Shadows Broken

Chapter Two: Scarlet Red

Xenia toppled over Tragoon  on top of her.  "Not so scary now, huh?" Tragoon snickered leaning close to her face.  Xenia snapped her jaws at Tragoon before clawing his ear and pushing her hind legs against his stomach, flinging him off of her.  Tragoon  snarled standing up, he ran at Xenia jaws wide open ready to bite into cat flesh. Xenia dodged jumping onto his back digging her sharp claws into the soft skin of the fox.  Tragoon yelped screeching and trying to shake her off but too no avail.  Xenia hissed biting the anthropomorphic fox's shoulder forcing blood to come out an splash onto her fur.  Tragoon dropped to the floor and rolled onto his back squishing Xenia under him.  Xenia flailed her hind legs and front legs trying to push the the fox off, though it was no use.  Gasping for air, she tried to push the fox off, still to no use she bit into the same shoulder.  Tragoon barked jumping up his tail getting slash by the calico she-cat, he put pressure on the, again, bleeding wound glaring at Xenia he growled. Xenia smirked, standing up, and lurched at him. Claws unsheathed, she aimed for Tragoon's face, she slashed right his eye.  Tragoon let out a painful screech, he raised his paws and slammed it down on Xenia's side and the other on her cheek leaving deep scratches on her leg and face.  Xenia yowled lifting her wounded leg up, she glowered at him before slamming into his chest.  Knocking each other over, they rolled tussling on the ground until Xenia sliced Tragoon's  back and threw, more or so smacked, him at the wall.

Tragoon stared up at the calico she-cat with his lips curled back in a scowl, "What are you gonna do now? Kill me? Make me suffer? What will ya' do?" He questioned growling and his tail lashing.  

Xenia let out a dry laugh after glancing behind her at the Red Panda cub and Tarno, "Oh? You want to know?" She asked tilting her head slightly.

Tragoon snarled nodding, "Why else would I ask?" He snapped.

The calico she-cat gave him a sly smile as she lifted his head up with her unsheathed claws/paw, so he would look at her, "Well, if you must know. I'm going to do nothing," she stated taking her paw away from his chin.

"Huh!?" Desprox blurted eyes wide.

"My..... friend is here, he doesn't like death. An he's already been through enough bloodshed," Xenia replied flicking her tail. "Though, don't think I will let you go next time," she reminded her tone harsh.

Tragoon gave her a smug look, "Soft are we, Xenia? An I was starting to think you were a fierce warrior. Guess I was wrong!" he yowled standing up, on his hind legs, "You could have worked with me and my comrade, but it seems you have a weakness," he stated looking at Tarno, "A big one. Anyways, Desprox shoot the kit!!" 

"NO!!!!" caterwauled Xenia as she jumped at the raccoon. 

Desprox yelped as she was tackled, "Help!" she yelled trying to push off Xenia with her small paws.

"Help yourself!" Tragoon retorted grabbing the gun and running out the small room. His paw-steps could be heard and started to get faint, a door getting opened and shut could be heard, and then the paw-steps stopped.

Desprox stared desperately at the wooden door, she whimpered as she looked at the cat standing above her. "Please don't hurt me," She fearfully fretted.

Xenia sighed letting the raccoon go before walking over to her kit and the red panda cub.

Desprox scrambled away from them staring intensely at the calico she realized that she and her, now long gone, comrade had taken her kit. "I'm sorry." she mumbled.

Xenia's ears pricked at the words, "What did you say?" queried Xenia turning her attention away from untying the rope around the red panda cubs hands. 

Desprox fumbled with her fingers, "I-I said I-I'm sorry," she repeated.

Xenia huffed meowing, "As long as you didn't hurt my son than I won't hurt you."

Desprox shakily nodded before remembering about the red panda, "What about the red panda cub? Isn't it with you?" she inquired.

Xenia shook her head, "I only came here for him," she said careful not say names.

Desprox silently nodded saying, "We found the critter a couple miles away from here. Tragoon and I thought it would've told us where it's family was so we could rob'm but it don't seem to know where." 

Xenia untied the red panda before looking at the wooden door, "It seems your companion isn't coming  back," she stated flicking her tail as she picked Tarno up by the scruff.

Desprox sighed, "I should have suspected that,"  she said her orange tail curling around her legs.

Xenia grunted, "Yes, well it's not my problem. Good luck, I would keep away from more powerful creatures."

"I will. Do ya' know the way....." Desprox started before a yowl cut through.

Xenia and Desprox shared glances, picking up the two younger animals and running towards the sound. As they reach the destination of the noise, they saw blood leaking out from under a boarded up door.

Xenia set Tarno down, who stayed where he was fur fluffed up, and squeezed under the wood covering most of the entrance.

Desprox set down the cub in her jaws and slid in after the she-cat.

As they entered there eyes lied on a bleeding Tragoon, Phantomstar standing over the bleeding corpse.

Xenia smiled a bit but it quickly disappeared as she glanced at Desprox, who was shaking mouth hung open, slowly stepping backwards.

Phantomstar  looked up, blood staining up his mask, he stared at Xenia before looking away at Guinevere.

Guinevere stood up and meowed, "He tried to steal our supplies, we can't leave without them." She fixed her gaze on Desprox looking directly into the raccoon's eyes, "We had to, if not we wouldn't be able to survive," she stated sorrow flickering in her eyes.

Phantomstar nodded flicking his tail dismissively, "So who's the raccoon?" he asked completely unaffected by the blood spreading out from the slash throat of Tragoon.

Desprox growled to Phantomstar, "My names Desprox, and ya' just killed my only comrade and friend."

"I wouldn't have called him a friend. He left you so he could save himself, he's just a selfish coward, a caitiff," Xenia insulted as she tried to convince Desprox of the wrongs he'd done too her. 

Desprox seemed to contemplate the aforementioned preceding  she lashed her tail turning away from the corpse of her former-comrade. ".......You're right, he deserved this. I hope he's happy in the underworld, his flesh burning or rotting off, he earned the torture he's gettin'," she seethed.

Xenia and Guinevere nodded in concert while Phantomstar shrugged licking some of the blood of his paws.

"You guys should get this body out of here, we wouldn't want too let Tarno see this," Guinevere affirmed slithering under the wooden boards.

Desprox grabbed Tragoon's neck in her maw, Xenia grasped the grey fox's back fur and skin, and Phantomstar gripped the corpse's tail. They crouched down, walked under and out the door carrying the dead carcass.

Tarno didn't even bother to look around Guinevere to see what had happened, he could smell the death and hatred in the air. He shared a brief gaze with the red panda cub beside him looking away when Guinevere patted his head and smiled at him.

The red panda cub slowing laid its head on the white she-cat's tail making a high-pitch squeak.

Guinevere looked at the cub with surprise and confusion before shrugging and curling her tail around it. 

Phantomstar, Desprox, and Xenia came trudging back in silence. Keeping a distance between each other, even when they reached Guinevere.