The Head of the Snake [PLOT TOPIC]

Roe sat perched on the Great Rock, heart sinking battles waged down below him. He...He had been the one to tell the Mousehunt what they needed to do - he had betrayed Asylum and yet here he was, doing...Nothing. His ears slicked back, shoulders quivering. He...He wanted to help - he knew the Clans were in the right. That everything that he and Asylum had done were...Unexcusable. Evil. But on the other paw...Asylum was all that he ever knew. They were his family - and unlike the stolen Clan cats...He knew they had done a good thing in saving him. He...He couldn't fight them.

So, he watched.

In fact, his eyes were trained on a single battle - two familiar pelts that caused his heart to twist with every blow that was traded. Theron, his mother-figure...His teacher, and then Zinnia, the she-cat who had answered his questions, helped plant those first seeds of doubts that had truly grown into this. He knew who he wanted to win - but even then, he couldn't bear the idea of... It all happened so fast - Zinnia leaping onto Theron's back, leaning forward and... Crimson. ”Theron!" Roe couldn't help but cry her name as he bunched his muscles, leaping down from the rock only to freeze as his paws hit the ground. What...What was he doing? He swallowed...Making no more moves as he waited for...Something.

----------------

The fear in Theron’s eyes was short-lived, practually replaced with annoyance as Zinnia went on to speak more. But slowly, as the she-cat went on - of ending this, of if her blood would look any different...Slowly, Theron realized what was to come. She bared her teeth, ready to snap something but then it was too late - Zinnia raised a paw toward her and she knew what was about to happen.

A gasp escaped Theron as she felt claws across her throat, eyes widening as it was torn open and blood started to fall forth. She stumbled forward, raising a paw toward her mouth as Zinnia backed away. She tried to breath but it was painful...She gagged, coughed and crimson speckles hit the ground - blood now dripping from her muzzle as she stared in surprise and awe. Ah...So this is what it felt like.

She hit the ground with a thud, ears twitching at the sound of her name. A familiar voice. Slowly, she lifted up her head as she spotted him - Roe. A soft smile crossed her muzzle, relief flooding over her. He...He was fine. He was worried about her but he was fine. Roe had meant many things to her - none of which she was willing to put into words. "Roe..." she breathed his name despite the pain and reached out a blood soaked paw towards him, her eyes flickering into hope - desperation. A plea for him to join her one last time.

-----------------

Tears started to prick at Roe's eyes as he saw her raise her head towards him, then a paw in his direction. He...He wanted to step forward - no, rush forward. To be with her...But he also couldn't forget what she had done. His ears slicked back as he straightened up, eyes falling away. Theron had been many things to him...But that didn't change what she was. A monster. He had turned his back on Asylum - and despite everything, she was a part of that. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and turned away - unwilling to see Theron's last moments.

---------------

Theron’s eyes widened as she watched in muted horror as Roe turned away from her, her outstretched paw thumping to the ground as she struggled to make sense. He wasn’t...Why wasn’t he trying to help them? Help her? Her eyes trained on the scars that ran down his muzzle, confusion rushing over her. Did he not understand that she had done everything she could to ease his punishment? She hadn’t thought that he - she had… She had tried to do everything she could to protect him.

Something deep in the she-cat broke - her final semblance of a heart crumbled to dust as her claws slid out and she bared her teeth. “You…!” Despite how heavy her body felt as blood dripped from her torn throat, she managed to push herself upright just a little to give a scathing glare at the Clan cats - a new anger rising in her chest. Every lesson that Zinnia had tried to hammer into her head was gone, blinded by the rage that ran through her system. “Y-You think you’ve won? You haven’t! E-Even if we do fall today!” she spat with blood, eyes narrowing as her tail lashed with what energy she had left to spare. Her eyes were focused on Zinnia, to make sure somebody heard her final words. “Y-You think we took over the Clans on our own? We had help and Night...He will avenge us!” Suddenly, the whole world seemed to tilt as she slumped to the ground, her teeth still bared. “Night...Is...Coming…” she hissed before the Captain grew still…Eyes still open, faintly in the direction of where Roe still stood.

And with that, Theron was no more.

Ceres had been acting strangely out of character ever since the truth had been revealed. Her once loud ocean of energy had been silenced and reduced to a puddle. She couldn't help the fact that she felt hollow, almost as if there was a piece in her heart missing. She had told her fair share of lies, sure, but a situation such as bending the truth about how much fresh-kill she ate in one day was incomparable to a situation such as ripping a kit away from anything they knew and shielding them from the truth. Ceres supposed that shielding was an inappropriate word to use, though. In battle, cats used their bodies to shield their allies from incoming attacks. It was a method of teamwork and protection, but in this predicament there was no teamwork or protection. The tortoiseshell had taken time to reflect on the memories that she had, growing up under the paws of the asylum, and she had even attempted to reach as far back as she could for any sort of recollection of her kithood in the Clans, but there was nothing there. Her sisters' reactions had Ceres in a state of sorrow as well. Shira was simply angry, and Ceres couldn't grasp how Mirae felt, but certainly it couldn't be anything positive. After all, who would've reacted positively to news like that?

The she-cat was unaware of why she was here, meeting with Eris by the four looming trees that the Clan cats treated with such reverence, but she had decided to make the trek from SkyClan anyways. The height of the trees that scattered the territory still made Ceres slightly uneasy whenever she lifted her head to look up at the tips of the branches, so she decided that keeping her head down would be the safer option. However, she had no idea that what was about to greet her would make her feel far more nauseous than a few trees ever would. The rank scent that poured out of Fourtrees was enough to make Ceres physically pause and recoil before continuing to pad forwards. The sight was something that the Standard desperately wanted to erase from her memory the moment it came into view. These cats were being treated thousands of levels worse than the prey that they hunted for food, and it made her not want to look any of them in the eyes. It was practically a scene right out of a nightmare. She attempted to ignore her heartbeat as it thumped loudly against her chest. Eris and the others were within range, now, but all Ceres could do was quietly tip her head forwards as a greeting.

Ceres shut her eyes for a few moments. It wasn't as if there was anything worth seeing at the moment. However, almost a heartbeat later, the quietness that hung over Fourtrees was violently interrupted. When the she-cat let her eyes snap open, she realized that madness had erupted around her. It scrambled her senses and made her unsure of where to look, what to say, or how to react. All she could do was let her jaw drop and her eyes widen in shock.

The Clan cats... they're fighting. They're fighting for each other, Ceres realized, her yellow eyes glittering, they're a family. Like, a true family. The five Clans are supposed to be rivals, but here they are, working together for one common cause: saving each other's lives. That's incredible.
That combined with Thalia and Roe's words made Ceres lower her head for the shortest of moments. There was practically no time to sit around and think. A decision had to be made now, and there were only two choices. Would she fight for the Asylum, the cats that had raised her but lied to her for her entire life? Or, would she fight for her true blood, her honest origins, the Clans? The Asylum may have given her and her other former denmates a den roof over their heads and food to eat, but at what cost? She wasn't going to thank the Asylum for doing the bare minimum to keep them alive. In fact, Ceres believed that they had a price to pay.

The Asylum had no issue with stealing kits, separating families, treating their captives like mousedung, lying for the sake of their own pride, and then playing the victim by saying that they were "only trying to help". In that moment, Ceres knew.

She had to fight for the Clans.

She had to fight for Shira and Mirae, her sisters who had been affected by the falsehoods just as much as she was. She had to fight for the Clan that she came from. She had to fight for the mother and father that she didn't know, but had probably gone through immense grief after losing three of their kits. She had to fight for the cats that had been terribly mistreated after being mercilessly dragged to Fourtrees. All her life, she had felt a strict loyalty to the Asylum and an underlying dislike for the Clans, but maybe it was only because she misunderstood them. Perhaps it was only because she had felt like an outsider in the eyes of the Clans while the Asylum made her feel like she was apart of something, but Ceres didn't want to be apart of a lie. She didn't want to be apart of the group of cats that would go down infamously in the history of the forest for being the evil ones. She knew what she had to do and she had to do it now.

Without stopping to do any further thinking, Ceres threw herself at the first Asylum cat that she could find: Lyralei. It took her no time to realize that beneath the paws of the Scout Captain was Raisha, and that only fueled the anger behind the tortoiseshell's attack. Raisha was one of Ceres' former denmates, yet another cat caught up in the intricate web of lies that the Asylum had spun. As if it was an instinct, she slipped her claws out of their sheaths and announced her arrival to the fight by letting them meet Lyralei's flesh. This was no longer a one on one fight.

"You're outnumbered, now. You might as well give it up," Ceres hissed, a darkness clouding her yellow gaze, "Raisha isn't the only one who's done with the Asylum."

ceres used "front paw strike" on lyralei, dealing 12 damage and costing 10 stamina.

ceres
hp - 75/75
sp- 190/200

lyralei
hp - 66/120
sp - 225/300

raisha (stunned for 2 turns)
hp - 16/75
sp - 160/200

At Beecloud's signal, Ravenclaw raced into the clearing. In a flash, everything was mass chaos: there were cats everywhere, a meld of claws, teeth, and screams. As Ravenclaw moved like shadow through the throng, she sometimes found it hard to tell who was friend - well, 'friend' - and who was foe. However, there was one cat she knew in an instant was a foe: Dawnhawk. Her hackles were raised as she snarled, hating the mere sight of her so-called brother. Dawnhawk was already engaged with two others from the Mousehunt, but who said there was such thing as unfair play in a war? She rushed her kin, leaping up to tackle him to the ground. "Traitor!" she roared, standing with Shrikesong and Cedarheart. She was no longer pulling her blows like when she met the Mousehunt. No, this was real, and she was going to make it hurt.

Ravenclaw used Run-and-Tackle on Dawnhawk, dealing 9 + 3 damage.

Ravenclaw:
45/45 HP
150/160 SP (-10)

Shrikesong:
45/60 HP
175/200 SP

Cedarheart:
85/85 HP
215/230 SP

Dawnhawk:
78/120 HP (-12)
280/300 SP

To say that Eris was overwhelmed was an understatement. With Roe now missing and the kits on their way, there was far too much to deal with in such a short time span. The she-cat was spread thin, and that was no lie. As the kits began filing into Fourtrees one by one, a small knot began to grow in her chest. She was closer to these young Asylum kits than she was her own kits, her own sons and daughters. She'd never given her own children the same attention she had this bunch, the same care and what she believed to be love, in her own way. She'd gone out of her way to ensure that they were safe; protected, to make sure that they never wanted for anything.

In the end, though, she'd faced betrayal from within her own ranks. The fluffy she-cat had never expected the tom to be as loyal as those who'd spilled blood alongside her, or as loyal as those who seemed determined to prove their worth to Asylum. It was a widely known fact that the tom had a heart unlike any other, and this time, that was his downfall. Eris had let Theron choose his punishment for revealing the secret she'd worked so incredibly hard to keep. The Asylum Head knew that the she-cat would be just and serve him a fitting punishment without going overboard- see, Theron could be trusted.

So, as she watched each of the kits take their place in front of her, she tried in vain to shove that knot away to some foreign place, where it would no longer bother her. After clearing her throat it was evident that it wasn't going to go away, but she'd address them anyway. She nodded in response to Brick, not letting the cheerful young she-cat distract her from the gravity of the situation. It was her typical acknowledgment to such greetings, but Brick almost always seemed to elicit a more heartfelt, emotional reply from the she-cat. But no, not this time. She stood with her lynx pelt fitted tightly, stuck to her own fur with mud and wrapped around her body snuggly, the thin yet shockingly spiky thorns wrapping around each leg and weaving through the skull of the beast.

Just as she was open to open her maw and speak to the young souls lined up before her, she heard that horrid screech, one that was so close yet at the same time, so far from her mind. It was all to familiar, one that she'd certainly heard in the recent past. Before anything happened she was already aware of who it might be, and truthfully, she wasn't shocked. Instinct kicked in and she steadied herself, her muscles tense yet fully prepared to bear the ferocity that was about to fall upon them. She knew by the sound of thundering pawsteps that Beecloud wasn't alone, and before she had a chance to react and seek him out she was swarmed on all sides by cats, some darting to attack her guards, others freeing the cats from their thorny prisons on every corner of the clearing. She was hardly able to spot the tom before he crashed into her side, knocking her off balance and grabbing her scruff, giving her a hard shake before releasing her, with a dense thud as she fell to the ground.

A low growl sounded within her chest as she stared her down, trying her best to shake off the shock of the blow, the newfound creak in her neck whenever she tried to move. Through narrowed eyes, she stared Beecloud down, using every ounce of adrenaline she had to keep her legs from giving in. Not that she was out of energy or that she'd been beaten- but it was a blow she hadn't been expecting, she'd give the ThunderClanner that. "I remember you more than I think I'd like to, Beecloud." The ragdoll hissed through clenched teeth, six claws on each paw sliding out menacingly. Her toothy grin, as always, was present and as threatening as ever.

Eris is no longer stunned.

Brick gave her sister a goofy grin beneath her hare’s pelt. Though what they should do now that everything was thrown into chaos, she had no clue. Raisha gave her an answer. She knew what the Asylum was doing here was plain awful, but where could they go? What was going to happen? “Run? Run where?” Her question left lingering in the air as her sister dashed into the confusion, Brick stood wavering, baffled. It wasn’t until a few tussling cats moved out the way that she could see where  the tortoiseshell had gone. She and Ceres were fighting with Captain Lyralei. And Raisha... Raisha was badly hurt. Brick hardly ever thought, and she wasn’t about to start thinking now.

One moment she stood at the cage, and the next she had her paws raised and claws unsheathed in desperation. “Get off!” Raisha had told her to run. So she ran to her side. Though her fur stood on end wherever her pelt wasn’t covering it. She hated this. She hated it so much. “I’m sorry, Captain.”

Brick used Rear-Up to Slash on Lyralei! She dealt 9 damage and used 15 stamina.

BRICK
HP: 75/75
SP: 185/200

Lyralei
HP: 57/120
SP: 225/300

Ceres
HP: 75/75
SP: 190/200

Raisha
HP: 16/75
SP: 160/200


[It is Rama’s turn in the Rama vs Deerhawk + Spark battle]

Her ribs showed through her pelt and though she hadn't been stuck in this thorny prison as long as some of her comrades, she looked significantly gaunter than some of them. She appeared almost as a shell of her former self, and her spirit was an identical match. She'd forgone food as much as she could, letting the younger or more fragile cats, as well as those who'd been trapped in this horrid place longer, have a go at it first. She had several lives to spare- they did not.

Though Ivystar had grown frail and weak, it was almost comical how quickly she sprung to action. As soon as the thorns were torn apart and she was set free from her cell, she darted out, surveying the land around her with dull emerald eyes. Without thinking she launched herself forward at the first cat she had a chance to attack, which happened to be a cat she was familiar with. Oh, the irony of the situation. Eos was already being attacked by two cats... One of which looked familiar. Even through the dense brain fog she was experiencing, she was well aware that she was fighting alongside her son. There wasn't time for pleasantries however, so she gave him a firm nod before rearing up on her hind legs and slashing wildly at the she-cat's face. There was an almost apologetic look in her eyes, for this was the one Asylum cat that she'd considered decent enough to earn her respect.

Ivystar used Rear-Up to Slash, dealing -20 Health Points and using -15 Stamina Points.

Ivystar:
105/105 HP
235/250 SP

Eos:
22/85 HP
210/230 SP

For a very brief moment, Raisha wasn't sure she would be able to get out from under Lyralei. She was hurt. Badly. And she was tired. She almost didn't even try to escape, just let it happen. At least if she had gone out, she would go having finally done the right thing. Then there was another cat, a voice she recognized. Ceres. And then, Brick was there too. Of course that idiot wouldn't leave. And she loved her all the more for it.

Surging up, Raisha rolled over, trying to get Lyralei off her back. And then, with a curt nod to each of her friends, (yes Ceres, until you bring about thoughts otherwise, you have earned the role of friend), she made a step toward the Captain, fire in her gaze. "You underestimate us, Lyralei. You may have built us on lies, but you built us together. And together, we will take you down. We are not the weak kits you took advantage of before."

Raisha used Duck-and-Twist, dealing 7 damage and costing 25 stamina. Raisha is no longer stunned!

Raisha
16/75 HP
135/200 SP

BRICK
75/75 HP
185/200 SP

Ceres
75/75 HP
190/200 SP

Lyralei
50/120 HP
225/300 SP

"You're all fools!" Lyralei cried, tail lashing as she found herself suddenly drastically outnumbered. "Despite your claims, I would have done anything, everything for you. Why can't you see that? What have the clans ever done for you? You're all fools.... Fools who fell for pretty words. I'm sorry to have never been enough." Raisha had escaped from her grasp, and with a final lash of her paw to Raisha's head she turned to Ceres. Raisha wouldn't get up after that hit... She was sure of it. Now she could focus elsewhere.

Lyralei used Switching Focus, dealing 17 damage to Raisha before turning to Ceres, costing 10 SP.

Raisha: KO
0/75 HP (-17)
135/200 SP

BRICK
75/75 HP
185/200 SP

Ceres
75/75 HP
190/200 SP

Lyralei
50/120 HP
215/300 SP (-10)

Rama exhaled sharply as an invader bowled her over. She craned her neck to look for Dawnhawk, to take up her captain's command, and soon realized he had been completely overcome by three ragged warriors. Impossibly, they had been ambushed in their own secret fortress. It could only mean that they had help, and with a sick and woozy claw at her chest she realized Roe had found himself a little group that he could be guarded by while they overthrew the Asylum. Of course. It all came down to one little slip.

The she-cat sprang to life under Deerhawk's paws and clawed his face with both paws, effortlessly quick, letting the tom drop befuddled under her. Rounding on Spark, all she could do was cock her head. "You bemuse me, young scout Spark," she whispered, her claws half retracting. "Your coming to the Asylum was not so different from mine. We have both found rank, bounty, and life here. Why do you do this?"

Rama used Sanctum Strike on Deerhawk. Deerhawk is stunned for 1 turn.

Rama
59/85 HP
210/230 SP (-20)

Deerhawk stunned
15/30 HP (-15)
100/110 SP

Spark
75/75 HP
190/200 SP

---

Beecloud stepped back as the two cats squared off, bouncing lightly on his paws as he readied himself for the next strike. Her ashy-colored face was stuck in his mind, so that when he gazed at the misshapen lynx head she wore, he could almost see her scowl back at him. "The Mousehunt has been ordered not to attack you," he shouted above the chaos. "I told them that I was going to kill you. Truthfully, I see no reason to kill you. Despite everything... I value the Code of my ancestors more than victory, more than revenge, and more than how much good it might do if you were dead."

The tom roared as he lifted a heavy paw to Eris's face, slicing gouges through the head of her pelt diagonally across her eyeholes. His movements were organized and strategic. Adrenaline built onto his terror and rage, until it all but squashed the fleeting power of his emotions. His eyes burned like hot coals: low-lit, warm, and unwavering. "I'm sure you intimidate all your recruits with mitts like those."

Another round of claws threatened to tear the hood from Eris's head. "But you don't scare me anymore than I scare myself. My paws have given me more trouble than you ever could. I guess it's good that it happens this way... you and I, to the last cat standing. We're evenly matched, more than any pair in this clearing."

Beecloud used Rending Front Paws on Eris.

Beecloud
100/100 HP
190/240 SP (-25)

Eris
95/120 HP (-17)
300/300 SP

Weight lurching downwards into the dirt with a surprise abandon for such a large cat, the initial collision into the coarse dirt was little more than unpleasant; hard enough to nick his tongue against his teeth, give his bones a thorough rattling, set the edges of his vision quavering with just a touch of dizziness. It took a few quick-moving heartbeats for Jayshriek to actually process the incredibly faint crack that wept outwards from the tight confines of his ribcage, an unseen collision with a particularly sharp stone - likely unnoticed during the initial fall due to the violence in the act of being batted aside by Eos - seeming to cause a break of sorts. Tension seized the muscles along his right side, a hard and heavy ache seeping into his lungs with each constricted breath taken, drawing his poor mood all the more sour as he watched the young Asylum cat rebel against his former handler. "So gracious, hm?" Jayshriek eventually lolled out from his place in the dirt, wet simper shaded with a faint red sheen, "Sounds like you incurred the great burden of raising him all thanks to your own unnecessary interventions. Perhaps you should do yourself a kindness and work on your motherly approach, as that was a dreadful appeal all things considered."

The pain only worsened as he made to stand, dull ache blossoming into a sharp throbbing sensation that stung his lungs, curled hot and tight within his throat. Though it was certainly not the worst damage he could've received as far as potential wounds go, it would certainly make fighting all the more difficult- his balance was going to be altered, he was going to be forced to favor his left to coddle the right side. However, before Jayshriek could truly make the attempt to re-engage with the squalling pair fighting before him, a fourth shape entered the fray, quick upon such unsteady limbs. Disheveled, clearly in poor standings, and wrought with the terribly unpleasant scent of a ShadowClanner left out in the sun for far too long, it was still Ivystar; courteous and focused as always, but his mother nonetheless. His mother, who had instantly placed somewhere far away and all the more important, struggling against an opponent like Lyralei or Eris. Dark pupils expanding against the honeyed dark surface of his wide-eyed stare, the young RiverClanner was slow to retain a safe amount of distance between himself and Eos, shock and pain meddling his movements.

-

Jayshriek is no longer stunned!

Jayshriek
30/45 [HP]
130/160 [SP]

Pyrik
75/75 [HP]
180/200 [SP]

Ivystar
105/105 [HP]
235/250 [SP]

Eosphoros
22/85 [HP]
210/230 [SP]

[OOC; i'm a bit confused so if i did something wrong, please let me know]


For once in her life, Robinloft's signature smile was nowhere to be found. There she lay, sprawled out on the cold ground, the thorn barrier that surrounded her being her only protection from the elements. How long she had been there, she couldn't recall. Days upon days had passed since she was put in this prison, she had stopped keeping track of time a long while ago. Her fur had become messy and matted and her ribs protruded from her pelt. It was obvious that the Asylum cats were depriving her of food.

When she first arrived, she had tried being optimistic and hopeful. She tried to fight through the hunger and loneliness, she even resorted to trying to make conversation with the Asylum guards. Every night when she looked up to Silverpelt, she told herself that soon some cat would come save her, that she would go home soon. She would get out. Even so, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ignore the growling in her stomach or the stinging pain that lingered in her now sightless eye. In the end, she ended up succumbing to the poor treatment, being able to do nothing but lay on her side, watching the forest from a dull eye.

The only thing that she thought about was how desperately she wanted to be back home with her family. She wanted to see Beecloud again. To see Orangeheart and Emberpaw, Songpaw and Gingerpaw. Her heart ached, thinking about them. She would do anything to see her family one last time, the cats she cared about more than anything else in this world. If only she could get out of this thorn cage, she could make it to the treeline and run all the back home to Thunderclan...

Suddenly, a crowd of cats crashed through the bushes, shattering the silence that had previously filled the clearing. In a state of panic, she immediately sat up, almost falling over while doing so. Battle cries and screeches filled the air as she watched these cats attack the guards. She recognized some of them, but one stood out among the rest. Beecloud!? Overwhelmed with a feeling of joy and hope, she stood up and watched from between thorns. Someone was coming for them after all! "B-Beec-" She attempted to call out to the tom, but her voice was raspy and and hoarse from lack of water and use. It seemed as though he was coming for her anyways, as he had run up up to the thorn cage and ripped it open, freeing her. She couldn't say anything to him, but the look in her eyes spoke more than words ever could. It was as if the sparkle had immediately returned, happiness obvious in her gaze. She felt almost disappointed when Beecloud broke eye contact, rushing off in pursuit of Eris.

For the first time in moons she felt a spark of hope that they might actually drive away the Asylum. Gazing across fourtrees, she watched as clan cats fought Asylum, and was surprised to see some of the Asylum fighting alongside the clans. "What?" She tried to process what might be going on, but was interrupted by a fight that was growing too close for comfort. Backing away, she turned her head to see yet another conflict nearby, spotting Batbite along with another clan cat fighting against an Asylum cat. She knew she didn't have much to offer, but if there was one thing she had learned from what Nettlestar had taught her all those moons ago, it was that every claw counted.

Mustering up whatever strength she had left, she rushed toward the fight and gave a quick nod to Batbite, deciding to spare her voice. Staying back, she waited until she saw a chance to dodge under Toad's belly. She had to jump back and forth, trying to find a way to get used to having a smaller range of vision. Once the chance came, she took it, darting underneath of the Asylum cat's belly and raking her claws across it, relishing the crimson drops that welled up from the wound. Normally she would refrain from fighting, but with her claws she brought moons of payback. She wanted to make the Asylum suffer as much as she did, as much as the rest of the clans did. She made a promise the day that she was dragged from Thunderclan's camp, and she planned to follow through on it.

'Know that whatever happens to me, you will be stopped. Mark my words.'


Robinloft used Belly Rake on Toad, dealing 13 HP and costing 10 SP

Robinloft:
40/55
120/170 [-10]

Toad:
32/85 HP [-13]
215/230

Batbite:
31/45 HP
145/170 SP

Wisteriabloom:
100/100 HP
270/280 SP

---

Having received news that his presence was requested at what clan cats called Fourtrees, Stag made sure to take his time while he was on his way there, taking in his surroundings as he padded through the bare forest. The past moon or so had been troubling for him, it seemed as though his mind was constantly racing, it was truly exhausting. He had tried to push it away the past few days, but now that he had some time to think about it, he thought it would be okay to address his thoughts.

In short, he was conflicted. Positively torn in half. When he was given the news that he wasn't from where he thought he was, he denied it. He wanted to believe everything besides the fact that he had been lied to. He wanted to be told that it wasn't real, that he really was an Asylum cat, that they had found him when he was a kit. But as days passed, he found himself questioning the Asylum more and more. he began to notice the way they so ruthlessly treated the clans, how they imprisoned those who fought back. In all honesty, he would do the exact same in their position. So why did he still want to stay with the Asylum, when they lied to him? He had pondered that question often, the question intruding between his thoughts as he went on in day-to-day activities.

After all this time, he finally had an answer. It was because the Asylum was like a family to him, the cats who had raised him. But what was the point in having a family that forced you away from your real one? Ones who lied and deceived every cat around them, including himself? It filled him with a mixture of emotion, something ranging from grief to anger to disbelief.

As he neared Fourtrees, loud sounds ripped him from his thoughts. 'Is that... yowling?' Flooded with curiosity and panic, he rushed to Fourtrees, finding himself upon scene he never thought he would see. Both clan cats and Asylum cats were fighting against the Asylum, freeing prisoners and defeating captains. Blood covered the clearing, and he already saw bodies. Eyes widening with horror, he backed away.

What was he supposed to do? He was raised for moments like this, he was raised to kill, yet he didn't want to fight. He wanted them to all just live happily. He planned on running away until his gaze rested on a specific cat. Thalia. One of his best friends, raised by the Asylum alongside him, being attacked by another Asylum cat. It was then when it set in, how bad the Asylum really was. How they were all truly monsters, to rip kits from families and end up fighting them in the end. It made him angry. Angrier than he had ever been in his life. It was such a foreign emotion to him, he didn't know what to do. All he did was sit and stare, a look of absolute hatred plastered on his face.

Adrenaline getting the best of him, he took off, jumping into the clearing. Narrow eyes set on the cat who Thalia was fighting, he charged toward, heading into their direction. He kept gaining speed until he collided with Cleft, pushing the tom with as much strength as he could. Feeling satisfied with himself, he stared him in the eyes. "I don't know who you think you are, fighting the very cats who were raised by you. But i will tell you, you made a mistake. You made us the weapons that will end up causing your very demise. No more will i consider myself a Nightstriker, i won't use your pathetic titles. I'm Stag, ally of the clans." He growled, ripping his fox pelt off and casting it to the side. "And if you think you can make it past the three of us, you are wrong."


Stag used Run-And-Tackle on Cleft Spyre, dealing 11 HP[+03] and costing 10 SP

Stag:
75/75 HP
190/200 SP [-10]

Cleft Spyre:
42/85 HP [-14]
230/230 SP

Thalia:
75/75 HP
190/200 SP

Griffon:
75/75 HP
180/200 SP

⍟ The mangy brutes that had attacked his patrol had sought to strip him of his dignity and thrown him in this foreign encampment. Fawnstep's birth during the occupation meant he had never laid eyes on Fourtrees, never learned the truly sacred nature of the hallowed grounds that imprisoned him now. A bitter memory filled with indignation and resentment would surely condemn him the rest of his days - for every gathering to come. Each passing moment, the warrior hadn't become resigned but instead growing in his seething anger. He despised these cats and only gave them such genuine thought because of the way he equally admired them. Perhaps if circumstances had better lain themselves out, Fawnstep would have grown to be a fine Asylum cat, maybe even a captain.

Instead, he was a captive.

Despite the malnourished frame, the Windclan born tom devoted himself to a faltering pacing, or rather shifting in the confined space. Each approaching Asylum cat had earned snarling and spitting from the usually handsome warrior. He attempted to keep his pelt groomed out of spite rather than vanity. However, it was obvious the way his lean muscles had grown more gaunt in a short span of time. Blue eyes were glossed over and yet ablaze with unyielding determination. When the caterwauling broke out in the clearing, followed by various snarls and hisses, Fawnstep knew that his time had come. Gathering his feet was quite the feat but one he managed to do without hesitation.

Before him, within moments, was the familiar pelt of a clanmate. Hayglow. She had previously squared up against an Asylum cat and he had worked up a picture of a strong warrior in his mind at this knowledge; despite the fact that her normally soft nature was of contrast to this, he thought little of. Renewed hope bound his strained limbs. Freedom was right around the corner. But such easy hope was dashed away by the sight of another coat that invoked a memory. The tangy taste of blood lined his lips as he looked at the Asylum cat; it seemed that she too had recognized him.

The she-cat raced forward, intending her blows to meet his pelt and yet... Hayglow was there first, protecting him. Shock caused the tom to blink once. At first, he wanted to be frustrated at the fact she found him weak enough for protection but the stalling of his ailed paws proved it to be a necessary endeavor. Fawnstep still strained to assist in the effort, although, before he could, it had ceased entirely. His clanmate was reduced to a sob as their enemy bled out. It was such a stark contrast to the manner in which he had handled the target's brother, Fawnstep not even twitching at draining the life of another. Measures of contempt briefly rose in his chest. But instead he was at her side, solidified briefly in his place as a Windclan cat.

"Get up! Keep fighting, Hayglow! If you wish to save the rest of our clanmates, there is more blood to be spilled tonight." As he bellowed out the encouragement, the brown and white tom rushed over as quickly as could be allowed, attempting to nudge her to forward. Then, turning to the fray, he sought out a target. Only briefly did the warrior turn back to seek the gaze of Hayglow and in that moment he offered a nod, beckoning her forward if she would so chose to continue in their fight.

Quickly, the tom found a pelted foe - his new target. Deerhawk, another warrior, was already immersed in a brawl with her and another tom cat. With a low snarl, he dove forward, lashing out with what strength he had.

Fawnstep used front paw strike on Rama, dealing 8 damage and using 10 stamina.

Fawnstep
HP: 25/25
SP: 70/80

Rama
HP: 51/85
SP: 210/230

Deerhawk {stunned}
HP: 15/30
SP: 100/110

Spark
HP: 75/75
SP: 190/200 ⍟

Devastation was writ across the normally cheery scout's expression. In his many moons, Casper had seen so many things, including the fall of his own kin and family. But Asylum had replaced that and greatly improved his life, given he and his siblings a place to grow and mean something... not just to themselves but to a multitude of cats. No matter how the clans tried to demonize them or squirm under their grasp, the tom had learned there was nowhere better or more safe than among his own. He'd lived a full life among them, a whole life, seeking others and giving them a home and place in this world. These kits that had been taken from the clans that now turned upon his fellow Asylum had been given sanctuary greater than anything they could possible imagine. Had he now sense of loyalty, the white pelted tom, who was now covered in a raccoon pelt, would have turned and ran from the fray.

Claws were on him in a flash. Out of the corner of his gaze, he caught sigh of one of the nearby Rank One kits. There was a plea in his eye and a question, "Why-" The words were clipped with another blow from another clan cat. His heart wrenched at the situation at paw but there was nothing else to do. All he could was fight back, try to quell the mounting squall in what little way he could. Casper looked, almost apologetically so, before lashing out.

Casper used Sanctum Strike on Mistyfalcon, dealing 15 damage and using 20 stamina. Mistyfalcon is stunned for 1 turn.

Murkystrike
HP: 45/45
SP: 125/150 SP

Mistyfalcon:
HP: 65/80 HP
SP: 220/240 SP

Casper
HP: 53/85
SP: 230/230 SP

Raisha was about to make yet another retort, after all, she never was one to stay silent. And Lyralei seemed delusional if she thought she could still convince them of anything, if Ceres and Brick were as set on this path as she was, (though she suspected Brick's heart was not in it, only fighting because Raisha was. She really could not ask for a better sister.) But as she opened her mouth to speak, a paw came down on her head, hard. She fell to the ground, the taste of copper present as she had bitten her tongue.

In that moment, as she lay on the ground, everything seemed so far away. She couldn't hear anything except the ringing in her ears, could only watch as Lyralei turned her attention on Ceres. She had no awareness of what was going on. Everything seemed to go by so fast. She couldn't think, couldn't move. All she could do was watch as the action went by in a blur. And then she couldn't even do that, as her vision began to fade to black. And she lost consciousness.

Raisha is knocked out.

Something akin to sorrow, or possibly regret, tinged Eos' words as she spoke. "What you were told was not my decision to make, Pyrik. For that I am sorry." She could not blame any of the missing kits for their anger, nor would she attempt to. In this, Asylum had been wrong to lie... And they had been fool enough to let the secret slip out.

"In another life, perhaps things would not have gotten to the point they have." Eos was outnumbered, the Riverclan leader moved shockingly quick for one so malnourished. She returned the look of apology given to her, and ducked to catch most of the leader's blows across her shoulders. The hare pelt lay askew, but it served as protection... Though with the numbers so stacked against her, Eos did not think she would remain in this fight much longer. The warriors were if nothing else tenacious.

She lunged forward again, aiming unsheathed claws at Jayshriek once more. She might go down, but she would defend herself.

Eosphoros used Jumping Strike on Jayshriek for -20sp, dealing -14 damage.

Jayshriek
16/45 [HP] (-14)
130/160 [SP]

Pyrik
75/75 [HP]
180/200 [SP]

Ivystar
105/105 [HP]
235/250 [SP]

Eosphoros
22/85 [HP]
190/230 [SP] (-20)

---

Mistyfalcon stumbled at the rogue's heavy blow, grimacing as pain shot through his body.

"Why?" He hissed, mouth curling into a sneer, "You stole our kits and raised them to fight against us, have taken our clanmates for the crime of being nice to other cats, or speaking out, and you and yours stole our freedoms. Should I have sat back and watched as my clan was stripped of all that we hold sacred? Should I have done nothing when you imprisoned my clanmates?"

Mistyfalcon is stunned, 1/1 turn.

Her voice failed her as Murkystrike watched in horror as the tom she was fighting alongside Mistyfalcon lashes out at him, stopping him in place with a single strike. In a heartbeat, the dirty and weakened she-cat darted under the tom and kicked out at his belly with all the strength she could muster before wriggling out from under him, panting for a moment as she lay on the ground. She wasn't certain that she could get up, but she had to. She must. They were here, Mistyfalcon was here, he hadn't forgotten her. She wouldn't give up, not yet.

Murkystrike used Half Turn Belly Rake, dealing 13 damage and costing 20 SP. Night Finesse is active, +2 damage.

Murkystrike
HP: 45/45
SP: 105/150 (-20)

Mistyfalcon:
HP: 65/80
SP: 220/240

Casper
HP: 38/85 (-15)
SP: 210/230