ScorchClan Prologue
The moon glistened above in the sky, high and white with light radiating off its body. The Black Killers group was formed of every cat in a pine forest that was ruthless and cold hearted, who killed for fun and for survival. Three kits total lay in the nursery: Splotched, Raven, and Stump.
"Splotched, get off my tail you fat lump of fur." Growled Raven as she shoved her friend off her fluffy tail and quickly gave it a good licking. Turning to her other friend who was laughing, Stump, she narrowed her eyes into tiny slits. "And what are you looking at, rat face! You kits need to respect your elders!" Just as the sassy she – cat yelped that out at her fellow kit friends, her group leader, Stone, walked out and stood on a rotted tree stump to call forth a meeting. With a slight gasp, Raven eagerly shouted out. "It's our apprentice ceremony! And look, you got my tail dirty flea bags!" She scrambled to her paws and strode steadily over to the base of the stump and sat down. Her mother gave her a slight nod of approval. Soon, the other two kits showed up and sat down, but Splotched wouldn't stop wiggling and squirming around. Turning to the orange and white tom, she gave him a tiny glare. "Can you please stop moving?"
"Sorry.. I can't help it. We finally get to learn how the killers get to train!" Splotched shot back and was soon hushed by Stone who was giving him a threatening look. Clearing his throat, the leader spoke with high authority and as pride swelled in his voice.
"Today, we have three kits ready to be silent yet deadly killers. Raven, Splotched, and yes.. Even the small runt Stump will get to train as well. Do you guys promise to learn how to kill and use it to protect your group or defending your territory?" The grey tom asked, his yellow eyes gleaming brightly in the night. As the three small kits nodded, he cleared his throat in prep to talk once more. "Then by the power of our fallen members, I hereby give you the mentors of..Snake, who will mentor Raven. Claw, you'll mentor Stump and Splotched, your mentor is Turtle. I discussed these cats with our deputy, Snarl, and she agreed that these cats are worthy to train the next killers. Gathering, dismissed." And with the flick of his tail, the old tom turned around and padded back inside the shelter of his den. Quickly walking up to her good friend, Splotched, and whispered with a breathy tone in his ear.
"Our old leader never leaves his den.. I'm surprised he had enough motivation to address us properly to the clan. Anyway.." Raven murmured and quickly hushed as the three cat's mentors came trotting up. Turning to the three warriors, Raven gave a half – hearted smile. "What will we be doing right now?"
"Well.. If you must know, we are going to take you three on a tour of our territory." Snake replied and walked past the three young cats, then beckoned them to follow with the flick of his tail.
"Oh! I can't wait to see all the trees-" Immediately, her sentence was cut off as she exited camp and saw giant pine trees looming above their heads in the sky. Her blue eyes widened with pure excitement that she had to stop just to admire them. Turtle turned her head with a smile.
"Knowing you, Raven, I'm surprised you never snuck off from the nursery to come out here."
"Well.." Raven said with a sly smirk, " Just because I didn't do that doesn't mean I didn't try." Snake stopped and turned around to face the two she – cats who were talking.
"I hope you know, we are on a tour of the territory. Luckily, we aren't hunting because if we were, you two chattering starling would have scared off everything in the forest! Now, lets continue." He muttered and took the lead of the patrol once more. Turtle and Raven quickly exchanged embarrassed glances and kept going.
Many moons have passed since Raven, Splotched, and Stump had began training and finally, they have neared their final test. But, this wasn't just any assessment. Rather, a test intertwined with a deadly war. If one of the three apprentices successfully killed the embracing clan that was soon to be attacking their group's camp, they will get the honor of being a Silent Killer. But, if they didn't, they would have to train for another five moons before getting the chance to do the test once more.
Raven took in a sharp breath as she sat in the middle of her group's camp and looked around. Slight anxiety swelled up in her chest. 'My group - mates might die.. My friends might die.. I might die.' That thought sent a shrill shiver down her spine. 'No. I can't think like that. We will win.. Right? We are trained to kill and this opposing rogue group is said to be small. Hmm..' The white and black she – cat's thoughts were soon interrupted as her closest friend, Splotched, came up to greet her before the battle.
"Hey Raven! Are you as excited as I am? We get to prove ourselves by doing the one thing our group does best. Killing." The honey and white colored tom said with evil tainted eyes. Raven nodded and cleared her mind. "You scared or something?" He meowed and gazed her directly in the eyes. Irritation prickled her paws.
"Of course not!" Raven snapped and lashed her tail. "Don't ever say I'm scared unless you want your tail bitten off. Believe me, being scared-" Her sentence was interrupted as a battle cry split in the air and a swamp of cats flooded into The Black Killers Group's camp. Stone, who was sitting on the rotted stump, quickly leapt to his paws and yowled.
"All The Black Killers', ATTACK!" With that, the old tom leapt onto some she – cat and quickly wrestled her to the ground in a cloud of blood, fur, and screeching. Raven didn't have time to think before she was tackled and slammed harshly to the ground by an unknown cat. Soon, a burning feeling flooded in a fresh gash formed below her ears. Blood soon trickled down into Raven's eyes, blinding her temporarily. Screeching was all she could do.
"Get off her!" Snarled a familiar voice and soon all the pressure of the cat on top of her vanished. Scrambling to her paws, she noticed Splotched wrestling the tom in a tangle of fur, tails, and claws. Waiting for the right moment, Raven leapt on the back of the intruder and sank her claws deep within his shoulders. Blood swelled up and the tom roared with anger. He began bucking eagerly to rid Raven, but she clung on like an annoying pest.
"Think you can get rid of me that easily? Think again!" She spat and lifted her right paw then struck down harshly on his forehead with claws unsheathed. Yowling, he rolled onto his back, but Raven was quicker and leapt off before she could get squished. Side by side, Splotched and Raven raked, clawed, and bit the giant tom until the he turned tail and fled. Raven glanced and gave Splotched a smile.
"Thanks.. you really saved me."
"It was nothing.." Splotched murmured back and raised his head to see how the battle was going. Soon, his usually bright green eyes turned dark and paranoid. "Raven.. we have to leave. Now."
"What are you talking about, Splotched.." She breathed back and raised her head as well to see the battle. Half her clanmates were lying lifeless on the ground, surrounded by their own pool of blood. Raven quickly recognized her mentor, Snake, with a deep gash in his chest that was still pumping out blood. Turtle, Splotched's mentor, neck was bitten and brutally gouged out. Then.. The small body of Stumpy lay squirming underneath a giant black tom. Screeching, Raven took a paw step forth to go help him, but Splotched stopped her. "We have to help him!" She snarled then glanced back at her former denmate. The giant, black tom sank his fangs into the small tom's neck and shook Stump like a ragdoll, before tossing his lifeless body to the group. "Nooo!" Raven shrieked, and soon grief was starting to overwhelm her.
"Come on! Up here mouse – brain!" Splotched hissed from behind as he climbed the edges of their camp and slipped out of a hole. Raven started to turn around to run, but paused as she took one last look of all her dead clanmates.
'Mark my words.. I will avenge you. Avenge you all..' And with that, the two patched felines made their escape.
A/N - We will be updating the story on Tuesday's and Saturday's from 8:00-9:00 pm pacific timezone. Also, keep in mind, we have a outside life so we might not always get to update, but we will make it up in the next day or two.