Beast of the Sea - WARRIOR CATS

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I stared several moments longer at the cat who was on the ledge before sprinting away towards the sound of screeching. Smoke blasted my senses, until I coughed painfully. It only seemed to make it worse. I skidded along a piece of moss before jumping down a ridge and sprinting into camp.

Horror shrilled through my pelt as I saw the fire quickly coming towards the camp. It was like a monster, devouring everything in its path. Unbearable heat blasted my senses, and I wondered if this is how it felt to live in the sun.

"Ferretpaw, get out of here!" Moonpoppy screeched when she saw me.

My heart leaped as I saw her bolting towards the water, I horror-stricken Honeykit hanging limply in her jaws. She eyed me desperately before slipping away into the ocean. She really does care, was all I thought as I looked and surveyed my camp.

Now, the fire was beginning to feed on Aquastar's bracken den. The clan leader was nowhere to be seen, though. He had clearly been one of the first cats to evacuate. I wondered if the cat who had started the fire realised how much it would spread. We'd been having a really dry season, but even then.

"Ferretpaw, over here!" Shadefang yowled to me.

He clearly wanted me to stay until every last true ShoreClan warrior was safely evacuated. I scowled as I padded up to him, gasping for air.

"Look," he grunted. "Don't go in the water." He hesitated for several moments before responding. "It's where ShoreClan warriors truly get their powers, by fully submerging themselves in the salty water I mean. StarClan knows what sort of curse those waters might give you..."

I stared out at the sea, then glanced back at Frogstream. I had passed the lithe tortoiseshell on the way into camp. She was staring numbly at the water cats were retreating into, a helpless expression on her face. She was sprinting around all the dens, making sure every cat had escaped.

My heart lurched as a tree fell in the distance and sparks surrounded her pelt. Even as the blazing embers touched her, she barely seemed to notice, to even grimace. I supposed that having a pelt so hot it would permanently burn everything meant that she was immune to fire damage.

"Look," Shadefang growled to me. "Check the dens one last time, then report back to me. We'll find a place for you to go."

Talk about giving me the most dangerous task, I scowled. Still, I began to wonder if there was more to Shadefang than his rough exterior.

"No!"

My heart lurched as I heard the other Bottom Feeder, Bubbleburst let out a savage cry. Instantly, I sprinted towards him, smoke obscuring my vision. When I finally arrived at his side, I was aware only of flames.

"She went in," Bubbleburst whispered. "Then, the tree fell, and now." His voice broke off.

I was dimly aware of Frogstream at my side. She glanced in the den, then shook her head slowly. As I looked closer, I saw a large shape buried underneath a pile of ashes. I backed away slowly as the embers spread towards the sand underneath my paw, making it agonisingly warm.

"Yellowbelly," Frogstream whimpered, padding into the fire. "You should have let me do it. We're too late."

Bubbleburst shook out his pelt, coughing. Even though he was right beside me, smoke obscured my vision of him.

"We have to leave," he meowed, glancing at me at Frogstream. "Now."

Without any further preamble, he sprinted towards the shore where Shadefang was waiting. I watched them exchange a few short words before he padded into the water, waves crashing over him making him look like a half-drowned rat.