Warriors: Full Moon Ch. 13

    “Echopaw, I didn’t want to talk in front of the others concerning this matter. It is a very... serious and sensitive subject to talk about.”

    Back at camp, Echopaw, Blaze, and Leaf were gathered in the leader’s den. Leaf was finally brave enough to step out from behind Blaze and sit aside her. Echopaw was interested to see what they had to tell him privately, more specifically about what she mentioned earlier. Nox’s experiments...

    Echopaw meowed, “Tell me... What did you mean by Nox’s experiments?”

    Leaf flinched when she heard the words and looked away. Blaze gritted her teeth and spoke to Echopaw through her telepathy. “Please don’t ask that so bluntly... It’s already tough enough knowing Nox would kill us if we told you about them.”

    Kill them? Was it this information really that secret that Nox would kill his own Elementals to keep it hidden. Echopaw realized he was harsh when the question came out and said, “I’m sorry. Please, go on and tell me what you can.”

    Leaf’s fur laid flat after perking up at the mention of the words. She licked her paw and cleaned off her ear while saying, “Cats in the Upwalkerplace are really strange, from the Twoleg cats to the Assassins. You’ve already realized that with the abnormal powers the Broken Hearts had.”

    Being able to gain more power by losing a comrade, and giving the Dark Forest the possibility to control the cats’ bodies... Echopaw couldn’t argue that he was the weirdest type of cat he had run into throughout his entire life. “Yeah, Necron was given Ashfur’s broken soul and it took over.”

    “That’s what he wanted you to think...” Blaze flicked her tail.

    “What?”

    “Nox created the spirit inside Necron was indeed from Ashfur’s soul, but it was mostly made of Nox’s dark intentions. The city is filled with cats that have been implanted with a spirit much like Necron’s.”

    Wait... So there are more cats like Necron!? He had trouble beating one powerful cat. How could he face another!? Hiding his fear, Echopaw nodded and motioned his paw for her to continue.

    Leaf said, “Remember how I said Lux and Nox would one day do battle and aim to finally defeat one another?” Echopaw remembered the conversation earlier. “And h-how I said Nox has already p-planned her d-d-downfall?”

    Yes...

    Blaze noticed Leaf was stuttering, so she lightly ran her heated paw around Leaf’s pelt. “What she means is that that is what Nox’s experiments are for. He will, one day, gather them altogether and take them into battle with him against Lux... With that kind of power, even Lux will not be able to hold herself against those odds.”

    Going against Necron was difficult even for Echopaw. He could only imagine how many Necrons Lux would have to-... “How many experiments does Nox have?”

    “We don’t know... We do know that each one has a different power than the other.”

    Good. He’d rather not deal with another Dark Forest epidemic like last time, but what did she mean by that?

    “All we know is a couple of names Nox mentions when he speaks of his experiments, and we studied each one after hearing about them.” Blaze sighed, then listed off names. “Necron, Reaver, and Shadow...” She closed her eyes. “Also known as your friend, Mudpaw.”

    Mudpaw... He was one of Nox’s experiments... No wonder she wanted to discuss this in private. It is a hard thing to talk about in front of a group. “So you were worried about me going against the Assassin’s because I would be facing not only my old friend, but one of Nox’s experiments?”

    “You will be facing two of Nox’s experiments.”

    Echopaw swallowed hard.

    “Reaver is leader of the Assassins. He is the most dangerous cat other than Scourge himself. Reaver possesses skill in combat unlike anything the Elementals have ever seen.”

    “Can you tell me more about the Assassins!?” Echopaw needed to know as much as he could.

    Leaf shook her head. “Frost is the only one who knows m-much about the Assassins. He is the one watching the Assassins from the inside. All we know is th-that they are led by three leaders, Reaver being the strongest and smartest of the three-...”
Blaze stood up and said, “Echopaw, me and Leaf want to help.”

    “Hm? What do you mean?”

    Leaf pulled Blaze back. “No, we haven’t decided that yet.”

    “I’m making the decision for you. Echopaw...” Blaze bowed “The elements of fire and life are here to assist you, no matter the punishment we get from the Twins.”

    Leaf covered her head with her paws. “Blaze, what if Nox finds out!? He’ll kill us!”

    “Lux won’t let him. We aren’t just Nox’s servants. Lux is our mistress as well, and she does have say in our judgement.” Blaze put a paw out to Echopaw and said, “Will you please let us aid you in getting rid of the Assassins?”

    Echopaw nodded. “We need as many cats as possible to defeat our enemies. I would be glad to have you two with us.” Echopaw saw her paw still out. Was it some kind of trust of agreement or something? He put his paw to hers, then quickly pulled it back. Hot.

    Blaze laughed, “Sorry, I always forget about that.” Blaze waved her paw and placed it back on the ground. “Leaf, lets go make ourselves known by the others. Maybe a little confrontation with Echopaw’s friends will make you braver.”

    “I don’t want to. Please do not make me. No. No!” Blaze shoved her across the den toward the entrance. “Blaze, I won’t do it. You can’t make me!”

    “Yes I can.” She pushed Leaf out of the den with her head, then turned back to Echopaw. “Echopaw, you defeated Necron... That is one less cat that will confront Lux when the time comes. The more experiments of Nox’s you defeat, the less chance Lux will lose their final battle.”

    “Yes. And if we finish this quick, we’ll be able to catch up with Scourge and save the lake clans from disaster.”

    Blaze’s mouth stayed open with no words. Her telepathy caught up after a few moments. “I heard of your goal, but not the reason why.”

    “StarClan.” Echopaw spun his body around toward her again. “They told me I must gather cats from the Twolegplace to assist me to fight BloodClan and end Scourge’s evil reign. If not, they will make their way to the lake north of here and fight the clans, and there is a slim chance the clans will win.”

    “What are the chances this clan alone will defeat Scourge?” Blaze stared him down.

    Echopaw paused, then answered, “Maybe not us alone, but with everyone’s help... The Twoleg cats, the Poisons, and you... maybe we can finally get rid of them forever.”

    “Just know that Scourge is not one to be taken lightly. He is the strongest and most powerful cat in the entire city... He is one of Nox’s experiments...”

    Make it harder, won’t you Nox? “I don’t care. I have the help of the Elementals, Glaive, Claude, and Lux on my side. I can’t wait to face Scourge!”

    “Belief. Self-sacrifice. Bravery. Echopaw, you are what every cat wants to be.” Blaze smiled, then exited the den. “Leaf, come on! Get your head out of that bush! You’re embarrassing yourself!”

    Echopaw waited until she was a distance away from the den. He walked to the edge of the den and sat there, contemplating everything that the two she-cats said. Nox’s experiments... were demons. Every one of them controlled by a beast. How could Lux let this happen? Didn’t she say that the only way their powers would work is if they has the consent of one another? Or was that a lie? Lux wouldn’t lie...

    There must be more to it. Lux and Nox are more important than what the other cats think. Something about their mere presence is foreboding. Echopaw longed to learn more about them, but he won’t have the chance for awhile.

    Right now, he needed to get ready to fight the Assassins. They are probably readying to attack StoneClan again. This time, however, they will be prepared to fight. They would never let another assault like the Broken Hearts ever destroy the camp again.





    “Glaive, is the operation finished yet?”

    On the east side of the twolegplace sitting on the edge of the cliff was a twoleg den. Inside this strangely unique den, a white tom sat atop a bookshelf, looking at the metal table in the middle of the room, and more specifically, the cat laying on top of it. Just to the side of him, another brown tabby tom was climbing up the cabinets to reach him, his left paw made of metal and clanking with each step. He reached the top and sat next to the white tom, glancing down with him.

    “Yes, Wekk. The procedure was concluded a couple hours ago. Where have you been?” The white tom asked.

    Wekk bowed. “I am sorry sir. I was distracted with something else. It’s not that important. What’s important is if this surgery was a success. Did you fix her?” Wekk showed his own kind of sympathy for the she-cat, one that nobody could tell he was grieving from his expression.

    “We did all we could. I just hope she doesn’t end up a... reject.” Glaive forced that last word out. “As we wait to find out, we must turn our attention to the task at paw. Wekk, did you do what I ordered you to accomplish?”

    “Yes, Glaive. Swiftly. The den cats are preparing for a retaliation, just like you said, and Claude is barricading his cats at the tunnels leading to the southern streets. Who knows how long they will last.”

    “We don’t need them to hold the Assassins off for very long.” Glaive climbed down off the bookshelf and landed on the floor, his left metal leg resounding through the room. His metallic eye flipped and turned, then he began walking toward the next room while meowing, “It is time for my presence to be known.”

    Wekk followed closely. He was shocked by Glaive’s comment, however. “Don’t you remember? The objective was to keep you here and let the other den cats take care of their own problems. That’s what we’ve been doing for moons. Something might happen if they find out who you really are, especially if they discover who you were before.”

    “I care not. These cats need a proactive leader, and my secluded life will not suffice for what is to come. The Assassins will strike fear into many of the cats, and they need someone brave to stand at the frontline.”

    “Glaive, please. This is too dangerous. You are too weak to fight head on.”

    “When did I ever say I was going to be that cat?... Did I mean that?... No...” Glaive stopped, his head twitched as his metallic half buzzed. “This piece of junk is becoming an annoyance... No, I intend for a braver cat than I to lead the cats to fight the Assassins. I merely must make my appearance to reassure the den cats to follow his lead.”

    “You mean-”

    “Yes. It is time we called for assistance from them. We cannot win this war if we do not have the support of the warrior cats on our side.”

    “War?” Wekk halted and turned around, staring at Glaive with wide eyes. “This is war?”

    “A skirmish between two great alliances holding the majority of power in an area. That is classified as war, Wekk. Do not doubt my knowledge of vocabulary.” Glaive’s metallic eye glowed red as he yelled, “Koul!”

    Out of nowhere, the dark tom appeared. He sat in front of the two half metallic cats and bowed silently. “Messenger of the Upwalkerplace, always at the service of the Upwalker cat leader.” Koul opened an eye in his bow and looked at Glaive. “What is it this time?”

    “I want you to send word to all cats that do not include the Assassins and BloodClan. Tell them, ‘It is time we bolstered our strength to drive out the demons of the dark. The Assassins must be eliminated with no mercy. I pray you all will follow my lead as I advance to confront the Assassin leaders directly.’ Oh, and don’t forget to emphasize Assassins through it all. I hope that will-” The robotic part of his head buzzed again, and Glaive cursed under his breath. “Sorry. Getting off topic.”

    “Are you alright? That’s been happening more frequently.” Wekk asked with concern in his dull meow. “Maybe you should stay here like I recommend and-”

    “No. I will not let my fellow den cats be alone in this fight. I must be out there to guide their moral.” Glaive shook his head and refocused on the waiting Koul. “Koul, please send this private message to Echopaw as well. ‘I require your help. I am declaring war on the Assassins to finally end their unjust reign over the eastern Upwalkerplace. Please, my friend. All of the cats that live here depend on your assistance. I will be meeting with you soon.’”

    “You think the twolegs and I are going to let you go all the way down to the southern forest? Glaive-”

    “Wekk, I have made my decision!” Glaive snapped. His red robotic eye spun and lit up bright. “I will no longer cast my influence from the darkness. It is time I stood up for myself and revealed who I truly am to my subjects. I am the Upwalker cat leader, Glaive!”

    Wekk retracted himself to half his original height. Koul was the one to interrupt this time. “You sound different, Glaive. Are you sure you’re okay?”

    Glaive faced Koul, his anger turned to grief instantly. “It’s all my fault... Cats have died because of my idiocy! I will face my fear and put down those rejects!”

    “Sir... rejects? Is there something you’re not telling us?” Wekk meowed.

    “It is none of your business. The truth will come to reveal itself when appropriate. For now, Koul,” Glaive stomped his metal paw, the sound bouncing off the walls again. “Deliver the messages. I expect your return within a day.”

    “Fine. That’s a narrow time slot for me, but I will try my best. I’ll be seeing you.” Koul bowed once more, then was gone within a blink of an eye. Glaive scanned the area, still unable to identify Koul’s ability to move so quickly.

    Wekk sighed, “How are you going to convince our owners when you are in a state like this?”

    “Leave that to me. Find Havok and Mei. I will need use of my three most powerful cats by my side.” Glaive brushed past Wekk and walked back into the room with the she-cat on the metal table, Wekk staying put where he was. “We leave in two nights.”

    “Yes, sir.” Wekk bowed until Glaive was out of visual. He lifted his head and grunted, then stood up and paced away.