The World of Hiss

Prologue

By day the sun seems to swim in front of the old cat's eyes. Laying there in that patch of sun, it's tail swishing in that ever so bored way. It's black fur shines with health, but scars are evident through the pelt. Its fighting days are over, but he has endured so much already. As an old cat, he only slept and killed that occasional mouse, but there was a day when his claws were very rarely sheathed within its paws.

"Mrroww." He yawned, turning onto his back so his stomach could warm under the sun as well. His claws slid in and out as he purred, almost wishing that his owner's grandchildren would come and scratch his ears and chin.

A young kitten yelped loudly and he looked up. It fell from the hands of the neighbor, a mean man who kicked at him every time he chased a mouse into his yard.

The kitten scrambled away, and the old cat forced himself to get up and run over to the small kitten, who was now cowering under their hedges.

"Hey, you. What are you doing on my territory." He warned, hissing slightly and puffing out his chest. He was aware of how he may look to the kitten. Scars covered his nose and neck due to years of fighting skilled cats. It was a wonder he still even had a face to intimidate trespassers with.

The kitten cowered lower into the leaves, letting out a whimper. Despite himself the older cat's eyes softened and he bent down to the kitten's level. He sniffed idly at the small thing's fur. There was the unmistakable metallic tang of blood, welling up on a small scratch that spread from its frontal legs halfway to its back.

"I'm sorry- I just. Please don't hurt me!" The little tom yelped, his tail curling over his paws. The older cat sat back and stared wonderingly at it.

"I'm Sox- like the things that humans wear on their feet, but with an 'x' instead. At least, that's what the woman tells me." Sox said to the younger kitten, who looked up at him with that pathetic look you got from chastised puppies.

"I'm Blue." The tiny silver kitten replied, sitting up. His ears remained laid back as his blue eyes looked innocently up at Sox.

"Where are you from? How did that brute get a hold of you? He's bad business. He hates us cats- let loose a dog once." Sox shook his head sadly, eyes clouding at that old memory. Some of his good friends had some young deaths then. He was only a a couple months old at the time- about seven or eight months.

"I came from Hiss." He said and Sox froze. Sox turned to the kitten with disbelief.

"Hiss was- no it can't still be there. It disappeared a long time ago. Don't you be spreading that moss ball around- you'll have cats chasing it!" Sox hissed at Blue. He turned with an angry flick of the tail, which kept flicking back and forth as he walked away.

"It's true! Hiss has returned and I'm here to find cats that will-" Blue persisted running ahead of Sox. Sox narrowed his eyes at the silver cat.

"Look, Hiss came to an end many years ago- before even I was born. Hiss is a dead city, and it's dead for a reason. I do not appreciate crazy kittens going around saying that it's back when it is not! So I suggest you be quiet about it and go away. This is my neighborhood and I'm not having you getting my cats to go on some crazy journey to Hiss." Sox warned, claws digging into the hard dirt.

"It's real- and I'll get cats to join- you'll see! I was born in Hiss and I'll make sure that it will not fall again." With that the young cat spun around and began to run away. Sox watched for a while longer before turning and curling up in that same patch of sun that he was so fond of.

He did not want his loyal cats to leave him. He'd already lost Berry when his owners moved, and there was the threat of that old fox again. It had already gotten to Hawk's chickens. Plus, Leah was sure that she had seen it hunting her kittens before she got them back inside.

No, he would not lose his cats. They relied on him to protect them, and in turn they insured peace among territories. Yes, he was the king of these cats, and he had earned that job through experience and battle. He wasn't going to lose it to a dead city like Hiss.

Hiss- the city where cats used to prosper and where food ran plentifully. Hiss was destroyed by famine, and thus cats returned to humans and then  began the chain of getting food supplied for them. Yes, Hiss was destroyed and it was good that it was. Cats became reliant on other species and made good company. It was all for the better that Hiss was gone.