A prophecy... a rebellion... a betrayal... and a hero.
Welcome to the New Age.
A blood red moon glimmered on a range of snowcapped peaks. There was a mist shrouded valley tucked away beneath it, and a single star, cold and blue, glinted.
Under an arching elder tree, a medium sized hole, barely visible, was hidden in the roots. Moss padded the hole as it curved downward, deep into the earth, the dirt hard and cool. This was a tunnel that had never felt the warmth of sun or caress of the wind.
As it started to open up, a vast cavern, size of a cathedral, lay at the end. Strange marks were crudely carved into a slab of stone, propped against a dark corner.
A large block of white stone with a green tint towered at the back of the cavern. It was on a large, almost stage-like, place, and it shone with an eerie light that lit everything with a sinister glow.
At the base of the rock, a single figure sat, back bent as it observed a small slice of the stone, long as its claw.
It ran its claws along the dirt, tracing a rune into the dust. Beside it was another, sitting still as stone, its odd green gold eyes glowing.
"Adeo." The first figure rasped quietly. A dangerous edge ran the bolt of his words, smooth as silk. "The stone does not show as you told... Why is that?"
The other figure looked up, the brown fur on it fluffed against the age old chill. "I don't know. The stone has foretold that-"
"I do not care what the stone has told you. I want to know why the stone will not tell me about the rebellion forces. It is the teller of future- yet- it does not yield what it should."
Adeo flinched. "Snowtiger! It should tell you about Sabre-"
"Yet it does not. And this is a mistake I cannot afford. Adeo, your time is over. The New Age can do without a mistaken fool- especially one who cost me a rebellion."
A flash of black claws, a scream, and Adeo lay dead on the hard packed earth. The stone pulsed and glowed brighter with a sickly reddish light, almost as if it fed on the death.
"Each sacrifice, a new age... But..." Snowtiger muttered. "Sabre and his forces will be extinguished. He will regret ever being born here." A snarl crept into his voice. "I will control the felines of all Earth. The New Age is here."
3 years earlier
The setting sun cast blood red rays across a meadow. A crumbling maze of houses was lining the edge of the waving grasses. Mountains towered in the distance, oppressive and threatening.
A shape- a feline- staggered into a ruined house, looking like it was at the end of its strength. Its fur was ragged and matted with blood and clots of dirt, and only the exhausted tread in her paws and the figure of her body gave away she carried young, and her time was here. She sunk gracelessly to the earth, shudders racking her frame. She let out a long, low wail.
Another shape was slinking after her, its blue eyes narrowed. It was a well-muscled white tom, with a haughtiness and power in the way it walked and tigerlike black stripes.
It stood in the doorway, watching pitilessly the she cat trembling on the ground. It was a dark silhouette.
She screeched as a kitten slid out of her, stillborn and cold, unknowing. The cat in the door padded forward slowly, a small scrape sound giving away the claws now scratching the floor. He snarled, and his voice was cold and malicious.
"Cloud." He growled. "Have you fled the valley without my permission? And you attacked Skull of my army. He may not live- because of you-"
"Please, Snowtiger," whispered the she cat. "Have mercy." She gasped as her body rippled and another small kitten slid out, unnoticed by the New Age leader.
He laughed coldly. "You are a threat- and threats must be extinguished." He slashed his claws down her neck, killing her instantly. A few flies started to buzz in. He turned to a grey and white swirled tom behind him. "Let's go, Marble. The vultures will be here soon." He sniggered as he and his advisor bounded out, the sun making their fur look bloody.
In the house, blood pulsed from her throat, and her eyes stared sightlessly at the kit she'd never named.
Outside, a lithe grey cat called Shima padded to the scene of death unknowingly, eyes slitted as she stared after the cruel ruler. Something needed to be done; she was sure of that- he was bent on domination. So far as she knew, he had those who willingly were in his army, and attended the strange meetings under the elder-tree; and those who were forced to obey his cruel laws. She would never g to his side, stoop to his levels.
Shima sniffed, eyes wide in horror as she smelled the scent of blood and death. "Cloud!" she called. "Cloud?"
She stumbled when she saw the she cat, blood soaked and head at an unnatural angle. She could see her friend was dead, murdered by the leader, and with a sniff of repulse, saw flies buzzing around her corpse.
A small movement alerted her to one life in the room. It was a tiny kitten, pawing the air, fur slicked back with blood.
She hurried forward, and grasped it. Looking around fearfully, she nosed her friend, and murmured a farewell. With the kitten in her jaws, she hurried off, the future hanging in her mouth, clinging to life.
The moon was in the sky. Stars glittered coldly down on Shima and the others she had gathered; strong Bruten, lean Nikara, wise Lune, proud Flicka, kind Panthera, the brothers Zig and Zag, eager Quartz, brother and sisters Raina and Pleek, caring Mooness and her kittens Sorrel, Fern, and Maple, quiet Asarma, small kitten Splotch, and the little bit cowardly Tinle. They all were a group, and they all hated the new rule.
"Cloud has been killed." She announced grimly. They gasped; she had been a kind of leader and advice giver, and with her dead, it was a heavy toll. She silenced them with a flick of her tail.
"Snowtiger's army is large; we are obviously outnumbered, and we have no hope right now. It is no use prentending we do. He has Marble, Zume, Darklin, Slash, Smash, Skull, Crunch, Leo, Stagen, Snapra, Whoosh, Blacken, Diresha, Semla, Bree, Biruna, Feena, Stripe, and Flick. It is to my regret to inform you that Silver has betrayed us and joined the others."
An angry mutter rippled through the assembled. Shima nodded toward Mooness, who had the small kitten of Cloud's sucking beside Fern, Sorrel, and Maple.
"Cloud gave birth to one kit." She meowed. "What shall we call it?"
Bruten stood up, and rumbled in his low meow, "We should call him Sabre, in honor of the adversary who killed Snowtiger's father, and died himself in the process."
Sabre was something of a legend. He had slew Snowtiger's father, who started the whole mess, and been killed by Snowtiger.
"Then Sabre he shall be. And may the moon bless he end this." She said gravely. "Sabre, the knife to cut away this reign."
I got the idea for this story while doodling in Health Class, (hey- it was boring ;)) so of course I jotted it down. I will be primarily doing this and Son of Gold... hope you guys like it!