Oreo

Oreo, the empress of a mighty people, was out foraging in her garden when she was approached by a mighty handsome leopard.

"Be cautious, traveler, for with one word I can have you arrested. Now, state your business." she said without even looking up from her work.

"Mighty lady of this wood, do you not fear more what could happen to you before you could cry out for help?" His voice purred darkly like the shadow he cast on her tomatoes.

She glanced up with a raised brow and a flick of her skunk's tail. She noticed his shadow wasn't the only thing dark about him. "I see Lord Darvus would send his creep to share a message. What does that lizard worshiper want now, Milca?"

Milca merely smirked at the insult to his master. "My Lord wishes you to join him in his worship. He says a time is coming when they will rise to their full potential, and failure to worship them now would bring dastardly destruction upon your lands and people."

Oreo was used to haughty declarations from Darvus, but a threat against her people was unacceptable. She glared at him and showed her disdain with another flick of her tail. "You can tell your master to leave my people out of this. His problem is with me."

With raised paws he stepped back just a step. "I had a feeling you wouldn't take kindly to that part and tried to warn him, but you know how he is." His smirk had returned. "You also know how he feels about rejection."

"Milca," she smashed her fist into the dirt, squishing the root she had been carefully digging up. "you should know better than to bring that up."

"Oh, but he told me too, and you know I must do my master's bidding." He chuckled. "Besides, what's a few peasants to a great emperess like you anyway?"

The look in her eyes darkened as she turned her back on him and released the spray that had been building up. "Remember that smell the next time your 'master' tells you to toy with me. . . ugh, and I just had this dress made. . . I'll never get the smell out." She turned, leaving her gardening behind.

Milca just stood there, unable to move or breathe before he ran out of air and collapsed to the ground coughing and gasping. His eyes watered and the more he tried to wipe the stench away, the more it burned. Two guards arrived in special masks and helped him to his paws. He gasped out, "air" and they moved him to a bench outside the garden. They said nothing, so when Milca could speak, he threatened, "tell that woman she was warned. My master is doing more than worshiping those dragons. He's working with them. . . She has called his wrath upon her before. . . now, he will make her pay."

They stood silent and unmoving as statues. He scoffed and got up and grumbled the whole way home. When he arrived back at Lord Darvus's kingdom gates the guards mocked, "she got ya, huh?" Their laughter left a vile taste in his mouth. One of the newer guards pointed to the lake. Milca nodded.

Milca paused at the lake's garden gate. Darvus only came here when he thought of Oreo and how she refused his offer to marry him. He hated meeting him here. Even the slums was better. Here he was moony and in love. How was he to tell Darvus she still refused.

Darvus sighed, "Save your words. The smell says it all. Did she even consider?"

"No."

"And you warned her?"

"Yes, master."

Darvus looked down at the relic in his paws before crushing it to pieces. "Very well. We will begin at once." he said coldly.

This made Milca more comfortable, confident, and aware he still needed to be paid. He rose to his full height and reminded the king.

"You also need to bathe." Darvus replied waving a massive lion's paw before his face. You know where to go for both."

Meanwhile, Oreo finished her elegant bath, but couldn't shake the leopard's words. Her guards had reported his parting warning and she feared the potential response. Darvus wasn't really known for his patience or kindness or for handling insults well. He was an alpha male after all. She sighed as she dressed to visit one of her villages. She needed to think about her people more than Darvus or his cruelty.

She left her home on her way to the smithing village that made all their weapons and armor when she was greeted by a stranger covered in matted fur. The massive gnarled horns on his head and thickness of his coat looked strangely out of place in the usually peaceful springy area. He lay on the ground covered in wounds. She knelt down and helped the creature to a sitting position. Looking around she called for assistance and two of her stronger farmers came to lift the creature to carry him where she lead. She lead the way to a small nearby field of healing herbs and began to work.

"Why... have you... helped me?" He asked weakly.

"You are in my village and injured." She replied still worrying over his wounds.

"I was sent. . ." she placed a finger over his mouth to silence him and darted her eyes to the farmers.

~I know why you are sent,~ she thought, ~and I'm sorry he has done this to you.~

~You?~

She nodded and he relaxed.

"Instead I will grant you my blessing. In battle, you shall be feared more than ever, fore you shall appear as one of our kind. You have proven you fear him not and will not cave as we did to his malice. Please, help to save my brothers and sisters."

"I will."