Warriors: The New Era
Chapter Two: The Queen of Beggars
Here we are. Last chapter we dove into the story, with Sol making his debut. I wanted to hide his identity, but you guys don't deserve that. I've made you guys wait too long as it is.
This chapter deals with the foreshadow of key elements of this story. I had thought about Calling it Warriors University, but honestly, Warriors High had almost nothing to do with High School. So that's one idea shot down. But it all worked out.
So, enjoy!
"FAMILY MEETING!" Hollyleaf yelled at the top of her lungs.
It wasn't easy filling the shoes of Hazeltail as the Gatherer, but she did her best. When she and Dovewing left six months ago, she was entrusted to do her job.
And she would not fail.
Her golden haired brother walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes "Okay sis, what is it?"
"Wait until everyone is here," The ravenette scoffed, as Cinderheart showed up still in her nightgown.
Berrynose and Honeyfern stepped out of the basement, and they both looked moreorless like Lionblaze. Honeyfern's blondish brown hair was all over, and Berrynose was shirtless in gym shorts.
Next came Breezepelt and Foxleap, who looked more awake than them. Half Moon and Fallen Leaves came down the stairs, with a tired Jayfeather close behind. Icecloud came down from the attic, seemingly been awake for hours.
"You're probabl-"
Breezepelt scoffed "Get to the point! Jesus, Hollyleaf, while we are young."
Hollyleaf curled her lip but calmed down "Collage."
Now EVERYONE was awake, arguing to no end!
"I don't need to go to collage!"
"Which college?"
"You're choices suck!"
"Hell No."
Hollyleaf clenched her fists "SHUT UP!"
Everyone fell silent.
"We all got accepted to Warriors University."
"Which one?" Ivypool asked.
Hollyleaf looked at the acceptance letters "Uh...by the Fourtrees."
"That's the prestigious one!" Breezepelt exclaimed "Hell NO! I am not spending my time with egotistical brats with too much money!"
"Neither am I," Jayfeather agreed "I heard some people I wouldn't like to see again are there."
Lionblaze shrugged "I'm on board. I heard great things about the place."
"Gray Wing was promoted to teach there," Ivypool smirked "We can enroll with him. Besides, there isn't a lot of jobs we can take without a Collage degree, regardless of it's titles."
Some of them nodded, including Jayfeather.
Breezepelt however, was unconvinced.
"It's a waste! If I want to have a job, I should learn, on site! Not in a classroom, with controlled variables," Breezepelt scoffed.
Foxleap nodded "For once, Breezepelt speaks truth. I'd rather learn for myself, then be taught."
Hollyleaf shrugged "That's true, but Collage Credit always sounds good on any resume."
"Perhaps, I'll show up for like two weeks. Then we'll see," Jayfeather reasoned.
"Same," Fallen Leaves replied, while Ivypool nodded with them.
"Okay," Hollyleaf memorized "Any one for sure attending?"
"Why not?" Berrynose replied.
Honeyfern shrugged and Cinderheart smirked "I'm in if Lionblaze is."
"What the hell?" Lionblaze smirked "Why not?"
Icecloud nodded timidly "Sure. When is it?"
"Like a month," Hollyleaf replied.
Half Moon nodded "I don't know about Jayfeather, but I'm in it for the long game."
"Hey so am I- Oh you were talking about the university," Jayfeather protested before realizing his mistake.
Lionblaze chuckled while Ivypool nodded "Okay so is that it? I was watching Batman."
Hollyleaf shrugged "Yeah that is it. Everyone go do your thing."
Jayfeather and Half Moon held each other's hands went out the front door, probably on a walk. Lionblaze sat down on the dining room table setting out poker chips for Breezepelt and Fallen Leaves to join in. Icecloud and Berrynose joined in, with wallets in hand.
Cinderheart went out the slididng glass door to the deck, behind the house. Their was a newly installed pool on the deck, therefore they could go swimming there instead of the lake and river. Their was a railing at the end, over looking the woods and mountain. Hollyleaf joined her.
"Nice view huh?" Hollyleaf grinned, as Cinderheart leaned against the railing.
"Out of all the places Foxleap could have built," Cinderheart muttered "Yeah the view is nice and all. But past the Mountain is Riven. Not a good place last I check."
Hollyleaf nodded. Riven wasn't a place you'd want to be in broad daylight. She sighed "Well thankfully the mountain blocks all that off."
"You think Poppyfrost is there?" Cinderheart asked "When she went to go souls searching, I had a suspicion she would go back to Brightheart at the Cour Des Miracles. But she could be south of here, possibly at Windrow or Thrundrair. Possibly Skyfair City or The Shadow Mountains. She could be anywhere..."
"She's fine," Hollyleaf reassured "She's so damn tough. Nothing can hurt her."
Cinderheart nodded "You sound like Ivypool."
"Well she's right!" Hollyleaf exclaimed "Come on. Let's go play poker with our boyfriends."
Cinderheart sighed "Fine. But Berrynose cheats again, I'm clocking him."
"If Berrynose cheats, I'll help you," Hollyleaf smirked.
Hawkfrost cleared his head, meditating.
His eyes closed, all the sounds of the world fading away. The scent of candles filled his nostrils, and the taste of mist caught his tongue.
The once psychopathic man, breathed in and out.
His mind and body were of sound unity.
"Oi, WAKE UP!"
Hawkfrost opened his eyes in shock, coming back to the world. He looked around, noticing he was still in the shallow waters of the Grotto. He looked around the cave, seeing the trees and plants growing wildly. He turned to the interlopers and scoffed "Ah the Triumvirate. We were wondering when you'd show up."
Ravenheart, Crowflight, and Tigerjaw stood before him. Tigerjaw scoffed "We? It's just you here, Hawkfrost."
Hawkfrost sighed, as Ravenheart elbowed her brother in the ribs " 'We' is referencing to both Hawk and Hawkfrost. Using methods your father has taught us, we now share the same mind, soul, and body. No longer are we split, but we are one personality."
Crowflight nodded "Impressive. I didn't know father had magic."
"He doesn't," Hawkfrost stood up, his soaked pants dripping into the shallow water "You and your siblings hold the magic in your blood. He taught us not to argue and bicker. That is all. Balanced, as all things should be."
Crowflight smirked, and Ravenheart sighed "We wanted to know more about the three. What to expect if we ever come to blows."
Hawkfrost blinked, and nodded "Very well. Jayfeather is an experienced martial artist. Thanks to Rock's instruction, he has taken on the attributes and skills of all Jay's Wing's before him. He is controlled, focused, but very brash, and arrogant. Lionblaze is the wild card, already have being an star athlete. His strength comes from his rage something Jay's Wing taught him. He's a profound boxer, and natural heavyweight. Dovewing WAS calm and collected, never showing emotion in battle, and was the more capable thinker-"
"Was?" Ravenheart asked "What happened?"
"She left them," Hawkfrost informed "We have no idea why. Her powers were bestowed to her sister by Rock, who volunteered to finish the work should danger arise. Ivypool is insubordinate, and never thinks things through. Like a child. They both are the only one's with no knowledge on close quarters fighting."
Crowflight held up his phone "Recorded it all, in case we ever needed reference."
Tigerjaw sighed "Yeah. I'll just beat them to a pulp like I did to everyone else."
"Enough both of you," Ravenheart scoffed "We have to do this right, or else Rain will scoop up and schmooze his way to taking the quarry."
Tigerjaw smirked "Then what's the plan?"
Ravenheart rubbed her chin "We study them...learn their routine. If possible, befriend them and learn all their personal weaknesses. Then if necessary, kill them."
"No."
They all turned to the sound of the voice.
Hawkfrost was alert now. His fists clenched "They are still family to us. They're deaths, no matter how badly Sol wants it, will not happen by you or us. That was the deal we made when he hired our service."
Tigerjaw smirked "And how are you gonna stop u-"
Tigerjaw had pushed him to far.
Hawkfrost delivered a back roundhouse kick to Tigerjaw's...jaw. The brute hit the ground, and snarled, getting up and raising his fists "You little-"
"TIGERJAW!" Ravenheart roared, and the brother instantly relented "If that is the request that Hawkfrost has made... then we will honor it."
The Brute growled, but backed away from Hawkfrost.
"They took us in when all else refused. I may be there enemy, but I wish them no harm."
Crowflight shrugged "We give our word, but what if Rain and Needletail kill them?"
Hawkfrost clenched his fists.
"Then I will revert to my old ways...and Sol better pray that doesn't happen. We wouldn't want another warehouse incident."
The Stranger groaned, rubbing his eyes as he awoke.
He was in some sort of cell. There were bars preventing his escape, and their was no window.
He got off the concrete floor, and looked out the bars.
He was...in a market?
He was inside some warehouse, with vendors and booths almost every where.
"Did Lostface take me to a Bazaar?" The Stranger asked, incredulously.
"He's awake!"
Only now did he realize that their was a guard beside the bars. She was short, probably seventeen, with long orange hair.
The Golden Haired man sighed "Where am I? Am I still in Riven?"
"Yeah," One guard smirked "Step away from the bars, sir. The Queen wants to see you."
"Why?" The Stranger asked.
"I need not reason why, there is but to do or die," The woman smirked "It's from-"
"Alfred Lord Tennyson, and even so you got it wrong," The Stranger corrected, standing away from the bars "It's 'Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do and die.' It means the light brigade followed the orders blindly, even if it cost them their lives. So...you're that loyal to her?"
"As well I should be," the guard unlocked the cell "Come."
"No cuffs?" The Stranger asked.
The Guard chuckled "Try and run. Every man and women and child in this haven knows your face and are armed to some extent. After seeing you thrust into the kennel, they will stop you from escape. So go ahead start running."
The Stranger looked around him, notching how many people were staring at him, hands underneath some tables, like they were holding some weapon. He gulped and followed "Do or Die, I guess."
He followed the guard who took him to some back room.
"Open the door," she ordered.
The Stranger did so, opening it for a gust of wind to blow his hair back.
He looked down the cold staircase, taking him underground to some catacombs.
"Ladies first," The Stranger smirked.
The woman scoffed "Get down there. And if you're thinking of knocking me out and doubling back, they have orders if you are not with me."
"To kill me?" The Stranger sighed as he went down the stairs.
The air got colder and colder, and he slipped on one of the steps.
"Watch your step," she smirked.
The Stranger curled his lip "Jerk."
The followed the dark catacombs, and the guard pulled out a flashlight, so they could see where they were going. The traversed down the dark catacombs passing skeleton heads and rats. It was colder then all of the south pole. The Stranger was pretty sure there were penguins living down here.
They came across a giant wooden door, and The Stranger scoffed "Let me guess. I'm gonna open it."
The door opened by itself.
"...Or not..."
"Go in," She scoffed.
The Stranger entered the room.
No, Room didn't do justice.
It was a throne room.
Pillars held the room up, with a stained glass skylight, at the very top. The roof had some balconies, along with several wooden platforms, with men and women watching from the side.
In the back of the room, the side the Stranger was facing, there were a series of stairs that led to a huge platform high above, with a golden throne. Lostface and another heavily scarred man stood on the sides of the throne.
At the bottom of the steps, there were Bengal tigers, chained to wall, and they growled and looked viciously at the Stranger who gulped. He looked to the sides of the throne room to see aqueducts built into the ground, moving towards the throne platform. Past the waterways, there were pews, referencing that this place must've bee a cathedral.
A woman with reddish orange hair and a slender body sat upon the throne, She was in leather pauldrons, covering her shoulders and arms, and her chest was covered by a brown cloth that wrapped around her body quite snugly, and her legs were draped in some gown. She held a Naginata beside her along with a French rapier.
"Who'd be so bold as to shoot arms in my kingdom?"
The guard walked past The Stranger, pulling out some huge bones from her satchel and tossing them to the tigers, who snapped them in half and sucked the marrow out of them.
"A spy?" She asked, standing up, pointing her sword at The Stranger "An ASSASSIN?"
"A mere traveler," He replied.
"We found him on the front porch, your majesty," The Guard bowed "He was the one who beat up Grassoak and his men."
"Grassoak? What kinda name is that?"
"Front porch you say," The Queen eyed the stranger up and down "I see but a boy. Sparkpelt! Return to the market. Remain there until further notice."
"Yes, your majesty," Sparkpelt nodded, brushing past the Stranger.
As the guard left, the stranger coughed "I'm-"
"Who said you could speak?!" The Queen roared "I will ask the questions. According to our camera's you showed up. Out of the blue. How?"
"I cannot say," The Stranger replied "I'm under orders to not speak of it to those who shouldn't know."
The Queen chuckled, leaning back in her throne" Well, I should know. You show up in my kingdom, unannounced. You could be one of Bloodclan's spies!"
"Bloodclan has been eradicated, at least where I'm from," the stranger replied.
The queen's laughter echoed throughout the halls "They run amok everywhere. My people are oppressed by their leader's forces, and I am powerless to stop it! But enough of that. Who are you, and what do you want?"
The Stranger grinned "I'm looking for The Three. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing of Thunder blood."
The Queen tilted her head, before turning to Lostface and the other man "Leave us. Tell the men in the high platforms to go, else they will lose an ear."
Lostface bowed "Yes ma'am. Fang! Let's go."
The man growled, following Lostface out of a backway.
The Queen clenched her fists "What do you want with them?"
"I wish to save them," The Stranger replied.
The Queen scoffed "The Three are disbanded. Dovewing left, seeking her own path. As did many of them. Jack, Hawkfrost, Hazeltail. You efforts are in vain."
"Dovewing surrendered her powers to her sister, Ivypool, before she left" the Stranger informed
The Queen glared daggers "How do you know? Have you been spying on us?"
"I seek their counsel!" The Stranger replied "I am not from here, as you could tell. I am from the future. About twenty years from now."
The Queen stood up from her throne, as the men in the high platforms left "Future, you say."
"I do," The Stranger replied "I understand that it is hard to believe, but-"
The Queen, walked down the stairs to her throne "I believe you. I have seen many things, boy. Time Travel is not new to me either. You come to the present...my present, to escape the future, you're present. That leads me to assume that...the world ends?"
"No, just Forrestlake, and all the Democracy of Warriors," The Stranger replied "Everything is taken. By a tyrant, called Sol and his children."
"I'm familiar with the tyrant game as well," she was at the bottom of the stairs now. She looked shorter then the stranger, and he could see a silver crown now, hidden in her messy hair "So you're here to save us from a mad man. So...what happened to the three?"
The Stranger softened his expression "They died. All of them. Jayfeather died first, having been stabbed in the back by Rain. Ivypool next, having her neck snapped by Sleekwhisker. Lionblaze surrendered to Sol and made a deal, giving me the chance to get here, but he was executed by Flame."
"How did you travel through time?" The Queen of Beggars asked, she was about an arms' length from the Stranger.
The Stranger sighed. He outstretched his arm.
In the palm of his hand, a smooth stone materialized out of nothing, and glowed.
The Queen gazed at it in horror and shock.
"This is a moonstone, one of seven scattered throughout the globe," The Stranger replied "It is energy incarnate. It was passed down to me by a very close friend."
"I know what that is," The Queen gritted her teeth "Which is why I ask that you must leave, now!"
The stranger widened his eyes "No! I could use your help. I don't know where they live. You do, you were friends of theirs!"
The Queen raised her eyebrow "How did you-sorry. Future. What's your name?"
"I shouldn't say," The Stranger replied "It jeopardizes my existence, as well as my mission. Call me whatever you wish."
"I can call you what ever huh?" The Queen smirked "You will be known to me as Traveler, until you give me your true name."
The Stranger smiled "Then Traveler I am. What is your name?"
The Queen outstretched her arm.
"Poppyfrost."
The Stranger shook her arm "So is that yes?"
Poppyfrost sighed "Very well. I guess seeing my sisters wouldn't hurt."
The Stranger smirked "Well I just came into possession of a 500cc twin motorcycle, with two helmets, if you'd like."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Poppyfrost sighed.
The Stranger smirked, and shrugged his shoulders "I take after my father. I'm sort of a flamboyant flirt, but apologies if there is a king."
"There isn't. And happily so," Poppyfrost pulled a radio out from her gown's sewn in pockets "Brightheart, Fang. I'm going out of town. You two are in charge. If our situation with Bloodclan changes in any way, shape, or form, then let me know, and I will be there!"
Traveler smiled "Then to the motorcycle."
Poppyfrost placed the radio away "I have a car. Plus Grassoak wants his motorcycle back. And his clothes."
"He can take the motorcycle, but I'm keeping the clothes," The Stranger smirked
The Queen of Beggars curled her lip "That can be arranged. But we're taking my car. I don't trust motorcycles anyway."
The Strannger bowed "Very well. Lead the way ma'am."
"First go shopping, whatever you purchase will be covered by me," Poppyfrost smirked "Once, you've gathered enough supplies, we're heading to Forrestlake."
The Stranger widened his eyes "Thank you, my Queen."
This was an idea I almost thought about putting into my previous story. During the War arc, Poppyfrost would be approached by Bone and the rest, claiming she was now their queen since Scourge was dead. But I scrapped it, because she'd never join Bloodclan. The Cour Des Miracles however, that was a far more interesting story. I never added it to deleted scenes because it never really almost make the cut. It was a thought that popped out, then brushed away. But I stored in the filing cabinets in my head, just in case.
The Triumvirate (My name for Ravenheart, Crowflight, and Tigerjaw) are an interesting bunch. I hope I got their characters right as...Rain. Hehe.
I know some of you may be upset with Jack and Dovewing gone, plus Hawkfrost switching sides, but if you know me, I always have a plan.
"But in the AN of Warrior's High, you said you improvised a lo-"
I planned everything. Having a plan to improvise involving some elements, is still a plan. Right?
Be on the lookout for next chapter The Rippling Current.
Adios.