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Post by Frisby on Jan 7, 2014 18:37:23 GMT -5
Willowrain watched as shapes molded out of the shadows as she stared across the border into the dark forest. "They're here," she cried out, "They're here, Cinnamon and Smokey!"
Thunderpaw in his excitement to see Willowrain, charged forwards, his whiskers pricking. "It's so good to see you," he mewed. Willowrain lashed her tail angrily. "Stop Thunderpaw! If you cross into StarClan territory, your soul will be severed from your body permanently!"
Charcoalstar slowed to a halt by the border, blocking Thunderpaw's way with his tail at Willowrain's words. "So this is it, then? We drive the cats to this wall, and they are destroyed." His eyes lingered on Willowrain curiously a moment, wondering in the back of his mind what had become of her when Silverpelt had led her away. He hoped the ancestors had not claimed her yet--but now was not the time for such worries.
A blue shimmering wall seemed to flicker before them. On the other side the trees thinned to field and a broad sky. It was clearly day, whereas the forest was plunged in eternal night. "Smokeyeyes, Cinnamonscratch--" Asterfire smiled sadly. "It's been so long. And now, what a time this is."
Cinnamon stepped forward. "I know you have it in you to overcome this. This will not destroy us yet."
- - -
In the forest behind assembled the group of fell creatures, slinking through the underbrush. All eyes roved between the clan cats, picking their quarry. Phoenix held back as instructed, waiting for those who would scatter. Jaggedshadows led the patrol to the final shadowy line of bushes. Lostfire peeked his nose out from under one of the bushes, the smoke barely concealing him. Ash-heart padded slowly up behind the crazy old cat, smiling knowingly at Jaggedshadows. He crouched beside Lostfire's ear.
"We have decided, old one, that you will get first pick." Lostfire drooled with pleasure. Ash-heart gave a cordial smile, then fixed his jaws in the old cat's scruff and heaved him the short distance beyond the bush to the group of clancats.
Lostfire landed, snarling and spitting, with a horrendous sound, a whisker from Thunderpaw's tail. Lostfire snatched his broken teeth onto the apprentice's tail. Thunderpaw squealed, "My tail!" He wrenched and struggled but the attacker wouldn't let go. Panic flaring in Thunderpaw's chest, he twisted himself as hard and fast as he could, with the sickening crunch and pop, Thunderpaw bolted, leaving his tail behind. Lostfire squealed at the tail in his paws. "I get to go back now!"
A snarl welled in Nightingale's throat and she flung herself at the old cat, tumbling dangerously close to the border and pummeling his belly. She noticed the crookedness of his body as she did so, a disjointing along his spine, and terrified that the creature still moved, kicked him away and into the bluish veil of fog that was StarClan.
Snarling, the ranks of Dark Forest advanced, encircling the DayClan cats. Dragontooth locked his eyes onto Phoenix, who had emerged from the shadows. "You lied to me! You betrayed my clan to darkness!" Phoenix smiled crookedly. "You trusted me." And then he lunged, cats scattering.
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Post by Frisby on May 25, 2014 14:06:36 GMT -5
Jaggedshadows ripped out a snarl and skirted along the underbrush watching the fighting erupt. The small feline kept Ash-heart, his rival, in the corner of his eye. The movement of a charcoal colored warrior caught his gaze though, and seeing him as a potential body, Jaggedshadows burst from the ferns and slashed his claws across his muzzle.
Charcoalstar flinched, but let out only a deep snarl at the pain that seared his face. His adversary was small, and the sting of pain brought back lurid but somehow enrapturing memories of his days before the clans. What a life that had been. With a huff and lunged back at Jaggedshadows, aiming a blow to his chest, intent on pinning him long enough to gain a grip on his scruff and toss him towards the border.
--
Phoenix bounded to meet Dragontooth, keeping light on his feet in a teasing, dancing manner as he circled the tom. He could see the living cats' plan, and the shimmering ghosts waiting on the other side. That would not be his fate. The ginger tom ducked away from the others, trying to lure Dragontooth away.
--
Jaggedshadows smirked through his teeth, pleased that his chosen body held so much promise. A little underestimating, but experienced none the less. The striped cat deflected the blow, curling his claws along the foe's stretch tendons. He wanted to test this body before he finished it off.
Charcoalstar cried out in pain as Jaggedshadows clawed his arm. He withdrew his paw quickly, expression darkening with malice, and threw himself on top of the smaller tom, jaws parted and ready to meet the flesh on Jaggedshadow's neck.
--
Dragontooth felt his pelt fluffing up, making him seem twice his size. The ginger cat was all that he despised, devious, disloyal, and now he was even mocking him in battle. A low growl rumbled and Dragontooth charged after Phoenix.
"Let's see, shall we, whether your two eyes can best my one. I see many things." Phoenix danced ahead of Dragontooth, familiar with the scattered bushes and roots in this part of the forest. "I see your death, very close now..." He grinned and whirled around, tail fluffed and claws unsheathed. "Close indeed!" Spitting, he attacked. A quick kill was all he wanted - the others would busy themselves playing with their prey - he would preserve the body and inherit it in the finest condition possible. He grunted, feeling a mouthful of fur in his jaws.
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Post by Frisby on Jun 14, 2014 15:44:26 GMT -5
Jaggedshadows allowed the charcoal tom to land on top of him. He could have dodged out of the way, but this was much more fun. As his opponent thrusted his head down to bite him, Jaggedshadows flipped his up and bit up on the soft exposed neck. He waited for the reaction that Ash-heart always gave him when he used this move.
Instinctually, Charcoalstar pulled backwards, but with Jaggedshadow's teeth lodged in his throat, this only drew blood and a frustrated hiss of air through his teeth. /Smart,/ he begrudgingly noted. The leader's paws were free though, and with renewed anger he unsheathed his claws into the base of the wily cat's neck, twisting himself away and trying to break free from the grip as his fur dampened with blood.
Ash-heart watched the two cats tussling on the ground, seeing his own opportunity to swoop in an take the already weakened shell of the clan leader. With a snarl of satisfaction he found Jaggedshadow's scruff and lifted the tom up in the air. Charcoalstar's limbs flailed a moment before he detached, landing heavily on his back.
Jaggedshadows ripped his scuff free from ash-heart's teeth, not caring of such a petty injury. With blood dampening his shoulders Jaggedshadows let loose a vicious caterwaul that disturbed Silence. The small cat set his feet and thrust his claws into Ash-heart's face again and again the driving strikes. Blood started to form in droplets on the larger tom's face as Jaggedshadows furiously drove him back. "You thought you could best me?" SWIPE "You thought you were stronger?!" SWIPE. "I AM THE TRUE LEADER!" Jaggedshadow's claws dug into Ash-heart's left eye in a heavy jab. "You are nothing! You are slower!! You are duller!! You are nothing more than a maggot!" Ash-heart's lungs heaved to find air, his senses were jumbled except for Jaggedshadow's voice ringing in his ears. He blinked through a pause in the violent attacks to see the blurry form on Jaggedshadows rearing back. Claws unsheathed, Jaggedshadow's dragged his claws down onto Ash-heart's face, trace his death-wound's scars on the other side of his face. Ash-heart bowed under the weight of Jaggedshadow's attack, blinded but not as senseless as Jaggedshadows had evidently become. "You fool," he panted, glaring blindly in the tom's direction. "Have you forgotten who you came to kill?" Ash-heart crouched forward, keeling over to one side, furiously trying to blink the blood out of his sight.
When the two dark forest cats locked in battle, Charcoalstar saw his opportunity. Slowly, his entire body feeling swollen and numb, the tom rolled onto his stomach and began to crawl away, finding cover in a nearby bush. He crouched, taking slow measured breaths and trying to gather his senses. Where were the others? He didn't dare move lest they see him, but he knew he would have to. After a long moment he forced himself to standing and loped a few paces away from the clearing. He had to find his way to Mistedstar, wherever she was.
He took another step. /What am I doing? I can't abandon the clan./ He gave a weak look behind him. The others hadn't noticed his departure. /No..no...better use to them staying alive. Already bleeding. Find Mistedstar, get her to help./ He hobbled deeper into the woods.
Jaggedshadows hissed furiously into Ash-heart's face. "Only because you didn't know you place!" He spat. The tiny striped tom stood over his rival, who was tipped over like a helpless turtle. His stepped forward and slowly sank the claws of his paw into the side of Ash-heart's throat. He bent down, pushed his weight into the wound until his whiskers tickled the tom's blinded eyes. "Rot in here forever Ash-heart." Ash-heart's throat was crushed and he could utter no words in response, but his closed his eyes in anger and grimaced. /I will do so happily once you are gone, worm,/ he thought in disgust as his body began to grow numb. With a cackle Jaggedshadows ripped his claws out the side of the neck. He flicked some blood off his glistening claws and turned away from his defeated enemy. He glanced back up to the clearing of battling cats. His gut turned ice cold and the tom felt the fur on his neck rise.
--------------- Dragontooth whipped his body upwards, making Phoenix fall back on the ground. Before the ginger tom could get back on his feet, the fluffy tom brought down both paws hard onto his foe.
Phoenix hissed but took advantage of the other tom's momentary sense of victory and drew in his hind claws, kicking them hard against Dragontooth's belly, compensating for the thick layer of fur that protected him. That was something he should have foreseen, and he cursed himself for missing the opportunity on his first bite.
The breath knocked out of him, Dragontooth fell back heaving. This tom was a lot stronger than he looked. The warrior tried to get back on his paws, but pain flared deep in his chest whenever he tried to roll back on his belly. Fear began to crowd Dragontooth's thoughts.
----------- Newflight watched the battle heat up, terrified of these Dark forest cats. He was going to help Charcoalstar when another hell cat knocked away the attacker. He couldn't look away from the viscous onslaught of violence that the two Dark forest cat employed.
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Post by Frisby on Jun 14, 2014 15:59:54 GMT -5
Phoenix rolled back onto his paws, but it seemed he needed no haste. Dragontooth lay on his side, evidently wounded and unable to rise. Phoenix made a sound in his throat, contemplating the best way to go about this. "See, I told you," he remarked, sitting down by the tom's face. "Not long now, tom. I won't draw it out--you don't need to thank me." He pressed a heavy paw on Dragontooth's throat and fixed the other over the tom's muzzle, feeling the wetness of his nose against his pawpad. "No winning now, tom." He braced himself for the struggle Dragontooth would inevitably put up.
--
Silence narrowed his eyes at a white-furred clantom who seemed to be distracted. With mute steps he drew up behind Newflight and readied to pounce the other cat was small and would be easy to subdue with his weight.
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Post by Frisby on Jan 3, 2015 14:14:19 GMT -5
Silence fights newflight/apprentices JS gets thunderpaw (-tail)
---
Mistedstar blinked at the darkness of the forest around her. It seemed impossibly dim; as she struggled to peer through the murk, it seemed to become opaque. But through the darkness she could hear the cries of cats nearby, and smell the ghosts of scents. Hesitantly, she padded through the trees. /Where am I?/ The trees stretched on uniformly but the sounds grew and for a moment, she thought she could detect the scent of Charcoalstar. Her tail flicked with curiosity.
--
Jaggedshadows picked his hackles up from his crouch, and deliriously twisted around to recapture the body that was to be his. With a near-permanent snarl pulling at the small cat's muzzle Jaggedshadows presented his teeth dangling with drool. "Where did my dear friend run off to... I wonder." The slits of his pupils flashed across the landscape, following the obvious trail of the nearly defeated Charcoalstar. Stumbling on numb paws, Jaggedshadows' excitement crowded his vision as he closed in on his victim.
Charcoalstar hunkered against the earth, blinking blood out of his eyes and drawing slow, painful breaths. He couldn't lie to himself; his enemy was stronger, perhaps not by muscle but by endurance. Charcoalstar could feel his vision swimming and paws heavy and clumsy. "Mm--" he groaned. He closed his eyes and listened for the approach of his adversary. When he raised his head against he saw her, not two fox-lengths away. But that was impossible. He squinted at Mistedstar in confusion.
The apprentice-sized nightmare growled with delight as he glared into the undergrowth that held Charcoalstar. "Your forest will never recover from my wrath. Everything that was yours will be mine..." sneered Jaggedshadows. As the two warriors' eyes met, Jaggedshadows smiled. "and I shall destroy it all."
Charcoalstar turned slowly, painfully, but forced himself back onto his feet to face the foe. The tom smiled bitterly at the cat the stood a head shorter than him and threatened him so. "You are dead, fool, and nothing shall be yours until I am dead too. Which I do not plan on allowing." Charcoalstar lashed his tail and snarled, but the sound choked in his injured throat.
"How pitiful." Jaggedshadows chuckled. Claws extended, the tom slashed out at Charcoalstar's legs, keen to aim for the joints. A crisp popping sound made Jaggedshadows eyes gleam and he laughed as he let his claws do their work. The charcoal pelt slowly turn darker in color as it became saturated with blood.
Charcoalstar spat in pain as his front legs crumpled. "Mist--" he croaked, trying to find the strength to get back up but only filling with dread as he failed. Then - she was there, snarling and bowling Jaggedshadows away in a flurry of teeth and claws. "Kill him," Charcoalstar wheezed, pulling himself slowly out of the way.
Mistedstar yowled as she dove for Jaggedshadow's neck, unintimidated by his wily appearance and fast claws. She blocked a blow from the left and felt her teeth sank into the side of his throat. With a grunt she lifted his weight from the ground and gave Charcoalstar a tentative look. /Kill him?/ Charcoalstar was staring at her with a kind of savage desperation. After a moment, with Jaggedshadows writhing miserably as he hung from her jaws, Mistedstar gave in. She thrust the tom brutally against the earth and affixed her jaws around the back of his neck, biting through his pelt and feeling the cord there sever. He was still.
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Post by Frisby on Jan 3, 2015 14:53:13 GMT -5
Silence fights newflight/apprentices JS gets thunderpaw (-tail)
Newflight closed his eyes against the destruction around him for a moment, but with his eyes closed the sounds of the battle became even more hideous. His pelt prickled, and suddenly claws pierced his hide. With a brutal caterwaul the white cate whipped himself around to land a defensive blow.
Silence smiled at the young tom's spirit. Did he really think he could win? The black tom loomed over Newflight with a faint smile on his muzzle. Then he swiped a massive paw and caught the tom on the shoulder, knocking him off balance.
Newflight used the momentum to tumble back and onto his paws; with an angry stare, Newflight backed carefully away, hoping to protect Ethre from the battle. His hiss spat towards Silence, egging him on. Ethre lashed her tail and stepped up beside Newflight, followed by Mudd. "How dare you!" she cried, half-startled by her own voice. She unsheathed her claws and glowered at the large black tom as he stalked forward, seemingly unbothered by their threats. Silence narrowed his eyes in anger at the group of young cats. Was this really going to be his lot? He growled softly. Then, in the corner of his eye he spotted another cat, bristling at the edge of the clearing with his eyes fixed on Phoenix.
Newflight pressed himself closer the Ethre, guiding her behind him. He slashed his white claws in the open air between him and their attacker.
Silence glanced distractedly back at Newflight and growled. "I do not fight kits," he spat, stalking away with his tail low to the ground and eyes trained on Wolfecho.
Ethre narrowed her eyes, distrusting as the tom walked away. "Come on," she murmured. "Foxwit needs our help."
---
Wolfecho snarled as he forced Silence into a retreat, backing him up against the translucent wall. The black tom's claws tangled in Wolfecho's long fur, and they tumbled both, dangerously close to the border. At the very edge, Wolfecho broke free, pummeling Silence in the stomach and sending him across. He was gone.
He pulled himself slowly to his feet and blinked--at the late afternoon light. The river gurgled noisily nearby. He blinked a few times. "Dragontooth?" he remembered seeing his brother, locked in battle...What had happened?
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