Varjak Paw- Above the City
Please note - this is work in progress, and will be updated every 24 hours. If I'm lucky. But enjoy and please review!
Learning the Way had been hard. His father had taught him, merciless and cruel. His mother had abandoned the family, and his father had wanted the Way to be passed on. To be frank, Jarlo hadn't been afraid or astonished when he first saw Varjak use the Way. When he was young, he'd thought everyone knew it, and every kitten must learn it in order to survive. But when his father had died, he had found out no cat could hunt, or sense, or shadow-walk. It confused him, but not for long.
Jarlo stood in the alleyway, waiting for the opportunity. His Awareness settled on everything; every piece of gravel, dust, wire, hinge...
Mouse. A big one. It crawled along the corner of the alleyway, nibbling on a leaf. Jarlo smiled, as he found himself attached to the mouse. Every bite it took out of the leaf, it was like it was Jarlo himself biting. An ear twitched. A paw scratched. Nibble, nibble, nibble. Until...
BAM! Jarlo flew, muscles uncoiling, claws stretching, jaws wide- SNAP! The mouse was broken. Jarlo lifted the limp body, and sank his teeth into it. The warm juices flowed into his mouth. His stomach thanked him. Jarlo thanked his father. He gobbled up the rest of the mouse, and settled down. Breakfast was over. He could indulge, but he wouldn't want to become fat.
A noise. Cats talking. He turned, and saw a pair of Siamese cat leaping around the debris outside the alleyway, chasing each other, practising their skills. Jarlo ducked under the shadows and shimmied closer.
Elyza and Malisha Scratch. The Scratch Sisters. The fastest claws in town. Jarlo watched them train warily. They certainly were very fast, even compared to Slow-Time.
Suddenly, his leg involuntarily crunched on a bottle. The Siamese cats froze, their tawny fur on end.
"Who's there?" cried Elyza, sharp claws glinting in the morning light.
"You better show up soon, or we'll find you, and we'll see what you think of stalking us then!" Malisha called, tail swishing.
Jarlo took a deep breath to steady his pounding heart, and walked out from the shadows. The cats' pale green eyes scrutinised his every movement. "It's just me!" he smiled weakly.
In a flash, they were by his side, Elyza's claw digging into his chin. "Who are you?" they demanded.
"Jarlo!" he gasped, pretending to be scared. "I'm a nobody."
They stared at him. He could see whether they should deal with him. Seconds passed, maybe hours. Then-
A ribbon of red. Jarlo yelped as the claw slashed between his eyes. He gingerly touched the cut, feeling raw pain strike him.
"Ow!" he shouted. "I didn't deserve that!"
"It's not up to you what you deserve, sonny," Malisha growled, readying for another attack.
A voice stepped in. "Leave him alone, you idiot!"
Everyone froze. Jarlo's cut was throbbing with pain. Elyza snarled, "Who dares to insult us?"
"Do you know who you're dealing with?" said Malisha.
"Because we're the Scratch Sisters, and we never back down!"
"Never!"
"I know that, you morons. I've heard your motto all over the city. The new leader has been singing your praises. But I'm not fooled. You're all pretence. You're not fast, you're slower than a dog!"
The air was static, filled with tension and rage. "Take that back, stranger," Elyza muttered, trembling with anger.
"Never! Ever!" the voice mimicked.
The Scratch Sisters roared and pounced. They aimed for the darkness dwelling in Jarlo's alleyway. As soon as they left him, Jarlo himself climbed up the walls. He didn't want to be caught in a fight. If anyone knew what he could do, he would be in trouble.
He heard the same voice call for him. "This way!" it yelled, coming from the top of the building.
He pumped his legs, flying up the side of the alleyway, hearing the Scratch Sisters caterwaul in outrage.
A shaft of light, expanding to fill his vision. The sky. The top of the world. He was there.