Chapter Thirteen
The Fight Begins
The sun was just rising into the sky when the rebel base of Kurori came into the view of the attack force. Yugito and all of her followers had been traveling for a few days and at last they were nearly there. Everyone was allowed a few minutes to prepare for the coming battle, so Neko used that time to check through her bag to make sure all of her supplies were in place.
After the events in Kalm she had to spend a little time patching up her worn bag. It wasn't a perfect job, as the main flap would occasionally come open, but it would suffice for the time being. But, for extra caution, Neko no longer kept her feather-shaped shell in the bag, but on a necklace around her neck. This way if her bag was taken again, nothing important would be lost.
"Neko!" The fiery Neko groaned in annoyance as something small, fluffy, and impossibly irritated slammed into her side. Thankfully, Rayne was still pretty small and young and wouldn't be able to cause much damage. For now, at least. The pup energetically bounced around Neko in a relentless attempt to get her attention.
The fire elemental tried her absolute best to ignore him, but the urge to kill him on the spot was escalating at an outstanding rate. "What?" She snapped harshly, though her tone did nothing to dampen Rayne's over-energetic and peppy attitude.
"Have you seen Hail?" His tail was wagging furiously despite Neko's obviously cold reaction.
"Nope." Why did the Wolf have to bother her about every little thing?
Rayne remained persistent. "Are you sure? No one has seen him since sometime last night!"
"Don't care." Neko got up to find a quieter place to wait while the rest of the Dark Warriors and attack groups prepared for the fight. Although, it was odd that Hail was out of sight, especially now, before something important. It wasn't like him to wander of without telling his apprentice either.
Neko couldn't help but think back to her most recent conversation with the icy Nekomata. It had not been too long since Yugito announced her plans of a full out assault on the rebel stronghold in Kurori. Hail was not very excited about the idea, nor was he too keen on fighting in general, but surely he wouldn't be so idiotic as to desert Yugito and the Dark Warriors? If their ruler were to notice, he would be in massive trouble.
Yugito's forces began to head out again just as Neko finished assessing the contents of her bag. The fight was only minutes away, and while Neko wasn't exactly looking forward to a full out fight between the two sides, she was prepared. Not far ahead of Neko Yugito was leading with an icy calmness and strong confidence.
"Hello, Yugito." In front of the main entrance to the city of Kurori was a Nekomata. She was a blue-grey color, similar to Neko, but much lighter. She had striking amber eyes that shone in the light. Her golden eyes scanned through the ranks of Yugito's forces and stopped on Neko. The fiery Nekomata narrowed her eyes and sent a glare in response.
The Dark Nekomata said nothing and simply gave a mocking grin towards the rebel leader. "You can still go back home to your pretty little castle if you want." Did she really think that the Dark Warriors would simply go home because she asked them to? Silence overtook the area, followed by a simple signal from Yugito.
Everything erupted into chaos at that moment. Clouds of smoke and debris began to choke the air and litter the ground as the first attacks began to destroy the city's defenses. The strongest of the rebels versus the strongest of Yugito's forces- which included most of the Dark Warriors. This would be the clash that could decide the future of their world, for the better or for the worse.
Neko was one of the first ones to make it into the city amidst the chaos. She quickly spotted Zera and Kura as well. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the Dark Warriors broke through, though. She noticed that she had yet to see Hail. Hopefully he was there, just out of sight.
Most rebels had the sense to avoid Neko and her scorching flames. The only ones that dared challenge her thought they could fight without getting close to her, but were sadly mistaken. They were probably lower ranked amongst the rebels and had challenged her for the hope of making a name for themselves. It was going to take more than reckless bravery to fight off the Dark Warriors.
The fiery Nekomata looked around for the Nekomata who had greeted them at the gate. She assumed that the Nekomata was the current leader of the rebels. She searched with no luck for Cera had vanished in the battlefield. Instead, Neko found Rayne fighting a fierce-looking Griffon that was much larger than himself. The young wolf was easily outmatched. Why the hell did they let him come?
It couldn't have been more than a few minutes and the hyperactive Wolf was already in a very dangerous situation. Despite how pleasant the idea of not having to deal with the annoyance that was Rayne, Neko decided it was best to help him out. Weaving through the chaos she managed to get to Rayne before the Griffon could crush him under its talons. With one powerful jump the fiery Nekomata leapt onto the Griffon's back with claws extended and teeth bared.
The feathered creature screeched with fury as the flames scorched the feathers and fur on his back. "Rayne, get your tail out of here." She could see the terror on the Wolf's face. He was definitely not prepared to fight larger creatures, let alone participate in a full out offense against the strongest of their enemies. Neko made extra effort to hang onto the thrashing creature's back at least until Rayne managed to get away. Thankfully he was likely young and innocent looking enough to pass as a civilian caught up in the chaos.
"You!" The Griffon growled as his feathers and fur began to harden and reshape into much sharper edges. A metal elemental? She leapt off just before he could roll over in an attempt to crush her with his much larger weight. The smell of burnt feathers and fur was heavy in the air. The bird-like creature met Neko's glare with an intense hatred. "It's been a while." He muttered.
"Forgive me if I don't remember you." The twin-tailed feline responded before sending forward a powerful, steady stream of flames at the Griffon. He brought his wings forward like a shield to deflect the attack. Why the extra weight decreased mobility and speed, they improved his defenses by a considerable amount.
He then gave a mighty flap of his now flightless wings sending a good number of razor sharp metallic feathers in the direction of the Nekomata. "Oh hey, I remember these now." She muttered as she dodge away from the feathers which hit the ground and stood like angled spikes in the earth. "You're one of those cowards from Kalm." It surprised her that it took so long to recognize the Griffon. "What was your name again? Scrat?"
"Scart." He growled.
"Close enough." Neko charged forward, dodging several more sharp feathers, only to be forced to a halt by a stray attack from someone else in the massive fight. Scart used this moment to strike. Lowering his head he charged forward to headbutt her directly. The impact pushed her back several feet, but the feline managed to stay on her paws.
Once again, the Nekomata raced forward, but darted off to one side at the last moment in a quick feint. She skidded to a quick halt and jumped once again, this time at his left wing. Her claws gripped the metal with some difficulty, but she managed to hold on despite the sharp edged feathers cutting her. The Griffon tried to shake her off as the flames under her control began to intensify and heat the metal up. Even the sturdiest of metals would melt with a high enough temperature.
Fortunately for Scart, the Dark Warrior's grip on his wing wasn't too strong and he managed to throw her to the ground. She fell on her back and was stunned for a quick moment, but managed to roll out of the way of oncoming talons, receiving only a glancing swipe to her side. She swiftly got to her paws and put some distance between her and the rebel.
She didn't have many choices. She was better at fighting alone with no one else to worry about around her. Of course, with the rest of the Dark Warriors and followers of Yugito, she couldn't perform anything too strong in the risk of accidentally harming someone on her side. Was it worth the risk?
Probably not, but after a quick glance around her she decided that no one of importance was in her direct area. Surely it wouldn't do too much harm if she stepped things up a notch or two?
Cera panted heavily as she scrambled through the chaos in an attempt to escape her pursuers- Yugito and Zera. There was something that she had to do, and she had to do it before clashing with the Dark Nekomata. The rebel leader could not afford to have any witnesses for fear of what might happen. With a quick glance behind her, the Nekomata saw no sign of the heartless ruler of the Dark Castle or her second in command. Finally!
The Light Elemental paused for a moment to catch her breath and relax. It was time she and Saia put the next part of their plan in motion. This was the riskiest and potentially disastrous part of the plan, but should they succeed, the rebels might actually stand a fighting chance- if not now, then in the future. Despite the risk, this could very well be her first and last opportunity to pull it off.
"Cera!" The Nekomata's sharp ears picked up the gentle sound of wings beating in the air above her over the roar of the fighting. It was Riza, thankfully back from a quick assessment of the battle with no wounds.
"How are things holding up so far?"
"So far both sides seem to be pretty evenly matched." The Golden Eagle flapped her wings gently as she hovered over Cera in uneven circles. "Yugito and Zera seem to have fallen for the bait. They'll be chasing Ray around for a while."
"So they think he has the orb?" Riza nodded. "Perfect." Ray was easily one of the fastest ones on their sides and would probably to play as a decoy for a while longer before Yugito and Zera either catch him, or figure out that they have been tricked. "And Saia?" Hopefully Ray would buy her enough time to find Saia and continue on with the plan.
"He wants you to meet him in the central plaza." That, at this point, was the area where most of the fighting had condensed. This worried Cera some for the older Nekomata's safety. "Don't worry, he's fine." Riza reassured her after seeing the concern on her face. "Saia isn't an idiot; he has someone else with him. Someone he says will help you."
Cera nodded and looked up. The skies seemed to be clear of any fighting. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Yugito and Zera?" She did not want to send her friend into a potentially dangerous situation, but it was important that someone keep an eye on things. "Give me a heads up if they figure out that Ray is tricking them." Riza nodded and flew off to keep an eye on things.
Cera's paws took her towards the central point of the fighting. Why, of all places, did Saia have to meet up with her here? At least here she wouldn't be noticed quite as easily. Every few steps she would have to veer sharply in one direction or another in order to avoid getting caught in the crossfires of the fight.
By the time Saia came into her sight, Cera's fur was on end and much darker in color because of all of the debris, smoke, and dust that had gotten on it. She decided not to question how in the world Saia had managed to be unscathed amidst the chaos of the fighting. "Who's he?" She gestured to the Nekomata standing next to him. He had a mane like a lion, blue eyes, and very light colored fur.
"A friend, but that isn't important right now." Saia knew they couldn't afford to waste any time. "You have to get to Neko. She is fighting with Scart in the western part of the city." Scart? Somehow she began to imagine dozens of things that could go wrong with the stubborn Griffon in the area.
"And when I find her?"
"Do as we planned."
"What about Scart?" Saia laughed.
"My friend here will help us with that part. He'll pretend to attack me. Knowing Scart, he's most likely going to abandon his fight with Neko to help me." Cera had to give him credit for one thing- he was loyal. Cera looked at the other Nekomata with a burning curiosity. He looked as if he could hold his own against Scart, or even many of the Dark Warriors. "While he's distracted, you'll try to sneak up on Neko. Once you get your part done, get out of there right away. Don't take any chances." Cera nodded. "After that, leave the rest to me."
"You aren't going to fight her, are you?" She didn't remember that being part of the plan.
"Only if I have to." If things went well, Neko would probably never see him. "Remember that the three of us are the only ones who are aware of this little plot of ours." Saia said calmly. "This has to remain a secret until we see the results. Neither friend or foe can catch on, or we may lose this opportunity." Cera opened her mouth to say something, but Saia quickly cut her off. "Whatever you have to say, save it for later. We don't have much time."
The Light Nekomata sighed and darted off to where Saia said Neko would be. The ancient Nekomata and the newcomer followed closely behind her. When Scart and Neko were finally within sight, a chunk of pointed ice suddenly rose up from the earth, separating her from the other two. "Saia!" She called out only to realize moments later that this was part of the plan as Scart shoved Neko away and went to Saia's aid.
Now! Cera heard Saia's voice in here head. How did he do that? She shook her head and tried to focus at the task on hand. Now wasn't the time to think about all the things Saia could do that he's never told her about. Right now, Neko was standing in bemusement as she watched Scart flee. It was now or never.
Quickly, but silently, she approached the fiery Dark Warrior from behind. Her eyes locked onto the fire-proof bag that Neko always carried around. It was open, which would only make things easier. For whatever reason, Scart's fight with the other Nekomata seemed to absorb the attention of the fire elemental. Did she know the other Nekomata by any chance? Regardless of the reason, the Light Nekomata was grateful for the distraction.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly inched forward towards the bag. Grabbing her own bag gently with her teeth, the tipped it so that its contents fell into the Dark Warrior's tattered bag. With that done, she was able to relax some. Now what? She hesitated. One big mistake. She had not been so close to her sister in over three years. With some reluctance, she finally began to back away as silently as she could.
"Cera!" No! Riza was overhead, giving the warning that either Zera or Yugito were coming. If only she hadn't paused only moments before. The Dark Warrior had heard Riza and spun around to meet Cera's eyes. This was not good.