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prologue
. ༉‧₊˚✧ . ˚.

The sun was beginning to set behind the tree tops that towered over the large forests, expanding out until the single eye could not see no more lush, green lands. Clouds were beginning to cover the vast amount of the sky, graying the skies and promising rainfall later that night. The wind was beginning to pick up slightly, carrying fallen leaves from their stems and direction-ing them to where they would plant themselves to start anew.

And throughout this vast land, a single black feline moved their way through the underbrush. The feline was recognized as a he, and he was a small, oriental black-pelted bred feline with exhausted, pale-green oculars. As he tread along the forest floor, his tail was beginning to drag along in the dirt and leaves, a sign the young feline needed to rest. It might be safe to rest now, though he wanted to wonder a little further and to get somewhere safer. Where? The oriental had not a clue.

His wounds and scratches had been open for a few days now, and he was beginning to feel ill. His wounds were untreated by both human and feline assistance, but who could help him when he was all alone? There was nothing but the trees and birds that fluttered about, mocking him in their sing-songy voices in a way. Speaking of, he hadn't realized his hunger until then.

The oriental let out a small groan and plopped down on his haunches, slumping his shoulders and bowing his head down slightly, staring off deeper into the forest with his dull, green orbs. His ears were flattened to his skull as he let out a small breath. Gnats were buzzing around his un-groomed pelt, especially around the parts where his flesh wounds were not treated. The feline let out another annoyed breath and shook out his thin pelt, but they came right back. If this was the only thing that was following me that'd be great, the tomcat thought, squinting his eyes.

   A sudden wave of sadness washed over his figure like an ocean wave, crashing and burying him in his sorrow. He slowly blinked and looked to the ground. What if they would catch him? He would be crow meat. He would be slaughtered without hesitance. The tomcat flicked an ear and pouted, a knot forming in his throat as salty tears formed in his eyes. He blinked and they slowly rolled down his face, soaking into his thin fur. He couldn't return, and maybe not ever. The city was a dangerous place for any other feline, especially a young kit. He should have stayed home. None of this would have happened.

   As he was drowning in his thoughts, a pair of wings fluttered down to the forest floor, snapping him from his wondering thinking. The feline's pupils dilated and he slowly shifted his figure to where he was very low to the ground. He had watched his father demonstrate how to properly catch a piece of prey, but never had he watch him catch a bird. It would only be rats or mice. The oriental slowly inched his way closer to the bird. He noticed that it was all black — like him — but the feathered creature had bright-red shoulders. He had never seen a bird like that, only ones with a gray-blue figure, but with a reddish-orange breast. He thinks they were called a raben? No, robin. Robins, they were.

The kit inched closer and closer, trying his best to be as quiet and stealthy as possible. The black bird didn't seem to notice him. Stupid creature, he thought, his jaws beginning to create saliva in his mouth. He was going to catch this bird. He extended his pearly-white claws and, at that moment, sprang from his position and let out a small, fierce 'mrrow' when doing so. The bird, however, let out an alarming call and fluttered into the sky. The black-furred kit missed it by a tail-length and landed into the leaves and dust with no food.

Dizzy, he slowly rose to his paws and hissed to himself, spitting small curse words. "Bastard!" he spat angrily and swiped some leaves aside in his fit. The feline blinked slowly as he realized such a word he had just spoken aloud. Those curse words were very bad, back at home. He had been scolded a few times for speaking in that language. Shaking his head to and fro, he quietly muttered his apologizes as if he had used them against someone. Feeling upset and frustrated, he slowly sat down upon his haunches and slumped his shoulders. He felt a lump grow in the back of his throat and salty tears form in his eyes. Little things made him upset, if it wasn't obvious.

   He was pretty hungry. The feline couldn't pin point when his last meal was. Though, he was almost positive it was yesterday morning when he stumbled across a loner outside of the this territory. She had been kind to give a kit a rabbit leg. Though, he was so used to eating the dry pellets. They didn't seem that bad. Dry, yes, but he would take the offer right about now.

   The black-pelted oriental rose to his paws and sniffled. He blinked away his tears and gritted his teeth as his stomach harshly rumbled in a protest that it wasn't given anything in a hot minute. As he was lost in the thoughts about food, he saw a wisp of black-and-white fur between the underbrush gaps. The feline felt his heart beginning to pound against his chest in nervousness, though perhaps they could help? He was pretty sure it was a feline, and not another wild animal. They could help him. Keep him safe!

   Beginning to scramble to in the direction of where he saw the flash of fur, he saw them in the far distance, trotting along the forest floor. Their tail was lashing behind them, as if they were distressed or upset. The feline noticed blood droplets on the dirt as he followed behind cautiously. It wasn't cat blood, but prey blood. He licked his chops. They would surly share!

   "Hey, w-wait!" he called out a little shakily. No answer. He began to pick up his pace, his meows becoming louder. A call for help, it was. Still, no answer. It was almost as if they were ignoring him. The kit began into a full-on sprint towards the feline. He would have been running as fast as possible, though his untreated wounds and infections were keeping him behind.

The trees began to become a blur, his small figure climbing over obstacles in his way and weaving through the thick underbrush and brambles. He dodged small rocks and low tree branches. He was beginning to become frustrated. Why wasn't this cat slowing down for a kit in distress? A kit needed help for sakes! He called out again, this time with a small hiss edged to his tone. He was sure this feline could hear him now, but didn't even look back. He was sprinting now. There was no way he could keep up!

The black feline rushed to keep up, though his breathing was becoming heavy and his muscles were beginning to ache. The feline panted as he slowed, but the feline was still in eyesight. However, as the kit watched them from afar, it looked as if they disappeared into the ground completely. The kit was confused, but he did not slow his pace until the scent of the stranger was so strong that he knew this is where they had gone.

   Looking down to the ground, he scanned the forest floor as if looking for a trap door or something. He padded around the area a little bit, sniffing and narrowing his oculars, searching for a way to find the feline. Surly they couldn't have just disappeared. That's when he took his next step his paw sunk into the ground. And then, that's when it hit him. A small hole covered with brambles was hidden among the forest floor. Was this where the feline lived?

   He couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself for finding the entrance. He cautiously weaves himself through the brambles and into the hole. It was like a tunnel. No, it was a tunnel. He slowly crawled inside and instantly many feline scents hit him like a river wave. The dirt was padded down so much that it was like a fine dust, so smooth and soft. He crawled through the tunnel further, the thing going downwards, deeper into the earth. He extended his claws to get a better grip, though it didn't much help.

   He narrowed his eyes as the darkness was a little too much for the young loner, though as he crawled through the tunnel he could see the darkening daylight from the other side. The feline's breathing became slightly heavier, though he was a little determined to get help. As the tunnel leveled and he reached the exit, he squeezed out from the dirty place and noticed boulders and rocks traveling down to the surface, forest floor. Though, when the small kit glanced up from them, his green orbs slowly widen in shock.

   What he was staring at wasn't something he had expected. No. In fact, he wasn't sure what he had been expecting in the first place. Maybe a small, little camp site for one, maybe two felines. But no. This was an entire village of felines. They were all either chatting, grooming each other's coats, or devouring prey.

   As he stood upon the boulders with his mouth slightly agape and eyes wider than full moons, eyes slowly turned towards his direction. All different pelt colors. All different eye hues. All different shapes and sizes. All different ages. But out of these many, many cats, he didn't see a single fully-dressed black cat. Odd, wasn't it?

   As the oriental stood on top of the boulders, he noticed how no feline took a step forward in curiosity. No she-cat took a step forward to help the poor kit. No tomcat challenged his presence. There was only the settling silence that settled upon the many groups of felines. What was the matter with them? They looked on edge. Even some of their pelts were beginning to fluff up as if he was a threat.

   The black-furred kit didn't say a word, but he did look down to the large boulders. He began making his way down the steep steps, watching his every move carefully. As he stepped down, he could hear murmurings of felines. The edge in their voices.

   Leaping down from a ledge close to the ground, he landed hard on his paws and let out a grunt as one of his wounds opened again. The fresh scent of blood wavered from his infection, and scarlet-red blood oozed down his shoulder and down his left limb. He gazed around the felines, his eyes pleading for help. Surly these cats can help him out. Right?

   However, no feline dared to move. Not one. Suddenly, a weight was forced upon his back and he let out a screech or surprise and pain as he was forced down to the ground. One paw was placed on his back and another one was placed on his head so he couldn't move. He frantically scrambled around, but suddenly stopped as claws were dug into his flesh. He howled out in pain. The familiar pain of claws sinking deeper and deeper into his thin pelt, and reaching his flesh. Blood oozed from his fresh cuts and pierces. He cried out for help. Confused and dazed, he squeezed his eyes shut. This was a bad idea!

   A voice boomed from above his small figure. He slowly fluttered his eyes open, though his head was now forced to the side. Half of his face was shoved into the dirt, while the other half was facing the night-lit sky. Claws pierced into his small skull, but with one eye he could see a large, long-furred dark-gray tabby tomcat with very dark, brown eyes. The kit gulped. It was obvious he was scared. He was not a threat!

"Who sent you?" he questioned with a snarl. His teeth were bared, and his claws were unsheathing from their places. The kit's heartbeat quickened. What did he mean?

Frantically and quickly, he replied with the first thing he thought of. "I-I need a place to stay, the city cats are after me, and—"

The claws pierced into his skull and the grip got tighter, making the kit cry out in agony before he could finish his sentence. He stared up at the large feline who was staring at him with such a burning fire in his oculars. He huffed and flicked one of his ears. The kit's eyes widen as the large tomcat looked to the one who had him pinned down and gave him a small nod.

The kit felt the claws slowly rake into his flesh, which in response he let out wails of suffering. The claws on his skull gripped tighter, making him screech out as loud as possible. His wails held a few curse words here and there, earning a few extra, hard nips to his ears and bites to his infected wounds. He screamed out. What did he do to deserve this? This was more pain than those dirty city cats ever did to him!

Slowly, he stopped struggling against the adult cat's strength. He could feel himself slip into unconsciousness. His head felt so light headed and even if he could see, he knew his vision would be blurry. As he slowly gave up, he finally heard murmuring from the others. He heard yelling and cats arguing, but he was too out of it to know what they were saying. And then, he felt the weight lift from his back.

But it was too late. He was already slipping into the dark unconsciousness that they had forced upon him. The last words he heard was one that stuck with him for the rest of his journey. The rest of his life.

"He's a curse!"