Chapter Text
Harsh rain pelted the mud as villagers ran by. Their pelts were soaked, muddy, and heavy. One mother ran next to her kit, who slipped and fell face first into the mud. The mother picked him up by the scruff and hurried along to the shelter of their hut.
Another terrible day in this terrible village.
Village au Trois Roches: The village of Three Rocks. Named after the three stones in triangle formation around the village. These stones represented three past Heroes who probably did something heroic. Most villagers didn’t care about the legend. Most were here to make enough money in the gem mines and leave as soon as possible.
Here, there were no exotic breeds. No cool species with special features, no Wild Blood, no Dolphintails, just plain old canines and felines.
This is what Parker had known all his life. He’d been Chief of Police of the village for ages. It was odd, having a Russian Blue feline as chief of police. Most would have thought a broad shouldered German Shepherd would have done the trick.
Parker sat on the balcony of the police “station”. His face was blank, but his mind was racing.
His dark blue collar around his next, with a badge of fool’s gold. Yep. Mighty police chief.
He sighed. Drumming his toes on the wooden balcony, he lifted his muzzle to the sky. Dark and grey. A representation of how he was feeling.
“Sir!”
A flicker of movement caught his attention, but he didn’t flinch. He didn’t have the strength.
Moments later, a young adult German Shepherd rushed out the door of the police station. His blue collar was adorned with a stormy gray stone. Assistant of the Chief of Police.
Parker turned his head towards him.
“Patte Rex.” he said in his low, gravely voice.
The young dog bowed his head in respect. Assistants were usually referred to as “patte”, meaning “paw” in Sirenian.
“Is there something you needed to talk about?” inquired the feline, turning his head back to surveying the village.
Rex was fidgeting where he stood. Then, he spoke in a shaky voice. “Sir, I just received a report.”
Parker did not react, but turned his ear towards the canine to indicate his acknowledgement.
Suddenly, Rex’s voice got more serious. “It’s about… the missing family.”
That got Parker’s attention. Unsheathing his claws, he turned towards his assistant, tail lashing.
“What is it?!”
Rex flinched, lowering his head. Parker realized what he was doing, and retracted his claws. The canine seemed to relax a bit.
“Loud yowling was heard in the Pine Rock forest. I figured it might be a lead…”
Parker nodded. “Yes, I think so. Good work.”
Rex’s anxious expression seemed to fade a bit.
Parker turned back to the village. “I’m going.”
Rex’s eyes widened. “But, Sir-”
Something about the feline’s hard glare was enough to make Rex go silent. He nodded reluctantly.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Parker shook his head. “You’re not going.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” growled Parker, “it might be dangerous.”
Rex puffed out his chest and met his superior’s gaze. “I’m not letting you go alone. As your assistant, it is my job to be loyal to you.”
There was silence. Then, Parker sighed.
“Sometimes I wish I didn’t make you read those code manuals so often.” He sniffed. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Rex nodded vigorously, and together, they hurried down the steps of the balcony and into the village streets, sending mud splashing all around them.
Covered in mud and soaking wet, the two finally arrived to the forest. The enormous trees were enough to shield them from the rain.
Nobody really came to this forest. There wasn’t much to do there. Besides, the villagers weren’t the type to have nice relaxing picnics in the forest.
They’d gone pretty far into the woods. Rex tried not to look to uncomfortable at the mud sticking to his thick pelt.
“Do you know where the noise came from?” asked Parker. Rex shook his head.
“No, Sir. All I was told was that it came from the woods.”
Parker tried not to look disappointed. Rex lowered his head.
Just then, Parker felt a chill run up his spine. He had no idea why. Rex must have felt it too, as the canine’s fur stood on end.
Parker had a horrible feeling something terrible was about to happen. Looking at Rex, he flicked his tail from side to side. The signal meant be cautious.
Suddenly, Rex let out a tiny yelp. Parker turned to him.
Rex held out his paw. Parked winced. His paw pad had been pierced. Blood began to well.
Rex licked his paw while Parker inspected the ground. Sure enough, something was there.
A tiny, sharp object specked with blood.
At closer inspection, Parker realized it was a small, pointy amethyst shard.
“What…?”
“An amethyst?” said Rex from where the sat. “In the forest?”
Parker flicked his ear. “Improbable. For starters, it’s a single shard. Second, Amethysts are very rare, even in the mines. Lastly, it is impossible for a gem to have formed so close to the surface.”
Rex cocked his head. “Maybe someone dropped it?”
Parker bent down to pick it up, but he couldn’t. The shard appeared stuck to the ground. Growing inpatient, Parker pulled as hard as he could.
At that moment, the shard…. disappeared into the ground. It left no traces of its presence.
Rex blinked. “Uh…”
Parker twitched his whiskers. “This is not natural.”
Rex stood up and padded over to Parker, wincing whenever he set down his injured paw. “You said it.”
Parker narrowed his eyes. “Gem Spirit.”
Rex staggered backwards, eyes huge. “Here? Really?!”
Parker sighed. “What else could it be?”
“But… all the way out here? Aren’t Heroes usually, like, royalty? Why would they be spawning random gems all the way out here?”
Parker’s gaze darkened. “I never said anything about Heroes.”
Silence. Rex gasped softly. “You don’t think…”
Suddenly, a very quiet whimper filled the air. Rex’s tail stood straight up.
Parker put his thin tail over his assistant’s jaws. Be silent. Rex nodded.
Quietly, they tiptoed towards the source of the noise. Another whimper. And another. A whimper of pain and sadness.”
The whimpers grew louder. They were almost there. Parker unsheathed his claws. Rex did the same.
They crouched in front of a few bushes. The whimpers were coming from the other side.
A smell wavered around the area. Unpleasant. Like Iron.
Iron.
Oh no.
Parker hated that smell. It brought back memories he’d wish he could forget.
He didn’t want to see what was on the other side of these bushes. But he had no choice.
He dragged his tail across the ground, another signal. Slowly.
And then, thumping it across the ground, he and Rex padded through the bushes and emerged through the other side.
The scene they arrived on was just what Parker had feared.
They were in a muddy clearing, surrounded by bushes and stones. A big tree stood at the far end of the clearing. That wasn’t what Parker had been worried about.
No. Instead, it was the blood-soaked bodies scattered everywhere.
Three bodies. An old, male canine, a female feline and a young, male canine.
The missing family.
But… if they’re here, then where’s…?
The father had been savagely ripped open. Parker had never seen anything like it. No claws were sharp enough to do that. His face was contorted in a scream of pain. Eyes glazed and rolled back, jaws wide open and specked with blood.
The mother was at the other end of the clearing. She was splayed across the ground, and enormous hole in her neck as if something had shot straight through it. There were many smaller holes across her body. Parker couldn’t read her expression. Her jaws were parted slightly, but her eyes… were gone. Parker didn’t spend any time examining her face. Nausea began to overtake him.
Finally, Parker noticed the tree was splattered with blood. Laying in front of it was the son of the family. Young, only 4 years old. His body was at odd angles. His head was all the way back, neck snapped. His spine and a few of his bones poked out of his fur. Blood still foamed at his mouth.
Parker felt all hope die inside him. They were dead. The missing family was dead.
He’s failed.
Rex gave up the effort into being silent. He parted his jaws and shrieked. Parker didn’t shush him. There was no point anymore.
Rex staggered. He flopped forward, spinning.
“Sir, they’re- they’re- the bodies, the family, we-”
“They’re dead.” Parker said blankly. No emotion laced his voice.
He stared at the bodies once more, starting with the father.
Timber, I’m so sorry, my friend…
His head moved to the mother.
Magnolia… thank you for everything. Things shouldn’t have ended this way…
Finally, to their son.
Flint- Flint, you were so young, I…
Tears spilled out of his eyes as he silently sobbed. He made no effort to stop them. He didn’t care if it was unprofessional. He didn’t care if his assistant was watching. He didn’t care anymore.
Rex moved to his mentor’s side. Eyes filled with tears as well, he pressed against his side. Parker didn’t move away.
They sat quietly like that for what seemed like hours.
Parker sniffed. Then, a sudden thought erupted into his mind.
Three bodies… three bodies… where’s…?
Rex must’ve had the same thought.
“Where… did the whimpering come from?”
At that moment, from the bushes on the far side of the clearing, near Magnolia’s body, they heard a whimper.
Parker was on his feet in an instant, as was Rex. They moved silently and cautiously toward the noise.
They stepped near Magnolia’s corpse. Rex accidentaly stepped on some blood.
“Ah- ah- wait a minute…” he looked at his paw. Parker didn’t turn back and continued stepping towards the whining.
Rex eyed his paw, then Magnolia’s blood, then the other bodies.
“The blood is still fresh.” he gasped. “They were killed recently.”
Parker heard him. He was near the bush now. With a terrible sense of dread, he slowly parted away the bushes, and…
His heart stopped.
Hidden under the bushes, cowering in fear, covered in blood, with a torn face revealing ashy gray flesh, sobbing quietly, crystals at her paws, was a fluffy magenta she cat.
Parker had no words. Nothing to say. The only thing on his mind, the only thing he managed to say was:
“Violet.”