Legends of Asgard: Kakari {Prologue}

Chapter One

Shigure and The Lost Girl

The sleek black midnight fur of Shigure, a panther from the Lake Territory, shone in the moonlight. He moved through the territories of Kakari, the Forest region of Asgard. He slipped under a large tree branch, then jumped onto the nearby rock as he was leaving the Jungle to enter the Mountain Territory. As he moved closer toward the border of the mountains, his nose picks up a smell, a sickly metallic smell that could only be.

Blood.

Quickly, the panther followed his nose toward the location where this scent hallowed itself. A deep growl began to sound from the panther's vocal chords as he came upon two dead bodies. He nudged the humans with his paw to see if they were still alive. Alas, they had lost too much blood after an attack by a mysterious animal. While he continued to inspect the bodies, he heard a faint cry coming from a north-west direction. Not only this but as he now looked at the dead couple, he noticed their faces pointed toward an area blocked by a rock. Shigure moved toward the sound and peered through the crevice above the medium sized boulder in his way. Through the crack, he could see a small version of the two bodies he'd just found. He purred at the baby, hoping the sound would cheer her up while he thought of a way to move the boulder that had apparently been driven there by the parents for the child's protection.

The baby girl stared at Shigure with utmost confusion. She displayed no sign of fear but instead, called out to the panther with her coo's and little giggling. Little did she realize however the horrible aftermath that pulverized her now deceased mother and father. Just as she was getting used to the sight of Shigure, a male leopard, Vitakur, stepped onto the scene; watching Shigure attempt to move the boulder.

"Two questions," Vitakur meowed, "What are you doing with that boulder and what is that?" He motioned down to the orphaned babe, "It looks...strange."

The panther turned its head to the leopard and hissed. "I do not know what it is, Vitakur," Shigure said. "And, I am trying to remove the boulder so that I may see it better. If you would like to help, I would appreciate it. But first, we should move the larger ones away. We do not want to scare it or anger it in any way." The panther stopped scratching at the boulder and then went over to the adults, beginning to drag them away.

"Fine by me," Vitakur agreed. He assisted Shigure to remove the deceased pair away from the boulder before he got on his hind legs to push the rock away from the small baby girl just barely underneath. When removed thanks to the strength of Vitakur and Shigure; the baby could move freely—waving her arms and legs up in the air helplessly as she cried for her mother, "You have to get it away from here. If it-whom-must-not-be-called returns, it will surely kill you and that hairless thing!" He informed Shigure; referring to the ultimate predator in Kakari Jungle, "What if we were to bring it to the city? Its' species can take care of it."

Shigure shot his head toward the leopard and with another hiss, he shouted, "Are you seeking to greet death, Vitakur? Do you think that we would be granted safe passage in and out of the city, especially with a child in our teeth? They would kill and skin us on the spot."

Vitakur growled softly at Shigure's tone and responded, "Fine then, I believe the forest territory will favor you the most. Shall I accompany you?"