Chapter Four ~ Slaughter Games ~ Done

“Just get away from me!” Breezepelt screeched as he tried to move away from the two Dark Forest cats. It was impossible since Mapleshade blocked his path while Sparrowfeather stood behind him. He knew that if he tried moving left or right, the only ways that weren’t blocked, the two cats would still block him. “Please. . .”

“Don’t bother being soft because you know we can’t tolerate that,” Mapleshade mewed, a mischievous look forming on her face. “And if you want to leave, we’ll happily make you.” She’ll kill me, Breezepelt realised. ''If I keep pleading to leave, I’ll only die and be stuck here. ''He knew there’d be no way StarClan would ever let him join their ranks.

“Painfully,” Sparrowfeather added. “A slow and painful death sounds appealing to me, don’t you think?” She looked at Mapleshade.

“Of course it is, mouse-brain!” she hissed. “I’ve joined the Dark Forest for a reason. Do you think I’d turn soft now?”

“You can’t kill me because I’m representing the Dark Forest—at least you said so,” Breezepelt pointed out. “So if you kill me, the Dark Forest won’t win the Games.” What a bunch of hare-brains, thinking killing me is a good thing when they need me, he thought.

“You may be dead then, but that can’t stop us from throwing your spirit into battle,” Mapleshade growled. Breezepelt’s nose wrinkled in disgust as her foul breath went into his nostrils. “That’ll be more enjoyable, since when you die you’ll be gone forever. Crowfeather would love that, won’t he?”

Crowfeather. His father who had wanted nothing to do with him because he was a ‘mistake’. He favoured his ThunderClan kits, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze, over him and he wanted to kill them badly. “I’ll shred him to pieces in the Games,” Breezepelt growled. “I’ll make him regret everything he’s done to Nightcloud and I.”

“Nightcloud’s pathetic. Defending the weak and irritating will not make you live, but will make you die quicker,” Sparrowfeather told him. “The quicker you die, the more terrors you will be faced with.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Heathertail flashed in Breezepelt’s mind. I’ll protect her and kill anyone that tries to hurt her, he vowed. “If you want to win, you’ll do exactly as we say.” Mapleshade interrupted his thoughts. “And by that, we expect you to fight like a rogue and kill everyone that crosses your path and enters your sight.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Fine,” Breezepelt sighed. “I’ll make sure they all die under my claws.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Good. You know what happens to traitors.” Mapleshade’s head rose into the air as she let out a cry. Breezepelt stared at her for several heartbeats before shadows crept out from the darkness. Eyes began glowing as pelts became a lot more noticeable and coloured. So many cats began to form a big circle around them—more than Breezepelt had ever seen.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Breezepelt was surprised to see that many there. ''I never knew there were a lot more members in the Dark Forest. ''Recalling the Dark Forest battle and comparing the numbers of the Dark Forest, there were definitely less warriors that participated then. Sparrowfeather began disappearing into the crowd, leaving Mapleshade to stand in the centre of the circle with Breezepelt.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“The moment we have been waiting for has finally come,” Mapleshade began, her voice loud enough so that all the cats could hear her. “When the sun hangs over the Island where Gatherings were held, the Games will begin.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Looking around at the cats surrounding him, Breezepelt noticed that they had glints of excitement in their eyes. “I want Maggot-tail to get SkyClan there, Darkstripe with ThunderClan, Clawface with ShadowClan, Silverhawk with RiverClan, and Buzzardfrost with WindClan. When the meeting is over, I want you five to go.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“We should target the Dark Forest traitors first.” Breezepelt recognised Redwillow and soon saw him barging through the crowd. “Ratscar and Ivypool deserve to be punished for disobeying us.” He then narrowed his gaze. “And before you say that the Games is their punishment, that won’t do any good.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“I have plans for Ivypool,” Mapleshade replied. “She will suffer with the loss of her loved ones and we will turn her insane from that. We did use the Three for something special, and I have made sure they got tortured. As for Ratscar, we will do the same but make him witness all of his kin’s deaths as we kill them one-by-one.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Redwillow didn’t look that satisfied. “We should do more than that,” he insisted. “We—”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“You will do as I say,” Mapleshade interrupted, her gaze burning through his. “Now our tributes will be in front of the crowd as they wait to get sent off. They will use all of the Clans’ territories for the arena while their Clanmates stay with us. If any cat has traces of evil within them or may make good warriors for me, make sure their spirits end up here. All the weak ones will go to StarClan.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“For the Dark Forest traitors, they will be sent here as well so they can walk alone. The traitors are Mousewhisker, Blossomfall, Birchfall, Tigerheart, Applefur, Hollowflight, Icewing, Minnowtail, Larkpaw, Harespring, Furzepelt, and Sunstrike.” ''Harespring and Larkpaw trained in the Dark Forest? ''Breezepelt was surprised since he hadn’t seen them there before.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Icefang, have you gotten Ashfur and Mudclaw to join us?” Mapleshade questioned. “They belong with us, not StarClan.”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“No,” a mottled white tom answered. “StarClan chased me away. They put up a good fight for weak cats.” Breezepelt noticed that he had a claw mark over is eye, which was closed and swollen. There were many scars scattered on them.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Mapleshade didn’t look impressed. “I don’t care!” she hissed. “Just go get them and bring them here. Don’t let StarClan chase you off because they’re as weak as kittypets. Where’s your strength and true warrior skills?”

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A growl escaped from Icefang before he turned and stalked away.