Prologue

The Dark Ranger

Legend has it that the dark ranger wandered everywhere, searching for the Answer. The Answer was whatever he hunted for, the meaning of life, the very thing the ranger wanted to avenge, or take revenge, on. Sometimes the ranger himself was the Answer, but the ranger didn't realize that until much experience and wisdom had been gain.

There was always a dark ranger in every generation. The implied term dark came from the fact that they served justice for those that have possibly escaped crimes, or so some say. Others believe that one of the rangers once destroyed an entire evil city, only to find out later it was the wrong one. Either way, dark rangers weren't well liked. They were like assassins or spies, working for whoever they wished.

The particular dark ranger we shall speak of is searching for his Answer. His name was Zoran. The thing he perhaps hated more than anything else was being mistaken for a wolf. He was a normal grey fox, his grey fur symbolizing his ability to regenerate. In fact, he was the only one in his family to have grey fur. His sister's was red orange, as well as his father's. He didn't remember what his cousin looked like, he had left this world many years ago, and from what Zoran knew, there was no going back for him.

The dark ranger was going to the hut of the Oracle, where all dark rangers came, and had come. To be precise, the Oracle was a cursed being, blessed with immortality, but unable to leave her hometown. On the other hand, her hometown could not be destroyed. Once, when a huge invasion force came over, about fifty times larger than the defending army, the entire invasion was crushed, and only about ten lives were lost from the mere two hundred and fifty people defending the town.

He entered the hut, and the somber, solemn, wise woman looked up from her seat. Zoran bowed respectfully, and she spoke to him, in a mysterious tone, one you could not tell the mood from. Yet Zoran knew she was always sad, cursed forever until the epic war between good and evil concluded. "Unfortunately for her, that will never end." Zoran said to himself solemnly.

She turned to him slowly. "You seek the Answer?" She asked him. Her face lacked any wrinkles and there was no grey on her long red hair, and if one didn't know her age, they would have thought she was still rather young and comely woman.

Zoran smiled. "I do seek "answers", but if you know where my Answer is, then I'd be happy as well." He knew she hated it when he joked around.

She ignored his humor. "I'm afraid your journey to find the Answer is perhaps the most difficult of all. I can only tell you your first two steps, first, you must leave this world for good."

"Leave?" He asked incredulously. "Are you mad?! I wouldn't care if I left home, but this world is my home!"

"Did your cousin not leave this world, so he might not become prince? If you want to find the Answer, then you may want to find him, if he still lives."

"Probably not." Zoran replied. "Probably got himself ate from some fox eating plant, if you ask me. Or perhaps he could everything there with his strange looks. Then it would be easy to find him."

"This is no joke, Zoran. You must set out today, but know that when you do, you will never be able to return."

"And what if I say no?" He replied testily.

She looked at him sadly. "Then much more is at stake merely than seeking the Answer. I'd tell you everything, but the list is long, and the things that you will cause are terrible."

"Alright, alright, you win." Zoran replied. "Guess I better say my hellos and goodbyes. Well mostly hellos. I did just get back home."

With an annoyed look she slammed the door on Zoran. She never did like his humor much.

It is difficult to describe how Zoran left his world through the warp gate. As said before, no one has returned. Whether it was because of death, or just not wanting to, the event cannot be described. Nevertheless, Zoran was never again seen in his hometown.