I woke the next day because someone was shaking my shoulder, I grumbled and shifted over to the other side. The shaking continued, I blearily opened my eyes, right in front of my face was a dead mouse. I yelped and shot backward, then I proceeded to trip and splash into a puddle of water. An onslaught of giggles sounded behind me, Zara was chuckling to herself at my display.

"You planned that didn't you?" I said shaking the water off my fur and feathers

"Yep, there's your breakfast, come on today we get to fight with the older apprentices" she said

I swallowed the mouse quickly and followed her back to then we were were at yesterday. A lot of claws were gathered there, some I recognized, Like Lex and Aurora, and Zeb, but lots I didn't. We revived lot of stares as me made our way through the crowd, I would stare at me to if I saw two mirror image claws randomly walking around, We finally bumped into Sierra.

"There you two are! You're are late! I was just telling my friend here about you two" she said gesturing to a tom

"This is my friend Daluk, and this is his apprentice Kasai" she said

Daluk was a ginger spotted tabby, his eye were a deep brown color, his wings were a sooty gray color. Kasai was pure white, her eyes were a amber\orange color, her wings were like a Phoenix's, flaming orange.

"Nice to meet you" said Zara, we stood awkwardly

Kasai didn't speak, she just stared at us hard, and walked away, we looked at each other and shrugged.

"Please excuse my apprentice she's not very good at talking, not since she lost her best friend to some humans a while back" said Daluk, and turned to follow her

"Silence please!" a new voice cut through the chaos

An Egyptian Mau with Sea Eagle wings was addressing the crowd. Her poise spoke of command and control. Once everybody settled down she began to speak.

"My name is Nyra, I am the overseer of Battle-claw training" she said

"Let the tournament, begin!" she finished

It was fun to watch different apprentices fight each other, there was a lot of different moves I'd never seen before. Of course no claws aloud, Sarah's stores were a bit depleted after the spreading of Ghost-cough. I watched Zara go up against Zeb, she totally kicked his tail, probably fed by anger. Finally I got to go up against Kasai.

A clearing was spread out for us, I could hear them whispering things like 'heir' and 'mirror image'. I squirmed a bit, their whispering was making me nervous, I guess I should get used to it. Kasai glared at me, and we started circling each other. My pads were sweaty, I was nervous. She suddenly struck out with a paw, as if tempting me. My heart spread up, a million scenarios flashed through my head as it came at me in slow motion. I batted up my paw a pushed it aside, I guess she wasn't expecting me to block, 'cause she kept flying forward. The next thing I know my vision flickered to black, and all I could feel was rage.

---------------Jay's POV-------------------

I was holding a stash of herbs, traveling from the secret Meðal-claw entrance. I entered the den and stacked them neatly in a pile. My claws were itching, Sara promised we'd try out some more fighting moves, but since our stores were so depleted I usually spent my days herb-hunting. I waved my nose around the wall, there were little holes that held each herb, and I detected them by scent. I was just about to place some marigold, when I got a splitting headache. I dropped the plant and clutched my head, Images flashed through my mind, I savored the few minutes of sight. I saw a shriveled ghost, and scented blood, the red splashed my vision, and claws slashed through the curtain of blood, staining them maroon. Demonic laughter filled my ears, I saw a pure black she-claw, her eyes glowing red, then it stopped.

"Jay!" Sara called worriedly, I was a bit disappointed, my sight was gone.

"I'm fine, but... I, saw something" I mumbled

I heard her shaking her head "I'm sorry, did you say you saw something?"

"Like... like a vision" I answered

I could hear her freeze, she didn't even breath. I could smell her fear scent, what I just said worried her.

"Tell me everything!" Sara exclaimed

"Well... there a shriveled ghost-thing, the I smelled blood, next all I could see was blood, everywhere, and claws cut through it, last I could hear laughing, and there was a red-eyed she-claw" I explained

Sara's fear scent became stronger " are you sure there was blood and claws?" she stressed

"Yeah why?" I inquired

"I'm afraid a dark time is upon us, come, we need to speak to Nepal and Arietty"