It's been a while everyfur, and I wanted to write some out before I actually uploaded anything!

But just so you know, it's in the process of being written as you read this! Here's chapter 1! (remember, all of this is unedited and may contain spelling/grammatical errors, as well as some plot points missing. It's in the rough draft!)

After a while (probably after the book goes up) this will only be available as a preview. In order to get the full experience, purchase the book when it comes out. You'll be given access to more material, like a prologue and whatnot!

---

Chapter I - A Fight Between Brothers

All Merlain could do was gasp. His world flipped and he felt dizzy. Brother? How was this possible? How in the world could they be brothers? This isn't possible. No way. He looked at Connor with a face of confusion, hatred, and shock. Was it possible?

The crystals beside Merlain finally grew to their full sheen again as Connor stood there, a smirk on his muzzle as he stared into those eyes, which were so full of malice and hatred, which Merlain knew was toward Zepharon and the people that resided within. None of the small group had moved since he had shown up at random inside the Caster Clan's other world. Merlain had looked quickly over at Solstice, who revealed no surprise in the way she saw Connor there with them. He figured that she knew about him being part of the Caster family. Why she hadn't told him surprised him, and he wondered why she hadn't when it seemed like such an important detail to tell him.

"Well that's no way to greet your brother, Merlain. I should expect a warm welcome and not a blank stare," Connor said, his smirk only growing wider as he spoke.

Merlain finally recovered himself to speak, "well when you go around slaughtering innocent Skallons, there's no wondering why you don't get a warm welcome."

Connor only chuckled and took a step closer toward the group, but stopped once he saw the electric flowing through Merlain's paws, the outline of his soul bow beginning to appear. "It's not my fault the government is so corrupt. I was born way after it had been formed, and now it's my job to correct it."

"If you would only take a moment to look into it, the government isn't actually that bad. It's a lot better than you think it is."

"Are you really that stupid? Are you really that thick skulled that you believe that? The government is a wreck. It has been for a long time. It's unevenly balanced and everyone, no matter who they are, constantly strives for more power, more control, more land and resources. It's split up in a way that it's now on a teetering balance, and if it gets tipped too much in one direction, the whole thing will go to hell. That's what you fail to notice and see. It's going to happen, too. At some point or another, sooner or later, that balance is going to tip and everything will go downhill."

Merlain barely noticed that he had formed his bow and an arrow, holding them down low, the arrow notched in the bow, small arcs of lightning flying off of the stock of the bow, a soft yellowish light in color, with now what looked like a small trace of blue in the mix. He only notices and figures it must be from the power of the island that is now flowing through him. "The politics aside, how is it that you are in this world?"

"I thought I told you. You seemed shocked enough once I did."

"That's not what I mean. You know what I mean."

"Oh, this is a good story. Are you up for a little story?" Connor said with a sarcastic undertone that made Merlain growl softly, but he simply nodded and Connor began.

"The story begins with your father and my father. They were brothers. Our father had me, and he gave me away to his brother, Sanai Caster. Your father was Emperor at the time, and Sanai took up the name Caw because he said it sounded fiercer than 'Caster'. Sanai hated our father because he was jealous that he was Emperor and not him. When he tried to overthrow the crown, our father banished him from Zepharon. He had a small rebellion going but they dissipated quickly enough. A few of them still harbored the hatred that Sanai had implanted in them, but they remained quiet. In order to protect myself from being hated by the Skallons living in America, I took up the name O'Reiley.

"Apparently, while things were growing in America toward the rebellion, our father had run away to America as well to protect you, his wife, and himself from the rebellion that had actually risen up again. The Capital was at stake, but he saved his family. So my name is Connor Caster in reality. I don't look like a complete wolf because our father had a different wife when he had me. That's why I look like a beagle."

Merlain had grown intrigued with the story, soaking up this information while he could, but still despising him for stealing his mate and forcing him into Zepharon to fight for him. "Where is Brithley?" he says in a tone that he didn't know he possessed.

"Don't worry. He's safe enough. You don't need to know where he is."

"Yes I do, you prick! Give him to me, or I swear--"

"What are you gonna do, shoot me with an arrow? Kill me? You'll never reach him then. You'll never get to your beloved Brithley then. From what we did not too long ago, I don't know how you could even care for him if you stray from him so easily."

Merlain had had enough. He raised his notched bow and let the arrow soar. It reached halfway to Connor before he stepped out of the way, raising a paw and covering the arrow in the middle in a cloud of black shadow. It shatters mid-flight and Merlain strings another arrow quickly, the tip a color that can be described as blood red. He lets it fly again, only to have Connor do the same thing. "Your attempts are futile, you stupid wolf." He points his open palm toward Merlain and gasps.

Merlain only grins, surprise in himself that he hadn't passed out and he could feel his power surging through him crystal clear. "Something wrong?"

"My powers... they're not working on you! Why can't I veil you?"

"I'm the keeper of Zepharon and the crystal now. That's why."

Connor, enraged, runs toward Merlain in a quick sprint, growling and letting out a war cry. Merlain quickly knocks another arrow and lets it fly. Connor jumps to the left out of the way but it manages to graze against his right arm. He yelps and a small spray of blood comes from the wound, but he continues his quick sprint and manages to jump and tackle Merlain before he can knock another arrow. They fall to the ground, both swinging their fists and kicking at each other in a rumble on the floor. They lash out with bites and punches, Merlain trying to squirm out from underneath him.

A numbed sensation comes over Merlain's left paw as his bow disappears. His paw tingles and something he didn't expect instead forms again. A short knife made of the same yellow and bluish tint as his bow, with the same kind of electric sparks jumping from it. He uses this to his advantage and attempts slashes at him. Seeing this happen, Connor attempts to force his way to pinning his foe's left arm down to the ground. He happens to land a fist square on the side of Merlain's muzzle.

Pain explodes through his jaw and cheek, little stars blurring his vision. Never having actually been in a fist fight, this was new and very painful for him. He slashes at him faster and harder, managing a slice through his leather armor, blood quickly staining the new wound and the armor surrounding it. Wincing and whining, Connor rolls off of him quickly, standing and managing a kick to his side, making him roll up in a ball. He focuses his attention on Solstice, who up until this time sat staring with an unreadable expression on her muzzle.

Merlain stands, wobbling slightly before regaining his balance and bolting after Connor, which had crossed most of the distance between himself and the elderly fox. He sprints quickly and crosses in between the two just as Connor thrusts his paw out, a black shadow surrounding it. It makes contact with his chest, knocking him back and into Solstice who is behind him, knocking them both to the floor. Merlain shudders and cringes, his vision quickly going black, Connor standing just above the both of them.

The blackness of the void of unconsciousness surrounds his vision and he falls into it, his eyes closing to the sight of the crystals behind a menacing looking beagle-wolf mix that is Connor Caster.

? ? ?

Merlain woke up, a pounding in his head that made him warily open his eyes, as to not be overcome with anything that might be a bright light or make his head hurt even more than it did. He was also wary of Connor still being there, scared to see the beagle still standing over him, waiting to hurt him, or worse, kill him. Luckily the mutt was gone. He put his elbows under himself to prop him up, looking around slowly.

The room was basically the same as before he had been knocked out.

The crystals glowed in the center of the cavern. The elderly fox solstice was sitting against the stone stand that the crystals lain on. Upon seeing him awake she wearily got to her feet and padded up to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck... how long was I out?"

"Probably about an hour."

"Where's Connor?"

"He left a little after he knocked you out."

"Did you know about Connor being my brother? You didn't seem surprised as he told me his little story."

She looked down at the floor for a moment before looking him in the eyes. She nodded slowly, trepidation in her eyes as she spoke, "yes, I knew all this time. I've been alive for a long time, Merlain. I knew how everything went down with your father and your uncle Sanai."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" He felt the wave of his world being turned around again, a confusing and almost nauseous feeling. Yet at the same time, he was still trying to believe all of this.

She paused for a moment, looking away, before she spoke up again. "I didn't tell you because I figured it would eventually come out and...."

"And what?"

"Well... I fear you wouldn't have come with me here, or trusted me as much if I did tell you."

"That doesn't mean you just can't tell me these things!" He felt a wave of anger spread through his body. He stood up slowly, looking at her directly with a new viewpoint. She had known things without telling him. About his brother that he had no idea about. She had kept things from him, hid secrets. His trust for her faded slightly, but he had no other choice but continue to trust her for she had made him the new keeper of the island. He was the protector. The wolf that held it all together. He wondered what else she hid from him, in his own silence, in his own thoughts, cut short by her speaking again.

"We should get out of here. Go back to my shop, to my home. We can discuss things there, plus I have some other things I need to tell you.

? ? ?

They headed to the exit. Solstice flicked the lever for the booths that ran up and down the staircase and it booted into gear again. They both sat down on a bench and it swiftly took them to the top of the staircase. Merlain's headache, the throbbing in his head had mostly subsided by now.

They sat in complete silence the whole ride. Hopping off at the top of the stairs, she flicked the lever and it shut down to a grinding halt. The both of them walked back to town in relative silence. Merlain could hear the shuffling of their feet on the ground as they walked, with the soft pants of the both of them, and the sights of the black specks that wafted into the air. When they reached town and entered through the gate, it was Solstice who spoke up first.

"I'm sorry I never told you about your brother," she sounded sincere.

"It's done and over with now. Don't fret about it."

"I just want you to know that I didn't intend to keep it secret from you."

"I said it's done and over with," he repeated. He didn't really want to get into that right now. It quieted her for the moment.

They walked through the city in silence, the look of the abandoned streets were eerie and gave off an almost haunted look, especially with the black specks that continued to float off the ground and the buildings, rising into the air and disappearing.

Solstice opened the door to The Green Garden once they had reached the front of the store. She let Merlain in first, following in after and closing the door behind her. He walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. She took up a seat opposite him and she sat quiet for a few moments before she opened her muzzle.

"I want to tell you that I don't own The Green Garden just because. I want to let you know that I own it because I have been the guardian of the power of Creation, and was chosen to be a distributor of the power because of my vast knowledge in herbalism and forestry. I've been the guardian for some time now."

"This is sudden. Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I want to give you the power of Creation. You can add it to your arsenal of powers. I was watching your little brawl with Connor. You apparently have just now gained the ability to use weapons other than your bow."

"Yeah, I didn't even know I could make weapons other than a bow."

"It's called Soul Weaponry for a reason," she let out a soft chuckle and stood, going into the other room that was her shop.

"So tell me about Clan Caster," he raised his voice some so she could hear.

"The Clan of Casters has been around for quite a long time. One of the first Clans to form and own land, actually. Our Clan got its name from what we used to do too. We used to be molders and casters of pots and clay things of the like. They called us the casters, so we formed our Clan and came up with that name."

"So is it just one family or is a 'Clan' more like a hodgepodge of other families as well?"

She walked back into the kitchen, a piece of parchment under her arm, "we used to be a... what did you just call it? A hodgepodge... but our Clan intermingled with the other families, and we thinned out to just one family, and we took up the last name Caster." She placed the scroll on the table near him and sat down in the spot she was before. He looked at the piece of paper on the table, and then back to her.

"What is this?" he asked, curious to know what she had laid in front of him.

"That, Merlain, is a power scroll. Read it and you will be able to access the power of Creation. It will be unlocked for you."

"How am I able to get Soul Weaponry and Creation? I read somewhere... I don't remember, but I read somewhere that we're only able to have one power."

"Because your father was Emperor, he and his family were given the power of the Royal Crest. It allows you to have all of the powers available to Skallons."

As if reading his mind, she continued before he could say something, "and yes, that also means that Connor has the Royal Crest as well." Merlain nodded at that last comment, a small twinge of fear forming inside his chest. It was only a matter of time before Connor had all of his powers down, if he didn't already. He would just have to cross that bridge when he came to it, he thought. "Go on and read the scroll, get the power of Creation so we don't have to waste any more time with this wait."

He picked up the scroll. As his paw grasped the paper, he could feel a slight tingle travelling from his paw and crawling up his arm, like the paper was alive and buzzing. He used his other paw to unfurl the paper, revealing a small portion of words in a very neat cursive handwritten style. He opened it the whole way and began to read it. As he read, the letters began to glow a faint green color.

"Here henceforth, I acknowledge and accept the responsibilities and future endeavors this power granted to me by the power of the guardian of the power of Creation. I acknowledge that this power is in no way meant to be used for the destruction of the land or the peoples of the country of Zepharon. I shall henceforth use these powers merely for the betterment of my peoples and those I serve. I shall not want of anything but the sole graciousness of the guardian and his/her whim. Here henceforth, I am now granted the power of Creation."

A buzz surged through his entire body, and a feeling of renewed life and vigor surrounded his being. He could feel the power coursing through his soul and through his life form. He looked at Solstice, and found her expression unreadable, but he could sense a feeling of boredom, like she had done this too many times to be happy or surprised or excited about it. Once he was done, he let go of the scroll from the bottom and it rolled back up. He set it on the table and the feelings he had before slowly faded from him, leaving him before like he never even had them. But he knew he had felt them, and now a twang of memories began to fill his head. He had never known these memories, he had never witnessed them first-paw or even been told about them before. They were faint, but they coursed to the front of his mind, filling him with memories of the power of Creation. He knew they were about the power, and what they did. He realized he had no experience with the power, yet the memories filled his head nonetheless.

Solstice had stood up and took the scroll, returning it to its location as she had left the kitchen. She came back and put her paw on his shoulder. He didn't notice it at first, but jumped when he finally did. He turned to look at her, and a sudden question popped into his head. "Can I go test out my new powers?"

"Of course. That's what I was going to ask you. I can guide you, tell you how things work, how to work them, and the like."

"That sounds like a great plan. But can we get some rest first? I'm exhausted. I'm sure you are too."

"You are all too right."

? ? ?

As he lay in his bed in the spare bedroom that solstice had lent him, he wondered about whether or not he could actually trust the old vixen. She had told him a lot, given him a lot of advice, explained some things. But she also hid things. She hid a big secret about his family, and he could only wonder if she had other secrets or not. Whether or not he could trust her fully.

Sleep would not come to Merlain. He shut his eyes, hoping the veil of sleep would consume his mind and he could slip into the abyss of slumber, but it would not come to him. His head was filled with worry, anguish, anger, mistrust, trepidation, and the memories that had come into his head about the power of Creation. He was worried about Brithley... if he was still alive or not... if he was okay....

He heard a sound from downstairs... something like a scream, though muffled as though it were through a thick wall of cotton and padding. He chalked it up to nothing really important. After they had gone upstairs, they both decided it was a good a time as any to go back to the normal world, so they did. Now he was simply lying in his bed in the dark room, not a single light but the faint silver shimmer of light outside that came from the moon.

Eventually sleep overcame him and he sunk into the abyss, dreaming about Brithley and Zepharon. About the Capital and the throne of the Emperor. About his heritage and Clan Caster. His dreams faded into nothing but darkness as he slipped into a deep sleep, getting rest for his training tomorrow -his body and mind seemed to know what it was about to do for the next for however long it was going to be until he was ready to finally find and defeat Connor and find Brithley.