Bred: Cheetara's Ordeal

---
Cheetara raced toward the edge of the forest. Out for her morning high-speed run, she was finding the
heat of Third Earth’s sun unusually oppressive today, and she looked forward to finishing in the shade.
Also, this particular forest was the abode of the Warrior Maidens—long-standing allies of the
Thundercats—so she knew the forest would be free of roving Mutants and other potential threats.
Or so she thought. Just as Cheetara streaked into the forest, she heard a “bang!” from above. She looked up
to see a weighted net descending upon her rapidly. It was too late to avoid it; her super-speed made her
fast but afforded little maneuverability.
The net closed around her, not merely entangling her but gripping her body like a python. Still moving at
high speed, Cheetara crashed to the ground and slid several feet through the dirt and weeds before her
tremendous velocity dissipated. Sprawled on her stomach, she turned her head and saw a huge figure
leaping down from the tree branches above. The sun was at its back, so she could not see more than its
outline—a large humanoid of some kind.
“Let me go!” Cheetara shouted as the being picked her up and slung her over its shoulder, next to some
sort of large-barreled gun that it must have used to fire the net. “Release me, before the other
Thundercats find you and force you to.”
The creature snorted and, in a deep, male voice, said, “Good. We will kill the males and take the females
as easily as we have taken you.”
Cheetara quickly discovered the thrashing and writhing against the net was useless, as movement only
seemed to make it tighten more. Besides, even if the net were to miraculously drop off, the huge man’s
iron grip around Cheetara’s legs seemed inescapable.
Judging by the distance between her head and the ground, Cheetara surmised that her captor was at
least 7 feet tall. Blue-gray fur covered muscles larger than those of any Thundercat she knew; even
Panthro would seem puny standing next to this creature.
As her captor walked on, Cheetara could hear screams and shouts from somewhere up ahead. They all
sounded female.
“Why are you attacking the Warrior Maidens?” Cheetara demanded. “Surely they’ve done nothing to you!”
“We need strong females for breeding,” the huge man said lustily. “We will take the best of them to our
world and leave the rest behind. That is the way of the Olanites.”
Cheetara’s head spun with terror. Breeding? Somehow, she had to get away, both for her own sake and to
help the others. But at the moment, there was simply no escape.
The Olanite carried Cheetara up a ramp onto some sort of spacecraft. He passed through a door at the top
of the ramp, then a second door nearby, stopping in a short corridor with a row of 5 open steel doors.
Beyond each door was a 5- by 7-foot cell. There was no bed, but the floor and walls were padded, and
there was something that looked like a retractable sink and a commode in the back.
The man tossed Cheetara backside-first onto the padded floor of the first cell and leered at her. For the
first time, Cheetara could clearly see the Olanite’s face: short fangs protruded from his upper jaw over
his bottom lip, which was curled with a mix of disdain, malice, and lust. His yellow eyes were bright and
piercing.
“My name is Groth,” he growled. “Soon you will know me very well.”
He laughed cruelly as he slammed the solid steel door shut, leaving Cheetara in near darkness.
***
Soon, Cheetara felt the deck beneath her vibrate. They were taking off.
Still bound by the net, she rolled herself over to the door and felt around it, trying to find a weak spot,
or maybe an access panel she could force open to hotwire the lock. There was nothing. The door was
inches thick, and all access to its controls appeared to be from the outside. Not that any of that would
have been very helpful, given that she hadn't yet found a way to escape the net.
Cheetara inched over to the wall between her cell and the next and tried whispering through it. “Willa,
Nayda, can you hear me?”
When there was no response, she tried again, more loudly. Nothing. When she got one foot close enough
to strike it against the wall, there was no sound, and it became clear that although she could hear noise
from the hallway, the cells were soundproofed from each other.
Soon, the vibration shifted, making it clear to Cheetara that the ship had left Third Earth's atmosphere.
A few minutes later, light began to stream through a little square window in the steel door. Just as
Cheetara began to consider how she might get to her feet to take a look outside, an Olanite face appeared
in the window—slit-pupiled bright-green eyes, a strong jaw, and a mouth with fangs a bit shorter than
Groth’s.
“Excellent,” the creature said. “This one looks especially strong and healthy. I look forward to
impregnating her.” His voice was like heavy gravel.
Another set of footsteps approached. When the second being spoke, she recognized the voice as Groth’s.
“We shall see, Leader Thruun.”
The window slid abruptly shut.
***
Perhaps half an hour later, the cell door opened. Cheetara blinked at the bright light that flooded in past
Groth’s silhouetted figure in the doorway.
“Time to prepare you,” Groth said. He lifted her net-bound body up over his shoulder and carried her out
of the cell, down the hall past the other cells, and through a door just beyond them.
Cheetara didn’t try to fight; she was more interested in information. “Why are the walls between the
cells soundproofed? Are you afraid the Warrior Maidens and I will form a plot to escape?”
“Not at all,” said Groth. “Escape is impossible. We simply believe that communicating with the others will
slow your acceptance of your new life.”
Cheetara didn’t like the sound of that.
After a short trip down another corridor, Groth opened the door to a room Cheetara had not yet seen.
Like her cell, this new room was padded, but it was far larger, perhaps 30’ on a side. There was also an X-
shaped table of sorts, with padded cuffs attached to the end of each of its arms. Opposite the door was a
row of portholes that looked out into space. The pinprick stars were like cold, distant eyes in the dark.
Groth tossed Cheetara to the floor and pulled a big knife from his belt, making the Thundercat gasp.
Grasping the net near Cheetara’s right hip, he cut a 2-foot gap into in the net right where she kept her
retractable quarterstaff. He took the weapon from her and made it extend.
“An amusing toy,” Groth said, “but you will no longer need it.”
He retracted the staff and dropped it into a chute on the wall. There was a hissing sound, and then,
through the portholes, Cheetara watched her weapon float away into space.
With one arm, Groth lifted Cheetara to her feet. She was shocked by his strength; even Panthro could not
lift her so easily.
The big Olanite held Cheetara by the wrist and cut away the rest of the net. When he finished, he moved
to sheathe his knife, and Cheetara saw her opportunity. With her free arm, she punched Groth in the chin
as hard as she could.
Later, Cheetara would be unable to decide which had hurt more—the pain of her knuckles striking
Groth’s stone-like jaw, or the off-hand slap he gave her in return that sent her sprawling on the padded
floor. Her head spun; he’d hit her with only his open hand, and yet he had nearly knocked her senseless.
Groth looked down at her and chuckled.
“No female is strong enough to harm an Olanite, little kitten.” He pointed to the X-shaped table. “Now
that you have learned that, lie down here.”
Cheetara froze. She dreaded what would happen if she got onto the table, and yet she feared the
consequences if she didn’t. With these opposing fears battling in her head, Cheetara could only lay on the
floor where she had fallen and stare at Groth with blank, animal fear.
Snorting in irritation, Groth yanked Cheetara to her feet. He grabbed her left breast in his huge right
hand and squeezed it hard, making her whimper in pain.
“You,” he growled, “will learn to obey, female. The only choices you will have from now on will be to do as
you are told, or to be punished and then MADE to do so.”
Groth released Cheetara’s wrist and looked at her with cruel curiosity, waiting for her response.
Wordlessly, Cheetara lay down on the table.
“Very good,” Groth rumbled. He walked around the table and closed the soft restraining cuffs around each
of her wrists and ankles, so that her body was kept in the same X shape as the table. He drew his knife
again and slit her unitard from her outer thigh to her neck, then ripped the garment away from her
body. He held the ruined unitard up to her eyes.
“You will never need this again, either,” he said.
Groth went to the wall chute and disposed of the unitard. Returning to the table, he pressed a button
under its side that caused the two arms of the table to which Cheetara’s legs were strapped to move
apart, spreading her thighs and fully exposing her now naked pussy. The Thundercat bit her lip in fear; if
she had had any doubt that she was going to be raped, it was gone now.
The door opened, and five more Olanites entered, including Thruun. Until now, Cheetara hadn’t seen any
of her captors other than Groth and Thruun, and she was surprised how much they differed from one
another. Their eyes were of different colors and had pupils of various shapes, their fangs were of
different lengths, and although they each had fur, some had more than others, the rest of their bodies
being covered with skin or scales.
Regardless of their physical differences, all of the Olanites looked at Cheetara with undisguised,
predatory lust. All were naked and, much to Cheetara’s horror, each sported a huge, erect penis. The
smallest looked 10 inches long! And all were thick—at least 2 inches in diameter.
Thruun, who was the tallest of the five Olanites who had just entered, stepped forward.
“Once again, Groth, well done,” he said as he moved between Cheetara’s spread legs. His hand ran through
her hair and down her neck, over her breasts and stomach, and down to her pussy, where it rested. “Very
well done. She shall be even more attractive when her belly is swollen with my son.”
He grasped his cock, which was a good 14 inches long and as thick as Cheetara’s forearm, and leered at her.
She was terrified; there was no way she could take that monstrous thing inside her.
“No,” Cheetara gasped, her terrified voice almost a whisper. “No!”
Thruun smiled evilly at her and used his hand to open the lips of her vagina. He guided his cockhead,
glistening with precum, to her opening and began to push it inside.
“AAAAAAAAAH!” Cheetara screamed as Thruun forced the head of his massive organ into her.
Cheetara had had sex on several occasions, but the size of the Olanite’s cock was such that she might as
well have been an eight-year-old virgin being raped by a grown man. Or possibly a horse.
Cheetara screamed again for every inch of cock that Thruun worked into her. The pitch of her screams
grew higher when his cockhead finally struck her cervix, at which point he began thrusting brutally in
and out of her.
The only blessing was that it didn’t last long. Thruun’s cruel, animal fucking of Cheetara went on for only
two minutes or so; then he half-grunted, half-roared as his hands clamped down painfully on her thighs
and his semen poured into her. The sheer amount was unbelievable; she could actually feel the hot, thick
liquid filling her cunt and overflowing her cervix into her womb. When Thruun pulled out, huge gobs of
semen oozed from her gaping pussy and splattered on the floor.
Cheetara gasped in relief at having Thruun’s enormous member out of her, but the feeling was short-
lived. No sooner had the Olanite leader stepped out from between Cheetara’s thighs than Groth moved to
take his place. It was the first time Cheetara had seen Groth’s penis, and she whined involuntarily in
fear; it was just as thick as Thruun’s and perhaps an inch longer.
A tear leaked from her eye as Groth, grinning lustfully at the Thundercat female, forced his manhood
into her. Unlike Thruun, Groth made his initial thrusts slow, pulling most of the way out each time and
then forcing the entire length of his cock back in again, pressing painfully against Cheetara’s cervix to
the point of forcing it open slightly with every slow, powerful thrust. It was agony, mentally and
physically, and it was clear that Groth wanted her to feel every moment of it.
After a few eternal minutes of slow, torturous thrusting, Groth increased his speed, ramming into
Cheetara again and again. His hands traveled up her body to her breasts, gripping them tightly as his cock
moved in and out of her. She gritted her teeth and prayed for the end to come soon.
It did. Groth squeezed Cheetara’s breasts painfully hard, thrust all the way into her, and came even more
prodigiously than Thruun had. Cheetara thought she could feel the Olanite’s hot spunk shoot straight into
her uterus, invading her like a barbarian army. The Thundercat cried out in despair; if the Olanites were
indeed capable of breeding with her, then surely she would be pregnant with an unwanted child very
soon.
Groth moved away, and one by one, the others took their turns with Cheetara. Each one fucked her hard,
hurting her inside, then filled her with an impossible volume of cum. And when the last one finished,
they began again: Thruun, then Groth, then the others. It went on for nearly two hours, long after
Cheetara no longer had the energy to scream.
When it was over, one of the Olanites released Cheetara’s limbs from the padded shackles, hoisted the
Thundercat onto his shoulder with ease, and carried her back down to the cell block. He tossed her on the
padded floor of her cell and closed the door, at which point warm water began to cascade from the
ceiling. A soap dispenser appeared from the wall near the door.
“Clean yourself up,” the Olanite said through the window in the door. “The water stops and the drying
cycle begins in four minutes.”
Cheetara cleaned herself as best she could, weeping all the while.
***
Shortly after the shower, food appeared from a slot in the wall. Cheetara ate but barely tasted it; she
was numb from her ordeal.
Later, about twelve hours after Cheetara had been taken from her cell for her gang rape, she heard a
shout from the hallway.
“Where are you taking me?!” cried a voice that was obviously Willa’s. Then the door to the cellblock
slammed, and Cheetara heard nothing more until it opened again two hours later, and Cheetara heard
water running through the pipes. The cycle repeated another twelve hours later, presumably with
Nayda.
Then, after another half-day passed, the process began again. Cheetara was taken from her cell by one of
the Olanites, strapped to what she now knew was called the breeding table, and raped over and over, just
as before. Another day and a half later, it happened a third time.
A few hours after the third rape session, the cell door opened, to Cheetara’s surprise. It was Groth; he
had news for her.
“The breeding sessions are over,” he told her. “Unless you and the other females are completely barren, all
of you are no doubt pregnant now. In two weeks, just before we land on Olan, we will test you to find out
which Olanite impregnated you, and you will become his property.”
“Why are you doing this?” Cheetara asked. “Why come so far through space to take me and the Warrior
Maidens? Are female Olanites not good enough for you?”
“There are no female Olanites,” Groth responded with unusual patience. “There never have been.”
“How-?” Cheetara began.
“When the first of us emerged, there were already three separate humanoid species on our planet, each
warring against the others for supremacy. The first Olanite was born from one of these species. He
resembled them, but he was stronger, tougher, and far more virile. More importantly, his reproductive
genes possessed great adaptability, being able to make themselves compatible with those of any of the
three species.
“He hid his differences from the others of his race and became a great soldier, which gave him the
opportunity to impregnate females from the enemy species, as well as his own. All of his offspring were
male, and each shared his strength and virility, and his adaptable DNA. Soon, they spread over the planet,
making every female their own. Many were raped, of course, but many others were willing—it is, of
course, every female’s deepest desire to be bred by a superior male, and the Olanites were superior to all.
“When we Olanites became masters of our planet, we renamed the world after our place of origin—the
city of Olan, on our northernmost continent—and began to make plans for the future. Native females
were becoming rare, you see. So we resolved that males who were of age would journey to the stars to
find new females. We would seek out only the best, whose genes would make our race ever stronger.
“And so, each Olanite, when he reaches maturity, may make three journeys to hunt for females with
qualities that could benefit our people. He may keep as many as he can capture and impregnate. If he can
do so at least once in those three journeys, he may take another three; otherwise, he is declared unfit
and may journey no more.”
“But,” Cheetara asked, “why do your people seem to resemble the Mutants?”
Without warning, Groth slapped Cheetara across the face, knocking her to the ground. “Mutants!” he
shouted. “Never speak of them! They are a source of shame, our people’s genetic excrement.”
Scowling, he explained. “When we first began to voyage to the stars to hunt for females, we forbade those
of us who were clearly inferior to make these journeys. But a few of the least worthy Olanites stole a
ship, found the nearest planets with something resembling intelligent life, and mated with every female
they could find. Many were no more than animals. And thus, they created a race of inferior beings,
fecund but lowly in every way.
"These days," he added, "we castrate those who are obviously inferior, to prevent such things from
happening again."
He turned a leering eye on Cheetara. “But I am not here to tell you stories. I am here because, now that
you are surely pregnant, any of us can make use of you at any time until we return to Olan. And I intend
to.”
Cheetara saw Groth’s huge erection begin to rise beneath his loincloth.
“Now get on your knees, and open your mouth.”
She considered resisting—fighting back, or even biting his penis—but she knew there was no point.
Even if she somehow completely disabled Groth, there was no way out of the cell block, and certainly no
way off the ship.
Instead, she obeyed, sinking to her knees and opening her mouth. Groth forced the head of his huge cock
in, stretching her lips wide.
“Suck,” the Olanite commanded.
Cheetara did as she was told. Apparently, it was to Groth's liking, because he smiled and made a deep
sound of pleasure.
"Yes," he said, noticing her watching his face, "look up at me as you suck my cock. Remember that you are
only safe as long as there is a smile on my face."
Cheetara continued sucking. She hated herself for doing it, but she tried to bob her head a little to
increase his pleasure, hoping to end her oral rape more quickly and to avoid a beating. Groth did indeed
seem to like it, but soon he grabbed her head and began thrusting in and out of her mouth, each time a
little more deeply, until her mouth was stretched painfully wide and his cockhead began jabbing at her
throat. She tried to swallow to keep it from choking her, which enabled Groth to fire what seemed like a
pint of cum down her throat.
As soon as he let go of Cheetara's head, she fell to the floor, coughing violently.
"Not bad," said Groth as he departed the Thundercat's cell, "but I will expect your skills to improve."
***
Cheetara had barely recovered her breath when her cell door opened again and another Olanite, whose
name she didn’t know, entered her cell, wordlessly forced Cheetara down, got on top of her, and raped her
until he came. When he opened the door to leave, Cheetara could hear screams from Willa and Nayda’s
cells; presumably, they were receiving similar treatment.
This went on all day and night. Olanites would show up whenever they wanted and rape whomever they
wanted, however they wanted. Cheetara had thought nothing could be worse than the hours-long gang
rapes she had suffered, but at least those had been predictable: You knew when they would come for you
and more or less what they would do to you. But now the Olanites took her whenever they liked, day or
night, and they used her in many different ways.
The first afternoon was especially bad. One of the lower-ranking Olanites—a red-furred, thickset one
named Beok—had entered Cheetara’s cell and told her to get down on all fours. Cheetara complied; she
had been raped in this position several times, so it was nothing new to her. Nor was she especially
surprised by the sudden discomfort of a thick Olanite finger sliding into her anus. But then he removed it
and grasped Cheetara’s hips, and Cheetara felt the bulbous head of Beok’s twelve-inch penis at the
entrance to her rear passage.
For a moment, all memory left her. She forgot to obey and forgot the consequences of not doing so as fear
flooded her and drowned out all thought.
“No!” she screamed, trying to crawl away. Beok grabbed her by the hair and shoved her face into the
padded floor so forcefully that she couldn’t breathe. As Cheetara struggled for air, Beok took advantage
of her distraction and shoved the head of his thick pole into her virgin anus.
“AAAAAAAH!” Cheetara shrieked. The thick cylinder of Beok’s shaft stretched her asshole far wider
than it was ever meant to stretch, and the feeling was like fire.
“STOP ! PLEASE! PLEEEEASE!” the Thundercat howled mindlessly.
“Get used to it, bitch!” Beok shouted. “When you become MY female, you’ll have my cock up your asshole
every night! Now have some more!” He thrust, pushing a few more inches into Cheetara’s bowels.
“AAAAAAH!” she screamed again. Then Beok began thrusting rhythmically, and Cheetara’s cries took on
the same rhythm. “Aaah! Aaah! Aaah! Aaah!” she shrieked until she became so tired and hoarse that her
screams devolved into grunts of agony.
Cheetara’s whole world was pain; it was the huge, invading cock deep in her rectum that dragged fiery
agony across her overstretched anus with every push and pull. She knew, felt, thought only pain, and she
wished for nothing save that it would end.
Finally, the giant, intruding monster released its searing-hot load into Cheetara’s bowels. She barely felt
Beok’s claw-like mails digging into her ass as he came; she didn’t hear his triumphant shout of ecstasy; she
only felt the gusher of his semen burning her insides like molten lead.
He pulled out of her and left her on the floor, laughing cruelly at this sight of her gaping anus as it
leaked copious amounts of his semen.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a vicious grin. “You’ll get used to it after the first twenty or thirty times.”
Cheetara wept.
***
The rapes went on and on. She was violated almost every hour of every day, sometimes barely having
enough time for a drink of water before another Olanite entered her cell to abuse her. Her entire world
became nothing but a series of huge, cruel cocks, penetrating her body roughly, painfully, deeply,
depositing what added up to gallons of semen in her womb, stomach, and bowels.
After almost two weeks, one of the Olanite crew entered Cheetara’s cell and took a sample of her blood.
Then, an hour later, the same Olanite came and escorted her from her cell into the breeding room. The
whole Olanite crew was there, waiting.
Willa and Nayda were there, too. Willa seemed exhausted and kept her eyes cast down, never looking
Cheetara or Nayda in the eye. Nayda looked even worse; her eyes were red and puffy, presumably from
crying, and her posture was slumped. All of her former pride and fierceness were gone.
Thruun, the leader, spoke. “Today, we learn which of us has impregnated each of these females. From this
moment forward, each female will belong to that Olanite alone, and no other may touch her without
permission.”
He took three slips of paper from his pocket and looked at the first one. Then he walked over to Willa.
“This one,” he said triumphantly, “belongs to me!”
Willa had no reaction. She didn’t even look up.
Thruun then walked over to Nayda. “This one belongs to Beok!”
Beok looked at Nayda with an evil, victorious grin. Nayda burst into tears.
“And this one,” Thruun said, stepping over to Cheetara,“belongs to Groth!”
Cheetara wasn't surprised. Somehow, she'd known it would be him.
"Now," Thruun continued, "take these back to their cells and prepare for landing."
So this is it, thought Cheetara. I am Groth's property, and I will bear his child. And he will rape me
whenever he wishes.
She tried to find some glimmer of hope in the situation. Maybe the other Thundercats would come to
rescue her. In fact, she was certain that they would try.
She was far from certain that they would succeed.

Brides of Evil
---
Cheetara awoke slowly, her head throbbing. The last thing she remembered was a fight with the Mutants.
The ThunderCats had been winning, as usual, when suddenly-
Her eyes flew open, and she found herself inside Mumm-Ra's Black Pyramid. She tried to move her arms
but could not; she was chained to one of the four statues of the Ancient Spirits of Evil. Looking up, she
saw three other figures—all familiar—chained to the other three statues: fellow ThunderCats
Wilykit and Pumyra, and, to her surprise, Chilla of the Lunataks. In the center of the room, between the
four statues, stood Mumm-Ra and Jackalman.
"Of all of the mutants, the Spirits have chosen you to be their vessel,” Mumm-Ra said to Jackalman in his
deep, gravelly voice. “Since the days of First Earth, the jackal has been their totem, embodying their
cunning and cruelty. Be grateful!"
Jackalman looked dubious but said nothing. He was only cooperating with this scheme because Slithe had
ordered him to. Although the idea of sharing in Mumm-Ra’s considerable magical power was intriguing…
Mumm-Ra raised his gray, bandaged hands, and crackling blue-black bolts of energy surged from the four
statues to strike the mutant. Cheetara could feel the energy of the statue to which she was chained
flowing out of it and leaping through the air like dark lightning to enter Jackalman’s body. The Mutant
screeched with pain for a moment, then his tone changed, deepening, becoming more like a roar of
triumph. When it was over, Jackalman hung his head for a moment, breathing hard.
“Let us go, Mumm-Ra,” Cheetara demanded. “Whatever your plan is, it won’t succeed—none of them ever
do. And why are you holding Chilla? Isn’t she on your side?”
“The enemy of my enemy,” Mumm-Ra grated, “is not necessarily my friend. I paid the other Lunataks to
deliver her to me, as she is needed for my plans."
Mumm-Ra walked toward Wilykit. “As for this one,” he continued, “she is too small and young for my
purposes, but I have the means to change that." He raised his hands and began to chant.
"Leave her alone, you monster!" Cheetara yelled as she struggled futilely against her bonds.
Mumm-Ra ignored her and continued casting his spell. Dark energy surrounded Kit, and before Cheetara’s
eyes, the prepubescent child’s body lengthened and filled out, aging until Wilykit appeared to be about
the same age as Cheetara.
“What have you done, Mumm-Ra?” Cheetara demanded. “What’s the point of this?”
“You shall discover that soon enough,” Mumm-Ra rasped. He eyed the other chained women. “You all shall.”
"Is it time? I demand my brides!” the possessed Jackalman roared. He sounded as though he were speaking
in five voices at once—his own, and four others that were far more terrifying.
"The time draws near,” Mumm-Ra assured him. “The stars will soon align, and the ritual can begin."
"Brides?!" Cheetara cried. Looking at the other chained women—especially the now-adult Wilykit—
the ThunderCat realized that Mumm-Ra’s plan, whatever it was, would surely have horrific implications
for them all.
"Lion-O and the others will stop you," she growled, trying to be menacing despite her anxiety.
"Stupid female,” Jackalman hissed. “The other mutants are causing havoc on the other side of Third Earth;
while the ThunderCats fight them, we will complete the ritual undisturbed."
Cheetara now took a good look at Jackalman. Superficially, he appeared unchanged, and yet he seemed
somehow bigger, more powerful. His eyes, once darting and cowardly, now glinted like black jewels, filled
with malice.
"What do you want from us?" she demanded.
Jackalman grabbed her face in one hand.
"Soon, you will belong to us, the Spirits of Evil…my bride," he said cruelly, then forced his lips against
hers. She could feel the crackle of powerful dark magic beneath his skin even as she tried to turn her
head away. She did not succeed; in his possessed state, Jackalman had unnatural strength.
When he pulled away, she spat in disgust and snarled at him. Ignoring her, Mumm-Ra moved to the
middle of the chamber. The other three prisoners were beginning to awaken, just in time to hear him
speak.
"Ancient Spirits of Evil,” he intoned, “at long last, your time has come. Now, with Jackalman as your
vessel, you shall take your brides. Through them you shall sire powerful warriors who shall defeat the
ThunderCats once and for all."
Cheetara’s jaw fell open, and she saw the other women, despite their dazed state, have similar reactions.
Behind Mumm-Ra, a stone altar appeared.
"Never!" Cheetara yelled, forcing the spirit-infused Jackalman to look at her.
"You shall be the first bride," he commanded, grabbing her and releasing her chains seemingly by thought
alone, only to drag her to the altar and shackle her to it. Then he drew a jeweled dagger from his belt
and quickly cut her unitard from her body, leaving her naked save for her boots.
Meanwhile, Mumm-Ra raised his palms toward the ceiling again and chanted as he stared, unblinking, at
the other three females. Moments later, their eyes went blank, and they began to chant tonelessly along
with him.
Then Jackalman reached down and tore his boots from his legs, then his shoulder armor, and finally his
loincloth. Now, he stood naked before Cheetara.
She looked at his crotch and gasped. His member, fully erect, was more than ten inches long and nearly as
thick as her ankle. Was this some enhancement by the Spirits, or had he always been this well endowed?
Either way, she shuddered as she realized what the possessed Mutant was about to do.
“Jackalman!” Cheetara shouted desperately. “Don’t do this!”
He leaned toward her, leering. “Fool, can you not see that I am no longer Jackalman? From this time
forward, I shall be known as Anx-Ka, the Living Spirit. But you will simply call me”—he grasped one of
her breasts and squeezed it obscenely, looking at her as if he were appraising an animal he was about to
buy—“Master.”
He effortlessly forced her back onto the altar, then pulled her legs apart just as easily. His plum-sized
cockhead was dripping with precum.
“No!” the ThunderCat screamed helplessly.
“Fear not,” Jackalman said with heavy irony. “You will give birth to the future.”
There were no preliminaries—Jackalman simply rammed his massive cock into her. She tried to steel
herself against the pain but could not hold back a scream. And then another, and another, as Jackalman’s
huge member penetrated her again and again.
“Stop!” she shrieked mindlessly, her considerable courage now exhausted. “PLEASE!”
He raped her mercilessly, plunging into her depths over and over, a look of blissful cruelty on his face.
Each time the pain began to dim and Cheetara thought she might be finally getting used to his size, he
accelerated his pace, fucking her ever more violently. Only her chains kept his powerful thrusts from
pushing her off the altar.
After what seemed like an eternity to Cheetara, Jackalman roared and thrust himself balls-deep into his
victim as he flooded her with a torrent of scalding-hot semen. Cheetara screamed one final time, then
fell silent as she felt both her strength and her will slip away, drained from within.
Jackalman unchained Cheetara, lifted her up by her ankles, and chained her to the statue again, this time
upside down. “To increase the chance of conception,” he explained, voice dripping with cruelty. “Although
I relish the thought of ravishing you again, and again.”
Without the least pause, Jackalman unchained Pumyra, who was fully awake now and screamed her
defiance at him. But her protests were as useless as Cheetara’s, and Jackalman soon had her shackled to
the altar, legs spread wide as he violated her as viciously as he had her fellow ThunderCat. Mumm-Ra
had resumed his chanting, and Cheetara was forced against her will to chant along with him. Even though
she desperately wanted to close her eyes, she found herself compelled to watch and listen, taking in
every moment of Pumyra’s rape.
Jackalman chose Wilykit next. Although she now had an adult body, she was still a virgin, unlike
Cheetara and Pumyra. Cheetara’s heart ached as she watched Jackalman chain her to the altar, and she
summoned up just enough will to say, in barely more than a whisper, “It will be all right.”
Eyes full of terror and hopelessness, Wilykit looked back at her and said, “No, it won’t.”
Wilykit’s screams were the most horrible of all, and yet Cheetara again could not look away, let alone
cover her ears, as she was forced to chant in unison with Mumm-Ra and her fellow captives. The girl’s
thighs were streaked with blood when Jackalman finally returned her to her statue.
Mumm-Ra, for his part, watched the series of rapes with detachment. His physical body had died long ago,
so he had no more interest in or need for sexual intercourse than he had for food or water. This scene
held interest for him solely because it would mean the downfall of the ThunderCats and his ultimate
triumph.
Finally, Jackalman unchained Chilla and brought her to the altar.
“Anx-Ka, unlike these weak females,” she said, indicating the others with her chin, “I wish to bear your
child and sit beside your throne. Clearly, you are Third Earth’s new master, and I am pleased that you
have chosen me to bear your offspring.”
This flattery actually seemed to work. Jackalman did not chain Chilla to the altar, but allowed her to
strip off her own clothing and lie down. She spread her legs, an inviting look on her face, and said, “Take
me. Make me your bride.”
Jackalman flashed a toothy grin. “Ah,” he said, “a female who understands her place in my regime.”
He mounted Chilla and pushed his long, thick cock into her. She groaned but did not resist; rather, she put
her arms around his muscular back and began to match the rhythm of his thrusts, fucking her hips up at
him to maximize his penetration.
Cheetara didn’t know which was more revolting—seeing a lowly creature like Jackalman rise to such
power, or watching Chilla become his willing whore merely because of that power. But as before, she
could not stop watching their fornication.
Having already come three times in the last half-hour, Jackalman lasted quite a bit longer with Chilla
than he had with the others. He pumped the Lunatak hard but steadily as she wrapped her legs around
him and pulled him into her again and again, moaning with pleasure. She seemed to be enjoying the length
and thickness of his cock, and Cheetara, although disgusted by the scene, wondered whether male
Lunataks were not so well equipped.
Finally, after almost fifteen minutes of deep, continuous fucking, Jackalman sped up his thrusts and came
inside Chilla. She screamed with pleasure, and her fingernails raked his back in her ecstasy as she came
along with him. Cheetara noticed that the deep scratches healed almost instantly, and she realized that
even if she were unshackled and had control of her body, she would have virtually no chance of harming
Jackalman.
Chilla sat up and ran her hands over Jackalman’s chest.
“Master,” she said, inclining her head in a show of demure submission, “although you have no doubt
impregnated us all, I sense that you are still not yet sated. How may we satisfy you?”
Jackalman smiled, his fangs glinting in the dim light. “You are perceptive, my bride. Mumm-Ra made a fine
choice when he selected you for me. So I will let you decide how you and my other brides can best
service me, to see whether you can truly satisfy me.”
Jackalman raised his hand and passed it over Chilla’s eyes. They glowed green for a moment, then faded
back to their usual yellow.
Chilla walked over to Cheetara.
“We carry inside us the future of Third Earth, Cheetara. It is an unparalleled honor, and you owe your
master gratitude.”
The green glow returned to Chilla’s eyes. She touched Cheetara’s shackles, and they opened at once.
Cheetara realized what the green glow meant; Jackalman had shared with Chilla his power over his
brides.
“Come and kneel before Anx-Ka,” Chilla said.
Inwardly, Cheetara howled in protest, but her body was no longer hers; she could only watch from within
as she obediently knelt at Jackalman’s feet.
Almost casually, Chilla added, “Now suck his cock.”
Cheetara couldn’t think of anything more vile. Jackalman’s huge penis had penetrated them all and was
covered in sexual fluids and a few streaks of Wilykit’s virginal blood. Cheetara wanted to scream, to cry,
to vomit, to do anything but put that horrible member in her mouth, but she could not make her body
refuse Chilla’s command, even though she could see and feel and taste everything as she took Jackalman’s
cockhead between her lips and began to suck.
Even as Cheetara sucked him, Jackalman turned to Mumm-Ra. “You have done all that is needed here. I
wish to be alone with my brides. Go and prepare a bedchamber for me and my women.”
Mumm-Ra could barely contain his shock. It had been millennia since anyone had ever dared speak to him
in such a manner, as though he were a mere servant. But he realized that he was in an impossible position.
His power and immortality were entirely derived from the Spirits of Evil. Jackalman—now Anx-Ka—
could take those away with a wave of his hand, leaving Mumm-Ra a powerless, lifeless corpse.
This was the price of defeating the ThunderCats forever. They would no longer be the dominant force on
Third Earth, but neither would Mumm-Ra. Anx-Ka was this world’s master, now and for ages to come.
“Yes, of course,” Mumm-Ra said, backing toward the chamber’s entrance.
“Yes of course what?” Jackalman demanded.
“…Master,” Mumm-Ra muttered, then slipped away in shame.
Meanwhile, Chilla was watching with interest as Cheetara continued to suck Jackalman’s cock.
“Deeper,” she commanded. “Take it into your throat.”
Cheetara couldn’t disobey, or protest, or even so much as gag. She could only swallow Jackalman’s thick
cockshaft, which stretched her throat from within.
Chilla turned to Pumyra, who was simply watching, her eyes glassy.
“You—lick your master’s balls.” Pumyra had no response except to approach Jackalman from behind,
kneel so that she faced Cheetara, and do as she was told.
“And you,” Chilla continued as she directed her gaze at Wilykit, “you have a new body now. Come and let
me inspect it.”
Wilykit obeyed. Chilla’s hands went right to the girl’s small, naked breasts, fondling them as Chilla smiled
with cruel pleasure.
“Hmm,” Chilla said curiously. “I wonder how far my control over your body goes?” Then, placing her palms
firmly over Wilykit’s breasts, she said, “Bigger.”
Chila’s eyes glowed green as the girl’s breasts grew and expanded until Chilla’s hands could only just
cover them.
“Oh, how delightful!” Chilla cried. “Master, shall I grow her more for you? She should be able to feed your
child well, after all.”
“Indeed,” said Jackalman, placing his hands on Cheetara’s head. The ThunderCat was now bobbing her head
as his cock slid back and forth in her throat.
Chilla looked in Wilykit’s eyes and saw the barest hint of shame. Then she smiled widely and repeated,
“Bigger.”
Kit’s breasts grew again, not stopping until each one was nearly the size of her head. Chilla laughed
heartily.
“Oh, child, this is such fun!” she cried as she squeezed the girl’s breasts lustily. “Shall I keep growing them
until you can no longer hold up their weight? Until you can do nothing but lie on your back and let your
master breed you again and again?”
“Perhaps later,” said Jackalman. He pushed Cheetara’s head away until his cock exited her throat with a
wet pop. “It is time for YOU to satisfy me.”
He looked at Chilla, and instinctively, she knew what he wanted. And although she feared it, she dared
not leave him less than completely satisfied.
“Yes, Master,” she said submissively. She bent over the altar, fully exposing her hindquarters to him.
Jackalman moved behind her and grasped her hips. Chilla thanked the Moons of Plundarr that his cock
was slicked with Cheetara’s saliva.
He was not gentle with her as he forced his cock into her ass, but she made no sound of pain or discomfort.
She simply gripped the altar, knuckles white, and took his enormous member as it filled her rectum and
beyond. And her grip did not loosen one iota when he began to thrust into her, again and again and again.
Minute after minute she endured, panting and grunting as the others looked on blankly. The invading cock
stretched her ass painfully, bruised her deeply, but she made no complaint—not even when Jackalman
reached around her, squeezed her breasts in his big hands, and grew them until they were as large as
Wilykit’s.
Finally, he came in her, roaring, squeezing her ass hard enough to bruise as he ejaculated a great torrent
of semen into her aching bowels.
When he was fully spent, he pulled out of her, grasped her by her shoulders, and turned her around to
look him in his strange, possessed eyes.
“NOW I am satisfied,” he declared with a toothy smile.
***
Mumm-Ra entered the central chamber of the pyramid. His sarcophagus had once resided here, but this
chamber now served as the throne room of Anx-Ka. Mumm-Ra had long since stopped thinking of him as
Jackalman.
There the Living Spirit sat, contemplative, his brides around him. They were clad in white, drape-like
garments that would have barely preserved their modesty if they had still been capable of modesty—
or any other sentiment that only those with free will can feel. Cheetara and Pumyra stood at Anx-Ka’s
sides, serving him food and massaging his cock, while Chilla lay on the floor with Wilykit, toying with
the ThunderCat’s now-massive breasts. She never seemed to tire of it.
It had been only three weeks since Anx-Ka’s rise and his impregnation of his four brides, but now they
were all heavily pregnant, their naked bellies immensely swollen. It would probably be only days before
they gave birth.
“What is it, Mumm-Ra?” Anx-Ka demanded.
“The remaining ThunderCats—those who survived their last assault on the pyramid—have been
attempting to spy on us again.”
“I am well aware,” Anx-Ka replied. “Foolish Tigra, thinking that his invisibility can shield him from my
eyes, unaware that I am all-seeing. Let them spy; their end approaches.”
“And what then, Master? What is the next step after you defeat the ThunderCats once and for all?”
“I was thinking we should visit the Warrior Maidens,” the Living Spirit replied. “After all, although I am
eternal, my brides will…wear out, eventually. I will be needing more.”
He laughed, and his laugh echoed off the walls, as if it would never stop.
Claws of Chaos
Lion-O sighed heavily as he read the report.

“If this is true….” Pumyra added “then we have a lot to worry about…..”
“I know……I knew it was too good to be true, where did this report come from?”
“From an off-world operative…..very experienced, I have no reason to doubt it’s accuracy….”
“Then we should get him back here for a full debrief…..”
Pumyra looked awkward for a moment, then her shoulders sagged and she handed him a second
piece of paper.
“That brings me to the second report……”
Lion-O’s eyes scanned from side to side and his brow furrowed.
“Dead?”
“I’m afraid so my Lord, it would appear that we are not the only people to employ field
operatives…..”
“This shall not stand…..he was murdered whilst doing our work…..that calls for the severest
penalty…..”
“Lion-O…..” Pumyra tried to calm him down. “…you know who we’re talking about here……I
truly doubt that he cares about your laws…what we need to do is work out what he is planning……”
“We need to call a full meeting, to decide what happens next…..by the way….what is that
symbol there??” Lion-O pointed to a small, smudged sigil at the based of the report from his operative.
“I’m not sure Lion-O……I will get it looked into……” she took the report from Lion-O.
“I’m calling a full meeting for two hours time……”
“I’m sure that will be enough time for the computers to resolve this sign…….” She nodded and
left Lion-O’s private chamber. Lion-O stood and walked across to the window and looked out a tiny
part of his vast domain. The weather was clear and sunny, it was mid-summer and the nearby town was
full of music and bunting as the festival season was in full-swing. All of his subjects were singing, dancing
and having fun, but he wondered for how much longer. The report matter weighed heavily in his heart,
but the death of the operative hurt him even more. If nothing else it proved that his fears were quite
founded and that the peace, calm and stability was nothing more than a big, tempting target for those
who wished him ill. He wanted to mobilise his army, his security forces…..everything…but mobilise
them where? And when? And how?? He sighed again, he knew that he’d have to wage another war…more
people would be killed in his name. Sometimes, just sometimes he hated being in charge.

Meanwhile.. Thunder rumbled overhead, perfect weather for the mood. A figure sat on the
stone throne, he threw some recently chewed on bones into the fire. A smaller figure approached the
throned figure and got on one knee.

“You summoned me sire?” he spoke softly.

“Indeed I did……..” the figure stood. “You have served me well….you have removed that
troublesome insider from the court of Lion-O, it will take many days before a new victim can be installed
to report back!” he ushered the kneeling figure to stand. “I have a new mission for you…one that
requires your….unique….talents….”
“I am honoured Sire!” he spoke softly and bowed.
“Here……here is who I want….he is to be brought to me without injury….well…..not dead
anyway…..” he grinned and narrowed his eyes. The shorter figure read and re-read, he then look
confused.
“My Lord…..are you sure? Alive you say?”
“That is correct…..”
“Until you eat him…maybe?”
The larger figure laughed, a sound which echoed around the stone walls.
“Not yet…….he has his uses…..”
The smaller figure raised his eyebrows. “I shall not fail you, Sire…..” he bowed.
“See that you don’t!” he sat back on his throne.

The time for the meeting drew near, Lion-O got washed and dressed and looked at himself in the
full-length mirror. Every inch a mighty ruler. Trusted. Loved. Respected by his people. They all knew
that Lion-O would protect them from all manner of evil, no ill would befall his subjects. Then the doubt
appeared again, and the breeze carried the sound of festival and music through his window. The sounds of
good, the sounds of light. The sound of the approaching storm? For he knew that for every hot sunny day,
a storm would surely follow. This time his storm had a name, it was a name to be feared a name that
would cease the music, happiness and light. The name was…..Grune……and he was back! Gaston
Schwenk sat in his small cell, bouncing a small rubber ball of the wall opposite where he sat. He did this
for hours at a time, well…..there was very little else to do whilst in solitary confinement. Schwenk had
been in solitary for almost a year now, and he preferred his own company. It wasn’t difficult to prefer.
Garan-Corda was a maximum security installation and most of the other prisoners were Thunderian, and
most had an axe to grind against the little human, both metaphorically and literally. In his humble
opinion the only thing he had to thank Lion-O for was signing that little piece of paper which put
Schwenk into solitary. Had it not been for that Schwenk would have been a stain nearly a year ago. Such
was his popularity than on three separate occasions inmates had actually tried to break in to solitary,
something that was previously unheard of. That piece of paper aside, Schwenk had nothing to thank Lion-
O for. He cast his mind back…….
“It what you might call….’rough justice’ Schwenk…..” Lion-O smirked.

“Rough jus…..you know I wasn’t even there that night….you have evidence!!” he shot back.
“Unfortunately that evidence was….lost……” he folded his arms.
“You son-of-a-bitch……this is a cheap, rotten setup!” Schwenk went to stand, but was forced
back into his chair by two burly guards who stood behind him.
“Aww, come on Schwenk…..so you might not have had anything to do with this explosion in the
marketplace…..but think of all the times you’ve gotten away with murder……it’s just cosmic
balance….” he smirked again.
“but what about justice? I thought that was a prime motivator…..” he reasoned.
“Don’t talk to me about justice!” Lion-O’s eyes narrowed. “I should have let Bengali rip your head
from your shoulders when he was going to….save all this trial nonsense…..”
“Trial nonsense? Oh Lion-O…you really have changed haven’t you?” this time Schwenk smirked.
“What has fuelled this healthy cynicism?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, human……you’re just a fly to be swatted away!” Lion-O growled.
“So how many thunderian lives has this fly ended? Oh, mighty leader” he smiled.
“Enough of this….you will be found guilty and you will be sent to prison for the rest of your
life!!”
“I’ll escape…..you know I always do……” he chewed his nail idlely.
 “That’s because you’ve always been sent to the wrong prison. Garan-Corda is a lot harder to
escape from……”
“What??? That’s a Thunderian prison…not for humans!”
“Until now…..goodbye Schwenk….see you in court!” he turned and left Schwenk to his ranting
and raging. Schwenk was tired of his rubber ball. He stood and looked out the cell window into the
night sky, seeing if he knew which direction New Thundera was….where Lion-O was.

The council chamber was full and they all sat waiting for Lion-O to explain why they were there
at such short notice.
“Friends…..I have come into receipt of a disturbing report from an off-world operative….a
recently murdered operative. It would seem that the waiting is over. It appears as if Grune has escaped
the astral prison he was in.”
There were groans and gasps from around the table.
“At this moment in time we’re not sure what his plans are, but I’m hoping that Pumyra can
enlighten us some……” he sat down and Pumyra stood.
“Thank you Lion-O. At the bottom of the report we received there was a small symbol written.
We assumed it’d be an important clue, and so it has turned out to be. The computer has deciphered the
symbol as representing the Claws of Chaos…..”
“But….that’s just a legend!” Panthro snorted.
“Not so much a legend…more of a mystery….” Tygra replied. “The Claws of Chaos are, in theory,
just as real as the Eye of Thundera itself. The main difference is that nobody knows what happened to the
Claws of Chaos……” he finished.
“Are we to assume that Grune is somehow trying to locate the Claws of Chaos?” Cheetara asked
Pumyra.
“That remains a possibility…….” she replied.
“How will he be able to find them??” Panthro asked.
“Well….that’s a good question….” Pumyra continued. “Millennia ago, when the true destructive
power of the Claws of Chaos became known, they were hidden and all Thunderian records were destroyed,
to prevent research being used by the forces of evil….”
“So…there now remains no record!” Lion-O said keenly.
 “Not exactly……I did some searching and found this….” She pulled out yellowed, torn and
tatty parchment. “It seems that despite the best efforts of the elders in destroying the thunderian
scripts…this remained hidden in plain view…..” she passed it to Tygra for closer scrutiny.
“I assume this is the same symbol…..” he pointed out with his claw.
“Yes…….”
“I’ve never seen the like before…..it’s not a language I recognise……how well did the
computer translate it?”
“It didn’t…….” she sighed. “It’s an ancient language called Lavinian, there hasn’t been a native
speaker for hundreds of years. I believe the secrets hidden within this manuscript would foil any
attempt at the computer using ‘guesswork logic’…. ”
“So if we cannot translate it….neither could Grune….” Bengali asked, hopefully.
“That is correct…….”
“So assuming neither he or us pull out that needle in a galactic sized haystack….we’re safe…..”
Lion-O asked.
“Well……” she looked uncertain.
“What’s wrong?” Panthro asked.
“Our records do confirm that there is at least one person who has enough knowledge of the
Lavinian language to translate this…….”
“..and that’s bad?” Lion-O was confused.
“Yes…..because the one person who could help us find the Claws of Chaos is currently sitting in a
small cell in Garan-Corda!”
“Great Jaga….no!” Lion-O stood.
“I’m afraid so…….Gaston Schwenk can at least read Lavinian….that much is certain…..” she
sat down and sighed. The Lord of the Thundercats sat in his private study and he was joined by
Tygra, Panthro and Pumyra. The discussion had been frank and at times heated.

“I really see no other way……” Pumyra shrugged.

 “There has to be…….” Panthro growled.
“What if I can modify the computer to try and break this code……” Tygra offered again.
“Like I’ve already said…this isn’t a code….it’s a language…a long dead language. Sure the
computer will give an estimation……but do you really want to risk a guess?”
Tygra looked awkwardly at Lion-O.
With a determined look Lion-O stood. “Very well……let’s put this in perspective……..he’s one
human…..we’ve caught him once…..he knows his place….we’re Thundercats, people…..not scaredy cats!”
“I agree…..” replied Tygra.
“Panthro? Pumrya?” Lion-O asked.
“Well…….” Panthro took a deep breath. “one wrong move…..”
“And he’s history…..I promise you!” Lion-O added quickly.
Pumyra nodded in accord.
“We need to get the Claws of Chaos before Grune does…….” Tygra spoke.
“..and we need to get Schwenk before Grune does too…..” Pumyra added.
“I need to prepare a shuttle…..I’m taking a trip to Garan-Corda!” Lion-O smiled. Twenty
hours later……..
A larger hand grabbed Schwenk’s shirtfront and lifted him from his slumbers.

“Come on monkey……you have a visitor!” the guard growled.

“Monkey? Monkey?? Yesterday I was ‘sleeping beauty’……what a difference a day makes!
Visitor? Who??” he yawned.
“You’ll see…….” two other guards arrived and Schwenk was double-cuffed and he shuffled down
the corridors to an empty interview room. He was shoved onto a small wooden stool and he leaned on a
creaky table. What happened next made him fall off his stool.
 “YOU!!” he spat and lunged headfirst at the lion, he was quickly subdued by the guards and placed
back on his stool.
“I was in the neighbourhood…thought I’d drop in and say ‘hi’….” he beckoned for the guards to
leave them.
“But…sire…..he is dangerous……..” one guard chirped up.
“Yes…..but he’s cuffed and I’ve buffed up my nails…..if you hear screaming….it’ll be him….not
me…..” he replied confidently. Lion-O sat as the guards left and locked the door. Schwenk remained
deeply unimpressed by his visitor.
“So tell me Schwenk….how is prison? I bet it’s a little quieter now you’re in solitary…..”
“I don’t have to talk to you…..” he said quietly. Lion-O got out a small fragment of paper and slid
it over to Schwenk.
“Love notes? How touching!” Schwenk snorted.
“Read it…..if you can!”
That piqued his curiosity. He glanced at the paper.
“Pretty shapes……how nice….” Came the simple response.
“What does it say?” Lion-O was getting anxious.
“How should I know??” came the response.
“Enough with the games Schwenk…….” Lion-O growled softly.
“Is this a game? Or….could it be that you…..mighty Lord Lion-O….need my help??”
He was flustered for a minute.
“Can you read it!?”
Schwenk just shrugged in response, the lion’s blood reached simmering point.
“I didn’t think you could…….Tygra bet me you could and I said you couldn’t …..lion wins
again…..” he smirked and put the paper in his pocket and stood. “Nice seeing you monkey…..” he went for
the door.
“So…what are the Claws of Chaos then?” Schwenk quickly spoke. In his mind Lion-O punched the
air.
 “I can cut you a deal Schwenk……translate a whole text of this language I can see a way to.. .I
don’t know…..making your life easier around here……”
“Life is easy enough thanks…..no deal…..”
Lion-O gritted his teeth slightly.
“OK….I need you to join me on a little….trip…….”
“No…sorry, not interested…….” He smirked, the lion’s eyes narrowed.
“Then you leave me no choice…….” He pulled out a green slip of paper. “You know what this is??”
“No….should I?”
“This is a slip that keeps you in solitary…….” He ripped it in half. “Ooopsy…….oh
well….plenty of room on the main wing for you….”
“But….but….they’ll kill me…You know they will!!” Lion-O hammered on the door, a guard
opened it.
“I’m done here……Mr Schwenk is to be taken to the main block….no more solitary for
him…….” The guard beamed at this news. “Yes sire…..straight away……..”
“NO!! Lion-O wait……wait……” he blurted. Lion-O spun on his heel and looked at the panicked
human. “Yes? You want something human??”
“I’ll do it! I’ll go with you!! ”
Lion-O paused and rubbed his chin. He watched as the human got more and more anxious. After
what seemed like an eternity he spoke to the guard. “Prepare for him to leave with me in twenty
minutes……..”
“Yes sire…..” the guard was dejected.

Chapter 2
Schwenk was ungraciously thrown into the brig of the shuttle in cuffs. The shuttle then sped
back to New Thundera where Bengali, Tygra and Pumyra had prepared a briefing room. One chair was
different from the others, it had leg and arm manacles built in.
 Schwenk was glad that the first destination, Ponta Kallan, was only a days travel at top speed.
Everybody had their own cabin, even Schwenk, except his was called ‘the brig’, and it wasn’t comfy in the
slightest. He was, however, let out for meals and sat at the table with the others, much to Bengali’s
disgust. Schwenk had decided the best bet, in the small confines of the ship was to ‘shut the hell up’, and
see what tomorrow brought.
A large pot of stew arrived and everybody helped themselves as did the human, who sniffed it
suspiciously.

“What’s the matter? I made this myself….” Pumyra asked.

“Just checking it’s cooked, that’s all……” Schwenk replied.
“Yes…..we cook our food, human…..” Bengali grunted.
“Good thing too….” He stopped short.
“Why?” the white tiger growled.
“Erm…..no reason. He smiled and avoided eye contact.
“What do you know of Ponta Kalla?” LionO asked Schwenk, keen to avoid overt confrontation.
“Why do you assume I know anything about Ponta Kalla……” he replied.
“Because you’ve travelled, it’s a port of commerce…need I go on?”
“I do wish you wouldn’t, but that’s another story…….yes, yes….I’ve been there once or twice,
what would you like to know?” he moaned
“Anything…….”
“Well……mostly felines live there, not so many Thunderians, but other feline races…..it’s a
busy city, has been for hundreds of generations. Impressive architecture….” He looked at Bengali. “That’s
big houses to you….” He sniped.
Bengali growled.
“Why would that be the first stop in looking for an ancient Thunderian treasure??” Tygra asked,
intrigued.
“Erm….hold on…..” Schwenk rubbed his temples. “Hmm…..the text says…..how the fuck should I
know?? Dope! Like I said….all will become clear….eventually….”
 “Let me clear these bowls away……” Pumyra quickly changed the subject. Tygra and Bengali
left the mess hall. Lion-O remained with Schwenk.
“Time for the brig again….” He cleared his throat and stood. “Possibly for your protection this
time……”
“Well……” he sighed “…that was a pretty dumb question…..this isn’t easy for me!” he
grumbled in response.
“…and neither will it be easy for me to clear up human blood from the walls and floor….” Lion-
O sighed as he gently held Schwenk’s shoulder and led him back to the brig.

The rain poured down and thunder shook the buildings. A very wet black panther crouched
amongst the rooftops, his shockingly yellow eyes obscured by a pair of black goggles. Unless someone was
on the rooftops looking for a black panther he would have gone very unnoticed. He shivered and shook
the water from his fur. He cursed the human, for it was he that he was getting wet for. He knew that
within a few hours the Thundercats would arrive….with Schwenk…..and then he would pounce….quite
possibly, literally. Once he saw the ship descend, the plan would commence, until that time Jinx wanted to
remain unseen, unnoticed….non-existent, it was his way. He had his orders….Schwenk was to remain
alive. To Jinx that seemed such a pity……if ever a human was born to have claws and teeth stuck into
him, it was the despised, reviled Gaston Schwenk. “Still…..” he thought “….I doubt Grune will give him
retirement and a pension plan….” He smirked, white teeth gleaming in the flash of lightening.
Soon….so very soon…….. The Thundercat cruiser drifted through the early morning
cloud deck. Ahead, on the horizon lay Ponta Kalla, the white marble of it’s spires and domes gleamed like
gold in the morning sun. The ship landed on the outskirts.

“Time to go, Schwenk……” Pumyra opened the brig.

“I thought they’d have the meat and muscle approach to letting me out….” He stretched and
approach the door.
“They were going to, but I suggested that sometimes the carrot and stick approach is better with
the carrot!” he smiled
“I agree wholeheartedly, but aren’t you afraid of me?”
Pumyra chuckled.
 “Oh please……don’t assume my being nice to you is a sign of weakness…..I can snap you like a
twig!” she winked. Schwenk just eyed her in something approaching an assessment. He was cuffed by the
hands and led out.
“There will come a time…” Lion-O addressed the human “..when you will need to be
uncuffed….when that time comes…..please don’t run…..”
“That seems a reasonable request……” he nodded
“If you do……I’ve promised Bengali can be the one to stop you in your tracks……”
“Ah……” the human nodded sagely.
“Please, human…….try and run…..dare you!” Bengali hissed as he walked past, barging him with
his shoulder.
“Where in Ponta Kalla?” Lion-O asked.
“Let’s see the text again……..” Schwenk asked. Lion-O duly held the text up. Schwenk scanned it.
“Right……..we need to head to the Temple of Fidelphus…..”
“Where’s that?” Tygra asked.
“You see that massive, big as you like dome? That’s it!” Schwenk indicated to an huge dome bathed
in sunlight above the mist covered city. The group headed off. By the time they had reached the
inner city the streets were filling with traders, customers and all sorts of visitors. There were
Thunderians, Bengalians, Oncans, mutants and humans.

“Busy place……” Pumyra noted.

“It is…..it stands at a cultural crossroads and there are all sorts here. Lion-O….I really think
handcuffs do me a disservice here…….please?”
Lion-O glanced at the others.
“Remember my warning…….” He removed the cuffs.
“Just one thing…….if the group gets separated how will you know I haven’t run away, just got
separated??”
Bengali grinned. “I’ll make that decision if you like!”
“I’ll stay with him come what may……” Pumyra offered.
 “No…..I think that’ll be my job…..” Lion-O insisted. Schwenk felt a little disappointed.
Whichever street they walked down they saw lots of monks and disciples.
“Who are all these people?”

“There are the Devout Order of Fidelphus…….”

“….and who is Fidelphus?” Bengali asked
“…wait and see…….” Schwenk added to the white tiger’s annoyance.
After a further half an hour they entered a large city square, in the middle was a truly
awesome building. Standing alone with columns and porticos. Steps led all the way to the ceremonial
doors at the front. “Come on…..let’s go inside…..” they started climbing the steps. They walked into
the main body of the temple, a mighty space it was. The floors were lined in white marble, the columns
were made of marble. There was enough space for two thousand devoted disciples to pray. At the business
end of the temple, underneath the might cupola was a statue at least a hundred feet high, coated in gold
leaf.

“Pretty amazing, huh?” Schwenk spoke quietly.

“So that’s Fidelphus?” Lion-O indicated to the statue.
“Oh no……that’s the statue of Gothris…..three headed. One looks to the past, one looks to the
future and the middle one…..stares right into your soul…..” he put on a scary deep voice.
“So who is Fidelphus then?” Pumyra asked
“Fidelphus isn’t a person…..more like….a concept…..to live a pure, humble and holy life……”
Schwenk nodded.
“You ought to be a pile of dust by now then!” Bengali added.
“Such irreverence in this holy place…..” Schwenk tutted.
“…and where’s the next clue??” Bengali continued impatiently.
“Over there……there’s pamphlets with the history of the temple in it…….it’s in there……”
“Right…….” Bengali stomped over.
Schwenk stood aghast.
 “Is he really…really….that stupid??” Schwenk asked to anyone who wanted to listen.
“Pumyra….” Lion-O spoke quietly “…stand between an angry tiger and the human……”
Schwenk looked on as the tiger flipped through the pamphlet, he then stopped, jaw open. The
pamphlet fell to the floor and the tigress walked meaningfully back. He was growling and pointing at the
human.
“Uh oh??” Schwenk stuck close to the female puma.
“Ben…..calm down……we shall talk of this later……..”
“Talk??” he replied incredulously “..he made a fool of me…..” he growled, never breaking gaze
with Schwenk.
“This is a holy place and we have work to do…….calm down…….” Lion-O said calmly and
levelly.
“Fine……” he growled and walked off.
“I swear…..I never thought he’d look……honest……” Schwenk whimpered.

“I suggest you find the next clue……quickly……it may be enough to avoid a large tiger
sitting on you later……..”
Schwenk slowly rotated, taking in the whole of the space.
“A place this size the clues can be hidden anywhere……and let’s face it….nobody…….has
ever found the Claws of Chaos…..not ever….so no pressure on me then, huh?” then, bizarrely he sat on
the marble floor, then lay back.
“Erm…..Schwenk……” Lion-O spoke awkwardly “This is no time for a rest……”
“I’m not resting…..I’m stargazing…….” He replied
Lion-O and the others looked up to the interior of the cupola. The whole dome was inlaid with
dark blue jasper and for starts were diamonds and rubies, highlighted with more gold.
“That’s fairly impressive…….” Tygra admitted.
“Come on tiger….you’re a scientist….lay next to me…..” Schwenk patted the floor.
 “Well….erm….thanks but…..”
“No seriously……lay down here…….” Lion-O nodded and Tygra reluctantly lay on the floor
looked up.
“So….what do you see?” the human asked
“Well……the night sky, the constellations……nothing out of the ordinary…..”
“You sure? Look closely…..”
Tygra sighed and looked again. His brow furrowed.
“Hmmm…..some of the constellations are slightly the wrong shape, the stars are out of
position….some more than others…..but all in all….they’re mostly correct…..this is an old chart, so
nothing unusual about that……”
“Oh Tygra….you disappoint on so many levels……man of science indeed…..”
“Watch your tongue human!” he snarled
“Precession of the stars…the altering positions takes tens of thousands of years to
notice…..this cupola…..about 700 years……”
“What are you saying Schwenk?” Pumyra asked
“The mistakes on this dome…..not mistakes at all…and not precession……”
“So now what?” Lion-O added
“There is an inlaid number at my feet I believe….what does it say?”
They looked down.
“There’s a number here…….2-7-0……two hundred and seventy……”
“Right…..Lion-O…I’m facing north so grab my ankles and spin me around to the west
please……..”
The lion shrugged and did as he was asked.
“Right……I need a pencil and paper…….” He clicked his fingers impatiently. Tygra gritted his
teeth and gave him the relevant supplies. After ten minutes he stood up.
 “Well???” Lion-O asked.
“Well?” he replied. “That floor is hard and cold………”
“You know what I mean……..”
“Let’s go back to the ship, huh?”
In the shadows a figure watched, his prey had got away this time………
The next day the room was occupied. “I can assure you…all these chains are wholly
unnecessary!” Schwenk protested, his observations went ignored. Eventually Lion-O came over with the
manuscript, it had been coated in toughened plastic, protecting it.

“Right……translate!” he stated flatly to Schwenk.

“No……not all of it!” he replied.
“What?? I told you….translate it for me….”
“..and I said ‘no’…. I’ll translate the first part for you…enough to get us going…..”
“You’re not coming with us…..”
“I don’t trust any of you…and why should I either…..you have no honour…I could translate
the whole lot…..and then you’d probably hang me……”
“….and that is certainly a tempting thought right now….” he growled. Pumyra interceded.
“Let me Lion-O…..” she sat next to Schwenk.
“Your life is in no danger….please…..translate this for us…..all of it….”
Schwenk eyed her suspiciously.
“Not possible…….” he replied.
“You mean you won’t……”
“Yes….but also I can’t……”
 “Wha….what do you mean??” she was confused.
“It would appear from a cursory glance that most of these references are relative….in other
words…..you need to translate the first part, go there….and then the next part becomes clear……as
it is….most of this is gobbledy-gook……” he smiled. “Maybe Lion-O can understand that part…..he
talks enough bollocks as it is!”
“Lion-O….let me spend five minutes with him…..he’ll translate it!!” Bengali growled and
narrowed his eyes as he stared at the human.
“No Lion-O…I think he’s telling the truth….”
“What? About Lion-O talking bollocks??” Schwenk beamed.
“It is quite likely that this text would not be a straight forward map given the importance of it’s
purpose….” Pumyra mused. “Tygra, do you think that’s likely?”
Tygra rubbed his chin and sighed. “It wouldn’t be the first time…….”
“You mean we have to take that with us!?” Bengali gestured at Schwenk and pulled a look of
disgust.
“Feelings mutual zebra-butt!” Schwenk sneered.
“Bengali, Tygra, Pumyra…..leave us for five minutes…..” Lion-O ordered, they left as Schwenk
began to worry.

Lion-O stood with his back to Schwenk and was silent for a moment.
“I’m a fair person, Schwenk…..I like to believe that there is good in everyone….but with
you….I think you’re a soulless bastard with no redeeming features!”
“I won’t wait for a birthday card then, huh?” Schwenk added.
“However…..it seems my hand is forced in this situation…it seems that you have to join us on
our mission……” he turned and grabbed Schwenk by the throat and lifted him as far from his chair as
the manacles would allow.
“I do hope you’re listening to this part Schwenny…..because it’s a matter of life and
death…..I’m tolerant…to a point….Pumyra and Tygra are very controlled and
calm….mostly……but Bengali….well…how shall I put this? He hates you at the best of times…and
should you piss him off when we’re on the road, it won’t matter how many maps you can translate…..he’ll
rip you to pieces, very slowly, very painfully…..understand??”
Schwenk nodded slowly.
“You have no more chances left…….you were a ‘lifer’ when we brought you here….any slip-
up…any trying to escape and….well….you’ll be an ex-monkey!” he grinned and squeezed a little tighter
and went nose to nose with the human, his eyes burning into Schwenk’s.
“Personally….a small part of me…well no….a large piece of me wants you to fail…because
after all those atrocities, after all the wise-mouth running of yours…..I’d love to have your blood on my
hands……but shhh…..don’t tell anyone.. .I have a reputation to maintain!” he winked and dropped
Schwenk. He sat there coughing for a few minutes.
“Are you able to tell me where our first destination is?” he asked flatly. Schwenk just about
managed a nod.
“Where??”
“Ponta Kalla …….” he croaked.
“Ponta Kalla? Interesting………” he got on his communicator. “Bengali, Tygra…Pumyra….get
in here……we’ve got a start!”

Chapter 3
The ships was moments from taking off when the comms crackled into life.

“Thundercat Cruiser……this is Ponta Kalla port authority, over……..”

“Port Authority, this is Thundercat Cruiser…..how can we help?”
“We have a severe storm coming through within the hour…..you cannot leave until tomorrow
at dawn…at the earliest…….”
“Port authority…….we can be up and gone in minutes…..long before the storm arrives…….”
 “That’s a negatory, Thundercat Cruiser……….port procedure dictates no shipping movement
until dawn……We apologise for the inconvenience……”
“We understand…..thanks for the notification…Thundercat Cruiser out…..” There was a
collective groan as the news sank in, a night stuck in Ponta Kalla.

“Make the most of the night…..go into town and hit the nightlife……it’s great!” Schwenk said,
without looking up from his pencil drawing.
“We haven’t got time for…..” Lion-O started
“..fun?” Schwenk cut-in. “About right…….Thundercats are famous for being stuffed shirts…..”
he snorted.
“HEY!” Bengali thumped the table.
“Calm down……..” Lion-O continued. “Maybe he’s right…….” He shrugged.
“Beni…..Tygra….Pumyra….Go back into town and take five, who knows when we’ll get the
chance again…….I’ll stay here with Schwenk….”
“Deep joy……” the human muttered.
“You have work to do……” Lion-O replied calmly. The others stood.
“We’ll be back by midnight…….four hours or so……” they turned and left.
Schwenk kept rotating the piece of paper.
“Any luck?” Lion-O sat opposite him.
“Not yet………the clue is here….but, at best it’s a collection of dots…..Remember this lesson
for life…..the devil is in the detail……” he pushed the paper to Lion-O.
“Does the pattern remind you of anything?”
The lion looked at the paper for several minutes, puffed his cheeks out.
“No…….nothing…..”
“Hmmm…..who’d have thought an unsolvable mystery would be so hard?!”
 “Do you ever remember a time when you weren’t a cocky son-of-a-bitch?”
“It is hard I have to confess…………maybe I am, but then you’re overly sensitive to it……”
he relied levelly.
“I’m trying to offer you advice…….please do not antagonise the stripes…..but then, you know
that!” Lion-O stated
“I do….but then again, sometimes it’s hard to say anything that won’t upset
them……particularly the white one……”
“Bengali is raw and there is no love lost between you two. Frankly, I need you alive and Bengali
is a threat to that…….”
“Ironic, don’t you think? With everything that is happening……your greatest security threat
is you own man…….”
“He will say that you’re our greatest threat…….”
“and what say you???”
“Not so much a threat as a mild irritation……an itch that can be scratched. Of course, if you
behaved yourself once in a while……our paths would never cross……”
“Behave? I do my job! Where I come from I’m allowed to do my job unhindered, and…..”
“And where we come from killing is not allowed!” Lion-O interrupted. “You want to earn killing
contracts…..go back to where you came from!”
“Really? I can go back home??”
“No! That’s not what I meant…..” he rubbed his forehead.
Schwenk said no more, no point in upsetting Lion-O…..without an audience. He kept looking at
the star chart.
“I assume this ship has all star charts on file, from all different perspectives?”
“Naturally…..this ship is fully equipped…..why?”
“Maybe if we scan these stars in to your database, it’ll tell us where we need to be to see the
stars in this alignment!”
 Lion-O briefly looked impressed. “Let’s try…….” The Lord of the Thundercats entered data
onto the ships navigational computer, a process that would, unfortunately take a couple of hours.
Meanwhile……..
Jinx wondered why the Thunderian vessel had not left the port yet. After half an hour he saw
distant lightning and knew the reason. He smirked. Ponta Kalla was always anal about such weather and
he now knew he had the whole night to secrete himself onboard that ship. He moved closer and, amazingly
a chance presented itself. Three Thundercats left the ship and he knew that the ship wasn’t locked or
alarmed. Now that left Schwenk on board that ship….and Lion-O. He was the problem, otherwise he and
the human would quickly be gone. He crept forwards to the ship and looked for the cargo bay. Once
located Jinx quietly opened the hatch and slipped in, closing the hatch and sealing himself in. Now, where
Schwenk went, he went.
Lion-O stretched and yawned. He pressed a button and then the computer started whirling
through simulations.

“How long will this take?” Schwenk asked

“Don’t know….I’ve never tried this before…..” he shrugged. The computer beeped.
[No Exact Match]
“What?!” Lion-O exclaimed.
“Shit!” Schwenk slumped in his chair. “No…wait…” he went to the computer.
“No exact match……list the percentage matches……”
Lion-O pressed a few buttons.
“There…..look……99.2% accuracy…….”
“Yes, but that is still 0.8% off……that’s a lot in terms of star maps……”
“OK, OK…yes….it is….” He rubbed his hands. He then clicked his fingers.
“Bring that 99.2% map up…….” It appeared on the screen.
“Right….now adjust this for 700 years ago…….”
“What?”
“Just do it……..please….”
The lion sighed and did so.
[100% Match]
 “You….you did it!”
“I did…didn’t I?” he smirked “Now…..I’m going to bed….in the brig….and keep every tiger
away from me!” he pointed his finger.
“I shall tell them…….I hope that by the time you wake we’ll be on our way to…….Saran…..”
he shrugged.
“I shall expect breakfast in bed!”
“You can expect a kick up the arse by Bengali then!” Lion-O answered with looking at him.
The human sighed and went back to his cot. He secreted the phial from the lining of his jacket. He
squeezed a drop of liquid on a small cut. The drop was absorbed and he replaced the phial. He then drifted
off into a drug induced sleep.
When Schwenk finally awoke in the brig the ship was well under way and heading for Saran.
“Hey…I need water. Tea? Coffee? Breakfast?!” he called.
He got a visit from Lion-O himself.
“We have a galley with all of that in it…but I’m not convinced you should have the run of the
ship…”
“The run? Oh please…I could amble the length of this ship in ten seconds!”
The lion frowned. “You know very well what I mean!”
“Yes. I do. But let’s be realistic…what do you really think I'll do?? Hijack the ship? Render you
all powerless?”
“Of course not…you’d be dead in seconds!” Lion-O boasted.
“Correct…so a bit of breakfast won’t really be much of a security threat, right?”
Lion-O swiftly realised he’d backed himself into a logical corner.
“Very well…You can come out…” he opened the door and the human walked out.
“It’s not very comfy in there…the bed is rock hard!”
“It’s not meant to be comfy…It’s a brig!”
“Well! The next time I speak with my travel agent I'll be demanding some kind of refund!”
Schwenk winked. Lion-O growled.
 “You really think your words affect me?”
“I doubt it, but still…it’s who I am…it’s what makes me, me!”
“Then maybe you can get your refund from your creator!” he snorted.
“Oh my! A joke…from the Lion King himself…I am honoured!!”
“Sit!” he grumbled. Pumyra entered the room. “You’re needed on the bridge, my Lord…I shall
attend to the human…” Lion-O looked most pleased and made his haste.
“Human?” Schwenk snorted. “A bit harsh…I do have a name, after all…”
“Yes, I know…but I thought you wanted Lion-O elsewhere…” Pumyra responded.
This struck Schwenk as a bit, well…odd.
“You wanted to be here with me?”
“No. Not really…but you and the boys always have arguments. I thought I’d pre-emptively
avoid the bloodshed…”
Schwenk raised an eyebrow.
“How touching…” he replied with a slight hint of sarcasm.
“Just trying to keep you alive, and if not that…at least from being mauled. You and your mouth
are on thin ice around this ship. You may be necessary at the moment, but don’t consider yourself
vital…That would be a mistake on your part!” Pumyra replied sagely.
“Well…ain’t you the angel…” he smirked.
“What do you mean by that?” Pumyra stopped pouring the coffee.
“Well….you…helping me, you’ve taken some sort of shine to me…”
“You are mistaken…” she placed the coffee cup down in front of him.
“I don’t think so…I know plenty of females who are attracted to…danger…”
“Whoa!! Wait!! You think I’m…attracted to you!” she gasped.
“You could do plenty worse than me!” he grinned. He then grabbed her wrist.
 “Get OFF me!” she growled and pulled away.
Schwenk looked cautiously to the bridge area, but nobody came.
“Oh come on…it was nothing really…You’ve lovely eyes as well…Reminds me
off….now…What was her name…Dora? Clara? Something like that…blue eyes, soft skin, warm
breathe and wonderful scent…” he stared at Pumyra. “But…but it was destined not to last…” he
looked down.
“Why? What happened?”
“Well…I’m not sure if it was the rape or the murder that ended the relationship…But I’m
guessing both were fairly terminal…Well, they were for her anyway…” he chuckled. Poor Pumyra
paled and she ran out of the galley. Schwenk chuckled and slurped his coffee loudly. The human’s moment
of satisfaction was indeed momentary as Lion-O walked back in.
“You and I are going to have a little chat!” he sat next to the human. “So…what did you say to
Pumyra?”
“Say? Now what makes me think I said anything?” he looked ahead, not at the lion.
“Pumyra does not easily upset, but upset she now is. Tygra wanted a more direct approach to you,
but I have now decided it’s best to talk…So….talk!”
“I have nothing to say. If the lady is ill at ease with talking to criminals, then I’d suggest a
career change for her. Maybe a florist or a baker!”
Lion-O tensed up. “Tell me what you said to her!”
“No!” came the simple response.
“If you’ve got nothing to hide then you can tell me…” the human now turned his head slowly to
the lion.
“Who says I’ve got nothing to hide!” he winked. Deep inside Lion-O’s insides he burnt white hot,
this human and his behaviour enraged him. “Unlike you…” Schwenk continued. “You’ve got plenty to
hide…right?”
“Don’t know what you mean…” he sniffed.
“Sure you do…the whole trial and fabricated evidence! That’s a whole lot to hide…”
“It was one or two things…nothing much…”
“Nothing….much?!” Schwenk frowned. “Nothing! Much!” he growled. Lion-O noticed that he had
now got the human’s interest in a complete turnaround.
 “Sure…nothing much and hey, at least nobody got hurt!”
“You fucker! Nobody got…I got HURT!!” his face was going red, aided by the leftover junk in his
veins.
“I meant…nobody important!” Lion-O stated calmly
“FUCKER!!” Schwenk screamed and, impressively, he got the jump on Lion-O and he managed to get
his manacled hands around the lion’s throat. He pulled tightly. Lion-O gasped as his windpipe became
useless. The lack of ability to breath was momentary as Tygra grabbed Schwenk from behind and pulled.
This move was then more effective when he realised that Schwenk hands and cuffs were still around
Lion-O’s throat. Pumyra and Bengali managed to lift the ‘throat hug’ over the lion’s head and effectively
the attack was over. Lion-O crawled away, coughing and gasping for air. Pumyra helped him to calm down
and breathe more smoothly. Schwenk, meanwhile, was behaving frantic and managed to catch Bengali
with a double fisted punch to the side of his head. This was the last thing Schwenk effectively did as an
enraged white tiger sent Schwenk to sleep with a hefty boot to the head. Once out cold he was slung into
the brig.
Ten minutes later the cats gathered around the table.
“Where did that come from??” Tygra asked.
“He jumped me…Totally caught me off guard!” the lion replied sullenly.
“Even so…I’ve never seen him do that. It’s not his style…he’s a coward, hides behind bombs and
poisons…But to attack a fully-grown male lion…Madness!!” Tygra replied.
“He did attack me too…” Bengali added with a growl. “Sucker punch to the face…”
“You still have your good looks though, Ben…” Pumyra chuckled.
“…and if I’d got my full boot in he’d have no face left! We should just throw the useless fucker
into the airlock and have done with…”
“We need him for the map and the mission!” Lion-O replied.
“Do we though? Oh come on…we can find the next clue at Rivergate and we’re smart…we can
work it out!! To reply on that snake…it…it’s just wrong!! A sick joke…”
“Calm down, Ben…” Tygra placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Lion-O, with your permission I’d like to run a blood test on Schwenk…” Pumyra asked. Lion-O
looked at her.
“Blood test?”
 “Yes…he acted strangely with me briefly and then that uncharacteristic attack…Well…just
wondering really…”
“Sure…take as much as you need…Ben liberated a fair bit from his face anyway…” he grinned.
Pumyra nodded and went to get some fresh blood from the ‘sleeping’ human.

Chapter 4

Schwenk slowly came to and was greeted by the mother of all headaches. “Holy…fuuuuuck…”
he groaned.

“He’s awake!” Tygra stood outside the brig, arms crossed.

“Cuff him and bring him here!” Lion-O called.
“Bring me…where?” but there wasn’t so much an answer as an orange, black and white
whirlwind who puts the cuffs on him and dragged him into the galley, thumped him into a seat and stood
behind him for good measure.
“Can you…you turn down the lights a bit? I’ve got a headache…” he mumbled.
Silence came the stern reply.
“Seriously….what’s going on?” he looked around the table and the stern faces and the, frankly,
frosty atmosphere. Lion-O threw a small plastic baggy onto the table. In it were five small vials.
“Uh oh…” his heart sank.
“We know roughly what it is…but can you be more specific?” Lion-O asked.
“Erm…medicine?!” he smiled nervously.
“Try again!!” Bengali thumped the table in front of the human, making him jump.
“Look…it’s just a…well…relaxer, that’s all…I have needs…it’s not illegal you know!!” he
spat.
“Yes it is!” came the instant response.
“OK, OK, yes…it’s illegal…but…look…I’ve been on that stuff for years…It keeps me
mellow…”
 “Mellow enough to try and kill Lion-O?!” Tygra rumbled from behind.
“Kill Lion-O??”
“Oh…you deny it now, even though you’ve plenty of witnesses to speak against you…”
“That was…” he looked at Lion-O glaring at him. “…a misunderstanding, that’s all…” he
muttered.
“Lucky for you you’re needed!” Lion-O declared.
“I feel lucky….yes…”
“Shut up smartguy!” Tygra smacked the side of his head, enough to leave his ear ringing.
“You ba…” he stopped.
“Something to say, Schwenk??” Lion-O leaned forwards.
“No…nothing…” he licked his lips and avoided eye contact.
“Smartest thing you’ve done in some time!” Bengali growled.
“Please…Lion-O…please…just let me have those back…I'll…I'll cut back the dose! Please…”
he implored. Lion-O stood and picked up the baggy and walked towards the human.
“You need them?”
“Yes…”
“You do seem desperate for them…and look what it does to your mood…”
“Yes, yes!”
“Hmmmm…I suppose you could cut back…”
“I will, I promise!! Please…Pumyra could even administer the dose on a regular basis….to help
me through…”
“Yes, that would be simple enough to arrange…” he then dropped the baggy on the floor and
crushed it under his boot.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!! ! ” the human wailed and Tygra restrained him by the shoulders. Gaston
Schwenk then broke down into full blown tears.
“Tygra…get him ready…we’ve a long journey ahead by foot…” Lion-O left the ship into the
warm, fresh air of Saran.
 Tygra lifted the human up by his shoulders. “Come on cry baby…you’ll feel better soon enough!!”
he smirked. Pumyra on the other hand was anything but happy. She was no fan of the human, hell, he did
freak her out, but she couldn’t countenance Lion-O inflicting cold turkey on him. It was all so avoidable
and unnecessary. They left the craft behind and set out on the long road through the green and pastoral
countryside. They were heading for the town of Riversgate. The town was the most recent positive thing
that Schwenk had done by identifying it as the location of the next step of the journey. It was also likely
to be the last positive thing in a while as, with the addition of Pumyra’s sedative, withdrawal was
starting to bite.
“Please…can we rest a while…I don’t feel so great!” he groaned.
“No…we need to push on!” Lion-O commanded.
“Lion-O, maybe we could rest just for ten minutes. Schwenk doesn’t look too well…”
“I really don’t care….not my fault the human is a junkie!” he snorted in contempt.
“Please…I…I…” Schwenk double over and threw up.
“Oh…nice!!” Tygra pulled a face of disgust.
“I need to give him water…Lion-O…we ARE taking a break!” Pumyra acted. She walked back to
the human. “I'll be fine Tygra…He could barely swat a fly…”
“If you need me, just yell…never trust a snake!” he walked away.
“Snake…monkey…He needs to make up his mind!” Schwenk spoke weakly. Pumyra wouldn’t help
but smirk. “Here…drink this…” she offered the canteen.
“I don’t think I can…” he groaned.
“Well…you have to…so you drink it before I force it down you…”
Schwenk looked up at her, his black hair clinging to his forehead through the sweat of
withdrawal.
“You’re a real sap!”
“Probably…but I have to do my job…”
Schwenk took a small sip, rinsed his mouth and spat it out. He then took two swigs.
“I’m sorry for what Lion-O did…you didn’t deserve that…”
 “Spare me your false sympathy…” he muttered.
“Actually, it’s genuine…But think what you like…” she replied flatly. There was a long pause.
“Thank you…” he took one more sip and lay back on the ground. He looked up at the blue sky.
“The sky…it’s so pretty…” he sighed. He beckoned the puma forwards. She regarded him coldly.
“Please…”
She rolled her eyes and leaned in.
“Whilst I make some sense…one piece of advice…Never trust me…Never!”
She looked at him with bewilderment. He recognised the look.
“Never trust me…It’s…it’s not me…understand? It’s what he made me…Him…He made this!”
“You’re making no sense!” she replied compassionately.
“Lion-O…made me like this…he lied…” and with that he passed out. Pumyra shook her head
and then spoke to Lion-O.
“Unless you really want to carry him, I’ll wait here until he’s better and I'll catch you up.”
Lion-O thought on this for a while and produced a computer printed map. “Fine…look, a few
miles away from here is a clearing…before that big bridge…meet us there we’ll set camp up…”
She nodded in response. “Leave me the handcuffs, just in case he does get frisky…OK?” Lion-O
gladly handed the cuffs across.
“Be careful, OK?” and they left.
“Don’t worry…I shall…” she nodded and then she sat by her patient. She waited a further two
hours before Gaston Schwenk finally came to. He coughed and looked decidedly grey.
“Here…drink this…” Pumyra gave him the canteen again. This time he took it and drank more.
“Thank you…Where are the others?”
“Gone ahead to set up camp. I didn’t think there was any point in letting you die…”
“Well…you’re all heart, to be sure!” he replied weakly.
She looked at him.
 “It’s my job, mostly…I’m a medic after all…”
“Well then…most medics carry analgesics of some kind; oral, IM, syrup…What does this medic
carry?”
This time there was a longer pause.
“I carry the essentials…”
“And of course, your essentials are in big ol’, feline sized doses, so there’d be plenty in there to
help me…right?”
“I carry a decent range, and yes, in ‘feline sized doses’…What are you asking me, Gaston?”
“Just for some mercy…alleviate the worst of what’s going on!”
“Mercy?? Really? How many people did you show mercy to in that Berbil village? How many
Thunderguards did you show mercy to in that gas attack? Was mercy a factor in the attack in the
marketplace? The one where women and children were shopping??”
“That was not me!!” he spat angrily.
“You liar…you were convicted, Schwenk. Females and cubs!!” her eyes narrowed.
“I’m fucking telling you this much! It wasn’t…” and that’s when Pumyra punched him on the side
of the head. He hit the ground heavily.
“Aaaargh…” he moaned. One side of his head punched, one side grazed on the stony dirt.
“I.. I’m…sorry…” she immediately tended to him.
“Cheap shot for a high and mighty Thundercat…but then again…I should expect that!”
“You…you just made me angry…that’s all…” she inspected the graze wound. “Let me clean this
up for you…”
“Lion-O lied about me! He falsified evidence…”
“Gaston that is a serious allegation!!” Pumyra gasped.
“Yes. I know. Think about it...I admit to all the other stuff; the Berbil village…where they were
storing weapons for Panthro. The Thunderguards who were training to be counter-terrorist
specialists…I admit all of that, so feel free to take another sucker punch if you like…” he leaned his
face towards her. She recoiled slightly. “But a marketplace?? Why? I’m a terrorist with an axe to grind
against Thundercats, Thunderguards and the military machines that run government! I do not hold
grudges against bakers and cheesemakers!!” he frowned.
“And of course, you can prove it wasn’t you?!”
“Oh of course. Lion-O left a veritable trail of evidence of his complicity. He posted on library
pinboards, social media and radio programmes!” he snorted.
“Maybe it’s your sarcasm I love the most about you…” she replied dryly.
“Anyway…I couldn’t give a fuck whether you, puma medic lady, believes me or not! You can’t
alter a damn thing anyway…You’re good for dressing wounds, making broth and punching patients!” he
glared.
“And administering pain relief…you forgot that!!” she growled back, clearly hurt by his words.
He paused.
“I’m sorry…I…I’m not so good at this buttering up of my enemies!” he sighed and lay back on
the ground.
“You think me your enemy?” Pumyra asked.
“All the time you wear that, yeah!” he pointed to the Thundercat logo on her uniform.
“I am a person, not a badge!” she replied.
“Erm…actually I think you’re a uniform. If I got up and ran for freedom I’m guessing the
uniform would get up and capture me again…”
“No! The person would do that first! Like I said, I am a person, not a uniform!”
“Well, ‘person’…don’t tell Lion-O that, eh? He would disagree with you totally!”
“Lord Lion-O is very well aware of my personality and he embraces individuality within the
Thundercats! Individuality protects us from becoming…Well…gun-toting terrorists!”
“Sheeesh!! I have never ‘toted’ a gun!”
“Do you even know how many people you’ve murdered??”
“Do you?!” he retorted.
“I have never killed!!” she snapped back. He narrowed his eyes.
“Really?” he sounded doubtful. “You from the pacifist wing of the Thundercats then?” he taunted.
Pumyra stopped and rummaged through her small bag.
“Oh come on! Can’t you take a joke??” he protested. Pumyra held up a syringe.
 “Methadroxin! Five mils and it helps your withdrawal, ten mils and you’ll have a nice long
sleep…twenty mils…you won’t be waking up again, Mr Schwenk….So. How much do you trust me?”
The human gulped and took long enough to reply. “Enough…”
Pumrya lifted Schwenk’s sweat-sopped sleeve. “Mmmm…” she injected him. The effect was almost
instantaneous and he sighed as his whole body relaxed.
“Like I told you. I have never killed, Mr Schwenk…but there could always be a first time…”
she packed her gear up. Without turning around she added. “..and if you think you’ll be helping yourself,
Gaston…think again!” she turned to him a smiled innocently. “Despite how you view me…you need
me…Now, take five minutes to recover and then we go again…to get to camp before nightfall…”
“Yes, ma’am…” he yawned.
After nearer ten minutes the two travellers continued their journey through the bucolic
landscape.
“We should take a boat…” his comment coming from nowhere.
“Boat? What do you mean?”
“Well…Rivergate is two days walk away. Once we get to the river it’s far more direct…would
only take a few hours.”
“Two problems with that…”
“Oh?” he frowned.
“Problem one…where we cross the river it’s a tight gorge, the water is a series of rapids,
according to the map…”
“And the second?”
She smirked slightly. “Lord Tygra is scared of water…”
“Is he…ah yes…I’ve heard that…” he laughed loudly. “Let’s hope the next clue leads us to an
ocean planet then…”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’ve got a poor sense of humour?”
“Only those who don’t ‘get it’…”
 “Your life is bad enough…so why enrage those who can improve your circumstance?”
“Who would that be then?”
“Well…Lord Lion-O for one!”
Schwenk regarded his travelling companion.
“He has no intention of improving anything of mine!!””
“How can you know that?”
“Because a) he lied to convict me and b) I know him well enough by now…Take this little jaunt
of which I’m a critical part…Do you think he’ll let me go after this? Reward me?”
“Erm.. well…” he hesitated.
“Come to think of it. What do you know about journey’s end??”
“Nothing…I haven’t been told anything…”
“You’re a poor liar, puma…What do you know??”
She spun around, hands on hips and growled at him. “How DARE you call me a liar. Take that
back!!”
“Or what? Another punch??”
She said nothing, but continued to glare.
“I will not take it back. You’ve been told what happens but you know what? Don’t worry your
pretty little head…I won’t badger you anymore, but for the record…We both know what’s going on
here! You can’t kid a kidder, Pumyra!” he then continued walking, with a slightly seething puma close
behind. It took the rest of the afternoon, but eventually the pair got to the camp that the others had
set up. Ahead of the camp, one hundred metres down the road was a long wooden bridge.

“Pumyra…can we just take a look at the bridge before sunset??” Schwenk asked nicely. Pumyra
looked to Lion-O, who shrugged.
“Come on then, Gaston…You even managed to be polite…”
They reached the wooden bridge. It was wide enough for a cart and looked study enough.
“Someone keeps it well maintained…” Pumyra mused.
“Of course they do…this is a main road into Rivergate, the money from the merchants would be
used to keep this artery flowing. She looked at him.
 “You know this how?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he shrugged. “Look…recent wheel tracks…look at the wood, scuffed with hoof
marks, so it’s not just here for foot passengers. The width…big enough for caravans. Sturdy enough for
heavy loads…it’s all here to the naked eye, pussy cat”
“Pussycat??” she stood arms akimbo.
“Sorry…” he walked to the side and looked over. “Yeah.. not really a place to join the river!” The
bridge spanned a large sandstone gorge and the frenzied waters boiled and crashed some eighty metres
below them. “Not really a place for a good swim either…should I tell Tygra?” he looked at Pumyra.
“Erm…how does a long, slow painful death sound to you?”
“That’s a description of a conversation with Lion-O…” he smiled. “You…on the other
hand…actually pleasant company.. But I shall say nothing to the others…You might lose your street-
cred…Come on, let’s get back before the others fear that I’ve ra…before they think I’ve escaped…” he
quickly changed what he was saying.
“What was that???”
“Nothing…let’s get back…” he had decided not to upset the female again. The pair returned to
the camp where a fire was burning and a pot was boiling with something in it.
“You…sit over there.. ” Lion-O ordered. “Pumyra, put the cuffs on him…”
“Oh come on…that’s not necessary!” Schwenk protested.
“Shut it, junkie!” he snarled. Pumyra reluctantly did so, but didn’t tighten them up too much; as a
tacit compromise.
“We will eat, then hit the bunks…well…turf. I'll take first watch, you Ben then Pumyra then
you Tygra…” Lion-O commanded.
“Would you like me to take a shift?” Schwenk piped up.
“Clearly withdrawal doesn’t shut that mouth of yours! Pity!” Ben jumped into the conversation.
“Addiction is a terrible thing…an illness, really. I’m sure you have an addiction, Benny…”
His face screwed up in disgust.
 “Addiction is a purely human weakness!! Never refer to me as ‘Benny’ or ‘Ben’…you may call me
Lord Bengali!”
“I’d rather not…it makes you sound so…oh what’s the word….noble?”
Now Bengali growled an unmistakeable warning.
“Schwenk.. enough!” Pumyra sat in front of him. “Sorry everyone. Schwenk is unwell and also
managed to turn his ankle. Makes him kinda cranky!”
Turned ankle? Schwenk was confused but said nothing.
“If he keeps his mouth running I'll make him kinda dead!” Bengali snorted and served himself some
stew and sat, brooding over it.
“Schwenk…you must be tired…How’s that ankle? Needs some pain relief?” Pumyra asked him.
Now Schwenk knew what she meant.
“Something to take the edge off, maybe…” he nodded, sounding exhausted.
“It will help you sleep…” she got the syringe out.
“Actually…do you have tablets? I’m tired of pricks…”
This comment brought six angry eyes in his direction.
“I meant I’m not good with needles…” he tried to appease.
“Rubbish junkie then…” Bengali opined, speaking with his mouth full.
“Like you’d know…” Schwenk sniped back. Pumyra handed him two white tablets. “For the pain
and for the sleep…”
“Thanks…” he tossed them back and swigged some water. “I’d better grab some stew before I fall
asleep…” and Lion-O served him up with a meagre portion.
“Rations are low until we reach town!” the lion said.
“Low?? Bengali has drooled more down his chin than I’ve got in my bowl!” he protested. Bengali
stood and growled and marched towards the seated human. “Sit down, Bengali…” Lion-O commanded. The
white tiger paused, but then sat back down. Lion-O then gave Schwenk more stew.
“Thank you…”
“You’re welcome…” came the cold reply.
 “I certainly feel it…” came the equally impassive response.
Half an hour later Schwenk hit the sack as did everyone else bar Lion-O, who was taking the first
shift.

Chapter 5
Jinx watched on with fascination. He had seen little but heard a great deal whilst travelling
unseen in the ship. This human, this ‘Schwenk’ was a fascinating creature. Everything about him said he
would only be memorable as a living, writhing meal. But he had heard the mouth on it. The way he goaded
and taunted. The way he bragged about his despicable crimes. This human either had an extravagant
death wish or.. or something he couldn’t fathom at all. Jinx was no expert on human behaviour. He was
more likely an expert on human anatomy but the brain, the psyche, eluded him. He had heard the human
boast of the rape and murder of a female. In his isolation he had accessed Thunderian files and there, as
plain as anything…the crime that he had boasted about. Schwenk really was a killer; a cat killer no less.
Clarisse (for that was the ill-remembered name) was a leopard and she had indeed been raped and then
garrotted. The killer had never been convicted. Schwenk had been questioned but with some sly work by
his lawyer the human had walked free. His version of events; “Consensual sex and he’d left her alive”.
They simply hadn’t been able to prove otherwise.

So Lion-O had falsified evidence to get a conviction. Equally despicable, but then Jinx supposed he
could see Lion-O’s point. Jinx, however, would probably not have bothered falsifying evidence in a trial;
he would’ve simply eaten the human alive.
Real justice!
An hour after the travellers had departed the ship he had also disembarked and reported in to
Grune.
“Status?” he growled.
“Landed on Saran. I am now following the group and shall wait a chance to capture the
human…”
“He is well-protected?”
“Well…yes and no…”
“What does that mean, Jinx?” Grune shouted.
Jinx then related just how inflammatory the human was to the Thundercats. This amused Grune
no end.
“So the stories are true then…Interesting. Do you think he would dare speak the same way to
me, Jinx?”
“He would probably try at least once…”
“Once would be all he got! I have a cure for his human insolence!!”
 “Death?” Jinx assumed.
“Not exactly…Death is so permanent and, like that idiot lion, we need him!”
“Then how do you plan to curb his…his…Schwenk-ness?”
“First you need to capture him!! ” he roared.
“Yes, my Lord…I assure you of imminent success!” he purred.
“Of course you do…You always do…”
“..and have I ever failed you, my Lord?”
“No…you still breathing is a testament to that fact! Now hunt them down and capture the
wretched meatsack…” and Grune cut the comms off.
“Yes, my Lord. Of course, my Lord…” Jinx sneered. He took off after the group but instead of
following the well-travelled road, he stuck to the trees and shadows, as was befitting his talents. Now he
watched and waited a mere twenty metres from Lion-O’s lookout position. Unseen. The human, narrowly
avoiding a mauling again, had now taken tablets, rendering him unconscious. Jinx snarled inwardly.
Another opportunity had passed. Getting past Lion-O unseen, tending to the human and getting away
again was problematic. Had the human been conscious it would’ve been far easier. Jinx sighed, another
wasted night. The human was going to be unconscious until at least dawn. He yawned, farted and decided
to curl up in the crook of the tree bough, devour the rest of the brace of rabbits he’d caught and fall
asleep until early dawn. Had Jinx been alert (or awake even) he would’ve had the perfect chance to
complete his mission. The human was far more devious than he’d been given credit for. It was Pumyra’s
shift as guard and, unseen, one human eye had flicked open. Silently his hand reached forwards over the
puma’s steaming tea cup and dropped in two crushed tablets. The human had decided it had to be the puma
on watch. She was mostly human sized and the tablets should at least have an effect. On the massive lion
or tigers it wouldn’t have worked. Now he waited as the puma nestled her tea and took the occasional sip.
Half an hour later he watched as she struggled to stay awake and then, finally, succumbed to Morpheus.
He grinned and, silently got up and crept out from the camp with one or two items from the supplies bags.
Schwenk placed the cuffs in his jacket pocket. The puma had left them loose enough to just about squeeze
out of. He walked to the middle of the bridge and looked down. He then climbed gingerly over the
handrail. He worked for twenty minutes before returning to his still warm bed. Pumyra was still asleep.
Schwenk smirked and gave her a tender kiss, full on her lips. He then sniffed her hair deeply. “Night,
night, darling…” he whispered. He lay down and, everything being as it had been, fell asleep again.
As dawn rose he woke with a start to general stirrings and talk. He sat up and got a full view of
Tygra pissing up a tree.

“Lucky you moved, I was tempted to scent mark you too, human!” he said cheerily.
“Is that the best chat-up line you could manage?? What’s for breakfast?”
“Whatever Bengali can hunt down?”
 “Oh great…more meat. The one thing you could all do with less of is a protein-rich diet! The air
was thick last night!”
“Try holding your breath!” Lion-O suggested.
“All night?!” he complained.
“Yeah, give it a go and let us know how it goes!” Tygra smiled insincerely.
“Just because I’m a prisoner doesn’t mean that you can have open season on being horrible to me!!”
“Horrible? Oh diddums…are we being mean?” Bengali walked into camp carrying a dead rabbit
and squirrel.
“What did those two die of? Embarrassment at being caught by the whitest, brightest creature in
the woods?” he shot back.
“They died of a snapped neck…Care to have a go as well??” he made a genuine offer.
“Ben. Please, let’s not start the day like this again!” Pumyra added. She looked tired and groggy.
“You ill?” the human asked her.
“Not feeling great, I must admit!” she nodded.
“Hmmm…you did have your head near Benny’s feet! Probably the reason right there…”
This time there was nobody near enough to grab the white tiger as he pounced on the human;
who shrieked in surprise (and fear).
“We’ll find another…bloody…translator!! ” he roared and tried to clamp his jaws around
Schwenk’s delicate windpipe. A combination of Schwenk pushing him off and Tygra pulling him off just
about prevented carnage.
“Bengali…Get off him!” Lion-O now joined in the tussle. “He’s not worth it!!”
“No! I’m not bloody worth it!!” the human sincerely agreed.
“I'll crush him like the bug he is!!” Bengali raged. “I'll…I'll…” he collapsed on the human. Pumyra
still held the syringe.
“It’s only five mils…it won’t last too long…” she panted. Lion-O and Tygra pulled the sleeping
Bengali off Schwenk and up against a tree.
“What are we going to do with Schwenk?” Tygra asked Lion-O.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Tygra gasped.
“As vile as he is…he did nothing wrong…much. Bengali overreacted…”
 “Wait…Bengali is in trouble and he gets away with it?”
“Let’s call it a score draw! Ben isn’t in trouble…and maybe this is the lesson Schwenk needs to
shut the hell up!” he glared at the human who was nearly as white as his assailant. Schwenk could barely
nod as he brought his cuffed hands to his throat, which was wet with tiger spittle.
“He…he…tried to KILL ME!! ” he spat angrily.
“Oh yes…tried very hard too…Took two male felines to pull him off you but, please Gaston, no
need to thank us…” Lion-O actually winked at him.
“You’re all fucked up! You know that right…you’re all fu…not you, Pumyra…you’re nice…the
REST…are all FUCKED up!!” poor Pumyra didn’t know where to look.
Jinx’s heart was racing. Between watching the verbal banter from his man Schwenk, to seeing
him nearly get killed and now the dramatic rant by the human. It was an award winning performance
and Jinx decided there and then…before going back to Grune he would spend some quality time with the
human. Get the entertainment first-hand, so to speak.
The group struck camp and headed back to the road.
“I shall escort our little human…” Tygra declared. Schwenk was actually pleased at this turn of
events. Fair to say that Pumyra was equally relieved. The human was definitely getting under her skin.
“Cuff him?” Tygra asked Lion-O.
“Don’t bother…if he tried anything…go all tiger on him!” was the nonchalant response.
“What does that mean?” Schwenk asked nervously.
“Try pissing me off…then you’ll find out, human…” Tygra looked down at Schwenk.
“I’m in no mood for trying anything…bad luck!” he shook his head.
“Pity…” Tygra replied as he examined his sharp, black claws.
Bengali led the way, with Lion-O and Pumyra in the middle, with Tygra and Schwenk taking up
the rear.
“Hurry! Up!” Tygra growled after only five minutes.
“I AM…I am in withdrawal, thanks to ginger bollocks up ahead!” he spat.
“He is called Lord Lion-O.. do NOT push it, Schwenk!” the tiger growled.
 “The fact remains that I’m sick at the moment…I’m going as fast as I can!” he panted, sweat
dripping from his forehead.
“By the Gods!” Tygra grumbled as they started crossing the bridge.
“I know…I’m not sure why we couldn’t have just landed in town!!”
“Because…idiot…the whole area is a mess of magnetic fields, thanks to the geology of this
place…We’d have crashed and died!”
“So stop whining I’m walking too slow. I am, after all…the most important person here!”
Tygra raised his eyebrows and kept walking, exasperated and muttering obscenities under his
breath. This was exactly what Schwenk needed. He ducked under the bridge rail and screamed.
“What the…” Tygra spun around. “NO!! LION-O!! !” for the human had vanished. The group
gathered with Tygra and looked over the rail.
“What happened?” Lion-O looked panicked.
“No idea…one minute here…next.. gone!” Tygra responded.
“Look…there!” Bengali pointed far below into the shadowy rapids. There was something dark.
“His jacket…” Pumyra shuddered. “Oh Lion-O…he’s…he’s dead…” she out her hands over her
mouth.
Lion-O remained silent and continued watching. After a minute or so he spoke.
“The idiot either thought he could fly or swim…I’m guessing neither was closer to the truth.
Come on…let’s keep going!”
“But…what about the map? The clues?” Pumyra asked uncertainly.
“We’re smart…We’ll figure it out!” Tygra reassured. The four travellers then gathered their kit
and kept walking.
“At least we’ll get there quicker now!” Tygra added. Jinx was in shock. He’d seen it all and
was in utter shock. The human had a brazen nerve a mile wide. One human versus four Thundercats and
he’d got away from them.

“Unbelievable!” he gasped as the human slipped under the rail and hid under the bridge itself. Jinx
simply has to wait now and wait for the human to reappear. He would be casual. Nonchalant. Probably
smug and that’s when Gaston Schwenk would meet Jinx the Assassin. Ten minutes passed
 “Probably playing it safe…”
Twenty minutes.
“Any minute now…”
Forty minutes.
“Why is he still waiting?” Jinx looked around nervously and crept into the daylight and onto the
bridge. He sniffed the air. He detected all of the scents, including the humans. His eyes narrowed as he
crouched silently down to slink over the bridge and capture….nothing!
“What!!” his yellow eyes widened. He looked all around and simply found some rope tied to a beam
and not much else. He snarled then growled. The human had played the Thundercats for fools. That had
been funny! Smart! But this? Making a fool of Jinx. The human would regret that. Jinx now looked to the
river and saw, in the distance a small object bobbing up and down in the water.
“What the?”
He peered at it.
“The human!!”
Gaston Schwenk clung to his air filled duffel bag as he hurtled down the rapids and away from
the bridge. Soon enough the river would widen and slow and Schwenk need only then float into town, at
least one whole day ahead of the Thundercats. Jinx hated water, but there was no other way. He nimbly
scampered down the struts of the wooden bridge. He pushed a tree over and stripped most of the branches
off of it. The black panther then took to the river as well.
Schwenk arrived ‘in town’ in the early hours of dawn after spending the best part of a whole day
in the water. He was cold and bedraggled, but alive and when he saw the oil lamps glowing in the pre-
dawn mists, his spirits rose. He had sighted the map for long enough to know where to head and, for once,
time was his friend. He hauled himself out onto an old wooden jetty and shivered. He stood slowly,
dripping. An elderly lynx approached him with a lamp.
“Bit early for a swim, lad?! In fact…bit too dressed too…” he chuckled a raspy laugh.
“Yeah…something like that. Tell me, is there a hotel I can book into just for a night or so?”
“Well…yes, but it’s going to be closed for a few hours until business starts…Come on…follow
me to my hut…the coffee is on and I have towels…”
“Oh…OK, thanks…” this threw Schwenk a little, he was quite prepared to strangle the lynx for
his clothes. He put that idea on the backburner for the time being. He sat on a creaky stood as the lynx
handed him a towel.
“Call me Oswyn!” he said cheerily.
“I shall…what is your job, Oswyn?” Schwenk asked.
“Me…I’m the ferryman…” he nodded.
 “Ferry? Ferry to where?”
“Why…the other side of the river…You wouldn’t have seen it because it’s dark…”
“But…I thought there was a bridge in town…”
“Used to be…fell into disrepair many years ago…Still, mustn’t grumble…keeps me busy…”
“I bet it does…” his brain was whirring.
“So tell me, lad…Why were you in the water?”
Schwenk paused for a moment and then replied. “If I told you I’d have to kill you…” there was
silence for about three seconds. Then, Oswyn burst into laughter.
“Funny!” he slapped his knees. Schwenk’s eyes narrowed and he smiled.
“Aren’t I…”
Schwenk stripped of to his underwear and rubbed himself with the towel.
“Here, lad…stand by the brazier…” he pointed to the coal stove which was toasty warm.
“Thanks…”
“What did you say your name was?” Oswyn asked.
“I didn’t…” came the response.
“Oh…” he chuckled. “Quite the man of mystery…you’re not a mermaid are you?” he raised an
eyebrow.
“No…my breasts are considered too small…” he replied levelly. This remark sent Oswyn into
fits of giggles again. Schwenk, unseen rolled his eyes.
“Well, lad…it’s been nice to have a visitor, especially one that makes me laugh…” he nodded.
“Would you object if I went to bed for an hour or so? My bones are old, cold and generally bothersome…”
“Please…don’t let me keep you…I have the stove and coffee…Tell me, where is the hotel you
spoke of?”
“From here, lad…turn right, along the jetty and up Harbour Street…can’t miss it…it’s called
the ‘Seventh Star’…”
 “Seventh Star? Odd name…”
“Yes, been that for generations…no idea where the name comes from though…sorry…” he
yawned.
“Sleep well…”
Oswyn nodded and fell into a loud, snoring sleep. Schwenk sat and sipped the pretty awesome
coffee and warmed by the fire. The morning would be booking into the hotel, finding the next clue and
then looking at the ferry. The next consideration would be how to get out of the town, especially with
furry company due in twenty-four hours. He looked at Oswyn as he slept. Luckily the lynx had a good
habit of not digging his nose into things that weren’t to do with him. This had kept him alive and Schwenk
was grateful for that. Oswyn wasn’t someone who deserved a violent death, in his opinion. The mood in
the ‘other’ camp was dark and brooding, at least as uncomfortable as when the human had been with them.

“All I’m saying is that this attitude leaves something to be desired…” Pumyra stated….again.
“So you say…but I cannot really fathom your objection. You, of all people!” Lion-O reasoned.
“And what is that meant to mean?” she asked levelly.
“Oh come on, Poomy…he was hitting on you!” Tygra replied.
“We don’t know that and even if he was, what do you think he would’ve done?? Surrounded by
three Thunderian males! Besides, and this is the bit that is most insulting…Do you see him overpowering
me? Taking me? Murdering me??” she growled at the end.
“He did plenty of unfortunate things…including rape and murder…oh, and they were
thunderian female also….so you tell me!” Lion-O snorted.
“It’s all academic anyway!! He’s dead as you’re all so keen and happy to point out!”
“I for one am glad he’s dead…the piece of filth!” Bengali snarled.
“Oh! Surprise, surprise….Beni is happy at violence and death!” Pumyra snapped back.
“HEY! That’s not fair!” he snapped in response.
“No? Really? Well life isn’t fair!! Gaston was not on a death sentence and yet we’ve managed to
execute him, but not before we tortured him!”
“Torture? How??” Tygra asked
“Destroying his drugs!”
 “Oh gods…not this again!!” Lion-O rolled his eyes. “Pumyra…please…stop this! OK, you’ve made
your point, you’ve said enough…We cannot turn back the clock, so please…let us go to sleep and
tomorrow we’ll try and work out what to do next…OK?”
“Fine!” she replied, in a distinctly ‘unfine’ manner. She drew a blanket over herself and turned
her back on the fire and her company.
“Gaston Schwenk…toxic from beyond the grave!” Beni muttered as he mirror imaged Pumyra.
“Gods….stop!” Lion-O groaned and, finally, peace descended over the camp.
By the time dawn broke, Jinx was still a good few miles out of town. He clung to the log, his
claws deeply embedded. He looked a cold, saturated and wretched sight; not that anyone was looking. He
hated water, he hated cold and now, more than ever, he hated Gaston Bloody Schwenk!! As he drifted and
bobbed downstream he muttered many, many jaguarine curses and it assured Schwenk of a warm welcome
when he would finally catch him. An assassin’s great skill is to be able to turn off the emotion, to become
discompassionate, cold and deadly. Jinx’s veins coursed with emotion and when he closed his eyes he
killed the human a thousand times in a thousand ways. He knew, of course, that Grune wanted Schwenk
alive. This tempered the plan to slaughter him slowly, but…there was still opportunity to make his
mark. Hopefully.

Chapter 6
Oswyn slept soundly as Schwenk left the ferryman’s hut. The sun was struggling above the
eastward horizon and the river was thick with mist and doleful bird calls. He shivered in the chilly mists
and headed towards the taller buildings that indicated ‘the town centre’. The population was a bustling
one thousand or so and already the bakers, butchers, fishmongers and grocers were setting up their
market stalls. Most, to Schwenk’s abject surprise, greeted him cheerily. They clearly had regular visits
from humanity, thought Schwenk.

“I say.. can you tell me where the tavern is?” Schwenk asked a nearby portly ocelot who was
setting up his bread stall (the aroma of which was astounding!).
“Why yes, sir…head up the street to the town square and you can’t miss it…The Seventh Star
you’ll be wanting is it?”
“I guess so….yes…” Schwenk smiled.
“You’ll be there in less than minute…say…would you like to be my first customer today? Fresh
roll? Still very warm, sir…” he held out a delicious looking roll. Schwenk’s belly rumbled.
“Well, that would be lovely…but…erm…I’m financially embarrassed right now…” he patted
his empty pockets.
 “Oh…well…you can be my first good deed of the day then, sir…” he placed the toasty hot roll
in Schwenk’s hand. “Have a lovely day…”
For a moment Schwenk was speechless.
“Oh, yes…thank you very much…have a great day yourself…” he smiled and munched on the
roll and he headed up the street. The Thundercats stowed their bedrolls and equipment. It was chilly
and they all shook off the embers of night and hit the road.

“Can we at least agree, for the rest of this journey…not to discuss….him…” Lion-O asked
politely to Pumyra.
“I would imagine I could do that…can you all promise to keep your disrespectful comments in
your heads?” she looked at the other three. They all nodded without a word. Pumyra nodded in return
and then they followed the long and winding road towards town. Even at a hard pace they wouldn’t
expect to get into town until sunset, but they kept an even pace that would mean they’d get to town in
the dark.
“Do you know much about this place?” Tygra asked Lion-O
“Not really, no…I have never visited this place, this planet even. All I can assume is that this is
a relatively peaceful world with a mixture of all sorts populating the towns and villages. I also know
that the bedrock is full of all sorts too…Enough to jammy up radars, sensors, compasses and everything
that modern aircraft and spacecraft need. That alone sets a finite limit to progress here. No modern
machinery exists because it wouldn’t work. No airports, no spaceports…backwards really!” he replied.
“Backwards or idyllic?” Pumyra asked back.
The lion shrugged. “It’s only a matter of semantics…”
“So when we get to town where should we head?” Bengali asked a question that was on everyone’s
mind.
“Well, best bet is to find the mayor and ask for his help…”
“What do we ask him?” Tygra asked Lion-O.
“Whether he knows how to solve the riddle of millennia, that nobody has solved.” Pumyra
pointedly answered.
“Pumyra…please…Our agreement?” Lion-O chided gently. There was a moment’s pause.
“I apologise. That was uncalled for…” she said softly. They continued walking. Jinx sat on
the riverbank, shivering.
 He should’ve been in town by now, but his fear of water had eventually driven him to land for
the duration of the darkness. He was absolutely, thoroughly and totally miserable. Cold, wet and hungry
and as it turned out, still plenty of miles from town. He thought about Gaston Schwenk and he could not
hold back the urge and he roared loudly in frustration.
“I say.. you OK, fella?”
Jinx turned around and saw….a human. He was dressed in simple garb.
“Not really a great morning to be taking a swim…” he chuckled.
“No…” Jinx replied sourly and stood up. “You have food? A drink?”
“Erm…no, I’m tending the crops at the moment…home is a few miles over that hill…if you
come with me you can enjoy some of my produce…”
“What do you produce? Pig? Chickens? Lambs?” he licked his lips.
“Erm no….turnips!”
At that moment in time Jinx could only think of ramming a large turnip up the human’s
fundament.
“Pity….ah well…I’m a cat…I'll survive…” he walked slowly towards the human, looming
over him.
“Well…erm…yes, that’s the spirit…” he chuckled nervously.
“Now, now…” he grabbed the shoulder of the human. “Why so nervous, fella?”
“I really need to be…be…getting back to my…my…”
“Turnips? Really? From memory they don’t really need much looking after…” just then his belly
rumbled.
“Oh…I’m sorry…there is some urgency, but only one of us will survive it!” his eyes narrowed.
He then leapt into the tree, with the human screaming into the tree. The turnips remained impassive to
what followed. Schwenk pushed through the large, oaken door and into the musty bar area.

“Hello?” he called.
“Hello…” a voice replied. Schwenk looked around but saw nobody.
“Talking tables? Now that’s a first!!” he replied.
 “You silly ass!!” a tall, red headed lioness stood up from behind the bar. Schwenk initially jumped
as he thought Lion-O had overtaken his plan.
“Whoa, you’re a jumpy goose!” the lioness chuckled.
“Ass…Goose? You a farmer’s daughter?” Schwenk replied.
“Oh ha ha…do I look like a farmer’s daughter?” she put hands on hip and invited scrutiny.
“Well…erm…no, probably not!”
“Well then! Now, kind stranger, how may I help you?” she said sarcastically.
“If I take a room for the evening do I have to pay for extra customer service?”
The lioness pursed and chewed her lips for a moment and then beckoned Schwenk forwards with
her forefinger. He carefully approached the bar.
“Closer, silly…” she tapped the bar top. He gulped and went to the bar. She whispered in his ear
very softly.
“The last human who was rude to me ended up as my supper…mm, hmm…” she nodded
conspiratorially. Schwenk took a step back.
“Where are my manners? Do you have a room I can have for the night?” he asked cheerily.
“Why of course, sir…I’m glad you asked…Please, take a seat and let me get my ledger…” she
grinned and skipped (yes, skipped!) to the office.
“Oh boy…” he rubbed his hands over his tired, stubbly face. His dreamy reverie, if you could call
it that ended when a large, dusty ledger was dropped on his now resting hands.
“Aaaaargh!!” he yelped.
“Whoops, clumsy me…Now…let me see…hmmmm…How about….hmmm…” she looked at his
for ten seconds. “Yes…room five! Sign here…” she put a claw on the next empty line. Schwenk scribbled
in the ledger. The lioness scrutinised this.
“Well…Doctor…Smith…Doctor, huh?” she laughed “I’ve got one or two things you could take a
look at….”
“Oh yes, you sure have!” he winked. The lioness jaw set and the human was on the floor before he
realised he’d been backhanded. The lioness vaulted over the bar and stood over his head. She was a tall,
muscular lioness.
“I meant my fucking feet!!” she growled and shoved her right foot in his face and rubbed it in.
“Pervert…”
 “Sorry…” he whimpered from underneath cheese central.
“Should think so too…Now get up and let me show you your room…sir…” she removed her
foot. Schwenk got up painfully and he rubbed his face….again. He followed the, what he assumed to be
schizophrenic, lioness.
“Here we go…room four…”
“Oh…you said room five…” he ventured.
She swung around. “You saying I’m wrong?”
“No, no, no, noooooooo” he replied in haste. “Room four…love it….lucky number, in fact!” he
smiled.
She smiled in return. “I thought it may be, that’s why I picked it…I’m lovely like that!”
“Y-Yes…” he nodded.
“No luggage?” she frowned. “You expecting me to carry up your baggage?”
“No, no…I travel very light…erm…”
“Yes…sir?”
“Well…erm, do you do food?”
“Of course I do, you silly pig…What would you like?”
“Erm…well….breakfast?”
“Well obviously?! What kind? I do a lovely oatmeal…”
“Oatmeal?”
“Something wrong with my oatmeal??”
“Nothing at all.. one lovely bowl of oatmeal please…” he smiled.
“Fine, sir…get settled and come back down in five minutes then…” she smiled and skipped down
the stairs (which sounded like stampeding elephants). Schwenk shut the door and collapsed to the floor.
“Bloody hell…she’s worse than the bloody Thundercats!” he groaned and rubbed his sore cheek. “A one
cat army!” he got up and looked around his modest room. The bed was big enough, he thought this was
probably a single bed, but a single for a large cat, so plenty big enough for him. He looked around the room
and then out of the window. He knew the clue was something to do with the tavern, but he wasn’t clear
on what, exactly. “Come on Schwenk…we’re on a time limit here…” he muttered to himself. “Think,
think, think…” he said out loud.
Thinking would’ve been easier before you were squished by that lioness. His inner dialogue
helpfully replied.
Still, don’t worry…I’m sure that lovely oatmeal will help you collect your thoughts… it
stated sarcastically.
“Shut up!!” Schwenk snapped at…himself. “How can I end up with the universe’s only self-
sarcastic inner voice!” he snorted.
Oh yes, Gaston, it’s ALL about you!! It replied. Schwenk gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes.
Chop, chop…time for round two with the lioness!
“Shut up! I swear to Gods…if you don’t shut up I'll…”
What? Oh come on, this WILL be good…what will you do to the little voice inside your head!?
“Take some more drugs and shut you the FUCK UP!! ” he shouted. This time the voice did not reply.
Schwenk smiled, he had gotten ‘one over’ on…himself! He took a deep breath and left the room. He
walked back downstairs and saw a large bowl of steaming of oatmeal on the bar. Behind the oatmeal was
the lioness, clearly proud of her achievement and grinning from ear to ear and she rocked on her heels.
“Eat up, chicken!” she declared.
Schwenk sat down and poked dubiously at, what ostensibly looked like, warm liquid plaster. The
lioness looked at the human. “Problem?”
“Oh…erm…no…just waiting for it to cool down…feel free to go about your business…don’t
want to keep you!”
“Oh that’s OK, I’m happy watching you…”
“Watching me?”
“Sure…everyone knows that cats like to study and watch their prey!”
“Prey?!” he looked up.
“I’m just kidding….for now…” she game an enigmatic grin.
Schwenk blew on a spoon of thick oatmeal and put it in his mouth.
 “Mmmm….mmm…” he chewed and swallowed. “Wow…that’s mighty…erm…filling…” he
smiled.
“Tasty??” the lioness ventured.
“Well…erm…it does have a taste…yes…” he replied diplomatically. She clapped her hands
together and giggled.
“Finish the whole bowl then, soldier!” she looked intently at the human. He then, reluctantly
worked his way through the whole darn bowl. Another customer came in and sat next to Schwenk.
“Hey, Sveta….breakfast please…”
“Would you like some oatmeal, I’ve made some special…”
“No, no…just bacon, sausage, eggs, toast and blood pudding…please…” then there was silence.
“You got it….give me five minutes…” and Sveta the lioness disappeared.
The new customer, a tiger, chuckled.
“You got lumbered with the infamous oatmeal, huh?”
“She never bloody told me there was cooked breakfast!” Schwenk replied sourly.
“I know…she game me a pot of the blasted stuff once for my poorly wife…”
“Did it make her better?”
“Fuck me, no…we use it to fill holes in the wall…still there too…Amazing stuff…Your poor,
tender human stomach will never break it down…”
“This Sveta…Is she a little….um…”
“Crazy? Like a sackful of squirrels, my friend…”
“Does she like humans??”
“Sure, sure…but couldn’t eat a whole one!” he laughed loudly. Schwenk joined in nervously.
“That is a joke…right?”
“Is it? Not entirely sure myself, but be warned…you upset and…”
“You get a punch and a foot in the face!”
 “Ahhhh…what was the crime?”
“Possibly regarding her tits in a positive light…”
The tiger pursed his lips.
“You’re still alive…that’s pretty good!”
Sveta came out with a huge plate of fried breakfast. She looked at the empty oatmeal bowl.
“Awwww…good lad…” and she ruffled his hair like a parent would a five year old.
“Say…Sveta…erm…do you know why this tavern has the name that it has?”
“The Seventh Star? Not a clue…kinda funky, huh?”
“Yeah….funky!” he nodded. “I need to go and have a lay down, if that’s OK…”
“Go for it, sport…Say…how do you intend settling your tab?”
“When I check out tomorrow…cash…Is that OK?”
“Cash? Always welcome here…” she smiled. Schwenk walked slowly up stairs and then flopped
onto his bed. His belly groaned in protest. He also knew he had to leave via the window tomorrow, as he
had zero cash. He imagined that Sveta wouldn’t be very philosophical about non-payment, so he’d avoid
her if at possible. Speaking of gurgling bellies, the belly of Jinx was full and very content. He lay
in the crook of a large tree, digesting the good bits of the human farmer. He had put up a good fight and
Jinx had enjoyed playing with his food before killing it. Now the sun was well up and he knew he needed
to move. He groaned as he knew the cold and mostly wet river awaited. He pushed his log in and this time
used his powerful legs to kick and propel himself faster towards town and towards his target.

Chapter 7
Gaston Schwenk inspected every nook and cranny in his small room, looking for clues. He then
realised it could be in any of the rooms and, cautiously, he entered next doors room. Again he looked
around but nothing. He scratched his head and wondered. He decided that the best room to try would be
room seven…after all, seven appeared in the name of the tavern. He slipped into the room and sniffed.
This room was clearly Sveta’s and he wondered whether he shouldn’t just leave. He could imagine the
burly lioness taking some exception to this nefarious intrusion.
On the other hand, he pondered. He was meant to be the big, bad criminal and he had escaped the
Thundercats, right? He peeked out of the door and looked around. No imminent lioness arrival! He shut
the door quietly and started rummaging around in the room. He started with the walls, quietly tapping
them to see if there was a hidden compartment.
Nothing.
 Next he carefully removed the pictures and turned them around and around. He scrutinised the
art to see if there was anything in them that led a secret.
Nothing.
He opened wardrobes and rummaged through the Sveta’s clothes that were hanging up. They
could have all been in the category of ‘leather pants and halter tops’, there were also boots of varying
height. He screwed his face up. The whole wardrobe had the ‘lion smell’ and he found nothing more
enlightening than a long, heavy sword resting at the back of the wardrobe. He shrugged and shut the
door silently. Next he moved to a large chest of drawers and started going through the various deep
drawers. Still no clues, but he did find her collection of skimpy underwear (skimpy for her, but larger
than Schwenk’s largest boxers!). He lingered a while and sniffed the contents of the draw. He then looked
to see if there were any that weren’t clean, laying around.
Nothing!
He was frustrated and annoyed and he stood by the bedroom window, arms akimbo. He looked
over the busying town square. From this floor he looked over some rooftops and to the river and the old
bridge that was shut due to being unsafe. The bridge was surrounded by wooden scaffolding and canvas
sheeting to prevent further deterioration. As he stood and looked hi mouth opened slightly.
Now he understood!!
Like a shadow he slipped out of Sveta’s room and back to his own. Now was the time for careful
planning.
Schwenk worked throughout the day, taking notes and planning what to do next and, how to
avoid the arrival of the Thundercats. He guesstimated that they’d probably rock into town at sundown.
He looked at the clock on the wall. Four- thirty.
Jinx walked into the tavern and approached the bar.

“Hey Darky, what can I get you?”

His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Have you seen a human? This tall…” he held his arm out. “Dark hair, smart mouth…”
“I’m the owner here…I see plenty o’ plenty…” she slowly wiped a glass clean. The ledger was
on the counter-top. Jinx scanned it.
“Who is this…’Doctor Smith’?”
Sveta stopped wiping the glass and placed it on the counter.
“Tell me about your mother!”
“Excuse me?”
“Your mother! Name? Age? Occupation? Address??”
“My mother is NO concern of yours lioness!” he snarled.
“No!” she slammed the ledger shut and caught his finger with a yelp. “It IS none of my
business…just like my customers are none of yours…panther!” she smiled. “Did you see what I did
there?? Now…I suggest you get out of here…you’re stinking this place up!” this time her eyes
narrowed. Jinx glanced around at the other patrons who were also looking at him. He decided that he did
not want to make any kind of scene.
“Sorry for being nosey…I shall leave…” he nodded and left. He made it round as far as the next
dingy, dark alley. He sucked on his throbbing finger and cursed the lioness.
“Doctor Smith my fucking arsehole!” he muttered. He started looking at the adjacent buildings
and weighing up his options. There was a knock at the door. Schwenk jumped and he hid his notebook
and pencil.

“Erm…hello? Who is it?” he called out.

“Sveta…your local friendly landlady…” Sveta replied. Schwenk breathed a sigh of relief.
“Come in…it’s open…”
The tall lioness walked in carrying a tray. She had changed into black leather pants and a black
leather halter top which left nothing to the imagination.
“Drinks…on the house?” she showed him a bottle of rum with two glasses.
“Am I expecting company?” he asked.
“Only if you allow me to stay and join you?” she replied warmly.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he questioned.
“Look, goose…I was unpleasant with you earlier and, well, you’re a customer and it’s not a good
policy to piss on your customers!” she replied and sat on the edge of the bed. It creaked.
“In fairness…you didn’t piss on me…That would’ve been a bit harsh! Sure you can stay…I’d
like that…Shall I pour?”
“Please…It’s nice when I don’t have to serve drinks…” she smiled. She unclipped her hair and
shook her head and he red hair now gave her a wild look. Schwenk noticed.
“Wow…”
“Wow what?” she asked.
“Just making an observation that that look suits you…”
“Thank you…Come on…where is my drink? Boy, I wouldn’t give you a job!” she winked and
chuckled.
 Schwenk put the tray on his chest of drawers and poured two generous measures of rum.
“Here we g…” he stood motionless. On and in his bed was a now naked lioness.
“If you say ‘go’, I'll go…I'll understand…” she said softly.
“No…but…why?”
“Spend any time in this town and you’ll know we get nothing going on and humans are rare
and…Wait, you do have a penis, right?”
“Erm…yes, of course I have one…” she was slightly taken aback. Sveta pulled his part of the
cover back and patted the bed.
“Come on then…get undressed and let’s enjoy…our drinks, huh?” Schwenk couldn’t remember
the last time he’d had sex, let alone consensual sex. He stripped naked.
“Well…what do you think?”
“Good enough to eat…” she licked her lips.
“You see, with human females that’s kind of a turn on…With a seven foot tall
lioness…hmmm…little bit scary…” he got into bed.
“You silly chicken…If I wanted to be scary I’d put a lot more effort into it…” she smirked then
Schwenk handed her a glass.
“Good health…” she proposed.
“Yes, good health…” Schwenk replied and they clinked glasses.
Sveta knocked her rum back straight in one go. She licked her lips and belched loudly in Schwenk
face. He pulled a face.
“Hey, sailor…better up than down right?” she winked and then pulled a straining face.
“No! Don’t…” Schwenk squawked and Sveta relaxed. “Just kidding…” she put her glass down and
then rolled Schwenk into her arms.
“Isn’t this….nice…” she smiled and licked his face. Schwenk tried not to be repulsed, but he
knew this was a cat thing.
 “It’s lovely…” he smiled. Sveta then rolled on top of him and straddled him. “Well then, how
about it…Where is this magic penis of yours?”
“It’s not magic but…Oh…there ya go…” he penis had already out-thought it’s owner. Sveta
purred and lowered herself down. Her pussy walls then clamped onto his member and held him firmly in
place.
“Whoa…that’s one heck of a tight grip you’ve got there…”
“Well yeah, don’t want you getting away now do I?” she leant down and licked his face. Schwenk
started motioning and tried to get things ‘under way’.
“Hey, goose…Why the rush??”
“Oh…well…I was…”
“No, no, no…let’s spend quality time here…and before I start I want to get to know you a little
better…”
“You have taken my penis hostage…Do you really want my biography now?”
“Awwww.. just answer one question? You’d do that for a lady…right?”
“Well…seeing as you’re a beautiful woman then, yeah….fire away…” he kissed her well
defined cheek.
“You sweetie…OK…question? Question?.. Hmmm…OK, here’s one…now…answer honestly…”
“But of course…”
“OK…So…Why would a stranger to town, one called ‘Doctor Smith’ make extra special to go to
my room, rummage around, move pictures, open my wardrobe and then…inexplicably…go through my
draw of underwear and get his nasty, smelly monkey hands all over it?” she leant down and looked into
his eyes.
Schwenk gulped.
“OK, well, now…this can be explained of course…Maybe we could talk about it
after…well..sex…”
“Oh…the gods love and optimist! Shame I don’t. ” she swung around, keeping said penis in place
and place a large, well-clawed foot on either side of his head.
 “I once removed the eye of a mutant with just my feet…Care to see if I can do it again?
“Erm…did the mutant survive?”
“The operation? Sure, yes…minus the eye of course…But then I slit his throat and ate
him…He didn’t survive that operation!” she slammed her left foot on Schwenk’s throat and kept his head
still. She then placed the claw of her right big toe under Schwenk’s left eye. “So…get talking or I start
slicing…human…”
“Please…don’t…I’m just on a quest…that’s all…I was hoping for a clue…”
“A clue? And tell me, Doctor Smith…what clue did you think you’d find inside the crotch of my
knickers??!!”
“Well…OK…you got me there…” he gulped.
“I’m worried that this quest of yours may be the Claws of Chaos!”
“Well…erm…maybe…”
“Pity…” she sighed.
“Pity? Why? What do you know about them?”
“It so happens that I’m a Guardian of the Claw and that means…you’ll be dying. Nobody must
find the Claws…they’re too powerful for possession and by being here…you’re far too close,
human…So…sorry…I will have to kill you!”
“WHAT?!! No, please…look, I'll walk away, forget everything…please…Don’t kill
me…please…” he begged.
“Sorry…I’ve killed fourteen far better beggars than you, you’ll be number fifteen…At least
you’ll be in the top five of tasty…”
“Wait? What? You’ll EAT me!!??”
“Hey genius, you’re a small squidgy human…I’m a big, mean lioness…you do the math!!”
 “Please…if you have to kill me…make it quick and, please…take your stinky feet off me!!” he
growled. However this just ensured that Sveta rubbed her right foot all over his face.
“Ewwwww…” he spluttered. “Take a bath once in a while!!”
Sveta moved again and knelt on her legs; penis still in place.
“OK, human, whatever your name is…Here’s how it works…It spoils the sheeting my I shall do
you one last favour…I shall clamp my jaws on you and you’ll mostly be unconscious, for a bit as I strip
your bones of flesh…” her belly growled. “Perfect timing…say ‘hi’ to the rum whilst you’re down there!”
she leant in and Schwenk screamed.
Sveta slumped heavily onto Schwenk and his throat. He squeezed his eyes tight shut and
waited…and waited. He peeked out of his right eyes. Sveta was out cold and, behind and dark figure
stood with the remains of a chair. He pulled the lioness off of Schwenk and surveyed the wet groin of the
human, his penis bright red.
“You’re welcome…” he said with his deep voice. “Get dressed…we’re leaving…”
“Who are you?!”
“The cat you saved you…GET DRESSED!!” and the human did so. Jinx extended his claw and held
Sveta’s head out.
“What did tell you about herself? Who is she?”
“What? Erm…not sure…” Jinx dropped Sveta head and grabbed Schwenk “I have more than
enough claw for you….human…” he breathed his sweet, human-meat tainted breath over Schwenk.
“Guardian…she said she was a Guardian…of some claw thingys…”
“Hmmm…thought so…” he went back to Sveta and was about to slive her throat open when he
heard something downstairs.
“Tygra, Beni, Pumyra…go and search upstairs…”
“No!!” Jinx cursed and grabbed the human, leaving the lioness out cold. “I hope you can fly!!” the
panther opened the windowed and leapt out, with human behind him. Ten seconds later the door burst
open. “Lion-O…in here!!” Schwenk was bumped and rattled across the rooftops, his saviour having firm
hold and then they disappeared under the bridges main arch. He dumped the human there.

“Whoa…that was quite the ride…thank you…I’m Doctor John Smith…” Jinx stomped his foot
on the human’s chest.
 “Your name is Gaston Schwenk and I’ve been following you an awful long time and…I do not like
you…” he extended his foot claws.
“What is it with you cats and your feet??” he sighed.
“Listen…I’m giving up the expedition game, so you don’t have to worry!”
“I DO worry…my master wants you…skill…” he spat the last word.
“You master?” he frowned. “Who’s that? Does he pay very well?”
Jinx chuckled at this.
“What value is your life?”
Schwenk gulped again.
“My master is Grune the Destroyer and you are hired…I need to comms him to let him know
that I was successful in hiring you…But first…I’d like some quality time with you…” he grinned a
toothy grin.
“If Grune wants me, then at least I know you cannot eat me or kill me…” Schwenk smugly.
“True….yes…however, I'll have to report that you had some significant injuries by the time I
obtained you…the Thundercats treated you….terribly…” his eyes narrowed.
“Wait…wait…back off, pussycat…I wasn’t refusing you…”
“I know that…But you’ve caused me plenty of upset and discomfort…seems only fair that we
share that…” he put a comradely arm around Schwenk and squeezed.
“Don’t say no to me, Gaston…You don’t know me…I may be lovely and gentle…” he purred.
“Gentle?? Doing…what?”
“Oh Gaston…seems to me that that wicked lioness didn’t give you what you wanted…So maybe
I shall…” he licked his lips. Initially Schwenk was confused by this, but like a sledgehammer he then
realised what Jinx meant.
“NO!! You touch me and Grune will NEVER get the next clue!!”
“You haven’t got the next clue…don’t lie…”
 “But I know where it is!!” he snapped defiantly.
“Hmmmm…a bold posture, Mr Schwenk…So, if I’m nice, you’ll assist wit the clue?”
“Yes…” he nodded.
“Hmmm…Well, thanks for the offer, but I prefer pain to make people talk…” he grinned and
stripped naked.
“Bend over…monkey!! ” he snarled, claws extended.

Chapter 8

“Here…drink this…” Pumyra handed a brandy to the lioness who had an icepack on her head.

“Thank you..” she swigged it and belched.

“Who are you…What are you doing here?”
“We found you…out cold and, well, naked…so we wrapped a blanket around you and waited for
you to come to.” Lion-O explained.
“Did you see a human here? We can smell his presence!” Tygra added.
“Yeah…he was here…snooping around, rummaging in my room….Sniffing my knickers!”
The others gasped and growled.
“Here was here…I was about to kill him when I was suckered!” she growled.
“Kill him…why?” Pumyra asked.
“He’s after the Claws of Chaos and I’m a Guardian…it’s my job to kill the seekers…”
“This human has nine lives!” Beni rumbled.
“It’s true…he was with us…We have concerns that Grune the Destroyer is trying to get the
Claws of Chaos…we were using Schwenk…the human to guide us to protect the Claws…” Lion-O
explained.
 “It WAS protected until you started meddling Sveta growled. He’s got too close already…”
“He faked his death and got away from us…We’d never have known that he was alive, but when
we arrived in town we noticed there was a commotion by the river…some guy called Oswyn had been
murdered in the hut…We knew that Schwenk travelled by river and then smelled his scent there…We
knew he was alive…”
“Oswyn!! No!!” Sveta paled. “He was a family friend…” she hung her head.
“I shall help you to catch him, before it’s too late…but on one condition…”
“Name it…” Lion-O replied.
“You hand this Schwenk over to me and walk away…”
“No, Lion-O….you cannot!” Pumyra replied.
“You have my word, Sveta…” Lion-O only replied to the lioness. “Pumyra…Schwenk killed
again…Sveta has jurisdiction. End of the matter…”
“I understand…” she sighed.
“Wait…what’s this?” Tygra held up a small, black notepad.
Lion-O took it a flipped through the pages. “Schwenk’s…he’s been keeping secret notes of the
mission!!” he growled. Sveta grabbed the pad.
“Wait…let me take a look…she flipped to the last pages. “By the Gods!! We’ve got to get to the
bridge!!” she ran out of the door and ran. The others followed. Jinx inspected the stone cube. “What
does this mean, human?” he growled.

“Please…I’m hurt…I need some medical attention!”

“Pah…you’re weaker than a kitten…What does this MEAN?!!” he grabbed Schwenk’s sweat
matted hair and yanked him eye to eye. “Tell me!! Now!!” he licked the human’s cheek.
“Co-ordinates…” he replied with a trembling voice.
“How are this co-ordinates? Tell me!!”
 “No…I’ll tell Grune…”
“Getting brave, are we?? Jinx hissed. “Fine…we’ll go to Grune now…but not before the
Thundercats fought for you and you received a hand injury before we escaped. He grabbed Schwenk’s left
hand and bit two fingers clean off. Even though Schwenk screamed a blood-curdling scream he heard
every single ‘crunch’ and chew as Jinx swallowed down the pureed fingers.
“That’s…” he licked his chops noisily “…better..” he pulled out the comms.
“Master…I have him…permission for extraction…Immediate…”
“Granted…” the voice chilled Schwenk to the bone. A small, glowing portal opened up and Jinx
dragged the bedraggled human through. The portal snapped shut. Three minutes later Sveta arrived with
the others, she immediately climbed up on the arch and across a very thin ledge. Her hand reached up
and found…an empty space!
“Nooooooooooo!! !” she unleashed a blood-curdling roar. She climbed back down and sobbed. “He’s
got it! The human has got it!” she growled ferociously.
“Got what….what’s happened here?” Lion-O sat next to her and asked gently.
“The human…he worked out what the clue was…the tavern is called The Seventh Star and this
was a clue, but nobody had worked it out. It referred to the hiding place of the coordinate
cube…everyone thought more literally and assumed the seventh star was in a constellation. Of course,
most folks never got that far and I slaughtered them before they got too much thinking time…Schwenk
must’ve seen the bridge from my room…after the piece of shit was done with my knickers! Then he
knew…”
“Knew what?? Why the bridge??” Tygra asked.
“Seen from the town the bridge is decorated, on the townward side the bridge fascia is broken up
into panels…each panel is a…”
“Star…” Lion-O sighed.
“Yes…and the seventh star happens to be the one nearest town. It was assumed that most
seekers would assume the other end because, it’s natural to count along the bridge from right to left
when standing by this end of the bridge. However, we all read from left to right…Schwenk worked that
out…somehow…”
“The snake!” Bengali hissed.
 “Yes, and now the cube has gone…” she slumped. “I have failed…It must’ve been that black
panther…”
“What panther?” Lion-O asked.
“Black fella, head to foot…came in asking about a human that matched Schwenk’s
description…after he left I went straight to my room and that’s when I knew Schwenk had been in
there, searching…”
“Why would Schwenk be working with a black panther??” Pumyra asked.
“I have no idea how that human works…this makes little sense…” Lion-O replied.
“Look here…blood…” Pumyra pointed to the stone. Sveta sat on her haunches and dipped her
finger in it and tasted.
“Schwenk’s…he’s injured…” she bent down and started lapping up the rest.
Lion-O looked away.
“This is Grune’s doing…Schwenk has fallen from the frying pan to the fire…the panther is
doing Grune’s bidding…” Bengali spoke.
“Wait…black panther? Say, Sveta…describe the panther for me…” Tygra asked. Sveta wiped
her chin from the blood. “Well…about six foot ten…black all over…simple dress and black goggles
around his neck…”
“Goggles!” Tygra gasped. “Jinx…”
“Who’s Jinx?” Sveta asked as she licked her fingers.
“An assassin…evaded capture many, many times…Hey, that could explain the bones in the
tree…”
“Tree bones?” Sveta furrowed her brow.
“Yeah…” Bengali replied. “Human remains in the crook of a tree…about four hours walk out of
town.
“Hmmm…the panther did smell slightly of human flesh…”
 “Question remains…Where are they now?” Lion-O scratched his head.
There was a long pause. It seemed the trail was now very cold. Tygra sat down near where the
blood ended abruptly. He started thinking and looking around.
“I need some steel…small…pin, needle, tack….something like that…”
“Wait…” Sveta rummaged in the top of her boot and pulled out a skeleton key. She held it out
sheepishly. “You never know when a girl may need to get in somewhere…” she shrugged.
Tygra took it and held it out where the blood ended. Very carefully he let it go
and…miraculously…the key hovered three feet off the stone.
“What the fuck?!” Sveta exclaimed.
“Magnetic anomaly…our quarry took the expressway out of here…A space portal…”
“But how…the magnetic fields here would make that suicide!” Bengali responded.
“No…maybe not…not if it’s strong enough or…”
“Close!” Lion-O’s eyes widened.
“What is close?” Pumyra asked.
“Maybe one, one or two thousand kilometres…”
“Oh well, that makes it easy then…” she replied dryly.
“She’s right…It could take years to search all of that by foot…” Lion-O sighed.
“Well…yeah, unless you knew where it was they were going…” Sveta spoke in amongst the
gloom.
“You…you know where they’re heading?” Lion-O asked.
“Of course…I’m a Guardian….no point doing a job like this if it hasn’t got perks…” Grune lifted
up the human by his throat. “Well, well, well…you look smaller in real life…” he shook Schwenk until
he got a response. “Quite fragile it appears…” he lifted up Schwenk’s left hand. “I think someone has been
pissing off Jinx!”
 “He did this for no reason…” he groaned.
“Oh…he can find a reason for anything…” Grune smiled. “Be thankful it was just your
fingers….or….was it?” he looked Schwenk over. “Ah yes…looks like his dominated you too…Be
thankful, Schwenk…if he hadn’t I would’ve done and I’m far more of a male than he is…” he licked the
human’s face. “Now…this cube…co-ordinates, right? So, human….where does it co-ordinate too?” Grune
held the cube up to the human’s face.
“I'll tell you if you can give me medical attention and painkillers…” he groaned softly.
“The human gives Grune the Destroyer orders?!” he roared in Schwenk’s face.
“He tried that with me…turns out he is quite susceptible to pain…and he still has plenty of
disposable body parts…master…”
“Hmmm…good point! Let me take a look at this hand?” he opened his cavernous, sabre-toothed
mouth wide.
“No! Enough…give him the treatment he needs…he’s even more worthless dead!!” a deep voice
boomed. Schwenk turned to see who his new saviour was. He was chilled to the bone.
Grune dropped the human to the ground. “We are wasting time…”
“We need to know where the Claws of Chaos are and him being dead does not help me and that is
NOT part of the deal!!”
“Pertinax…he is disposable.. he tells us where they are and so what if he dies?”
“Because if he lies and then dies how does that help us??” Pertinax growled. He stood there in his
dark red armour and glared at Grune. At nine foot tall he loomed over the sabre-tooth.
“Ayos…take the human to the field medic….get him stabilised at least…” Pertinax ordered.
Ayos, and equally tall jaguar saluted and grabbed the human and hefted him over his should as if he
wasn’t there and marched off to the medic.
“Grune…we are so close to achieving greatness there is little point in rushing on to folly…If
it means keeping him alive a bit longer, then so be it…just means the meat stays fresher longer…” he
chuckled a booming laugh.
“Very well, but in future please do not growl me out in front of sub-ordinates, both yours and
mine!”
 “I agree…now, come let us dine…we have half a dozen human slaves with our names on
them…bring your officers and we can discuss tactics…” they walked off together to a separate cave.
Ayos placed the human an a gurney where a medic reviewed his injuries.

“Hmmm…anally raped and missing two fingers…” he wheeled a machine over the injured hand.
“What is that machine…” Ayos asked.
“A regenerist…It grows back parts…”
“Really? How long to grow back fingers? Or a hand?”
The leopard looked at the machine. “about ten minutes…easy enough…but, he only needs two
fingers…not a hand…”
Ayos grinned and grabbed the humans hand and crushed it in his grip. Schwenk screamed in
agony. But that was nothing compared to the pain of Ayos placing the broken hand in his mouth and
crunching it up and swallowing the remains. Schwenk passed out from pain. The leopard medic simply
sighed, gave a slightly disapproving look and placed the stump in the regenerist. Ayos smirked. If he
waked up, tell him I'll be back in…hmm…half an hour!!” he strode off. Sveta rolled out the map of
the planet.

“OK, this is whole of Saran and we’re here…” she pointed a claw to a small dot halfway up the
northern hemisphere. “OK…the Claws of Chaos are here…” she pointed way down on a small continent
to the far south of the map.
“Well…there’s no city or town here” Lion-O shrugged.
“No…but you’ll see…”
“But how do we get there? Flap our arms?” Bengali grumbled sarcastically. Sveta rolled her eyes.
“You really are a clot, aren’t you sweetie!?”
“But the magnetic fields…flying is impossible…”
“Well…yes, but that’s only because I haven’t turned the fields off…”
“What?!?” Lion-O gasped.
 “Well…it’s a matter of defence…Makes it so much harder for people to come here, in and out,
fast…Gives me time to slice their throats…” she purred. “Does your craft have remote control?”
“It does…” Tygra nodded.
“Then get it here…it will be safe…”
“Wha…” Tygra was puzzled.
“Here…” she pointed to an ancient metal box with a light and a switch.
“Turned off…then, once we take off I'll re-establish the power, although it seems rather
pointless now…” she shrugged. She dropped it to the floor and raised her boot…
“No!! ” Tygra scooped it up. “This is valuable technology…some kind of energy projector…Just
because it has no use it no need to destroy it…”
“Destroy to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands…make sure those hands are not your
hands…I still retain my job, you know…”
“Wait…are you threatening me?” Tygra smirked.
“I’ve executed plenty bigger than you, Stripes!” she snarled.
“OK, OK…no need for any threats…we’re working to the same end…” Lion-O calmed them
down.
“The ship will be here in about half an hour…Any plans of what to do once we get to our
destination?” Tygra confirmed.
“We stop Grune from his plans…”
“Ahem…” Sveta tapped her foot, arms folded.
“And Sveta arrests Schwenk…Arrests?” he looked at her.
“Let’s go with that, huh?” she nodded. Schwenk was strapped to a table with bright lights
above him.
 “Let’s try again, Schwenk…” Grune rumbled. “Where are the Claws of Chaos?”
“I told you.. it’s relative…I need a map of where we are…”
“Where we are is top secret!!” Ayos snarled.
“How can it be top secret…I’m already here!!” he retorted. Ayos lunged at the human was held
back by Pertinax. “Control yourself, whelp!” he cuffed the jaguar on the side of his head.
“Ha! Want a piece of me…oh that’s right…you already did!!” he spat on the floor.
“You are wearing a lot of patience very thin, Mr Schwenk…” Pertinax said coldly.
“I know…the problem is, the way that I see it…I’m only valuable until you find the Claws of
Chaos…oh don’t worry, I was exactly the same asset to the Thundercats…So excuse me for not rolling
over immediately…I enjoy life and don’t want it to end…”
Pertinax considered this for a moment. “You make a good point…death is almost assured as soon
as you spill the beans about the Claws…So…make your case…Why should you not die…What makes
you enduringly valuable to me…to us…”
This totally threw the human. He had never expected to negotiate for his life and was
unprepared. “May I have ten minutes to consider this??” he asked politely.
“Of course…Maybe Ayos can keep you company…I will return in ten minutes…” Pertinax left.
Ayos smiled and Schwenk…well…he look very worried.
“So good that we get to have quality time, human…” he examined his claws.
“Please don’t hurt me…” he asked politely this time.
“Oh? Turned all polite, huh? Funny…you seemed to enjoy me getting chewed out by Pertinax…”
he leant on the bed looking at the strapped down human.
“Poor choice of expression on my part…I apologise…” he flinched as Ayos picked up his
regenerated hand. “It’s amazing what technology can do…” he licked his lips.
“You…you cannot eat it…”
 “Oh?? You seem quite comfortable giving orders…considering what happened to your hand
before…”
“Look around…there isn’t a regenerist machine here…You bite my hand off and I'll bleed
out…”
“We can get one here in time…” Ayos snorted.
“You willing to take that chance??” he shot back and that had Ayos thinking.
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”
“I have my moments!!” he nodded.
“Your luck could run out at any time! Maybe I should get Jinx to get you company…he’s taken
quite the shine to you…and no blood loss there, my friend…” he grinned. Schwenk paled at this.
“I think we kinda got off on the wrong foot, Ayos…” he gulped.
“No, no…there is no ‘wrong foot’…you’re a human and you are food. I don’t care what Pertinax
says….you only have one value and that is on my plate and in my belly…” his eyes narrowed. “…and
that is how this story will end for you…”
“I refuse to believe that…plenty have threatened death by ingestion…and here I
stand…well, lay…living testament to the fact that humans are superior to cats!” he boasted.
Ayos took some deep breaths.
“We shall see…human, we shall see…but where I come from there are no humans left…they
were all processed by cats guts!! Good riddance too…So now we’re here and you’re plentiful…like an
infestation that we shall control!”
“Where do you come from?? Which planet?” he asked.
“Planet?” he scoffed. “We are from another universe!! One in which we reign supreme and which
the parallel version of you was probably eaten, crapped out and your bones turned to glue and skin
turned to clothing…”
“So…how did you get here and, I assume, Pertinax…”
“The same energy stream that brought you and Jinx here…”
 This got Schwenk thinking, his mind whirring about recent events.
“Ah ha!!” he shouted and actually made the nine foot tall jaguar jump with surprise.
“What?!” Ayos asked.
“I know why you’re here and why you want…no, need the Claws of Chaos!”
“Oh good for you…It won’t do you any good…” he snorted.
“On the contrary…it’s the one thing that will keep me alive and out of that stomach of
yours…bad luck!!”
Ayos frowned.
“What does THAT mean…” he grabbed a handful of hair on Schwenk head. “Tell me before we
discover whether the regenerist can make you a new fucking face!!” his hot, damp breath blew across
Schwenk’s current face.
“STOP!!” Pertinax barked. “Ayos, you are relieved…” and the jaguar skulked away testily.
“Time is up, Schwenk…why should we keep you alive??”
“Well…it’s like this…” he spoke.

Chapter 9
The ship was cruising at an altitude of ten kilometres, on its way south.

“So…how did you get this Guardian job then?” Pumyra asked Sveta over a cup of coffee.
“I inherited it from my mother…”
“Are Guardians always females?”
“Of course…cannot trust something like that to males…they would screw it up every single
time. Look at Schwenk, had he not been rescued by someone he’d have died too and the Claws would have
been safe once again…Instead, this female must make amends for a poor execution…literally…”
“So…what does this have to do with Lavinia and the language of it’s tribe?”
 “I do not know all of the details…but they created the Claws….for reason or reasons unknown.
But they were stopped by ancient Thunderians in the bad old days. Then there was a war which the
Lavinians lost. What is often forgotten, probably deliberately, is that the Lavinians were wiped
out…both by the Thunderians and the Claws…”
“How did the Claws wipe them out?”
“History does not recall how…it just happened. Then, with no more Lavinians the language
should’ve died and the Claws would never be accessed again.
“Except the language did not die out, did it?”
“No…it did not…But this eventuality was anticipated and hence Guardians were created…”
“We’re still not sure how Schwenk knows Lavinian….he is human and therefore had no contact
with Lavinians…”
“Oh…Lavinians had human contact, alright…” Sveta snorted.
“What? How?”
“Before the start of the Claws construction the Lavinians held humans in captivity and
slavehood…They worked, they were eaten, but it was accepted that some humans needed to act as an
interface…To aid communication in the building of some of the more intricate components of the
Claws…So some academics were taught Lavinian and not eaten…It is in the ancestors of those humans
that the language survived. The Guardians did their best, but could not suppress everyone…”
“Suppress?”
“Yes…the Guardians have a mission to eliminate all Lavinian speakers…so many generations
there was a sort of ‘secret inquisition’…We mopped up about ninety-five percent…”
“Mopped up?? You mean murdered innocent people…”
“Meh…call it what you will, but you do not know what power the Claws have…if you had any
idea you’d run a sword through these humans yourself…They create danger by existing…as proven by
Schwenk…”
“I’m no cold-blooded murderer!!”
Sveta regarded Pumyra coldly.
 “Then why are you here…you serve no purpose on this mission…”
Pumyra bit her lip. “I’m a medic and just because I do not kill people does not mean I am not
useful…” she retorted.
“Your coffee is quite good…” Sveta admitted.
“I’m not just a bloody coffee maker!!” Pumyra snapped.
“I didn’t say you were, bunny…I just complimented you for a great cup of coffee…You need to
learn to keep calm…”
Pumyra sat and shifted slightly. “Thanks for the compliment…I was just trying to explain I
have plenty of talents that do not involve me slitting throats…That is all…”
“I understand…” she sipped her coffee. “I apologise for causing offence…that was
unintentional…”
“What will you do with Schwenk when you have him…” Pumyra asked.
Sveta regarded her for a while. “Hunny, why do you have to ask that…I do not want to cause
another argument…”
“Hmm…I was just curious…”
“Nothing you would approve of, I dare say…Look, compared to those ‘innocent’ folk you were
talking about earlier…Schwenk is not even in the same league…You know he’s killed and he killed my
friend. If that wasn’t bad enough it appears he is helping Grune the Destroyer. Tell me…without me, and
your Lord Lion-O were to arrest him…what would his fate be then?”
Pumyra shifted in her seat.
“He would get justice. A trial and then sentencing…then off to prison…for the rest of his
life…”
“Oh…OK. I apologise…and, just out of interest, how many human prisons are there where you
come from??” she asked pointedly.
“Sveta…it’s not as simpl…”
 “Who are you kidding, sister? I’m not pointing the finger at you…but we both know what his
future is! If I sat Bengali down here…what would he say?”
Pumyra sighed. “He probably hold Schwenk down whilst you cut his head off…” she replied sadly.
Sveta reached out and placed her hand on Pumyra’s shoulder.
“You’re a good, kind soul who does a lot of good…the universe needs more people like
you…Trust me…I know! I am what I was brought up to be…I cannot apologise for that…but I’m no
monster. I own a tavern and only get snoopers every few months….Yes, there are that many people
seeking glory in the Claws…”
Pumyra rolled her eyes. “…and we thought we were the first…”
“Far from it…most, however, are fortune hunters and are only seeking monetary value from
the Claws…Driven by greed. Nothing more…This is the first time there has been a concerted effort by
a force not driven by money, in my lifetime…”
“Hmmm…”
“Yes. I know. I failed!” Sveta looked down at the table.
“I wasn’t saying that…besides, you haven’t failed…yet…We still have a chance and, with all
the assistance you given us…You’ve done more than a lot of Guardians would ever have done…”
“Thank you, Pumyra…You’re kind to say…”
“I’m a kind person…remember…” she smiled.
“Yes…I remember…How about another coffee, waitress…” Sveta winked.
“Cheek!” Pumyra winked and stood, grabbing both cups. “Are you sure that this is the place??”
Pertinax growled at Schwenk.

“I am sure that this is the place as indicated by the coordination cube…yes…”

“Are you trying to be smart?” Ayos snarled.
 “I’m telling you there is a difference between me knowing exactly where the Claws are and
where I’m telling you the cube says they are…”
“I cannot see any Claws!” Grune the Destroyer growled. “Jinx…maybe five minutes with the
human can loosen his mind…” the panther smiled at the thought.
“NO!! ” Pertinax shouted. “I need him and if this is where the cube says…then we need to search
better…Grune…get your men to look everywhere…Under rocks, under trees…get the metal
detectors out!!”
“Very well…but if there is nothing this time around then I will get Jinx to speak with
Schwenk…”
“Agreed…”
This time the human did gulp. “My Lord…I am telling you the truth…I swear…”
“I hope you are…Ayos…bring Mr Schwenk to my tent…” Pertinax strode off.
“Move it, monkey…” the jaguar snarled. He then whispered into the human’s ear “I have no idea
how you conned Pertinax into keeping you alive…but it will not work…”
“It will work, trust me! Who knows…maybe he’ll make me his second-in-command…” he smirked
and, then, he was face down in the soil with Ayos’ boot on his head, pushing it down. “Simply putting my
weight on my foot will pop you head like a grape…Whoops…and accident!! No undoing that…I’d take
my chances…”
Schwenk squealed from somewhere underneath him as Ayos let that thought sink in. Eventually
he moved his boot and picked up the mud encrusted human.
“You need cleaning up…you cannot go into his tent looking like a street urchin…” he then
hawked a big gob of spit full into the human’s face and rubbed his with his furry forearm.
“There…much better…shall we go in…” he grinned. “So, Schwenk what is the…What
happened to you?” Pertinax looked at the mud splattered, drool smeared face…”

“He stumbled on a rock, my Lord…” Ayos replied. “I’ve given him quick clean with some warm
liquid…”
 “Very good, Ayos…you may leave us…please ensure Grune’s men are fully committed to
looking for the Claws…”
“My Lord…” he bowed down deeply. He then left the two together.
“Sit…” he indicated a stool. The coordinate cube was on the table under a lamp.
“I didn’t fall…” he stated sourly.
“Do I look stupid??” he replied without looking at the human. “But you’re uninjured…so that
suits me OK…”
“He spat in my face…It’ll take me forever to get that smell off of me…”
“Spit? Oh you were lucky…he would usually piss on you!!”
“Disgusting creature!”
“He’s my second in command…speak carefully, human!!” Pertinax growled. “Now…study the cube
again…You must have missed something!”
Schwenk sighed and picked up the cube. “I’ve been over every inch if this…it is very clear…we
are ‘At the Place of the Claw’…It’s not a riddle, it’s an instruction…We are here…”
“So where are the Claws of Chaos?”
“I do not know!!” he raised his voice slightly. This was immediately met with a throat lift up to
Pertinax’s eye level.
“You forget yourself, human…Never raise your voice to me again…Skill or no skill…We’d
work it out without you!”
“With total respect…I’m not sure you would…but I do not know for sure…I apologise for my
transgression…I’m frustrated, that’s all…fearing the next attack…condoned or otherwise. I’m on edge
and do not do my best work when on edge…”
Pertinax placed him back on the floor.
“You are asking me for a great amount…You’d place me at risk…”
 Schwenk was confused. “I’m not sure I’ve asked you for anything…Have I?”
Pertinax spoke into his comms unit. “Galen…come to my tent…”
Schwenk gulped. “Who is this Galen? Is he some kind of special unit? Torturer?” Pertinax laughed
at the human’s fear. “Oh…he’s a special unit, alright…”
A tall and lean lion walked in. “My Lord?” Pertinax just looked at an increasingly nervous human.
Galen walked up to the human and started measuring.
“Oh gods…he’s an undertaker!!” Schwenk squealed.
“He’s my tailor…you idiot!!” he roared with laughter.
“Why do I need a tailor??”
“Because you are going to get a uniform…You are to be my personal aide…”
“Personal aide? What? Really?”
“Yes really…it means if you betray me, or fail the mission only I get to eat you. Nice, huh?”
“Oh…yes…a real honour!” he groaned.
“It shall be completed within the hour…” Galen bowed and left the tent.
“Ayos will be very upset…” Schwenk noted.
“Indeed…but he won’t kill you…Probably won’t even break bones. I admire his passion and
industry though…so please don’t go riling him…I know you do it deliberately because you think I shall
protect you…My protection may be fleeting if you abuse my trust! Understood?”
“Understood!” he nodded.
“Study the cube, or so help me my hand of friendship with become your worst nightmare!” he
curled his fingers and extended his claws.
“I shall, I just need…” he paused, deep in thought. “Do that again!”
“What?? Threaten you?” he raised an eyebrow.
“No.. the hand…claw thing…” So Pertinax thrust his curled up, clawed hand in Schwenk’s face.
 “I’m a fucking genius!!” he declared loudly. “YES! YES!!” he laughed loudly. “So when we
land…what are we looking for?” Lion-O asked Sveta.

“A landing space I hope…” she replied.

“No, no…where are the Claws of Chaos housed?”
“Housed? I haven’t a clue…I was meant to protect the cube and know the destination. I have no
idea what will be there…but I doubt it will be signposted!”
“Oh great…we’re flying blind!” Bengali declared.
“Better than not flying at all!!” Pumyra added.
“Correct…We’ll get there and work it out…We have Sveta…They do not!” Lion-O agreed.
“They have Schwenk, though…he seems to know plenty of what we don’t …” Tygra admitted.
“If I see him first it will not be a problem for long!” Sveta stated and from her bag removed the
longsword and attached it to her belt.
“Whoa…nice blade…” Lion-O spoke admiringly.
“Yes, it’s a Guardian Sword…useful for striking down the unworthy!”
“Schwenk is certainly qualified for that!” Bengali smiled.
“This blade is too good for that human! I could strike him down with a spoon!!” Sveta snorted then
laughed. Everyone except for Pumyra joined in with the laughter.
“We’ll be landing in about an hour, ten clicks from the coordinates…” Tygra added.
“Ten kilometres? Why don’t we just land amongst them and fight?!” Bengali protested.
“Because we do not know what to expect…At least we can have one advantage…the element of
surprise…” Lion-O replied. “OK, genius…what have you discovered??” Pertinax asked. He had been
joined by Grune and Ayos.

“I won’t tell you…but I will show you…come on…follow me!”

“More games? More stalling?” Grune growled.
 “No, no…you’ll see…Come on….you’ll be impressed…Even you, Ayos…you may even
smile…”
This brought a warning growl from the jaguar, but nothing more. Schwenk rushed out of the tent
and strode across the camp. He pushed past tents, Grune’s warriors and headed out into the bowl of the
valley. He walked hard for more than ten minutes then stopped abruptly and turned about.
“Well? Impressed??” he held his arms out.
“At what?” Grune grunted.
“This is some kind of joke??” Pertinax growled.
“Let me eat him now…he mocks you and he laughs at us ALL” Ayos was furious.
“Calm down, cats…” he smiled. He now wore a resplendent deep red and black uniform, made to
measure. “You should be happy…I’ve brought you to the place…”
“WHAT PLACE?!!” Grune howled in anger.
“To the Claws of Chaos…” and there was silence as all three cats looked around on the floor.
They scrabbled in the undergrowth and under rocks. All they saw was a long, massive slab of limestone
that was at a thirty degree angle.
“My patience is paper thin, human…make sense now or I will kill you here and now…” Pertinax
drew a dagger.
“OK, OK…forgive my indulgence…but the fact is this…We came here and looked for something
we’ve never seen. We don’t even know what the Claws of Chaos look like…nobody does, it was never
described. So throughout history people assumed they were looking for something like, oh I don’t
know…the Sword of Omens, or the Book of Omens…You know? Something tangible, something
small…but those clever Lavinians…oh clever, clever.. they created something more powerful than the
galaxy had ever known before. That’s not a sword, or a book. No, they created something to last and then,
then they hid it in fairly plain sight. I was mystified. I was sure I had read everything correctly and
yet, nothing was found. No boxes, no trinkets…nothing. Then Pertinax gave me the spark of inspiration.
Schwenk grabbed the huge tiger’s right hand, which lead to a growl of warning. He thrust this bloody
great paw in my face. The fingers were like this and…and these were unsheathed. Now…what are this
sharp, slicey black things called?” he asked the group.
“The death of you!” Pertinax muttered.
“Claws?” Grune ventured.
“YES!! Claws!! We’re not looking for gloves, or armour or anything like that…Look around
you…tell me what you see!”
 The group slowly spun three-sixty degrees.
“Mountains…” Grune replied.
“Technically, limestone karsts…” Pertinax added.
“How many?” Schwenk prodded.
“Five…” Ayos replied. There was a moment’s silence.
“By the Gods!” Pertinax gasped.
“We won’t find the Claws of Chaos…because…we stand within them!” Schwenk smiled proudly.

Chapter 10
The group marched towards the setting sun and towards their final destination. The point on the
map had given little away other than the destination was in a group of mountains that had been poorly
and incompletely mapped.

“We should arrive just before sundown…” Lion-O said as they reviewed the map again.
“Then we attack?” Bengali asked
“Depends on what we find, but no, it’s unlikely we’ll march ten clicks then straight into battle…”
he sighed. “Can you not find a peaceful hobby? Take the edge off of you wanting a fight all the time?” he
added.
“I am what I am…”
“Too aggressive and violent at times…” Pumyra added.
“Had you let me be aggressive and violent with Schwenk this expedition would be over and Grune
would be left without any way of decoding the Claws of Chaos information…” he remarked. This brought
no immediate reply, because everyone accepted that there was truth in this. Sveta said very little as she
walked alongside Pumyra.
“How close were you to Oswyn?” Pumyra asked.
“Whilst my mother was Guardian, my father died…he was a miner and there was an explosion.
We were devastated and Oswyn, bless his soul…he helped us out. He could barely make ends meet for
himself, but somehow helped us with the funeral and food, clothing. This was before we had the tavern.
Father’s income was the only thing that kept us above water. Then the ferryman came to us and kept us
above water permanently…” she smiled. “He was a dear man, wouldn’t hurt a fly…” she clenched her
jaw. “Had I been aware of what Schwenk had done when I had him trapped in the room…there would
have been nothing left of him. Not even an unpleasant stain!” she growled.
“I know that, sometimes, I stick up for Schwenk…But please don’t interpret that the wrong way.
He has been a victim of some injustice, and I hoped that deep down there was a nugget of goodness that
had been smothered by bitterness and revenge…” Pumyra explained.
“When I rip him apart…muscle fibre by muscle fibre I'll keep an eye out for that nugget…If I
find it.. I’ll let you know…OK?” Sveta replied grimly.
“Hmmm…” Pumyra had no idea how to respond to that. “You…you are sure it was
him…Schwenk…that killed Oswyn?”
“That’s what your buddies told me…” she jerked her head to Lion-O. “Hey! Lion-O…remind me
again…How did Oswyn pass?”
“I’m afraid he was garrotted…” Lion-O lied.
“You see, Pumyra? Jinx wouldn’t bother with a garrotte…he has teeth, claws and
strength…Cats do not garrotte…”
“I see…” Pumyra replied quietly. “I’m sorry for your loss…”
“Your human will be sorry!”
“Sveta. He is not my human…I did just explain that…” Sveta looked at the puma.
“You did. I apologise…I…I guess I’m just a bit…well…overwhelmed at the moment with it
all…”
“Can I get you something for that? Medication, something to take the edge off, maybe?” Pumyra
offered.
“No! I need this edge! Especially now…” she replied sharply.
“OK, OK…well.. if you change your mind…you know where I am…”
“I do, yes…thank you for the offer…maybe once the job is done and I can start grieving…”
 They all continued walking toward the karsts that loomed up on the westward horizon.
Gaston Schwenk held the cube and looked around.

“What are you looking for now?” Ayos asked the human.
“We know what the Claws are…we need to know how to activate them…”
“It’s a machine?”
“I sincerely hope so…if not we’re standing at the next big thing in galactic tourism and nothing
else…” Schwenk replied, absent-mindedly. Ayos took a step towards him.
“What I mean to say is can you help look for some kind of…hmmm…panel? Something that
maybe this cube can fit into?”
“Any more of your tongue and I'll ensure it fits perfectly up your arsehole!!” he warned. He then
called Grune’s men to start sweeping the area. Schwenk look up and around and then to the large
limestone slab. He closed his eyes and tried to visualise. He opened his eyes again.
“Pertinax…this slab…it’s a ramp…For things to move up and down…”
“I know…”
“You know?? Well…why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s irrelevant to your purpose…” was the simple answer.
“Right. Yes…OK…” he took a step back and walked to the slab. Above him and in front of the
slab were four of the might limestone karsts…the claws. He turned around, to his right and behind him
was the fifth. He turned his back on the slab and started pacing away from it.
“Hey!!” Ayos snarled. “Where are you going??”
“Following a hunch!”
“Best not be trying to escape!” Ayos warned. Schwenk stopped and looked at him.
“Seriously…when did an escape involving slowly pacing away??”
The jaguar walked towards him.
“I think the control panel is over here…” Schwenk told Ayos, but Ayos kept walking and
grabbed the human by the throat.
“Really? That direction is it?” he snarled viciously.
 “Y-Yes…” he squeaked.
“Well…let me help you…” and he threw the human all of twenty feet away from the slab. He
landed with a thump onto clumps of thick, tufted grass. He right knee, however ‘thwacked’ on something
considerably harder.
“Fuck!! My knee…” he grabbed it and nursed it. He regarded the offending rock and, with a heavy
heart realised it was the corner of a large, flat slab.
“Find it?” Ayos loomed above him, arms crossed.
“Yes. I think so…” he replied sourly.
“I’m happy to help…I hope I can help you again very soon…” he grinned a toothy grin.
“I'll need some help…It’s partially buried and it will need to be cleaned up, somewhat…And by
that I don’t mean you can use me as a shovel…” he rubbed his knee. Ayos bellowed at three close
warriors and they started digging.
“We’ll need some water to wash the slab, so I can read the inscriptions…
Ayos unzippered his trousers.
“No!” Schwenk yelped. “This is the biggest, most powerful machine in history…I have no idea
whether jaguar piss would end life as we know it! Although…by the smell of it…no, I'll stop there…”
but it was too late. Ayos stomped on Schwenk’s chest, felling him to the floor. Before he could move he
was given a dousing of hot jaguar urine.
“Aaargh!! Stop!! Blechhh…it’s in my eyes….my nose…No!” he coughed and heaved.
“When will you learn.. pathetic human…You’d best get another uniform now…” he laughed
loudly, as did Grune’s men.
“Go get a bowser of water…This slab needs careful cleaning!” Ayos ordered whilst a hot, soggy
human got up off of the floor. After half an hour the sun touched the horizon and the sky glowed a
fiery orange-red. The panel slab was clean and Schwenk noted that there was indeed a cubic slot vacant.

“The light is going…We will need portable lights here so I can see what I’m doing…” Schwenk
asked Pertinax. Pertinax gave the appropriate orders and then marched off to do other business. Grune
stood in his place.
 “So…what’s the deal with Pertinax? I thought Grune the Destroyer was the galaxy’s number one
bad guy…”
“I am…he is not from here…
“Saran? The galaxy? Well, where is he from then?”
“The other universe…”
“The other…what? How did he get here…and I’m presuming Ayos as well…”
“They found me…Using the same method that brought you from the bridge to me…Each one
took a day to cross using that method…”
“Even so…a day to travel between universes…not bad, really…”
“It’s too slow and inefficient for his needs and mine…”
Schwenk thought on this for a moment.
“Ahh…now I understand…so you want to use the Claws of Chaos to bring some more of them
over?”
“Not more…all…”
“And how many is ‘all’?”
“I am told he has six hundred thousand troops…”
“Holy fuck!! Six hundred thousand of those!!?” he gasped. “This place will get full very quickly…”
“That’s why we work together…I have access to troop carrier ships…I just do not have many
troops…”
“Riiiiight…and how long will it be before Pertinax decides he can just be in charge and does
away with Grune the Destroyer?” Grune turned and looked down on the human.
“That shall not happen!” he rumbled.
“Well…it’s a big plan and I’m not sure that’s what the Lavinians had in mind for this. This
creates a portal…to travel between two place…not to act as a beachhead for invasion…”
 “..and how do you know what the Lavinians designed this for?” Pertinax growled from somewhere
behind the human.
“Because…erm…I’m intelligent…mostly…”
“Well…you’re wrong! This was created as a bridge between two universes…after all, one is SO
small…” he laughed.
“What makes you think you know what the Lavinians had in mind??”
“Because we ARE Lavinians…oh might, intelligent human!”
Schwenk gulped. “But…but…”
“We were wiped out by the Thunderians?? Well, mostly but a few troops were sucked back into
the portal and into a new universe. From there we did quite well and our numbers increased…now it’s
time to come back and take what is rightly ours…”
“That doesn’t make sense??” Schwenk frowned.
“Why not?!” Pertinax responded aggressively.
“Well…you said this was created as a bridge between two universes…but.. it was created
before the troops were sucked into a new universe, accidentally. So…Why create this in the first place?
It was not designed as a bridge…”
“I am Lavinian…I should know!”
“You weren’t here then…how could you know it’s purpose?” he argued.
“Be warned, human…you are on thin ice!!” the Lavinian commander growled.
“OK, OK.. it’s a bridge…” he gave up. He held the cube up to Pertinax. “would you like to insert
this…” he smiled innocently.
“No…you do it…in case it explodes or something…Bring those lights here…” he barked.
Lights were set up, illuminating the complex panel. With a gulp and a slow intake of breath Schwenk
inserted the cube into the slot. Immediately the whole panel vibrated and all of the sign, sigils and icons
glowed a brilliant blue.
“Whoa…I guess we do not need the lights…” and and that moment the bulbs exploded in
showers of spark. Everywhere in the camp all electronic equipment that was running exploded. Troops
ran for cover and Schwenk felt his hair stood on end. He loomed up and noted that each claw now started
to glow faintly blue.
“How pretty…” Schwenk muttered to himself, in awe. He turned to Pertinax. “If this is the
energy that’s given just by turning it on, a re you sure you want to start it running a full power?”
“Yes! Do it….now!” he commanded. So Schwenk started reading the complex instructions, then a
thought occurred to him.
“You’re Lavinian?”
“Yes, what of it?”
“Why can’t you read this? Why do you need me to read your language?”
Pertinax chewed his lip. “We cannot…through the generations in the other universe the
language evolved into something different…This is unreadable to us now…”
“So the mighty Lavinian Empire needs a human to help them….now that ‘s irony!”
“Please just go about your business before we have the need to renegotiate our agreement. My
understanding is that Jinx is more than willing to encourage your assistance!”
Schwenk studied the board once more. “OK, here goes nothing. Step one!” he pressed his finger on
the first sigil. There was a massive ‘whumph’ and all five claws glowed a brilliant electric cyan. Schwenk
was thrown ten feet onto a pre-prepared crash mat. “Ow!!” he groaned. The electricity was palpable in the
atmosphere and the smell of ozone was prevalent. Schwenk got up and used the board as support.
“OK.. going to phase two…” From five kilometres away the group saw a massive surge of
blue light from the mountains ahead. This was followed by the sound which rumbled like thunder.

“I have no idea what that is…but…we need to get there…NOW!” Sveta shot off at a full run.
“Come on…we need to stick together!” Lion-O bellowed and the whole group ran towards the
spontaneous electrical storm. Steps two, three, four and five were an anti-climax. Sigils were pressed
and there was seemingly no effect.

“What’s happening…What’s wrong?” Pertinax placed a huge clawed hand on Schwenk shoulder.
“Probably nothing…it’s like a computer…just because you press a button and see nothing doesn’t
mean it’s not working behind the scenes…”
“Go to the next step then…” he urged.
 “Very well…” he replied. He pressed the next sigil was pressed and this time there was an effect.
At first there was a slight vibration and then, over the next thirty seconds, the ground rumbled and
heaved. Tents collapsed and warriors held on to each other for support. Then the mountains started
crumbling and the sound was deafening. A huge windstorm whipped around the ‘palm’ of the claws.
“LOOK!! THEY’RE MOVING!!” Schwenk shouted loudly at Pertinax and was just about heard. The
mountains were indeed moving. Like fingers each ‘digit’ was folding halfway up and the claws moved
inwards. At about forty-five degrees they stopped. The rumbling stopped and the wind stopped.
Everything fell silent.
Pertinax’s clawed hand squeezed Schwenk’s shoulder slightly.
“Well done…now continue…” he started pressing buttons into a small green box.
“What’s that?”
“A nano-band transmitter…I’m preparing the troops…Continue…” he urged.
Schwenk paused, worried about whether he was doing the right thing. He knew that his chances
of survival were far greater with Pertinax than Lion-O…or Grune for that matter. He pressed the
central sigil and instinctively ducked when the sound of thunder boomed. Each claw glowed a blinding
blue-white and streams of energy flowed from each tip to a central place close the ramp. A warrior who
was standing close to the ramp was vaporised in a flash. This was then followed by a turbulent wind
which screamed deafeningly. Everyone held their ears and cowered as the energy streams converged and
a small dimensional tear was seen.
“IT’S WORKING!! ”! Pertinax mouthed to everyone that was looking. Unseen, by the perimeter,
Sveta was being physically restrained by Lion-O and Tygra.

“I have to stop them!!” she screamed.

“NO!! NOT YET!!” Lion-O shouted. “We need a plan!”
“We need to stop them before it goes too far and we cannot stop them!! Let me go before I hurt
you…Do not obstruct a Guardian in her mission!!” she warned loudly.
“We have to wait! It’s too noisy and chaotic!! We need to be organised, ready and able to see and
hear each other!!” Tygra reasoned. Still she bucked and thrashed.
“Sveta….We will not allow failure…You must trust us…please…” Pumyra urged gently.
“This is MY mission!” she roared.
“Yes…and we will back you up…but rushing in a getting killed is no good!! Oswyn won’t be
wanting your company this soon…will he?”
Sveta looked at Pumyra and stopped struggling. “No…” she said softly. Sadly. The portal
grew in size and after ten minutes stabilised. The wind calmed and the only noise was the ‘thrumming’ of
the energy streams. Grune, Pertinax and Ayos looked on in awe.
 “Amazing!” said one.
“Beautiful…” agreed another.
“Is it ready?” came the third.
That question was answered when a rank of huge, red armour clad cats marched down the ramp.
Followed by another, another and another. Fifty soldiers cam through and stood in rank and file.
Pertinax went and inspected his troops.
“I trust the crossing was stable…”
“Yes, my Lord…Progress in troop movement is proceeding well…”
“Excellent news!!” he beamed. “Move your squad over to that area, to allow more troops
through…Grune! Radio the troop ships to come and collect…”
Grune stomped over to the radiocomms.. He picked up the hand held and was about to speak when
a large rock smashed the unit to beyond repair.
“What the fuck?!!” he swung around.
“Hold it right there, Grune…and the rest of you…This goes no further…” Lion-O appeared.
“YOU!!” Grune growled. “MEN!! ” he called to his troops who immediately gathered themselves up.
They ran towards the lion but scattered when they came under fire from Bengali and Tygra. Pertinax
saw the commotion and smiled. “Troops…playtime!!” he pointed at the three cats. The whole squad moved
towards the three Thundercats. Schwenk also saw what was developing.
“Crap!” he stayed close to the console. Pumyra and Sveta moved unseen around the
perimeter, to get into position…

Chapter 11
Lion-O took position behind a large lump of sandstone and every few seconds used the Sword of
Omens to send an energy stream towards the Lavinian warriors, causing them to scatter looking for their
own shelter. On either flank of the lion was a tiger; Bengali and Tygra. They each used their pulse pistol
to halt, or at least slow down the vastly superior forces heading their way.

“You never said there would be this many!!” Tygra called out to Lion-O in between bursts of fire.
“I know…fun, isn’t it?” he called back earnestly.
 The group had considered using the Sword of Omens to fire a constant energy beam at the
console (through Schwenk if necessary) to disrupt the five energy streams from the Claws. Tygra, though,
had advised against this course of action. He asked what would happen when more energy was added to
an energy weapon of this sort. Sveta had insisted that this wasn’t an energy weapon, but agreed that
once the whole planet had been vaporised, what is was defined as would’ve been academic.
“Can you see the girls?” Bengali called out to Lion-O.
“No…but they’ll be fine…they know what they need to do…” he replied as he cut down to
Lavinian soldiers who had come too close for comfort.
“They’re getting closer!! What do we do??” Tygra yelled.
“We stick to the plan!!” Schwenk looked left and right for an escape route. This was becoming
too real for him now. Both directions were blocked by fire fights and he reckoned fate was looking for
any reason to hit him with a stray shot. He cowered by the console. Then a few rounds hit just above his
head. They had been fired by a Lavinian; a last dying act as his weapon whirled around as they both fell.
He briefly stood up and removed the cube from it’s place and pocketed it. He was relieved to see that the
world hadn’t ended when he did that. What he wasn’t to know, however, was that by removing the cube
the energy bridge was closed now at both ends. So no fresh troops could join the fray. In fact…he has
just vaporised the two hundred troops that were in transit, thus making him the most successful warrior
of the battle at that time.
“It has to be me!! It’s my responsibility!” she said.

“No, no…you have more talents that you can be used for…I'll go!”
“Damn you…He’s MINE!!” she snarled.
“No, I can do this…” Pumyra reasoned. “Look…if there is anyone here with whom I can pick a
fight…it’s Schwenk…the others need your fighting help!!”
“Promise me.. you won’t kill him!! You’ll give him to me!” she looked at the puma. “Wait…what am
I saying? You’re right…give him shit, sister!”
“I will…you know what you’ve got to do?”
“Tygra told me…wish me luck!”
“We all need luck at the moment and Pumyra slipped away into the shadows, but heading to
battle. Sveta nodded and headed towards the portal.
The huge boulders behind which the three males were fighting were being gradually reduced to
dust with the constant barrage of laser pulses.
“We cannot last much longer!!” Bengali snarled as he took the head off one of Grune’s men, who
was only a few metres away.
 “We shouldn’t need to….keep going!” Lion-O broke cover and started strafing all in front of him.
Some were lucky and managed to get out of the way, behind rocks. Other caught the full discharge and
were cut to ribbons. Tygra and Bengali also stood and fired until the barrels of their weapons glowed
orange.
“Don’t just hide there!! Attack them!!” Pertinax roared from just out of range.
Several Lavinians broke cover, firing their weapons at the three cats who dared attack them.
One shot caught Bengali’s right leg and he crumpled to the floor. The warrior who shot Bengali did not
live long to enjoy his success as Tygra shot him twice; once in the head, once in the throat, and his battle
was over. Lion-O caught movement from beyond the immediate carnage and he roared. “Thundercats –
HO!!” and then he and Tygra joined the stricken white tiger and lay down their weapons.
“We surrender!!” Lion-O roared.
Grune and Pertinax looked at each other, then at the smoking carnage.
“CEASEFIRE!!” they both roared and their men stopped firing.
There was smoke everywhere, acrid and thick. There were wounded soldiers, groaning in various
states of disrepair and there were the dead. Some had simple holes through their armour. Some were just
body parts scattered across the field of battle.
“Where are the other troops?” Pertinax growled to Grune.
“Never mind that for now…Now we have won…” Grune growled in response. They both walked
towards the back of the field, towards the surrendered cats.
“Surrender?? About the first sensible thing you did! Did you really think you would beat us all?”
Grune smirked.
“It was worth a try…We had to do something to stop the madness you’ve created. Lion-O
replied. “I don’t think you really know what you’ve done here…You’ve signed the death warrant of
millions…and you’re not safe yourself!”
“He really is as arrogant as you said, Grune! Three cats against my army, such that it is…What
a ludicrous notion!!” he snorted. “Well, enjoy your lives that we spared…you will not live long…I shall
make an example of you all when we take control…” Schwenk suddenly realised that the firing had
stopped. He removed his head from his foetal position and looked around. He noticed that all the troops
were now clustered near the back, where the Thundercats had attacked them from .

“Hah!! Finally on the winning bloody side!!” he smirked and placed the cube back into its slot.
“Give it up Schwenk!!” came a voice from behind him. He swung around and saw Pumyra.
“You? What…wouldn’t they send a real Thundercat?” he smirked. “Don’t worry. I'll accept your
surrender…I'll make sure you do not get executed…In fact, I may just keep you for myself…” he
leered.
 “You’re a sick bastard, Gaston…I could’ve helped you…In fact…I still can!”
“Help??” he looked to his left then right. “From what? Unicorns? Fairies? The bogeyman?? You’re
mad…you did well to get to me alive…but for what?” he shrugged.
“Last chance, Schwenk…” she declared.
“Piss of, girly!” he spat back. He then hit the floor as Pumyra unleashed a swift roundhouse kick to
the head.
“What the fuck?!” he said, groggily. He then rolled and stood, ready to defend himself. “Big
mistake, Pumyra…I didn’t want to spoil your good looks, but luckily you haven’t got any…”
Pumyra rocked lightly on her feet. “Oh no…the big, bad human is being mean to me…” she
launched another attack. This time she didn’t have the element of surprise and caught her on the left
cheek with a right hook. It hurt his fist and it hurt her face. She just about managed to keep her balance
and she swung a leg and caught his ankle. He yelped in pain and wasn’t ready for the next kick that
doubled him over.
“You bastard…You’ve got some severe retribution coming your way…” she went to kick him
again, but he caught her foot and twisted. Pumyra flipped and tumbled away from him.
“Oh…she’s got the moves, but fuck all else…” Schwenk sneered and he went after her. Pumyra
grabbed a piece of rock that had chipped of a boulder and threw. It caught his right shoulder and it
stopped his progress. He winced in pain.
“Pathetic…such a low pain threshold!” she ran at him and tackled him to the ground. She
thumped him in the face and he right hooked her back; this time he got a great connection and there was
a ‘crack’ as her nose broke. Both of her hands went to her face as hot blood spurted out. He then punched a
one-two on each of her breasts and pushed her off of him. Schwenk then grabbed a bunch of hair and
helped her up.
“Fucking bitch!!” he spat. “Forget fucking you…I'll have your fucking head on a fucking spike on
the wall of my…fucking castle!!” he ranted. “Poor little puma…thought she could actually beat me in a
fight…and look at you. Fucking failure!! What the fuck were you thinking??” he snarled as he bled from
facial wounds. In a flash, and catching Schwenk off-guard she spun around and bit deep into his left bicep.
He howled in agony, a sound that bounced around the whole field. He punched her head; once, twice…and
third time, until she was groggy.
“You useless cunt!! I’d better get antibiotics for this, you filthy bitch! Time to give up, darling!!” he
sneered. “You fail!!”
Pumyra, through the fog of concussion spat her words. “I….win…”
“What??” he couldn’t believe his ears. “How? Did you have a wager that it would all go tits up for
you? A bet that the others would surrender?? Hmmm…I can’t hear you, bitch…How did you win?”
 Pumyra spoke very softly. Schwenk leaned in. “I…win…I gave…Sveta…enough…time…”
Schwenk brow furrowed as he couldn’t work out what she was saying. “Sve…” his eyes widened. He
looked left and right.
Nothing!
“Hey…you there!” he called to one of Grune’s men. “Was there a female up there? Did she
surrender too??”
“Fuck you, human!!” the solider grunted. Pumyra chuckled. Schwenk punched her, winding her and
ending her mirth. He looked at the scrum of soldiers at the other end of the field. He saw that they were
looking at him, pointing. No. Wait. They were…pointing past him. He dropped the half dead puma and
spun around. Against the throbbing blue of the portal was…a figure. A silhouette. He already knew
who it was and she placed a small metal box on the ramp and ran.

“What the….FUUUUUUCK!! ” he started running towards the ramp then skidded to a stop as it
suddenly emitted a strong red light. Instantly the portal wobbled and emitted an ominous sound. There
was initially a soft, warm breeze flowing from the portal outwards. Now the breeze stopped and the air
held it’s breath. Schwenk looked down and saw the oddest thing. A dried up leaf blew past his feet,
towards the portal, yet there was still no wind. Then he saw dust, small particles of stone also heading
towards the portal. He looked up and then ran. The opposite direction that Sveta had ran, but, critically,
away from the portal. “Who…who’s that??” Ayos pointed towards the portal.

“No idea…go and get them!!” Pertinax ordered. Just then they all saw a red light and
everything seemed to shimmer like heat haze.
“What is Schwenk doing? Why’s he not at the control? He’s looking at his feet…wait…he’s
running…” Grune growled. “Jinx! Go get him!!” and the panther ran off. Tygra looked at Lion-O
“Pumyra looks injured…she’s too close…” he whispered.
“There is a motionless figure by the console…Go and bring them here!!” Pertinax ordered a troop
of his soldiers.
There was a clap of thunder and the earth shook once more.
“What’s going on??” Pertinax looked around.
“I'll tell you what’s going on…” Lion-O spoke. “Shore leave is over…Sveta, one of the Guardians
of the Claws of Chaos, has just configured a shield generator to fire straight into the portal…”
“Oh? And what will that little box do??” he scoffed.
 “It’s simple…It will reverse the flow of matter. It will balance the books of both universes…If
you’ve brought one thousand tons of material across the bridge…guess what? Its about to head back…”
There was another earth-shaking rumble and Pertinax watched as two soldiers, who were on
their way to collect Pumyra were lifted of their feet and were sucked into the portal. The rest of that
troop now scrabbled desperately to make distance, but they too were starting to be dragged towards the
bridge. Pumyra, barely conscious, was dragged towards the portal but was halted by the stone console and
she remained wedged there. The console rocked alarmingly as the tidal force increased. Schwenk
had made some good distance and neared the ‘fifth digit’. There was barely any pull here and he had
thoroughly intended to out a few more kilometres between him and the increasing disaster. He had no
desire to end up in that universe! A huge figure jumped out in front of him.

“You!!” Sveta snarled. “The rat flees the sinking ship!”

He gulped. “Actually…that’s pretty much a myth…but…I get the point…” and he did get the
point. The point of the sword against his throat.
“No need for any silliness. Danger averted. I sabotaged the machine and saved the world…” he
spoke nervously. Sveta increased the pressure on the sword. A drop of red appeared on his throat.
“Liar!!” she growled.
“OK…well-spotted…Point is…there will be no invasion now…”
“You killed my friend!!”
Schwenk frowned at this.
“Friend? Killed? Who?” he protested.
“Oswyn the ferryman!”
“WHAT?! No!! No way…I left him alive!!” he protested.
“Ah ha!! So you were there then!?” Sveta grinned evilly.
“I arrived by the river in town. He gave me coffee and a towel…and a brazier…” he whimpered.
“He did all that and then you fucking murdered him!!”
“I DID NOT! I SWEAR!!” he protested again. A huge rumble shook the whole area and the third
digit started crumbling and threatened collapse. Schwenk looked past Sveta and saw opportunity.
“You’re wasting time…While we stand here chatting, Pumyra is about to get sucked into the
portal…”
 “Nice try, scum!!” she spat disbelieving. Schwenk dropped to the floor and lay out flat. “Look…I
cannot move anywhere…” Sveta was taken aback but did spare one cautious glance.
“Shit!! ” and leaving Schwenk on the ground she took off for the limp puma.
Schwenk smirked from his position on the ground. “Someone loves me…” he chuckled.
“How right you are…” Jinx said from above him. The panther then sat heavily on him. “Let’s
play…” The main area was pandemonium. Everyone was one the move towards the portal. Soldiers were
scrabbling at rocks, their sharp claws raking the stone and the soil and each other. They were all trying
to stay in contact with something. Increasingly, those nearest the portal were lifted into the air and
then sucked in as the wind into the portal turned from a breeze into a hurricane. Tents folded, flapped
and eventually flew into the other universe. The main lab rattled as it’s nearest edge was steadily being
attracted towards the portal. Ayos was trying to get to the building when he lost his footing and flew
towards the portal. He managed to grab one last rock. He felt something heavy grab his leg. It was
Pertinax.

“Hold on my Lord…we can hold on a wait this out. As soon as the mass is balanced this will close
down…” he predicted. Pertinax, using his claws climbed up Ayos. Ayos howled in pain, but clung on for
his leader.
“Well then…the sooner we reach that mass the better…” he elbowed Ayos heavily in the face,
shattering his nose and cheekbone. One hand instinctively grabbed his face and he then flew, tumbling
head over tail into the vortex. Pertinax’s victory was short-lived as the boulder he clung too became
uprooted. Pertinax plus boulder flew into the portal. Presumably the other end would have Pertinax
followed by a very heavy boulder. An unpleasant thought for Pertinax. Sveta used her sword and a
short dagger as pegs to keep her in place on the shifting soil. She made haste towards Pumyra who was
starting to hover, like a leaf caught in an eddy. Sveta knew she’d have little time. From her haversack
she withdrew a whip and tied one end to the pommel of her sword and the other to her belt. The
haversack was then ripped from her grasp. With all of her night she drove the sword deep into the soil
and at that moment she flew. With one shot at it, she grabbed the floating puma and hung on for grim
death. They were both like a kite, struggling in a hurricane. Sveta knew all she could do was hang on and
hope.
“Jinx!! Are you mad…We’ve got to get out of here!! The world is going to hell in a hand
basket…” Schwenk pleaded.

“Time enough for my company, human…” he grinned as he took his pants off. Schwenk felt
himself move, in fact, the whole ground moved as the topsoil shifted like a loose layer in an avalanche.
“JINX!! !” he screamed as they motion became faster. Jinx looked up and around, only to be met
with a branch to the face from a felled tree. The face smashing crunch was enough to slow the pair down
briefly. Schwenk saw his chance and grabbed on to his lucky branch with his working right arm. The
bitten left arm hang limply to his side. The unconscious panther floated up, sans pants and was sucked
towards the portal. Schwenk watched him go all the way.
 “Hope you enjoy that universe, you cunt!” the whole tree swayed and it seemed that his saviour
tree was now quite content to skip universes too.
“Fuck!” Lion-O and Tygra both held on tightly to Bengali. The force was so strong that they
strained hard just to keep grip. Tygra’s grip loosened and Bengali took off.

“NOOOOO!! !” he roared in anger and frustration. But Bengali’s trip only last a few seconds as he
landed heavily on his shot leg. Bengali howled in agony and then, thankfully passed out.
“What happened?” Tygra asked.
They looked at the portal and in disbelief as the lab/medical building, which had entered the
portal shuddered to a stop and then, with an incredible ‘bang’ everything went dark.
“Is it over?” Tygra asked Lion-O.
“I bloody hope so!!” he whispered. Pumyra and Sveta hit the ground hard and they both realised
(Sveta more than Pumyra) that the portal had slammed shut, the masses of the universes balancing up
with half a building being the dessert course.

“Pumyra….Pumyra…are you alright??”

The puma groaned.
“I'll take that as a yes…” she looked at the now nearby building. “Wait here…let me get some
meds for that mincemeat face of yours. Schwenk scrabbled around in the shattered infirmary. It was
pitch black and he felt his way around. He then used his small cigarette lighter to see ahead. There is
was…the regenerist. With that tech he could made a fortune. He crawled towards it. He froze as he
heard movement behind him and a soft growl.

Chapter 12: Epilogue

By mid-morning the whole area had been scoured.

“Nothing….nobody…” Tygra confirmed.

“Everyone gone?” Lion-O gasped.
“Everyone except us…” he confirmed. “We knew what was going to happen. That bought us a
valuable few seconds…
Bengali lay up against a rock. His leg heavily bandaged and splinted.
“You OK?” Lion-O asked him.
 “Yeah…great…” he smiled and waved at the lion. Lion-O was confused then saw Pumyra, her
face puffed up and raw like a butcher’s tray, rattling some pills.
Lion-O winced when he saw the puma’s injuries. “I hope you’re taking some pain relief too…”
“I am…she said softly…”
“That human did all that?”
Pumyra nodded and was then called over by Sveta.
“Yes, Sveta…how can I help you?” she stroked the lioness’ arm.
“Tranquiliser pills…a few please…”
Pumyra paused and then gave her the whole tub.
“Make it worthwhile, hun…and again…thank you…” she left the lioness as she rolled the pills
tub in her hand.
“Will this place work again?” Tygra spoke with Lion-O.
“I don’t know…it took one hell of a hammering…and then there’s this…” he walked to the
nearest claw…the damaged third one.
“See?” he asked
“See what? It’s damaged…”
“No.. this…” he pointed to a silvery shiny area…”
Tygra bent down and inspected it. “It’s metal…Hmmm…You think the rock is just some kind of
casing?”
“More like a disguise…”
“So not damaged at all really…” Tygra sighed.
“Probably not…”
“Maybe we should sent a force back and obliterate this place from space…”
 “No. Not our decision to make…Sveta is the Guardian…I shall respect her wishes…Besides,
without Schwenk, this place is near enough useless…”
“Now that’s a scary thought…that that rat had such a valuable role!!”
“I know…but if he’s still alive he’s in the other universe with his new Lavinian buddies…good
luck to him!!” Lion-O replied
“No! He deserves no luck!!”
Sveta strode over. “There’s a few things I’ve packed up. Relics and pieces of the Claws that will
need securely archiving. I’d packed up a few metal cases so we’ll need the ship to come here, if that’s OK?”
“Yes Sveta, of course…Tygra, can you see to that please?” Lion-O asked and the tiger walked off
to lay in the course.
“Sveta…I have so much to thank you for…most particularly saving Pumyra’s life. That was a
brave, if slightly unorthodox…How can we ever repay you?”
“Repay me? Not necessary…I was doing my job and you helped me complete it successfully. I
should be thanking you, Lion-O…” she nodded.
“What now for the Claws?” he asked her.
“Well…I shall ensure they remain safe and unusable. The console was mostly obliterated…the
cube? Who knows where…”
“And I made you a promise…” Lion-O continued “that I did not keep…”
“What promise?”
“To handover Gaston Schwenk to you…I was unable to and I know how important that was to
you…”
Sveta looked away and sighed. “What is most important is that he got justice and his future will
be particularly grim! I also hear that Pumyra gave him one hell of a beating…that is nice to know!” she
smiled. “I shall return to the tavern and sleep a lot more soundly now…”
“Is there still a role for a Guardian, now they’re out of action? Maybe you could join us? You
exemplify the Thundercat way…” Pumyra added.
 “Guardians are needed now more than ever! We know what they can do and they are, technically
still operational…Pumyra…come with me, you can help carry my new luggage…”
“Let me come and help you…I have muscles too…” Lion-O added.
“No, no…stay with Bengali and we can have some girly chat…Unless you fancy some girly chat,
Lion-O?” Sveta teased.
“Have fun…” he sat down. “I'll be with Ben…” and the two females walked back to the
infirmary. An hour later the ship landed in the large area between the claws.

“Time to haul ass!” Tygra called. Ben was out on board first and then the large metal crates were
carefully manoeuvred onto the craft.
“No!! Not that one…erm…only the Guardian can move that one…Sorry…” Sveta anxiously
called out to Lion-O as he approached one long, black metal case. He put his hands up.
“OK, I understand.. I think…” he carried some other gear.
Sveta dragged the metal box onto the spacecraft.
“OK, I think we’re packed…” Sveta panted.
“Where too, miss?” Tygra called out cheekily.
“Home. The tavern! I'll have thirsty customers!” she smiled. With a loud roar the ship slowly
lifted of and left the Claws of Chaos still curled inwards.
“That place gives me the creeps!!” Pumyra shuddered.
“Hmmm…I hope never to need to return…” Sveta agreed. It was cold and raining when the ship
landed in a field close to town. Everything was unpacked and taken to the tavern.

“What are you going to do with all of this stuff??” Tygra looked at the piled crates.
“Well, to begin with they’ll be stored down in my cellar. It’s secure and appropriate. I'll then log
everything and then it will be stored in different locations. If any of this rubble is valuable…it will
take several lifetimes to find. That suits me very well…Once that is done I shall report to the other
Guardians…”
“Others? How many are there?” Lion-O asked.
“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you…” she smirked.
They all laughed in response to this.
 “You are welcome to stay here for a while if you like?” Sveta spoke “I kinda like the company…”
“That’s very kind, Sveta, but we’d better get back. No beer to serve, but other stuff to do. But hey,
we will keep in touch! Then, if you ever need us again, just call. OK?” Lion-O offered.
“A personal service from the Thundercats…I'll hold you to that offer…” she smiled and then
hugged them all.
“Safe journey!!” she waved them away. She and Pumyra exchanged one last look and then Sveta
closed the door. When they were back in space they all sat around the table, including the pained
Bengali.

“Well, that was one hell of an adventure…” he admitted.

“You’re lucky you’ve still got both legs…” Pumyra nodded.
“I just feel sorry for the other universe…We gave then Grune!” Tygra sighed.
“Any universe with Pertinax and a few hundred thousand troops has little to fear from one
Grune the Destroyer. That universe must be a burnt cinder already…” he replied, sadly.
“Do you think Sveta will be alright? Back on her own?” Bengali asked.
“She’s been alone plenty enough time for her to be used to it…”
“Just because she’s alone doesn’t mean she has to be used to it…It must be a hard role for her.
Lion-O, I would like to visit her…Not months and months away.. but soon…See how she’s holding up!”
“That’s a lovely idea…maybe we’ll all come…” Lion-O agreed.
“Well….maybe, but to take us all from Thundera is impractical. I’m thinking more of that female
connection she alluded to. I would like that, I really connected to her. Turns out we had a lot in common
after all.”
“Really? I heard you have one hell of a blazing row on the way to the Claws…” Tygra chuckled.
“A near death experience does wonders to add perspective…” she nodded.
“And what about Schwenk? You were his biggest advocate and then you tried to bite his arm
off…” Bengali added. Pumyra took a deep breath.
“You don’t need to answer that…” Lion-O jumped in.
 “Yes I do…No, Ben is right…” she nodded gravely. I gave him a chance…he could’ve been saved
but…but then I realised that once he had power he changed to who everyone said he was. It was
horrible! The things he said. The way he tried to re-arrange my features! He fitted in well with the
Lavinians…he had the same blood lust…I don’t suppose he would’ve cared if the human race had have
been wiped out, just so long as he survived!!”
“Did his arm taste good?” Bengali chuckled.
“Only because I couldn’t reach his neck!” she winked.
“What happened to him? I never did see? He didn’t get away did he? That bastard has a knack of
beating the odds!” Lion-O reflected.
“No! I saw him go into the portal. He’s gone forever!” Pumyra nodded. “But hey, can we change the
subject…we should be celebrating victory…not…not discussing some dead parasite!” she growled.
“Correct…Shall we stop at Ponta Kalla? Supply ourselves with decent sparkling wine?”
They all laughed and the new course was entered onto the ship’s navcom. “My…what a lot of
luggage…” she clucked her tongue. “well, it’s not going to unpack itself…mores the pity…” she sighed
and then she started humping the crates down into the deep cellar. After nearly two hours everything
was downstairs. Everything was neatly stacked against the walls in the cavernous cellar. Sveta sat down
on a small stool and caught her breath. She looked around at her handiwork. The long, black box was on a
table. Black, but to Sveta it shined brighter than the midsummer sun. She got up and slowly walked up to
the box. Sveta ran her fingers over it’s dusty surface. She looked at it lustfully and then, moving the
light she unlocked it, unclasped the lid and opened it slowly. She looked in and a feint smiled ran across
her lips.

“Hello, goose…Welcome back!” she paused briefly and closed the lid again. Locked it and then
went back upstairs, turning the light off with a ‘click’.

NaughtyKit and ShylyKat

Chapter 1: Sneaky-Sneaky!
Wilykat was trying to spy on Cheetara. Like most men, he fancied her, but unlike most men he lived in
the same ‘house’ as her, i.e. the Cat’s Lair.
He thought if only he could see her naked, that would be enough and he’d be happy for the rest of his life.
– Naïve little bugger, eh?
He’d heard Cheetara leaving her room that morning, to go take her usual daily bath, and immediately
snuck out of his own room to follow stealthily behind her.
Luckily for Wilykat, Cheetara wasn’t exactly a ‘morning person’ and therefore never truly awake until
after her ritual bath and coffee, so she didn’t notice him following her. She knew Cat’s Lair was secure
after all, and she trusted everyone who lived inside. It never even entered her mind that someone might
spy on her within the Lair, so she was perfectly at ease. But guess who’s emerging hormones she hadn’t
counted on? That’s right: The little perv following her around.
As she entered the bathroom, she started to take off her costume, top to bottom starting with the
shoulder straps, while the door was still open. – Like I said, not a ‘morning person’ and full of trust.
The door was behind her, so the stealthy Wilykat could only see her back being gradually exposed as
Cheetara’s costume moved steadily south off her body.
When her costume had reached her waistline, Cheetara finally remembered the door was still open. She
didn’t feel Wilykat’s wide eyes ogling her back, she merely figured it’d be better not to be ‘seen’
accidentally by anyone walking past, should they also be awake this early.
She reached back with her foot and lightly nudged the door so it started to close, but would not slam and
wake anyone up. Wilykat moved to the door when he knew he wouldn’t be noticed, and silently let the
door stop on his fingers about an inch ajar and squinted through the remaining gap: He could still just
about make out the right-most part of Cheetara’s back, then she leant toward the bath on her right to
turn on the taps. For an instant, Wilykat glimpsed nipple on her right breast…
At the very moment his eyes feasted on the split-second titillation, he felt an unfamiliar yet very
pleasant tingle in his abs. He didn’t know why the tingle appeared, but he knew seeing Cheetara’s nipple
caused it.
Once the taps were on, Cheetara gently pushed the door closed and a disappointed Wilykat sighed and
turned back toward his room.
He nearly jumped out of his fur and made a sound that’d be overheard, but Wilykit was fast enough to
cover his mouth and keep him silent. Yes, Wilykit was stood in front of him!
Chapter 2: Caught!
Wilykat was confused by his sister’s actions, and highly embarrassed at getting caught peeping. He was
scared and nervous of what could happen next.
But Wilykit’s expression was not severe, disappointed, or however else he’d expected; She was smiling! –
In a wry and perversely twisted manner suggesting he’d pleasantly surprised her.
She raised an eyebrow at him, and then beckoned with a finger for him to follow her. She led him out of
earshot of the bathroom door and into her room, closing the door behind them to ensure they wouldn’t be
overheard by anyone.
“So you’re finally becoming a man, eh brother?” she asked in a rhetorical whisper, arms folded in front of
her as she turned to face him.
“I-I-I…” Wilykat tried to respond, nervously putting his right hand behind his head as he stuttered to a
stop, unable to find any other words.
“Hah! It’s about time! – It took you long enough!” She whooped quietly, punching him lightly in the
shoulder and smiling wicked amusement.
Wilykat dared to finally smile, not knowing what had gotten into his sister. He was still embarrassed and
his cheeks were flushed. He knew he couldn’t convince Wilykit that what she’d caught him doing was
anything other than what it was, so he didn’t bother trying. What he couldn’t work out was why she
seemed so happy about it instead of being enraged or furious. He decided to keep his mouth shut and let
his expressions ask the questions.
Wilykit moved to her bed and sat down on the edge, patting the quilt to her right inviting him to sit
next to her, which he did.
“So… What did you manage to see before she shut the door then? I couldn’t see past you.” She asked.
Wilykat’s face flushed with embarrassment again before he answered “Um… Why do you want to know,
‘kit? Is it so you can get me into trouble?” he asked shakily, avoiding her question.
“No, silly!” she giggled, “I could get you in plenty of trouble with what I already know! I’m just curious, is
all. – Don’t worry,” she winked at him and placed her right hand on top of his left hand reassuringly, “I’m
not gonna tell anyone what I saw – or what you saw either.” She finished with an encouraging wink.
Wilykat took a deep, steadying breath in and out, daring to relax a bit and to believe his sister’s words.
He carefully scrutinized her body-language, trying to make sure she wasn’t tricking him… The odd thing
was, he couldn’t detect any sign of deceit whatsoever – Even her usual ‘tells’ didn’t betray her.
Deciding she was right about what she already knew being enough to get him into serious trouble
anyway, he shrugged and decided to answer; “Oh ok fine: I saw most of her back and a side-on glimpse of
her right tit when she turned on the taps. But then she shut the door. Happy now?” he huffed, getting the
words out before he could change his mind. He looked away from her, embarrassed of his admittance.
One awkward silence later, Wilykit hesitantly asked “Did you umm, did you get a kind of tingly feeling
here?” as she said the final word, she placed her left hand on him where his tummy-button was.
Immediately that feeling returned where she touched and he flinched involuntarily – the sensation
was far from unpleasant, it was just unexpected and weirdly new to the young cub. He looked back into
her eyes again to see her smile knowingly; “I’ll… take that as a ‘yes’ then, shall I? – It’s ok, that’s what’s
supposed to happen… That, and other things…” Her expression changed to something Wilykat didn’t
think he’d ever seen on her face before: Wanton lust, as she thought secret things… He didn’t recognize
it for what it was, of course, but as her eyes met his, he suddenly realized that Wilykit was a very pretty
girl, and not just his twin sister. ‘These feelings… No, surely not!’ he thought, ‘she’s my sister!! – That’s
just… Wrong!’
Chapter 3: What now?
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll make a deal with you, ok?” Wilykit asked her big brother. Wilykat hesitated before
speaking,
“What sort of deal?” he asked warily. As he watched her expression evolve, he started becoming nervous.
“I’ll help you get what you want, if you help me get what I want. – Don’t worry, your part of the deal
will be much easier than mine to achieve… You might even enjoy it!” She winked as she finished speaking.
Wilykat was afraid of the answer to his next question, but he had to know what it’d take to enlist
Wilykit’s help with him and Cheetara…
“So… What ‘help’ do you want from me, then?” He finally asked, still looking at his sister, but avoiding
eye-contact.
Wilykit’s expression seemed somewhere between hungry expectance and utter nervousness, which only
served to further confuse her brother as he tried to fathom her motives.
“Well… I suppose you could say our situations are somewhat similar: We’ve both started getting
‘feelings’ for a certain ‘someone’ in the lair, and we’d both benefit from the help of the other to ‘explore’
those feelings…” She answered carefully. After a pause, during which Wilykat tried to mentally decode
his sisters’ cryptic clues without success, he spoke again.
“You’re saying… You ‘fancy’ one of the male ThunderCats and want my help spying on them etc in return
for your helping me *ahem* spy on Cheetara etc?” His look was turning incredulous at this revelation, but
the way his sisters’ eyes suddenly started darting around nervously caught his full attention; “…Wait.
There’s… More to it than that, isn’t there” His rhetorical question was posed with an accusatory
narrowing of his eyes as he fairly squinted at his sister. Under his gaze, she now seemed to be squirming
like a cornered rabbit.
Wilykit hesitated then nodded as slowly as the shaky breath she took in and out. Now it was her
avoiding eye-contact with him…
As the saying goes: ‘Curiosity killed the cat’. Well, our little cat-boy also has an insatiable curiosity, and
though it hasn’t killed him yet, it is about to take him to a pretty scary place. (Sexually-speaking, I mean.)
Next chapter: What does the mischievous Wilykit want?

Chapters 4 & 5
Chapter 4: What does Wilykit want?

Wilykit continued to squirm and avoid eye-contact with her brother under his narrowed, squinting gaze.
The question he’d asked her was, of course, one she’d known she’d have to answer sooner or later; but she
had been hoping the latter of the two and didn’t feel ready to answer in full just yet. What could she
promise her brother she’d do, in order to get him to agree to her wishes?
“Well…” she started to answer, twiddling her thumbs nervously in her lap, “What I want from you will
be physically easy for you to do; There’s no complex planning for you to struggle with, like I’ll have with
Cheetara, and there’s no chance of the *ahem* ‘target’ of my affections catching you out and getting you
into trouble – I swear that will be true…” Wilykit paused, thinking hard how to continue without
spooking him. Her eyes darted up to his, to gauge his reaction so far, then back down to her own lap again.
How could she ask in such a way that he would not turn her down outright? Before she could confuse him
further, however, Wilykat sighed impatiently and spoke again:
“Just tell me which one of them it is?” he asked with the resigned air of getting the worst over with.
Alarmed, like a dear caught in headlights who doesn’t know which way to run, Wilykit gave her answer
in a barely audible whisper…
“WHAT??!! ?!” came her brother’s startled yelp of a response to her answer, as he leapt up from her bed and
turned to face her so fast it nearly made her dizzy.
“SHH!! Keep it down, or someone will overhear us!!” she pleaded urgently. Her wide-eyed brother was
shaking uncontrollably, but he bit his tongue to fight off the urge to keep shouting at her and instead
fixing her a look of shock and outrage in the very awkward, ringing silence that followed.
Inside Wilykat’s head, thoughts were whizzing around so fast they were bumping into each other and
forming new ones he could barely comprehend. He couldn’t believe what his sister had just said.
“… I have to… er… go.” He said, the words tumbling from his mouth with barely a cohesive thought
behind them as he started backing away from his sister toward the door back to the hallway. The
destination he had in mind was his bedroom, of course, where he could think alone in peace.
“…’Kat?” his sister barely uttered as he was turning to exit the room. His eyes snapped back to her face
immediately, as if daring her to try talking him round, but instead of speaking any further, she merely
put an index-finger up to her lips in that universal gesture of asking for silence. He understood: Even
through the shattered thoughts flying and tumbling through his head, he understood that his silence on
this matter would buy her silence about him and Cheetara. After about two seconds without any
movement, he gave a barely noticeable nod and drew his own thumb and index-finger sideways across his
lips in the universal response that indicates agreement to keep a secret. As his sister’s hand returned to
her lap, he turned away and left the room.
Chapter 5: Decisions, decisions…

Back in his own room, Wilykat paced to and fro thinking about the hard decision that just would not
resolve in his head.
Perhaps half an hour into his pacing, maybe longer, he heard the distant sound of the bath draining:
Cheetara’s bath was over for today. Who knew what tomorrow morning would bring?
He stopped pacing and lay face-up on his bed, above the covers. Every time he closed his eyes, visions of
his sister’s request taunted him. He found that what scared him most was a tiny, dark, depraved corner of
his mind found her task for him kind of exciting… It was so wrong! But the nagging little corner that
scared him so much continued its assault on his better judgement; however futile these efforts seemed,
they would not go away. He knew he must not let these depraved thoughts linger and erode his defences.
He knew that so long as he was conscious, he could easily keep these thoughts at bay and ignore them. But
what would happen when he fell asleep?
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, story wise, so we’ll skip ahead and rejoin Wilykat at bed-time.
True to their unspoken promise, neither sibling had said anything about the mornings ‘events’ to any of
the other ThunderCats in Cat’s Lair. Panthro had noticed that Wilykat seemed a little distracted when
he helped him with the ThunderTank, and Tigra had noticed that Wilykit didn’t seem to be concentrating
as much as usual on the lesson he was trying to teach her, but neither thought much of it and both
dismissed this behaviour out of hand, not even bothering to mention anything about it to anyone else.
As Wilykat wearily wandered back to his bedroom that night he yawned widely. Any day spent helping
Panthro was guaranteed to wear a person out. He should have foreseen the danger-signs this extra
weariness represented for tonight’s sleep, but he did not. Ironically, he was too tired to realise the
implications of being this tired so early.
The male ThunderCub was just about changed for bed when there was a soft knock on his door. He blearily
grunted a “Who is it?” and sat on the edge of his bed while waited for an answer.
“It’s me, ‘Kit.” Came the reply, so quietly that Wilykat barely heard it. He rolled his tired eyes in a
gesture of annoyance.
“Go away.” He said back, somewhat harsher than he intended, due to his extra tiredness. He thought he
heard a sniff or something on the other side of the door and decided to qualify his harsh instruction
before he had much chance to think first; “I’m too tired for any more conversations today. Goodnight, sis.”
“Okay, goodnight ‘Kat.” Came her response, “Sweet dreams!”
It was almost as if she knew what was going to happen as soon as he fell asleep…
Wilykat dreamed he was standing up. In front of him he could see the top of someone’s head moving
toward him and away from him in a repeating motion at about waist-height. He smiled down at the head
and noticed the blond hair with black spots in it. He reached forward to run his fingers through this hair,
suspecting who it might belong to and enjoying the sensation she was causing him ‘down there’, but as soon
as his fingers made contact with it, the hair changed colour and the head stopped moving. It turned to
look up into his face, and Wilykat woke up with a start, sitting bolt-upright in his bed with his first ever
‘morning glory’ creating a bulge in his bedsheets. He looked at his bedside-clock and saw there was only
eleven minutes left before his morning alarm was due to wake him for his early morning *ahem*
activities. Eleven whole minutes in which to contemplate his dream. Oh goody.

Chapter 6: The Next Morning

Chapter 6: The Next Morning.

During eleven minutes that seemed to stretch to several hours, Wilykat decided he’d ‘play along’ with his
sister’s wishes until she started asking for more than he was comfortable giving, and hoped he’d at least
get some good use out of her ‘assistance’ with Cheetara until that time. After all, what could it hurt to
indulge that tiny, depraved corner of his mind just this little bit?…
Just before his alarm started to sound, he readied his hand over the ‘stop’ button and cancelled it as soon
as it started. His boner was quite gone by now, having lapsed gradually over that eternity of time. He
listened intently to the ambient sounds around him, waiting for the ‘click’ of Cheetara’s door latch, and
upon hearing it set about sneaking after her once more.
It was pretty-much the same routine at the bathroom door as before; Cheetara standing within and
facing away from him as she slipped her costume gracefully off her shoulders and down to her waistline,
but this time she arched her back and stretched her arms up and behind her head in a way that seriously
aroused Wilykat and brought that familiar wonderful tingly sensation to his abs again.
A delicate little hand suddenly appeared over his mouth to stop him making any sound that might draw
Cheetara’s attention when he jumped at the realisation his sister had successfully snuck up on him once
more. She removed her hand and fairly smirked at the worried/relieved look on his face as he adjusted to
her presence. A small nod and the ghost of a smile were all the conversation that was needed between
them before he returned his full attention to the focus of his desires on the other side of that painfully
opaque bathroom door.
Wilykat crouched down into a more comfortable position, and Wilykit followed suit, crouching behind
him so close she was practically breathing down his neck as she watched Cheetara over his shoulder. She
leaned in to whisper in his ear:
“This will take precise timing: When I finish speaking, move around behind me. Crouch as low as you can
and look into the bathroom between my legs, so Cheetara won’t notice you when I push the door open. You
can continue to ogle her from that position until I shift my weight to my right foot. I will probably be
let into the bathroom, but when I move I’ll lead with my right foot, so you’ll have the time it takes me to
shift my weight back to my left foot in which to make your escape, before I lift my right and probably
expose your hiding place behind me. You can wait for me in my room; I shouldn’t be any longer than 5
minutes. Ready?”
She’d stopped talking; that was his cue. He carefully shifted backward to allow his sister to step in front
of him and his view of the still-stretching Cheetara was briefly obscured by one of Wilykit’s slender,
delicate legs, then the gap between them lined up with the door-gap and he could see his crush again.
Cheetara had just stopped her stretching and was now starting to lean over the bath to turn on the taps.
This time it was Wilykit who gently stopped the door from completely closing when Cheetara’s foot
pushed back on it, allowing her brother to relive the highlight of yesterday’s endeavour, glimpsing
Cheetara’s right nipple side-on as she leant over the bath and turned on the taps. But this time, when
Cheetara made to push the door completely closed with her foot, Wilykit suddenly pushed the door
inward, causing Cheetara to stumble and nearly topple over backward as the door pushed her foot and
disrupted her balance.
A wide-eyed-and-drooling Wilykat was treated to the sudden visage of Cheetara’s bouncing breasts as
she flailed backward, windmilling her arms to regain her balance, then quickly covering her
‘embarrassment’ with folded arms as she took in who had surprised her.
“Oops! Sorry Cheetara!” said Wilykit, masterfully feigning the innocence of her youth and apparent
‘accident’ at bursting in on her, “I didn’t realize anyone was in here… Would you mind awfully if I came
in – I really need to go… You know…?” She let her last sentence hang for Cheetara’s mind to complete.
Cheetara, realizing the person in front of her was luckily one of the few females in the ‘Lair, dropped her
guard… And her arms!! – Cheetara’s arms unfolded, revealing her breasts in all their globular glory to
Wilykat’s ravenous leering stare, and went to rest on her hips as she considered Wilykit’s fairly-
impertinent yet apparently desperate request. The seconds dragged on beautifully as Wilykat thirstily
drank in the visage his sister had procured for him of Cheetara facing him with her breasts hanging
naked and natural, nipples pointing practically right at his eager eyes. He was in as much heaven as he
could possibly have dreamed of, despite the annoying fact that Cheetara’s costume still covered her
lower glory.
Wilykit, meanwhile, kept her gaze on Cheetara’s eyes rather than checking out her impressive bust,
despite the envy she had for the objects of her brother’s desire. She made the moment last as long as she
dared, so that Wilykat would be as ‘grateful’ as she could hope for when she rejoined him later, then she
made her eyes dart toward the toilet, as if she truly was desperate to use it, and back to Cheetara’s eyes
pleadingly.
Reading her body-language, Wilykat moved almost as soon as Cheetara’s face took on that resigned look
that said ‘Go on then.’ She shifted her weight to her right foot. This snapped Wilykat out of his trance –
Though he’d give almost anything to stay and stare for just a few seconds more, he knew he could not get
away with it. With a silent sigh of resignation, he shifted to the right and snuck away toward his sister’s
room as she shifted her weight back to her left foot and stepped right-foot-first into the bathroom,
shutting the door behind her.
As he entered his sister’s room, Wilykat was still reeling from the post-titillation high that had drawn a
smile on his face so wide that it hurt his cheeks. He sank dreamily onto her bed, noticing as he did so that
his boner had returned.
He grasped his hard bulge experimentally through the material of his costume and squeezed – ‘Hmm…
That’s a nice sensation…’ he thought, then realized it’d probably feel even nicer skin-to-skin than
through his costume material, so he slipped his right hand inside his costume to grasp his throbbing rod.
‘Yep; I was right.’ He grinned to himself as he started moving his hand over his shaft, exploring which
movements caused him the most pleasure.
A minute or so later he was wanking in earnest, albeit with long slow strokes, while he relived
Cheetara’s breasts in his mind’s eye. ‘Why have I never done this before?!?’ he exclaimed in silent
revelation at the new amazing sensations he was now experiencing.
A few blissful moments later, he heard the distant sound of the toilet being flushed. The smart part of
his brain told him Wilykit’s impending repayment request would be revealed to him shortly, when she
walked back inside her bedroom to meet up with him. The smart part of his brain worried what she’d ask
of him, and worried about his imminent embarrassment when she came in and saw him like this… But the
horny part of his brain was having too much fun to let him stop ‘playing’ now. It flat-out refused to let
him withdraw his hand from within his costume. The tiny, dark, depraved corner of his mind purred in
anticipation, hungry for the danger of being caught like this by Wilykit, eagerly imagining her reacting
positively to catching him doing this, despite how unlikely that was to actually happen…

7: Repayments
Chapter 7: Repayments.

Wilykit left Cheetara to enjoy the rest of her bath, once she’d washed her hands, and headed back to her
room. She smiled to herself in anticipation as she fairly quaked with nervousness: Her first time
‘assisting’ her brother with his voyeuristic activities could scarcely have gone much better!
Now, in the corridor outside her room, the female ThunderCub paused. Dare she hope that her brother
hadn’t simply cut-out on his part of the deal? Was he within, or had he gone back to his own room? If he
was in her room where she’d asked him to wait for her, was he worrying what she wanted from him in
return for what she’d managed to achieve on his behalf? What could she persuade him to do for her
without completely freaking him out? ‘Baby steps…’ she remonstrated her own subconscious, as it almost
exploded with possibilities her rational mind knew could not happen, not this soon anyway. She reigned in
the horny part of her mind with some difficulty; she was already getting that familiar tingle in her abs.
Wilykit took a number of deep, steadying breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth to calm
her nerves and gather her thoughts: Manipulating her brother could surely not be much harder than
manipulating any of the other Thundercats… ‘But,’ she realized, ‘I don’t want to manipulate him…’
It was true: Tricking Wilykat into doing what she wanted simply wasn’t enough, though it would be much
easier to achieve that way. What she really wanted was for him to enjoy fulfilling her wishes. Well,
there was nothing for it; She’d just have to bite the bullet and pretend to be satisfied with whatever he
was happy to give her for now. Given what she’d gotten for him, this was a great shame, but you can’t win
a game of chess without sacrificing your playing-pieces. Wilykit was in this for the long game.
Once this was clear in her mind, she opened her eyes and entered her room.
In Cat’s Lair, to enter someone else’s bedroom without knocking and/or getting their permission
beforehand was a big no-no. It simply was not done. To the extent that it was almost an unwritten
addendum to the Code of Thundera itself! Every Thudercat everywhere abided by this without exception,
so every Thundercat’s privacy was pretty-much guaranteed within the confines of their own room.
Judging by the sight that met Wilykit’s eyes when she’d opened that door unannounced, she could only
assume her brother had forgotten that he was in her room, and not his own: There he was, slumped on the
end of her bed, his hand out-of-sight within his costume but moving about in such a way as she could only
draw one conclusion about what he was doing.
She almost managed to stifle a squeak of surprise and barely-contained lust before quickly and quietly
shutting her bedroom door behind her and staring at her brother’s hidden hand-movements, her eyes
fairly glazing over as drool started threatening to fall from her open mouth.
Startled by his sister’s abrupt and unannounced entry into the room, Wilykat tried to hide what his hand
was doing by turning away and lifting his knee to help obscure his crotch-area from her intense gaze.
“Please…” she gasped, her voice barely more than a whisper, “I’d really appreciate it if you’d let me
watch you, um, ‘finish-up’?” she pleaded, dropping to her knees because her legs would no-longer support
her weight, given that they’d started quaking with the feelings now being set loose within her body.
Yes, that’s right: The Thundercat Wilykit lusts after most in the whole Lair is her own brother, Wilykat.
(I suspect a lot of readers already guessed this was the case from the not-so-subtle clues to be found in
earlier chapters J ).
Wilykat’s mind did a few summersaults as each part of it battled with the next over what to do:
The rational part he’d always considered to be his true self just wanted him to hide his erection and stop
wanking altogether in the presence of his sister, but it was fighting a losing-battle against two other
major parts of his mind; the horny part still refused to let him remove his hand from his rod, nor even
stop pumping – It didn’t care whether Wilykit was there watching him or not, it just wanted the
wonderful sensations to continue building and building within him; The dark, twisted, depraved little
corner of his mind was gaining strength as it enjoyed Wilykit’s reaction to what he was doing: It added
this depraved pleasure to that of the horny part of his mind and together they overcame Wilykat’s
‘better judgement’.
Wilykat was a mess of emotions all rolled up into one sweaty package: He couldn’t articulate a reply to
his sister’s request, but it was there to be read in his eyes – Tears of defeat started to roll down his
cheeks as he gave up the fight within and let his knee drop back down to the floor. He could not keep his
eyes off his sister as she continued to stare back at him in that lustful way: Both of their faces were
flushed red in a deep, mutual, embarrassed blush as they watched each other, but Wilykit fought to
restrain herself from delving her hands within her own costume: She didn’t want to further freak her
brother out by having him witness that yet; She knew it’d play over and over again in his mind if she did
that when he wasn’t ready for it yet. No, she’d only show him that when she thought he was ready for
it… But it was so hard to resist, all the same.
She crawled slowly, shakily, toward her bed and its occupant, causing her brother’s eyes to widen in
alarm, but then she did something quite unexpected: She lay across the bed behind him, up at the pillow
end, curling her knees up to her chest as she lay on her left side. She was still facing toward him, but now
his own back obscured her view of his crotch and this confused him. He craned his neck to look back at her
over his shoulder and saw her smile back at him: Evidently she was happy enough to watch him from this
new position, and it certainly made him feel less embarrassed now his crotch wasn’t so exposed to her
hungry gaze. He gave her the slightest hint of a nod, as if of gratitude for lessening his embarrassment,
and she smiled back at him and started to purr.
Feeling secure in the fact that his sister was no-longer in front of him, and that her purring would at
least warn him if she tried to approach any closer behind him, Wilykat’s thoughts returned to the visage
he’d seen in the bathroom.

8: A �Mutual� Reward?

Chapter 8 – A ‘Mutual’ Reward?

Wilykat continued his current, slow pace, not knowing any different, until his sister cleared her throat
and spoke to the back of his head:
“You know… The wonderful sensation your hand is creating will get better if you go faster…” She
hinted quietly.
Wilykat wasn’t sure if this was an instruction for her own enjoyment or true advice for his, but it
couldn’t hurt to find out. He increased his pace a bit, but didn’t notice much of a difference.
“Shall I…” she hesitated before finishing the sentence; “Show you what I mean by ‘better’?” Her tone
betrayed the fact she very much wanted to do exactly that for her own sake, yet he was curious what
she meant.
“How could you show me? – You don’t have a… You-know-what. – How would you know?” He asked,
quite sensibly considering his ‘situation’.
“Well, I’ve been *ahem* ‘ready’ for a few months now, and I made sure to research the ‘subject’ quite
thoroughly, even going so far as to ‘borrow’ Pumyra’s stash of porn – Purely for ‘educational purposes’ of
course… And to answer your other question of ‘how’ I could show you? – Well, that’d involve my hand
taking over from yours… But I’d understand if you’d rather not…” She asked, carefully wording and
intoning her answer.
Wilykat looked warily over his shoulder into his twin sister’s eyes, thinking hard over her offer and
wondering how the feeling ‘down below’ could be made any better. – If it could be better than this…
Well, that was something he definitely wanted to experience… “Well…” he started, hesitating
deliberately even though he’d already made up his mind, “I suppose I do still owe you for getting to see
Cheetara’s boobs like that…” He’d let her think this was her payment for that favour, rather than
something he wanted himself. At least that was the plan, though of course he wasn’t quite as skilled at
lying as his sister was. She didn’t let on that she’d noticed a tell, but she was gleeful that her plans were
coming to fruition so quickly – Perhaps her ‘payment’ would match her efforts on his behalf after all…
She crawled down the bed toward him then positioned herself so she was sat behind him with her legs
either side of him and her chest touching his back. Leaning her chin on his right shoulder and hoping he
wouldn’t mind her sitting like this, she asked: “So… Can I touch it then? I promise in return I’ll make you
feel REALLY good…?” she fairly purred into his ear, making it tickle slightly.
Abandoning the part of his brain responsible for Reason and the misgivings he has about doing ‘things like
this’ with his sister, Wilykat nods his head, then instantly feels her right hand sliding and stroking down
his own right forearm, following it inside his costume and down to his throbbing crotch. As her fingertips
make contact with his rod, she sighs contentedly into his ear and closes her eyes to concentrate fully on
the sensations in her right hand.
She fully explores his rod from helmet to ballsack and back again, then slowly positions her hand and
takes a grip where his hand was. He assumes she means for him to remove his own hand to give her arm
more room to manoeuvre, so he reluctantly leaves his manhood in the soul care of the person who
desired it most, hoping she wouldn’t damage it with every fibre of his being.
Wilykit increased her grip until she felt her brother throb within her fist, then she started going up and
down at about the pace he was going himself before. He started to moan in pleasure, and the ecstatic grin
on her own face became wider – She knew this was only the beginning of a process he couldn’t even
imagine yet.
“Relax, dear brother: I forgot to even mention the fact that this process is more pleasurable with
someone else’s hand rather than your own, but I’m guessing you can already tell as much. Now, if it makes
you feel even better, imagine my hand is actually Cheetara’s.” She whispered into his ear, then: “Time to
up the pace, I think…” and she did.

A/N: It’s great to find out my audience for this story has increased and I now see the amount of reviews
has indeed doubled since I published Ch7 :) So thankyou to everyone who rates/reviews my stories, they
are very much appreciated! In fact the timing of my submission of this chapter, much like with the
previous one, is related to the amount of reviews/ratings the story has received. (This is a FACT, not an
attempt at persuasion.) I thought I’d add an A/N to this chapter, rather than say all this in a self-review
like I did before, for 3 main reasons: Firstly that now I’ve received my first dozen reviews I now know
the story is being received well; Secondly I realized that the majority of fanfic-readers aren’t even
interested in reading the reviews for the stories they read anyway; Thirdly I just got an email telling
me I'm not allowed to send reviews to my own stories and must find another way to contact my
reviewers instead, such as using the 'discuss this story' link into the forums (which I'll try from now on). I
will still update the story even without extra reviews - I PLAN to release the next chapter in august, so
this isn't "review-whoring" like I just got warned about via email. I merely want my readers to know
that their feedback inspires me to put extra time and effort into the story in question.;
Thankyou to “1 for the road”, Faramir, pippin, Anakin, and Hamlet322 for your detailed and useful
reviews, they are very well received. Reviews like those submitted by Goeleven, Jack, tim and Jaga are
still appreciated of course, so if you can’t think of much to say at least know all reviews are welcome.
Longer/more detailed reviews with advice or ideas on the future of this story are VERY welcome. ;-)
Oh, and 3-times, Hamlet? *giggleblush* :-D
R&R Status at submission of this chapter: 4165 Hits, 24 Raters, 14(12+2) Reviews.

Chapter 9 � Pleasure Squared

Chapter 9 – Pleasure Squared
As she pumped her brother’s dick faster and faster; taking her cue from his various moans, groans, and
throbs; Wilykit was getting thoroughly turned on herself in turn. She felt the familiar tingle in her
belly, yes, and more besides – Within, she felt a small trickle begin to lubricate her honeypot as her tiny
nub swelled ‘til she couldn’t resist anymore.
With Wilykat in front of her in this position, he couldn’t see her behind him of course, so she wondered if
she could get away with pleasuring herself without him even noticing…
Discretely, her left hand loosened the fastenings of her costume and delved within:
Wilykit was still young and small enough ‘up top’ not to need to wear any sort of training-bra under her
costume yet, but she did have one she was supposed to wear when ‘they’ began feeling the effects of
gravity, which admittedly had started to happen a few days ago though she’d been putting it off for some
reason. Now though, she was glad it wasn’t in the way of her hand as it roamed the front of her torso,
stroking her young mounds and causing her tiny nipples to harden and get extra-sensitive.
As her brother moaned and groaned with the increased pleasure of this new pace of pumping, and
assumedly imagining her right hand was Cheetara’s, Wilykit’s left hand finally abandoned her breasts to
head south. She gently stroked down her middle, imagining her hand was Wilykat’s hand, and past her
waistband to the bare mound atop her moist valley, which she happily started stroking as she continued
to pound his meat.
At this point she’d normally be using her other hand to pleasure her breasts, but as it was currently
occupied she did the only other thing that came to mind – Pressing them into her brother’s back and
allowing his movements to stimulate them…
Wilykat was delirious at the pleasure his sister’s hand was generating for him ‘down below’, yet he
couldn’t fail to notice the two pointy nubs being pressed into his back, especially when he reasoned out
what they must be. His sister’s suggestion of pretending her hand was Cheetara’s seemed at first to be a
great idea, but that depraved corner of his mind got just as much pleasure knowing that it was Wilykit’s
hand and he eventually gave up the effort of that pretence and surrendered to the pleasure she was
giving him.
A/N: Happy New Year 2011 Everyone!!
Yes, as a treat to see in this new year, here is Chapter 9 of my story at long last! I know it’s been a long 5-
6 months since I published Chapter 8 in June; I had wanted to make Ch9 a little longer than it is, but this
is all I have written of this story so far. I’m not gonna hold back any completed chapters from this point
on, I simply haven’t written any more than what you see here yet.
This story is still incomplete, and is actually intended as an ongoing storyline rather than a story with a
definitive end-point per-se. Fear ye not, dear readers, sooner or (more likely) later this story will
continue!
I do hope you like what you have read here so far…
7 new reviews since Ch8 was published:
‘1 for the road’, thankyou for a candid review, I’m glad Ch8’s content didn’t disappoint you, even though
its length was less than you’d hoped for. I expect you’ll find Ch9 a little short too, but like I said – I’d
wanted to make it a bit longer, but didn’t want to make you guys (and girls) wait any longer.
‘Tim’, I’m honoured that you refer to my work as a ‘great story’ in your review. I apologize if I can’t
update often enough to keep your interest, but at least my updates from this point on will be posted as
each chapter is completed and not left waiting for reviews etc.
‘Anakin’ and ‘Faramir’, From this point on, situation will no longer be ‘bullshit’, even though I have no idea
when I’m likely to get another chapter finished, as soon as it is it shall be published.
‘Goeleven’, thankyou for your continued interest in this story, it’s great to receive another review from
you. :)
‘SubZer0’, thankyou for the compliment on this story and my writing style, and for your honest
assessment of the review situation.
‘Altair’, I’m glad you liked my story despite not liking the way I was asking for reviews. Hopefully the
new situation will go some way toward remedying that assessment.

Their First Time

***

Wilykit was walking around the Thundertank, deep in her thoughts and her tail kept low, thinking back
to everything that led to what she just saw.
She admired Cheetara, her bravery, her strength, her beauty. She is her role model and wanted to
emulate her. She had noticed over time how Tigra and Cheetara often isolated themselves from the rest
of the Thundercats and Wilykit wanted to discover what they were doing all these times.
She took notice of the most common place they isolated themselves, their locked room in the
Thundertank, and planned meticulously how she was going to hide and not be found, the timing of it so
she could be there and witness what they were hiding.

She saw it all.

What was it they called it?

Sex

She saw Cheetara's beautiful naked form.

A form she hoped one day to reach, to develop into,
Cheetara was mounting Tigra.
She saw their passion
their pleasure
their ecstasy
That shook her.

Once she could safely get out of her hiding place, she was already deep in her thoughts. She wasn’t sure at
first how to feel about it but after a while, deep down, she knew she now wanted to feel what they felt
too, she wanted to feel what Cheetara felt.
Wilykit had never really thought about the “boy’s mystery” before but after what she saw, she was now
considering it. She knew that none of the older Thundercats would give her the time of day, especially
not about something she knew was intimate and must be kept secret, considering how Tigra and Cheetara
isolated themselves.

A small tinge of sadness crossed her heart. The Thundercats were always moving from place to place,
fighting Mumm-Ra’s army and schemes. There was not much place for long term socialization. They often
met politicians, leaders and warriors, not civilians. And when they helped a village, they never stayed
long afterward.

Wilykit never had the time to meet a boy her age. She didn’t knew anyone.

Except her brother

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wilykat was deep in thoughts, his tail kept low.

While his sister took Cheetara as role model, he took Lion-O as his. Although he wished to be as cool as
Tigra, he admired Lion-O’s bravery through adversity, his leadership and his courage to keep on fighting
even when things felt hopeless.
Unbeknownst to him, he noticed the same thing as his sister, how Lion-O and Pumyra isolated themselves
just like Tigra and Cheetara. He even cooked up a plan quite similar to Wilykit’s.

He saw the same thing she did.

He saw Lion-O having sex with Pumyra.

He saw it all.
The same thoughts as his sister assailed him. He wanted to experience what he saw. He wanted to feel
that passion, that love. He had a feeling that none of the older Thundercats would give him the time of
day for such a subject.. such a secret.
He had reached the same conclusion.

He didn’t knew any girl his age

Except his sister.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The young teenaged Thunderkittens where in their common bedroom, in the Thundertank, sitting there in
awkward silence, their tails moving hesitantly.
After many hesitations and dancing around the subject, they opened themselves to each other about
what they saw, what they witnessed, in all of their youth’s awkwardness.

Siblings hold no secrets to each other, afterall.

Now they sit there, silent, unknowing about what to say next.

Wilykat was the first to break the silence.

“So huh.. . I guess we had made the same hiding plan.”

“Yeah” was all that Wilykit replied.

“You sure they didn’t notice you?”

“Yeah.
Made sure they really where gone before getting out of the spot and room.”
“And you, you sure you didn’t made a sound?”

“Certain.”

Silence

Wilykat broke the silence again

“Now what?”
“What do we do?”
“What can we do?”
said Wilykat a little louder yet with a slight but noticeable stutter in his voice.

Wilykit noticed it
“Are you.. . are you afraid?”

“If I am?.. . but Sis...”

Wilykat couldn’t finish that sentence; he only could produce a few grunts.

“Wilykat.. ”
Wilykit said as she put her hand on her brother’s arm.

“You can tell me.”

A look of fear mixed with sadness passed Wilykat’s face; he simply couldn’t hold back his feelings inside
him in front of his sister, his tail moving frantically, as if to better illustrate his inner turmoil.
“Yes, im afraid Sis.
Afraid of what the others would say if we told them what we saw.
Afraid of being brushed off because ‘we are too young’.
Afraid of being told to forget something that looked so.. so.. . .”

Wilykat had a hard time finishing that thought but his sister’s empathic smile she gave as she looked at
him pushed him just enough to finish it.
. . .great.”

Wilykat continued but she stopped listening.

Wilykit knew those fears very well. Afterall, she had the same fears deep inside her.
A fear of the others’ reactions.
Yet deeper still..
A fear that she could never experience the same thing as what she was a witness to.
A fear that she could never reach the same level as her role model who did it.

They couldn’t tell about that experience to anyone else.

She wanted to experience what she saw, just like Wilykat.

But all she had was….. her…. Brother?

A fleeting thought passed her mind but it went too fast for her to grab it.

Until Wilykat continued his confession with this :

“.. .and I don’t know any girl my age with who I could tell or do this with!”

Wilykit reflexively replied :

“But Kat, I AM here.”

Wilykat forgot what he was going to say next to look at his sister.
Did she really say what he just heard?

Wilykit brought her hand to her mouth. She had said that reflexively, to try and assuage Wilykat’s fears.
She realized it could mean something else in that context.

Yet.. .
“Kat, I... am.. here”
Repeating the words brought something, a thought, almost within her reach yet something she still
needed a slight push to fully grasp. Wilykat would give that final push.

“A girl.. . my age.. . . I could do it with.. . .?”

It wasn’t a perfect repetition but it was something that finally formed what the siblings were starting
to think.
Those were the words that brought the final realization.

They looked at each other, in silence, yet their thoughts raging and spinning rapidly behind it.
It finally formed something coherent.
Something concrete they could understand.
Something they could act upon.

Wilykit was the first

“We have.. . each.. . . . other... ”

Something clicked in Wilykat.

He hadn’t thought about his sister for this... . yet there she was.. . . perfect

She was always there for him.

They did everything together.

They were often considered simply “the kids” amongst the Thundercats, so more often than not, they only
had each other.

He now realized it

She would be there with him for this too.

This “sex”

Planning
Planning

***

This was a few days after the Thunderkittens reached the same conclusion.
The conclusion that, for them to experience the passion they were both witness to, this “sex” thing, what
they needed.. . was each other.

Yes, the siblings were now planning to have sex with each other.
They had no moral compulsion against it because, for one, they lost their parents and the rest of their
family to a raid by Mumm-Ra’s forcesyears ago. Too early for them to reach the stage in their life where
they would be curious of sex and where they would get “the talk”. The word “incest” was indeed foreign to
them. Being tailed Thundercats also didn’t help since those where usually discriminated upon by tailless
Thundercats so no one wanted to bother themselves with them, until they joined their current group.
Another reason was that they considered having sex with each other the same way siblings would
explore things together. They did not truly understood everything it entailed or the intense feelings it
would shower them with.
To them, it would just be another fun thing to do between brother and sister,

It would just be more.. intimate.. secret

And so they took a few days to really plan it.

They needed a place quite comfortable and that could be locked tight, where they would not be
interrupted, where the others wouldn’t find it odd for them to be there and where it wouldn’t be
awkward to move.
Their common bedroom in the Thundertank would be good enough.
They had tried to bring their beds together for a larger bed surface but they were fixed to the floor of
the Thundertank so they will have to make do on just one.

They could have planned about what to do with the soiled bedsheets after the act but that was the one
thing that they didn’t pay attention to in their spying so they did not know to plan for it.

Next step, they needed to check if their room was sufficiently noise-proof so that the other Thundercats
would not hear them. They did notice that when the others had sex, they tended to be loud afterall but
they didn’t know what those outside the room heard.

Wilykit was inside their room while Wilykat was outside their door, in the middle of the corridor.
Wilykit was screaming at the top of her lungs while Wilykat listened to what he could hear.

A small strident noise.

Others could hear it but he remembered the scene he witnessed and thought that the noise made then
wasn’t as loud as his sister screaming now so there was a good chance no one will hear the weaker noise.

Wilykat was about to move when he noticed that Panthro was beside him, walking toward the front of
the Thundertank.
He was too concentrated on hearing his sister to pay attention to Panthro walking down the corridor.

“What are you doing?” asked the giant man

“Oh, just making sure we don’t bother you with our noise.” Replied Wilykat, a shock dawning on his face.
He couldn’t believe what he just said!
In his nervosity, he just betrayed that he and his sister where planning something!
However.. .

“Ok”
That was all that replied Panthro, obviously having other things to think about than to worry about the
kids.

Wilykat was immediately relieved : his blabbermouth wouldn’t bite them back.
Panthro simply continued to walk toward the front of the Thundertank.

However, soon after reaching it, a thought crossed his mind.

“Wait a minute.. . what does he mean by ‘not bothering us’?”

But after a few seconds of pondering he said to himself.

“Whatever”

As long as they don’t make a mess or damage the Thundertank, it’s not his problem. Otherwise, he’ll work
them to the bone until they clean up THEIR mess from HIS vehicle.

Back with the Thunderkittens, everything was going smooth. They finished their plan and covered all the
issues they knew about.
All that was left was choosing a time where they will have plenty of time for their act, their incest;
where it will be early enough so that they won’t be too tired too early and where the others won’t
question their absence.

Everything they reasonably could plan for was ready.

They were ready

Ready? ACTION!
Ready? ACTION!

***

This is it!
The moment for the siblings’ first time.
Things are promising to be.. . awkward?

There the young teenagers stood, in the middle of their room, fidgeting, not knowing how to actually
start.

The door is locked, they have the time, they already removed their footwear and accessories, they won’t
be bothered and they both want it.
But the only examples they have are two experienced couples, already comfortable with each other. Not
first timers like them.

Wilykit first spoke while fidgeting

“So.. huh.. . what now?”

Wilykat replied, trying to remember what he saw when he spied.

“well.. err.. .I remember that... .humm.. . Pumyra and Lion-O.. kissed each other... at first.”

“So.. you want a kiss?” hesitated Wilykit

“.. yes”

Wilykit was gathering up her courage and started to lean in when Wilykat specified :

“They kissed.. . on the.. mouth.”

Wilykat couldn’t help but blush as he said that last word

Wilykit stopped, giving herself the time to process that thought. True, she had seen Cheetara and Tigra
kissing on the mouth.
But herself doing that.. . that was a big step for her.

Wilykat was fidgeting on place, averting his eyes from his sister, suddenly finding the floor fascinating.

Then Wilykit, having gathered her courage, leaned forward and gave him a small peck on his closed lips.
Wilykat was startled a bit. There was still a physical distance between them but the ice was broken.

Wilykit had a tinge of sadness. She could tell from her brother’s face that he was unsatisfied by just this.
He was about to speak up when she asked :
“So.. huh.. . how did they do it?”

That gave Wilykat a better focus on his thoughts, on what he wanted to say.

“Well Kit,. .they.. were close . . .and they were hugging . . . differently.. . and then they kissed on the
mouth.. . for a while.”

All the while Wilykat was talking, they acted.

With lots of hesitation, they closed the small distance between themselves, traversing the space
separating them.
Their bodies, filled with nervosity and with a small jump at first contact, soon touched each other.
They put their arms around each other with hesitation, slowly, little by little. Their tails where now
going around each other’s body. They moved their hands around, not knowing where to put them. Going by
the memories of what they had seen, they soon put them at appropriate places for the situation, the hug
finally evolving into a true embrace.

They now realized that their faces where only centimetres from each others.
Blushing profusely, they readied their lips for a kiss, closing in the small distance left.
They approached a bit before backing up, still being a bit jumpy but the hesitation eroding little by little.
Their lips soon made a slight contact before they backed up a little.
After one last look in each other eyes, feeling the care they have for each other and the last scrap of
their hesitation evaporating..

They locked lips

They did not know how long they stayed like that.
They did not know about locking tongues with each other yet.
They couldn’t know.
They didn’t.
Each put one hand behind the head of the other, as if trying to be closer to each other, to force just a
little bit more.
Trying to be closer.. . closer than they have ever been.. . as if to be closer than just brother and sister.

Their first true kiss, full of the awkwardness of beginners yet filled with the raw passion of youth.
Filled with the budding feelings of true lovers.

After what felt an eternity, they separated, gasping for air, huffing and puffing.
They looked at each other, their eyes filled with new love, knowing that there was no going back.

Going back from what? They did not know.

But they wanted this.

They finally separated themselves from their embrace. It was time to remove their clothes.
The hesitation came back.

Much weaker but it was still there.

They had seen each other naked before but not like this, not in this context and certainly not with the
feelings of lust and love that was now grasping their bodies and soul.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wilykit was the first to make a move and removed the thin fabric covering her chest, showing her
brother her budding breasts.

Wilykat was fascinated by what he saw: his sister was baring her breasts just for him.

He tried to look at them very closely but having to lean slightly forward to do that was physically
awkward.
He sat on the bed they planned on using and motioned for his sister to come closer.
She did something he really didn’t expect and literally sat on his lap, her tail between his legs.

She had felt it was the correct thing to do but now they were blushing awkwardly. Still, her breasts
were now close enough so Wilykat could look at them closely.

Wilykit’s teenage breasts already formed mounds. Not quite big enough for Wilykat to have a handful
but big enough to show up even when she is clothed with her top, now that he thinks about it.
He put his hands on them and started playing with them. Wilykit squirmed a bit but let him do it.
While kneading his sisters’ breasts, he was enjoying how they felt, soft on certain aspects yet firm on
others. He would have continued enjoying fondling them if another aspect didn’t catch his attention.
Wilykit’s nipples where standing straight, pointing toward Wilykat, almost like they were inviting him
closer.
He let go of her left breast and put his now freed hand behind his sister to help her steady her position
and so, he was now free to get a closer look at her nipple. He looked at the beautiful inviting shape, like it
was daring him to suck on it.

And so he did.

Wilykit couldn’t help but let go a small gasp when her brother took her nipple in his mouth. However, she
soon started to enjoy the feeling her brother gave her as he sucked on it. Him fondling her breasts was an
enjoyable feeling, a feeling she didn’t knew before, especially not like that, but him sucking on her nipple
was on another level entirely.

They stayed like that for a moment, Wilykat sucking on his sister’s breast while his other hand was
trying yet failing to fondle her breast, now that he didn’t pay much attention to it. Wilykit meanwhile
was trying to hold back some small noises while enjoying those new found sensations that were rolling
around in her.
However, after a while, her nipple was now getting sore. She signified it to her brother with a light tap
on the shoulder.

He let go of her breasts to look up to her, her nipple covered in slob, free from his mouth.
Even with his mouth slobbering she still found him lovely.
She kissed him again, not caring about the saliva, even finding the kiss more enjoyable tough this might
have just been the spur of the moment.

A sister sitting on her brother’s lap, kissing him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That kiss was much shorter than the first and Wilykit soon stood back up.
She looked playfully at her brother, her tail moving with some anticipation.

“Hey Kat, I think it’s time for your turn. Time to remove your top!”

With no hesitation, Wilykat removed his shirt.

Wilykit felt some disappointment.

She remembered that Tigra had removed his shirt slowly, like he was making a show for Cheetara, who
seemed to enjoy the spectacle. Wilykat just removed it like it was something ordinary.
Still, she now had a good look at her brother’s torso. She looked at it with new eyes. He was fit but not
muscular, befitting of someone using his speed rather than his strength.
Although it was a good look, she wasn’t satisfied. She had made the first move, so it’s his turn to make the
next.

“Mmmm.. . not bad.” She said playfully

“But I’ll need something more.”
She then pointed at his crotch.

She couldn’t wait to see her brother’s equipment. Tigra, from what she could see, was big but he was a
fully grown adult and he belonged to Cheetara.

She wanted to see what was going to belong to her and hers alone.

She wanted to see what was going to go inside her.

Wilykat didn’t mind.

Afterall, his sister already let him do so much.
He stood up and unceremoniously dropped his pants, showing underwear that were starting to pitch a bit
of a tent.

Wilykit was disappointed once again with her brother’s disrobing. She was going to need to train him to
make it last a little bit longer, a little bit more of a spectacle and a little bit more teasing so that their
next time will be a little bit more enjoyable for her. All the while not realizing that she was already
considering the next time her and her brother would have sex.
She concluded that she needed to take things into her own hands.
Wilykat was about to drop his boxers when Wilykit stopped him.

“What?”

“This time, I will do it.”

Wilykit dropped on her knees and grabbed the hem of Wilykat’s boxers with both hands.
She tugged on it before slowly lowering them, revealing bit by bit her brother’s crotch.
She noticed that her brother was starting to get more fur in that area, proof that he was closer to being
a man each year.
Soon, she reached the point where she could see part of his dick, then more and more.
Soon all that was left was to free the tip so she decided to yank her brother’s boxers in one go, suddenly
fully freeing his dick.

Wilykit was fascinated by her brother’s member, right in front of her.

It was only semi-erected but it was already of a good length.
She wasn’t sure what to do at first, so she asked :

“Kat, Is it supposed to only be like that?” she distinctly remembered that the one she saw before was
different in shape, being fully hardened.

“No, it sometimes stands completely up.”

This was the call she needed. She didn't know what to do but she wanted to see what her brother’s fully
deployed dick would look like.

Hesitantly, she reached her hand toward his member. She had one last hesitation before starting to
caress it.
She was feeling the texture
Its length,
Its girth.
As it is, it was slightly shorter than the length of her hand.
She delicately yet fully grabbed her brother’s dick, getting to feel its form in her hand. She could feel it
getting a bit harder in her hand. It was an enjoyable sensation but she would not dare apply more
pressure, fearing she would hurt her brother before she could finish exploring it.

Her attention now centered on the tip of the dick, still covered in foreskin yet looking like it was trying
to free itself from it.

Wilykit had an idea. She put both her hands on her brother’s dick.
Wilykat couldn’t help but grunt.

“Sis.. .”

She was pushing on his dick, trying to pull back the foreskin. It took a few tries but all the while, she was
pumping on his dick, inadvertently making him feel good despite the pressure. At the same time it was
making his dick harder and harder in Wilykit’s fingers until it was fully erect. As soon as it did, the
foreskin completely pulled back and she let go of it.

Wilykit was now looking at her brother’s completely erected dick, fully seeing the tip hidden by the
foreskin. She estimated that her brother’s member was now slightly longer than her hand.

She then was at a loss as to what to do.

It was the first time she saw a dick this close but she lacked the experience to do anything. She knew her
brother was not enjoying it with her only looking at it so she put back a hand on it, surprising her with
its stiffness. Although she caressed it, she did not stroke it, not knowing it would have been good for her
brother and all she had to go on was that he was trying to hold back grunts.
She looked at the tip, the glans, and noticed a liquid forming up at the tip, precum as she’ll later learn.
She looked at it intensely, like it was daring her to lick it.

She licked it all in a few slow laps.

Wilykat yelped!
His dick was already sensible enough like that. His foreskin was rarely pulled back so just being out in the
fresh air of their room made it sensible enough. That his sister was now licking his most sensible part was
simply too much for him.
Wilykit felt her brother trying to pull away.
She looked up to him and saw his pleading look.

“Sis.. ”

Thats when she realized this was a bit too much for him, especially for their first time.

She let his dick go.

Wilykat was still reeling a bit from his sister’s touch when he looked at her. He had expected that she
would have completely stood up but he saw she was busy removing her skirt and underwear.

Neither of them had realized before how wet she was as they now saw that her underwear was
completely soaked with her juices.
Wilykit had felt moist before but such a flood, proof of her newfound lust for her brother, was new to
her.
She flicked her soiled underwear in a corner of the room before standing up fully.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There they were, brother and sister, completely naked; given freely at the sight of the other.

Wilykat looked at his sister’s naked form with a newfound hunger for her yet not certain at knowing
what to do.
Wilykit was standing there, her hands behind her and fidgeting. She was still feeling some remnant of
shame at her newfound and complete nudity yet there she was, willingly offering her naked self to her
brother all the while not being able to help herself from looking at his enticing form either.

They looked in each other’s eyes

“Kit.. . ”
“Kat.. .”

As the previous times, before her brother’s hesitation, Wilykit was the first to act.
She walked beside her brother, her tail balancing slowly in what she hoped to be an inviting way and her
face harbouring what she also hoped was a sultry look. She gave him a little kiss on the lips before
directing herself toward the bed.
She knew what she had to do.

When she spied on Cheetara and Tigra, Cheetara was on top of him and it looked wild and passionate.
When her brother spied on Lion-O and Pumyra, Lion-O was on top and they were in an intimate and
loving embrace.

Wilykit wasn’t ready for something wild; she wanted something more intimate with her brother. She
wanted to fully feel his love..

She laid down on her back on the bed, trying to have an inviting pose and expression for her brother.
It seemed to work because when Wilykat looked at her naked form, his member seemed to pulsate at her
and his eyes couldn’t let go of her inviting body.

“Gods youre beautiful!”

Wilykat moved himself toward the bed and climbed on it.

Just like when Wilykit kneeled down to examine his dick, she now was in the perfect position for him to
head down and examine her pussy.

Wilykit couldn’t help but blush at the idea of her brother exploring her most intimate parts yet she had a
certain excitement at the idea that she would now have nothing left hidden for him.

After pushing aside her tail so it wouldn’t be in the way, Wilykat had his face very close to his sister’s
pussy.
He was admiring her cute and beautiful shape, its lips and its soft inviting color. He directed his hands
toward it before hesitation gripped him. He looked at his sister, as if looking for permission, which she
gave with an approving look.

He delicately caressed his sister’s sex, not wanting to cause her pain, his delicate touch magnifying her
sensations. Event tough he saw how wet she was, the transparent liquid leaking out of her sex didn’t
scare him and he gladly accepted his fingers being covered in it.
He explored her closed lips and rubbed the little slit between them. He smiled : he could hear Wilykit
starting to make little noises.
It was time : he delicately and slowly opened her pussy lips, like he was opening a uniquely precious gift.
And it was

His sister’s pussy was now bare to his sight, offering her inner folds to him. He appreciated its pink color
passing before his fingers as he touched its interior, all the while her little noises were getting slightly
louder. He observed two holes in it : one small and one bigger. He guessed that the one closer to the
outside must be the girl’s pee hole while the other could only be THE hole.

The hole where he will be

The hole where his sex will meet hers.
The place where Wilykat and Wilykit, brother and sister, will be united in a final incestuous embrace.

While he was continuing in caressing the interior of Wilykit’s pussy, he didn’t know that she would have
preferred him to be a little rougher with it. She felt that the enjoyable sensations she was now feeling
would have been more intense if he did.
However, she didn’t want to detract her brother from his exploration. He didn’t say anything when she
was doing the same thing so she strived to do the same, not knowing that this attitude was simply
stifling her pleasure.
It might not have been such a great idea but the Thunderkittens simply did not know better due to their
inexperience and their general awkwardness in this situation.

Wilykat decided to consider more of his sister’s wetness, of which he got an idea. Just like when she
licked the tip of his dick of its liquid, so will he. However, remembering his extreme sensibility to that
(his own dick seemingly throbbing in agreement), he closed her pussy lips and decided to lick all the juice
that had leaked outside.

He decided to start with her inner thighs, going as close to the bed as he could without lifting her and
licked the liquid back to its source.
Although it was still early in their sexual session and it would be greatly dwarfed later, Wilykit
already felt overwhelmed by the amazing sensations brought by her brother’s great idea. She felt her
body getting electrified by the sensations of pleasure brought on by her brother’s licking. It was even
more intense when he finished cleaning her inner thighs and started on licking her pussy’s exterior.
Wilykit felt drops of pleasure each time her brother licked her pussy, but that was nothing compared to
when he decided to clean the inside of it. Wilykat had decided to lick the entrance of his sister’s pussy by
sticking his tongue inside her pussy but without opening it. Judging by the moans that Wilykit was now
producing, he felt he was on the right track.
Compared to when her brother licked her thighs, him licking the inside of her pussy brought on a river of
pleasure toward her.
She also felt something new, like it was just the tip of something leading to a grander ocean of pleasure,
something that existed that she was only now aware of.
However, just as fast as that sensation came, it stopped, for her brother had finished his “cleaning”, even
though more of her moist flooded out immediately, especially after such sensations.

Wilykat then came upon a little nub hidden near the top Wilykit’s outer lips, the clit as he’ll later learn.
He started playing with it, like he did with Wilykit’s nipples while being careful to not be too rough.
Wilykit’s noises changed when he started touching it.

Was she.. . cooing?

In all cases, Wilykat found that the noises his sister made got more intense everytime he rubbed that
little nub. He will have to keep that information in mind for later.

For now, Wilykat was ready to move on from his sister’s pussy and climb back up : he had a trick up his
sleeve this time. He had seen Lion-O do that to Pumyra when he was spying on them.

Wilykat was slowly moving up the bed, all the while showering Wilykit’s body with kisses, his sister
producing appreciative noises everytime.
His kisses climbed her pelvis.
He kissed her stomach, higher and higher.

He soon reached her breasts and wanted to suck her nipple one more time. He knew her left breast was
sore from the last time so he sucked the other nipple, gentler this time. Her moans were getting a little
louder at this sensation.

Wilykat wanted to continue a bit but he felt that was enough for now, that there was more to do for he
needed release too.
He continued to shower his sister with kisses as he climbed up her body.
He kissed the mound of her breasts
He kissed her collar
He kissed her neck
He kissed.. .

He stopped

He was now face to face with his sister, having climbed all the way, panting and sweating.
His throbbing member was now level with her pussy, seemingly hungry to go where it belonged.

He looked into her eyes, filled with love toward him.

She looked into his eyes, filled with love toward her.

She put her hand on his cheek, signifying that she was ready.
Ready for the ultimate step.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wilykat pulled back, sitting back to make sure he did everything correctly.
Wilykit propped herself on her elbows, for she wanted to see everything from the moment her brother
entered her.

She was a bit worried about her insides. She might not know much about sex or the inside of her body but
she does remember one time where the Thundercats where fighting Mumm-Ra’s forces and, after some
acrobatics, she felt something ripping inside her, inside the place where her brother was now getting
ready to enter. After the battle, her underwear were bloodied but it never happened again. Now she was
worried that it might indeed happen again.

However, she shoved those negative thoughts aside.

This was a moment of love.
Negativity had no place in it.
She gathered all her courage and squashed those thoughts with it.

Wilykat was getting ready and adjusted his position so he could better enter her.
This was the moment the siblings were waiting for all this time.
Everything before was simply the road to this goal.
The moment when his sex will enters hers.

Wilykat grabbed his hardened member and aligned it carefully with her pussy.
Wilykit didn’t want to miss one moment of this and looked intensively.
The tip finally touched the entrance to her pussy. She thought she was going to jump at that contact but
she didn’t. She only felt anticipation.
Wilykat pushed a little harder and her pussy lips parted to allow the entry of his tip.

This is it!

The glans was now fully in and he started to try and push further inside. His current position wasn’t
ideal for that however, his inexperience stopping him from figuring out what it was and what he could do
to allow his sister to watch. He leaned further toward his sister until they were back on top of each
other. His sister couldn't keep herself propped up like that and laid back down, unable to see the entry.
Wilykit wanted to see more of it but accepted that she had to rely on her perceptions for that.

To feel it rather than see it.

With the tip now inside and in good position, Wilykat pushed further past the folds inside Wilykit.
He didn’t want to hurt his sister or make her uncomfortable so he went in slowly and carefully.
He somehow felt like he should have met some sort of resistance yet there was nothing of the sort.
All her insides where well oiled by her wetness.
He pushed a little further, with a renewed impatience until he couldn’t anymore.

That was it
He was now completely inside his sister
They were fully connected

He didn’t know what to think at first. He felt good, better than anything he knew before yet he was kinda
expecting something like a shock of sensations once he was fully in.
He was starting to worry that he might have done something incorrectly until he looked at his sister’s
face.
He witnessed her bliss, her fulfillment at being completely connected to him.
His worries completely melted in front of such contentment and he locked lips with hers in a kiss filled
with love.
Wilykit put her arms around his back as if to bring him closer to her than it would already be possible.
The siblings were completely united in every manner possible. In that moment, to them, nothing else
existed outside of their lovers’ embrace.

Wilykit and Wilykat separated their lips.

After a moment spent to appreciate their new position, Wilykat returned to the charge with shorter
kisses all over his sister’s accessible skin, her arms still embracing him.
Meanwhile, he had started to pump inside his sister’s pussy.
Slowly at first, he almost completely retracted his dick.

Wilykit was worried at first that he would completely be out. She had come to enjoy having this extra
girth inside her, it was pushing and touching places she didn’t knew existed before and it felt so good for
her.
She was relieved when Wilykat pushed back in before it was completely out, his tip having barely
touched back her entrance. He pushed it back in, still slow but faster than the first time. She felt a slight
tingle, a slight electric shock of pleasure once it was completely back in.
Then he started going back, on a shorter distance.
Then forward, faster.
Until Wilykat reached a good rhythm of speed and intensity

Wilykit adapted herself quickly to that rhythm. Waves of pleasure were washing over her each time her
brother went fully in, each time faster and more intense. With the sensations she felt matching her
brother’s intense thrusts.
Even the movement itself inside her became an enjoyment. Where the slowness of the beginning gave her
nothing, this new speed made her feel so good, in a way she could have never fathomed before.

Wilykat had stopped his distribution of kisses to better concentrate on thrusting inside his sister. Her
arms had let him go to grab the bed sheets beside her and he had free range to continue pistoning her.

Each time he entered her fully, she moaned of pleasure.

Each time he slammed back in, she moaned louder.

He continued to experiment in speed and intensity until he reached what he felt was a good rhythm.

They continued like that for a good time.

Wilykat was pumping his sister with all his body and soul.
Wilykit was receiving her brother with all her being.

All the while he was pumping; Wilykat felt a new sensation, as if all his pumping was building up toward
something, toward a sort of release. He wasn’t sure what it was but it was coming.
He remembered from his spying that a couple’s intensity run toward a paroxysm of intensity, a sort of
crescendo of moans.

He felt his release slowly but surely approaching. However, Wilykit’s moans, while intense, were stable.
He knew he had to do something to not leave his sister behind. He tried to restart kissing her but it was
hard to do with such movement and without his speed suffering from it.

Then he remembered her little nub near her pussy that seemed to magnify her sensations. He didn’t know
if it wasn’t already being rubbed upon, considering how close their bodies now are, but he had to try! To
try and touch it despite the awkwardness of their position.

Meanwhile, Wilykit was hit by wave after waves of pleasure and sensations with each movement. She
was feeling like a sailor, sailing toward an unimaginable ocean of pleasure, something she could now see
within her grasp yet still so far.
If only she could get past that coast, that limit, that edge! and sail toward those high seas of sensations..

Each wave of pleasure

Each pumping of her brother

Each time he slammed his dick back inside her in a wet slap

Everything brought her closer to that goal, slowly but surely.

But she wanted to go faster!

At first she wiggled her hips to see if there was a slightly better position, something that would bring
her closer to that but no, their union was already perfect as it was.

Until she noticed that her brother was trying to wiggle, to reach something down there with his hand.
She understood immediately.

Wilykat, by having one of his hand trying to reach Wilykit’s clit, became somewhat unstable with only
one arm to steady himself over her, having his body pressing more on hers'. The added weight on her body
was getting distracting for her.
Thankfully, Wilykit quickly noticed his plight and allowed him to steady himself with both arms once
again, allowing him to concentrate on pumping up his sister.
Wilykit’s hand had reached the little nub of her clit, her brother having raised himself to allow her
better access.
She then rubbed furiously; magnifying everything she already felt : her sensations, her pleasure and her
love.
Each time her brother slammed back in made her hand move in rhythm with it. This was like putting her
sailboat of sensations on the turbo toward that unknown ocean of pleasure.

She soon felt her brother’s rhythm becoming more erratic.

She understood.

He was going to soon reach a release, just like her.

She felt confident that she was close enough to her own release to let go of what she was doing, allowing
her brother to come back down, closer to her.

She had unconsciously started to raise her legs, as if about to grab Wilykat in a pincer to forbid him from
ever leaving her.

Wilykat’s pistoning was gradually becoming more and more erratic.

He felt his release coming, becoming more and more urgent, like a biological imperative. He could not
understand what it was but he knew he would soon be at his paroxysm, at the climax of his sensations.
He was trying to hold back, a bit afraid of what that unknown release truly entailed but mostly for
Wilykit’s sake.

He wanted their climax to happen together.

He held back just enough so that he could feel his sister’s paroxysm joining his level. He soon felt
Wilykit’s hand leaving the space between them, allowing him to finally close the last scrap of space
between their bodies.

He felt her arms around him

He felt her breasts under him
He felt her breath beside him
He heard her screams of pleasure
He felt her legs locking him in place, bring himself into her deepest reaches.

He could not hold back anymore, he simply let go

It felt like a dam broke, finally releasing a flood of sensations, of love and lust intertwined together.

And more

He cummed in his sister

Again and again as his sister moaned in pleasure, the loudest he heard her ever since they started.

He cummed in the deepest parts of his sister, flooding her insides with it like a raging torrent, reaching
her uterus with his incestuous seed and repainting it entirely white.

The sensations of his release, of his cumming, had overwhelmed him completely.
All he could feel was the sheer intensity of pleasure granted to him by pouring everything he had into
his sister’s womb.

Nothing else mattered

Only his complete release inside the girl before him

The biological imperative to breed the girl he was in
The girl's body acceptation of the entirety of his seed, of his love
..
However, the stream of incestuous love was not eternal and was diminishing gradually.

His mind was starting to come back, even as he poured another bucket of his cum in his sister.
His mind had blanked out when the pleasure overrode his entire being.
He had repainted white his sister’s womb with his seed.

He was now lucid enough to wonder how Wilykit’s climax went, if it was as overwhelming for her as it
was for him.

It was

Wilykit had felt near, so very near, all this time.

She felt her brother about to burst inside her.
She didn’t want him to let go
She wanted to be with him
To be close to him once it happened.
To be the closest they could be.

She brought her arms around him so she could feel his body with all she had.
She locked her legs around his waist, to try and push him just a little more inside her.
All she needed to reach this ocean of pleasure she sought was a simple little push.

A push that came in the form of a white stream.

It plunged her into an ocean of pleasure as her orgasm took over her body, electrifying every nerve,
every extremities of her body.
It overwhelmed her with unimaginable sensations, a high she never thought possible before.
An ocean of sensations that was colored white as she felt the flood of her brother’s incestuous release
pouring inside her, reaching a dept inside her she never knew existed; giving her a sensation of fullness in
her womb she never even knew was possible.

Her enjoyment.. . her pleasure.. . she had reached true bliss.

In that moment, the only thing that mattered was the raging torrent of cum pouring inside her womb
and the ecstasy it brought her.

Nothing else

..
Even as she came down from that ocean of bliss, she still found a high in the sensations brought by
Wilykat’s cum still streaming inside her.
Her high continued a little more before diminishing in unison with her brother’s, even as his stream
lowered before coming down to a few last twitches, before a last few drops of forbidden seed were
deposited in her.

She could feel his member softening inside her, liberating a space she was already missing, even as her
brother’s cum was trying to flood back out from her womb.

Wilykat had collapsed in fatigue on her, panting heavily, sweating profusely from his exertion.
She feared his added weight on her was menacing to push more of his enjoyable cum out of her womb.

She liked that sensation, that sloshing fullness she never felt before in her womb.
Although she wanted the sensation of his dick inside her a little more, she felt it was more important to
try and stifle the flood coming back out.

With a few words and a few looks, he understood.

He fully exits her and proceeded to roll over to the empty space on the bed on her left.

She tried to lift her legs and prop up herself, as if to create a slope inside her to allow the cum to flood
back in.

But she couldn’t.

She hadn’t realized how weary she was after all this exertion, her body barely reacting after coming
down from her orgasm.
All she could do was to numbingly move her hand to try and block the cum’s exit.
All she got was a handful of her brother’s seed.

Wilykit then shifted her focus elsewhere.

Her womb still felt full of Wilykat’s cum, despite the quantity that was already pooling outside her.
When she looked closely, she could almost see a bump where her uterus is located, as if it was so filled up
that it showed.
Or was it just her imagination?

Her body simply felt numb.. . and tired.. . so very tired.

The high she had felt then had been the best thing she felt in her entire life.

Her and her brother will have to do that again.

She focused on him : Wilykat was panting and his body was glistening of sweat after such exertion. Only
then did she realize that she too was panting and huffing, out of breath after such an orgasm, glistening
with beads of sweat all over her.

Wilykat was starting to get a bit cold after sweating so much. But he decided to tough it out, if only just
a little bit longer.
He looked at his sister, trying to futilely stop his cum from coming back out of her with her hand. He had
soiled his boxers before, after a dream a little bit too intense but never before had he expelled so much,
such huge quantity. It’s as if his body had been building up its reserves for years, precisely for the day it
would deposit it all in a girl’s womb.

And what a girl it was.

Wilykit
His sister
His own flesh and blood
The one he loves so much
The one he now loves even more
The one he now loves differently..
More than a sibling.. more than a sister... . . lover

Although he did not know the word “incest”, he knew that things will be different between them from
now on. Somehow, this makes him hopeful for the future.

Seeing his sister starting to shiver a bit, he forced his aching body up, grabbing the extra bedcovers that
where now rolled up at their feet, covering their sleepy bodies.

He couldn’t wait until he and his sister had sex again.

***

The end
Thunderkittens: Innocence
***
“It’s f-freezing in here!” Wilykit shouted from her bed. Her voice was muffled by the blankets that she had
pulled completely over her head.
“T-t-tell me about it,” Wilykat stammered, forcing the words through his chattering teeth as he pulled
his own covers tighter around himself. “P-Panthro says he’ll have the g-generator fixed in an-n-nother
half-hour or so.”
Kit pulled lifted the covers just enough to peek out, surveying the distance between her own bed and her
brother’s. “This is ridiculous,” she exclaimed. “I’m c-coming over there. We’ll be warmer t-t-together than
alone.”
“Don’t freeze solid on your way over,” Kat said.
“I’ll t-try not to.”
Suddenly, Wilykit became a blurry wheel of red hair and blue blankets that raced across the floor to
land in a sprawl next to Wilykat’s bed. With speed that only a twelve-year-old on a ice-cold floor can
possess, Kit leaped up, yanked up one corner of Kat’s covers (eliciting an involuntary yelp from the boy as
cold air rushed in), and shoved herself under them. She flipped over and grabbed Wilykat as hard as she
could, wrapping her arms and legs around his body in her desperation to get warm. Kat grabbed his sister
with equal fierceness and there they lay, a shivering ball of Thunderkitten under two sets of blankets.
Their teeth chattered in each other’s ears.
“Great Jaga, you’re so warm,” Kit said, shifting her body to grip Kat’s even more tightly. “It’s like you
swallowed a fire rock or something.”
“That’s not how it feels to me,” Kat said shakily. “I feel like I’M freezing and YOU’RE the warm one.”
“Just hold me closer,” Kit said urgently.
The twins wriggled and shifted, trying maximize the contact between their bodies. It seemed impossible
to find a position that would enable them to share even one more degree of body heat. Then Wilykat had
an idea.
“This would work better without our clothes on,” he said.
“It’s not like they’re doing us any good now, anyway,” Kit replied. “They’re just holding the cold in.”
Being nude was no big deal to either of them; they had rarely worn clothes when they were living on
Thundera, whose climate was friendlier than Third Earth’s. Nakedness wasn’t terribly embarrassing when
you were covered in fur.
The twins released each other and carefully slithered out of their garments, trying not to open any tiny
gap in the blankets that would expose their bodies to the cold. Soon, their clothes lay in a loose pile on
the floor next to the bed.
The twins hurriedly scootched their bodies back together. They soon found, however, that grasping each
other front-to-front was awkward; each twin ended up lying on top of the other’s arm. “I don’t think we
can last all night like this,” Wilykat said. “My arm will fall asleep so badly that it might never wake up.”
“Here,” Wilykit said, turning over and pushing her back against Kat’s front. “Put your arm around me.”
Wilykat obliged, grasping Kit’s middle and pulling her tight against him. She pushed herself backwards to
get closer and inadvertently thrust her bottom against Kat’s groin. Kat suddenly had a funny feeling in
his stomach. He couldn’t tell if it was a good feeling or a bad one, but it did seem slightly familiar.
He tried to ignore it and go to sleep. He was tired from shivering and being awake so late, and he had a
ton of chores to do in the morning. But he found that it was hard to think about anything other than
Wilykit right now. For one thing, her hair was tickling his nose.
Wilykat shifted his body a little to get his face out of Wilykit’s bushy hair, and his hand slipped upwards
on Kit’s torso. That was when he felt it.
Unlike Wilykit’s firm stomach, the place his hand had just found was incredibly soft. Not like a pillow or a
sponge, but soft the way only something alive could be soft. It was slightly curved, and there was
something harder, like a marble, jutting up from the middle of it.
The funny feeing in Wilykat’s stomach grew stronger. Without thinking, Wilykat found himself gently
squeezing the warm roundness under his hand.
“Hey!” Kit exclaimed.
Kat yanked his hand away like he’d just touched the burner on Snarf’s stove.
“What are you doing?” Kit demanded.
“Sorry,” Kat said. “I didn’t…what, what IS that?” he blurted.
“It’s my…breast,” Kit explained awkwardly. “Cheetara told me that’s what they’re called. She said girls
get them when they get to a certain age.”
“Those bumps on your chest?” Kat asked, trying to process this new information. He suddenly recognized
the funny feeling he’d felt in his stomach a minute earlier; it was from the other day when he had
glanced at Cheetara’s chest and noticed her breasts -- it was good to know the word for them --
stretching the front of her costume.
“Yes,” Kit said. “You must have seen them before.”
“I guess I noticed them the other morning when you were getting dressed,” Wilykat said. “But I didn’t
want to say anything ‘cause I didn’t know what they were, and…well, I didn’t want to seem nosy, or
stupid. What are they for?”
“Cheetara said they’re for feeding babies. Then she said she had to go do a maintenance check on the
Thundertank, and she left.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Me neither. Panthro had just checked the tank that morning.”
“No, I mean the baby-feeding thing.”
“I don’t get it either. I don’t even HAVE a baby. Neither does Cheetara.”
“What’s that in the middle of it? That hard thing?”
“That’s my, my nipple,” Kit said. “Don’t you have them, too? I thought everybody had them.”
“Yeah, but mine aren’t anywhere near that big,” Kat replied. “And they don’t get all hard like that.”
“They do it when it’s cold,” Kit said. “And sometimes they do it…I’m not sure why. I don’t like it; they
stick out from my fur. If I weren’t wearing clothes when it happened, everyone would see them.”
The thought of seeing Kit’s nipples made Kat’s stomach do a back flip. The feeling dropped lower, into his
groin, and Kat could feel his penis starting to stiffen. Lately, it had begun doing that now and then; he
didn’t know why.
“What are you doing down there?” Kit asked. “Is that your finger on my butt?”
“No, it’s…” Kat started.
Kit turned over and looked at Kat. They could just see each other’s eyes in the darkness. “What is it? Is it
your, your penis?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Kat said, averting his eyes.
“Why is it sticking out like that?”
Kat was too embarrassed to respond.
“It’s okay,” Kit said. “I won’t tell anyone. I told you about my breasts, right?”
“A-actually, I think that’s why it’s sticking out,” Kat said. “I think touching your…breast…sort of woke
it up.”
“Wow,” Kit exclaimed. “I mean, I knew you had one, ‘cause you’re a boy, but…I didn’t know they could
move like that. Is it getting harder? It’s kind of poking me in the butt.”
“Uh huh,” Wilykat said. He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “Kit, can I…?” His voice trailed off, shy
and awkward.
“What?” Wilykit asked.
“Can I touch your breast again?”
Kit hesitated for a few seconds, then said, “A-all right. Just…be really gentle, okay? They hurt a little.”
“Okay.”
Wilykit lay down on her back with her head on the pillow. She was looking up at Wilykat; he could just
see her eyes glinting in the feeble light that seeped through the blankets. Kat lay on his side, propped up
on one elbow so that his head and shoulder tented the blankets. Mostly blind, he placed his hand on
Wilykit’s stomach and slowly slid it upwards. Wilykit’s small breast barely rose above her chest, but the
moment Wilykat’s fingers touched it, he could feel the distinctive softness of it. It was like nothing he’d
ever felt in his life.
With the lightest touch he could manage, Kat continued to slide his hand upward until it gently cupped
Kit’s breast. Again he marveled at how soft and impossibly warm it was. Her nipple protruded up against
the center of his palm, as stiff and hard as the rest of her breast was soft. Very gently, he stroked Kit’s
breast with the tips of his fingers, each one tracing a path through Kit’s silky fur and brushing against
her hard nipple on its way downward.
“Ohhhh,” Kit moaned, almost too softly to hear.
Wilykat stroked the backs of his fingers upward over Kit’s breast, then took it in his hand and squeezed it
gently. He felt Kit’s hand against his own chest, sliding up his neck and around behind his head. Her
fingers wound themselves in his hair.
“Oh, Kat,” Wilykit murmured. Wilykat felt her pulling his head downward and saw that she was lifting
hers up to meet him. She tilted her head to the side and gently pressed her lips against his.
Surprised, Kat pulled his head back sharply. “W-what are you doing?” he whispered.
“I’m sorry,” Kit whispered back. Her eyes were huge in the dim light. “I saw Cheetara and Tigra do that
once when they didn’t know I was watching. And the way you were…touching me, I suddenly wanted to
do it with you.” She blinked. “Was- was it bad?”
“No,” Kat said. “No. I just…I didn’t know what you were doing.”
“Can we try it again?” Kit said. “Please?”
“All right,” Wilykat said.
They each leaned forward until their lips met tentatively. Like her breast, Kit’s lips seemed impossibly
soft to Kat. He kissed her gently, beginning to lose himself in the feel of her. Over and over, their lips
made contact, cautiously touching, tasting, exploring. Kat’s fingers touched Kit’s face, brushed across her
ears, and entwined themselves in her hair. Kit wrapped her arms around Kat, her hands stroking his back,
traveling everywhere, mapping every inch. Kat only barely noticed the sound of the generator coming
back on, then promptly forgot it in the heat of his need for Kit.
Their kisses grew longer, firmer, more insistent. Kit fell back and pulled Kat down on top of her, clasping
her thighs around his hips. Kat could feel the tip of her tongue probing his lips; he opened his mouth to it
and let his own tongue enter her mouth at the same time. Their tongues massaged each other, gently at
first, then with increasing urgency.
Kat returned his hand to Wilykit’s breast. He held it for a moment, then began to knead it, a little more
firmly than before. A slight squeak escaped from Kit’s throat, but she didn’t stop or pull away; instead, she
kissed Kat harder, so Kat knew it wasn’t pain she was feeling. Encouraged, Kat grasped Kit’s nipple and
tugged it gently. Kit squeaked louder, and her arms gripped Wilykat with surprising strength as she
ground her body against his. After several moments of almost frantic kissing and fondling, Wilykit pulled
away from Kat and fell back onto the mattress, breathing hard. Kat, too, was nearly panting. His body felt
incredibly warm, and not only because the generator had started up again.
“Kat…please…” she gasped. The tone of her voice was almost desperate.
“What is it?” Kat asked. He could barely speak, or even think. His mind was submerged in an ocean of
feelings and needs that he couldn’t understand and was only barely able to control.
“I…I don’t know,” Kit breathed. “If we don’t stop, I feel like I’m going to explode, or go crazy, or
something.” Her hands gripped Kat’s forearms as though she were afraid to let go.
“Uh-huh,” Wilykat gasped. “It’s, it’s like there’s this feeling.. building up in me, and if I don’t let it out…”
“I know! But I don’t want to stop, either,” Kit said. “I feel like I never want to stop kissing you and
touching you and feeling your hands all over me, but at the same time, I want…I don’t know! There’s
something more I want to do, but I don’t know what it is! I can’t stand it!”
Kit looked like she might scream, or cry, or pass out. Mindlessly, Wilykat moved closer to her, leaning his
head against hers and rubbing her leg as he sometimes did when he was trying to comfort her.
As he ran his hand up and down her leg, however, he felt something very strange. Heat was radiating
from somewhere above Kit’s thigh, between her legs. As Wilykat’s hand drew nearer to the source of the
warmth, Kit’s eyes closed and she sucked in a breath.
Slowly, Kat moved his hand even higher up Kit’s thigh. Kit’s hand gripped Wilykat’s knee, and he stopped.
Hoarsely, Kit said, “Kat?”
“Yes?” Kat whispered.
“Keep- keep going.”
Kat was so aroused he could barely think, yet he still felt curious about why Wilykit would be so hot
between her legs. He moved his hand higher and found an incredibly warm, wet place between Kit’s thighs.
Kit gasped.
In all their years growing up together, Kat had barely even seen Kit’s vagina, except for the few times
when they had bathed together as small children; the water had matted Kit’s fur down well enough to
show the outline of her sex. She had told him then that it was called a vagina, and that was about all he
had ever learned about it.
Now he had his hand on it. It was wet and very, very hot, but it was also soft and nice to touch. It struck
Kat that all the parts of his sister he had never touched before -- her breasts, her lips, her vagina -- were
her softest places.
Is this why boys like girls? Kat wondered. Because they feel so soft and good?
Wilykat felt the very opposite of soft. His body was tense, and his penis was so hard it almost hurt. He
could feel it pulsing with his heartbeat as it lay against his inner thigh.
Kat put his hand over Kit’s vagina, holding her little mound in his palm. Kit lay back and opened her legs
wider to give Kat better access; Kit lay down on his side next to her, never moving his hand off of her sex.
Unsure of how to proceed, Wilykat simply moved his hand in slow circles, caressing the whole mound.
Wilykit grasped Kat’s thigh and held it, squeezing it each time Kat reached the peak of each circular
motion.
Wilykat lost all track of time as he massaged Kit’s sex. He was mesmerized; her vagina didn’t feel like
anything he had ever touched before, soft and wet and so very, very warm. His middle finger lay over
the softest and wettest part -- fleshy folds that stretched and moved as he circled his hand. He didn’t
know what they were for, exactly, but they were fascinating.
As Wilykat continued rubbing his sister’s vagina, he felt her hand -- the one that had been squeezing his
leg -- begin to move upwards. Impossibly, Wilykat’s penis seemed to grow even harder as it lay heavily
against the inside of his thigh. Kit’s fingers traveled gently over his fur, moving closer and closer to Kat’s
groin until the girl’s fingertips brushed over the head of Wilykat’s penis. Kat gasped and gripped
Wilykit’s mound harder. As a result, Wilykat’s middle finger, which lay directly on top of the folds of
Kit’s vagina, slipped in between them, and then it was Kit’s turn to gasp.
Kat was overwhelmed with sensations. Kit was exploring his penis with her fingertips, moving them
around his head and shaft with a feather-light touch that was driving Wilykat absolutely crazy. At the
same time, his finger was exploring the hot, wet, slick interior of Kit’s vagina, which was incredibly
fascinating. Kat had been in battles and had all kinds of adventures in his young life, yet this was the
most exciting thing he had ever done.
Kat moved his finger slowly up and down between Kit’s folds, probing. Kit seemed to be breathing in time
with his movements. She wrapped her hand around Kat’s penis and began squeezing it gently in time with
Kat’s stroking of her vagina. They did this for a little more than a minute, and then Kat felt Kit’s lips
brush against his ear.
“I’ve got an idea,” she said in a husky whisper that made the fur on Wilykat’s neck stand up. “Lie down.”
Kat lay on his back. He felt Kit’s leg go over his waist as she climbed on top of him. She straddled his
stomach, and then moved downward so that his hips were between her thighs. His penis jutted up behind
her, the shaft pressing lengthwise against the cleft of her bottom. Wilykit lifted herself up, and Kat’s
penis fell forward against his body. Then Kit lowered herself back down.
Oh, wow, Kat thought numbly. Oh, yes.
Kit’s warm, wet vagina was pressing down against the underside of Kat’s shaft. It felt incredibly good, and
not just because of the thrilling sensations that ran from the head of his penis down through his balls and
up through his entire body; it was because, somehow, Kit was doing exactly what he had wanted her to do,
even though he hadn’t known that he had wanted it until she had done it. It felt…right.
Subtly, Kit began to move her hips forward and back. Kat’s eyes widened.
“Oh, Kit…” he whispered.
Kit’s eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted. She moved her hips slowly, undulating them against Kat’s
body and taking a tiny, gasping breath with each movement. Kat reached up with both hands and grasped
Kit’s breasts firmly. The girl gasped and ground her sex a little harder against Kat’s shaft as he began to
knead her firm little mounds.
“Kat,” she whimpered. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, oh please, not ever…” She babbled quietly, incoherently, but
somehow it only made Kat more excited, causing him to thrust his hips upward to grind his shaft even
harder against her. The lips of her sex were open, and the head of Kat’s penis was sliding back and forth
between them, pressing harder and harder against her. Their bodies moved together, faster and faster,
Kat pushing harder against Kit as Kit bucked her hips more and more vigorously. Kat grasped her nipples
in his fingers and suddenly Kit was out of control, grinding into him fiercely, thrashing, arching her back
and pushing her face up into the blankets to muffle the sound as she unleashed a high scream of sheer,
agonizing pleasure. And then the world was nothing but the sound and smell and feel of Kit and the
lightning that shot from that place where their sexes met all the way up through Kat’s body as he
grabbed her hips and squeezed tight and exploded. He heard a scream join Kit’s and realized only faintly
that it was his as ecstasy seized and threw and pounded him like a violent surf. The moment went on and
on, sweet and unbearable.
Finally, Kit collapsed on top of him. Kat felt himself go slack, pressed between her body and the bed. For
minutes they simply lay there, breathing.
Finally, Wilykit rolled off of Kat and lay beside him, holding his hand.
“What was…what did we…?” she gasped, exhausted.
“I don’t know,” Kat answered, dazed. “It was…I’ve never felt…”
“Me neither,” Kit said. “It was so…good.”
“Really, really good,” Kat said, almost giggling.
He felt Kit touch his face, stroking his cheek with the backs of her fingers. “I’m so tired,” she said. “But in a
really nice way.”
“Oh, yeah,” Kat agreed. His eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. He moved a little closer to Kit, and she
turned on her side and put her head on his shoulder.
“See you in the morning, Kit,” Wilykat said, putting one arm around her. His other hand stroked her hair
once, gently, before moving down to rest on her side.
“I’ll be here,” he heard her answer. He had never been so relaxed; he could feel himself starting to drift
off.
“Kat?” Kit whispered sleepily.
“Mmm?” Kat murmured.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Kit.”
And then the world faded away, and there was nothing left but peace.

Thunderkittens: Passion
by GeorgeGlass

URL: http://cartoon.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600094287

Thunderkittens: Passion
***
For all the panic involved in getting there on time, dinner proved surprisingly pleasant. In fact, Wilykat
found that he felt more relaxed than he had in a long time. The amazing thing his sister had done for him
in the shower had drained every drop of tension right out of him, leaving his body pervaded with a sort
of pleasant weakness. It felt as if everything was right with the world, which was not a feeling Wilykat
had experienced much since coming to Third Earth.
This did not mean, however, that he didn’t take every opportunity to exchange knowing glances with
Wilykit, or to touch her hand or her leg under the table. In fact, as the night wore on, his need to do
these things--and more--grew stronger. By the time dinner was over, Kat was getting a bit anxious for he
and Wilykit to return to their room. Kit clearly felt the same way, because soon after she and her
brother had helped Snarf clear the table, Kit declared herself exhausted and said she was going to turn in
early. Kat followed her lead and they both headed back to their room, ignoring the odd looks they
received from the adult ThunderCats.
Kat didn’t yet feel the burning, relentless, physical need that had consumed him that afternoon in the
shower, or in his bed the night before. This time, he thought, he could take it slowly, one step at a
time—which, he hoped, might improve his chances of doing it right, whatever that might mean. Like
Wilykit, Kat couldn’t escape the feeling that there was something more he wanted to do with Kit, even
though he couldn’t say just what it was.
After they entered their room, Wilykat closed the door behind them and pulled his sister close.
“I love you,” he said, gently touching her cheek.
“I love you so much I can barely stand it,” Kit replied.
They came together for a long, slow kiss. Then Kit embraced him, shifted a bit, and fell back onto her bed,
pulling Kat down on top of her. Her arms and legs wrapped around him, and they just held each other that
way for a long while. Wilykat inhaled and lost himself in Kit’s scent and the feel of her soft, warm body
against him.
Soon, Kat began to feel a warm tingling in his groin, no doubt because it was right up against Kit’s.
Remembering from the previous night how pleasurable the friction between them could be, he rocked
forward and back, ever so slowly, on top of his sister. His penis stiffened inside his shorts, so he
maneuvered his hips so that the underside of his shaft pressed against Kit’s groin as the twins moved
against each other, eyes closed, focusing on nothing but the sensations rippling through their bodies.
“Ohhhh, Kat,” his sister whispered in his ear. “This is so nice…”
Wilykat let Kit roll on top of him. She peeled her leotard down, exposing her small breasts and flat
stomach, then wriggled out of the garment and tossed it away. Kat smiled as he admired her. Wilykit
grinned back at him, then grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it up and off. Wilykat followed suit by
shucking off his shorts and kicking them away.
Kit settled back down onto Kat’s hips. Wilykat’s hard member rested in the cleft between his twin’s legs.
“Wow,” Kat breathed, looking up at his sister’s lovely torso and sweet, smiling face. “You’re so beautiful.”
His hands slid up her sides and cupped her little breasts to knead them gently. Kit closed her eyes, then
began to shift her hips forward and back, massaging the underside of Kat’s shaft with her vagina.
They did this for several minutes. Both twins shut their eyes so that they could concentrate on the
delightful, teasing sensations their movements produced. Kit’s breasts grew firm in her brother’s hands,
her nipples bullet-hard. The feeling of touching her was absolutely exquisite.
But Kat wanted more. He pulled Kit down and kissed her; their tongues met and massaged each other with
ever more intense desire. Kat rolled over on top of his sister and grasped her fiercely, loving her, needing
her. Kit spread her thighs and reached between them to grasp Wilykat’s shaft, making Kat inhale sharply.
She used the head of his penis to divide her labia, then rubbed it up and down in the wet, smooth,
heavenly place between them. Kat breathed hard; it felt so good. Yet he still wanted more.
He felt an impulse to push forward, and he did so, gently, so as not to accidentally remove his penis from
Kit’s delightful grip. The head of his member pressed up against the rear wall of Kit’s vagina and slid
upward. Kit stopped it before it could slip free completely and moved it back down, then let Kat push
again. Once again, she stopped its upward slide and moved it back down, this time all the way to the
lowest part of her vagina.
Kat pushed a third time, and then it happened—instead of sliding upward, the head of Kat’s penis found
the opening of Kit’s vulva and began to enter. Kit gasped and reflexively tightened her grip on Kat’s
member.
“What is it?” Kat whispered. “Are you okay?”
Wilykit looked up at him, wide-eyed. “It- it hurts a little. But keep doing it!” she quickly added. “Just go
slow.”
Wilykat gently applied pressure with his hips and felt the head of his penis slip fractionally deeper into
his sister’s opening. The motion was tiny, but the feeling was electric; pleasure flashed through Kat’s body
like lightning. Nothing in his life had ever felt as good as this.
His body screamed at him to thrust harder, to get all the way inside, but he held himself back, going
slowly so he wouldn’t hurt Kit. Kat gently pushed again, eliciting a whimper of combined pain and
pleasure from his sister. He hoped the pleasure was greater; he wanted Kit to feel as wonderful as he felt
right now.
Carefully, he eased in farther. His penis sank deeper and deeper into Kit’s vulva until, at long last, it was
all the way in. Wilykat looked down at his sister’s beautiful face, and she looked up into his eyes.
He was inside Wilykit. Inside her. He loved her more than anything, and now it was as if he were an
actual, physical part of her. There couldn’t be anything in the universe more amazing and special and
intimate than this.
Kit reached up and stroked his cheek. “Oh, Kat,” she whispered. “This is what I wanted to do with you, even
though I didn’t know it.”
“Yeah,” Kat breathed.
Kit pulled him down and kissed him. The movement caused Wilykit’s hips to shift backwards momentarily,
pulling his penis partway out of Kit’s vulva. Almost reflexively, Kat thrust back in. It felt so good that he
and Kit moaned both at once.
Still kissing Wilykit, Kat began to thrust slowly in and out of her. Kit’s grip on him tightened; obviously,
she enjoyed the sensation as much as he did. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and kept pumping,
instinct beginning to take over. Beneath him, Wilykit (who had always been extremely flexible) spread
her legs in almost a complete split to make sure that every inch of him could get inside her.
The twins panted as Kat thrust faster and faster into his sister. Kit lifted her hips to meet every thrust,
driving Kat’s penis deep inside her again and again. Kat’s head hung down next to Kit’s, his face in her hair.
He breathed in her scent; he listened to her soft moans; he felt her warm body against him and the heat
inside her that surrounded him. With every sense he experienced her, reveled in her.
Kit was breathing harder and harder, and her moans were getting more frequent and higher-pitched. Kat
felt his release approaching and thrust even faster, each time penetrating as deeply as possible into his
sister’s young body.
Suddenly, Kit’s hands gripped his forearms with incredible force. Her vagina squeezed his member hard.
She looked like she wanted to scream, but instead she just let out a long, high-pitched whimper.
The sound and Kit’s clasping vagina pushed Wilykat over the edge. He made one last powerful thrust into
his sister and held her tight as ecstasy overcame him. His body convulsed, his head flew back, and gout
after gout of semen erupted from him, flooding Kit’s vagina. It was the greatest thing Wilykat had ever
felt. He never wanted it to end.
Finally, both twins’ orgasms subsided, and the two lay panting, Wilykit spread-eagle on the bed, Kat still
on top of her and inside her.
“That…that was…” Kat gasped in Kit’s ear.
“Uh-huh,” Kit whimpered.
After a few minutes, Kat’s member softened and slipped out of Kit’s vagina. He rolled off her so that they
lay side-by-side, hands clasped as they gazed dreamily up at the ceiling.
“Uh-oh,” Kit said in a faraway voice.
“What?” Kat asked.
“I think we made a mess.”
She scooted back slightly, and Wilykat saw a big, pinkish-white stain on the bed sheet where her vagina
had been. Even now, a little more of the stuff was leaking out of her.
Wilykit cupped her hand around her vagina and got up. “Oooh,” she groaned as she waddled toward the
bathroom. “I’m a little sore.”
While Kit washed up, Wilykat pulled the sheets off Kit’s bed and tossed them into the hamper, then went
into the bathroom himself. Kit, having sponge-bathed, was just drying off. She still looked like she was in a
bit of pain.
“You okay?” Kat asked.
“I think so,” Kit said. “Maybe it was just because I’d never done that before.” Then she put a hand on Kat’s
cheek and looked in his eyes. “But I’m so glad we did.”
Kat nodded soberly. “Oh, yes.” Then he looked at her and smiled. “Good thing I’ve got laundry duty first
thing in the morning.”
“Yeah,” Kit agreed, also grinning.
Wilykat took his sister’s hand. “C’mon,” he said, “we can sleep in my bed.”

What, Did You Think It Was a Cyclops?

Chapter One:

“I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Lion-o looked down at the Sword of Omens lying on his lap. For the first time in a long time, Lion-o had to
try really hard not to cry. The sword had once been his life-line, his greatest ally. Now it had turned
against him.

Recently, for reasons no one could understand, Lion-o had lost control of the sword. It stopped sending
out the Thundercats signal every time Lion-o summoned them, at first only a couple of times, but it’s
failure to do so was increasing daily and now getting it to work properly was a miracle. Other times, it
flew from Lion-o and stuck itself in the ground and Lion-o would have to wait for it to decide to come
out to get it again. It stopped giving him his sight beyond sight more and more too. It would even fight
against Lion-o’s movements when he fought with it, sometimes angling itself in the opposite direction
Lion-o was wielding it, sometimes growing too heavy for Lion-o to even lift it, sometimes even shrinking
its blade down to the size of a butter knife. Even more mysteriously, whenever Lion-o put it away in its
spot in the weapons room, it would disappear and show up in places farther and farther away each time.
Everyone swore up and down that they were not doing it, and they had gone after all the usual enemies
to see if they were up to something, but nothing. They put surveillance cameras in the weapons room, and
to their shock found that the sword was moving on its own, figuring out how to operate the doors and
floating away, and always in the same direction.

“It’s almost like… It’s trying to run away.” Lion-o said. “I just can’t figure out.”

He was terrified, not just for himself but for the others as well. In every battle, the sword’s power had
always come through at the end when all other hope had been lost. Whenever Lion-o was at the end of
his rope, he had the Eye of Thundera to save him. Without it, what was he? Sure, he had made it through
the trials without it, but almost all of that was blind luck. Without their weapons, the others still had
great advantages. Panthro had his strength, Tygra had his brain, Cheetara had her speed, the kittens had
their agility and cunning as well as each other. What did Lion-o have that was special? Yes, he was Lord
of the Thundercats, but that was mostly because he was the master of the sword and had the right
parents. Now he couldn’t control the sword, where did that leave him? Yes, he was the one who was
supposed to, and always could, protect the Thundercats, but that was because of the sword. Otherwise,
what kind of leader could he really be? Technically, he was actually younger than the twins by a year.
He had the mind of an eleven-year-old and the body of a grown cat. He was so often foolish, reckless,
thoughtless, he couldn’t see things coming or be a voice of reason like Cheetara, and wasn’t really sure he
matched her at courage, either, couldn’t build machines and wasn’t as good at hand-to-hand combat as
Panthro, he didn’t know anything about science or building things like Tygra and he certainly wasn’t as
smart. He couldn’t heal people like Pumyra, or deal with metal like Ben-Gal. He wasn’t as clever,
adventurous, or agile as the twins and wasn’t nearly as good at planning and planting traps. He often did
and said mean and hurtful things without meaning to, abused Snarf, and people always had to tell him to
be mindful of his ego. What kind of leader was he, really? He wasn’t worthy to lead the Thundercats and
never was. All he could ever bring to the table was his sword.

Without it, the Thundercats were incredibly vulnerable. Their greatest weapon was gone and with it
went their leader’s confidence.

They all sat around the conference table, all of them too scared to speak. Part of it was their fear of
making everyone else, especially Lion-o, feel worse. But the real reason was none of them really could
think of anything to help either the mood or the actual situation.

The silence lasted over an hour, with all of them just staring at each other until finally, Wileykit lost it.
“Ahhhhhh, fuck!” She yelled, banging her fist down on the table. “Where the fuck is Jaga?”

“Kit! Language!” Cheetara admonished her. “You should know better than to use language like that,
especially when talking about Jaga!”

All the rest of them just gaped at her, but Wileykit didn’t back down.

“I’m not going to apologize because I’m not sorry.” She insisted. “I have no reason to be and I’m only saying
what everyone is afraid to say. It needs to be said. Jaga promised to always be with us and give us
counsel when we were at the end of our rope. But now, when we need him most, he doesn’t show. The dead
bastard abandoned us in our time of most need—“

“Kit, that is enough.” Panthro said, but she didn’t listen.

“And you know what else? I think he purposely kept stuff from us, I do. I mean, he knew everything there
is to know about the Sword of Omens and the Eye of Thundera. He knew more about that damn things
than any of us ever knew about anything. He had to have known something like this could happen, but
does he warn us? No--”

“Stop it, Kit!” Tygra said, raising his voice, but she kept going.

“--Does he tell us anything? No. Does he leave any information that could help us out in situations like
this? No. Instead, he just shows up at the last minute whenever he wanted to give us a tidbit of
information that we probably could have used earlier to avoid almost getting killed in the first place.
And you know what? That’s stupid. That’s painfully stupid. That’s fucking idiotic on a level that outdoes
Kat and I when we stole and played around with your weapons—“

“Kit, please!” Kat begged her.

“Shut up, Kat. You know what? I don’t think that level of stupidity is possible, at least not for him. As mad
as I am at Jaga, I won’t call him an idiot because he was always smarter than all of us put together and
tripled. No, he chose to do things this way because he didn’t want to die, he wanted an excuse to keep
coming back to the living world, even if it was only as a ghost, so he purposely kept us dependent on him
and the amount of information he could have given us—“

“KIT, STOP IT RIGHT NOW—Snarf.” Snarf said.

“No, I didn’t just suddenly come to this conclusion because I’m fucking pissed, I’ve been thinking about this
for a long time and it’s the only logical explanation I can think of. Jaga was fucking too afraid to move
on, and was willing to risk us, the last of our race to avoid doing it---“

“Wileykit, if you say one more word….” Pumyra said.

“---Now I’m guessing he either is afraid of facing me because I’ve figured it out, he’s finally moved on and
was too anxious once he was ready to take the time to give us the rest of what we needed, or he’s afraid
to help us with this for some reason.”
“LITTLE KITTEN, I ORDER YOU AS LORD OF THE THUNDERCATS---“

She turned to Lion-o. “I don’t give me that fucking ‘Little Kitten’ shit, Lion-o. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m
not just older than Kat, I’m technically older than you as well. Don’t think just because you’re bigger than
me that you know better because at the end of the day, you’re still just an overgrown kitten. You should
be even more pissed at Jaga than I am, because he screwed you over more than anyone. He gave you, a
child, the responsibility to lead our dying race and how did he prepare you? Oh, right, he gave you a
sword and put you into a suspension chamber that ended up aging you anyway then randomly started
appearing to you and no one else, giving you advice way too late and making you look like a schizophrenic
in the process. You’re twenty-six years old, Lion-o, you don’t know who your family was, you don’t have
the foggiest idea as to how the old Thunderan government worked, you’ve never learned about business,
laws, or any forms of actual government or how they work. You have no diplomacy skills other than
simple charm. You have no idea how the Eye gets its power, how the sword works, or how it was used
before you had it. In every conflict we’ve had, you’ve been forced to call on us to save you, relying on the
sword again. And that’s not the only way you’ve had to rely on others. You’ve been dependent on others
your whole life! You needed Tygra to build us a home, Panthro for transportation, Cheetara to warn you
of pretty much everything and lead us into a plan. Why do you think Snarf still follows you around? Do
you think he puts up with your bullshit and risks his life because it’s a habit? No, it’s because he’s afraid
that if he didn’t, you’d end up killing yourself or offending someone in the dumbest way imaginable.
Without him, you wouldn’t remember to feed yourself or bathe. You don’t know how half the technology
we possess works, and, because you spend so much of your time out looking for adventure, you usually
have no idea about the daily goings-on around this place. You’ve been hanging on by a thread ever since
we landed here and why? Because Jaga never bothered to properly train you so you’d know what to do if
the sword ever failed you. He set you up for failure, made you feel dependent on a fucking weapon, and
never cared enough to leave behind something or someone who could teach you because he was an
arrogant, short-sided, proud—“

Before he knew it, Lion-o had slapped her as hard as he could, sending her flying into the security
console.

“Kit!” Wileykat cried, running over to where his sister landed. He knelt down and helped her up, looking
at Lion-o with more hate than Lion-o had ever seen someone give him, more even than Mum-ra. Kit shook
her head in confusion for a second, then clutched her face, looking at Lion-o in fear.

Despite the fierce rage Lion-o still felt for Wileykit, the looks on the Thunderkitten’s faces still shook
him. No matter how mad he was, he still loved them dearly, that they should hate him was painful, that
they should fear him was excruciating. He couldn’t bear to look at them, so he looked away.

“Get out of here, go back to your room and don’t come out until I give you permission.”

Wileykat helped Kit walk to the door, but before he opened it for her, she turned around again.

“Jaga is still not here, despite everything I said about him,” she said, looking determined. “And you know
what? There’s another way he completely screwed us over that I can’t believe none of you haven’t
thought of before. There are nine of us. NINE. Only three of us are female. THREE. One of them, me, is
young enough to be the daughter of any of the males here, excluding the one who happens to be my twin
brother. How the hell do you people fucking expect us to be able to rebuild our population? Right now, we
have only two people capable of bearing children. Eventually I should be able to, but that could still go
wrong. Males outnumber females three to one. Males can father hundreds of children with no problem,
there are only so many kids a woman can push out. Even if we do manage to reproduce, I’ll have to mate
with males twice my age, I was probably meant to mate with Lion-o due to my age, but thanks to the
chamber malfunctioning it really doesn’t matter anymore, and you know what else? Because of the
scarcity potential mothers, the amount of differing genes will be so limited our descendants will end up
being forced to mate with their cousins and have children that are horribly inbred. That’s right, because
of our population and male to female ratio, a result of the crew that Jaga hand-picked, I might add, and
could have expanded had he not decided packing crates of toys were more important, our race is doomed
to declining intellect, mental defects, and physical deformities. Oh, and since six of us come from the
aristocracy, our ancestors probably already got the ball rolling as far as inbreeding goes. So even if we do
get the sword working again, which we won’t, it won’t matter much because our grandchildren will be too
stupid to know how to hold the fucking thing anyway. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

She left the room with Kat. All of them looked at each other in shock and fear.

“By the Eye of Thundera, she’s right….” Tygra said, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. “The possibility of
nine members of the same species able to produce an entire race is extremely small. The only groups that
small who have managed to produce a healthy race are ones where females were the majority. Maybe in
a blue moon a male majority by one could work, but I don’t even know if that could be possible. Males
outnumbering women three to one? I don’t even have to calculate very far to know there’s not a chance
in Hell.”

“What about the warrior women?” Panthro asked. “They mate with human men of Third Earth to continue
their line. They wouldn’t be full blooded Thundercats, but at least they won’t all be related. What if we
mated with them?”

Tygra shook his head. “Wouldn’t work. The definition of a species is a group of creatures able to produce
offspring that are capable of producing their own offspring. They’re a different species than us, close, but
we’re still two different animals. Trust me, it’s been tried. You can cross-breed a horse and a donkey, but
then all you get is a sterile or barren mule. We’d create a generational dead-end. And even if it did
work, the Warrior Women would let us have the boys, but they’d keep the girls for their own. I can’t
believe it never occurred to me before…”

“I can’t believe it occurred to Kit, Snarf Snarf.”

Tygra looked at the others closely. “And the details of it too… Did anyone know Kit was that
intelligent?”

All of them shook their heads.

“I’ve actually thought the opposite, to tell you the truth,” Lynx-o said, “There have often been times
where Kat has said or done or failed to understand something that has made me think, ‘That boy has very
little going on between his ears.’”

“I hate to say it, but me too.” Tygra said.

“Guilty as well,” added Cheetara.

“And you’ve had similar experiences with Kit?” Pumyra asked. “Because I’ve never witnessed anything to
make me think she wasn’t very smart.”

They all looked around, shaking their heads.

“I guess we’re so used to them as a pair that we started thinking of them as pretty much the same
person,” admitted Ben-Gali.

“Still, her outburst was unacceptable and completely inexcusable!” Lion-o declared.

They all looked at each other again.

“Lion-o, Kit is a teenage girl, a very scared, confused teenage girl,” said Cheetara, “When you’re that age
things are absolutely insane. You don’t remember because you skipped that part of your life. And for girls,
it’s even harder because we go through even more drastic changes and are expected not to be as open
about them as boys and in some cases are expected to be ashamed of them. We also have to deal with a
societal pressure men don’t have to deal with: we’re judged sometimes solely on our appearance to an
extreme degree and are often looked at as sex objects, our male peers usually judging all our worth on
how attractive we are. We have to start doing so many ridiculous things to be deemed presentable and
have to deal with all new types of pains and discomforts we can’t do anything about and have to accept
as a routine part of our lives. Usually we get through it by confiding in other young women going
through the same thing, but Kit doesn’t have anyone. She just has her brother, who doesn’t understand.
The two of them have always been a packaged deal and were basically each other’s other half. They did
everything together and were so much alike I doubt even they could conceive being independent from
each other. But now that things are changing, the differences between her and her brother are growing
more and more apparent and it’s scary for her. And, apparently, all this time she’s been making rather
grim observations and keeping them to herself. Now, she’s no longer a little kitten, no longer exactly like
her brother, and our greatest weapon, the thing we’ve always counted on is no longer working.
Everything she has ever known is being turned upside down. She probably has no idea what’s real
anymore. She’s trying to figure it all out and it’s getting to be too much. It’s no wonder she had an
outburst.”

“It was pretty shocking, but now that I think about it, it’s not so surprising,” mused Pumyra.
“Also…. Some of the stuff she said--- And I’m not trying to bother you Lion-o--- actually makes a Hell
of a lot of sense now that I think about it.” Tygra said. Panthro, Pumyra, Cheetara, Lynx-o and Ben-Gali
all nodded.

“What do you mean? You actually agree with the stuff she said about Jaga?” Lion-o demanded.

“Not all of it, Lion-o,” Cheetara assured him, “But, the fact is, there was a lot that Jaga neglected to tell
us which we could definitely have benefitted from knowing. He could have at least left us some of the
information, such as books or writings or something, but he didn’t and he should have.”
“And, you know, he usually does wait until the last minute to tell us some crucial detail that could save
us,” added Panthro.
“And, let’s face it, you weren’t really prepared to be Lord of the Thundercats when we landed here. Of
course, that’s on us too.” Tygra said.

“There is still a lot you have to learn,” agreed Lynx-o

Lion-o felt the rage burning inside him. No! They were wrong! Jaga did everything right! He did
everything he could and was the greatest mentor he or any of them could have hoped for! How could
they say these things?

“And, like she said, he’s not here when we need him the most,” stated Ben-Gali grimly. “I mean, you can’t
deny that, Lion-o. None of us have seen or heard from him in a long time.”

Lion-o got up. “I’m not listening to this. I’m going out.”

“But Lion-o…” Cheetara trailed off. She was going to point out that it would be dangerous since the
sword wasn’t working, but decided against it. After what he did to Wileykit, she really didn’t want to set
him off again.

Lion-o stormed out of the room. There were a few minutes of dead silence and staring, until Pumyra
decided she was sick of silence and staring. That’s half of what they did all day.

“What he did to Kit… He didn’t even seem sorry about it. What kind of grown tomcat strikes a girl-
kitten?”

“I can understand how he feels, but there is no excuse for it. We have to do something. I am worried
about her safety,” Panthro replied, “And not just hers, Kat’s as well. And even you, Cheetara, and Pumyra,
you as well. I realize he’s still not quite a man yet, but he should have been taught never to strike a
woman or child when he was a cub.”

“Just another thing Jaga neglected to teach him, I guess.

Tygra sighed. “Cheetara, Pumyra, I know you’re not going to like this, but I think it would be a good idea
to have you and the kittens move to the tower for a little while.”

“What, you actually think he could hit me?” Cheetara replied, annoyed, “When was the last time anyone
was fast enough to hit me?”

“Please, Cheetara, he’s obviously unstable at this point, I’d feel better if--”

“No.”

“Cheetara, he’s—“

“No.”

“It could be---“

“No.”

“You don’t---“

“No. And once again, no. Now shut up. I am not going to run and hide because I happen to lack a penis. It is
insulting to me and to my entire gender. I can understand Pumyra and the kittens but I don’t need to
leave. I can more than handle Lion-o. Does he have warped views as to what’s acceptable behavior
towards women and children? Yes. He doesn’t understand how serious a trespass it is to strike either. But
he didn’t hit Kit because he hates women or because he hates children. He did it because he was enraged,
didn’t like what she was saying, knew she would not be able to fight back, and because he views her, being
both female and a kitten, as a lesser being and therefore not a real person, acceptable to strike.”

“I don’t like where this is going, that’s a slippery slope to blaming her.” Pumyra said.

“Of course it’s not her fault.” Cheetara snapped impatiently. “It’s not her fault at all. A part of me is
actually proud of her. Lion-o did what he did because he would not control himself, because of his bad
attitude, and because he was cowardly enough to think he could get away with hitting a young girl. I
have been sensing a violent rage within him for a few days now, he was going to do it to someone
eventually. Kit, unfortunately, was the one in his line of fire when it finally erupted. Abusers abuse
because they have internal issues and think they have a right to view others as below them and would
rather cause harm to that person to reflect the their own suffering than deal with the issues in a
constructive way. Lion-o is a young man, a leader, and feels as if he has been weakened. He wants to prove
that he’s strong, and when you’re angry, lost and scared, you tend to pick violence as the outlet to
display this supposed strength. He rationalizes it by viewing the victim of his violence as a lesser, weaker
being and therefore, not a real person, so to him, it’s not as if he hurt a real person.”

“Cowardly.” Lynx-o grunted.

“Yes, it is, it is very cowardly, but it’s the only way Lion-o can defend his actions to himself. We have to
tackle not only his problems, but his issues dealing with them, as well as his obviously skewed perceptions
of others. He decided Kit was lesser because of sex and size. We need to tackle each prejudice individually.
If he sees all the women run and hide from him, it’s only going to further confirm his perception that
women are weaker, and therefore, lesser. We need to challenge this perception, he needs to be exposed to
a strong, smart, capable example of femininity that is not afraid of him, intimidated by him, and can
handle him. I can do all these things. Lion-o couldn’t hurt me physically, I’m too fast for him. And I’m
also the best person to help him with his issues. When he sees not only the example I set, but also
experiences me helping him get back on his feet and regain his confidence, he’ll gain greater respect for
my gender altogether because it was a woman who helped him through his crisis. He’ll never think of
females as lesser or even consider trying to hurt them again.”

“But what about his perception of size and age? How will we deal with that?”

“Well, we could start by impressing upon him his actual age for once.” Panthro suggested. “As Kit said, he
is technically younger than the kittens, even if he doesn’t look it. And since he doesn’t have the sword
anymore, we could have him take on the Kittens’ weapons instead and have the kittens teach him to use
them.”

“That’s actually a pretty good idea,” commented Ben-Gali. “But will Kit be up for it?”

“If she’s not, we’ll have Wileykat do it by himself.” Cheetara decided. “He might not like it, but he’ll do it
if we tell him it’s to help his sister. I think Lynx-o and Ben-Gali should go to the tower with Pumyra and
the Kittens as well. We don’t want to call attention to the particular groups of people we’re sending
there.”

“Alright,” agreed Ben-Gali. “But when shall we start all this?”

“Yeah, and what about the sword? We still have that problem to deal with.” Tygra reminded them.

“I don’t know. We will have to think of something, but in the meantime, sitting around and staring isn’t
helping much, we might as well attend to the problem we can deal with until we come up with a solution
to the one we can’t.” Pumyra answered.
“Agreed.” They all said in unison.

“Why don’t you all leave with the kittens tonight?” Tygra said, “I still feel a little uneasy about their
safety.”

“That sounds fine,” replied Lynx-o, “Pumyra, why don’t you go to their rooms and tell them?”

“Okay, in the meantime, why don’t one of you go out and follow Lion-o in case he gets into trouble? I’m
worried about his safety too.” Pumyra said, getting up from her seat.

“Good idea,” said Tygra, “I’ll go, I’m best at stealth, after all.”

Love and Redemption

They circled each other as two predators in a cautious game of combat. One at the top of her game, the
other who's heart hadn't been in it for years. Cheetarah held her quarter staff, not allowing its hundreds
of options of how it could take Jackalman down dismay her concentration from her goal, defeat
Jackalman and move on to join the other Thundercats in battling Mummra. Having fought so many dozens
of times before they were nearly as intimate as lovers, but differed literally as aliens.

"You're slipping, Jackalman," said Cheetarah, her eyes focused in a deadly gaze.

Normally Jackalman would have given a witty retort, but she was right, he was slipping. Jackalman was
never among the strongest of mutants, but he was the quickest. Although his speed would never match
Cheetarah's, Jackalman did pride himself on his endurance and his cunning. Over the years both were
letting him down, as each day seemed to chip away more and more at him, loosing a step here and a block
there.
He leaped at Cheetarah with his club, hoping to make hard contact with her quarter staff and cause her
grip to shake so he could get an inside shot. His overhead swing completely missed her as she used her
super speed to dash out of the way and his club smashed against a solid rock face, the impact sending an
electric shock up his arm and crippling his shoulder. His right side was left completely open as Cheetarah
passed on an opportunity to knock out his ribs just to chastise him.

"What's with you, Jackalman? Slythe could have dodged that blow."

For a moment Jackalman didn't get up. He raised his club as his hand trembled violently and he had the
most puzzling look on his face, like something was going on Cheetarah wasn't aware of. Jackalman leaned
against the rock face to stand himself up and turned to face Cheetarah, looking more strange and
frightened than she had ever seen him before. He tried to steady his club and took and defensive fighting
stance, but his hand started trembling again and Jackalman dropped his club, then fell to his knees as he
held his right arm at the wrist while his hand shook weakly.
It was obvious he was not involved in the fight anymore, but as Cheetarah's duty to join her clan called
to her, pity had taken over her as she looked at this disheveled shell of a mutant before her.

"What is it?"

Beaten and broken, Jackalman looked up to the proud powerful Amazon from his knees and in a
remarkable gesture of honesty he said;

"It's started.. I.. . have palsy."

Jackalman lowered his head in grief as Cheetarah had not believed what she had just seen. No words
from Jackalman could ever be taken seriously yet somehow she knew he was being absolutely earnest.
Such intimacy with a mutant was disturbing.

"What are you talking about, Jackalman?" asked Cheetarah, he words questioning his honesty, but her
instincts telling her otherwise.

"I can't fight anymore," said Jackalman, sounding so different from anything Cheetarah ever heard
before.

"Is this just some trick to back out without getting hurt?" asked Cheetarah.

Jackalman took his club and threw it aside, then looked at Cheetarah with something she had never seen
before, mutant tears.

"You don't get it, I give, alright?" said Jackalman, "I can never fight again. Ever."

Cheetarah lowered her quarter staff, then folded it and stowed it away under her gauntlet.

"You really mean that, don't you?" asked Cheetarah.

"Do you want to take me prisoner?"

"No."

"Then I have to go to the mutant camp, and tell Slythe to take me off of active duty. I'm no good against
you anymore," said Jackalman as he turned to hobble away while holding his shoulder, "I'm no good
against any of the Thundercats."

Puzzling as long as she dared, Cheetarah watched Jackalman limp away with a strange curiosity growing
within her. She darted off to find the other Thundercats within the catacombs of a ruin. Mummra was
making another failed attempt to get his hands on a piece of the treasures of Thundera. After Mummra's
inevitable defeat Lion-o wanted to organize a search of the ruins for other possible pieces but Cheetarah
asked if she could perform a little covert surveillance on the mutants. Her excuse was to find out if the
mutants knew of any other possible locations of the treasure, but she wasn't really concerned about that.
Lion-o authorized Cheetarah's request but thought it was a little unusual her insistence on working
alone. She said she was going to use her super speed to infiltrate the mutant camp unnoticed and it made
sense to him. He figured Cheetarah must have had some kind of ulterior motive as Thunderian technology
and the Eye of Thundera could easily spy on the mutants with little effort, but if Cheetarah had a plan
Lion-o was going to let her explore it.
Cheetarah ran back to the place where she had briefly fought Jackalman, then followed the direction she
watched him walk off in. Although she had excellent tracking skills, the trail Jackalman used made a
straight line to the mutant camp. Her super speed had caught up to Jackalman pretty much at the same
time he was arriving at the camp himself. He had taken his time limping back, still looking just as
distraught as when she had last seen him. It was very late in the evening, and the other mutants had
gathered around a campfire with their weapons and gear. Cheetarah climbed a large tree and spied on
the camp from above.
Slythe was talking with Monkean as he had spotted the growingly useless Jackalman hobble his way into
the camp. Seeing an opportunity to exert his authority, Slythe was going to chew Jackalman out in front
of the other mutants. He let off a slew of threats and mutant obscenities towards Jackalman, which in a
very puzzling way he didn't react to at all. That took all the fun out of it for Slythe.

Jackalman looked at Slythe right in the eye (which he didn't do very often) and said, "We have to talk."

Cheetarah perked up her attention as she leaned out to pick up Jackalman's near whispering.

"You have reason for coming back in failure again, yesssss?" asked Slythe.

"You have to take me off active duty," said Jackalman.

"You looking to slack off again? Yessss?"

Jackalman reached down and picked up a tool from one of the bags of gear and held it outright in his
right hand, as it slightly trembled.
"This is the heaviest thing I can carry without my hand shaking so much I drop it," said Jackalman.

Typically Slythe was slow to comprehend what Jackalman was getting to, forcing him to spell it out.

"I have palsy," saidkalmkalman.

Slythe finally understood.

"You want to cruise easily until your time comes? Or do you want to face your fate with honor, yesss?"
asked Slythe.

"Slythe, I'm 34 years old, you know what that means."

Slythe paused for a moment, as though pondering Jackalman's statement, but he knew what it meant
right away.

"How long you have?" asked Slythe.

"One year," said Jackalman, "18 months, tops."

Cheetarah was shocked, far more than Slythe was as he seemed to simply accept Jackalman's prediction
of what must be his own demise. She knew very little of mutant physiology, but she knew that palsy was
usually an effect from old age, and certainly Jacklemen must live longer than 35 years. There was soing
ing still unexplained.

Slythe turned his back to Jackalman as though to reject him, "You can not hold a weapon. You are useless
in battle. You only get in the way, yesss?"

Jackalman looked up in an indifferent gaze, expecting to hear what Slythe must say, yet not really
caring.

"You are off active duty, yesss? You will spend you're final days sitting by a campfire and cooking beans."

That confirmed it for Cheetarah. Jackalman was dying, and somehow that bothered her. Such a vital
warrior cut down at such a young age. She pondered maybe it reminded her of her own mortality as
Jackalman was a little younger than herself, but there was something else. She asked herself why should
she care if Jackalman was dying, in the long run it would simply mean one less mutant to worry about.
However, Jackalman had already voluntarily taken himself away from combating the Thundercats and
she didn't want to be so heartless as to have him die on top of that.
For a few moments Cheetarah watched Jackalman retire to his tent. He took a photo out of a carry-on
bag and looked it for a moment, then he curled up to sleep on his cot. His sleeping face looked so different
from his typical character. Cheetarah had only seen it once before, then as now she pondered how it
utterly transformed his appearance. He didn't look at all like a hideous disgusting conniving plunderer,
he looked helpless, and maybe even a little cute.

I Quit
I quit

The battle ground was an old mutant stronghold built on Thundera from way back when there was a brief
mutant occupation in ancient times. The mutants had stolen a key piece of the treasure of Thundera
called the Mystic Eye of Thundera. The Thundercats broke into the stronghold and cornered the mutants
in the galley, where Jackalman was wearing an apron and oven mitts.

"Woah! Woah! Woah! We're not together!" Jackalman pleaded to Lion-O as he was about to blast the
mutants collectively with the Sword of Omens.

"If you don't want to fight Jackalman, you better leave," said Lion-O.

"Yeah, great, listen, can you guys go battle out in the hall or something?" said Jackalman, "This is my
kitchen and I don't want my pots getting dented."

"Jackalman, what are you going on about?" asked Lion-O, "We're fighting over that fate of the Mystic Eye
of Thundera."

Jackalman looked indifferently at the mutants and pointed to them with his thumb.

"So you're saying they'll be late for dinner?"

Lion-O yelled ho, and Jackalman grabbed his pots and ran for cover. The mutants were late for dinner. His
strange behavior was pretty much the same every time they ran into him. He just wouldn't fight. "I'm
taking a personal day," he would say when Panthro accused him of being a coward. The next climatic
battle that involved a temporary union with some pirates they found Jackalman sitting in the mutant
camp reading a newspaper.
"If you're looking for Mummra he went that-a-way," he said as he didn't even look up from reading an
article.

Another time he was playing cards with a bunch of lowly locals. He actually invited Panthro to ante-up
if he felt lucky. Panthro was a good gambler and was genuinely tempted to shake Jackalman down, but
duty called him away to fight the other mutants.
During an investigation to see if the mutants were trying to infiltrate the new Thundarian city
Cheetarah pleaded with the Thundercats to ignore Jackalman, who occasionally showed up to go shopping
while dressed in odd civilian clothes. He wore a loud colored short sleeve shirt, cut off pants, and a
fishing hat with hooks in it. Most of the time he carried a basket he took groceries home with, paid for
with odd trinkets of gold the mutants usually found while hunting for the treasure of Thundera.

"Jackalman may be involved in some sort of covert action," Lion-O speculated as he sat at the head of the
seat of the Thundercat council inside Thundera's Cat's Lair.

"Lion-O, I don't think we have to pay attention to Jackalman anymore, he's sort of retired," said
Cheetarah.

"What makes you say that?" asked Lion-O.

"I saw Slythe take him off active duty," said Cheetarah, "I think he's... dying."

"Dying?" asked Lion-O, "He looks fine to me."

"I saw his hands up close, he has palsy," said Cheetarah.

"Palsy is a condition, not a disease," said Lion-O, "What's he dying of?"

"I have no idea," said Cheetarah.

"Do you think it could be a contagious disease?" asked Lion-O.

"I doubt it, the other mutants would throw him out of their camp if it was something like that," said
Cheetarah, "And they would be far more likely to catch something from him thanwoulwould. They don't
seem concerned at all by keeping him around. He said what he has is related to his age, like he's getting
old."
"Still, I'd feel better if we knew what was really up with him," said Lion-O, "I want you to find out
discretely and confirm what Jackalman’s condition really is and how bad he's truly deteriorating. I
refuse to believe Jackalman is simply getting too old."

Panthro was listening to Lion-O and wanted to offer a theory of his own, "I don't mean to interrupt, Lion-
O, but have you ever seen an old mutant?"

The Thunderteens were listening and Willy-Kit said, "Rataro was alive back in the days when Jagga was
still around. He has to be pretty old."

"Yes, but he's from the rat mutant race," said Panthro, "I mean the Jackal mutant race. Has anybody here
ever seen an elderly Jackalman?"

Everyone shook their heads no.

"What I'm getting to is this might be their natural aging process," said Panthro, "I've seen all sorts of
mutants who've lived just as long as Thunderians, but it just occurred to me I've never seen an old
Jackalman."

"But do you consider 34 years to be old?" asked Cheetarah, "That just doesn't seem right to me."

"How do you know how old Jackalman is?" asked Panthro.

"I overheard Jackalman say it to Slythe," said Cheetarah.

"Was it his birthday?" asked Willy-Kat.

"I don't think they celebrate-"

"Why don't we just ask?" interrupted Willy-Kit.

Everyone looked to Willy-Kit.

"What's the big deal?" asked Willy-Kit as she pointed out the window, "There he is right now in fruit
market buying oranges. Why not just ask?"

Cheetarah just shrugged and said she'd give it a try. There was a market right next to the spaceport in
front of Cat's Lair. Jackalman wore his floppy fisherman's hat over his ears trying to keep a low profile as
he examined some tomatoes.

"You look silly in that hat," said Cheetarah.

Jackalman smiled and said, "I like my hat, it keeps the sun out of my eyes."

As Jackalman took some plastic wrappers off a roll to put his tomatoes in Cheetarah tried to ask him a
question.

"Jackalman, umm, the Thundercats and I have kind have noticed certain.. changes about you."

"You don't say," said Jackalman as he sealed up his tomatoes in the bag and moved onto some romaine
lettuce.

"Well, yeah," said Cheetarah, "What you said about having palsy and not being able to fight anymore. It
seems like you really meant that. You're acting so odd these days, for a mutant, anyway. How serious is
your condition?"

"You want to know am I dying?" asked Jackalman.

"Er,. yes"

Jackalman smirked a little frown and said, "I hope not, but if my condition doesn't change I will probably..
die, a little over a year from now."

"Is it some kind of disease?" said Cheetarah.

"No, no disease," said Jackalman, "It's a hereditary condition indigenous of my people."

"Do many die at your age?" asked Cheetarah.

"Oh, no. They often live for more than a hundred years," said Jackalman.

"Then what's wrong with you?" Cheetarah asked boldly.

Jackalman became withdrawn and said, "I can't say. It would do you no good to know. It's. . personal."

"Can we help?" asked Cheetarah, knowing that was never part of the plan but couldn't help but to ask.

Jackalman looked to her for a moment, as though shocked to hear the offer. Cheetarah could tell he
wanted to say something but he just couldn't bring himself to say it.

"No. I'm pretty sure there's nothing you can do," said Jackalman.

"Why are you so sure? We have some pretty advanced medicines-"

"My condition isn't treated with medicine," said Jackalman.

"Then how?"

"Like I said," continued Jackalman, "It's personal. It just wouldn't help if you knew."

The weight of Jackalman's basket caused his hand to start trembling and threatened to drop. Cheetarah
took Jackalman's basket and lifted the handle up to be held around his bent elbow so he could carry it
more easily.

"Will you at least think about it?" asked Cheetarah.

Jackalman lowered his head and shuffled his feet a bit, "Okay. But I better go. Slythe would have kittens
if he knew I was talking like this to you."

"Doesn't it bother him that you shop here?"

"Not as long as I make a mean kamitz stew," said Jackalman, and he smiled and walked away.

That evening Jackalman had packed his things in the mutant stronghold and left a letter taped to the
door of the galley. The other mutants would find it when they got up and expected to find breakfast. It
was almost identical to a note he wrote once before the day he turned 30 years old, except for one thing,
he said he was sorry.

Confession
Confession

Cheetarah was woken up by a security alarm coming from the hangar. Most of the Thundercats were
away but Cat's Lair was supposed to be monitored by Snarff, if he had fallen asleep in the control room
nothing short of a red alert would wake him up. Undressed, Cheetarah threw on a robe and picked up a
rifle, she was counting on some kind of false alarm but if there was an invasion she wanted a little
firepower on her side to quickly scare off whoever the heck may be making trouble.
Cheetarah grabbed a flashlight and slid open the entrance door to the hangar. Aside from three vehicles
it appeared to be empty, the Hovercat and Thunderclaw looked fine. She couldn't see the shuttle behind
them so Cheetarah turned on some of the overhead lights. Walking around the shuttle, She noticed some
access panels were taken off and lying on the floor. Panthro was working on it earlier as it was a newer
vehicle but he always picked up after himself when he was done.
As she walked around to the far side of the shuttle she saw Jackalman sprawled out on the floor
convulsing. She dropped the rifle and quickly kneeled down so see if he was alright. There were loose
wires all around him leading from an exposed access panel and he had a carry on bag full of tools and
personal items.

Cheetarah held Jackalman as he shook and asked, "Were you trying to hotwire the shuttle?"

Jackalman struggled for a moment, then he said, "Yeah, and I'd have gotten away with too if I didn't have
this damn seizure."

"Where are you trying to go?"

"My home world in the Plundar system," said Jackalman, as his shaking gradually subsided.

"Plundar system?" asked Cheetarah, "That's light years away. The shuttle only has interplanetary engines.
You need a star craft with interstellar drive to make it there. Even with hyper sleep chambers you'd
probably die before you got there."
"I know that, you think I don't know that?" said Jackalman as he looked away, "I was hoping to hook up
with a convoy or something, trade the ship for passage to my home world."

"Why?"

"You don't get it, I'm not supposed to be here," said Jackalman, "If I can get home they could cure me."

"I'd like to help but even if we had the Feliner it would take weeks to get there," said Cheetarah, "But it's
on Third Earth, it's being used in vital missions. I have no idea when we could use it."

"Maybe we could send a message for someone to come pick me up," Jackalman speculated.

"Why is it so important for you to get to your home world?" asked Cheetarah, "You said your condition
isn't treated with medicine, right? What can they do for you that we can't?"

Jackalman thought for a moment, as his shaking stopped. For the first time he noticed Cheetarah wasn't
dressed and had to consciously avoid staring at her breasts showing through her robe. Then he had to
think seriously about what he wanted to do.

"I'll tell you, but on a condition," said Jackalman, "You have a council room with some sort of magical
beam that makes people tell the truth. "Ye "Yes, but it's dangerous," said Cheetarah, "Several times it has
swept Thundercats up into another dimension to go on a vision quest. Even you mutants got caught in it
once, remember? When it was triggered by the Sword of Omens."

"I want you to put me in it," said Jackalman.

"Are you nuts?" asked Cheetarah, "You guys barely got out alive the last time you were in that thing."

"What I have to say is too bizarre for you to believe any other way," said Jackalman, "I don't want there
to be any chance, not even a slight one, that you think what I'm saying is just some scam or a cheap trick.
I've lost too much of my credibility for this to work another way."

"If you're so worried about trust how do you know I think this isn't some trick to get into Cat's Lair?"
asked Cheetarah.

"Even if it was the beam of truth would tell you that, wouldn't it?" asked Jackalman, "Look, I don't want
to waste your time, and my time is running out."
Jackalman tried to stand up under his own power, he reached out to take his carry bag and a photo fell
out of it. With an embarrassed look on his face he desperately scrambled for it before Cheetarah could
see what was on it. After he grabbed it out of the air he quickly clutched it to his chest, then tucked it
away nonchalantly into his pocket. Cheetarah figured it must be a picture of a sweetheart.
She helped Jackalman walk to the council chamber and sat him in the center chair under the beam
projector. Then Cheetarah walked over to the secure crystal cabinet where the Sword of Omens was kept
and placed it in a well lit shaft right behind the lead council chair where Lion-O would sit when he ran
the council.

"I've got the warn you," said Cheetarah, "If you try not to answer a question put forward to you the beam
can do some pretty strange things to force it out of you."

"That wont matter, I want to tell you," Jackalman weakly looked around and asked, "How do turn this
thing on?"

As soon as Cheetarah let go of the sword it hung in mid air in the shaft and Jackalman's chair was lit in a
beam of light. She sat in the head council chair and faced Jackalman sitting in the interrogation chair.

"Y'know, you don't have to go through with this," said Cheetarah, "If you've gone this far, I'm pretty
convinced you're telling the truth."

"It's okay, I want to do this, I need to do this," said Jackalman.

The light didn't change, which meant he was right even if he attempted to fool himself. Cheetarah began
the interrogation.

"Jackalman, is it true that you're dying?"

"Yes"

"How long do you have?"

"Usually after the onset of palsy, an untreated mutant will last one year. If I remain on restricted duty
and avoid physical stress I might last as long as a year and one half."

"What is your condition called?"

"Advanced mutagenic narcosis."

"Mutagenic? That sounds as though the condition was caused by an artificial source, you said it was
hereditary."

"All Jackalman are exposed to this condition, so it's some of bo

"How will it kill you?"

Jackalman swallowed and said, "Uhm, I don't know all the medical terminology but as I understand it as
time progresses my shakes will get worse. My seizures will become more frequent and intense as my body
begins to shut down, sooner or later as muscle control is lost I will be unable to move my body.
Inevitably the degeneration will attack my respitory system and I will die of heart failure."

"That sounds pretty extreme, are you sure this isn't treated with medicine?"

"Yes, I don't know all the details of the sickness, but I am fully aware of all details of the cure
intimately."

"Then why can't you tell it to us so we could help you?"

Jackalman seemed to be on the verge of tears as his emotions became intense, "You don't understand. I
would rather die trying to make my way home, than be cured and spend another 50 to 80 years stuck
with the mutants."

"You don't want to be cured?"

"Not if it means remaining trapped on Thundera," said Jackalman, "You have no idea how miserable I am
here, how miserable I've been for years. I've wanted to quit and make my way home ever since I was
trapped on Third Earth seven years ago. I'm not supposed to be here, I'm not supposed to be a mutant
anymore."

"What do you mean, not a mutant, what else could you be?"

As the tears welled up in Jackalman's eyes the beam of truth was beginning to react to his strong
emotions.
"I wish you could know, I wish I could show you what it means to be me, what it means to be any
Jackalman."

The beam of truth's light became more intense and started to react with the Sword of Omens sending
bolts of lightning exploding all over the room. Cheetarah knew what was happening, The Sword of Omens
was opening the door to another dimension to go on another vision quest. A bright red vortex swept up
the entire room and whisked Jackalman and Cheetarah inside.
Together theyod ood on a plain that stretched off to infinity in all directions with a red swirling sky
over their heads. The floor beneath them seemed to be made of flat sand rocks two meters square in
perfect symmetrical layout like an infinitely huge chessboard.

"I knew something like this was gonna happen" said Cheetarah.

"Where's that creepy entrance to the Oracle of knowledge I saw last time?" asked Jackalman, "There were
dragons and fire and all sorts of eerie stuff."

"It might not relate to this quest."

"Good," said Jackalman, "I don't feel up to that sort of thing right now."

Some of the squares in the floor beneath them lit up and started flying all over the place, many of them
displaying gateways to other places.

"What's this?" asked Jackalman as the squares swirled around them.

"Windows of fate," said Cheetarah, "They show us events of the past, or many possible events of the
future, try to avoid them, if you fall in one you could be taken to another place and time."

"Could you be trapped in them?" asked Jackalman as he noticed they were getting nearer.

"I don't know, we don't have the Sword of Omens or Lion-O to control the gateway," said Cheetarah,
"Anything could happen."

"Great" said Jackalman.

They stood back to back watching the squares get nearer and nearer. Jackalman seemed to notice
something significant in one of the images in one of them and as he ran forward to it a photo feel from
his pocket and onto the floor.

"No Jackalman! Don't get close!" yelled Cheetarah.

It was too late, he was consumed by one of the Windows of Fate. Cheetarah picked up the photo he had
dropped and was going to unfold it to look at it out of curiosity, but another window had dived upon her
and she was taken inside.
All she could see was light all around her and it faded. Then she saw she was standing in a strange alien
city, full of beings she had never seen before. They had beautiful symmetrical looks like Thunderians,
except instead of cats they appeared to be smart looking dog-like creatures, or more specifically fox-like
creatures. No one seemed to notice her at all as she appeared to move like a ghost among these
wonderfully attractive beings. Cheeh fih figured she must be witnessing events of the past. The Window
of Fate had brought her to see something, a specific event, but of what she had no idea.
Cheetarah noticed the females on the fox-world were very tall, voluptuous, and extremely beautiful. An
older one of great elegance was escorting what Cheetarah guessed was her teenage son along the street
as he carried a violin case.

"Raunn," she said, "Why are you so gung ho to join the army?"

"I don't want to, mom" said the boy, "But my application to the music academy was turned down this year,
and I don't want to spend another year sitting on my ass waiting to get in."

"But you're doing so well with your studies," the mother pleaded, "Couldn't you just practice for another
year?"

"I want to, mother, you know I do," said Raunn, "But nt lnt law requires one year of selective service to be
completed before I turn 21. If I could just do my time now I could complete my four years at the academy
uninterrupted, that would mean a lot to me."

"But you could be hurt or stuck on some horrible world for goodness knows how long," said the mother,
"I'm so worried I'll never see you again."

The boy, Raunn, hugged his mother and said, "I'll do my one year service and come back as soon as possible.
I don't care about plunder or battling Thunderians, when my term is up I'm re-applying to the music
academy, then we can see each other again all the time. Unless the mutant armada declares war on
Thundera we'll have nothing to worry about."

The boy kissed his mother on the cheek and handed his mother the violin case.
"Take good care of it while I'm gone," he said.

The boy waved good bye as he walked into the enlistment office. The mother, emotional with tears
caressed the violin case and let her boy go, wondering when she would ever see him again.
Cheetarah was so moved by the sight, she almost cried herself. The inside of the enlistment office was
rather confusing to her. There was a poster of a Jackalman up front saying "Join the Mutant Armada" but
Cheetarah had never seen mutants like these fox people before, who were they? The boy Raunn signed in
at the front desk, he had a short briefing, then he was taken to his physical where he had a standard
check up.
Next to the doctor's quarters Cheetarah noticed there were these giant gestation chambers very similar
to the ones used to heal people while floating inside. Normally any health facility would only have a
dozen of these things but Cheetarah saw hundreds of them lined up row after row. The boy Raunn was led
down a gangplank above the chambers and was taken to an unoccupied one. They put on an air tube taped
to his mouth so he could breath while suspended in the chamber's fluid, then gave him a couple of
injections. After that they lowered him in the chamber.
Cheetarah watched the boy sit in the chamber as he drifted off into what must have been a drug induced
sleep. Then as the vision elapsed time for her she noticed his body began to change. His sleek fur became
shaggy and ugly and went from a rich red to a sandy orange color. His nose broadened and his muscles
filled out to a powerful ogre-like figure. His sleek beautiful symmetry was gone and was replaced by
what Cheetarah soon figured out to be a Jackalman.
However, asn'asn't just any Jackalman, it was the Jackalman Cheetarah had now come to know. She
unfolded the photo she picked up after he was taken away on his own vision quest, and it was a picture of
his mother holding his violin case. She couldn't help but cry a little, then a bright light surrounded her
and she was back on the astral plane with Jackalman. He was facing away from her, playing a violin. It
wasn't very skilled playing, but it had a lot of emotion. Then Jackalman noticed Cheetarah and he
stopped.

"You just got back too, eh?" he asked, "I found this here when I came back from my vision quest. I haven't
played one in ages.

Cheetarah frightened Jackalman a little as she aggressively pushed him down and straddled him, grabbed
his shirt, looked right in his eyes and said;

"I know who you are. I know what you really are," said Cheetarah as she handed Jackalman his photo, "I
know who and what you really are, Raunn."
ckalckalman, now known to be called Raunn, gingerly took the photo of his mother.

"You name is Raunn, isn't it?" asked Cheetarah.

"Well, you didn't think I went through life calling myself Jackalman all the time, did you?" asked Raunn,
"Jackalman is what I am, it's not my name."
"Why did your people do this to yourselves?" said Cheetarah as she pressed her finger against Raunn's
chest.

"Didn't you ever wonder why we call ourselves mutants?" asked Raunn, "None of us exist in our natural
forms. Not Monkean, not Slythe, not even Vultureman. Our natural bodies are too slow and weak to
compete with the Thundercats, so centuries ago our scientists developed a mutagenic technique to
'enhance' our bodies so we can meet you on a more equal physical level."

"This mutagenic transformation is what's causing your body to shut down?" asked Cheetarah.

"Yes," said Raunn, "All other mutant races suffer no ill effects from the transformation. Only Jackalmen
suffer this side effect. We can only remain in this form for ten to twelve years, then we must change
back. So to make sure that none pass away from it there is a mandatory retirement age. All Jackalmen
are relieved of duty and service at age 30 to be reverted back to their normal selves."

"Why didn't you retire?"

"I was stranded on third earth before I turned 30," said Jackalman, "But I would have gratefully retired
at a much earlier age. The armada declared on on Thundera soon after I joined and most Jackalmen were
conscripted to serve their maximum allowable term."

"You never tried to go home?"

"How could I? Third Earth is even farther away from my home world than Thundera is," said Raunn, "We
had no star crafts, I was stuck. But once I tried something. Do you remember that one time I rebelled
against the mutants and called myself General Jackalman?"

"Yes."

"That was my 30th birthday," said Raunn, "I didn't care about conquering Third Earth or the Thundercats.
I just wanted to steal enough resources to buy a ticket home with a convoy or something."

"Can you only be retired on you home world?" asked Cheetarah.

Raunn looked right into Cheetarah's eyes and said, "I could be retired right here and now, it would take
five minutes."
"Then tell me what it takes," Cheetarah demanded as she tightened her grip on Raunn's shirt, "I saw that
poor little boy get taken from his mother, and I'm not gonna let him die."

Raunn shook his head, unable to spit it out and said, "If only you knew, if you saw my vision quest you
would know why I have such a hard time telling you."

"What did you see?"

"It would blow your mind, it would have totally blown your mind," said Raunn.

"Tell me!"

"My wedding," said Raunn, "I was retired, in my true body, getting married. I never felt so happy ever in
my whole life. I didn't even know it was possible to even be that happy."

"Why would that blow my mind?" asked Cheetarah.

Raunn took a deep breath, found the most courage he ever had to muster, and said, "Because.. it was you I
was getting married to."

Cheetarah was shocked as Raunn took another photo out of his pocket.

"That picture I dropped back in the hangar I didn't want you to see?" asked Raunn, "It wasn't the photo of
my mother, it was this."

Baffled beyond words, Cheetarah examined a photo of herself she didn't even knew existed, and must have
been taken years ago just as she landed on Third Earth. It was a blow up of a surveillance shot.

"I've had a crush on you for about seven years," said Raunn, "And it's why I have such a hard time telling
you about how to perform the reversion. It involves an act of intimacy, although you may think it's
strange or barbaric, among my people it's considered an act of love."

"Tell me about it," said Cheetarah.

"Okay," said Raunn, "But you better be discrete with what you're about to know, because after what I'm
about to tell you no Jackalman could ever defend themselves against you in battle again, ever."
"Say it."

"In all Jackalmen there's a weak spot in our upper middle backs," Raunn confessed, "Jackalwomen, or I
should say the women native to our world have very large and powerful chests."

"I saw them," said Cheetarah.

"If they approach us from behind and place their left arm over our left shoulder, and the right arm
around our right torso, they would be in the perfect position to crush their chests against that
particular weak spot in our backs, " Raunn described, "This renders us helpless and helps to trigger the
reversion process."

"How does it finish?" asked Cheetarah.

"Our women have fangs, like my own," said Raunn, "There's a supersensitive nerve cluster in our right
trapezes muscle at the base of the neck. It has a redundant inner wall that can safely be pierced by the
fangs and triggers the nerve impulse that finishes the reversion process."

Cheetarah thought about it for a moment, then she said, "Barbaric, yet.. beautifully savage in it's own
way."

"It's consistent with the way of our people."

"It only takes five minutes, you say?" asked Cheetarah.

Raunn sat up under Cheetarah and wanted to stand up. Slowly he stood and faced away from Cheetarah,
sulking.

"I'm not just looking for a cure," said Raunn, "I'm supposed to be retired by someone who could love me,
maybe even marry me. If you just cure me and send me on my way it's like a very pivotal part of my life
would be wasted."

Cheetarah put her hand on Raunn's shoulder and said, "I can relate to that."
She held Raunn from behind and consoled him, as she pondered a very serious decision. Maybe the most
important she ever made. Whatever "Jackalman" represented to her before as a mutant no longer existed,
the tears falling from his face onto her hands sealed his fate.

"Raise your arms," said Cheetarah as she held Raunn from behind.

Raunn was confused, what did she have in mind? Cheetarah popped the buttons off his shirt and
practically ripped it off of him.

"Don't turn around," she said.

So Raunn stood there, with such a strange anxiety about him. He saw Cheetarah's robe get tossed to the
side in front of him, he wanted to turn to look at what he hoped was her naked body but he dutifully kept
his eyes forward.

"Cheetarah?"

With her fingers barely gracing his fur and she put her hands around him in the position he described,
Cheetarah whispered in Raunn's right ear.

"I miss that beautiful wonderful boy I saw who said good bye to his mother, I want to see him again,
NOW," she said.

With super human strength she instantly crushed her chest against Raunn's back and picked him right
clear off the ground.

"And I want to make love to him," said Cheetarah.

Raunn was freaking out, he had fantasized about this moment for years, but never believed it could
actually happen. Like a desperate unattainable goal it often depressed him, until now. As he felt his back
muscles cricking against his ribs and spine he struggled to say a few words.

"Cheetarah... do you have fangs?"

And she answered, to the point where Raunn felt like it was a dumb question. She did indeed have fangs,
and bit deep into the muscle in the neck until all strength in his body faded away. The vision quest
turned into a vortex again that dumped Raunn and Cheetarah onto the floor of the council chamber.
Raunn heard foot steps and said;
"Cheetarah, someone's coming."

Cheetarah didn't stop biting hard into Raunn's neck. Instinct told her not to stop and it was correct.
Raunn struggled as hard as he could to drag himself along the floor with the weight of Cheetarah's body
on his back. The act sent extremely intense pulses that could not be described as neither pain or pleasure
across his back. By the time they were hidden behind a council table he collapsed.
Lion-O entered the darkened council chambers and found the Sword of Omens laying upon the floor. He
puzzled for a moment about how it got there, and what were the strange noises he heard coming from the
room a moment earlier. Simply shrugging his puzzlement off he placed the sword back in the crystal
cabinet and went back to bed. Raunn peered around the edge of the table and watched Lion-O. He let out
an exhasberated sigh of relief and finally, utterly collapsed.
Cheetarah's relentlessness was taking him beyond being merely helpless and crushed his ogre shell away
to the heart of what he truly was. Her teeth were deep inside his neck, as far as they could go. Although
she could not bite as deep as a Jacklewoman her strength was sufficient, the reversion process was
triggered. The mutagenic DNA was evaporating from his body as a strange decaying mist secreted from
his fur. He shrank a little, loosing body mass as he changed color and his face changed drastically. The
furrowing heavy brow and broad nose shrank to a sleek beautiful face, only his eyes didn't change. He
looked just as the boy looked that Cheetarah saw in her vision quest, only older, and in some tragic way
lost of his innocence.
His body was sleek with very slim hips and had a tapered back leading up to the broad shoulders of a
grown man not overwrought with muscle. It was almost feminine with fair colors in his dual tone fur.
For a moment she held him, wondering what to do with him, but it became obvious her mind was made up.

Secret Lovers.

Raunn woke up, facing the first day of the rest of his life, a mutant no more. He was in a bed in a room he
had never seen before, but by it's style he could tell was probably inside the Thundarian Cat's Lair. By it's
lack of personal flair Raunn could tell it must have been a guest room.
Cheetarah lay naked beside him with her arm around him. Raunn did not want to wake her as he
wondered how long this would last. This was the thing he dreamed of for so many many years, and he just
didn't want it to end. Her came in her so many times, all over her face and her breasts over and over
until her fur was sticky with cum. She had to shower before going to sleep and it only led to more
screwing until they thought they would burst from exhaustion.
Would this be a relationship that would only last for a short fleeting while, leaving him alone again? He
decided that he would take whatever happiness he could get and even though it only lasted a day his life
was better now for it.