[Strelles] Strike the Match

Chapter 1: Soŕi (Edited)

He shook his paw, flinging the lingering wet-soil from his aching paw-pads; relieved as he looked down from the crest of the hill. He flicked his tail, eyes passing over the wide expanse of grass and trees stretching to the clouds and the massive, shimmering expanse of water near him. A purr rumbled in his chest as certainty anchored him.

We're finally here.

He turned his head, glancing towards the cats behind him intending to alert them to what he'd seen but he didn't have to. They yowled their joy, racing by him; scents mixing and tails crossing as they bounded down the ridge, loping excitedly to the bottom. He was impressed that they'd lost so many innocents on the journey - elderly cats who'd joined and faded before the final leg, kits who spent their entire lives on the journey. With a yowl of his own, he ran down the ridge; springing from a raised portion to follow them-

And landed on the flaky, fragile bark of a gnarled tree root.

He stretched out his neck, even as his nose wrinkled from the truly wretched and vile scent that invaded his nostrils. He can't believe cats were living here - how could any leader let this happen to their own faction. His maw tasted of copper and his claws twang as he glowered with rage.

This will never happen again.

He pressed through the bushes and bracken, the twigs snapping and cracking beneath his paws. His tail lashed furiously as the rest of his patrol stalked alongside him, equally furious as he was. So many bodies, so many cats. How could one individual be so foolish and deluded. He flashed his fangs - these cats would be free and some soon, he would end this and-

Stepped his way out onto the branch now that the others had spoken, his steps far more confident and steady than they'd been the first time. He cast a precursory gaze across the sea of cats scattered beneath him staring back. Some of them had eyes filled with fear, with suspicion or admiration. He offered a smile to those who perked up, giving them a slow and gentle blink to reassure them -

And was surrounded by cats made of starlight.

He stepped back, confused and a little afraid as he glanced towards the sky that was devoid of light. He turned his attention back towards the starry-cats and jumped a little in surprise at the massive molly standing before him, thick coated she offered with gentle blue eyes. The giant lowered her head to him, bringing him eye-to-eye with the thick canines curling up from her mouth. Her eyes twinkled with a mysterious warmth.

"You'll do just fine," the molly purred.

He opened his mouth to ask her a question but she leaned forward and touched her nose to his head. He reflexively closed his eyes, the space she touched feeling somewhat cold then-

He opened his eyes.

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Soŕi groaned aloud, rolling from his side onto his back as he stared up at the crisscrossing brambles that made up the den ceiling. He tried to parse through his rapidly fading dream, the fuzzy details he managed to clutch seeming disjointed and nonsensical to his groggy, awakening mind.

His annoyed sigh was interrupted with a harsh yawn opening his jaw; pinnae pressed against his face. This was the third time this moon alone he'd had that dream - he remembered enough to know some of the scenes were different, the strange molly in the end made of stars was new, but everything else he'd seen behind his eyes before. Starved cats surrounded by rot and angered allies all looking to him for guidance about some horrible thing Soŕi wasn't permitted to see.

What are these dreams about, he sighed, rolling to his paws. He figures they might be something important - Vrayushu always sent signs to the Shepherding Family but usually they went to the eldest - whom he was not. And his dreams were strange and fleeting, filled with context that he didn't understand and admittedly, didn't want to understand.