Welcome back everyone. I've never really been satisfied with Pwyll's appearance so I keep trying to make him seem less generic and more distinctive. The best I can describe him as looking is like Primo Canera as an Evabon. Enjoy and review.
Son of Pwyll, Father of Balor
Not only was Balor at Wilusa, his father Pwyll was there too. Criminal he might have been: pirate, stealer of livestock, bandit, defiler of women… but still Pwyll was there, as long as the peaceful Piyama-Radu was there as Chieftain no one could touch him.
Pwyll knew how to take advantage of things Piayamaradu's peaceful reign was one thing he was certainly taking advantage of. There were people who hated Pwyll, people who wanted him dead and yet he found sanctuary under Piyamaradu's law against violence inside Wilusa's walls.
At the far end of the garden where a banquet was being held, Pwyll could only look at his son up by Piyamaradu. There sat Gard, Zuvowang, Dalv and their families as well as the ThunderCats. Piyamaradu's son Ekoto, brother Pamba and nephew Alaksandu were also up there.
None of them Pwyll had any interest in, just Balor. Pwyll had once said he'd kill Balor when he came of age but now he was starting to reconsider. Balor had much potential as both a warrior and a shaman, Pwyll could see that. To try and kill Balor when he came of age would possibly be suicide.
As he ate a piece of fruit, Pwyll thought about his relationship with his own father. Wodanaz had barely been there… Just a few times… It caused Pwyll to hate his father and extend that to any sons he would have. He wanted to kill his father, he wanted to kill his sons the only members of his family that Pwyll trusted were the women: his mother, wives, daughters, sisters, aunts never did he trust any of the men in his family.
But here was someone fresh and young to mold! If this was the son, Pwyll suspected would be the death of him then he'd teach him how to be a warrior. Teach him everything he knew, that way Balor would never be able to defeat him as a warrior. Yet still the shaman in Balor caused there to be fear in Pwyll's heart.
Fear, obsession, treachery… If Pwyll were not careful those things would be the death of him.
Pwyll stood up and walked up to where Balor was. Everyone, save the blind Piyamaradu and Lynx-O, turned their heads to look up at him.
"That boy there, he is my son! I claim him!" Pwyll was not used to talking to large amounts of people. Always he had spoken to small amounts.
Gard pointed a finger at the father of Balor. "Then you confess to having forced yourself upon a daughter of my bloodline!"
"I do!"
Lion-O and Tygra both stared at one another. Pwyll confessed to having forced himself upon a woman descended from Gard? The woman who ended up giving birth to Balor? This was most unexpected.
It was at this point that Kit jumped up to her feet. "What do you want him for? To kill him?"
Balor just rolled his eyes. "Sit down, Kit, I'm not old enough for him to kill." Kit still stood. This only caused Balor to look at Kat. "Kat, please get your sister to sit down." Kat sighed and pulled Kit by the tail until she had fallen over.
"You are serious for a child of… six? Five?"
"Eight!"
Pwyll nodded. "Ah, yes! Eight! I have many children, Balor, some of them I forget about. The only ones I remember are you and my dear daughter Thoris." He stooped down and placed a great hand around Balor's neck. Everyone started to tense up. "Listen and listen well, son, if you are the son who will try and kill me I won't hesitate to kill you." He then let go of Balor's neck. Do you understand, Balor?"
Balor had no answer. Why should Pwyll have so much fear for his sons? Was he paranoid? "Dejah said you never loved her, that you never love, that you have never loved…"
Pwyll stood up to his full height and looked down at his son. "Piyamaradu, I ask that I be the one to sacrifice the…" Pwyll knew not the name of the beast.
The ThunderCats could only stare at Pwyll. This half-intelligent thing was Balor's biological father? It was unbelievable. First he was so demanding, intimidating and now he was… forgetful?
Zuvowang, who was not the smartest of Evabon but knew which animal was to be sacrificed for the coming event, just rolled his eyes. "The zeuster, Father of Balor, the zeuster!"
Balor's father clenched his fist. As much as Piyamaradu's ban on violence in Wilusa kept him safe, it was also hard for him. Like Zuvowang, Pwyll was a boisterous bruiser but unlike Zuvowang who fought for sport Pwyll fought for his own preservation and… other things.
Thankfully, Cheetara asked a simple question. "You sacrifice animals?"
"Only on special occasions." Gard grabbed a large leaf and took a sip of the water in it. "And even then we're reluctant to do so."
"Why is that?"
"We always choose the most bad tempered and violent of beasts!" Gard's answer caused Cheetara ro look at Pwyll in a new light. Indeed all of the ThunderCats, mainly Bengali, were looking at Pwyll in a new light.
It seemed that Pwyll might have subconsciously had a death wish.
Piyamaradu put a hand on Lynx-O's shoulder. In the few hours they had known each other, the two were already acting like old friends. An Evabon man of forty and a Thunderan man of sixty, both blind, found kindred spirits in one another. "What do you think, Lynx-O? Should this stealer of beautiful things sacrifice the zeuster?"
"I think not, Piyamaradu! You say he blinded you!"
"Indeed he did but I am forgiving." Piyamaradu pointed a finger at Pwyll. Or rather he attempted and ended up pointing his finger at Kernunnos who had started to… Well, no one was exactly sure. Kernunnos seemed to be sizing up Pwyll. Pwyll didn't seem to notice. This only caused the stoic and cynical Dalv to laugh a bit, a few others too! "Give one of the treasures you horded over the years to Balor and you may sacrifice the zeuster!"
"The only treasure I brought with me was some old crown! You expect me to give that up to him?" Pwyll then noticed Kernunnos and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him three feet off the ground. "And you stay away from me!" Tossing Kernunnos aside, Pwyll's turned to see many of those around him pointing and staring at him.
Pwyll was not well liked. Why should he have been? Only pirates and bandits had any respect for him!
And then Dalv spoke. "Kernunnos? Are you alright?"
"Fine, Dalv. Kernunnos bruised… Pwyll attack Kernnunos! He fight!" Dalv's deformed descendant jumped to his feet only for those closest to him to sit him down.
"Pwyll!" Piyamaradu stood up. His blind eyes were directed right at Pwyll's blue eyes. "You know there have been meetings about you being denied sanctuary in any Evabon settlement." Everyone grew silent. This was news for those unaware. Lion-O put stroked his chin as he listened. This was interesting. "You are not well liked, Pwyll, you have brought that upon yourself… Know that I have forgiven you for blinding me those years ago but remember that even I have my limits. Give the crown to Balor and you may sacrifice the zeuster, unless any of our proud stallion breaking youths would like to." Silence. No one be they young, middle aged or old wanted to sacrifice a bad tempered zeuster. It was suicide!
The son of Wodanaz started to walk towards Piayamaradu. All tensed as he did. "That crown will go to my son, I will sacrifice the beast and when this is all over I will have him to mold or to kill!"
And thus left Pwyll!
No on spoke. Pwyll's outburst at being denied his own flesh and blood was troubling. Denying someone of their flesh and blood was simply not done but considering how Pwyll was this matter would need much discussion later.
Standing up, Balor followed after Pwyll. He was wary of his father but also curious of this crown that was to be given to him.