Silent Shadows: Book Two - The River of Secrets

XXVI

Duilleog very suddenly announced to the group that there'd be a battle this evening. The sun is lowering, now, and she says we will be departing soon.

Stormray could hear the low chime of death enchant the air. It was an overpowering force, one that found it's way into their heart and mind. A sense of inevitability. I realize that things will be lost.

"Ray?" A tomcat chimed in.

They turned their head to greet the tom "Yes?"

"We're leaving now, Duilleog's going to lead us to the battle," he replied. Stormray silently obliged, walking out to see the whole group out and heading away from the clearing. 

I will continue what I experience right now. I will keep existing, but causality has plans for lives other than mine. I am not shaken by this. Everything that exists has an end planned out for it. Every lifetime ends with agony, and after that, ultimate peace.

-

As she was in critical condition, Duilleog told Rauch to stay back and look after Shimmerspark. Why? Why waste so much energy for just one life? The world was an ocean of lives, each one was simply a molecule in the waters. Letting one fade didn't affect it.

"Don't you think it's a bit weird how Duilleog acts so confident fighting some rogues she doesn't know?" A she-cat meowed as the group made their way out of the clearing. "They could be way stronger than us. We could lose, or even be killed."

The tomcat she was talking with snickered. "You can lose, but me? Nah, I'd win. I doubt some random rogues are really that strong." 

The movement of the crowd suddenly slowed.

"We're here!" Duilleog announced, prompting everyone else to fall quiet and stop. Silentdawn found it hard to see through all the cats, but she instantly sensed an impending presence.

A collective shock ran through the crowd when they finally came face to face with the rogues. One voice finally cut through the silence. One booming voice, like the tongue of a vengeful God. "Finally."

I know this voice. Silentdawn found herself suddenly paralyzed. A smile crept onto her face. Her legs felt like they were going to give away beneath her. Once again, reality faded into something like a dream as pain filled her chest.

"While we are outnumbered, we will not lose," Duilleog called out towards the unspeakable thing above her. "Let our attack begin."

Silentdawn barely even comprehended the steps before the area had devolved into chaos. Suddenly, every cat she could see was involved in a violent brawl. And soon, the blazes were flooding through her mind. The blood was flowing. 

Reality had detached itself, and now it was playing with her. 

Please, let this evening end in our deaths. I don't want to suffer this all over again.

-

Shimmerspark awoke. Quickly, she found herself inside a body that'd been laying dead for the past few days. Her eyes were glazed and painful, her mouth was dry, and her legs felt as though they were paralyzed. But she hardly noticed the pain in her body with the chaos in her mind. She could barely form a coherent thought and struggled perceive what was happening around her. Her world, her mind had finally shattered.

The sound of vicious screeches brought her thoughts back to Hell.

Go forth. Your Clan needs you. A thought that wasn't her own scorched her mind. Yet it brought her back onto her paws, walking forth toward the sounds of the screams. Shimmerspark knew she had to save everyone. If she didn't, nothing of reality would be left.