Cursed Division

Chapter 7

DeathBlood cats screeched and launched themselves at the PeaceLeaf cats. Letting out battle cries, the PeaceLeaf cats clashed with their enemies. Midnight found herself face to face with a speckled she-cat. She slashed at her opponent but the wicked cat blocked Midnight's swipe and caught her arm in her jaws and swung her sideways. Quickly regaining balance Midnight reared up and clawed the speckled cat's ear. Hissing with rage, her opponent veered under Midnight's belly and raked her claws on the soft belly fur. Snarling, Midnight turned and grasped the cat's scuff and swung her around like prey then flung her in the air, catching her with outstretched claws then tussling in the smokey wind until they thumped on the earth and Midnight pinned the speckled cat down with paws pressured on the furry throat of her enemy. The speckled cat's cat's eyes were wide with alarm.
"Go ahead!" the she-cat hissed. "Kill me!"
"Gladly." Midnight sneered.
Midnight clasped her jaws around her enemy's throat wrinkling her nose at the tangy taste of blood that bathed her tongue. She bit down harder and deeper until she heard a snap. Dead.
She left the lifeless body there and glanced around the clearing. Everyone was clashed with an opponent.
I need to go find Leandro and the others.
Dashing out of the camp and into the now ablaze forest with rain plastering her fur, she ran in long strides until she reached a tree that was suddenly struck by lightning before her eyes. Blinding her, Midnight staggered back. The ear piercing strike set the tree bursting into flames. Turning tail she tried to go back the way she came but soon realized that flames blocked her path in every direction. Crouching down in fear, she yowled for help but the sound of fire must of blocked out her desperate cries. I can't die here!
A screech of fury rose above her and she raised her head to see a figure glowing like the sun streaking towards her from the smokey air. The golden glow of the shape blinded her for a heartbeat. Time seemed to slow for what felt like eternity until the figure landed on four paws in front of her then swung her over its shoulder.
Help!
No matter how hard she wanted to claw her newcomer, something told her to remain on top of the figure and cling on for dear life. So that's what she did. Flames flashed past her vision and she held her breath to prevent inhaling the smoke. But it did little to help. Smoke sucked up her nostrils and caused her lungs to ache.
The newcomer suddenly slowed to a halt in front of a few familiar figures. She was slid off the back of her rescuer. She gazed up to see the brave cat who saved her life and to her surprise she saw a all to familiar golden-furred tomcat.
Leandro! He saved me!
"Oh my stars! Thank you so much Leandro!" he nodded in acknowledgment. "No problem. Come on we need to go join the fight."
We?
She glanced around to see the cats of the patrol the Guardian had sent our earlier standing in front of her.
Oh thank goodness! They're okay!
"Let's go." Midnight breathed, still shocked at Leandro's bravery.
The cats raced through the forest, straining to see through the blazed forest. Dark shapes streaked past the patrol.
"More DeathBlood cats!" FlickerSun hissed.
"We need to get going! Faster! We can't let them reach camp!" MoonPebble exclaimed.
"A little late for that." Reed grunted.
MintLeaf dashed ahead of them with a growl. Her white pelt disappeared into the bushes that lay ahead of them. Streaking through them and emerging into the destroyed camp, Midnight could see lots of cats still standing and fighting for their lives but only this time misty figures were fighting on both sides.
Angels and demons!
DeathBlood demons and PeaceLeaf angels fought with their allies. Seeing the spirits physically clash was a jaw-dropping sight.
Looking for a nearby opponent, Midnight saw a tortoiseshell stalking towards a black and white PeaceLeaf tom.
No!
Growling, she dashed over to the tortoiseshell that crept on the earth and surprised it by lunging herself at it and rolling in a clump of teeth and claws.
She felt claws rake her muzzle. Pain scorched through her but her rage is what kept her going.
She ripped a clump of fur from the tortoiseshell's head and flattened her ears at its scream of pain.
The two cats bit and slashed at one another. Midnight would hate to admit it but she was struggling against her opponent. Luckily a golden pelt crashed into her enemy and clawed its throat out.
"Thanks Leandro."
"No problem. Want to fight beside me?"
Midnight's eyes lit up.
"Yes."
Leandro nodded. "Let's give these bastards all we got."
Yes!
DeathBlood cats streamed towards them and Midnight and Leandro clawed them backward one by one, dodging their leaps and kicking the ones behind them.
This is epic!
Suddenly a DeathBlood cat exploded from the air and clamped its jaws into Leandro's back causing his paws to give way. Leandro struggled against the heavy tom that clung on him like a leech.
"Get off him!" Midnight hissed. She grabbed the tom and flung him off her friend's back. But that seemed to make the tomcat angrier. It lashed out and slashed Midnight's cheek. Grunting with pain she tried to duck under the cat and swipe his underbelly but she was flipped over on her back. Leandro began to lunge forward but a gray tom slammed into him and pressed his face against the earth.
Dear stars help me!
Her and Leandro were down. They needed help.
Midnight yowled in pain as claws dug deep in her flesh.
Suddenly a flash of brightness swept past her vision and the weight on her lifted. She rose to her paws in shock to see a cat with a frosty pelt and big angelic wings and a halo pinning her opponent down. She took a glance at Midnight before biting down on the cat's scruff then flinging it into a tree. The cat lay stunned at the root of the tree that was ablaze at its treetop.
It won't be long before the whole forest will be on fire.
Screeches and hisses sounded around the clearing. Lightning streaked the red sky. Blood splattered the clearing and bodies lay limp on the forest floor. Midnight scrambled over to Leandro seeing him kick his opponent that was on top of him in the jaw. Midnight helped by grabbing a nearby rock and bashing the cat's head with it. The cat's body spun before he gave way.
Leandro purred. "Nice one Midnight."
"Thanks."
Suddenly the sky cracked and lightning struck the center of the clearing lighting another blaze. Cats screeched and broke away from their opponents while others kept fighting.
Oh no!
Dark shapes in the sky flew past as fast as the wind and one nearly ran into her. They circled then landed on the scorching earth. It was the all too familiar looking creatures she despised.
Demons!
Their mewing screech nearly made Midnight's ears bleed. The demons began to slaughter as many as they could while others clashed with the PeaceLeaf spirits.
"Leandro we-" she began as she turned towards where her friend was standing. He was no longer there. The space beside her was now bare.
Where did he go?
She desperately made her way through the battle but it was no use. Through the raging flames, rain, and battling cats, she could hardly see in front of her own paws.
A cough sounded nearby. The white shape of a she-cat padded up towards Midnight.
"MintLeaf!"
"Th-the smoke. I-i can't-" she panted.
MintLeaf began to lose her balance but Midnight caught her before she could hit the earth.
"Midnight please, save us." the white she-cat whispered desperately.
"I will. Please come. Let me get you someplace safe."
MintLeaf shook her head weakly.
"No Midnight. My wounds are already bad enough. The smoke has taken over my lungs now." she wheezed.
"I can help!" Midnight wailed.
MintLeaf used the little strenth she had left to push Midnight aside so she the white cat could fall to the earth. Midnight stuck her paw out but MintLeaf batted it away.
"No, don't. I am a goner Midnight. You see my wounds? A cat alone could not survive this for long."
Midnight took the chance to look at MintLeaf's damaged body. A long scratch scored her belly, bite marks gushed scarlet from her legs and back and a gash streamed from her throat.
Oh my.
"I am honored to have had the chance to meet you Midnight. I wish me and you could of become good friends. But maybe someday when you join heaven we can do just that."
"You will not die on me!" Midnight growled through her pain.
"Go fight. Your friends need you."
Midnight let her gaze stray back to the battle. The PeaceLeaf cats were struggling and clearly needed more backup.
"MintLeaf i-" her voice was cut short when she noticed that the beautiful white she-cat was limp and lifeless.
"No." Midnight whispered.
Midnight grabbed her scruff in her jaws and dodged the fighting cats to drag the lifeless cat to the edge of the camp as far away from the worst flames as possible.
I'll come back for you.
Though the lump in her throat hurt, Midnight still launched herself back into battle. The mixture of blood and smoke nearly made her choke.
The battle raged on until the entire forest was nearly an orange blaze. The crack of a tree caused everyone to pause and look up. All cats fled from its view as it began to tumble down. But there were two shapes still writhing below the tree's enlarging shadow.
Bark!
She ran forward to let out a warning. It grabbed the brown tomcat's attention but it was too late. The DeathBlood cat ran just in time to dodge the falling tree but Bark stood frozen in horror, letting out a wail that was abruptly cut short from the tree that clashed to the earth and crushed Bark beneath it.
"No!!" Midnight screeched.
She seemed frozen with shock. Glancing around, nearly all cats were out of the clearing by now and racing away expect for one small shape that stood crouched with frightened mewls escaping from its tiny jaws. It was a tiny brown tom.
"Pine!" she couldn't let Ember's kit die! Pine was surrounded in a circular blaze.
"Hang on Pine, I'm coming." she nearly made it before weight slammed into her. She writhed with the shape. It was a DeathBlood cat trying to flee. Midnight tangled up with the cat and clawed him in frustration.
"Move!"
Paws stomping over her face, the cat managed to break free and run.
Idiot.
Squeaks of alarm and horror erupted from the flames.
She raced back over to rescue the kit but she was only seconds too late because the angry fire swallowed the kit up whole. Pine screamed until all was left was his reaching paw that soon drowned in fire.
"No! No! No!!!!" Midnight's chest ached worse than it ever had before. He was gone. He was gone!
She felt tears stream her eyes.
"Why am I failing to rescue everyone!?" she cried to the sky. She crouched down and spat all her emotions out.
"Midnight, come on we have to go! Everyone has retreated outside the forest!" a familar voice called. Golden fur streaked up to her and nuzzled her.
"Go away Leandro!"
"We have to go!" he repeated.
"No! I can't save these cats! I can't save anyone! Pine just burned for damn sake!"
Leandro flinched. "Oh".
"Not just Pine!" Midnight snapped. "MintLeaf and Bark too! Right in front of my eyes! I could of saved them! I'm such a coward!" Midnight clawed her arms.
"Midnight stop!"
"No! Who knows how many more are dead! Flare could he dead too! They were both just kits! What about Hawk? Is she dead to? Why do I have to watch everyone die! I can't do it! I refuse to save these cats!"
"You can't!"
"I will! Get away from me!" Midnight pushed him aside.
"Go!" she spat.
"I'm not leaving you!" Leandro replied sternly. "Yes you are! I don't need you, I don't need anyone!"
Her paws scorched green and her eyes began to glow. Her powers were taking over once more.
Leandro flinched. He cautiously padded forward and spoke softly.
"I can help you. I'm still here. I won't die. I'm here for you, come."
Outraged, Midnight swatted him away with her paw. Leandro lay stunned before slowly rising to his paws. His gaze was hurt. They were damp and broken.
Midnight turned her back on him ignoring his painful expression. She wanted to flee away but the realization that they were both trapped in the destroyed camp now made her heart sink.
What have I done?
She thought about climbing a nearby ledge that hung over the camp but fire blocked its path. Perhaps I can climb over it.
She let her gaze trail up the ledge as she consciously tried to work out a plan. It was interrupted when her eyes reached the top of the ledge. A figure stood there, dark and broad, red eyes glowing like dark blood.
The smoke blocked out his identity.
The shape glared its eyes then lunged forward until it landed with all four paws in front of her. She could see the figure clearly now. She had never seen this being before but had only heard stories. The cat stood tall, demon wings on his back, horns sharp as blades, tail sharp and pointy, eyes showing more hatred than she could of imagined.