Chapter Five - "Fields"

"Why don't you tell yer tale, Kathy darlin'?"

They were all sitting around the table, the kids lined up on one side; Adam, Kathryn, and Rio Blast making up the other. Duncan held one end and Roman did the other. Cringer was nearby on the floor, lapping up his third helping while everyone else was finishing his or her first. The Shepherd's Pie was delicious, just as Adam figured it would be. Part of him noted that he should mention the recipe to Chef Allan, and then he realized it would be nowhere as good as the way Kathryn made it.

"Well, it was late. Everyone had already gone to bed and I was staying up to do some reading," she began. Her eyes flickered between Duncan and Adam. "I heard a noise. A cry from one of the cattle. It was quiet enough not to wake up anyone else. I went out to the porch and saw this . . . this thing in the air. It looked like a bird, but . . . I don't know. It was huge, and it started cawing. It wasn't so much a cawing, though. More like a, a . . . a screeching."

Duncan and Adam glanced at each other.

"I lit up one of the lanterns and stepped a little off the porch. And that's when I saw this huge . . . beast! It was dark and furry and was ripping into one of the cattle! I had never anything like it before. I ran inside, heard that screech again, and locked the door. I was too scared to even move. A little later, I went and got my Da. By the time he came out, all that was left of that poor beast was scrapes."

Roman pushed his empty plate away from him and nodded. "I've seen a lot of things. When those Snake-Men came ripping through the land a year or so back, they caused some destruction an' I lost my wife."

Adam's face fell a little, not even noticing that there wasn't a lady of the house. He looked to Kathryn, seeing a grieving expression on her face.

"But I ain't seen anything like this," Roman continued. "This was . . . this was brutal." When he said the last word, it came as an exasperated sigh.

"Did you find anything?"

"Some tracks, heading into the woods right beyond my property line."

Duncan nodded. "Adam, why don't you and Cringer head up to the woods and check things out."

"I'll go with you," Kathryn joined in and gave Adam an affectionate smile. Adam returned it.

"Go ahead, then," Duncan said, waving. "I'll contact Eternos and let them know what's happening."

With Cringer in tow, Adam and Kathryn walked out of the house into the fields. Adam glanced a few times at Kathryn, giving him a small smile.

"I'm sorry about your Mom," he broke.

"Yeah. It's still pretty hard to talk about it, though."

She touched his hand and Adam looked to her, and saw a slightly growing smile on her face. Kathryn's hand wrapped around his.

"It's a beautiful day," Adam declared, gazing up at the on-going blue sky and the heavenly white clouds that puckered it.

"Yes. Very. How's your sister?"

Adam blinked. "Huh?"

She laughed a little. "Your twin sister? The one that came back after all those years? There was a huge announcement made about a year ago, right before the Snake-Men attack."

"Oh. Yeah. She's . . . she's good. She's on Etheria, helping the Great Rebellion fight off the Horde."

Kathryn nodded a little, her face brightened in the early afternoon sun. Cringer, who had been travelling in front of them, perked his head up. "Adam," he called over his shoulder, "I've got a scent going into the woods."

Adam let go (reluctantly, of course) of Kathryn's hand and moved towards the woods. He couldn't quite see anything. Kathryn was at his side immediately.

"I'm going in."

Cringer shook his head. "I'm not."

"I'll go in with you," Kathryn told him.

Cringer grunted. "Okay, I'll go in."

The three of them walked into the woods, going under the canopies of trees that stood high above them. "I used to climb around these woods when I was a kid. The others did too, but not as often. I used to love it here. Now and days, I'm too busy for this sort of stuff."

Adam smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Tell me about."

They had just gone over a small rise when a huge creature blocked their journey. It was, indeed, Panthor. His huge, purple-furred body stood on a large, upturned tree trunk. He let out a terrible roar, showing his fangs and long tongue.

Adam stepped in front of Kathryn, pulling out his Power Sword (fighting the instinct to use it). Kathryn screamed a little.

"Stay back!" Adam commanded.

Panthor roared again and looked like it was about to charge on them. Suddenly, though, Cringer stepped forward. His back arched, his lips rose, his whiskers stood out; with ears flat and back and his claws out, Cringer roared and snarled in return. It was so unlike anything Adam had heard from his faithful companion.

Panthor snarled, but backed up a little bit. Cringer growled again and Panthor disappeared. Adam turned slightly to Kathryn. "Go, get Man-At-Arms and Rio-Blast."

Kathryn complied and ran out of the woods. Adam then looked to Cringer, who was on his haunches. "What did you do?"

"I'll explain back at the house. Let's go."

The pair walked slowly and carefully out of the woods, knowing they were being watched. Once at the edge of the woods, Adam was surprised to find Kathryn still standing there.

"Why didn't you head back to the house?" asked Adam, sheathing his Power Sword.

"I was . . . I was worried about you."

Adam put his hands on her arms. "I'm okay. That was Panthor, Skeletor's steed. What it's doing here is a mystery, but I think we need to talk Duncan and Rio-Blast."

"Good idea."

Kathryn was looking uncomfortable and quite upset. Adam hugged her closely, reassuring her softly. She felt good in his arms. Very good.

"Adam, we need to get to the house," Cringer advised.

Adam nodded and followed Cringer back through the fields.

Back at the house, Cringer explained. "I challenged him. We're very territorial creatures and I challenged. I have a plan."

Adam, Duncan, and Rio-Blast all blinked in shock. "YOU have a PLAN?!" questioned Adam.

"I'm not just here for eating, Adam. Panthor needs to know he can't just come around houses and eat cattle with Screech. He needs to be taught a lesson."

"How's that?" asked Kathryn's Da, cleaning his glasses while sitting in his rocker.

"We need some bait. Get him out of the woods. And it needs to be late. When he comes out, we blast him. Ol' Panthor will never know what hit him. He'll be knocked out. We can either take him back to Eternos or let him go."

"Eternos would be the better option," Adam advised.

Rio-Blast let up a cig. "It's a good plan, aight."

"I'll head back to Eternos and bring back a transport," Duncan told Adam. "Adam, why don't you and Rio-Blast stay here? Rio-Blast, I think it would be best if you were the one that took the shot."

Rio-Blast grunted, as if uncomfortable. "Okay. Gotcha."

Adam and Cringer walked with Duncan out of the house and towards the Wind Raider. Duncan, as he got in, looked to the tiger.

"I'm surprised at you, Cringer," said Duncan. "And proud."

"I guess there's more in Battle-Cat in me than I thought," summed Cringer.

"I guess so."

With a parting glance at Duncan, the Wind Raider floated off the ground, then blasted into the sky above. Cringer looked at Adam. "Does this mean I get some more food?"

Adam heaved out a hefty laugh.

A little later, in the barn, Adam and Kathryn tended to a few of the cattle. She was showing him how to calm them, how to keep them soothed. They were laughing and joking as they did this.

"So, what's it like being the Prince of Eternos?"

"Eh, it's okay. Some things are better than others. It's a lot of responsibility."

"Do you live at the Palace?"

"No, actually. I live at the Great Towers, which is north of the Sands of the Time, at the border of the Dark and Light Hemispheres."

"Wow. That's . . . huh."

"What?"

Kathryn looked a little flushed. "It all seems so . . . important. I just can't believe I'm standing here with one of the most powerful people on the planet! Makes my life seem so very . . . simple."

Adam smiled at her and took her hand. "Sometimes, my dear Kathryn, the simple life is a far better one."

Kathryn stared deeply into his blue eyes, mesmerized by what she saw there. By what she felt. While one hand was firmly in Adams, the other reached and went to his arm. I'm falling in love with him, she thought, and it was immediately followed by: And he's falling in love with me.

"Kathryn?" asked Adam.

"Adam, I . . ."

"Shhhh."

In the hay-filled barn, in the wide and open summer afternoon, everything seemed to stop. The dust particles that floated in the air halted in their movements. The cattle held their place. Everything slowed into a second that lasted an hour.

They kissed. A wonderful kiss that filled them both with passion and love. When they broke, both blushed.

"I'm sorry," Kathryn apologized. "I didn't mean for that to . . ."

"Why?" asked Adam. "I enjoyed it. But I can understand if this was a little too much. Living the simple life and all, probably means you want to take it a lot slower."

Kathryn laughed a little and lightly hit him on the arm. "Shut up," she ordered with a gentle smile. "And come here."

They kissed again.

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The night was a clear one. Above, the stars poked out from the blanket of darkness. The moons sat high in the sky in huge crescents; all three in small arcs centered in the stars. The sounds of insects chirping and night animals moving was heard in the air.

Adam and Kathryn sat in the loft of the barn, watching out to the fields. Cringer sat behind them, watching as well. Behind the barn was the transport they would use to take Panthor back to the Palace. In the fields themselves were a few cattle, taking in some midnight snacks in the form of grass. Sitting in a lone tree in the center of the field was Rio-Blast, his duster wrapped around his cybernetic form.

"Are you sure Panthor'll show?" asked Adam.

Cringer nodded. "He should. We cats are territorial. He'll want to show that this area is still his. By ripping into one of the cattle, it'll show us." He paused. "Of course, I'm really hoping he doesn't show up."

Adam smiled, then saw a form emerge from the woods. He glanced back at Kathryn. A worried expression filled her face.

"Worried about your family?"

"Yeah," she replied and drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"Man-At-Arms is in there with them. They'll be okay."

She nodded and went silent, staring out at the slinking form of Panthor. Adam looked to the tree and suddenly wondered why Rio-Blast (or, as he was also known, Jonas) wasn't moving.

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Jonas, also known as Rio-Blast, was the son of Heath. Heath was one of the gunslinger-rangers that was employed by the Council of Elders. His father was trained in the ways of the gun, but even during his service with the Elders, the times of guns were fading. By now and days, all guns were replaced by lasers. Guns were far too lethal, and while his father was a fair and just man, he was also death dealer - even until his bitter end, when he died at the steps of the Hall of Wisdom during the Horde War.

Jonas considered this as he aimed his wrist lasers at Panthor. He hated doing this - shooting an animal. Even at stun, he hated doing it. So, as he sat in the tree, he put away his lasers and came up with a new turn to the plan. Jonas reached into one of the deep pockets of his duster and pulled out another sort of gun. It was a tag gun and it would be a tag on Panthor.

He aimed and fired. The tag snatched onto Panthor's back. The beast stopped, snarling in surprise. Jonas dropped down from the tree and pulled something else out of his duster. It was a small rectangle with glass on each side. From the bottom came a long staff and he slammed it into the ground. He then pressed a bottom on the top and a light appeared from the glass.

A shock filled Panthor from the tag. He roared, then whimpered, because the shock was continuing. The large purple tiger then leapt back and ran into the woods, probably moving beyond it. Above, a loud caw was heard and Screech followed it's hunting partner.

Rio-Blast pulled out his communicator and spoke into it. "It's over."

A few minutes later, Man-At-Arms, Adam, Kathryn, Cringer, Roman and the kids (despite their Da's scolding) came into the fields, amongst the uncaring cattle.

"Why did you do?" asked Man-At-Arms. "Why didn't you stun it?"

Rio-Blast grunted and lit up a cig, then considered his words. "I don't like to shoot animals. If I don't have to, I don't. Even if it's stun. Secondly, I have a feeling that this is a different situation than we realize. Skeletor is gone, and these animals apparently didn't return to Snake Mountain. Don't you get it? They're free and they have a right to be."

"Well, that's all well and good, Jonas," started Roman, "but what's to keep them from comin' here and eattin' my cattle?"

"I tagged Panthor. We can track him all across Eternos. And these poles are tuned to the same frequency as the tag. He can't come within fifty feet of the pole without getting a shock."

Kathryn spoke up. "I think this is a good idea, Da. There's no need to imprison the poor thing. Jonas, you did a good job."

"Thank you. Man-At-Arms?"

Man-At-Arms sighed a little. "Well, I can't say I agree with it, Rio-Blast, but I think you did the right thing."

"Thank ya," Rio-Blast replied.

"Well, I'm ready to go," Man-At-Arms said then. "We've got a busy day tomorrow."

Adam frowned and looked to Kathryn. She took his hand. No one seemed to notice. Cringer led the others out of the fields, leaving Kathryn and Adam alone in the moonlight.

"I can't believe how fast today went," Kathryn told him.

"Me neither. I had . . . it was good. I really liked being with you." And he did. Adam was feeling a way he had never felt before. Butterflies were restless in his stomach, and a lump of nothing was in his throat. The two kissed beneath the stars.

They slowly started down to the house and barn. "When will I see you next? Will I see you next?" asked Kathryn.

Adam considered the question very carefully. "Well, I'm going to be at the Great Towers for the next few days, then I'll be at Eternos. After that, I'm going on an expedition to the Harmony Sea." A thought then appeared in his mind. "Why don't you come with me?"

Kathryn stopped, eyes widening. "What?"

"Come with me to the Harmony Sea! It'll be two weeks on the high, opens. It would really give us a chance to get to know each other."

"Oh, I don't know . . . I mean, it sound great, but I'm not sure."

He took both hands into his and smiled at her. She smiled back - beautifully in the light from above. "Tell ya what. You think about it, and then get back to me. If you don't want to come, that's fine. If you do, that's great. That work for ya?"

She nodded. "It does. Thank you."

The two leaned forward and shared in a good night kiss.