Tales of Misfits: The Lyconian Trials/ Book 2

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Intro: The Gods of Order and Chaos

Skip if you read the first book/Only this first one

Since the dawn of the Sentient, the world of Orion and its inhabitants have been under constant surveillance by two supreme deities. The deities split control of Orion, where one controls the uncharted skies and the other controls the fiery pits of hell. One’s rule could not bar the other’s influence on events that happen and could not take total unanimous control. They control the formation of land, spreading its water to help propagate the growth of fruits that fill Sentient bellies. Together, they decide what species are allowed to have free thought, the ability to develop skills, and allow them a means of establishing themselves through procreation. They also influenced what ailments would plague the world and what conflicts would arise from the horizon, introducing hungry beasts to force the masses to adapt.

The two Omnipotent gods are known as Rama, the Lord of Order, and Boros, the Lady of Chaos. Rama summons rain to irrigate the wild forest to bear fruit and fill its vast rivers, while Boros influences their minds to misuse their valuable resources for gain, helping create delicious wines that cloud rational thought. Rational free thinkers now drown themselves by indulging in once simple pleasures to the point of sinning. All these personal desires make the soul weak, leaving free thinkers vulnerable to no gooders and vulnerable to flesh-eating monsters created from the earth to devour them. One cannot live without the other, for if there were no bloodshed, the vast lands of Orion wouldn’t get the proper nutrients to grow its tasty fruit.

Rama is praised as the undisputed Lord of the Sentient races, the one who you pray for guidance, wisdom, glory, and a good harvest. In the earlier times, the free thinkers questioned the existence of a truly omnipotent being, discarding their skepticism once he sent his soothsayers down from his coven. The soothsayers were born to resemble any of the Sentient races’ women, with the only difference being their eyes. Their eyes were purple, like dulled amethyst jewels, resembling the gaze of the unseeing, yet their vision was not obscured in the slightest.

The soothsayers brought knowledge for many eons, teaching the races about agriculture, construction and civics. Their knowledge seemed otherworldly; without the help they provided, the races would still be primitive, slinging rocks and succumbing to common diseases. Their mythical powers were nothing to scoff at. They could construct temples graced by their Lord that supplied them with powers similar to the omnipotence of their master. With the blessings of the Lord, a single soothsayer could heal mortal wounds instantaneously and sooth the souls of those who have lost their way.

The world itself didn’t need proof to know that the Lady of Chaos was real; her actions spoke louder than words. In the beginning, the land was populated by species that survived on roots, berries, vegetables, and mushrooms. In that span of time, the land was peaceful but advancement was stagnant; there was no need to dream or create. That’s when the Lady created the Lyconians; a ferocious race of wolf-kin that spawned from her malice. They could only consume meat and often wandered the uncharted forest, starvation causing the devouring of others. It didn’t take long for the strongest of them to come across villages of herbivorous races.

It was a bloodbath; villages were wiped off the map as a means of satiating the large number of Lyconians. With the looming threat of an enemy that grew stronger from their fallen, the races had to adapt; crafting slings and crude bows to manage population control. Now the herbivores knew the conflict of war, which many concluded was the reasoning behind the Lady’s actions. Yet Rama had other plans for the Lyconians. Some of the wolf-kin found that they didn’t enjoy the bloodshed or the constant pleas of those they understood. Slowly but surely, Rama restructured their bodies to be able to handle other forms of sustenance. Their diets were now of the omnivorous variety. To help facilitate the demand for food for Boros’ carnivores, Rama sprawled the land with an abundance of non-sentient animals. The need for bloodshed was still prevalent, but at least there wouldn’t be wars fueled by hunger.

Boros didn’t like that her hounds were converted into docile versions of themselves. A portion of the Lyconian population no longer required a carnivorous diet with the discovery of protein-packed crops, as their hunger was finally curbed. Yet for some, the taste for flesh was too intoxicating to relinquish, but at least the Sentient races could now see Lyconians as neighbors. The Lyconian community was divided; one side spat on the generosity of their Lord, continuing to act upon their savage hunger as they saw fit. It was a form of domestic taming as the docile Lyconians bred, slowly evolving into a new race of hounds: the Infenrials.

The birth of Infenrials was the last straw for the Lady. A majority of her own creations, now tamed by the Lord of Order, served under him and his people. To combat the evolution of the Sentient races, Boros spawned new races to combat those who upheld order; one such race was the Pantheamata, a race consisting of warriors with feline features. With each new arrival came a moment of time when the fighting stopped and new subspecies emerged. Wars and peace were cycles for the gods, with the last bringing about a Sentient race known as humans. The elder races feared these humans, for they were the first race to have knowledge akin to the soothsayers; many encountered claimed that they came from other worlds.

At the point when humans arrived, the lands were in an ever-teetering scale of chaos and order. Boros’ recent project was the creation of hybrid animals, ones that came without sentient thought and followed only instinct that harbored in their blood. She experimented by creating creatures that were bigger, while also combining feline and avian features in some and using black magic to reanimate the dead to become ravenous husks in others. The soothsayers called Boros’ highly anticipated creations, monsters. They couldn’t thrive with anything other than their race, killing for territory and food while having no dreams or aspirations . The two gods’ constant entanglements were the identity of the world of Orion, where peace and war were an everyday occurrence.

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The Tyrant Trials

The story is told in every Tome of Order and Chaos within a household, warning of an event that conspired a millennium ago. Many Sentient’s don’t put fate in books written all that time ago, yet it’s the only book the Soothsayers proved in each chapel. It told tales of creation, trials, and, of course, destruction. The Soothsayers are adamant that these tails have truth, especially that one day, the Demon King will rise again.

The Herald will cultivate the seedling, nurturing it to become power incarnate. The Gods found this period quiet; the Sentient beings should go through trials before the coming destruction. The first wave had the arrival of Demons, yet that wasn’t enough for the people, holding on to their Alphas and Heroes. The Lady of Chaos chose a Sentient out of all beings, finding one that could channel brutality itself.

They chose a Tyrant, a being filled with hate and the craving for blood, one whose roar shook the earth. He was chosen from his first labor, killing over a hundred men in one night. The dirt would fertilize with the corpses he sacrificed to the Lady, bringing a field of flowers to make the end beautiful. A Tyrant doesn’t have to be a loner; he could have the aid of others. As long as the Tyrant bathes in the blood of the many Sentient beings, anyone could become a Tyrant.

All hail the coming of the savage, all will learn its name. What is it you ask? It could be anyone, as I said. Even a babe shuttering in her little basket could be the Tyrant, as long as she bathed in the blood. Show your bite, show your savagery; show no mercy.

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The High Evolution and the Purist

Through the battle up in the tall trees, a lone Centalope watched the stars as the green men spilled blood. She was a kitten, too young to dabble in the savagery. Her brown eyes watched the sky, as a way to pass the time. She flicked her ears at another climber, yet didn’t take hostile action as it felt too small to be a human invader. The little pup grunts as she climbs each branch, wagging her raven tail as she barely slips.

“Is that you Tule’s?” The brown rabbit asked the bright yellow-eyed pup, her raven hair glowing in the light of the moon. The stubborn nature of a young pup ran in high gear with this one; failure to fall wasn’t on her mind. The Brown Rabbit sighed, grabbing onto the little pup and lifting her with one arm. As the pup rose, she sniffed on the Rabbit’s arm, while her tail wagged with excitement.

“I knew you were playing hide and seek up here, big sister.” Tulee said as she smiled at the annoyed Rabbit, yet the sound of big sister made her blush. She pulls the pup up to her, wrapping her arms around her as she laughs.

“Come here little gremlin.” She said with a bit of annoyance, the pup’s energy was too much for her. The pup was getting overstimulated with the physical contact, wiggling her body to get comfortable on the Rabbit’s stomach. She nuzzles into her flat chest, pushing her legs to get deeper into her arms. The tail was still wagging, hitting the Rabbit occasionally. The pup when bug eyed when she noticed that her sister was getting pissed, as she side-eyed her to acknowledge her yet respectfully not.

“Are you done?” The Brown rabbit asked the pup, as she still gave her the side eye, nodding her head. The Rabbit got comfortable herself, watching down as the elders of Clan Mor handled Humanborn slavers. She could hear the steps of the eldest brother far away, destroying the many convoys while stragglers went to the forest. The other two Orcs happily fought the running humans, bludgeoning them as they came, slicing them in two.

“They’re scary.” The pup told the Rabbit, which made her nod.

“Mor, Sickleye, and Gardener have that effect on young ones.” She told the pup with confidence, yet the pup snuggled deeper into her chest.

“No, I mean the humans.” Tulee said with a terrified tone, remembering her days in captivity. They found her at some elven estate to the east of the Triangle, soulless eyes when she sat down in the cage. She was already housed in a secret human cave, as they did as they pleased to the innocent pup. The brown rabbit hugs her tighter, remembering her own demons.

“You aren’t alone anymore, Tule’s. Those scary humans will never touch you after joining the Mor clan.” The Brown Rabbit assures the frightened pup.

“I hate the ones with feathers, and that kid who…” Tulee couldn’t finish her train of thought, starting to weep when the painful memories flooded her. The Brown Rabbit pets her raven hair, as she wants her to think of different things.

“Want to hear a story, little mutt?” The Rabbit said as she locked her eyes with her glistening topaz. Tulee still felt the pain, yet nods her head to hear the Rabbit’s voice more.

“Want to know about the secret war against the High Evolutionary and the Purists?” The Rabbit said in a mysterious voice, getting Tulee’s attention. Her tail started wagging as she nodded her head.

“Ok, so there are two factions of beastkin that spread all over the Triangle: The High Evolutionary and the Purist.” The Rabbit stops as she sees the pup have a derpy face, cute with her tongue out. She bites her need to smother the pup with love and continues the story.

“The Purists are a radical faction, having a law that prevents beastkin from mixing blood, as chimeras are known to associate with demons. They enforce this law on those who have never sworn it, making them go away if anyone does it.” The Rabbit makes sure she doesn’t talk about death in her kid’s story.

“ They have one goal, as they pick certain pairs to mix. They want to make the perfect race of beastkin, ones where their limits could go even further beyond regular Sentients. They want to make an alpha species, ones that are ahead of the rest of their kind.” The Brown Rabbit said as she focused on her story.

“Do they love each other?” Tulee interrupted.

“What?” The Brown Rabbit was confused.

“Do they pick those who love each other? Mama told me that she wants me to find an alpha that makes my tummy rumble. One that makes me very happy, so I wag my tail with them around.” Tulee said as she rubs her belly, having the Rabbit laugh at her innocence.

“It sounds like you want to eat them. She meant someone you respect.” The Brown Rabbit clarified, which made Tulee smile as she had someone in mind.

“I respect Sickleye; he plays with me and feeds me the good cuts of meat.” Tulee wagged her tail while she lifted her body up. The brown rabbit grabbed her head, stared at her with menace in her eyes. Tulee yelps as she is at the mercy of the angry Centalope.

“You are not having green babies on my watch, little girl.” She said firmly.

“Okay.” Tulee forgot what they were talking about, apologizing as it was a way to make her sister happy. The Rabbit sighs and hugs the pup again, as Tulee wags her tail with the warm hug.

“The High Evolutionary is a secretive organization that no one knows who leads. All we know is that they think mixing species’ blood is the road to true peace and prosperity. They only let their success stories out, the heavily mixed ones that spread the word of the High Evolutionary.” The Brown Rabbit said as she got deep into the tail.

“Is mixing bad?” Tulee asked.

“Um…?” The Brown Rabbit didn’t know how to answer, as it was hard to explain to a pup about the problems of society. Tulee looks down and wags her tail, to see two Lyconians fighting off human slavers as a unit. The covered each others’ backs, making the battlefield look like a dance.

“They are so cool!” Tulee said as she wagged her tail with bright eyes, as the sisters fought and snarled.

“They are Simoan and Dimona, our Delta and Epsilon members under the Brothers.” The Brown Rabbit told the star stuck pup as the elder sister of the two fought with a smile. Then Tulee tilts her head, as she didn’t get the weird words. The Brown Rabbit pats the pup on the head, explaining.

“We operate on an Alpha system; every member below has a title of leadership if any, while we grunts don’t have one. Gardener is our Alpha, Mor is our Beta, Sickleye is our Gamma, Dimona is our Delta, and Simoan is our Epsilon.” The Brown Rabbit listed, as the Lyconian pup still had confusion, yet acted like she knew. She sees the Lyconian Simoan fighting with a gleeful smile, the rush of adrenaline and instinct filled her.

“I want to be like her when I grow up!” Tulee said, seeing pants in delight, making the Brown Rabbit smile.

“We could have some titles of our own one day. I could be Lin the Zeta, and you could be Tulee the Eta, fighting bad guys side by side.” Lin said as she wiggled her nose on the pups head, making her laugh. Tulee looks at the sisters again, seeing that they looked similar, and they did not. She wasn’t foolish, knowing that they had different mothers, but she wondered if there was someone who looked like Lin out there.

“Do you have sisters, Lin?” She asked her as she looked at her, yet Lin’s face made her ears droop. Lin looked sad from the question, closing herself off from the world. Lin notices that the pups tail stopped her ears weren’t pointing to the moon. She shoves her trauma down as she realizes that this little pup needed her smile. She hugs her deeper into her arms, wrapping her chin over the pup’s head.

“You are my one and only sister, Tule’s.” Lin said while she pushed down her sadness.

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intro:YellowandGreen

“Yellow and Green… Yellow and Green.” The silhouette dances around while it hums the little melody. It watches as his clouded vision shows the back of a Lyconian woman, one on her knees over five graves and an empty one.

“Yellow brings cautious thoughts, the first wave of emotions that leads to danger.”

“Green can fuel jealousy, making Yellow stain red when the two are around.”

“These colors are neighbors when it comes to the makings of life; they don’t need each other to function.”

“What if yellow warms up to green? It’s possible, as they are neighbors.”

“It’s OK, little yellow. Sometimes the company of green can help you on your journey.”

“Take a seat, Ms. Red. This tome is not your story. Don’t worry, if you live, you will have your chances.”

“Let’s see how little Miss Yellow mixes with Mr. Green.”

“The opposite of hate isn’t love, but indifference. The other way could be said, without hidden love, doesn’t one hold hateful thoughts for? Hate just means you want the other’s attention. What you should do is just be indifferent to Mr. Green.”

“The Lady requires you to act, so give a good show, little bumblebee mutt.”