Gard's Decision
Weeks passed. During those weeks, Gard thought. He thought about the kindness the ThunderCats had shown him. He had not thought it possible. Those who had hunted him so mercilessly in the past now showed him great kindness. He was puzzled but he found friends in the ThunderCats. Friendship… that was something he thought he'd never feel again. He found that they treated him with respect, as a person, not as a monster. Lion-O showed cunning and combat skill but was at the same time hotheaded. Tygra was cocky and arrogant but was surprisingly mature. Panthro was tough with a no nonsense attitude. Cheetara was emotionally mature and able to read the feelings of others. The Wilys were a mystery to him but he did not judge them by how they were. He viewed them all as friends, even that Snarf creature.
The day came when he brought them back to the ThunderTank. They all looked at him in surprise.
"Trying to get rid of us?" asked Panthro. Gard looked Panthro in the eye. How better a brother, Gard would have been than his own brother.
"No." Gard shook his head. Lion-O, Tygra and Cheetara looked at the old savage in wonder. "We must return to the world, the Claymore of Antaeus must remain in his tomb, hidden deep in the wilderness, the animals must unite against Mumm-Ra and me? What of me?"
"Come with us!" Gard looked down at Kit. She was holding his right hand, looking up at him as if he were her own grandfather.
"No." Gard shook his head again. "You have your road and I have mine."
"Where does your road lead?" asked Cheetara. She looked at him, wondering where he would go.
"It leads to the Sovereign." Gard looked up into the sky. "My blood brother, the one who is a monster who views himself as a god, Procyon is his name."
"Why haven't you told us about him?" asked Lion-O.
"Because of his bloodlust." Gard looked at Lion-O. The boy did not understand, neither did his brother.
"If Procyon is your problem, then he's ours too!" Tygra placed a hand on Gard's shoulder. "We can face him, what can he possibly be doing anyway?" Gard blinked for a bit then sighed.
"My brother is holding a city state down near Mount Supmylo in a state of terror." The ThunderCats looked at him understandingly but confused as to why he did not want their help. "This is between me and him, but maybe we'll meet if we're ever in the area, you are my friends and I thank you for helping me to return to the world." Gard smiled and the ThunderCats were all touched. They watched as Gard ran then jumped, thirty feet into the air, and onto his own quest. Kat smiled and ran a bit then stopped.
"Do you think we'll ever meet him again?" he asked.
"You can count on it." Said Panthro. He walked over to Kat and patted him on the head. "Immortals can be that way."
The End
This is the end of The Savage Heart. I hope you enjoyed this story and hope you return with me when I begin the sequel: "Enter Procyon" in which Gard not only confronts his brother but finds a friend in Hattanzo also known as The Drifter. Until then Thank you for your reviews which caused me to create Gard the character he is.