Part 3
Little holiday surprise!I've decided I won't be properly writing the rest of Poisonedsap's Rise. So I have written a detailed summary of the rest of the story, along with art of scenes to bring it to life a little more!
Hope you enjoy!
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Into the City
After leaving Chester's home, Sappy and Scritch venture further into twolegplace, until they find themselves on busy streets with alleyways and taller buildings than they've ever seen. Feeling they have no other choice, they beg and struggle for food. They sometimes find other strays and they try to be polite, but these cats are aggressive and refuse to share their scraps.
After several days with little to no food, Sappy desperately asks a young she-cat and her friends if they'll share some scraps. They laugh and say no, and when Sappy continues pressing, the lead she-cat kicks Sappy and sends her rolling into a trash can.
The other cats leave, and Scritch rushes to comfort his sister as she recovers and shakes herself. She whimpers "We'll never have a full meal again!"
Suddenly, there's a voice above her: "Not with that attitude." Down from the trash can leaps a gray-brown tom. The kits are initially wary of him, seeing his rougher fur parted with tiny scratches from battle. He is a senior cat who clearly still has the strength to match a younger cat in battle any day. He stands with authority and resilience, yet there is a warmness in his copper eyes.
This cat introduces himself as Whiskey, leader of one of the cat gangs in this part of twolegplace. Sympathizing with Sappy and Scritch, he invites them to join his group, explaining that they will toughen them up and teach them to fight for survival.
Sappy and Scritch are unsure, but agree to go with Whiskey to meet this gang. They go to the alleyway they call home and meet Jericho, Bandit, Shingles, Diesel, Marshal, and two young cats about their age called Roxy and Drizzle.
Sappy and Scritch are delighted when they're offered scraps of chicken and french fries and dig right in. After they eat, Sappy explains to the gang that she and Scritch used to be housecats and were hoping to find new twolegs to stay with. Some of the cats exchange looks, and Shingles grunts "No twolegs will want a kit with a face like that", gesturing to Scritch, who drops his gaze almost shamefully. Jericho scolds Shingles for his blunt statement.
However Whiskey solemnly agrees that twolegs can be cruel and unwelcoming to strays. He seems to have a bad history with twolegs. He tells Sappy that she may have a chance, however, to find a new home with twolegs if it's what she wants. Sappy considers this, longing for toys and a warm pillow to sleep on at night. But Scritch is staring back at her so sadly. She knows she could never leave him. They must always stay together. Dismissing her own desires, she agrees to join Whiskey's Gang with Scritch.
Life in the Gang
Four moons pass, and Sappy and Scritch have settled well into the gang and are apprentice-aged cats. Whiskey has taken them under his own wing and has taught them to scavenge for food, even hunt the odd mouse they find. Perhaps more importantly, he's taught them to fight and defend themselves.
Scritch is closer with Whiskey than Sappy is. He has become a father figure to him, and Scritch is often by his side observing how he leads the group and offering assistance whenever he can.
Like he did Sappy and Scritch, Whiskey sometimes offers small amounts of food to other strays down on their luck, or lets trespassers off with a warning. Scritch disapproves and argues against this, believing the gang should only look after themselves. Sappy is surprised at this, wondering if her brother has forgotten what it's like to be starving and alone. She thinks it's right to help outsiders.
Scritch is sometimes teased about his face by other strays they come across. Some of them pity him and assume he's weak because of the injury, and this frustrates him. One day after he's mocked by someone, Sappy hears him growl under his breath "I'm strong. I'll prove that to them."
Draco's Gang
Sappy, Scritch, and a couple other cats are scavenging for food when they run into another group of cats they've never seen before, almost as large as theirs. Alarmed, Sappy rushes back to the ally camp to tell Whiskey, and he hurries to the scene with his cats.
A maroon tabby tom with amber eyes introduces himself as Draco, leader of this gang. He wears a black collar that is ragged and worn. Scritch daringly mocks Draco, calling him a housecat, but the leader briefly explains that he was a housecat seasons ago, but not anymore. He is much younger than Whiskey, but very sensible.
Whiskey is wary of Draco, but after both gangs promise they have no intentions of fighting or stealing, they decide to work together to scavenge for food and protect one another in times of need.
Boone
As Draco and Whiskey's gangs mingle, Sappy meets a young green eyed dark gray tabby named Boone, who is about her age. He wears a brown collar with a rusty tag. He's very friendly and he explains that he lived with twolegs with his brother, Clay, when they were kits. But the twolegs were irresponsible and neglected them, often forgetting to give them food and water. One day while playing in the yard, Draco came across them and noticed how malnourished they were and offered them a life on the streets, which was surprisingly better in this case.
Boone admits he might have liked to find a better twoleg home, and Sappy agrees, telling him how she would have kept looking for one if not for Scritch. But she enjoys her life now anyway. Boone admires her devotion to her brother and tells her about his brother in Draco's Gang, Clay, and how they're close as well.
Sappy has toughened up since joining Whiskey's Gang, but she is still polite and level-headed. When she spends time with Boone, she finds herself able to let loose and be more fun and playful. She realizes she's falling in love with him, and he's just the kind of tom she's looking for.
Scritch notices how much time Sappy is spending with Boone and disapproves, aggravated with how every cat is trusting Draco's Gang. He argues with Whiskey that Draco will eventually steal their food and territory, but Whiskey doesn't believe Draco has any bad intentions. He reminds Scritch "It is better to have allies than enemies".
A dog gets loose in the alley, and both gangs fight it off together. The cats celebrate that night, and Whiskey and Draco agree that their groups are stronger together, even proposing uniting their gangs in the near future. Sappy is excited at the idea, as she can share a den with Boone. Every cat is feeling pretty good about the future. Scritch is absolutely furious and leaves the party.
That night after the celebration, Boone takes Sappy up to a rooftop, showing her how beautiful the view of the city is from up high. Sappy feels happier than she's ever remembered and can't wait for their gangs to join together. Boone agrees, saying there's no cat in Draco's Gang like her. They want to become mates, and even have a family someday. It begins lightly raining, filling a little dip in the concrete, and Sappy and Boone share a drink of water together.
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