The Storm Empire (Completed)

Chapter 14

"I'm convinced." remarked Red, rubbing his bare chin with his paws.

"Great. We need a plan. I suggest that you study the other clans too, just in case we encounter greater threats."

Gray nodded, "Let's go to my den and talk."

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"So what do we know about the other clans?" Gray inquired, trying to recall the last gathering.

"We, of course, know their abilities. We know the leaders. The leaders of IceClan and SkyClan are around the age of Gray. I know North pretty well, and Hawk and Moon are pretty close to the leader of SkyClan. I don't know his name, but I can contact them," remarked Crystal.

"That works, but what about the other clans?" asked Gray. "They aren't exactly on our side. We have to prove we are strong."
"We might have a spy if that happens," commented Red, "Let's not make allies with clans we barely know."

"Graystar!" The voice belonged to Fawn who had just barged into the den, "We have visitors."

The four nekos stepped out into the clearing, where two familiar faces stood, one Northstar, the other Flightstar, leader of Skyclan. Next to them was a face Gray didn't quite recognize. It was a female kuma; half-human, half-bear. She had small, narrowed eyes that were a light shade of lavender. Her skin was a golden brown, and her chestnut hair was put into two long braids.

Crystal immediately smiled at the sight of North, her childhood friend as well as Flightstar, the leader of her brother's clan. However, suspicion rose in her when she spotted the strange kuma. Kumas were foreign to her because she never had any interaction with them. During her childhood, she would stay away from them during gatherings due to the old superstition of kumas eating humans at the privacy of their own camp. She was certain it was just the usual gossip, but she kept her own boundaries just to be safe.

"Northstar, Flightstar, and you are?" Crystal exclaimed.

"I am Lilystar," answered the female. She was tall, with a strong build, but not as bulky as the nekos thought the kumas would be. She was somewhere from her late teens to her early 20's, much like the 19 and 20 year old Northstar and Flightstar. The new generation was fairly young, since this was the time to pass down the throne, although Gray had it since she was 15.

"Greetings, Lilystar and Flightstar. We were never formally introduced. I am Graystar, leader of StormClan," Graystar put on a professional smile and greeted them in a calm and soothing voice. You could tell she was a leader, straight back and neat appearance. Her hair was in a neat bun that day, and you would see spots of her patches of different shades of Gray in her hair.

"I will get some tea for the guests," exclaimed Crystal, smiling. She was really just coming up with an excuse to leave. As ever, seeing guests, she changed from her armor, which changed from gold to a dark blue, into a more normal outfit. This time, she wore a off-shoulder white shirt and jeans. She also accidentally clicked on hair, which meant that her hair was held back by a childish blue butterfly.

"Actually, I like coffee," acknowledged Lilystar.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure we still have a bit of that," answered Crystal, with a smile. She resisted the urge to pull the blue butterfly clip off. Her nose piercing wasn't on, since she had decided to let it close. "And, for Flightstar it will be black tea, jasmine for Northstar, and earl gray for Graystar, correct?"

"Yes, thank you, Crystal," answered Flightstar. Gray watched as Crystal flew off into the distance, almost bumping into an elder. Lilystar chuckled as the white-haired figure pulled out the comedic stunt. North on the other hand rolled his eyes, as if he had already witnessed it a thousand times.