Talon gulped. It’s just a nightmare. This isn’t real. This isn’t the real Liana, he reminded himself. Yet there was something so lifelike and vivid in the way Liana’s new eyes flashed with barely-suppressed rage. “You betrayed us,” she said coldly. “No duh,” he muttered. Faster than he could have ever guessed she could be, Liana flung herself at Talon, snatching the cat by the scruff of his neck and weighing down on his legs. Talon voiced a startled and pained screech when she shoved his face down. “How could you?!” Liana shrieked furiously. “We trusted you—cared for you, even—and you went behind our backs and betrayed us!” “I was never on your side,” he hissed. “I made that clear at least a dozen times. You should have known that.” “You made us trust you!” she said. “Yeah, you really should have known better,” he retorted scathingly. A loud shriek of frustration and rage broke from Liana’s lips. She whipped a short dagger from the belt of her uniform and plunged it toward Talon’s head. “Cole’s your brother!” Talon wriggled frantically. He moved his head the split second the knife stabbed the ground. A bolt of pain from his ear made him screech through his teeth. Hot anger flooded through his veins. Caterwauling, he unsheathed his claws and scratched furiously at Liana’s face. She yelped and reeled back, using her arms to shield her head. As soon as her weight left him, Eagle Talon scrabbled away, immediately shifting into his nekomata body. He whirled around, facing Liana, and swung one forepaw at her. She stumbled backwards with a shocked cry. A couple of long scratches stood out on her bare shoulder; a dark stain against her pale flesh. Bile rose in Talon’s throat. Swallowing, he sheathed his claws and took a few steps back. Meanwhile Liana clutched her shoulder and gasped for breath. She glared at him, lip curling. “You’re a monster.” Talon bristled, but he only sat down and curled his tails around his paws. He was determined not to resort to violence this time. Especially when this vision of Liana seemed so real… “I’m sorry. I only did what was right.”
“‘Right’?!” she cried. “What you did wasn’t right! It was wrong! You’re helping Black Blood hurt innocent people! You practically destroyed Cole after betraying all of us—!” “It’s not my fault we’re on opposite sides, all right?” he snapped. “It’s just the way it is. And why am I even talking to you, anyway?” He shook his head. “You’re just a dream! I don’t need to justify myself to you.” “I’m a dream? Oh, yeah, right,” Liana snorted. “You’re trying to psych me out or something. No, this is my dream, and unless you want to get your teeth knocked all the way to the Misty Mountains, you’d better butt out—!” “Your dream?” he repeated, perplexed. This hadn’t happened before. None of the people in his last dreams had talked back to him, let alone argue that he was the dream and they were real. “And Matilda! What did you do with Matilda?!” Liana was still storming at him. He growled, “Shut up, I’m trying to think.” “I shut up?!” she repeated. “Let me tell you something, Eagle Talon—!” A new voice broke in. “Blind, blind, one of a kind, is the death of the blind!” Talon involuntarily groaned when Kohuru sauntered in from the shadows, joining them on the precipice. Being in her human form, her pumpkin-orange, curly hair danced wildly in the wind, along with her colorful rags. Nearing them, she cackled gaily. “What do you want?” Talon asked. “I want you to listen! Listen, listen, there are clues, don’t you miss ‘em!” she chanted. Liana scowled. “All right, we get it! Don’t you have anything better to sing about than my doom?” Kohuru pursed her lips and cocked her head, feigning deep thought. Giggling, she then said, “I do! I have one; not three, and not two!” The gaiety of the kitsune’s demeanor quieted suddenly. She gazed at both Eagle Talon and Liana. When she looked at him, he shivered, feeling her eyes bore into him. Kohuru parted her withered lips and chanted slowly, “Seven of Stone, Seven of Mage; Seven of Man who flare Moon’s rage.”
She looked at Liana for a while. Liana gazed back uneasily, eyebrows quirked. Kohuru broke the silence again with, “Seven, got that? Not four, not six; seven of you. Otherwise the Moon Tribe can never be healed of its infections.” “Seven of what?” Liana asked in a small voice. Kohuru’s face became chipper once more. “Fire, ice, lightning, earth; water, energy, be one your worth; so many there, elements to spare! But what are you, can you say that? To defeat Black Blood and her cats?” Eagle Talon growled, “Even when it looks like for half a second she’s being serious, she’s not.” Kohuru’s gaze turned back to him. “Blind, blind, one of a kind—!” “All right, I get it! Ancestors save me, stop saying that dumb rhyme!” he burst out. “At this point I don’t even care what it means, it’s just so obnoxious!” When Kohuru opened her mouth to sing again, he stormed, “Nobody knows what you mean, Kohuru! And no one cares! Just stop!” She looked at him wryly, then opened her mouth again. “Shut up!” his roar bounced off the mountainsides. To his surprise, Kohuru was quiet. She was still wearing that stupid grin of hers, but she said nothing more. She gave each Eagle Talon and Liana long looks, then turned and sauntered away. Her lithe figure disappeared into the shadows—although a few seconds later, Talon could have sworn he caught sight of a small fox padding off. The shadows shifted, then slowly surrounded him on the precipice. Darkness filled his vision, and beside him, Liana vanished from view. Talon felt his heart beginning to pound with panic, as the darkness was pressing in on him, choking him. He opened his mouth cry out, but he could make no sound. Soon the shadows were clutching at him, dragging him down, down into an abyss— —and then he woke up. He lay still by Dove Stream’s gravestone. His head was whirling with the most recent—and most confusing—dream. He tried to mentally gather in the details, so that he could analyze them; Liana, Kohuru, the prophecies, the shadows… Then he felt his ear throbbing, and something hot and sticky trickling down the side of his head.
Liana woke up gasping for breath. Just a moment ago she felt as if she’d been gagging on the shadows pulling her down. She ran her tongue over her lips and breathed in the clean air thankfully. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest, but beginning to slow down. She was blind again. Her eyes were open, but all she could see was darkness. A moment of panic seized her when she considered the possibility that the darkness from the dream had entered reality, until she had the wits to quickly remind herself that she was blind and had been for the majority of her life. She settled back down on her mat that served as a bed for the night, and tried not to think about the creepy-crawlies that often haunted attics such as the one she was sleeping in now. She realized abruptly that her shoulder was throbbing faintly with pain. Curious, she reached her hand to it and touched it; it stung. The sensation surprised her more than anything, and she let loose a small gasp. “Liana?” a familiar voice stirred sleepily, and a weight shifted close by to her right. Her heart jumped again, but this time because she recognized the voice. She managed to say, “I’m fine. Go back to sleep, Cole.” Liana, Cole, the rest of the ninja, and Little Leaf were sleeping together up in the attic of Kenzo’s family. They’d arranged mats and blankets to divide and share among the group while the moon was rising, and it was there they decided to stay not only until morning dawned, but until the ninja could come up with a proper plan for taking down this group of Moon Tribe warriors and saving the mining village from slavery. While it initially felt odd, Liana found it somewhat comforting to go sleep surrounded by friends. Cole was awake now, and Liana heard him shift next to her. “Another Dark Sleep nightmare?” At length she mumbled, “I guess so.” He was silent for a few moments before venturing uncertainly, “Is there— I dunno— is there anything I can do to help?” A weak smile curved her dry lips. “I don’t think so. But thanks for asking.”
“There’s got to be something we can do to help you fight off the curse…” he said weakly. “I’m sorry. I just have to deal with this myself,” she whispered. “That’s not right.” “The Moon Tribe doesn’t care what’s right and what’s wrong,” she responded bitterly, remembering Talon’s weak protests in her dream. “None of them do.” Silence settled. Liana wondered what was going through Cole’s mind. For a little while, they just lay there close by one another in the dark, lying still and breathing slowly, but not sleeping. She could feel the house creak softly. A small breeze blew against the wood walls, a dying whistle that faded as an echo would. She licked her lips and ventured in a whisper, “Do you remember that night a few days ago… when we were looking for Kohuru, and we camped with Eagle Talon?” He didn’t say anything. Liana felt her heart beating against her ribcage in those seconds. Then, he murmured, “Yeah.” “That was the only night when I didn’t have any nightmares,” she said. “I remember.” He sounded a little puzzled, probably wondering where she was going with this. Liana’s pulse picked up nervously. Slowly, ever so slowly, she inched her hand across the wood floor to the right. She stopped when her pinkie finger brushed against his hand. She felt him flinch, but he didn’t move it away. Tentatively, her hand slipped over his. Her heart skipped a beat when she did, and she could feel her face heating up, but she didn’t back down. She grasped his hand, fingers entwining around his—and Cole didn’t pull away. “‘Night,” she whispered, closing her eyes. If he said something in reply, it was too low for her to hear. As Liana was drifting away to a more peaceful sleep, however, she heard somebody shift their weight on her left. She wondered how long Nya had been listening.
“Eagle Talon? Are you all right?” Talon grunted when a paw poked his face. Sleepily, he groaned, “Ge’ off meh.” “What happened?” Blearily, Talon made himself open his eyes. He realized he was lying curled up at Dove Stream’s gravestone, his back pressed up against the icy rock. The shapes of the landscape surrounding him were cast in shadow. Yet streaks of pale light were making their way from the peaks, signaling the coming of dawn. Talon shivered in the damp chill, and realized that his muscles felt stiff and sore. He peered up at the cat standing before him, and recognized it to be Mist Rise. “What is it?” he asked in a sleepy mumble. The large tom’s ear flicked. “I was about to ask you the same thing. What are you doing out here? Is everything all right?” Ignoring his stiff muscles, Talon staggered to his paws. “Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine. I was just— just having a midnight walk, and I fell asleep.” “Then why is your ear bleeding?” My ear…? Talon flicked both ears, and felt one of them throb in protest. He suddenly recalled feeling it bleed, but he'd been too tired to care at the time… “Is it bad?” “Kind of. You should probably get that looked at by one of the sorcerers.” Mist Rise cocked his head, studying Talon. “How did that happen? Did you meet a predator?” “Just cut it on a rock,” Talon muttered. “Wasn’t looking where I was going.” “Mm.” Talon couldn’t tell if the other cat believed him or not. Wordless, Mist Rise’s forked tails twitched back and forth or a few seconds before he announced, “I came to look for you because Black Blood summoned you.” “Again?” Talon muttered, more to himself than Mist Rise. “It’s a war meeting. It’s important,” the other tom pressed. “All right, all right, I get it,” Talon snapped. He shook himself and lashed his tails, trying to make himself feel alert. “I’m coming.” Mist Rise hesitated, glancing over at the gravestone. Then he turned and padded off, waving at Talon with his tails to follow. Talon obeyed, head whirling with questions surrounding last night’s dream.
She looked at Liana for a while. Liana gazed back uneasily, eyebrows quirked. Kohuru broke the silence again with, “Seven, got that? Not four, not six; seven of you. Otherwise the Moon Tribe can never be healed of its infections.” “Seven of what?” Liana asked in a small voice. Kohuru’s face became chipper once more. “Fire, ice, lightning, earth; water, energy, be one your worth; so many there, elements to spare! But what are you, can you say that? To defeat Black Blood and her cats?” Eagle Talon growled, “Even when it looks like for half a second she’s being serious, she’s not.” Kohuru’s gaze turned back to him. “Blind, blind, one of a kind—!” “All right, I get it! Ancestors save me, stop saying that dumb rhyme!” he burst out. “At this point I don’t even care what it means, it’s just so obnoxious!” When Kohuru opened her mouth to sing again, he stormed, “Nobody knows what you mean, Kohuru! And no one cares! Just stop!” She looked at him wryly, then opened her mouth again. “Shut up!” his roar bounced off the mountainsides. To his surprise, Kohuru was quiet. She was still wearing that stupid grin of hers, but she said nothing more. She gave each Eagle Talon and Liana long looks, then turned and sauntered away. Her lithe figure disappeared into the shadows—although a few seconds later, Talon could have sworn he caught sight of a small fox padding off. The shadows shifted, then slowly surrounded him on the precipice. Darkness filled his vision, and beside him, Liana vanished from view. Talon felt his heart beginning to pound with panic, as the darkness was pressing in on him, choking him. He opened his mouth cry out, but he could make no sound. Soon the shadows were clutching at him, dragging him down, down into an abyss— —and then he woke up. He lay still by Dove Stream’s gravestone. His head was whirling with the most recent—and most confusing—dream. He tried to mentally gather in the details, so that he could analyze them; Liana, Kohuru, the prophecies, the shadows… Then he felt his ear throbbing, and something hot and sticky trickling down the side of his head.
but what IS Liana's power? who will be the SEVENTH?? *starts frantically searching through Kohuru's rhymes* what does it all meannnnnnヽ('Д')ﾉ
“There’s got to be something we can do to help you fight off the curse…” he said weakly. “I’m sorry. I just have to deal with this myself,” she whispered. “That’s not right.” “The Moon Tribe doesn’t care what’s right and what’s wrong,” she responded bitterly, remembering Talon’s weak protests in her dream. “None of them do.” Silence settled. Liana wondered what was going through Cole’s mind. For a little while, they just lay there close by one another in the dark, lying still and breathing slowly, but not sleeping. She could feel the house creak softly. A small breeze blew against the wood walls, a dying whistle that faded as an echo would. She licked her lips and ventured in a whisper, “Do you remember that night a few days ago… when we were looking for Kohuru, and we camped with Eagle Talon?” He didn’t say anything. Liana felt her heart beating against her ribcage in those seconds. Then, he murmured, “Yeah.” “That was the only night when I didn’t have any nightmares,” she said. “I remember.” He sounded a little puzzled, probably wondering where she was going with this. Liana’s pulse picked up nervously. Slowly, ever so slowly, she inched her hand across the wood floor to the right. She stopped when her pinkie finger brushed against his hand. She felt him flinch, but he didn’t move it away. Tentatively, her hand slipped over his. Her heart skipped a beat when she did, and she could feel her face heating up, but she didn’t back down. She grasped his hand, fingers entwining around his—and Cole didn’t pull away. “‘Night,” she whispered, closing her eyes. If he said something in reply, it was too low for her to hear. As Liana was drifting away to a more peaceful sleep, however, she heard somebody shift their weight on her left. She wondered how long Nya had been listening.
* * *
You hear that? That's the sound of me screaming in joy because they held hands. 0-0 xDD
She looked at Liana for a while. Liana gazed back uneasily, eyebrows quirked. Kohuru broke the silence again with, “Seven, got that? Not four, not six; seven of you. Otherwise the Moon Tribe can never be healed of its infections.” “Seven of what?” Liana asked in a small voice. Kohuru’s face became chipper once more. “Fire, ice, lightning, earth; water, energy, be one your worth; so many there, elements to spare! But what are you, can you say that? To defeat Black Blood and her cats?” Eagle Talon growled, “Even when it looks like for half a second she’s being serious, she’s not.” Kohuru’s gaze turned back to him. “Blind, blind, one of a kind—!” “All right, I get it! Ancestors save me, stop saying that dumb rhyme!” he burst out. “At this point I don’t even care what it means, it’s just so obnoxious!” When Kohuru opened her mouth to sing again, he stormed, “Nobody knows what you mean, Kohuru! And no one cares! Just stop!” She looked at him wryly, then opened her mouth again. “Shut up!” his roar bounced off the mountainsides. To his surprise, Kohuru was quiet. She was still wearing that stupid grin of hers, but she said nothing more. She gave each Eagle Talon and Liana long looks, then turned and sauntered away. Her lithe figure disappeared into the shadows—although a few seconds later, Talon could have sworn he caught sight of a small fox padding off. The shadows shifted, then slowly surrounded him on the precipice. Darkness filled his vision, and beside him, Liana vanished from view. Talon felt his heart beginning to pound with panic, as the darkness was pressing in on him, choking him. He opened his mouth cry out, but he could make no sound. Soon the shadows were clutching at him, dragging him down, down into an abyss— —and then he woke up. He lay still by Dove Stream’s gravestone. His head was whirling with the most recent—and most confusing—dream. He tried to mentally gather in the details, so that he could analyze them; Liana, Kohuru, the prophecies, the shadows… Then he felt his ear throbbing, and something hot and sticky trickling down the side of his head.
but what IS Liana's power? who will be the SEVENTH?? *starts frantically searching through Kohuru's rhymes* what does it all meannnnnnヽ('Д')ﾉ
“There’s got to be something we can do to help you fight off the curse…” he said weakly. “I’m sorry. I just have to deal with this myself,” she whispered. “That’s not right.” “The Moon Tribe doesn’t care what’s right and what’s wrong,” she responded bitterly, remembering Talon’s weak protests in her dream. “None of them do.” Silence settled. Liana wondered what was going through Cole’s mind. For a little while, they just lay there close by one another in the dark, lying still and breathing slowly, but not sleeping. She could feel the house creak softly. A small breeze blew against the wood walls, a dying whistle that faded as an echo would. She licked her lips and ventured in a whisper, “Do you remember that night a few days ago… when we were looking for Kohuru, and we camped with Eagle Talon?” He didn’t say anything. Liana felt her heart beating against her ribcage in those seconds. Then, he murmured, “Yeah.” “That was the only night when I didn’t have any nightmares,” she said. “I remember.” He sounded a little puzzled, probably wondering where she was going with this. Liana’s pulse picked up nervously. Slowly, ever so slowly, she inched her hand across the wood floor to the right. She stopped when her pinkie finger brushed against his hand. She felt him flinch, but he didn’t move it away. Tentatively, her hand slipped over his. Her heart skipped a beat when she did, and she could feel her face heating up, but she didn’t back down. She grasped his hand, fingers entwining around his—and Cole didn’t pull away. “‘Night,” she whispered, closing her eyes. If he said something in reply, it was too low for her to hear. As Liana was drifting away to a more peaceful sleep, however, she heard somebody shift their weight on her left. She wondered how long Nya had been listening.
* * *
You hear that? That's the sound of me screaming in joy because they held hands. 0-0 xDD
Ohh that's awkward...
That actually makes me really really happy because I spent a stupid amount of time coming up with the prophecies, their meanings, their relevance to the plot, and how to make them freaking rhyme, so thank you very much
Mwahahahahaha >:3
Oh that's why my ears are bleeding, yes, I too am screaming in joy (@v@) XDD
Much like last time, all the sorcerers were gathered in the conference chamber around the old map. Mist Rise and Eagle Talon were the only cats there who weren’t sorcerers. Like before, Black Blood was seated at the head of the map, with the rest of them sitting and standing along the sides. Most were already murmuring among themselves when the younger toms entered, and thus paid them little attention until Black Blood said, “I apologize for getting you up this early, Mist Rise and Eagle Talon. But if we are to act on this, it needs to be today, and we will not have much time to get there.” “Get where?” Eagle Talon responded gruffly. He ignored the dark looks he earned from Raven Frost, Broken Fang, Rip Claw, and Lion Claw. It was considered both rude and dangerous to not treat a tribe sorcerer with the utmost respect and propriety. At this point, however, Talon didn’t really care about being respectful. With one of her tails, Black Blood beckoned for her brother to join her. He obeyed, padding up to her side at the head of the map. As he seated himself, he realized she was giving him a peculiar look. “What happened to your ear?” she asked. Embarrassed, he licked his paw and ran it over the wounded ear. He could feel a cut in the sensitive flesh. “Cut it on a rock,” he muttered. He looked away, and found his eyes meeting Lion Claw’s. The golden tom was giving him a strange, haughty look. Suppressing a shiver, Talon looked away. “We’ve been discussing our strategy for claiming our land,” Black Blood announced, making her voice louder. “As Rip Claw pointed out, a few hundred miles of it was destroyed several decades ago by the rise of human population. With this in mind, we need warriors to both claim new territory to the west,” at this, she used one forepaw to gesture to the map, “as well as to make a show of force to the majority of the population. Specifically in one city.”
Eagle Talon peered at the map. For the first time, he wished he could read. The images of what seemed to be mountains, trees, and rivers were often linked with scrawled handwriting. His forked tails twitched as he stared at the drawings and tried to make them out. “A show of force?” Mist Rise sounded surprised. “You make this sound as if this is something entirely different. Aren’t we just taking back our old land?” “This isn’t just about taking back what was stolen unjustly from us,” Black Blood responded to him smoothly—though, notably, not without a ring of condescension. “It’s about displaying to the human world that we are a dangerous race to reckon with, and we are more than powerful and capable enough to have revenge. “I’ve made a new addition to our plan: two sunsets from now, a large number of our forces will arrive here,” at this she tapped a spot on the map, on the left side of the island shape, “and destroy as many humans as possible.” “Where?” Mist Rise breathed. Black Blood revealed her sharp white teeth. “Ninjago City.” “Ninjago City!” Talon heard himself exclaim, incredulous. The room spun. He felt dizzy. Mist Rise’s blue eyes flashed with shock. The tom looked down at the map and cried, “That’s all the way on the other side of the land! Why—in the name of our ancestors—would you want us to attack there?” “To show the humans how dangerous we are, of course,” she replied loftily. “But— but,” Mist Rise sputtered, bristling. “It’s a very long way from the mountains! And we’re using many warriors already to take over the villages nearby! How do you expect the tribe to hunt down the people of Ninjago City as well?” Broken Fang spoke up in her high-pitched rasp. “The group of tribe warriors we’re sending will only play a small part in the attack,” she said. Her amber eyes flitted between Mist Rise and Black Blood; she seemed a little wary. “Black Blood has suggested that we— that we ally ourselves… with the wolves.”
Wolves! A bolt of astonishment lashed through Talon, making him stiffen. He scanned the faces in the room, and realized that Sky Pelt, Rip Claw, and Broken Fang all looked uneasy. Their tails were twitching and their gazes kept dropping to the floor grimly. However, Lion Claw, Raven Frost, and Black Blood’s eyes were lighting up with enthusiasm. Eagle Talon’s gaze met Mist Rise’s, and he saw his own horror reflected within the other tom’s. “But, Black Blood,” Talon spoke carefully, feeling his pulse pick up, “no cat has made a successful allegiance with the wolf packs since the time of the nekomata clans. That was over a hundred years ago.” “Times change, brother.” Black Blood cast him a wry look. “What, you don’t mean to tell me you’re scared of those senseless mongrels?” “They are not senseless, and you know that, my leader,” Mist Rise joined in, although clearly attempting to keep his tone respectful. “Otherwise you would not think of allying ourselves with them. They’re cruel and cunning. If you walk up to one of those packs, they’ll—!” He stopped. “They’ll eat me, is that what you’re trying to say?” She purred, “If the ancient nekomata clans could ally themselves with those dogs, then I certainly can.” “Won’t— won’t you want your nine lives first, though?” Broken Fang spoke up again, tentatively. “If something goes wrong—” “We’re still awaiting the final vision from our ancestors.” Black Blood’s gaze darkened, and she cast a grim look at Sky Pelt—as if it were his fault for not reporting a new vision. “At this rate, however, I am willing to put myself in danger for the sake of the tribe. Our ancestors help cats who can help themselves.” “That’s beetle-brained!” Eagle Talon blurted. He leapt to his paws, lashing both tails. He didn’t care if the sorcerers were enraged by his insolence. His pulse was racing with both fear for his sister and dread for the human world. “You’d have more luck recruiting the kitsune sorceresses to attack Ninjago City than the wolf packs! The Moon Tribe is strong, Black Blood, but not that strong—we’re not the ancient nekomata clans! And the humans in that city… they don’t deserve—!”
but what IS Liana's power? who will be the SEVENTH?? *starts frantically searching through Kohuru's rhymes* what does it all meannnnnnヽ('Д')ﾉ
(This is brilliant, Tigress. I'm so hyped.)
O△O Talon...? You okay bud...?
You hear that? That's the sound of me screaming in joy because they held hands. 0-0 xDD
Ohh that's awkward...
That actually makes me really really happy because I spent a stupid amount of time coming up with the prophecies, their meanings, their relevance to the plot, and how to make them freaking rhyme, so thank you very much
Mwahahahahaha >:3
Oh that's why my ears are bleeding, yes, I too am screaming in joy (@v@) XDD
Count me thoroughly impressed because you're master at rhymes and riddles! I love deciphering prophecies and seeing how they unravel with the plot
Talon is in dire need for a character protection squad o-0
*screaming intensifies* xDD The fact that the whole team's together in the attic doesn't help. Nya might not be the only one who's awake...
“Hold your tongue, Eagle Talon!” Raven Frost boomed. His longhaired black and white belt bristled all over. “Remember who you’re speaking to—” Black Blood cut in. “No, it’s all right, Raven Frost. I know he speaks only out of concern for his tribe.” She turned to her brother, eyes glinting shrewdly. “Are you saying that we might not have the capability to overtake that number of humans?” Eagle Talon’s mouth was dry, but he nodded and rasped, “Y— yes. That’s what I’m afraid of. That and the wolves.” He didn’t add that he also didn’t want to see hundreds of innocent humans fall prey to the Moon Tribe. “And there’re the Sons and Daughters—the ninja,” Broken Fang pointed out from her side of the cavern. “They’re bound to cause us more trouble, I’m sure.” Black Blood’s tails flicked. “They’re still recovering from their latest defeat. I do not think they’ll bother us for at least a few days. As for our own strength…” She paused, staring keenly at Eagle Talon. He shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze when she continued, “Since you seem to fear for how we and our warriors can handle these new frontal battles against humans, I invite you to join me to the village a group of our cats overtook yesterday.” She used one of her tails to gesture to Mist Rise. “Our battle leader returned to us soon after the attack to report that it was an enormous success. Wasn’t it, Mist Rise?” The longhaired tom straightened. “We defeated what little resistance there was and took control of the village easily. Every human there is either gone or a prisoner. There were no casualties on our side.” “You see?” Black Blood purred lightheartedly. “And this village was equipped with a police force—small though it was. Please, come down with me and Mist Rise to see our work. Then maybe you’ll have more faith in your tribe.” “Ah— well, um— you know what? I believe you. Yeah,” Talon stammered. “So, uh, I’d rather pass on that. I’ll just take your word for it—”
That actually makes me really really happy because I spent a stupid amount of time coming up with the prophecies, their meanings, their relevance to the plot, and how to make them freaking rhyme, so thank you very much
Mwahahahahaha >:3
Oh that's why my ears are bleeding, yes, I too am screaming in joy (@v@) XDD
Count me thoroughly impressed because you're master at rhymes and riddles! I love deciphering prophecies and seeing how they unravel with the plot
Talon is in dire need for a character protection squad o-0
*screaming intensifies* xDD The fact that the whole team's together in the attic doesn't help. Nya might not be the only one who's awake...
Aaaaaaaaa- thank you!!
Agreed. I'll make a sign. *gets out the washable markers*
*also screams* xD Darnit, guess I'll just have to write a proper fluff scene later.
“I insist.” Black Blood’s voice suddenly switched to a low growl. Her eyes flashed at him. “If you are going to question the wisdom of your own leader and the strength of your own tribe, you might as well come and see for yourself that I never boast unrightfully.” Her gaze became locked with his. Talon swallowed, understanding her demand. She didn’t like how he was questioning her, and she didn’t like how he seemed to be protesting against the assault on the human world now. She hadn’t called him to the meeting for his opinion. She had called him to the meeting for his obedience. A stiff silence rang loudly in the cavern. The sorcerers and Mist Rise waited in tense anticipation for his response. Eagle Talon forced himself to not bristle, and his gaze remained locked with his sister’s. He didn’t flinch. “All right, but let me at least grab a snack for the road,” he said.
* * *
The journey from the Moon Tribe’s underground dwelling to the human village took a few hours on foot. Before leaving, Black Blood had Mist Rise, Eagle Talon, and herself swallow some herbs that would give them a sort of energy boost and keep them from going hungry. Still, Talon was glad to have eaten half a rabbit before their departure. It took a good bit of hiking before they reached the grassy plains and few stretches of forest westward. Black Blood had them run at occasional intervals; not so hard as they’d be exhausted, only enough so as to bring them to their destination sooner. All three cats never said much as they made their way from the harsh mountains to the lush hills. Black Blood took the lead, with Mist Rise close beside her and Eagle Talon trailing behind. Talon’s paws felt heavy and his stomach churned with feelings of anxiety. He tried not to think about what they’d find in the village, but then his mind would immediately turn to his disturbing dream featuring Liana and Kohuru—and that wasn’t much better. Especially since he couldn’t explain to himself how exactly his ear had been hurt.
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)
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