Chapter 26, Going to the next level

Shadowflight awoke early, four days later. The other animals in the room were sleeping.

She looked over when she heard a whispering. Two dogs were whispering together.

One dog stumbled away from his friend, and looked at Shadowflight for a second before running back.

Shadowflight snapped angrily and turned back into the box.

XXX

"WAKE UP!"

Shadowflight jumped from a heavy sleep, her green eyes flaring open in the darkness. It was very dark, the invisible lights that lit the building had gone out.

"Shadowflight?" whispered the voice of Moon, "Uh…something's wrong with Solar."

Shadowflight stood up, and realized that Robin was curled up beside her back; he looked up at her as she stood up.

Moon led Shadowflight to a corner of the box. "Solar is…not doing so well…"

Shadowflight sniffed the tiny kitten, whose eyes were staring up at her, but with a horrible, sad emptiness in them.

"She's dead, Moon," She whispered, then hated herself. She had not said the three words in a soft, soothing tone, yet a harsh, flat tone, free of emotion.

Moon didn't answer, but just drew himself up and was silent.

Suddenly there was a loud tearing noise, and Shadowflight jerked her head up to see a trader, an eagle with bright blue eyes.

"Hello, kids," he said in a cool voice, smirking coldly, "It's time to go onto the next level."

XXX

She paused and looked up, before tripping over her own black paws and letting out a sob. The grim realization of what she had to do pained her, and she cried again. She was to exhausted to move. One eye was buried in the snow.

"Up you get…" the strange voice tang above her ears, "Come on, now…stupid rope…"

She stood up and looked into a dark coloured face.

"What the hell — oh!"

XXX

Shadowflight gasped at the trader, and Robin bounded to her side.

The trader ticked his tongue against his mouth. "What a cute kitten…now get up!"

Shadowflight screamed shrilly as the trader swooped and grasped her by the scruff. Robin grabbed Moon and Star, and left the body of Solar, before running after them.

The trader swooped through the door with Robin hard on his heels.

"Let me go, you…" Shadowflight grunted, kicking the eagle in the chest.

He dropped her in a crudely crafted stone room. Robin bounded in.

"I trust you know who I am," he said. He looked at Shadowflight for a long time, and Shadowflight noticed for the first time that his eyes were blue…

"Raven?" she gasped, and he smirked.

"All right…the next level!"

He opened a door and a Liorettea came striding out. No, it didn't stride, it screamed and kicked and thrashed as if bound by invisible ropes.

"Kill her," Raven, or the eagle, said in an emotionless voice.

"You're not Raven!" Shadowflight spat, her face twisting in disgust.

"Yes I am," he whispered, and lunged at her, grabbing the fur on her scalp and wrenching her head back. He looked down into her face. "Now let him kill you."

Shadowflight looked up at the Liorettea as the eagle let her go and swallowed. The beast was huge, and it snarled and screamed at her.

"You may begin." The eagle said coldly.

The Liorettea screamed again and lunged at Shadowflight, and she saw that his claws were eleven inches long and covered in scales.

"Take off your pelt," The eagle growled.

The Liorettea roared and glared, then wrenched a huge paw onto his neck and in one swift motion tore off his skin.

Shadowflight gasped as she saw him. He was covered in black-green scales that glinted as he moved. His eyes, a crisp amber, shone out of deep eye holes. His paws were dragon-like, and his tail was covered in the scales.

Even his nose was covered, and the scales led into his nostrils.

"That's right," the eagle whispered, "It's time to stop hiding behind the truth, Abelard." (AN: Pronounce that Ab-a-lard)

Shadowflight shook as huge dragon wings unfolded from the Liorettea's back. They were similar to Shadowflight's, the same color and almost the same shape.

Shadowflight leaped on him quickly, but found the scales were like metal. She tried to get a grip, but the animal flung her off.

She had been positive the Liorettea would not be agile and quick. But when he leaped at her he was, and more then she thought possible. She tried to scramble out of the way, but felt a claw sink into her lower neck and her own blood rushed down her black-furred chest.

She ran sideways, but a paw slammed at her, bigger then she was, and she flew through he air and landed again. She tried to scuttle away on her back, but once again she failed, because now the teeth were coming for her.

She screamed, and it was shrill and echoed across the stone room. Teeth closed on her head and chest, and dug in.

Let go! Shadowflight told herself, let it go! Leave your body…please kill me now…

The Liorettea released her. She dropped like a stone to the ground, and lay there, stiff.
Her chest and head were drenched in blood, and her fur was matted and straggly around the wounds. Her green eyes glared angrily at the wall.

Robin grabbed her, and shook her by the shoulders.

"Come on, Shadowflight, speak to me…"

She groaned. "Let me go…you are hurting me…" She looked at him through angry green eyes.

He dropped her and she stood up.

"Shadowflight," he whispered, "This is a real Liorettea. Because he has two pelts."

Shadowflight looked blankly up at him. "Alright then."

"I have got you your Liorettea." He mewed, smiling.

She smiled back at him. "I knew you could do it."

"I didn't do anything."

Okay, there's chapter 26! Tomorrow morning I will be leaving for my three week long vacation, and no updates in that time. You can review to this though, and I can check my reviews when I get back home. I didn't think this was TO cliffy, and I didn't want to leave you hanging. REVIEW!!

Also, when I get back, can I please have some of the drawings? I am pretty sure my email is on my profile, look there. Bye!