Chapter 25. The battle begins.
Flightwing & Hazelpaw
Flightwing as well as the rest of the specials walked up to the building Risingdawn lived in. "Wingtorn," ordered Lilystream, "You take Shadepaw, Skypelt, Windsky and Visionfur to the back entrance. Head for the dungeon and free the cats there."
Wingtorn nodded and lead the cats away. Flightwing took a deep breath trying to steady her heart. They were going to fight the strongest cats here for control of the Cursed Forest. She glanced over at her friends and her nephew. They gave her reassuring smiles. Flightwing then watched her sister who looked back at her. "Let's do this!"
"Let's go!" yowled Lilystream, leading the way through the front door. Lilystream released quills from her fur, striking the two guard cats. Inside were three paths and a long staircase. "Firewind and Scalefur take the left path. Auraclaw and Brightsky take the right. Hazelpaw and Flightwing take the middle. I'll take the stairs."
Flightwing was about to protest but she forced herself not to. Lilystream was the leader of this attack. The group of specials broke up and went down the paths they were ordered to.
"So Hazelpaw," asked Flightwing as they were running, "How is your power?"
"I haven't been able to use it," said Hazelpaw, "I still don't understand why."
Flightwing was about to answer but a cat stepped out a nearby room. Longfur. "A member of the Council," whispered Flightwing, "Be careful Hazelpaw. He is one of the original four."
"I'm surprised," commented Longfur, "I didn't think I would see you again." He took a step towards the two cats. "After what Risingdawn did to you the first time. And to make matters worse you start a rebellion with a group of cats! And you got help from cats who are still alive!"
Flightwing stiffened but she held her ground, "We will stop you! What you are doing is wrong."
"And Starclan is planning on getting rid of the Cursed Forest," spoke Hazelpaw, "They were having a meeting about it since Risingdawn is now making the clans starve because of a dumb grudge he holds against Starclan!"
"His grudge is not dumb!" snarled Longfur. His brown fur seemed to move and become longer. "You will suffer!"
Flightwing opened her wings and lifted into the air. She glanced down to see Hazelpaw's fur was crackling with electricity. Maybe the Cursed Forest had helped him use his powers? Flightwing shook the thought away and flew around the room, dodging Longfur's fur which grew and followed her in the air. At the same time Longfur was using fur to try to trap Hazelpaw.
Hazelpaw jumped out of the way. He couldn't get close enough to Longfur to be able to use his electricity. One glance at the air Hazelpaw knew Flightwing was having trouble as well. "Think Hazelpaw! Think!" He cried out as some of Longfur's fur wrapped around his body lifting him into the air.
"Hazelpaw!" screeched Flightwing, flying towards him. However fur wrapped around her, pinning her wings to her side.
"Looks like I've caught both of you," sneered Longfur.
Auraclaw & Brightsky
Auraclaw and Brightsky's path had taken them to a huge rocky cavern. Torches with flames in them lined the walls. Auraclaw sniffed the air, "Someone is here."
"My. You are good." A tabby tom covered with scars came out of the shadows.
"Rowanclaw," spat Brightsky, "Be careful Auraclaw. He can create copies of himself."
Auraclaw saw a couple more Rowanclaws coming out of the shadows. "You mean like that?"
Brightsky nodded before concentrating on the light coming from the fire. It went from the fire to her claws creating long white claws, made from light. Auraclaw's eyes became clouded as she forced one of the rocks in the cave to break lose and hit one of the Rowanclaws. He fell and disappeared.
"Mousedung!" spat Brightsky, "A clone. We need to attack the real one!"
"That's easier said than done," replied Auraclaw, watching the large group of Rowanclaws. They jumped and attacked the two she-cats.
Scalefur & Firewind
Firewind and Scalefur's path had taken them to a small lake, about three fox-lengths wide in the marble building. The lake was frozen. "Should I burn the ice away?" asked Firewind, "Then you can check if anything is underwater."
"I don't think we can!" Scalefur gestured to the other end of the lake. A black tom with icy cold blue eyes was sitting on the ice.
"That's Hailstorm," said Firewind, remembering Wingtorn describing him. "He controls ice."
Hailstorm didn't speak. Instead he lifted his head and yowled. Small pointy ice shards tore away from the frozen lake and shot at the two toms.
"That is so cool," gasped Scalefur, before zipping away.
Firewind, who had dodged left ordered, "Scalefur! Try to keep him busy while I get rid of this ice. If he doesn't have any ice he can't control it."
"Got it." Scalefur ran around the icy lake, dodging ice shards that Hailstorm sent his way. Scalefur unsheathed his claws and attacked the tom head on. Hailstorm yowled angrily and swiped his front claws down Scalefur's side. Scalefur ignored the pain bit down on Hailstorm's leg.
While the two toms were fighting Firewind was releasing a steady stream of fire at the ice, causing it to melt. "I never used my power like this before. I hope I can keep it up."
"Firewind! Move!" yowled Scalefur before attacking Hailstorm again.
Firewind stopped and looked up just in time to see a huge icicle coming at him. "Fox dung!" He sucked in air quickly and released fire right at the icicle melting it before it could hit him. Firewind heard a splash and he looked up to see Scalefur being tossed into the icy cold water, then the spot was covered over with ice.
Hailstorm then turned to Firewind, and started walking on the ice towards the orange tom. Firewind unsheathed his claws, ready to fight back.