The Pale Dead [C]

Klaus slunk around Fourtrees, covered in mud, with Tarot nearby as he waited for the gathering to end. He'd been quietly listening, albeit a certain distance away so as to decrease the likelihood of being spotted. Finally, the clans dispersed, and just as he was about to turn back and call Tarot away from the area as well, he saw that Wolfstar had stayed behind. Klaus blinked and his eyes wandered to where he knew his companion to be hiding, though he couldn't see the tom at the moment. Hopefully the other tom would know not to blow their cover, where ever he was. Klaus waited patiently for Wolfstar and Minkstar to part ways. One headed towards Thunderclan and the other back to Skyclan.

Klaus followed after Wolfstar silently, the mud now becoming dry and flaking off of him like lizard skin. He waved his tail once, a signal for Tarot to follow, but hopefully would remain hidden for now. This was their chance to kill the Skyclan leader, however many times it needed to happen. While Klaus wasn't entirely confident he could have killed Wolfstar on his own, with at least one other attacker he might have enough of an advantage to get the job done. Once he was completely sure the fighting wouldn't be heard by the Thunderclan leader, or anyone else of any real significance, Klaus charged forward. His pawsteps were nearly silent as he closed the gap, but his heart hammered so loud in his ears he wondered if Wolfstar would hear it.

Kill Wolfstar... then kill Bloodstrike on his way to highstones along with Beechface. Kill Beechface too. That was his plan, and if it went smoothly then Skyclan was on their way out. He would literally guard the mothermouth and prevent any cat from Skyclan from receiving nine lives. What would they do then?

Klaus kicked off of the ground with strong Skyclan limbs and reached his claws out towards Wolfstar. Still not much of a noise came from him, right up until the moment he landed viciously on the older tom's back. His claws and teeth went to work immediately, tearing away flesh and fur in a whirl of hisses and caterwauls.

Klaus used Leap and Hold, dealing 10 damage and - 15SP

Klaus
70HP / 145SP (-15SP)

Wolfstar
Stunned for Two Turns
90HP / 160SP (-10HP)

Tarot
45HP / 100SP

Dice booooiiiiiii

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

... Wrong dice. xD;;

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

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'Effect Dice' : 5

The conversation with Minkstar still repeating in his head had distracted him. The clan was long gone by now, but their trail was easy enough to follow that he hardly had to think about it, and the lingering SkyClan scent around him as he padded out of Fourtrees and down the same path they'd taken home, made him let his guard down. As such, he didn't hear his grandson until Dawnhawk was already upon him, claws raking his shoulders, the tang of fresh blood as loud as a shout in the still midnight air.

Stunned by the sudden assault, Wolfstar was frozen for a long span as the cat above him battered and clawed and snarled, but as soon as he regained his senses, the leader dropped to the ground, ducking and twisting to come out from under his attacker, but the cat above him was no novice fighter, and held expertly to the SkyClan leader as he attempted to escape the claws that pinned him. His eyes landed on a strip of golden fur, and calculating, cold blue eyes.

"Dawnhawk," he breathed.

Rage welled up inside him, and though his breakaway had been unsuccessful, Wolfstar lashed out with his hind leg, attempting to gut Dawnhawk with a hind paw as his grandson loomed over him, but he was in such an awkward position, they barely broke skin.

Wolfstar attempted to use Duck and Twist and was unsuccessful, but still deals 3 damage at the cost of 5 SP. Wolfstar is stunned for one more turn.

Klaus
67HP / 145SP (-3HP)

Wolfstar
Stunned for One Turn
90HP / 155SP (-5 SP)

Tarot
45HP / 100SP

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

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'Effect Dice' : 1

When Klaus had informed him of the scheme he had planned for the next full moon Tarot had been skeptical. He had honestly doubted that they wouldn't be spotted during the weird little ritual even the clan cats had, but surprisingly they got through it.

From his spot hidden deep in the foliage, he watched all the cats file away, eyes scanning for the few familiar faces he knew from those he had encountered in his travels. The silent observer didn't much care about the hassles of the clans, all the information he gained from what snippets he had heard were all simply stored away until they became useful, if ever.

The experienced ambusher was completely silent through it all. Despite the slight soreness in his limbs from such a long period of time spent waiting, he was still ready for the next plan of action, eyes training periodically from the two cats separating from their unheard discussion in the clearing of trees to Klaus lying in waiting.

So, when the tom watched the leader of Skyclan and singled for the hunt to begin, he was ready. Slipping with nary a sound through the underbrush, he trailed behind the rogue, circling around behind the departing leader in a tense product of stealth honed from years of trying to survive the wide world alone.

His mottled pelt with its swirl of varying shades of brown, tan, and cream helped break out his outline perfectly in situations such as this. After he was in position he watched as Klaus lept from the underbrush in an elegant arc, landing squarely on the other clan cat's back, spatters of red following soon after.

The thing wasn't right though, he'd just get in the experienced fighter's way if he had struck right after. Instead, he waited until their victim was sure that he had no other quarries to be concerned about. He needed the element of surprise to strike an effective blow.

The unplanned sign for him to strike was soon spoken after the prey grasped his situation and breathed one word.

"Dawnhawk."

A smirk curled up his muzzle, and not even a heartbeat after, he dashed forwards in a blur, stealing up diagonally from the leader's right hind flank. He skidded, twisting his form and dragging his clawed paw up their side in an arc of red.

Twisting again he lept back from his stopping point in swift succession, gaining distance from the duo on the ground. For a moment he stood there, letting out a chuckle that was far too light-hearted for the situation they were in. After it died down he lapped some of the blood from his paw, an eerily warm smile on his muzzle that was off-putting in random with the mood that was set for the encounter.

"What a touching, reuinion." He purred. He simplified his speech so he wouldn't waste any time with his usual wordiness. It always felt like sludge was coming off his tongue when he spoke in the same dialect as the other cats in the forest but, alas, this was not time for word play. "So many high emotions, truly former acquaintances battling to the death is a beautiful thing, isn't it, Klaus?" Another light chuckle left the elegant tom, his lilac hues glinting with unreadable emotions.

His tail twitched in a lax fashion as he flicked his paw, blood spraying slightly from the action, and lowered it to the ground. Unsheathing his claws once again in preparation. "Hopefully this won't drag on too long, we have places to be, cats to see, blood to shed and such." A smirk curled up his muzzle, and he backed further into the foliage, his outline harder to see.

He had already come up with a rather basic tactic, let the experienced one engage in the real fight, and dart in whenever there were openings to strike. This way they'd chip away at the old leader's life. Hopefully, his calculations about the clan cat focusing on the more dangerous foe would work, for it'd be rather foolish for him to turn his back on Klaus to strike the random loner accompanying the rogue.

Klause did more damage, had more skill and experience, and the leader likely knew a bit about his fighting habits, which would foster more confidence in attacking them rather than the unknown.

At least, that was the gamble Tarot was making. He knew he wouldn't last long against the more robust, experience Skyclanner who possibly had more lives than one thanks to his nosy ghostly ancestors.

A bit of loathing welled up at the last thought, how dare these clan cats defy the laws of nature with such broken abilities. How dare they get the upper hand in the fight for survival just because some long-dead cats decided to play with the laws of the material world.

He ought to eliminate such roaches himself... alas, he didn't have the skill to do so yet. So, for now, he'd patiently nurture his abilities until he too was a formidable foe like Klaus.

This was his first step, and he didn't plan to die to some ghost-possessed, clan cat elitist named after an overgrown mutt.

He had ambitions to achieve, and he wouldn't let this fight ruin those.

Klaus landed perfectly and pinned Wolfstar more efficiently than even he expected. The older tom struggled beneath him, not quite able to get the leverage or footing he needed to break free. A sinister, toothy smirk crawled across Klaus's face. "You're showing your age, Wolfstar." he growled, right before Tarot came out from left field and raked his claws across Wolfstar as well. He cast a quick look at Tarot after being called Klaus, but quickly put his eyes back on Wolfstar.

"You're so dramatic... you make us sound like complete psychopaths...." he said towards his companion with a sour look on his face. It didn't take long however, for his expression to give way to an amused smile. "I am going to kill you however many times it takes for you to actually die. Don't try to stay in Starclan and wait me out either. I'll disassemble you piece by piece until you have no body to return to. What will Skyclan do without it's leader?" The question was rhetorical, which he made obvious once he began to bury his claws deeper into Wolfstar's wounds and rake his flesh away with a renewed ferocity.

Klaus continues Leap and Hold, dealing 10 damage and -15SP

Klaus
67HP / 130SP (-15SP)

Wolfstar
Stunned for 1 more turn
72HP / 155SP (-10HP)

Tarot
45HP / 93SP

The sudden, dramatic change in Dawnhawk's demeanor had thrown Wolfstar off. The tom was usually so cautious, and outright attacking a clan leader - even one in a state that he was currently in - just seemed reckless. It was all explained when another form came darting out of the bushes, drawing claws across his ribs. Wolfstar hissed in pain, thrashing beneath the former SkyClanner, trying his best to get his legs up under him, and throw Dawnhawk off, but the trek here had exhausted him, and the little respite he'd had during the Gathering hadn't been enough.

His ears twitched towards the darker tabby's words, and Wolfstar's brow furrowed in confusion as the rogue went on, and then Dawnhwak did, too. The leader's maw twisted into a hate-filled snarl, and he lashed out again with a paw, but fell short, his claws meeting only air. Blazing amber-gold eyes fixated on Dawnhawk, and for a moment he forgot about fighting. "How could you, Dawnhawk?" his voice was low, laced with disappointment and contempt. "Out of everyone... she always loved you, she always saw the best in you. Why?"

Wolfstar is stunned for this turn.

Klaus
67HP / 130SP

Wolfstar
72HP / 155SP

Tarot
45HP / 93SP

Tarot observed the main event as he slowly stalked through the undergrowth, circling once again until he was close to the point where Klaus had entered the scene. His tail twitched muscle as he watched the clan leader struggle under his old acquaintance. The loner was still doubtful that they'd shave off any more than one or two lives from the clan cat, the fact that he even had more than one life was already an unfairly huge advantage.

Honestly, these clan cats and their supernatural supporters upset the balance of the forest exponentially, like a species being introduced into a whole different habitat only to slowly kill out the natural dwellers who actually belonged there. Ridiculous.

He smirked at the threat his companion hissed venomously, amused at the high emotions swirling around in the air. Honestly, he felt like an outsider in light of the buzzing familiarity sparking between the clan cat and the rogue. Still, it was Klaus who had brought him here to gain a slight edge in battle, so here he'd stay, even if only to gain more trust from the rogue as a foothold to his ambitions.

That was their relationship, after all, they were both using each other to draw closer to their goals because their goals didn't conflict. At least, that was how Tarot saw it, he was no mind reader so he wasn't sure why exactly the odd traveller had taken such an interest in him, but he went along with it. He'd figure it out sooner or later.

The disappointed, contempt-filled words of the Skyclanner made him raise a brow. He had heard quite a lot of 'Dawnhawk's' past from the tom himself. Was this leader just that oblivious to what drove his companion to this point? Did he not realized that the environment the rogue was raised in is, in most part, what crafted him into this? That environment being the clan he himself was leading?

Were clan cats just that blind?

How odd.

Tarot pushed aside his musings as he noted the hold on the clanner weakening, an opening was coming soon, and he was unsure of how small his window of opportunity would be. So he coiled his muscles in preparation, eyes narrowing as he locked onto his target. Soon enough he saw the signs, mind processing it all in quick succession.

Just as the window opened, he burst forward in a spray of leaves, claws outstretched as he pounced. His face betrayed nothing but concentration, preparedness. He may be the weakest in this fight, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to contribute. he'd have to trust that the more experienced Klaus would adapt so they could work effectively together.

The loner crashed down on Skyclan's leader, his sharp claws digging into their already-bloodstained pelt, lower jaw's fangs clamping down on their neck. Of course, the position didn't allow him to hit the critical vital point, but it still did the damage and made it painful to maneuver one's head.

Everything almost seemed to speed up as the momentum carried him forward despite him landing on a relatively stationary object, the jolting motion would assist him in tearing free a chunk of his target, and gravity would help his claws drag scores into the old warrior's flank and shoulder. If all went well, he'd release his grip near the tail-end of that dwindling motion, and fall back again, relying on his usual tactic of strike and run. Using the last of the momentum he escape to the other side of his foe, not pausing for a moment as he hurriedly stalked back into the underbrush.

The loner smirked, blood staining his muzzle. Honestly, the tantalizing smell was making him rather hungry, but this wasn't the time more place to indulge in anything other than whatever the tore off of his foe. Faint memories of his time in the cramped, putrid twoleg den made his stomach faintly shift in reaction to the deeply-rooted craving being brought on by the familiar coppery tang taunting him.

Hopefully, after this fight, he wouldn't be too injured to catch a meal. His bloodlust always reared its head in times like this, saying it was rather hard, even after a battle like this one.

Really the old clan cat should be focusing on the fight, not on trying to drag up some iota of guilt from Klaus. Going by what he knew, the rogue had long since made up his mind about what he wanted to do. The Skyclan leader's efforts were useless by all logic.

Shifting again he faced the scene playing out in front of him, idly musing on how annoying it'd be to clean his pelt out after this was all over. Sure the medium-length, silky fu made him look dashing, but it was a pain to remove blood and gore from it, he'd know.

Well, it was hardly the time, now he needed to wait for the next opening and hope his gamble proved to continue being fruitful.

Klaus's eyes held a depth of icy indifference that may as well have been a void at the bottom of the arctic ocean. He'd learned to hide whatever emotions that he needed to... and it enraged him that Wolfstar sought to use his guilt against him. The two clan cats had both loved Blossomstep, but she was gone now. No amount of feeling horrible about it was going to bring her back. Unlike Wolfstar... who would draw breath over and over even in times where he shouldn't.

"It wasn't on purpose. That's all you need to know." He growled. He watched Tarot slip in and out of shadows around them until the tom finally sprang forward. Klaus jumped back out of his way, knowing that it would release Wolfstar from his hold, but it didn't matter. The wounds he'd given the older tom would be sufficient to at least make this fight relatively even now.

Once Tarot had landed his attacks and retreated back into the void surrounding them, Klaus rushed forward once more. He threw his claws and teeth into his next assault, aiming to sever flesh from Wolfstar's body further. If Tarot decided he wanted to eat chunks off of this old cat, then by all means, Klaus wasn't about to stop him. He himself had no interest in partaking, but he'd never tried eating a cat. Likely, he would never unless he was forced to as Tarot was.

"You however, seem to be perfectly content with trying to kill me and ruin any chance I may have had at happiness. So here I am... destroying your happiness, extinguishing your desire to live... Is it only alright when you do it to me, grandfather?" He snarled, right before he buried his teeth deep into his opponent's neck. The killing blow wouldn't be possible just yet. He needed to weaken the skin some more around the vital area... and then he would be able to disconnect the life-giving blood path that resided just below the corner of every animal's jawline.

Klaus used Snap, dealing 11 damage and -7SP

Klaus
67HP / 123SP (-7SP)

Wolfstar
52HP / 155SP (-11HP)

Tarot
45HP / 86SP

Before Dawnhawk even had the chance to respond, the other cat, the one who'd spoken earlier, reappeared long enough to drag claws down his flank, and Wolfstar snarled, writhing again to try and get from under his grandson. He was exhausted, every movement draining what little energy still remained, but then, the golden tom's words, that it had been an accident, made him freeze. An accident? Blossomstep had died by accident?

Red flashed at the edges of his vision. Somehow, the thought that his mate hadn't been purposely killed made it... worse. He'd known for ages that Dawnhawk was cruel, and calculating, and in his mind, Blossomstep's death had been just another stepping stone paving the way for the ex-SkyClanner's path of revenge. But to hear that it... hadn't even been intentional...

He barely felt the teeth in his throat as a surge of rage-fueled energy kickstarted him back into reality. He hissed, a deep guttural sound, and pushed forward, lashing out with one paw he managed to free. He felt blood as his claws scored deep, but where, he couldn't see, as blood dripped into his eyes and forced him to shut them and look away. Wolfstar shoved upwards, finally feeling the weight of Dawnhawk leave him, and was able to quickly roll to his paws and put some distance between himself, and the others. He shook his head, chest heaving, tail lashing like some wild, angry serpent, and faced Dawnhawk, his head lowered, ears plastered against his head. The other rogue had disappeared into the underbrush, and the SkyClan leader's eyes slid one way, then the next, trying to judge where he'd come from the next time.

Wolfstar used Front Paw Strike on Dawnhawk, dealing 12 damage and costing 7 SP.

Klaus
55HP / 123SP (-12HP)

Wolfstar
52HP / 148SP (-7SP)

Tarot
45HP / 86SP

Grandfather? Well, that was a twist. Wait... did the rogue mention his name in his backstory? He couldn't remember, it had been a good few moons ago since he first met the rogue and a lot has happened since then.

Well, no matter, the old leader was back on his paws and looking even more enraged. Tarot didn't particularly know why. They were discussing the murder of some other clan cat, his companion had said it was accidental. Such high emotions over one death?

Sure, logically Tarot knew that most cats mourned the death of others, but the environment he had been raised in had not allowed him any room for something as pointless as 'mourning'. Though... casting his mind back, he did mourn the death of one cat, it was his grandmother, the one that had tried to teach him how to survive and communicate with others. She had spoken in the same odd dialect as him.

Truly that was the first and last time he had mourned a death, and he hardly thought about it any longer. Tarot just had never had any cat come close enough to him for him to form any iota of an attachment to. So he was rather uncomprehending in this situation. To him, death was just a normal thing, a normal part of life, and why would anyone fret over the normal?

Perhaps these clan cats were just that privileged, to the point that death seemed unnatural, and was something to fear and weep over. Odd.

The loner had stalked another circle around the duo in the center of his attack range. He saw that the Skyclanner was now more wary of him. Truly, the old tom was much too robust, he had practically been mauled but was still standing. It was quite troublesome, even after all that he wasn't dead yet, Tarot knew that he sure would've passed on by now.

He'd need to form a different strategy, if he aimed for the neck and shoulders again he would be snapped at, and he'd get in the way of his companion. That would be quite a bother. He supposed now he'd need to give an opening to Klaus instead of the other way around.

Ear twitching, he mused for a bit, creating a slight lull in the action. Finally, though, he came up with a plan. Hopefully, it would pan out how he wanted it to.

Eye narrowing, muscles coiling, he pounced out of the foliage, rushing past Klause with only a side glance he tried to force his intentions into. Rushing headlong at the leader, he made it seem like he was going after their face, only to feint to the left, twist around, and latch onto their right hind leg with a snapping bite, right where the tendon was supposed to be. (Something he discovered through his meals).

Fangs dug into muscle, red dripping from his maw. Claws unsheathed, he dug them into the dirt below and yanked back, trying to take the leg's stability with him. It was a risky play, the old cat could much more easily twist around and lash at his face and head with claws of retaliation, but even that would play to the loner's tune.

It would force him to leave an opening for Klaus to attack his neck after all.

If the clanner decided against that on the other paw, it would leave him unstabilized and with a further wounded leg. Tarot had taken a gamble, assuming that the Skyclan leader had been searching for him to switch opponents and lash out at him instead. So the loner in turn tried to use that to his advantage and force him between a rock and a hard place.

After a few moments of tearing at his target with merciless fangs, he lept back,
running his tongue over his whiskers and returning to the brush around them in haste.

This was one of the riskier endeavours the loner had partaken in. If he survived it would be quite the story to tell though, another tale to add to his collection of them.

Hopefully, though, it wouldn't be his last.

Claws buried themselves into the front of one of Klaus's legs and ripped sharply up, leaving a trail of red lines from his leg to his chest. Pink spread from the open wounds that eventually darkened into a deep red in Klaus's white fur. That had been a heck of a hit, one that had the white and gold tom back-pedaling to avoid worse damage. Tarot made his move and Klaus didn't allow it to go to waste. He was already surging forward with claws, teeth and a forceful thrust of his strength and weight into each blow. There was no way Wolfstar could stand this for much longer. As soon as he was weak enough, Klaus was going to deliver the final strike.

Klaus used Front Paw Strike, dealing 11 damage and -7SP
Klaus used Desperate Blows in addition, dealing another 7 damage and -5SP

Klaus
55HP / 111SP (-12SP)

Wolfstar
26HP / 148SP (-18HP)

Tarot
45HP / 86SP