Fangs and Thrones

Chapter 1

Three Years Later

Lord Taron walked through the streets of his kingdom. His citizens hurried from one stall to another, some helping their neighbors set up their stalls or rushing to finish their own before the festival that's date was quickly approaching. While they had other festivals since their lord had returned, this one marked a special moment in their short history, the possible truce between their lord and the Southern King Asahi.

Dozens of banners and flags flapped in the wind as he and his personal guard walked through the maze of streets and past a few alleys between the houses. Houses that were no longer charred or rotten remnants of their homes, but now stood strong and tall with stone walls and heavy wooden roofs. The broken or missing stone pathways were replaced with fresh stone and now lay perfectly even, allowing the people and their carts to travel with ease. Taron could hardly believe how far he and his people have come in the three years since his return to his childhood home that he had been chased from so many years ago by the very men sword to protect him and his father. 

Taron smiled proudly when two of his guard rushed over to help an elderly man lift a heavy box onto his stand and offer to help him lay everything out for him. The townspeople were once terrified of the armored soldiers who walked the streets and would take anything or do anything they pleased. Taron made sure that was the first thing that his people would never fear again.

A sharp slap to his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Look how far you have come Taron. Can you believe how much has been accomplished in just a few years?" His general and lead of his personal guard, Ken, asked him.

"I still cannot believe it. Sometimes I fear that I will wake up from a dream and still be hiding amongst refugees from the warring states and only dreaming that this would be possible."

"Or worse. Being surrounded by us ruffians and listening to all of our arguing." One of his men shouted.

"Especially whenever you felt the need to crack a joke, or gods help us your singing!" Two of the men began to sing high-pitched and off key, earning them a shove.

"All right you three, there will be plenty of that for when the king and his men arrive." Ken said, shaking his head at their foolery. "Seriously though, look at all of this. I've seen so many kingdoms fall, some at my own hands, but to get the chance to help one rise. I think I could get used to this feeling."

Taron smiled. "I know what you mean. What a way to retire from your order though."

Ken nodded. "Not many get the chance to, so you can imagine my master's face when I told him that I wished to retire and settle down. All that bastard had to say was 'who would settle for a savage like you, have to be one hell of a woman. Have better chance of an kitsune fancying you.' Man had a way of making you confidant in yourself."

"A kitsune?" Lord Taron asked incredulously.

"Why not? Especially with all of the non-human recruits that I would bring him for training and what-not, I'm practically a magnet for the supernatural."

"Speaking of, have you heard anything back from Salzen?"

"I have. He sent me a letter just the other day, using that creepy bird of his, he should be arriving sometime this afternoon. And before you ask, no he didn't mention whether Lyra was going to be tagging along with him. Anytime I would ask about her, he either didn't know anything or said that she was off on one of her contracts again."

Lord Taron sighed. "I was really hoping that she would finally visit us. Lyra hasn't been here since all of you helped me take back my home. She simply disappeared and I haven't heard anything in all this time."