Hello, folks! Blazey here! Nice to see you all again!
Wait, I can't see you...dangit...
But anyways! Chapter two! I had fun writing this one!
WARNING: BLOOD IS HERE. THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY CHAPTERS WITH BLOOD IN IT! NO LIKE, NO READ!
Wait, this is a Warriors crossover! You should all be able to handle fictional blood by now! Onto the story!
Legends of the Warriors: Winds of Change
Chapter 2
Promise on a Feather
"We should warn the Clan!" Joan suggested.
"About who?" Aryll asked. "The bird? Or the pirates?"
"Both, easily both..." I muttered. A flash of gray shot from the pirate ship toward the bird, who dodged it with ease. "Hey, what're those pirates doing?" Two other flashes of gray shot past the bird before Joan spoke.
"They're throwing giant rocks at it!" She hissed, her voice riddled with both fear and awe. I felt my ears flatten against my head. Giant rocks? No cat could throw rocks that big with such force.
"Are they even cats?" I whispered.
"I don't even know..." Joan murmured.
"You guys...I'm scared..." Aryll murmured. I looked down at my side, where Aryll pushed against my side, her head turning into my fur. My shock and panic vanished. I hated seeing Aryll scared like this.
I curled my tail around hers, gently murmuring, "It's okay, Aryll. It'll all be okay." She visibly relaxed, and even turned back to look at the pirates and the bird. Joan looked at me with soft green eyes before turning her gaze back to the scene as well.
One last rock shot from the ship, and as the bird looked behind it to see how far it was from the pirates, the giant boulder slammed into its equally large face. With a pained screech, the bird plummeted toward the sea, dropping something blue into the Fairy Forest. An uncomfortable silence between the three of us lasted a few moments, before I finally spoke.
"Well, that eliminates one threat," I pointed out. "Now all we have to do is deal with the pirates. You guys go warn the Clan, I'll go find out what that bird dropped."
"What?" Joan hissed. "No way! You don't know what that was!"
"Well, the pirates obviously wanted it!" I retorted. "And now it's on BreezeClan territory. I should find out what it is!"
"Not without me!"
"Nuh uh! You're the better fighter, the Clan will need your help dealing with the fish-furs!"
"But what if that bird comes back?"
"If I get scooped up, I'll slice off its talons. Plain and simple. Orca taught me quite a few moves."
Joan opened her mouth to protest, but shut it again, fresh out of arguements. "Fine. Come on, Aryll." The two raced down the hill, back toward the camp. A bit of doubt flickered in my mind. Should I have gone with them? But no, I need to find out what was so important to the pirates. I darted down the hill and over the stepping stones, quickly scaling the small mountain on the other side. Next was the Fairy Forest.
The first thing I did was jump up a tree, like Orca had advised me to. I jumped from branch to branch, looking around for something that was blue. As I opened my mouth to draw in the scents around me, only to recoil in disgust. Something smelled like crow-food. I looked down and in a single glance, came to the conclusion that the thing below me was as ugly as its scent. There was a blue-gray creature on the ground about four times my height that stood on its hindlegs, with a repulsive pig-like face, long pointed ears, a small pointed horn on its forehead, a thin tail that ended in a triangular tip, and beady yellow eyes. In one of its tiny forepaws, it held a long, thin silver claw.
Oh, no. I am not letting this thing live on my territory! I don't have many standards, but this thing probably defies all of them! Especially the appearance standard!
I silently jumped out of the trees and landed on the thing's back, gripping it's furless pelt with my claws. It squealed in shock and pain and ran around desperately, swinging the claw around like crazy, trying to throw me off. I simply dug my claws in deeper, which earned another squeal from the repulsive thing. Dark blackish-purple smoke seeped from its skin, and I had to squint to avoid getting blinded. Okay, that's it. This guy - whatever the heck it is - needs to just die. I jumped back, feeling the rip of the creature's pelt as I tore two patches open. The monster collapsed with one final, pigish scream, before dissolving into that dark smoke. Its pelt, still underneath my paws, dissolved into smoke as well.
I tensed as the screeches of two birds came from above, and I looked up to see two miniature versions of the giant bird swoop overhead, dropping two more pig-creatures. Great, that's just what I need: more ugliness in my territory! I hissed as the two creatures snorted at me, raising their large silver claws. I charged quickly, then darted back as they swung, the claws embedding themselves into the ground. I took advantage of my opportunity and leapt, tearing through one of the beasts and feeling a rush of satisfation as I felt it dissolve. The other one ripped its giant claw off of the ground and swung at me madly. I had to quickly dodge all of his swings, with took all of my agility and endurance. The creature paused momentarily to catch its breath, but a moment was too long. I jumped up and gripped its arm in my jaws. I forcefully crushed it, feeling the crunch of broken bone underneath as the beast howled with pain. I then tore its limb clean off, spitting the foul odor out of my mouth as the thing dissolved.
"Stupid Pig-Faces..." I grumbled. Yep, that's my new name for them. Pig-Faces. Whaddaya think?
I looked up, and I felt a smile grow on my face. A blue she-cat was lying unconcious on a branch, her legs and tail dangling off in the air. The bird must've dropped her. The pirates were looking for her. Her dangling paws were a cream-color, and her left fore-paw twitched. She was waking up. I decided to speed up the waking process.
"Hey!" I shouted. "Hey, wake up!" Her eyes, a pretty ocean-blue, slowly slid open, then widened at the realization of where she was. She jumped, but of course, with the sudden jerk, the branch couldn't support her weight any longer. It broke with a loud 'snap' and roughly deposited the she-cat onto the ground. "Hey, you okay?" I asked, feeling concern for her. She was only barely six moons old, just like me.
"Buzz off, green-kit," She hissed. All feelings of concern were thrown into the sea.
"Well excuse me if I was the one who decided to come get you!" I spat angrily. "You're on my territory, so I suggest you be a good girl and behave, okay?"
"Territory? Where the heck am I?"
"Your on Outset Island, home of BreezeClan."
"That far? Geez, how much farther could I get from Windfall?" She muttered. "Well, what are you still doing here? Get back to your little Clan or whatever."
"Nope," I replied. "You're coming with me."
"Oh yeah?" She growled. "Who's gonna make me?"
"Us," Joan's voice came from behind me. She was standing beside Orca.
"Listen, we could do it the easy way, or the hard way," Orca growled.
"Either way, you're coming with us!" I snarled. The she-cat hissed, but I could tell she knew she was outmatched. She wouldn't win this fight if she tried.
"Fine!" She spat. With an angry hiss, she stood beside Orca, her face twisted in a furious grimace. Geez, who made dirt in her fresh-kill? Joan led the escort out of the forest, with Orca right beside the she-cat and me behind, looking over my shoulder in case something tried to ambush us from behind.
We emerged from the forest to see Aryll climbing up the mountain. "Hey, Joan! Hey, Link!" She shouted.
"Hey, sis!" I replied, a purr rumbling in my chest. I opened my mouth to say something else, but my eyes suddenly widened when a sickening stench of crow-food and death hit the roof of my mouth. "Aryll, look out!" I cried, jumping down to try to push Aryll out of the way. But it was too late. The giant bird swooped down from the sky and snatched Aryll from the mountain.
"Aryll, NO!" Joan yowled. I paused, tears building up in my eyes as the bird flew toward the sea, with Aryll in its talons. But then I realized I still had one last hope. The bird hadn't passed the cliff yet.
I jumped down the mountain and darted across the stepping stones, running as fast as my legs could take me. Grandma once told me that BreezeClan was descended from WindClan - a Clan that could move as the wind they were named for - and SkyClan - a Clan that could leap higher than any other cat. Well, if that's true, than I should be able to pull this off!
I ran straight for the cliff, watching the distance between me and the bird close rapidly. I ran up the hill, and leapt farther than I've ever leapt before, releasing a furious battle cry as I flew straight over the edge. My claws gripped onto one of the streams that made up the bird's tail. It screeched in pain and fury, and with a single, powerful flick, it flung me off of it, it's blood splattering my paw as I managed to rip one of it's golden feathers off.
The flick was so powerful, it had flung me back onto the cliff. I landed with an oomph, tumbling a little before finally stopping on my stomach. I felt the tears run down my face in streams. Aryll...Aryll was gone...She and Grandma are the last family members I have...
But I felt the fluffy feather and the warm, sticky blood that stained the tip of my paw. I felt determination and resolve run through my veins. Aryll was still alive. I was going to get her back.
Shakily, I hauled myself to my paws as Joan and Orca arrived at the base of the hill. I looked down at the golden feather in my forepaw. It looked similar to a peacock feather: gold, with a bright, neon green circle. In that green circle was a smaller, dark gray one.
I closed my bloodied claws over the feather, and I whispered, "Aryll, I swear I'll find you. Within three days after this one, I will find you, and that bird will pay. I won't stop - not until you're finally safe from harm and that monster is dead. I'll kill it myself. This I swear to StarClan, to the Heroes, to the Three Leaders, and on my life itself."
The fluffy feather suddenly evaporated, only for a whisker-thin, slick thing to appear against my ear. For a moment, I heard Forestheart and Whitedash's voices.
"We'll hold you to it."
Geez, that took longer than I really wanted it to. I had to wait a whole day just to write this author's note. That's too long my friends, too long.
Anyone know the song Louder Than Thunder/Quiet Like the Snow? It fits this moment quite well. Listening to it right now. Very sad, but that's why I like it. It tugs at your heart.
But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter like I did! Let me know what you think! Next time: To the Forsaken Fortress (sigh...joy...)
Blazey, out!
