Found | Nomin

Chapter 1: Butterfly Effect

A heavy thud ricocheted through the castle's halls as the heavy doors of the castle's entrance hit the hard stone walls with force and urgency. The vibrating sound wallowed into the throne room where the young king and his pregnant wife sat quietly. The king stood from the large golden throne and stared at the entrance of the vast hall with expecting curiosity. In ran a hagged middle-aged man who was cloaked in pure distress and fear. He ran trembling to the king with begging sobs. The king leant down in front of the man, the queen still sitting carefully in her throne as she observed the intruder with caution.

"Sir, what is the problem?" The king's godly voice interrupted the mumbled prays of the commoner. The man paused as he looked up at the king through a visible veil of worry. 

"Your highness." He breathed with a jagged breath, "Wolves, they have broken into the kingdom. They killed my neighbours and have taken their child."

The king stood up like an invisible force reeled him back by the neck. He stumbled a few steps as the information swirled in his mind. The many stories of wolves he had been told as a child flooded his brain. Never had he expected to be in one. With a stern look and a powerful voice, he turned to his armed guards and ordered them to retrieve the child quickly before it is killed by the beasts.

The group of men ran out of the castle in an orchestra a clanking armour. They marched to the man's house at the edge of the kingdom. The neighbouring house was completely normal bar the smashed wooden door that laid scattered in pieces on the dark dirt path. 

One of the guards knelt down amongst the wreck, a finger touching a dark substance slowly staining the wood. He lifted the finger to his nose and smelt the foul smell of blood. Eyes removed from the distasteful liquid, the man's gaze followed the thin trail of blood to where it meet with the eerie cover of the forest. A place where the moon's light fought to break through the thick cover of the oak trees but to no avail. Where the late night breeze seemed to have strengthened as if the kingdom of trees were in another world.

"They have taken the child into the woods." The guard stated to the group, standing strongly as he began to walk to the uninviting entrance of the unnervingwillows. The others followed behind him, some bravely and others hesitantly. 

They entered the dark forest, the full moon's light not following them as they did. They quietly walked along the trail of blood until it stopped by a ragging river.

"Smart bastards." One of guards chuckled drily, "Damn, wolves washed the blood off themselves."

The guard who had discovered the blood trail turned around to face his comrades, "We're going to have to follow our guts."

"My gut is telling me the kid's dead." One stuttered, his panicked figure searching the surrounding forest frantically. "C'mon Dongmin, lets just tell his majesty that the child was torn to shreds."

"And what? What if the child is alive and needs our help?" Dongmin exclaimed. "You're just going to let a defenceless child die horribly at the hands of literal monsters?"

"I mean..." 

Dongmin grabbed his fellow guard by the collar with an angry scrawl, "Leave. Let his majesty know of your treason."

The man gulped, "Okay, I-I'll follow."

Dongmin let go of the man's collar with a stern nod, "Good. Follow me."

Dongmin lead the group through the forest until they finally stumbled upon the wolf kingdom. A kingdom so different but so similar to theirs'. Hundreds of houses and stores all situated beside a clear and shimmering lake. All separated from the climbing castle settled on the other side of the water, it's numerous towers standing amongst the grey shaded clouds and glowing moon.