'Can't you see we're losing?
Can't you see them now?
Silence yourself.'
'Marshal Dear' - Savages
¢нαρтєя тнιяту-тωσ: тσ мιяαz, ωιтн ℓιкє
Miraz's warehouse rose out of the dilapidated wooden shacks, tall and intimidating it loomed over the Chosen in a way that was hauntingly similar to Crimson's mountain. A dark feeling seemed to almost radiate from the thick, wooden walls. Its roof sagged in places, and some of the windows, as Sebastian had called them, were just empty holes. Eyes glinted in the shadows of those holes, all attention on the four strangers three city cats had brought straight to Miraz's home.
Two guards stood between the Chosen and Miraz's 'palace' their faces stony, not giving away a single thing. Both were bulky, though the she-cat looked a little bigger, thick muscle bulging under short brown fur. The tom had a mangled face, muzzle permanently twisted into a scowl on one side, and a strange black pelt speckled with faint dots of white.
"Apollo," the she-cat sneered. "What brings you here?"
"With company as well," the tom added with a rusty purr.
Lathai slipped in front of Apollo, flicking her tail across the she-cat's mouth. Eaglestrike was expecting Apollo to snap her jaws shut on the tail stopping her words but she stood in silence, eyes not even narrowed. In fact there was a look of uncertainty rather than confidence on her features, made clear by the slight furrow of her brow.
"We are here to see Miraz," Lathai responded clearly, her voice raised to reach the ears of those lurking out of sight; "to join the fight against Crimson."
A bark of laughter thundered from the tom, "Now that's something I didn't think I'd ever hear, Apollo and Lathai, the terror sisters, actually doing something that benefits someone else? Colour me impressed. What do you think about that, Philia?"
"I don't know, Nycto, sounds rather interesting," the she-cat's grin was unsettling. "She must be getting something for her troubles, wouldn't be doing it otherwise. Spill your guts, Apollo, how much have you been paid this time?"
"Nothing," Apollo snapped.
Nycto's amused smirk fell into a frown. "Don't lie to us. You may be a favourite of Miraz, but that doesn't mean we can't...arrange a little accident for you."
"I would very much like to see you try," Apollo hissed.
"Enough, brother. Miraz will get it out of her, he gets everything out of her," Philia crooned, stepping aside with a flourish of her tail, "after you."
"Liked yer mother better," Sebastian sniffed when he brushed past the siblings, not flinching when both of them snapped their jaws shut breaths away from his sides.
The door of the warehouse was pushed open by cats from the inside, screeching and groaning as it swung outwards, thudding into the shoulders of the cats waiting outside to catch it before it slammed into the wall. To the Clanners it was a marvellous thing to watch, a show of extraordinary teamwork that needed no shared words. To the city-cats Eaglestrike supposed it was normal. He wondered if every city-cat that worked for Miraz knew how to open the heavy-looking door.
Inside it was cool and dark, but not so dark that it was hard to see. It was the kind of dark that was welcoming and warm, the sort that cradled the sunset in its final moments of life before the chilling darkness claimed the night. Swooping across the ceiling almost hidden in the shadows were strong beams of wood arching from wall to wall in an impressive manner. Perched atop a few of the beams were small birds twittering amongst each other in quiet tones. All sorts of things were stacked up in a way that created a clear pathway straight down the middle of the warehouse, right up until the point where a pile of pelts sat, a cat stretched out across them lazily flicking a tail.
As they walked slowly down the makeshift pathway Eaglestrike spotted other pathways breaking away, disappearing down alleyways made by parting the towering rubbish. Shapes flitted from alley to alley, cats of all shapes and sizes materialising from nowhere to cop an eyeful of the strangers demanding an audience with the city boss.
Littleflame crept alongside Eaglestrike, ears flattened against her skull. Her pelt bristled, and her paw-steps were light. He leant over to touch his nose briefly to her ear, "don't say a word."
"I'm not planning on," she breathed.
His mouth twitched a little. "Okay."
"Apollo!" a gravelly voice ripped through the warehouse. "So you've been in the city for a few days and this is the first contact I get from you? Waltzing into my home with strangers in two is horrifically rude, isn't it, Pria?"
"Mhm," a lazy she-cat agreed, resting on the mound of pelts alongside a tom that Eaglestrike assumed was Miraz.
The city-boss didn't look very intimidating sprawled out over the pelts with his strange coloured pelt all ruffled and tangled. The fur on his face was black, whilst the fur covering the rest of him was a pale gray, save for his tail which returned to the same black as his face; his paws were spattered with speckles of brown. His eyes were murky amber, but one was clouded; clearly the city-boss was blind out of that eye.
A haunting screech pierced the air, a magnificent gray coloured owl alighting on the pile of pelts beside Miraz. Eaglestrike could practically feel his eyes bugging out of his head as the owl turned intelligent eyes the colour of fire on him.
"Did you bring me anything, Kesla?" Miraz grinned at the owl like it was an old friend. The owl, Kesla, cried out again, softer this time, reaching behind itself to snag a plump mouse, and presented it to the city boss with a gentle flap of its wings. "A mouse? Oh you know me far too well."
"Miraz, dear, your guests," Pria reminded opening one greenish-yellow eye.
"I haven't forgotten them," Miraz sniffed. "I was waiting for Apollo to explain why she's only decided to grace us with her presence now."
Apollo rolled her eyes, loosening her shoulders with a roll. "I was preoccupied, Miraz, otherwise I would have shown up earlier. Had to take detours to make sure we weren't spotted by your murder-teams out in the slums. You've sure got quite a few of them down there, expecting someone?"
Kesla squawked and Apollo laughed, "sorry, Kesla. Hello."
"You know who we're expecting; everyone knows who we're expecting. Wouldn't surprise me if the tribe cats knew who we're expecting," Miraz pouted. "Speaking of tribe cats, which I don't think they are, who're the angry looking strangers you've dragged with you?"
"Who are ya' calling angry?" Sebastian spat.
Miraz nearly choked on the chunk of mouse he'd been chewing. "Please tell me that's not who I think it is. Please tell me he's not actually here," he groaned.
"I have it in mind to come up there an' stuff yer tail down yer throat. Don't you uppity city-bosses know 'ow to respect yer elders?" Sebastian grumbled.
"Shilo!" Pria shouted over the sound of Miraz's complaining. A tabby she-cat scurried down a few boxes. "Take Sebastian to somewhere with food, preferably as far away from here as possible, okay?"
"No problem," Shilo struggled to keep the amusement off her face. "Would you mind coming with me, Sebastian? I've heard you have some wonderful stories."
Sebastian opened his mouth and then shut it, a happy twinkle glinting in his eye. "Yer be right with that one, little one. Come; let's find somewhere comfy to sit." Shiloh allowed herself to be lead away, glancing back over her shoulder to wink at Pria.
"With him gone we might be able to save a little of our sanity," Miraz scrunched up his nose. "Right, now, where were we...oh! I remember. Who're the strangers? You know I don't like strangers in my city."
"Would it make you feel better to know that they're here to help you fight Crimson?" Apollo stated calmly.
Miraz hummed quietly under his breath. "It might, depends on who they are. Their scent is familiar...that worries me. Have I banished you before?"
"No," Rainpatch cocked his head, "do you banish cats often?"
"Stop trying to change the subject," Miraz growled.
Rainpatch huffed, "fine, fine. Tell them, Eaglestrike."
Ears pricked up at the sound of Eaglestrike's name, low growls and hisses erupting from hidden shadows of the warehouse. Miraz rose to his paws slowly, Kesla taking up what looked to be his usual position on Miraz's shoulder. "Clan cats," the city boss said.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Miraz! They aren't here to spy on you," Apollo explained frantically, eyeing the city-cats coming to the aid of their boss. They'd formed a loose line behind the Chosen, ineffectively trapping them. "I wouldn't have brought them here if they were, you know that."
"I don't think I really know you anymore, not after the contract you made," Miraz growled.
"Miraz!" Pria still hadn't gotten up. "Apollo would never do anything to hurt us; stop being a thick-headed, idiot."
The tom pawed gently at Pria's side. "You wound me, love." His attention switched back to the strangers in his home. "Okay, I'll give you Clan cats a chance to explain yourself. Get on with it before I get bored."
Eaglestrike figured there would be only one thing that would win Miraz over. "We are Clan cats, and we've travelled a long way to do one thing. We're here to kill Crimson."
"So you say," Miraz eyed them sceptically. "I was under the impression that Crimson was leaving the Clans alone. Why do you want to kill her so much?"
"Uh?" Eaglestrike was speechless. Why wouldn't they want to kill Crimson? Crimson had torn everything the Clans had stood for apart, she'd murdered countless Clan cats, and she was still murdering Clan cats. He figured every cat wanted to kill Crimson.
"She's taken everything from us," Littleflame spoke up, taking Eaglestrikg by surprise. "There isn't a day goes by that we don't want to kill her, and I don't know what gave you the idea that she's left us alone, but she hasn't, and she probably never will."
Miraz shifted his paws, twisting his head to nuzzle Kesla's feathers. "I'll admit that it would be nice to have more cats to go against her, but I'd be lying if I said I trust you."
"We're not asking you to trust us," Icepetal growled.
"They are telling the truth, sir, otherwise I wouldn't be here," Lathai swept her tail from side to side, staring up at the city-boss with a small smile.
"So you've decided to show up as well? I've had jobs piling, piling, up for you. Surely the last job I gave you wasn't that hard that it took you three moons to complete? Or have you lost your touch?" Miraz jested, voice barbed with poison.
Lathai curled her lip, "I didn't come back because I felt like I deserved a break; gave you the chance to sort out your own enemies for once. How terrible it must have been for the great Miraz to be without his little murderers!"
"Don't make him angry, Lathai. He'll have a conniption," Pria deadpanned.
"Pria!" Miraz whined, "I have a reputation to uphold!"
The sandy coloured she-cat scoffed, "you've been doing a wonderful job of that so far."
Rainpatch's attempt at holding back his laugh was to snort loudly, sides rising and falling with the suppressed laughter. "I feel like I'm being ganged up on," Miraz narrowed his eyes and then sighed. "I've never had any bad dealings with Clan cats, hardly had any dealings at all, so I suppose I'll have to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you want to help us in the fight against Crimson then you are more than welcome to stay."
"What can we do?" Eaglestrike asked, giving the city boss a warm smile. He liked the way Miraz ruled. The tom didn't rule with fear, the relationships with his subordinates looked friendly. Still, he reminded himself, a ruler has to make his subjects fear him at least once. Meeting Miraz's half-blind stare he decided that he'd rather not be on the receiving end of the city boss's wrath.
"Suppose you could join Trigger's patrol, learn where my city ends and Titan's begins; wouldn't want one of you stumbling into his claws. He mightn't be as welcoming as I," Miraz winked. "Trigger should be just outside the door, go on." When Apollo and Lathai turned to follow the Chosen Miraz called them back, "not you two. You could at least do one job for me whilst you're here."
The Chosen left Apollo and Lathai conversing with Miraz, walking in silence towards the heavy wooden door. It was opened upon their arrival, sunhigh light streaming in. Miraz had been right, what looked like a patrol was forming around a lanky, dark brown tabby. He twitched an ear when the door swung open; shouldering his way through the other cats. "Nycto tells me I'm supposed to kitsit four Clan cats," the tom smirked.
"You must be Trigger," Rainpatch grinned. "Nice to meet you."
Trigger returned the smile with a toothy one of his own. "And you are?"
"Rainpatch."
"Strange name. I can never get over how weird Clan names are," Trigger looked at the other Clan cats expectantly, and they hurriedly shared their names, much to the city cat's amusement. "Now your name sounds cool, Eaglestrike, sounds kinda dangerous."
"Thanks, I think," Eaglestrike laughed. "Miraz said we're patrolling the border with Titan's part of the city?"
Trigger nodded, motioning for the other city cats in his patrol to follow him. They moved away from the warehouse, cutting back into the narrow alleyways. All the different twists and turns left Eaglestrike disorientated and lost. How did any of the city cats find their way around? He'd constantly be getting lost. Slightly more thankful for Trigger being so welcoming he sped up to catch up with the patrol leader. Trigger had a long gait thanks to his long legs, each pace easily dwarfing one of Eaglestrike's.
"Someone told me things were okay between Miraz and Titan, is that not true?" he asked.
Trigger's eyes widened. "Just because the two have agreed to fight Crimson together doesn't mean they're friends. They still hate each other, and will do anything to snag a bit more territory, so watch yourself around the border. Titan's ruthless. His hatred for Clan cats is intense."
"Why?"
"He blames Clan cats for Crimson, says she's their fault. Crimson's taken most of his family from him, she sent back his son, Blade, as a corpse with his eyes missing and tail shoved down his throat. Took his heart right out of his chest too apparently, poor little kit," Trigger shook his head. "After all he went through to nab a peace deal with Crimson."
Eaglestrike whipped his head around to stare at the tom. "Peace deal? Why would he want to make a peace deal with Crimson?"
"The city has only had trouble from inside for seasons. We aren't really skilled to handle enemies from the outside. Crimson and her massive army could obliterate us. So when she first showed up Titan decided, after two moons of blood spillage, that he'd attempt a peace deal with Crimson. She accepted, on one condition. Titan had to pledge his allegiance to her, offer up his loyal followers as soldiers if they were needed. He agreed, also on one condition. One of Crimson's closest had to come live in his city. So Crimson sent one of her closest cats to live in the city," Trigger explained.
"What happened?" Eaglestrike murmured, practically drowning in this surprising tale.
Trigger sighed. "The deal disintegrated the first time Crimson demanded soldiers for her army. Titan didn't want to hand any of his loyal followers over, didn't think it was fair on them, and refused to do it. Crimson retaliated, sent in an assassin and had Titan's mate killed. The two battled for moons over the pieces of their deal; Crimson wanted the cat she'd sent over back, Titan wanted to keep the cat as punishment for the murder of his mate. Over the moons he lost all of his sons. He's only got one daughter left. They've been fighting for survival up until this day. Miraz decided to help only because he knows Crimson will turn her attention on him as soon as Titan falls."
"Who was the cat Crimson sent over?" Eaglestrike figured it was Jinx. He didn't think Crimson had any other cats she could trust. The thought was painful, it reminded him of Tornheart.
"Dunno."
Words dying on his tongue, Eaglestrike let the conversation fall away. Crimson was coming to the city without Jinx. Crimson was without any of her oath-takers. She was weak. The revelation that they might actually have a chance at Crimson fuelled his weary body. Turning to glance over his shoulder he grinned at the other Chosen. "We have a chance," he mouthed with a twinkle in his eyes.
Icepetal gave him a quizzical look, whispering something in Littleflame's ear. The two giggled, Rainpatch pouting when they refused to tell him what was so funny. Eaglestrike realised in that moment what Tornheart had meant. They were a family, an extremely odd one, but a family nonetheless, and they had to stick together because this far away from home they didn't have anybody else but each other.
"Thought I smelled the stink of you, Trigger," a nasally voice interrupted the silence.
The patrol had reached a fork in their journey (literally) the road split in two before them, and standing at the start of the right one was a group, eight strong, of cats. As he spoke the big, silver tom that looked like he'd been waiting for them rose out of his crouched position to his full height. Wicked, curved claws dug into the loose gravel beneath his large paws.
"You're nearly over the borderline there, Roma," Trigger spoke in a low tone, shoving Eaglestrike behind him.
Roma rolled his eyes and took a taunting step closer. "Loosen up. We aren't doing any harm, are we?" The cats behind him crowed their agreement, tossing light insults at Miraz's patrol. Beneath the seemingly light attitude Eaglestrike could feel a thick tension coiling, preparing to strike.
"Don't we have enough trouble with outsiders to be fighting with each other as well?" a skinny she-cat in Miraz's patrol complained.
"Now hold on a moment," Roma's taunting steps became long, purposeful strides. His strides carried him over to Trigger quickly, Trigger snarled a warning at him but Titan's cat didn't stop, just pushed by him. "Never seen you four around before. Think I would remember a pretty thing like you," he cooed to Icepetal.
Icepetal's eyes widened, fur bristling along her shoulders. "Oh, why would you remember a plain old thing like me?" she shyly glanced at Roma.
"That's a silly thing to ask, whoever would want to forget you? Such a gorgeous little thing," Roma's grin was wicked.
"You're too much." Icepetal struck, wrestling Roma to the ground so rapidly his head met the gravel with a solid thud. Dazed the silver tom merely stared up at the smirking she-cat hovering over him, her claws pricking at the skin near his shoulders. "I hate toms like you."
Far cry from the Icepetal I first met, Eaglestrike arched a brow.
Roma muttered, "You don't even know me yet, sweetheart."
"I don't need to know you, darling," Icepetal grinned at the sound the city cat made when she applied a little more pressure, breaking through skin. Roma threw all his weight up, kicking Icepetal off, only to have her come roaring back with a hefty swipe to his face. Spitting he reared up on his hindlegs and beat back, parrying Icepetal's quick strikes with heavy ones of his own. He ripped claws up her face, shredding her left ear. She bit her lip to keep back the cry, using the pain to put more power behind her paws. Screeching she pounced at Roma, bowling the tom over.
Shrieking and snarling the two cats grappled with each other, Roma obviously thought he would win, his face was pulled into a smug grin, though Eaglestrike thought he could see the smugness beginning to fall away as he began to realise that Icepetal was no ordinary city cat. When he spun around to kick her in the face she snagged his tail in her teeth and yanked him off balance, driving her forepaws into his exposed soft belly.
Roma gasped, air whistling out from his lungs in a harsh breath. He bit back the pain in favour of leaning over and shutting his jaw tight around one of the forepaws squeezing the air from him, biting down till he heard a satisfying crunch. Icepetal jumped back with a shout, holding the injured paw close to her chest.
"Giving up already, sweetheart?" Roma purred hoarsely.
In response Icepetal darted forward and sunk her teeth into Roma's throat. She used the tom's struggling to inflict more damage, ripping and tearing at his skin with every claw and tooth.
Trigger leant over and whispered in Eaglestrike's ear, "She's amazing."
"She's trained herself to kill without remorse," Eaglestrike answered honestly, wincing at the gurgling howl of pain Roma released. "Just hope that you never end up on the receiving end."
"What are you waiting for, you idiots!?" Roma had managed to work his throat free from Icepetal's killing bite and was now shouting at the others he'd brought with him. They jerked into action as if hit, launching themselves at Miraz's patrol.
"Here we go," Rainpatch grumbled before vanishing under a wall of yellow fur.
Eaglestrike rolled out of the way of a ginger she-cat's kick to the head, flashing out a forepaw to catch her on the chin as he went. Satisfied upon hearing claw tear flesh he slithered back to his paws, lurching sideways when the she-cat tore her claws down his side. Hissing a barbed taunt he flicked gravel up into her face, claws following the grit to mix red with ginger. As he fought against the city cat he was hit with the realisation that they could only fight for a short period of time with ferocity before they began to grow weak. It worried him; Crimson's soldiers could and would fight until they dropped dead. The ginger she-cat retreated with ripped ears and a flayed pelt.
There was a suspiciously large amount of enemies jostling him on either side, far more than there had been at the start. Attacked on all sides Eaglestrike, and the others, quickly found they were overwhelmed. Even Icepetal, with the blood of her enemies dripping from her chin, was struggling.
"Eaglestrike! Eaglestrike, hold on!"
He recognised that voice, blearily he found it wonderfully familiar. Gasping in air to fill his heaving lungs Eaglestrike found the name on the tip of his tongue, only to have it crushed back down as a heavy weight crashed into his head and sent him tumbling into darkness.