Sorry about the delays on this chapter, everyone! But it is here now, with my honest and sincere wish that you all enjoy it. Fair warning: The ending of this chapter may stun you temporarily speechless, so you might want to wait and save your reviews for after you have managed to read it through a second time and gathered your thoughts. And remember: credit for all fancharacters used is given in the copy of this chapter in my deviantArt gallery! R&R please!
Chapter 11: A Narrow Escape
Nyrris had never doubted that her aunt had poured some of her magic into the symbol she had painted on Nyrris' forehead, but when the lines Priséa had traced began to grow hot, she started to wonder just how much magic her aunt had put into that simple spell of protection.
"Or…is it really as simple as I first thought…?" she murmured to herself, remembering the shadows she'd spied above her shoulder in the stream over a week ago. She hadn't thought too much of her aunt's "blessing," but then again, Priséa Ocelotti never did anything by halves.
The corridors of the vast temple just seemed to twist on and on, each resembling the next like an endless maze, and navigating the path Cazarak had spoken of was proving difficult. She had precious little time, but couldn't bring herself to break into an all-out run; either by way of her aunt's spell or sheer luck, somehow Nyrris seemed to avoid the worst of all the lizard patrols, and the few she did encounter acted as though she wasn't there. They would walk on by, their eyes slipping strangely over her without any sign of realization a cat was loose, as though she did not even exist. The first couple of times this occurred, the ocelot pinned it down to luck, but after the third time, she offered a silent prayer up to whatever gods were watching her, and whispered a hurried thanks.
She didn't want to push her luck.
After what felt like a good quarter-hour of searching out the right corridor, Nyrris was starting to double back when she felt it: pure humming waves of undeniable power, of sheer evil, of dark magic. The fur on her shoulders and the back of her neck rose sharply, and she hissed involuntarily at the sudden realization, freezing in place. After a few seconds, she forced herself to relax slightly, taking deep breaths as she looked toward the hall she felt the magic coming from.
"Well then," she muttered with a grim smile, "Three guesses says that's where I'm supposed to go."
Taking a glance around the adjacent halls, she drew in a deep breath, steeling herself, and darted toward the corridor. Her heartbeat started to pick up, and she started to lengthen her stride, adrenaline beginning to kick in.
Afraid, my dear?
She stopped, reeling forward. The words sounded clearly, but in her mind, not her ears. And the voice…she had heard that voice before being knocked out in the midst of battle. A gasp broke free of her lips, her hands flew up to touch the sides of her head, and she staggered, abruptly fighting to keep her balance.
Oh, don't work yourself into a mindless panic; The voice went on, its tone calm, I've known you were coming since you got out of your cell.
Her blood ran cold. He…he had known…? Then her element of surprise was lost! She broke into a sweat and looked around wildly. Where? Where was the room with the control panels? Did he know she was headed there? Did he know why? Was there even a point in continuing on?
You seem discouraged. What happened to your valiant confidence? I thought you were coming to challenge me.
There was a mocking undertone in the words, and a sliver of indignant annoyance broke through Nyrris's sea of adrenaline and fear. That was a direct test! She straightened, planting her feet firmly apart as she fought to regain her composure, clenching and unclenching her fists, swallowing over the dry knot in her throat. And yet when she tried to continue, she found she could not take a step forward.
Perhaps you require a little encouragement.
A rumbling sound, a tremor began to build, moving through the floor and threatening to unbalance Nyrris again, accompanied by the scraping sound of a vast door sliding open. She turned sharply, and found the door, leading into a dark room just beyond, and the sensation of power, of magic, of evil, grew stronger by tenfold. Her heart was hammering a tattoo against her ribcage now, and still she couldn't move, prompting another whisper in her mind.
Still hesitant, even when I give you a direct invitation to enter.
Hesitant? That hardly even began to describe it! She swallowed again, and took a step back.
Clever of you to be on your guard. But you see, my dear, I INSIST!
Something shot of out of the darkness, seizing hold of her ankles, and before she could register what it was, she was yanked off her feet and dragged inside. The floor was cold and burned as she was dragged against her will, too smooth and polished for her to dig her nails in to slow herself down. And then, abruptly, she came to a stop, and whatever had a hold on her ankles unwound, releasing its vice grip. Struggling to sit up, she took a quick glance down, seeing what had been dragging her, a sickening feeling rising in her stomach as she watched Mumm-Ra pull his bandages back in.
"Kind of you to finally join us," he remarked dryly, red eyes burning in the shadows of his cowl as he watched her, "The next time, if I allow you to make it the entire way here, I expect you to enter upon invitation. It's impolite to refuse."
Her eyes darted around as he spoke, taking in the high steps to one side, the strange ring in the floor glowing a soft lavender, and the quartet of statues that rose around it, but at this last remark, she looked directly at him.
" 'The next time?' Is that supposed to be a joke?" she said, surprised by how calm her own voice came out sounding, "If I had known you had a sense of humor, I would have brushed up on my skills before coming here."
The red eyes flashed, something glittering in their crimson depths, but he said nothing.
"I mean, after all, you're probably going to kill me in a few minutes, so the chances of there being a 'next time' for me to break out of a cell and sneak all the way up here are kind of, well…nonexistent, right?" she went on, feeling a little emboldened.
"I would advise you not to bore or anger me," he retorted, turning to the scrying ring in the floor, "You might live longer."
"Excuse me?" she asked, getting to her feet.
"You were sent up here to cause a distraction for the others," he declared simply, raising a clawed hand above the ring's glowing surface, "And you're doing a very poor job of it."
Images began to blur and sharpen as the surface of the ring undulated like water, and Nyrris's adrenaline kicked in a second time.
"If you knew that the entire time, then why did you let me come up here on my own? Why not have me captured and brought here to be tortured before throwing me back into the cell? What does the great Mumm-Ra get out of letting a distraction do its job?"
He paused, his raised hand dropping a fraction, and she realized her words had surprised him for a second.
"All very valid questions," he replied, slowly turning to look her in the eyes again, "And quite clever. Perhaps too clever. It's always been troublesome, dealing with women who are too intelligent for their own good."
She crossed her arms and worked up a smirk. "Wait'll I tell Kuncia you said that." She murmured.
"Not to mention talkative." He added, scowling.
"Are you going to answer my question at all?" She demanded, trying to focus on her annoyance in hopes it would hide her fear. His hand raised, the beginnings of his spell sparking at his fingertips, and Nyrris reacted on instinct. She leapt to the side, throwing her weight forward and bouncing on her hands, springing forward as she flipped over. But Mumm-Ra remained faster than she had hoped, and he swung as she moved, the lancing energy of his spell crashing into her as she completed the spring. Burning, stabbing needle points of electric fire arched through her, and she collapsed to the floor with a shriek of pain. The pain intensified briefly, then stopped altogether as Mumm-Ra released the spell, and she was left shuddering, doing all she could to shake off the remaining sparks of energy. Blinking rapidly, she managed to raise her head, unable to do more than watch in horror as he took slow, deliberate steps toward her.
"You be wise to learn when you should hold your tongue," he said, "As for your question…why would I simply allow you to stride in here unchallenged?"
She raised her head, and his red eyes burned as she met them.
"The answer is that you have unfortunately brought yourself to my attention."
The initial task of retrieving Panthro's arms had indeed, proved the more difficult by far, but the Wily twins had pulled it off without a hitch, and Cazarak the lizard was looking at the kittens with a newfound respect as he led the cats toward the armory.
"Yeah, you learn not to let those cute faces fool ya," Panthro chuckled when he caught Cazarak staring at the twins in utter astonishment.
"If I didn't know any better," Cazarak remarked in his soft voice as they crept carefully down one of the lower halls, "I would have said that you didn't need me to help you escape."
"What is your story in all this, Cazarak?" Tygra asked skeptically, "Why haven't you escaped by now if you wanted to?"
The scarlet crest on the lizard's head flattened abruptly, and when he spoke again, his tone was as cold and hard as ice.
"My parents died in forced service. We were taken in under Mumm-Ra's orders after my father refused to serve in his army, and were branded with these."
He shifted the sleeve of his cloak, holding out his arm to display the metal band.
"You don't think I want to be free of this, tiger-prince?" he hissed. "Do you think I enjoy the life that has been forced upon me?"
"He didn't mean it that way." Cheetara said gently when Tygra recoiled in shame. Cazarak continued to glare at the tiger a moment longer, then visibly started to relax again, his crest rising slowly.
"I will escape when the time is right," he said quietly, "I had been in the process of nearly escaping when Axis was brought here. I've remained because I cannot force myself to abandon a child, cat or lizard, to a fate as cruel as what awaits them in this prison."
At this, Cougaress stepped forward and gave the lizard's shoulder a gentle squeeze, offering him an encouraging smile, and Kuncia followed suit.
"You are very noble, Cazarak." the snow leopard murmured.
"Noble…and kind-hearted." Cougaress added.
"You give praise where none has been earned," Cazarak said quietly, but his smile gave him away as he gestured for them to crouch before the short hall before the armory door. "Knowing the way the guards operate," he whispered, "There's a good chance that door will be open and they'll be facing it. Can any of you see?"
Razor shifted, quietly volunteering, and peeked around the corner briefly before resuming his crouch.
"Open. The guards look bored and they're not paying attention, but they are facing us." he hissed at the others.
Jess'ica, who had remained silent for a longer time than normal, bit her lower lip and stifled a growl of frustration. "There goes our chance at a surprise attack."
"You can't rush everything head-on." Tygra muttered at her.
Cazarak shot them all a fierce look of warning before taking a quick peek around the corner.
"Well?" Lion-O asked softly.
"I'm not sure—" Cazarak started to answer before Kuncia touched his shoulder.
"Allow me." She whispered. She shut her eyes, the rhythm of her breathing becoming slow and steady, and brought her hands up, whispering under her breath in an esoteric tongue none of them recognized. Soft rushes of icy blue light began to swirl and gather between her palms, and her whispers went ever softer as she raised the magic, touching the corners of her eyelids with her fingertips. Her spell swirled around her face for a brief instant before she gathered it in one hand, clenching her magic in a fist, and releasing it sharply, pointing with her index and middle fingers down the hall. The spell swirled and danced through the air almost lazily before flying into the room. The lizards on guard didn't even notice it until the spell was upon them, and by then, it was too late; they were already yawning and slumping forward.
"Excellent. We should hurry, that spell only lasts so long." Kuncia said brightly, getting to her feet, the others hastening to follow her example.
"What did you do?" Wilykat asked.
"I just put them to sleep," Kuncia answered him, tossing his sister a wink.
"Snarf! Kewi!" Lion-O said suddenly, rushing into the armory room at the sound of pitiful mewling. The others rushed after him to see the two pets locked up in a tiny, cramped little cage, pawing between the bars to reach their masters. Without a word, Wilykat stepped forward and began working at the lock on the cage with a hairpin borrowed from Kuncia, while the rest of the cats set to retrieving their weapons.
"This is almost too easy," Tygra murmured to his brother, giving a grave nod to the sleeping lizards as he put his whip and gun back in their holsters on his belt. The younger prince glanced at the lizards, his expression darkening.
"I'm not going to question the good luck we've made for ourselves so far. It might jinx us." He replied, "We need to just hurry; every moment we waste, Nyrris is in greater danger."
"You're worried about her." Razor said abruptly, sounding surprised and somewhat suspicious as he gave Lion-O a dubious stare.
"He is right to be." Cazarak murmured gravely.
Silence fell and they finished reclaiming their belongings as quickly as possible, mindful of the limitations of Kuncia's spell. Only the Sword of Omens and its gauntlet were not found among their other possessions, and Cazarak explained that one as they fled the armory.
"Your weapon was taken to the serpents, Prince Lion-O. They have orders from Mumm-Ra to retrieve the war stone from the sword and the spirit stone from the gauntlet, and thus they are working on finding a method to do so." He spoke as they darted down the halls, covering his face in the event they ran into more patrols. "You will find both the sword and gauntlet with them. But be warned, cobras are far more formidable and aware than you may think. The only way that you'll be able to get out unharmed is by being quick, thinking on your feet, and catching them by surprise."
"Then I should go ahead and find them," Lion-O declared, "If you will lead the others to the exit, or however far you are able to take them, then I can retrieve the sword and Nyrris. I don't like the idea of splitting up, but it's the best chance we have to all get out of here safely."
"You will make a very wise king," the lizard said, blinking his yellow eyes slowly, "I only pray that one day you shall have a kingdom again to rule with that wisdom."
Lion-O smiled back at him, a spark of hope in his chest, and he inclined his head. "I cannot begin to thank you enough for what you're doing, Cazarak. I promise you, one day, I'm going to get you out of here. You're going to be free." He said quietly. The lizard's eyes widened, but he merely smiled back.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, if I do not hold my breath in waiting for that to happen, as it's more likely I shall be executed for some reason or another before you fulfill such a promise." he said dryly. "But know that I appreciate and believe what you say."
"Tell me where to find these cobras." Lion-O said with a nod.
Nyrris frowned up at Mumm-Ra, trying to ignore the feeling of panic building inside her. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, "How could I possibly have brought myself to your attention?"
For a long moment, he said nothing, watching her closely, and then he moved, striking out with a hand, his sharp nails connecting with her forehead, scratching lines of fire into her flesh, making her shriek in pain.
"Filthy shaman magic," he muttered in disgust, "It's a wasted effort; such a minor spell of protection is useless against me. But then, this shaman wasn't trying to protect you from power such as my own directly. No, this was to prevent you from learning the truth."
Nyrris winced, touching the burning, bleeding scratches, feeling the last vestiges of her aunt's magic slip away like water between cracks in stone. She looked up, fighting back tears, and worked up her best glare.
"What are you saying? How did you know about that?" she demanded.
"Every master of magic leaves traces of their own signature in their work," Mumm-Ra hissed quietly, "And the shaman that marked you was trying to hide your power. But it was a poor attempt, and easily removed."
She almost snapped at him, infuriated at how casually he insulted her aunt…but she found she was becoming more curious at what he implied.
"You are intrigued," he remarked, thin lips curling upward in a sneer.
"No," she lied immediately, then thought better of it and admitted, "Well…Perhaps I am, a bit. Are you saying you know what I am?"
"I have known," came the blunt retort, "As I said, you brought yourself to my attention."
Before she could demand an explanation, he raised his left arm, extending it fully to the side. She tensed, figuring he was preparing to cast another spell, but he merely began to pull of a section of bandage that was, she noticed, curiously not attached to the rest. Once he had the entire length of it unwound, he lowered his arm and held the bandage out to her, red eyes studying her carefully.
"I believe this is yours." he said dryly.
She scowled, snatching it from him and glaring at the length of linen…until she realized what she was holding, her breath escaping in a gasp.
"My spellweave!"
"It was obvious your shaman originally wove it," he remarked, "But given enough time, that spell began to pick up traces of your magic."
She looked up at him, her mind reeling with the impossibility of it all.
"Then you…you were the crow…?" she whispered, hardly believing the words as they slipped from her mouth, "I…I…helped…you?"
From somewhere in the darkness of the antechamber came a high, manic giggle, followed by other laughter, mocking her.
"Indeed." Mumm-Ra murmured, still watching her closely.
"To think, all those morals and ideals, all just thrown to waste because your bleeding heart couldn't let it lie." One of the laughing voices rumbled.
"And like any bleeding heart, you helped…only to wind up helping the worst enemy of all you Thundercats!" Another of them hissed in scratchy tones.
"Hee-hee-hee! Kinda funny in an ironic way, isn't it little kitty?" The manic voice remarked, ending in more shrieking laughter.
Nyrris's head began to swim, the room around her warped in the edges of her vision, and it was all she could do just to focus on the pattern of the cloth in her hands to keep from falling unconscious.
Lion-O had never been one for stealth; it was Tygra that excelled in that area. But the Sword of Omens was his responsibility, and so he would be the one to reclaim it. Furthermore, he had to find Nyrris. Every second that passed he grew more anxious, unable to bear the idea that she might have run into Kaynar or Addicus or Slithe…or worse.
"Well Lion-O, just make sure you get this done quick," he muttered to himself, ducking and weaving as he made his way to the hall Cazarak had described, doing his best to keep out of sight. He and the others had been lucky so far; none of them had been spotted that he could tell, and no alarms had been raised, and he grew further worried that his luck was about to run out. Still, he found the "chapel" with little difficulty, drawn by the sounds of raised voices and acidic hissing. Glancing inside, he saw several of the snakes, gathered in the center of a raised dais, forming a ring around his sword and gauntlet, arguing furiously.
"Foolsss! Our Dark Massster will have our headsss if we cannot remove the stonesss!" One of them snapped at the others.
"But we cannot do thisss without his power!" Another shot back. "Thisss is magic far beyond our order! These spellsss are old—"
"And we will be dead if we fail!" A third declared sharply.
"We mussst try again." Said another. Lion-O tensed. It was now or never.
"You! Don't twitch a muscle, cat!" a voice behind him barked, the scent of wild dog filling his nostrils. The shout was loud enough to draw the attention of the cobras, who turned toward the entrance. Time seemed to slow as Lion-O flung himself forward, and everything around him seemed to move at the speed of tree sap. He charged into the ring of cobras, vaulting himself between them as he scooped up sword and gauntlet, springing above the rest of the snakes and coming down from the dais in a roll.
"WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR, IDIOTS?" His pursuer shouted, and he glanced over his shoulder to see a she-dog jabbing a spear in his direction. The snakes turned their heads, following the direction she pointed, and staring at him with those still-stunned faces. He didn't waste another second and raced from the room out the other door, gaining his second wind.
"YOU HEARD DIJANA! SSSOUND THE ALARM!" One of the snakes shrieked, "THE THUNDERCATS ARE LOOSSSE!"
A loud, wailing klaxon erupted in the halls as the lights flashed a blinking red, and Lion-O couldn't resist a grim smile. He might have drawn attention to himself, but it would work to everyone's advantage in the end.
All he had to do was find Nyrris.
The cats were at the exit door, waiting with bated breath for it to open, when the alarm sounded. Cazarak jumped, jerking his hood down over his face out of instinct, and looked wildly to the far corridor, cursing when no one could be seen at the control panel. The cats reacted instantly, drawing their weapons, expressions going grim.
"One of them was seen." Razor spat.
"Or one of 'em got caught." Panthro muttered.
"Don't think like that, you two!" Cougaress hissed, trying to calm Kewi.
"I'm afraid this is where I must take my leave of you," Cazarak murmured, darting furtive looks down the adjacent halls. "I cannot risk staying any longer."
"Cazarak," Tygra said quietly, approaching the lizard, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier, and…don't give up hope. My brother will come back to free you one day. If he said it, he meant it."
The lizard gave a curt nod, glancing around at each of them. "I hope we see each other again one day. It has been an honor to meet you all." he declared. The men nodded, and without warning, Wilykit surged forward, tears in her bright golden eyes, and hugged Cazarak around his middle. Before the lizard could object, Cougaress, Kuncia, and Cheetara followed suit, enveloping the reptile in a crushing hug before quickly releasing him.
"Better move fast," Cheetara whispered to him, "Don't let them catch you."
"Run, Cazarak, and be safe!" Cougaress added.
He gave another quick nod, face flushing a dark green, and fled down the corridor, silent as a shadow, leaving the cats to wait anxiously.
"It was only inevitable," Mumm-Ra was saying, "You were drawn to me."
"Like draws like." A voice that Nyrris was sure belonged to Grune came from the shadows, speaking in a rather cheery tone, given the circumstances. She looked about, trying to find the generals hidden in the darkness, but on seeing nothing, she frowned up at Mumm-Ra once more.
" 'Like draws like?'" She prompted.
"I am one of the last and most powerful remaining sorcerers in the universe," he said, drawing himself up proudly, "It was to be expected that you were drawn to my power when your own is so similar in its nature."
"I'm a…sorcerer?" she guessed, startled when Mumm-Ra threw back his head and began to laugh, a horrid, terrifying sound that began deep in his chest and grew louder and louder the longer it went on.
"Hardly, my dear!" He sneered. "Your magic is parasitic in nature, drawing on the energies of the less powerful beings around you, using their own strength against them! Wild and untrained, you're perhaps even more dangerous. No, you are no sorcerer, my dear. You are a warlock."
A warlock? Nyrris tried to think back, remembering the conversation Cheetara and Kuncia had had with Cougaress about different types of magic-users. What had Kuncia said about warlocks? She looked up at Mumm-Ra once more, hoping sincerely that he was lying, stringing her along, when he offered her a hand.
"You are useless as you are now to the Thundercats." he said softly, red eyes glittering with something she couldn't quite read. "But I…I can show you what it means to be a warlock. You will learn the taste of true magic, of real power."
"And if I refuse?" she said flatly.
"Then you'll die," he replied, the palm of his outstretched hand starting to hum with the power of his spell again, "You have no option to leave here alive."
"THE THUNDERCATS ARE LOOSSSE!"
The hissing shout from somewhere down the outside hall was accompanied almost instantly by an impossibly loud klaxon and flashing red lights. Mumm-Ra and his generals turned about immediately, and Nyrris seized her chance, flinging herself to the side and breaking into a stumbling run. There was an angry hiss behind her, followed by a loud crack and the shattering of stone as a spell just missed her. Once outside the door, she turned, starting to run back the way she came…
Only to crash into the last person she was expecting to see.
"Lion-O? You're supposed to be with the others!" she gasped.
"No time to explain!" He roared, seizing her hand and charging down one of the other halls, "RUN!"
She wanted to protest that he wasn't giving her much choice in the matter, dragging her along and quite forgetting that she followed no royal commands, when a shout from behind made her adrenaline kick in.
"After them!" Mumm-Ra roared. "They have the stones! AND BRING ME THE GIRL!"
Panic lent speed to her feet and she gripped Lion-O's hand tightly as they fought to keep ahead of the lizards that began to swarm the corridor.
"Why did you come back for me?" she demanded.
"Nyrris! Not a good time for this talk!" he shot back.
"I told you I could handle it myself!" she went on as he smashed a number of lizards aside with the sheer weight of his gauntlet.
"And you ought to know by now I'm not gonna leave you behind!"
"Yeah, because my aunt threatened you—"
"Look Nyrris, maybe I care about you! Ever consider that possibility?"
"Oh good lord, I should have had you pegged for the "clingy" type of little brother during that battle!" she groaned.
"Get used to it!" he retorted, continuing to smash his way past more lizards as they ran on. "Come on, this way! There should be another control panel around here somewhere, closer to the door!"
"How would you know?"
"Long story, tell it to you when we're out of here!"
They sprinted into a larger hall with a towering ceiling, when Lion-O slowed down a bit, pointing out a panel on the wall.
"There!" he exclaimed, his grip on her growing tighter as he tensed at the sight of more lizards swarming the corridor. "Whiskers!"
"And this is why you have me along." she reminded him, bounding forward toward the oncoming horde, launching herself into a flip.
"And just where do the two of you think you're going?" came a snarl from behind. Lion-O didn't watch as Nyrris made her way to the panel with her spellweave in hand, turning to glance behind him, finding an enraged Mumm-Ra on their heels, his robes billowing ominously. He drew the Sword of Omens from its sheath on the gauntlet, the blade extending to its full span.
"We're leaving." he growled.
"Yet again you are mistaken, Lion-O," Mumm-Ra sneered, his red eyes slipping past the young prince to Nyrris as she struck the panel to open the temple doors, the lizards around her backing down at his gaze, "She isn't going anywhere."
A growl built in the young lion's throat as he leveled the blade.
"You're not going to lay a hand on her if I have anything to say about it."
"Lion-O!" Nyrris called, panic in her voice as the doors rumbled open.
He couldn't help it; he turned to face her, and in that moment Mumm-Ra's spell hit him, striking him square in the chest, a blunt smack of electric energy that locked up his muscles and set them to fire. He screamed in pain, fighting to stay upright, to keep his grip on the Sword of Omens, anchoring on the sound of Nyrris screaming his name.
"LION-O!"
Then, just as suddenly as it had hit him, the spell dissipated, and he blinked through his tear-filled vision to see Nyrris rushing at Mumm-Ra, seizing the undead demon's hands. But that wasn't the worst part; no, it was growing smile on that monstrous face, that look of delighted satisfaction, as though Nyrris had just given him something he had been waiting for.
"Nyrris!" Lion-O croaked, the resonating fire of the spell still scorching his throat.
"Run, Lion-O!" she called over her shoulder in a strained voice, matching Mumm-Ra's smile with an angry glare, "GO! I'll be right behind you!"
"Hardly," came the dark, rasping laugh, "I told you, you won't be leaving here alive."
"Nyrris!" Lion-O called again, flexing his grip on the sword's hilt as he watched the red-violet energy begin to race up her arms. She gritted her teeth and glared at him over her shoulder, eyes filled with tears of pain as she managed to spit out one word.
"GO!"
For once, his heart was against him, even though he knew she was right. He ran at her voice, ran toward the doors, toward the other cats, batting lizards aside that offered little resistance, and all the while his senses screamed at him, rebelling, telling him to go back and save her. There was a loud beep behind him and the doors ahead began to close. He raced forward, determined now to get to the others.
Nyrris would make it somehow. She would make it. He would get to the other side of the door and when it closed shut behind him, she'd be out there already, chuckling weakly and cracking some joke about how she had both he and Mumm-Ra fooled.
Suddenly he realized why Tygra had always said he was a bad liar.
He was just through, the doors almost completely sealed behind him, when he heard a double scream coming from inside the temple, a woman's scream of torment and a man's roar of pain. He spun on his heel, the door shutting too fast for him to fling out his hand.
"NYRRIS!"
She had seen the spell seconds before it had formed, and without thinking, she had rushed forward, her feet taking her not to her friend, but straight toward his worst enemy. Those crimson eyes followed her approach, and he released the spell in time to catch her hands, long, thin fingers twining between her own and coming down in a vice grip, his thin mouth stretching into a terrifying smile.
It only took a second for her to feel something bolstering her spirit, dragging her senses further into her mind, to a strange, quiet pool of energy that laid in wait.
"Nyrris!" Lion-O yelled from somewhere behind her as she latched onto the energy, pulling it out. She risked a sideways glance over her shoulder and managed to grate out against the strain of the—of her—mysterious energy a response.
"Run, Lion-O! GO! I'll be right behind you!"
For the second time that hour she heard Mumm-Ra laugh, a dark chuckle that only heightened the terror his leer inspired. "Hardly," he said, "I told you, you won't be leaving here alive."
She felt his spell beginning against her palms, and tugged at her own energy. It felt alive, strong, and strangest of all, hungry. It wanted to pull power from his spell, to add it to its own force.
Was this her power, then? Was this what the power of a warlock always felt like?
How long had her aunt kept it hidden from her all those years?
"Nyrris!" she heard Lion-O yell again as the electric fire of sorcerous magic slammed into her arms like a galeforce wind, buoyed by invisible strength. Her energy responded instantly, fighting to absorb the spell, to draw it deeper inside her flesh, and she fought against it, trying to block out the mental connection to the magic. Her eyes welling up from the effort and pain, she looked over her shoulder at him one last time, speaking through gritted teeth.
"GO!"
Finally he responded, turning and running, despite the look on his face that declared it was the last thing he wanted to be doing. Relief registered in the back of her mind as she turned back to Mumm-Ra, whose smile had melted into a fierce scowl.
"How abhorrently touching," he hissed, regathering the force behind his spell, making her give a soft cry of pain, "Perhaps one day I shall order you to kill him."
Anger surged inside her again, numbing some of the pain. "No one orders a gypsy, corpse-breath," she hissed back, "And I bow the knee to no one!"
"You'll bow to me."
His spell attacked her with renewed vigor, its energy mixing with her own like intertwining tongues of fire, and his cold, skeletal hands gripped hers even tighter as she began to scream.
"Submit." he snarled, forcing her down. She struggled briefly, shaking and trembling against it, until finally one of her knees touched the floor in a half-bow.
And in that instant, her magic broke free of its restraints, tracing the same lines back up and into Mumm-Ra's spell, sending an equal amount of force back against him, and he began to scream as well, a roar of pain and surprise that echoed and danced off the walls. And for a brief second, one other voice screamed as well.
"NYRRIS!"
There was a low rumbling shudder as the doors to the temple shut once more, and the tremor that followed rocked Nyrris's precarious balance, making her fall forward onto both knees, nearly pulling Mumm-Ra down as well. And the spell surged on, attacking them both, burning deeper and deeper, piercing both demon and cat completely from the inside-out with its force. And when at last it did recede, it left Nyrris drained and exhausted, unconscious before she fell limply to the floor.