Aurian Chronicles Origins: Crimson

The harsh sun beat down upon the hot and humid rainforest of the Amazon as a soft breeze flowed through the trees. A five-foot-tall panther with red hair lowered her eyes as she walked to her hut. Her hands and feet had been caked in dirt, and her eyes had dark circles from lack of sleep, as well as dried tears. 'Why weren't you strong enough? Why didn't you love us enough mommy?' Echoed the thoughts in her head as she curled up and tried to put the past solstice behind her.

As her eyes finally started to close, two tall women with spears in hand walked into her home and leered down at her. "Princess Crimson! Your Sister, Queen Rose demands audience with you!" They said in unison. Crimson just laid in her makeshift bed. "I'm tired. I'll consult her during my time, not HERS!" She responded while casually waving them off. As she turned to face away from them, a seven-foot, Muscular Panther wearing a red crown with decorative jewels walked in.

"SISTER! You're back! You missed my Coronation! You missed mother leaving!" She said with distress in her voice. Crimson just grumbled. "Rose, I had more important things than you to deal with, now kindly leave my home before I get angry." She responded. The guards raised their spears angrily, but Rose simply stopped them. "Like it or not, older sister, I was chosen over you to be queen. And frankly... If THIS is how you act in your free time, the tribe is better off for it!" She said with heat in her voice, causing Crimson to sit up.

Crimson narrowed her eyes at Rose and blew a puff of hot air from her nose. "All those muscles, that HUGE frame... and you don't know the first thing about leadership! I shudder to think what you'll do if the other tribes get hostile... I could have led better, I know how to guide this tribe better! But I've more important things on my mind than your ego... Now leave me be!" She said angrily. Rose's eyes widened in both Shock and hurt. "Fine... when your attitude improves... you know where my throne is!" She said as she left with her guards. 

As the weeks passed, Crimon's attitude had only soured. No one wanted to talk to her due to her confrontation with the Queen, as well as her constant lashing out, which had made her disliked by virtually everyone. Crimson hadn't really noticed any of the resentment she'd built up, however. The voices and nightmares she'd begun to have were the only things on her mind.

One fateful day after a hunt, Crimson's pupils dilated as the thought of being pulled under a lake of blood by little panther paws flashed through her mind, causing her to accidentally swipe at a panther. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Screamed the panther as she felt scratch marks on her back. Crimson tried to apologize and run. But she found herself surrounded by other Panthers before finally her younger sister. 

"I put up with you lashing out at me for no reason, Crimson, you were always a stoic grump... But attacking innocent people is too far, even for YOU!" Said Rose. Crimson's eyes lowered tiredly before turning into a glare. "It was an accident, just a little too much fury after a hunt." She said as she tried to walk away. but the guards tried to stop her, causing her to slash at them. her claws heating up with small red flames.

Rose glared at Crimson, "And how about THAT?! Was that also an accident?" She demanded. Crimson sneered at her. "No, that was two guards who didn't know their place getting in my way... I suggest you learn from their mistake before it's too late, Rose." She said coldly. Rose tried to swallow her fear as she towered over Crimson.

"You know what Crimson? No one here likes you... We all tolerated you for the longest... I don't know what's come over you since last solstice, but it stops now or you WILL face consequences... so sayeth Queen Rose!" She said, trying to show off her dominance. Crimson stood up straight as her teeth showed. Despite the two-foot height advantage Rose had on Crimson, Rose felt like she was shrinking down to Crimson's eye level.  "You want to hold that Queen title over me? FINE! I'll show you what it's like to have everything taken from YOU! Then they'll be proud of me!" She said as she walked away. as she left, Rose could only ask, "Who?" To the absent presence of her sister.

The Next day, Crimson eagerly jumped down into a ten-foot Pit that the panthers of the tribe often fought in to settle disputes. Rose nervously got down and adjusted her top made of leaves. In spite of her Amazing natural strength, she wasn't used to fighting, much less with one of the most savage members of the entire tribe. She tried to find the right words to stop this while Crimson stretched out her arms and legs. Only for her mind to go blank when one of the spectators yelled. "FIGHT!"

Crimson charged forward and lept up to knee Rose in the face, following up with a few slashes to mark her face. Rose fell back and rubbed the slash marks as she saw Crimson charging again. Out of instinct. Rose grabbed her and threw her into the wall of the pit. Crimson coughed and nodded in approval. "Not bad little sister, seems there's some survival instinct in you yet!" She said as she got up and charged her again, this time throwing dirt in her eyes and punching repeatedly into her jaw.

Rose did her best to block all of Crimson's jabs, but her inexperience made Crimson simply too fast to fully hold up against. "Sister... why are you doing this?" She asked weakly. Crimson growled. "What do you care?!  you have EVERYTHING You could possibly need? You brought this on yourself by getting in my way!" She said with a growl. Rose just looked up at her. "I Just... Wanted to see my sister." She said through shallow breaths.

Crimson spat beside her and leered. "While You were getting a crown, I was bearing children, while you were admiring servants, I was admiring graves of my dead children, while you were looking down on me physically, I WAS LOOKING DOWN ON YOU AS A LEADER!" She yelled in her face, Tears again starting to flow from her angry eyes.

Rose's own eyes raised as they looked into hers. "You got pregnant? And you... Lost your cubs? Why did you never talk to me? Or any of the rest of the tribe for that matter?" She asked. Crimson sneered. "You think I care what you or any of those fools have to say to me? None of you care! You all only ever think of your weakling selves!" She shouted, forgetting everyone was watching.

Eventually the crowd of panthers began to insult and throw rocks at Crimson, one of them bonking the back of her head painfully. "WHO THREW THAT?! SHOW YOURSELF CRETIN! I'LL GLADLY TAKE ON ANYONE WHO CHALLENGES ME!" Screamed Crimson. Rose quickly grabbed a big rock near her while Crimson's head was turned. "Then you'll love this!" She said as she slammed it into the back of Crimson's head, knocking her out cold.

Hours had passed. And Crimson had woken up to find herself now covered in dirt and forced to look up at Rose. Who was wearing a Royal purple silk dress with her crown on her head. Any love for Crimson she once had, no longer showed in her eyes. Crimson just got up and sighed. "Whatever... enjoy yourself LITTLE sister." She said as she turned to leave. Rose cleared her throat as she watched Crimson walk. "There is still the discussion of your punishment, Crimson." She said harshly, but Crimson waved her off. "I already know it's exile, I didn't wake up in prison, and I wouldn't have woken up at all if it were death." She retorted before she left both the throne room, and the village entirely.

Rose sighed sadly as she sat back on her throne. One of the guards leaned down to her. "My Queen, are you sure it's wise to let her leave like that? What if she comes back with twice the resolve?" She asked. Rose grunted and rubbed the spots where Crimson attacked. "I don't think that's the case... I don't know if I'll ever forgive what she's done... But whether she can accept her wrongdoing or not? That'll be a journey she'll have to go on solo... For now, I think it's best if we simply have nothing to do with each other." She said firmly.

Crimson's mind was a blank slate as she walked for hours until she had arrived on the other side of a stream. There were plenty of hunting and gathering spots. and it was otherwise nice and quite. After some rest, she started building a new shelter and looked back in the direction of her old home. "I have nothing to go back to... that's fine... I never needed anybody anyway... They'll see." She said simply, trying to convince herself that she made all the right choices.