Games

Season 1 Episode 8 of Anarchy. Please enjoy and comment what you think!

“Sandpaw, it’s time.” Sandpaw was standing behind the great rock that the selected had gathered at many times over the past days. Today, however, was their last. And since many of these cats standing around her might never make it back to the Oasis, they were having the honor of being granted warrior names by the king himself. However, Sandpaw did not find this an honor at all, to be granted a name by the cat she now hated most. After her little outburst last night, Sandpaw realized she was nothing more than a puppet to this cat, a method of entertainment.

Cats from every sector, including ShadowClan, here gathered here to celebrate the opening of the Shadow Festival, which only happens once in a lifetime when the moon was covered by a huge shadow and cast purple light down on the oasis the whole night. Sandpaw was a sea of faces as she scrambled up the slippery rock. There was the king, prince, and Violet, all waiting for her on the rock.

“Welcome Sandpaw,” Birchstar said. Sandpaw bowed respectfully to the king, even though it was the last thing she wanted. “Since you had the honor of being mentored by my lovely Queen, I will give her the honor of presenting you with your official warrior name. Congratulations Sandpaw.” Sandpaw saw Violet step up to her and give her a huge smile. Sandpaw was happy her friend was the one to giver her warrior name.

“Sandpaw, you have trained hard these past few days. I am honored to be your mentor and I wish you all the best in the Deserted Games.” Sandpaw licked Violet’s shoulder and the crowd around here cheered.

“So I will herby present you with your warrior name. Sandpaw, I honor you for your dedication, whit, and determination during training. From this day on, you will be known as Sandvenom. May you always be strong even at times of great despair.” The crowed cheered low, and when Sandvenom gazed into the crowd she saw her whole sector at the front, cheering the lowest. It filled her with so much pride she thought she might cry. She smirked at her sector, tears brimming at the edge of her eyes.

“Thank you Violet,” Sandvenom whispered to her meant who has given her so much. Sandpaw slowly slid off the back of the rock to join Fawnleap, who also received her warrior name.

“Sandvenom, dang thats so cool! It fits you personality perfectly!” Fawnleap cheered.

“I know right! Fawnleap is also such a cool name!”

“Hahaha thanks, I know right! Isn’t it just great, we are warriors!”

“Yeah, too bad we don’t get long to enjoy it.”

“Hey, we are going to make it back, just follow the Shatterglass plan.” That was the ignorant tom’s name now, Shatterglass. It was just as stupid as he was, Sandvenom had thought.

“Yeah.” The Shatterglass plan was for Sandvenom to get all buddy buddy towards him them actually stab him in the back, eliminating the tom forever, and Sandvenom was happy to do such a thing to the cat she purely dislikes. Something was off about Shatterglass but Sandvenom could never put her paw quite on it.

“Hey come on, its our last day. We leave at sunset tonight so we might as well stuff our faces,” Fawnleap snickered.

“Hehehehe, yeah. Lets go,” the two she-cats giggled like kits as they padded together on the small path back towards base, tails intertwined. They had to cherish each others company while they could. It was around noon, only a while until they would depart from the oasis with warriors who knew the desert and go to their designated places in the desert where they would be left each in a small cave and had to find their way back. The journey to the designated place where each cat was dropped was about a four day hike so Violet said.

When they arrived back at base, the prey pile was stalked full of every kind of prey Sandvenom could imagine.

“Woah! This is even a lot for ShadowClan to have!” Fawnleap meowed excitedly.

“I know right!” Sandvenom had never been more excited about anything more in her life.

“I am going to get one of this, and some of this, and ooh I will take two of those,” Fawnleap snuck around the pile, picking her choice of whatever looked juiciest. Sandvenom joined her, picking out voles and a huge rabbit. Together, they carried their prey over to their usual spot under a willow that occasionally blew white tufts of what looked like fur onto their heads. Sandvenom studied the beautiful tree as she dug into her voles. She familiarized herself with each marking, trying to enjoy maybe the last willow tree she would ever see.

She remembered the time she had went on a walk with Glade and he showed her a patch of willows and how Sandvenom had played in them for hours and glade would sit there and watch, sometimes joining her in her silly kit games. Sandvenom missed her old home dearly now. More selected came flooding through the small path and each grabbed as much prey as they could possibly fit and carry it to various locations around camp. Sandvenom saw them discussing their warrior names and strategies for the games. Sandvenom was happy to enjoy the silence with her best friend.

“Hey Sandvenom,” Fawnleap on the other hand was not,”I heard that we get a special meeting with our mentors before we depart tonight.”

“Oh cool, I wanted to talk to Violet before we left.”

“Yeah, I want to clean up some things with Rosefall,” that was Fawnleap’s mentor, an elite healer but was once a warrior before she had an accident. Rosefall was a sweet she cat with calico fur and auburn eyes. Her personality matched Fawnleap’s exactly. Sandpaw glanced over at her friend and saw bones of many pieces of prey.

“Wholy sands Fawnleap!” Sandvenom exclaimed.

“I know, I have a problem.” Both cats burst into laughter. It felt good to laugh for one last time with her best friend. Sandvenom felt that even if they both made it back, nothing would ever be the same. Tonight was their last night of their apprentice-hood. Sandvenom saw many cats beginning to filter out in various directions with their mentors. ''What! They can’t possibly have already filled themselves fully!'' Sandvenom was already on her large rabbit and wasn’t even full yet. Fawnleap huffed and stood, going to fetch seconds.

“How much can you eat?” Sandvenom teased.

“I have no idea what my max capacity is, but I'm about to find out,” Fawnleap called as she picked up three mice and one large vole.

“You are crazy,” Sandvenom muttered as she took a huge swallow off her rabbit. The mat tasted succulent and fresh, probably caught this morning. Fawnleap waddled back with four plump mice and two voles in her jaws. She plopped down three mice and one vole and plopped the rest behind Sandvenom’s rabbit.

“For you, m’lady,” Fawnleap bowed.

“Why thank you kind sir,” Sandvenom said in mock impression. Fawnleap had already dug into one of her mice. Sandvenom snickered and took another huge mouthful of her rabbit. She noticed that many apprentices had cleared from the area, probably discussing with their mentors about last minutes cheats that aren't allowed in training. Dread filled Sandvenom’s full stomach. The games were approaching fast. Today could very well possibly be her last day at the Oasis, ever. She tried to think of happy thoughts as she tried to further fill her stomach. ''Hey, if I die at least I get to see my mom and dad and heather, wherever dead cats go. ''That was the happiest thought she had. She knew she had little or no chance of survival, and tried to not let that bother her too much.

“Hey Sandpaw,” Fawnleap’s voice sounded small, scarred almost.

“Yeah?”

“If I never see you again today, I just want to thank you.”

“Thank me for what? Fawnleap, don’t think like that. We will se each other again, I know it.” That was a lie, Sandvenom had no idea if she would ever see her best friend again.

“Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for always being there, even when Heather died. If anyone deserves to win these games, it’s you.” Sandvenom saw tears forming in her best friend’s eyes.

“Fawnleap, if anyone should be thanking the other it should be me thanking you. I am probably the most stubborn cat in this oasis.”

“Yeah I agree with that,” Fawnleap snorted.

“Well obviously.” Both cats burst out laughing. Tears were now steadily streaming down Fawnleap’s face. Tears were now stinging Sandvenom’s eyes. She tried to hold them back, to be strong for her best friend as she always had been.

“I am so lucky to have you as my friend,” Fawnleap said as she scooted closer and laid her head down on Sandvenom’s shoulder.

“Right back at you,” Sandvenom said as she laid her head onto of her friend’s. Farm tears matted down Sandvenom’s shoulder fur making it sticky but Sandvenom didn’t mind. She was happy to have this moment with her one true friend. The only solid thing in her life of upside down things.

“Hey Sandvenom,” Fawnleap nudged Sandvenom in the shoulder. “Someone is here to see you,” Fawnleap pointed a claw at Violet who just emerged into base. She looked odd, frightened, skittish. Each time a cat came up to her, she jumped.

“Um, I better go see what that is about,” Sandvenom stood up, reluctant to leave Fawnleap and the cool shade of the willow tree. She trotted over to where Violet stood, eyes darting around wildly as if someone was coming up form behind, stalking Violet like a piece of prey.

“Hey Violet,” Sandvenom called. Violet jumped.

“O-oh hey Sandvenom. Can I talk to you,” she glanced around, “in private?”

“Um yeah sure?” Violet quickly guided Sandvenom off into the woods so far that the trees started to become palm trees, signifying the end of the oasis.

“Violet, is everything okay?” Sandvenom asked, but clearly she was anything but.

“No, everything is just terrible.” Violet drifted off, like she wasn’t going to elaborate.

“Violet.” Her attention snapped back.

“Oh sorry.”

“What’s wrong?”

“He knows, he knows everything.” Violet’s eyes darter around every time she said he.

“Who is he?” Sandvenom asked, extremely confused.

“The king,” Violet hissed. “He knows I’ve been helping them!”

“Helping who?" Sandvenom yelled, a little too loud.

“Shh,” Violet hissed. Sandvenom hadn’t realized they had been whispering.

“Right now we have to focus on what you have to do.”

“What me? Why in the stars do I have to do anything?” Sandvenom had no idea what was happening.

“Because Sandvenom,” Violet phrased it like this was the most blatantly obvious thing in the world, “you are our only hope.”

“What? Violet you are making absolutely no sense right now. Did you hit your head?”

“Sandvenom don’t you see? You are the only hope to overthrow the Monarchy. You can end this all an recreate the Clans, and the enslaved can be free as they once were during the time of the Lake.”

“Violet, I am an apprentice!”

“Not anymore.”

“Violet, just listen!” Sandvenom shrieked, “I have no idea what you are talking about. Why do I have to overthrow the Monarchy? Why do I have to restore these long forgotten clans? I am going to die in that desert Violet.”

“Sandvenom, this life we all live, it is not Monarchy, it is anarchy. You can be the one to fix all of this, just like your father dies trying to do.”

“What? You knew my father?”

“Yes I did, but that is not important right now.”

“Um, it kind of is to me.”

“Sandvenom, once your are in the desert, you have to find them. Follow the north star, the one I told you about in training, all the way to a mountain range. It is not too far from where you are left, maybe about a 2 days walk. Once you come near, they will know and they will come retrieve you. Tell them Violet sent you.”

“Woah, woah, woah, slow down! Why do I have to go looking for ‘them’? Who are they anyway?”

“The rebels, Sandvenom.”

~

End Episode 8

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