Warrior Cats: The Omen of StoneTribe, Book 1 (The Essence)

The Prophecy

Spritepool saw the distressed look on the other Healer's face, and frowned, "Now now," she muttered, tucking her tail below Kavacloud's chin and raising it, "It's all part of StarTribe's will. When it's my time to join them, they'll let me know with illness and sleep. Don't you worry, y'hear?" she finished, gazing deep into the younger she-cat's eyes.

"I'll try not to," Kavacloud murmered, managing a weak smile, "I'll miss you when it's time."

"As I will you. But everything will turn out," Spritepool mumbled.

A soft roll of thunder sounded in the distance, followed by the drowning of the sun around camp. Both Healers furrowed their brows and exchanged a confused glace.

"Funny, a few hours ago, the sky was completely cloud-free," Kavacloud muttered, stepping out of the den and craning her neck over the boulders.

A massive group of blackening clouds were heading their way, filled with lightning and rumbling. They tumbled over the tips of the mountains, swirling and tossing up gusts of cold wind as they went.

Spritepool padded up next to her friend and sat down beside her, observing the weather with concern in her deep blue eyes. Her tail began to flick nervously.

"Storms like these don't usually happen until the start of leaf-fall," the elderly cat stated hesitantly, peering at the oncoming gail.

Before she was able to soothe her friend, Kavacloud was suddenly hit with a blinding flash of strange multicolored light. The world around her began to fade away. She started panicking, crest glowing into the dark that slowly engulfed her. Nothing could be seen. She was floating in a sea of absolute emptiness. The only thing that could be heard was the far away echo of Spritepool calling her name.

"W-where am I?" she trilled into the blackness around her. No cat responded. The singular light around was her red crest, flashing with fright.

You are with us, a voice, soft and quiet, answered her question after a few heartbeats of complete silence. Kavacloud tilted her head and got to her paws. She was still on some sort of solid ground that she couldn't see. In the distance, a faded starry silhouette sat patiently. The Healer took a few steps forward.

"StarTribe..? she asked. Her small voice echoed until it was no more.

I suppose you could say that, the voice replied, come closer.

Kavacloud gasped and nodded her head fervently, picking up her pace and closing the distance between her and the sparkling feline figure. Her heart was pounding violently in her chest. As she approached the strange entity, the world around her sparked to life, flashing awake in different places with bright stars and swirls of silver mists. Kavacloud squeaked with surprise and fell back, glancing around with wide violet eyes.

Come, the voice demanded again, I must tell you quickly, before the storm hits.

Kavacloud scrambled to her paws and bolted over to the starry cat, closing the final stretch between the two. A closer look revealed that the StarTribe member was a she-cat. Her twinkling fur bore a tint of blonde, although her eyes were nothing more than two blinding star-like orbs. She was beautiful and elegant, tail wrapped around her vanishing paws.

"T-tell me what?" Kavacloud asked meekly, dipping her head in respect. This was her first time meeting with her ancestors, holding her own with deep gratitude.

There has been an omen where we live, delivered to us from the stars, the StarTribe cat began, opening and closing her eyes, and you must know.

Kavacloud gulped, and nodded. Her head lowered once again to listen to this noble ghost.

Beware the stone, the she-cat echoed, the evil, the talon, and the thorn will come together, bathing the forest in blood.

Kavacloud raised her head, gazing into the she-cat's eyes with confusion and fright. "Stone? Talon? Thorn? What do you mean?"

The starry cat simply narrowed her eyes and placed a single paw on the Healer's shoulder, sprinkling her white pelt with glittering dust.

The gem and the star must reunite to discover the secrets that lay within.

"What secrets?!" Kavacloud mewled loudly, her heart starting to flip in her chest. The ancestor didn't answer, and instead, began to fade away.

"N-no! Please! Don't leave me, I don't understand!!" the Healer screamed into the darkness where the StarTribe cat once stood.

Before anything could make any sense, the darkness melted into the world she was so used to. The camp surrounded her again, blustery winds of the oncoming storm swirling into her fur.

"Fox-dung, Kavacloud!!" Spritepool's worried voice cut into her haze, a single paw shaking her violently.

"W-wuuhh..." she mumbled, and her eyes sprung open. Kavacloud whirled around and glared into her old mentor's eyes, listening to the scrambling of paws around her. StoneTribe was preparing their dens for a fierce storm.

"I've recieved a prophecy," Kavacloud whispered, flinching at Spritepool's horrified gasp.

"What did our ancestors tell you, dear girl?" the elder asked, her crest lighting up frantically on her forehead.

Kavacloud took in a deep breath, placed her tail on Spritepool's, and opened her mouth.

"Beware the stone. The evil, the talon, and the thorn will come together, bathing the forest in blood. The gem and the star must reunite to discover the secrets that lay within."