Kingdom Hearts: Army Of The Roses

Chapter One

"Come o-on, Nathan, you usually have something good for me. When have I done you wrong?" The wolf's eye did not deter.

"Sorry, ranger, but nowadays it's not so easy, I'll need more than charming air and fish to put my neck on the line." With a grunt, I stood against the dog's request but I needed to know more.

"Now don't tell me you made me," I gestured around, "My friends and I, climb this frozen hell-of-a-mountain just to go back empty handed, did you?" Nathan stayed quiet. My smile faded as I reached an open palm behind me, a second passed before my companion — and second-in-command — Jerek, handed me a scroll.

"You're not making this easy. This here," I rose the parchment between us, "Is a map." After a moment of uninterested silence I continued. "Oh, to where you ask? It's nothing too insignificant, simple really, if followed, you'll be led to the threshold between Narnia and the realm over." The rumored 'Wardrobe'. For a second he failed: a spark in his eye and a shiver in his posture. It was all too obvious that Nathan desperately needed this. However, the enthusiasm was not shared; behind my back my creed whispered amongst themselves before Jerek spoke out.

"Are you drunk?! You can't give that!" I rose my fist, hushing them all before I awaited Nathan's rebuttal.

"Aslan is raising an army, the Witch does the same!" Suddenly, Nathan became a chattering bird: never have I seen him speak so swiftly.

"Yes, yes. An army of monsters, beasts, and mer-folk. What else?!"

"In the vast valley, there's a troupe of dwarves-" "The Clan Of Beruna." I made it a point I wasn't interested in frivolous scouts.

After a long pause and frantic thought Nathan spoke back.

"There's rumors of a fountain. A-a fountain w-which spews the Witch's magic!"

"And? Are you saying this is true?"

"Aye! But, it's not mundane. It's new, twisted, it's never seen light in its life!"

"Tell me more." I waved the scroll.

"I-it's dark magic! It feeds off the land, nothing is immune to its sickness, not even the Queen's mer." This is what I had feared; there were myths on the rise of a new art — one which the Witch bended to her will. Though they were myths and only that.

"Where's this fountain?" This was no more of a game to me.

"I don't know..." As I slipped the map back behind my palm he jumped. "No one does! Only the Witch could tell!" Disdained, my palm turned loose. The dumb mutt took the bait: he leapt forward, no more than a snarl left him as I plunged a hatchet into his head.

"Such a bitter end." I muttered as I wiped my blade on his fur.

"... You've actually gone mad, haven't you?..." Jerek was shocked, to say the least, at my methods. He rambled on and on and on, in case I wasn't so certain.

"You yap about the 'morals' of the situation, yet all I had seen were results." I bent over and slid the scroll from the limp maw of the wolf and tossed it to Jerek, a moment had left us before he broke the ribbon and read it himself: blank.

"I don't gamble with precious secrets." Raising a cloth to cover my face, I looked towards the sky.

"Let's go, it will be night soon." Looking off to the mountain ahead of us. "I'm not interested to see the time his pack descends." I rose my hood and readied myself for the cold trek back.