Scourge padded through the streets of the Twolegplace. His paws felt light with happiness as he practically danced over the asphalt. He inhaled, and the tangy scent of smoke entered his nose.
Confused, he shifted his mouth open and let the smell reach the special scent organ on the roof of his mouth. Yep, definitely smoke. But where was it coming from?
Scourge heard a yowl of distress. It was a she-cat, locked somewhere in the burning Twoleg nest as it crumbled into ashes. He shook of the last of his happiness and focused on the house. I have to save the she-cat, he thought. I have to save her.
Scourge leapt up to one of the holes in the side of the Twoleg nest. The clear film was almost hot enough to burn him on touch. "Don't breathe in the smoke!" he shouted to the cat on the other side of the window. "I'm coming!" He raced through the open Twoleg door and, eyes watering, sprinted towards her.
"Help!" a smoky gray she-cat called. She was barely a kitten, and she looked petrified with fear as she flailed around. The soft amber eyes she sent his way were pleading and scared, and Scourge couldn't help but want to save the little thing.
He jumped through the hole on the side of the Twoleg nest and landed past one of the fires to land by the kitten. He snatched her up by the scruff of her neck and attempted to leap back toward the window. But he missed by about a tail-length and went plummeting into the fire. The little kitten screeched as pain rushed through Scourge's body. Frantic, he clawed his way up the hot wood and leapt out the window. Many Twolegs rushed them, but none of them attempted to take him or the kitten until giant Twoleg paws reached down from the sky. Scourge dropped the kitten and hissed, baring his teeth and raising his hackles. But the kit gasped in pain, and he snatched her back up before racing away towards the sewers that led to the Becoming's camp.
When he arrived, his legs felt weak, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Scourge!" Ivy screeched, racing over to him. "Oh no! No, no, no!"