Prince Cedric dropped his sword before collapsing to the ground on his hands and knees, utterly defeated. It didn’t matter how valiantly he had fought, there was nothing he could do now. His royal carriage had been toppled and set ablaze, the light from the fire being the only source of illumination in the otherwise dark forest. Around him, he could hear the sounds of his men being slaughtered mercilessly by their assailants. Even after he had given them the order to retreat, not a single one obeyed, choosing to give their lives to save their beloved prince.
The young prince grit his fangs as he felt another surge of pain in his stomach. He cautiously moved his hand as he looked down at the wound he had been covering. The fur on his palm was stained red with the blood pouring out from where he had been stabbed by his assailant. A wound like that was undoubtedly fatal.
How had it all gone so wrong?
He had been returning home from his pilgrimage to the sacred spring that resided within the mountains on the outskirts of the kingdom. According to the sacred laws of the kingdom, he was required to bathe in the springs to purify himself before he could become king. It was a tradition that the royal family took very seriously. His father had done it, his father’s father had done it, and so on. After the sudden passing of his parents, the Beastian king and queen, he was suddenly being prepared by his father’s attendants to become the new king at the young age of twenty-one. It had all been going so well…
The sound of footsteps made Prince Cedric look up to see the source. Standing in front of him with a sword drawn was a large panther with jet-black fur. Had it not been for the light from the fire, the assassin would have been completely invisible. As the panther looked down, the prince could see that there was a long scar that went over their right eye, leaving it a milky white color. The other eye had irises that were stained a blood-red color, a clear sign that the feline had been subjected to dark magic at some point in their life. The assassin raised his sword to the prince’s neck, the tip poking the flesh underneath his fur.
“Such an easy target,” the panther said in a raspy, almost snake-like voice. “Not only have my men killed your entire guard, but I easily bested you in combat. I thought you royals were supposed to put up more of a fight.”
Prince Cedric coughed, a bit of blood coming out of his mouth and landing on the dirt beneath him. “You cheating bastard,” he growled. “You used the forbidden magic to strengthen yourself!”
The panther laughed, shaking his head. “Oh no no no, my dear prince,” the feline said in a mocking voice. “I did nothing of the sort! My master was the one who gave me this gift, all in exchange for one little thing…” The panther brought his sword to the back of the prince’s neck and raised it up.
“...Your life!”
Thwip!
“AAAAARGH!” the panther screamed suddenly, dropping his sword as he clutched his shoulder. Prince Cedric wasn’t sure what was happening at first until he caught sight of the arrow lodged in the feline’s shoulder. A few seconds later, a horse slid to a halt next to him, with someone dropping to the ground. The prince was suddenly lifted up and slung on the back of the horse, and he caught a glimpse of his savior: a slim yet muscular deer wearing the traditional garb of a ranger.
“About time you showed up, old friend,” Prince Cedric said, coughing slightly. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t show.”
“Please don’t speak, my liege,” the buck said. “You’re wasting your energy.”
“Cyrus…how many times have I told you…drop the formalities,” the prince said. “We’ve known each other…since we were children…”
“Yes, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re Beastian royalty, and I’m just a lowly bodyguard,” Cyrus responded. “Now let’s get you back to the castle. The mage will be able to heal your wounds.”
As Cyrus began to mount his horse, a chilling laugh caused him to stop in his tracks. He looked over at its source: the panther he had shot. The feline grabbed the shaft of the arrow and ripped it out of his shoulder, causing blood to begin flowing from the wound. Despite this, the panther showed little sign of being in pain.
“You foolish boy,” the feline hissed. “That is no ordinary wound. My blade was forged by my master using the dark arts. The potent magic housed within is enough to kill a grown man in minutes! No magic can cure it! Your prince is dead!”
Cyrus ignored the panther’s manic laughter, jumping onto his horse and snapping the reins with a “Hyah!” before racing away from the carnage. All the while, the panther’s laugh echoed through the trees around them, until it eventually faded into the distance.
-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-==-
“The prince should have returned an hour ago…” a lynx said as he paced back and forth within the confines of the castle’s study. “He said that he would return today before sundown when he left last week, yet the sun has gone down, and there’s no sign of the boy!”
Looking over a large map of the kingdom on the study’s meeting table were two more animals: a horse and a raccoon. All three of them were advisors to the former Beastian king, but with his sudden passing, they were now preparing for the king’s son, Prince Cedric, to take the throne.
“Calm yourself, Francis,” the horse said to the lynx. “Now is not the time to panic.” As the oldest of the three advisors, he had seen more than the other two, which allowed him to keep his composure in times like these.
“‘Now is not the time to panic,’” Francis repeated in a tone that mocked the horse’s deeper and stoic voice. “Of course, it’s the time to panic, Dutch! The king and queen were assassinated just over two months ago, and the night the prince is to return from his pilgrimage to the Sacred Spring, he still hasn’t arrived!”
“Perhaps there was a slight delay,” the raccoon spoke up. As the youngest of the three at twenty-five, he tended to be a bit more optimistic. “Maybe the carriage broke down, and the men are currently repairing it. That would be cause for Prince Cedric’s return to be delayed by an hour or two.”
The lynx took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “Yes…yes, perhaps you’re right, Leif,” Francis said. “The prince will undoubtedly return soon, safe and so-”
The lynx was cut off by the sound of the door to the room being kicked open. All three advisors turned to see the prince’s bodyguard and childhood friend, Cyrus, standing there, and in his arms…
“Oh, gods!” Francis shouted upon laying eyes on the bloodied and battered body of Prince Cedric in Cyrus’ arms.
“Make room on the table, now!” Cyrus shouted. Dutch complied, sweeping the various papers and books off the table and onto the floor. Cyrus quickly walked over, his hooves clacking against the hardwood, before gently setting Prince Cedric down on the table. He then looked up at Leif and shouted “Bring Timaeus here, now!” The raccoon nodded in understanding before rushing out the door and down the hall.
“What happened, Cyrus?” Dutch asked, trying to remain calm. “Is the prince…?”
“Unconcious, but mortally wounded,” the young buck explained. “We were ambushed on our return home by some assassins. One minute it was peaceful, the next…we never even saw them coming…”
“What of the men?!” Francis asked, once again panicked. “I made sure that only the best of the best were sent with the prince!”
“Dead…” Cyrus replied quietly. “All of them. The prince ordered them to leave him behind and retreat so they would live to see their families…they all disobeyed.” The deer paused, seemingly reflecting on everything that had happened. “Their leader was this panther with one dead eye. He had been empowered by dark magic of some kind, and he bested Prince Cedric in combat. I managed to rescue the prince, but not before the panther stabbed him in the stomach. I was too slow…”
“If you were too slow…you’d be bringing back a headless corpse…” a hoarse voice said. The three men looked down to see Prince Cedric’s eyes opening, a small smile on his muzzle.
“Prince Cedric! You’re awake!” Francis cried in relief. “Don’t worry, your highness! Leif ran to fetch Timaeus! You’re going to be okay!”
Just then, the sound of footsteps drew everyone’s attention to the door. A large owl with brown feathers wearing a midnight blue cloak rushed into the room, with Leif following just behind. Dutch and Francis quickly moved out of the way, allowing the wizard to get close.
“What happened?” the owl asked, looking at Cyrus.
“The prince was stabbed in the stomach by a panther enhanced by the dark arts,” the buck replied. “He said something about his sword being cursed, but I paid it no heed. As one of the most powerful wizards in the kingdom, I knew that surely you would be able to heal him.”
The owl nodded before placing an arm that doubled as a wing on the prince’s wound. He closed his eyes, and a soft green glow began to envelop the tip of the wizard’s wing. His expression started out calm and composed, but as the spell went on, it became increasingly obvious that the wizard was struggling. Eventually, Timaeus ripped his arm away, breathing heavily.
“The…the wound…” he said in between breaths. “It…it’s cursed. There’s…nothing I can do…”
“What?!” Leif shouted. “But you…you’re Timaeus, the most powerful wizard in the land! You’ve seen every kind of magic known to beast kind!”
“Not this magic,” Timaeus grunted. “This magic is foul…nothing but pure hatred and malice. I’ve never seen anything like it…”
Prince Cedric coughed heavily, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. “You tried your best Timaeus, old friend,” the young beast prince said slowly. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have…been so reckless…”
“Sire, please! Save your energy!” Francis pleaded. “You need it to recover! Without a king to keep the balance, our world will fall into ruin! The lust will completely consume us all!”
Prince Cedric shook his head sadly. “No, Francis…there is no recovery for me. I can already feel my life force…fading away. I’ve let you all down…” The prince slowly turned his head to look at Cyrus, giving the deer a weak smile. He slowly held out his hand, which the deer cupped in his.
“Cyrus…” the prince said softly. “My most trusted ally…and my oldest friend…thank you for all you’ve done…”
“Don’t do this to us, your highness,” Cyrus pleaded, his eyes beginning to water up. “Please, we need you…I need you…don’t leave me, Cedric…”
Prince Cedric shook his head, smiling softly. “I haven’t heard you call me that in years…” he said. “About time you stopped the formalities…” The prince’s eyes slowly closed, and Cyrus felt his hand go limp.
Prince Cedric was gone.
-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-==-
Dutch closed the door to the bedroom, sighing as he did so. He had taken the Prince’s body to his bedroom, laying him in the bed and covering him with a sheet. He looked up to see Cyrus, Francis, Leif, and Timaeus standing in the hallway, waiting for him.
“So what do we do now…?” Leif asked quietly. “Does that mean-?”
“Our world is doomed!” Francis cried out in panic. “Without a king, there is no balance, and without balance, there is no world! What will happen when the people find out?! They’ll give into their most carnal desires and have their way with us!”
“That doesn’t sound so bad…” Leif said. He began to fantasize about being captured by a strong farmer, who would use him for…
Dutch slapped Leif’s hand as he noticed the raccoon reaching for his bulge, causing Leif to snap out of his fantasy. “Keep it together, kid!” the horse snapped. “You need to stay strong!”
Leif’s ears dropped as he quickly put his hands behind his back. “Sorry, Dutch…”
“So then, what do we do?” Cyrus asked. “Surely there’s some way to stop the kingdom from falling.”
Timaeus, who had been mostly silent, let out a sigh. “There might be one way.”
Dutch quickly looked at the wizard. “Well? What is it?” he asked. “Come on, old man! Out with it!”
“I will explain in time,” Timaeus responded. “But for now, we must go to my tower. Quickly now!”
-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-==-
“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Francis said, watching as Timaeus drew a large circle full of various unidentifiable runes inside it on the floor. “You’re going to do…what, exactly?”
“I’m reaching into the multiverse and finding a suitable replacement,” Timaeus said, not looking up.
“Yes, we heard you the first time,” Dutch said, sounding a bit annoyed. “But what does any of that mean?”
Timaeus let out a sigh of frustration. “Our universe is but one in a near-infinite cosmic web of universes,” the wizard explained. “In each of these universes, there’s a different version of all of us who look completely different and live completely different lives. If there’s a different version of me and a different version of all of you, then logic would dictate that there’s a different version of Prince Cedric who can take his place.”
“So you’re just going to replace Prince Cedric by stealing another version of him from their home?!” Cyrus shouted. “Timaeus, listen to yourself! That’s completely immoral!”
“We don’t have another choice!” the wizard snapped. “Do you really wish to become a mindless sex slave?!”
Cyrus said nothing.
“That’s what I thought,” Timaeus said. He drew a few more runes on the ground before standing up and walking to the center. “Now, I must begin the ritual. Avert your eyes!”
The four of them looked away as the wizard began to chant in an unknown language. As he did so, a bright ball of light began to manifest in front of him, growing larger and larger in size as he continued. The room began to shake as objects began falling off of shelves, swirling in the air around the room as if they were caught in a miniature tornado. Then, a blinding flash of white.
When the light faded, the room was a complete mess. Cyrus uncovered his eyes to look at the wizard. Timaeus had dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. The spell had clearly taken a lot of energy. However, the thing that drew Cyrus’ attention the most was the figure on the floor.
The figure appeared to be fast asleep, laying on their back. They had no fur whatsoever, save for a shaggy mop of brown hair on their head. They were completely naked, with their maleness out in the open for everyone to see.
“What the hell is that thing?” Dutch asked.
“It looks like a hairless ape,” Leif noted.
“That, my friends, is a human,” Timaeus explained. “They are from a world that is far less interesting than our own. No magic whatsoever! This makes them highly susceptible to the stuff. Within a week or two, this human will have become a perfect replica of the prince, and the people will be none the wiser! The downside is that they are also highly susceptible to lust, and as such, we must take great caution to assure he is not completely overcome by it.”
“His name…” Cyrus said. “What is it?”
“It should also be Cedric, but there’s also a slight chance that it’s something different. Now come, we must put him in bed. He will undoubtedly have many questions once he awakens.”