The Shapeshifter

Dracon ran over the sand, his black hair flying behind him as he gained speed and his paws thudded along the sand flicking it up into his eyes but he kept on going. It was midnight but the moon was covered in the same ghostly glow of mist, which was there the night before. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he leaped over rocks and stones, which threatened to trip him. His heart was beating so fast that it was hurting his chest and his claws were beginning to get clogged up with all the fine sand, which had mixed with his sweat. He stopped for a second and twitched his whiskers and then ran a little bit further until he came to the same jagged rock he had left Chem, or she had left him.

"Chem?" he shouted into the night. There was no reply but a chilling wind swirled around him and blew yet more sand into his brown eyes. He gasped and rubbed them with the strap of his pendant but it just made it worse so he sat still for five minutes with his eyes shut. When they stopped stinging, he realised it was now a few hours after midnight, Chem should have been back ages ago. He looked to where he had last seen her, on the horizon, just before the hill. He began to run again and quickly made it across the dunes to the sloping hill of sand.

"Chem?" he shouted again looked along the side of the hill and down into the rocky path below. The sand dune he was standing on, sloped down to a rough, track made of jagged and sharp stones. It led all the way along to a small ledge, which he could just see from where he was standing. He slid down the dune with little difficulty and on the way he spotted paw marks in the sand, where some one else had slid down before. Walking along the track he came to the ledge that had another track twisting around the side of the cliff face. Below him was a huge, fast flowing river. He knew the place, Clampdown River, but he also knew how dangerous the place was. The river had various logs and branches floating past at horrific speeds and the river itself was like a mini-ocean as it created huge waves which crashed into the cliff faces either side of it, eroding the sides to cause landslides. It was a much too dangerous place for a young, adventurous cub to be in.

Dracon could smell Chem's scent, which led down the cliff face and after walking about half a mile, he came to another cropped out ledge with tufts of grass hanging over the edge. There he saw Chem, sprawled out on the floor snoring. He ran over and shook her awake,

"Chem…Chem…Chem!" She opened her eyes as the striped cub yelled her name in her little ear and got up with a start.

"Where am I?" she said drowsily trying to make her feet work again.

"I'm not sure really, but you shouldn't have fallen asleep! Your dad will be so worried," Dracon said trying to pull her back up the path to the top of the cliff.

"I fell asleep?" she said looking down at the river below, "but I haven't found out about my pendant yet." He sighed and sat down next to her facing the cliff face opposite.

"It doesn't matter, we were supposed to be back ages ago even if our pendants didn't work."

"In that case," Chem said lying down, "my dad will be double mad." Dracon looked puzzled and gulped as he saw huge, black clouds roll over the moon.

"What is with this weather?" he asked Chem worriedly. She looked up at the clouds, which swept across the moon, spreading the land in darkness. Her eyes shone at Dracon in the darkness and she said quietly,

"Looks like a storm!" the cloud was swept off the moon with another sharp burst of wind and she looked at Dracon in the moonlight. He looked frightened, even petrified and began to walk back as he pressed his body against the rocky cliff face. "Dracon, what's wrong," she said her voice shaking. He didn't reply but continued to stare up at the clouds his eyes shaking inside his head and his breath coming out in little gasps. She looked up just in time to see a huge streak of white lightning, flash across the sky and the rumble of thunder came after, shaking the earth to its mournful cry. The tension of the storm was in the air and nesting and roosting birds fluttered off with alarming cries away from the storm. Both cats could feel the static tension in the air as another streak of lightning flew through the sky, throwing smaller branches of light off in other directions.

"We should go back," Chem said trying to break the silence as the lightning and thunder ceased. The striped cat grasped her leg and he said in a low voice,

"Chem, don't move, just don't breath."

"You what?"

"Trust me," he pulled her beside him and she watched him look worriedly up at the storm. Suddenly there was another crack of thunder and rain thundered onto the ground in an angry torrent, changing the dirt into sticky mud and causing the river to deteriorate and flick more waves up the cliffs, like a serpent would flick it's tongue. The heavy rain was continuous and thundered each drop on the ground, making it sound like a heard of rhino were trampling through the plains.

Even though the ledge above them caused some shelter, the wind still flung the rain into the two cubs' faces, drenching their hair, fur and tails. Dracon was dripping and shivering while he clutched onto Chem who had buried her head into his chest to stop the rain stinging her eyes. When the rain seemed to become a bit lighter, he pushed Chem away from him and held her out in front, holding her shoulders.

"Follow me," he said in the same low voice and stepped out of the small enclave into the raging storm. Chem followed a little worried at her friend's behaviour and said,

"Will you please tell me what the matter is?" He shook his head and ran up the path to the top of the cliff. She followed, desperately trying to keep up. When she reached the top he saw Dracon in a pouncing position with bared teeth, facing the track along the top of the cliff. She shivered at how evil he looked in the gloomily light, just like Balmor had looked when he had attacked Linka. She wandered over and placed a paw on his back but he continued to growl from the back of his throat towards the direction of the path,

"What is it?" she asked looking in the direction he was, "I don't see anyone."

"You can't see her," he growled.

"Her? Who is she?" he stopped growling and looked at Chem with despair in his eyes,

"Someone, you would be really unlucky to meet on a night like this." She gulped and walked behind Dracon and looked behind her just to make sure 'she' wasn't there.

"Chem, keep back," he warned as he began to stealthily walk along the cliff face. She obeyed but only out of fear and walked backwards keeping her eyes on Dracon. She was as frightened as she had been when she had met Balmor.

The thunder rumbled in the Keyra's ears as some tried desperately to find shelter, but of course out in the desert there was none. Mothers were trying very hard to shelter their cubs while the fathers searched for lost cats and shelter. Ali'b, Linka and Kar were wandering around making sure that everyone was there, while Antok called out other cats to be in his search party, to look for Chem and Dracon.

Kar ran over to Antok and said,

"Antok, we can't find Hadrian anywhere, the others ain't seen him either."

"I'll look out for him on the way but I'm afraid I won't have time for a proper search, I'm more worried about my daughter."

"Okay," he ran off back to Ali'b and Linka who decided that Hadrian could look after himself. Antok walked around the groups of shivering Keyra as the lightning flashed and the thunder roared. A nippy wind had picked up too and blew his hair into his eyes as he yelled to Raga,

"I need your help!"

"What with?" Raga roared back trying to make himself heard over the storm.

"To look for my daughter!"

"Okay, just a second," he ran off over to his brother Adrick who was moaning softly to himself, the ends of his red, dirty headband he wore were fluttering in the wind. "My brother will help too!" Suddenly a huge crack of thunder announced the arrival of the cold, continuous rain, which pummelled onto the cats' bodies like small rocks. Antok ran up to his mate, rubbed heads and then told her that Kar, Linka and herself were in charge.

"Okay," he said returning to the two brothers, "quick now! I hate to think of what danger those two cubs have put themselves in. I should have never let them go." They all ran off together in the darkness, leaving the rest of the tribe to face the storm by themselves.

Dracon was dripping from head to tail with the cold rain, which was still casting its misery on the earth. His fangs were still bared and he paced up and own the cliff face growling out certain words which Chem couldn't understand.

"Immortal!" he roared and jumped up onto a near by rock which jutted out the side of the cliff face and looked upon the raging river, trickling through the gaps in the cliffs below. Suddenly the storm grew worse and Chem was knocked off her feet by a really rough wind. She shut her eyes as she dug her claws into the earth, but the ground was wet and she practically flew across the ground and hit her back on another stone jutting out across the cliff.

"Dracon!" she screamed, "I'm slipping!"

"Show yourself!" he roared into the darkness ignoring the cub's pitiful cries. The wind dropped and a strange humming noise rang in the two cats' ears. It was annoying but harmonious and suddenly the greyish rock the striped cat was crouching upon began to glow purple. He roared and leaped off the rock landing on the ground below, staring up as a head began to form in the air. Chem was shocked at the cat which was forming. She was pure white, probably from head to tail but only half of her body was visible, and her eyes, those blood red eyes, seemed to lull Chem into a daydream. Hearing Dracon growl she began to run forward but then stopped when she remembered what he had told her.

"Invido! What do you want?" he roared, baring his fangs.

"Dracon, son of Balmor," she said, her voice seemed quiet and calm but at the same time threatening, "It has been many years since I hath last seen thou's face. How could thoust remember a lonely cat such as the likes of me?"

"How could I ever forget?" he growled proceeding to the edge of the rock. "What do you want?"

"The thing which I hath been told to put into action, is indeed a sad quest for me."

"Told? By who?"

"Years of training, son of Balmor?" she said ignoring the cat, "What about thou's years of training?"

"What are you talking about you immortal!" he roared backing up a bit as the wind picked up again.

"I hath taught thou to read my mind, you should know the knowledge you seek."

"I ask again, Invido, who sent you?"

"You already know, Dracon, my poor expupil, look in the depths of your lonesome mind and there you will find the answer. Say what your heart beats to you, not the wishes in your mind." Dracon stopped baring his fangs as the white cat began to reveal her whole body but she was still floating above the rock in a ghostly manner.

"My father, sent you? Is that it?" Invido laughed but Dracon wasn't in the mood for mocking, "Speak you darkness cat! Why are you here?"

"You know the answer to that as well," she began to walk through the air and her paws finally began to rest on the earth. He looked into her eyes and added, "but if you truly can't believe the answer in your heart then I will show you what I am here for." She backed up and sat in a crouching position.

"Show me?" he asked shaking as Invido advanced towards him.

"Thou willst receive the greatest lesson from me," she continued still advancing, "The lesson of death!" She launched herself onto of Dracon and as her paws came into contact with him his fur singed. Her paws were like fire and she trampled all over his curled body, burning his fur and making his eyes bulged at the pain. Chem looked on worriedly, not sure of what to do.

"Ch-ch-chem," Dracon gasped, as Invido's paws became hotter. "Whatever you do…do-do-don't move!" She looked on helplessly as Dracon tried to push the white cat off of him but his paws went straight through her body as if she was just air. Invido laughed and leapt off and disappeared with a flash of blinding light. Dracon was left on the floor, his fur charred and his face full of cuts and bruises. He tried to stand up but he couldn't and he just lay there, with wide eyes staring at the ground.

"Tell me where the rest of the Keyra are," Invido said, even though she wasn't visible. "I'll let you live, tell me!"

"Never," Dracon rasped and fell into unconsciousness.

"No!" Chem roared and ran to protect Dracon. "I will never let you kill him!" the shape shifting cat reappeared above her and looked down with a grin on her face,

"Tell me where the rest of your tribe is child and I will let you and the son of Balmor live."

"Liar!" she screamed and jumped through the air, but she went straight through Invido and over the side of the cliff. She screamed as she saw the river below her become bigger and bigger. She realised she would survive the fall but the river was another matter. The currents would drown her! She waved her claws around in the air and they came into contact with the edge of the vertical cliff face. Digging her claws in, she scraped the rock and held on for dear life, occasionally slipping a few more inches. Invido appeared behind her, floating above the river,

"Say goodbye to the mortal world," she cackled and was about to swipe at Chem's claws when a figure jumped off the cliff and bashed into Invido. She wasn't ready for her attacker and had no time to shape shift and together she tumbled with the big, blue male cat into the rumbling river below.

Chem heard her father splash into the river below and she cried,

"Father! No!" She saw her dad splash to the surface his claws reaching for the looming cliff face but the current was too strong and kept pushing his panicking body under. Her thoughts ran through her head in a jumble and out of panic she retracted her claws and fell headfirst into the raging river. Her world became black as she was pushed into the scary depths of the river, her body spinning through the currents. Her eyes were bulging, her lungs bursting and her mouth foaming bubbles. Suddenly, she felt a hefty paw around her stomach and was pulled to the surface to see the black, stormy sky above her. She gasped in the life giving air and spluttered dirty, cold water as she was swept down the river with amazing but scary speed. She looked at the paw around her stomach and managed to look at the figure holding her. It was Antok, her dad, trying desperately to grab onto one of the cliff faces, which flew by either side of them. The determination in his face to save his daughters life was astonishing and finally he managed to grab the cold, slippery rock in his right paw, while he held onto his daughter with the left.

The current was so strong that it seemed to push Chem's body so she was laying horizontally to the river, her tail streaming out in front of her and the flame on the end down to a small flicker. Antok was grunting with the effort to hold on and he managed to drag his daughter up onto his wet shoulders and push her onto the damp cliff face. She dug her claws in while her father let go of her trembling body. He was just about to do the same when he heard a huge splash behind him. He turned his head slowly with despair as he saw a huge, brown log tumbling through the current towards him. His life seemed to flash before his eyes and the last vision he had was of Balmor, grinning with blood stained teeth at him. Looking towards his daughter who was grasped onto the ledge he said softly in a shaky voice,

"I love you." Chem screamed as her father was hit in the head, with a sickening thud, by the log and his head pushed under the water. His body floated, limply to the surface and he was washed down with the current, around the side of the cliff.

"Daddy!" she screamed as more lightning flashed through the sky, "Come back." She began to sob and her grip loosened as her claws slid down the rock once more. She didn't care, she wanted to die. She let go of the rock and shut her eyes as she prepared herself to hit the cold, unmerciful water…but it didn't happen. Wind seemed to be blowing in her face and her fur was dried as the cold gust flew over her body in a comforting way. 'Am I dead?' she though and opened her eyes to see the river below her. She looked at the claws that embraced her middle. The fur on the arms was bright red and she looked up to see Raga carrying her over the ledge back to the place where Invido hurt Dracon. When she landed she looked at Raga who had a set of bright, red, flaming wings which slapped the air like a whip but he was staring sadly at her.

"Did you get my dad?" she gasped with hope and sadness. He looked at her with tearful eyes and cuddled her against his chest.

"Chem, I couldn't get him in time." She sobbed and wailed. Her head felt dizzy and Raga felt her body become limp as the young cub fainted in his arms.

Copyright of Meghan Fisher