King Blackclaw

King Kirell Blackclaw sat on his throne.  His mood was dark and anyone looking at him would think he was made of stone.  He was 7 feet tall when standing. A massive grizzly bear shifter.  He had short black buzzed hair, and dark brown eyes.  He ruled over Alberta with an iron fist.  He’s had to.  His palace was located in Calgary, a once lush and extravagant place now nothing but a skeleton of its former glory.  In the last five years, a sickness has befallen his kingdom and has killed 90 percent of the female population.  The other ten percent were in hiding.  He didn’t blame them.  His men were going feral without having mates. When one finds a female, he automatically goes into a rut. He couldn’t imagine if a lone female was found by ten bear shifters.  

All bear shifters want to find a mate, whether fated or chosen.  Their soul's purpose was to provide for a female and have cubs and provide for them.  But with the population so down, his males have started to lose their humanity. They fight each other or other male shifters that stumble upon his territory.  They have stopped gathering for the harsh winters and selling their wares.  

Depression has hit everyone.  Bears, being lone creatures in general, haven’t come to the required training three times a week in almost four years.  That was also when shifters would trade their wares, gossip, and give news to relatives.  But with the sickness killing off mates and young females in the first year, no one wanted to socialize. 

The king was desperate to find a solution.  If this went on much longer, he would have to reach out to other provinces, or Goddess above the Americas. Kirell prayed daily to Artio, the Bear Goddess, for a solution to their problem.  But he had nothing, and he knew that they were being punished.  He disregarded the warning and Artio was not happy.

“My Lord?”

Kirell’s eyes snapped to his guard that interrupted his contemplation.

“What?”

“We think we have a lead on a female encampment.  The last report said there were thirty females.”

“Only thirty?” He said, his forehead scrunching.

“Yes Sire.”

Kirell mentally scoffed.  Thirty females for a thousand male bears, plus their king?  No, they’d never survive.  We needed cubs though.  

“Send a missive and ask if there are any volunteers for one or two of them to mate with five warriors.  Send your least threatening male to them.  And you tell him he had better keep his bear under control, or he will have to deal with my wrath.”

“Yes, my King.  And the five warriors?  Who will get the honor?”

Kirell contemplated, “Send out four missives to Doyle, Rains, Vapor, and Corgin.  You may be the fifth.”

“Thank you, Sire.”

“If anyone volunteers, you will treat them as if they were your fated mate.  They are to be cherished. Especially if one of them falls pregnant.”  Even though he knew they wouldn’t.  They would get sick and die.  All because of his stupidity.  But they still had to try.  There was only one way a female would survive.  

“Absolutely, Sire.”

“You’re dismissed.”

He watched his guard run out of the throne room.  One or two females to mate with.  Such a sad state.

The doctors could never figure out what caused the sickness. The first year it had started with his Queen.  She was patient Zero. He had found her in Saskatchewan.  He was visiting the Wolf King, brokering an alliance.  She had been one of their Queen’s honored guests.  An old friend from her university days.  They weren’t fated, but he was enamored by her.  She was captivating with her beauty.  Her bear was a black bear and normally not compatible with Grizzly’s.  But he had scoffed at that idea because his bear was pining for hers.  Or maybe we were just tired of waiting for our fated mate.  By the end of his visit, he had talked her into coming home with him and being his chosen mate.  He quickly had his den equipped for a mating ceremony.  The night before the ceremony, his Oracle came to him and told him he should not mate with the Black Bear.  That bad things would come if he did.  And he had thought about that, until she came into his sight again and he became love sick.

The next night, after he had gotten done mating with her, she fell ill.  She bled for days from her nether regions and then started vomiting blood.  She died three days later.  In the first week, every one of his mated Guards lost their mates.  After the first month, ten percent of the female population had died.  In six months, not only were half the females dead, but there had been no new births either.  Then the rest fell ill and died, the last one dying a day after the anniversary of his Queen's death.  Was this what the Oracle had meant?  

He had called for that Oracle, but she was one of the shifters that had died.  But she left behind a notebook.  Written in that notebook, it explained that no female shall live if they mate with a chosen mate, or if they mate for s*xual gratification with anyone but their fated.  He had noticed that those that were mated to their fated mate, packed their families up and left his kingdom, fearing the sickness would reach their family.  Those fated that stayed, their females were still alive, but they weren’t producing cubs.

He knew that the missive his guard would take would be rejected.  He alone was the only one that knew about the notebook and its contents.  The doctors may not have known the cause, but he sure did.  The Goddess Artio wanted her bears to mate with their fated.  But for the last decade, we as a species had decided that we mated with who we wanted to.  If that was your fated great, but once a bear turns 21, his soul's purpose is to find a mate.  After so many years of not finding them, it was voted that chosen mates be allowed.  And everything was fine, until he, as King, chose a mate.  He had waited for ten years for his fated, but she never showed.  And once he saw Viv, it was like he wasn’t in charge of his own body.  He gravitated towards her.

He now knew that she used a charm to ensnare him.  King Bousse had informed him too late that his Luna confessed to him, out of guilt, when Viv died.

He was livid.  Because if she had never done that, he would never have mated her.  His Kingdom would be safe.  

He felt bad for giving his guard hope.  But maybe one of those females would end up being one of his guards' fated mate.    He doubted it, but you never knew.

He stood, and walked out of his palace.

Wize, do you fancy a walk?

Yes.

He quickly walked to the forest and undressed.  His massive grizzly came forward.  He was huge with black and gray fur with black eyes. He ambled around the forest.  Dug for root vegetables, and then went to the lake.  He dove in and then came up and stood on his feet.  He was a massive bear, ten feet tall. He was the biggest bear in all of Canada, which was why he was made King of Alberta.  He had fought for the honor and won.  He’s been King for ten years.  No one had ever challenged him for the throne.  That’s how one becomes king.  You challenge the previous king if there are no heirs.  If there is an heir, then the title goes to him.  But if a king has no heir, anyone can challenge for the title.  That’s what he had done to the previous King.  

Wize fished and ate his fill.  Then he sunned his fur and slept for an hour.  What else was he to do?  He had no Queen to provide for, and he could feel Wize becoming restless.  Much longer and he’ll start to show symptoms of becoming feral.

Shifting back, Kirell made his way back to his clothes and dressed.

“Sire!”  The same guard that interrupted him before came running.

“Sire, one of the females agreed.  But before we could get her here, Ghost, Vapor's bear, came thundering towards her.  He roared to the sky.  She is his fated.”

Kirell perked up at that news.  That was great.  

“Tell all.  We will feast!  Those that can make it must come, those that are too far gone can stay away unless they can control themselves, but make it known I will not tolerate disrespect.”

“Yes, My King.  Joyous day!” Then he ran off.

It was a joyous day indeed.  Vapor that lucky b*astard.  He was truly happy for him.  Hopefully a cub will be made tonight.

Goddess Artio, please, please bless this union.

That night after the festivities, Kirell had a dream.  He saw two female twins.  They had black hair with silver framing their faces and ice blue eyes.  They were identical.  He thought they were lovely.  Were they his fated mates?  He wasn’t sure they weren’t what typical bear mates look like. But they were captivating.  He smiled in his sleep.