Planned Demise

Planned Demise is the first arc of the series Animalia.

Summary
A new princess is born, however she is sorted as a Cursed One and her name is Twisted Life. Her name changes to Autumn as she grows up as she is a member of the royal family. Autumn becomes the Queen on her 300th day when her mother, Cassandra, gives up the throne to her, an incredibly young age. Autumn rules with a gentle heart, and always treats her mother as a queen although Cassandra has given the throne to Autumn.

On the 444th day, the day which she was destined to die, a squad of hyenas charge in to take over the Kingdom of Canis. Her mother is killed together with her. She is renamed to Cassiopeia by Lupus, and becomes a Razorfang in the moment of death.

---To be continued---

Chapter 1
Queen Cassandra looked down at her daughter affectionately. The silver-coated wolf was so tiny. Cassandra’s queendom had gathered in the hallway, all discussing in hushed tones as of what the new princess would be sorted as. The canines lived in three groups, Cursed Ones, Razorfangs and Stargazers, Stargazers being the most superior and Cursed Ones were the least superior. Stargazers were normally the canines with a high place in the hierarchy, or those who have shown honourable values that Lupus has decided to reward.

The little wolf was prepared for the ceremony. Cassandra’s second-in-command emerged from inside the cave as a few torches were lit. The wolf pup’s silver fur glimmered in the light. She was two weeks old and was finally of sorting age. The day long awaited by Kingdom Canidae has arrived.

The remaining light was disappearing below the hills as night fell.

Lupus bounded down from the skies. The wolf constellation, with his starry pelt and glittering fur, announced, “Let the ceremony of sorting begin!”

Everyone held their breaths tight as the tiny wolf was placed on Gazing Rock, where the most royal or important events took place.

“I call upon Lupus in the skies and stars to grant the pup of the Royal Pack’s Beta and I a name. Whether Stargazer, Razorfang or Cursed One, the royalties shall never abandon our new pack member. Her spirit will remain with our bloodline forever,” Cassandra said.

Seconds passed by. Nothing happened.

Suddenly, the stars flashed brightly, signaling that something was abnormal. All the canines barely managed to contain a gasp. Then the sky flashed red menacingly, as if about to swallow every animal up. The shade of Lupus’ constellation flashed bloody red—the sign of a failure, a Cursed One. The laws that Canidae has set long ago seemed to have chosen this. This young wolf would be a Cursed One, and she would live a miserable life.

All of them knew that Lupus’ decisions were unquestionable, so no one protested. Lupus, too, knowing that he had to follow the rules, which were supposedly unbreakable, had no choice but to accept that the young wolf was a Cursed One.

“This wolf will be a Cursed One. She will be named…” he paused, unsure of what to name her. The good name of the bad, I suppose. “Twisted Life,” he finished. The crowd was left to gasp as Lupus returned to his seat in the sky.

How could she be a Cursed One? Lupus knew it wasn’t his own fault, but was still upset. He couldn’t change the rules of the past Lupus, the ancestors of Canis. However, he wanted to help the poor pup. He couldn’t declare her a Stargazer, of course, so he decided to watch over Twisted Life.

Meanwhile, Cassandra ran back to her throne room in shame. Her face red, head down, she mourned. How could her daughter be a Cursed One? She could not understand. She could not accept. Twisted Life… Twisted Life… Suddenly the Caves of the Howling Queendom felt hollow and empty.

She sat there, weeping, for several minutes.

“Queen Cassandra, the Kingdom and certain constellations wishes to see you,” Cassandra’s second-in-command called. Cassandra didn’t want to go, but she had no choice but to obey the constellations’ order.

Lupus and Noctua was at the top of Gazing Rock.

“Queen,” Noctua, the owl constellation, began.

“Changed thrice to defy the stars,

Four hundred and forty-fourth day,

Destined to die.”

The constellations finished the short prophetic prediction, and the kingdom seemed to freeze in fear. Cassandra looked at her daughter and gasped in horror. Her daughter was going to die? Before she could ask any questions, the constellations took flight and settled in the night sky, leaving many curious animals dumbfound and shocked.