Warnings: rated for teens 13+ due to light romantic/sensual themes and violence
Book 5 of The Cheetara Chronicles
See Book 5 author's notes on my profile or via this link: topic/141407/97148581/1/TCC-Book-Five-Author-Notes
TCC Book 4 summary is here: topic/141407/97148728/1/TCC-Book-Four-Synopsis
Thanks for reading.
Chapter 1: Enemy Mine
"Know thyself, and you shall know thine enemy."
- Cleric Tass, from The Book of Omens
"We should rest here . . . yesssss?" the General said, coughing. The stench of early dawn hit him rudely. It was time to halt the convoy before sunlight brightened the sky. General Slithe stood next to Mumm-Ra atop his lord's tank. The General hacked and spit as he took in the early morning air, and the mummy's dust filled his lungs. His master's foul bouquet sharpened when the mummy sizzled in the daylight. Slithe's stomach churned. He did not know which odor was more revolting: the smell of Mumm-Ra in the morning, or the fetor of the fallen soldiers who lay crushed under the steel claws of mechas and the screeching wheels of Mumm-Ra's tank.
The General took out his binoculars to survey their surroundings. Rows of silver-plated soldiers lined up in the desert sands, spread out a quarter mile in each direction. Massive robot mechas surrounded their company. Mumm-Ra preferred to unleash a ground assault on the Cats so he could oversee their destruction first hand. Their munitions and supplies had tripled thanks to Vultaire's knowledge of the Technology Stone. The larger fleet came at a cost; Mumm-Ra drove the crowded convoy at such a furious pace that he created a vortex of wind around them. The slower and clumsier soldiers were lifted from the ground, and sucked underneath the tank and mechas, like dead trees uprooted in a windstorm. Many Lizard warriors gave their limbs and lives to the cause - however reluctantly.
It was all necessary, in Slithe's calculus. The ThunderCats were on the run now; the cats were nursing their wounds after their defeat at Avista. The enemy was weak, and it was time to advance, and with any luck, to destroy them. Ridding Third Earth of the evil of the ThunderCats and reclaiming their lost Power Stone was worth a few crushed soldiers and a foul-smelling ally; for now, at least.
"Yes. Stop here," Mumm-Ra the Everliving flapped his dark wings toward the general. "I am pleased with your efforts, General Slithe. How much longer until we overtake and destroy Avista City?"
"Nine days, Lord Mumm-Ra. Ten at the latessst."
"Very well, then. Open the hatch." The mummy sank into the interior of the Storm Charger and bid General Slithe to follow. Sleek and spare on the outside, the inside of the mummy's tank hid cavernous interconnecting compartments. Mumm-Ra and Slithe wound their way toward the mummy's chambers within the tank. There, they met the other generals, who assembled themselves around their lord's cauldron to give the night's reports. Slithe knew well that this day the briefing would bring important news. Their newest general, the birds' former prefect, Vultaire, would give updates on the weapon they would use to crush the Cats. Vultaire's work was going slowly, and Slithe could not tell what was taking him so long. Slithe did know two things for certain: if Vultaire had decided to double-cross them, Slithe wanted Mumm-Ra to be ready; if Vultaire had simply failed, Slithe would make sure Mumm-Ra knew exactly who to blame.
"Lord Mumm-Ra," Slithe reached up to touch Mumm-Ra's wing. "I feel it is my duty to raise . . . my concerns."
"Concerns?" Mumm-Ra the Everliving roared. He did not like to be touched, nor did he appreciate having his business interrupted.
"Yesss. You see, the vulture has not produced the weapon as he claimed that he would. A week has passed, yet, we have seen nothing from him. Perhaps he means to double-cross us."
"You have evidence of this?" Mumm-Ra snarled.
"No, Mumm-Ra. I am merely raising the possibility," Slithe cleared his throat. "What do we know about the vulture and his intentions? The monkey and the jackal fight with us out of bloodlust. The puma you control, and she fights to quench her thirst for vengeance. What do we know of the vulture? Why would he betray his people and destroy his own city? I only wish to alert you to the possibility of his treachery as well as his incompetence, m'lord."
Mumm-Ra grunted. He shocked the General with a surge of energy from his claws. The mummy smiled as General Slithe writhed with pain.
"I do not need you to explain the obvious to me, Slithe. If he fails, I will deal with him. I will deal with all of you. Do not forget it. Now. I expect you to ensure that the vulture succeeds."
Slithe sucked his tongue and grumbled to himself. It is all necessary, he thought. For now, at least. This is an ancient battle, and victory will take time. Slithe had been nothing if not patient; now, so close to victory, he hardly noticed the abuse at all. Besides, nothing Mumm-Ra could throw at him could compare to the ritual "treatments," he endured as a young lizard on the reservation; the Cats' tender care had left his arms and tail scarred and as hardened as tree bark.
The lizard general drew his arms to his chest and shivered as he walked toward the small, frosty room. Mumm-Ra's hideaway in the Storm Charger was cold and sparsely furnished compared to his chambers in the Black Pyramid. A towering, charcoal-colored sarcophagus rested obnoxiously in a carved groove in the wall, jutting outward just enough to partially block the entrance to the room. Slithe maneuvered his round body past it and looked up at the stone grey amulets and cryptic symbols that clung to silver metal walls and dangled from the ceiling over a watery cauldron.
General Slithe's breath blew cold, white puffs of smoke into the air. He joined the other generals and slid his body next to the puma, Pumyra, subtly rubbing his shoulder against her soft, honey-colored fur. For warmth, he thought, smiling.
"Get off me, Lizard!" Pumyra shrieked. The puma ripped herself away from the lizard and took her place at Mumm-Ra's left side. Mumm-Ra cast his wing tenderly around the puma's shoulders and stroked the white tips of her long, caramel-colored locks. Slithe eyed her dejectedly and ignored the giggles and hoots from the jackal and the monkey generals, Kaynar and Addicus, who had watched the entire affair. Patience, Slithe thought. She will warm up to me. In due time, yesss . . . . Slithe and the other generals turned their attention toward their newest comrade, the former bird Prefect, Vultaire.
"Vultaire! What news of the weapon?" Mumm-Ra demanded.
"This is delicate work, Lord Mumm-Ra," Vultaire grinned. "If we are to maintain the element of surprise, we must build a weapon capable of stealth. I am creating a powerful system that will do the job with some finesse."
"Who needs finesse?" Addicus hooted. "What we need are dead cats! A dead Lion-O!" Addicus rubbed his lower back; all these weeks later, his body still ached from plummeting into a cavern after a failed attempt to ambush the lion king.
"He is right," Mumm-Ra agreed. "If you cannot produce the weapon -" the mummy snarled.
"- I can," the vulture said. "I just need a few more days before we can begin construction. Wait!" Vultaire cried as Mumm-Ra raised his arms to deliver what promised to be a potent motivational electric charge. "Mumm-Ra, if could I speak to you . . . alone . . . "
"Mumm-Ra - " Slithe raised his voice to object.
"Out!" Mumm-Ra ignored the lizard. The generals scurried outside of the chamber and waited. Mumm-Ra the Everliving flashed his sharp fangs at the vulture. "This had better be worth the time you have wasted."
"Lord Mumm-Ra, the weapon I am designing is taking time . . . because I am trying to finesse a way to destroy these cats, while protecting the City of Avista - "
At this comment, Mumm-Ra howled and sent an electric charge straight into the body of the vulture, knocking him onto the cold metal floor of the tank.
"Your orders are to destroy the ThunderCats and the City. Your treachery will be punished - "
Reeling, feathers singed, the lanky vulture pulled himself up onto one knee. "Wait, m'lord! This is not treachery," Vultaire said quickly. "Avista has . . . a secret . . . one that will be useful to you as you secure your dominion over Third Earth. There is a gateway there. To the spirit realm."
"Go on," Mumm-Ra allowed him.
"I learned about it quite by accident," Vultaire said. "Years ago, when I took residence in the Prefect's mansion, I inspected it from stem to stern. I found some old scrolls hidden under floorboards in the Prefect's private study. To the unlearned eye, the markings on the scrolls would appear to be gibberish. But to the educated eye, they were clearly written in classical script. Ancient Panther, to be precise."
"Panther you say?" Mumm-Ra frowned; his curiosity was piqued.
"Yes. The scrolls speak of a gateway to the Astral Plane - hidden somewhere in Avista. The instructions were rather vague and I was never able to find it. But I could translate the scrolls for you, m'lord. I am certain that you will be able to discern its location. If we recapture Avista, we can search for the gateway together. When we find it, we can use the secrets of the spirit realm to enhance the power of the Technology Stone. So you see, m'lord, I am trying to craft a weapon that should destroy the Cats but yet -"
"- Save your City," Mumm-Ra smirked. "Very well. We shall plan to capture Avista intact. If you are lying, you will pay dearly. But for now, continue with your plan. And leave my sight! Generals!" Mumm-Ra bellowed, beckoning them back into the cold steel-clad room.
"I will give you your orders. Kaynar and Addicus, we will soon approach the cities surrounding the Northern Oasis as well as the Dog City. I want you to go out in front of the convoy and begin your efforts to recruit soldiers from among your people. I expect you to convince them. By force if need be. And once those armies are built, we will crush Dog City and destroy any others who do not join us. Slithe, work with the vulture. Make sure that he has what he needs to complete the weapon. Pumyra, you will remain here with me. We have matters to discuss. Go!"
Mumm-Ra shriveled into his decayed form and waved the other generals away. Slithe paused for one last glimpse of Pumyra before trudging off to supervise the work of the vulture. Mumm-Ra pulled his red cloak around his petrified gray body and turned his attention toward the puma.
"If the vulture fails, I want you to be in place to activate a fail-safe plan," the mummy grinned. "I want you to rejoin the ThunderCats. Befriend Lion-O again."
"Hah," Pumyra scoffed, and rested defiant hands on her full hips. "How will I do this Mumm-Ra? Surely, even Lion-O is not naïve enough to accept me into his company a second time -"
"You do not understand the ways of the animals as I do, girl. You see, Lion-O fancies himself a hero. Even after all that he and his people have done to you and your kind, he still believes that he fights for good. His arrogance will allow him to believe that he can 'save' you my dear. If you call to him for help, he will receive you with open arms."
Pumyra growled, and her sharp fangs shone like steel, even in the dull light inside the Storm Charger.
"Humph. If Lion-O really is as foolish as you say - if he is really so deluded that he will not stop telling himself that he is some sort of hero - then I will enjoy this chance to break him. To make him see reality, and then, I will destroy him," she paused before asking, "But what of the other cats?"
"What of them. They are of no threat to us. Your mission is to learn the location of the Mystic Stone. Vultaire believes that the Cats have it, hidden, perhaps, even from themselves. Find it. And signal to me when you do," he said, and patted her head. Her fur felt silky to his touch. "The fools will lead you to it, and when they do, we will be there to take it from them. And only after I have the last stone will Lion-O be yours - to dispose of as you see fit."
Mumm-Ra put his shriveled hand into his rumpled red cloak and produced a shiny pendant, which he held out toward the puma for her inspection.
"A gift," he smirked. ". . . For you." The mummy held out a burgundy colored jewel, encased in a lace-like silvery shell.
"A gift? What's that for?" she frowned. "I've already got a necklace."
"It is for your excellent service to me, my dear," the mummy pouted at her. "I think you will find this jewel gives protection where that pendant you have been wearing has failed you."
Warily, Pumyra reached out to take the pendant from him. "I'll wear it." She said.
"Good. Now, I will rest. Go. Prepare the spies to follow Kaynar and Addicus to the cities. And if the spies hear word of the Stone . . ."
"I will make sure they report straight to you, m'lord," Pumyra nodded and smiled.
Mumm-Ra grinned as he watched the slender puma saunter from the room. She is the only one of them that I can stand for any period of time, he thought. I must rest. The Technology Stone drained him of his energy, he found, and he spent longer periods in stasis to make up for it. Mumm-Ra climbed the stairs to his sarcophagus, and bowed his head as the door closed and blackness shrouded him. His sarcophagus was decorated with the desiccated skeletal remains of three small kittens he had murdered during the Fall of Thundera. These kittens were his children now, and he found comfort sleeping nestled among them.
He hoped that his sleep would be free of dreams. Reuniting with the Technology Stone had brought back the memories of the suffering and the ailments of his final days of mortal life. His dreams were now vivid with the memory of his own flesh rotting from the inside out. He remembered the horror of burying the bat queen, his mate, after she suffocated in her own filth - humiliated, weakened, and diseased, he had been unable to stop it.
Caring for the puma gave him a strange relief from his suffering - almost a feeling of redemption. Still, more than anything, Mumm-Ra wanted rest. This morning, he hoped his sleep would bring him visions of fire, then, darkness, stillness. Yes. Mumm-Ra thought. Darkness. Emptiness. That is our final objective. We will bring peace. Stillness. Order. The end of everything in this universe. And then, when all is destroyed, I will rest. These thoughts comforted the mummy and he drifted off to sleep.
-o-