Stealtrap
01-02-2011, 04:27 PM
Hello all! I've always wanted to be a published writer, and for the past couple years I've been working on a novel that I call The Clinic. I'm only going to put up the first chapter for now, but if anyone likes it/wants to give me concrit on more of it, I'd be more than happy to put up more chapters.
Chapter One
Yellow eyes shown in the darkness of the shadows, watching a small group of people intently. They were close together, talking excitedly, though their voices were low—too low for the large cat to hear over the thirty-yard gap between them. The cat stepped back farther into the cover of the trees and shadows, leaving the meadow humans to their business.
The full moon was high in the sky, but even the silver light of the great white orb could not penetrate the thick canopy of the forest trees. The complete darkness swallowed the cat and shielded it from view, though he could see perfectly.
The cat found a soft spot in the moss that blanketed the ground and settled down, placing his massive head onto his equally massive paws. This cat was neither your usual house cat nor was he anything you could find lazing around in some city zoo. He was a special breed, thought to be long extinct.
This cat had short, river mud brown fur and a stubby tail. His ears were small in proportion to his head, but they worked better than the ears of his distant cousins. His head was round and the size of a beach ball. Near the center of his head was a wide muzzle that stuck out several inches from his face. Long, sharp, pearly daggers shot down out of this muzzle that were as long as his tail- long enough to easily pierce the flesh, muscle and bone of large prey.
The Smilodon populator, or Sabre-toothed Cat, stretched out on the ground and flexed his paws, showing his razor-like claws for a brief moment before they retracted. He relaxed, closing his yellow eyes, his thick, powerful muscles rippling under his coat with each little movement.
“I never thought I would see you sleeping on the job, Anadeus,” chuckled a voice from the darkness. Anadeus opened his eyes lazily and looked up at the cat in front of him.
“Oh, Favren, I’ve been standing there and watching them since Mendia’s shift ended half a night cycle ago. All they have done is sit there and talk. I’m bored and tired,” Anadeus complained, sitting up slowly. He was larger than Favren by completely two heads. Favren’s fur was a lighter shade of brown and his eyes were a deep green. Even though he had a smaller build than most of their kind, Favren was a formidable fighter.
“Could you smell them?” Favren asked, ignoring Anadeus’ complaining and casting a glance toward the clearing where the humans were.
“No, and they could not smell me, either. The wind was blowing across us, down from Big Bend River. Why? What is the big deal? I have smelled plenty of humans before, these should be no different.”
“Just as I was leaving at the end of my shift, I caught good sight of one,” Favren whispered, stepping closer to Anadeus even though the other cat could hear his whisper perfectly well. “I knew I hadn’t revealed myself to them, but this human looked right at me. He looked at me and glared as if he knew I was watching. These are not normal humans—they cannot be. Their skin is so pale and this one had bright red eyes. No ordinary human has that.”
“You worry too much,” Anadeus said, though he was standing now and looking much more alert. He could not help but wondering just what was up with these abnormal humans—if they were even so. Favren had a way of letting his imagination running away from him. “Have you messaged for the alpha?”
“I saw Mendia eating a kill that she had made and told her to fetch him. She takes her tasks very seriously, so he should be here shortly,” Favren sighed, seeming to relax at the thought of their leader being nearby. Anadeus, on the other hand, still seemed just as tense.
He stood in silence, his eyes flickering across the hidden perimeter of the clearing. If Favren was correct, but he probably was not, this was very serious. The humans were their only threat—albeit not a large one—but if there were humans that that could see them without the cats showing themselves, then they now had a much grander problem on their paws. No way were these normal; humans, if they were even human at all.
Anadeus and Favren stood there in silence for what felt like another night cycle, the time passing very slowly. It was not until Anadeus feared that something had gone wrong when he heard the sharp snap of a nearby twig from behind them. The larger of the two cats turned and found himself muzzle to muzzle with a cat as tall as himself, but twice as wide.
“Glad to see you could make it, Zancar,” Anadeus said with a slight nod of his head, his voice filled with forced respect. Zancar eyed him harshly, his clay colored eyes burning, before walking past. Anadeus had half a mind to sink his fangs into the alpha’s sand toned fur, but thought better of it. With longer fangs and larger musculature, fighting the alpha would be a deadly idea.
“Favren, Mendia told me what you saw. Is it true? Are these vile creatures in the clearing as… abnormal as you say they are?” Zancar’s voice was low, but still had its natural booming quality, causing him to appear quite intimidating.
“Aye, sir,” Favren replied nervously, bowing his head low before glancing at Anadeus with a bit of fear in his eyes. “But, sir, to call them vile… Should one be so harsh? We know absolutely nothing about them. What if they turn out to be good, valuable allies?”
“They are disgusting bipedal vermin and you will not correct me otherwise!” Zancar roared, his voice echoing off the surrounding trees, making him even louder. A flock of nearby songbirds rose from a tree above them and flew off into the distance, hoping to escape the wrath of the creature below them. Favren whimpered and crouched back while Anadeus snarled and stepped forward, butting heads with the alpha.
“You fool!” he hissed sharply, stunning Zancar. “You said that loud enough to raise the ancestors! If these creatures weren’t hostile before, they will be now!”
“If you are so worried about making friends with them, then you can go over and talk to them,” the alpha spat back, recovering from his shock.
“And what will you be doing, oh fearless leader?” Anadeus asked, his eyes narrowing.
“I will be planning a party to attack them. Intruders will not invade my land and live to tell the tale. Come, Favren, let’s go,” Zancar turned his back on Anadeus and began to walk back the way he came. Favren gave his friend and apologetic look before he turned and followed his leader, his paws dragging sluggishly.
With a frustrated sigh, Anadeus turned and walked to the edge of the forest. He stood in the shadows, all four ‘humans’ standing and looking in his direction. His heart thundered in his chest and his breath was coming highly irregular. The large cat stepped forward into the clearing. He held his head high and kept eye contact with the largest human who was at the front, attempting to show that he was not afraid of these creatures. Favren was right: they were not normal.
These humans had a dank, musty smell and their pale skin was the color of the moon light. Their red eyes glowed in their skulls and gave the cat the feeling that they could see through his very being. Anadeus still walked steadily, forcing himself not to look away.
He stopped ten feet from the group and paused, letting a cool breeze wash over his warm fur. They all stood in silence, the strangers watching him with stony faces.
“You are not safe here,” Anadeus started slowly, wondering if these creatures even spoke his language. It was the only one he knew, and he hoped he was not making a fool of himself. “My alpha is planning an attack and knowing him, he will be here shortly.”
“You are putting yourself in unnecessary danger. We can handle ourselves,” the largest one replied. His voice was not loud, but it was one that demanded respect. The iciness of it sent a chill down Anadeus’ spine. The stranger’s red eyes were burning into his yellow ones, but still the cat did not look away. His muscles were visible underneath his pale skin, and they confused Anadeus, though he did not show it. He had never seen such musculature on a human. Maybe on a thick ‘steer’ the humans bred, but not on a human itself.
Anadeus’ head came up to the stranger’s chest, so he figured the stranger was a bit taller than the usual humans the cat ran into. His black hair was slicked back and hung down by his jaw, and Anadeus noticed that the strands never moved, even with the breeze.
“I wish for there to be no bloodshed, for either side. I do not know what your business was here, but it would be wise to take it elsewhere. There is no need to fight, and no need for you to stay.” The cat wished the humans would just leave. Zancar had to be close by now—the humans were running out of time.
“I am afraid that it is too late now,” the stranger replied, looking behind the large cat grimly. Anadeus turned and his eyes widened at what he saw.
“Zancar? The… the entire pride? Is that not going overboard? Surely, there is another way! This can be resolved peacefully!” Anadeus tried to make himself sound braver than he looked, but his voice had begun to falter. The pride numbered in the hundreds and even a fraction of their fighting force was something to be reckoned with. The entire pride was overkill, no matter what the situation.
“You dare attempt helping these vermin?” Zancar growled, as hissing come from the large band of cats behind him. Nearly every shade of brown possible was visible before him, but instead of finding it beautiful, like he normally did, Anadeus found it utterly terrifying.
“You will meet the same fate as them, traitor!” a cat in the crowd shouted. With a pang in his heart, Anadeus recognized the voice as that of his brother. What had Zancar told them to turn even his own flesh and blood?
“It is now necessary for blood to be shed, but do not fret. We will fight by your side,” the leader of the strangers said as murmurs of agreement circled from the other three. “I only wish that it did not have to be this way.”
“That makes two of us,” Anadeus whispered, his eyes full of sorrow as he looked upon the pride he loved and who used to love him back. Whether he lived or died, he would miss them greatly and as the great mass of brown began to converge on the small group, Anadeus braced himself for the release of death.
Chapter One
Yellow eyes shown in the darkness of the shadows, watching a small group of people intently. They were close together, talking excitedly, though their voices were low—too low for the large cat to hear over the thirty-yard gap between them. The cat stepped back farther into the cover of the trees and shadows, leaving the meadow humans to their business.
The full moon was high in the sky, but even the silver light of the great white orb could not penetrate the thick canopy of the forest trees. The complete darkness swallowed the cat and shielded it from view, though he could see perfectly.
The cat found a soft spot in the moss that blanketed the ground and settled down, placing his massive head onto his equally massive paws. This cat was neither your usual house cat nor was he anything you could find lazing around in some city zoo. He was a special breed, thought to be long extinct.
This cat had short, river mud brown fur and a stubby tail. His ears were small in proportion to his head, but they worked better than the ears of his distant cousins. His head was round and the size of a beach ball. Near the center of his head was a wide muzzle that stuck out several inches from his face. Long, sharp, pearly daggers shot down out of this muzzle that were as long as his tail- long enough to easily pierce the flesh, muscle and bone of large prey.
The Smilodon populator, or Sabre-toothed Cat, stretched out on the ground and flexed his paws, showing his razor-like claws for a brief moment before they retracted. He relaxed, closing his yellow eyes, his thick, powerful muscles rippling under his coat with each little movement.
“I never thought I would see you sleeping on the job, Anadeus,” chuckled a voice from the darkness. Anadeus opened his eyes lazily and looked up at the cat in front of him.
“Oh, Favren, I’ve been standing there and watching them since Mendia’s shift ended half a night cycle ago. All they have done is sit there and talk. I’m bored and tired,” Anadeus complained, sitting up slowly. He was larger than Favren by completely two heads. Favren’s fur was a lighter shade of brown and his eyes were a deep green. Even though he had a smaller build than most of their kind, Favren was a formidable fighter.
“Could you smell them?” Favren asked, ignoring Anadeus’ complaining and casting a glance toward the clearing where the humans were.
“No, and they could not smell me, either. The wind was blowing across us, down from Big Bend River. Why? What is the big deal? I have smelled plenty of humans before, these should be no different.”
“Just as I was leaving at the end of my shift, I caught good sight of one,” Favren whispered, stepping closer to Anadeus even though the other cat could hear his whisper perfectly well. “I knew I hadn’t revealed myself to them, but this human looked right at me. He looked at me and glared as if he knew I was watching. These are not normal humans—they cannot be. Their skin is so pale and this one had bright red eyes. No ordinary human has that.”
“You worry too much,” Anadeus said, though he was standing now and looking much more alert. He could not help but wondering just what was up with these abnormal humans—if they were even so. Favren had a way of letting his imagination running away from him. “Have you messaged for the alpha?”
“I saw Mendia eating a kill that she had made and told her to fetch him. She takes her tasks very seriously, so he should be here shortly,” Favren sighed, seeming to relax at the thought of their leader being nearby. Anadeus, on the other hand, still seemed just as tense.
He stood in silence, his eyes flickering across the hidden perimeter of the clearing. If Favren was correct, but he probably was not, this was very serious. The humans were their only threat—albeit not a large one—but if there were humans that that could see them without the cats showing themselves, then they now had a much grander problem on their paws. No way were these normal; humans, if they were even human at all.
Anadeus and Favren stood there in silence for what felt like another night cycle, the time passing very slowly. It was not until Anadeus feared that something had gone wrong when he heard the sharp snap of a nearby twig from behind them. The larger of the two cats turned and found himself muzzle to muzzle with a cat as tall as himself, but twice as wide.
“Glad to see you could make it, Zancar,” Anadeus said with a slight nod of his head, his voice filled with forced respect. Zancar eyed him harshly, his clay colored eyes burning, before walking past. Anadeus had half a mind to sink his fangs into the alpha’s sand toned fur, but thought better of it. With longer fangs and larger musculature, fighting the alpha would be a deadly idea.
“Favren, Mendia told me what you saw. Is it true? Are these vile creatures in the clearing as… abnormal as you say they are?” Zancar’s voice was low, but still had its natural booming quality, causing him to appear quite intimidating.
“Aye, sir,” Favren replied nervously, bowing his head low before glancing at Anadeus with a bit of fear in his eyes. “But, sir, to call them vile… Should one be so harsh? We know absolutely nothing about them. What if they turn out to be good, valuable allies?”
“They are disgusting bipedal vermin and you will not correct me otherwise!” Zancar roared, his voice echoing off the surrounding trees, making him even louder. A flock of nearby songbirds rose from a tree above them and flew off into the distance, hoping to escape the wrath of the creature below them. Favren whimpered and crouched back while Anadeus snarled and stepped forward, butting heads with the alpha.
“You fool!” he hissed sharply, stunning Zancar. “You said that loud enough to raise the ancestors! If these creatures weren’t hostile before, they will be now!”
“If you are so worried about making friends with them, then you can go over and talk to them,” the alpha spat back, recovering from his shock.
“And what will you be doing, oh fearless leader?” Anadeus asked, his eyes narrowing.
“I will be planning a party to attack them. Intruders will not invade my land and live to tell the tale. Come, Favren, let’s go,” Zancar turned his back on Anadeus and began to walk back the way he came. Favren gave his friend and apologetic look before he turned and followed his leader, his paws dragging sluggishly.
With a frustrated sigh, Anadeus turned and walked to the edge of the forest. He stood in the shadows, all four ‘humans’ standing and looking in his direction. His heart thundered in his chest and his breath was coming highly irregular. The large cat stepped forward into the clearing. He held his head high and kept eye contact with the largest human who was at the front, attempting to show that he was not afraid of these creatures. Favren was right: they were not normal.
These humans had a dank, musty smell and their pale skin was the color of the moon light. Their red eyes glowed in their skulls and gave the cat the feeling that they could see through his very being. Anadeus still walked steadily, forcing himself not to look away.
He stopped ten feet from the group and paused, letting a cool breeze wash over his warm fur. They all stood in silence, the strangers watching him with stony faces.
“You are not safe here,” Anadeus started slowly, wondering if these creatures even spoke his language. It was the only one he knew, and he hoped he was not making a fool of himself. “My alpha is planning an attack and knowing him, he will be here shortly.”
“You are putting yourself in unnecessary danger. We can handle ourselves,” the largest one replied. His voice was not loud, but it was one that demanded respect. The iciness of it sent a chill down Anadeus’ spine. The stranger’s red eyes were burning into his yellow ones, but still the cat did not look away. His muscles were visible underneath his pale skin, and they confused Anadeus, though he did not show it. He had never seen such musculature on a human. Maybe on a thick ‘steer’ the humans bred, but not on a human itself.
Anadeus’ head came up to the stranger’s chest, so he figured the stranger was a bit taller than the usual humans the cat ran into. His black hair was slicked back and hung down by his jaw, and Anadeus noticed that the strands never moved, even with the breeze.
“I wish for there to be no bloodshed, for either side. I do not know what your business was here, but it would be wise to take it elsewhere. There is no need to fight, and no need for you to stay.” The cat wished the humans would just leave. Zancar had to be close by now—the humans were running out of time.
“I am afraid that it is too late now,” the stranger replied, looking behind the large cat grimly. Anadeus turned and his eyes widened at what he saw.
“Zancar? The… the entire pride? Is that not going overboard? Surely, there is another way! This can be resolved peacefully!” Anadeus tried to make himself sound braver than he looked, but his voice had begun to falter. The pride numbered in the hundreds and even a fraction of their fighting force was something to be reckoned with. The entire pride was overkill, no matter what the situation.
“You dare attempt helping these vermin?” Zancar growled, as hissing come from the large band of cats behind him. Nearly every shade of brown possible was visible before him, but instead of finding it beautiful, like he normally did, Anadeus found it utterly terrifying.
“You will meet the same fate as them, traitor!” a cat in the crowd shouted. With a pang in his heart, Anadeus recognized the voice as that of his brother. What had Zancar told them to turn even his own flesh and blood?
“It is now necessary for blood to be shed, but do not fret. We will fight by your side,” the leader of the strangers said as murmurs of agreement circled from the other three. “I only wish that it did not have to be this way.”
“That makes two of us,” Anadeus whispered, his eyes full of sorrow as he looked upon the pride he loved and who used to love him back. Whether he lived or died, he would miss them greatly and as the great mass of brown began to converge on the small group, Anadeus braced himself for the release of death.