The Five Giants

019 - The Cat

"I'll get revenge on you if it's the last thing I do! Just you wait."

Sol stormed past Phoenix, stomping away from the pond. He glanced back at Cocoa's dead body before he leaped behind the thornbush Phoenix had once stumbled into. Even after all these months, her blood had not yet lifted off the ground but the faint scent was gone. He laid down, lowering his head onto the ground and closed his eyes.

Sol found himself wondering around the forest, the scent of blood was thick in the air and yowls of pain echoed in his ears. He stopped, the yowls getting louder and louder and the scent getting heavier and heavier. It sent a shiver down his spine. Sol closed his eyes. He couldn't handle those familiar screeches. He couldn't tell which direction they were coming from. He kept walking without his sight.

After a while of senseless walking, he felt himself fall. He opened his eyes to see himself in some water, being carried off by a strong current. He thrashed his paws about, trying to scream for help. He blinked and was being carried by his mother. He looked towards the side of him and saw his father's damp pelt.

Sol blinked once more, narrowing his eyes at the two arguing cats. Cocoa sat beside him silently, his tail curled around Sol's ears protectively. Sol recognized that cat; it was his leader, Honey.

After a few heartbeats, Sin bowed down as if to apologize and Honey leapt onto her. His teeth sunk into her skin, drawing blood. She couldn't breathe. Sol made an attempt to go help but it was too late, Honey tore Sin's throat open, sending her into a massive convulsion before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and body went limp. Honey turned to Cocoa, a villainous smile on his face as he clawed the tom's eyes. Cocoa yowled in pain but didn't retreat.

"I can't see!"

Cocoa tried to look around and attempted to blink the blood away. He turned to Honey, "Honey, what've you done? I can't even see my son's face! I'll never be able to see his handsome face again!"

Sol watched this all go down in front of him. He stood there, a fearful gaze stuck on his leader. Blood from Sin's neck and Cocoa's eyes had splattered on his golden coat. He trembled, taking a few paces back from the approaching leader. He felt Honey hit his shoulder and scream in his ear.

"What the hell is the matter with you? You are an absolute disappointment!" Honey clawed at the tom's shoulder again. "Get up. . . Get UP!"

"Sol, you need to get up."

Sol's eyes stretched open. He looked up to Snowy standing in front of him. The tall, white tom ushered him to his paws with the tip of his nose, attempting to lift him up. "Come on, Honey wants us to go to the House Cat's territory. He says Heather's scent is heavy in that specific place," he explained. Sol rolled his eyes and glanced up at the tom to protest but Snowy stopped him. "He'll make you sit vigil for the rest of the night if you question him and you won't be able to eat or sleep. You're with me so you can speak but keep your voice down."

Sol hissed angrily. "He belongs in the dogs!"

"That's a bit harsh, isn't it?" Snowy let out a small chuckle and lifted his head when the tom let out a growl.

"He killed my mother. That's why I hate him and Phoenix! They're too much alike. The moment I saw her fall, I saw the fear and that's the fear Honey shows. If she stays alive, she'll end up exactly like Honey, a monster!"

"That's why cats in hell speaks to her. The same cats who Honey killed are the same cats who want Snowy dead and overthrown. At least, that's what Flint said."

"Flint? How does he know?"

Snowy hesitated, the words of the prophecy given to Flint sparked in his head. "You are I, I am you." His voice was calm, full of solace and stable but he still had a glint of jealousy in his gaze. "I should've had the prophecy. I feel that Flint isn't suited for it since he's not a cat but I might be biased.

"You envy him, don't you?"

"Indeed I do," he gave Sol a small nod. "Come on, let's get going."

Sol nodded and walked off over to the rocky slope, heading to an abandoned cave. He and Snowy walked past it and the pond that lay near it. Sol ran ahead, his eyes directing themselves to The Forbidden Forest.

He jogged at its border, staring into the darkness. It was misty and dark. The only thing that could be seen was two glowing orbs and the faint outline of a cat. He stopped to stare and examine at it. Was it moving?

Snowy padded to his side, glancing down at the tom. "What's the problem?" He asked before moving his gaze towards where the tom was looking.

The cat which Sol was staring at wasn't moving but it sounded as if it was. . . Crying? As soon as Snowy took a few paces forward towards the cat, it started to speak. "I'm scared," it whined. It sounded like a young child and spoke in a plaintive tone. "Please come closer, I want a hug. I'm your friend to the end."

Snowy nodded. "Right. I'm coming."

Sol shook his head. "I've heard stories about things like these, don't trust it."

"Those stories are all fairy tales. It's just a child, it'll be indecent of me to leave it here."

Sol wanted to respond but it was too late; he had crossed the border. Snowy gave the cat a warm smile and sat down, patting the ground.

The cat giggled. "I'm your friend to the end. I'm scared." Snowy chuckled, but his smile faded when blood splattered on his fce and white pelt and a scream could be heard. "Feel free to scream whenever you want."

Snowy hissed, taken aback by the scream."Who are you?"

"I'm supposed to be a bad guy. Feel free to scream whenever you want, Snowy. The rumours a true."

Snowy trembled. His mouth stuck wide open in horror as the cat took a step forward. Still, Snowy couldn't see him. His heart thundered in hs chest and his throat ran dry. "How do you know-"

Sol yowled. "Run, Snowy!"

The cat's voice got deeper, more demonic sounding and dangerous. It had layers of different voices of different pitches and if sent shivers down Snowy's spine. His eyes changed to warm, glowing, amber slits. "Feel free to scream whenever you want. The rumours are true."

Snowy decided to listen to Sol and ran off. He felt the cat on his tail chasing him, but didn't look back. He felt it's claws scrape against his tail and grip onto it. However, as soon as Snowy's body crossed the border, the cat released him. Sol and Snowy ran out of the area immediately.

They stopped when they saw the cave, panting heavily. Sol narrowed his eyes at Snowy, his gaze full of shock and annoyance. "So much for being a 'fairy tale', huh?"

Snowy rolled his eyes, and thought it would be best to change the subject. He looked down at Sol, "let's tell Honey we couldn't find her."

Sol nodded in agreement. "Right, let's tell him about-"

"Not, The Forbidden Forest. It's forbidden for a reason!"

Sol sighed. He must have insuffilate the ashes of The Forbidden Forest because he couldn't smell anything. He lapped at his own messy coat; his fur stood up on its ends from the fear. He could taste the blood of the random cat with a soupçon of ashes. Right after, he ran over to the one cat that made him feel constant solace and walked beside the tom, heading back to the pond.