Ragdon Volcano is just peeking over the tree line, and a thin trail of smoke hovers in the air. It looks so far away. How are we going to get there without being caught?  "So are you from the White Tent Sea?" Ky asks after an hour or so of walking in silence.

"Yeah. Well, we used to live there, but we're not going to be going anywhere near there now that the Guard and Soldiers are trying to track us down." Dove shrugs.

"Where do you guys live?" I ask.

"It changes a lot. We're always moving," Phoenix replies, coming to walk beside the rest of us. He has wandered off and returned a while later several times. A trail of ashes follows the black cat. I can't see magic, but I can see the results?  I don't think too much about the thought, and instead focus my attention on staying alert for Guard and Soldiers.

Another half hour has passed by when a deer suddenly jumps into our path. The whites of its eyes flash as it sprints in front of us. Phoenix is the first to react, jumping forwards with his tail lashing from side to side as he turns to where the deer had run from with a snarl. What is Phoenix looking at? I scan the bushes, but I don't see anything. Dove pulls me to his side with a hand as he tenses for a potential fight.

"Chill. There isn't anything," Ky says, turning to continue walking.

But then a scream shatters through the forest. Dove's head snaps up, and he stands straighter.

"What was that?" I ask.

"Dunno. There aren't any Guard or Soldiers, so I'm going to keep walking." Phoenix shrugs.

"No. Phoenix, let's go see if someone needs help." Ky cuts off his brother and pushes him towards where the scream had come from.

"Fine. Whatever." Phoenix rolls his eyes. Dove keeps me close as we cautiously approach whoever had screamed.

There's a small clearing. A sea-green cat lays in the middle of the clearing on his side. Six shards of ice line the end of his tail, three on either side, and swirling black lines curve into spirals from the inside corners of his eyes. Blue horns curl down from behind his ears. His sides tremble with shaky breaths. The cat doesn't appear to notice our presence.

"Are you alright?" Ky asks, cautiously taking a step towards the cat, but he retreats a few steps when the cat shrieks again.

The cat's body tenses as his claws dig carve deep scores. When he opens his eyes, tears flow down his cheeks along a frozen path, and they freeze at the bottom, turning into small icicles. 

"What do we do? He's clearly in a lot of pain," I murmur.

"I don't know," Dove replies just as quietly.

"I'm going to say hello. Maybe he'll tell us what's going on." Ky takes a soft step forwards, and he picks his way through the clearing. Phoenix snorts, walking into the bushes and disappearing behind a tree.

"Get back," the cat snarls, his voice tightly controlled. He rolls so he's halfway upright.

"We want t-," Ky starts.

"Go away. Go!" The cat bares his teeth as his tail lashes.

"Why were you screaming?" I walk towards the cat, and Dove closely follows me.

"None of your business. Now, go away. Leave, and forget you ever saw me." The cat gasps, curling his lips into a snarl as he tries to fight back another cry. Blood dribbles from the corner of his mouth.

How much pain is he in?

"I'm Ky. What's your name?" Ky sits down, and his red bandana falls over one shoulder.

"Ice. Go away. Leave me alone. There's nothing you can do."

"Don't tell us to go away; we're trying to help. It's not nice to tell the people who are trying to help to go away."

"I said to go away. You can help me by going away. Your fiery little friend knew to leave me alone. Go. Away. I'm telling you. I want you to leave me alone. Go. Away." Tears stream down Ice's face, and the icicles hanging from his cheeks quickly grow, but he snaps them with a swipe of his paw.

"What's wrong?"

"I said to go away. What part of that did you not understand?" Ice's face twitches with anger.

"I'm not leaving until I know what's wrong." Dove crosses his arms across his chest.

"I'm sure I can be more stubborn." Ice glares at my brother.

"What's wrong?"

"Leave me alone." Ky cautiously walks a pace or two closer as Ice talks.

"Ice, please tell us what's wrong. We want to help." Ky's ears droop as he sadly looks at the turquoise cat.

"I don't want your pity. Get the hell away from me." Ice chokes on a breath, his claws digging new scores into the ground and his lips pulling into a grimace as a low growl rumbles in his chest. Tears turn pink as they mix with the blood running down his chin and neck.

"We're trying to help. Please let us." Dove takes a few steps towards Ice until he's next to Ky.

"If you come any closer I'll attack," Ice mutters. He sighs and lays back down, his flank flattening out in a snort.

"What's wrong? Why are tears streaming from your eyes, and why is blood running down your chin and neck? I promise we want to help." Ky's voice trembles.

"Your friend didn't appear to want to."

"We want to. What can we do to help?"

"Go away. I've already asked you to leave me a hundred times."

"It was actually only about thirteen, but is there anything we can do?"

"Leaving me alone would help a lot." Ice grimaces as his muscles tense and a snarl rips from his jaws. Ky looks back helplessly.

"Please. I'm begging you. Go away. Leave me alone. Please." Ice's voice falls to a whisper, his eyes pleading with us to go. I turn around so I'm facing Dove.

"Do we leave?" I ask. My brother looks past me to the turquoise cat.

"I don't think we can do anything," Ky says sadly as he pads back to us.

"I don't think we can either. Come on, let's find Phoenix." Dove wraps an arm around my shoulder.

"I'm right here. There aren't any Guard or Soldiers near us." The black cat appears from behind a tree.

"Thanks for going away. Don't tell anyone I was here," Ice says as we leave the clearing.

"We won't. Hopefully you'll feel better soon."

"I will in a couple of hours." I can barely hear Ice's voice.

"Well, that was bizarre," Phoenix says after a few minutes of walking.

"What was going on with him?" I ask. There weren't any wounds. There weren't any wounds that we could see, at least. But why would he have been screaming if he was fine?

"Perhaps he's connected to KG14?" Ky turns around to pad sideways as he speaks.

"Why would he be connected to KG14? He's a corrupted monster."

"Some support him."

"We could go ask him, and if he says he likes KG14, then we slowly tear the life from his miserable body." Phoenix's eyes glow with rage.

"That's awfully violent, Phoenix." I glance over at the black cat.

"It's not that bad; no one should like KG14. Anyone who does deserves to die."

Why is he so angry? What happened? Or is that just how Phoenix is? An angry, bitter cat. Ky's so different, though. Ky's more cheerful and kind. Phoenix is angry and rude. The complete opposite. 

Thank you for reading The King's Remorse! Please give it a vote if you enjoyed it, and please comment!

What did you think of Ice?

What was wrong with him?

Why did he keep asking Wolf and the others to go away if he was in that much pain?

Do you have any ideas on why Phoenix is so angry?

Why did Phoenix leave when Wolf and the others went to try to help Ice?

-Werewolf14-