A Siren of Death (*OPEN)

[Seraphinu]

Coal's ear flicked in annoyance at Jag's summons. It's like he's interrupting me on purpose he thought to himself. With a reluctant sigh, he pulled himself away from Twilightshade and began to leave the healer's den. He stopped at the entrance and turned back to look at her.

"Later, I promise, we shall tour the forest together, my dear," he meowed before continuing into the center of camp. Taking his place near Jag, he waited impatiently.

"I am making a change in my bodyguards. I have decided that a replacement is needed, for there is stronger loyalty in this cat I have chosen, and more strength than should be the norm for a cat. He will make a fine replacement for the cat in question."

Coal started with surprise as Jag turned on him with a cold, mocking gaze. His claws dug into the earth. His eyes blazed with fury as he called for Illusion. "A fresh apprentice as a bodyguard?!" one of the LostClanners yowled. Coal only had eyes for Jag and Illusion, but recognized the voice as Nettle. Coal took a breath, letting his fur lie flat. He wouldn't let Jag unravel him. He turned his fury inwards, his pale yellow eyes mere slits.

"You dare much, Jag," he hissed under his breath, unheard. Who was it who kept this Clan from ruin while you were off chasing that Clan she-cat!? he yowled in his head.

Abyss watched her brother, knowing immediately that Jag had forced him into this position. Her eyes were chips of dark ice as she surveyed the scene. A grin spread across her face, and she wondered who would die tonight in the resulting storm of Illusion's fury.

Midnight stared blankly as Jag implied that Illusion, who was hardly more than a kit, would replace Coal as a bodyguard. His eyes narrowed, calculating. Jag may have overplayed his hand. Much of the Clan supports Coal. He'd be risking further division, he thought to himself.

[darkflower]

Jag grinned maliciously. "This kit may be young, but who of you here would fight him?" He let the threat dangle. One voice rose above the murk, but died down at the sight of another cat joining Illusion. It was Obsidian. She bared her fangs and hissed, standing protectively beside her brother. "You want to fight him, you fight us all." He claws unsheathed, she looked like a horrific little beauty, as charming and deadly as a cobra. She looked to Cyclone, then to Abyss. Illusion quietly murmured to her, "You know I could kill anyone of them." She did not move, only settling down beside him. Jag went on, as though the interruption was nothing.

"I take Illusion on as my new bodyguard, in the place of one who has proven disloyal by declaring themselves to another cat." He turned his eyes to Midnight, and watched, with some pleasure, as the rest of the cats turned, curious and afraid as to the traitor. "Midnight; you are relieved of your duties to me as a bodyguard. You will no longer be responsible for the clan, for by declaring your loyalties to another among us you have therefor proven yourself against my authority, thus relfecting on the clan as a result. Illusion," he swept his tail, beckoning. The young tom glared up at Jag but moved forward slowly. "You are now my bodyguard along with Coal. You two will work for the good of the clan, and nothing else. Do you accept this responsibility?" Illusion nodded. The clan was murmuring amongst itself, doubting and fearful. Illusion turned to look on them with eyes of steel. He was rigid and proud, and boiling with hatred. He turned his eyes on Midnight accusingly, as if to say why have you brought this upon me?

Jag ended the meeting, ignoring the shock of his clan. He would not hear of any more objections. If anyone did not believe Illusion should be his bodyguard, they could take it up with those four little demons themselves. He had done what as he'd intended.


-----

Twilightshade stared at her son, and felt an uneasy flicker. Should she be proud? Horrified? She closed her eyes and sighed, then padded back to the nursery, her heart heavy with pain.

[Seraphinu]

Abyss joined Illusion and her other siblings, glaring down at the warriors of LostClan. Cowards, the lot of them. She snorted as their protests died away at the sight of the four kits together. She turned back towards Illusion.

"This interrupts our plans," she murmured to him in irritation. Jag was a fool, thinking he could control Illusion. No one could.

"Though, it will be interesting watching Coal stir up trouble," her teeth glinted as she smiled darkly. Coal stayed where he was, speculating. So, Jag had overhead... but obviously not all of the conversation... he thought to himself. He watched Midnight closely, but the tom's expression was guarded against emotion. Midnight wasn't as popular with the Clan as Coal was. He had barely been a warrior when Jag had assigned him to be bodyguard. And then there was his treacherous mother, Ravenclaw, who had vanished around the same time Rue and Kyri had. It was smarter to remove a supporter rather than the source. But it wouldn't stop a storm from brewing. You could douse the spark, but if the bomb still had the fuse it could light again. Midnight's removal from power changed little.

[Magicheart]

Syndicate remained quiet during the meeting. Fool. he thought to himself, amused. "How about a battle?" he called out, still not looking at Jag. "I think the clan cats may be getting too comfy. Besides, our herb-gatherers look like they're getting out of practice." he glanced in the direction of the female's den. They were getting a bit upity lately, especially since Kyri had run off with Rue. They were beginning to act more as warriors, which was against the code of the clan. Though perhaps we could use them... he thought to himself. He didn't care much for the dogs that had come here. He could smell trouble. He didn't trust them one bit.

[Seraphinu]

Coal glanced at Syndicate. He found the tom rather interesting. A terror in battle, cunning, and yet, an enigma. The fact that he didn't know what side Syndicate would stand upon intrigued him. He would have to earn his favor... Syndicate was a valuable ally. Silently he scanned the other warriors... the intentions of each clear to him. He knew which ones carried what loyalties, if any. Being the way he was, he could tell which cats would support him. LostClan was clearly and utterly divided.

[darkflower]

Jag mused the thought over, silent, eyeing his clan. Then with a satisfactory nod he grinned. "A fine idea, Syndicate!" Turning, he addressed the clan as a whole. "A battle!" he yowled like a war cry, enticing the spirits of the toms in the group. From the corner of his eye, he saw Illusion perk his head up. Blood lust burned in the young cat's savage eyes. All was just as he'd intended.


Illusion felt his mood getting more and more feverish. The thought of battle had him flexing his claws, his shoulders tensing with the need to tear into flesh. A fight was exactly what everyone needed, to dispel their tension. And it would be more than a mere battle to him. Cats will die he thoughtto himself, pleased. He glanced around at the hostile group of toms and she cats, noting some still glanced at him with a mixture of fear and resentment. He met the eyes of all, cowing to no one. He had been born with the darkness inside him; there was nothing more than that love of death that could entice any of his siblings as much. Well, perhaps that young Midnight, he thought with amusment.Abyss's affections for him were so strong he could envision her plucking daisies for the young cat. Then a thought occured to him.

"Abyss," he murmured softly, wonderingly. "Do you have feelings for that cat, Midnight?" He was suddenly worried she would say yes. If so, that could jepordize them. They held no feelings for anyone, none but each other, and even this was limited. They themselves had a higher calling; bringing about the destruction of this forest, and all who reside in it.

[Seraphinu]

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[atrb=background,http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j200/Seraphinu/LostClantemplatebg.png] Abyss's eyes glowed. What I do is none of his business! she thought to herself angrily. Then she thought about what he was really asking. He was worried about her straying from their ambitions. Her tail flicked in annoyance at his concern. "He is easy to manipulate. There is a strong darkness in him... he is like us, Illusion. Not an ordinary cat," Abyss answered, pointedly avoiding whether or not she actually had feelings for him. What use were feelings to her? She was merely using this cat, who's shadow was like an impressionable kit the way she had so easily drawn him to her side. Illusion may have been under the impression that Midnight was in control of their 'relationship' as it were, but in reality, this was reversed. Abyss was in control. Always. Coal frowned. A battle? Could they really afford one right now? How would they fare without Bear's brute strength? He glanced around the camp, intending to speak with Midnight. He wanted to know how Midnight really felt about all this. But even Coal's keen gaze could not spot him. Where did he go? he thought in disbelief. A fine time for him to disappear! He hissed inwardly, digging his claws into the earth.

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[Magicheart]

Whisp peaked her head out from the herb-gatherer's den and widened her eyes in fear. A battle. A battle meant that she had to actually get close to the toms in this clan, close enough for them to rake their claws down her side for any mistake she made...any feelings of anger stirred up by her sister and Rue running off together. She glanced wearily at Syndicate, her eyes saying You of all cats would suggest this?
She knew it was dangerous for Syndicate to stick up for the she-cats the way he did, but none of the other toms seemed to challenge him about it. Still, Syndicate wasn't always going to be around to protect them. Especially the way Lostclan was fighting. "I'm going out to collect herbs then, if anyone wants to join me." she could feel her nerves jumping under her skin and had to keep busy somehow.

Syndicate glanced around the camp with just the hints of a smile at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes remained expressionless. If there was going to be a fight within the clan over power, this would stall it for a while. He flicked his tail. "Where to, Jag?" he asked.

[darkflower]

Jag sneered, a formidible image high on his perch. "I don't know how long ago we bothered the mighty Riverclan, but perhaps they wuld enjoy a visit?" His choice was met with jeers and an uproar of approval. He leapt down from his branch and turned his darkened eyes to his warriors. It had been so long, too long since he felt this thrill. The rush through his skin, the coursing of blood pounding in his viens. This was what he was made for. Batlle, death, destruction.

Illusion nodded silently to Abyss. And that was that. Beside her, Obisidion let out a bored meow. "Can we go now? I can't remember how it feels to have blood on my claws." She flexed them with a forlorn expression, that made her beauty ten times more horrifying with the statement reflected by her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted a young apprentice eyeing her. She turned and hissed menacingly, and he scampered off to hide among the other cats. Sneering, she looked to her siblings with joy. "I wonder who we'll get to kill today."

[Magicheart]

Syndicate fixed his gaze on Whisp and gave her a reassuring blink. She gazed back with hollow eyes and turned her head away.

Syndicate lowered his gaze to the ground. I'm more capable than you know...whether you believe in me or not....