A/N: Here is the first chapter of Tales of the Evil. Hope you enjoy! Please review!
Characters
Havensky – White tom with ginger tabby ears and tail and blue eyes
Lynxstar – Pale brown she-cat with darker tabby legs and umber eyes
Pumpkinpelt – Ginger tabby tom with pale amber eyes
Ridgerise – Brown she-cat with pale ginger stripes and pale blue eyes
Spikeclaw – Pale gray tom with yellow-green eyes
Slightstripe – Gray tom with a single white stripe and dark blue eyes
Saltbreeze – White she-cat with very pale gray stripes and yellow eyes
Rigidtail – Dark ginger tabby tom with half a tail and pale yellow eyes
Horsefoot – Black tom with white splotches and emerald-green eyes
Bearstrike – Large brown tom with gold eyes
Frozenpaw – White she-cat with pink eyes
Floodpaw – Pale gray tom with light blue eyes
Lakestar – Tortiseshell she-cat with light amber eyes
Flameflight – Ginger she-cat with yellow-green eyes
Crowheart – Black tom with blue eyes and covered in scars
Oh, hello little kits. Did you come to hear a story? You want to hear something scary? Very well, I have just the tale for you.
It was a dark night when it all began. I remember it as if it had only happened yesterday. Dust was swirling in the midnight breeze, the wind spreading it over the fallow wasteland in which my Clan lives. I was out for a midnight hunt, hoping to catch something to feed my starving Clan in that tough leaf-bare. I had just scented a lizard. I crept quietly across the sand. When I spotted the lizard I realized something was wrong. The lizard was dead, something sticking out of its head. I stepped closer and saw that it was a small twig. How could this have happened? I thought. It had to have been caused by an outside force; no lizard would have done that to itself.
I picked up the lizard and headed back to camp. The others may know what happened to this lizard. When I walked into camp, I spotted Lynxstar on the other side of the clearing, talking with Ridgerise, the Clan medicine cat. Their heads were close together and they seemed to be trying to keep out of earshot of the other cats in the clearing. As I came within earshot, they cut off their conversation abruptly and turned to look at me.
"What do you need?" Lynxstar asked me, not bothering to acknowledge me by name, "I'm very busy so make this quick." I showed her the lizard.
When she caught sight of the stick in the lizard's head, Ridgerise let out a fearful gasp, "He's coming, oh great StarClan, he's coming!" She turned around and sprinted away in the direction of her den.
Lynxstar looked as if she had just seen a Dark Forest warrior. "What's wrong Lynxstar?" I asked, concerned for my leader.
"Nothing that concerns you, filthy fleabag! Leave me," she snarled. I just dipped my head and padded to the warriors den. All of us were used to the kind of abuse our leader showed us, she cared for none of her Clanmates.
As I curled up in my nest, a pale gray tom raised his head and looked at me, his yellow-green eyes glinting in the faint starlight. "How did the hunting go, Havensky?" he asked. Spikeclaw was one of the least liked warriors in the Clan, but he had been my best friend since kithood.
"Not very good. All I found was a dead lizard," I replied. Spikeclaw must have heard the confusion in my voice. He gave me his trademark I know something's up look. I decided to tell him about what had happened. "When I found the dead lizard it had a twig stuck in its skull. I took it to show Lynxstar. She was talking to Ridgerise. When they saw the lizard, they looked like they were being attacked by a hoard of Dark Forest warriors."
Spikeclaw had listened intently throughout my story. "That is very strange. I wonder what they were talking about." His head was tipped to one side, his yellow-green eyes thoughtful. He got to his paws and started to exit the den. "I'm going hunting. I'll be back later."
"I hope you have better luck than I did!" I called. I put my head on my paws and drifted off to sleep.
I woke up to an eerie wail coming from the clearing the next morning. I groggily got to my paws and exited the den. What I saw as I entered the clearing, I have never forgotten. Lying in the center of the clearing was a lump of brown tabby fur. A white she-cat named Saltbreeze was crouched next to the body. The wail that had awoken me had come from her. "Oh, Willowheart! Who did this to you?" she wailed to the dawn sky. Willowheart had been her mate and she was expecting his kits.
The sun was just coming over the horizon, warming the cold desert air. I looked around and spotted Lynxstar jumping onto the Speaking Boulder. She yowled the summons and all the cats gathered around her, even Saltbreeze. "A terrible crime has been committed," she began, "Someone has murdered Willowheart. Whoever this killer is will be punished to the limits of the warrior code," she ended the speech with a snarl.
As I turned to find Pumpkinpelt, the deputy, to be put on patrol, I got my first good look at Willowheart's body. His brown head was crushed, maybe by a rock. And through his throat, was a stick. I turned away from the grisly sight, horrified. Who would have done this? I could not think of anyone as fiendish as to do this, not even Lynxstar.
Pumpkinpelt sent me on a border patrol with Slightstripe, Rigidtail, and Slightstripe's apprentice Frozenpaw that day. We were sent to patrol the NightClan border. As we were renewing the scent markers, I noticed something was off. I couldn't put a paw on it, but something definitely wasn't right.
As we headed back to the camp, I heard a rustling movement in the sand behind us. I whipped around, but saw nothing. As I turned to catch up with the patrol I heard something, something I will never forget: The accursed one shall kill you all and bask in your blood.
Blue eyes wide and white fur on end, I hurried to catch up to the patrol. They weren't very far ahead, checking out a strange scent. I saw that they were uneasy as I approached. "What took so long Havensky?" asked Rigidtail.
"I was checking out a suspicious scent," I lied. I didn't want to tell anyone about what I heard in case I was imagining the whole thing. Rigidtail turned away, satisfied. Slightstripe beckoned me over with his tail.
"Do you recognize this scent?" he asked silently. I opened my mouth and drew in the scent. It smelled like crowfood and… something else. I couldn't put a paw on where I knew that smell from.
"I do, but I don't know where from," I mumbled, half to myself. Slightstripe looked disturbed, but lead the patrol on. We came to a halt under a stunted cactus, out of the sun's harsh rays, hot even in leaf-bare. "Why are we stopping?" I asked. I felt uneasy in this place, so close to the Boneyard.
The Boneyard was where my Clan buried its dead. It was a vast plain of grave after grave. It unnerved even the most fearless warriors, and it was even said that spirits of restless warriors wandered the Boneyard, looking for a body to possess. We were warned as kits not to enter the Boneyard after dark.
"We must rest, even if this is not an ideal spot to do so," replied Slightstripe, his voice wavering in fear. His dark blue eyes darted back and forth. His tail quivered, showing that he too did not want to be here. Frozenpaw kept casting glances in the direction of the Boneyard, her strange pink eyes showing her fear. Even the brave Rigidtail was looking uncomfortable. My eyes were drawn to the Boneyard as if I was waiting for a spirit to appear in broad daylight. I shook my head and turned my attention back to my Clanmates.
"How long are we going to rest, Slightstripe?" asked Frozenpaw fearfully. She was shaking from ears to tail-tip and I could smell her fear-scent.
"Not much longer, if you feel like you can handle the heat," replied Slightstripe.
"I can handle it."
"Okay, then let's get back to camp." Slightstripe got to his paws and shook out his gray pelt. The rest of us did the same and we headed back to camp.
An eerie wail greeted us as we entered the camp and a gruesome sight met our eyes as we came through the thorn tunnel, "No! Not Horsefoot too! Not my brother!" The wail had come from none other than poor Saltbreeze.
We just stood there; staring in shock at Horsefoot's lacerated body, our eyes wide. There were claw marks across his face and flanks, and his tail was only just being held on by a single tendon. There was a chunk of fur and flesh missing from his stomach, obviously bitten off by Horsefoot's assailant. All the wounds still oozed crimson blood, soaking the ground around the mutilated corpse.
But worst of all, was the massive rock-shaped dent in his skull and the twig protruding from his throat. Horsefoot's body had been placed on its side and showed both sides of his neck, allowing us to see part of his throat hanging out the other side, stuck on the stick and covered in blood.
"Great StarClan! What happened here?" I had finally found my voice and pierced the silence with my question. Saltbreeze looked up at me, her yellow eyes glistening with grief and fear.
"The killer struck again," she whispered hoarsely, her white and gray pelt bristling in fear. She then returned to her silent mourning.
I was just about to turn and head to the warriors den for a quick nap when Lynxstar yowled the traditional summons and the Clan gathered in the clearing. I instead sat down, keeping as far away from Horsefoot's bloody corpse as I could.
"Cats of DesertClan! There is a killer among us, and he has struck again, murdering Horsefoot. Whoever has committed these horrendous crimes will be found and taken down," Lynxstar said, rage filling her voice, "I have decided to give the killer a chance to show themselves, in return for their life. Step forward now, and I may decide to spare you."
Nobody moved, nobody dared talk, and we sat there in silence, waiting for the killer to step forward. No one did. "Very well, then. Just be warned, when we find you, you are crowfood." Lynxstar leapt off the Speaking Boulder and stalked off to her den.
I then realized why the brown she-cat was so upset. Horsefoot and Saltbreeze were her sister's kits. Her sister had died long before this from a rattlesnake bite. They were all she had left of her sister and now one of them was dead.
At that moment, Spikeclaw padded into camp with a dead bird hanging from his jaws. He dropped the bird in surprise when he saw Horsefoot's body. "Wh-what happened t-to him?" Spikeclaw asked in a shocked voice.
As I told him what had happened, Spikeclaw began to shake. "What's wrong?" I asked, worried about my friend.
He took a deep breath, "I was sent out on a hunting patrol with him and Bearstrike. I decided to do some solo hunting, thinking I might be able to catch something extra. I had just caught this bird when I heard someone call my name. I turned around to see Horsefoot calling to me. I walked toward him and waited for him to explain what he was doing. Then, everything went black," Spikeclaw broke off with a shudder. I gestured with my ginger tail for him to continue, "When I woke up, Horsefoot was gone, but there was a set of pawprints in the sand and a mark like someone had been dragged. It went in the direction of the Boneyard."
I stared at him, speechless. I didn't know what I should say. So, I just sat there staring at him. Spikeclaw's eyes were glittering with fear and he looked like he was going to collapse. I finally said, "Let's get you to your nest; you've had a long morning. Also, it's almost sunhigh."
I lead him to his nest and curled up next to him until he fell into a fitful sleep. Then, I went to my own nest and fell into a deep sleep. Before I did though, I heard something, and I never forgot that voice: You're next.
That afternoon, I awoke to no wails of agony. No one else had been struck down. I glanced over at Spikeclaw's nest, hoping he would still be asleep. He was gone. I stretched and exited the den. In the clearing, Saltbreeze was still sitting vigil for Horsefoot. The stick had been removed from his throat and his black and white pelt now smelled of rosemary.
I scanned the clearing for Pumpkinpelt. I spotted him under the ledge overhanging the leaders den talking with Ridgerise and Lynxstar. As before, their heads were close together and they were out of earshot of the other cats in the clearing. And as before, they broke off as I approached.
I dipped my head respectfully and turned to Pumpkinpelt, "Are there any patrols I can join?"
"Hmm," he tipped his head thoughtfully, "You can lead the evening patrol. Take Bearstrike, Slightstripe, and your apprentice Floodpaw. Ridgerise says he is well enough to leave the camp."
I nodded again and padded off to gather the patrol. I poked my head in the apprentices den and prodded Floodpaw awake. Once he was awake, he was eager to get out on patrol. We headed to the warriors den and awoke Bearstrike and Slightstripe. We walked through the thorn barrier, thorns scraping our pelts.
The evening air was cool on our fur. The sky was streaked with a rosy red color that night. We padded along the HiddenClan border, renewing scent markers and checking for out of place scents. We finished our job with no problems.
It was as we were heading back that the trouble began. We were halfway back to camp when Floodpaw stopped abruptly. "What are you doing?" I growled.
"I smell something," was his reply. His light blue eyes were narrowed in concentration as he scented the air. "It's NightClan! On our territory!" he exclaimed, "This way!" He took off in the direction of the camp, his light gray pelt bushing in excitement.
Before I could follow, a chilling wail split the air from the direction in which Floodpaw had gone. I took off in his direction with Slightstripe and Bearstrike on my tail. We came over a sand dune and found Floodpaw.
He was standing over Frozenpaw's lifeless body, His eyes glazed with horror. Frozenpaw had been his only sister. Her once pretty head was smashed in and there was a stick shoved through her throat. Just like the others, I though in horror. Blood oozed from her throat. I stepped towards my apprentice.
I sat beside him and let him lean against me. He had been so excited just a few heartbeats ago, hoping to try out his battle skills. Floodpaw had been crushed and horrified to find Frozenpaw's body. I felt sorry for him.
Slightstripe let out a small whimper of grief. He was Floodpaw's and Frozenpaw's father. He bent down and pressed his nose into his daughter's cold fur. Bearstrike stood there not knowing what to say in order to comfort the broken family before him.
Bearstrike and I let them have some time to grieve before gently nudging them away. I hauled Frozenpaw onto Bearstrike's back with the help of a grieving Floodpaw. We then turned and headed toward the camp.
The NigtClan scent Floodpaw had noticed earlier had grown steadily stronger the closer we got to the camp. No yowls or screeches were heard as we reached the thorn tunnel. Must be a peaceful visit, I thought with relief.
It was hard maneuvering our load through the thorn tunnel. A few times Frozenpaw's fur got caught and she was yanked off Bearstrike's back. We ended up dragging her the rest of the way.
We were greeted with shocked yowls as we finally made our way into the clearing. Standing in the middle with Lynxstar and Pumpkinpelt were Lakestar and Flameflight, the leader and deputy of NightClan. It seemed as if the whole Clan was gathered around them.
Both leaders whipped around to look at us. I saw shock and grief in Lynxstar's umber eyes. Curiosity was all the NightClan leader showed. "I see your Clan is having," Lakestar paused, "problems. I hope it's not too serious. We wouldn't want this precious Clan wiped out," Lakestar finished, her silky voice full of sarcasm.
This angered Lynxstar, "You have insulted this Clan one time too many. Leave our territory now or your Clan may find itself without their precious leader," her voice was low and serious, she meant what she had said and Lakestar knew it.
She dipped her head and turned to leave, "Come, Flameflight, we wouldn't want to anger these poor little kitties," she said with a smirk. They sauntered out of camp, oblivious to how truly horrific our situation was.
Lynxstar turned to my patrol, her tail lashing in rage. Her eyes showed her horror as her gaze raked Frozenpaw's body. "Where did you find her?" she whispered.
"About halfway to the HiddenClan border," I rasped.
"B-by the B-boneyard?" Lynxstar stammered, throwing a glance in that direction.
"No, a ways past that."
Lynxstar visibly relaxed, "That's where the others were found."
I heard the thorn barrier rustle behind me and whipped around to see who it was. Spikeclaw burst through the barrier, his flanks heaving, "They're coming! Run while you still can!"
I stepped forward, "Who's coming, Spikeclaw? Who?"
"Th-the s-spirits of the Dark F-Forest, and they want revenge," Spikeclaw's voice became deeper and his yellow-green eyes became blue as he said this. We backed away, our fur bristling in fear. Spikeclaw advanced, a growl forming in his throat.
"Spikeclaw, what's wrong?" I whispered.
"Oh, I'm not Spikeclaw. I'm just borrowing his body," Spikeclaw let out a cackling mmrrow of laughter, his blue eyes menacing.
Lynxstar backed even further away, eyes wide and fearful. Then, she turned around and raced away. As she reached her den, dark shapes began slipping through the thorn tunnel and attacked the cats in the clearing.
I leapt on a brown tabby she-cat and clawed her ears. She hissed and threw me off, jumping on me as I hit the hard, sandy ground and clawing my belly.
Then, I felt something strike my skull and everything went black.
I woke up outside the camp, on a wide plain. Mounds dotted the land as far as I could see in my state. Once my vision cleared I saw Slightstripe, Bearstrike, and Saltbreeze lying on their sides in the sand. I stood and stumbled over to where they lay. I nudged them awake.
Saltbreeze groaned, "Where are we, and why does my head hurt so badly?"
I let my gaze rake the surrounding, trying to determine where we were. I heard Slightstripe gasp, "We are in the Boneyard," he exclaimed fearfully.
A low voice sounded nearby, "Correct, puny Clan cat, and welcome to your worst nightmare,"
When I faced the owner of the voice, I recognized him immediately, "Crowheart!" I meowed, remembering the ruthless tyrant that had nearly destroyed our Clan, "But we killed you."
"Yes, you did. But I lived on in the Dark Forest, plotting my revenge on this pathetic Clan," He purred in a silky tone. I suddenly remembered the scent from that morning. Under the stench of crowfood, had been his scent.
"It was you! You killed Willowheart and Horsefoot!" Saltbreeze mewed in sudden understanding.
"It was not just me, my dear Saltbreeze. Your little Clanmate Spikeclaw helped me," Crowheart let out an amused purr as Saltbreeze recoiled in horror.
"H-how could you persuade him to help you? Spikeclaw's too soft to do such a terrible thing," Saltbreeze questioned looking skeptical.
Crowheart smirked, "I thought you'd never ask," He charged toward me, turning into vapor as he ran. I stumbled backward as he hit me. My vision began to dull and I thought I heard someone call out my name.
I heard Crowheart's voice as my vision turned black. You're mine now. And you have no choice but to obey my commands.
As my vision cleared, my body moved toward the others. I had no control of my body, but Crowheart did. My mouth opened but it was not my voice that came out.
"As you can see, I have taken control of your friend, Havensky. He has no choice but to let me use his body. And now, a demonstration of how I kill," I surged forward, grasping a rock in my mouth as I ran.
The first cat in my way was Bearstrike. My body stopped in front of him and took the rock out of my mouth. Bearstrike arched his back and hissed, "Get out of my Clanmate, you vile beast!"
With the rock in my paw my body darted to one side and leapt on Bearstrike. Crowheart curled my claws around the rock and slammed the rock into his head, crushing his skull. He crumpled to the ground as I whipped around and searched for something.
When my body finally stopped, it was standing over a stick. Crowheart grasped it in my teeth. He made me walk back over to where Bearstrike lay, groaning and drove the stick through his throat.
His life ended with a gurgling cry. And all I could do was watch in horror. Say goodnight Havensky.
Everything went dark.
I awoke to a scene of total destruction. I was in the camp. The barrier was destroyed and dead cats were everywhere, their bodies mutilated by Crowheart's sticks and stones. Groggily, I got to my paws to search for survivors.
I found Ridgerise cowering behind the Speaking Boulder and Floodpaw shivering in the leaders den. I found a few others, not many but enough to keep the Clan alive. Pumpkinpelt was also among the survivors. But Spikeclaw had perished defending his Clan. Everyone else was dead with a stick in their throat and a dent in their head.
When I asked who had done this, Floodpaw told me that with Crowheart using my body, he lead the Dark Forest in a second attack. They cornered each cat and killed them in the same gruesome way he had killed the others. He also said he had to kill my body in order to kill Crowheart. I still have the scars where he had to slit my throat. StarClan sent me back to my body when the battle was over.
That is my story. I hope you enjoyed my horrible tale. The lesson? I flashed them a hideous grin, Be wary of every cat. I surged forward, a stick in grasped in my jaws and a stone clutched in my paw.
A/N: This wasn't my best. I hope you enjoyed though. Don't forget to review!