Hey guys! I am so sorry about the inactivity! For some reason the internet/WiFi that I was on wouldn’t let me come on this website, but it’s working again, and I’m soooo happy!!! Even though I was gone, I still worked on a few fanfics, and this is my best and most recent one.
Also, feel free to give me some constructive criticism! I’m also looking for ways to make my stories better.
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| The Game of Death Series | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: None |
Storm of Sand | Succeded by: Flames of Blood |
**I would suggest voting after you read the story......just so you know.....
Dune
I crouch in the shadows, waiting for Viper’s signal. The ground underneath my paws is dry and sandy, and I didn’t need to look around to know that I’m in the Eastern Wing of the Arena.
“Dune!” I hear a voice hissing my name up ahead, and I prick my ears.
“Yes?”
“Look!” I pad forward, surprised to see Macgyver crouched under a small rock ledge. His horrified gaze is fixed on a limp corpse. With a strangled cry, I bound forward.
Tourmaline.
I nudge her thick brown fur, which is cold.
No! This can’t be happening.
“Macgyver!” I wheel to face the tom. “It’s Tourmaline!”
“Tourmaline? Are you sure?” Macgyver appears to be faking his surprise.
He’s not surprised. He knew that this would happen.
I unsheath my claws, shifting so that I was blocking him from her body.
“You knew that she would come here!” I snarl. “You knew that she would die!”
Macgyver tilts his head, inspecting his claws. “Hmm. I’m surprised that you think that.”
“You did it.” My voice is thick with venomous rage.
He shrugs. “I’m not denying anything. All I know is that you’ll die next.”
Before I can think his claws are at my throat, and he has me pinned to the ground. I kick at him with my back legs, but it’s useless. His grip on my throat only tightens.
“What did you do with Viper?” I rasp, remembering my mission.
“She was only a minor distraction. I dealt with her quickly,” Macgyver replies bluntly. To me, it sounds like a death sentence, and panic grips me.
“You’re not supposed to be the bad guy!” I hiss.
“Who determines the balance between good and evil?” Macgyver’s voice is low and charming and smooth as honey. It takes all my willpower not to be lulled into a calm, dreamy phase. I long to talk back, to leave a stinging reply, but I know that his words will sting me more than mine ever will him. Macgyver always has something to say.
“Please, let me go.” It’s all I can manage. “I won’t tell anybody about you.”
“Oh, I’m afraid you misunderstood. That’s not what I want. I want to be known! That way, they will fear me! Do you understand?” Suddenly, his claws sink into my skin. I feel the warm blood on my neck.
“Yes. Of course,” I stammer. My breath is shallow and rapid. I’m terrified of what he might do to me.
Just kill me now. Don’t torture me.
Then, he grabs my scruff in his jaws. Before I can thank him, he slams my head into the ground and I’m rushed into darkness.
Clover
Were they coming? Or was my mind just playing tricks on me?
I peer out at the desert moorland. This must be the Northern Wing. I don’t know my way around very well, since I’ve never been here before.
I recall Flight’s words: “You’ll be chosen next, dear Clover.”
This must be what he meant. It’s similar to my home, but so different at the same time. Half of the moor is covered in the evening’s shadows. An eerie feeling creeps up my spine. I don’t feel comfortable here, no matter how similar or different it is to my home.
Scrambling to my paws, I race away as fast as my legs will go. Before I know it, I am crashing blindly through thick undergrowth. The forest! This is unlike any place I’ve been before. The trees are tall and looming, and it’s so dark.
I need open land!
But where else could I go? I couldn’t live in the desert, could I? It was so hot and windy. . . I don’t think I’d ever be able to live out there.
I don’t like this place. I need to leave.
But as much as I want to, I can’t. I was selected to come here, to come to the “Death Games." Out of the five cats in my tribe that were selected, I was the only she-cat. I wondered why, at first, but now I know.
Because I’m the weakest. They wanted me gone.
The thought sends a driving pain into my gut but I ignore it. I can prove them wrong. I can survive the games and show them my true strength.
Or I can die, killed by the claws of a merciless enemy. Then my true good will never be known, and the liars will all be proved right.
Sometimes I question fate.
I think of Hazel, my mate. Or rather, my former mate. My heart aches for him, and I wish that I could be back on the moor, with my tribe. Wind Tribe.
I’m deep in thought as I walk along, heading for a place more hospitable than this one.
I haven’t gotten very far when I sense someone behind me. I open my voice to speak, then close it. What if they’re hunting me? Should I hide or run or just keep walking?
I choose walking, but I only take two steps forward when a tom appears from the undergrowth. His fur is a dusty gold color, and his eyes are a dazzling green.
I freeze, and our eyes meet. Who is he?
Rumble
I claw angrily at the sharp wire. I hear the yowls of the she-cat above me. I wish she’d stay quiet. In a cage next to mine, Firefly trembles miserably. She looks so small and weak like this. . . trapped, with no will to escape or be set free.
Like we’ve ever known what “free” really means. All our lives we’ve been trapped by the influences of others. Kaio’aki, the barren tundra settlement where we lived, was tightly-knit and very strict and orderly. We were never free, not while we lived there.
My claws hook on the lock, and I yank at it desperately. Firefly does nothing to help, though I don’t blame her. I see her jutting ribs as her skinny chest rises and falls with each painful breath. She barely has a will to live.
The she-cat above me yowls again. I block out her seething voice and focus on the complex knot of wire and hooks that I am trying to break out of.
“Rumble.” Firefly’s soft voice snaps me out of my phase. I turn to her with soft eyes.
“I’m not going to make it. I want you to know that you can. . . leave without me.” Her voice is raspy and broken and it makes me shudder with pain and grief.
“No, Firefly. I’ll never leave you, and you are not going to die. Not on my watch.” I shove my face through the wire to lick her ears and muzzle before turning back to the door. Her bleak words echo in my head. What has become of us? How did we get into this mess?
A memory flashes briefly in my head.
I’m standing on a dark stone platform, facing a huge black cat with blazing yellow eyes. Yellow eyes that are staring into my soul.
“Have you brought me what I wanted?” The cat’s deep, menacing voice echoes in my ears and shakes the ground.
“N-no, master,” I whisper. I’m overwhelmed with fear and horror. And pain. Raw pain that is driving itself into my heart.
As I expected, fury ignites in his eyes. The cave we are standing in erupts into flames, and I let out a yowl of terror. But the claws of fear are holding me down. I can’t move. . .
“Help!” I screamed wildly. “Help, please!”
But nobody comes. I screech aloud one more time, writhing and flailing in pain.
I guess I’ll die like this.
Suddenly I snap out of my trance and glance at Firefly.
“Are you okay?” she asks eagerly. I nod warily and lick her muzzle as she presses it against the wire.
“Yeah. Just another one of my. . . dreams.” But deep inside, I don’t think they’re dreams. They’re memories.
“What was this one about?”
“Me. . . dying. I was trapped, and—” I paused, glancing at Firefly worriedly. “It doesn’t mean anything. You know that they always get in the way.”
“Rumble. . .”
“Yeah?”
“Are you sure they’re dreams?” Her eyes gleam with a quiet intelligence as she looks at me. My heart is pounding wildly as I speak. Should I tell her the truth?
“I’m not sure. . .” I reply, trying as hard as I can to sound uncertain. But Firefly can tell that I’m faking it.
“Tell me the truth,” she urges. “Please.”
“Firefly, I—” And suddenly I’m rushed back into the darkness. I’m in the heart of a battle, and it rages wildly around me. The other cats act like I’m not there, and for some reason, that thought scares me.
“Don’t run!” A voice yowls in my ear. “You’re not a weakling. You’re a warrior.”
“I’m not.” I can’t help my fearful trembling. “I’m not a warrior.”
“But you could be.” The voice suggests something, and I prick my ears.
“What do you mean?”
Out of the darkness a cat appears. His yellow eyes are familiar. . .
“Join me. You will become the strongest warrior ever.”
A hiss slips through my clenched teeth. “Never. I don’t trust you.”
His hackles rise, and his eyes flash. “Of course you don’t! You’re weak and worthless!”
“T-that’s not true.” I scrambled backwards, but collapse. Something is stopping me from leaving. I don’t know what it is.
Then I hear a voice, but this one’s soft and sweet and desperate. Silver. My sister. Has she come here to rescue me?
My gaze travels from Silver to the dark cat in front of me. He can’t kill her.
If he wants to, he’ll have to kill me first.
“Rumble!”
I blink back to reality. “F-firefly?”
“You were talking about your dreams,” she whispered. I was hesitant for a second, then I finally spoke.
“I don’t actually think they’re dreams,” I admitted.
“What do you mean?”
“They’re memories.”
Firefly
“What do you mean?” I stare in shock at Rumble, unable to register what he had just said.
He shakes his head. “They’re memories. . . fr-from. . . before.”
I hiss. “Before?”
“You don’t understand.”
I step forward and press as close as I can against him. “But I want to.”
Even though he grins down at me, he still looks hesitant. “Fine. Before we were trapped in Kaio’aki, I lived freely, as a loner. One day, I met this cat named Silver. She was beautiful, with glossy silver fur, pretty golden eyes, and a sweet, comforting tone of voice. One day we were hunting, and I strayed off. I found myself in this strange cave, facing this huge, dark figure of a cat with yellow eyes. He told me that he had no name, and that he was my new master.”
I flatten her ears. “Were you and Silver. . . mates?”
Rumble shook out his fur. “I don’t think you would call us mates. We were more like companions, and even though she was beautiful, I wasn’t romantically attached to her.” Then he grins and licks my ear. “Firefly, you were worried, weren’t you? That she was my mate?”
“No,” I growled quietly. But of course he can tell that I’m lying.
“No one will ever replace you. I’ll never love anyone except you, Firefly.”
The end of my tail-tip twitches. He doesn’t know it, but his words make my day, and his gleaming eyes are obviously not being faked.
Before one of us can speak, the ground begins to tremble under the rows of cages. Yowls and shrieks fill my ears, and I hiss nervously, backing into the corner. Rumble looks slightly overwhelmed. Then his eyes widen and he glances over at me with a triumphant look on his face.
“Do this!” he calls, slamming against the door of the cage. The cage wobbles slightly, and I quickly figure out what he’s doing. He’s shoving the cage off of the tower so it will fall and break. Cautiously I glance around at the small wire cage. Taking a deep breath, I rush towards the door of the cage and slam against it as hard as I can.
I yowl in fear as my cage crashes to the ground. The sound is ear-shattering, and I’m thrown against one of the walls. The wire digs uncomfortably into my skin, and I lay there, panting rapidly.
A few moments later, I hear another screeching crash, and Rumble’s cage is on the ground next to mine.
“My door broke!” he yowls happily. He shoves open the door and slides through, then pads swiftly over to me and nudges the side of my cage.
I lift my head and claw at the cage door. The lock is twisted and jammed, and I sigh in disappointment.
Rumble looks thoughtful for a few heartbeats, then he grasps onto the door and yanks it sharply. There’s a horrible metallic screech, but the door budges, and I see a tiny gap in the wire.
“Is there any way that you can make that hole wider?” Rumble asks, flicking his tail towards the gap.
“I guess.” I claw and shove at the wire on each side of the gap until it’s big enough for me to slip through. It’s a tight squeeze, but I finally wriggle myself free. With a happy purr I collapse beside Rumble, exhausted.
Rumble’s gaze is fixed on the cages of the cats that are still trapped.
I follow his gaze and sigh contently. “We should help them.”
He glances at me worriedly. “But Firefly—”
“I know how to undo the locks from the outside,” I explain, wriggling my claws to show him. “Come on!”
I glance up and see that one of the cats has already learned from us. He’s slamming against the cage door desperately, mewing wildly as his cage teeters closer and closer to the edge.
“I hate this place,” Rumble growls as he walks beside me.
I lick his ear. “We’ll be free soon. I promise.”
Horizon
I gaze at her for a long time. Her tabby fur is the color of storm clouds in the summertime, the color of the rocks on the riverbank. White is splashed across her paws and chest, and her eyes are a piercing shade of sparkling green.
“Who are you?” I whisper, struggling to keep the awe out of my voice.
She lowers her head before continuing. “I’m Clover. Who are you?”
“Um, I’m—” I pause. Should I tell her my true identity?
“Have you forgotten your name?” she growls, but I can hear a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Is she teasing me?
“No! I’m Sandstorm.”
“Sandstorm? Hmm.” She tilts her head, her whiskers twitching.
“Why do you look like that?” I ask incredulously.
“I’m just thinking about something,” she replies. “My brother’s name was Sandstorm, too.”
Oh great spirits. I freeze, not moving a muscle.
“Um, well that’s actually a disguise. My real name is Gila.”
A small smile flickers across her face. “You’re from the Eastern Wing, aren’t you?”
“How do you know?” I lash my tail. My tone is defensive.
“Your name. I was born on the moor, in a world outside of this, this—”
“Torture?” I offer.
She nodded. “Torture. Yeah.”
I manage a small smile.
“But my brother was named Sandstorm for the sandstorm that killed our father. He was traveling through the Eastern Wing. . . and he was never seen again.” My heart breaks at the sadness in her voice.
“How can I help?” I ask, stepping forward. She’s beautiful. . . I need to help her.
She sighed and glanced away. “Well, if you could get me out of this place and get me back to Hazel, to my tribe.”
“Who’s Hazel?” I’m already dreading the answer. I have a horrible feeling I know what it will be.
“My mate,” she replies, echoing my thoughts. Immediately my heart sinks, but I try not to let the disappointment show.
But she sees it anyway. Her eyes flicker with amusement, and she tilts her head slightly. “You feared that, didn’t you?”
I blink and shake my head vigorously. “No. I couldn’t care less, actually.” I instantly regretted my reply, but she couldn’t know my true feelings. Not yet, at least.
But deep inside, a question nags at me. Will I really ever tell her? I’ve never been good with she-cats.
This is a new place, a new chance, I remind myself. Good things might lie ahead.
Turns out, I was completely wrong.
Viper
I desperately hope that Dune’s alive as I make my way through the swamp. I didn’t mean to leave him—I was just doing what Macgyver had told me to do. I never admitted it to Dune, but Macgyver terrified me.
I’m distracted by a loud humming up ahead. I narrow my eyes, staring at a trio of Scouts who are standing near a large, thick-trunked tree.
I’m sure that my bright golden-yellow pelt will contrast against the dark, blunt colors of the swamp, so my best hope is getting in the water, which is dark and murky. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to hold my breath long enough to swim past them.
But my plan is destroyed when a loud caterwaul rings through the trees. It’s coming from behind me, and the Scouts immediately wheel towards the direction where it’s coming from.
No! All the breath is swiped from my body as one lunges, shoving me into the water. With a gasp, I go under. I can’t see anything except for the dark outline of his legs and paws holding me down.
I screech at them, but the water makes me nearly mute. I thrash and flail and kick but the Scouts are strong, and there are multiple.
I should’ve never left him! Regret burns like fire inside of me. But right now, I can’t let my pain control me. I have to focus on getting out of this mess.
I’m running out of breath already, and my urges grow more and more desperate by the second.
Curse this place!
If there was one time for Dune to rescue me, it would be now.
Suddenly, two limp bodies appear in the water nearby, sinking down to the murky depths. Immediately the pressure on my body disappears, and I shoot to the surface, sputtering and choking. A young dark-furred cat is standing next to me. I back away, noticing a jagged scar on his foreleg—the mark of the Scouts.
“Get away from me,” I hiss, ignoring the soaked and heavy feeling of my fur.
“Aren’t you going to thank me for saving you?” he snaps.
“What took you so long?” I reply sharply, lashing my tail.
He lowers his head and his whiskers twitch. “I. . . I couldn’t place my loyalties. You see, I—”
“You’re a Scout.” I flick my tail towards his scar.
“But I don’t want to be one.” For some reason, I genuinely believe him. He looks like he could be a reliable companion, someone who would help in times of need. . .
No. Dune is my only companion.
“What’s your name?” he blurts.
I unsheathe my claws, tempted to call off the question, but I don’t.
“Viper,” I tell him simply and quickly.
“I’m Fin. Of course, that’s not what they call me. They call me Swamp Sector Guard B86.”
“That must be horrible.” I feel a slight twinge of sympathy, then I scold myself silently. I shouldn’t get attached. I’m a loner at heart.
“It is.” He nods slightly.
“Well, I have to go,” I growl softly. “See you around hopefully?”
He nods again. “Yeah. . . maybe.” His gaze is forlorn, and this time I allow myself to feel the slightest sympathy for him. Then I turn and splash away through the swamp.
I am a loner. My only companion is Dune. I am a loner. I will forever be alone.
But what if I wasn’t meant to be alone?