Jayhaven Chronicles

Rapid woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and much better than he had. While he still felt the twinges of loss, they were more subdued and he was ready to start training again.

He bounded out of his den to meet Peak and Hawk outside. “Ready to go back?” Peak mewed.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Rapid allowed himself a small grin. He figured Peak would appreciate a callback.

The trio set out towards the Academy, a cool breeze blowing through their fur. I can’t wait to see Sedge again. I wonder how her and Splash are doing.

“Oof!” Out of the corner of his eye Rapid saw Hawk’s paw catch on a twig. He tripped and fell face-first onto a sharp rock. “Oww!”

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” Peak grabbed Hawk by the scruff and pulled him up. Hawk shook his head forcefully. “I think so. But I just saw something impossible!”

Rapid’s eyes widened. “What?”

Hawk opened his mouth, then closed it some and turned away. “Never mind. Like I said, it’s impossible.” He said as his eyes fell to his paws.

Rapid raised an eyebrow but didn’t question further. What is he not telling us? “Okay, if you say so.”

They continued walking, and soon they reached the beautiful golden building that brought back so many warm memories. “Well, let’s go.” Rapid walked through the gate and into the small tunnel that led to the lobby. “I’ll never get used to how squished this is.” He growled.

They emerged into the lobby, sunlight beaming through the wide oval windows and lighting up every cat’s pelt as it always did. “Well, I’ll see you two later!” Peak called over the meows of the crowd of cats, beginning to turn towards the Healer classroom.”

“Yeah, bye!” Rapid said back, trying to scurry through a giant mob of students to get to the Battler classroom.

He finally reached it, and could see Onyx talking inside. Every student looked shocked for some reason, except for Sedge, her eyes strangely angry.

Rapid walked in to take a seat beside her, but heard Onyx hiss behind him, “Rapid, come with me please.”

Rapid whipped around, and heard students start whispering behind him. “What? Why?” He asked, his eyes searching Onyx’s face for any sign of emotion.

Onyx pursed his brow, and Rapid saw that he was clearly very agitated. “I need to speak with you outside.”

“O-okay.” Rapid stuttered, following his leader outside the classroom.

They both sat down and Onyx fixed him with a hard stare. “Your two friends will be here soon. I told their leaders to send them here.”

Rapid flexed his claws in anxiety, but tried to hide it. “What did I do?”

“You’ll see.” Onyx’s eyes looked to the hallway, where Peak and Hawk were running towards them, anxious expressions painting their faces. “We got here as fast as we could.” Peak panted as he came to a halt. “Is something wrong?”

Peak and Hawk sat while Onyx looked over them all, his eyes hard and cold. “I know you three were trying to be courageous that night, sneaking out to build that wall.” He growled. “But while it may have been brave, it was more stupid than anything.”

Rapid sprang to his feet. “What? But if we hadn’t been there, those monsters would have just plowed through Jayhaven!”

Onyx whipped his tail for silence. “If you hadn’t been there, the city could have come up with a plan instead of blindly rushing in to save your lives!”

Rapid sat back down but stewed in anger. And if you had just listened to us, no one would be dead!

“Now,” Onyx continued. “I have to make sure you three know that what you’ve done must be punished. You have disobeyed me, the law, and may or may not have cost Jayhaven lives.” He stomped his foot with decisiveness. “And all three of you are hereby suspended for the rest of the week.”

Rapid, Hawk, and Peak all sat there frozen with surprise, anger, and shame. “Please, Onyx,” Rapid heard Peak beg.

“And don’t expect everything to be fine and good when you get back either. Detention is very probable.” Onyx hissed as if Peak had never spoken. “Now what are you waiting for? Go!”

They left in a hurry.

None of them were able to speak for a few moments, but finally, it all started to set in what had just happened.

“I can’t believe this!” Hawk yowled when they emerged outside. “Who does he think he is? I think Ma and Pop oughta sue!”

“What would we sue him? A piece of mouse?” Peak snapped back, kicking a pebble with his good paw. “He’s the head of a guild after all.”

Rapid just stood there in silence. As if things couldn’t get any worse. Now they’d have nothing to do but think about the dog battle and all the trauma that came with it.

They got back home, and Peak rang his parent’s doorbell. Spider, with a cloth over his eyeless socket, answered and noticed how disgruntled they all looked. “Oh dear. What happened?”

Peak flared his nostrils, looking more angry than Rapid had ever seen him. He half expected smoke to start billowing from his friend’s ears. “We got suspended for sneaking out and building the traps.”

Spider’s one eye widened. “That’s awful! Well, I for one think what you three did was very brave.” He whistled quietly. “That Onyx. He needs to go to anger management or something.”

Rapid moped inside. “Thanks, but it seems you’re the only one who thinks that. Everyone was gossiping from the moment I stepped into the class.”

Hawk slouched into a cotton pillow. “Same here.”

Dusk came running downstairs. “I heard whining. Why are you three home so early?”

Rapid let Peak and Hawk explain. He looked at the floor in shame. I’ve made such a fool of myself. And got Peak and Hawk in trouble! How could he have been so stupid? He wistfully thought of Claw and Crisp, and how they would have been so much more understanding. And for Onyx to think it was his fault that they died!

Rapid squeezed his eyes shut and tried to clear his mind. Try and think of it as a miserable little vacation.