Shadows of Stars

Chapter 6: Shadow

It still haunted them. Two sunrises past, but it still couldn't get those eyes out of its head. The image was seared into its brain. And they were everywhere, mocking it.

At first it called it a hallucination, after helping its host. But now it wasn't too sure, it seemed too real. Every night it had tried to re-live them moment, thinking of every possible thing that could have happened. So there it was, watching the last light seeping out of the sky, paws warmed by the stone beneath it.

The sea of faces looked at them, cheering. Apart from that cat and his cronies. Right at the back. As always. The tabby met its gaze, eyes flashing scarlet, pelt dusk grey. Baring his teeth, he flashed a mocking grin. Then the shadow was gone, and his amber eyes gazed hatefully at them, as he tossed a scathing comment to his group.

It had changed, the memory, and it seemed the thing knew Soulblaze was looking for it. Challenging it. But what was it? If there was another spirit like Soul in the Clans, surely its Summoners would have told it? Wouldn't they? Frustration rippled through it. If only it could contact them somehow, so it could stop worrying and get on with its job. With a last grumble about how stupid it was to create a spirit and give it a purpose, but neglect to give it a way to contact you if  something bad happens, Soul got up, and started back to the camp.

Yes, they mused, if the Founders of the Clans had only given them a way to warn them, it was highly likely none of this would have happened. Of the many quarrels they had with their Summoners, this was perhaps the largest and most deliberated (read 'argued') about, though for some reason, the blame always ended up landing on them... Hmmm, they wondered why. But still, in many ways this was the beginning, the first hint of the menace. Such a shame there was no such thing as time travel...