Venom Within - WARRIOR CATS

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"How many times have I told you to stop this madness?!"

A brown tabby she-cat paced across the sand, tail lashing. In front of her stood a massive grey tom with burning amber eyes. He tilted his head to one side, and ran his tongue over a paw.

"What do you mean?" his voice was cold. "I am making SnakeClan strong. My kin will forever be grateful for the sacrifices I am making for them."

"These 'sacrifices' are going to destroy us all!" the brown tabby spat, unsheathing her claws. "Snakestar, you're their clan leader. But more than that, you're my brother. Our kits trust you!"

"As they should," Snakestar said harshly. "You must too, Silvertail."

Silvertail looked away. "I don't think I can."

In the distance, there were two small cats, running down the ridge. I narrowed my eyes. There was something odd about the two little furballs, but they were too far off in the distance to tell. I shifted my gaze back to the furious littermates as Silvertail let out a resigned sigh.

"I know this was how it once was, Snakestar, but no cat would ever accept us if we were the way our ancestors were."

"Who cares what these other new clans think?"

"I care if they drive us out!" Silvertail's voice was rising in panic. "That's why we fled here, and created this 'clan!' So that our kind would be protected from everyone else!"

"But if we're stronger than them all-" Snakestar began, only to be cut off by Silvertail's snarl.

I stopped listening to the fight of the two littermates. Bitterness and unease churned in my chest as I watched them. These cats were my kin, if my meeting at the Starlight Stones had held any truth. But they were just like Darkember, wanting power for the sake of fear and ambition.

The two kits were coming closer now, the smaller one chasing the bigger one down a large sand dune. I could hear their little squeals of excitement as they leapt on top of one another, and rolled down the ridge.

"Your kits are coming," Snakestar said, nodding to the two shapes that were rolling closer. "This meeting is at an end. I will do whatever it takes to keep my kin alive."

"Even if it destroys us and hurts them?"

The two kits untangled themselves from one another, and raced to their mother. Finally, I could see what was strange about them.

Their silhouettes were almost identical to that of normal kittens, but they had scaly bellies and tails, and clawed hind legs. The smallest one had miniature scaly wings protruding from his back.

"Mama!" he squealed.

Silvertail cringed as he butted against her. Then, she let out a quiet sigh, and drew her two kits in close, licking the tufts of fur on their heads. Snakestar let out a satisfied nod, before turning away.

He was padding towards me. When he passed me, he whispered in my ear.

"Our ancestors were once dragons, long ago. Neither cat, nor snake, but something else entirely. But years of fear led us to change. Now, there are no more dragons, only cats and snakes, but I will bring us back! And the world will fear us all!"

I shuddered at the eagerness in his burning red eyes.

"You want to make me something I am not," I said quietly, not even sure if Snakestar could hear me. "I had hoped you would be different, but you're exactly like DuneClan and Darkember... I am Pythonpaw, half-DuneClan and half-SankeClan. Perhaps I am not fully cat, but I refuse to be a full dragon- and one of your little pets."