Evectri had landed on his island by sunset. The orange light made him smile as he thought, This war is almost over. The silver king watched as the mothering she-cats and kits gathered out of curiosity around the five Volans who had just landed.
He spotted his mother, and immediately he knew that everyone was there. After all, everyone followed the former Queen. Evectri nodded and then jumped onto the high rock. The Volans whispered, but the king ignored that.
"My fellow Volans!" he called, making sure every gaze was upon him. "My father, King Negro, is dead!" Loud whispers ran, and the buzz forced him to stop for a few moments. After calming them down, Evectri continued, "I defeated him two nights ago with the help of friends I have recently made. And because of this, I have been granted Prince Tavo's blessing, and have therefore become King of the Subir Flock!" There were shouts; good, bad and others just demanding what happened.
"If you were given Prince Tavo's blessing," said Leona, forcing the crowd to quiet down. "Then where is he to explain why?" The silver king turned to face his mother, and though he looked strong, he felt his throat tightening.
"My brother, Prince Tavo, was killed in battle by Lady Laidia, who later died as well," Evectri explained. "He died with honour, and asked that I lead our Flock to the destiny that it was meant for. And I have." Leona's eyes narrowed, her tail flicking with anger.
"And what destiny might this be, my son?" Leona asked sharply. Evectri looked back to the crowd.
"To leave this lonely island and live peacefully among the cats in which have helped us achieve this victory," Evectri answered. He couldn't control the response even if he was StarClan or the Dark Forest. There were gasps, angry shouts, and questions. Lots. And Lots. Of questions.
Evectri sighed with irritation before he stood up and shouted, "Silence!" His eyes were narrowed, his muscles were tense, and the force in the word seemed to shut the cats up for the time he needed. "Why is it so astonishing that I wish this for our Flock? Negro is dead!"
"Those cats won't think the same!" cried a she-cat. "They'll attack anyway, and kill us all!"
"They don't know how to fight us off," Evectri argued. "Only the Cats of the Storms will know how, and they aren't a big enough number."
"So we'll be living with them, too?" another cat asked. "You are bird-brained!"
"Rain, a cat friend of mine, is powerful enough to keep them under control," Evectri growled. "But we won't need it—they've already been convinced that we're safe, so they won't attack us."
"There will always be haters," growled an elder. "There will always be those who want to destroy us!"
"No, they—" Evectri tried.
"Their kits will grow up to learn how 'evil' we are, and they will be trained to assassinate us!" a mother cried out.
"They won't, I—" Evectri began.
"We'll be destroyed before next new-leaf!" shrieked a she-cat. More and more came, but Evectri couldn't get a word in.
Finally, after becoming overwhelmed, the silver king sucked in his breath and yelled, "Quiet!" The force was greater than before, and it had silenced the cats quiet quickly. He took a few moments to calm himself down, though he left his eyes narrowed with flaring emotions within them.
"None of you could possibly understand why I trust these cats," Evectri growled. "And therefore I won't force you to see reason without explanation. However, you need to trust me. Trust that I will make the best decisions for you even if they do seemed far-fetched." The silence continued so he jumped down from the high rock.
"This was my rank amongst you just four sunrises ago," Evectri muttered. "So listen to me not as if you were a kit hearing a story from and elder, but instead a friend trying to understand why the other friend is broken into a million pieces beside them.
"What happened two nights ago was a day I will always remember and yet forever hope to forget," Evectri began. "I pray to our ancestors that you listen carefully to my story, and use every detail to aid your argument."
After that, Evectri explained everything that happened from when he escaped the Cats of the Storms to when he left to tell them of the glorious yet horrid news. When he finished, everyone was quiet, and their expressions had changed from anger and confusion to shock and sorrow.
"Rain is the most powerful cat I have ever met, and he has the ability to lead and protect us all," Evectri concluded. "His offspring are just as so, and with that, I plead that you will at least give this establishment a try for the sake of peace that our kind has never known." It stayed for many moments afterward, and Evectri was beginning to think that he would never get the rest of his flock to the Clans' territory.
"King Evectri, if I may," began a young she-cat. "Will we also be controlled by the leader of the cats?" Evectri shook his head.
"No," he answered. "We will live as we always have, but we will be allied with the cats in a treaty that will be more powerful than any battle that has been fought throughout the previous war." Another cat stepped forward.
"Will we interact with the cats?" a young tom asked.
"Yes," King Evectri responded. "Every full moon they have a tradition in which they meet at the island where the war was fought. We will go to these meetings and do as they do, and we will also report to Rain if we see anything wrong in our territory."
"What about the Cats of the Storms?" an elderly cat asked.
"They will be the same," Evectri answered. "Though their territory will be far enough away where we'll rarely see them aside from the full moon gathering."
"Will there be more prey?" a trainee asked.
"Of course," said Evectri with a smile. "Birds, voles, mice, squirrels. All things we've only found on Cats of the Storms territory, except bigger and there is always more of it than there is here." The kit jumped up with a broad smile on his face.
"Will our traditions change?" another cat asked.
"No, not at all," Evectri answered. "Those who wish to may begin worshiping StarClan, but that is it." The cats were whispering, but they weren't angry or happy. The silver king waited, though, for their verdict.
Finally, a she-cat stepped forward with a tom and four kits at her side. Then, she said, "You have been brave. You have defied your power-hungry father twice for what was truly right, and so my family and I have decided to come with you to the Clans and live there in peace with the cats." Evectri nodded.
"Thank you," he said. "Because you are the first to come forward, you and your family will be reward with nobility when we arrive at the Clans." The she-cat wore a smile as she sat next to him.
After a few moments, a young tom walked forward and murmured, "I…I really don't want to believe that these cats are any different from the Cats of the Storms, or that the cats we have been in war with for generations have suddenly decided to wage peace over territory. However, I will follow you, for I will honour the death of Prince Tavo and you, King Evectri, for killing such a danger to our flock." The young tom dipped his head, and Evectri's eyes softened.
"You are very brave to confess such things," said the silver king. "And I will be proud to have such a tom amongst my ranks." With a nod, the tom joined the young family beside Evectri.
One by one, families, mates, or just single Volans came and explained their reasoning before sitting in the group beside him. There were varied motives—a new place to play, a safer and more plentiful bit of territory to hunt and train, Evectri's bravery, Rain's protection—and eventually, there was only one cat left.
Leona.
Evectri stared at his mother with a frown on his face. She did the same. There was a long silence as a few whispers from behind him rang in his ears. No…I can't lose her too… Evectri thought.
"I would have thought better of you," Leona said, a cold edge to her voice. "After moons of being a logical and reasonable son, I've come to see my mate and my other son dead just because you couldn't have waited to have a proper duel."
"Mother, it had to be done," Evectri pointed out. "He was going to destroy the cats."
"So they are more important than your brother?" Leona asked. Evectri's eyes narrowed.
"No, Tavo was more important than anyone will ever know," Evectri murmured. "However, he didn't die because I told him to fight. He died because he wanted to fight. That was the same for all the warriors who died on the battle field."
"But that all could have been avoided if you'd just fought your father with tradition!" Leona cried, tears welling up in her eyes. Evectri's eyes narrowed harder.
"I already did that!" he hissed. Immediately realizing his mistake, Evectri calmed himself down and said, "I tried fighting him in a proper duel, but he fought unfairly. He made me fight while I was exhausted, wounded, and mentally unstable, and I haven't had the chance to fight him again."
"You could have waited until after he took over that forest," Leona muttered.
"And then I would have the tom who saved me slaughtered without any repayment from me for what he did," Evectri growled. "Can't you see, mother? I did the right thing."
"But how many did you kill in the process?" Leona asked. "How many had to die just to solve a simple issue of who rules who?"
"Those that died were fighting for what we truly believed in!" Evectri answered. "And it was not just a fight of who was leader and who was not. We fought to stop this war of generations, to be at peace for once in our race's entire existence."
"There was no need for it," Leona argued, her eyes narrowed as her tail lashed out angrily.
"And yet there is a need for this war amongst the cats and Volans?" asked Evectri. "Yes, cats died in this final war, but isn't that what has been happening ever since our kind was created? Volans have died for nothing but greed, so why was this war any worse?"
"Because my family died!" Leona shrieked, a sound Evectri had never heard before. He took a step back, shock in his eyes. "My mate, my son…they were taken from me!" She began crying, and Evectri could just stare with wide eyes.
He stood there for many moments before an elder walked over to him and whispered, "She is broken. Let her attend to her own mental wounds alone." Evectri knew it was the smartest idea, but he didn't want to accept it.
"You want me to leave her here?" Evectri asked. "All alone, without anyone to care for her?" The elder sighed.
"You are wise, young King, but you have a lot to learn," the elder told him. "Your mother is smart, and she has her strength. She can survive until she wishes to join her family. Until then, she must be on her own." Evectri stared for a few moments before he shook his head and turned to face the others.
"And now we take flight," he called over the crowd. "We will land at the gathering place, for the Clans' leader, Rain, has ceremonies to attend to, and I have yet to go through a traditional coronation." And with that, he turned and took off into the sky, a line of Volans following him.
Rain
Rain was waiting very quietly by the Great Oak tree for the Cats of the Storms and the Subir Flock to arrive. Cura had told him not to do much else, and he wasn't honestly needed at that moment.
It had been five days since Bravepaw had left with his patrol to urge the Cats of the Storms to come. The cats and Volans didn't really mind the absence, though. They were talking to each other as if they had known one another for generations.
This night will be very interesting from the very beginning, Jactur mused. Especially for the Cats of the Storms. Rain chuckled.
How do you think everyone will react? Rain asked.
Hard question, Rainy, Jactur warned. It depends on how everyone reacts to them normally. Rain thought hard about that.
They've gone into the forest a few times, but the cats mostly think of them as bothersome, Rain answered. But that shouldn't matter. I've lead before, and they'll want me to continue…Right?
Maybe; maybe not, Jactur answered. It still depends on how everyone handles the information. Rain frowned.
You've got the memories ready, right? Rain asked.
Well, they're not going to be very hard to project over the island if that's what you mean, Jactur responded. These memories are your strongest, most potent reminders. Rain nodded.
Suddenly, Intono landed beside him with a look of relief. The black tom dipped his head in respect before saying, "The Subir Flock is on their way, sir, and the Cats of the Storms aren't far behind them. They'll be here by sunset." Rain nodded.
"Thank you," he responded. From there, the grey and white tom recited the words he was going to say, trying to get them just right. It was going to be a long night of ceremonies, and he didn't want to screw them up.
You know, if you keep worrying too much you'll end up screwin' it up anyways, Jactur commented.
Well how else am I supposed to memorize them? Rain asked, his tail flicking.
You already have, mouse-brain, Jactur yawned. You're just paranoid now. Rain was about to respond, but cheering from below caught his attention. The grey and white tom looked up to find Evectri leading a fair amount of Volans to the ground.
The Volans looked cautious, but the scene below couldn't have been more willing to let them ease up a bit. After all, cats and Volans were mingled together cheering Evectri's name as well as welcoming the newcomers of the Flock.
Evectri didn't land with his kind, though. He flew close to the ground toward Rain, whom he landed by once he was close enough, and said, "Intono, make sure everyone is calm. If there is an issue, alert me at once."
"My king," said Intono as he dipped his head in acknowledgment before taking off into the air. Evectri gave a warm smile to Rain as he turned toward the grey and white tom.
"Everything went well," Evectri reported. "The Volans were willing after a very tiresome speech, but nevertheless, I trust them with your cats." Rain nodded.
They exchanged statistics over those injured in the war, and Evectri explained how fast their Flock would repopulate. It was very interesting. For one, their mothers had up to six kits, and those kits were very healthy. Their wings worked at the age of two moons, so they're able to fly away quickly from predators. Plus, there was the Kreis Operio, and the list kept going on and on.
The Volans below were all looking toward the fallen tree, their eyes focused as they frowned. Rain could sense the tension in the air as Huntress walked through. More and more cats walked through the thick brush, and each one of them skirted around to follow the golden she-cat in front of them.
Rain looked for Shadow, expecting him to be in front. However, as he continued to look, he didn't find the Commander at all. Evectri was frowning as well as he stared at Huntress as she led her cats forward with the pride of a golden lion.
"It is good to see you, Huntress," Rain said, trying to break the tension as Huntress strode up to him.
"You too, Rain," she responded. Her voice was colder, and much more powerful.
"Am I to assume Shadow did not wish to come?" Rain asked. Huntress shook her head.
"You are to know that he has passed on, and that I am the new Commander of the Cats of the Storm." Huntress growled. Rain noticed that she wasn't looking at him with her icy blue eyes, but instead at Evectri, who shifted with uneasiness.
"So you defeated, Negro?" she asked. "A wonderful feat, I must say." She stared at him a few moments longer before shifting her gaze to Rain.
"I suggest you get on with your ceremonies," Huntress hissed. "My cats are uncomfortable here, and we'd prefer to just settle in rather than listen to you while surrounded by these…Volans." The last word seemed hard for her to say. Rain nodded.
"I will," he responded. Rain then jumped up the Great Oak tree and settled on a middle branch while Evectri took one just a tail-length shorter. Huntress hesitated, but eventually she jumped up as well, settling upon a branch equal to Evectri's.
"All those below me, listen!" Rain called out. "The time has come for our species' to unite once and for all!" The cats and Volans turned, looking at him with curiosity in their eyes.
"My Clans, once more we have ended a war that was nearimpossible to win," Rain said clearly. "May we rejoice forever more and tell our stories to our kits so that you may all be remembered throughout all of time!" The Clan cats cheered with a loud roar as Rain glanced over to Evectri.
"Volans of the Subir Flock, after several generations of war, we have finally come to know peace amongst the cats!" Evectri called out. "May we remember this day as a mark of our kind's history, for it is the day that our wars have ended, and a new generation of Volans have come to take its place!" The Volans roared with cheer as the silver king finished speaking. Evectri didn't have to look at Huntress, Rain noticed, for she was already breathing in for her powerful words.
"Cats of the Storms, we have come to be under the stars after so many moons of darkness!" Huntress called out. "Let us be righteous once more under the peace StarClan will give us, and may our kits be told our story for moons to come!" The Cats of the Storms also cheered, thought they glared at the Clan cats as they tried to join in.
"The time has come to rebuild the leadership that was lost!" Rain called, sitting calmly on his branch. His light blue eyes glanced to Evectri, who nodded as he figured out his strategy of the night.
"Volans of my flock, by tradition it is said that should a son of the current king defeat his father in battle, he shall be named king and take over the kingdom that his father lead before him," Evectri began. "Following this tradition, a coronation should take place before a half moon to let the new leadership be known and set in stone for history to see. So, now, my coronation will begin so that our peace may be final!" The Volans cheered once more, though it was magnified by some of the Clan cats.
"For those of you who don't know, a noble member of the royal family is to carry out the ceremony, which is to say, those older than the king in which is to be crowned," Evectri explained to the cats. "However, my mother is not present at this current time, and so I will ask—"
"There is no need to call out an unworthy Volan," came an unfamiliar voice. It was loud, booming, and very ancient. "I will carry out the task with the honour that was given to me by being born into the royal family." Rain searched the crowd for the source of the voice, but only when the Volan stepped forward from the crowd did he see who it was.
The Volan was quite compared to those that Rain normally saw. His fur was light brown, and his eyes were lightning blue. Rain looked from him to Evectri, who seemed surprised.
"I was unaware that you were alive," Evectri said as calmly as he could.
"I lived because I fought neither for you or your father," the Volan rumbled. "Your little magic trick up in the sky didn't work on me, and I am glad. I managed to have a long awaited fight with a worthy opponent." Evectri's eyes narrowed.
"Your rein wasn't the brightest," Evectri growled, his voice steady.
"But while a royal family member is present, your coronation cannot go on," said the tom, a wicked smile on his face. "It will mean nothing, at the moment, if your ceremony was done by an unworthy Volan."
"You seek nothing but revenge," Evectri muttered.
"No," the tom argued. "Not now, anyway. You see, I am very old, and I wish for my intelligence and strength to move on through the generations, just as it has with you. In order to do that, a blessing is in order, is it not?" Evectri's eyes narrowed tighter.
"I have not received any power of yours," Evectri hissed, his tail lashing below the branch.
"And there is where you are wrong, grandson," the tom growled. "Your father never possessed the skills I do, same as my father. Skips a generation, you see? And if I want the powers to continue…"
"What skills do I possess that my father did not?" Evectri asked. "As far as I know, I learned every strength by training, not by inheritance." The Volan below chuckled, a wild smile still on his face. He took another step forward before—quite suddenly—several cats gasped and whispered to each other. Rain was confused for, at least as what he could see, nothing had changed.
"Only I have the ability to make my wings disappear," Evectri murmured, his eyes still narrowed. "Though there was one tom—"
"Oh yes, the secret had spilled then, hadn't it?" asked Evectri's grandfather. "Wasn't the proudest moment of my life when the current Commander learned what I could do. Nevertheless, I kept it a secret after that so no one would catch wind of such a wonderful ability."
"But I trained hard to have this skill," Evectri argued.
"Yes, yes," the Volan said. "Able to do it at ten moons old, I hear? Now that is an accomplishment, even by my standards. However, even though we are born with these abilities, it is not simply a power you automatically know. Think of it instead as a skill that only we can receive because we are smarter, faster, and stronger than the rest of the Volans. After all, such power only runs through the royal family. It was the reason that they were made so in the first place, of course." Evectri paused, thinking about it.
"So now you only wish to give me a blessing so that it is ensured that this strength and intelligence will be passed down?" Evectri asked. His grandfather nodded. "What will you do afterward?"
"My son already wished to have me exiled, and I really have no business here," claimed the elder Volan. "I'd probably fly over the mountains and see what I can find there. After all, there isn't really much to do when you've become as old as I have." Evectri paused. As Rain looked closer, he seemed to be searching for something.
"I remember stories of you," growled Huntress. "You killed my mother." The old Volan looked up.
"We were at war for something that didn't make sense," Evectri's grandfather reminded her. "It was a time in which the armies fought for nothing but to win. I protected what I had to." Rain's eyes narrowed. His personality…it's so strange. One moment he makes sense, and then the other he just sounds like a lunatic.
What would you expect from an old battle leader? Jactur asked.
Logic? Rain asked.
Rainy, logic is kind of thrown away when you live in this world, Jactur reminded him. Especially when you live in a time of constant war. Instead of thinking about who you're going to kill, you just flat out kill someone. Yet, at the same time, you have to be smart about which one to kill, for one could be stronger than you while just a few feet away, there could be someone a lot weaker.
That's confusing, Rain muttered.
And so is he, am I right? Jactur asked. Rain didn't answer.
"I accept your offer not because you are of the royal family but because of the power you wield and because everything you did was in the past, which is no longer," Evectri finally called out. "Everyone has entered this gathering tonight not as enemies from battles won and lost, but instead as friends who have become united below the stars. Let this be an example of that." The silver king flew down from his branch, then, and landed beside his grandfather, whispering something.
The elder Volan jumped up to a high rock, his wings flaring as he said, "My flock and others who may be watching, see before you a Volan who wished to defy one of the most powerful Volans in our history in order to bring peace to a land that had never known it. A Volan who, though forced to fight in something he was against, was the first to ever break through a King's grasp and go his own way. And of course, a Volan who has an ability so rare that it is only born within a Volan every thirty-five moons.
"It is because of this that I give Evectri, son of Negro and Leona, my blessing to lead this Flock to greatness," the elder Volan continued. He then looked to the silver king.
"Will you, Prince Evectri, force justice upon those who deserve it, and honour on those who have earned it?" asked the elder Volan.
"I will," Evectri answered.
"Will you, Prince Evectri, do what is necessary to keep our Flock alive and healthy?" asked Evectri's grandfather.
"I will," Evectri said.
"Will you, Prince Evectri, strive to be the best that you can be for the Volans of your flock?" asked the old tom.
"I will," Evectri responded.
"Will you, Prince Evectri, in the name of StarClan, swear to keep peace amongst your kind despite our horrible past?" the elder Volan asked. Rain's eyebrows raised as he thought, I didn't expect him to include StarClan. After all, that probably wasn't in the normal coronation script.
"I will," said Evectri.
"Then by the powers vested in me upon being born in the royal family and protecting it with my life, I name you King Evectri, ruler of all Volans alive. May your allies recognize your strength and intelligence, and may your foes cower at the sight of your power." The old tom stepped down from the highrock and set his nose on Evectri's head before looking up at the crowd.
"All hail King Evectri!" he yowled.
"All hail King Evectri!" the Clans and the Volans cheered. "All hail King Evectri!"
"Long live the King!" Evectri's grandfather called.
"Long live the king!" the crowd—excluding the Cats of the Storms—echoed. "Long live the king!" At that moment, a bright light engulfed Evectri. The elder tom watched with a bleak smile on his face as the light ebbed away. When it vanished completely, Rain noticed the silver King had brighter eyes, and his coat seemed gleam beneath the moonlight.
The elder Volan did not fly away, though. Instead, his eyes grew fainter, and he smiled. Then, he said, "My time has finally come…" And he, too, was englufed in a bright light. However, when it was gone, the tom himself disappeared.
What—?
It was StarClan, idiot, Jactur hissed. He'd prayed to them before the gathering started. Went up to the moonpool and everything. He asked that he be released from life come the day of Evectri's coronation.Rain's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond.
Evectri paused with narrowed eyes to where his grandfather was just moments ago. After a few moments, he flew back up to his branch and sat with new pride in his eyes.
"And now may our ancestors in the stars hear me as I swear that through the life that I live, our flock will be stronger than it ever was in the past!" Evectri called. "I promise you that this peace will bring happiness to our mothers, safety for our kits, and rest to our fighters, for as of this day, underneath these stars, I declare that the war our kind has known since its existence, is over!" The Volans cheered, their roar mixed with screeches that sounded like a hawk's.
After a few moments, the crowd became quiet, and Rain knew it was his turn to speak. However, he paused as he thought, Should I really tell them?
Your call, Rainy, Jactur said.
It just…it doesn't seem right, Rain murmured. Not when I'm about to name myself leader, anyway…Their reaction could unsettle this whole treaty, and Huntress could literally just get up an leave…
I thought you wanted to be truthful to them, Jactur reminded him. And this is a huge secret. After all, not ever cat here was once a human.
That's exactly my point, Rain growled. These cats…they'd all have different opinions and if I can't settle them into agreement, it is pretty much proving that I can't lead them all. Jactur didn't respond to that
"My Clans, to stand upon this branch is a privilege above most, and I thank you for allowing me to be here," Rain called out. "However, I have lead you only because there was none other willing to do so at the time. So, in the name of StarClan, I ask that, should one of you disagree with this choice, they come forward and state their reasoning." The Clans whispered, but no one stood up. Rain waited a while, but even then, no one stood up.
Rainy, you are the most powerful tom aside from maybe Evectri here, Jactur reminded him. They don't care whether or not you'll be a good leader, only that you'll protect them. Not only that, but they've seen from your past that you'd do anything but mistreat them.
But at least someone would have an objection, wouldn't they? Rain asked.
Everyone who would is dead, Jactur pointed out with a laugh, forcing Rain to keep back a smile.
"Then it is my great honour to take the place StarClan has laid out for me and become leader of you all," Rain called, praying that those words didn't come out wrong.
Suddenly, four cats stood before him in mid-air, their coats shimmering in the moonlight. Rain's eyes widened only slightly, for he figured something like this would happen.
"In the name of the ancestors, we—Thunderstar, Riverstar, Windstar, and Shadowstar—speak for StarClan as we perform the powerful ceremony of a cat becoming the leader of leaders," said the four cats all at once. Rain recognized them then.
"Rainfur, host to the soul Jactur and rightful deputy of ShadowClan, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and make decisions based upon the good of the Clans? Do you swear upon StarClan that you will use your new power to protect these Clans? And will you bring justice to the Clans before you?"
"I do," Rain answered.
"Then hear us as we tell you this: though we cannot give you nine lives like we would a normal leader, we will give something greater," the powerful leaders called. "Through the power vested in us for creating these Clans so many moons ago, we allow Rain and Jactur to reach their full potential as soul and body!"