Prologue

Head Seer Olin watched his king pace, worriedly. King Sarnas was a good king, a just and wise king. Olin should have known better than to worry, but the human was also proud, and Olin had seen just a shadow, a mere hint of darkness to him. That had worried him since he had first made the mistake of Looking on his king. He had never dared Look again, but he knew that darkness tended to grow if fed.

"Repeat the prophecy again?"

"Bertrand saw a birth during the new moon, a hyena pup. He saw darkness spreading over the land as she grew, we think because of her birth. When she was mature, he saw her at the head of an army, outside of your gates. He saw you being tried for crimes against your people, and executed, and her ascending the throne."

The King nodded and Olin could see his fear. "Leave me now."

Olin bowed to him, then left, closing the door to the King's chambers with a quiet click. He headed down to his chambers with heavy feet. Telling the King of the prophecy had been the hardest decision he had ever made, but even if he hadn't the King would have heard eventually. Every seer in the palace was talking of it. He sat in his easy chair and let his mind wander, knowing if he tried to resume his sleep now, it would make for him tossing and turning all night while his mind worked things through.

The hybrids had originally been created as slaves. Beings with the intelligence of a human, but the sturdiness of an animal had been revered as a godsend by the people. The revolt had been inevitable, bloody and successful. After over a century of slavery, the hybrids were now considered equal citizens to the humans. This was fairly recent, and not all humans were ready to accept that their butcher might be a dog, or that their neighbor might be a family of cows. The economy was upside down and many blamed the hybrids for refusing to work on farms as unpaid labor. Some had elected to make their home amoung the humans, welcome or not. Others had formed settlings of hybrids only, some where all hybrids were welcome, others segregated more by species or type of animal. Those settlements were now trying to gain political power, with the humans balking at the thought of hybrids serving in governmental positions. The King's actions now could easily tip off a civil war.

Olin began making tea, a ritual that always calmed him and thought. Of the hybrids, farm animals were the most common, with cats and dogs being next most common. The exotics were truly rare, having been created to serve as pets to the rich. Hyenas were among the rarest. Right now prejudice against the human-animal hybrids of the kingdom was at an all time high. If the king took action against the hybrids...No, Sarnas was a just and wise king. He wouldn't let fear rule him now.

Olin heard the whistle of the tea kettle, stood and walked over to the stove. He poured himself a cup of tea, and settled to drink. It was soothing, and he relaxed for the first time since he had heard of the prophecy that had all the seers in the palace talking. What would be, would be. He would worry about tomorrow then. For now, he needed sleep, as it was now nearing dawn. He had as usual, thought for too long.

Olin stood and rinsed out his tea cup, then headed to bed. He meditated, clearing his mind before sleep in a habit that had been ingrained long ago, then laid down, and slept. His dreams were full of blood, and he woke knowing the king had ordered the quiet, stealthy extermination of all canine based hybrids in the kingdom. The prophecy would come to pass.