14
“Run, Echo.” whispered Orane’s voice in my head.
“Run!” I screamed, following Orane’s instructions, clawing at the Deathbringers and dashing towards the doors. Soon me, Nightleaf, Dawn, Ghost, and Hawk were all outside. But—
“Tempest.” I whispered.







*****
It was her.
Tempest stared ahead, backing up, but the Deathbringers had cornered him and left a gap for her to step through.
And it was her.
The Deathbringer Risa.
The one that had haunted Tempest for days, walked in his dreams, and nearly killed him.
“No.” Tempest stuttered. “No. It can’t be you…! You’re just my dream. My dream. That’s it, isn’t it? I’m dreaming. I fell asleep again.”
“No, Tempest.” Risa said in a voice like honey. “This is no dream.”
She stepped up to him and, with amazing strength, pinned him against the cave wall by his chest.
“Perhaps you should give in. Just look at your friends. They came easily.”
Tempest gasped as chains clinked and his friends, shackles surrounding their paws and chaining them together, folded out of the Deathbringer mist. Dawn was unconscious and her chest released tiny green wisps, and Hawk was bending over her and bleeding from his flank.
“You should surrender now. Or should I kill… Who’s this? Echo?”
Risa stormed over to Tempest’s friends and knocked Echo to the ground, then stood over her with her long black claws cutting slightly into Echo’s neck.
“Don’t hurt her!” Tempest gasped.
“Surrender.” Risa’s claws dug deeper.
“Don’t do it, Tempest! They’ll take you away!” cried Echo.
“I…” Tempest murmured, staring at Echo, her face full of despair, her eyes sending a fierce message: NO.
“I surrender.”
Echo curled into a ball and Tempest could see silent tears running down her cheeks, darkening her long gray fur.
“Well chosen, descendant of Paku.” Risa whispered as she passed by. Tempest stiffened.
“Oh, yes. I know about the Powers. Don’t play innocent on me.”
Nightleaf and Ghost gaped at Tempest.
“You— you. You’re Shadow?” Nightleaf stammered.
“Why.” spat Echo, rising slowly to her paws. She stared at Tempest with a look that would have made a Deathbringer squeal like a kitten.
“You—…” Echo started. But then Tempest’s friends— and Tempest himself—swayed uncontrollably and then collapsed, and darkness clouded Tempest’s vision.






*****
I spat blood and stood up. “What happened?”
No response.
I turned, and gasped instantly.
Nightleaf lay bleeding on the floor of the metal cell I was in. Long cuts crisscrossed her face, and a gaping wound in her chest was spilling deep red blood.
“Nightleaf!” I screeched, dashing over and shaking her more violently then anyone should ever shake a hurt cat, but my brain went on overdrive and I went insane, screaming for Nightleaf to wake up.
“Echo…” Nightleaf murmured.
I stiffened, caught my breath. “Nightleaf?”
I licked her wound and prodded her, and eventually she rose, gasping as a trickle of blood spilled onto the rough ground.
“I’m… fine, Echo.” muttered Nightleaf, coughing blood.
“No, you’re not! Nightleaf, lie down or you’ll
bleed to death!”
Nightleaf obeyed hesitantly, making herself as comfortable as one can when one is bleeding to death and lying down in their own blood pool.
“Now just… just rest. I’ll get us out of here, Nightleaf.” I stammered.
“No you won’t, Echo. There’s no way out, not here.” she murmured.
“Stop talking. I’m concentrating.”
After a few minutes of focusing on the bars, I sat down.
“Okay, no plan springs to mind. What do we do?”
“How should I know?” Nightleaf breathed. “We’re stuck here for now.”






*****
Jeers and snorts sounded all around Tempest, but he hardly heard them. A gray shade coated his vision, and over and over he saw Echo. No doubt they had killed her by now. But not him. Why?
Tempest winced as Risa yanked again, and the raw spots where the chains encircling his paws had rubbed began to burn furiously.
He kept moving. Occasionally a Deathbringer would flick out a transparent claw and nick his tail or flank, and a trail of blood followed the path he was taking. He couldn’t take this much longer.
“Your friends were of no use to us.” whispered Risa. “But the Crooked One may have use for the descendant of Paku.”
Tempest looked at the pure white Deathbringer. She hissed at the crowd of Deathbringers, clawing one if they tried to hurt Tempest.
“The Crooked One wants the descendant of Paku alive and unharmed! Try that again and you shall have to answer to me!” Risa hissed. The jeering crowd moved back.
“Password?” a guard grunted, as Risa and Tempest reached a tall, midnight blue gate. Risa looked at the guard with such a glare that the Deathbringer guard actually dissipated.
“Stupid fools.” Risa spat. Tempest gave her a cold look. “Who is the Crooked One?”
No answer. Risa looked straight ahead and smiled, allowing Tempest to briefly see her long, black, bloody fangs.







*****
Dawn sat up, her shoulder protesting loudly. Next to her, licking their wounds, were Ghost and Hawk.
“Are you guys okay? Where are Echo and Nightleaf?”
“We’re fine, Dawn. But we don’t know where the others are.” replied Hawk, bending down to lick a gash on his leg.
“Those filthy Deathbringers shredded my tail.” spat Ghost, licking his gashed tail angrily.
“What are you going to do, file a complaint with the nearest Deathbringer?” Hawk said, rolling his eyes.
“Is there any way out of here?” Dawn asked, looking around at the steel bars, the hard dirt floor.
“Of course not. We’re stuck here, and they’ve probably killed Echo and Nightleaf already.” said Ghost, but he had been licking his tail at the time, so it came out more like “Of courth mof. Beey sthum hee, an fthey plophaplty kiphthed Echo a Nighthfleek awwidthee.”
Hawk blinked. “Okay…”
“Um.” Ghost spat out a clump of fur. “What I meant to say is, of course not, we’re stu—…”
“We know what you said, Ghost.” Dawn rolled her eyes. “But we do have to get out of here somehow.”








*****
“Master, Crooked One, I know the others are too deep in their beliefs to be influenced. But I thought perhaps the descendant of Paku…”
“You have done well, Risa.”
“Is he sufficient?”
“Yes, yes. The descendant of Paku—.”
“My name is not “descendant of Paku.” spat Tempest through gritted teeth. “My name is Tempest.”
“Very well then, Tempest.” hissed Panic, his red eyes glowing softly, his black pelt glistening. “Join me, or Echo dies at the hands of Risa.”
At this, Risa’s eyes gleamed, and she smiled softly.
Tempest backed away, but a tug on his chain kept him there.
“No. You can’t do that.” whispered Tempest.
“Truly? It is as easy as…”
Panic whipped out his long white claws and scored them across a nearby Deathbringer. It screeched and dissipated.
Panic licked away the black slime that remained on his claws.
“Do it.”
Perhaps…
“We will give you one day to decide. Risa, take him.”
The white Deathbringer unshackled everything except Tempest’s neck and led him through a series of long hallways. At the end of one there was a cell with a rabbit—mole and some grass bedding inside of it.
“In here, Tempest.” Risa said, politely holding the barred door open. Tempest stepped in. As he did, Risa leaned over, and her breath stirred his ear fur.
“Choose wisely, descendant of Paku.”
























15
“Okay, it stopped bleeding now. I’m okay.” said Nightleaf, sitting up. She briefly turned to spit blood onto the floor. “How are your cuts?”
“Oh, they’re good.” I said, wincing as I brushed one against the bars of the door. “But I wish Dawn was here. She’d help us out. Where’s a good Earth Power when you need her?”
“Not here, that’s for sure.” Nightleaf rolled her bright amber eyes.
“Well, how do we get out of here?”
“What do you mean?” Nightleaf narrowed her eyes. “I already told you there’s no way out. We’re just going to die, like Dawn and Hawk and Ghost will too, but we should at least try to enjoy what’s left of life before then.”
“Tempest.”
“What do you mean, Tempest?”
“You didn’t mention Tempest. Don’t you think they’ll kill him too?”
“Echo.”
“What?”
“Don’t you see? They separated Tempest from us. They wanted him for a certain purpose.” Nightleaf’s eyes were full of pity and despair. “Echo, they’re going to turn him into a Deathbringer.”
“No. Of course not. Why would they do that?”
“Panic is a spirit of the dark. Tempest is the descendant of Paku. Paku is the Power of Shadow. Therefore, Panic believes that Tempest can be influenced more easily.” Nightleaf said matter—of—factly.
My thoughts whirled. Maybe that was what they intended to do.
Then it hit me.
“Beware the storm.” I whispered.
“Say what, Echo?” enquired Nightleaf worriedly.
“Beware the storm. That’s what it meant! THAT’S WHAT IT MEANT!” I turned to Nightleaf. “We need a way out of here. Now.”
“What do you mean?” Nightleaf cried, as I began to burrow underneath the door. Dirt flew up behind me and tangled in my fur, but I kept going. “Shush, Nightleaf. Come help. We have to get to Tempest.”
“Okay, if you think it’ll work…” murmured Nightleaf uneasily. She began to dig alongside me, and soon dirt flew all around, piling up behind us.







****************
“I solemnly swear, by the Shadow of Panic and the Spirit of Paku that I will join you, Panic, and obey your orders at all costs.”
“Well done, Tempest. Risa, show him to his friends.”
Tempest shivered.
“Listen Tempest. In order to get you to them without suspicion…” Risa broke off and looked around. “Two have already escaped. All you and them must do is to free the others, so you will not cause suspicion among your friends.”
Tempest gulped and nodded. What had he done? Joined Panic?
Calm down, he reminded himself. You did it for Echo.
Risa left him, and he ran towards a large hole underneath a barred door. Echo and Nightleaf’s scents were all around the hole.
“Echo!” he whispered loudly. A slim gray form walked down from a corner further up the passageway.
“We’re here. How did you escape?”
“Um, they forgot to fully close my door. Where are Dawn, Hawk and Ghost?”
“Down here. Nightleaf’s digging them out.”
Echo and Tempest ran towards the scraping sound and burrowed in beside Nightleaf. Soon Dawn and Hawk were squeezing through, and they were rapidly followed by Ghost, whose tail had been shredded.
“What happened there, Ghost?” I asked.
“A Deathbringer managed to strip my tail. Can you believe that?” Ghost spat.
“Um, sorry, but yes.”
“Really? Echo, you’re mean.”
“No I’m not. Now let’s get out of here.”
“Tempest, how’d you escape?”
“They forgot to completely close my cage. Let’s move.”
The six cats bolted towards the exit, slashing any Deathbringer who dared come close, until the party burst outside.
And there they were at the Crystal Plains.
“Whoa. How’d we end up here?” asked Hawk.
“That’s not important. We need to get to Wolf Valley.” Echo replied.
The six cats took off running south.






**********
“Okay, guys, let’s call it a day. There’s Moonshine Cave ahead, so Wolf Valley is about six hours’ walk from here. Let’s rest a bit.”
I curled up next to Tempest, my tail brushing against his. Dawn lay down instantly, and I could hear her slipping away.
Soon, the dark welcome of sleep greeted me as well.

“Okay, guys—!”
A shroud of bright orange coated Nightleaf. Nobody else seemed to notice.
The flames parted to let through a stream of moonlight, and through it stepped a reddish—brown tom.
“Hello, Nightleaf.”
“You. Who are you? Wait. You’re Rajii! You— why didn’t you help me! I was bleeding to death in that cell!”
“Calm down, Nightleaf. I knew you would live. And anyways, there are some things that Powers can’t help with.”
“Why are you here?”
“To give you your Power, of course.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Oh, you may, once you wake up.”
Nightleaf could see in Rajii’s eyes the same fiery spirit that she had seen so often when she glanced in a reflective puddle. His voice suggested that underneath that smooth reddish fur there was a deep fierceness.
“Well, can you do it already? If there’s trouble when I wake up, can’t we do this quickly?”
Rajii laughed. “There is no danger. Indeed, you are my descendant. Come, let us give you your Power.”
Nightleaf stood opposite from him. Rajii held out his paw. “Touch your foot to mine.”
Nightleaf extended her paw to touch that of the reddish—brown cat, and a hot surge ran through her. The fierceness of battle, hot flames burning the planet, cozy warm winter days next to a fire. Blazing forests going up in smoke.
The visions ceased, and Rajii withdrew his foot.
“Goodbye, Nightleaf.”
His image faded, and Nightleaf was jolted back to the real world, where her friends stared.
“What was that, Nightleaf? You just stiffened all of a sudden.” said Hawk.
“Nothing.” Nightleaf replied. “I was just thinking.”

















17
Tempest paced. His orders had been specific: fool his friends to venture into the Unknown, then report back to his master, along the way being sure that the party of six each received their Powers. He had received news that besides him, Dawn, and Echo, Nightleaf had received her Power.
All he had to do was guide them along the directions of the Ancient Six. Then he would be the most powerful; commander in the Deathbringer army.
All he had to do was wait.
“Hey, Tempest? Why are you still up? We’ve got a long walk ahead of us tomorrow.” said Nightleaf, poking her head out of the ferns.
“No, I’m okay. I’ve just been thinking about stuff.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Well…” Tempest looked at Nightleaf uneasily. “What to do. We know the places we have to go. The Powers were right about that.”
“Good night, Tempest.” The black—and—orange cat slunk back into the ferns and trees.
“Sleep well, Nightleaf.”
As Tempest started to pace again, he thought about Echo. What would she think, then, if she knew he was serving Panic? She would hate him.
But he did it for her. He saved her. Saved her from Risa.
But there was always a chance that they would kill her anyway.
I have to protect her…







******
“Okay, come on! It’s time to leave.”
My voice rang loud and clear across the thicket. Soon, five sleepy cats were rising to their feet and smoothing their unruly fur.
“Morning, Echo.” mewed Dawn pleasantly.
“Morning, Dawn.” I said. “I got food.”
I motioned to the two rabbit—moles and the squirrel that I had caught earlier in the morning.
“Wow! Nice catch, Echo.” said Hawk, smiling as he nudged the rabbit—mole.
“I call squirrel.” said Tempest, with a bit of cheerful silliness in his voice.
“No calling, Tempest. Me and you can share it. Hawk and Dawn can have the brown rabbit—mole, Nightleaf and Ghost can have the other one.”
We tucked into the fresh prey, spitting out the fur as we ate. “Delicious.”
“We have to get to Wolf Valley today,” said Hawk, “or the Deathbringers will catch us.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, we have to leave once we eat. But we’re all hungry.” I replied.
When we were done eating, we set out towards Wolf Valley, carefully stepping as to leave no tracks in the dusty spots near the crystals.
“Okay, guys, here’s the plan. We go to Wolf Valley and somebody will get their Power there. Then…then we go to Death Cavern, then straight through the Unknown to the Dark Cliffs.” I said. “Wolf Valley is six hours away from here, approximately. We’ll stop to rest a bit.”
“When? Now?”
“Of course not, Ghost. Don’t be so lazy. We’ll stop in about four hours.” I replied, rolling my eyes. “Let’s go.”
We kept walking.
“Guys—I got my Power. Rajii visited me. Last night.” said Nightleaf. Everybody, including me, turned to stare at her.
“What?” I asked. “Why didn’t you tell us? You’re Fire?”
“Um… yeah. He— Rajii— he told me that I might have to use my Power soon. I think something’s going to happen soon.” Nightleaf’s bright amber eyes were sad. “And I’m going to have to stop it.”
“Relax, Nightleaf. I’m sure it’s nothing too major. Probably Rajii would have told you if it was super important.” Tempest said, wrapping his tail around Nightleaf. The black she—cat smiled grimly at him.
“I don’t think so, Tempest.”
I had seen Nightleaf tired, angry, and happy, but never this grim and unhappy before.
“Oh, come on, guys. I’m sure it’s not important.” I said.
We continued for a while, but soon we grew tired and rested for a moment. Nightleaf went off to do her business in a pile of dirt, and me and Hawk went to hunt.
When we came back, we heard a yowl from the dirt heap and ran over.
There, trapped in a clump of deep purple crystals, struggling to get out, was a kitten.
A Deathbringer kitten.







******
Tempest ran over behind us and gaped at the Deathbringer kitten.
“Please…” the kitten cried. “My name is Lyr… I’m lost. Please… help me get out.”
Lyr kicked at the stones surrounding her, but made no progress in getting out. Nightleaf ran over and clawed at the crystals, scraping the ground around Lyr.
With a roar, Tempest leaped over and knocked Nightleaf out of the way, then stood over Lyr and prepared to kill her. “She’s a Deathbringer. Don’t trust her.”
I watched in horror, seemingly frozen to the rocks beneath me, as Tempest’s claws slashed downwards.
“NO!”
Nightleaf’s screech erupted in flames, and she blasted Tempest back into the bushes with fire until he stood up, fur and claws charred.
I gaped uncomprehendingly at Nightleaf. She gave me the “I told you so” look.
“She’s a KITTEN. She doesn’t serve Panic. Can’t you see?” Nightleaf had tears in her amber eyes. “She’s just a kitten.”
The flames had singed away the crystals surrounding Lyr. She stood up hesitantly. “Thank you—what’s your name?”
“Nightleaf.” answered Nightleaf, glaring at Tempest. “This is Echo, and here are Hawk, Dawn, Ghost, and… Tempest.” Nightleaf said the last word through gritted teeth. Tempest rolled his eyes and glared at Nightleaf angrily.
“Don’t mind him. He doesn’t trust anybody.” said Nightleaf as Lyr’s eyes widened and she backed away. “Thank you, Nightleaf.” said Lyr. Then she looked at me, and her brow furrowed. “You’re Echo, right? How…” she motioned to my eye.
“Panic and his Deathbringers tortured me with a fire demon.” I replied, bowing my head.
“Did you happen to come across a Deathbringer named Risa?” the Deathbringer kitten asked, with a look of pity for me in her eyes.
Tempest stiffened and he snarled at Lyr. “Risa should burn in Gar—locke.”
Lyr looked mildly disappointed. Her shoulders slumped.
“Why do you ask, Lyr?” I asked.
“Oh, no reason.” murmured Lyr. I shot my best I’ll—kill—you—someday look at Tempest. He glared back and licked his charred claws.
“Lyr, we’re going to Wolf Valley. Would you like to come with us?”
Lyr looked relieved when she heard the words ‘Wolf Valley’. “Yes, please.”






******
Tempest rolled his eyes. How could they be so stupid? They ruined his test.
Ah well, another one would come. But it was many days away.
Tempest slid his claws in and out, then lifted his paw and examined the garrune that had been slashed into his pad. The dirty scabs were now replaced by thin white lines, raggedly outlining the symbol made by Panic’s claws.
Tempest felt a new wave of power run through him. The test of his loyalty would come.
He could wait a little longer.
But, had Risa known he had failed his first test, failed to stop Rajii and show his loyalty to Panic, she would have a few words for him.
“You.” Tempest could imagine Risa saying. “A disgrace to Panic! You don’t deserve to serve him!”
Tempest’s eyes flashed as he looked at Echo. Such a beautiful cat.
She would be very upset, upset and angry, when the test was over.
But she would come through eventually.






******
“Wake up, guys. It’s time to roll.”
I nudged the seven cats (yes, it’s seven— BWAHAHA!!!!! I made you forget about Lyr!!!!) awake and presented them with some prey, which we wolfed down.
After the food we continued walking, smiling as Wolf Valley with its tall pines and deep caves came into our vision, staying on the horizon for a few hours.
I breathed in the fresh air as we exited the Crystal Plains and the dust and dirt and general purple—ness vanished and gave way to thick green grass and sloping hillsides.
“Wow. This place is great. Can we hurry up? I can already see wolves down there.” Lyr pointed her tail down into the valley. I looked, and sure enough below me I saw about fifty wolves of all shades chatting and hunting.
“Okay guys, let’s go!” I said, and ran towards the steep cliff. It did have footholds. We could get in that way.
I yowled in surprise and pain, as did my friends, as the ground opened beneath our feet. We tumbled downwards, the rocks scraping me and the dust making me sneeze. I heard Lyr whimpering, and I did my best to grab her and hold her close. “Stay calm! Brace yourself!” I yelled.
As I finished my sentence, the seven of us tumbled out of the tunnel and onto a plain coated with thick green grass.
Surrouding us were about twenty wolves, gaping at the seven dust—coated cats before them. A dark brown one stepped forward.
“Take them to Grishmak.” he said grimly.
































18
“Who is Grishmak?” I asked sharply as the wolves surrounded us and forced us forward.
“Our king.”
The wolves said no more, simply forcing us to walk.
In about ten minutes we reached the mouth of a massive cave, and a wolf whispered something to a guard nearby. They padded into the cave. “King Grishmak! We bring prisoners!”
A howl sounded, and a massive gray wolf stepped out. The wolves surrounding us sank to their knees.
The gray wolf was incredibly frightening. He was twice the size of the other wolves, and claws three inches long came out when he saw us.
“Release them.” he said in a gruff voice. The circle around us broke.
“Who are you seven cats who invade our land in the time of Krolys?”
“We aren’t here to invade! The Six Powers sent us!” I said, struggling to my feet.
Grishmak looked at us. “You, you are the child of Orane. You speak the truth. But why, then, do you travel with a gar—fiend?” He gestured to Lyr. “Don’t worry, I trust you.”
“But, your Majesty.” stammered a nearby guard wolf.
“Shush! I trust them. Now, do you know of Panic? His gar—fiends?”
I looked at Grishmak, puzzled. “Um, we’re trying to get rid of Panic and his Deathbringers, but what on Oshibos are gar—fiends? We thought he only had the Deathbringers to help him.”
“Ah, so that is what cats call a gar—fiend. Huh, a Deathbringer. Somewhat fitting name. But if you are trying to stop the gar—I mean, the Deathbringers— why do you travel with a gar—fiend kitten?”
“Oh. Lyr is a good Death— sorry, I mean gar—fiend.” said Nightleaf. “She was trapped in the Crystal Plains, so we rescued her.”
Grishmak looked us over. “Very well. We shall let you observe the Krolys, to raise the Krorgree. Unfortunately, they cannot come and stop Panic. But still we bring them back.”
A guard brought us to a small room with moss bedding and a dry ceiling. A barred door covered the entrance, and the guard pushed it aside and stood back to let us in.
We stepped in, and I breathed the sweet, piney smell. “Thank you. What’s you—!”
The barred door was slammed, and I gaped at the white guard wolf before us. Her golden eyes twinkled with pity.
“I’m sorry.” she said, then she ran.





******
“Agh! PRISONERS? This is not right! We only came here to—to…” I clearly couldn’t tell the guards, D’lyk and Koren, that we were here on order of the Six Powers. They’d think we were crazy.
“We came here to talk to Grishmak. We thought he could help us destroy Panic.” Lyr said. She gave me a look: Play along.
“Please, let us talk to him.” I said. “We mean you wolves no harm.”
“It is King Grishmak’s order that we keep you as prisoners here.” said D’lyk in a gravelly voice. “We cannot let you speak to Grishmak.”
Somebody howled, and D’lyk and Koren ran outside to join the other wolves when they ate. New wolves, one of them the white one who had locked them up, came in and took places by the door.
The white wolf turned to us and mouthed something I couldn’t interpret. I shook my head and the wolf pointed her tail to her head and mouthed “Siki.”
“Is that your name?” I mouthed back. She nodded, and I mouthed my name and the names of the others. Siki pointed to the black wolf next to her and whispered “He’s named Juri.”
“Can you get us out?”
“I am sorry. I will try, but King Grishmak will not like it. If he catches us, both you seven, me, and Juri will all be killed. You seven for invading the valley, and me and Juri for treason against the King. But if you do not escape, the King will kill the seven of you anyway.”
I looked at her. “Thank you.”
The door opened, and D’lyk entered and threw in two squirrels and a rabbit. The seven of us were famished from hours of walking, so we gulped the prey down quickly.
“Shift! Vari! Cokol!”
Two more wolves ran in, and Siki left, looking at us uneasily.









******
We had been in the cage for several days then. We had heard the news from Siki that Grishmak had arranged to sacrifice them later today, after the Krorgree had been raised.
“Let us out! We didn’t come here to hurt you or invade you!”
Nightleaf was going completely insane, frothing at the mouth and flinging herself against the bars. Occasionally her flailing claws would hit the wolves guarding us, and I smiled in spite of the situation when I saw the guard wolves slowly inching further and further from the cage.
“You be quiet!” one of them said gruffly. He snarled and Nightleaf fell back. “The Krorgree will like a sacrifice! A sacrifice of servants to Panic!”
“We don’t serve Panic!” screamed Nightleaf. “We’re here because— because one of us is going to get our Power!”
The two wolves stared. I stared. Lyr stared.
Everybody stared at Nightleaf.
Then the guards rolled their eyes and turned back. “Of course. Typical. You lot try to lie your way out.
I walked up to Nightleaf.
“Why one EARTH did you do that?”
Nightleaf hissed. ‘I’m sorry. I was trying to get us out of here, considering as we’re going to be SACRIFICED to a bunch of stupid SPIRITS later today!!”
The guards changed, and Siki was back.
“I had Koren drink lots of water today.” she whispered to me, gesturing to the other guard.
Sure enough, within about twenty minutes Koren went to do his business, and Siki unlocked our door. We slipped out very quietly.
Instantly another Koren came back, pulled away Siki, and locked us back up. He dragged Siki away.
Away to be executed.
At the same time as us.
I can’t say exactly how incredibly horrible and sad those next few hours were. We were all upset, very upset.
“It’s our fault Siki’s going to die.” whispered Lyr. “Our fault.”
I rested my tail across her shoulders, trying to comfort her. I failed.
Miserably.
Very much so.
“Maybe… maybe before we die, you can— sorry, we all can. We can all apologize.”
“That never does anything. People don’t forgive you for letting them die.” Lyr shook away my tail.
“If we want to get out of here…” Hawk rose to his feet.
“Whaddaya mean, get out of here?” I asked. “There’s no way out.”
“That’s what you said in Panic’s lair.” said Nightleaf, a gleam of hope shining in her eyes.
“Well, what worked then?”
Nightleaf, Dawn, Ghost, and Hawk began scrabbling at the ground. I blinked, realized what they were doing, and joined them. After a bit, Tempest and Lyr began digging.







******
We found that the bars went down very, very deep. After about ten feet, the bars weren’t gone, and we couldn’t see a thing.
“Well, let’s go back up and see what we can do. Maybe we can dig out the sides of the cave.” I panted. The seven of us turned and began to climb.
The roots and stones jutting out of the sides of the hole we had dug scraped my soft pads and by the time I was halfway up, my paws were bleeding and making me slip on the rocks.
All of a sudden I heard a panicked screech and gasped as a large rock fell from above and struck Lyr. The Deathbringer kitten fell, yowling and clutching in vain at the sides of the steep pit.
When she hit the bottom the rock landed next to her. I heard voices outside the pit.
“Lyr!” I cried. Hawk jumped down, grabbed her and climbed back up to where he had been.
“Everybody get out fast! They’re filling the hole!” I screamed. We all ran, but soon clods of dirt were raining down and pinning us, forcing us down, flinging us to the dirt floor.
Massive showers of dust fell, and I dropped and desperately dug sideways, panting and trying not to suffocate in the cloud of dust and bits of rock that surrounded me.
“Come on!” I said. “They can’t drop rocks in here!”
My friends dragged themselves in. “But we’ll be trapped in here!”
“We’ll dig our way out the sides!” I replied.
Then the dirt filled the hole, and blackness settled over us.







******
“Come on, dig!”
“But I can’t see!”
The seven of us, except for the unconscious Lyr, basically managed to scrabble at the sides. I could hardly breath in all the dust. But it was way too dark to see any thing, and soon we were exhausted. I had no energy to even get up, let alone get us out of here, and neither did the other six. Lyr had woken up, but she was in no condition to help.
“Come on, Echo.” Tempest rasped, his voice hoarse and scratchy—sounding from breathing in too much dirt and dust. “Keep digging.”
I could see that Tempest was stil clawing at the hard rock in front of us, but he stumbled and his paw brushed my fur and left a bloody streak.
“Tempest, give it up! There’s no way to get out of here.” I coughed. “We’re stuck.”
But that idiotic cat got back up and scraped at the rock. “Help me, Echo. Please.”
I sighed and got up, and son was beside Tempest, scratching until our claws were wrenched out and the rock was dislodged.
I noticed Lyr fully awake, walking over despite her hind leg that dragged uselessly behind her, and she began to dig with her good paws.
“Maybe we can get out of here.”
“No, Lyr.”
And soon she lay on the ground.
The horror of those next moments was impossible. I felt like throwing myself at the walls, getting us out of here, or dying quickly. But not like this. I would not die lying here, defeated and in pain. I couldn’t do that.
But I had no energy to kill myself yet.
Echo, descendant of Orane, the great—great—great—great granddaughter of the Power of Sky.
She would die, suffocated in a tunnel.
Beneath a civilization of wolves that had buried her alive.
I would die today.
Tempest would. And Lyr.
Dawn.
Hawk.
Nightleaf.
Ghost.
By the time the sun had risen, we would die.
All seven of us.
Together.






*****
And then I heard the sounds.
My mind was shutting down, and for a few moments I assumed that I was imagining it. But it got louder, and soon my dust—covered nose began to smell wolves.
Then that was all right. I would die in battle. That would be better than suffocating.
I stood up unsteadily. I could see cracks of light poking through the dirt in front of me.
Then Siki’s head poked through.
“Get your friends. Follow me.”

19
My friends were getting up, now that we could see and breathe.
“Siki! Thank you!”
“No time. Run.” she said urgently. We ran as fast as we could with bleeding paws, and soon the other wolves were chasing us and Siki.
“Catch them!”
“Why are they alive! The seven cats should be dead!”
“It’s Siki!”
“A traitor!”
I ran faster, the wind pounding in my ears, my wrecked claws protesting loudly.
A wolf’s claw grabbed my tail, and I pulled away with a yowl of pain as the long white claw scratched a gash all the way down my filthy gray tail.
Then a wolf leaped in front of us, and I skidded to a halt as the wolves behind us ran faster.
Claws outstretched, they leaped at us.
I jumped and clawed, managing to get a few wolves running scared, but every wolf was replaced by two more.
We couldn’t win this fight.
I saw Ghost go down under flailing claws, and beside me Nightleaf spat blood and a wolf knocked her down.
I clawed at the wolves for what seemed like hours, but it may have been only minutes. My flank was ripped open and soon my paws were sliding out from under me in the pool of blood, a mix of wolf and cat.
“Siki!” I cried. She was fighting off Koren and couldn’t help, and neither could my friends, as least the conscious ones.
Then the wolves parted, and Grishmak entered.
He attacked me first, and I was flung back into Vari with a scream of pain. Vari grabbed me and we fought, but it was soon clear that I was going to lose. Grishmak was fighting Siki, Tempest, and Lyr, but my friends weren’t winning at all.
“Kill them!” howled Grishmak, and more wolves flew at us.
I winced as claws raked me. The only ones still conscious were me, Siki, and Hawk, and I was having a hard time staying upright.
I saw my chance and leaped over Vari and Grishmak, and just like that I was outside of the fight.
I surveyed the battlefield, crouched in a fighting position and panting. I could see Dawn unconscious, being shoved about by wolves.
Then D’lyk hit me, and I turned.
Our paws clenched together as we attempted to hold one another off. Neither of us could claw the other without falling.
D’lyk snapped in my face, and a broken tooth flew out and over my head.
“My daughter. A traitor.” he hissed, a strange, empty look in his eyes.
“Siki— is—your daughter?” I mewed, struggling to keep D’lyk at bay.
“Yes.” D’lyk whispered.
For a moment I relaxed as a slim tear trickled out of D’lyk’s green eyes.
BIG mistake.
Siki’s father leapt on me, pinning me down with strong brown paws. Gravel flew up around me and hit the fighting wolves and cats.
I struggled to get up, but my front legs were twisted under me and I fell back.
D’lyk’s two—inch—long claws extended over my throat and he glared down at me.
“If you hadn’t come to Wolf Valley, hadn’t interfered with the Krolys, then my daughter would be safe.” he growled menacingly. “It’s your fault she betrayed us.”
“It wasn’t my choice!” I spat. “I didn’t ask her to betray you!”
Then the white wolf was there, clawing to free me from her father. D’lyk, with no sign of fatherly intentions, fought his daughter. They rolled over and over, tearing out fur.
I sprang to my paws and leapt in to the combat. Siki shoved me away and shouted over her shoulder, “Go, escape. I will hold him!”
“How can I?” I shouted back, but I ran anyways as Siki rolled away. I dodged between the wolves and grabbed Ghost by the scruff. Huffing, I pulled him away, retaliating as I felt claws graze my pelt. Then I became desperate.
How could we escape?
There were wolves everywhere. I fought and slashed to no avail. Grishmak was among his wolves, commanding them and leading them towards our doom.
Siki was going under.
No one would save us.
And then Ghost screamed.
Screamed like a ghoul.
I thought my ears were going to shatter and their pieces would be scattered throughout Oshibos. I heard crackling and, for one dazed moment,
thought my ears really were breaking apart. The ground underneath my paws became quite cold, and Ghost himself became frigid.
I begged the Six Powers for Ghost’s life and everyone else’s. Hoped for a new spark to save our world from Panic, because this one had failed.
Shutting my eye, I waited for death to come. I almost sighed as the snarling became subdued and quiet and the warmth of the sun was dimmed. Dying wasn’t so bad—maybe a bit cold.
“Echo,” Ghost rasped. His heartbeat was quick and warmth spread through his body. Relieved, I licked him on the ear and chanced a glance out of my eye. I was shocked at the sight.
Ice. Everywhere, there was ice. The wolves had been turned to ice, the grass, and the trees. We had been spared: so had Siki, and maybe four or five
others.
One thing we had in common was our amazement. Forgetting about our wounds, we staggered to our tired, bloodied paws and observed the ice sculptures. I was half—horrified, half—joyous. We were alive.
Siki was stunned beyond movement or words. Gaia and Hawk stared nervously into the iced faces of the frozen foe, blinking in disbelief. Tempest only lumbered over to me and nodded, as though this was expected. Nightleaf and Lyr trotted over.
“Well, that was… unexpected,” Hawk said.
“To say the least,” Gaia agreed.
“Time to leave,” grunted Tempest, flicking his tail in the direction of Siki. “Before those get the idea of starting our persecution again.”
Me and Ghost started to speak at the same time. I said “We need to talk to Siki” and Ghost said “The Six.” Since Ghost’s announcement was considerably more important, the heads swiveled towards him instead of me.
"What did you say, Ghost?" I questioned nervously. The gray cat began to shake all over, and he fell to the ice, muttering.
"Mercury. Mercury. Mercury." he said over and over, and as he did so, spikes of ice rose up beneath Grishmak's icy form, wrapping and growing around it like spider silk around an insect.
A few minutes later, Grishmak had been replaced by pink and blue—tinted ice, spires of which twisted just so and transformed Grishmak into a massive crystal.
"That is amazing," Nightleaf commented anxiously, shivering under her fur. "C—can w—w—we go now? It's j—j—just a tad cold."

Lyr nodded in agreement. The Deathbringer kitten was also quivering from cold.
"We probably should leave," I said.
"We thank you."
Siki stood slightly behind us, courteously waiting until she could speak. "Grishmak was not a kind leader. He was too stringent. We must thank you for freeing us of his influence and paving the way to a better era."

I felt the praise was a little overdone; apparently the others did too.

"You're welcome," Tempest said, and glanced at us meaningfully. "But it's time for us to go."
He pushed his way to the front and looked me in the eye. "To Death Cavern."
I glared at him. "Who do you think you are, lead cat? You can't just steer us wherever you want. Everyone has to agree, you know."
Tempest blinked. "I'm saying we should go soon. I'm not trying to take over."
I relaxed and huffed. "Well have some patience, will you?"
“Sheesh. We need to—!”
I cut him off by clocking him across the face with my paw. “Shut it.”
“Hey! Quit being so bossy.”
“I’m bossy, eh? Well…”
I pinned him against the ice and sat on his legs. He mewed and struggled, but he only managed to tickle my tail with his thrashings.
“Come on, Tempest. If you stop being such a featherhead, I’ll let you up.” I said, struggling to suppress my giggles.
“Fine.” the gray cat spat.
I stepped off Tempest and put on a cheery face.
"Let's go," I said, waving my tail.
And we did, leaving behind a icy valley and a hopefully liberated wolf pack.





















































20
"These Death Caverns... are they dangerous?"
"Since of when has anywhere we've gone been safe?"
"I was just wondering, you know."
I rolled my eyes. Nightleaf and Hawk had been bantering randomly for the last hour. We had nearly left the frozen Wolf Valley behind. The last stretch of ice was in sight and everyone was secretly dreading what they would find there.
Still, that didn't mean we couldn't be at least a little upbeat.
"I'm hungry," Lyr complained.
"We'll get you something soon," Nightleaf reassured the kitten, pausing in her endless chat with Hawk. "It's not like we're going to die of starvation any time soon, I'm sure. Once we get out of this icy valley there's sure to be tons of mice just scuttling into our mouths."
Lyr smiled. It was so out of place on a Deathbringer face——so alien. Lyr really was unique, I thought. We were lucky to have her.
The Deathbringer kitten flicked her tail at me and gave me a look, then slowly fell back behind the others. So did I.
“What is it, Lyr?”
She looked at me, her earlier smile wiped from her face.
“It’s about Tempest.”
I frowned and leaned closer. She whispered softly in my ear.
“Um, I don’t trust him, you know that, and last night he was standing over Dawn and muttering.” the kitten whispered.
I looked over at the brown she—cat Lyr was gesturing to. She seemed fine, but she was having trouble staying upright on the thin icy layer that remained.
“What was he muttering?”
“Um, I only heard a couple of words. They were “test” and “loyalty.”






******
Tempest shuddered in a mix of horror and happiness as the thought passed through him.
If he could just complete the test.
Ultimate power. Panic would win over the Six Powers. He would keep Echo and almost all the others alive and safe. Tempest and Echo could have kits. They would all be happy and safe, almost.
Almost.






******
"Wow. So are there mice here?" asked Lyr.
We stood at the edge of the icy Wolf Valley. The land ahead was bleak and barren and all in all unwelcoming. No one was really eager to keep going.
Nightleaf was sniffing the ground. She lifted up her muzzle and sighed, closing her eyes. "It doesn't look so promising up close. I guess we'll have to go on."
Tempest swaggered forward. "Come on, no use standing here. We'll be seen."
I narrowed my eyes, faintly annoyed. "We're coming, lead cat," I said mockingly, bouncing past Tempest. Despite what Lyr had said earlier about not trusting Tempest, I could not bring myself to believe he had bad intentions. We had been through so much and he had not swayed, had he?
We padded on, me in front, Tempest slightly behind, and the others behind us. The Death Caverns soon became visible——imposing crags on the horizon, looming high up. As we drew nearer, we could see they were huge. They weren't just a little cluster of rocks, they were monstrosities.
"Quite the happy place," Hawk commented. Which, in a very sarcastic way, summed it up.
We covered the distance faster than I had thought we would. We were hungry, but not terribly. We were ready to enter the Death Caverns.
Standing at the foot of one of the largest crags, I stared up at the granite rock. I could have mistaken the formation for a growing mountain had I not known it was actually a cavern.
"Wow. Not far from here." I said. Tempest rolled eyes and started to talk.
"It just looks that way because it's big, Echo. Don't be so... dimwitted. I thought Sky was the all—awesome Power."
I cuffed him. "Sheesh! Don't insult me."
"What about insulting Orane?" he replied (suspiciously non—sarcastically).
I gave him my fiercest glare, and he stepped away. I continued glaring in the same direction for a split second and then watched, somewhat shocked, as within seconds a flower where Tempest had stood withered and crumpled.
"Erm, Echo, I think your Power is sending super sky—lasers to your glare. Take a look at Tempest." said Dawn nervously, although she smothered a giggle. I turned and burst out laughing.
Tempest was staring intently at the glare—shriveled flower, his fur and claws out as far as possible and his pupils wide and dilated.

"T—that could've been me!" he stammered, squeaking like a tiny kitten between words.
""I could still make it you," I said with joke—seriousness, fixing my most penetrating, intimidating glare on him. Tempest scuttled behind Ghost, his bushy tail sticking out from behind his back.
Despite the evil, doom—and—gloomy environment, we were all reduced into giggling heaps. "Oh, you're so brave, Tempest," Nightleaf purred. "But, I can't blame even you for acting like a complete wimp whenever Echo looks at you. Oh, yes, she's truly terrifying!"
"I'm shaking in my fur!" Ghost chortled, rolling around on the ground and leaving Tempest to face my eye. "By the Six, she looked at me. We're all going to die!" And he yowled in laughter.
I didn't mind teasing Tempest a bit. It was fun.
Looking around, Tempest gathered what dignity he had left, smoothed down his tail, and struck a pose that struck me as pompous.
I giggled, relenting my stare.
He smiled tentatively back at me.
"Alright, time to calm down," Gaia wheezed, breathless from her fit. "Let's get back to Oshibos."
It took only a few seconds before the imposing crags took their hold and smothered all our humor. Gaia walked over to the shriveled flower and sniffed it. "Definitely dead," she affirmed. "Either Echo's eye really is deadly——"
Hawk's cheeks puffed up as he stifled a guffaw.
"——or the flower's roots touched on something. Something really bad and rotten."
No one could laugh that off. I frowned and wished the Six would just grant whoever was scheduled to get their Power now so we wouldn't have to venture into the Death Caverns.
As usual, my wishes were in vain.
"Let's get this over," I said. "We'll go in and get out as soon as whoever—needs—it gets their power." Automatically my eye went over Tempest and Hawk.
"Let's move," Tempest meowed. He stepped into the shadow of the Death Caverns and padded boldly through the entrance into the cave. I followed, our whiskers nearly brushing.
Inside it was dark and smelly. Moss and an unidentifiable liquid dripped from the ceilings and pooled on the ground. Very quickly——faster than I would have expected——the light from outside was shut out, and our cat eyes had their work cut out for them harvesting light from a lightless atmosphere.
The roof was high above our heads. We moved with stealthy caution, careful not to make a sound or touch a strange puddle. The path went mostly straight for a while, and then began to slope down. It curved back on itself soon afterwards, and we kept going.
Further down there were cracks in the wall and the floor. The perpetual gloom and lack of all sound except my own heart and breathing played tricks on my mind. I thought I heard faint screaming and hissing like smoke. Once my ears picked up a harsh, rasping voice and I leaped into Tempest, nearly knocking him over. Oddly, everyone else jumped too.
The deeper we went, the more uneasy I got.
If we weren't just hearing things... what was down here?
"I'm scared, Nightleaf," Lyr whispered. Even though she kept her voice low, I could hear it as though she had yowled. My tail bristled slightly.
"Hush," Nightleaf breathed. Again, her voice was magnified intensely. I flattened my ears against my head, my ear drums pounding. Had I not known Nightleaf, I would have turned on her and scolded her for yelling.
The worst part about this predicament?
All that screaming, all that eerie howling coming from nowhere...
...stopped.
Tempest clapped his tail in my mouth to stop me from yowling in terror. I was going mad, but there was nothing to do about it. Half delirious with anticipation, I followed Tempest blankly as he lead the way. In could see the outline of his face in the darkness. It looked drawn, though not scared. More grimly resolute.
I felt breath on my flank. I whirled around and raised my paw, claws unsheathed half a second, and just stopped myself from giving Gaia shredded ears. Her petrified face told me how close I'd appeared to come to attacking her.
From there on in I trusted Tempest to move us in the right direction. In my state I was not capable of sane leadership.
There was a greenish glow ahead. Tempest faltered and stopped plodding along completely. The glow illuminated his features. He was scared this time. Looking back, I saw the others weren't all that better off. I guessed I wasn't either.
The shade of green in front of us was the shade of a Deathbringer's misty coat. Through hard lessons we had learned to fear that color. My claws shot out and I heard my friends' claws scraping on the rock. They began to back up.
"No." Tempest waved his tail back towards the green glow. "We have to keep going," he mouthed.
If I had had the nerve to talk back to him, I would have. But I didn't. In the end, I had to trust Tempest and allowed him to lead us closer. We were perilously close to the thing we knew was danger.
Desperately, I shook my head at Tempest. He shook his head back at me and nudged me forward. My claws scratched the rock as I went unwillingly close to the glow. Now that I was near, I could see through it. There were shapes, forming and dissipating beyond. I couldn't tell if they were cats or Deathbringers, and I wasn't ready to find out.
Tempest gave one last shove and I went sprawling forward. I held my breath, clenching my mouth shut so I wouldn't squeak as I tumbled and bumped across the rock floor. I heard a gasp, and Ghost slid to a halt behind me. Then came Nightleaf, Lyr, Gaia, Hawk, and last, Tempest, who walked through the glow by his own, albeit shaky, power.
When I saw what had lain hidden behind the glow, I hurtled to my paws and kicked everyone else up with my hind legs. I flicked my tail hard, like I had done a while ago when we had needed to flee the Deathbringers.
When my friends saw the reason why I was giving our 'run' signal, they obeyed it without question. We scrambled to hide behind rock formation that protruded from the floor.
I pressed my back against the rock, breahting heavily. I was quivering all over in fear.
I usually don't quiver in fear, but this time was an exception.
Because we had just walked straight into a swarming——no, MADE OF——Deathbringers.
Deathbringers.
"We're going to die, Echo," Gaia whimpered.
And I could find no words to respond.
"...Do you smell something, K'ryn?" a raspy Deathbringer voice whispered.
"I smell something odd. It's living cat." replied the she—cat near the cave entrance. I looked urgently at my friends, but they were frightened and shaking too much to do anything.
"Well, I bet you you're wrong. No living cat comes here. Not anymore, K'ryn. Am I right?"
"The scent is coming from that cave!" replied K'ryn with an impatient hiss. "Come on!"
The two Deathbringers began working their way through to us, checking behind the thick rock spires and in the dips that lay in the cave wall. Soon more of their kind began to follow them, leaking in to see what all the fuss was about like a filthy green sea breaking into small creeks.
"RUN!" I screamed. I had no choice, really. If we had stayed the Deathbringers would have caught and killed us. And yet it was still a horrible thing to scream that loud, because as me and my friends watched in horror, each small, delicate green head turned slowly.
And then the sea was upon us.



























21

On any other day, I would have fought. Fought until I was dead or dying. But right then I knew the odds were against us and that fighting could only bring hurt.
We were not going to win.
Nightleaf spat, Hawk yowled, Gaia screeched, Ghost hissed, Lyr squealed, and Tempest only had time to unsheathe his claws before we were totally pinned down. I tried to breathe beneath the wieght of more than ten Deathbringers piled on top of me.
I heard voices speaking, counseling about something——probably what to do with us. And then some of the Deathbringers stepped off me and allowed me to get up. They kept their claws on the back of my neck so at a moment's whim they could break it.
We were led away from our hiding place, a Deathbringer to each of us. I saw there was a slightly raised stone platform, where terribly familiar figure stood, poised like the evil queen she was.
Risa.
"Hello," she said pleasantly, looking down on us with her dead eyes. "Welcome to your nightmare. I hope you're not having an enjoyable time."
She dropped the pretense of formality and jumped off the platform. She walked among us, turning our heads this way and that, checking our condition. I would have bitten her head off if I had been able to.
When Risa got to Tempest, she whisked her tail along his flank as she went by. She murmured unintelligible words, and Tempest stiffened.
I growled at her.
"Forrn, shut the half—blind thing up." spat Risa, rolling her eyes. Tempest slowly backed away from her, and a Deathbringer (clearly Forrn) shoved me to the ground and pinned me by the throat until I could barely breathe.
"Take them, Forrn, Kij, Xikil." Risa said. Three Deathbringers came up and chained us as others held us down, then led us by our shackles to an alcove in the rock.
"Goodbye, Echo." called Risa in a singsong voice.
And then she began to laugh.







*****
Tempest smiled softly. Everything was going as planned, except for the unexpected survival of Risa's kitten, Lyr. He could hardly wait for the fresh test.
Tempest shot Lyr a filthy look, then remembered where he was and tried to turn his snarl into an expression of fear. Risa told a Deathbringer to quiet Echo, and Tempest held his brummagem expression of fear and backed away. The white Deathbringer shot a small smile at him, her burning white pelt showing up among the sea of green Deathbringer coats like a dark gray mouse against a rushing blue stream.









*****
The Deathbringers had apparently been prepared for any unwelcome visitors because the alcove we were in was suited for the purpose. Clasps in the wall held our chains while two Deathbringers loitered near our prison, keeping an eye on us so we didn't try to escape through some trickery.
"I hate this," I said bluntly, tugging at the shackles. I had minimal movement. There was no chance of holding any Deathbringers back——namely Risa——with our claws.
Gaia tried to chew through the chains but spat with disgust once she tasted them. "Deathbringers have a horrible taste."
Tempest sat with his shackled front paws as close to the clasps as he could. His chains slackened, and as long as he stayed there he could move his legs. Hawk followed his example, even though he was too jittery to stay in once spot.
"Is there a way to get out?" Lyr whimpered.
"There always is," Nightleaf reassured her.
Our two Deathbringer guards snickered and I glared. Then I looked beyond them. Risa's pelt was clear to see. She had taken her position on the platform and was observing the Deathbringers with cold precision. Whenever she happened to glance our way, she smiled.
I wanted to tear her into little strips and eat her. Then——well, do something outrageous.
The sea of misty green Deathbringer pelts obscured my vision. They were always in motion, doing something I couldn't see because of our confines. I spotted another tunnel that led into the cavern, where Deathbringers constantly went in and out. Sometimes normal cats would creep in, some nervous, others grimly resolved.
Their figures were visible for a while, but once they reached Risa, there were only anguished screams. And the Deathbringers' color was undisturbed once more.
It took me some time. I had to watch and wait and wince at every new scream and force myself to keep watching afterwards.
With a jolt, I hit upon it.
This place was where Deathbringers were created.
It made sickening sense: cats came in, Deathbringers went out. Risa had to be an operator of sorts.
If this was a place where Deathbringers were made... we were in mortal danger.
More so than usual.
I quickly and quietly shared my findings with my friends, who were laying with their heads on their paws and trying not to attract too much enemy attention.
"...and they turn into Deathbringers," I finished. "This is where they come to life. If it can be called life."
"Okay, so we're normal cats, right?" Gaia started.
"So, technically, if Panic wanted us to turn into his own servants..." Ghost said slowly.
"He would do it right here," Tempest concluded. There was something strange about his wide eyes and his bristling fur, but then again, there was something strange about everyone. Wide eyes went all around.
Lyr fell into a dead faint, even though she was already a Deathbringer and not in danger of re—becoming one. Poor kitten, I thought. The fear had to be getting to her.
"Let's see if we can get out before whatever's going to happen happens," Hawk suggested. He started scraping his chain against the clasps on the wall.
The Deathbringer guards hissed a warning, and he stopped. When their heads turned away, he checked what scraping it had done. Nothing. He did it again, making sure no one could see. A bit of the chain had peeled off, a leaf—thin piece of metal.
"We can't do that," I pointed out. "They'll notice if we all do it and the shavings on the floor is too big a clue." I didn't say it aloud, but Lyr wasn't strong enough to lift her heavy chain.
"Hurry," Nightleaf urged unnecessarily, her orange—tipped ears twitching from side to side. "We don't know how much time we have."
I gritted my teeth and bit back a sharp response. Instead I unsheathed one claw and started fiddling with the lock on my chains when the guards turned away. The Deathbringers had gotten an experienced metalworker to do the lock, because even with all my dexterity I couldn't reach the locking systems.

















*****
Five hours later:
"AIIIII!" I howled, clawing at the bars and looking savagely at my friends, who backed up until they were smooshed against the cell wall.
" Now, calm down, Echo..." Dawn said nervously.
"EEEUUUAAAARGH!! We need to find a way out of this thing!"
The guards snickered at my wild rampage, their shoulders shaking as they turned to stare at us. Risa stood on the rock ledge, smirking at us, her deathly green eye glittering in a nasty way.
I gave her my flower—killing, Tempest—frying stare, but she just looked at me, smiled wider, and chuckled, unaffected by my Power.
"We could, um..." I said frantically.
"There's no way out." said Lyr in a hollow, raspy voice like a ghoul.
"YES!"
We all turned towards the melodic female voice that echoed from the rock plateau. Risa, with her perfect green eyes, delicate walk, and small, somewhat demented—looking smile, stepped towards the cage with a purr of amusement.
At what she said at that moment, my eyes widened, Tempest staggered, Lyr shuddered and hissed, and the others gasped.
"There's no. Way. Out." Risa whispered to Lyr. "No way out, my daughter. "












******
"I saved Risa's KITTEN?" Nightleaf asked, astonished, for the hundredth time.
"You wouldn't let me kill it," Tempest reminded her. He shot poison daggers at Lyr with his eyes. "I can always fix that if you don't mind," he drawled.
"No," I asserted. "There is absolutely no way we're killing Lyr because of her mother. Lyr is a different cat from Risa." Still, I was shell—shocked.
Lyr? Risa's daughter?
"I'm glad I didn't have her as a mother," Hawk said, gritting his chattering teeth and inching closer to Lyr. He was afraid, clearly. "Seriously, leaving me to die? There's better mothers out there."
Lyr buried her head in her paws and whined. I wanted to punch Hawk. "That isn't helping," I growled. "Besides, what can we do about it? What would we do about it? Lyr's a friend no matter her lineage."
This plunged them into uncomfortable silence. Tempest continued to glare at Lyr, who was refusing to meet his gaze, until I hissed at him.
Thus we went on staring outside our prison.
There was no way out, so? We'll get out. Out. Somehow. Whenever it suits us.
I banged my head against the floor. Wishful thinking, Echo. Get some sense in your head.
Deathbringers went to and fro. Our guards lounged around, bored of ensuring the impossible. Risa kept giving her orders and basking in her little evil kingdom of glory. The pale green Deathbringer mist curled around our paws until we blew it away. Dejectedly Gaia made shapes of plants in a part of the mist.
"Just in case we don't see them again," she murmured as she shaped some into a tree.
We were really down, needless to say. It was hard not to be.
Then something struck me.
"Tempest;" I said through gritted teeth. "Why did you call Lyr 'it'?"
He looked at me. "Sheesh. I misspoke."
I looked at the Deathbringer kitten, then turned and glared at Tempest again.
"Really, Tempest? 'It'? If I'm right..."
I looked around to ensure that none of our friends were listening.
"...If I'm right, you don't even care about her! She's just another little bug for you to crush! You care nothing of how she feels!"
Tempest turned to completely face me.
"No. No I don't." he said. And I could clearly see the icy cold shadows in his eyes.








*****
Turning away from Echo and her shocked, angry expression and stepping over to a corner of the cell, Tempest smiled to himself. Risa had surely proven herself to Panic well. Offering her own daughter as a sacrifice for his test.
Tempest's eyes darkened. Then Nightleaf's Power came. Why had the stupid Six given her the gift then?
He looked at Lyr with contempt in his eyes. Worthless thing. He should have killed her in her sleep already! But Echo would know. She would hate him forever.
And it was far too important to keep her trust than to get rid of a puny Deathbringer kitten.
He paced his cell as far as the chain would allow. It would not be long now before Risa sought him out.







*****
Time passed until I lost track of it in the swirling of Deathbringer mist. We were getting hungry and quite thirsty. Not that we were going to appeal to our enemies for help.
Another load of cats to become Deathbringers came in. I could see their pelts, spiked on end, being herded towards Risa. Lazily I watched them, ready to close my eyes and ears when they screamed and became Deathbringers.
There wasn't anything we could do.
I was resigned to watching cats, one after the other, become too horrible to be called cat.
But then something new happened.
One of the pelts disappeared before reaching Risa.
I jumped up and strained to see the cat. What had happened? There wasn't a stir among the Deathbringers, and the cat's normal companions did not show any signs of noticing his disappearance.
My breath came quick and carried a tinge of hopefulness.
There it was——a normal fur coat, flashing on the edges of the huge cave. The cat was moving swiftly enough to avoid detection. And moving alone his scent was not overpowering as ours had been.
I could barely look as the cat drew nearer to our cage. Surely the guards would see him and take him to Risa. And that would be the end of our hopes.
I had to peer to the side and press my face up against the bars to see the fur. I spotted the cat, crouched behind a rock formation, glancing from me to the guards, eyes quick and cleverly assessing the situation.
"Psst!" I whispered to my friends. They jumped up.
"What?"
I twitched my ears in the direction of the new cat. They crowded up with me, squabbling quietly over the best spot. They had enough sense not to cry out in joy when they saw the cat.
"Look the other way," I said, seeing a way to help our hopefully—rescuer.
We all reversed and stared intently in the other direction, making joyous meowing sounds.
As I expected, our guards were more suspicious when we put a bit of sound into the mix. They growled at us and stalked off in the opposite direction of our rescuer to investigate thin air.
The cat darted out and observed our cage. He yanked open the cage door and gestured frantically for us to get out and follow him.
"How are we going to get out?" I hissed quietly to the black—and—white cat. He looked behind him briefly and replied.
"Just follow me."
I saw a small crack in the side of the canyon, just big enough for a cat to squeeze through. We were heading straight toward it.
"This way!" whispered the black and white cat, sliding through the gap. We rapidly followed, but Tempest hung back, looking towards Risa and hissing... hissing almost as if he was frustrated.
"Tempest!" I spat. "Come on!"
He looked at Risa once more, and though she didn't raise the alarm, I thought for a moment that she locked eyes with Tempest.
Then he went through the crack and slid deep into the darkness.








*****
Tempest almost screamed with frustration. How dare this upstart, nasty cat come to "rescue" them? The plan would have worked perfectly if that cat wasn't there! He could have completed the test. The test was even there. He would have proven his fighting skills and loyalty right in front of Risa and the Deathbringers.
He shuddered as a wave of dark power rushed through him. Once, only a few days ago, he would have shrieked in horror at the thought of performing the test. But the evil had consumed him. He would have no regrets upon what was yet to come.








****
We crawled along inside the crack. Our chains clinked and our breath was unnaturally loud. I made sure to keep our rescuer's tail held lightly between my teeth. I was acting like a kitten, but if we lost our only source of help we would probably panic.
I could still hear the screams and the hissing of Deathbringers through the walls. It did not sound like our guards had returned and noted our absence yet, because once they did I was certain there would be an uproar. Our helper was aware of this too, because he pushed our pace as fast as our scrunched and shackled legs could go.
"Where are we going?" I whispered.
"Out."
"How?"
"We will."
Our rescuer was a cat of few words.
Soon our little crack tunnel sloped up. Gradually we slithered along until the black—and—white cat said, "We're out."
When he climbed out of our tunnel, I saw gloomy light filtering around his form. Eagerly I scrambled out after him, relishing the clean, fresh air untainted by Deathbringers.
We were out near what I assumed was the back of the cavern. Our rescuer twitched his tail and led us to a little cave in the Deathbringer—infested crags. "Hide," he explained, succeeding in getting his point across in a single word.
I went inside obediently.
The cave was not big, but big enough to hold our number. Our helper went around, fiddling with our shackles until they clicked open. It was such a relief to feel our lingering confinement literally fall away.
"I am Rahm," the black—and—white said, curling his tail over his paws.
"Why do they make Deathbringers here, and not in Panic's realm?" Nightleaf blurted out. Tempest looked at her, then gazed back through a very small crack in the wall, back at Risa.
Rahm shrugged and started to—
"The prisoners have escaped!"
"Run!" bellowed Rahm, leaping out of the cave and onto the rocks above, then clambering upwards. We quickly followed, Lyr looking back at Risa and the Deathbringers multiple times.
"Hurry!" I called to Dawn, who was lagging behind and seemed to be frozen to the rock. She looked up at me and her green eyes narrowed. She hissed and clawed upward, groaning in pain as her claw wrenched on a long root.
"Echo!" Tempest called. "Look!"
I looked to my right and gasped. Hundreds upon thousands of Deathbringers were seeping up the walls of the canyon like a river in reversed gravity.
"Hurry, guys!" Nightleaf yowled, practically running up the stone.
I threw myself at Dawn and sank my teeth into her scruff, ignoring the salty taste of blood in my mouth. I hoisted her an inch or two higher, over the root. Meowing like a frightened kit, she clung to the wall and scrambled up.
I followed.
But the Deathbringers were fast, and their numbers were immense. It was only a matter of time before we were caught. We clambered over the back of the canyon and tumbled into the dust, quickly regaining our paws and dashing away.
"Follow me," Rahm called, and altered our course. Our legs copied him of their own accord, since our heads were sat on our shoulders, staring with petrified eyes at the gaining enemies.
Risa was the lead. She flashed her teeth and hissed a challenge. "You'll never be free," she crooned, and even over the screeching of enraged Deathbringers I could hear her. "I will forever have you between my claws. Forever."
Her jaws snapped at my tail and I retaliated by kicking her with my hind legs. More Deathbringer fangs nipped at my heels, turning me away from Rahm and our way to safety.
My friends looked back and gaped as the tide of Deathbringers converged at my heels. Then Lyr darted into the Deathbringer crowd and made her way to Risa, who was practically using my tail as a leash.
She jumped up and clawed at her eyes, turning her ears to shreds in a single second. Risa let go of my tail and rolled over, trying to squash Lyr beneath her. This disrupted the Deathbringers enough where I could run back to my friends.
"Lyr!" Nightleaf cried.
The kitten pelted back to us, yelling, "Go, go! They won't leave her."
While it wasn't everyday we took orders from the kitten, we kept going with Rahm and stopped looking over our shoulders.
The black—and—white tomcat led us to a solitary rock. He sniffed around it and pushed it to the side to reveal and hole big enough to admit a cat at a time. "In," he said.
I peered down suspiciously into the hole. There was no light and I wouldn't know if there was something unwelcome until I landed on it. Rahm shoved me and, squeaking in indignity, I hurtled to the bottom of the hole.
Instead of landing on a spine—shattering rock floor, my landing was cushioned by grass. Hawk came down, and I hastily rolled out of the way to avoid getting squashed.
The hole was big enough for us all. The way we came in (and out, I assumed) was narrow, but widened into a comfy underground cavity that some cat had stuffed with grass to make it more comfortable.
Once we were all down, Rahm slid down the walls of the entryway and stopped once his head was below the surface. Reaching up, he hooked his claws into an indentation underneath the rock and pulled it so it concealed the entrance. He left a little gap for air, and then jumped down to join us.
"I cannot answer your question about why the Deathbringers are there," he said, picking easily up where left off. "They are. And that is that. What I can tell you is this: the Death Caverns are large, and they encompass this entire area. Beneath us there are tunnels and prisons for soon—to—be Deathbringers. Nearby there is another way into the canyon. You are not safe, and I am not safe."
"I think we got that," Tempest growled and I looked at him. I smacked him with my hind paw. How could he be so ungrateful?
"Argh... Echo, my scruff. Would you please?" said Dawn. I obligingly licked her neck until it stopped bleeding. She then took a quick look around the hole, smiled, and nipped a few small leaves out of a crack, instructing me to chew them and rub them onto her neck.
"Ah. Much better. Thanks, Echo." Dawn sighed.
"Wait, guys, Rahm. How the heck do we get out of here?" Nightleaf asked briskly, a hint of anger and annoyance in her tone.
"Well, the only way to go is back out that way." Rahm sighed, gesturing to the way we had arrived. "But the Deathbringers are still here, except for Risa. Risa must be down with Panic, tending to her ears. But—..."
"Wait!" gasped Lyr with a jolt. She turned to me. "Echo, all of you that have your Powers... use them together! See if we can get out— and hold out against the Deathbringers!"
We turned and stared. Tempest's face, for an unknown reason, flashed with guilt.
"Lyr, you're a genius!" whispered Nightleaf. Dawn nodded.
"Okay, guys." I said. "Now concentrate... concentrate."
it seemed like we stood there for hours, me, Dawn, Ghost, and Nightleaf. Soon frost began to glitter on Ghost's pelt.
I winced briefly as the ground beneath us began to violently shudder. Dawn was doing well. At my side, Nightleaf's eyes were wide and black as flames leaped up around her.
Only I was left.
Then a great crash sounded, and small sparks jittered in my fur, which stood on end. The air was burning, cracking and sizzling from the electric wave around me.
"Jump!" I screeched, and the eight of us began to clamber up the wall until spires of earth knocked aside the rock at the top. All around Dawn were lashing vines sprouting from the ground, thorns flailing and striking the oncoming Deathbringers.
Nearby Ghost, Deathbringers were being turned into beautiful ice sculptures with a greenish tint on the inside.
Nightleaf was lighting Deathbringers on fire, clawing at them with flaming paws and sending them screeching off to extinguish the flames licking along their backs.
As for me, I wasn't sure what to expect in the beginning. Could I fry them like I had that flower? I tried staring at them. There was a crackle and a sizzle of energy, and no less than two or three dozen Deathbringers reeled away, clutching at their eyes. With a jolt, I realized I had blinded them.
"Echo," Tempest hissed.
"What is it?" More Deathbringers howled and desperately clawed at their eyes as though their efforts could bring back their sight.
He pointed his muzzle over the dwindling swarm of Deathbringers. Glancing in the direction he was pointing, I saw more green mist on the horizon. "Reinforcements," he affirmed.
Putting all my power into one last blow, I blinded the remaining Deathbringers. Dawn lashed them over to Ghost, who turned them into ice. Nightleaf came close and they melted into green—blue water.
"That's disgusting," she remarked, and looked over her shoulder at the incoming enemies. "We should move."
"Well, move, then," Tempest growled, and ran. Rahm's eyes went from the Deathbringers to the direction Tempest was running, and he shrugged. I assumed he wasn't particularly against Tempest's direction, so I followed Tempest along with the others.
I did a head count. Everyone, even Lyr, was there. I checked the Deathbringers again. We could outpace them with effort. Maybe.
Tempest was heading towards an outcropping of boulders. He scrambled up and dropped onto the other side. I copied him and landed in the shadow of the boulder. There was a cavity between two rocks covered by dead plant life. The rest of our company dropped down and squeezed inside the cavity without ado.
"I'll keep watch," he murmured in my ear and, before I could reply, jumped into another gap between rocks. The bloodcurdling calls of Deathbringers were too near, so I couldn't argue with him about being stupid. I crawled inside with the others and could only hope and pray to the Six for the best.











*******
"Why..." Tempest whispered to himself as he curled up, defeated, in the foliage. The plan. It was Risa's idea. It shouldn't have— nay, couldn't have failed.
And yet it had. No Deathbringer, nor Tempest himself, could have anticipated this 'Rahm'. What a ridiculous name... not special, like Risa's.
Not beautiful. Like Echo.
Tempest winced at the thought as the garrune on his paw began to sting like ice. Ridiculous.
I don't love her. Not anymore, he thought.
I hate the lot of them. The Six, old and new. What tricksters they had been, watching from above, choosing to gift them with Powers at the very worst moment. Whispering what would happen. Concealing it in a dream, turning his friends against Panic. They would cause the death of their own descendants.
Ah, but not him. Not Shadow, not Tempest. Paku would fall with the rest. But he would be standing tall with Panic. All rebels against the dark spirit would be dead. Lost, cast into gar—locke. And Tempest would have power, so much power, Deathbringers his slaves, Risa his mate. Panic would let him at least rule Xoraan, surely, and perhaps more.
Cheered somewhat, bloodlust tracing patterns in his adrenaline as the hisses and jeers of the Deathbringers got louder, Tempest mused. Perhaps before she died, when the Six were defeated, he would force Nightleaf into melting Wolf Valley. Then he would enslave the wolves that lived there, using them as his own private army. No Deathbringers save Risa would come near him, except to bring him what he wished... and to be punished for moving against him and Panic.
"Tempest!" whispered Echo harshly. "Get down—they'll see you!"
With a hiss of annoyance, Tempest squeezed further into the plants, "accidentally" stepping on Rahm's tail with unsheathed claws.
"Wait! I don't hear anything." breathed Hawk. "Is it safe?"
"No." replied Rahm. "The Deathbringers are testing us."
Testing me more like, thought Tempest. In the Unknown, it would happen. Deathbringers would lay in wait in the shrubs, watching to confirm that he performed the test.
Oh, he longed to complete it at last.
********

The Deathbringers didn't make a noise for a couple minutes. My heart pounded. I willed them to go away and leave us in peace.
Eventually we heard the footsteps and soft growls as our enemies retreated. Rahm slithered past me and was out of our crevice in a second. Tempest glared at him and shoved hard past.
"The Unknown," Tempest hissed. "That's where we need to go next."
"Why did we even have to come here?" Nightleaf asked, indignant as she scrambled out.
"Maybe the Six wanted us to find the source of all these Deathbringers," Hawk put forward. "Just so we know how they're made, or something." He sank into silence, and then admitted, "Okay, I don't know."
"Either way, it's time to leave. Tempest's right, the Unknown is where we need to go next." I bounded past Tempest and whisked my tail over his ears, reminding him to keep his tongue with Rahm.
We were all ready to go. Careful not to let any sight or sound go unnoticed, we set our paws toward our destination and ran, me in front and Rahm at the back.

I knew where the Unknown was. My father had talked about his expedition before he left, and by looking back on those talks I could divine the Unknown's location. I was not scared to put paw on my father's grave. I knew we would conquer whatever was there and I would make him proud.
The gloomy area around the Death Caverns soon became even gloomier, if possible. There was black, gritty sand that stung our feet and tickled our noses. Dark sand dunes sat on the ground, formed by years of wind. A continuous breeze ruffled our fur, but once we penetrated deeper it became a whirlwind that nearly blew us over.
I could barely hear myself think.
The sky was a dreary gray color with darker clouds. It was as though the sun had given up trying to bring life to the desolation and left.
Seeing all this affected Dawn the most. She couldn't bear the lack of plant life and was always swinging her head around to cast about for flowers or grass. It pained her to see such everlasting dead—ness.
Where exactly the Six wanted us to go I was not certain. I led us onward, my ears plastered to my skull and my tail sticking straight out behind me. Then I found a good spot to take a break, behind a dune where the wind couldn't reach us.
I plopped down on the sand with a grunt and the others did the same. We took deep breaths, calming our nervous hearts.
I had to admire my father. He had been brave to embark on this journey alone. Or just plain foolish.
Almost subconsciously, I began to write out a message in the sand by scraping Oshibos's writing characters with my claws. What I wrote made no sense whatsoever, but I felt better. It had been a long time since I had written anything.
I looked at Lyr. She was almost dragging herself across the barren ground with a pained expression that no cat her age should ever have.
"Lyr." I whispered. "What's wrong?"
The kitten shrugged and looked up at me. Her pale yellow eyes gleamed with tears of shame and anger.
"Risa's my mother." she murmured hoarsely.
Rahm saw our encounter and stepped up to the front.
"What's wrong?" he said.
Lyr turned towards him. He saw her face, nodded, and walked back.
I looked ahead and so did Lyr, who shuddered. In the far distance we could see large sectors of the Crystal Plains. The kitten was clearly afraid of the place where her mother had abandoned her.
"Can we... go around them?" she whispered. I wrapped my tail around her.
"No." I replied. "I'm afraid that the best way to reach Panic's lair——"
I gulp.
"——the best way to reach Panic's lair is to cross the plains, enter the Unknown at the last second, and then go to the Cliffs. If we keep east of Moonlight Cave then we'll be less likely to encounter more Deathbringers."
"If we have to," Lyr whispered.
I nodded and di not speak. There was no need.
Lyr got up and tottered back over to Nightleaf, where she curled up and closed her eyes.
Tempest caught my eye. I did not go over to speak with him, not because of a grudge. But fear.
In his eyes, I saw a malice no cat should possess.

22

Our journey was grueling. The Crystal Plains were a change while not entirely welcome a definite improvement from the desolate Death Caverns landscape. Rahm tagged along with us, saying he had nowhere else to go.
"Panic's rule has spread far," he said simply when asked. "What stars there are in this darkness are few in number."
This poetic view on things reflected reality perfectly.
Lyr closed her eyes most of the way through the plains. We made sure to skirt the crystal where she had been trapped to spare her more painful memories. Nightleaf, who was like a mother to the kitten, tried to cheer her up while battling her own fears of the Unknown.
Dawn was happier now that we had entered a less devasted area of Oshibos. There were a smattering of flowers which she expressed clear joy in seeing.
Ghost was quiet, as usual. He was brooding over our journey with narrowed eyes and a drawn look on his face. Our trials had aged us all.
Hawk could not put a light face on our scenario. He could not stop his fear showing in bunched whiskers and bristling fur. He appeared twice his size all throughout the plains.
Tempest——I couldn't tell. His face was carefully kept devoid of emotion and nothing in his tread betrayed his feelings. He was closed to me. And I was scared of him. The cat I would have once laid my life down for was gone, replaced by this aggressive, conniving creature with a dark look behind cold eyes.
I couldn't bring myself to ask about the change. In fact, I wouldn't even approach him or stand within claw's reach of his paws.
The trek across the plains took many days, at least twenty risings of the sun. We kept walking for as long as we could at a time, then crashed wherever it was convenient. The longest we went for one time was an entire day without stopping for food or water.
Afterwards, of course, we were half dead. But half alive. It was lucky for us we found good hunting and water soon after the ordeal.
There was nearly no talk for the journey. We were too tired or too frightened to converse. The longest sentence any of us spun was two words, even after we had full bellies and satisfied thirst.
Then the Unknown was on the horizon.
It was unlike any of the dark places we had been. From where we were, it was a void. But the noise——the pounding of waves——we could hear it, even from afar.
"Can we go back?" A new record: four words. By Hawk.
"No," Tempest said, a little sharply. Hawk saw the look in his eyes and fell silent.
The horizon was farther away than I had expected. It took us another week to reach it. We slept with the waves in our ears and terror in our hearts. I made sure to check any water sources we came across to ensure they were fit to drink, and not part of the deadly sea whose waves we were hearing.
Food had to be chosen with caution. Anything that came from the Unknown was shunned.
And then we reached the Unknown itself.
I stifled a shriek. As we walked through the sparse shrubbery I had tripped and fallen into a heap of cat bones. The rotting flesh had long since been eaten away by Orane knows what, but the stench remained and clung to my fur.
"Oh, man... ew."
I stepped out of the heap and ran backwards to the others. Gluey mud had fastened around my paws.
"Can we keep going?"
We continued. The sound of the waves that had killed my father grew louder and began to ring in my ears. I looked over at my friends and saw that they were wincing, except for Tempest.
Odd, I thought. The gray tabby had almost a smile on his face as he looked ahead. Lyr was shrinking from him as his malicious gaze raked her green fur. She lagged back to me and whispered "What's wrong with him? He... what is it?"
I looked at him and stepped slightly back out of sheer revulsion. In the growing dusky shadows, his pelt seemed fully black, his green eyes glowed like embers, and his sight burned into me. I felt a horrible pang of an unknown feeling as I realized that the menacing glare was identical to...
To the feeling that I had when I looked at Risa.
With a muffled shriek I scooted as far away from Tempest's horrible, lithe form as I could. Lyr nodded slowly as she realized what I was feeling. Dawn and the others looked strangely at me as though I was insane.
"I—I'm fine. Sorry." I stammered.












*****
The slim orange cat instinctively began to lick at the cuts the Deathbringers had given him, then stopped. It would ruin the plan.
Stumble in on them, get taken into their care. Spy on the two gray cats— especially the one with a single eye. It was simple.
Gritting his teeth, he ran through the thorns, stifling a yelp as one bit his ear, then began to falsely stagger towards the cats ahead.











*****
I gasped in shock as a horribly scratched—up orange cat stumbled directly in front of me, where it collapsed on the ground, blood seeping from its wounds.
"Agh... I'm Solei." he croaked. "Please——"
"Out of my way!" screeched Dawn, plucking the small pouch from around her neck and running up front. She examined Solei and nodded.
"These cuts... they smell like Deathbringer."
My eyes widened as Dawn pulled dry leaves out of her pouch and began to lick Solei's wounds. Deathbringers were nearby, and they had nearly killed an innocent cat—— I realized this as Solei rolled over and I saw a gaping wound on his stomach—— and not far from here. But we were months away from the Dark Cliffs. This was a very bad sign.
The orange cat, Solei, twisted and meowed in pain as Dawn prodded at the stomach wound with her herbs. Deftly she smeared a paste over it and grabbed a fat leaf, slapping it over the cut and pressing hard to staunch the bleeding. Solei hissed.
"I'm saving you," Dawn growled. Her tail smacked Solei's ear. "I could leave you to die because of an infected wound. To become delirious and thirsty, unable to quench your needs. Oh, yes, I could leave you to a terrible death if you wanted."
Solei groaned and his eyes began to roll back into his head. With one last weak, shuddering breath, he went limp.
Dawn busied herself taking care of the wound. "We need a good place to hide," she said briskly. "Somewhere easily defendable."
"Attack should not be out of the question," I agreed. We started looking around for a good shrub. Our choices were slim, but we settled on one with dead branches closing around a small space inside, just big enough for two cats at close proximity.
Dawn dragged Solei inside and peeled the blood—staunching leaf off. The bottom of it was crimson, but she took no notice. Tossing it outside and missing Tempest's face by a whisker—length, she poked the paste until she was satisfied it was in the right place.
"How long will this take?" Tempest grumbled.
"A day," Dawn replied without facing him. "Do what you want. I'm going to be busy. This is a deep cut and it won't heal itself."
Anger flared in Tempest's eyes and I inched away. I suggested quickly that everyone hunt, and so we did. The Unknown had little prey, and what there was, well, it was barely fit for a bite.
The sun sank beneath the horizon and we all lay around the shrub in a protective circle. Dawn had barely eaten and continued to watch Solei's wound as though it was the most important thing in the world.
"Echo?" she whispered when the stars began to look down upon us.
"Mmm?"
"Er... forgive me... if this offends you..."
"Out with it, Dawn. I'm tired."
"Tempest," Dawn mumbled, and returned to watching Solei. The rest of her sentence was illegible.
I twitched my ears. I knew Lyr and I weren't the only ones nervous about Tempest's sudden change from trustworthy cat to dark, menacing beast. I crept over to him and lay down. That night I slept with my one eye open.

*****

He opened one eye.
They were asleep.
He began to observe them, making sure the one tending him didn't see. She was irritating, fussing over him like a mother. She would not be doing as she did if she knew the truth.
Dawn. That was the mothering cat's name.
Tempest, Echo... those were the ones he was to watch.
Risa's kitten——she was meant to die. He had no love or faint loyalty to her, although she shared blood with his commander. No, pity, loyalty to any other than those he was assigned to was fatal.
Hawk, Ghost, and Nightleaf. Those should be no trouble. They were in the background, never really showing anything exemplary or noticeable. When the time came, they would all turn to dust.
And the other cat, Rahm. It was pathetic, how such an ordinary cat could sneak through legions upon legions of Deathbringers and free prisoners right out from under their guards' noses. He was crafty, not very vocal, though. That would make it easier.
His open eye drooped. Sleep would be fine. At the crack of dawn he would be alert, ready to play his part.
He sank into sleep, a sleep filled with dreams of glory...
...and dreams of Panic.

*****

"Echo?"
"Morning, Dawn. Living up to your name?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess so. I was going to tell you Solei is awake and he wants to talk to you."
"Mmhmm, tell him I'll be there in a moment."
"Who wants to talk?"
"Tempest! I—I—I——"
"Solei wants to talk to me, Tempest. Now go wake the others up, you startled Dawn."
Tempest glared suspiciously at the shrub where a frail Solei sat. "I don't trust that cat."
It was my turn to be suspicious. Somehow, the 'sincere' doubt in his voice sounded fake. "Well, I'm going," I said slowly, rising as I spoke. "I'll be out in a minute."
Tempest nodded and began shoving Hawk until the brown cat jerked awake. He ignored me as I walked toward the shrub, where Solei sat. The paste was still over his wound, but already a strong scab had formed. Dawn was a good healer.
"So, uh..." said Solei sheepishly. "Thanks for taking me in."
"Where did the Deathbringers attack you?" I asked.
"...I... don't really remember." he mumbled. "Somewhere back towards, um, Kora? I think...?"
I turned to Dawn. "How long should his wound take to heal?"
"About five days until he's ready to walk around, and then he'll have to stick around for awhile from fatigue. He's lost a lot of blood and he's been running for an obviously long time."
I nodded and looked back to Solei. "How do you feel?"
"Ugh... tired. But... oh, never mind. I'll tell you later."
The orange cat curled up in his bush and lay there for a while. We hung around.
Solei opened one eye. "Go away, please." he said gruffly.
Dawn rolled her eyes, but went to a nearby shrub and watched Solei. I curled up next to Nightleaf and then realized that we hadn't eaten.
"Nightleaf." I whispered. "Go get Hawk and Dawn. Let's hunt."
"Okay." she replied, and went to get the others. We gathered by a small shrub and split up.
"Um—er—eh.... I'll go with... Dawn." said Hawk, blushing fiercely. Dawn smiled and nodded.
"Okay, you guys go explore the holes over that way..." I gestured to a few dotted holes near a crystal that had spread from the plains. "And me and Nightleaf will go in those thick shrubs."
A while later, I had caught two mice and Nightleaf a strange blue bird. I heard Hawk and Dawn, and came over to whisper to Nightleaf.
"I think I hear a rabbit. Stay here."
I walked through the bushes until I was out of Nightleaf's view and could see Hawk and Dawn. They were sitting down, their prey next to them, and talking.
"Ugh... I don't know how to say this, Hawk." said Dawn sadly. "I don't know if you'd want to hear it..."
Hawk looked sad, as if he knew what was going to happen.
"Please tell me, Dawn."
"Well... I—I—um... I love you."
Hawk's face lit up and tears of relief and happiness pooled in his eyes.
"I love you too, Dawn. Since we first met."
They entwined their tails, picked up their prey, and walked back to our little camp.






****
Five days passed.
As Dawn had said, Solei was feeling sprig and spry by the end of the fifth day. He was even able to come out to hunt for himself.
Like with Rahm, it was not a question whether we would let Solei join us——he just did. We were like an island in the middle of a sea, and more and more cats were swimming towards it for safety and comradeship.
"So," I said, reviewing our plan in front of everyone, "we are going to cut into the Unknown and take a straight path for the Dark Cliffs. It'll take months. And I'm speaking to Rahm and Solei now: if you would like to leave, go ahead."
No one moved.
"Good." I stood up. "We should stay away from the sea of Kora. Let's go."
And so we did.

Tempest's eyes narrowed.
The time was near.
Risa had told him there would be an infiltrator. He recognized Solei for what he was immediately——at present, he was there to spy on Tempest and ensure he completed the task. Maybe get some information about the others. Once the act was done, he would slither away, probably. Go to report to Risa.
Oh yes, his claws tingled at the very prospect. Now it was up to him to choose the time. Would it be this night, or the next? If he did the task only a few days or less after Solei had joined them...
No. He had seen how the other cats looked at him, how they avoided him. He was no longer one of them.
Once he did the act, he would be the suspect, and he would have to leave.
Echo, he thought, and spat mentally. I may have been your friend once, but now I will tear you to the ground.
His heart fluttered.
His ears twitched.
Yes. Tonight. Tonight he would do it.
Do it without regret.


















23
I woke up to a scraping noise and turned to look. I could see Tempest's silhouette in the inky black night. He was scratching the ground and standing over Dawn.
Slowly I crept towards him. He didn't notice me in the night.
"Tempest! What are you——"
I didn't need to finish. The blood dripping from Dawn's neck was a clue.
A horrific clue.
"I'm sorry, Echo." Tempest murmured.



























Pronunciations

Here are the pronunciations of the names that are not pronounced as they are spelled:

Orane: Or—ah—nay
Rajii: Rahj—ee
Lagra: Lah—grah
Kyeina: Kee—AY—nuh
Paku: Pah—koo
Oshibos: Oh—shee—bows
Xoraan: Zohr—ahn
Rahm: Rom
Solei: Soh—lay
Siki: See—kee
D’lyk: Duh—LICK
Risa: REE—suh
Krin: Kr —ihn
Lyr: Leer
Grishmak: Gr—ish—mack



















Cats of Oshibos
Echo: Smoky gray she—cat with ice—blue eyes
Tempest: Dark gray tom with deep green eyes and black stripes
Dawn: Dusky brown she—cat with green eyes
Ghost: Light gray, almost white tom with a hoarse voice
Hawk: Dark brown tom with black ears
Nightleaf: Jet—black she—cat with amber eyes and orange ears, tail—tip, and paws
Solei: Feisty, bright orange tom with green eyes
Rahm: Black—and—white patched tom with yellow eyes
























Other Characters
Siki: Somber, bright white wolf from Wolf Valley
D’lyk: Siki’s father
Risa: White female Deathbringer
Lyr: Deathbringer kitten, daughter of Risa, found in the Crystal Plains
Panic: Evil spirit possessing the body of a cat
Deathbringers: Now—dead cats that have pledged to serve Panic
Grishmak Flyrstrike: king of the wolves of Wolf Valley









Definitions
Gar—locke(Gar—lawk): The evil land in the night sky where evil cats go after death
Gar—fiend: Wolf name for a Deathbringer
Krorgree: The wind spirits who watched over the wolves before Panic came
Garrune: The sacred symbol used by Panic to bring a dead cat back as a Deathbringer
Krolys: The ancient wolf ritual for raising the Krorgree