I allowed a screech to rip from my throat as the battle began to surge around me. My leader. My savior. My friend. His name was Falconstar and I was fighting for him. The evil tyrant of the forest who had let rouges run free and steal most of the clan cats food that they spend time gathering. Yes. I still followed him.
He made me a warrior. Others thought I couldn't but it was because of him I received my warrior name. Jayflight. It suited me.
I lept onto the back of Foxfeather, a Rustyclan warrior who I had loathed since kithood. She snarled and writhed as I held on, sinking my claws deep into her shoulders causing blood to drip onto my paws. Not that I could see it. I was the only blind cat in Rustyclan and the first to ever be a warrior.
I sank my teeth into Foxfeather's scruff and hurled her towards the Highrock. I heard the sound of a loud thud over the battle cries and knew that she was down for the time being.
Quickly I turned towards the puny warriors who were fighting. Compared to the rouges they were weak. Moons of starvation and illness without treatment surely had gotten to them. I scented their illness. The weakness of their limbs and the wounds they were receiving. I almost wanted to help them. Almost.
I dashed into the fray and cannoned into Tangleheart. He was old and frail, but he as well needed to know the power of Falconstar. The old tom was slashing out at a rouge when I barreled right into his exposed belly, knocking him over. I was shocked at how I could feel his ribs during my attack but I refused to falter as a swiped an unsheathed claw down the old cats face.
"Jayflight! Stop! You're better than this. Don't you see that Falconstar is using you? Using everyone who fights for him?" The old cat hissed quietly through the pain. I snarled as he continued. "What would your mother say? Rustyclan is your home. Why are you-" I cut him off with a strong blow to his flank.
"Shut it you old badger. You know nothing about the bond Falconstar and I share!" I lifted a paw for the finishing blow when suddenly a loud yowl ripped through the sky bringing the entire fight to a halt. I sniffed the air and at first I only scented Leopardtail. Then I scented a cat that caused a snarl to rip from my throat. "Tigerstar! You murderer!" I hissed as I took off towards the tom only to be stopped by a cat about his age, only bigger by the smell of him. A lot bigger.
"I hope you're not going after my leader you filthy traitor!" The cat hissed. The sound of his voice caused me to stop. "Runningpaw." I had met the tom during the Gatherings with Bloodclan back in the days before Falconstar. He had been a Bloodclan apprentice and was supposed to be dead. Just. Like. Tigerstar!
I hurled myself at him, only to have the swift tom duck underneath my attack. "Wrong kitty. I'm Running[i]flash[/i], deputy of Sunsetclan now, and you are just a simple warrior who lost his way." I grew furious and began full on attack against the warrior only, to have him dodge every blow. It was infuriating.
Finally a wail from a young apprentice snapped both of us into focus. "Frostpaw!" Runningflash screeched, seeing her in danger and raced away from me. I started to give chase when something far more interesting caught my attention. Tigerstar was facing off with a rouge. Blood and death could be scented mingling from the area. I knew I may never get another chance like this.
I suddenly felt weightless. My mind stopped thinking and my heart seemed to stop beating. I felt my paws take me into what seemed like flight before curling under me as I awaited the impact to come.
I gasped as I slammed into Tigerstar's muscular flank, knocking the Sunsetclan leader off his paws. I forced myself back onto my paws and sensed Tigerstar trying to do the same. All emotion left me suddenly. I felt just as I had when I had stood by while Falconstar killed Stormstar and Redstar except this time it was stronger. I could sense the power of Falconstar forcing me to finish what I had started.
I slammed my paw down on Tigerstar's neck to prevent him from rising to his paws and surely killing me. I felt my mind go blank as I scored my claws lightly across Tigerstar's throat but not enough to break the skin.
"No Jayflight!" My brother's voice sounded nearby. "Don't do it. I know you're better than this. You're not like Falconstar! Please..."
"You're wrong Cloudtail. It's too late for me." I murmured softly. I turned my blind gaze towards him trying to tell him to stop me. Not to let me do this, but it was too late. Jayflight was gone. Falconstar now controlled me just like Tangleheart had said. I was lost. "I'm too deep in the darkness to see the light. I am just as bad as Falconstar. And I'll prove it to you now. I could never have been good. My destiny was to be heartless," I meowed without any control. I looked away from my brother in shame before power fulled my body once more. I then lifted my head up and raised a forepaw before sinking my claws deep into Tigerstar's throat. My claws moved without my command and ripped Tigerstar right down to his hind leg. I felt his blood spray onto my paws and chest as he gasped in shock. I felt Tigerstar's sons push past me, but Tigerstar was dead to me now. I didn't care that life was still in his body. I was finished with him. I fled from the scene and raced into the flames that had formed without my notice. I kept running, not caring that fire singed my coat and skin, not caring that I slipped when my blood coated paws slid across the dry ground. I had to leave. I didn't know where I would go, but I knew that staying here was not going to happen. I had to go. I had to run. I had to find where my true loyalties lied.
