[ Chapter Ten ]

  Blasphemy

  The original tale of Schade, or Cruciatus as he was once known, is not a pleasing one. He had a normal childhood, great family, I hear. He had a brother, who lay dear to the young cat’s heart. But this cat had a dream, a vision you might call it. Dash chuckled slowly. He saw the Visionaries, blessed by the gods, with interest. Schade wanted to know why they had such powerful abilities. It was when he was very young, his mother died. It was an illness that was incurable, untreatable. It left a mark on the young, bright tom, who was quite close with his mother. His father believed it was the healer’s fault, thinking she could have done better. Autumn, her name was. Bright feller. Schade had always been fascinated by the Gods, but upon his mother’s death, he swore to the heavens that it was their fault. THEY could have done better, the Gods could have helped him. Schade began to go insane, spending weeks away from others, desperately and ruthlessly trying to find a way to obtain immortality. His plan? To kill the gods who wronged him.

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  Now, quite a goal seems impossible, does it not? But this cat managed to find a way. He never told it to anyone, but he seemed to do it. It was a sunny afternoon, I was there as well, when Schade entered the main clearing of our village. There was an odd look on his face, as if he saw into the future. Our leader, Maple, acknowledged him. Schade prowled toward her, nobody challenging him. Maple greeted him, warily, before Schade did the unthinkable. He dug his claws into her throat. Everyone stopped. The silence shattered when somebody screamed. Guards rushed towards Schade, but stopped. They fell over, dead, blood pouring from their eyes. Maple was thrown into a bush. The inky cat began to slaughter everything, every cat he could find. Some of the trees began to smolder, as if nature detested what was happening. I was one of the few who survived. It was only when the slaughter was completed did Cruciatus throw back his head to the sky, challenging the Gods. Starry shapes surrounded him. I didn’t see this part, but it sounded like Schade put up a good fight, before the screams were silenced. I peeked back into the clearing, the blood sticking to my paws. Schade was on the ground, a long, thin piece of wood driven through his eye. Instead of blood, golden liquid poured from the wound. Small sprouts were growing around it. I pelted into the forest, wishing I never would have to see such violence again. Cruciatus was gone, and that was that.