Warriors #3 - Revenge of Darkhaven

Prologue

-50 years ago

It was a starless night at the banks of Heartstring River.

Talons of fire clawed for the darkness above, and shrieks of cats tore at the air.

Crimson splashed on the withered grey grass as an ancient green tom raked his Kyberclaws down a ragged tabby's throat. He shook out his ragged, silvery mane, fangs bared in a snarl as a jagged bolt of lightning set a leafless tree ablaze.

"Horizonstar!" Wolfheart leaped to his leader's side, muzzle stained with blood.

"We might have to consider retreating. Plagueshadow and Nightshade are picking our knights off one by one!"

Horizonstar closed his eyes, claws making the charcoal-black ground smoke.

"Our only chance, this is, to get rid of Darkhaven once and for all." he rasped at Wolfheart. "Go aid the others, you will, while find Darkhaven's leader, I will."

Wolfheart's yellow eyes narrowed with worry, yet gave a short jerk of his head and raced away, roaring a battle cry.

Horizonstar unsheathed his Kyberclaws once more as a Muun Darkhavener landed in front of him, orange eyes blazing with fire.

In his jaws was a mangled, lifeless body of a Dawnclan knight, its head held on by a few fibers and shattered bone.

"Give up, Dawnclan. You will obtain nothing but dead bodies and shattered pride." the cat snapped his fangs, and the decapitated corpse of the knight dropped to the scorched ground.

"I am Horizonstar, leader of Dawnclan." the ancient green cat growled.

"Fight, I will not, with a bratty apprentice."

The Darkhavener hissed with fury at the insult, muscles bunched up, ready to leap at the leader.

"Step down, Plagueshadow." a new voice, colder than the nights of leaf-bare, echoed clearly across the yowls and shrieks.

What's left of Dawnclan limped behind their leader as a sleek black cat padded calmly beside the Muun, staring at the ragged knights with cold, glittering eyes.

She was smaller than the huge bulk of Plagueshadow, yet the younger Darkhavener flinched as she came near, the air around her turning cold as if she was a block of ice that dropped into a spark of flame.

"Nightshade," Horizonstar growled. "Ends here, this will."

"Horizonstar." the black she-cat meowed smoothly.

Plagueshadow and the knights of Dawnclan backed away as the two leaders circled each other, red and green claws scorching the ground.

Wolfheart and his clanmates tensed as Nightshade lunged for the smaller cat, screeching.

Unlike Dawnclan, leadership had to be fought for with claw and fang in Darkhaven.

Nightshade ruled Darkhaven for many years, and had many challengers for the throne, all dead.

Her apprentice, Plagueshadow, was the taker of all those Dawnclan lives during the war.

He was a dangerous stormcloud. Nightshade was the black hole of the Force.

Darkhavener and Dawnclan watched with stony silence as red claws snarled and lashed at the green flame.

With a shriek, Horizonstar sank his fangs into one of Nightshade's paws and ripped upward, dark crimson splattering his silver mane.

Nightshade roared with pain, lurching backward with a livid expression and fur on end.

Horizonstar staggered back to his paws, spitting out the hunk of flesh and glaring at the she-cat. His weathered, wrinkled skin with countless scars of old battles was covered in his own blood, and his breath came out irregular and ragged.

Jagged boulders flew at the lord of Darkhaven, while lightning tore up the ground and set them ablaze, tongues of flame lapping at the leader of Dawnclan hungrily.

Horizonstar leaped to one side as Nightshade struck one powerful blow after another. He must not fail, or it would mean the end of countless civilizations.

She was a skilled fighter, and her fluent use of the Force made her nearly invincible.

She knew every Dawnclan and Darkhaven move.. so, he'd have to try something unexpected.

She knew he was going to use Ataro, and thus, she had come prepared.

Horizonstar switched his fighting style to Shii-Cho, the basic form, commonly used by kits or Padawans.

Its simplicity and randomness made it dangerous and unpredictable when used correctly.

Nightshade stumbled as a defensive blow knocked her off her paws; she was going for the offensive.

Without hesitation or mercy, Horizonstar lunged for her throat and bit down as hard as he could.

Nightshade screamed as he staggered back, her enraged yowl cut short by blood bubbling in her torn throat.

It was over.

Plagueshadow turned tail and fled as the remaining Dawnclan knights pursued him with triumphant yowls.

The reign of Darkhaven was over.

Horizonstar didn't feel victorious as he stared down at his enemy's dying spasms, he just hoped nothing like this would ever darken the Galaxy ever again.

"You fool."

"Darkhaven has been here since the beginning of time." Nightshade rasped, clawing up clumps of soil.

"You may have won this battle, but we will return, we will thrive-"

"Still exist, evil will always be." Horizonstar rasped. "Yet let the remaining spark catch fire, I will not."

"Go down in ashes, Darkhaven will, and keep it that way, I assure you."

Nightshade tried to snarl a defiant retort, but already, the fire was dying in her orange eyes.

"Darkhaven will return, Horizonstar." a ghost of a smile appeared on the she-cat's lips.

"We always have."

"And this time, you won't be able to save the Galaxy from burning."