Hey guys! Ready to read the next part of TMCOC (I abbreviated it because it’s a long title 😉 )? This part is sad and where things start to pick up! I hope you like it!

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Erebelle entered through the kitchen and set her basket full of berries on the counter.
“Goodness, Erebelle, what’s all the rush about?” Erebelle’s mother questioned.
“Oh, I’m just so excited to be home, that’s all. Well, I’m gonna go speak with the animals. I’ll be in soon, Mother!” Erebelle called over her shoulder, as she was already running out the back door.
Erebelle ran down the stone steps, smiling all the way, but as the shed came into view, her smile faded. The door to the shed was wide open. Erebelle scurried into the shed.
“Damarias! Damarias!” She called as she looked around for her friend. Erebelle looked at the ground and noticed Damarias’ paw prints, and she saw that they were following hoof prints.
“No…” She breathed and hurried back into the house.
“Mother! Did anyone come to visit today?” Erebelle asked breathlessly.
“Oh, I take that you went to your father’s work shed. Yes, some of the prince’s men came by looking for a mysterious creature. I’ve known about that creature for a while now, so I sold him to them. Thank goodness they came when they did or we would have no money to keep the house.” Her mother said quickly. Erebelle tried to fight the tears.
“How could you? I’ve taken care of him for months! I’m like a mother to him! He understands me like no other animal does! First I lose Papa, and now I lose my dearest friend.” Erebelle felt tears going down her cheeks. Her mother wouldn’t make eye contact with her because she was too ashamed with what she had done.
Erebelle ran out of the house and hurried to the palace. She walked up to the entrance, but was stopped by a royal guard.
“Please, you must let me in! I have to speak with the prince! It’s a matter of urgency!” Erebelle cried.
The guard replied, “Sorry, miss, but not just anyone is aloud inside, unless their presence is requested by the king.”
Erebelle sighed. “Please, sir, I have to speak with him!” She begged, but the guard sent her away. Erebelle walked a  few steps away and then fell to the ground. The prince happened to be walking by and stopped in front of her.
“Erebelle, is everything alright?” He asked. Erebelle looked up at the prince with tears pouring out of her eyes.
“Sire, my dearest friend has been sentenced to death – by you.” She said slowly. Neal raised an eyebrow. “You must be confused. No one here is sentenced to be killed.” He assured her.
“Not all friends are humans, Sire. Sometimes the very best of friends are animals.” Erebelle stated.
“Do you speak of that creature?” He asked with disgust.
“That creature is the last of his kind!” Erebelle said, raising her voice.
“It’s a vicious monster.” Neal stated.
“No! I have taken the time to get to know him! He’s a kind and gentle creature! But you wouldn’t know that. All the time you’ve spent with him is chasing him down to kill him!” Erebelle shouted, and the guards and Alfred joined the prince’s side.
“What would you ask of me?” Neal inquired.
“Let him go. Spare his life and let him be free!” Erebelle said.
“I’m sorry, miss, but that creature, although he is good to you, could be a threat to the rest of the kingdom, just as his parents were. I will not let him go. Leave now or the guards will take you away.” Neal commanded, and Erebelle, very hesitantly left.
Neal walked out to where Damarias was being kept and looked into his eyes.
“Am I doing the right thing, Alfred?” Neal asked unknowingly.
“I think any decision of yours is right, Sire, but yes, this creature needs to die. It’s parents were mad.” Alfred replied.
“But does that make him that way as well? Do you think perhaps I ought to let him go?” Neal wondered. Alfred answered sincerely, “No, Highness. You’re doing the right thing.”

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OOOOH!!!! XD Poor, poor, Erebelle and Damarias… 😉

The next part will be up in a week! 😀

Love,
~Fluffet~

I decided to get the next part up a day early, since that would have been going quite a few days without a new post. 😉

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“NEAL!!” The king yelled at the top of his lungs from the palace steps. Neal was just walking up.
“Yes, Father?” He asked with a huff. Whenever Neal was out hunting, his father would get furious.
“Have you been hunting again?!” The king shouted.
“Yes, I have.” Neal replied with a sigh.
“You know I don’t want you hunting anymore! You should be in the palace learning how to be a proper ruler. You don’t rule your kingdom by killing animals!” The king yelled furiously.
“Father, you have a good many years ahead of you, and as do I. It’s not time for me to be king yet, so I will continue to hunt.” Neal said decidedly. The king clenched his jaw and lowered his eyebrows.
“Neal, I am your father and your king, and you will do as I say! No more hunting, Neal!” The king said firmly. Neal sighed.
“Father don’t do this. I am so close to finally getting the rare beast I have been after all these months!” Neal said, trying to change his father’s mind.
“Neal, I didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice. I forbid you from hunting! I forbid you from even going outside the castle grounds! You will spend the rest of the year learning how to be a good king, and at the end of the year, you will choose someone to be your queen, at which time, I will retire from ruling.” The king commanded.
Neal’s face was completely serious. He had never imagined this would happen to him, and this time he couldn’t do anything but agree.
With a bow of his head, he said, “Yes, father.” And slowly headed back down the palace steps.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The king inquired in a loud voice.
“Just going for a walk in our secluded palace grounds.” Neal replied and walked away.
When he was out of sight, he climbed the palace wall and entered the forest where most of the commoners went to pick berries. As he walked along, he suddenly caught sight of the young girl he had met in the butcher’s shop that day.
“Well, we meet again.” He said to Erebelle, who, rather startled, spun around quickly at the sound of his voice.
“Oh, good afternoon, Your Highness.” Erebelle said with a curtsy.
“Picking berries, Miss Erebelle?” He inquired.
“Yes, I come here most every day. If it isn’t for berry picking, it’s simply to take a walk.” Erebelle stated. She hadn’t had much practice speaking to royalty, so she was a little nervous.
“I come here a lot, too. But unfortunately, today I had to climb the palace wall to get out here.” Neal said with annoyance.
“May I ask why, Sire?” Erebelle asked politely.
“My father has just forbidden me from hunting and from even stepping a foot out of the palace grounds. Although I shouldn’t have told you this. Please promise me you will not tell a soul.” Neal begged of Erebelle, who was smiling broadly.
“Oh, forgive me, Sire, I am not smiling at your troubles. But yes, I promise I will not tell anyone.” Erebelle had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. She was so excited that he wouldn’t be hunting anymore, because perhaps now, Damarias could come out of hiding and live freely.
“Thank you, Miss.” Neal said gratefully.
Erebelle fixed her shawl and said, “I’m sorry I have to rush off like this, but I really must be going now. Good day, Your Highness.” Erebelle curtsied and darted off towards home.

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I know the first three parts are kind of slow, but the next part, well…. Hehehehe….. 😀

Are you enjoying this story so far?

Love,
~Fluffet~

Yep, I knew I’d be too excited to post the next part. XD Plus, I’m just in a posting mood ;D

Enjoy the second installment of The Mysterious Creature of Charzul!

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Erebelle sprinted through the door of her cottage while humming her favorite song.
“Erebelle, dear, is that you?” A gentle voice called from upstairs.
“Yes, mother! I’m going back out to check on the animals. I’ll be right in!” Erebelle called back, and went outside.
She walked past the well and across the little bridge that went across their moat. She walked down some stone steps and came to her father’s old work shed. She spun her head around to see if anyone was looking, then unlocked the shed and stepped in.
“Hey, Damarias. I got some beef for you. I got all the beef they had actually.” Erebelle whispered as she walked over to her strange creature. She knelt beside Damarias and stroked his fur.
“I know you don’t like being cooped up in here, but the prince and his men are after you. I promised I would keep you safe, so I think you should stay in here from now on, okay?”
Damarias moaned as he chewed his beef and looked at Erebelle with sad eyes.
“I know, I know, but trust me. This is best. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Although Damarias was an animal, and he couldn’t talk, Erebelle knew that he understood every word she said, and they communicated in their own way.
“Well, I better get back inside before mother comes looking for me. Be a good boy!” Erebelle said as she kissed his fluffy forehead and scratched his jaw, then she got up and went back into the house.
“What took you so long, dear?” Her mother asked as she entered the kitchen.
“Oh, you know me, Mother. I just love talking with the animals.” Erebelle replied as she tied on her apron.
“Yes, I know, but I meant, what took you so long in town?” Her mother corrected herself. Erebelle paused as she tried to think of the words.
“Oh, I just, um-” Erebelle began, but was interrupted by her mother,
“Oh, please tell me you didn’t go for a walk in the woods again! I worry for you so when the prince is hunting in the area you are by.”
Erebelle bit her lip. “Sorry, Mother. I just love the woods, you know?” Erebelle said with a guilty smile. She hated having to lie to her mother, but she couldn’t let her find out about Damarias. “No one must know about him.” Erebelle said to herself and began kneading some dough.

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Things are going to start getting more exciting in the upcoming parts, so stay tuned! 😀

Love,
~Fluffet~