the new knight felt more spirited than ever 
before.
  "Sir Corbus, what makes you so sure that 
the evil dragon is put to eternal rest?"
  "What makes you say that, Gormus?" Sir 
Corbus asked as a handsome fox dressed in 
a dark brown tunic and hat stepped forward.
  "If this Kraig Murlen were as ageless as 
we all think he is, wouldn't he return at 
another point in time?"
  "You can trust in me when I tell you, that 
the beast is dead, and that he shall never 
return. Over the years, Kraig Murlen escaped. 
This time, we were ready for him, and I 
assure you all that I have killed him 
myself."
  "Wasn't he of demonic origin?" Benny 
asked; the tone of his voice was an instant 
indication that he still felt deeply sorrowed 
for the loss of his father.
  "My young friend, that is only but a fable. 
Dragons have been known to live for centuries, 
before they eventually return to the realm of 
their spirit world. I know now that if he 
were of demonic origin, as you say, he is 
back among the rest of the demons where he 
belongs - where the blazes of hellfire are 
alive with the screams and howls of the lost 
souls that have done wrong."
  "I wish to announce at this time," King 
Farrow said as he stepped in, "that there 
is to be a memorial service in honor of the 
fallen. I proclaim that each of us attend 
this evening at Roaring Hill, for the burials 
of the departed. 
  "Permission to speak, Your Majesty," came 
the voice of a young bull. 
  "Permission granted. Identify yourself, 
if you will."
  "I am called Darkhania, and my question 
to you is but an obvious one. Will there 
be a tournament to restore the kingdom's 
services?"
  "Darkhania, you have indeed stated an 
obvious inquiry. We will arrange for a 
tournament of strength and endurance. I 
will come before you all again when we 
are ready. If there are no further 
questions, I wish to conclude our assembly 
with merry melody from our village 
minstrels, and give a moment of remembrance 
to those that have given their lives to 
protect us all. It's for freedom we 
rejoice, yet it's for fond wishes that 
our fallen warriors have reached a far, 
better place." As the trio turned away, 
a band of five ferrets took to the stage. 
As the music began to play, the villagers 
all returned to their own chatter. Those 
that have put all their faith in the 
killing of Kraig Murlen were found 
dancing to the Celtic rhythm of the 
music. As King Farrow slowly walked 
away from the village square, he turned 
his head and watched the commoners mingle 
in merriment and harmony. He placed his 
large paw upon the shoulder of his royal 
guard, and emitted a sigh of relief.
  "Oh, Erik. Can we ever be safe from the 
wretched claws of evil?"
  "The world will never know, your highness, 
until the day they lay us down to our grave."
  "Well far be it to allow any further 
disturbances onto our fair kingdom. Let 
this be a good lesson for evildoers to 
learn from," Corbus said as he held aloft 
the gothic ring he picked up from the 
scene of Kraig's last stand. He adjusted 
the ring on his finger and felt it had 
tightened slightly.
  "Odd. This ring seems to fit me now."
  "Come again, Corbus?" King Farrow 
replied.
  "Before, this ring was very loose, 
but now it fits me like armor to a warrior 
knight."
  "Perhaps your paw is adjusting to the 
ring..."
  "...Or the ring adjusted to your paw," 
Erik cut in. 
  "Well, it is mine now, so that is what 
matters." As Corbus finished, the group 
fell silent as they entered onto the 
castle grounds; Corbus intended to visit 
Kurgeaux to see how his good friend was 
recovering. Fidgeting with his new ring, 
the stones seemed to give off a dim, 
swirling array of light. Upon a closer 
look, the intertwining design seemed 
to have moved slightly. 
  "That's odd," Corbus said as he winced 
his eyes. He rubbed them with his large 
paws and took another look, gazing upon 
the ring with astounded wonderment. He 
gave the ring another adjustment, 
noticing that his finger had already 
grown accustomed, and he followed 
closely behind the king and the general, 
unaware of the quick flash of red that 
emanated from his irises. Feeling 
greatly fatigued from the strenuous 
battle, Corbin decided to retire for 
the afternoon in his chambers, until 
the time for the memorial services 
commenced. He could not shake the 
feeling from his head that perhaps 
the battle between good and evil had 
only just begun, and that there could 
be another source of great evil to 
face. He lay his head upon his pillow 
and gazed up at the ceiling, while his 
eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness - 
the only witness to Corbus's eye color 
fading from deep red to his original 
shade of brown.

---What becomes of Corbus now that 
Kraig Murlen has been defeated? What 
of the ring and its secret mysteries? 
Will Kurgeaux's recovery really be a 
smooth one, or will he have finally met 
his match? All your questions will be 
answered in the full version of The 
Ring Of Kraig. Please refer to 
the ordering information if you
wish to obtain a copy.---