Darkstar's Wrath - A Faith's Journey Super Edition

Chapter 35

Darkblood claws scratched feebly at the ground as he watched, helplessly, as Wildtalon turned his head to face Pinepaw, who was staring at Darkblood sprawled on the ground, and Silverpaw watching in terror behind him.

Pinepaw let out a frightened yelp as Wildtalon dug his thorn sharp claws into his sides, sending blood running down his fur.

Darkblood's body convulsed as he struggled. Scarfur only dug his claws in harder, pinning his son against the dark earth.

Silverpaw was shouting franticly behind him, being held in place by a silent Shadowripple.

Wildtalon's eyes drifted to Scarfur. 

"Don't! Stop!" Darkblood snarled, only to have his father meet Wildtalon's cold, blue eyes.

Scarfur ducked his head to his fellow dark warrior, a signal it seemed like.

Darkblood, thrashing, spitting, and snarling, watched as Wildtalon turned his head, again, toward Pinepaw.

A tortuous scream split the air as Wildtalon's gripping fangs met Pinepaw's neck with a swift bite. Blood droplets filled the surrounding air. Crimson ran down the apprentice's neck. Wildtalon released his prey, letting Pinepaw slump to the blood stained forest floor. 

As Pinepaw's head hit the ground, everything that could feel within Darkblood shattered. He froze and simply stared, as Pinepaw's green eyes were slowly getting covered with black spots.

"NO!" 

Silverpaw launched herself toward her helpless friend across the clearing, with all fury of TigerClan flowing through her veins.

Darkblood shot out an arm as Silverpaw went to pass him. He dug his claws into her silver chest and pulled her down beside him, holding her against his neck and chest. The anger that had been there moments before, faded in an instant, and was replaced with dread and numbness as Silverpaw pressed herself into Darkblood's fur.

The two cats watched as Pinepaw struggled to hold their gazes. At last, at the end of his fight, Pinepaw's eyes slipped close as his breathing fell still. 

Darkblood inhaled as few shaky breaths and watched as a swathe of brown rose from Pinepaw's fallen body. The brown pigment then morphed into the pained-looking spirit of the DuskClan apprentice. Sadness shown in the green light of Pinepaw's star-speckled eyes as he stared at his mentor and friend.

Wildtalon seemed to loom over his fallen kill, a twisted smile upon his face as his blood-stained claws twitched.

A breeze rattled the lifeless branches above the cat's heads. Pinepaw met Darkblood's and Silverpaw's gazes before his spirit slipped away with the wailing wind.

Darkblood's grip slackened on his surviving apprentice but Silverpaw continued staring at where Pinepaw had been moments before. 

Darkblood gaze drifted from the fallen body to it's killer. Wildtalon was sweeping his gaze around the clearing, eventually it fell on Darkblood and Silverpaw. A tip of Wildtalon's mouth twitched upward as he stroked the fur along Pinepaw's cheek with his tail.

It happened in an instant.

Darkblood let a snarling yowl emit from the depths of his throat. Pure fury coursed through his veins like a raging river. He lunged upward, throwing his father across the clearing, crashing into a tree. Darkblood's eyes strayed just barely toward his identical family member, relishing in the fact that one of his enemies was down. His amber eyes moved to Wildtalon, who was now eyeing him, his tail lashing as he did so. With a loud hiss, Darkblood leapt at Wildtalon, skidding to a stop as he reached him. His claws connected with Wildtalon's nose and his teeth went for the dark warrior's throat.

Wildtalon slid his arm around Darkblood's neck and shoved him to the ground.

"You knew he wouldn't survive! You were going to kill him whether he won or not!" Darkblood shouted.

"He's not what the Dark Forest needed... he wouldn't kill if his life depended on it, and it did..." Wildtalon leaned down and let his teeth graze Darkblood's split ear.

Darkblood twisted his head and dug his teeth into Wildtalon's ear, he rolled Wildtalon to the side so he was now standing over him. Darkblood raked his claws down Wildtalon's sides. Wildtalon's thorn teeth snapped breath-lengths away from his neck, Darkblood slashed his claws down Wildtalon's face, connecting with the tom's eyelid. With a yowl, Darkblood threw his attacker away from him, sending Wildtalon into a clump of dark ferns. 

A startled squeak rang in Darkblood's ear, he turned just in time to feel Silverpaw's body barrel into him, knocking them both to the ground. Darkblood threw a paw over Silverpaw's shoulders, helping her up.

Scarfur was stalking toward them, his claws gleamed in the dark light of the forest. Wildtalon had also risen again and was coming at them from Darkblood's right side.

"I'll kill you! All of you!" Darkblood yowled, pain pulsing from his cracked heart and his voice came out as broken string.

A smirk grew on Scarfur's face as he leaned forward and let his muzzle brush Darkblood's ear. "You can try.. But we can tell your broken... and broken warriors have no place in this world... Not in the land of the living... Not in StarClan... and not here..."

"If I have no place... If I'm broken and gone... Then I'm dragging all of you down with me...." Darkblood whispered, his eyes just barely meeting Scarfur's.

Another pelt brushed his right side. "We will see when the time comes..." Wildtalon purred, his hot breath fanned Darkblood's cheek.

And then they vanished.