Traitor // A Warriors Mafia Minigame

Round Six, Scene Ten (Finale)

"Perchberry, you've been voted guilty," Sleekstar announced. He didn't meet the silver she-cat's gaze; he was too ashamed of exiling so many warriors, and too afraid to fathom what would happen if Perchberry was, in fact, innocent.

Perchberry cocked her head stared at the other two she-cats, judging them in her mind. At least one of them was glad to see her gone. "So, this is the end," she meowed flatly. She met Starlingtalon's amber gaze, then Swiftshine's ice-blue one. "All I have to say is, may StarClan light the path of the innocents... or innocent." Without another word, she turned and left, leaving her ominous farewell as her only memento. 

The remaining Clan cats watched Perchberry leave in silence. After what felt like an eternity, Swiftshine approached Starlingtalon. "Finally, we've made it," she purred. Her eyes gleamed with some emotion Starlingtalon couldn't find the name for, and her tail swished leisurely back and forth. "Finally, no more obstacles in the way."

But as Starlingtalon gazed down upon the smaller cream she-cat, her mind reeled in confusion. Something about the young she-cat had changed, but what? Her voice held legitimate pleasure, and she seemed relaxed, not suspicious of Starlingtalon at all, so... what could be wrong?

"All those suspicious are gone," Swiftshine continued, her purr deepening, "and now it's just the two of us. No one to disturb our forest lives, to bring discord among our freedom."

In that split second, Starlingtalon realized what was so off, so wrong. The way Swiftshine held herself was more confident; she stood taller and stronger now than she had just moments ago. What had happened to the meek little warrior that everyone had patronized? Her usual quivering was gone, as was her perpetual stuttering. And as for the glitter in Swiftshine's eyes... In an instant, in a horrible instant, Starlingtalon found its name.

Hunger.

"Or at least," Swiftshine purred triumphantly, "to my freedom."

In the blink of an eye with unimaginable speed, the cream she-cat darted under Starlingtalon's belly. Her claws flashed, and Starlingtalon's belly was suddenly crisscrossed with new wounds, inflicted by the traitor in their midst. Starlingtalon shrieked in agony and staggered back, before her limbs collapsed under her, and she fell.

Out of the corner of Swiftshine's eye, a black shape swooped down, aiming itself for her. Quickly, she dodged aside, and Sleekstar crashed onto the ground. Before he could react, Swiftshine whipped around and crunched hard on his neck. The crack that followed signified Swiftshine's final success.

"Thank you for your sacrifice, Sleekstar!" A mad light entered Swiftshine's eyes, and she turned back to her other prey. 

"W-What have you done!?" Starlingtalon tried to sound defiant, but she hurt so much her vision swam, and her limbs twitched feebly. 

"Poor, poor Starlingtalon, you still don't understand?" Swiftshine's figure loomed over Starlingtalon's, and her paws stained red from Starlingtalon's blood. "One by one, I've been claiming those warriors for myself, to satisfy my hunger."  She casually started to lick one paw, grinning as the taste of blood entered her mouth. "You came close to winning, you really did, but you were all foolish enough to trust my former timidity. Perhaps you should've known that I was no longer a coward. All the more reason to kill you, I suppose, when these supposedly loyal warriors don't even know their Clanmate all that well."

Starlingtalon was too exhausted to reply now. Her eyes were misty, and the only movement from her body was the faint rising and falling of her flanks.

"Oh, but look, now at least some of you gave your bodies a purpose..." Swiftshine unsheathed her claws and tickled them over Starlingtalon's wounds. "Eventually, all of you were cast away or died because of me. And here I am, basking in your despair, making well of your flesh and blood. It's simply delicious."

Starlingtalon stopped moving completely. Swiftshine laughed in excitement and plunged her muzzle into the still flowing cascade of blood, lapping it up almost as fast as it flowed out. "Blood... So much blood!"

The Traitor wins (finally)

Thanks for playing Traitor!

Traitor: Swiftshine

Deputy: Starlingtalon (formerly Pebblestrike)

Medicine Cat: Dovefern

Renegades: Ivygorse, Bubblewish