Join us in an exciting story full of twists, new discoveries, a rich mythology and the search of what lays at the core of the Clans of the mountain. After sealing a pact with two fickle gods, Helios of the Sun and Aletheia of the Moon, twin clans live under the shadow of their pact, and the price paid to live another day.
YOU CAN APPRECIATE THE LIGHT... BUT BEFORE THAT, YOU MUST KNOW DARKNESS.
The Sun and Moon rain down chaos and tragedy over the Clans, as punishment for crimes finally revealed. Tension rises between both groups as they're forced out of their homes, and a call from the past haunts those with enough sense to listen.
I never got the girl[break] but I sure did get her attention
@group ● 449 WORDS
[attr="class","tokkideul"]
[attr="class","tokkises"] Weren't the clans, like, warriors by nature?[break][break]
The reddened siamese hated mornings. Bay stayed up all night long trying to hunt down a lingering white-tailed deer scent trail. The flickers of fireflies floating in packs to hide away let him know he is well welcome by the mountain. In the end, he never caught anything besides a strain in his hindlegs' muscles. Defeated and frustrated, he limped back to camp at the height of the moon and slumped into his nest to slumber away the pain. A dream of meat and mead with his lucky girl on a rooftop during the sun's setting kept his snoring light. For the entirety of that night, Baybee had no thought of what waited for him the next time his eyes would open.[break][break]
Then the sun peaked its pesky head over the mountain's curves and blinded him with white irritation. Warmth simmered on his face, whereas the cold winds dried out his paws. The smell of sunshine broke him out of his sleepy bubble, and all the problems of the waking world returned to haunt him. He wasn't thinking about the arranged spar date he had with a few clansmen. The leader and his apprentice, a warrior and their apprentice, and Baybee with Rosepaw would all be together in an arena practicing for battles to come. Yet with how the clans never clashed, the ex-loner never thought that even a skirmish would break out between them. It would take a daunting force to pierce through the passivity, and no cat seemed willing enough to take that risk.[break][break]
Frankly, being in the clans is starting to lose its spark, ever since they moved to the fresher territories. But Bay knew better than anyone that young territory only meant a matter of time before something threatened it. And he knew for absolute certain that Rosepaw wouldn't be able to protect it.[break][break]
Groggy and wrecked, the con-artist went to wake up his unfortunate apprentice and waited at the edge of camp for the others' arrival. According to the words of Fallingstar, the Sunkissed hills were the destination best fit for training. Bay had frequently visited the lands with Rosepaw with subpar results. Maybe this time it would be different since there would be company to impress. He stood at the end of camp, looking out into the distant streams as a thin oriental tom padded beside him. With hornet stingers for eyes, Baybee glared at his assigned pupil. "You better not embarrass me, kid," a gnarly grin tugged at his lips, "The Falling Star is chosen of your gods, right? He oughta' be some fuckin' celestial warrior, and you've gotta prove your worth to him. Understand?"
Dream after dream. Nightmare after nightmare. Vision after vision. He wished he could shut the eyes that saw all things in his mind, but nothing could quiet their warnings. Frecklefern, Fallingstar, Copperheart, Mistpaw, and now, his mother - after all this time, nothing was proven to be true. Nothing was black and white.[break][break]
For once, Dewpaw saw the grey between the lines. And he hated every part of its unsure shade.[break][break]
This year would be Dew's first natural leafbare, with no hostile forsaken gods involved. From his previous experience, the colder seasons would be treacherous and uncanny. He remembered the layers of white that seemed to block out even the sun and the storms of grey that whipped thick frost through the air. It wasn't that time yet, but he knew it was coming by the curling of brittle leaves hanging on to the last of branches. With saddened eyes, he turned to his brother's empty nest as he stretched himself out. Morningpaw slept with him the night before, now he was gone for the sunrise patrols.[break][break]
Dew promised himself he would fill it with things Mist would have liked - insects, thorns, and a petal or two. If he could fill the empty bed with words, he would utter the story of their dreaded mystery solved. But there were no words that he could tell Mist anymore. His ears were in the endless skies above, listening through the rays of light that Helios casts through the sun. The two-tailed boy knew he had to move on, and opportunity provided itself through the invitation to sparring with Rose, Fallingstar, Baybee, Littlepaw, and the damned Muddyfoot. It wasn't the kindest of ways to spend the day, withal, Dew looked forward to distract himself from what he had seen.[break][break]
But how many times must he distract himself from horrors? When will he learn to face them with the same boldness in which rebukes? Dew realized the dryness in his throat and went towards the leader's den.[break][break]
Fallingstar was already awake, surprisingly. Dew figured his mentor would need far more rest after the stressful situation at the gathering, but possibly he found peace in the final decision made by the Gods' jury. He had never seen the place where the leader rests up close before. The nest of those blessed by the Gods is behind a mystical waterfall whose ripples thundered through the camp's stone walls. Careful not to intrude, Dewpaw's footing was quiet and calculated. "Fallingstar," he said, "the sparring today. Dew waits outside for you." And with that, he turned his tails and hurried away for the borders of Sunclan's home. There, he spotted Baybee with Rosepaw and the dawning sun coming out to greet the land in light.[break][break]
Today is a new day, he hoped as he took laps of water from the nearby streams.
Post by ◇° •Rosepaw• °◇ on Nov 29, 2021 15:27:51 GMT -5
Tag ,
Words
“Even God Wouldn't Forgive Me”
Rosepaw was drowning. The murky waters of his sprawling thoughts seemed to drag deeper with every day, the darkened muck leaving shadows stained upon the tired bags beneath his eyes.
It had been two moons since she passed, and each day seemed to serve as a reminder of her wishes never granted, her dreams never made. Because he was weak.
At night, Rosepaw wept his swirling thoughts to numbness. By day, those tears were dried and replaced with an award winning smile to all who faced him. Baybee was the first to meet his such a smile that morning, though hesitancy offered a small droop of Rosepaw's large ears. The tom loved his mentor dearly, no matter how strict or stern he may be, the warrior trained he and his brother both and the taller apprentice had witnessed through Honeypaw's excellent sparring skills just how pleased and proud Baybee could truly be. Some may scold the warrior for his harsh words, but Rosepaw knew that all his mentor wanted was for him to be strong.
As the pair headed towards the edge of the clearing, the warrior spoke, his words reminding Rosepaw of Azaleashade once more.
"Make me proud, son.
Cold fear began to tingle throughout the tall tom's limbs as a weary smile was offered in return of Baybee's kind words, large paws trudging heavy as led. "I understand-" Rosepaw murmured in response, a dip of his head offered. Nerves were getting to him quite quickly, and it left Rosepaw wondering when he became this way. In his early apprentice days, the calico tom could only be described as cocky, he and Honey making a formidable duo as they played they roles with high amusement. The gentle prince, and his trusty brother….The pimp. Endless energy flowed through him in those days, but now, not even a flicker remained for Rosepaw to harbor. Back then, it took a hell of a lot to crush his confidence. Now, it took nothing more than a mere group to send him shaking in his fur. How did this happen?
Never ending thoughts enveloped him once more, dull green optics traveling a long the clearing as he watched for the others. To his surprise Dewpaw was the first to appear of the group, and upon making eye contact Rosepaw offered a modest, and quite frankly shy, smile. His tail-tip waving this way and that towards the other tom.
At the very least, there was something to look forward to today.
[attr=class,punkiwofwordcount]✧ the falling star ✧
In his dreams, the wrong eye was missing.
Charcoal dark fur came alight in a cloak of gold, and all around his overgrown frame ancient powers stirred. With deft paws he saw the mountain made, painting the skies and blowing breath into the flowers below himself, yet all the while a screeching sound followed, and when he looked back to look he saw the chains tighten against the pink raw skin until he bled—[break][break]
...And then Fallingstar would wake up, startled and cold, the only sound the distant rumbling of the ever-flowing waterfall that draped a thin crystal sheet over his den's entrance. The sun was barely rising then, timidly peeking its blazing eye over the horizon; the bengal had always been a bit of a night owl, but as time passed in its weeks and its moons the Leader found his inner rythm matching that of the natural day. Still, he took his time this morning. He stepped into the predawn gloom and shuddered as the cold caught him in its teeth, then quickly retreated back into the warmth of the Leader's Den with a robing clamped between his jaws.[break][break]
It was rare for the young sunclanner to indulge himself in this den for too long. It was magnificent, that he couldn't deny, not with its high arching stones and all the decorations Frecklefern brought in shortly after his untimely crowning— but it was too grand, in the way that the straplings of power intimidate those not used to it. The royal seat at the head of the meeting chamber would always be Palestar's, and no matter that a couple moons had passed, Fallingstar always found himself favoring the smaller, well-worn spot Brightflame would occupy during meetings. [break][break]
That's where the agreed time found him, fragile bones neatly discared to a side. Dewpaw's blurry silhouette was a half-seen dream just past the mystical sheet of water, and Fallingstar was quick to respond, "Comin', just a sec!" [break][break]
It'd be good to see Muddyfoot again, and Littlepaw always seemed to sweeten the very air around her. Rosepaw was a welcome addition to their lesson, and it both gladdened and relieved the leader to see his own apprentice at ease with them. The young king stepped into the early morning in a splendid dash of ebony black and shimmering gold, his brightflower leaf crown lightly set upon his brow. Sunclan's camp was tinted with the hues of autumn all over, and Helios' first disciple matched the occasion with a prim look of his own— that is, until the sparring began in earnest and things got dirty. That's when things where the most fun, though.[break][break]
"Good morning, Rosepaw," The slender feline purred, voice smooth as honey as he stepped up by Dewpaw as he drank. "Did you rest well? I hope my apprentice and I give you plenty to work with today," Fallingstar added with a wink, playful and gentle. To Baybee he turned with easy grace and dipped his head, nothing but a wordless smile for his greeting. The warrior was known to be a bit rough, a tad harsh... Such group sessions were meant to teach apprentices as much as they taught the mentors, his father'd once said, and Fallingstar intended to prove those words true that day.[break][break]
Post by .·:·.☽✧Spiritstar✧☾.·:·. on Nov 30, 2021 23:05:03 GMT -5
Blossoms curled and danced in the air, the breeze singing it’s quiet song in aid to the spiraling petals. Their sweet, melodious scent wafted through the wind sung air, settling in the equally as pink nostrils of a timid soul. She sat, fur the color of the petal’s themselves, beneath the churning knoles of the massive trunk. That pink, pink fur shuddered in the warm breeze, tossing it this way and that, urging her to join the dance of the blossoms. Ripe apple green’s looked up at them, quiet, wanting, waiting. Waiting for that perfect opportunity- And it came moments later as quick paws leaped, grabbing one of those dancing petals out of the air with delicate jaws. She came down without a sound, landing upon the sun-touched earth, clutching her prize proudly in ivory fangs. The molly placed it upon the ground then, to inspect, to get a deeper breath of it’s scent-
And then awoke with a start as a harsh, chilly wind bashed against her fluffy side, taking all thoughts and sounds of her dream far, far away. Leaving nothing but cold, endless cold.
Shuddering, Littlepaw’s massive tail fluffed up and curled about her form, trying to block the cold out of her, even though it seeped into her very bones. The little molly hated the cold more than anything after that awful experience they had with it during the time of that strange, terrifying god that Helios’ mighty roar had banished. She knew, from her mentor’s teachings, that the actual time for that season was leaf-bare, and that it was fast approaching. The chill in the air was enough to show that, as well as the falling of the leaves. They had turned such a beautiful, mesmerizing color, and when they fell, Littlepaw could not help but feel sad for them. Another chill rushed by herself and the apprentice buried her head back into her tail, almost tempted to stay the day in her nest, at least mostly safe from the wind’s clutches. But, as she remembered, she could not. There was some kind of what, group activity happening today? And Muddyfoot had volunteered the two of them to join, despite the fact that it scared the poor molly to her core. She was not even that good at fighting yet! Sure, Snappaw had been helping her on the side, but Littlepaw still lacked the confidence that most of her denmates had. The she-cat was not a fighter.
A quiet look of defeat settled within emerald hues as Littlepaw, after a few moments of huddling there, finally forced her way out of the den. She looked like a puffball as the molly fluffed all of her fur up to battle against the cold, giving a bit of a childish glare up at the sky, as if inwardly yelling at it would bring back the warmth. After about five solid seconds of this, the she-cat released the sky from her grip and looked around. She assumed they were meeting somewhere, but she did not know where exactly it was.
It was then that the tail of the Sunclan’s leader exited the camp and a startled expression overcame her face. He was going with Dewpaw! He would know where to go! And with that the soft-colored she-cat bolted after Fallingstar, following him out to the meeting place, her little paw’s tripping over the undergrowth as she went.
It was as she came across everyone there, and saw all of the apprentice’s with their mentor’s, that her panic had caused her to forget that she hadn’t gone to get Muddyfoot before running out here all by herself.
Muddyfoot was up early, but today it was not due to his insomnia. The young warrior had actually slept quite well, likely partially due to Peachnoses complaints about the cold and subsequent insistence that the large tom curl up next to ger for warmth, but also simply because he desired to be well rested. He now had a reason to go to sleep and awaken refreshed, the little pink apprentice that he had been assigned and had more or less taken as his own. It didn't always work, of course, the usual anxiety and nightmares still kept him up many nights, but he now made a concerted effort to be well rested for her benefit. She was still shy, timid, afraid of everything up to and including her own shadow, but considering her parental situation he was frankly surprised that she was as functional as she was, and he could work with what he had.
What was more, they had a group battle training session planned that day! Muddyfoot had held off a bit on teaching his apprentice the finer points of combat, wanting to ease her into the process of becoming a warrior with softer tasks such as hunting and tracking, which Littlepaw had been taking to quite easily, much to his pride. But today would serve a dual purpose! It would help introduce her to battling giving her partners closer to her own size and experience level to spar with. While Peachnose had given her a couple of pointers about fighting a larger opponent, but that would only do so much. Secondly, it would be good for her to engage with her fellow apprentices more. The kid got along well with some of the warriors, but she really needed friends her own age if she was going to adjust well.
However, as he nosed into the apprentice den, he was met with some alarm as he found that Littlepaw was not there, along with the other apprentices that they were going to be sparring with that day. Their mentors as well, now that he thought about it, Fallingstar and Baybee seemed to be missing from the camp as well. Him, Muddyfoot, son of Dustystep and Stonetooth, late for a training session? The warrior had never been late for anything in his stars-damned life, and he wasn't about to start now!
He caught Littlepaws scent, following Fallingsters out of the camp, and broke into a run, cursing under his breath as he headed towards the Sunkissed hill, ignoring the majesty of the forest, the changing of the leaves, the singing of the birds, all of the little things that one would normally enjoy on a stroll through the woods were ignored in favor of expediency. He slowed his pace as he approached the agreed-upon clearing, allowing himself to slip through the bushes cooly, as though he hadn't just been hauling ass through the forest. He favored his apprentice with a small look, voice devoid of any real anger as he called out to her.
"Littlepaw! So excited to get started that you forgot which mentor was yours?"
I never got the girl[break] but I sure did get her attention
@group ● 935 WORDS
[attr="class","tokkideul"]
[attr="class","tokkises"] Slitted sapphire eyes glared as his apprentice timidly greeted the double-tailed freak.[break][break]
How cute.[break][break]
Baybee waited for everyone to arrive with his ebony-blackened face towards the dawning sun. Light blue skies mixed into pinks and purples against the complexion of the world. Waves of white crept onto the ocean of heaven's colors, whispy and empty of rain. Cooled dew filtered the air in a fresh breath of mint, which healed his smoke-ridden lungs. The city's mist was always thick with prey, twolegs, and the sweetly poisonous gas of roaring monsters. The noises of their strange calls throughout the night would often help him sleep. Beeping is what he heard one cat he met in an alley called it. Despite being well indulged in their world, Baybee never found himself comfortable around the twolegs. Their inventions and trinkets stayed in enormous dens of sharp stone, and they wore pelts of different colors and patterns each day. The twoleg-kits would often call after him with their fleshly naked paws and high voices. The daredevil was immune to danger, but he knew who to avoid when the time was right. And he wasn't the only cat who only lived near twoleg territory for food. She and her family were there as well. Well, her family was there at least. Each day in those twoleg camps called cities, he would wake up to a grey horizon and pitch-black nights. Dense smoke was their air, and the trees were dying out.[break][break]
Life was a lot different in these clans. Out here, he owned the lands. He didn't need to take scraps from dinners in places of waste, for everywhere was his place to hunt. And the kills were alive either while he ate them or seconds before. Squirming mice on his tongue never felt sweeter while he sat perched in a tree watching the sunset, a god in his natural domain. Nature was pleasant when it bowed to him.[break][break]
While losing himself in the scenery, the siamese hardly noticed his company. He shifted his head to examine the new arrivals. The group was almost everyone who promised to attend the meeting. The leader, Fallingstar, approached with tired politeness in his shimmering aura. Cold, hardened optics carefully watched as he interacted with his apprentice and Rosepaw. The princely bengal sent an acknowledging nod and smile in Baybee's direction, to which he responded with the same gesture. Just smile and nod. Right behind Fallingstar, a little girl came trailing on his hind paws. Colored in a daylily's petals and the purest of snow, she had a charming cuteness that seemed to flow innately. As quiet and quaint as a mouse. Baybee took the headcount of all the cats who were present and who weren't. Mentor, apprentice, mentor, apprentice, apprentice. It seemed someone was missing, but it was still early morning. Together, the trainers and trainees left camp for the pre-discussed clearing.[break][break]
He fell back into his habit of reminiscing. The siamese's eyes kept looking at Rosepaw while they walked together. In Baybee's time, there were many cats like his apprentice, but they all eventually grew out of their constraint. In the cities, everyone was out for themselves and their kin. It was an unspoken rule that many followed with their hearts out of necessity. I fend for mine, you for yours. Those who couldn't grasp the concept were starved out and exploited. The thug watched old friends fall victim to their inhibitions. They either became henchmen for the strong or died without an ounce of remembrance besides their meekness. They were the ones sacrificed when food started to shorten because their life meant nothing if they did to others what others could do for themselves. True leaders were those who could raise others who were better than them. He gazed at his apprentice with one thought in mind. I'll be damned if I raise anything worse than me. And today was his day to prove it to everyone. The time of his trial came closer as they reached the Winding Stream.[break][break]
Thoughts of preparation came to his mind while the siamese found a well-sized stump to sit on. He adjusted his elegant legs and let out a muted yawn, exposing the white fangs in his pink mouth. Long burning tail swaying side to side, the day couldn't have seemed to be going along any slower. He picked at his paws with an unsheathed claw, toying around with the furs and webbing. They were waiting for the third mentor, it appeared to him, and their patience finally answered as a rustling of leaves came from bushes. Large round ears perked at the sound, face full of insouciance. A tom too large for his good had come through branches and dirt. Shorthaired, black, with splotches of brown staining his coat and eyes that didn't match his hues - he had to be Muddyfoot. His bulky shoulders and legs made his movements awkward. Large toms in the cities often became self-proclaimed kings, blessed by their mothers for being the strongest in the litter. They would mate with any molly they could lay their paws on to sustain their legacy - making queens, princes, and princesses everywhere they went while claiming castles. However, the clan warrior appeared too young and righteous to become a king. He met with his small apprentice, happiness in his dark mew.[break][break]
"Looks that everyone is here," Baybee strutted off of his half of spruce with a sly smile. Carefully moving his paws with silk and waters, his gaze found Fallingstar's. Always look a king in the eye."How should we start?"[break]
The water was cold and sweet. Honied with the fresh mist of morning's rise, it slipped down his parched throat with ease. All he needed now was a plump squirrel to fill his stomach and complete his breakfast. After moments of sipping, Dew lifted his head to look around himself. Fallingstar trailed over the campgrounds in their direction, with Rose and his mentor arriving beforehand. Young and weary eyes met his friend's. Refreshment cleared his mind of any dark thoughts, and a mutual smile turned white lips. The tall tom seemed less locked away recently. The prince left his tower, but only for a moment in time, as he never knew when the mother dragon would wake. His jewels of humility charmed the common folk, and the plague of his father's dynasty was a stain he wore on every garment. And the orphan without a name to carry on his shoulders looked to make a legacy for himself. He would give the prince a chance to undress his robes, heavy with the history of a prestigious bloodline. He would give him new clothes and a new name, but the prince would have to accept and take the orphan's offerings. And using everything in his power, Dew would try to persuade Rose. Both tails were high in the air, catching every breath the sky laid against the rotting earth. White fangs peaked from inside his muzzle as Dew's face mimicked soft happiness.
With his mentor by his side, the hope of a good day seemed closer than before. The boy looked up at the Sun's chosen with pale eyes of longing joy. His shine, his ambiance - everything about Fallingstar made him yearn for the light of the Sun. The leader made Helios look like a refined God with golden glory and omnipotence. Only fortune, gems, and riches shared with those Helios hold closely, and Fallingstar made worship look good. But it wasn't enough to make Dew forget. The lack of sleep crept onto his shoulders and laid a million bricks on his bare-bones. The weight of being awake yet unable to move for hours started stirring around his legs. What he saw last night remained vivid in his mind, unadulterated and raw chaos flashing before his eyes. Tired. You are tired. Yet the smile and perkiness never waned. "Plenty to work," Dewpaw happily echoed silently, studying how his mentor formed them. His gaze finally reached Rose - blue eyes full of turbulent rivers flooding into a glassy orb of green forests. Padding forward, Dewpaw stood by his friend. Sunlit face full of audacity, his white furs seemed to glow in the pure daybreak's light. The gentle heat of his body beaming against the earth's scene. Crystal eyes wide, he began whispering to the apprentice. "Rose learn to fight today. About time."
As he spoke, in the crack of his vision was a tiny Littlepaw hidden behind the pillars of Fallingstar's legs. She would be joining them, which meant hewould be joining them too. It was rare to see them separate recently. While it warmed Dew's heart that Little was starting to express herself more, a calm and threatening storm rumbled over the smooth sunny beaches. And there on the shores was a frail flower. Delicate and blooming. All it took was one blow of wind, and it would die. One moment, one action, and Muddyfoot could ruin it all. Little was warm, soft clay in Muddyfoot's hands. What she would become was up to him. He had that power. Too much power. Thankfully, Dew would be able to see the type of lessons the warrior would teach his friend today. Everybody would be together under the same sky, within the same eyes, and above the same ground. Everything would be there for the cats to see, the improvement and the failures. Hopefully, today went the way he wanted. That slow simmering faith kept his trot in a sturdy gait, the tiredness leveling him for their journey towards the Sunkissed Hills.
Three butterflies skimmed across the air with wings of pure spider silk and the movement of a pacific stream. They were free in the ever-changing world. To see them was a promising omen for the boy, as they signaled good luck. They appeared whenever they wanted, but they always showed at significant moments. And then he remembered the dream. Alethia's voice carried by the arms of the wind, and a red beast filled the land with its burning carnage. It was in the skies - free and powerful. Where did butterflies go when they disappeared? Do they die? They were too pure to fall into the depths of hell after their lives were over. They did not harm, and they caused no wrong. Mistpaw was like a butterfly. He came and went silently, but his presence was a blessing to Dew. He spread his colorful furs in hopes of adventure and learning, and he died in a place nobody could see. Nobody would know he was dead, for he seemed immortal. Nothing is everlasting except for the Sun in the day and the Moon in the night.Death can happen whenever you least expect it or when you face it. The thoughts grew so thick he didn't realize the party reached the clearing. Guarding trees with leaves of gold, blood, and copper surrounded them. Silver pebbles and stones scattered around to serve as resting places.
Dewpaw approached Rose, keeping a light distance at his side. Friendly purring rumbled lightly in the boy's throat as he kneaded at the tall apprentice's fur - examining his long white claws - a simple act of boredom until Muddyfoot made his way through sharp branches. At Baybee's words, Dewpaw looked to Fallingstar with bright eyes and waited for a response. He would know how to help the mentors and apprentices, surely.
