Silver
Year 2026, before the cutting
Vanessa isles
Silver's dreams were of a strange dimension. Human buildings were not so architecturally designed that they were paranormal, however there were still quite a few glass buildings. The species still stood on two paws like those she had seen in reality but the style of pelts were completely different: the species wore the same elegant so called 'dresses' that the female wore to show off whereas others she did not recognize wore long pieces of fabric that split into two ends. She watched as one peered directly at her, but as if she didn't exist. She turned behind her at the humans eyes followed something making her eardrums tremble; five small bird like cars were high up in the sky, making the noise she desperately avoided now. There were trails of smoke coming out from the other end, such like bird feces but much larger and had no smell. Yowling to try to tune out the noise, she tried to run far away from the sound but her paws were planted on the ground like the roots of an oak tree.
Only then did she realize that her tail did not hurt as she swayed it left and right, anxious as the huge birdlike creatures got closer. Her cuts also had healed and her fur was no longer sticking out in odd directions. As the roaring sound nearly shattered her hearing, her eyes closed and she felt nauseated as empty blackness swept across her vision once more, leaving that world-the vision of humanitarian land behind.
The forest of River Valley, 2107
Emberdawn forest
Silver awoke with a start. The cool night air made her pelt ruffled and as her eyes got used to the darkness she could make out the trees outside slightly swaying with the breeze. An owl hooted somewhere in the darkness and her dream suddenly came back to her, clear as day. It had been almost a year since she had remembered any dream that she'd had, and that was only when it was the night of.. something she couldn't quite remember. Now, she could clearly see the huge birds flying across the sky and remembered her paws, frozen in the ground with terror. The humans faces were distinct in her meteors but she could see a female, tall and slender wearing those long pieces of fabric but more relaxed than the males. She was walking towards her, something she did not remember seeing before.
Pain coursed through her again as she got to her four paws and tried to awkwardly adjust her tail so it was hanging at an angle that she wouldn't trip over. Her whole body ached as she limped to the forest in search of some prey. Her belly growled with hunger as she found the scent of a tawny owl lurking on a low branch, one that she could reach if she tried hard enough. She could barely get on her hind paws and when she did she nearly collapsed on the cold leaves. Desperate for food, she tried to jump but her legs gave way and she slumped on the trees roots, staring up at the owl who still hadn't noticed her. A desperate idea came to her, and she grabbed a small branch from a nearby sapling and yanked it off hard, it tore and formed jagged edges. With the last of her strength, she jabbed at the owl's head but missed and hit its wing instead. It bent the other way and the owl fell off from the tree in surprise and landed hard on the roots, cracking a wing bone. As injured as they both were silver managed to hook a claw on its neck and finished off the tawny with a killing blow to the head.
She lay gasping on the clearing three times after tripping and eventually just crawling to her nest. She took a bite out of the owl, finished it off and ate the rest of yesterday's catches in a few hungry bites. With her stomach full, she finally curled up in her nest and tried not to move any part of her body, except for her lungs which rose and fell evenly as she drifted off into deep, dreamless slumber.
Her bones ached dully but she didn't care as she stretched in the morning light and started licking furiously at her fur. It was now the day after the incident and she was exhausted but healing. Her fur was growing back already-which was unusual for most cats, but her pelt which shone in the moonlight gave her that name that she now used. Her species was not seen around many places so she had enjoyed the company of her friends, so long ago.. the memory came back to her now, another piece of her past uncovered. It surprised her on how much she had forgotten because of her isolation from the others.
*She was standing there, greeting a cat with an amber pelt in contrast to hers and she was seeing through her own eyes and speaking to him. His eyes glowed like individuals suns as he stared at her with flaring golden eyes*
'Miss you more than life'
'When will I see you again?'
May you uncover another chapter of my life without me, rise high, my moon and go find your star'
'This isn't goodbye, this is a new beginning for both of us'
*She turned and padded away to somewhere blurry like it had been obscured but not well. Her mind fought against her paws, to will them to stay but it was though she was disconnected. *
The memory ended and she was back in her own mind, inside the forest. Her paws could be controlled and the voice was gone. What was that strange piece of her past? She had never thought to know anyone because her solitary life was always peaceful. Even in the most perilous situations, she had not wished for comforting from any cat. Her own confinement was enjoyable according to her, though it seemed like the starry-eyed cat had known her for a long time. No one else could look at a stranger like that, not even her, though she was good at manipulating. More memories resurfaced but she pushed them all aside, focus on one thing at a time. Maybe she had known the cat a long time ago. Her age now was forgotten, but she felt agile and powerful rather than old and creaky. She couldn't imagine feeling that way at all. Age was just a number for her.
Why would the memories resurface now? She was finally at peace, wandering to new parts of the forest every day. No human settlements were here and the only animals existing were prey and the occasional eagle swooping above. Something occurred to her.. the memory seemed to be related to the eagles but she couldn't think what. Perhaps it was the flapping of their ginormous wings only unlike the human made birds because of their feathered arms or maybe their beak who could slice through prey as easily as her claws could. Whatever the matter, she felt a certain sense of the world was changing, as if mass destruction was happening.
Another memory, this time slightly blurred across the edges flashed across her vision. It was as if she was really standing there, because she could feel her body and there was no one around.
She found herself on a cloud, feeling the tons of mist wind itself around her paws. It did not feel like anything was supporting her but still she stood, observing the endless mass of clouds. The sun seemed closer than usual but the heat was a pleasant warmth on her pelt, making her want to lie down on the foggy clouds forever. Her legs suddenly became so heavy that she could not be supported and suddenly she was jerked back to the forest, this time her wounds looked days old and no longer hurt as much. The sun was also starting to rise again, like it was another day.
Her body was suddenly slimmer than usual, her paws suddenly less fur than muscle. Her vision was also clearer, and she had noticed her retinas blurring or anything of the sort. Then again, she did not ever remember her dreams so it maybe was.. a sign? No, her ancestors had long abandoned her, because if they hadn't she wouldn't be here, not here. But this was her home. A place to hide away from the world of noise and finally enjoy some deserved peace and quiet. She always thought that if she left there was no place to go. Besides, prey was plenty, with snow-colored animals that tasted different and were somewhat harder to catch. There were also more eagles circling high above, hoping for some carcasses of prey so she could never be too careful. Still humans could be dangerous now, who knows what had happened in the last year.
She never knew her birthday so she had to assume it was somewhere near spring because the aura there felt different. Her pelt if born in winter would be completely white or grey because all the other animals had pelts like these and she didn't think that the amber cat was born anywhere near her time. That was the only other cat she could remember, her parents being a mystery because of her memory loss.
As she pawed the ground and lashed her tail, slight pain shot up through her and reminded her that she was still injured and should be careful. She didn't want splatters of tangy blood on her nest or the floor again. She headed out, stomach hungry as she tasted the air for prey. The stench was different this time, with a metallic scent almost like blood but different. She looked down but she was not the one bleeding. Her wounds were days old and the newly reformed skin was red and puffy, but no cut indicated where the smell was coming from. As she turned again and again, the smell grew stronger. The smell of an unknown flower hit her nose. It was delicate and sweet like a dewy morning in the forest. The sweet smell was definitely covering a smell of blood and she thought that she could see in the distance a flame coloured figure that moved in between the trees, but not as swiftly as any normal cat. Every few seconds he staggered and slumped, disappearing behind the foliage for a bit. A few minutes later and he was definitely closer now. She knew it was a he, even before he had come close enough. His pelt told the stories from long ago, the only few memories she still had.
As he drew closer she could hear the crunch of leaves landing heavily as each step was taken. She could make him out clearly enough to see the blood spattered on his face and muzzle, huge slashes created by probably a huge monster on his pelt. The reek of blood now overwhelmed the flowery scent and she could sense that he was in need of urgent care; but could she trust him? That was immediately answered as he bounded the last few steps and as his legs gave way he stared up at her with those fiery sunset eyes. Then they rolled up into his skull and he passed out cold, barely breathing.