Chapter 2: The Paisley Tribe, Life and Death
Recap: The couple watched in awe as smoke appeared from under the staff. The two braced themselves for fire, but instead were met by a soft breeze from clouds at their feet. The two looked around and realized that they were seeing a vision of a view from a plane in summer, overlooking the small district of Paisley below.
The flight felt real as the wind rustled through the fur of the elderly couple. Looking from below, green glens and crystal blue rivers vibrantly shone as the sun bathe them in its light. Looking closer at the land, a small town can be seen and heard as the morning light ignites the fire that is life. Behind the couple, Racel lightly thumped his staff again making the "plane" lower so that they were flying over the town of Paisley.
"This is Paisley, our home, land of the beauty and serenity. During the winter, life is a struggle as prey is scarce," he said as the scenery changed from green and full of life to white and dead silence.
The scene then moved to an area outside the city at a wooded area surrounded by trees, bushes and grass. Hidden within the foliage were old pieces of cars, tires, and other things piled up to make a circle of some kind. The center area was barren and brown as it has been used multiple times for play fights, dancing, ceremonies and much more. Racel then spoke as the flight stopped on the dirt filled center.
"This is the Paisley Junkyard, otherwise known as "End of the Road" for most items. It is considered heaven to the cats there because of the experience of adding a new home to the land. We all lived in harmony with the mother earth around us. She provided us with plants, we provide her with offerings, plant offerings that is. She gives us pray, we give thanks to her. She protects us and we protect her. For several thousand years that was the way life was for us, but unfortunately not everyone agreed to that. For our enemy, the Backwater Ferals, were once a part of our clan hundreds of years ago. But, because of problems in our clan's political power, some of the members broke off.
The leader of this group was known as Panther, or as we call him now, Matchitehew. He once was a great protector and was soon to become the jellicle leader of Paisley at the time, but when he explained his thoughts of leadership, his father did not approve what so ever. In an attempt to prove that he was right, Matchitehew gathered all the clans away from the junkyard and told them of his plans. While a minor few, close friends and followers, chose his way of life, a large majority said no and told him that he should be banished or even killed for such ideas. As a result, a young kit managed to evade the group and tell the patriarch the news of his son's teachings.
Shocked by the news, he then roared his anger to the heavens in the form of what you would hear from an infuriated lion. His roars were answered by lightning bolts striking the earth where the group of cats were currently positioned and formed a border between the followers of the son and those who were against him. With the answer from the ancestors given, the tribe banished the son and those who followed him from the land, never to be welcomed again. For the next several hundred years, the Paisley Jellicles and Backwater Ferals would be great enemies, never to negotiate, never to surrender, never to show mercy."
Racel paused for a moment to let all the information sink in. Skimble and Jenny looked at the scenes that were being shown to them as well as understanding the information. They took a glance at each other before turning back to Racel. He was about to continue when a creek was heard from behind him.
"Am I interrupting?" asked Millie as she appeared from behind the doorframe.
"No, you're not sister. How are you feeling?" Racel said as he made room for her to stand.
"A little dizzy but I am alright. What were you doing?" she asked as she noticed her brother's staff. She gave a teasing smirk at her brother, "Showing the elders your magic tricks?"
Racel looked at her with an emotionless face, "No, I was telling them our history of the tribe and I finished in telling how the Jellicles and Ferals started to be enemies. Perhaps you can explain to them the start of Macavity's reign and how he led the Jellicle Massacre?" he told her, a small smirk on his face.
Millie gave her brother a look and then glanced at the couple, who looked like they wanted to see more. She gave a small quiet sigh, "Best not to keep them waiting then!" she summoned her staff of sycamore and tourmaline. She went to the other side of the car, past the couple and to the doorway that lead to the cart closer to the front of the train. The staff was raised and brought down with a soft thump as a grey smoke spread like spilled water on the floor past the couples feet and pillows to Racel in the back.
The scene returned to the Jellicle Junkyard, only this time there were cats present everywhere. Kittens were chasing each other across the main grounds, the teen cats were chatting and watching the younger ones, the adults and elder went about sewing and grooming each other as they shared the news of the day. On an old truck bed laid the Jellicle leader, an old black cat with white eyeliner around her sunset orange eyes and silver scruff with gold paws. Millie spoke as the scene continued to come to life.
"This is Elder Caletta, the Jellicle leader of Paisley. She has been around since the time of Frenchman Argand's first official Oil Lamp, happening long before Queen Victoria's reign. She would be considered older than Deuteronomy, I believe, if Jenny told me correctly. Anyway, her son was our father, Redstag, the one who was to be Jellicle protector after her. Our mother was considered his second-in-command, her name is Pandora, said to be the only outside cat to be called a Jellicle. They say that she was a Jellicle born among outside cats. But that's another story, back to the subject. Our land was peaceful during this time, set at least five days before the battle that would test us all" Millie stated as she caught her breath and made her staff thump again to a point later in time.
The scene changed to when the clan was preparing for the Jellicle Ball and everyone was involved. A young and vibrant Millie was with her mistress Xenia in another part of the Junkyard where a litter of kits were to be born. Racel, also young and vibrant at the time, was with High-seer practicing his Ice-related magic. He summoned a thick sheet of ice on the main grounds and all the kits started skating and sliding, having the time of their lives. All appeared peaceful in preparations, when suddenly dark clouds appeared in the sky above, blocking the sun. Every cat in the junkyard looked up to see lights of red and orange in the clouds as black shadows appeared all around the rim of the main grounds.
"Everything stopped dead in its tracks as the darkness spread through the grounds like a virus. The smoke from the darkness made the air thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. In the mists of it all, two figures, one taller than the other, appeared and removed the smoke allowing his ginger fur be seen by the cats below" Millie stopped talking as she allowed the figure to speak for himself.
"Greetings Jellicles of Paisley. I am known, as Macavity. Or as my new clan calls me, Macavity the Terrible! I was told of you banishing my kind and I decided that now was a time for revenge. So as a result, I will take your leader into custody so I can reason a proper leadership. If anyone dares to go against me, my son Marus" he paused to show off his son, "will be the one to deal with. However, if you wish to fight for your freedom, then let the blood spill. But, should you surrender, then bloodshed shall be avoided. I will give you a choice as I talk to your leader. You all have one hour to discuss, so decide quickly" he finished as he left for the den of Caletta. Millie spoke once again.
"All the other cats gathered to the center of the yard and started stating ideas, but in the end, we all chose to fight. I for one couldn't risk the new born litter that I had delivered, so I decided to escape the crowd and head to the den of the new mother, asking her to leave with her kittens and mate so they would not suffer. Sadly, I was followed by Marus and he discovered the litter. He gave a dark smirk as the innocent squirming kits moved around for their mother's milk. 'Well, I guess we'll have to do something about that now won't we?' he said as he ran off to tell his father of the news. I had an idea of what he planned to do so I chased him down and begged him not to kill the kits, but he didn't listen. The only thing he did do was hold me by the arm and ran his claw into my skin and making a mark that only he could recognize, a string of barb wire that ran from my neck to my back at mid-point. He told me that if I tried to stop him he would not hesitate in eating me for his next meal. I don't remember what happened next because I had either passed out, or he hit my head so hard that I didn't wake up until four days later" Mille then looked to her brother. He spoke in her place.
"During her time out cold, Macavity had killed off our patriarch, leaving our father to become the leader. He was, however, so overcome with grief over his mother's death that he was in no position to fight. Macavity took this as a weak point and forced all of us into confinement. By the time of the fifth day, the new mother was taken into custody and she was separated from her kits before she was brought out in chains. The kits were in a sac squealing loudly for their mother. During the time of separation a large fire was made. Macavity had already destroyed all our relics and artifacts that we kept so dear to us. With the blaze burning high and the heat becoming powerful, Macavity roared at the top of his lungs, 'This land was meant for the ferals. No Jellicle shall continue their legacy as long as I still breathe' he then did what we thought no cat would do, throw the sac of at least ten kittens into the burning blaze while the mother wailed in agony at the death of her litter" Millie then took over again as Skimble and Jenny observe in shock and horror at what Macavity did.
"By the time that I had awakened, the blaze grew larger. Xenia, the mid-wife, made an attempt to save the kittens by surrounding herself with water and dove into the fire, only to be brought down by metal chains from Macavity's henchmen. She roared and swiped every chance she could, but like a circus bear to performers, she was struck down and chained until she submitted. I stumbled to the ground to try and stop them, but I was met by Macavity himself as he looked down at me with a devils smile. He grabbed my throat and brought me into view, leaning me closer and closer to the burning blaze. If it wasn't for my father tackling Macavity to the ground, I wouldn't be alive right now. Father fought Macavity for my protection as Mother came near me to shield me. Just as we moved out of the way, Father gave a pained roar and fell to the ground. I knew what had happened and rushed to him. He then looked at me with sadness and fear and whispered to me, 'you must leave this land, it is not safe anymore. Find a place to call home and…live….life….to….' he went limp in my arms, knowing that he had gone to our ancestors. Macavity's henchmen dragged me away as the two ginger cats threw Father's carcass into the inferno. That set off the chaos, for every tribe member then transformed into their spirit cats and all hell broke loose. Tigers, lions, leopards, and many other cats of the elements started attacking everything and anything that they could find. Mom, however, stayed in her regular form as she gathered me and Racel to leave. Just as we were at the edge, Macavity spotted us and attacked us. He only managed to strike mom's eye, making a scar, and me, giving me the scratch on my shoulder" she paused to show her left shoulder blade where claw marks were seen almost completely parallel to her arrow wound. She turned around and showed the last scene where she and Racel separated from their mother before making it to the train station.
"That is basically our story of our tribe's life and the death of our livelihood" finished Millie.
"Do you think that may be helpful in explaining things to the leader?" asked Racel as he sat by Skimble and Jenny, who were still letting all of this sink in. Jenny turned to Skimble and sobbed into his fur as he held her close, tears appearing on the corners of his eyes as well. Millie sat beside her brother, deep in thought as she began to breathe heavily. The memories started to fill her mind again and she started shedding tears when her brother's protective arms wrapped around her. Although Racel was strong, he couldn't be strong at the massacre, for he was too overwhelmed with fear, pain, and sadness to even move. The death of his father was what caused him to stay frozen the most, his closest friend was gone and he had no one to turn to but his scared sister, who wrapped her arms around him as she cried into his fur like Jenny.
After what felt like hours, Jenny and Skimble turned to the kits to talk, but found that they were fast asleep, Millie resting on her brother's chest. Skimble gave a sad smile as he turned to Jenny and motioned that they should wake them to put them in their proper beds. As the kits woke up, they saw that Jenny had tear stains on her cheeks, showing her sadness and grief for the Paisley tribe. Millie stood up and looked at Jenny.
"I'm sorry I showed that to you, but it was the only way of explaining things. I hope that this helps in explaining what had happened to your tribe as well as your leader. For I don't think that there is any other way to explain it, than to show it from our perspective" explained Millie as she started choking up again.
Jenny immediately grabbed Millie and hugged her as the two sobbed silently. Skimble managed to wake up Racel, who offered the same apology and which Skimble accepted it with sadness and relief that he was told what happened. The toms then told the queens that it was best to move to the bed areas to get some sleep. Skimble had one last round to do before bed so he went to it as Jenny got the two cats to bed. Once the two were asleep, Jenny went to the bed she and Skimble shared and tried to fall asleep. Sadly, her mind was full of all that happened. She started to wonder if this would be too much for the tribe to take in or if it's just too graphic for the kids or other reasons. She pondered this through her head as Skimble returned to his bed, giving a stretch and a yawn before lying beside Jenny.
"Do you think that was too much for anyone to handle? Could the tribe handle visions like those? What would they even think? Oh Skimble dear, what should we do?" asked Jenny franticly.
"Calm down dear. First I know it is overwhelming to see all of that, but seeing past events from the perspective of the mind and to show it better than explain it, it gives a better result. I admit, it was a bit much, but if that is what it takes to explain how serious the situation was and is as of today, I say we let the kits show Deuteronomy and the tribe what they showed us, because without it, it wouldn't be as heart felt. Do you understand?" said Skimble as he nuzzled and licked her ears. He always did this to calm her down which worked every time he did it.
Jenny took a moment to breathe and rethink the facts. "You're right" she said, "Explaining with words is not enough. This way may be the best. I just hope that the tribe is ready for this" she said as she gave a yawn. "But" she stated, "are Racel and Millie really witches cats?" she asked Skimble as she turned to her mate.
Skimble nodded. "Racel told me that he would have used magic to heal his sister but he didn't because he didn't want to lose the trust that we had with him as of now"
Jenny's eyes widened at his last statement. She, like Skimble, was shocked over how much Racel and Millie needed trust in order to survive. "You don't think-" she was cut off by Skimble shaking his head.
"I don't know how the tribe will react to two witch cats, but regardless, they will be welcomed with open arms either on the first day, or within the first week. Now, lets get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us" Skimble stated as he finally laid down his head and closed his eyes. Jenny followed his lead and rested her head on his chest, letting herself and her mate be enveloped by sleep.