Warriors: Bound To Stars

Chapter 31 || Assignment

The wind ruffled the black tom's fur as he ran from ThunderClan's camp. His whiskers buffeted back and the tips of his ears flicked from the leaves rustling over his head. Batchaser's paws began to shake, his heart pumping out of his chest as his tail waved behind him. He wanted to escape from the territory as quickly as possible, but the ShadowClanner wasn't sure he could make it. The lapping waves of the lake rang in his ears as he neared the area, slowing down and emerging from the foliage around. Batchaser looked over the water, eyeing the stars that reflected through, casting light over the four territories. He smiled softly. It almost felt as if he were living. Maybe he was.

⠀⠀Batchaser's chest fell back and forth as he breathed in heavily. The tom blinked, slowly, exhausting tugging at his chest and bringing him to the dirt-ridden ground. Mixtures of sand grains sunk into his midnight fur as he lowered his head, curling his thin tail around his skinny body. He stared back over the water, hoping Sunpaw would lead the other ThunderClan cats away from the lake. Batchaser didn't want to be found again, but he was so tired he hardly cared at this point. He just needed to sleep. Why was he so tired? Maybe because it took all of my power to avoid being seduced by that creepy leader Doestar. He scowled slightly, ear twitching. Batchaser felt bad for any cat that had to be put through that event. The ShadowClanner felt like he was luckier than the others, considering he'd been able to escape. But that knowledge still presented all too many questions in his reeling head.

⠀⠀How was I even able to escape? My claws... they melted Doestar's flesh, like she'd been burned by embers in a heavy forest fire. Batchaser frowned. I wonder if that's how it works for everyone in the living world...I'm not sure. I don't really want to test it, either. Only if I have to lash out.

⠀⠀Sighing, the black tom closed his eyes, darkness overlapping his vision. It blanketed his mind and tugged him into a dull, throbbing void where he couldn't think clearly anymore, or even see anything around him except for shadows. Stars began to glitter around his paws and wrap their way up his body, swirling through his pelt and up his neck, coloring his eyes like space. The world around him beat back into life and he saw grass sprouting from the ground, tickling his paw pads and traveling through the rising hills and twinkling turquoise sky. Batchaser eased his tensed shoulders and unclenched his jaw, tail flattening out and prickling fur smoothing out. He smiled, softly, and the black tom felt at home once more. StarClan.

⠀⠀But his smile didn't last for long. Curiosity prickled through his paws and his heart weighed with worry. Why am I here? Who called me? Batchaser knew the Star-filled Pool was closed... wasn't it? Shivers wrapped down his spine and the black tom moved forward, sliding his paws over the soft, silky grass below and padding over the rolling hills. He twitched his tail, narrowing his blue eyes slightly, noticing a figure in the distance. Batchaser began to sprint, taking in the white and brown fur of the cat, the glimmering blue-amber eyes; he smiled. It was her. 

⠀⠀"Jackalstar," he breathed, bounding toward the she-cat. She turned her gaze to Batchaser, grumbling something under her breath and moving forward to meet him. The black tom slowed, tilting his head at the former ThunderClan leader. "What are we doing here?"

⠀⠀She shrugged nonchalantly, looking around with a bored expression.

⠀⠀Batchaser pursed his lips, willing Jackalstar to give him more information and actually be interested. "Aren't you the least bit curious? I mean, someone must have called us here, right?"

⠀⠀"You are correct."

⠀⠀Both cats whipped their heads to the side, eyes wide. Batchaser immediately noticed Galewhisker and ran forward, looking him over. "You did this?"