Spottedflight slithered through the grass, her claws already unsheathed in anticipation. A thirst for blood she had never experienced before had consumed her senses as the dark beast took the reigns of her body. She could envision herself tearing through flesh, howling with delight as victim after victim fell to her claws. The tortishell warrior would occasionally began to stir and wonder if these were her own feelings or those of the dark beast, but whatever trace of her old personality would quickly be quelled.
Flanking her on all sides were the six cats of the Horseplace. Blue was directly to her right, her own gray eyes glinting with the want for a fight. Spottedflight had had almost no trouble convincing them to aid her. They had been growing restless, she could tell. When Tyskie had taken her side, the others began to see the appeal of a good, bloody fight. The golden-brown tom crept along on Spottedflight's other side, dark amber eyes flashing in the moonlight.
The others slid through the meadow behind them. Pika's nearly black eyes were smoldering with excitement. Tiny and golden-yellow as she was, with black-tipped ears and black stripes, she was not as innocent as she looked. She craved a fight. They all did.
Spear and Leer were side by side. The two brutish toms already had their teeth bared in silent snarls. Spear's icy blue eyes were hard and focused. Spottedflight could almost see the fantasies he was dreaming up behind them as he absentmindedly flexed his claws. Leer's own deep green eyes were alight with the coming bloodlust. The mysterious black tom had waited a long time to sink his claws into something that could put up a fight.
Last was Meringue, the least enthusiastic of the bunch. It was clear by her light amber eyes that the fluffy cream-colored she-cat would have preferred to have stayed behind. Spottedflight couldn't figure out why the group kept her around, but Blue had assured that she would understand when she saw her fight.
They were approaching their destination now. The great wall of thorns SkyClan had constructed seemed laughable since Spottedflight's escape, when she cleanly leapt over it and raced away. She halted and bunched her muscles, streaking forward and lunging over the top. The other six swiftly followed suit, landing soundlessly beside her. They were in.
Slowly, they fanned out around the camp, edging closer to the tree in the center where Ravenstar held the meetings. They circled around it, backs to the center, before Blue made eye-contact with Spottedflight. Gray and amber met, and the powerful blue-gray she-cat gave the tiniest of nods.
Spottedflight's blood-curdling yowl was one she would never forget.
Ravenstar was first into the clearing. Spottedflight was just where they had planned her to be; facing his den. She had made it clear before they left that Ravenstar was hers. The others would merely wreak as much havoc as they could while the tortishell warrior ripped as many lives from SkyClan's leader as she could.
Cackling with delight as his blue eyes stretched wide, Spottedflight flexed her claws a final time and lunged at him. She tore a deep slash in his shoulder, smiling to herself as the blood dripped between her claws. The dark beast was roaring with sheer delight, urging her to do more. Ravenstar reared back in pain and slammed his paws down onto Spottedflight's shoulders.
Caught off guard, Spottedflight shrieked, writhing beneath the tom so he would let her go. He lowered his head to her ear, speaking in an unsettling croon. "I warned you," Ravenstar murmured into her ear. She yowled with displeasure and forced her way out from under his paws. She took in a deep breath and slashed her right paw across the tom's face. She almost recoiled as she pierced his left eye, but she swallowed the bile in her throat and saw the gash to its finish. The tom crumpled in shock as she tore her claws away from his flesh.
He closed his remaining eye.
Spottedflight was mad with delight as she watched Ravenstar lose his first life. She stood poised beside him, ready to attack when he awoke. Or perhaps she should tear out his innards now, while he was unconscious. He could never wake if she wanted it to be so...
But before the tortishell rogue could dig her claws into his chest and tear chunks of his flesh from its whole, an immense force barreled into her.
"How dare you!" a painfully familiar voice screeched. Creekstone stood over his daughter, flanks heaving with rage. "And to think I pitied you. To think I used to be proud to be your father."
The words stung, but Spottedflight forced the feelings away. She was weak when her father loved her. This was better. This was satisfying.
"You're a monster," Creekstone meowed, his voice quiet and shaking. "I won't kill you. I could never kill you. But I will leave you with something to remember me by."
A scream ripped from Spottedflight's lips before she could stifle it as her father, deputy of SkyClan, tore a long rip in her cheek. He then pulled back, his icy blue eyes not showing it if he was disgusted with himself. "I would say that I would see you in StarClan," Creekstone meowed, "but I won't pretend that our ancestors will take you."
He bounded off, leaving a further enraged Spottedflight leaping to her paws despite the pounding pain of the wound her father had given her. She rounded to face Ravenstar, who was struggling to his paws. She would finish him. She would finish him now.
"Ravenstar!" Tawnythroat vociferated. The sandy-colored she-cat knocked Spottedflight over before she could touch the injured and half-blinded leader. "Your father may have spared you," the leader's mate growled. "But that doesn't mean that I will!"
Spottedflight was on her paws in a flash, facing the warrior with malice distorting her face. Just behind the she-cat she could see the fallen body of Pika, though the other five were still fighting with everything they had. The Clans were their enemy. They needed to pose a serious threat. Lunging for the shaggy, tawny throat of her victim, Spottedflight sank her teeth into the fur.
It was too late to turn back when she realized her mistake.
Tawnythroat craned her neck and dug her own fangs into the back of Spottedflight's neck. The she-cat began to panic as the nerves severed. She couldn't move her left hind leg! Why couldn't she move it? She wasn't going to die! SkyClan was going to die!
Struggling was useless. Spottedflight felt her limbs go useless, one-by-one. It had happened in no more than an instant, but she felt the panic and the pain in slow motion. Tawnythroat released her and she crumpled heavily to the ground. She uselessly tried to get back to her paws, but nothing would listen to her. With a terrible snarl, Tawnythroat tore her claws across Spottedflight's neck.
Just before she died she watched a fountain of blood pour from a wound she could not see below her chin.
AN: My apologies for not updating for a few days. Anticipation for the final Harry Potter movie followed by severe Post-Potter Depression and a wish to finish reading The Capitol Games by VividlyVisceral consumed my time. As always, reviews would be appreciated~