Cats Eyes

"It's getting better Jakob" Casper said, "Nearly four hundred stars already, that's pretty good"
Jakob didn't smile. It had been a long time since he was truly happy. The fun-filled early days on Caji were long gone, replaced with straight hours of practicing. Jakob, now almost twelve, had lost the cheeky twinkle in his eye. His jet black hair had grown long, and hung menacingly over his drawn, stony face. He'd taken to wearing black, perhaps to hide away from the emptiness inside. He hadn't spoken to Billie Joe in two years, not since the first headquarters had been raided by Mendax's spies, and the walkie talkie stolen.
"Honest, you're doing great" Casper said, trying to coax a smile out of him, "Wish I'd learned it that quick"
Jakob scowled.
"It's not quick" he said, his voice sulky, as if to remind Casper that he was only a child, "Half of the countries on Earth have gone, there's been no rain for two years, the ground's so dry that buildings are falling down. Theres no schools, or shops, or anything really. Just dust, and bodies"
Casper didn't know what to say. He knew things were getting desperate, but he'd always convinced himself that Jakob was the light at the end of the tunnel. Now he wasn't so sure. Jakob's desire to help was what saw him through the difficult beginning of his training. Now all he wanted to do was cut himself off from them all, curl up in a hole and hide.
"I don't even know if my dad's still alive" Jakob continued, "If anything's happened to him, it's all my fault. I brought Oden into the house. And then I came here and left him on his own"
Jakob turned his back on Casper, blinking furiously. The years of looking over his shoulder, years of being on his guard, had toughened him up. He didn't cry, he wouldn't let himself. But the nightmares still woke him, leaving him shaking and sweating in the darkness. He couldn't get rid of those pictures, of the little boy he'd tried to forget. He still saw that little boy, watching his mum grow weaker, shivering uncontrollably in the hospital while his dad went to pieces, being taken away to a strange, dangerous place, just a week after losing his family.
"I'm sure he's all right" Casper said comfortingly, "He's no wuss"
Jakob'd had enough
"You don't know if he's all right, nobody does" he shouted, "He's probably dead. My uncle Mike's probably dead. My mum and my brother got murdered, and I don't know when I'll get to go home"
Biting his lip, Casper began to realise what Jakob was saying.
"I've had enough" Jakob screamed, "I want to face Mendax"
Casper opened his mouth to say something, but Jakob cut him off.
"I'm going to do it" he said, "I don't care if I die, I just want all this to end"
Mog rushed in, her mouth hanging open.
"Jakob, Casper" she said, "The battlemark's in the sky. What on earth have you done?"
Casper had taught Jakob about the battlemark. It was a long, thin sword, surrounded by pawprints and the words-Imria, Meldi, Hastel, Paws. (which was ancient cat language for, so now we fight). The whole symbol was made entirely from pearly white smoke, and only rose into the Caji sky when both parties bound in a battle law decided they were ready to fight.
"Casper" Mog screeched, "What have you done? How could you let him do it, he'll be killed!"
Casper started to mumble something about it being Jakob's decision.
"HIS DECISION" Mog shouted, "We promised Billie Joe we'd keep him safe. We swore we wouldn't make him fight until he was ready"
Jakob stood between them.
"Look" he said, "I'm going to Mendax's palace now. You two can stay here and argue if you want"
Mog wiped tears from her eyes.
"Don't be silly dear" she said
"We're coming" Casper agreed

------------------------------------------
And so the three set off towards the towering black castle on the hill. The rain was lashing down, the wind whipping them, making the climb even harder.
"Jakob mate" Casper said, "You can still get out. I know its illegal, but we can smuggle you back to Earth"
Jakob shook his head.
"What's the point?" he said, "What's the point of going back and waiting to die?"
Silence followed. Casper and Mog knew he was right, they understood. But they couldn't help the knowing feeling in their guts at the thought of pathetic, scrawny Jakob faced with the vicious, merciless king. The mark still hung over the sky, a reminder of the terrible fate lying within the walls of Mendax's castle. The gravel of the path crunched under their feet (or paws) for the final few steps.
"You need to knock the door" Casper told Jakob.
Feeling more and more like a silly little boy, Jakob bent down to knock the cat sized door. It was answered, almost before he pulled his hand away.
"Hello Jakob" a large black cat said, "We've been expecting you"
Jakob stared back at him, his eyes watering.
"Don't blink" he told himself, "If you look nervous they'll walk all over you"
The black cat however, showed no signs of wanting to harm Jakob.
'He must be one of the cat slaves' Jakob realised. Casper and Mog had been slaves before their imprisonment, both agreed being stripped of their collars was better.
"Mendax wishes you to come through the tunnels" the cat said, "Just crawl through the door please. I'm afraid your friends will have to wait outside."
Snatching a last glance at Casper and Mog, Jakob wriggled through the cat flap. On the other side, he found himself at the end of a long, filthy, bleak corridor. The walls, were covered in peeling grey wallpaper. The doors, of which there were many, were black and full of holes. The whole place looked like it had been carved into crumbling rock. Jakob looked around in shock. He'd always imagined Mendax living in luxury.
"This is the slave and prisoner entrance" the black cat explained, Mendax's side of the castle is much nicer. Now, in here"
They crawled through another flap, entering a huge busy kitchen.
"Mendax wants more chicken" a cat shouted over the rabble.
The had to be at least five hundred of them. Allmost at once, Jakob's eyes fell on three rows of sinks, each with a cat scrubbing filthy dishes at it. Thier little paws were cracked and swollen, their ears with small chunks missing.
"Hurry along now Jakob" the black cat said
But Jakob didn't hurry. He wandered over to the smallest kitten at the end of one of the rows of sinks.
"Hi" he whispered
The kitten squeaked and threw it's paws around Jakob's ankle.
"Sir" he said, "You is the boy who fights Mendax. You is to free the cat slaves"
The kitchen suddenly fell deathly silent, all banging and shouting ceasing.
"Pleasure to meet you Mr Armstrong" a scrawny ginger cat said, shaking Jakob's hand, "Such an honour"
A filthy white kitten pushed him out of the way.
"No one is more delighted to meet you than I" she said, "We have all been waiting for someone as courageous as you"
It took almost twenty minutes for the black cat to lead Jakob through the crowds to a small trp door.
"Just jump down" he instructed, "And follow the signs"
Jakob lowered his body down the hole, until he was holding on with just one hand, his head poking out for a last look at the slaves.
"Off you go" the black cat said, "And Jakob, good luck"
And with that, Jakob slid into the darkness.

He fell with a thud onto lumpy stone ground, twisting his arm painfully.
"I must be in the tunnels" he realised
The tunnels were like warrens, leading in every direction. They were used by the cat slaves, as Mendax said he didn't like 'the filthy things' on the same steps as himself. There were faded signs on the wet tunnel walls, one of which read - Battle Court. Hoping for the best, Jakob lay down on his stomach, and began to wriggle down the tunnel directed. Screams, which were not encouraging, echoed from deep inside the maze. After what seemed like hours, Jakob spotted a speck of light.
"This is it" he thought, "Once I get out of here, Mendax is going to tear me apart"
He continued to pull himself along, growing increasingly exhausted. Thinking seriously about turning back, Jakob closed his eyes. What was the point in all this? He had no chance, Mendax was just to powerfull.
"Well, well" came a chilling voice, "Look who's here"
It seemed to come from deep inside him, like it wanted to take over his whole body.
"Hurry along now Jakob" Mendax hissed, "I'm waiting to kill you"
How Mendax knew he was inside the tunnel, Jakob never discovered, for he was at that moment, hauled out by a pair of strong tabby paws.
"Do you really want to fight me Jakob?" Mendax snarled, "Or can I offer you a chance to live?"
Sweat, mixed with water from the wet tunnels, dripped from Jakob's nose.
"Just tell me where Casper and Mog are hiding" Mendax said, "And I'll let you live. You can work with the cat slaves in the kitchens"
There was something in his voice that was horribly dangerous. Even if he was promising ice cream, Jakob would have been on his guard. You can tell a lot from a voice.
"NEVER" Jakob shouted, his face burning. He's never been more angry in his life. His whole body was shaking, his blood ripping through him like a raging dragon.
"I'll never work for you" he screamed, "You had my mum and my brother murdered. You killed my uncle Tre. You ruined my dad's life"
Mendax smirked.
"Adrienne was brave too" he said, "She wouldn't let us touch you. You were her special baby Jakob, perhaps that's what saved you. But it won't help you tonight Jakob, mummy isn't here to save you"
He paused for a moment to look at his opponent.
"Are you ready Jakob?" Mendax asked, as the room began to spin. It was a horrible feeling, like his your stomach's going to fall out. Then, Jakob found himself in the battlecourt Casper had described so many times.
"Let's go Jakob" Mendax shouted from one end, "And now we fight. Let's see what those idiots have managed to teach you"