|
A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
|
|
|
Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 1, 2015 21:09:07 GMT
So much red. It was everywhere. All over the nest -so carefully decorated with flowers from the fields. Only the most vibrant reds and blues- splattered across the trees -we marked our heights with how high our claws would reach, up, up, just a bit more- soaked into their fur -Mama, why are our furs all different colors?"-. They were all red now. No more gray, no more white. All of them matched their mother now- red, red- so bright, so sharp. The air smelled hard and felt hot on their skin. It wasn't supposed to be outside, mama told them when Holly cut his paw on the sharp rock that the blood was supposed to stay inside. IT WASN"T SUPPOSED TO BE OUT.
"MAMA!" a screech, splitting the air and roaring in time with a crack of thunder. It was raining. Two cats stood, two lay. If the ones that stood could even be called cats. They were barely the size of rats. So young, so small. Their pelts were barely visible under the blood and rain, slicked sharp to their ribs. One just off white, one red. The white had flung herself onto the body of the largest- their mother, while the red pushed at the gray. Their brother.
They'd been sleeping so peacefully. Poinsetta had made plans to take her kits to the flower fields today, to pick more for their nest. The old had been trampled- and now stained. But before they'd even had a chance to wake, the enemy had been upon them.
Enemy. The kits- Rose, Mistle, and Holly- hadn't even known what a real enemy was. All they knew was stories that their mother had told them. Brave leaders and valliant pirates, sneaky foxes and bold bears. Heroes and monsters. They didn't know that cats could be monsters too. But one had come in the night, ravaging their home and screaming words incoherent to kits still not yet fully weaned. In the gloom they hadn't even seen their face. Mistle and Rose hadn't, at least. Poinsetta had fought, but she'd been no match. Holly had fought, but he'd been tossed like a mossball. The monster had pulled out all the stops- the carnage surrounding them was neither pretty nor tame. It was gore. And it was horrifying.
Rose and Mistle had played dead. Rose hadn't wanted to- he hated fighting, even playing. Hated it. But he couldn't let Holly and their Mama fight alone. But Mistle had forced him to the ground, and they had hid. Listening to the fight. The screams. Feeling the blood spatter on their pelts. It seemed to last days. Moons. And then, everything was quiet. They'd been too frightened to move for minutes. Or had it been hours? What if the cat was still there, what if it got them? But it didn't. It left. And they had survived, paralyzed with fear until the sky began to lighten. And then the rain fell.
Mistle had vomited. Tears burned her eyes, and she had to close them against the blood and rain as she pressed her face into her mother's fur. She screamed, and she cried. Rose tried in vain to wake their brother. This couldn't be real. It couldn't be. There was no way that this was happening. This was nothing like the stories. This was nothing like life was supposed to be. Cats were supposed to be brave and kind, or witty and sharp. Cats weren't supposed to kill mothers. But then again, Rose and Mistle never had met another cat, had they? No, Holly and Poinsetta had been their entire world. And now..
"Holly, get up! You gotta get up!" They were gonna pick flowers today. This couldn't be happening. Rose sniffled, shoving his larger brother. Holly did not resist. Mistle continued to wail, and Rose collapsed. What were they going to do? What were they going to do?. Two moons into this life, no hunting experience, no fighting experience. If this was how cats really were, how could they keep themselves alive? How could they live at all? Despite the hot Green-Leaf rain, cold was seeping into their pelts. They were just young- barely enough fur to keep themselves covered, much less protected from the elements. Their home had been ravaged. Their mother dead. No food, no shelter, no idea where the nearest water source was. Rose and Mistle had lost everything but their lives. And one another.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kibbles on Sept 1, 2015 21:38:54 GMT
The sturdy tabby tom stalked through the rain, pelt sticking to him. His blue eyes were alert, as were his eyes. He had left his patrol not too long ago, convinced that he had heard screaming, wailing, fighting. A cat was in trouble. But since then, things had become quiet. He was probably too late, but he had to see for himself. His blue eyes had to see if the cat was dead or injured. If they were injured, then he could help them. If they were dead, then he could bury them.
He could remember Fernheart telling him not to leave. But he insisted and promised that he would meet them back at the Pebble Pool shortly. He hoped nobody else from the patrol followed him.
His tail flicked back and forth as he heard crying and screaming now. His ears perked. That cat wasn't fully grown. The pitch had to be a kit's voice. As he continued, the scent of blood filled his nostrils and his eyes watered at the metallic smell. This wasn't a good sign. But he had to find the kit.
He rounded a bush and the scene before him was horrifying. He stopped, paw mid in the air. His blue eyes wide. Blood was everywhere. A she-cat and a kit lay, unmoving on the ground. Two more kits were there, yet they were clearly unharmed. They looked panicked. One was yelling at the dead kit to get up. The other wailed in what looked to be her mother's pelt.
He didn't move any closer, not wanted to scare the young kits. Instead, he stayed where he was. He laid down to be on more of their level. He blinked, unsure of what to say.
"Kits, let me help you. Please, you are going to get sick out here," he said calmly and gently. Well, as gently as he could get his gruff voice to get. He didn't move any closer.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shad on Sept 1, 2015 22:17:00 GMT
Kei "Don't worry." A small, lithe orange tom appeared at the other end of the clearing. His fur was plain, if spiky and soaked with mud. His vibrant green eyes, the color of leaves, trees, and life, seemed cold and biting. They were twin emeralds that twinkled with a hard edge and made a cat's neck fur rise. His voice was a sharp edge that cut through the air over the pittering sound of the light rain. "They will not suffer any sickness. This, I assure you."The small tom's tail flicked, low and slow, as he walked closer to the kits. No. Stalked. He slipped forward on deft, agile paws, his claws digging into the soft muddy earth. There was no rush, no sense of urgency. He simply moved like any tom on a hunting patrol would close in on a snake. Alert, primed, but with a steady paw that said he was only doing what he must. Kei was, after all, only doing what he must. "Demons cannot be sickened," he mewed, his burning eyes locking with that of the trembling kits. "Only slain."Lightning flashed overhead and Kei's mud soaked coat became something much less civil. His four legs were drenched in not brown, but red. Red everywhere. His muzzle painted with it. The spikes in his fur came from where the fluid and dried somewhat and turn from sticky and hot to syrupy and cold, cold as those emerald eyes that flicked back to the newcomer. He seemed to be a well-meaning tom. Kei pitied him for having to see such a horrid scene. Genuine sadness breached his tone, even as he took pawstep after pawstep closer to the bloody mess that had been made of the shecat and her demon spawn. "I am sorry, brother, that you must see this sad sight. Please, leave this place of nightmares and trouble your heart no more. This task is not your burden to bear and I would not wish it upon you." The tom's words were heartfelt and sincere, without a doubt. He wished to trouble no cat with the pain of destroying a queen and her kits, but evil wore many forms, and Kei must be strong against it. Always strong. Always vigilant. Always alone, for no innocent should be dragged through the pits of hell in this fight. He was protector, and protect he would. Wasting no more time, the blood stained tabby recentered his focus on the kits. "I thought your weak resistance strange. What a fool I was to think this nightmare would be over. My mistake, but be assured, hellspawn, I will not make it twice. I will paint this ground with your blood. Let it be the only mark remaining of your filthy scourge when I am through."He was almost in striking distance now to Rose. Another flash of lightning distracted the tom as his eyes shifted, over the red tom's shoulder to his brother, Holly, who lay prone on the ground. Kei paused and flinched at the sight, his heart torn. He had met these kits days ago. He knew exactly what evil had been bred in this family. Holly was the sole reason he had stayed his hand as soon as he learned the truth of their demon heritage. He had never intended to hurt the tom. He had hoped innocent Holly would stay asleep through this black time. When he awoke with a warrior's fighting fury, Kei had been left with no choice but to knock him out. He had never meant to hurt the young kit. He had been an innocent in a nest of vipers. Kei bared his teeth against the wave of sadness that assailed him at the small, limp frame. He would accept his crime, his failure to protect what mattered most, and he would grieve -but only once his task was finished. Only once the true demon was dead. |
|
|
A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
|
|
|
Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 1, 2015 23:37:09 GMT
Over the scent of blood and rain, Rose couldn't scent the approaching cats. He'd never been the tracker. But Mistle. Even with her face pressed to her mother's pelt, she caught the first tom's scent through the storm. She didn't want to pull herself away from her mother. Not yet, not ever. It wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to happen. But the kit stumbled away even so, fear overpowering sadness. She moved towards her brother and pressed close to him, shaking as she looked out into the field. The grasses were so high, they seemed to tower into the sky. She couldn't see a thing. "R-Rosie..." she whimpered, eyes wide. She tried to pull him away from Holly, but he wouldn't budge.
"We gotta help them Mistle! There has to be something-" her brother broke off, tears welling in his eyes. Whenever they got hurt, Mama fixed them up. Bruises and scrapes could be healed with a good night's rest and a lick on the head. But this... Their eyes looked like the eyes of the mice that Mama brought home. Before Mistle could say anything, the grasses shook.
Rose jumped back, sending Mistle tumbling into the mud behind him. He stood in front of her protectively as a tom stepped forward, baring his tiny fangs. Brown and white with stripes. He had blue eyes. Blue like theirs, blue like the rain. Blue like the sea in their mother's stories. "St-Stay away!" Rose yelled, ears lying flat. He was trying to look intimidating. Strong. Like he could protect both himself and his sister. Mistle knew that he hated to fight. And she knew that this cat was big. And scary. But was this the one that attacked him? She struggled through the mud to her paws, eyes wide as she watched the stranger. He crouched down, not moving any closer to them. There was no blood.
He said he wanted to help. That they would get sick. Mistle could already feel the telltale chill in her body, but she didn't move. Neither did Rose. How could either of them trust this cat? After what had just happened? They had been so open previously. Trusting and loving, excited to meet cats from the outside world. But after what had just happened- with their family's bodies not even cooled... Mistle shook her head, backing away. But Rose hesitated. Fear was in his eyes as he looked at the stranger, but it was so youthful. He wanted to trust. He wanted to believe. On and on he'd gone to Holly about how he'd wanted to make friends with every cat- and Holly had called him stupid. Rose agreed, now. But that didn't deminish the feelings. He wanted to trust. He wanted someone to tell them that everything would be alright, to shake them awake and say that it had all just been a dream.
But he hesitated for too long.
Another cat appeared from the fields. His scent was overpowering, and unbeknownst to Rose had already sent Mistle scurrying an adult tail-length back before he'd appeared. Golden fur, soaked brown. And... red. Hard green eyes- Rose hadn't seen the face but he had seen those eyes. This was the cat that had... Taking a few steps back, fear replaced bravery on Rose's face as he tucked his tail between his legs. "N-no..." His voice was high and shaky, wrought with terror. They'd waited! The monster had gone away! Why was it back?!
He spoke with the other cat, and his voice sent fear shivering down Rose's spine. Demons, he called them, looking Rose in the eye. They had just begun to turn copper. A brilliant golden, his mother had said they would be. But they were still ringed with baby blue. He was so young. An innocent. He didn't even know what the word demon meant. "Get away! Stay back!" his voice was weak. Nearly a shriek in its volume, but cracking. He stepped backwards, and the tom stepped forward. Maintaining a distance. Mistle hid behind their mother's body, frozen in terror. Rose was good with words. He would be a speaker someday. He would protect his family with words instead of violence. And yet now, every single one seemed lost to him. And he was too weak to protect his family with either.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kibbles on Sept 1, 2015 23:50:49 GMT
Dixon watched the kits with sad eyes. He saw their fear, their innocence. They didn't deserve to see this happen to their family. And yet, it had happened. If only Dixon had been quicker getting her. Perhaps he could have saved their mother and their brother. Perhaps he could have brought all four back to the camp for protection. But it was too late now. too late to bring all four of them back. But he could still bring back the two.
His thoughts scurried off as a new tom appeared. Blood covered his legs and it made Dixon get to his own paws. His fur bristled as he heard the kit's cracking voice. This was the cat who had done this to the family. This was the cat who had killed the innocent. Why was he back? What was he talking about demons?
"Demon? This is a kit. And you have no right to take their lives, nor the ones you already took. Leave them with me so that I can do what I please with them." he said sternly now to the blood-covered tom. He stepped closer, so that he was within striking distance of the green-eyed cat. His tail lashed back and forth as he stared him down.
He could tell that this tom was dangerous in his own way. He was crazy, any cat could tell that. Dixon had to keep these kits safe, though. He didn't even know them, but he just had to. If they died while he was here, he would blame himself. His blue eyes looked down at Rose and then back at the bloody cat. "Leave them with me so that they can serve me. They do not deserve death. That's letting them off too easily," he said.
He had to get this tom to believe him. Otherwise these kits were dead. He had to make him believe that these kits would be his servants and that he wasn't going to take them to the safety of his clan. He just had to. But how could he?
|
|
|
|
Post by Shad on Sept 8, 2015 0:45:52 GMT
Kei The orange tabby did not mince words. His focus was on the new tom so he felt more than saw the demon child backing away slowly, his instincts and strict training kicking in before anything else. He struck out like the lightning that cracked and blazed across the dark sky. Before the next breath could be drawn, Kei had the demon kit clenched in his powerful jaws. He pulled back, away from the interloping do-gooder who knew not of the dark forces with which he dealt. He knew nothing of Kei's battle, and the orange tom did not want to be forced to fight him if he could avoid it. Enough innocent blood had been spilled this night. The kit hardly let out a squeak at first. Kei had likely moved too fast for him to even- It, the tom reminded himself fiercely. The demon. The evil monster.
And yet Kei found his tail shaking in unease as he held the terrified bundle in his jaws. He could have killed the beast already. A single strike. That was what he had been taught. Even now, he felt the kit's neck fur in his jaws. All he had to do was bite. That was it. It would be over. The rain fell harder now. It thrummed loudly against the ground in a constant, low growl. Then again, maybe that had come from the other tom? Or, was it himself? Kei could not be sure as his heart hammered in his chest like a caged bird. What was he doing?! This was the time! Now! Kill it! Bite down! Slay the demon filth! But it did not smell like a demon. Sweet heavens it smelled exactly like a kit. Like an innocent, terrified kit.
Demons will try to trick you. They hide in all forms. They live to deceive and destroy. They will worm their way into an unwary heart and rot a cat's soul from the inside out.Yes, it was a trick. He knew it was a trick. Yet even as he clung to the rule he had been taught his weak heart faltered. He... he had to kill the beast, but... Against his better judgement, he spat the small, shivering ball of red fur out onto the ground and held him in place with a clawed paw. His eyes locked with the stranger's. He told himself he was not looking for a way out. He was only seeing if the newcomer had, perhaps, some insight about these kits he had not already known. His Masters had always taught him to seek out new knowledge, had they not? He must be thorough in his Demon Slayings. He was just examining every angle. It sounded feeble, even to his own ears. Kei knew what his Masters would have done. The Kinsfolk were Cats of Action. Slay first and let the Devil sort them out. That was their policy more often than not when any cat came under Demon Scrutiny. And yet, despite the angry voice in his head that howled he had been led astray before, that trusting a demon was what had cost him everything, he opened his useless maw. "What do you know of Demons?" he demanded. Thank Brother Sun his voice was not shaking. He was saved that humiliation at least. His mew rang out clear and proud over the crash of the rain, like a powerful commander unfazed by the howling of the growing storm. "You say death is too sweet, and yet a Demon can not be cured. The only solution is purification through death." He glanced down at the pitiful creature mewling in his claws. "Demons will only cause pain and suffering to others if left alive." Perhaps this was more true than Kei had ever thought. The pain in his heart was truly great, but he had a duty. He was a Knight. He would not falter. He would not allow the innocent to suffer from a Demon's taint. Seeming to regain his nerve, he looked back to the stranger. His eyes were cold, and yet his heart... the treacherous organ seemed to be pleading. "I have studied under the greatest minds of our age for moons to protect the innocent and dispatch the Unholy from our Mortal Plain. Now tell me this, Brown Brother, as I ask you once more, what do you know of Demons and their taint? What would you have me do?" |
|
|
A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
|
|
|
Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 8, 2015 17:06:28 GMT
He tried to run, but where could he go? The moment that Rose skittered backwards, jaws closed around his body. Rose didn't even notice at first. Precise, quicker than anything he'd ever seen, Rose was lifted into the air with as much ease as a mossball. Rose scrabbled for a foothold, twisting and jerking in the cat's grip, but it only made it worse. A shriek sounded from across the den- 'Mistle, run!' But when Rose tried to open his mouth, no sound would come. He was a fragile cat. Thin bones weak skim, but they were supposed to get better when he got older. Would he even have a chance to get older? Mind a haze of terror and adrenalyn as teeth broke skin, Rose managed to let out a strangled wail.
The moment seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Rose had never felt a time so long in his life. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe. Rose became aware of the lightning around them- of every clap of thunder and drop of water that hit his body. It mingled with the blood now dripping down his fur, and Rose had never felt a hurt so bad in his entire existence. It wasn't a long existence, but it was the longest thing he'd ever experienced. And this was the worst of it all.
And then, as suddenly as he'd been grasped, Rose was dropped. Or spat, rather. He landed in the mud with a plop, its sound drowned out by the thunderous downpour. Rose was left shivering in the mud, curling in on himself as wretched sobs choked their way out of his body. Ragged breath left his chest heaving, finally able to get air into his lungs. But he didn't have but a moment's respite before a paw was on him again. It pushed him into the mud- although that wasn't a difficult task when the target was so weak. Vision obscured by tears and mouth and ears filling with mud, Rose lost all track of what was happening. He could feel vibrations through the tom's paw. Talking. But no matter how he strained he couldn't hear.
Across the tiny clearing, far from Rose's view, Mistle watched in horror. She shivered severely- or perhaps convulsed would be a better term. This cat... he was gonna kill Rosie. He said that she and Rosie were demons. Mistle didn't know what a demon was, but he said they were already sick. Mistle didn't know what it meant. All that she did know was that Rosie was gonna be gone just like Mama and Holly. She was going to be alone- if they didn't hurt or take her next. It had been her idea to hide the first time, but that was when she'd been with Rosie. What was she supposed to do without anyone there? She couldn't be alone! Mama had been alone in lots of her adventures, but Mistle wasn't a grownup yet. She didn't know what to do!
The yellow cat wanted to hurt them, and the other one was gonna take them away. 'Leave them with me so that I can do what I please' didn't sound like anything good, but neither did.. what was happening to Rose. She watched from behind her mother's body, mind racing. She had to get out of here. But she couldn't leave Rose! But she had to- no no no! Mistle had no idea what she had to do! Crumpling into a heap, Mistle buried her face beneath her paws sobbed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kibbles on Sept 8, 2015 17:15:07 GMT
Dixon's eyes narrowed at the tom. He watched, claws unsheathing and sheathing over and over as he watched the tom fight with himself on what to do with the kit. His tail lashed back and forth as he saw the kit's blood drip to the ground. Demons again? He looked at the tom, tail flicking back and forth.
"I have been around demons as well, tom. I grew up with them. And instead of giving them a merciful death, I enslaved them. Made them do my bidding. And when they got out of hand, I would kill them. But this one.... this one is young enough to be able to manipulate into what I want him. And if he doesn't listen, I'll show him who is in charge. It is my duty to do so. For you, brother. I can see that you are having a hard time as it is. Your heart is broken from killed the innocents. So let me do this for you. So that you will not have to worry anymore and you may rest," he said.
He hoped that would be enough to convince him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shad on Sept 9, 2015 2:06:59 GMT
Kei The orange tom said nothing now. What more was there to say? This tom claim to have been raised by demons and escaped them hail and whole. The mouse was in Kei's field as it were and the tom found himself struggling with what to do with the cursed creature. What were the chances of running into another Knight? Out here? In the back woods lands where a cat might go days without seeing another of his kind? And to run across an ally on this particular night when so much had gone wrong... Truly Brother Sun must be watching over him from high above for such lucky fortune to shine upon him! What a blessed meeting! Kei, who was very trusting by nature, even when coming across million-to-one chances where normal cats would spot a highly suspicious coincidence half a mile away, was also very easy to fool. His claws retracted and his defensive stance fell away as he recognized the tom as an Ally of the Kinsfolk. A weary smile actually spread over his lips. "You would? You can change him?" the tom asked, his tone hopeful. He took one step toward the fellow Brother, when something stopped him. Kei looked down at his paws with a frown as a vague notion of treachery flitted somewhere across the back of his mind. He tried to remember hearing of something like this. "It is strange though... the Masters had seemed quite convinced the only way to purge a demon was through Death," he reflected aloud. Silence of all but the rain. Then Kei shrugged, smiling genuinely this time. "They must have learned differently than you, I suppose. To think I would meet a tom who knows more than the Masters! Brother Sun smiles upon this treacherous night. Pray, Brown Brother, where did you find your Redemption? Was your test for Enlightenment a difficult one? How do you purge the Demons? Could I be taught?" The questions came out as rapid fire as the rain pelting the ground, but the orange tabby hardly noticed in his excitement. Kei was enthralled by the notion of Higher Learning. The idea that there was more than one way to purge a demon... it was fascinating! As the tom began to answer and Kei leaned in eagerly (almost crushing Rose in the process, although he quickly eased off the kit when he made a sound of protest and yelped a surprised apologized instinctively before he remembered Rose was a demon and had no use for apologies), his attention was diverted by another flash of lightning, now letting him take notice of the small shivering shape of Mistle once more. And Holly. His heart sank. But there was nothing he could do for the tom now. As for Mistle though... "And what of Mistle?" he prompted, his green eyes light with hope. "Can she be taught the Ways of the Light? Will your Masters take her in and Show her Brother Sun's Holy Will?" |
|
|
A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
|
|
|
Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 9, 2015 3:46:29 GMT
Even as she buried herself in her mother's fur, Mistle listened. Listening was something she was good at, Mama had always said. And Mama might not be here anymore, but Mistle's ears still were. The cats said a lot of things that she didn't understand. A lot of things that were confusing to the young, impressionable she-cat. The brown one said that he grew up with them, but that wasn't right. And then he said that they were enslaves? What was an enslave? Was he one of the cats that mama had talked about- one of the bad ones? Green eyes grew wide under white paws. He... was going to trick them! He acted nice, but he was really going to hurt them! Grownups and tomcats had seemed so dashing in her mother's stories.. But they called eachother brother now. Were they related? Was this normal? It all made Mistle's head hurt so much. No, everything hurt. Her head, her heart, her eyes from crying. She just wanted to sleep and never ever wake up. But... she couldn't do that with them here. Or else she would never wake up for real. Or... if what the brown one said was right (which Mistle had no idea to disbelieve), worse.
Lots and lots of things she didn't understand. Stuff about changing and lights and prey. She couldn't see them anymore- she wasn't even looking. But when she heard a sharp wheeze from Rose, she felt her pain in his heart as if it were her own. What was she doing back here? Rosie was out there.. Getting hurt! For real hurt too, not just like when Holly pulled on her ears too hard or Mama accidentally stepped on her tail! If she was going to have adventures and journeys and good things some day- she couldn't be scared. She had to protect Rosie, just like how he tried to protect her! Mistle wasn't the strong one, or the brave one. But she had to try!
"Don'ttoucher!" Mistle heard Rose gasp out, just after hearing them say her name. Even when he was hurt he was trying to protect her!
Mistle took a deep breath. She was so scared. But she had to help her brother! She had to! Solidifying as much resolve as a terrified, two moon old she-kit could muster, she burst out from behind her mother's body. "I don't want any more brothers, specially if they're mean cats like you!" Her voice shook and she hiccupped, but the soaked kit tried to puff out her chest and look scary. Just like Holly. Holly was so brave and strong, she had to act like him. And Rosie. Holly used claws and Rosie used words. What was that word that they used for the strong cats that protected others... Mama used it in their stories too... Night? Mistle still had a lot of words that she needed to learn, but these cats used big words... Maybe if she used the big ones she knew...!
"I'm a Night! And I g-guardsafe feeble cats and concur evil ones! Just like my papa taught me!" well, she never knew her papa. Or if she even had one. Mama changed her mind about that a lot, but if Mama could she could too! And mama said that he was a Night sometimes, just like she said he was a pirate or a she-cat! She didn't have to worry about details right now, just being strong and scary! "And we have lots of feerce componions who will hurt you lots if you don't get off my brother right now!" She squealed, trying to fluff up her fur all sorts of scary. That was super convincing. She knew she would be scared out of her skin if she was these bad cats right now. This had to work!
|
|
|
|
Post by Kibbles on Sept 9, 2015 3:55:27 GMT
Dixon smiled as he realized he had gotten through to the tom. "Slow down all the questions. You may be able to learn with time. But only if you do exactly as I say," he explained calmly. He looked down at Rose and then to Mistle as she spoke. He gave her a warm smile before looking back at the orange-y tom.
"Calm, brother. You must hand that thing to me. And Mistle will come along as well. It will be her choice if she wishes to learn the way of the Light. We do not force our teachings onto cats, as the ones who are eager to learn will be the strongest in the forest. She will be able to choose becoming a warrior of the light or to heal us warriors with the use of the herbs that the forest has given us."
That sounded insane to him, but he figured it sounded fairly normal to the cat in front of him.
"And it will be up to my Masters if they wish to teach you or not, my brother. You may come along and meet them, but only if I may take that demon from you. After all, they know I can handle him. I can see that you can as well, but my Masters do not know this yet."
|
|
|
|
Post by Shad on Sept 10, 2015 20:19:13 GMT
Kei The orange tom looked over at the bristling kit. Mistle was so young, and yet already so brave. Kei was proud of the kit's attempt to claim a place among the Knights, but lies did not become any cat. He clucked his tongue chidingly at her and shook his head. "Mistle, little one," he mewed, "you are no Knight and you have no one else in the world. I approve of your bravery and will honor it, but you should not lie. Bad things happen to kits that lie. Never forget that."-you have no one else in the world.The orange tom blinked as those words echoed through him. Funny how he had never considered that. If things had gone as he originally planned tonight, Holly would have been alone in the world. Exactly as Mistle was. -Exactly as he was. Green eyes looked down at the shivering, miserable, and only semi-conscious figure below him. He removed his paw from the kit -demon? he was not sure anymore- and thought. Kei had never been a particularly good thinker. He had his moments, true, but for the most part he was a Warrior, a Knight for Justice. Not a Leader. He had gone off on his mission to help the innocent and purge the lands of demons many moons ago. He had killed many demons in his travels. Some old, some young. Some tom, some shecat. The one thing they each had in common was how they cursed and fought him. How they attempted to damn him and end his life to continue their evil doings. No cat had ever tried to talk to him before. No cat had smiled at him as the Brown Brother was doing now. He tried to remember the last time a cat had smiled at him. It had been a moon or so ago now. He had saved an expecting mother from a pair of rogues that wished to do her harm. He had slayed them with his own fangs, and while she had thanked him, she brushed his fur in gratitude, her smile the warmest thing he had seen in moons. He looked down at his bloodstained fur. He felt none of that warmth now. He only felt wet and cold, cold to the depths of his soul. His Masters had always told him slaying demons brought a cat the warmth of righteous fire, but Kei could not rightfully recall the last time he had felt such a thing. He had been a lone Knight for so long, carrying on his mission with a blind faith, that now... Now he looked at his soul and was afraid of what he saw. Had he lost his Enlightenment? Had, somewhere along the way, he let demon taint into his heart? Was that why he no longer felt a burning passion when he thought of his mission? Kei thought back to his time before. Before he had been banished. Before the world had turned its back on him. He remembered the family he once had. He remembered the faces of his friends. The laughter of his brothers. The teasing of his sisters. Were they the reason he had felt such a fire for their cause back then? And, if so, how could he possibly have been expected to keep going without them? To carry on down a harsh road alone and still keep his heart? How had they expected him to do it? They didn't.The tom flinched away from the thought that struck him as surely as a brand scorching his fur. He did not want to think about this anymore. His head hurt from the memories, and his heart even more so. He was a soldier, a Knight. It was not his place to question his Masters and the Plan they followed. He did not want to think about his lot in life. -But was this the life Mistle would now live? Green eyes refocused on the kit -demon?- at his paws. The fiery red tom Kei had met a pawful of days before in a meadow. The tom who had been so kind, so full of laughter. Kei remembered the sinking feeling as he realized the kit was just a bit too friendly to another tom. No cat was that friendly without reason. He was not a cat. He was a demon! A demon in cat's skin, come to destroy all it could before being purged from the earth. But as Kei's eyes looked at the small bundle he did not see a demon. He only saw Rose. Rose who had glimmering blue eyes that were full of hope. Rose who had playfully tried to tackle Holly when Kei gave him a mothball to playful. Rose who had brought him a flower and beamed when Kei accepted it. Rose the kit. Rose the demon. Which one was real? It had all seemed so clear before but now Kei could not be sure. How treacherous the heart was, to confuse a cat so and play havoc with his loyalties. Fine then. If he could not decide himself, he would seek the knowledge of another. And who would know better, Kei thought with a weary grin, than a self-proclaimed Knight?The tom's eyes went back to Mistle. His voice rang loud and clear, even over the crackling lightning and booming thunder. "Mistle, do you love your brother? Would you have him stay by your side, even if he should turn out a cruel cat sometime in the future? Do you, Mistle, take responsibility for him and claim him as yours, even if he becomes evil later in life?" |
|
|
A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
|
|
|
Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 10, 2015 21:46:55 GMT
Emerald eyes fell upon her and Mistle felt her courage curdle, folding in on itself just as it had begun to rise. She wasn't a Night. She knew it, and this cat did too. She didn't even know what a Night was- not really. Not except for the time of day. But she knew that they were strong cats. Good cats. And Mistle needed to feel strong and good right now. She had to- for herself, and for Rosie. She opened her mouth to speak- to argue- to say that yes she was, she was the bravest knight of them all!- but she was stopped before she could even get the first word out.
She had no one else in the world.
In the panic and rushedness of everything, Mistle had worried frantically about being alone. She didn't have anyone to take care of her anymore. But hearing another cat say it was different. The whole world, no-one else. Blue-green eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open; aghast. He was right though. The orange cat had Rosie. Mama and Holly were gone. But... that was all the reason why she had to get him back! The she-cat steeled her little eyes. She didn't know what a lie was, but nothing was going to happen to her, and no more bad things would happen to Rosie. Not on her watch.
"I'm never alone! M... Mama and Holly might be gone, but so long as I have my brother both of us will always have someone!" she cried out, digging her tiny claws into the soft mud. She remembered the stories that her Mama told them. There were so many different ones, but right now she tried to remember the ones about heros. Heroes and their speeches, and how important things like friends and loyalty were. How they could do anything if they put their minds to it and said good words. That would be Mistle. No, that had to be Mistle. "You won't take him away too!"
There was a silence. And then, the cat took his paw off of Rose. Mistle felt her heart stop. Had... had she done it? Had she won? Even if she wasn't a real Night, maybe her words had reached them after all. Would they let them go? From beneath Kei's form, Rose sputtered and coughed. It sounded wet, like when they'd had colds. But... worse. Rose made no movements otherwise. Worry clenched at her soul as Mistle watched the two, and then the brown tom. How bad was Rosie hurt? Would they just... leave now?
She got her answer soon enough. Or... Something close to an answer. More of a question. The orange cat was talking again. Mistle looked up at him with wary eyes, trying so hard to be strong. Of course she loved Rosie. He was her brother, her family. Cats had to love their family! And even if she didn't have to, Rosie was a nice cat. He always repeated the stories for her when Mama was out hunting, and never stepped on her tail. He wasn't a bad cat, and he would never be a bad cat! What was the orange one even talking about? Why would an evil cat think her brother would become evil, out of all the cats that had to exist? Confusion flitted through her gaze, but she nodded. "Yes." she meowed steelily, in the strongest voice she could put on.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kibbles on Sept 13, 2015 21:45:50 GMT
Dixon relaxed fully when he saw Kei take his paw off of the kit. He could see that the tom had been battling himself in his mind. Did he convince him that the kit wasn't going to cause harm? He found out as soon as the cream tom spoke to Mistle and the she-cat replied back.
He let out a quiet sigh of relief. "May I take him to my masters now, brother? So that they can look at him. Mistle will come along as well," he said, looking at the older tom. He moved forward so that he was face to face with the tom. He looked down at Rose, whom wasn't really moving. Dixon could tell he was still breathing. That was a good sign.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shad on Sept 15, 2015 17:09:46 GMT
Kei The tom smiled faintly. It was a bold proclamation the shecat made. She would be a worthy Knight. The Brown Brother would teach her well but... could he teach her to tame demons? The green tom's worried eyes rose upward to meet the stranger's gaze. A fearful, tangled question writhed in them, like prey caught in briers attempting to get free even as the thorns cut into its flesh to bleed it dry. A question of hope. Hope that there was a path brighter than the bloodied shadows of darkness that he had been set to walk. A question of damnation. If there was another path, how many had he killed that could have been turned? How many potential lives had he snuffed out? A question of salvation. Could he chan- This last question brought an iron wall down across the small tom's face. He knew there was no salvation for him. His Masters had told him as much. They had shared their holy knowledge, and he had spat upon it in his foolish youth. The Brown Brother sought to teach him the ways of this new path, this lighter path, but he did not know Kei's sins. He knew not of the treacherous deceit, of the sinful heart that lie within the orange tom's chest. When he or his Masters discovered it, as they would for Kei was many things but not a liar, they would send him away. They would curse the corruption he had unwittingly allowed into his soul. There was no salvation for him. There never could be. He had but one path to walk, and he was doomed to wade through the rivers of blood it reaped until they drowned him in the tide. This was his punishment for his sins. This was his path. When the tom came to take the kit, Kei shook his head and slowly, gently lifted Rose into his jaws. He brought the tom over to Mistle and set him down just a mouselength away. "Rose," he whispered, his heart heavy. The tom quickly cleared his throat and steeled his gaze. He would not falter. Steadying himself, he nudged and soothingly stroked the soft, soggy creature until he met Kei's burning green eyes and focused. Kei had not hurt the tiny demon, but it seemed as if he had gone into shock. Like a real kit would do. Kei felt no need to shove the thought away. His path was set. And all the damnation that came with it. "Rose, I need you to listen to me," he mewed, his voice commanding and firm, his body a proud, bright outline against the darkness of the rain. This was the Knight who had trained for years to slay demons. Not some scared little forest cat seeking redemption. This was who he was. Who he would always be. "Rose, there are bad cats in the world," he said, trying to use words the kit-demon would understand, "There are cats that cause pain and suffering. Cats that kill. Cats that disobey orders and abandon those they love."The orange tom's eyes flicked to Mistle for a moment before returning to Rose. Was he making the right choice? Could he compromise, just this once? He was not sure, and he did not at all feel like the right person to be making this decision. His tail quivered with uncertainty and his ears longed to lay flat in apprehension, but he showed none of this to the kits. Demons. Whatever they were. At the very least, Kei would hold himself with honor until he had left. Then he would let the questions come and his heart tear itself from his chest once more. "Your sister has proven herself to be a good cat. A worthy, loyal Knight," he told the young creature. "Listen to her. Follow her. She will guide you. She will protect you from yourself. And, Rosekit," The tom's eyes had the gleaming look again. So hard and cold they could have been made of the heartless emerald stones found buried beneath the earth, ironically, where Kei's people believed bad cats to be imprisoned when they died. "if you ever disobey her, if you ever hurt another cat or inspire hatred in others hearts, I will come back. I will find you, and I will kill you. I will purge you from this mortal plain just as I have done to your mother. Do you understand?"Kei waited for an answer. When it came his eyes were empty of hope. His mouth moved, but the cat inside would be hard-pressed to be found. "Then I leave you in the custody of your sister. Mistle, always take care of your brother. If you fail, or try to give his keeping over to another, I will be back to uphold my oath. But-" The cold eyes turned to Mistle now. "-you are weak.""Train, Mistle. Train to be strong and good and set an example for your brother to follow so that I never have to return for him. Train to be a force of goodness in the world so that he may live that life himself. It is a heavy burden, but I know you can bear it. You will be strong, one day. You will make sure I never come back to do to your brother what I have done to your mother and Holly.""But you are weak right now. You have not yet trained. Your weakness is your fault," the tom said dangerously. "I cannot risk Rose overpowering you and so,"The tom struck like lightning before anyone could move, before anyone could breathe. He slammed the red tom to the ground before him and slashed his deadly claws down Rose's shoulderblade, tearing through pelt and muscle with a practiced speed and control. Rose likely would not even feel the pain of it for another moment as his overwhelmed body tried to process what had been done to it. Kei slipped away from the pair, and the Brown Brother, like smoke from a fire. His part to play in this strange, evil night was coming to a close. Still, his green eyes gleamed out at the young siblings from the darkness and his voice rang back over the kits' wails to carve itself into their hearts and minds as surely as his claw had carved a Demon Mark into Rose's flesh. "Never forget, Rose and Mistle. Or I will return for his life." |
|
