Heart Of A Fighter (Book 3): Home Is Calling

Chapter 15: The Four Beasts

Day had faded into night in what seemed like mere minutes. The inky darkness spread its cover across the dying gold of the dusky sky and the sun was swallowed by the sea.

Most of the older cats had already drifted off to sleep, leaving some of the apprentices, the kits and Cottonsong awake.

"Please, my dears, go to sleep," the long-suffering queen sighed, her groggy eyes half-lidded as she gazed at her four squirming bundles.

"But maaaahm, we're nooot tired," whined Mousekit and Icekit, and Hailkit giggled along while Ripplekit covered his ears with his paws to block out the noise his siblings were making.

"Kits, troubling your mother now?" A soft flurry of wingbeats sounded out, and Russet Rush landed before the tired queen and her kits.

Goslingpaw turned to see where Splash Sprint was at, and a small smile crept onto her face when she saw him nestled into Xiera's white and black fur, sleeping soundly with the dog.

"We're not tired," complained Mousekit. "Ah. Why not I sing all you little wide-eyes a song to soothe your ears and let you sleep?" He purred gently.

"We're not babies," mumbled Rockpaw. "We don't need nursery rhymes." But his grumbling was drowned out by the excited squeaks of the kits who clamoured for a song.

The beautiful russet tom chuckled and cleared his throat before he began to sing in a soft and gentle voice that was lilting and lovely as ever, drawing in all of BlazeClan's younger cats who were still awake to hear his words.

"In the realm where creation goes to die,
The four beasts escaped their cage with a mighty cry.

The four beasts went to rampage across the earth,
Control, Jealousy, Rage, and Rebirth.

For ten days they raged against their gilded cage,
And for ten nights the warrior fought against the war they waged.

The earth shook and our oceans burned,
As he fought for weeks, his back unturned.

He overcame the four beasts and escaped unhurt,
And sealed these monsters all around Earth.

Control was caged in the east,
Where she was sealed within the petals, unable to feast.

Jealousy was sent to the bottom of the sea,
Part of a forgotten legacy.

Rage was trapped in his strongest cage,
Seething with wrath and counting his days

And Rebirth was forced deep into the Earth,
Endlessly watching the world in reverse.

The hero fell to earth with a sigh,
And that night the stars shine twice as bright."

By then, his lilting voice had helped make most of the apprentices fall asleep, and Mousekit's protests grew softer until she gradually dozed off with her brothers.

Cottonsong cast the older tom a grateful smile, before resting her head on her white paws and closed her pale green eyes, her flank rising and falling rhythmically with her breathing.

Goslingpaw rolled over onto her side as she watched those calming blue eyes swivel to her before the russet tom approached her with an amused smile.

"Someone's not asleep yet, I see," he chuckled, voice playful and amused. Goslingpaw cast an equally cheeky smile up at him and replied, "Your singing was lovely."

"Why, thank you. My parents used to say we had Audio blood in our family somewhere; now I can say for sure it's true," he hummed, pride flickering in his eyes.

Goslingpaw giggled sleepily before she felt a tail coil around her own. Russet Rush chuckled before saying, "Goodnight little wren, I'll see you when the sun rises."

With that, the russet tom trotted over to where his mate was and curled up with him. Goslingpaw carefully shifted so she could see whose tail was on hers.

She smiled when Depthpaw's sweet face came into view and let out a small chuckle. His eyes opened slightly and he smiled shyly at her.

"Just making sure you're still here," he murmured. She smiled and nosed his cheek gently. "I will be here as long as I have to be, you silly dolt," she purred.

He smiled and closed his eyes once more, and shortly after the young she-cat followed him, as the stars twinkled bright above in the inky night sky.