...Even At The Cost Of Your Life [Now Open]

The member 'Ink King' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 4

Caught off guard, Shade grunted and spat as his mind began to swirl, furious with himself for not preparing for any possible fake-outs. He stumbled and fell over to the ground, shaking his head and trying to recompose himself to finish the tom off.

Sootwhisper didn’t allow a single second to be wasted. His whole body hurt and begged for a rest, but if he allowed the tom to get back on his paws there was no way to know if he would be able to stop him at all, not when he almost tripped with himself as he rushed towards him and gave him a mouthful of his own herbs as he used his whole weight and front claws to attack his face. Hopefully that would leave a scar or two that, regardless of how the battle ended, would let the tom know that he wasn’t invincible.

Sootwhisper used Upright Front Paws on Shade, dealing 13 damage and costing 20 stamina. Shade is stunned for one turn.

Shade
29/60 HP
130/200 SP

Sootwhisper
13/55 HP
105/170 SP

Shade gritted his teeth and hissed between them at the harsh blows. He shook his head again, sending scarlet droplets flying, and struggled to stand again.

Most cats would probably brag at this point, much like Shade did earlier, but whether it was because of his lack of breath, his focus on not letting himself collapse under his own weight, the fact that he was never one to brag or a mix of all three, no word left the tom’s mouth as he raised on his hind paws again and let his paws fall on Shade’s head yet again, trying his best to not let him get up.

Sootwhisper used Upright Lock on Shade, dealing 14 damage and costing 25 stamina.

Shade
15/60 HP
130/200 SP

Sootwhisper
13/55 HP
80/170 SP

Shade’s head spun once again at the heavy blow to his head, but he was still able to recover, stumbling back up and giving his head yet another quick shake to clear it. He snarled at his opponent. ”You’re stronger than you look, I’ll give you that. But you’re still no match. Your time ends now!” Rearing up, he aimed his clawed swipe below Sootwhisper’s face this time, slashing through the side of his neck. It wouldn’t be long before he bled out, Shade knew, so he leaped over the defeated tom and began to advance on the kits, grinning terrifyingly wide.

Shade used Rear-Up to Slash on Sootwhisper, dealing 13 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Sootwhisper is unable to battle.

Shade
15/60 HP
115/200 SP

Sootwhisper
0/55 HP
80/170 SP

Tuftkit's den-mates had managed to run further away when they saw Sootwhisper go down. The little tom refused to leave with them, determined to help the fallen warrior. "Y-You stay back! Leave u-us alone!" the brave kit spat in the rogue's direction as he scrambled away from Shade and began to urgently nudge Sootwhisper. "G-Get up please! W-We need to chase Shade away!" whispered Tuftkit to the warrior. His big blue eyes were filling with anxious tears. It seemed hopeless. Sootwhisper wasn't going to get up anytime soon and poor Tuftkit didn't know any battle moves yet seeing as he was just a kit. His pelt fluffed up, making him seem twice his size. If he was going to die, he was going to do so as a warrior. The tom-kit unsheathed his claws and stood his ground.

”Aww, isn’t that just precious? You think he can magically recover and save your life!” Shade gave a harsh, cruel growly laugh. ”You should’ve just run away with your other cowardly friends. Give my regards to StarClan.” He gnashed his teeth into Tuftkit’s scruff and shook him violently, flinging the kit to and fro in his jaws, until he heard a snap from his neck.

Once he gave the dead kit an extra violent shake for good measure, he flung him away as if he were a piece of crow-food. He then stalked over to Sootwhisper, whom he saw was still barely breathing. He lowered his head down to the dying tom’s ear and whispered, ”From now on, the Clan should really leave an able warrior in charge of their precious kits, don’t you think?” Chuckling, he stood back up and bolted away from the scene, determined not to be caught, dipping in the river for longer than usual to wash away his scent so no one could track him.

Shade used Scruff Shake on Tuftkit, costing 25 stamina.

Tuftkit is dead.

Shade
15/60 HP
90/200 SP

Tuftkit
0/5 HP
15/15 SP

Viperstorm had been patrolling when she caught scent of rogue heading for the broken pools. Wasn't that where Sootwhisper was today? Fear sat in the she-cats stomach like a rock. The blue gray cat's paced picked up and soon enough she came across something she didn't want to see.. Tuftkit's dead body laying limply. A few tail lengths away.. Her father sitting bloody and beaten.

Her body was trembling. Her blue eyes wide, as she stepped forward. The area stunk of rogue.. but not just any rogue.. Shade... She wanted to turn to chase after the tom that had caused this mess, but she just couldn't leave her father in the state he was in. She lowered her head and nudged Sootwhisper hoping he was still alive. "Sootwhisper?" She asked. "Father.. Please don't be dead..." She said softly unsure of what to do.. Tuftkit.. and her father.. How much more with that Starclan forsaken rogue take from them?

She hoped that others would show up to the scene soon.. She wanted to go after Shade.. For what he had done.. She was going to tear the tom apart.. If she got her claws on him, he was going to have a slow and painful death.

In the past moon, nothing had happened but the leader couldn't shake off the sense of danger that Shade caused on him. With a growing clan to take care of, he had to look after all of them to be safe and it was hard... And even if the rogue seemed disappeared... that small peace couldn't last for too long.

The silvery she-cat, who was under the leader's supervision since her punishment wasn't done yet, caught the scent before the leader. How could she not? That familiar smell... the one she recalled since she was a kit. And of course... the blood... that blood that she was so used to smell thanks to the multiple battles she had been in. Silverfang didn't wait for Jaystar. She didn't care if she was punished again for disobeying him and leaving his side.

Father

Sootwhisper

Sootwhisper

SOOTWHISPER

Her mind screamed her name as the scent of blood grew stronger and what she feared became truth. The bloodied body... that white and black fur tainted with red. She couldn't think straight. Her world was torn to pieces and turned grey and red when she slowly padded to the older warrior. The scarred warrior couldn't believe... it had to be a nightmare. "F-Father..." She muttered, trembling as a little kit. Silverfang was in shock and the tears didn't want to come out. When was the last time that she cried, anyway? Probably the day Thistleblaze died. She glanced at both Viperstorm and Jaystar, desperate and angry. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? WE HAVE TO BRING HIM BACK TO FALLOWPAW!" She cried, not able to accept the reality.

The leader looked at her sadly as his eyes were covered in tears for his half-brother's status. Even if he hated to admit, he knew he wouldn't survive this, as well as Tuftkit wouldn't be saved. He was with Starclan now... and Sootwhisper would be there too soon. He walked to the she-cats and curled his tail around Silverfang as he also placed one paw over Viperstorm's. "I... I'm sorry..." He said to the four of them. To Tufkit, for not saving him... to his brother for not being here when he needed him as his leader and family... to his nieces... for failing them by not defending their father... it was his fault... all of this...

Lilytail had been one of the queens to chaperone the small trip to the Broken Pools. She had also left with the others to secure the area around them to make sure Shade wasn't sneaking about. Life is cruel. When the she-cat had returned, the scent of metallic blood entered her nose. Her short pelt fluffed up in horror and anxiety as she quickly scrambled to go find the kits and Sootwhisper. What she saw next made her blood run cold and her heart shatter into her belly. There lay her poor son, Tuftkit, dead and a barely breathing Sootwhisper. Around the two bodies were Viperstorm, Silverfang, and Jaystar. They had all arrived too late. The queen let out a heartbreaking wail as she dragged her own body to her son. His fluffy white pelt was smeared with blood. Now it was mixing with the white cat's pathetic tears. With trembling legs, she got up and picked up the small corpse with her jaws as carefully as she could, as if he was alive. Her usual bright gaze was hollow and glassy. Lilytail was starting to believe she was cursed. Most of her family and loved ones were dead. She had relatives that were still alive as well as her other kits but these losses made it seem impossible for her to find happiness in her relatives and kits. Sootwhisper was also related to her. She hadn't really spoken to the tom but now she wished she had. Shade had slashed away two cats that she cared for. The queen will forever blame herself for these two deaths. Why hadn't she stayed behind to watch the kits with Sootwhisper? An extra paw would've chased Shade away. Maybe even have killed him. Lilytail didn't really notice that she had sat down and pressed herself against Jaystar as an attempt to seek comfort in one of her relatives. Her dead son's body was by her paws, in a position that made it seem that he was only taking a nap. Lilytail was broken. Life was cruel indeed.

Sootwhisper knew what he had coming as soon as he felt Shade’s claws slash through his neck and he felt the taste of blood. However, if anything, he had wished Tuftkit hadn’t rushed in an attempt to aid him. As a response to Shade’s last words before leaving he just shoot one last angry glare, mixed with the frustration he had failed to protect the kits. Most were safe, yes, but the now limp body of the kit laying only a couple steps away from him made obvious for him that his endeavor was far from being a success.

When the rest of the cats started to arrive, he looked up at them with eyes that slowly started to acquire the appareance of glass instead of the usual healthy look they used to have against his heavily scarred body, ragged breathes easily audible as he fought against the blood that threatened to drown him before he could die of blood loss. He flicked his tail lightly as a greeting to his daughters and half-brother as they approached, but his ears lowered as soon as Lilytail approached and started to mourn the loss of her kit “S…sorry…I couldn’t…” He couldn’t even begin to apologize to the mother. He had failed to protect her son, there was no way around it “He…he was brave. Ev…even against S…Shade…he behaved…and fought….like a true warrior”.

He coughed a bit as he heard Viperstorm’s pleas and Silverfang’s panicked yelling. He glanced at Jaystar, they both knew…not even the best medicine cat’s efforts would be of use now “Don’t b…blame yourself, brother…we never t…thought that Sh…Shade would be fox-h…hearted enough to ev-“ He was cut off by another fit of coughs mixed with blood “Kits…keep them in c…camp…even this p…place is no lo…longer secure” If he and Tuftkit were dying they would need to at least give a message. Shade was cruel, way crueler than they thought, and his bloodlust knew no boundaries. The broken pools were a sanctuary where kits learned to swim, but now it was nothing but another hunting ground for that monster, they had to keep the kits safe, even if it meant banning access to this place until he was dealt with.

“Viperstorm…Silverfang…” He looked at his two daughters with a small smile. He was suffering so much, the pain was unbearable…but that was not what he wanted them to remember him like “I love you…so much. You have made me…the proudest tom in all the t...territories” A tear ran down his face, mixing with the blood pooling under him, it had been so long since the last time he had expressed any emotions “You…you have more family than you…you think…” He then turned to look at Viperstorm, he could feel life draining from his body, his wounds no longer hurting him…but he had to tell her, he had to at least try it, about her littermate, about Badgerthorn of WindClan “V…Viper…storm…you…you had…a…” He tried so hard…but he could finish his phrase.

He expired, his body going limp. His eyes closing to never open again.

Before them now stood a starry figure, no longer scarred and full of the vitality of many moons back, invisible for all but for the she-cat that also shared his starry pelt. The one he had loved since kithood and now came to take him to the stars “I’m sorry…I love you. I’ll be watching you from between the stars” His words inaudible to the living, only a cool breeze, before he ascended to the night skies alongside Thistleblaze.