Shadows of Stars

Chapter 4: How to beat a Warrior.

But it never came. Instead, an ugly, sneering face filled his vision.

"Finished yet, Twoleg softy?"

                ~~~Soulblaze~~~
Heh, no chance. We could do this all day! Yowling triumphantly, it plunged into Rusty's mind and let its power flood through the tired tom's limbs. Taking temporary control of the body, Soul unleashed its rage upon the puny warrior.

Rusty hissed and swiped at his gloating mug. Then, using his newly found energy, he staggered upright and delivered a satisfying blow to the utterly surprised tom. It drew blood. He smiled grimly. Payback time. 

In the next few heart beats, he managed to drive Longtail towards the edge of the clearing. He felt oddly detached from his body, seeing blows raining down on the tom that he did not seem to control.

Finding he was beginning to lose the upper hand, the tom tried his jumping trick. But Rusty anticipated it, crouching, as the tom soared over him. He spun around, hoping to get the tom off guard, but he was met with claws.

              ~~~Soulblaze~~~
The possession lark was draining more than it had expected. Already it could feel its control fading...

He tried dodging the blows, but as the fight wore on, his limbs were becoming leaden. This needed to end soon, or he was a goner.
           
                 ~~~Soulblaze~~~
With a dismayed cry, it lost control completely. It had done all it could. Now it just hoped Rusty could finish it off...

It seemed the tom was thinking the same way, as he narrowed his eyes and started a fresh onslaught. Desperation clouded Rusty's mind, a stinging swipe to the nose sent him reeling. Calm down. Time to try something.

As the tom can at him again, he jumped over and behind him. He landed and spun to the back of the momentarily confuddled cat and swiped at his head. The ears provided a nice target, and Rusty left a hefty nick. Blood spurted out, and the tom yowled loudly. Got ya!

He danced back out of paw reach before the enraged tom could react. It took several moments before he turned, his face twisted into a mask of hatred.

"You're gonna pay for that."

And he launched himself at Rusty in a flurry of claws and fangs.

He was everywhere, a whirlwind of pain and hatred. Panic seized Rusty as he desperately tried to block and dodge swipes, but he was being borne under. He struggled valiantly on, but it was no use. It ended, the tabby's jaw clamped on Rusty's neck. Their chests heaved, both of them bloodied and battered.

"It's over weakling." The tom snarled in his ear, muffled by fur and the collar he was wearing. Realisation hit him. This isn't over yet!

He pushed with the last vestiges of strength in his body. His collar groaned in protest, and then snapped. Rusty broke free from the tom's grip with the
sound of ripping fur and leather. He staggered a few steps, then turned and flew at the tom, knocking him to the ground. The tom hit the floor, stunned. He didn't get up.

Panting, Rusty stared at the bemused cat in disbelief. Had he just won?!
  
           ~~~Soulblaze~~~
Yessssss! Victory! Take that you mousebrained pile of foxdung! Invisibly yowling and performing a victory dance, Soul was more than pleasantly surprised that they had actually managed to defeat the young warrior. They had successfully overcome their first major hurdle together and proved they were a force to be reckoned with!

"Impressive, young one" The blue-furred cat who had lead him here stood at his shoulder. He hadn't realised the whole clan was sat in stunned silence until she had spoken. Then, the spell was broken. Fierce whispering broke out among the cats.

Weak-legged, Rusty looked at the she-cat. Something in her eyes told him there was still something that needed doing. She looked purposefully towards a small thing lying on the ground. He walked towards it, unsure.

Laying there was a worn strap of blue leather, with a brass bell and tag on. His collar. He knew what had to do. He had to choose; his old life, or the clans. He glanced back. She was watching him, betraying nothing. Realising the importance, the weight of this decision, he hesitated.

Did he really want this hard life? But as soon as he thought that, he knew the answer. Deep down, he knew he could never live the soft life, not since he had a taste of this world. The freedom called him. Confidently, he turned and kicked dirt over his collar. He wanted to be a Clan cat, a Thunderclan cat. There was no way he was going back.