Username: snapshot
Link to cat(s) or lion(s) involved in prompt: Mamba
Link to their pride or group: Lions of the Waves
Prompt level completion: 5
Prompt: June 11
They should’ve spend the rest of that afternoon coming up with plans and ideas for what to do should the next wave of enemy forces attack, but the newcomers were too overwhelmed with the strange new world to focus. In the end they settled on using some free time to explore and chat with the locals and in the evening they would set back down to strategy.
Sen and Fantom took a stroll around the area surrounding the tree of the goddess. Lasan did not join them. A lazy walk with his parents was no the idea of a good time for an adolescent lion. Instead he joined Moe and Varjo in meeting, quite possibly, everyone who lived here.
The two observed the multicoloured trees and the midnight sky with fluttering lights and talked about what happened in their respective worlds over the last few days when they were separated. Their discussion, though politely, was interrupted by a small ginger and black cat.
- Excuse me, mr. Leader?
- Yes? - the two lions stopped and turned to the little cat.
- I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I think there’s something you should know.
Sen smiled and nodded, encouraging the cat to speak. He told them about having listened in to a conversation between two soldiers. They spoke of plans of burning the tree of decay under the cover of night to end the war once and for all.
- However - continued Marlevort, sitting comfortably on the soft grass. - I don’t think it will stop anything. I hope you don’t mind me sharing my opinion? - he tilted his head slightly and watched Sen.
Fantom put his paw over his mouth.
- Oh my, you’re ever so polite. I hope it rubs off on some of our watchmen at least a little bit.
- Go on ahead - said Sen with a little smile.
Marlevort took a glance at the tree of the goddess, as if sorting out his thought before he started talking.
- Right now we’re a part of a war of gods. The champions and the denizens fight are fighting over who’s right and wrong, but if a tree is actually destroyed… I feel that it would cause hate between the two groups and they would start fighting out of rage and revenge. It would be the spiral of mutual contempt. The war would only rage on and who knows when it would stop. If ever…
The cat’s tail twitched to the side, a little nervously. He spoke slowly, often looking around or onto the ground and shifting his gaze when Sen’s eyes stared for too long into his. He gave the impression of being an intelligent and rather confident, but very shy cat.
- Also, there’s the matter of whether you can actually kill a god tree by setting it on fire. So far no damage has been done to either tree and they have not actively joined the battle, but what if they decide to do it once attacks focus on them? And if a tree can be destroyed then that might cause the spirit of the tree to be released and cause even grater havoc upon this world. - From a concerned, speculating tone his voice suddenly turned into one very matter-of-factly. - Great beasts are often contained by their mortal forms, you know.
Sen and Fantom exchanged looks.
- Thank you for sharing this with me - said Sen.
- Burning down the tree - added Fantom. - Does sound like an easy solution to a problem. I can see why it would tempt some. They probably think that they’re doing the right thing too because it would avoid fighting and killing other felines.
Sen nodded in agreement.
- However, I agree with you, Marlevort, that it might bring more harm than good. - He shook his head - For dream’s sake, who would be so hasty as to attack a god tree?
- Do you know when they want to do it? Or an idea how we can avoid it?
Marlevort tilted his head slightly to one side.
- Stop them?
Sen scratched the side of his great mane.
- Get to the tree before them and apprehend them before they can cause any harm. Good idea, Marlevort. - The cat narrowed his eyes. Was Sen being condescending? - We should act fast. Let’s meet up with the others.
They all rushed forward and collected most of their crew. They would decide together of what to do and rely the plan to the rest of the team. Time was of the essence.
- We’re going to pick a small group to go the tree of decay. We cannot be seen, if the army of decay sees us there, they won’t let us escape - Sen started talking after explaining what Marlevort has found out and what they decided to do. - So we need to be fast and silent. Can you do that? - he turned to Rei who was looking proud and a smug grin appeared on his face.
- Hey - he said with a hint of pain in his voice. - I can be stealthy! I’m not all speed, you’ll see.
- Alright. That makes five of us.
He looked at Rei, Fantom, a lion who’s been fighting with since the start and who has proven himself to be both fast and strong and a small blue cat who was extremely fierce in battle. He reminded Sen of Sura, who was also on the smaller side, but made up for it with extremely fast bites.
- What about the rest of us? - asked Sia calmly. Lasan was sitting next to her with a worried look on his face.
Sen considered this.
- Sia, you should talk to Marlevort. Maybe together you can think of some plan beyond stopping the immediate catastrophe. Lasan - he turned to his son. - You’ll be with Varjo and the rest. Your job will be to protect and save as many lions as you can, but remember that your own safety comes first. Do not go beyond Varjo’s barrier - he said, sounding more intense. - And keep close to Moe. And…
- I think he understands - Fantom cut him off with a laugh.
Lasan still looked a little worried, but also eager that he’ll be able to lend a hand to the watch.
- Alright, dad, I’ll be good.
Sen was very uncertain about this plan. He would leave his own son where the battle will take place and leave and who knows how long it will be till they get back. He would be in great company, but still…
- Time to get going - Fantom put a paw on his shoulder.
Sen stood up. They must’ve all been worried, but they were keeping it together and so would he. There was no time to lose.
A fire. Gluttony's red eyes glinted as she grinned, listening intently to what they were suggesting. They wanted to light a fire, to burn the other tree to the ground. It was secretive and cruel, not at all fair. The black and white she-cat didn't care for ethics, however. If there was an army of death coming to fight, then she was more than willing to burn the tree that spawned them down to the ground. As for the use of fire, that thought simply excited Gluttony as she paced, waiting for them to get to go. She had always been teetering on the edge of sanity, much more than the other cats living in the Depths, and perhaps this was just further proof of that. She didn't care if it was.
Finally, it was time. Gluttony crept alongside the rest of the group, silent. She'd mastered silence a long time ago, her old group having drilled it into her as they made her the monster they wanted. Some part of her wondered what she would be doing in this situation if things back then had been different, but if they had been, there was no guarantee Gluttony would even be here now. No, to question that was pointless and silly. All that mattered was reaching the tree and taking it down as quickly as possible so they could end this war before things got any worse.
If she was lucky, maybe they would manage it quickly enough that Gluttony wouldn't miss all the fun on the battlefield.
---
"They're planning to burn the tree of decay," Galilee said as she approached Cole under the agreed upon tree to meet at, not too far from the field Cole said they'd fought at the other day. "They're sending a second group, a stealth group, to go and burn it, hopefully before the rain starts up to stop it."
Before the gray lion could respond, Grimm approached, for once in his life actually looking concerned. "They're planning to send a second group to burn the tree of decay?" He asked, and the half snow leopard nodded her head in confirmation. "They're not the only ones planning that sort of plot. The undead army has the exact same plan for the tree of life."
Cole looked like he was trying desperately not to bash his head against the trunk of the tree they were under, and Galilee couldn't blame him. "This is a disaster," he groaned, pawing at the ground. "I don't know what consequences burning either god's tree will have, but we can't allow them to do that...especially if they plan to burn both." His tail flicked behind him as he glanced to the sky, a frown in place. "And in secret? That's not even ethical."
It surprised Galilee, how much Cole was talking. From what Grimm had told her, he was fairly quiet, generally keeping to himself and bundling his thoughts up. She was told to be prepared for him to be grumpy and awkward, but Cole didn't seem to fit any of the things she'd heard. He seemed like a leader, and an intelligent one at that, someone who knew what he was doing and who wanted to do what was right. Perhaps that was simply a result of this whole experience. Whether it'd be a permanent change in Cole's character, or simply a circumstantial one as he was forced to try and fix a situation that seemed to have no solution, was yet to be seen; it was quite possible that, if it were not for this crisis going on around them, Cole would be exactly as Grimm had said when he was telling her about him. Right now, however, she was impressed.
"All is fair in love and war," Grimm responded, shaking some of his black hair from his face as he took a seat, face looking grim (ironically) as he stared out at the field.
"It shouldn't be," Cole responded sharply, only to cringe as he ducked his head and mumbled, "Sorry."
Galilee noted the change in attitude with a frown. Obviously his previous tendencies weren't completely curbed, even now. The lion definitely needed more confidence. However, this wasn't the time to dwell on that, and based on the look on Grimm's face, Galilee was pretty sure her friend was going to. She needed to steer this conversation away from that before they got completely side-tracked and found that, as the battle approached, they had no plan to stop the plans each side had from unfolding.
"What can we do?" She asked impatiently, tail thrashing back and forth behind her. "Do we know which side is justified in their attack?"
Cole shook his head. "Supposedly the goddess brought us here, and she represents life. However, she is cold and distant, offering us nothing in terms of explanation. We were constantly instructed on what to do when I was in the city, like the champions had to constantly be occupied so they wouldn't snoop around too much. There were no answers to be found."
"Wouldn't that suggest she has something to hide, meaning the guy in the withered tree is the one to believe?" Grimm asked.
Once again, the Sky Oasis' Archivist shook his head. "If only it were that easy. The god of decay claims that he is attacking because the goddess is trying to upset the balance, stopping death from happening at all."
Grimm's expression was unreadable as he listened to what his pridemate had to say before asking another question. "Is that so wrong?"
"We can have a discussion about the ethics of stopping death some other time," Galilee said before Cole could respond. The bigger lion was obviously perturbed by what Grimm had said, and Galilee was not in the mood to moderate that discussion. Once again, they needed to stay focused. "What makes you suspect the god of lying?"
"He lured us away with some strange call, and despite being very forthcoming, he didn't seem completely honest. And his army, Grimm, you had to have seen them. They're more than unsettling. He's definitely not telling the whole story, even when he does answer questions asked."
[ 1031/1000 words ]
likely will be continued when I have time
Prompt 11 wrote:"Oh gods, what did I get myself into?"
Phoenix had stepped out of the portal casting a doubtful glance at the area surrounding her; to be honest, she just wanted to join in on the fight to see what would face her.
It was... a tempting opportunity, to be honest; she wondered if there would be any riches or anything to gain from this escapade, and her brother was already off somewhere else.
It was now her turn to adventure.
But - as she surveyed the area to see what was going on before making a decision, she was met with an immeasurable amount of tension surrounding the group of cats who had stayed together with the forces of decay.
It looked like war hadn't been too long ago.
Phoenix slunk along the groups of cats; stealth not being her biggest thing that she preferred, but she couldn't just be headstrong this time; she had to gauge what the hell even was happening in this realm... what side she'd have to fight for, what she could perhaps gain from this, all that.
She hadn't quite recognized any of the cats (especially not the lions; they didn't scare her, but it was a shock to come across them) until spotting a familiar sight... was that Lucian?
Indeed it was. It was... hilarious to see him struggle with the two practically-kitten-aged cats that had come from Vallis as well, though Phoenix had to raise a metaphorical eyebrow at the sight. What were they doing here? Wasn't there battles to be fought...? She wasn't so sure it would have been safe for them... but they were here, anyways, and the portal had closed up.
If they were stuck here with that miserable cat, well, she just had to find the humor in that situation.
She watched as they walked off; presumably to discuss the plan that was to be had and committed to moving forward, and she followed. Phoenix was only curious herself, truly. And, plus, like she thought before... she had to know what she was getting into with all this.
It would be the first smart thing she'd have done all day, to be honest; jumping into a portal headfirst without considering the consequences? Probably not great, who knows!
Phoenix had caught up fairly quickly to the creamy tom and the two other cats; and, perhaps finding it more amusing to play a trick on them, she whispered -
"Heya, bud!"
Lucian turned around with a start, clearly surprised by the cream-and-red molly's appearance; he sighed upon seeing her - she was somewhat well known for being some sort of a troublemaker, especially with her brother - and he muttered, "You came along, too, huh?"
"Sure did," she grinned, stepping up to Lucian quickly; attracting the attention of Calida, who looked at her in some sort of awe.
Seems like the kid kinda likes me, Phoenix thought, relatively amused. Isn't that something.
"What do you want," Lucian spat, looking directly at her, matching her amused gaze.
"...to come along with you all! We're all from Vallis, we should stick together or something," she spoke up, lashing her tail slightly. "What's going on, anyways?"
Lucian glared at her for a moment before continuing, "...I was getting to that. Fine. If you want to 'stick together' so badly... you might as well know what's going on in the first place."
He began to explain; he started from explaining the original call to defend the goddess of life, something that struck oddly to Phoenix; they had been summoned to fight for life, right? The good side? Why was Lucian so passionate about fighting for the side of decay?
He then turned to explain about how the god of decay told them all about the goddess' intentions of destroying the balance of life and decay, something that Phoenix could sympathize with... but she still thought upon it. Everything told her that the goddess of life was the good one, the one that should be supported. The one they should fight for.
But she could sympathize with death. She had such an odd relationship with it, regardless, that she couldn't just knock it down, just like that... perhaps Phoenix could understand why Lucian had turned to fight for the god.
"That's pretty much the gist of it," Lucian finished, happy enough that the younger cats besides him hadn't spoken up too much during his explanation; not that he thought Caspian would, but he was moreso wary about Calida, the much more headstrong of the two. "And now... we're planning to set the tree of life on fire."
This raised her hackles slightly. Now, she was definitely a user of fire magic; it was some sort of a trademark of hers, and it matched her personality. If she wanted to help them set it on fire, she certainly could.
But she wasn't so sure she agreed with it.
"Now, I think attacking them is cool and all, and I definitely wouldn't mind getting some baddies with fire," she answered, standing her ground, looking back at his mismatched gaze in thought. "But this is a bit too much, don't you think? Hell, we don't even know if that god's right... I wouldn't feel right about burning down something like that, Lucian."
Lucian's expression was unreadable, and Phoenix could feel it.
Now, she liked fighting when she knew she was up against something that could harm those she truly cared about. That - she had no qualms over burning down absolutely everything to the ground.
But this was... unfair, something that triggered her slight compassion. They didn't know if the side of life was right, they didn't know if the side of decay was right.
She didn't want to make a mistake she'd regret again; she didn't want to cause destruction upon good cats.
"...I can see where you come from. It's... a shame, considering your magic," Lucian continued, "...but..."
"No. That's my final answer... not until we know more or something, but I say we have a fair battle," she continued, glaring back at him. "And I'll make sure of that."[1018 words]
With reinforcements, the troops are bolstered and more ready than ever to fight their foes, on both sides. Though the next battle seems to approach quickly, there are murmurs around the armies as the generals each look for a new group... infiltrators- they call them. Unbeknownst to them they mimic each others words "Fire. We'll flank them and when they leave the tree to fight...we'll burn it to the ground". Such an irony that they have identical plans, one group to burn the tree of decay, another to burn the tree of life. "Who will join us? Who can be trusted? Who can be stealthy enough to lead or partake in such an attack?" So similar, yet so far apart.
Do your cats agree with the ethics of a stealthy, under the table death blow? Do they approve of using fire? Do they fight for a fair fight or lead the group in their mission to put an end to it?
As the armies begin to move, the splinter groups leave just ahead of them. Taking a new, longer route around to reach their destination, this one in silence as they prepare themselves for what they believe they must do. The rain is coming, and they have limited time to start a flame that can withstand it, from the inside out.
While they sulk around to achieve this, the armies meet again in the fields, bringing their all to this final battle. Their biggest brutes and forces, their best weapons and armor. It feels like the entire forest is filled with cries of anger and hurt, and the night's barely begun.
With reinforcements, the troops are bolstered and more ready than ever to fight their foes, on both sides. Though the next battle seems to approach quickly, there are murmurs around the armies as the generals each look for a new group... infiltrators- they call them. Unbeknownst to them they mimic each others words "Fire. We'll flank them and when they leave the tree to fight...we'll burn it to the ground". Such an irony that they have identical plans, one group to burn the tree of decay, another to burn the tree of life. "Who will join us? Who can be trusted? Who can be stealthy enough to lead or partake in such an attack?" So similar, yet so far apart.
Do your cats agree with the ethics of a stealthy, under the table death blow? Do they approve of using fire? Do they fight for a fair fight or lead the group in their mission to put an end to it?
As the armies begin to move, the splinter groups leave just ahead of them. Taking a new, longer route around to reach their destination, this one in silence as they prepare themselves for what they believe they must do. The rain is coming, and they have limited time to start a flame that can withstand it, from the inside out.
While they sulk around to achieve this, the armies meet again in the fields, bringing their all to this final battle. Their biggest brutes and forces, their best weapons and armor. It feels like the entire forest is filled with cries of anger and hurt, and the night's barely begun.
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