Chapter 1
Did you ever wonder what the world would be 2000 years from now? I don’t, none of us do. And it’s not pretty. Creatures called Kalmainians also known as Shadowfangs, fierce wolf monsters, have taken over. Now the world is divided in two, humans and the new race.
I’m Officer Rogers by the way, I was 20 when they first came. I’ll never forget their Alpha, Darkfang. None of us will. His muzzle drenched in blood, corpses at his feet and those eyes, those glowing red orbs that seemed to entrap me in their snare. He was a monster, they all were. and do you know what the sad part is? We created them, they started off as just large wolves, then came wings, next the intellect. Finally they evolved to their peak... Large wolf, bat creatures of all shapes and sizes, some stand on their hind legs and have wings for arms, others are just large wolves with or without wings. Rarely can they shift their forms to resemble a human. Darkfang can do that, as well as his top generals and heirs. Now, we, the human race,depleted to only a fourth of our original population hide out in a place we call the Vortex, ruled by the High Chancellor and his advisers.
To our credit the Kalamianians aren’t doing much better, they live somewhere deep in the Barren wastes. We would have already attacked them but hundreds upon hundreds of Shadowfangs stalk around the territory like mice. It’s nearly impossible to try to take any land, from them anyway. They’ve succeeded in taking over the land of Edera, forcing it’s people to become either slaves, food or prisoners. Yes, you heard me right, F.o.o.d those sick beings drain their victims of blood, maul them, or simply crush them in order to dine on their flesh. The thing is, they don’t even need to eat humans, they could and do eat deer, rabbits, anything that moves. And to make it worse they usually don’t eat humans, only when they know the family is watching or to make an example. Heck, they even maul and eat each other in order to maintain status
I’m 40 now, 20 years since the ‘Crimson Dawn’. The day the Shadowfangs made their presence known, 20 years since I watched my family, my neighbors, my friends get slaughtered, 20 years since I joined the rebellion and moved to the Vortex. I’ve climbed up the ranks, done my time, watched as the world became divided. Now i’m one of the top generals, I deal with prisoners, war strategy and occasionally guard suppliers, but now, right now, in this moment i’m doing an impossible task, but it’s my duty as an officer and I do it with as much grace and dignity as I can muster… Cadet training.
“Sir yes sir!” cheered the cadets in unison.
Putting on my most stern expression I glared at the lads and lasses.
“What are we!?” I boomed and the reply was instant
“Warriors! Soldiers! Rebels!”
“What do we fight for!?”
“Our futures and our peace!”
I smiled, at least they knew that much. Raising my head to look each and everyone one of them in the eye, I questioned them about the enemy.
“Who is the Alpha of the Shadowfangs?”
In union, all 20 voices answered with grim sorrow “Darkfang...”
I frowned, “Who are Darkfang’s children, heirs to the throne?”
A young girl probably 15, burst up out of her chair, “Shadia!” she snarled the word, anger in her eyes, “Shadia is his oldest daughter! S-she, she killed my parents…” the girls voice broke and she glared at the ground.
I took a step forward resting my hand on her shoulder, “ We’ve all lost someone” I muttered remembering my own parents. The whole class fell silent grieving.
I removed my hand and continued, “While Shadia is the most known heir because of her crimes Darkfang has a son as well. His name is Fang, less dangerous than his sister but still a threat. Now, what do these two have in common with Darkfang?”
This time an older lad, about 21 answered. “All three can shift into humans do to their DNA”
“Right” I approved, “Back about 1200 years ago when the first Shadowfang was created the experimenters started putting small bits of human DNA to see what would happen, even now some of that DNA has passed down into high ranking shadowfangs. Such as Darkfang, Shadia and Fang as well as some others.”
I inhaled deeply, all that talking was tiring my old self out. Just to my luck my friend and comrade, General Wilkine, entered the room at that moment.
He glanced over at the cadets and exclaimed “Class dismissed ya bunch ah chumps!” waving them away. Then he turned to me and grinned punching my shoulder with a bit to much force.
“Good luck with them lil devils!” he laughed while I massaged my shoulder. I’ve known Wilkine for years, we’ve fought many a battles together. Heck, I was in the one that gave him that nasty scar over his stubbled jaw, was a damn big shadowfang that did that one.
“The Chancellor wants ta see ya” he informed, “Better get movin!“, I nodded and growled to myself, probably another meeting, better go find out. I started down the quarts halls of the fortress hopefully to meet some good news.
