Faustian | warrior cats

xv | envy

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"I'M a good cat." Hollowhawk never lied. He was a tom of truth. Growing up, everyone knew of his honest quality. When his littermates would cause trouble and try to lie themselves out of it, the queens knew Hollowkit would tell them the true story. Because that's who he was- true. Hollowhawk was created out of such goodness, it seemed impossible for him to do anything wrong. So when his Clanmates's eyes were bubbling with nothing but blame after he saved the body of Beetleleap, it felt like a knife had burned him right in the back. "I didn't kill the WindClan tom."

The ancient ThunderClan leader solemnly nodded his head as he let his deputy's words sink in. He kept his gaze on the floor, his gray eyes clouded in severe seriousness. Hollowhawk noticed that Webstar no longer shone. Not a day went by where his eyes would be sunny in happiness. Webstar was a brewing storm. "I believe you, Hollowhawk," he continued in conversation, "You did the right thing. You are indeed a noble cat."

Hearing the leader's praise brought peace along the slouched shoulders of Hollowhawk. He fixed his posture quickly, feeling the tons of weight lift from his legs. Following the approval of their leader, his Clanmates would uplift their guilty stares. Hollowhawk no longer felt as though he were gambling with his greatness. With a sigh of relief, he breathed, "Thank you-"

"I disagree." The tabby tomcat was immediately cut off. From the crowd of twinkling, star-like eyes arose the morning sun. He was an arrogant creature; with every step he slipped forward, he acted like he was blessing the ground with his touch. His appearance didn't make his overbearing nature any easier. This tom had a coat full of gold. He looked as though King Midas had taken his greedy fingers and stroked them down his back. There was a rightful name for a cat such as he: Lionsun.

Seeing the sparkling yellow cat stride up to the leader's hollow, Hollowhawk greeted him with a golden glare. There was a history of hatred between the headstrong warriors; Hollowhawk was not surprised to see that his rival was the one to speak out.

Lionsun acknowledged Webstar with an admirable dip of his head while also sending Hollowhawk a smug stare. Turning around to address the Clan, the tom announced, "I apologize for interrupting but I'd thought I'd point out the coincidence of Hollowhawk also being the one to bring us back the body of his step-father." He glanced over at the deputy again, continuing to stare at him as he talked, "In case any of you are unaware, I grew up with Hollowhawk. And he always had his suspicious moments."

Hollowhawk scoffed at the nonsense, "Such as what?"

"The day your mother died," Lionsun explained, flicking his tail back and forth in a know-it-all manner. "You didn't sit vigil for her, instead you went around that night telling anyone who asked that you were glad she was gone." He breathed out a forced, sour laugh. "What kind of monster wishes death upon their own mother?"

A horrified gasp swept up through the forest. Like a freezing wind, it blew away the sympathy fellow warriors held for Hollowhawk. Now they sat amongst themselves, whispering to the air, letting themselves fly away in billowy rumors. All Hollowhawk could do was watch as control slipped out of his firm grip. The weight had returned to his shoulders, heavier than ever. It began to push him down, digging the grave for his reputation to lie in.

Lionsun then crept closer to the tabby deputy, delight brightening the dark pupils in his eyes. "Tell us the truth, Hollowhawk," He mumbled, letting his hot breath tangle between his whiskers. "Do you know who the killer is?"

The earth-colored cat did not break his gaze from his rival. He wished to be like a running river; reflecting those who looked into him. So with Lionsun holding a challenge in the color of his eyes, Hollowhawk puffed out his chest and lifted his head in pride. Though the outside of him was screaming "strength," the inside was a weak whisper. Scrambled thoughts and feelings skipped through the scars in his head. He couldn't distinguish between right and wrong, lies and truth. He wanted to do the right thing, always, but it was much more complicated than that.

Finally, knowing he had to say something soon, his thoughts shifted nervously about. His tongue was twisted in his mouth and he knew this silence was giving him away. Say something!

"No," Hollowhawk lied.

―

Dawn arrived on top of a cloud's kind wing, settling in the sky early and soft. It was a fragile time; the only time when the morning could promise new beginnings. Though for Hollowhawk, his day only became longer.

Exhausted from not having slept through the night, the tabby tom trudged slowly through the wild undergrowth. With sunken eyes in his head and paws that barely lifted off of the ground, he seemed ready to drop in an instant. But he continued to strive forward. Plants desperate for a journey hugged onto his legs as he passed through them. They clung so tightly to his fur, it was as though they wanted to be uprooted from the earth.

Hollowhawk kept his nose to the ground. He dragged along, snuffing out the enticing scents of hiding prey. He kept quiet as he stepped, luring the little creatures into a false sense of safety. Nose suddenly filling with a sensation that caused his mouth to water, Hollowhawk knew he had found a mouse nearby. The skillful hunter flattened to the earth, creeping towards the shrubbery every so silently. He halted in anticipation, feeling blood rush to his paws in pure excitement.

When the tom was ready to lift from his crouch and into a deadly pounce, a golden paw suddenly crashed right in front of his face. It was so sudden, the limb also crushed the mouse beneath it.

Hollowhawk lifted his eyes, scanning up and down rapidly. His heart was racing with surprise- he had been caught off guard completely. He rose to feet startled and lumbering backward. His blurred eyes then focused on the sun-shaded shape in front of him and he instantly knew who his companion was. Lionsun.

The tom stood trophy-like above the trampled mouse, his ego was a bigger eyesore than his coat. Lionsun eyed both the crumpled mouse and Hollowhawk with a hungry scowl; the way he stared at them with the same frown made the deputy believe that he was to be hunted next.

"You took too long to kill," Lionsun stated rather spiritlessly. He slithered out of the bushes, taking space to fill the large gap between Hollowhawk and himself. "The mouse would have been long gone by the time your slow claws got to it."

The burnt-colored tom exhaled a breath in annoyance, letting Lionsun's remarks fly by his head. He flicked his tail impatiently, averting his eyes as he asked, "Why are you here?"

Pondering on the question, Lionsun dropped his strong gaze to the dirt. He studied his unsheathed claws, watching as they glinted in the early morning light. Lionsun was a cat with many secrets, Hollowhawk could tell. In this moment, the yellow tom was wilted over, wrestling the truth in his head. It was a liar's fate; constantly battling the true and the fake. Finally finding his voice again, the yellow tom spoke, but this time more seriously, "I'm here to give you a warning."

"About what?"

Lionsun was not blunt in his response, he didn't waste time dancing on the edges of his intent. He spoke dead on, "You're going to step down from deputy right now or I'll kill you." His words flew from his tongue so forthrightly, they seemed more deadly than his claws.

Hollowhawk didn't hesitate as Lionsun's words didn't shock him. He knew all along that this cat's ambition was to take him down- but why? "Is that because you want to be me?"

"Better than you." The answer was: envy. It was a bitter leaf stemming from the poisonous plant of pride. Hollowhawk could see it now, blossoming in the eyes of his Clanmate. He wished he could say that he wasn't the same. That he didn't let his pride get in the way of his work. But there wasn't much of a difference between Hollowhawk and Lionsun. They both valued the good of their ego over the good of their Clan.

Still, Hollowhawk knew deep in his heart that he was the rightful deputy of ThunderClan. So, if any cat challenged him or threatened to take his honorable position away, he'd show them his claws.

"If you want to kill to be the deputy, I'll give you something to fight for."

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