Chapter II

Mere hours after the destruction of the capital it was dawn. The sun was bright and shining, but there should have been rain. Those that had survived the devastating attack, soldiers, civilians, peasant and noble alike were all gathered together in a clustered encampment. No one had managed to sleep, although by dawn a number of civilian children had succumbed to the need for rest. Many of the cats showed signs of weariness though they could not find rest.

Lion-o sat in general Puma's tent. Last night he had not been among those that saw to the constructs of their current shelter. He held the gauntlet in his hand and grasped the sword of omens with the other, just feeling the weight of them. He didn't look up when Tygra entered by the opening flap of the tent. Lion-o could hear their mutters clearer now.

"So who 'is' in charge anyway?"

"Not sure," the other soldier muttered back, "but that's the king's true son in there…"

"Can he handle it?" the other asked dubious. "Can he do anything? … Will Puma be the leader for now? Will general be the new 'king'? Or Tygra…?"

"He does seem more capable…"

Lion-o shot an icy glare in the soldiers' direction. But Tygra was already closing the flap of the tent behind him. Lion-o put the sword away, the gauntlet slipping back onto his hand. Lion-o then lifted his eyes to look at his brother. Tygra didn't speak right away, just regarding him searchingly; whatever he was looking for, it didn't seem he'd found it.

"General Puma is looking over maps of the area at the moment." Tygra told him. "He expects us, you, to come and finalize any plans we'll be making regarding everyone that's left."

Tygra paused but Lion-o didn't reply. There was nothing to say to that. Tygra's golden eyes narrowed slightly, frustrated. "You're going to have to talk to them." Tygra told him.

"Who?" Lion-o finally asked, his voice oddly abrasive.

"The men," Tygra said, "Our people. Everyone. You have to let them know that you will take care of things, that we're going to fix this. You have to restore their faith in your leadership and assure everyone that there's no power-struggle going on. Make sure they know that you are capable and that everyone is behind you."

"Oh?" Lion-o asked, bitterness creeping into the faux surprise; "Will you? Will you really stand behind me and my decisions, brother?"

Tygra looked annoyed. "Of course."

It was a terse reply and Lion-o suspected more that Tygra couldn't go ahead and assume the control he seemed so adequately suited for without risking division and uncertainty in an already dire situation. Lion-o shook his head, "I don't know what I'd say."

"I've already prepared a speech for you."

Lion-o stared at the offending paper that was offered to him. He had already prepared it? So he was to be Tygra's pawn and mouthpiece? Was that right? Lion-o took the papers and read through them. A snarl edged its way to the curl of his mouth and wrinkle of his nose, though no sound passed from his throat.

"It is absolutely necessary." Tygra told him firmly, and Lion-o looked back at him angrily. He wanted to protest, but really what choice did he have in this situation? Someone would have to say something to stop those guards outside, and likely many more, from questioning what was going on and prevent massive panic.

"Fine."

OoooooooooooooooO

General Puma turned to greet them as they entered the tent functioning as their map-room, Puma nodded his head to them, he seemed impatient. He likely would have preferred to be dealing with their father.

"I suggest," Puma started immediately, in a tone not as much a suggestion as a demand, "that we send messengers immediately to every major Thundercat city and that we move our people and troops northward."

"I agree," Tygra nodded, "Notifying the other territories is important. Why north?"

"Lizards are cold-blooded," Puma explained, "If we go north to where it's too cold, the lizards can't follow. We will be able to successfully regroup, retrain, and prepare for a counter-initiative when we are able."

"Yes, that would be best," Tygra agreed considering, "When you send the messengers you should also request available troops while we go north to amass a force large enough that we can effectively deal with those machines and Mumm-Rah's forces." Tygra started, remembering something, "Speaking of Mumm-Rah, what do we know his movements since last night?"

"I have already sent the clerics, that managed to evacuate with us, to scout out our enemies movements." Puma informed, looking over at Lion-o who had yet to say anything. Lion-o glanced at Tygra, irritated, before speaking with Puma.

"You were father's most trusted friend and valuable general, I trust your judgment," Lion-o told him, candidly.

"A formal address of our actions must be made," Tygra added, "We must present a unified front and explain to everyone what is happening and what they should do; it'll help prevent panic and promote trust."

Puma agreed and the group of them went quickly to address the people and set up a timetable for their movements, packing up the camp and moving northward at a pace that would allow the civilians to travel as well. Lion-o would be expected to speak, presenting the unified front behind the king's son and heir giving the illusion of stability in the ranks.

The speech itself was cut and dry, and relatively short. Tygra had cut every point in, so Lion-o addressed his people with those words, assuaging any concerns they might have had.

"Good people and soldiers of Thundera, before my father, our king, was killed in battle he bestowed upon me the gauntlet of Leo I and the sword of omens as well as the responsibility to lead Thundera should he fall. I know that retreat is distasteful to us all, both in battle and in life. But that has allowed us all to survive and to persevere. We will endure this. Though we face an unknown and dangerous foe, even Mumm-Rah will fall to our might."

The soldiers ears were all faced toward him, all faces turned bright and anxious, listening intently.

"If we withdraw and retreat it is so we can bide our time, so that we can study our enemy and adequately prepare ourselves to take back what is ours! Do not despair. We have all lost loved ones. But this is not the end. Know that we will make this right. Know that I will never stop fighting to that purpose."

All around quiet murmurs agreement in assured voices were turning surprised but hopeful faces to him. Lion-o finished Tygra's speech. It seemed it had the intended effect, the air of anxiety and uncertainty had lifted from the camp; hope was still alive. Lion-o looked toward Tygra, but his brother wasn't looking at him. Puma started speaking next relaying their plans to move northward. That was when six feline shapes descended from the forest to the encampment.

Lion-o looked on in surprise, Cheetara was there; he hadn't seen her since yesterday before the battle. He felt relieved that she was alright. But her mouth was set in a thin line as she and the other five clerics stood to deliver the news.

"Mumm-Rah's forces are closing in," Cheetara told her father, a start and shudder going through both soldiers and civilians in hearing distance. "They must have been searching for us since we left the city. They will reach us here within the hour."

Puma's brow set in a hard line. "We must move quickly then," he almost growled in anger before issuing a command to speed up the timetable for leaving the camp. "It will be difficult with civilians and all. I don't think we'll make it in time if Mumm-Rah's forces are already moving."

"We'll need to send a force to distract them." Cheetara agreed unhappily. Some of the nearby soldier patrols shifted uneasily; even they knew with those machines it would be suicidal mission to buy time for the main force and refugees.

Puma nodded, gravely considering which battalion unit he should send. But Lion-o had enough of sitting idly by at this point.

"I'll do it." Lion-o stated loudly, forcing Puma and some of the others to turn to him. Cheetara looked somewhat horrified, and even Tygra looked outraged at the suggestion. "Father always led his forces; and I'm supposed to fight to protect the people, right?"

"Claudus was different, you're-!" Puma was starting to protest, annoyed at what was perceived brashness, but Tygra cut him off instead.

"I'll go as well." Tygra firmly stated, "A small team would be best to draw the attention of Mumm-Rah's forces and lead them away," he reasoned, "A large group of soldiers would be too unwieldy."

Puma seemed like he wanted to protest again but after a moment shook his head and agreed, "Alright. I will make sure we get the refugees to safety."

"I'll lead you to the lizard army." Cheetara said unsmiling. Puma rounded on them again to object, his daughter stopped him with a heated glare, "There's no time!" she insisted before her father could speak, "I'm the fastest one that can relay a message to you to prepare the forces if our plan fails."

Without further words she dashed off back toward the woods, Tygra and Lion-o rushed off, following just steps behind her. Any longer that they delayed was that much closer that Mumm-Rah's forces would come to their encampment.

It didn't take nearly as long to find the lizard army as Lion-o first thought it might. The great humanoid machines were back, trampling through the forest uprooting trees and smashing great thickets and hedges with ease, causing a cacophony of snapping, crushing, sound as they did so. The three of them hid in the trees a good distance away as they considered their next move. Lion-o looked for the machine with the silver and black metal and the definitive markings that Mumm-Rah's humanoid weapon had, he didn't find it. Mumm-Rah himself wasn't here.

"Here's what we'll do," Tygra began, "Cheetara I want you to circle left and attack that big one at the flank and then bolt as fast as you can the opposite direction, in and out as fast as you can. Lion-o, you and I will circle to the right when she does, and after she attacks, we'll attack from the other side and also take off in the other direction just like she did. While they're still confused the three of us will come together to attack at the rear. Then…"

Lion-o wasn't listening anymore. He'd had it with listening to Tygra. He'd been doing that all morning. He did that last night too; they should have gone after Mumm-Rah when they'd had the chance! No, he was through listening to Tygra.

"Lion-o! What are you-! Lion-o!"

He ignored the shout that followed him as he drew his sword leaping out toward the lizards and their machines. Lion-o had the element of surprise as he landed in front of the first wave of lizard foot soldiers. He knew enough of how to use a sword – and he cut down at least three of them at once before moving to attack the next group of them.

"Quick! The mechs!" one of the lizard soldiers cried before Lion-o sheathed his sword in the lizard's belly. The sickly sweet smell of blood filled the air, and then the crisp biting scent of metal and mechanical energy as one of the mechanical constructs, a mech, raised it's arm the center glowing bright hot as it prepared to fire it's devastating weapon.

Lion-o charged raising the sword of omens overhead. He'd seen his father use the sword a hundred times, he knew the power and lightning that it could invoke and the destruction it could cause – even one of these monsters shouldn't be able to beat it. Lion-o swung the blade willing the sword's power to obliterate the enemy before him.

But the sword swung, and his body lurched with its weight. Nothing had happened. No awesome power had erupted from the blade. No lightning, no crack of thunder, not even a faint sparkling. Lion-o almost missed it when the machine's arm was struck with an electrical charge forcing its aim off towards its allies. The mech fired and the group erupted, scattering the nearby lizards.

"Stop spacing out!"

It was Cheetara's voice that shocked him back to action as she and Tygra joined him. The lizards in the nearby line were readying their firearms and finally took aim to shoot at them. The first volley missed when Cheetara took fast action. She whirled her staff unnaturally fast through the air deflecting the projectiles like so many ricocheting sparks of light.

"We have to get out of here – before they surround us!" Tygra commanded as he lashed out with his whip clearing a path between the lizard's forces where a mech had yet to come to surround the three of them.

They ran.

Lion-o didn't understand. Why hadn't the sword worked? It was definitely the sword of omens, the eye of Thundera in all its crimson glory stared back at him when he looked at it. But there definitely had been no power that Lion-o could invoke. Was it broken?

They managed to outrun the lizard army, but they weren't that far ahead. At least the army was following the three of them away from the encampment now. Once they had a chance to breathe though, Tygra rounded on Lion-o, furious.

"What were you thinking!" Tygra raged, "You could have died back there! Do you have any idea what you've done? Everything would have been simpler if you'd have just listened to me!"

"That's all I've been doing since yesterday!" Lion-o retorted just as hotly.

"Then why'd you stop now?"

"Because I've had it! You think you're right about everything! But you're not! And that speech this morning? What do you mean 'retreat was necessary and even advantageous'!"

"You left that part out!"

"But we should never have retreated in the first place!"

"We have to survive to protect the empire!"

"Exactly! Protect the empire! How can we do that if we're running away?"

"We can't protect anything if were dead! And there will be nothing to protect if our people are gone!" Tygra roared, "Protecting our empire, our people, from Mumm-Rah is the first priority! If you can't even understand that then Lion-o, you are obviously not ready for any kind of responsibility!"

"I would be fine with responsibility! But you're treating me like a brainless child!"

"Then stop acting like one! You can't handle anything, not responsibility, not leadership, and it's obvious if you think can get away with still acting this rashly!"

Lion-o felt rage bubbling up inside of him. If the sword had released its power when he wanted it to then this wouldn't be happening! Tygra would be kissing his boots if he'd managed to use the sword of omens to take out the entirety of Mumm-Rah's forces just then! As it was, it must have looked just like that: a stupid child running out to do something very stupid, and needing to be saved from his mistakes. Lion-o really wanted to punch him.

Tygra turned away from him, moving to head back toward the advancing lizard army. He could hear them crashing through the forest from here, already. "You stay put," Tygra told him, "Cheetara and I will handle the rest without you."

Tygra left first and then Cheetara. She had hesitated and had seemed like she wanted to say something; but Lion-o hadn't bothered to look at her, and she had thought better of it. Now they were both gone and in moments Lion-o could just pick out the sounds of their dart-in, attack, and retreat method of fighting. The crackle of Cheetara's electric charge as well as the telltale snapping of Tygra's whip and the popping fire of the lizards guns. The mechs were also in use although they were doing little more than walking and destroying trees. They were probably trying to decrease the hiding spots for their attackers.

It wasn't in Lion-o's nature to sit still and 'stay put'. He wasn't stupid enough to rush into a battle where he was clearly unwanted though. So he took off through the forest, quickly encountering a nearby ridge and following it along until it reached the river. Beyond the river lay a sight that froze him in his tracks, though merely in surprise.

It appeared to be the lizard encampment. There were inactive 'mechs' stationed around the end perimeter all with their chest-plates gaping open to the inner circuitry. There were the customary tents for soldiers as well as the larger tents for officers and higher-ranking soldiers and generals. There was also a very obvious weapons cache that could be easily accessed by circling to the side of the camp it was on. Their whole operation seemed too lax. It was true they were winning and probably had little to fear from an actual attacking force but still. That was just too arrogant leaving themselves so wide-open for attack like that.

Lion-o couldn't hear the battle too well anymore from where he was but his ears jerked when he heard a familiar cry of pain. Tygra. Tygra was hurt. Tygra almost never got hurt – certainly not in battle. Something had happened. Lion-o didn't think as he reversed direction and ran straight towards the battle. It was still going. He was closer now. He heard Cheetara shout in concern for Tygra. His brother didn't answer her. Lion-o was almost upon them – he could see the mechs.

Closer still, he could see Tygra fallen on the ground. A single thought crossed his mind at lightning speed. His brother was about to die and leave him too. Lion-o couldn't let that happen.

Lion-o let loose an ear-splitting roar to draw the enemy fire away from Tygra before they could finish him off. The lizards looked up with large egg-sized filmy eyes as Lion-o tore into the clearing with a snarl sword slashing through the soldier closest to his fallen brother. Tygra was bleeding, but still breathing. Lion-o let loose a feral growl as he tore apart the other nearby lizards before turning to his brother and lifting him up over his shoulder as he tore off into the forest. Cheetara followed, easily catching up to him. Behind them the lizard army was making direction for immediate pursuit.

"Let me see him." Cheetara demanded when they were far enough away, "I think they just got him in the side. I can try to close the wound." Lion-o wasn't sure they'd gotten far enough away, "If I don't he could lose too much blood."

Lion-o knew well enough what could happen if too much blood was lost. He stopped and gently set Tygra back on the ground. His brother seemed only semi-conscious at this point, and groaned in pain. Cheetara went to him immediately, and with a calming breath she set to work. The same electric charge that came from her hands as an attack now changed to an emanating bright glow that she placed against the flesh of the wound.

"The wound is deep," she told Lion-o, "But it missed his vital organs, I can close the skin but he shouldn't move too much afterward. He won't be able to fight for a week or two."

"How did it happen?" Lion-o asked as she removed her hands from Tygra's side, the newly healed skin pink and bruised looking beneath orange and black stripes.

"He was caught off guard," Cheetara sighed, "The attack-retreat method worked for a while but they started to anticipate where we would be, and we were running out of places to effectively hide and then attack from anyway."

Tygra groaned and opened his eyes then grimaced. "How do you feel?" Cheetara asked him, "It's good that you're conscious."

"Ugh… I feel like…" Tygra said wincing, about to say something unsavory when the sound of rampaging machines and the approaching army alerted them that they weren't out of harm's way yet. "We should-!" Tygra was about to say something further as he tried to stand up but doubled over in pain. Lion-o stopped him and pushed him back to the ground.

"Don't move for now, you won't be able to fight." Lion-o told him, "Cheetara only closed the surface wound, it still needs time to heal."

"What do we do? We can't all three fight anymore, do we just run?" she asked, not particularly addressing either Lion-o or Tygra. Tygra frowned but was about to reply when Lion-o spoke instead.

"No. We can fight without exerting ourselves." Lion-o told them, a plan starting to form in his mind, "I found their camp and I have a plan that should definitely stall them, not just now but possibly for several days."

Tygra looked at Lion-o, eyes widened. Cheetara's momentary expression of uncertainty faded to one of intrigued contemplation. Then she smiled.

"What did you have in mind?"

OoooooooooooooooO

The lizard camp was still very empty with little guards on alert or outside to guard the weapons silo. Lion-o, Tygra, and Cheetara encountered no resistance when they quietly circled around to the other side of the river and approached the weapons cache from the rear. Once inside they easily located firearms as well as explosive devices.

"This is perfect!" Lion-o said grinning as he scooped up several of the smaller bombs and handed them to Cheetara. The young cat-woman had a definitively sour expression as she eyed all the technologic weaponry, but she took the explosives from Lion-o and listened dutifully about how to activate them and where to place them in the camp.

"I still don't really understand how you know so much about all this and how they work," Tygra stated looking at the rest of the weapons cache mistrustfully.

"Well, while you and everyone else were fighting the war, I was stuck in the palace. I watched the whole battle and got to see how the Lizards used their tech." Lion-o explained.

To be sure the weapons themselves seemed more effective than guns and even the magic of the clerics, but he still didn't know anything about it or how to use them.

There was a rack of firearms nearby, the same long ones that the lizard foot soldiers had been using. There was also a case of smaller metal constructs of the same design. Once Cheetara had left Lion-o came over and took one of the smaller guns and put it in Tygra's hand.

"Now I'm going to take you over to their land bikes," Lion-o told him, "Use this, how I told you, if you get attacked. Cheetara and I'll be nearby if something does happen, so you won't be alone for long."

Unable to think of anything else, Tygra just nodded. Sneaking back out of the weapons cache Lion-o helped Tygra limp over to where there were only seven or ten thin wheeled constructs metallic and sleek. Tygra hadn't seen these machines used in battle yet, and couldn't guess at their purpose, but apparently Lion-o knew what they were and how to use them. When had that happened? How did Lion-o ever get to know so much about all this? Until yesterday Tygra would have laughed at anyone who even said technology like this existed. It was strange to think about, but Lion-o had always been strange, hadn't he. Strange, but not necessarily wrong.

That was when the whole of the lizard camp went up in smoke and flame. The lizards sickly panicking screams filled the air as one by one the tents and mechs and supply closets exploded to bits leaving fire and debris in the wake. Tygra remained largely unnoticed where he sat near the 'bikes' until a group of lizards ran up, apparently thinking to use the un-detonated machines but Tygra was there to stop them. The soldiers stopped dead when they saw him and reached quickly for their guns. But Tygra just had to raise his arm and squeeze the tiny trigger like Lion-o said.

There was a shocking bang as orange energy erupted from the tiny gun's mouth, and then lizard guts were strewn all over the ground. Tygra hadn't even had to stand up to attack, he hadn't had to move at all. Well it was the ideal weapon for his current injury. Tygra would be lying if he said he didn't think that was awesome beyond belief. So this was called a handgun. He could get used to it.

Tygra could hear Cheetara and Lion-o approaching, their footsteps were very different from the lizards shifting gait. Arriving a moment later Lion-o moved toward one of the 'bikes' and swung his leg over the side mounting it. Tygra watched and used the vehicle behind him to pull himself up and do the same. Lion-o pressed some sequence of buttons and flipped some switches and the thing roared to life under him. He looked pleased; Tygra copied the buttons and switches and felt the machine under him burst to life as well. Cheetara stepped back from the both of them wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Come on Cheetara, I'll tell you how to get it working," Lion-o told her, but she just shook her head.

"If I have to come near one of those, I'd rather just ride with one of you." She said honestly, though it didn't seem like she really wanted to do that either. She clearly despised the machines in general, and likely hadn't enjoyed having to plant and use the bombs to destroy the lizard camp.

"Then get on," Lion-o offered quickly, before Tygra could do the same. Cheetara hesitated briefly before climbing on. Lion-o kicked the side clutch into gear and Tygra did the same, the both of them speeding off into the forest away from the lizard's burning camp. Before they got too far away, Lion-o took out a switch he'd been holding onto. He flicked the mechanism and then dropped it on the ground. Behind them the weapons cache exploded, the first wave followed by a second and a third as the weapons and explosives within all detonated. The three of them left the smoking ruin behind them as they sped away heading back toward where Puma and the refugee forces would be headed.

Just as Lion-o had suspected, the forces that had previously been out looking for the fled Thundercats had been called to return to base and now the working mechs and lizard forces were busy trying to put out the flames and salvage what they could of their base. They wouldn't be able to follow after them – not for a while at least.

As they sped along Tygra couldn't help looking over at Lion-o and Cheetara together. She was holding onto him very tightly, though that was likely more due to her general discomfort with the mode of transport than anything else. It did occur to him that the two of them were supposed to be engaged, but after all that had happened there was hardly anything official about that anymore. So they weren't really. He wondered if they knew that.

OoooooooooooooooO

The machines were faster than if they had run the whole way, Tygra was learning to like technology and it's ease of use more and more. First the handgun and now this bike – it was impossible to ignore how much these inventions were growing on him. They arrived back with Puma and the refugee group sooner than he might have previously expected. Once they had stopped at camp, Cheetara left the vehicle immediately although Lion-o stayed nearby to discuss with Puma how the two bikes could be used to form makeshift carrying-platforms that could easily drag behind the bike and make it easier to carry people or supplies during the journey north. Lion-o really was thinking ahead this time. It was surprising.

Tygra left the bike and Lion-o came to offer his arm so that Tygra didn't fall. The wound in his side still stung when he tried to walk; the pain actually had seemed to be getting worse, although it would probably feel better after he seriously rested and got some sleep. Lion-o helped him back to the tent. Before he could leave, Tygra grasped his arm, knowing he should say something. Lion-o had mostly ignored it since earlier, but it still remained that other than a few instructions Lion-o and he hadn't had anything to say to each other since they fought.

"You did good." Tygra told him finally, unable to really say much more. Apparently it was enough, because Lion-o's face brightened considerably.

"Thanks."

Then that was it. So Tygra consigned himself to bed-rest and sleep and Lion-o left the tent feeling that maybe he had proved himself to be capable after all. He hated to admit it but Tygra was right, plans and strategy were better than just using brute strength. Maybe stealth and retreat had a place in battle.

OoooooooooooooooO

"Despite the relative success of yesterday, evading Mumm-Rah's forces and destroying the lizard camps, even evading them by heading north, is not going to help us win."

The following morning warranted a serious discussion, and there was no arguing with Puma's vehement claims in that regard.

"Yes, we need to know how to defeat Mumm-Rah, but how?" Lion-o shook his head unhappily, "We know that Leo I 'sealed' him away somehow, but there's no way we can find out how he did that or what we would need to get rid of him permanently."

"I think you're wrong about that though." Cheetara said cutting into their discussion, until now the cat-woman had been quietly listening to the exchange, "The book of omens could tell us something."

"The book of omens is just another lost treasure, isn't it?" Tygra asked.

"No," Cheetara told them, then looked away with a heavy sigh, "The cleric elder should know where it is."

"The clerics?" Even general Puma seemed surprised by this information.

"I think we should go to the clerics temple to ask him," Cheetara said meeting Lion-o's eyes again, "He should not deny the information, if he knows it, to his king; certainly not after learning about Mumm-Rah, the attack, and everything else that has happened."

"But how would we find the clerics temple-? Oh." Lion-o started to question before promptly shutting himself up, his face turning slightly red. Cheetara just smiled and nodded.

"I know the way." She confirmed.

So it was decided that the three of them would seek out the book of omens while Puma got as many of their people to the north to recruit, retrain, and regroup for a counter-strike.

AooooooooooooN

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