Prologue
The moon was hardly a sliver in the sky, the shape of a silvery-white claw. Shadows were cast across the forest, hiding the scene of the deportation of one of the land's criminals, but the sound rose above the treetops and echoed around the forest. Leaves rustled as a warm breeze snaked through the undergrowth, the long, thick branches waving as if to ward off evil. There was a blast of angry breath as a cat was pushed roughly onto a raft, woven of the finest wood and vines.
Thorn-covered vines circled tightly around the cat's paws, digging into his jet-black fur and causing thin trickles of blood to wind down onto the already stained floor. Four cats, masked by the shadows, held each end of the vine in their jaws, yanking sharply on the plant if the prisoner struggled too hard. The black cat's breathing was shallow and ragged, yet deep as he jerked his head around, staring at his keepers with unblinking, icy eyes.
"So, you thought you could get away from us?" a deep voice rumbled. The raft dipped to one side as another cat stepped on board, and the two guards remaining at the shore pushed the watercraft away.
The large cat made his way to the front of the raft. A breeze blew from the surface of the ocean, the spray blasting into his face and whipping back his fur. The scent of salt was strong atop the waves, and water splashed over the side, drenching the criminal's pelt. There was no break in the even rhythm of the black cat's breathing; it remained the same pace. He did not answer the question, instead busying himself in glaring at the wood on which he stood.
"I hear your name is Jasper," continued the large cat. "Slayer of ten of the innocent."
The prisoner still said nothing, his ears flattening against his head. He kneaded his claws in and out of the soaked wood of the raft, his long tail lashing back and forth. After a long moment of silence, there was a jerk as the raft bumped against the shore of the prisoners' island. With a quick flick of his tail, the leader of the guards nimbly stepped onto shore.
Immediately, the vines around the criminal's paws tightened painfully. He gritted his teeth together as he bit back a screech of pain, forcing himself to hobble along after the four silent guards. Each seemed to be made of stone, no expression whatsoever appearing on their faces. Sand crunched softly underneath their paws as they trekked towards the cages of the prisoners. The black cat ducked underneath the ground as he followed reluctantly, his broad head rotating as he took in his surroundings.
The dirt arching overhead was tangled with rocks and grains of sand. Metal boxes were pushed together against the walls, many of them being occupied by scrawny, scarred, and bleeding cats. Each one stared at the newcomer as he passed, yet he hobbled along with his head held high and dignity in each step.
He was thrown into a cage next to an old, battered tom with a dark gray pelt. "Careful next to old Pierce," the leader sneered, unsheathing his claws and pushing the black tom into the cage. "He can get quite...delusional...throughout the course of the day."
The new prisoner snarled as the cage's door was slammed shut behind him. There was the sound of metal sliding against metal as the lock clicked shut. The large tom chuckled to himself as he jabbed a paw through the bars at the old cat, who in turn let out a hiss, his blue eyes rolling back in his head.
"Have fun," the larger cat chortled, his shoulders quivering in his mocking laughter. "Perhaps you'll get lucky and be saved the matter of socializing with your execution."
The black cat narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a fierce snarl and revealing sharp white teeth. He let out a low hiss, his voice contempt as he purred smoothly, "Oh, I'd beg to differ."