Welcome back, everyone. This chapter was originally going to set up a story I have planned called "Evabon Law". For the sake of keeping it focused, that bit was removed. Enjoy and review.
At the Feet of the Statue
After crossing the river, Gard discovered something puzzling. The sand on the other side of the river had the shapes of screaming faces in it. The Old Savage would wipe the images away with is hand, only for them to once more appear in the sand.
Turning his gaze upwards to the Statue, Gard could only wonder what manner of evil this was. Some power of the statue? Or was this a power of the Soul Stone? No, no, it was not possible. The Soul Stone could not do this! The Statue, whatever it was, was behind this. What was it? Who was it?
Looking back at the sand, Gard recognized one of the screaming faces. It was nonother than that of Bengali. Gard then looked at the other faces and saw others that he recognized! His brother Procyon, his cousin Thomeheb, both dead and gone their respective paths in the afterlife, but somehow trapped here by the Statue! Was this real, had the Statue managed to capture them or was this some illusion created by this terrible colossus?
Alas, he knew not and the longer Gard looked at the sand, the more fear began to take hold of the Grey Evabon. The faces of his long dead wife Rua, their son Gryphon, their daughter, their grandson, all screaming in anguish. Standing to his feet, his stoic expression breaking, Gard saw more countenances that he recognized: Claudus, Jaga, Lynx-O and then the countenances that the Old Savage saw next in the sand caused him to drop his axe in shock.
The countenances he saw were that of Balor, Llud, Zuvowang, Brigid, Henti, Dalv, every citizen of Wilusa and even those the ThunderCats as well! Trembling, Gard fell to his knees, tears beginning to flow from his eyes as he wondered if all that he loved was now gone?
No!
Growing tense, Gard clenched his fists and stared up at the Statue and to his thinking, the countenance began to take on a most sinister appearance, like that of a demon. It was not the countenance of Mumm-Ra, but it was a demon's features nonetheless!
Grabbing his axe, Gard lifted it to the sky and vowed: "When this is over, you will haunt the Vast, Unknown Wilderness no more!"
As if in answer, the sand changed shape. No more did the shapes of screaming faces appear, but now was the image of a city, Wilusa, sacked and burning like some horrible nightmare!
It was not real it was just an illusion! Nothing more, nothing less!
Walking over the sand, Gard watched as a great door opened up between the legs of the sitting Statue. Gripping the handle of his axe tightly, Gard stared into the doorway. He saw nothing, just the greatest darkness anyone could imagine. He could hear nothing coming from within the doorway.
Hear nothing, see nothing. That was just wonderful. The only option Gard had, he supposed to go in. If the Statue truly did have the Soul Stone, then by all logic it was within the mountain that the Statue was carved into the side of.