TC is the property of WB and its affiliates. Any concepts not originating from the TC universe are the property of these creator(s) unless otherwise noted.
Characters will not completely resemble the 1985 rendition, nor the 2011 rendition. This is a reimagining of the Thundercats series as a whole and not entirely based on either series. Nor is it based on any other fan work. The creator(s) of this work reserve the right not to answer any questions or respond to any reviews. This is meant to mimic a professional work and will be conducted as such.
Episode 10
Step Past Death
Wilykit watched the pass into the keep shrink away a little more and her tail lashed. Her scowl made her head hurt and she touched the bandage around her forehead. "I know they're scared, but Panthro and Tygra might need our help. Can't we get a little closer to the pass?"
"Afraid not. I would be at my captain's side, but he ordered us to keep our distance." Bullie lowered his head and murmured, "Look in the crags, lass. We were lucky to be able to get out of there."
Peering out over the waves in the moonlight, Kit could make out the jagged rocks around the pass. The moon glinted off bits of metal in the face of the cliff and she realized there were pirates resting quietly in the crags. Even a cannon or two poked out into view. "Why didn't they shoot at us?"
"Hammerhand probably didn't want them to. He's more interested in your friends." Noticing that she lowered her head so her chin rested against the side of the ship, he added, "That tank was something else. Don't you fret, Captain Masti and your friends are smart. They'll get your brother and Snarf back."
"I hope so."
Bullie could not help but twitch his tail, and Kit would have been fascinated by the short thing if she wasn't thinking about her brother, stuck with that awful Hammerhand. Pirates were the worst, she decided. "Bullie, Snarf said that the cats that live in the dirty houses hate King Claudus for not sending reinforcements like he said he would. You were alive when that happened; what do the dogs think about it?" Her question was sudden, and it distracted her from the cliffs and the sound of cannon fire.
He glanced at her and made a soft barking noise in his throat like a terse laugh. "He was defending the borders of Thundera elsewhere and the cats that came here weren't ready for a life at sea. That was their fault, not his. But we dogs don't care much either way. We had settled the rest of the coast ourselves, along with several other species, and we'd defended our land for quite a while. We offered to work with them and help them providing we could share the land – it was technically ours before it was claimed by the Alliance and then by Claudus – but they just stuck up their noses. They never asked us for help no matter how bad things got, as if we weren't good enough."
Kit's jaw dropped. "What a bunch of meanies! I don't feel bad for them at all now!"
His eyes seemed wet and soft, lovably canine. "Don't feel that way, lass. They're ignorant, but many people are. Why, when I was young, I hated cats of all kinds."
She blinked somberly, feeling hurt. "All cats?"
"Aye. All cats. Which was silly; I didn't know all cats, just a few bad ones. But I hated them because of the way they treated us. It wasn't until I got a little older, saw more of the world, that I realized that there are kind cats out there. That's a part of growing up, realizing that maybe you were wrong about people." He ruffled her hair. "After all, how could any dog hate a sweet little lass like you?"
She smiled faintly. "You're nice Bullie. I like you too." She hugged his side but was silent and didn't let go. "I just hope they're all okay," she added softly.
"Aye." Bullie fixed his eyes on the rickety, cold keep. "So do I."
Hammerhand paced silently, watching the Thundertank move. Kat too was entranced; its motions were smooth and powerful, like the back of a predator, and Panthro's driving was superb in combat. He swerved and skidded around cannon fire and energy blasts, running down any pirates fool enough to try getting on the ground to use floor cannons. And all the while whoever was in the passenger seat was targeting cannons, firing on them with some kind of turret that rose from the back of the tank. It was a thing of beauty to watch it wipe out the foe's weaponry, one bit at a time. The ground rattled and vibrated under his toes with each impact.
Kat had the presence of mind to scoot away from Hammerhand, whose face was cold again. "If you want something done right, do it yourself," he said at last.
Snarf had been sitting in his lap but hopped down so the cat could stand, striding to the entryway. "It's going to get messy boy. Don't plan any escapes if you want your hide intact." The captain shut the door and Kat heard him moving something.
Snarf listened and said, "I think he just shifted a crate in front of the door so we can't leave." Kat was relieved to hear the little fellow speak.
"What do we do? Can we break open his desk?" Kat wanted to get the Sword of Omens back very badly, and he stooped beside the hardy drawer and pulled on it. A weapon would put his mind at ease, even if it were the size of a dagger. There was no way he could stay here forever; he would rather die trying to escape.
"I've a better idea." Snarf produced, from the fluffiest part of his fur, the key to the drawer. Kat's jaw dropped. "Why do you think I was schmoozing him? It's amazing what people do when they think a beast is dumb." Snarf inserted the key and turned it in the lock until it clicked. "There, hurry."
Kat drew out the sword and marveled at its lightness. It was shining and clean, and the hilt felt good in his hand. Then he looked into the drawer and frowned. "Hey, look. A messenger board, a portable one! Wow, those are fancy." He couldn't help but take it out and examine it. It was the size of a piece of paper if an inch thick, and the surface was shiny as smooth water.
"It is strange to me how different technology is in different places. In the forest we use so little, and on the docks I only saw a few pieces. But Berbils are masters at it, and then there are things like this?" Snarf shook his head.
"It kind of depends on your culture, and how much money a place has. Like, there are actually flying machines that can carry people to different places, but they're so expensive that I think there's only a couple in the world. Even the Imperial City is still working on making them better. The Thundertank is the fanciest thing I've ever seen." Kat shrugged. "Where do you think Hammerhand got something like this?"
"Heaven only knows how many people he's stolen from," Snarf said. "Can you turn it on?" Kat hesitantly tapped the screen and it lit up. "Ooh."
Kat's brow furrowed as several boxes appeared on the screen. "It logs the last five messages as recordings. Look, there's a Luna woman." Snarf peered at her, whiskers tickling Kat's shoulder. "Do you think she's the lady that sent him after us? Lion-O said Tug-Mug was working for a woman Luna."
Snarf prodded the screen with a finger and the woman's image filled the screen and she began to talk. Every so often Hammerhand replied in the recording, but Kat studied the Luna's face. It was wrinkly as loose cloth and her mouth was wide, eyes narrow and cold. Her hair was surprisingly long and thick, white as foam, and her skin was a lilac color. Her blue and violet robes were of excellent make, and when she used magic Kat jumped.
"She's bad." He knew this so instinctively that he actually looked away. "Snarf, this lady's a witch."
"We knew she had powers from the group in the forest. I think I recognize her voice from the audio files. I wonder how it's possible for Hammerhand to use a messenger to the Lune lands? Tygra told me there's no communicating with them…at least, not if one is in Thundera." Snarf tapped the screen and the message paused. "We need to show this to the others. We might actually find the head of this operation if we do."
Kat chafed at this. "But we'd be stealing it."
"Considering he probably stole it himself and it might help us help a lot of people, I don't really feel bad about that at all." Snarf was probably right, but it still took a sigh before Kat tucked the messenger into his shirt. "Now let's find a way out of this place."
Lion-O was still recovering from the shock of nearly drowning and the strangeness between Cheetara and Araknay, but he picked his way through the outcrops quickly.
Cheetara's face had been anguished. He couldn't help but wonder at it and her gift for visions. He'd heard of seers but they were generally pagan frauds. Cheetara's ability cut deep and reached places that no emotional frenzy could take a person. The Creator himself had touched her, and Lion-O hoped she realized that. He couldn't believe that someone so faithful and true could have been cursed by demons. Cheetara would never sell out, not even for justice or revenge.
Would the Sword of Omens be able to help? It had only partly cured the Berbils, but their metal protected them. Perhaps this time it would remove the curse entirely. Lion-O was not sure if this would be a good thing for her; the blade did good no matter how frightening or hard "good" was. Good was not always kind or gentle.
Lion-O smelled peppery smoke from the cannons drifting along the water, and he kept moving, the keep growing larger as he approached. He would find Hammerhand and take him down; that was the best plan of action. Anything else put other people at risk, and taking down the captain would stop the fighting…hopefully.
He wondered if he should ever have used the Sword of Omens at all. These were his blades, comfortable and part of his body, so used to their weight was he. In spite of his near-drowning, the feeling of these and running gave him a cold, reassured peace.
Minutes trickled by and he went lower and lower toward the keep, reaching the wooden exterior with a few tired breaths. He heard the supports shudder and the thundering sound of cannon fire; Panthro was certainly out for blood. Lion-O tried to figure out why he felt so tired and realized he hadn't eaten in over fourteen hours, and he shook his head. No time to worry about it. He'd gone longer than that when training.
He scaled the wooden planks, using the swords to pull himself up the side. Heavy footfalls from the pirates within the structure hurrying to weapon stations made him pause several times, and Lion-O reached the top after a few minutes. Breathing hard, he found a roughhewn window, carved into what was probably a cabin for one of the men. It was small and dirty, but it allowed him to slip into the structure without actually clambering over the top of the wall. He checked the door, listening for anyone else, and darted out into the hall.
Tygra didn't like the feeling of the place shuddering as Panthro tore the main floor up. He had left staying invisible alone, for even if the pirates had seen him he was pretty sure they were too worried about Panthro to pause and fight. Not to mention his whip was wearing out. He took a careful, quick-stepping approach instead, opening each door a crack and moving on when he heard nothing within. The small sack of gunpowder still hung at his waist; all he needed was a good opportunity to use it, and to get the kid and Snarf out.
It wasn't until he reached the highest level and heard pounding from within a gilded golden door that he sighed aloud. A large crate was sitting in front of the entryway and he pounded on the wall. "Kat? Kid, you in there?"
"Tygra! I knew you'd find us! Snarf, it's Tygra!" Kat was excited and Tygra – with some effort – forced the crate aside, scraping across the floor. Kat burst out the door, hugging him around the waist and Tygra returned the motion, relieved. Snarf waddled out after the boy with the Sword in hand. "Snarf stole the key to Hammerhand's desk and we got his messenger and the Sword of Omens!" He gave the weapon to Tygra, who marveled at this cunning and courage.
"You two are something else. Come on, we need to get out of here. We have to be ready to run." Tygra tucked Kat close to his side and Snarf climbed to his shoulder, clinging to his sleeve.
The empty hall turned slightly as it descended, Tygra listening for more explosions and smelling the cannon fire smoke. Kat ran alongside him, holding his arm, and when a brown, red, and blue blur came out of nowhere there was quite a collision, Tygra shoving the boy behind his back protectively as they smacked together. Both parties exclaimed and Snarf yowled. The person blinked and Tygra's jaw dropped as everyone got up. "Lion-O! How'd you get here?"
"It'd take a long while to explain," Lion-O murmured, looking at the three. "Cheetara's a lifesaver, let's leave it at that. What are you all doing here?"
"Getting this back! Oh, and I was kidnapped," Kat added, Tygra handing the Sword of Omens to Lion-O. He looked horrified at this. "You fell in the water, so you wouldn't have known. Where's Cheetara? Is she okay?" Kat looked behind him, as if wondering if she might be hiding. Tygra's chest was tight until Lion-O spoke again.
"She's fine. Waiting with…someone we met. Look, we have to get Kat out of here," Lion-O said, directing this at Tygra. "It's because of us these pirates came after The Sassy Hound, and Hammerhand has caused enough death. They have to be stopped."
"My sentiments exactly." Tygra hefted the bag of gunpowder and quirked an eyebrow. "What's the betting we can blow some of their weapons sky high if we only plant it in the right place?"
Lion-O turned to find another opening in the wall, and looked out of it. Tygra followed and saw the Thundertank wheeling neatly around, running down more pirates. "We need to get rid of Hammerhand. Where is he?"
"He left me and Snarf in the cabin, but I don't know where he went," Kat said, holding Snarf in his arms along with the messenger.
Tygra heard a louder explosion, one that rocked the planks beneath their feet, and he swayed as he leaned out the opening, searching for the cause. "Oh Ghen."
There was one cannon that was still firing strong, sleek and silvery, the highest tech he'd seen on this wooden wreck. Hammerhand stood behind it, aiming impassively with his good hand, and the narrow cannon seemed more like a turret the way it turned and fired quickly. Green blasts of energy exploded from the end and Tygra saw where it had hit the tank by counting the dark marks on the machine. They looked like they'd been eaten away by pure heat. "Crap, we have to stop him before he blows up the tank. Captain Masti and Panthro are in there. Why doesn't Panthro fire on the captain?"
Kat looked at the cannon, set at the highest part of the wall, over where he'd been locked up. "Maybe he's afraid he'll hit us?"
"Or the Thundertank can't aim that high. It's meant for ground assault, not aerial." Lion-O scanned the ground. "Tygra, we're not going to blow the whole place up. But if we can take out that cannon I think the tank can handle any stragglers."
"Hammerhand's up there. I'll need backup to set the powder and light it without it igniting in our faces." Tygra looked at Kat. "I want you and Snarf to sneak down the hall and to the docks that jut out near the pass. Bullie and Kit will be watching the area, and I get the feeling the sentries will be abandoning their posts. Tell the others we're trying to deal with Hammerhand and we'll need them close, and that Panthro has taken down most of the cannons. Give us fifteen minutes to take down the last one or the ships will be obliterated as they come in."
He wasn't sure Kat remembered it all but the boy repeated it and Snarf nodded. "All right. I'll lead the way, I can smell our way down." Kat took off after Snarf, who jumped out of his arms and bounded off, ears flopping.
"I'll engage Hammerhand. You get rid of that cannon. Be careful, he'll try to defend it." Lion-O and Tygra took off up the hall again, Lion-O smelling of the sea and Tygra very aware of the peppery odor of the gunpowder.
Cheetara waited a while, hoping she'd dry, but the air was cold in the night, drafts rolling from the sea. She wrapped her arms around herself, holding her legs to her stomach. It didn't help much, but the dampness of her clothes warmed a little over time.
Something soft and gauzy fell over her shoulders and she looked to see Araknay putting some kind of hastily woven blanket over her. It wasn't sticky like her trap threads, and from her sight into Araknay's past, Cheetara knew she wouldn't eat a person. No matter how strange the web felt. The spider clicked her mouth pieces and settled in again. "Thank you." Cheetara watched the flash of powder and tried to keep still. "I feel useless but I know they'll be okay. I mean, they're a bunch of crazies, but they're a really great team. We are, I should say."
Araknay chirruped in reply, blinking her many eyes. Cheetara felt exhausted after her trek through the tunnels and the visions, so she huddled under the blanket quietly. "How did I see those visions?" she asked suddenly. "How did you send them to me if it wasn't magic?"
The spider tilted her head and clicked again. Cheetara sighed and took her arm, stump thing and ignored the bristle of the long hairs. Images flooded in again, of tall, white temples and a holy sort of clarity in the air. Images of women garbed in the garments of prophetesses and servants of the Creator occurred as well, along with a questioning sense. "I'm a merchant. My parents run a little tavern and restaurant, and they rent a few rooms. I've lived there for all my life. I try to be faithful, but I've never held a position in the temple."
A wispy question of lineage seemed to crawl in next and it took Cheetara a minute to understand it. Any ancestors that might have been prophetesses? "Well…I don't really know. I was adopted as an infant. Maybe my biological parents were like this." She shrugged. "I just want to be sure it's not bad."
Reassurance. Brightness and light washed through her and she smiled. "Thank you Araknay. I really hope the Sword of Omens can fix this."
The spider sighed and settled in next to her, folding her legs and gazing out over the sea. Cheetara leaned on her and let her lean back, wondering at this creature and how she'd survived alone so long.
Hammerhand became aware of Lion-O when a stray breeze carried his scent – something youthful and salty, lion fur coated in the sea. He paused in his constant firing and gauged that the Thundertank was incapacitated for the moment; he'd invested heavily in this item – which naturally meant he'd had to shed a lot of blood to steal it, not to mention a lot of valuable time – and it was doing beautifully. If any more ships came in he could blow them away, and it was quite satisfying when it happened. He'd done it three times before.
But now the young lion was back, feet scratched and slightly waterlogged. "You were drowning, last I saw. Did your golden girl save you?" Hammerhand asked idly.
"Yes. And we made it through the cliffs." He did not come any closer, gazing at the captain. "How many people have you killed in the name of becoming a great pirate, only to have your empire crumble right now?"
"Is it crumbling? Last I checked part of my keep was destroyed. That's hardly the destruction of an empire."
Lion-O didn't alter his expression. "What about the men down there that have died for you?"
Hammerhand shrugged. "Pathetic creatures looking for a bit of gold. Some criminals, some fathers unable to feed their children. There will always be more to find. They're just as replaceable as the wood."
The boy had two swords now, and Hammerhand sighed. "I don't think having an extra blade will help you. Just let me kill you and save yourself the effort. You'll never get out of here."
"Never say never," Lion-O said mildly. Then he swooped in and Hammerhand had his cutlass out.
It became evident very quickly that this boy was, in fact, a swordsman. With two swords he moved differently, and Hammerhand had to shift to fend off the blows. Lion-O flowed like water, turning and ducking, swift and deadly.
Hammerhand narrowed his eyes. "You were trained with two swords." Lion-O nodded once, slinging back with a flick of his wrist and breaking their stances. "Why use the other one then?"
"I was instructed to." Lion-O blocked the hammer and sliced into the captain's side, blood stemming from the wound. Hammerhand's eyes widened and he slammed the hammer against the blade, jarring Lion-O's hand. Instead of loosening his grip he twirled the weapon, shaking out the vibration, and swept in again, side to side to side like a viper.
Hammerhand and Lion-O continued this deadly dance for several minutes, neither speaking as the match was waged. Both came close to cutting the other's throat several times, but each time only a dusting of hair was cut loose. Hammerhand's cool expression grew darker and uglier with every missed blow. Lion-O's face remained cool the entire time.
It was when his cutlass and hammer began to grow heavy that Hammerhand realized this bizarre lion – this dual swordsman that wielded one blade and then two – might get the best of him. He was weary though, and had nearly drowned hours ago; how was he suddenly better? "How are you doing this?" he spat.
"I've been practicing with two swords since I was six. One blade only a year." The lion's voice was mild and Hammerhand was disgusted to see him lighten his attack, giving him a moment or two to breathe. "It's almost a comfort now that I get to use these again. If you surrender we'll arrest you. This doesn't have to end in death." He changed topics very quickly, but Hammerhand kept swinging his mallet, still a deadly force.
"Why are you wasting my time here?" he asked.
Lion-O shrugged. "To keep you away from the cannon."
Hammerhand stopped, save for his hammer, which struck Lion-O blades aside and allowed him to back away and turn to look at his weapon. The tiger was watching it from a fair distance – when had he gotten here? – and the smell of gunpowder and burlap sack burning made Hammerhand take a step back.
The cannon erupted, a sack of powder blowing it to pieces. Ears ringing, the captain ran to it and looked down to see the Thundertank opening and the panther and a dog – Captain Masti, if he recalled – climbing out and fighting his lowly sailors. There weren't many left. Most of them were surrendering, explaining why they'd exited their killing machine.
"Like I said Hammerhand. Surrender. This doesn't have to end in death." Lion-O approached by a few paces and Hammerhand scanned the ground with roving eyes. He glanced over his shoulder, white locks ruffled by the sea's breezes. The blades shone brightly in the moonlight and Lion-O's face was firm.
Hammerhand suddenly sagged, putting his cutlass away. "Give me a moment, boy. That was a shock." He held his chest with his good hand and he marveled at the boy's stupidity; he actually lowered his blades a fraction of an inch. Such a kind nature.
And then Hammerhand was sprinting across the wall, swinging over the edge and into an inner window so he could run down the long halls of his keep to reach the base floor. "Hey!" The young lion started after him and he could hear the tiger as well, but Hammerhand did not stop. It was down toward the dog and panther he went, whistling for whatever remained of a crew as he came out under the moon, slowing to a rolling prowl.
Masti didn't slobber as much when he was fighting. One of the few men that had bothered even trying to resist Hammerhand's reach, he was a paragon to his men. Oh, he'd never been foolish enough to outright defy The Mad Mallet, but there were words and phrases that seemed to keep his dignity that sullied Hammerhand's own. It was for this reason Hammerhand decided to do what he did next, as he gathered his few remaining men – as two or three struggled against the panther – and made for the ship.
Nothing distracted like a fallen comrade. He stole up behind Captain Masti and ran his cutlass through the hound's back, piercing one lung.
The dog yipped, cut short. The panther turned and his jaw fell only slightly; he'd seen much death. Hammerhand threw the now-bleeding hound his way and kept running, six of his sailors pelting after him toward the ship.
His idea worked half as well as he'd have liked. The lion faltered by the sound of his footsteps but the tiger was still coming, heavier and more determined. Hammerhand flicked his cutlass and began to turn, ready to run the tiger through as well.
Something hairy fumbled under his feet and he fell, cursing and stunned, hammer cracking the planks through to the metal understructure. The tiger stopped over him and stepped hard on his cutlass arm. The tiger managed to hit flesh and bone and Hammerhand snarled when the bone snapped and his hand opened instinctually. The sailors either continued running or stopped, paralyzed by the sight of the Terror of the Sea brought down.
Hammerhand looked to see what he'd tripped over…and saw the boy and the little beast Snarf standing and looking at him. The boy was looking toward Masti with horrified tears and the beast gazed at Hammerhand himself coldly. "You are a demon and a brute."
He stared at the little creature as it turned away and headed toward Masti, marveling in spite of himself at the fact that it could talk.
Lion-O had never seen someone die.
Bleeding, injuries? Sure, he'd seen those. And he'd heard that the person had died later. But he'd never actually been right there, in the blood and heat and hair, and heard something trying to breathe when it wasn't possible because a lung had burst. He'd read books – fiction novels and nonfiction records – about men bleeding out and dying, but none of them really came close. Many of them were cleaned up and dramatized, giving poetic last words.
Masti's mouth ran wet with blood and saliva. Panthro was trying to staunch the wound but with the practiced motions of someone who was sewing up a cloth that was tearing. Lion-O fell to his knees and said, "Captain…Masti, hang on." The dog's eyes were wide and yet strangely unafraid in the way dog eyes often were. He simply lay across Panthro's knee and Lion-O looked around uselessly. "We have to do something!"
"Lion-O." Panthro's voice was low. "Take Kat. He doesn't need to see this."
"But…but Masti…?"
Panthro shook his head. Lion-O's stomach seemed to fall out of his body and he felt his hands tremble. "Go get Kat. Distract him, I don't know."
Lion-O nodded dumbly and managed to get to Kat, who was staring at the blood. "Kat, don't look. Come on, let's…go to the dock and wait for the others."
He tugged at the tiny, shaking shoulder but the boy wouldn't turn. "Captain Masti…we gotta help him…"
"Panthro's doing what he can. Go with Lion-O, be lookout." Snarf's voice was calm and cool. "Go on now. Panthro gave you a job."
Kat turned and Lion-O forced his throat not to bob because if Kat was going to melt down he couldn't do the same. He was grown, he was a fighter, he was…
He'd never killed anyone in battle. He'd been aiming to disarm the whole time, but if Hammerhand had died…well, he was a bad man and had threatened children. Killing him would have been no great crime, although Lion-O would have preferred him to face a proper trial and be formally executed. Some semblance of justice. But he'd hesitated for just a second because, even in that demon's face, there had been something like pain and fear. Things he empathized with. He thought he'd seen a person.
It had only taken one second of indecision and Captain Masti was paying for it. Lion-O nearly tripped and had to sit down when they reached the docks. The Mad Mallet floated silently nearby, like a crocodile, and Lion-O realized at last how tired his legs and arms were. They were trembling, and so was Kat. "It's going to be okay," he said dully.
"Captain Masti came to help me and Snarf. He's a good guy. And now he's dying." Kat stared at the water with vague eyes. Curse smart children.
"Maybe Panthro can…"
Lion-O stopped. He was a poor liar, and his voice broke. "It's my fault," Kat said suddenly.
"No. No, none of this is your fault." It was Hammerhand's for kidnapping Kat, it was the sailors' for not standing up for themselves, it was Masti's for not watching his back, it was the crew's for not being here.
No.
"This is my fault. I…I let my guard down for one second and Hammerhand escaped. He was going for his ship, and he stabbed Masti to distract us. Kat, this is completely my fault. Mine. Not yours."
Kat looked at him and Lion-O tucked one arm around the boy, feeling his trembling go into Kat and then right back into himself. "He just wanted to distract us? That's why he killed Masti?" Kat seemed a little bewildered.
"I guess."
Kat shook his head. "That's crazy. Who does that?"
Lion-O lowered his chin to his knees and hated himself for being like a little boy. But Kat merely mimicked him and they waited as the tentative ship slipped through the pass, drawn by the silence. They were bundled together and Lion-O wished that he had been prepared for this. He'd fought with swords guarded on the edges in all his matches, every victory meant only bruises and knocked heads. Never a bleeding man or woman. He hadn't known how to kill. And an innocent, good man had paid for his ineptitude.
Kat stirred. "My tummy feels bad."
Lion-O held him tighter. "Mine too."
Cheetara knew that she had been wrong to stay when she reached the keep – or the splintered remains of it – and saw a covered body lying reverently before Panthro's knees. She cupped a hand over her mouth and looked around. Tygra was over there, talking to Kit and detaching Hammerhand's hammer arm, Snarf was talking to a deadly-weary, deadly-sorrowful Bullie, and Kat was sitting near his sister, cuddled in a blanket and letting her fuss over him. And Lion-O?
Staring at nothing, sitting on the dock. His swords sat beside him and Cheetara approached, holding Araknay's arm like a woman would hold a toddler's hand. The creature whimpered, petrified by all the people, but Cheetara sent her an image of soft, of kind, of safety. This soothed her enough that she click-clicked over the metal and broken wood.
"Lion-O? What happened?" She touched his shoulder and he turned his head to look at her. He seemed smaller than usual. "Creator forgive me, I knew I should have gone with you!"
"No. Don't blame yourself. It was all my fault. You could have stopped it if I let you come, but I made the wrong call. I thought I could handle Hammerhand. This isn't anybody's fault but mine." Araknay cocked her head. "Captain Masti is dead. Hammerhand stabbed him from behind."
Cheetara's heart sagged. She hadn't known Masti very well but he'd been a good man, kind and honorable. No one could have such respect from his men if he weren't. And he'd shown great kindness and generosity by taking them on board his ship with so few questions. She glanced at his body, still covered by a sheet, and understood Bullie's devastation. It wasn't so much like losing a good friend for her; it more like a star had gone out, darkening an already dark sky.
"I'm sorry." She heard a strange noise from where Tygra had been standing and looked up to see him staring at Araknay. His face had turned the color of oatmeal and she heard several shouts and gasps, and nearly slapped herself for not saying something.
"Cheetara. Don't move. There's…a huge, spider, mutant thing-spider behind you." Tygra's voice was three octaves too high and Snarf yowled, turning tail and huddling behind Panthro, who had a perturbed expression on his face.
"No, it's okay! Araknay is all right. She helped us get out of the cliffs!" The spider creature ducked her face behind her stump-legs and Cheetara patted her shoulder. Tygra looked openly woozy and the sailors began to murmur. Hammerhand eyed the creature.
"A demon did live in the cliffs then?"
Lion-O's head lifted. "No. The demon lived outside," he said coldly. Araknay chittered and both kittens came close, Kit shyly and Kat with reserved, tired curiosity.
"Kittens, this is Araknay. She was cursed a long time ago and has been hiding in the cliffs. She wasn't the one hurting people though. She's been trying to help people that get lost in the tunnels." Cheetara felt it was essential that everyone understand this.
"Lion-O said something about her sending the dead people back to the coast. That's nice of her," Kat said faintly. Araknay tilted her head embarrassedly and dared to pat one of his ears. "Cheetara, Captain Masti…he came to help."
"I know. I'm sorry I wasn't here." She crouched and hugged both kittens, though it was Kat who seemed hardest hit. "Did we get the Sword of Omens back?"
Lion-O lifted the gauntlet and let the moonlight bounce off the hilt as a reply. Cheetara sighed. "Good."
Kat put his arms out from under the blanket and showed her a messenger. Cheetara frowned and took it. "It was in Hammerhand's desk. Snarf stole the key by acting like a pet and we got this along with the sword. It has a recording of the lady that paid Hammerhand to come after us."
She looked at the object with new interest. There had been audio recordings in Red-Eye's office and a few videos, but none had been well lit – he hadn't needed a bright image she'd supposed – but when she opened the most recent recording it was easy to see the woman and hear her speak. She had a wrinkled, squat face and long, white hair, skin purple and fierce as a thunderstorm or a distant mountain. Her mouth was violet and very expressive, and her eyes were translucent and sharp as splintered amber. She seemed familiar in a way. Her use of witchery to form ice on her hands made Cheetara scowl.
"So this is the lady in charge of Red-Eye, Tug-Mug and Gyp? I'll bet she's commanding Slithe and the other Mutation users too." She gave the messenger board back to Kat. "You were very brave to take this and to keep your head around Hammerhand. I'm very proud of you. And you," she added to Kit, who looked a little abandoned. "I saw you helping Tygra a second ago. I'll bet you helped Bullie on the ship, didn't you?"
"Yeah. But now Bullie's real sad. Why did that bad Hammerhand have to do that?" Kit's ears slunk low. "If we hadn't been on the ship, Captain Masti wouldn't have died…"
Araknay sighed and patted her shoulder. Kit didn't seem alarmed by the bristles and stump. Bullie had heard this, ears perking. "Don't be that way, lass. He went down helping stop a vile pirate. My captain would not have gone any other way. The Terror of the Sea has been brought low and will face justice; Captain Masti sits by the Creator with joy as we speak." He wiped his eyes and his nose seemed to glisten. "One fewer scoundrel running free…that would please him greatly."
Panthro stood up and four dogs came to the body. "I said a couple of military men prayers and rites over him. A captain deserves no less. The world lost a good man today." With that he allowed them to bear the body toward the shaky Sassy Hound, and Panthro approached Cheetara. "You all right, girl? Those cliffs are supposed to be a death sentence."
"It would have been without Araknay." And, she reflected, the golden cat she'd seen. But right now there were other things to tend to. Tygra had at last wrestled his fear down enough to stand ten paces away from Araknay, who stood hesitantly, as if incredibly nervous. "Lion-O, the Sword of Omens? Do you think it can help her?"
Lion-O stood up, face drawn. "I don't know. I'm afraid it might hurt her. I was thinking about it, and I don't know if it'll destroy the curse without destroying her. The Berbils were totally innocent, but she was a witch. Not that I hold it against her, it's just…"
Araknay brushed Cheetara's side again. Acceptance, humble waiting. Repentance and a willingness to try even if-
Cheetara stiffened. "Lion-O, she's been trapped this way for a long, long time. She says she believes her family is all dead, and if that's so, she'd like to see them again. Freedom one way or the other is what she wants."
Araknay nodded. The kittens exchanged glances. "What are you guys talking about?" Kit asked.
"I think we should go clean up some of the driftwood," Snarf said quickly, nosing at their ankles. "Come along, this isn't for us. We might be able to find material enough to help mend The Sassy Hound. Captain Masti would like that."
"Okay." Kat went with only a glance over his shoulder at Araknay and the others, and Kit walked alongside Snarf, relatively unaffected.
"So do either of you want to tell us what the Ghen this thing is and what you're doing?" Tygra looked tired, haggard, and Cheetara gave him a long look. "What? The rest of us didn't wander into some freak caves and see whatever you did. We've been trying to get a kidnapped kid back along with the Sword of Omens!"
"…Are you okay?" she asked. His expression seemed to break and he rubbed his forehead.
"Fine. Just…we didn't know what happened to you two." He ran his fingers over his eyes and pressed his palms flat to his mouth. "Okay," he continued in a muffled voice. "So, this thing has a curse on it is what you're saying. And it hasn't actually been eating people in the cliffs."
"Right. She was a witch with her family because they were trying to drive off enemies that destroyed her village. They tried to break the contracts with the demons who then cursed her and the others and turned them into…well, what you see." Cheetara folded her arms. "The Sword of Omens cleaves evil asunder. We thought that, since it at least helped the Berbils, maybe…"
"Right, okay. Got that. But Lion-O thinks that because she did something evil – y'know, fraternizing with 'demons' or whatever – that the sword will kill her."
Lion-O nodded. "Maybe."
"All right, up to speed. Thank you." Tygra looked off toward the kittens. "This is totally your department Cheetara. I'm going to look after the kids. If she dies, they don't need to know. Not to sound callous, but I'm exhausted and the kids are starved."
"Go on. Thank you for all you did." Lion-O looked at Tygra and Panthro. "I'm glad you two were here."
Panthro grunted. Tygra waved a hand and left, fur messy. Cheetara gazed after him for a second. "He really was worried about us." Almost amused – almost – she turned to Lion-O. "If Araknay is willing to try, you know we have to."
"Maybe she should wait until we find the King's Door and fix the Sword fully," Lion-O began, but the blade in his hand pulsed with light. And then, in a little tug, it jolted forward, right into Araknay's chest.
Everyone froze and Lion-O's eyes grew round, horrified at the motion that had dragged his hand. As they watched the blade sink deeper Araknay shivered and made a strange, squeaking noise. Her many legs shrank, swollen spider body shriveling into soft fur, coarse bristles fading. The arm stumps sprouted fingers and the wasted torso filled again, and the spider legs vanished in time for two of them to turn to soft calves and thighs. The extra eyes winked out and sealed shut, all going as quick as a droplet into dry ground.
For a second she was just a brown cat, about sixteen, with a light belly, chest and face. She was quite naked, and her hair was short and black, soft as gossamer. A young slip of a thing, Araknay looked up from the blade in her breast with large, liquid eyes. She smiled faintly.
Then the Sword of Omens jolted back from her chest and she crumpled like a rag onto the ground. Cheetara caught her and Lion-O dropped the sword, falling to his knees to check her pulse, pressing them to her throat. A thin rivulet of blood spilled from between her small breasts.
His hand fell away from her neck and he stared at her still face. "She's dead. It…it killed her."
Panthro seemed least affected by all this, but more than a little confused. Cheetara gazed down at the youthful girl and noticed that her tail was as limp and limber as her neck. Lion-O looked to the Sword of Omens and his face twisted in agonized anger. "Why did you do that? Why!?"
Using the gauntlet he swiped at it, sending it skittering a few feet. It shrank as it went and came to a stop under the cold moon. "She just wanted to be cured! She was sorry for what she'd done! You should have let her live! You…"
Cheetara took Lion-O's chin and he swallowed his rage. His eyes were bright, a little damp. Cheetara guided him to look at Araknay with a feather-soft touch. "She's smiling. Look."
Indeed she was. Dead people never looked so peaceful and Cheetara had to work around a lump in her throat to say, "Lion-O, she wanted to see her family again. Maybe…maybe the Sword of Omens thought it would be the greatest good to free her completely. From her curse and her loneliness. Maybe."
"But…"
Lion-O wiped his eyes and held his head. "Captain Masti died and now Araknay. We've kept everyone alive and safe so far. Why did…why did this have to happen? Why couldn't the Sword of Omens just…?"
"Let her live? I don't know. But Lion-O, I saw what she wanted. She wanted to see her sisters again. She wouldn't kill herself. The Sword decided it had to do this."
Lion-O looked up at Panthro and then at Cheetara, still confused. "I didn't want to kill her."
"You didn't. The Sword of Omens did. It decided her fate, not you," Cheetara said firmly. Panthro knelt beside her. "Panthro, will you take her? Wrap her up like Captain Masti?"
"Yeah. You and Lion-O need to be patched up." He seemed ready to say something else but paused.
"Go on. I'll…take care of things." She nodded in Lion-O's direction. He had taken the Sword of Omens in his hands and was staring it in open palms. Panthro took the girl, unaffected by her nakedness; she was such a tiny little thing compared to him. Cheetara took Lion-O's shoulders. "Lion-O, we should wash off our cuts and get something to eat. You're tired, and so am I. And we can say a prayer for Araknay and Masti."
He stood up and Cheetara sighed. "I know you wanted to help. And you did. But there are things bigger than us out there, and sometimes…what we want isn't really what's supposed to be. I believe they're both at home with the Creator. All we can do is keep going and protect as many others as we can."
Lion-O lifted his head and looked at her for a minute, and she saw tenseness in the muscles around his eyes. He looked so tired. "I still have questions. Where were Araknay's sisters? Why did Captain Masti help us? Why is Hammerhand so awful? Why did…everything go wrong?" He shrugged, voice dropping. "No one I've known has ever died."
All of sudden his pain made more sense. He'd never had to look death in the face before. Cheetara wrapped him in her arms and just held him. "It'll be okay. Promise. It's hard right now, but it'll be okay."
Lion-O hesitated. Then he leaned into her, hugging her back and warming her shoulder with his breath.
It was a little while before they finally boarded one of the ships that had come to the keep. But once they did, they washed and ate and both were asleep once their heads hit the rough cushions. It wasn't until late into the night that the kittens, Panthro, Tygra, and Snarf came on board and the ships set off back to the coast. They were witnesses to Hammerhand's crimes and had to be part of taking him back to the coast; even Panthro didn't complain about taking another day.
The next day passed in a whirl. A mob gathered on the coast when they heard the great and terrible Hammerhand had been caught, and it was a job getting him safely to one of the few prisons on the coast. Panthro pushed a way through the throng and the pirate was locked up, mostly unscathed. He heard a familiar voice calling him a whore's son and a sympathizer to criminals, but he had his orders; Hammerhand would face justice in a court, and his name would be recorded as justly executed.
He punched a few lights out when three cats came at him to get to the prison cell, foaming for blood.
The Thundertank was bruised and battered, but after an evening of tinkering it was back in passable shape. Panthro would rather have tended to every scratch and replaced every battered part, but alas, there wasn't time. He settled for making sure the tank would run well and assuring it – when no one was around – that he would clean it up nice.
Lion-O spoke very little, even when Bullie was named captain of The Sassy Hound and offered to take them across the sea on a ship that was kindly lent to them. Bullie planned to give The Sassy Hound a new name; The Brave Mastiff. Panthro thought it very fitting and saluted out to the ocean once while standing on the deck of the ship. He'd seen many good men die. Captain Masti was just another one. He deserved respect though, and Panthro added his name to the tally in his head that he thought of on quiet, calm days.
It felt strange to reach the other side of the sea and glimpse the ocean only leagues away. "It should take a day to reach the ferry's destination in your tank, but I would make sure of its repairs before setting off. Tropo has grown strange, and the ferry does not come as often." Bullie bade them farewell with this advice, and Panthro watched the ship fade, all the while keeping a hand on Kat's shoulder. He seemed to be taking Masti's death especially hard, and Panthro was moved by a pity he didn't often feel.
He was strong and turned away from the Fel Sea, from its angry coast and blood-soaked waters. He would remember, but a soldier could not let the past haunt him, and they still had a long way to go.
Snarf in particular seemed to cheer everyone. He gamboled and rolled and told funny stories, prancing about so much that the kittens – and Lion-O, Panthro added mentally – had to forget everything else to keep up with his tricks and jokes. The sun and flowers seemed to bloom with extra color as the ground passed and it seemed warmer every minute.
He noticed Cheetara and Lion-O walking considerably closer than they had been, talking more often than usual. He supposed he understood; it wasn't every day two people survived an impossible, deadly cliff together and one saved the other from drowning. And they seemed to understand how the other felt better than any others there.
Still, he exchanged glances with Tygra, whose brows rose in reply. Panthro sighed. Frigging kids.
Kat sat in the passenger seat of the Thundertank while the others walked, appreciating the weather. The boy watched the land turn more and more tropical by the foot, marveling. "Why is it so beachy here?"
"Low land compared to the mountains up north. We're close to the equator line of the planet here and now that we're beyond the cliffs it's a warm path until we reach the mountains again and start heading up. There's only one path through the mountains and it'll be chilly because of the altitude. They say you can stand on top of the closest mountain, stand in wicked cold, and look down at hot, balmy tropics." Panthro watched Kat's ears prick to the sound of birds and the rustle of leaves and flowers.
"Cool." He sounded only vaguely interested. Panthro continued driving for a while, saying nothing else. "Panthro?"
"Hm?"
"Is it my fault Captain Masti died?"
Panthro did not brake but his foot hovered as the wheels crunched over the sand. "Is that what you think?"
Kat didn't look at him, feet dangling against the seat. "Kind of. Lion-O said it wasn't, but I'm not sure he's right."
Panthro mulled his words over carefully. "The fight against Hammerhand would have happened eventually whether you'd been taken or not. Don't blame yourself for something you couldn't do anything about. Masti went fighting for his crew and innocent people."
Kat nodded, looking up at last. His eyes were cloudy and Panthro recognized the look of a kid that had seen real death for the first time. No, not death – murder. In spite of himself he gruffly rubbed one large hand over Kat's hair. The kid was so small he could have crushed his head with a squeeze. "Hammerhand was a bad man. It was his fault Masti died. Don't ever start thinking it was your fault. Okay? You're a good kid, and if Masti had known Hammerhand was going to kill him today, he would have done the same thing he did. Well…okay, maybe he would have tried to turn in time to punch his teeth in, but you get what I mean."
Kat sniffed but smiled a little and Panthro felt awkward. He'd had to talk down many soldiers, but to do it for a child felt strange. He had to cut out all the sharpest parts, soften the corners a little, but it was the same principal. Truthfully? It wasn't Kat's fault. He couldn't have done anything. But Masti had died because they went to get the kid.
But the injustice of laying that kind of pain on a child was just too much. And so Panthro left it there, aware that Kat was looking around a little more and with more interest.
"Oh wow! Look at it!" Cheetara was pointing to something and Panthro saw Kit's jaws drop when she ran up ahead to where they were standing. It took a minute for the tank to reach the place where they could see as well, but when they looked out over the view even Panthro whistled.
The ocean lay before them, bluer and deeper than the Fel Sea, and to the right he could vaguely see a city. It looked muggy and golden from here, but he knew Tropo when he saw it. And only an hour away or so was a cove, dipping down to the coast and curling slightly. "The Ferry's Cove. They pass it on the way to their dock. It'd be a good place to set up camp to keep an eye out for it. Unless you lot want to squat right by the dock along with every other person that wants across."
"No! I wanna go to the beach! It's so pretty! Please, please?" Kit ran to Cheetara and Lion-O to make her case and Tygra looked at Panthro.
"Sounds like the cove is where we're going. Fishing's good around here; I'll bet we could have something fresh for dinner."
Lion-O seemed to sigh. "Why is there so much water in the world?"
Cheetara took his shoulder. "Come on, now I get to live up to my promise. You're going to learn to swim while we wait."
If a cat ever looked more like he was going to the hangman's noose, Panthro would have offered him a shot glass. As it was he thumped Lion-O on the back.
Lion-O was utterly torn on the matter of learning to swim. On the one hand he really hated water. Really. It petrified him, made his stomach contort unnaturally. And learning to swim in a place as gigantic and uncaring as the ocean when he hadn't been able to figure out in the sea – an oceanette, if he could classify it – was just a horrifying concept. Cheetara assured him they were going to stay in the shallows and she would be right by.
The cove was, however, undeniably beautiful. A set of rocks about twenty feet high provided shade from the sun, and in their shadow they started a fire to heat up any fish they caught. Water poured in a small fall from the rocks, possibly from a river that wove underground, and prisms reflected off the stone because of it. Panthro waded into the ocean and started fishing with Tygra, who was quite at home in the water and stripped off his shirt and breeches with impunity. The kittens stayed on the coast and played in the small waves, letting them knock them over and splash them. When they tired of this they looked for shiny shells. The water was clear as liquid glass when they waded in and the tropical flowers smelled so sweet that Snarf could not help but go exploring so he could try to identify them.
The nervousness actually drove Masti and Araknay from his mind, so perhaps it had usefulness.
"Come on Lion-O, the first step is the hardest." He slowly shucked off his cloak and then his armor and shirt, dragging the cloth over his fur. Cheetara ducked around the other side of the Thundertank to change into something that could get wet and he decided to keep his breeches on. The sun was hot and he'd dry quick enough anyway. He did strip off the gauntlet though and stowed it in the locked Thundertank.
The Sword was harder. He had his dual blades in the trunk again but he'd just recovered the Sword of Omens. He was still hiding his disgust with its…action, but he couldn't let anything happen to it. Finally he took a few straps of leather they had used to pitch tents at night and wove them over his shoulder and tied the Sword of Omens to them. It remained in its shortened form and weighed very little, much less than the gauntlet would have.
"Good thinking. Let's not lose it again, huh?" He looked at Cheetara to reply and noticed that she had apparently brought swimwear along with her clothes. An orange bathing suit with a red cloth skirt around the waist, it was modest and fetching. She tied her hair up higher and tossed it over her shoulder to keep it out of the way. She had a pretty way about her on the hot sand, spots bright brown under the sun.
He glanced at the water, then at Cheetara, and decided that perhaps learning to swim might not be so bad.
"Come on in then." Her tail flicked in his direction and she waded into the froth and foam. "Ah, cold, cold!"
Lion-O prodded the wet sand with a toe and forced his breathing to remain calm. The water was indeed cold and felt almost rough with salt and sand stirring under him. He managed to make it up to his waist before stopping, spine rigid. "Okay, I'm in."
Cheetara coaxed him out a little further. "Come on over here, the waves are blocked a little. We're going to work on getting you treading water first."
When Tygra and Panthro returned to the coast with several fat, stunned fish, Tygra openly grinned at the sight of Lion-O floundering in five feet of water. Cheetara took his arm to make him stop and said, "I told you, water isn't air. You need to move smoothly or you'll wear yourself out. Nice, slow, smooth motions." She treaded water beside him easily, and Lion-O drew a breath before mimicking her. It went slightly better and she grinned. "Good! See, it isn't so bad."
Lion-O could not quite agree with her, but as the minutes ticked by and he didn't go under, he felt the knot of fear in his chest loosening ever so slightly. Cheetara moved neatly through the water with a qualm, enjoying herself as a child in a wading pool. Lion-O watched the glint of her golden fur as the sun bounced off it through the water and admired the way her thick mane twisted like a cloud about her head.
She surfaced and returned to him. "Okay. When you're getting tired and need to rest, it's good to be able to float on your back." Cheetara did so easily, drifting along with her tail guiding her humorously like a rudder. Lion-O tried to do the same and flipped in the water, rolling over and sputtering when he broke the surface again. Tygra laughed and Cheetara tossed a piece of wet seaweed at him crossly. "Here, let me help."
Lion-O jumped when her hand touched his back but shook himself and tried to pay attention as she showed him how to float and then how to backstroke a little. It was only a little while before they were called back to shore and it was with relief that he got out of the water, suddenly exhausted. Cheetara seemed optimistic though as she headed to the Thundertank to climb in and change.
"Don't drip on the seats," Panthro called without looking.
"I won't." She climbed back out looking rumpled and clothed, but Lion-O just stayed in his breeches. The sun would dry them. The kittens were reluctant to give up their search for shells and treasures, and it was good to see the spark in Kat's eyes as the children approached and Snarf bounded up along behind them with several plants in his mouth.
"Look, this shell is all rough on the outside but it's super shiny inside! And I found a pearl in a clam!" Kit held it up and the slight yellow tinge marked it as real. "Papa always said fake pearls are smooth, but real ones are gritty against your tooth."
Kat had a conch and was putting his ear to it. "I hear the ocean , but I think that's just the real thing."
Tygra took the pink, spiky shell and said, "You know what you're really hearing when you hear 'the ocean' in these? It's the blood moving through your ears. The sound echoes in the shell."
Kat and Kit both seemed awed. "Really? Awesome!" Snarf dropped his load of plants and flowers by the fire as Panthro worked to remove the fish from the heat. The meal smelled good, roasted fish and salt he'd added from their supply.
"I've been examining some of these plants and I believe they have medicinal properties. This one could be used for burn medication, although I'd prefer to test it. Very similar to some of the kinds in the forest. Tygra, you still have the microscope, correct? You could compare their cells." Snarf sifted through the leaves, sniffing them. "This one might be good for sick stomach and high amounts of stomach acid."
Lion-O listened to the talk and ate in silence. Kat was sufficiently distracted, but Lion-O was left to brood as he remembered the smell of Masti's blood and Araknay's dead body. It had only been a day and a half and the Sword of Omens felt heavier against his shoulder blades than it ought to.
Was Cheetara right? Did the thing end Araknay's life out of kindness or was it just a force of blind justice? He wanted to recoil from it, from his own mind. But he couldn't. This was the point of it all, wasn't it?
To see and travel as a person of no name and authority, following where he was led.
Cheetara was looking at him. He stirred and attempted to take part in the talk as Panthro scanned the horizon. "We'll probably be here a couple of days. Our supply of water is good and we can head up the falls to get fresh water. The ferry should arrive any day now, so one of us will have to keep watch at all times."
"What else is new? I'll take first watch," Tygra said. With that he leaned back against a rock and stretched, fingers and toes curling. "This kind of watch duty I can get used to."
"All right. I'll figure out some nets so catching fish will be easier. Kat, Kit, I want you to take inventory of our supplies," Panthro said. Both hurried to the Thundertank, delighted to have jobs. "Snarf, why don't you keep looking around for plants that might be useful? Tygra can look at them later and we'll see if we can't find something we're familiar with."
Snarf saluted. "Of course."
"I could collect firewood," Cheetara offered.
"We've got plenty of leaves and dead wood from palm trees. I think we'll be fine. You can teach Lion-O more swimming after you wait a while," Panthro said. "Lion-O, you just rest a little. You've been looking peaky."
Lion-O felt his smile fade instantly. "I'm fine."
"Let's keep it that way; take a nap or something. You need to recharge. There's some shade by the falls, use that." The larger cat pointed and marched off toward some other trees, taking down vines and starting to weave them as he went.
Lion-O glowered and Cheetara cocked her head. "I'm fine. Really."
"We know." Her voice was gentle. "Still, we should take the chance to rest a little while we have it. You've been fretting about a lot. And you're taking what happened really hard. It wasn't your fault you know."
"Yes it was. But sure, sleep will solve the problems." He didn't intend to be so biting and paused as he got up. "I'm sorry. I just keep thinking that, if I'd done something different…maybe if I'd had you come with us…or if I hadn't let the Sword of Omens near Araknay…"
Cheetara walked with him toward the falls. It was just a tiny thing, cheerful and splattering the ocean with rich foam, and the rocks below it were cooler with shade. It was a few inches above the ocean itself but Lion-O found the distance tolerable. It was only a few feet deep here. Cheetara sat beside him, splashing her feet in the water. "Once when I was little," she said suddenly, "I was playing with another little girl in Dera's Run. We were at a busy road playing ball, which was stupid. We were kids and didn't worry about the carts. Well, at one point a cart's driver lost control of his steed and it plowed toward us. I grabbed her hand and tried to run out of the way, but I was too fast and she fell, slipping out of my hand. It hit her."
Lion-O twitched, looking at Cheetara as his heart clenched. "She lived," Cheetara assured, "but she was lame. Her legs were broken and they never healed right. The best she could do was hobble around with walking sticks. For months after it happened I couldn't go outside, or play ball, or anything. I felt too guilty. If she wasn't able to run and play ball, I shouldn't either."
"It wasn't your fault. It was an accident." Lion-O sensed this was where she was going and tried to gather himself to fend off her throwing this right back. But to his surprise, she shook her head.
"I knew it was dangerous. I said we could play there. At least partially, it was my fault. And I know that." The only sound was that of the falls joining the ocean, drifting into the salt. "It was about three months after the accident when I heard someone knocking on the door when the bar was closed. I opened it and there she was, sitting in a wheelchair that her father had made. She had a ball in her lap and asked if I wanted to play."
She tugged her feet from the water. "I asked her why she wanted to play with me. She said because she didn't blame me. I told her it was my fault what happened, and she didn't say it wasn't. She just said, 'You tried to help.' And the way she said it suddenly made me realize that, even though I was partly responsible, this wasn't going to help anyone. Sitting around inside wasn't going to fix her legs, and at best it would just mean I wouldn't be there next time to get someone to a safe place."
Cheetara leaned back on her hands. "So I played. We went to a safe area and I tossed the ball in her direction. She caught pretty well. Then she would throw it back. After a while I forgot she was in a wheelchair." Looking at him, she had a peaceful expression. "If you're going to take some of that blame, you have to use it to help next time, not drown in it. Personally, I don't see how you can think it was your job to know everything that was happening with Masti and Panthro when we'd just gotten out."
"I was too weak to kill Hammerhand. He looked so old and injured that I hesitated." Lion-O looked out to the water, because looking at it was easier than seeing sympathy in her eyes.
"All right, well, be ready for next time. Sometimes doing the right thing is hard. Sometimes it doesn't feel right, like going back out to play." She laughed, a bitter note in her voice. "Of course, killing someone is a lot harder. Sorry, they don't really bear comparing."
"Yeah they do." Lion-O shuffled his feet a little closer to himself.
"You have a compassionate nature Lion-O. That's a great gift, but it's a heavy one. It's also one of the reasons we all follow you." Cheetara waved an arm in the direction of the others. "You attract the oddest people and they flock to you for help because you're the place they can find it. But you know your enemies will try to use it against you. So…just be ready. Okay?"
He dared to look at her and nodded. She smiled faintly. "And the Araknay thing was the Sword of Omens. I mean it practically jumped out of your hand. So for that you really can't take the blame."
He found himself smiling back in a weak way. "I guess so." Cheetara prodded him.
"Come on, don't look dour." She tickled his bare side and he curled inward to defend himself. "Better."
The smile faded but he sighed. "I'll always think about what happened."
"That's good. That means you won't forget. Just for what it's worth, I think Captain Masti would feel the same way. He didn't strike me as a person to hold grudges. Next time we meet some scumbag that tries to act innocent, we'll be more prepared. Sometimes that's all you have." She stood up, lean and golden in the sunlight. "So rest a little. I'll be back to teach you more swimming in…how about fifty minutes?"
Lion-O sighed again. "Okay. Sounds…good?"
"I almost believed you that time." Cheetara made her way toward the kittens and Lion-O watched her tail. It helped her keep her balance perfectly across the rocks. Then he realized it would look like he was watching something else and looked the other way.
The sound of the falls made him drowsy, and the heat was like a blanket, so after a minute he did lay down, pillowing his head with his arm. It felt strange for there not to be enough jobs for everyone to have something to do, but he supposed that Panthro pitied the cat that had to learn to swim. Lion-O tried to think of it as a friendly gesture instead of a disgusted dismissal. It was hard to tell with Panthro.
Lion-O shut his eyes. He didn't travel with authority but who he was demanded that he accept all responsibility regardless. It was part of being what he was, his lineage. Oh, if only he could tell them…but he couldn't. Jaga and Father had ordered him not to, even to the point of death…
The ocean was a kind lullaby and Lion-O found his drowsiness fading into sleep. Swimming was tiring he realized. Maybe not so much when he learned how properly and worked with the water. Cheetara was so light the water probably did most of the work and was happy to have her navigating the currents with that golden flick of speed, the turn of her wrists as she cut through…
He didn't know when he fell asleep or how long he'd been out. He just felt something wet on his ankle and blinked awake, nerves aware for all of three seconds. Water on the rock? Perhaps a splatter from the falls? He started to shake off his sleepiness.
And then a rough hand grabbed his ankle and dragged him into the water almost before he could snatch a breath.
Cheetara heard the splash and saw the rock suddenly empty and went into rescue-attack mode faster than Tygra could leave a room with a spider in it.
She grabbed her staff and sprinted back to the water, slick as a missile and hearing Tygra and Panthro start after her, ordering the children to stay on land.
The ocean's salt stung the eyes more than the sea's but she spotted a blur of bronze fur and something gray up ahead and jetted toward it. A sea creature could outswim a cat any day, but Lion-O was struggling and this slowed it down.
Whatever it was it seemed ugly to her. No legs, just a long, sharp, fishy tail. Its arms weren't shaped as arms, more like jointed fins. The fingers could fold together in a point, each one an awkward, flat digit. And its head seemed to have very little neck, nose too long and eyes black and set further back. The mouth was a little bigger than hers and it bared its teeth, all three rows of them.
Some kind of shark. A sentient being. If it saw her it gave no sign. It suddenly released Lion-O's ankle, grinning, and the lion made for the surface. Cheetara nearly stopped, shocked when she saw him break it and gasp for breath. She breached the surface and called, "Lion-O!"
He turned to look at her, just managing to stay afloat, and then he was pulled under again. Cheetara ducked down and saw that the shark had pulled him under again, still grinning.
It was toying with him. Cheetara extended her staff and dove down.
The shark saw her at the last and seemed shocked, gills opening and flapping. Cheetara prodded it hard in the stomach rather than swinging the staff, giving it better speed. The shark wiggled like a stuck fish, belly bruising. At this moment Lion-O – who looked angry now, which was better than fear – clawed at its arm with his nails and drew four lines of blood.
The beast let go immediately and started swimming away. Cheetara didn't bother watching it go, helping Lion-O back up to the surface instead. They gasped upon reaching air – she was really starting to get why he hated water – and saw Panthro and Tygra coming out to meet them. Lion-O was pressed close, shivering as he tried to help her tow him back.
"Save some for the rest of us, huh?" Tygra demanded. "I can swim, sure, but when you pelt out here like greased lightning…"
Panthro growled. "You okay kid?" Lion-O coughed and nodded in reply, Cheetara gripping his arm. They slogged ashore, the kittens dancing on the sand. "Don't you move! We'll be there in a sec, we're not risking you getting dragged in!"
Snarf jumped to Lion-O's shoulder when he finally slumped on the dry sand. "Can you breathe? Is your vision all right?"
Lion-O glanced back at the waves. "I'm never…sleeping…again."
"That answers the first one." Tygra scoured the horizon and said, "We should move further away."
"It didn't have legs," Cheetara noted, glaring out toward the waves. "I've never heard much of the sea and its people."
"I'm sure there are plenty of fish in the sea. A few cities have creatures that can come onto land, but they've always kept to themselves," Tygra said. "Was it a sentient?"
"I think so." Cheetara took the kittens' hands and drew them further up the beach. "Why would it attack? We need to be careful around the water from now on. Kat, Kit, no more wading." Both of them groaned. "Lion-O, no more swimming for now."
He looked happier than she'd seen him in a while.
It was three days before the ferry came, cutting through the water like a floating mansion. It was tall and wide, made of wood and painted in red and white to stand out on the ocean. Cheetara was surprised by its size. It could have held hundreds of people.
They headed down to the docks and were surprised to see no others. "No wonder it doesn't come around very often," Snarf noted. The beach was still beautiful but everyone was relieved to get out of there. They'd seen the shark again, once near the falls. It had thrown something at them, hissing before ducking back under the water.
"What is it with all these crazy beings and throwing feces at us?" Tygra had wondered upon analyzing the piece. Kat had made faces at it and begged to be allowed to go pee in the ocean.
"There's no way it'll swim directly through your pee, Kat. And if you're close enough to pee in it, you're too close." Cheetara assigned Snarf to watch the kittens and make sure they weren't anywhere near the water. Every time the shark came back and saw her it fled again.
The dock was really just a stone outcropping where the ferry let down a small bridge so passengers could board, but there seemed to be no one steering it. Lion-O looked at Panthro. "Is it supposed to be like this?"
He shrugged. "I'm not sure." He raised his voice. "Hello? Anyone on there?"
Something came up from the water and Lion-O jerked. It wasn't a shark though; whatever it was, it was female and nude. Her arms looked like flippers much like the shark's had but her flesh was soft and slick, gray along her back and arms, tinging on creamy pink on her stomach, chest, and face, softly curved and wavering like the water. She had no hair and her pert nose had no nostrils; instead there was a small hole on the top of her head and it was unnerving to hear air enter and exit it.
"A dolphin?" Tygra said, surprised.
Cheetara wasn't sure whether she ought to hide the kittens' eyes or not; she'd never seen a marine being with breasts. Then again, dolphins were mammals and their babies drank milk, so she supposed it made sense. Neither kitten seemed to pay any attention so she shrugged and walked out to the dock, listening to the woman squeak and click at something. "Hello? Do you take people to Tropo?"
"We do." Her voice was soft and it was a relief to hear her speak Thunderan. However, when she looked at them her eyes narrowed. "Wait. A group of seven, a cheetah…you attacked one of ours!"
Cheetara blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"Carcha. He told us you attacked him." Cheetara's eyes narrowed. The dolphin sounded hostile, teeth clicking.
"If you mean that shark that we drove off, then yeah. When he drags one of ours under the water, you better believeI'm going to beat the crap out of him." The woman's mouth pursed.
"Wait. He…?"
"Yeah. He grabbed my friend who was near the water and dragged him under." Cheetara glowered, spotting the shark peering out from the other side of the ferry. The dolphin's expression grew thunderous and she whisked away with a flick of her tail. A pitchy screeching started when she reached the shark and proceeded to chew him out. Cheetara looked at the others, all nonplussed.
Snarf flicked his tail with interest. "She's saying he's a liar and that he ought to be ashamed of his awful pranks. Also he's in big trouble." He scratched behind one large ear. "I get the feeling she looks after him."
When she swam back her eyes were cool, polished as black stones. "I apologize. It must have seemed very frightening to you what happened, but I assure you that you were never in danger. Carcha is a young one, and many of them play mean-spirited jokes on those in the cove. He would not have hurt you."
Cheetara bristled but kept her tone. "None of us could have known that. Especially when Lion-O is just learning to swim and he's dragged under." He seemed to be embarrassed by her words but Cheetara didn't really care at this point. Her indignation was satisfied when the woman shrieked and clicked and the shark sullenly lowered his head.
"Forgive me. He's joined the pod along with several other sharks very recently. We draw the ferry from Tropo to this coast and back for coins. They're spirited but harmless. Please place the blame on me. I didn't watch him well enough." She inclined her head. "My name is Tursi, if you must attach a name to a curse."
Cheetara sighed. She was so apologetic that her anger was leaving. "No, I guess…how old is he?"
"Thirteen." Cheetara looked at Lion-O, who knelt to be on a closer level with Tursi.
"It's all right. I just want him to know that he's very fortunate he wasn't hurt worse." The shark scowled as Tursi relayed this and he nosed his clawed fin. "Your people run this ferry?"
"Yes…when there's anyone who wants to pass. The state of the oceans has made travelers uneasy, and Tropo is a nervous place at the best of time." Tursi gestured toward it. "It has gotten worse over the past two years. Merchants used to flood to it and our ferry ran day and night and we had plenty of gold to trade for medicines and other things our sick needed. Now we run it once every five days. Even then there may be none. They hear the tales."
"What tales?" Kat stooped low and his sister crouched and leaned on his back. "Our parents came here about a year ago for a trading convention. They never came back."
Tursi fidgeted. "Many that came did not leave. At first we thought they simply settled in Tropo, as it's a massive city, spanning the entire peninsula. But beasts started appearing in the north, and some of us wonder…"
"'Beasts?' Like Mutants? Mutation users?" Tygra asked. She nodded.
"Our cousins speak of four-legged creatures roaming and devouring. Thundera and its lands in the west have few of them, for they avoid the water and do not cross the ocean. But Tropo is one of the few safe places from the beasts. Its attachment to the mainland is guarded well by a wall. Even so, there are rumors that the beasts came from Tropo and are still stemming from it."
"Why would they being turning people into Mutants and setting them loose?" Tygra asked, brows furrowed.
"That's just it. The tales say only some are set loose and the others…"
Tursi looked around as if fearing some Tropo official might be nearby. "Most of them are being sent north, chained as lower animals. Our kin have seen them marching from far distances toward the northern mountains and Lune."
Lion-O's face was unreadable. "An army. The strays distract from the main group and they follow them with trackers. Going to Lune…"
"Everything seems to trace there. Whoever's running this is gathering forces for something." Panthro crossed his arms. "Ah well. I guess we'll be in Tropo a little while. That's just as well."
Lion-O raised an eyebrow and Cheetara put her hands on her hips. "You really don't mind stopping for a while?"
"It sounds like this place is connected deeply to the Mutation center. If we can find out who the head honchos are and deal a blow here, it'll be a lot less Mutation to deal with as we head north. Besides, from what Tug-Mug and Red-Eye said, the woman in charge is concerned with what's going on at the King's Door. So…how much for passage?"
Tursi had not understood much of what they said, but her rates were fair and Cheetara gave her a small bag of coins. "It will take two hours to get to Tropo. You'll have to state your business there upon arrival." She paused before diving down and said, "One more thing. It might be best if you keep your suspicions about Mutation…quiet."
Lion-O frowned. "I thought it was illegal everywhere."
She nodded slightly. "'Illegal.' In law, yes." The look she gave made Cheetara uneasy. Lion-O seemed to understand her and bowed.
"Thank you for the warning. We'll be sure to keep our ears to the ground and our mouths shut."
Kit tugged his cloak. "We'll ask around for our parents though, right?" Her eyes were large and plaintive. Lion-O looked at the others, resting his hand on her head.
"I think we should just listen at first. It's very important that we don't make anyone suspicious at first. Think of it as being secret agents," he continued. "This isn't technically Thunderan land. They have their own governments. It's sort of like we're sneaking in to stop the bad guys."
Kit seemed uneasy but Kat looked intrigued. "Okay. Agents. Yeah. Don't worry sis, we'll listen really good and find stuff out."
"Certainly," Snarf said, hopping up to their shoulders. "I would be happy to sniff around and see what I can find. I wasn't a scout in the Snarf Tribe for nothing."
Her worry eased. "Okay. Thanks guys." She took Cheetara's hand as they boarded the ferry and the Thundertank rolled onto it with an easy shifting.
"We're going to need a story for why we're there," Lion-O said thoughtfully. The ferry bobbed forward and he saw for the first time metal cords leading into the water where the occasional flipper broke the surface. They propelled the ferry smoothly out, swimming as a pod, and keeping it from drifting off course. The distant city remained hazy for a while.
Cheetara stuck a claw absently between her teeth, thinking. "I classify as a merchant, and Tygra's dad Xiame is a noble in Dera's Run, so he oversees a lot of the trade. We could say we're there to check our suppliers and deal with them."
Tygra grinned wickedly. "Ooh, let's make this fun. Seriously, you can be the distraught merchant woman with four mouths to feed back home and you can heckle me for not being a proper noble and seeing that things are going properly, and you can insinuate I'm wasting all my time ditching my father's work and running around after pretty girls. I'll come back and say that you're just jealous because we were in a relationship and I dumped you. Two of the kids could be mine."
Cheetara held her head and glanced at Lion-O wearily. He had a hand to his mouth as if he were trying not to laugh as Tygra added lush details to the story. "Ever think of being in theater?" Panthro asked flatly. "You've got the dramatic personality."
"I've considered it. But my stage is the world." Tygra waved a flippant hand at the sea, and the cats plotted their entry to Tropo as the city drew closer and closer, steady as a heartbeat.
End of Episode 10