A/N: I just wanted to give a quick thank-you shout-out to everyone who's been reading and reviewing this so far. A couple of you have disabled private message replies, so I just wanted to say thanks for all the encouragement and kind words! I'll do my best to get the next chapter up soon!

Chapter 6: Under Attack!

The wolves had long been at odds with the snow leopards, considering the cats to be invaders, thieves of their territory. Had any of their ancestors still been living, they would have gently reminded the wolves of this day and age that none of them ever lived in the area that was now Conscientia. It was simply unfavorable to them in numerous ways, and many of the wolves of generations past would have thought it a small matter to let the cats keep the space.

But Tallus Redclaw of the mountain wolf bandits refused to see this. The snow leopards were the invaders and always would be. It was his duty to show this to his wolves, in hopes of one day eradicating the pesky trespassers. Even with the addition of these new foreign cats to aid them, he would crush the snow leopards beneath his sword if he had to do so with his dying breath.

It was his destiny.

And as his bandits began laying waste to Conscientia with tooth, blade, poison and fire, his muzzle turned upward in a cruel smile.

Shouts of dismay and cries of pain filled the air as the Thundercats raced outside of the main fortress, mingling in the growing curtain of dark smoke. Flashes of multi-colored lights slashed through the smoke here and there, marking the spots where several of the ice-cats faced down their attackers, fighting back as best they could with their magic. But even through the hazy gloom, Lion-O could tell they had been taken by surprise, and it was all several of the snow leopards could do to keep up their meager defenses. Panthro had been right: these people knew little of the art of war.

Fury built in the young prince's heart and the corded muscles in his legs surged with energy as he broke into a charge, drawing the Sword of Omens.

"THUNDERCATS! HOOOOOOOOOO!"

Several of the enemies in the immediate area looked up in shock, and he caught the first completely off-guard, smacking him in the jaw with the flat of the blade. The impact sent his opponent's helmet flying in the recoil, and he realized in bitter anger what was going on.

The wolves were back.

"Don't let them fool you, men!" the leader cried from much farther away, his voice carrying across the smoke-choked field, "They're only a few more cats with a deathwish painted on their chests like targets!"

"You take the mouthy one," Tygra said somewhere near Lion-O, though his brother couldn't see him, "I've got the ugly one."

"Right. So which one's the ugly one?" the younger prince chuckled dryly, swinging at one of the wolves who started to charge him. Somewhere close at hand, they heard Cheetara race by, smacking into a number of thugs who'd been trying to form a ring around them. Panthro charged by in the next moment, his nunchaku whirling through the air with a high-pitched whistling sound before slamming into a bandit like a striking grass snake. Lion-O barely had time to register this before two more brigands came at him, one wielding a morningstar, the other a pair of daggers. He had a split second of hesitation; it didn't matter if he moved to block the morningstar or the daggers, because one was meant to distract him so the other could take advantage of the opening.

"You take the left, I've got the right!"

He moved without thinking, tilting the sword into an angled parry, catching the morningstar between the spikes, sliding the blade through and smacking it forward with enough force to send the wolf reeling back as their weapons disconnected. At the exact same moment, Nyrris had charged to his side, and smacked her quarterstaff up to block one of the other wolf's daggers before she dropped to the ground and kicked up with her palms into a backhand spring, her heels connecting with her adversary's jaw. A grin came over Lion-O's face as he swung the Sword of Omens overhead, taking the offensive and driving his foe back.

"Try to cut a path through to their leader!" Lion-O roared, and he sensed the others around him redoubling their efforts, slowly slipping from their current vantage into the offensive like he had. New energy entered Panthro's roars as he smashed wolves right and left, the various machinations of his mechanical arms causing as much damage as his favored weapons. Tygra slipped back and forth with his visibility, catching enemies by surprise with stinging smacks of his whip and shots from a firearm none could see. Cheetara's mystic staff from the forest of Magi Oar hummed with its latent magic, calling up plant roots from deep beneath the earth to ensnare the bandits in its enchanted growth. Even the twins entered the fray, Kat's flail tripping as many foes as Kit's discordant music confused. Slowly, the wolves began to fall back, and for a moment, the cats thought they'd won.

"COWARDS!" the leader screamed in outrage. "Fire on them! Fire on them all!"

The brigand wolves reacted almost unconsciously, reaching into pouches, to belts, into knapsacks, gripping diminutive, indistinguishable objects that they flung into the air with abandon. The first of them hit the ground with a small explosion, orange flames bursting from the small capsule, growing like plants at the touch of air. Several more smacked into the ground, flames leaping into the air eagerly, merging as the fires spread. But before Lion-O even had time to freeze in horror, the snow leopards charged forward, spreading their hands in arcane gestures as frost and snow born of magic burst from their fingertips.

"Beware, Prince of Thundera!" called a voice, and Lion-O and Tygra both spun to face Niveus, who was running to the aid of another leopard to smother flames. "Their green capsules contain a poison gas!"

Instantly all of the Thundercats reacted, falling back and covering their hands with their faces, defenses snapping back in place as they evaded the onslaught of the venomous inhalant. The leader of the wolves began to shout in preemptive triumph from his position, thinking victory at hand. Lion-O gritted his teeth in irritation, sucked in a breath of clean air and held it, then reacted on instinct, charging forward. The bandits flinched in shock, and he raced through their lines, intent only on their commander, whose expression of greedy conquest changed to one of horrified alarm. The prince kicked off the ground, leaping into the air, bringing the Sword of Omens above his head before he came crashing down in a full swing, the pommel of the sword crushing the wolf's shoulder, bone shattering as the bandit howled in unbridled pain. Lion-O let out a challenging roar and smacked him away with the flat of the blade, the wolf rolling head over heels through the snow before he even had a chance to draw his sword.

"Give it up," Lion-O growled at him, leveling the point of his sword at throat point as he slowly advanced, "You've been oppressing the snow leopards for too long instead of acting in the mutual interests of both your peoples."

His foe only let out a small whine of pain, and the wolves standing around remained stock-still, frozen in mid-action for fear of the life of their captain. A tense silence followed for several moments as the brigand struggled to his feet, favoring his broken shoulder and whimpering with each motion as it brought forth new waves of pain. Finally, teeth gritted and bared, he barked a command to his brigand band.

"Fall back! Flee, you dogs! Flee!"

Immediately the wolves tore away from Conscientia as fast as their feet could carry them, two of them stopping only to assist their fallen superior. The tension began to seep out of Lion-O's frame as he watched them go, confident they would not bother the snow leopards further.

But it wasn't entirely over.

As several of the snow leopards set to trying to recover their fallen, a loud scream of terror—a child's scream—pierced the air. All of the cats spun at once.

One of the buildings, barely half a second story above its ground floor, was on fire on the lower level, ringed by a wreath of rising green smoke. A second scream confirmed there was indeed a cub trapped within, on the second floor. Blood ran cold through all of them.

"Rosetta!" Niveus yelled, rushing forward, only to have two of the ice-cats hold him back.

"Niveus, you fool!" one of them shouted at him, "Think! If you rush in there to save your daughter now, you'll die!"

"If I don't, she'll die!" he roared back.

Lion-O glanced over to Cheetara, Nyrris, and his brother, meeting each of their eyes, their expressions matching his own as they desperately tried to think of what to do. But before a single one of them could speak, a blur shot toward the burning building, smashing into the door.

"PANTHRO!" the Wilytwins yelled, and Lion-O thought for a moment his heart would stop. Flames burst from the door as the veteran warrior disappeared, the fire blazing and roaring with new life. From within, Rosetta screamed once more, and silence fell. Each second passed as slow as eternity, grating on the nerves of every soul.

And then, riding the force of an explosion in the upper floor, Panthro burst out of building's windows, leaping high into the air. For a moment, he was suspended, a fearsome silhouette with black smoke and flames glowing at his back, legs tucked up underneath him as his outstretched arms clawed over his head, light glinting faintly off his bared teeth. And then he fell, throwing his weight forward and over, flipping perfectly in the air before he went rolling and bouncing across the snow-covered ground.

"Panthro!"

Lion-O rushed to help him, Tygra and Nyrris at his side, Cheetara ahead of them all with the twins, the snow leopards bringing up the rear. Panthro had finally come to a stop on his stomach, groaning lightly as he stirred. Clinging to his back like a leech, arms flung around his thick neck and face wrapped in a drenched cloth, was a trembling, crying snow leopard cub they recognized from earlier.

"Rosetta!" Niveus sobbed as he broke free from his colleagues and rushed to the fallen cats, reaching to pull his daughter off the panther. A surge of irritation at the ice-cat welled up in Lion-O, but he shoved it aside as he knelt next to Panthro.

"Are you okay?" he asked, but even before the words finished leaving his mouth, he knew he spoke too soon. The snow was stained a wet red from the warrior's dry coughing, and blood trickled freely from his mouth and nose as he wheezed and struggled to reply.

"Panthro!" Tygra shouted, crouching next to his brother. "He needs help!"

"It's too late. He's inhaled too much of the gas." one of the snow leopards declared, starting to shake her head.

"Silence! Get him to the infirmary!" Niveus roared at the other ice-cats, eyes narrowing in anger, "He saved my daughter's life, you fool, and by thunder, I will see to it we save his life in return!"

His head swam with drowsy, barely lucid snatches of thought, the sort a sick person has during a fever-dream. There was no sense of direction, no up or down, night or day, no passage of time whatsoever. He opened his eyes from time to time, but though he knew he was seeing something, his mind refused to capture the images and hold them. Sounds eluded him, and any sensation he had, he couldn't tell apart from the sore pain he felt throughout his body.

But then the smells returned. He knew he had been breathing before, but his nose wasn't registering individual scents, until he caught a faint whiff of lemongrass. It passed quickly, but he refused to let go of it, taking another deep breath, desperate to know he had a solid anchor on something.

There it was again; lemongrass, and this time with another scent. Sandalwood, if he wasn't mistaken. He inhaled deeply, letting the fragrances fill his lungs, taking several deep breaths, until at last he opened his eyes again.

His vision was blurry, indistinct, but he could nonetheless tell that someone was watching him. The figure stirred and came closer, leaning over him, but he still couldn't make out any features. A cool hand brushed his forehead, then a damp cloth replaced it, cooling an unpleasant heat he hadn't realized was ailing him. He wheezed, desperate to ask questions, but he couldn't even make a breathy croak, his throat stung so sharply. Then there was a gentle voice, and though he couldn't tell what the exact words were, he knew they were ordering him to rest. He shut his eyes again, falling deep into dreams he wouldn't remember when he woke.

For her part, Kuncia kept the cloth pressed firmly to Panthro's forehead, allowing herself a small smile as the panther finally relaxed. She looked back over her shoulder at the other Thundercats, who were watching patiently, anxious worry displayed openly on their faces.

"He's stable. He'll be fine, he just needs his rest." she murmured quietly, shifting the bowls of scented water to better allow the aroma to heal his lungs.

She didn't order them to leave, but they knew a dismissal when they heard one, and one by one, they each slipped out the door, leaving the room in silence once more. Kuncia watched them go quietly, and the ideas that had been nagging her mind since Lion-O's meeting with the Council formed into a solid decision, one she intended to see through, with or without the Council's blessing. That choice being made, she refocused her attention and resumed tending to Panthro, keeping a vigilant eye on her patient throughout the night.

Nyrris was perched once more atop a sliding ladder three days later, pouring over a book of shaman magic Consilius had selected for her. Lion-O and Tygra had stumbled across a passage in a tome that made mention of a mysterious blue stone further to the west, past the Dead Plains, and they had all consented that was where they would head, once Panthro had recovered. Therefore, until the old warrior was back on his feet, she had a bit of time to kill, and was more than eager for an opportunity to read. The others were also scattered across the library, each looking up something of their own, and after the events of a few days before, they were all glad for the silence.

"Snarr…snarr…snarr..."

Well, the relative silence, in Nyrris's case. She glanced at Snarf, curled up in a rather large gap between the books on a shelf to her right, napping peacefully, and couldn't suppress a smile. She couldn't deny that, though she missed her family, she was a great deal happier than she could remember being since her parents disappeared.

"And what use does an uneducated heathen like you have for our precious tomes?"

The voice came from below, and Nyrris peered over the edges of her book to glance down at two snooty-looking snow leopards she'd not seen before, who were glaring up at her with expressions of utmost disdain.

"I can read." she replied simply.

"Yes," said the male dryly, "And I'm quite sure the pictures help you along, don't they?"

"I can't understand why Master Consilius would allow untaught gypsy vandals like yourself inside the library, let alone put your doubtless soiled paws all over the precious books!" the female sniffed derisively. "I would hazard a guess he is losing his mind. You nomads can't even begin to appreciate the wealth of knowledge stored in books, and—"

"I don't know why you're making a fuss," Nyrris interrupted calmly, "Especially since you snow leopards love to spout about encouraging everyone to learn. Yes, my family doesn't have a lot of books, which is why I always read when I find a new one. Sounds to me like you're not just possessive, but you take your books for granted, too. Now if you've got a real problem, please tell me; otherwise, let me read in peace, okay?"

Their eyes widened in shock and outrage as they paled, clamping their mouths shut. For an instant, it looked as though they might pursue a fight with her, but at last the female stormed off in an indignant huff, and her partner scrambled after her, evidently looking to console her. Nyrris watched them go with a mirthful smile of satisfaction, when she noticed Kuncia looking up at her, a smile spreading over her features.

"Well-spoken." she said, but her expression was still so chilly, Nyrris couldn't tell if the older cat approved or not. She merely shrugged and shook it off.

"How's Panthro doing?" she asked at once, and at the mention of his name, the other Thundercats seemed to immediately flock to that section of the library, while Kuncia's smile grew warmer.

"He's sitting up and talking. Rosetta has gone to thank him, and, if I'm not mistaken, she, Mellita, and Regina mentioned something about making him charm bracelets as a get-well-soon gift." she answered.

"Panthro's talking?" Lion-O asked, "What did he say?"

Kuncia immediately began laughing, covering her hand with her mouth, and replied, "His first words when he woke were, 'How many of 'em did I get?'"

They all burst out laughing, and the two princes exchanged grins that spread from ear to ear. "Yep. Good old Panthro, all right," Tygra chuckled. "Remembers his priorities."

"I'd say that means he's feeling much better." Cheetara said with a smile.

"Then if he's ready, we'll leave tomorrow," Lion-O declared, meeting everyone's eyes to find consent. Finally, he turned back to Kuncia, and Consilius, who had approached while they were laughing. "Thank you for your help. All of you. You have no idea what this means to us."

"What are you talking about?" Kuncia said, her smile growing steadily wider. "Surely you don't expect you're going to just leave."

The Thundercats glanced at one another, taken aback by her words.

"I've just left a meeting with the Council," Kuncia explained, "And they have given me leave to follow you on your journey, that I may see more of the world beyond Conscientia, and learn of this supposed…threat of a lizard army and Mumm-Ra."

"They have?" Lion-O asked, startled.

"Yes," Consilius jumped in, "And it would be an honor if you would allow Miss Kuncia to follow you."

Nyrris glanced at Lion-O and clicked her tongue to get his attention. "You couldn't convince all the snows to side with us, but this sounds like a good thing." she remarked. "Maybe if Kuncia brings them back proof, the snow leopards will join us."

"She's got a point." Tygra added, making his brother chuckle.

"Why not?" Lion-O said, "It's worth a shot."

"Welcome to the crew, Miss Kuncia." Cheetara smiled at her.

The image of the cats and their newest companions rippled and wavered on the lavender surface, disappearing under the order of a single thought, shimmering as it brought a clan of wolves into view, licking their wounds from the short-lived skirmish with the snow leopards of Conscientia and their new allies. The angry light of pain was a fire in many of their eyes, and none more so than their leader, a Tallus Redclaw by name. A healer was tending to his injured shoulder, shattered by a blow from the Sword of Omens, and his face was the portrait of absolute fury.

Perfect. He would make for a very useful pawn, in time.

"Do you wish me to send a messenger to this Tallus Redclaw, master?" Slithe asked, skulking somewhere nearby.

"…No. The cold would best your messenger before he reached the snow. We will have ample time to make an ally of these wolves."

"Of course, master." Slithe agreed more than readily.

The surface of the lavender cauldron became solid and opaque once more as he released the scrying spell and spun away, the trailing, frayed edges of his long robes brushing the floor with a soft whisper.

"Master?" Slithe asked. But the prompt for a response went ignored as he continued moving past the obese lizard, his mind set on other matters that needed tending to. There was a moment's pause, then the soft tramping of feet echoed behind him, indicating his general was following. Not that it mattered. Slithe was useless with what he was about to do, but if he chose to watch, it was of little consequence.

Corridors that had been abandoned were in use once more, the lack of dust a clear indicator that several entities had begun moving through the vast lair since the re-awakening. Many of them stayed out of sight due to fear, but the lizards continued to move about freely, several stopping to salute their masters.

They entered another large chamber, one that had been refurbished to resemble a holy sanctuary. But this place was far from the serene vision of the high clerisies' churches many would expect, a warped, dark parody of a worship hall. There was little light within the room, the darkness swallowing the pillars lining the walls before eclipsing the ceiling, and most lizards that went inside were instantly unsettled, none of them having decent darkvision.

Slithe only reinforced this fact with a nervous gulp from behind.

There were figures in the room that, at first glance, could easily have been mistaken for statues, so still were they. But they turned with agonizing slowness at the sound of visitors entering their chapel, and stared with unblinking eyes as they began to smile.

"Lord and massster!" exclaimed the high priest.

"Lord and massster." The other priests and priestesses echoed around the chapel, the sound of their hissing hitting the walls in an eerie murmur. One of the priestesses slithered toward him, spreading her hands in indication of the ritual taking place, dark glee shining in her fanged smile.

"We have prepared the ritual asss you requesssted, my lord. All that remainsss isss to open the portal." She explained, the end of her snake's tail coiling in anticipation.

"Miss Slythia, you're looking as divine as ever." Slithe spoke up from behind him, evidently regaining a bit of his confidence at the sight of the snake woman, whose expression went abruptly cold.

"General," she responded dryly, before adding in a low undertone, "I see the assassins have failed once more."

He ignored the incredibly strong urge to make a snide comment and simply slipped past them both, approaching the raised dais in the center of the room and nodding to the high priest.

"If you are ready, my lord…" the snake-man murmured, bowing his head.

"Proceed, Nagendra."

All through the chapel, the snakes rustled as they shifted their long bodies into position, the priests taking up a spine-chilling chant, bowing their heads and raising their arms. Energy, lit with a sickly amber glow, seeped from their scales, rising toward the unseen ceiling like smoke, converging into a large, net-like web of power above them. He watched the progress of the power web before adding his own raw magic to it, the red-violet energy swirling and encircling the amber magic, harnessing it roughly and jerking it down to the dais. A second chant rose among the priestesses, creating a prominent cacophony in the chapel as their own bright blue energy shot forth, attacking the disc of red-violet and amber light. There was a discordant musical chime, and something happened within the disc as it opened a rip in the air before them all. The snakes shrank back at the site of it, but he only moved forward, throwing more invisible strands of his power into the portal.

"My lord?" Slythia murmured somewhere nearby, anticipation making her words waver. "Have you found…?"

He didn't respond. He didn't need to.

The gateway to the Astral plane swelled, and a hand shot out, scrabbling desperately at the stone floor of the dais. Slithe and the snakes watched in revulsion as a figure slowly dragged itself into view, shivering, eyes fever-bright as it took them all in. Finally, the saber-toothed cat collapsed on the floor and the gateway shut behind him, leaving them all standing in silence for a time while he trembled on the dais.

And he spoke once more, addressing the cat.

"Tell me, Grune: what have you learned during your little…trip?"

The cat's eyes shifted, the light of insanity glittering in their dark depths.

"I am foolish…" Grune croaked in a voice dry from disuse, "And I never should have betrayed you."

The snakes watching began to murmur their consent, pleased the filthy turncoat saber-tooth knew his place now. Grune crawled forward, a fanatical smile on his face as he bowed his head.

"I will never betray you again. I live to serve you, my lord."

Mumm-Ra smiled. "Then it would seem you've chosen wisely at last."

A/N: Sorry, me again! R&R please! And as for the fancharacters that appear in this chapter, again, I highly encourage you visit my dA gallery and click on the links to each creator I list in my artist's comments for this chapter! Because sooner or later, I'm going to have way too many to keep up with!