Warriors: The New Era
Chapter Six: New Players
Things have gotten tense since last chapter. From the group going into Killmode and the Triumvirate seeking aid, and Scourge being taken prisoner by Fang and Brightheart.
Lionblaze tightened his fists "Why should we help you?!"
Tigerjaw didn't reply "Please. She was shot by some sniper. Please..."
"What makes you think we can help you?" Half Moon asked, Fallen Leaves standing beside her.
"You're the three!" Tigerjaw answered "One of you should have healing powers!"
"How did you know that?!" Jayfeather asked.
Crowflight glared at his brother "Never mind that! Please help us! She's dying!"
Cinderheart spared a glance at Ivypool "Can you do that?"
"I never done it before!" Ivypool responded.
Ravenheart groaned in pain, as Jayfeather began to get angry "Who are you three?"
"We'll explain if you save her!" Crowflight bargained.
Lionblaze walked up and took Ravenheart from Tigerjaw's arms, who tightened in response "Save her...or I'll make sure you'll need saving."
The golden boy shrugged off the threat, carrying Ravenheart to the kitchen table, moving the contents off and onto the ground.
Ivypool removed her fingerless gloves "Who applied the tourniquet?"
Crowflight nodded "I did. She would have died-"
"-from Blood loss if you didn't," Ivypool nodded "You're smart."
Crowflight turned back to his sister "Save her!"
Ivypool pressed her hands to the convulsing woman "Lionblaze, Breezepelt! Hold her down!"
The two complied holding her down by her arms, as Ivypool placed the palms of her hands on the wound, the blood soaking her hands.
"Uh...Lækna!" She said.
Nothing.
"Lækna!" She said more forcefully.
Ravenheart gritted her teeth in pain, her convulsions stopping.
"She's dying! Why can't you save her?!" Crowflight demanded.
Ivypool closed her eyes, and took deep breaths.
"Lækna."
The blood began to reverse itself. It moved back into the wound, and the gunshot hole began to close up. Ravenheart's breathing slowly reverted to normal breaths, rather then the gasps and wheezes.
Ivypool let go of her, feeling dizzy and disoriented "Uh...I...I..."
Lionblaze moved from Ravenheart's side just in time to catch Ivypool from falling to the floor. He sighed "She's out. Honeyfern take her to the couch."
Honeyfern half carried, half dragged Ivypool to the couch, while Crowflight leaned beside his sister "Thank you. Thank you."
"Don't thank us yet," Lionblaze grabbed Crowflight by the shoulder "You got some explaining to do."
Tigerjaw clenched his fists, while Crowflight sighed "Deal is a deal. Might want to sit down."
"How did you get the Moonstone?"
The Stranger sighed "It was given to me by dear friend. He trusted me with it, and has purified it from it's dark magic."
"So it's a sunstone?"
"No. Still A Moonstone."
The Stranger, Sparkpelt, and Poppyfrost had been walking through the woods for at least an hour, walking up the mountain, and past that was Forrestlake. They were halfway up the mountain now, and Poppyfrost attempted small talk.
"So...that Moonstone won't corrupt anyone?" Popppyfrost asked.
"Absolutely not. It just won't corrupt me," The Stranger answered as the trekked up a steep dirt path.
Sparkpelt scowled "Sure...that's fair."
"It's not meant to be fair," The Stranger scoffed "It's meant to keep others from using it. This stone has the power to alter the course of history."
"History that is already set," Poppyfrost countered, remembering their debate before Scourge caught them "Time is an inevitable thing. You can't change it."
"You can't change the past, but the future is always in motion," The Stranger responded.
Poppyfrost found a hole in his statement, grinning "Then it's a paradox. Because this is the past to you."
"And I'm from the future to you," The Stranger smirked "What I'm trying to say is that it's a difficult balance. By changing YOUR future, I can change MY present. Make enough changes, and you might have an entirely different future that I'm accustomed to, therefore changing MY past."
Poppyfrost's face turned puzzled, she had finally been stumped "I guess so."
"So...why do you hate Scourge so much?" The Stranger asked.
"He raped me," Poppyfrost responded, not missing a beat.
The Stranger stopped walking and looked back at her "Oh...sorry I asked."
"It's only a big deal if you make it one," Poppyfrost responded "What? You think that I was going to be traumatized and not have sex with anyone because of PTSD? Do I look that fragile?"
"I suppose not," The Stranger sighed, resuming his walk up the mountain, this time beside Poppyfrost "It's just...I wouldn't think anyone would wear that with pride."
"Not pride. Resolve," Poppyfrost answered "By crumbling to pieces, I am letting him win. By soldiering on, and letting the past be the past, I've won."
The Stranger shrugged "I guess. Was he always a cyber?"
"A what?" Poppyfrost asked, as Sparkpelt began to lag behind.
"A cyber...you know, half man half robot?" The Stranger raised a brow "We don't have those yet?"
Poppyfrost shook her head "I don't think so."
The Stranger chuckled "Well they are men and women with robotic implants, making the perfect combination of biology and technology."
"Bionic?" Poppyfrost asked.
"I guess..." The Stranger nodded.
Poppyfrost hummed "Well he got the arm after I sawed it off, and I popped his eye out with a spoon. And I nailed his-"
"Guys?" Sparkpelt called from behind "I think we may be going the wrong way!"
"What makes you think that?" Poppyfrost shouted, not looking behind her.
"Because this sign says we're nearing Yellowfang's hut."
"Oh hell no," Poppyfrost immediately grabbed The Stranger's shoulder, and jerked him back "I am not dealing with that bitch today, thank you."
"Why...who is she?" The Stranger asked.
"Some old hag who won't leave me and my old friends alone. Come on, we're taking the long way."
"The summit?" Sparkpelt asked.
"Yes."
Crowflight sighed "Okay...where do I begin?"
"How about how you know that we're the three?" Jayfeather asked, not fully trusting them.
They had all gathered outside by the Fireplace. Icecloud, Berrynose, and Honeyfern all sat on a log together, while everyone else either stood up or sat on the ground. Ivypool stayed inside with Ravenheart, watching over her as she rested.
Crowflight faced all of them "My siblings and I are part of a larger group. A group of nine..."
"Nine? Why is it always nine?" Half Moon asked, particularly to no one.
"To put it bluntly, my family and I have been observing you for quite sometime. Since last year. We mean you no harm, but we must be certain you won't attack us like you did the Shadow Brethren. Our goal is to change Forrestlake for the better, no matter how violent or how cruel it may seem. We are not dictators. We are simply trying to help, but not everyone wants our help. Resistance begets violence. Cause and Effect. We try to make everyone happy, but we can't do that by sitting around and acting like saints. Hands have to get dirty. We aren't Tigerstar, we don't seek power. We seek change. Jay's Wing is a great leader, but he lets too many things slide. He won't barter with necessary evils. Maybe something to do with his past..."
Jayfeather widened his eyes, while everyone else had no idea what he was talking about. Crowflight's eyes met Jayfeather's, and Jayfeather had to hold in a gasp.
"He knows! He knows about Brokenstar and the Timelapse!"
"That being said, my father doesn't want to rule or be in power. He just wants to show Jay's Wing the mistakes he makes. Like letting Tigerstar live."
Lionblaze scowled "Tigerstar is dead. He was shanked in his cell on the Isle of Criminals."
"His body was never found after the autopsy," Fallen Leaves reminded.
Crowflight continued "I have no reason to lie. My father does not wish you dead, but he will if given the choice and motive. His employer and sponsor however doesn't desire those. He wants you all dead now."
"Employer? You mean your father is a mercenary?" Icecloud asked.
"Sort of," Crowflight answered "I can't say who he is exactly, all you need to know, is that he has no interest in killing anyone. The last thing he wants is needless blood spilled."
"How can we trust you?" Jayfeather asked "If he doesn't want to kill anyone, why would he think about killing us?"
Tigerjaw spoke up "Because you already attacked the Shadow Brethren and imprisoned Tigerstar. For all he knows, you're just a separate gang looking for power. What better way to do that then to kill the competition?"
The group looked at each other. What they said made sense.
"So everything is just a precaution?" Icecloud asked.
"Correct," Tigerjaw answered.
Jayfeather snarled "I don't believe you. Not one bit."
Crowflight scoffed "You're Jay's Wing right? Read my mind."
Jayfeather curled his lip, but saw his reason. He raised a brow, shifting through Crowflight's mind for any signs of treachery. He scoffed "He's telling the truth. Or at the very least he thinks he is."
Crowflight sighed, as Breezepelt raised a hand "Wait, his employer! Who is he?"
Tigerjaw answered for his brother "He doesn't give us his real name. Everyone calls him Rock."
Hollyleaf gasped, covering her mouth as Cinderheart widened her eyes "Rock?"
"You know him?" Crowflight asked.
"No," Breezepelt answered immediately "Just curious. Right guys?"
"Right..." Lionblaze drawled, as Icecloud scratched the back of her head.
"My father wants to instill order out of chaos. Take a look at Riven! The Police are letting the mafia and gangs run amok! He's not an enemy," Crowflight explained "But we don't know for sure if you are."
The group was silent, and Half Moon sighed "We won't attack unless provoked. Deal?"
She held her hand up to Crowflight.
Crowflight eyed the hand like a hawk, but nodded, firmly grasping it "Deal."
Fang watched him like a hawk, not sparing anything else a glance.
Scourge was sitting in the dungeon, his robotic eye shield had been ripped out, showing his acid burned face and ear. His robotic arm was shut off, and it hung loosely, while his other arm was chained to the wall.
Fang was watching from the outside of the dungeon's gate,
Scourge chuckled "Hello, Rebound. How've you been?"
"Shut up, freak," Fang snarled "My orders are to watch you personally, until the queen returns in time for your execution."
"She won't kill me..." Scourge sighed, grinning at Fang "She won't. She don't have it in her."
"I do," Fang responded "And if she doesn't pull the trigger, I will. Enough with the suffering, I'll make it quick, and simple. God knows it's more then you deserve."
Scourge chuckled "You don't kill either...it's all a font. A cover. I've heard stories of Fang, the Gaelic Gladiator. The boy who wouldn't quit. You don't kill."
"There's a first time for everything," Fang growled "Now shut up."
"Why don't you come in here and make me?" Scourge challenged.
Fang snarled "Because I've been doing this for a long time. I know the difference between punks who deserve a beating, and freaks like you who'd enjoy it."
Scourge tugged on the chain, sighing "Point is, she won't kill me. And I won't kill her. You? Eh...not enough data to make a reasonable decision."
Fang bit his lip, ignoring the Australian "You won't trick me. You won't. I'm not someone you can manipulate."
"Can't hurt to try," Scourge responded, cackling his evil laugh.
Scourge lowered his head, staying silent, as Fang's eyes didn't leave him.
Fang took an opportunity to study Scourge, and his features.
He had sideburns, and his mouth are was clean shaven. His blue eye seemed devoid of all life, and his body was toned. He was small, almost 5'4, a shrimp compared to Fang's 6'2
His robotic implants looked very new, his arm painted a metallic black with red linings. It wrapped around his shoulder, with some wires leading up to his eye shield, that hung loosely around his chest. An adhesive covered the inside layer of the eye, so it would latch on and stay on his face.
"That arm...where di you get it?" Fang asked.
Scourge chuckled "Stole it from a war veteran. The eye is just a laser built into a metal faceplate, that I've upgraded to my extent."
"You don't deserve it," Fang folded his arms.
Scourge's eyes widened as he got a devilish idea. Or for him, just an idea.
"How's Cherryfall and Molewhisker?"
Fang immediately narrowed his eyes, and unlocked the cell slowly, his eyes not leaving Scourge "You little-"
"When I heard that the Queen had children, I always wondered the possibility if they were yours...or mine," Scourge chuckled.
Fang entered the dungeon, locking the door behind him. He turned to face Scourge as he slowly walked towards him "I know you're gonna enjoy this...I'll just have to enjoy it more."
He raised his fists.
Scourge smirked "I wonder if they look like me."
WHACK!
WHACK!
WHACK!
I hope you enjoyed that little insight on Scourge and Fang. I'm going to have a lot of fun with those two. A closer look at Scourge's implants, and Fang's personality.
So do you believe Crowflight when he says what Sol wants? Or are you suspicious like Jayfeather?
Who am I kidding?! The Stranger told you the future! But does that mean Crowflight was lying deliberately…or doesn't know himself? Find out in the Next Chapter, Come Thunder.
And please don't forget to review!
Adios.