The Head of the Snake [PLOT TOPIC]

It all happened in a blur. Beecloud’s cry made her snap up. Was it really her brother? Then came the cats, many warriors rushing in, without moments, she was freed. Her cage had been opened. She gasped, taking wobbly steps outside. She hadn’t stood in so long, and walking felt almost foreign to her legs. She barely had time to relish in her freedom, however, because a battle was at hand. She never thought she would be having a battle for her life at Fourtrees again, bur apparently it was meant to be. She almost immediately spotted her daughter, locked in fight with an enemy, and rushed to her aid. She rose up onto her front paws, coming down and slashing at him with her unsheathed claws.

It felt good to strike back, to take away from the cats that had taken so much. This was for her family, for her clan, for the whole forest. They would take down the Asylum. This would be their last shot. So they had to make it count.

Cedarheart used Upright Front Paws, dealing 17 damage and costing 15 stamina!

Dawnhawk
90/120 HP [-17]
280/300 SP

Cedarheart
85/85 HP
215/230 [-15] SP

-

As the clan cats came rushing in, the young tom froze. They were here to fight for their lost kin, so passionate about it. They came in, rushing towards Asylum cats and starting to fight. His breathing became shaky. What was he supposed to do? He could fight with the cats that had raised him, but had they raised him well? He had never really been shown affection. He had been just a pawn to them. They all had. Just pieces in the twisted game that the Asylum was playing. They had never really cared. Him and his friends were just soldiers. They had been taken only because the Asylum needed more bodies. If he died today, would it matter? Griffon realized quickly that he had never meant anything to the Asylum.

But the clans had spent time looking for the kits. He must have been so young when he was stolen, but they still searched. He had value to them. And he was done being a pawn, done being used for his skills. The Asylum had trained him well in battle, and he was ready to use that against them. Maybe after this battle, with so many cats gathered, he could find his family, the one that he was taken from, But for that to happen, the clans had to win.

Thalia had ran into battle before him, and he followed his friend. He leapt at the older Asylum cat, slashing him in a furious manner, his dog pelt adding to the menace of the attack. It was an interesting move, using the skills that his enemy had taught him.

Griffon used Sanctum Strike, dealing 15 damage and costing 20 stamina!

Cleft Spire
56/85 HP [-15]
230/230 SP

Griffon
75/75 HP
180/200 SP [-20]

In an instant, things changed. Lyralei had been right to be on edge, as a clan cat that scented of the ThunderClan burst through the surrounding undergrowth. How had she not sensed them coming? She was further astonished to find more appearing from around them, scents from different clans mingling. How had they gathered? How had they managed to arrange this strike, and how had they known where to go? Questions that would go unanswered filled her mind, and she shook her head as she looked around the clearing. The young members of Asylum had been gathering for the meeting with Eris, where were they? Were they safe? The clan cats didn't know of their origins, what if one of them launched into combat without knowing? Her eyes landed on one that was nearby, and she sighed as she recognized Raisha. The she-cat had been released, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, however in the moment between her seeing her and the force of impact causing her to stumble she realized that the young she-cat had been charging her. Angry words came from the young cat, and Lyralei hissed. "Do you really think that to be the truth? When have we ever held your origin against you? When have we ever used it as a source of fear or hurt, to you or to your clans? We welcomed you with open paws, raised you as our own. I truly loved each and every one of you, and enjoyed watching you grow into the cats you are today. What of the clans, though? They hated you the moment you arrived, even though you were from them. How many times have you heard tales of cats who were banished from their clans, never allowed to return, because of their choice in love? We are not the monsters here, and you're blind if you can't see that. If this is the battle you want to fight, this is the battle you will lose."

Lyralei uses Sanctum Strike on Raisha, dealing 15 damage and costing 20 SP. Raisha is stunned for 1 turn.

Raisha:
60/75 HP (-15)
190/200 SP

Lyralei:
106/120 HP
280/300 SP (-20)

---

Shrieks and yowls filled the clearing, and Murkystrike's ears flattened further against her head. She was already in pain, why were they causing such a ruckus? Was even getting some rest not allowed? She was too exhausted to care much more than the initial reaction, and was about to resume her careless staring when a familiar voice caught her attention. She could have sworn it was Mistyfalcon... But there was no way. He couldn't have found her here, could he? The voice got closer, and the thorns around her were ripped apart. She mustered the strength to raise her head, and her eyes widened in amazement as she recognized Mistyfalcon's back as he pleaded with a nearby figure before turning to another and lashing out at his belly furiously. Almost in a daze, she turned to the figure Mistyfalcon had been pleading with, peering under the fox pelt to try to see what he had seen. Her mouth opened as she realized she recognized this cat, she had shared days, weeks, moons in the nursery with him. "...E...Ember... kit? Is it... Is that really you?..." She trailed off, her voice hoarse from not being used. Her anger rose again as she realized that Asylum must have been behind this the whole time, how else could they have a kit that had gone missing answer them? How many others were there? She rose to her paws slowly swaying at the effort it took to stand up once again. Her anger fueled her, though, and she turned towards Mistyfalcon and the Asylum cat he was fighting and growled. "How dare you."

Murkystrike used Rending Front Paws on Casper, dealing 13 damage and costing 25 SP. Night Finesse is active, dealing an additional +2 damage.

Murkystrike:
45/45 HP
125/150 SP (-25)

Mistyfalcon:
80/80 HP
220/240 SP

Casper
53/85 HP (-15)
230/230 SP

---

Blossomstep was amazed as she watched clan cats suddenly come pouring from all directions. In an instant she was released from the thorny cage, and she glanced around. A voice had caught her attention earlier, and she tried to search where she had heard it. "Bloodstrike!" She called, searching for her grown kit. She knew she had heard his voice, she knew he was alive.... Somewhere. Oh stars, protect us, protect him. She thought as she gave up her search and jumped in next to a she-cat that smelled faintly of RiverClan. She hadn't been kept here for long, but her strength still wasn't what it used to be, what it should have been, and she had never expected to fight at Fourtrees again. However, she had the feeling that this was their chance, their opportunity. If they failed here.... It would be over.

Blossomstep used Upright Front Paws on Fen, dealing 14 damage and costing 20 SP.

Blossomstep:
65/65 HP
170/190 SP

Flashlight:
30/30 HP
100/110 SP

Fen:
59/85 HP (-14)
230/230 SP

One thing Raisha hated was crying, but this would make the second time today in which she had done just that. "I never even got the chance to make a choice! I never got to know my mother or father, if I had any family. They would have loved me, but you didn't give them that chance either! This isn't love, Lyralei, it is manipulation. You built my life on lies. And then you were just as willing to let me rot in that cage! And I bet you want to kill me now, right?"

In answer, Raisha felt pain, and instinctively drew back, dazed. There was fury in her gaze as she glared defiantly at Lyralei, but something rested underneath too. Doubt. Was this the right choice to make? But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thalia and Griffon. They were fighting the Asylum too. They stood with her. And for once she appreciated the family she had, not in the Asylum, but in the kits who she had grown up with, who were taken from their own Clans. Just like her.

Decidedly still alive, Raisha rose up, a challenge in her glare. "You won't get another chance."

Raisha is no longer stunned!
Raisha
60/75 HP
190/200 SP

Lyralei
106/120 HP
280/300 SP

Before Pyrik could so much as greet the other trainees (his family; the only cats in Asylum worth trusting, save for Roe), the Mousehunt burst into the clearing, tearing thorns and flesh as they passed. A bulky brown-and-white tom leapt for Eris; Pyrik threw himself out of the way just in time with a panicked shout. Though the Mousehunt’s scents got lost in the muddle, he recognized some of their faces. His heart dropped. There was no escaping this. Fur and blood flew wherever he looked, near every exit, near every cage that had once held a Clan cat.

Asylum had beaten the Clans before. A cluster of betrayed Rank Ones wouldn’t be enough to shift the balance. But Pyrik had spent all his life, every single thing he’d ever done, supporting a lie that helped no one but the cats who’d told it; he wouldn’t die for it, too.

Uprooting his paws with all the strength in his wiry body, Pyrik made to leap forward and join the Mousehunt surging around him—until a voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned to see a dark-furred tom wearing an expression of utter shock. If he strained his ears, he could just barely hear something over the battle’s roar. A name. Emberkit. His heart stuttered. You were ShadowClan once. The rest of what the tom (Misty…falcon?) said didn’t ring any bells, but the story added up. A kit gone missing, too far beyond the Clans’ territories to be found.

ShadowClan. That was the answer he’d been looking for.

Mistyfalcon rounded on one of the Scouts; a newly-freed tortoiseshell joined him a moment later. Pyrik tore himself out of his daze. Right now, answers didn’t matter. He’d picked his side long ago; if he wanted to pick up the pieces of the life he should’ve had, he needed to prove his worth to them now. The two ShadowClanners (for they had to be ShadowClanners) seemed to have things under control…but he couldn’t leave them. Not entirely. Nearby, a sleek-furred Clan cat had another Scout pinned. Hard as he tried not to, he recognized the pelt beneath the warrior’s paws. Eosphoros. Though they were in different factions and based in different Clans, she’d never been anything but kind toward him. Had she been in on the secret?

That answer didn’t matter, either. She was close, and she was Asylum. They weren’t allies anymore. Though his voice trembled so much he feared it might shake apart entirely, Pyrik let out a battle cry: “I’m done fighting for you!” Then he shot forward, gritting his teeth against an apology he had no right to give as he drove his claws across Eosphoros’s side. He darted back, sacred pelt hanging askew, lightning in his veins, and glanced to the side. The ShadowClanners were still there. Still fighting.

Pyrik used Front Paw Strike on Eosphoros, dealing 12 damage and using 10 stamina.

Pyrik
75/75 HP
190/200 SP (-10)

Jayshriek
45/45 HP
150/160 SP

Eosphoros
64/85 HP (-12)
230/230 SP

He hadn’t expected this.

Fen regarded the horde of cats, exploding from the bushes, with at first nothing more than mere curiosity. While his comrades continued to fight the ‘Mousehunt’ cats, his eyes locked onto the cages of captives. If they were to escape, the battle would be harder - as malnourished and weak as they were, it would be… annoying. He weaved through cats until something crashed into him. Already, his battle training kicked in, and his eyes glinted as he swiftly rolled onto his paws, rounding on his attacker. A RiverClan calico - one of the captives, if he remembered correctly.

“You’re a fool.” His voice was quiet; he wasn’t going to waste breath on loud monologues. His raccoon pelt was pushed back, just around his shoulders, and he wished it were on fully as he prepared to lunge for the calico. That was, until another of the captives struck at him. He hissed, feinting to leap at the calico before twisting and sinking his claws into the gray she-cat’s back, pulling himself onto her and trying to wrestle her into a pin. His head was tilted in the direction of the calico, in case she tried to attack while he was unaware.

Fen uses Leap-and-Hold on Blossomstep, dealing 13 damage and costing 10 stamina. Cannot be hurt while using. Lasts for 1 turn.

Flashlight
30/30 HP
100/110 SP

Blossomstep
52/65 HP (-13)
170/190 SP

Fen
59/85 HP
220/230 SP (-10)

The member 'Sal' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 2

"Do you think you would have been given a choice in the clans, Raisha? No. You would have gone through their customs, their trainings, the same way you did ours. After spending so much time in the clans, their ways are not so different from ours, except we're willing to see past the pelt of a cat to their true being. Lyralei growled, tail lashing angrily. "If that's what you want to believe, it's all you'll ever believe. Of course I don't want you dead, and you were never going to rot here. I was going to request you be moved to a different clan, but that was interrupted. You'll never believe that either though, will you?" She hissed, circling Raisha before smirking. "I don't need another chance, kit."

Lyralei uses Upright Front Paws on Raisha, dealing 19 damage and costing 20 SP.

Lyralei:
106/120 HP
260/300 SP (-20)

Raisha:
41/75 HP
190/200 SP

---

The tom she had thrown herself against feinted for the younger she-cat, but as Blossomstep prepared for her next opening she gasped as pain laced through her shoulders. The tom had pinned her, just like they had when she was brought to this place. She wasn't going down without a fight this time, though. Dropping down low, she rolled to loosen the tom's grip before she shook him off wildly, turning with a glare. "Nice try, foxheart."

Blossomstep used Duck and Twist, dealing 7 damage and costing 25 SP. Blossomstep is no longer stunned.

Flashlight
30/30 HP
100/110 SP

Blossomstep
52/65 HP
145/190 SP (-25)

Fen
52/85 HP (-7)
220/230 SP

"Well I guess it is time for that to change. I am making my choice now, and it is not you. I am done with the Asylum and all it stands for. It is not for you to choose how we live our lives."

With a yowl, Raisha leapt on top of Lyralei. As a kit, this might have been impossible, as she was so small. But she was grown now, and so she was going to use her weight to try to drag the Scout captain down.

Raisha used Leap and Hold, dealing 13 damage and costing 10 stamina. Lyralei is pinned for 2 turns!

Raisha
41/75 HP
180/200 SP

Lyralei Pinned
93/120 HP
260/300 SP

The member 'Karuna' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 5

Lyralei hissed at Raisha's words, tail lashing in anger. "Fine." As the she-cat yowled and jumped onto her, Lyralei rolled with the impact, shaking the young she-cat off of her shoulders. Standing back up, she narrowed her eyes as she squared off against the she-cat once more, waiting for her next move. "Come on Raisha, what have the clans ever done for you? They were once your home, before you could even remember a thing. We took you in, raised you, cared for you, trained you! And never once have we ever held anything against you, while the clans looked at you and the others with nothing but hatred and disdain. We were considered below them, why can't you see that?" She yowled over the surrounding sounds of battle.

Lyralei used Duck and Twist, dealing 10 damage and costing 25 SP. Lyralei is no longer pinned.

Raisha:
31/75 HP (-10)
180/200 SP

Lyralei:
93/120 HP
235/300 SP (-25)

Her strength was wearing thin. As Lyralei rolled, it was all she could do to get back to her paws. In this battle, the captain was breaking her physically, and mentally. And she was starting to question her decision. But Raisha was stubborn. She refused to let herself fall. Not like this. Not when she was so close to fixing everything.

With her jaw set in a scowl, she raced forward, once again, and darted beneath the Scout Captain, raking at her belly, before scrambling to her paws. In her mind, she scolded herself for not thinking of this before. She was limber, she needed to fight to that strength.

"The Clans haven't done anything. I never was the smart one, now was I? I'm the stubborn one. So you should know I will see this through. You can't manipulate me anymore, Lyralei. None of you can. So stop talking, you're boring me."

Raisha used Half-Turn-Bellyrake, dealing 15 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Raisha
31/75 HP
160/200 SP

Lyralei
78/120 HP
235/300 SP

The brisk darkness of the late hour was a consistently warping shape, torn and mended at irregular intervals as shadow-wreathed figures went whisking by, sharp voices pitching in fury as they launched themselves into the awaiting jaws of the fray. It was difficult to distinguish any outstanding features as countless shapes went racing by in the shaded reaches of his hyper-focused peripheral vision, with the entire clearing collapsing and turning in upon itself as though the occupants were nothing more than a pack of starving dogs devouring their own. Pitching his greater weight forward and bearing Eos into the unwelcoming clutch of the hard dirt with a steely determination, it was a moment of unwarranted weakness that encouraged Jayshriek to turn his attention away from the inured molly; wine-dark gaze desperately attempting to catch a glimpse of any familiar shapes in the tightly-webbed throng of battling cats. Though he could spot the familiar pelts of Wisteriabloom and Flashlight several tail-lengths away, both of his Clanmates locked into vicious struggles of their own, the shaded reaches of the frenetic clearing appeared to be entirely devoid of the presence of his mother. And of Kitefire. Of course Ivystar wasn't here within immediate reach, regardless of the intensity of the situation, because when had she ever truly been? The only immediate balm to the hot pulse of disappointment, reluctant acceptance, and irritation was the understanding that Kirefire was nowhere to be seen within the fray of shrieking cats- that her prolonged absence was likely nothing more than circumstantial and not anything more sinister.

Though, when had he ever done something as foolish as this without here there alongside him, without her paws set upon the same trail as his own?

The sudden emergence of rushed pawsteps rapidly approaching thrust Jayshriek out of his pointless thoughts, the dark-furred RiverClanner immediately pivoting to greet the young cat racing towards the pair with raised hackles. For a terrible moment, he feared that the young Asylum cat was leaping to the aid of his fellow comrade, that he would be forced to face the truly unfortunate predicament of fending off two Asylum overseers in place of a single individual. Lips curling backwards in the first inklings of a truly frightening snarl and quickly feinting away from Eos in a defensive posture, whatever warcry was weighing upon his tongue promptly died at Pyrik's shaky call to arms, a brief dusting of surprise curling across his features as the younger tom lashed out at the molly. One of the missing kits? Jayshriek couldn't help but hurriedly gather, quickly dipping out of the way as the younger tom leapt away from Eos' bristling shape, ah well, it didn't truly matter. It was another individual evidently on the side of the Clans, and that was all that mattered.

Whirling back upon Eos in a wraith-like shimmer of silky dark fur and fluid movements, Jayshriek lashed out at the familiar she-cat's undefended face with enough force to make the bones within his own forepaws ache. It felt wrong to turn upon one who had shared his home, territory, and prey for countless sunrises, but perhaps there was no holy ground left anymore, and violence was all they had to their name. "You should have never come here," He snarled, aquiline features twisted up into a fierce display of rage, "fate shall not show mercy for what you've done."

-

Jayshriek used Upright Front Paws, Dealing -11 in Damage & Costing -20 in Stamina.

Jayshriek
45/45 [HP]
130/160 [SP]

Pyrik
75/75 [HP]
190/200 [SP]

Eosphoros
53/85 [HP]
230/230 [SP]

"Foolish, perhaps, but not as much as you," Flashlight hissed. She was driven by anger, as sharp and cold as the edge of broken ice. She hadn't wanted to speak, her voice still threatening to shatter on each and every word, but even now - even now, she could not let an insult go unanswered. "I know who I am, and I know what I'm fighting for. Something more than your pathetic savagery. Your kind stole my brother's life, and I will avenge it, even if I have to die trying!"

It made more sense to attack her brother's killer, yes, but Raisha - the rat - was attacking one of her own, and Flashlight was certainly not above allowing her problems to solve themselves. It was Asylum that had killed Shrikefrost, and it was Asylum that had trapped her here for trying to make things right. It didn't matter who she fought now, so long as whatever blood was spilled was for vengeance.

Flashlight used Rear-Up to Slash on Fen, dealing 11 damage and costing 15 stamina!

Flashlight
30/30 HP
85/110 SP (-15)

Blossomstep
52/65 HP
145/190 SP

Fen
41/85 HP (-11)
220/230 SP

---

Batbite let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as a warrior came to her rescue. She gave a swift nod of thanks before lashing out once again, wincing at the pain she felt - she was already exhausted, and it seemed like everything she felt was increased tenfold. "Please, please tell me you're here to finish this. I know it's sacred and all, but - well, I don't know if you noticed, but Fourtrees has kind of lost its shine."

Batbite used Rear-Up to Slash on Toad, dealing 13 damage and costing 15 stamina!

Batbite
31/45 HP
145/170 SP (-15)

Wisteriabloom
100/100 HP
270/280 SP

Toad
45/85 HP (-13)
215/230 SP

---

So her name sparked recognition - Roe had mentioned her, then. What little joy she felt at being recognized faltered, however, with the threat of her own looming fate. I don't die here, she thought to herself. Not before taking you down with me, at least.

"So it does spark something. We survived when you came for WindClan, the first time... What makes you think this will be different, now that we know what we're facing? You might like to play at it, pretend the pelts you wear grant some twisted superiority... But I promise you that you are not above the natural order. Life and death, predator and prey... There is a balance there, one that is always kept despite our grandest efforts. The very earth beneath our paws will reclaim its own in time. Death comes for us all, whether or not we choose to invite it."

Zinnia used Rear-Up to Slash, dealing 17 damage and costing 15 stamina!

Zinnia
80/100 HP
230/280 SP (-15)

Theron
79/10 HP (-17)
285/300 SP

Lyralei had been expecting another strike from above or to the side, not below. As Raisha darted underneath her and sharp claws pierced her belly, the she-cat growled. Turning slowly to face her opponent once more, she uttered a final word, the light in her eyes dimming as her expression settled into cold indifference. She knew when to give up a battle, and it wasn't worth the time and effort to keep fighting Raisha on this. "Fine." Darting forward with a speed few had ever seen, the speed of a trained and honed Scout of Asylum, she jumped into the air at the last moment and landed firmly on the she-cat's back.

Lyralei used Leap and Hold, dealing 15 damage and costing 10 SP. Raisha is pinned for 2 turns.

Raisha: Pinned for 2 turns
16/75 HP (-15)
160/200 SP

Lyralei:
78/120 HP
225/300 SP (-10)

The member 'Mosspelt' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 4