3 Chapter 2

Midday sun comes over Ervanor, the capital city of Premderia, where only premderian purebloods can reside. Built around the mountains, the castle of Selvar. Twelve Premderian pure-blooded women prepare themselves. All of them armed and travel light. They wear black cloaks with the crimson star upon them. They ready themselves on top of what are known as Drazgovs.

Drazgov's are known as a sizeable red wolf-like creature and have a few black stripes. It has unique features that make it stand out. The drazgov has five tails that are equal in length to its body. In the center of its forehead, they have a dark red gem. Their teeth burn if they bite an enemy of theirs, the same as their claws. Rumors said that they could be equally as hot as fire. On average in growth, they grow big enough that a full-grown premderian can ride on their back.

One of the hooded warriors stands out among the rest. She has gold designs on her hood and cloak. She walks armed with a couple of daggers, a large machete knife, a bow, and a quiver with twenty arrows. The blades and the arrow points all made of premderium steel, considered the greatest steel in the galaxy when wielded by a premderian.

Under the hood, her eyes look to the warriors getting ready. She takes notice of them going silent and bowing their heads.

"King Andor," they say in a soft manner putting their right fist over their hearts then bow their heads

Another starts approaching. She does not pay any attention and continues getting ready. With a single pull, he pulls down her hood. She's in her late teens with a blonde flat top and a rat tail for a hairstyle. Her eyes turn to the one responsible.

He has sixty years of life on his arm.   His face has a rugged look about him with his brown hair that is starting to show some signs of gray. His youth is still there like all pure blooded premderians. Unlike the women he stands absent any armor or weapons. The two touch foreheads before they say anything. Even after they do, he continues watching her get ready.

"Are you going to try and stop me, father?" She asks him and he smirks before looking to the balcony.

"If I did, those that are loyal to us would have to clean up a massive mess and I would be bed ridden for several days. Besides, Federation does not see to this important matter. Not like our kind."

"In our nature, father," she says and he grunts.

"I only wish your eternal beloved was here to go with you."

Eternal Beloved; a term to describe Premderians who make a bond with one another by a premderian Honor Guard or the King in a sacred ceremony. They both take a moment and look down where he places one hand on her stomach. His hand glows with crimson energy on its own just from the slightest touch.

"She will be here soon enough."

"Just don't take any unnecessary risks, daughter."

She put her hood back on and mount up. With a single whistle, another creature comes swooping down from the sky. Both she and Trals look up to see the crimson bird block the sun, before diving down. It lands on top of her shoulder.

The bird is known as a Trenin, grander in size in comparison to an average bird. A Trenin's perceived as being the real rulers of the sky. For a signature, it left a small fiery trail as it blazed with incredible speed through the air. The bird is known for its mystical powers just like many creatures on the planet. Even without its mystical energy, it can be incredibly fierce against any who dare tried hunting it.

"Are you ready to hunt?" She asks the Trenin and she caws again before taking flight.

The doors to the front gate open. The people outside of the castle walls all look and watch as the twelve Premderians women ride through. Andor watched till the gates close in front of him. He walks back to an area for crafting weapons. Already there are two small blades on the table. While crafting he sees several premderian eyes still watching him from the balcony for a brief second. He goes back to his work while the ones watching him go back inside.

Brenna leads on in their ride through the capital city. The Premderians all look to her as she rides down the streets with her colleagues following close behind her. She sees a little girl no older than five dressed up with the same mark they have tattooed on their forearms painted on her forearm. She holds up a wooden sword with a big smile. Brenna smiles and acknowledges her with a nod.

"Be safe, princess," a woman says loudly with the others agreeing while nodding their heads.

"You have my word," she tells them with her smile.

They reach the main gates where several Premderians soldiers stand. They salute her by putting their fist over their hearts and bow their heads. Everyone coming and going make way so she and her colleagues ride through. When the roads clear the trenin takes flight into the air. Brenna and her colleagues follow the trenin to where they needed to go.

Their ride takes them onto the edge of Braknor forest. Brenna stop and the rest of the group haunt as well. She looks around from one end of the forest to the other. There's something powerful she sensed lurking within. Her colleagues watch Brenna dismount and continue to look around for a moment.

She turns her back to the woods and focuses on her Drazgov. Brenna rubs her head for a moment. The Drazgov rub her furry head up against Brenna with a smile. When she finished, Brenna steps aside, and her Drazgov lay on the ground resting. The others dismount from their Drazgovs. Their Drazgovs do the same and rest.

Brenna and her colleagues take a long narrow path, with difficult terrain. For ten miles they walk and climb until reaching a plateau. The group stop and take a moment's rest to rehydrate. Brenna drinks from her canteen and looks to see the village another ten miles away. After a few moments rest, they pressed on till reaching the village by sunset.

The villagers show some relief at them arriving. All twelve of them stop in the center of the village. The women look around and see their fear. As for the villagers, they show even more surprise at the woman who leads them.

"Is that Princess Brenna?" They ask in whispers.

"Yes, it is. What is she doing here?"

Many hold their eternal beloved closely. Her eyes glance at one, seeing one woman clutching a small wooden sword. The elder of the village walk through the crowd and watch her look around but look at other things that make her curious. The little boy that went into caves is curled in his mother's arms.

"Where did you find him?" Brenna asks while continuing to look upon the child.

"Right where you are standing," answers one of the farmers which gets Brenna curious. "He hasn't said anything since we found him. Whatever he saw scared him into this state."

Brenna looks ahead and sees the large tracks of the beast. They're very similar to that of a Drazgov but much larger. She presses her hand against the paw print it left behind. With a single touch shed feel the dark energy. An image comes into her head of the beast. It hides in the darkness of the ruined temple. She hears the roar of the beast which makes her step back.

The birds in the woods take flight into the sky. Everyone watched while Brenna gets up to her feet to observe the fear of the birds. The winds blow incredibly hard. An unnatural wind as she glances into the forest.

"Five of you stay here, in case he tries to come back. The rest of us are going hunting," Brenna instructs.

"The King isn't going to like you putting yourself at risk, Princess," one of her group members comment while checking her rifle.

"He doesn't like many things I do. That's why he considers me the most defiant person he has ever met besides my mother. A title I am proud of."

"Princess," says a voice of old age. The elder of the village approach. "Do not travel there at night. It's suicide against him."

"Careful about who you insult, old man," says one of the female warriors.

"I do not mean any disrespect to any of you. This beast is no ordinary drazgov. You can sense his power. It is no secret who is lurking in the woods. You've heard the stories about him."

"I have," she says while looking to the woods. "I am more curious about other matters pertaining to the legendary beast that lurks in the woods."

"What is more concerning than our children?" One villager questions. "Why can't we call on the Federation for aid?"

As her warriors calm the villagers nerves, Brenna turns her back to them and focuses on the woods. She senses the beast being very close. Brenna has a firm grip on her bow but didn't reach for an arrow. She gives her back to the woods, looking over her shoulder at them for a brief second before giving her orders.

"We will take caution. We will rest here tonight. I want six of us on watch at all times. Three groups of two keeping tight."

"What about the people? It is too much ground for us to cover in case this thing tries to ambush the village."

"We have a school," an elder suggests as he points it out. "It is small but we can fit everyone in there."

The suggestion of the elder, Brenna find as a good one. She turns to her colleagues and they see it done. While her colleagues focus on getting everyone inside, Brenna climbs on the roof of the school. She takes a seat and pulls out her spyglass. All around she'd scan the woods and see nothing with the night setting in. Her warriors set up torches all around the perimeter and Brenna continue to look. For a moment she sees some bushes move along with a small growl.

Brenna slowly grabs her bow and an arrow from her quiver. She slowly pulls back with the arrow remaining poised while doing so. A single breath exits her mouth while the bushes continue to move. She continues to keep the arrow pulled back. The bushes stop suddenly and Brenna still keeps her arrow aimed in the direction. Nothing else moves but she'd hear a beast growling in the same area.

During the night, her warriors patrol the streets. She sits on top of the roof of the school, not taking any rest. In all directions, her eyes wander. The sense of the beast close by lurking in the woods makes her have an arrow ready. There's something else she sense. Something much closer. What she senses to bring her a smile.

"Easy, my daughter," Brenna tells the child in her womb. "Your time will come soon enough."

Brenna's focus on her belly comes to an abrupt halt. She hears the sound of someone coming up a ladder. The elder slowly makes his way up, carrying a bowl of hot soup. He extends it to her and she graciously accepts with a smile. While Brenna eats at a rapid pace, the elder continues staring at the woods.

"It is a dangerous place out there," he says to her. The elder shakes his head from all the loss. "We premderian's are far from what we use to be. It wasn't that long ago that the galaxy feared to cross us."

"There are still great warriors among us, old man," Brenna reply with her mouth full of food.

"So few in comparison to the old days. Back then every pure-blooded premderian was feared. Now here we are where politics and greed are the new traits. Not even your father can stop the change of our people becoming more and more civil despite his efforts to keep the old ways."

"Do not give up hope yet. There are still those willing to fight for Premderia."

The words of the elder villager ring true to her. She knows everything that he speaks is nothing but the truth. Brenna looks down at the empty bowl of soup. She turns to thank him but finds him gone. It makes her cautiously grab her bow with haste as she stands up. She finds it not necessary as her eyes spot the elder walking the streets absent fear of the beast possibly emerging. Brenna turns back to look at her pregnant belly.

"I hope you are the spark that changes our kind back to what we were."

While she looks to her belly, a creature lurk within the woods. It didn't move as he watches the Princess run her glowing belly. After a simple snarl from the creature, it falls back deep within the woods having a small deep laugh. A black cloud emerges from the paws of his feet and continues to grow.

"Come find me if you can," he says to himself before hearing his General's voice inside of his head.

"Do not be reckless, Gormaur. He doesn't wish for us to know we are here."

"Yes, General," Gormaur replies in his mind before Brank tells him something else.

"Enjoy your hunt."