5pAlastor here's the start I've got so far

The four warriors stood in the desolate room which has long since fallen into disrepair. It had been a long and hard battle that had left all of them exhausted and cost them more than they could ever have imagined. The skeletal remains of the necromancer lay in a heap half on and half off the broken old throne. The emperor had been powerful and had more magic then they could ever imagine, among his treasures was the heart of power which he had kept on his person for nearly the entire decade in which he ruled. The stone had not only allowed him to raise the dead, but had enhanced his strength and extended his life, but the loss of it was devastating.

It was what had ended him, for the stone drew its power from his life force, and it was this stone which the leader of the group had targeted in his final blow, severing the emperor's hand at the wrist. The remaining warriors could only watch with horrified fascination as the reptile in front of them stumbled back, his scales fading and starting to slough off and fall to the floor with a dull tink tink as they hit the stone. His exposed skin degraded and revealed muscle underneath, which quickly broke down as well, seeming to rot away before their eyes.

Leonard took a step towards the necromancer as he collapsed against the throne, to light to overturn the heavy wood. Leonard made no further move towards the dying man, instead he scooped up the severed hand from the floor, uncurling the locked fingers from the stone and letting it fall into his hand where it began to glow with a warm pulsing red color. The lion's eyes didn't lift to see what had become of the emperor, his companions being left to witness the horror alone as the lizard completed his transformation, leaving nothing but bones and a few dull scales.

The stone lit the lions' face from below, creating a red reflection in his eyes. "It's mine." He whispered, staring down at what rested in his paws, "it's mine!" He repeated louder, laughing now in a way that seemed almost deranged. His fur stood on end as the power flowed through him, making him appear to grow before the eyes of his companions. He appeared to get stronger as he clutched the stone, but his form also seemed more twisted, something in his eyes looked different, his claws longer and sharper, scratching into the surface of the stone.

A look passed between the remaining warriors, a look of fear and confusion. A change had come over their valiant leader and it was a change they did not like. It's said that anyone who possessed the stone was considered to be the king, but was this the path that should be taken? The light seemed to fade, the lion's eyes returning to normal, no longer reflecting the glow and breaking the spell it had cast that seemed to captivate Leonard.

He lifted his gaze to the remains of the emperor before turning to face his companions. A smile broke out on his face and he held the stone high above his head. "We have done it!" He announced loudly, his powerful voice echoing through the desolate castle, bouncing off the stone walls and passing over the skeletons they had faced and the corpses of those they had lost in this horrific battle. "The land is free from the terror of the emperor."

"And a new king has taken his place." One of his companions spoke, stepping forward. The wolf lowered himself into a bow, for the lion was his closest friend. Wilfred was scared of the darkness he had seen in Leonard's eyes, but he was glad to see how quickly he had shaken the spell that had grasped him. It was his job now to trust that Leonard would follow the right path and allow the land to prosper once again.

"We are ready to serve." The two others chorused as they stepped forward to bow as well, sharing a glance with each other. Wilfred had never steered them wrong before, and Leonard had always protected them. They had all bonded over their journey and through the battle, now was not a time for regret. They owed it to the souls they had lost, to trust in the new king.

• • •

With the crowning of the new king, the land began to return to what it had been before the emperor gained power. Crops began to grow, children ran freely and wars ended. The species were able to coexist as they once had. Leonard's rule was one of peace and prosperity for all in Wihiven. Many of the people claimed it was due to the king's advisors more so than the lion himself, he might be strong and brave, but Leonard was not the best ruler, he never seemed to understand what needed to be done and was prone to flights of fancy and selfishness.

Several years passed before an announcement was made that a prince had been born, and many brought gifts to the old castle to be bestowed on the infant. No one expected the king's selfishness to grow after his child was born, but the offered gifts seem to awaken something inside the lion. Leonard began to crave power and control, he began to take more than the villagers could ever provide. It didn't matter how many times Wilfred advised him against it, or how many times the old wolf returned the ill gotten goods. As soon as his back was turned, Leonard was back at it, demanding more and more from the land he ruled and breaking apart the peace they had fought so hard to achieve in the first place.

Not long after the prince's birth, as the child's father gave into the corruption that Wilfred was sure was the stones doing, the wolf developed a plan. He feared that the power of the stone, which already proved to be too much for the young one's father, would take control of the infant as well and corrupt him in ways that far outreached the ways it had corrupted Leonard. A child's mind was malleable and easily changed, while Leonard and his queen didn't seem concerned, Wilfred couldn't shake his fear.

In the dark of the night, he stole away from the castle, the sleeping baby bundled in his cloak to protect him from the bitter winds that blew across this corner of the country. He knew he didn't have long to make it somewhere safe and far from the castle, by sunrise the king and queen would notice their son's absence, and soon they would know of his as well. He chose a place where he knew no one would ever expect him to escape to, the underground where the darkest of the creatures dwelled, but it's rumored that they were the most welcoming, the best secret keepers. That was what Wilfred and the child needed now.

Shivering, Wilfred made his way into the gaping maw of the dark cave. "Hello?" He called, taking a few more steps into the darkness. His eyes were slow to adjust, letting him view the rough stone walls around him. He clutched the baby close, glancing down at the small pink nose that showed from the bundled cloak. "We'll be safe soon," he murmured to the sleeping baby, "they won't find us here." He promised, looking up at the sound of a stone skittering across the floor. He took a hesitant step back as a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the darkness. "P-please," he gasped, "we need shelter, somewhere to stay. At least. . ." He looked down at the baby. "At least let Dante stay, he's just a baby."

A leathery rustling of wings echoed quietly in the cave as someone stepped out from the darkness. "We would never turn you away, we never turn away anyone that needs help. You've helped this land for a long time, of course you are welcome here".

Her voice was soft and gentle, almost a whisper. Wilfred wasn't sure if it was how she normally spoke, or if it was for the baby's benefit, it didn't matter to him, he was grateful nonetheless, "thank you." He murmured, relieved that neither the child nor himself would be forced back into the cold.

"Come with me." The bat said to him, beckoning him to follow as she turned to lead him back the way she had come, into the darkness, into the new home they would have.