The Casualties of War: Part 1 (RP)

Anura

Quietly, the gladiator padded in the shadows of the city wall, her hair standing on end under her armor as she glanced at the patrol she was with. Elektra, Garen, Crispus, Nedria… all cats that she loved and couldn’t bear to imagine life without. All cats that had agreed to go into the city, all because her mother had wanted to take part.

The snow lynx cursed her mother’s sudden enthusiasm for fighting inwardly, but didn’t show a single shred of the feelings towards her comrades. Their mission was simple; get in, try and stop the hunters from getting at the cats that were fighting, possibly rescue some of the poor souls trapped within the city, and get out.

It didn’t sound that difficult, but as Anura had come to realize, this was a feat much easier said than done… and with all the information she had learned over the course of the past few months… it meant a lot more danger as well.

Somewhere in that city was the killer of her and Garen’s father. Somewhere in that city, there were humans going about their own business…

Somewhere inside those walls, battles are going to break out and cats are going to die.

Anura had never really been one to flinch away from a battle, but the knowledge that some cats wouldn’t make it out of this city alive tonight did cause her stomach to churn uneasily. She had yet to see a cat die, and in turn had yet to kill a cat out of defense. She hoped tonight wouldn’t be any different, but a small part of her whispered that she should be wiser. A small part of her knew that tonight, she would not come out the same.

She just didn’t know how bad she’d be when that time came.

The feline gulped for a moment, noticing a small staircase in front of the group. She flicked her tail forward and glanced upwards. It appeared to lead up onto the wall itself. Maybe the group of them would be able to get up there without issue? Maybe they could then jump from rooftop to rooftop and observe the damage done by the other empires… Maybe.

“I think this is our chance to get in.” She meowed softly, finally turning to the group. “Anybody want to back out of this yet?” She half joked, but a part of her was wondering if it wasn’t too late to head back home. It certainly would be safer there.

Garen and Crispus

The thoughts running through Crispus’ own mind resembled his friend’s in a sense, but only vaguely.  

Just like her, he was worried for his family; both those with him and those who had stayed home.  The tabby tiger hated sounding like a sap, but he truly felt as though he’d left half of his heart back at Ice Empire’s camp… and for their sakes… he hoped he’d make it back home.  That all of them would.

He was nervous at the idea of facing up against bounty hunters in their own element (that being this goddamned city with all its strange, blocky rocks and hills and stoney grass-less ground and just its overall oddness.)  After all, the first and last time he’d met a hunter was on his own territory, and he would have died that day had it not been for… well, for Nedria.  Who, if he was being honest with himself… he was both relieved and dismayed to have here.

Man, with Nedria, things were always complicated...  even when he wasn’t an angsty cub holding grudges against her.  By now, this appeared to be a simple law of life.  

However, that was where the similarities ended.

Unlike Anura, Crispus’ family had not been so directly, or brutally, affected by the Bounty Hunters and their overall assholery.  Their empire had not been massacred like Lightning’s.  His father had not been murdered by any of that city scum.  No grieving mother with fatherless cubs had been left behind.  I mean, that had still happened to him, in a way, but not completely.  So when he thought of the hunters, he wasn’t thinking completely of Scaeden or any one feline in particular.  He was just thinking of facing off against a bunch of stupid cats and their idiot caravan-driving humans.  And most absolutely importantly…

Keeping his family safe.

When Anura turned to the group, referring to the set of stairs leading up to the top of the wall, Crispus decided to play along.  He responded with a half smirk of his own, despite his slightly bristled fur.  “What, like I’m afraid of a set of stairs?  You’ll have to get back to me on that when we meet our city friends.  And by then I may be having too much fun.”

Crispus’ heart may have been split, but Garen’s?  Garen’s was torn in all sorts of directions.  His mother and sister, his apprentice guarding the Healers’ post, his adoptive family at home… Brutus, Sohnii, the cubs… Andromeda, who was probably halfway across the city by now… his family in Ice Empire…

Gods above, he could not stop praying for each of them to be kept safe in this dark hour.  There were so many cats here that he could at least endeavor to protect, but there were just as many others who he could not even see or hear right now.  The snow lynx could only hope that Claire would remember everything he’d taught her, that Brutus would be alright, that Plato and Orpheus would get their-- and his-- mother back…

Nedria… Anura… Elektra…

Having them at his side gave him a sense of strength, but at the same time, their very presence made dread crawl up from the pits of his stomach.  All three of them were felines he cared about dearly… and he’d only had such little time with them in the grand scheme of things.  And yes, he had treasured that time, but…

… Now they were risking their lives for this battle, just after finding each other again.  Which was exactly why he was here-- to guard, to protect them-- but that was what was so frustrating about this.  He was only one cat.  How could he possibly ensure that they were all kept safe?  How could he ever lose any of them?

...

He couldn’t.  So… so, nerves be damned, if he wanted to focus on keeping his eyes sharp and his claws at the ready, he had no choice but to shove all these festering voices and worries as far down as he could manage.  His father had loved his empire like his own, yet he could be strong and fierce in times like these.  

So could Garen.

He closed his eyes, took one last breath as he sent a final prayer to Ignis… and straightened as he glanced up.  

What met him was a staircase leading up to the wall barricading the city.  Anura stated the obvious; a way in.  She made a joke, Crispus joked back.

Garen did not wish to turn back home.  There was no way he was going to do that when so many of his loved ones were here.  The snow lynx’s only remaining wish was that his absent family and friends knew how much he cared, and how precious they’d been to him, no matter what happened tonight.

“... I’m ready, Anura.  Lead the way.”

Elektra

The cheetah brought up the rear of their small patrol, padding behind Garen with unfocused eyes. She knew she was being reckless, they were far too close to the walls and she should be paying attention to everything, but Elektra couldn’t help but be unsure about this whole thing. She had never seen the city, not that she remembered, but she had to make sure her mother, siblings and friend returned home safely. Even if… Even if she wasn’t really Nedria’s cub, she cared about them far too much to let them risk themselves without being there to cover their backs.

As Anura made some joke about their last chance to give up, Elektra looked up, trying to keep the look of surprise off her face. Of course had heard about Massilia, and had studied its layout when preparing for the war, but actually seeing it was something else. The cheetah shook her head, and just shot Anura a glance that said enough about second thoughts. She padded closer to Garen, shooting the hybrid a tense smile, and prepared to follow whoever would take them inside, trying not to think about what was going on in the other parts of Massilia.

She just hoped Nedria knew exactly what she had gotten herself into.

Nedria

The snow leopardess was uneasy, not exactly upset, but her skin was crawling as she came close to the place she used to call home every few weeks out of the year. She glanced back at the other cats, Anura making quick mention to a staircase (or really a bunch of broken pieces of rock that appeared to be an old misused staircase). They all were here to get into the city, help get some captured cats free and then get out.  

She couldn’t help but worry about the fire assassin patrol and every other group of felines that were out there, but most of all, she was worried about the little group that was there with her. Anura, Crispus, Garen, and Elektra were all young cats, fresh gladiators that were still new to this....

They weren’t the old seasoned felines that she and Andromeda were… granted, that meant that they would hopefully be able to get out of this okay.

Nedria couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t going to be an easy trip into the city…. or out.

“Lead the way Anura.” She said, almost reluctantly.

Anura

“Alright guys, let’s go.” She meowed, jumping up the stairs and making her way up on the wall. Now she just needed to find the safest place to leap so that she and the others could safely get inside the city.