devil's backbone - DNP

[ethium]

𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋'𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐄

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stars #1000 tryout form - please dnp
Username: ethium
Cat Name: chamomilebriar
Gender: female
Rank: warrior
Clan: elmclan
Age: 45 moons
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TOTAL WORD COUNT: 3,636 words
cats mentioned in these writings:
these are here to give you visuals for cats mentioned..etc. :)

there once was a love -
- chamomilebriar (tryout cat)
- emberstride

more alike than you would believe -
- sequoiastar
- shreddedmoon
- emberstride

devil on a throne of deceit -
- chamomilebriar
- emberstride (mentioned)
- lilybell

ashes ashes we all fall down -
- chamomilebriar
- doestep

i will be the monster you see in me -
- chamomilebriar
- emberstride
- sequoiastar (mentioned)

no heart left to break -
- chamomilebriar
- emberstride

[ethium]

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

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XXXXXXXXXX morning mist caressed the exposed leaves of a low-hanging tree, the grass was slick with dew and there was a chill to the early air. chamomilebriar stretched herself out, long legs exposing a lean form as she swiftly navigated the damp landscape. Her gaze flicked behind her, where emberstride was still resting. The other molly was curled up, and now shivered with the cold as chamomilebriar had moved from her position at her side and removed her body warmth. The awake molly smiled fondly, and then continued on into the wood, eager to achieve her goal of acquiring food.

The pair had been traveling for many moons now, comfortable with one another's company. Chamomilebriar knew, however, that this life would only satisfy emberstride for so long, and figured it was only a matter of time before the other molly's ambition outgrew this lifestyle. It had happened all too often. emberstride had gotten bored and would move them into some poor clan's territory. Now, they were on the outskirts of a territory chamomilbriar recognized as elmclan. it was only a matter of time before the pair moved in and messed around.

chamomilebriar felt her heart strings tug at that thought. she hated how manipulative emberstride was. how cruel the other molly could be when her ambition was on the line. the lives they had ruined.. chamomilebriar had lost count. She was simply along for the ride, she loved emberstride more than anything in this world, and if she did not support emberstride in her endeavors how could she claim to love her? chamomile knew it was wrong.. but in many ways chamomilebriar simply chose to ignore it. if she pretended as if it didn't exist, maybe she wouldn't need to address it.

chamomilebriar was snapped out of her thoughts by a cat gently rubbing against her. She turned her head to find emberstride had managed to sneak up on her.

"good morning my love." the blue-eyed molly purred, and chamomilebriar felt butterflies erupt within her stomach.

"morning. I was just about to go get some food." chamomile offered, turning her head in the direction of a clearing just ahead. "Be careful wandering off, we're very close to elmclan's borders and I don't want us to draw unnecessary attention." chamomilebriar nodded but felt slightly irritated at the reminder of what was about to happen. did emberstride think her so naive? "I've done this before emberstride. I think I know how to avoid clan borders.. what being a loner for too many moons to count and all." she huffed indignantly, and emberstride immediately lowered herself apologetically. "That's not what I meant and you know it. You've got something on your mind.. what's troubling you?" the molly asked, suddenly concerned. Chamomilebriar decided she no longer wanted to continue the conversation, and made to stride quicker past emberstride, but was intercepted by the other molly who now stood in front of the other with eyes wide in concern. "Really cham, what's wrong?" Chamomilebriar inhaled, dropping her gaze and sighing.

"I'm scared that your newest exploit is going to hurt more cats." Emberstride jerked up as if something had just bit her tail. She stared at chamomilebriar with a scalded look, but let chamomile continue. "All these years, all those clans.. every time you get ambitious it just leads to more and more cats getting hurt, and you don't seem to care about any of them. I have seen all of them, I have felt their suffering and I'm tired of it. I can't let anyone else get hurt." Emberstride stared at her with icy, unforgiving eyes. "You wound me. I am doing this for us. it's not my fault these cats aren't worthy of us. If you're not in support of me, you're against me." ember hissed irritatedly. But it was clear there was doubt in her eyes as her tail lashed and she turned away. She heard the truth to chamomile's words. She just didn't want to hear it.

Chamomilebriar watched Emberstride trot off, agitation brimming her pelt. Chamomile simply felt sad. This would be the beginning of the fractures in their relationship. Emberstride's lifestyle choices would lead to conflict with Chamomilebriar's moral compass.

Their love for one another would become their biggest hinderance.
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[ethium]

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐄

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XXXXXXXXXX Ice blue eyes peered out from ragged ebony thorns, greenery concealed her mottled pelt as her eyes locked themselves upon the clan clearing only a few fox-lengths before her. She had been studying elmclan’s movements and patterns of late and had quickly seen the political instability within the seemingly normal clan. There was no deputy, the leader had only recently been appointed, and many cats were uncertain as to who or what they needed to do. Their old leader had been killed viciously, and the current leader was younger and inexperienced (although not without surprising ambition). The peaceful clan was unused to all of the chaos of recent weeks and had only recently settled into a shaky rhythm. Now, Emberstride watched them with eyes that gleamed with excitement and hope. This was the reason she had traveled into the territory. Her gut had been correct in its insistence that there was more for her here than a simple clan of cowards. With her at the helm, she imagined this clan turned into proper warriors, a true force of nature. Emberstride maintained her crouched position in the brambles, her gaze fixated on the forms of two she-cats who were now exiting the camp. A rosette pelt flashed golden in the mid-morning light. Beside the leader strode the scarred and skinny form of this clan’s ancestral seeker. Emberstride watched them with careful eyes, but what she noticed most was the exaggerated step in which the young leader presented herself. The gleam of the leader’s eyes and the expression that overtook her face.. It all pointed to a larger scheme at work. Emberstride would know, as she herself had undergone such an expression many-a-time when dealing with various threats. Something more was at work here. With this Emberstride rose to follow the pairing, curiosity overcoming any common sense to remain isolated.

Sequoiastar led the blind, old, ancestral seeker deeper and deeper into the undergrowth. Muttering idle chatter and the promise that she was almost at her destination (which wasn’t exactly a lie.). Every now and then, Sequoiastar would sneak a glance at Shreddedmoon, curiosity as to the silent molly’s thoughts weaving it’s way through her mind. Sequoiastar would then propose a question, baiting Shreddedmoon’s response, and was usually left with little to no answer. This went on for the majority of the trek to the edge of snake rocks. As soon as they neared, Shreddedmoon seemed to fidget and grow wary.

“Sequoiawing where are we?” the blind molly demanded, her nose tentatively sniffing the air. Sequoiastar scowled, feeling the fur along her neck bristle with irritation. Shreddedmoon had not given Sequoiastar her blessing, citing some weird dream, and had denied Sequoiastar the right to become the leader. As such, the old molly refused to call her by her true name.

“We’re here,” Sequoiastar responded bitterly, her green gaze flashing to the rocks which revealed the hole she had trapped an adder within a day before. The blind molly paid no mind, shifting from paw to paw as she took in her new surroundings as much as a blind old cat could. “Your ways are outdated, Shreddedmoon. I am the deputy, I have been for twelve moons now, and you have refused to give me your blessing. I am once again pleading with you, please. For your sake and mine.” Desperation edged Sequoiastar’s voice. Please give in, please. Sequoiastar did not want to do what she had to do if the ancestral seeker continued to refuse. She wasn’t a murderer or at least didn’t think of herself as one, but this had to be done for the sake of the clan. “For my sake?! Shreddedmoon spat, her fur suddenly standing on end while her lithe paws unsheathed her claws. Agitation brimmed through the air. Sequoiastar felt like she had just been physically attacked, although the other cat had merely bristled and had remained in place. “Yes, your sake.” Sequoiastar restated, her paw hoving over the stone, ready at any moment to release the snake on their most sacred cat. Sequoiastar shook her head as her mind began to question her actions. What if they need another ancestral seeker? Doepaw is more than capable of taking the position. Sequoiastar huffed softly, which caused Shreddedmoon to shift, turning her head to listen to Sequoiastar better. “What are you doing over there?” the ancestral seeker demanded, but it was too late. In one swift movement, Sequoiastar released the adder and listened to the hiss of scales and power as it propelled itself from its hiding place. Irritated at having been disturbed, it lunged at the nearest living thing: Shreddedmoon. The old molly let out a horrible shriek as the snake caught her.

“I am ensuring that elmclan will continue to live on Shreddedmoon. I gave you your chance to bless my ascension, but I do not need your blessing. You will not be allowed to endanger elmclan any longer.” Sequoiastar watched as the other molly collapsed, the venom of the now retreating snake doing it’s work. “Goodbye Shreddedmoon.” the new leader of elmclan murmured, anguish for the first time, finally gripping her. But she shook it off as one might shoo away a pesky fly, and she retreated into the treeline, eager to distance herself from her crime so that those who find the ancestral seeker might have no idea who had orchestrated the whole event.

From the treeline watched Emberstride, with a gleeful gaze she watched the new leader trot off, leaving the ancestral seeker’s form to lay weak in the dust. A monster who thinks herself a saint… Emberstride pondered this a moment, her intelligent mind working through scenarios like clockwork. Perhaps this will work in her favor after all.. The molly then rose, following after Sequoiastar with sly, quick steps. She wanted to intercept the molly before she entered elmclan camp again. It didn’t take long for Emberstride to do just that, Sequoiastar paused as she smelt the rouge and then whipped around as Emberstride emerged from the shadows. Her laughing crystal blue gaze revealed everything to Sequoiastar. This rouge had seen everything.

“Such a fascinating secret you have.” Emberstride purred, stepping closer, but not too close. She did not trust this leader as far as she could throw her (which wasn’t very far). "Mind if I share it?" ember purred which earned her a growl unlike anything else. Sequoiastar unsheathed her claws. "I would get lost rat. You are not welcome in my territory." Emberstride tsked, shaking her head as if disappointed. "I believe you'll come to appreciate my company, after all, we're going to be spending quite a lot of time with one another." Sequoiastar tilted her head, confused but rage flared up in her eyes as she got the subliminal message. "You will never be welcome in elmclan." Ember hmmed curiously, her laughing gaze starting up a storm within sequoiastar.

"Actually, I believe I will be quite welcome here. Especially when you make me your deputy." Sequoiastar hissed. "Why would I do that?" "Because you wouldn't want your little stunt back there to be revealed to the entire clan would you? After all.. I believe harming an ancestral seeker is an offense anyone in elmclan would chase you out or kill you for." Sequoiastar understood the bargain now, but that didn't make the bile running down her throat any easier to swallow. She looked the rogue up and down, but she could think of no way out of this. Elmclan may believe her, if she were to blame the rogue, but if shreddedmoon were to wake up and confirm the rogue's accusations... "If I make you my deputy, you are to ensure that shreddedmoon does not tell of this.. incident should she survive." Emberstride considered this. Easy enough.. she had to give the leader credit, she was attempting to make the most of her current trap.

"Deal." Sequoiastar stood there for a moment and then sighed. "Fine then, Rogue. We should be getting back to our (Sequoiastar almost gagged at this, how could her plan have gone so sideways?) clan. What should I call you?" Emberstride grinned, dipping her head for sequoiastar to lead the way.

"You may call me Emberstride, deputy of elmclan."

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[ethium]

𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐓

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XXXXXXXXXX Shortly after emberstride had been announced as the new deputy of elmclan, chaos and outrage had erupted. It was easy enough to bring chamomilebriar into the mix, but that didn't mean anyone was happy about it. But Sequoiastar's rule was law and therefore everyone in elmclan sucked it up and obeyed it. They were more worried about their ancestral seeker, who had been found unconscious later that day and had been brought to the medical den in critical condition. It seemed as if she had come across a snake during one of her wanderings. An unfortunate accident. Chamomilebriar remained passive during the majority of this. She had no attachments beyond emberstride, but emberstride was frequently busy doing her duty as the new deputy of elmclan. She was earning the trust of the residents and establishing herself as a strong candidate for a future leader. Ember's charisma certainly helped, but all chamomilebriar felt was sick. This happened time and time again, and always, emberstride found a way to ruin the clan from the inside out.

It was early morning, and chamomilebriar seated herself outside the warriors den. She had been made a warrior easily enough, as she had all of the necessary skills already. It didn't take long for chamomile's new friend, lilybell, to make an appearance. The molly was kindhearted and had welcomed her from the start, therefore it wasn't surprising to find chamomile had grown attached to the young grove-tender.

"Emberstride gives me a bad feeling." Lily murmured, and chamomilebriar felt her hair stand on end.

"Don't let her hear you say that." she warned quickly, flashing a serious gaze at lilybell who responded with a flick of her tail. If emberstride heard anyone questioning her intention, that someone would disappear. You were either a devoted follower or you were never anything ever again, and chamomile would not be able to handle someone as kind as lilybell being on the receiving end of that wrath. Especially because she was one of very few friends cham had made during her time in elmclan. "I just.. want you to be safe is all." Lily nodded her head. "But that's precisely what I mean. I shouldn't fear for my life because I disagree with the way someone runs my clan." Chamomile pondered this, understanding her situation, but fear overtook any justice she might have wanted to enact. "Don't speak of it again.. please. I don't want to lose you too." Memories of past cats she had connected with, all dying at the hands of her lover.. back then the spell had been too strong. She had been too enraptured in the thrill of love that she had chosen to look beyond the red, now, the red had gotten so high she knew it would blot out the sun, and she could no longer ignore it.

They were too deep to do anything about it though. Chamomilebriar knew elmclan wouldn't last much longer, they had already outdone their stay and emberstride would become bored soon enough. Her only hope was that this devil would stay on her throne of deceit just a little longer.. so she could cherish what little joy she had left in the world.
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[ethium]

𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍

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XXXXXXXXXXdeep in the ebony night, chamomilebriar tosses and turns in her moss-padded nest. she mewls out in terror, but it is too soft to awaken any warrior around her.


before her stretched the great entwined elms, screams of horror and terror echoed through a foggy, dark forest. great thorns grew from the earth, wrapping themselves around a (clearly dying) ancestral tree. Chamomilebriar runs forward and trips, finding herself looking down at herself in the reflection of a puddle. In this reflection she sees herself, terrified, battered and afraid. Behind her emerges emberstride whose claws outstretched cause chamomile to lurch upwards before she can be struck by them. The splashing of the puddle echoes in her ears as emberstride weaves around it, grinning from ear to ear and radiating malice.

"you always knew what I was.. didn't you? why didn't you do anything to help them cham? they needed you and you abandoned them." chamomile shakes her head, desperate to clear those hateful words from her ears. This emberstride grins nodding in her insistence that the venom she speaks is truth. "you are no better than I am. You saw me doing this, and you did nothing. You stood by me out of love, but when you found out what I was doing? and realized it was wrong? you remain by my side out of fear." emberstride laughed, a cackling, hackles-raising laugh. "Join me upon the throne of our lies chamomilebriar. You and I are queens of this forest, and we will bathe in our destruction."

chamomile is transported atop a flaming ancestral tree. Beside her emberstride stands with eyes that glow alight. Blue fire, joining the tongues of gold that race across the dry earth. The tree is being consumed, the cats below are screaming in their agony and chamomilebriar can do nothing but sit and watch and hold down her screams. she did this. this is her fault.

maybe its not too late to stop it ...

the molly lurches awake, sweating matting her fur as she struggles to regain composure. what was that.. cham shakes her head, the terror-filled screams of the dream still ringing in her ears. she will stop it. she will do something about this. no longer will she sit idle.. chamomile decides. Determination sweeps her face as she lays her head back down.

I will do something about this.
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[ethium]

𝐈 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐄

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XXXXXXXXXX The full moon is bright and glorious, but it is now obscured by a cloud of brown smoke. Emberstride cackles.. chamomilebriar watched as elmclan cats turn tail in their terror. Her dream has come to pass, and emberstride stands atop a burning ancestral tree, watching with delight at the terror and death she is wrecking. Chamomilebriar's eyes narrow and she curses. She knows what she must do, but is uncertain if she has the strength to do what needs to be done. She starts for the tree and climbs it, approaching the flaming branch emberstride is perched upon.

"Come to join me in our glory?" emberstride turned, her eyes cloudy. Chamomilebriar shook her head, anger surging through her.

"You're a monster Emberstride. I've come.. to put down the monster."

heaving, emberstride shook with first surprise, that then morphed into rage and fixed her manic eyes on the saddened form of chamomilebriar. A raspy laugh came from the other molly, causing chamomilebriar's fur to stand on end. This was not her lover, this was a monster. She had said as such, and now emberstride was proving it.

"Fine.. I will be the monster you see in me. Perhaps I am cursed to be alone after all." Emberstride lunged, claws outstretched with only one goal: murder. Chamomilebriar made a mad leap for the ground, landing on her feet with a manic emberstride only hair-lengths behind. The two streak across burnt grass before emberstride finally catches the fleeing molly. The two tussle yowling and hissing, chamomilebriar can feel hot pain surging down her fur and this spurs her into fighting back just as fiercely. Claws outstretched, chamomilebriar lunges at a temporarily retreating emberstride, which surprises the other molly as she is unused to chamomile acting so aggressively. She slashes her claws across emberstride's face who howls in agony.

"You-" she shakes with rage, stumbling backwards and pawing at her injured cheek with surprise, sorrow, and anger.

"This has gone on long enough emberstride.. I was too in love to see before, but I see now."

Emberstride stares at chamomilebriar. She cannot see the molly she fell in love with. All she sees is the anger-fueled shell of a molly she once knew. Chamomilebriar lunges at emberstride, knowing that starclan has tasked her with putting an end to the suffering of others. As they tussle, chamomilebriar begins to cry, remembering the fond moments of younger years. Warm, yellow grass, basking in the light of the sun as they playfully bat at one another and the numerous moths that spring from their hiding spaces as the pair approach. Emberstride has stopped fighting, and the fight is soon over.

Chamomilebriar is sobbing, the fire is slowly putting itself out as rain begins to tumble from the heavens. She turns her face to the sky, letting the rain wash away her tears and clean the still form of her lover. A monster who had lost herself.. who had lost any chance at redemption. Starclan has sent the rain to soothe her, but all it does is open the chasm inside chamomilebriar wider.
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[ethium]

𝐍𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊

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XXXXXXXXXX as dawn breaks, chamomilebriar mourns in the ashes of the ancestral tree, and next to the deceased body of emberstride.

Tears surged down chamomilebriar's face, anger and frustration at this senseless situation, at the world, at starclan.. It all seemed to come crashing down as the sun filtered between the trees and revealed the carnage of the night. She had spared elmclan and countless others from ember's tyranny, but at the cost of her own heart.

Chamomilebriar could not feel anything anymore.. because there was no longer a heart left to break. The price for her complacency. Chamomile simply watches the sun rise, and mourns what might have been.
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