Tales from Mysterious Lands #1: The Descent

Prologue

Water was slowly dripping from the hole in the cave roof. The moon was hiding behind the soot black clouds.

The night was pitch black and the only thing disturbing the darkness were two, round, tired emerald green eyes. They belonged to a starving cat clinging to the last stem of hope left.

Staring at a small pool and trying to understand as hard as she could, the she-cat fell asleep.

The tortoiseshell woke up high in the mountains. She looked around - they were different. They didn't have the bland, dead gray color as the ones in her home - these were somewhere else.

A small pool lay bedside the she-cat. White silhouettes started appearing in it, nearing the surface, then jumping out - the shining souls of their ancestors brushed their pelts with her.

"Welcome, Black Dream," whispered one of the spirits.

The zephyr combed her pelt. "What is this place? Where are we? Is the hunger going to end?"

"Follow us," a spirit replied, heading up to a top, followed by the others.

Black Dream didn't feel weak anymore - here, she felt stronger than ever. She started clawing her way up the mountain. The stone felt smooth and comfortable, almost warm. The sun shone on her pelt, giving her strength.

Finally, Black Dream climbed up, her ancestors already waiting for her. They got out of her sight and her eyes rested upon beautiful lands;

A freezing rocky forest, swamp-like woods, large moor with a birch forest next to it and finally large coniferous woods.

"What... What is this place? Why are you showing me this?" Black Dream meowed anxiously.

"The hunger will never end," an ancestor warned, "the only way to survive is to move. These are the lands we have chosen - the new home of the tribe".

"That's impossible!" The tortoiseshell she-cat gasped. "There surely must be another way! The tribe cats will never leave their homes!"

"There is none. This is your future. Choose wisely how you will tell the tribe - the future of all the cats in it depends on you now," a spirit responded and touched noses with Black Dream.

"You will not go alone. None of you will. We will always be with you. But now more than ever, the tribe needs a strong leader - a strong stoneteller. The tribe needs you. Farewell, Black Dream."

The spirits started to fade into a beautiful mist, until not a single one remained.

And Black Dream took one last look at the beautiful lands.