Chapter 9
"Any signs of life?" Lion-O asked Ben-Gali as he scanned the pyramid. The desert heat had dissipated the minute the sun went down and that meant clear scanning using the heat signature technology.
"I've got two inside the pyramid. Not sure how they got in though. We've never really be able to do it easily and they haven't been on the planet long enough to know where to go – right?" Ben-Gali wondered.
"The Ancient Spirits of Evil may be helping them. Without Mumm-Ra they will seek out a new champion," Slythe said.
"That doesn't sound good," Panthro said.
"I would agree. Those buggers tried to get inside my head and it wasn't a pretty picture. I'll admit that I've done things that I'm not proud of but the levels that they wanted me to stoop to were just not for me. However, I could not say the same for Red-Eye or Alluro," the Mutant frowned.
"You mean all Mutants don't want to stoop to the lowest level they can? Here we figured that was just par for the course," Mandora gave him a poke.
"Oh there are plenty who would stoop – without thinking twice. That's what makes us Mutants so dangerous. For some of us though, there is a line that we refuse to cross. With the Ancient Spirits of Evil, the line starts at giving them your soul for all eternity, and stops when they say it does. Look at how many times they brought Mumm-Ra back from the dead. When I go, I don't want that happening, thank you very much," Slythe admitted.
"Agreed," Commander Tiberius nodded.
"Well I think we should use our powerful wizard friend to make our way inside, don't you?" Lion-O wondered as Panthro opened the back hatch of the ThunderTank. Quickly they disembarked to find the transport had emptied of all of her passengers as well.
"I cannot enter the pyramid," Wizz-Ra announced as they exited the Tank.
"Why not?" Lion-O asked.
"The Enchanted Golden Helmet of Pharnoor is something that the Ancient Spirits would love to get their hands on. I and it must stay outside. That being said, I can certainly give you a helping hand inside," the wizard explained.
"Before we head inside – do not get separated from the group! There are booby traps, dead-end paths, and two Lunataks in there. Anyone who gets separated is liable to get killed. I want everyone in one piece when we're done," Lion-O said to the group.
"Sounds like fun and I'm going to miss it," Mandora frowned, trying to lighten the mood. She would be forced to stay behind with Wizz-Ra since she wasn't officially on duty.
"We'll try to save you some," Commander Tiberius winked as Wizz-Ra cast a spell and opened the wall of the pyramid. Quickly the group moved through the opening and the moment that the last Evil Chaser went through, the hole closed.
"May the Gods protect them," the wizard said.
"I hope they are listening. I have a question for you – can you cast a spell to see if someone is being truthful?" She wondered.
"This wouldn't have to do with Slythe's transformation would it?" He asked.
"That obvious huh?" Mandora smirked.
"I do have one I could use but I highly doubt that he would betray the ThunderCats now, since they will be doing him a favor. Once the Lunataks are gone, then we will see what we can see," Wizz-Ra said.
"Sounds like a plan," the blonde nodded. The two quickly retreated to the safety of the transport, as the desert at night could get very cold and a slight breeze had whipped up.
Now that they were inside the pyramid, the group quickly lit the corridor where they were standing with what the Evil Chasers called "light buttons". They were about the size of a hockey puck but when the middle of the puck was pressed, bright light shot forth from the device.
"This place gives me the creeps," Ben-Gali said.
"Agreed. Let's not stay longer than we need to. This way. If we reach the main chamber we'll have a better idea if the Lunataks are there or if they got lost in the tunnels," Lion-O spoke up.
"Save some of those light buttons for Red-Eye. He'll be easier to capture if you temporarily blind him," Slythe told the Evil Chasers. The group started to move the down the hallway, not sure when or where they would run into their foes.
To Be Continued…