I'm back! Sorry if you thought I abandoned you. My excuse is not school this time, what a shocker, my mom's dog ate my laptop cord, and when I got the new one, it almost fried the circuits because it was the wrong voltage, soooooo, we had to order a new one, and it took like two weeks to get to me, but, you probably don't want to hear my excuses, so I'm gonna get to the chapter.
I want to warn you people, this chapter has excessive violence, so if you're faint of the heart, don't read this one. Just warnin' ya so you don't go all tree hugger on me. ;)
-O-
Rithiahs paced his balcony, watching the slaves below as they hauled blocks of stone to a large, half built statue of himself in full armor.
"Bah! Stupid prisoners! They've escaped, sire! And after the Overlander nearly killed me! The nerve!" Gryphel ranted as he strode on the smooth marble balcony.
"Yes, yes, the guards told me already, you buffoon," Rithiahs growled.
"Good, good... Hmm, when I get my paws on that Overlander, I'll... I'll... I'll something to him! And I will kill him in the worst ways possible. Then, I will take this tail blade and shove it up-"
"Shut up, Filthen, you moron! I am in a bad mood, and will not hesitate to kill you where you stand if you will not shut your stupid trap!" Rithiahs hissed, tripping Gryphel with his tail.
Gryphel huffed angrily, and stomped off, his tail twitching.
"Fool, I am surrounded by fools!" Rithiahs muttered, pushing out his metal claws, then pulling them back in.
Memories sparked from his claws, hitting the large cat in a tsunami of pain and anger.
He was three months old, chasing his sister Sela, playfully batting her tail with his paw. Sela snorted and jumped on him. The two rolled about in front of their den, biting softly, and pummeling each other with soft paws.
"Rithiahs! Come, now!" A stern voice grated from the small cave entrance.
Rithiahs broke away from play fighting and glanced at Sela.
"Be strong, Brother, Father is in one of his moods for sure if he wants to see you," she whispered, nodding to the cave.
"I will, he doesn't scare me any more," Rithiahs said, puffing his chest out a little.
"Rithiahs!" the voice growled.
The young cat slunk into the cave, and lowered his head when he approached a tall figure.
The cat before him turned, showing his scared face, and empty eye socket.
"Took you long enough. Slowness is failure, Rithiahs," he rasped.
"I am sorry Father I-"
"Sorry doesn't fix being slow! I should not have to call you twice you fool" the larger cat knocked his son down, and pinned him beneath a paw, claws scraping his delicate skin.
"I-I-" Rithiahs stammered.
"Shut up. Come, I have a surprise for you," his father said, releasing Rithiahs from his grip.
Rithiahs shivered, last time his father had a surprise, he had killed his mother in front of him and Sela.
"Hurry up, I told the forge master I would be there in another hour," his father snapped.
"Coming," Rithiahs laid his ears down in fear, and followed his father out of the cave.
-O-
Rithiahs shook his head, the memories coming even stronger.
-O-
"No, Father! I don't want to!" Rithiahs sobbed, pulling at his paw in vain, trying to escape the grasp of the Killer.
"I do not care, insolent whelp!" his father roared.
"Um, I don't have all day, Skeet," the human drawled.
"Yes, it is fine. I'll hold him while you get his claws out," Skeet said.
"Wha-?" the air was pushed from Rithiahs's lungs as his father put a hefty paw over his back, holding him firmly in place.
"Go," Skeet nodded.
Rithiahs felt his paw being splayed, making his claws unsheathe, then something clamped onto one of the sharp nails.
"Are you sure of this, Skeet? He's only a cub, the pain could kill him..." the forge master said.
"You are getting paid for this, idiot, just do it. If he dies, I'll bring his sister in for this," Skeet growled.
"Alright," the human squeezed the tongs, and gave a sharp jerk.
Rithiahs screeched in pain as his claw was ripped from his paw.
"Stop! Please!" he wailed.
The tongs grasped the next claw, and yanked. Rithiahs nearly passed out. "I just want it to stop! I want to die!" he thought, "Wait, no! If I die, they'll do this to Sela, I must stay strong," he gritted his teeth as another was pulled. Rithiahs could feel something warm and sticky dripping between his toes.
Two more were pulled, and the human stopped.
"Now the implants. Quick, while he is still in pain," Skeet growled.
Rithiahs felt the little skin on one of his toes being sliced off. Now, the human took a small drill, and bored a tiny hole in the bone of Rithiahs's toe.
The kitten whimpered as the Killer took a piece of metal from the flames of the fire. It was a claw! On the base of it was a small nub with screw-like threads running down it. The forge master blew on the red hot end a bit, then screwed it into the hole in the bone. A blinding pain shot through Rithiahs's paw as it was screwed in.
The forge master put in the last four, then wrapped the paw in cloth.
"Now the other one," Skeet rasped.
"What?" Rithiahs sobbed.
Again, the process of pulling was repeated, on the third one, Rithiahs passed out, only to be awoken by a bucket of cold water.
"No sleeping, you must know the real meaning of pain if you want to truly inflict it!" Skeet laughed.
The last claw was pulled, and Rithiahs went ape shit.
"NO! I wont let you, you... you... you monster!" he screamed.
"Is that the best insult you have, pathetic wretch?" Skeet sneered.
"Filthy coward!" Rithiahs wailed.
Skeet pushed his own metal claw out, scoring a cut along his son's face.
"I am no coward, now shut up, and take this like a warlord!" Skeet growled.
"I don't wanna be a warlord! You're all evil, and stupid, and big meanies and cowards! I want to be a nice king!" Rithiahs sobbed as holes were drilled in his paw.
"I'm afraid it doesn't matter, you are destined to be- OWW!" Skeet jumped back as his son's new claws slashed at his face, "You little wretch! You will pay for this!" Skeet roared.
The human payed little attention to the scene as he worked, pulling the metal claws from the fire and placing them into the holes.
Rithiahs screeched in pure agony as the last claw was screwed in.
The forge master wrapped the paw, "There. Can I be payed now?" he asked.
"Yes, yes of course, you already have been payed though," Skeet said.
"I have?" the human said dumbly.
"Yes, you are still alive, is that not payment enough?"
"Yes, it is" the human said seeing the look in Skeet's eyes.
-O-
"I should have made him go slower, make it a little more painful," Skeet muttered, turning his head to his limping offspring.
"You're a sick monster!" Rithiahs growled, stumbling.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Skeet laughed.
"This!" Rithiahs jumped up and bit his father's remaining eye, then ran, as fast as he could.
Shouts of pain and anger rose from behind him, but the small cat continued to run, to where he had no clue, as long as it was far away from Skeet.
-O-
Rithiahs bared his teeth, and was plunged into another memory.
-O-
Rithiahs stumbled, and the crawler fled. "Shit!" he muttered, turning away from his failed stalk.
"Iz alright, Rithi-iz, you'll get et next time," an old brown tom said.
"I hope you're right, Father. Hmm, Mother will be displeased..." Rithiahs muttered. It had been two years since he had run. The trauma from losing his claws had erased much of his memory of his father, but he still had nightmares. After a week of running, he had been found by a tom and his mate, and had been taken in.
"Aw, iz alright, she'll know yew tried yer hardest," his surrogate father drawled.
"Thanks," Rithiahs purred, butting his head against Flash, his father.
"Come, we'll go fishin'" Flash said, wandering in the general direction of the river.
"Wait for me, you old fodder bag!" Rithiahs laughed.
-O-
Rithiahs stung with anger. Flash, who was wretchedly drunk with some concoction he had traded from a group of rats, had made a comment on how Rithiahs had been somewhat cowardly to run away from his father. The adolescent cat lashed his tail back and forth, wishing he could carve the drunkard before him to bits. Flash laughed, feeling the comment was hilarious, earning an angry growl from his adopted son.
"Wha-? Aw, iz jus' yew, Rithi-iz, I thought I jus' saw a- Hic!" the old cat hiccuped, "Oops, hehe. Hey, warra's wrong wid you? Yew look like a kicked kitten" Flash said, watching his sons face, chuckling with amusement.
"Nothing, you old fool, you're too drunk to understand anything that comes from my mouth," Rithiahs replied bitterly.
"Aw, wiz it the crack I made about yew bein' a coward? Well, I wiz right! Y'could have-Hic!- ugh, yew could have killed him, but no-oh, you jus' had to run away like a wee kitten!" he snorted.
"That's enough out of you, you senile idiot!" Rithiahs roared, leaping at his father.
Flash's eye grew wide, and he was snapped out of his drunken stupor, launching himself at his son. The two clashed together with a thump of fur and claws, screeching and hissing.They fell together in a ball of fur, writhing and spitting. Rithiahs jumped away from his father's claws, deciding close quarters would get him killed. Carefully, he walked in a circle around Flash, who did the same, each evaluating their opponent. Then Rithiahs struck, rushing at Flash. The old cat rolled out of the way, and struck a heavy blow to Rithiahs's exposed flank, causing him to wheel about, trying to regain his bearings.
Flash reared up on his hind leg, preparing for a final strike, when a hiccup interrupted him, allowing Rithiahs to spring up, and slash at his exposed belly. Flash roared in pain, and batted at his son's muzzle, creating several cuts. But it was Rithiahs who won the day. Jumping at his father, he knocked Flash from his paws, and with a ripping sound, lashed his claws through Flash's abdomen, tearing it open fully in a wild gush of blood.
Rithiahs stood back for a moment, the surge of adrenaline wearing off, he purred, he had won! Then a sickening feeling came over him, he had won, and killed Flash, his surrogate father. Looking down, Rithiahs noted the blood on his metal claws in horror.
"N-no, no! Flash!" he wailed, nudging the dead cat at his paws, "No! You can't be dead! I-I need you!" he cried, falling on his side in grief, "It was his own fault, if he had kept his mouth shut, he'd still be alive," a nasty voice in the back of Rithiahs's head drawled. "He was weak! He needed to die! Making fun of something I couldn't help, and then insulting me further, the Underland is a better place without that abomination!" he thought, rising to his paws, and snarling at the body. Yeah! Flash was weak, there was no room for weaklings in this world! Rithiahs gave a mad laugh, and took off into the darkness, he had a job to do.
-O-
Rithiahs grinned, showing his large teeth as he gazed upon the cave below him. There was the home of that wretched forge master, the one whom had ripped out his claws one by one. He had led his own exile for only three months, his brain's thoughts slowly corrupting him, and had even killed his real father, Skeet. The sound of claws on stone made him wheel about, dashing his thoughts.
"Ah, Sela, how good to see you, my good sister," he purred.
"And how good it is to see you, brother, now, am I going to help, or not?" Sela asked.
"No, this kill is mine, I let you help destroy that fool of our father, but he didn't give you these," Rithiahs flexed his paw, metal claws gleaming.
"Very well, brother," she said in a sweet, deadly voice.
Rithiahs nodded "Thank you, now, go gather a small force of misfits, and start training them, my plans will take some time," he said, and began to trot down to the cave, his paws carrying him quietly until he reached the mouth.
Two humans sat huddled in the cave, the dim light of a single torch illuminating their forms. One of the humans, a young girl turned around when the other poked her in a playful way, and screamed when she saw Rithiahs standing there like death come to shape. The other human whirled, and gasped.
Rithiahs purred cruelly, it was the master. He walked smoothly into the enclosure, his body flowing forth like silk and smoke.
"Ah, such a pathetic greeting you give," he tutted, "It does not matter now, does it? I have a question, do you remember the sniveling little cub you had in here almost a year ago?" he asked.
The human blanched in fear, "Y-you! The cub who ran from Skeet!" he exclaimed.
"Yes, yes I am," Rithiahs smirked, then turned his gaze upon the child, standing behind the forge master, "Now, let me see here," he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, "I don't remember you when I had my claws replaced, you could not have been birthed and grown this much in the amount of time that has passed..." he trailed off, and circled the two.
"She's my daughter, she was at a relative's when you were here," the master said.
"I was coming to that conclusion, dipwad," Rithiahs hissed, "Oh, how I want to kill you now for not arguing against my fool of a father, whom lays dead in a trench somewhere, I forgot to mark it on my map... but, I have other plans for you and will let you live," he curled his upper lip, showing off his huge fangs, "But, remember, if you try once to escape..." Rithiahs swiped the air with his gleaming metal claws, "...I will not hesitate to kill the little thing, and on the contrary, she would make an excellent snack," he laughed slightly.
"I'll do what you want, just, please, don't hurt my daughter!" the forge master pleaded.
"Good, now, get a scroll of vellum, or parchment, I want you to help me draw up my plans," Rithiahs yawned.
The human scrambled away to do the big cat's bidding.
-O-
Rithiahs looked at himself in a polished mirror, admiring the armor. It was dark green, a stunning contrast to his silver fur, made up of a black chain mail shirt, specially designed to fit him, and a breastplate, emblazoned with his insignia, a black star.
He whipped his tail about, the long, deadly blade, attached to himself with a long band of rings around his tail from his hip piece, hummed. The helm upon his head, also designed to fit right, framed his face perfectly, two holes had been cut in the top, going down the sides slightly so his ears could swivel comfortably, though under it was a covering of chain mail.
A hip piece, attached to it were his tail blade rings, sat on his hips, a black star showing on top. It was a stunning set, all secured with complex leather straps, made for comfort, strength, lightness, and to strike terror into the hearts of foes.
"Hmm. Very nice, Forge Master, very nice," Rithiahs observed.
"Then... it is to your liking?" the master asked.
"Yes, though you were a bit slow, you could have shaved off a week or so," Rithiahs sighed.
"It only took three weeks, if done by any other Master, it would have taken a year!" the Forge Master steamed.
"Careful, you dolt, one nice armor set wont get you out of trouble," Rithiahs snapped.
The Forge Master nodded, completely cowed.
"Now, I will take my leave, but... I'm afraid I cannot let you live, I wont let my species be discovered by the likes of your foppish race. Toodles," Rithiahs said.
"Wha-?" the Forge Master managed to gasp before a tailblade bit deep into his neck, killing him instantly.
"Now for the whelp," the big cat muttered, opening his mouth, letting the scents of the cave enter the roof of his mouth, "Ah, there she is. I need to get rid of her before she see's her father, can't have her traumatized before death, can we?" he purred, following the trail into another room in the cave, where the little girl sat, playing with a doll.
"Hello there, little spawn," he said in a deep, evil voice.
The girl gasped and turned around, "What do want?" she asked hastily.
"Now, now, easy there, little thing. I'm afraid I need to... end you. You see, your papa is very dead. I may be cruel, but I have decided to kill you along with him, instead of letting you live in the agony of being an orphan," he said, curling his tail around the little girl, "Now, what's your name? I'm afraid I never asked," he whispered in her ear.
"L-Lea," the girl stuttered.
"How old are you, Lea?" Rithiahs asked genuinely.
"Eight," Lea sobbed.
"So young. Oh, here now, do not cry, your papa's waiting for you. I will kill you fast, I promise," he whispered, hugging a paw around Lea, and snapped her neck, letting her fall limply to the ground.
Rithiahs grabbed the back of Lea's shirt between his teeth, and picked up her body like a kitten. When he reached the dead forge master, he arranged Lea next to him.
"There, all's well," he smirked, and ran out of the cave, off to find his sister.
-O-
Rithiahs was now five, a long time for any animal to survive in the Underland, though he expected to reach fifteen or even seventeen before he kicked the bucket. Now, before him was a massive army, full of humans, mice, rats, and cats, his general Sela, also his younger sister gazing up, waiting for command.
This day, they would charge the city of Regalia, and kill and plunder! Today, those filthy humans would fall!
-O-
Rithiahs pulled himself from the ground, shaking his head. Now, he was eight, and an experienced warlord. Something about the sudden blast of memories was wrong. He shook his head.
"Bah, why should I believe superstitions? Superstitions don't keep an empire under control!" he hissed to himself, and continued his pacing, and plotting.
-O-
Ayla frowned at the images. No wonder the cat was so evil! But, what could be done? She was interrupted by the sound of Zeva wandering over.
"What's up fuzzy ass?" she said.
"Great, fathead, great," Zeva sighed.
"Coolio. Hey, I have an idea. Wanna go terrorize a warlord?" Ayla asked.
"Maybe, but right now, you need to go look for the weak chinks in Rithiahs's army," Zeva scolded.
"Yap, yap, who are you, my mother?" Ayla rolled her eyes, and plunged herself back into the visions of the Pool of Images.
"Sometimes," Zeva muttered.
-O-
Holy craparoni! 3344 words! This is officially my longest chapter yet! I want to thank Beach Gurl for her confused review, it helped me fix mah boo boo in this chapter! Thanks! :)