RatKind: Chapter One

Sun, 09 Jul 2017 17:30:49 +0000

"Duck!"

Rain winced as the huge rat drove his claw deep in his fur, tearing it out to reveal scarred skin. The challenger drew back his thin, peeling lips and snarled viciously; his yellow teeth were foamy with spittle.

"That's all ya got, KIT?" Ice spat in his face. "If you're to escape here, you need to learn to fight! Now, get up!" he seized Rain by the scruff and tossed him clumsily across the lush grass. "What do ya do?" he roared as Rain felt his body soar over the highest cliff on Ferran.

Fly! Fly! Rain shouted internally, but he could not find the strength to work his azure wings. As he plummeted down the cliff, he pulled his wings towards him so he was streamline. Then, praying he wouldn't shatter into millions of pieces, he let himself fall, eyes closed.

He expected to die.

He expected to hit the ground.

But he didn't do either. Suddenly, he wasn't falling anymore, and there was water all those tail-lengths below him. Glancing wildly around, he noticed the young, grey Siren, her paws radiating a tidal wave of water to support his body. Ice was beside her.

"Did you think we'd let you fall, PUNK?" Ice shouted grumpily.

"Actually," said Rain, ticked off as Siren plopped him gently on the ground, "I thought you'd let me ride on a rainbow. You wait until I tell Fever this."

"Oh, yes," sneered Ice, "Run to mummy now. Cry to her, get us in trouble. You stupid git."

Siren splashed a load of water in Ice's face. "Be nice. The kit is still learning."

"Next he will be mastering all seven arts of Oati, will he? What's so great about him? His brother Web is better at flying then he is." Ice retorted heatedly, but then he let the subject hang and offered to take Rain back to the top of the cliff.

Siren watched him wearily.

At the top, Rain darted across the moor back to his mother's den. I'll show them. I may not be an expert at flying or magic, but at least I can run! Of course, "that's a weakness" because then I'll flee, not fight.

"Hi, Rain," Fever greeted him kindly.

"Hey. Mum. Where is Web and Cedar?" Rain said, shoving through the lichen covering the den entrance. He had seen a flicker of disappointment in his mother's gaze at the sight of her youngest son.

"Out by the lake, learning. I see you're not."

"Ice called me a punk and a git," Rain shot back. "He flung me over the edge of the highest cliff and let me fall. I couldn't fly- Mum, I tried- but I couldn't."

Fever shook her head sadly.

"Son."

Rain turned around. "Mum, just because I'm apart of that old RatKind prophecy you shared before you came here, it doesn't mean I'll ever live up to it."

"You have to, son," she pleaded, "or we are all in danger."

Rain bristled his back fur. Then, sighing, he walked out into the pouring storm outside. The other rats of Ferran were already inside the main den- which was where Fever was- but he didn't feel much like being compared to his siblings.

He walked so far into the storm that he couldn't hear his mother call for him before turning in for the night.

RatKind: Prologue

Sun, 09 Jul 2017 06:51:56 +0000

The lone rat skirted the edge of the silent forest, the raw moonlight illuminating his his slender, galloping, grey form as he darted quietly across the moor. After he had sharply rounded the woods, he plunged into the thick woods. He pelted blindly through the willows, and then he skidded into a wide, grassy clearing. As he regained his footing, he settled down, eyes on the dark sky, and settled down, his hairless, long tail tightly wrapped formally over his shaggy grey paws.

Then a fluttering of wings met his ears, and then a slight thud of a rat gently hitting the ground with his paws. The first rat glanced swiftly at the scarlet-furred newcomer.

"Welcome, Fox."

The Wyvern rat dipped his head. "And to you, Ash."

Ash and Fox averted their eyes from one another and fixed their gaze on the starry sky. As they observed, another Wyvern rat circled overhead and plunged, landing expertly in front of the others.

"Greetings, Fever." said Ash formally.

"Hello, Ash. Where are the others?" the pale grey female inquired, her belly laddened with thick down; she was obviously pregnant, and approaching her last weeks.

Fox intervened. "Fever, the other Wyvern rats had some business in Oracle Kingdom to attend to become they come here. The Dragon rats are coming now, and the last Earth rats are finishing up their patrol for the night."

"And the Mermaid rats?" Fever replied, wheezing, as she hauled herself beside Ash.

"Traveling by waterway."

Ash pointed to the sky with a paw. Three Dragon rats tumbled from the dark expanse, landing clumsily. At Ash's confused expression, a blue buck said breathlessly,

"Lots of wind!"

"Hi, Scream," Ash said wearily to the speaker and to his two windswept comrades, "Hello, Ghost and Wail."

Ghost winced. His torso fur was tattered, revealing a colony of nasty welts. "I got a little too close to an enemy Hellhole rat." he said, as Wail gingerly massaged the inflamed areas with his tongue.

As he spoke, a pair of Earth rats joined them.

Fever grinned. "Lady Coral! Sea!" she exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the two blue-pelted does.

"Greetings," Lady Coral said wearily as a trio of Mermaid rats slithered on the ground beside her, their heavy fish tails dissolving into a pair of large, webbed feet. Ash could hear a rumbling river not too far way.

"Hi Ice, Gravel, and Siren," Fox said, greeting the soaked rats politely, "Is all of the Council here now? No imposters? Three to a jury?" he inquired business-like.

"No imposters," Lady Coral snapped crisply.

"Then let's get started, madam," Fox said kindly, joining the Wyvern rat jury. "Are we to accept the prophecy or reject it?"

Lady Coral ignored the pronounced worried muttering and said, "Reject. And because you eleven know the exact wording of the prophecy you are to be exiled."

"Exiled?" spat Fox in outrage.

Ash silenced him with a wave of his tail. "This is Lady Coral's decision. We are to respect it. Come. To which island are we to be exiled to?"

"Ferran," Lady Coral replied, and Ash gulped. Ferran was the most dreaded of all Ibal Islands, for it was the most dangerous for kits, and with Fever nearing her due date...

"Very well. Council, come." he straightened up, and everyrat quickly followed. "Let us try our paw at Ferran."

"Not so fast," Lady Coral growled, hacking off the Dragon and Wyvern rats' wings off, leaving only bloody, mangled stumps, the mark of a traitor. They all gasped but endured the sharp agony, and then Lady Coral transported them to Ferran.

They knew they could never leave and tell those of the prophecy that may have well saved all RatKind.

(To be continued ...)

Chapter 1: https://www.kidzsearch.com/questions/30119/ratkind-chapter-one

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RatKind: Chapter One

RatKind: Prologue