Bab 19: Chapter 19: Battleground

Tucker knew Julian had more experience than he did, but he was heavier boned because of his common father and was very, very fast. He immediately put both to good use, throwing all of his weight and speed at the traitor without warning.

Against any other cat, his tactic would have worked. Julian, however, spent most of his life cheating his way to the top.

Because of that, the battle became incredibly one-sided, and not in Tucker's favor. Despite his best efforts, he found himself collapsed at Julian's feet within moments, out of breath and on the edge of losing a life, frustrated he couldn't figure out how to get past Julian's trickery.

"Stupid boy," the former guard captain slammed Tucker into the ground hard. "You're wasting your time. You can't beat me."Tucker sighed as a soft ball of purple light rose from him. It took him a moment to recover from the loss, time Julian wasn't about to give him. Tucker barely managed to roll himself away from the next attack and lay panting.

And saw Susan fighting Khai near the Gate. With a surge of renewed strength, Tucker lunged for them, only to be blocked by Julian who landed lightly in Tucker's path.

"Going somewhere?" Julian laughed at him. "You have so many more lives for me to take."

Tucker gritted his teeth. "Get out of my way," he snarled.

"Or what?" Julian's whole backside swayed as his tail thrashed.

Instead of answering, Tucker did the unexpected. He leaped over Julian rather than attacking him and bolted for Susan. He watched as Khai attacked her with magic, seeing the pink light arching toward her and threw himself directly into Khai.

Susan had only a heartbeat to dodge out of the way of the spell when Tucker hit Khai.

She heard it echo against the Gate behind her with a clang and almost fell over as the magic he threw freed the silver portal and it swung free.

"Susan!" Tucker yelled at her.

"I'm fine!" She yelled back. "I've got the Gate! Keep them away!"

She turned and put all her weight against the heavy door. Slowly, ponderously, the shining Gate began to swing closed. But the momentum slowed and stopped as the magic wore off. Panting, Susan looked back. She had managed to get the Gate more than half closed, narrowing the entry, but knew it wasn't enough.

The whole area in front of it was full of rats and cats battling each other. She felt tears well as she watched the fighting, seeing burst after burst of light escape from cats as they lost lives. The rats suffered heavy casualties, but the cats were so few compared to the endless, rippling column of rats.

I have to get this Gate closed! She told herself. Now!

Susan was turning back to the Gate when she spotted Julian sneaking up on Tucker, still fighting Khai. Furious and desperate, she lunged for the traitor and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.This time, she was prepared for his attempts to get away. She held him at arm's length and shook him, hard.

"Use your magic!" Susan yelled at him. "Close the Gate!" He snarled at her, eyes pulled tight, ears flat.

"Never!" he yowled.

Susan shook him harder. "Do it!" She screamed. "Or I toss you to the rats!" Julian writhed in her hands, fighting to get free.

"You're too late," he hissed at her. "Even if the Gate gets closed now, the rats are in the City."

"Through the tunnel?" She said. "Guess again. Vinnie and his guards have already taken care of them." At least, I hope that's what happened, Susan thought.

Julian let out a howl of despair. "You lie!"

"I can take you there if you want to see for yourself," she said.

Susan felt that same thrill and knew now what it meant. Julian was gathering his power. Because of that, she was ready when he fired his magic at her. The moment he released it, Susan spun him around and pointed him at the Gate. The red light hit the Gate and pushed it, hard.

"NO!" Julian howled.

She took one step back and looked at him.

"See if your new friends like you now," she said before throwing the cat as hard as she could out the Gate and into the seething mass of rats. Susan then hit the portal with her shoulder, pushing against the rushing rats, hearing squeals and screams as she forced the Gate closed against them.

She put her last energy into closing the Gate, breath panting in fear and desperate hope, and heard it clang shut. She felt energy pass through her body as the magic of the Gate moved through her as it sealed itself. Oddly, as it did, Susan felt that thrill course through her, waking something inside her, before falling still again.

She could hear Julian howling for a long time behind the Gate and wondered what the rats would do to him.

"Bad kitty," Susan whispered.

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