My third MuffinClan challenge. The theme was "glory".
Rated T because SunClan is messed up.
Enjoy...
SUNFIRE
.:INTO BATTLE:.
The greenleaf day was hot and dry. The once-green grass was shriveled and brown, the streambeds mere trickles of dirty water. The forest was withered and dying, leaves so fragile a mere touch would turn them to dust.
Still, life survived in this desolate landscape. The weak chirps of the toughest songbirds echoed in the dry air. Rodents scurried listlessly through the parched undergrowth. And in silence, cats roamed the wood.
The cats did not hunt, for they were intent on their mission. The pelts of these cats shone in the sunlight. All were well-groomed and gleaming in the afternoon's light: furs of gold, tawny, red, and ginger made up the silent regiment of felines.
At last, the cats reached the edge of the forest. A shallow river wound around boulders that, in the height of newleaf, had been underwater.
The harsh sun had dried up all the water. Back at the camp of the bright-furred cats, kits, queens, and elders cried out in thirst. They were dying.
The Sun Lord was angry.
He beat fiercely upon the ground, shriveling plants and drying up streams. They would all die if they did not appease the Sun Lord.
SunClan, they called themselves. They feared and worshipped their god: the Sun Lord, who ruled their lives.
But someone, most likely one of the filthy MoonClan cats, had angered the Sun Lord. He brought his wrath down upon the earth, killing life and taking the water and prey for himself.
Brightsun, leader of SunClan, knew the only way to appease the Sun Lord was to hold a Fire Ceremony. But two warriors were needed for the ceremony: a SunClan cat and a MoonClan cat.
No MoonClan warrior would willingly participate in the Fire Ceremony, despite the honor and glory it would give them. The soft, peace-loving cowards instead prayed to their foolish Moon Queen, though she could do nothing to help them during the fierce drought.
Brightsun laid his ears flat and flicked his tail, signaling his Clan to stop. This was their mission: to abduct a MoonClan warrior and for him or her to participate in the Fire Ceremony. Behind him crouched his loyal warriors: strong, brave, and glorious. Each of them yearned for the glory of the Fire Ceremony, but Brightsun would choose only one cat for the honor.
A few candidates flitted through his mind. Flamefeather was strong and wise. Sparktail was eager and talented. Blazeclaw was experienced and brave. Each would be appreciated by the Sun Lord as a worthy offering.
The MoonClan participant need only be a worthy conquest: someone the Sun Lord could appreciate.
Brightsun closed his eyes and prepared himself mentally and spiritually for the battle to come. Taking deep breaths, he calmed himself and filled his mind with thoughts of the sun and their glorious god. Then he opened his eyes and gave the signal to advance.
Around him, SunClan warriors swarmed across the stream into MoonClan territory. Excitement buzzed in the air. Brightsun spotted his three candidates. Flamefeather's ginger pelt shone in the sunlight, his muscles rippling and his gaze intent. Blazeclaw was calm and poised, ready for the battle to come. Only Sparktail seemed truly excited. Her eyes shone with anticipation, and she was filled with righteous anger toward MoonClan.
Brightsun smiled. Yes, Sparktail would be his selection.
SunClan soon reached their enemies' camp. MoonClan were strictly nocturnal, like their goddess. Brightsun let out a soft snort of contempt as he observed the sleeping bodies down below. This would be all too easy.
He signaled the beginning of the attack, and SunClan yowled as one and leapt upon their adversaries.
MoonClan woke with a start. They had not been prepared for the attack, an unwise move. Brightsun, at the top of the rise, squinted down into the camp. None of the MoonClan warriors were very fit or strong, he noted with disdain. This is what came from being pacifists.
The SunClan warriors did not aim to kill, only capture. As soon as one enemy was defeated, they were dispatched and knocked unconscious. Cats of muddled colors fell left and right, and none seemed worthy of the Fire Ceremony.
Until Brightsun saw him.
He was a large, well-muscled tom, silvery-white in color. He fought well—two opponents lay on the ground, caught off-guard, no doubt. He battled a third SunClan cat: Blazeclaw.
Brightsun grinned and leapt down into the fray. He danced his way through the chaos, trying to reach the white-furred tom and Blazeclaw.
He was stopped by a small, pale-furred she-cat: Rivermoon, the leader of MoonClan.
Brightsun's own daughter.
The memory of her pierced his heart. Originally named Firepelt, she and her siblings had grown strong under the Sun Lord. Brightsun had been so proud...
But then the accident occurred. A wildfire tore through SunClan's territory, sent from the Sun Lord to cleanse the land. Firepelt and her mother, Emberheart, had been hunting when the fire appeared out of nowhere, claiming Emberheart and sparing Firepelt.
While Brightsun had rejoiced—the Sun Lord had seen it fit to take his mate to the Flaming Sky—Firepelt was turned bitter. She eventually left SunClan and joined MoonClan, even becoming their leader in time!
It greatly sorrowed Brightsun to recall his daughter's transgressions. She could have had such glory, such honor...but she betrayed the Sun Lord and SunClan, instead joining MoonClan and renaming herself Rivertail.
"Father!" Rivermoon shouted over the din of fighting. Why do you come here with war? MoonClan are peaceful! We want nothing from you!"
"We need to perform a Fire Ceremony," Brightsun explained, not looking his daughter in the eyes. "You know we need a MoonClan warrior captured in battle. There is no other way."
"Sacrifice?" Rivermoon asked softly. "That is no way to stop this drought! Pray to—"
"The Sun Lord will only be appeased through a Fire Ceremony," Brightsun snarled. "You were raised as SunClan, daughter. You know this to be true."
Rivermoon gazed at him sorrowfully, shaking her head. "You will never learn, Father."
"Move aside," Brightsun commanded.
Rivermoon sighed. "When will this senseless madness end, Father? MoonClan are peaceful! We only want to live undisturbed!"
"When you join SunClan and cease your offenses to the Sun Lord, we will stop," he growled. "Move aside!" He did not want to harm his daughter, but if she continued in her obstinance, he might be forced to.
Thankfully, Rivermoon stepped aside. "Please, Father," she begged.
Brightsun ignored her words and barged past her to the only fierce battle in all of MoonClan's camp.
He stood calmly in front of the two grappling toms. Blazeclaw was winning, so he dared not interfere. In a few more seconds, the silvery tom would fall.
And indeed he did. Blazeclaw hit the other cat upside the head, and the MoonClan tom went limp.
"Good job, Blazeclaw," Brightsun praised. "We'll use this one. Battle finished!"
His cry rang across MoonClan's camp. Immediately, SunClan warriors stopped fighting, bounding over to their leader and surrounding their new captive. Two warriors quickly began to haul the tom away, surrounded by the rest of their Clan.
The shocked and terrified MoonClan cats cowered on the ground, eyes full of fear. Brightsun curled his lip in disgust. Cowards.
He turned, flicking his tail in contempt, and led his Clan back to SunClan's camp.
.:INTO GLORY:.
When Brightsun called a Clan meeting after the battle, Sparktail was excited. She, along with the rest of the Clan, knew what this meant: the Fire Ceremony announcements!
The whole Clan knew there were three cats that were real candidates for the Fire Ceremony: Blazeclaw, Flamefeather, and herself. Sparktail knew she would be chosen. She was young, she was worthy, and she needed to prove herself. The Fire Ceremony would grant her the highest of honors: the Sun Lord's glory.
"Cats of SunClan," Brightsun called out, his voice firm and reverent. "Today I have called you here to prepare for the forthcoming Fire Ceremony. This is a solemn occasion, giving the highest honor to a MoonClan prisoner and to one of the Children of the Sun Lord."
The Clan stirred in excitement, eyes bright. Dusk had fallen, and the Sun Lord was preparing to rest. Faint glimmers of stars—fire in the night's suffocating blanket—shone through the inky blue of the evening sky.
"After careful consideration, I have chosen one warrior for the honor of representing SunClan in the Fire Ceremony," Brightsun mewed. The Clan held its breath as their leader paused. "That warrior is..."
Oh Great Lord of the Sun, Sparktail prayed, I am worthy. Have Brightsun choose me.
"...Sparktail!" Brightsun called out.
Elated, she stood, her ginger fur smoothed and her green eyes excited. The Clan stood as well, cheering her name. Some of the cheers were forced. Flamefeather and Blazeclaw, jealous, glared claws at her.
But that didn't matter to Sparktail. She had been chosen! Thank you, O Sun Lord, she called up to her god gratefully.
When the cheering died down, the Clan settled back down. Sparktail remained on her paws, staring up at Brightsun.
"Sparktail, until the Fire Ceremony tomorrow night, you will reside in the Ceremonial Den with the MoonClan prisoner," Brightsun said. "The priest and the healer will escort you and guard you until the time arrives."
"Thank you, Brightsun," Sparktail said, her voice strong. She tipped her head up to the sky. "And thank you, Sun Lord!"
The priest and the healer moved out from the crowd to take her to the hidden Ceremonial Den. This pair were the holiest cats in the Clan, with Brightsun, the leader, just below them. Each priest and healer were chosen at birth by the Sun Lord, and they were always of the litter of the previous healer and priest. The priest was a tom, and blind; the healer was a she-cat, and mute. Any other kits born were killed. This was the way the Sun Lord had declared it to be, and so it was.
The current priest was Flareheart, a chestnut brown tom with a splash of reddish fur on his chest. His eyes would be a clear amber if the milky film of blindness did not cover his gaze and obscure his vision. Flareheart's mate and sister was the healer, Amberleaf. She was a golden-cream she-cat with pale amber eyes and a tongue that had never once spoken a word.
Amberleaf was Flareheart's eyes, just as Flareheart was Amberleaf's voice. They had a peculiar oneness about them: they were kin and mates, holy, and in all things complementary.
"Follow us," Flareheart said in a soft voice. Amberleaf led the way, blinking at Sparktail with no emotion.
"Yes, Holy Ones," Sparktail said meekly. The pair were young and had not yet had their litter of its, but Flareheart had announced their time to be close. Sparktail wasn't sure what that meant, but Amberleaf had been looking plumper than usual. Perhaps she was expecting her brother's kits.
Amberleaf led Flareheart and Sparktail out of the camp and into SunClan's territory. The forest was dying, and all the death around her reminded her of what the Fire Ceremony was for: bringing water back to the land, ending the long drought.
After a while, Amberleaf stopped in front of a small den.
"Enter," Flareheart said. "We will keep watch over you and the MoonClan representative until tomorrow night."
"Thank you, Holy Ones," Sparktail said respectfully, dipping her head to the priest and the healer. Then she braced herself to see her new companion and entered the den.
He was a large tom, larger than most. His pelt was a silvery-white color, the color of the moon. He was asleep, his paws bound with cobwebs and thorns. Sparktail settled into one of the two nests in the den, suddenly tired, and promptly dropped off into the dream realm.
Her dreams were full of fire, but Sparktail was not afraid. She heard voices crying her name: Flareheart, Brightsun, Blazeclaw, Flamefeather. As the flames licked at her paws, she smiled.
She woke. Judging by the thin strips of sunlight showing through the brambled den, it was just past dawn. She blinked to clear her eyes, then stretched her limbs.
Across from her, there was a slight movement. Instinctively, Sparktail unsheathed her claws, but it was only the MoonClan prisoner waking up.
Groggily, he opened his eyes and sat up in his nest. He was big—bigger than her, big enough to bump his head on the Ceremonial Den's ceiling when he sat up straight. His silvery white pelt rippled with hidden muscle, and his sleepy blue eyes even showed intelligence.
When the tom saw her, he froze. "SunClan!" he spat out, eyes flashing like ice.
Sparktail rolled her eyes. "Just one warrior, Moon-worm."
"You're all barbaric," he snarled.
"No, just loyal to the Sun Lord," she replied, unimpressed. His body bespoke strength, but his words showed weakness.
"Why are you here?" he demanded.
"For the same reason you are: to participate in the Fire Ceremony," Sparktail answered.
Hope appeared in the white tom's clear blue eyes. "Then you'll help me escape?"
"Why would I do that?" Sparktail said in disgust. "I am honored to represent SunClan in the ceremony."
"You mean—you volunteered for this?" the tom said incredulously. "But—you know what the Fire Ceremony is, right?"
"Yes, of course," Sparktail snapped. "The Fire Ceremony is giving yourself up to the Sun Lord's flame."
"It's ritual sacrifice by fire!" the tom exclaimed. "This will kill you!"
"If that is what it takes to bring water to our land, I will submit," Sparktail said humbly. "This is the greatest honor I could hope for. I will have the highest glory in the Sun Lord's kingdom of the Flaming Sky."
"You're insane," the tom said flatly.
"I am glorious!" Sparktail spat.
"...What's your name?" the tom asked, abruptly changing the subject. "I'm Frostclaw."
"Sparktail," she sniffed.
There was an awkward pause, during which the tom, Frostclaw, glanced at the entrance.
"There's no use trying to escape," Sparktail told him. "We're guarded, by the priest and the healer."
"I could easily overpower them," Frostclaw said scornfully. "Your priest's blind, so he can't fight, and the healer's mute, so she can't scream for help."
"But I'm here," she snarled, showing him her sharp teeth and claws. "And you wouldn't dare attack holy cats, anyway."
"No, I wouldn't," Frostclaw admitted, "but these cats are evil, not holy."
Sparktail glared at him. "You'd have to go through me first."
"True enough." Frostclaw sat back down. His belly rumbled. "Do you feed your prisoners?" he complained. "I haven't had anything to eat since before I was kidnapped."
"The representatives must be purified before the ceremony," Sparktail explained. "We will be able to eat only one fire lizard and some herbs prepared by the healer."
Frostclaw made a face. "I'd hoped to have just one more fat dormouse before I died," he said sorrowfully.
Something inside Sparktail felt a little bad about that, but she said nothing. She settled back down into her nest and closed her eyes. "We can't go anywhere do anything until sunset," she said, "so you might as well sleep until then."
"I've been asleep for almost a whole day," Frostclaw complained. "I'm bored. I want to do something." He paused. "Tell me about SunClan."
"I can't give away secrets to a Moon-worm like you!" Sparktail protested, sitting back up. "That's treason!"
Frostclaw shrugged. "We're both going to die tonight anyway. You might as well. It's not like I could tell MoonClan."
"Well..." Sparktail paused, relaxing. He did have a point. "...all right."
She cleared her throat and began. Frostclaw was a good listener. He added intelligent comments and questions, but didn't interrupt too often.
Before she knew it, Sparktail had revealed her entire history. It was sunhigh by the time she realized that she was now the listener: Frostclaw had been absorbed into the storytelling mood as well, and was relating tales of MoonClan.
Sparktail was intrigued by his story of Rivermoon, MoonClan's leader. She had never heard Brightsun's tragic tale of how his daughter "realized the evil and barbarity of the Sun Lord and fled to the Moon Queen's loving sanctuary," as Frostclaw put it. It sounded more like treason to her.
By the time dusk arrived, Sparktail didn't hate her companion anymore. She didn't like him, certainly, but she didn't hate him.
And hearing about the peaceful, happy (if fearful) life of a MoonClan cat... she felt rather guilty that she was participating in killing this tom. She was beginning to wonder if glory in the second life was worth cutting her first life short.
Amberleaf poked her head into the den, two dead fire lizards (well, they were really just salamanders) and two bundles of herbs in her jaws. Quietly, she dropped them at Sparktail and Frostclaw's paws.
Obediently, Sparktail slurped up the salamander and swallowed the bitter-tasting herbs. Frostclaw did as well, though he made a face as he did so. Panic began to show in his eyes. The sun was setting, and they were about to march into glory.
.:INTO DEATH:.
The Fire Ceremony. Moon Queen save me from the Sun Lord's wrath.
Frostclaw repeated that phrase in his mind over and over again. It was an age-old MoonClan prayer, set up when MoonClan's first leader, Puremoon, was subjected to the same torture he was. It had worked for her—she had been saved by her Clanmates. Hopefully it would work for him, too.
SunClan's healer and priest stood outside, staring at him gravely. Frostclaw hated SunClan, but he had to admit they took their religion seriously. They did everything in order with their beliefs, but their beliefs were insane. Murder, sacrifice, strange and terrible rites... MoonClan had none of this. They held peace meetings, where cats met to talk out their problems, and hunted and talked in joy.
MoonClan was a happy place, but it was forever plagued by SunClan's warriors. Whenever something went wrong—an illness, a drought, a snow—they attacked MoonClan. Sometimes they just killed, and killed, and killed; other times they kidnapped cats for their Fire Ceremony. It never occurred to them that their Sun Lord might be displeased with them, the murderers, instead of the peaceful MoonClan cats.
"Come with us," the male—the priest—told him and Sparktail. Sparktail nodded obediently, padding after the two "holy" cats.
Reluctantly, Frostclaw followed the SunClan warrior. Sparktail. She was something else. He honestly didn't know what to make of her. She seemed intelligent, interesting, and exciting: someone he would like to be friends with, if they were both in MoonClan. His sister, Lilyheart, was a lot like Sparktail. But on the other hand, Sparktail was so rigid and firm in her beliefs in the bloodthirsty Sun Lord: she was insanely loyal to SunClan.
He glanced around. Shadows lurked beneath SunClan's dry and fading trees. The stars glinted in the deep blue-black sky. The moon hid behind a thin veil of clouds, blending the edges of the world together with its faint light.
Up ahead, Frostclaw heard a strange sound. There were two sounds, actually. One was vaguely familiar: the cheering of many voices. He frowned. No, it wasn't so much cheering, it was more like... chanting. He had very good ears, and could barely pick up a few words here and there:
"Fire...sun...death...stars...Brightsun..."
The other noise was something he had never heard before. It was a crackling sort of sound, with occasional pops and snaps here and there. He soon realized they were almost to SunClan's camp. He had been subconsciously mapping out their territory, so he could escape and return to MoonClan with valuable secrets if he survived.
Above the trees, a strange, warm glow appeared. It grew stronger as they approached, and he eventually realized what the sound and the glow were: fire.
While Frostclaw had heard much of this strange fire, he had never actually seen it before. As he ducked under a bush behind Sparktail, he caught his first glimpse of the flames.
It was... glorious. Suddenly he understood what Sparktail had been speaking of: she had seen fire before, so she must have felt what he was feeling now. The flames were contained inside SunClan's camp, in a strange circle of rocks, but inside them, they leapt and roared majestically. Brilliant reds and whites danced together in the flames, and he could feel the intense heat of the flames. He gasped audibly, caught up in the beauty.
"Do you understand now?" Sparktail whispered to him as the healer and the priest approached SunClan's leader, Brightsun, leaving them behind.
"Yes," Frostclaw whispered in awe. Then he blinked, shaking his head. What was he thinking? Fire was a symbol of the Sun Lord. He was about to be pushed into that beautiful inferno! He would die, covered in heat, consumed by the glorious flames!
"But it's not worth it," he added quickly. "It is beautiful, but it's not worth dying for."
"It's more than just beautiful, it's glorious," Sparktail snapped. "And it will bring you honor in the Flaming Sky, whether you want it or not."
"Not worth it," he repeated quietly.
The chanting around them—for all of SunClan was gathered a safe distance away from the fire, watching—died down as Brightsun stood.
"Cats of SunClan," he said loudly, his voice rich and smooth, "I welcome you here tonight to witness the most sacred and honorable of our rituals: the Fire Ceremony."
There was a wild cheer from the audience. Frostclaw, watching the dancing flames, felt sick to his stomach. They were cheering for his demise. They wanted him to die. But still... they thought it was a good thing. They thought their victims would go straight to paradise with their god, and many of them would willingly give their lives, just as Sparktail was doing, to receive such honor.
And they also thought it would bring water back to the land. Frostclaw didn't quite understand how that worked, though.
"The two sacrifices are Sparktail of SunClan, the Sun Lord's daughter; and Frostclaw of MoonClan, the Moon Queen's son."
Frostclaw scowled. While SunClan claimed to be descendants of their god, no MoonClan cat was absurd enough to say they were the child of the Moon Queen. That was such a lie.
"I will now step back," Brightsun concluded, "and let our honorable Holy Ones perform the ritual."
A murmur of excitement raced through the watching crowd as Brightsun stepped back to join them. Their eyes glinted with the reflection of the fire, eager and maniacal. Frostclaw made a face, his stomach cringing along with the rest of him.
The healer and the priest stepped forward.
"We have purified the sacrifices," the priest said loudly, his head turned up to the sky. "We have prepared the sacred flames. We turn our voices to the Sun Lord, and beg his mercy: in this Fire Ceremony, grant us water."
"Water, water, water," the crowd hissed after him. Frostclaw shivered as a chill of fear raced through his icy-colored fur.
"O Sun Lord!" the priest shouted. "The sacrifices are ready!" He turned to them, his cloudy amber eyes staring into Frostclaw's soul. "Step forward, Sparktail of SunClan. Step into the flames. The Sun Lord will take you to his paradise, the Flaming Sky, and you will receive the highest and most eternal glory of all!"
Sparktail, eyes bright with religious fervor, glanced at him, a wild smile adorning her face.
"I'm ready," she breathed. "May the Sun Lord bless this land!" Without a second hesitation, she leaped forward... straight into the flames.
Frostclaw gasped in horror. For a moment, the crowd went still and silent as Sparktail stood, her head raised up in a rapture of insanity. Then her fur caught flame, and the dancing flames saw they had a feast. They pounced and quickly began to devour the sacrifice.
What a waste, Frostclaw thought numbly through the sudden screams of pain and horror from Sparktail's burning body.
She crumpled as the fire consumed her. At last, her shrieks were only echoes in the air, bouncing around the walls of the camp. Frostclaw thought he could make out the charred remains of Sparktail's corpse lying in the embers, but he didn't look too hard. He knew he was next.
Brightsun stood. "Sparktail!" he cried. "Sparktail, Sparktail!" Soon her whole Clan was chanting her name: but not mourning the loss of such a young and talented warrior, but rejoicing in her "heroic and glorious" sacrifice.
Frostclaw hoped she really was rewarded for her mindless bravery and insane devotion to her Clan and her god. She deserved that glory she had been promised.
He, however, was planning his escape. As he turned around, glancing at possible exists, he felt a presence beside him: a SunClan warrior, with bright ginger fur.
"Don't dare try to escape, Moon-worm," the ginger tom growled. "You're going in too."
"Step forward, Frostclaw of MoonClan," the priest said, repeating his previous words. "Step into the flames. The Sun Lord will take you to his paradise, the Flaming Sky, and you will receive the highest and most eternal glory of all!"
Frostclaw shivered, filled with despair. "Moon Queen grant me peace," he whispered. "The world would be a better place without SunClan."
Then the warrior behind him gave him a shove and he staggered into the flames, to be consumed just as Sparktail had been. The glory of fire raged around him, and he hoped with his last, dying breath, that someday, SunClan would get what was coming to them...
.:INTO FLAME:.
NOTICE:
MuffinClan has changed since I wrote this. I am proud of this challenge and I'm not taking it down, but I would like you to know that I have left the forum and no longer affiliate myself with it.