Lightningstruck awoke to a bright light shining through the cramped sleeping tunnel. Lightningstruck unwillingly got up as soon as he heard Joltingbolt's horrendous cry.
"All PulseClaw trainees to Training Clearing! We will be practicing Battle Training! Do not forget there is still territory to be gained from inferior tribes! Do not ever forget that! Now......" Joltingbolt hollered. Lightningstruck rolled his eyes. Lightningstruck stretched with a popping sound and ducked out of the tunnel.
"Mighty PulseClaws in training, eat a good meal before battle training. We have some mice left from yesterday, and a few birds, but, who eats birds? They taste disgusting." Joltingbolt annouced. Likewise, he shoved the toughest, most chewy, the most stale bird into Lightningstruck's paws as he was dishing out prey. This did not bother Lightningstruck. This was what happened most of the time, so he got used to the aromatic stench.
A few minutes later, the trainee cats were in a single-file line in a zig-zag pattern all the way to the Training Clearing. Joltingbolt claimed that this was to support the PulseClaw legacy.
"Everyone, walk to the Training Clearing in lightning formation. If anyone gets out of line by a mouse tail, I will know. I have matters to attend to, but Shocktooth will start with battle training warm-ups."
Shocktooth was one of the wimpiest PulseClaws, but since he had helped Joltingbolt unofficially get to the highest ranks of the tribe, even though there was not ment to be ranks, except for trainees, the kittens, FighterClaws (the ones who fight in battle), GuardClaws (guard the camp at night, to make sure no one sneaks out, and took shifts guarding the Shock Prison), and the AncientClaws (too old to fight, but help run the tribe, also during wars heal cats), and then everyone hunted. It was a democracy, but everyone in all the tribes knew the truth. Anyways, Shocktooth was under the protection of Joltingbolt, and everyone knew what that meant., so no one commented.
Lightningstruck did exactly as what the other trainees were doing, but still got singled out.
A few hours later, after Shocktooth was finished telling everyone what to do even though he could not come close to doing that, Lightningstruck was pared off with Electra and Flash. They could not even hunt a dead mouse, so Lightningstruck caught the prey, and once they had three pieces, they headed off to camp. After the meal, there was Tribe Annoucements. Lightningstruck waited patiently for the cats' with annoucements to climb onto the old tree that was struck with lightning eons ago to talk.
"PulseClaws, as you know, it will soon be summer. The weather is heating up, so we must now put the prey stock in the hollow of this tree, which I discovered recently, to keep the prey cool." Electric called across the camp, above the silent cats. The kittens had discovered the hollow long ago.
Then Joltingbolt came up to talk after a few other cats, who usually wanted to explain the issue of "how should I put it, inferior tribes", which happened every other night, the other one was "I am so proud to be part of the glorious PulseClaws who are so smart to have a democracy" speech, and occasionally, "You dumb wimps! You were terrible in that battle! I expect you FighterClaws to train with the trainees! The kittens could fight better than you! You should be ashamed" rant, while the kittens cowered behind anything to get out of Joltingbolt's gaze. A lot of other cats appeared to have the same wish.
But this was not that night.
"Attention, PulseClaws. I am sad to say that, tonight, we must imprison one of our own in the Shock Prison." Joltingbolt called. This echoed around the camp, in a shocked silence. The PulseClaws had the most secure prison on Elemental Island. It was made out of copper, with a stone floor. No one knew quite how it was made, except that the island had once belonged to something way larger and stronger than a cat. Every day, a prison guard on duty with a strong ability would electricute the copper multiple times. This electrified the copper, and if a prisoner dare to touch the walls, would knock themselves out, or worse. Kittens and trainees were not allowed to go anywhere near the Prison. Other tribes would actually give the PulseClaws territory to take custody of a most feared prisoner. Lightningstruck had heared the scary stories about how the prisoners were reated. Lightningstruck and everyone else stiffened with horror.
"Before I annouce who it will be, I will also state this: We declare war, as mighty PulseClaws, on all the tribes. We shall have an allegance with the StormClaws. Once all the other tribes have been demolished, the StormClaws will be our servants." Joltingbolt stated, deathly calm. Joltingbolt was never deathly calm, expecially when annoucing war.
"I have seen a power, greater than you, who has told me of this. All cats will be expected to fight, whether kittens, trainees, FighterClaws, GuardClaws, or AncientClaws. Cats that do not fight will have severe." All the cats' mouths dropped. Even the kittens and AncientClaws were expected to fight?
"Capture this cat. He will thwart our plans." All the she-cats looked relieved. "Capture Lightningstruck! Throw him in prison!" Joltingbolt exclaimed. If Lightningstruck could of gone whiter he would of. Joltingbolt would never put a PulseClaw in prison, even Lightningstruck.
Lightningstruck had good practice dodging lightning and fleeing. So, he did the sensible thing: run across the closest border, the StormClaws.