#1 AUG 25, 2007 · 18 yr ago
Title: Doorway of the Gods, Chapter 3
Author: Lindacat aka Azmom
Status: Not complete
Summary: New friends and a possible budding romance are on the horizon for Linda, but there is also darkness before the dawn.
Rating: Level 4
Genre(s): Drama, Romance, AU
Warnings: Adult Situations, Mild Cursing.
Disclaimer: This is just a story that came out of my head due to my love of Thundercats. All rights to Thundercats belong to WB and associates.
Doorway of the Gods
Chapter 3
Linda’s first view of the Cats Lair made a definite impression on her. It was a massive building in the shape of a cat, it's back and sides protected by the natural cliffside. Most of the Lair was white, including its “paws”, but the head was a black recreation of a cougar with red, glassy eyes. With its mouth fixed in an eternal primal scream, it was a sight she would never forget. Between the paws could be seen a sort of court yard where could be seen the entrance to this monterous edifice and the human woman sensed that this was their intended destination.
Linda turned to Bengali and asked him, "Is this the Cats Den?"
"Cat's Lair." he gently corrected her. "Yes, this is where the highest Thundercats reside."
"And, forgive me for asking, but what is a Thundercat?"
The white tiger had to think a bit before answering. "You know, I've never stopped to think about that." he paused to think, wanting to give her a decent and understandable answer. "I guess a Thundercat is a noble man or woman who has sworn to protect the people of their realm or world."
"A noble? So you all are royalty then."
Bengali chuckled. "Not exactly. The original Thundercats are royalty, in fact Lion-o is our King, but I was born common.Lynx-o, Pumyra, and I were annointed Thundercats after Lion-o rescued us from the Mutants and Mumm-ra many years ago."
"And Oro?"
"He became a Thundercat soon after his marrige to Pumyra. Lion-o would have made him a Thundercat just on principle, but Oro wanted to prove himself worthy so he underwent the Trials." He then chuckled again. "Poor Pumyra, she nearly went into early labor when she saw Oro fighting the Living Ooze."
Living Ooze? Mutants? And what was a 'Mumm-ra' Linda thought, but she was not allowed to ask as Lynx-o's voice rang through the comm system.
“Feliner to Cats Lair on final approach, permission to land.”
Lion-o answered the hail. “Cats Lair to Feliner, permission to land granted. Looks like you made good time Lynx-o.”
“We had a good tailwind,” joked the pilot. “Beginning our descent now.”
Linda wasn't sure what the joke was, but as Bengali smiled broadly at the light banter, she assumed that it must be an inside joke.
The Feliner landed with a gentle thud in the center of the courtyard where the Thundercat called Panthro waited to greet them. When the hatches opened, Oro and Lynx-o jumped out and went to greet the panther immediately. Linda, on the other hand, looked around and realized that she had a problem again, but this time Bengali was ready to assist her.
“Unfortunately, there is only one way down. Are you ready?”
“Do I have a choice?” she looked down again and sighed, “Let’s get this over with.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“‘Said the man who’s done this all his life’” replied Linda a bit sarcasticly.
Bengali laughed at her comment, noticing that it seemed that when she was scared or nervous, she tried to make a joke of it.
“Put your arms around my neck again.” he instructed her. After she had done this he once again placed his arm behind her, then whispered in her ear, “Now we have to do this a bit differently.”
He felt her shiver just a bit and heard her ask, “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
“Trust me.”
And saying this, he bent down and swooped her into his arms. Before she could even catch her breath, they were launched into the air and on the ground safely. To her credit, Linda never screamed. There just hadn't been time for it, but she had closed her eyes tightly and readied herself for a painful experience, an experience that never came. The Thundarian landed lightly on his feet, bending just a bit to lessen the momentum of his 'passenger'.
Still holding her, Bengali asked, “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
She looked at him, a bit dazed from the jump. “Next time, can we take the bus?”
He started laughing so hard that soon even Linda was laughing with him. He didn't understand why, but her frank honesty and odd humor were endearing to him. He wasn't sure if he had ever known another woman like her before. Oro’s voice broke into the pair’s hilarity.
“If you two are done, could we maybe get to the Council Chamber?”
Bengali looked at his friend, not really hearing him. "What was that?”
“Put her down Ben.” said Panthro, “I think she knows how to walk.”
The tiger looked back down at Linda and realized that he was still holding her.
“Oh!” He immedately set her on her feet and they let go of each other, both of them a bit red in the face from embarrassment.
Linda had been silently wishing that the others had entered the Lair already so that Bengali could hold her a bit longer, but reality set in. It was time to see if there was any way to get home. Bengali had also been wishing he could have held her a bit more. He had liked the feel of her in his arms and he’d been mesmerized by her soft hazel eyes. He couldn’t ever remember seeing eyes like hers before. They reminded him of pale jade inlaid with gold.
As they followed the other Thundercats inside, Bengali studied the human woman’s frame. She wasn’t what some would call slender; in fact, some would probably call her a bit plump, but he had no problem with that. She had a generous backside and full hips which Bengali found attractive. He’d always like healthy women. No offense, but skinny women who thought that eating anything but salad was taboo just wasn't his thing. Her skin was lightly tanned, leading him to believe that she liked being outdoors. Her shoulder length medium brown hair framed an oval face where could be found full lips and delicate eyebrows over her beautiful hazel eyes. She had a gentle beauty that captured his attention and a sway in her hips that suggested that she was no gentle maiden.
As if she could hear him, Linda glanced back over her shoulder at the tiger and Bengali looked off to the side, trying to hide his embarrassment. He felt that somehow, she knew that he’s been thinking about her. In fact, she didn’t have a clue as to what Bengali was thinking as she was lost in thoughts of her own about the tiger man. The strength and ease when he held her had astounded her, she had felt his rippling muscles when he had swooped her up and as he held her. These Thundercats must either workout everyday or their genetic make up made them naturally strong people. When he had held her, she has noticed that his eyes were different from the others. They were a slate grey, like sculpture stone, but unlike cold stone, Bengali’s eyes held warmth and laughter.
When he touched her, she felt electricity racing through her veins, something she hadn’t felt since before her husband had died. Thoughts of her husband brought on pangs of guilt and a bit of longing, but she knew that Greg would never have wanted her to remain alone. In fact, they had talked about what would happen if one of them should die. They had both agreed that if the worse should happen, the other one would of course be allowed to grieve, but that they should try and find love again.
It was then that Linda realized that over the past two years, she had not been keeping her promise to Greg. After he had died, she had cut all ties with his family because the sight of them and the memories associated with them had caused her pain. She had in fact run away to Iowa, finding one of the most isolated houses out in the countryside. She’d made very few friends and had never had a best friend. In short, she’d become a hermit, separating herself from the world, fearing to be hurt again. She had become a coward.
Looking back at Bengali, she decided that maybe it was time to stop hiding.
High above them an oval window framed the beautiful and delicate face of a lioness. From that window of the library, Lady Kylynne had been watching the young tiger's antics with the human woman and smiled. This wasn’t the first time she had seen her childhood friend make a fool of himself to impress a lady. Then she frowned, remembering all the times that a woman had caught Ben’s interest only to rejected him out right or dally with him when they had done with him, then moving on to more powerful men. The one from last year had been the worst.
Lynxa had been a refugee of Thundera who had found her way with others here to Third Earth. The woman had been an exceptional beauty and she knew it. She had wanted to be the Lady of a Thundercat noble and had decided to use her beauty and desirability to get it. At first she had tried to seduce Panthro, but when he had wanted nothing to do with her, she went after Bengali, believing that he would be more “manageable”.
For a while, her plan had worked; Bengali had done everything she asked of him, believing that this woman loved him, even proposing to her. But that had all changed when he had found her in the bed of another man. By this time, New Thundera had formed and refugees were returning to their home planet. Bengali had sent Lynxa on the first available transport to New Thundera, ordering her to never come near him again.
“Lady Kylynne, Lynx-o and the others have arrived, snarf, snarf. Would you like for me to make them something to eat?”
Kylynne didn't even turn around as she addressed the small yet fiercely loyal creature behind her. “Yes Snarf, I think they would appreciate some refreshment. Perhaps drinks and a few hor'derves would tide them over until the evening meal. Will you have enough help in the kitchen?”
“No problem my Lady. Snarf Oswald and Snarf Olena are helping me today.”
“That’s good. Will you be able to have dinner ready in say, an hour?” asked Kylynne.
“If I can’t then you’d better retire me today, snarf, snarf.” And with that, Snarf left to take care of the evening meal.
Kylynne smiled at the lovable creature's words then thought about her friend again.
“I hope this one will be gentle with him.” she thought, then went to greet her guest.
If the outside of the Lair was impressive, the inside was mesmerizing. It was huge, a person could easily get lost in here.The first room they had entered was immensely large and round, leaving the human woman to guess that it must be a ball room. It was a shock to her to learn that it was instead the foyer. The room was astounding, but the others acted like it was of no importance. Deciding not to make an ass of herself, Linda kept quiet and followed the men towards a grand stair case where they were met by their red haired leader, Lord Lion-o. The young lord smiled at her and nodded slightly to her in a silent bow.
“Welcome to Cats Lair, Ms. Hurst. If you will follow me to the Council Chamber, we can see if we can find a way to get you home.”
Linda smiled nervously at the cat Lord. The impressive height and build of him was just a bit distressing to her, but she hid it, not wanting to seem ungrateful. “Sounds good to me.”
She and the other Thundercats were led to the Chamber, yet another massive room and Linda couldn't help but gawk at the grandeur of it.
"These guys don't do anything small, do they?" she thought to herself, then after glancing the tall powerful men, she shrugged, thinking that to them this might be average.
In the middle of the room was a round table which could seat at least 10 people. Already inside were Tygra, Cheetara, the twins WilyKat and WilyKit, and a Lioness that Linda hadn’t met yet. Oro, Lynx-o, and Bengali walked over to the Lioness and made slight bows to her.
“My Lady,” said Oro, just a hint of a grin on his face, “You look more beautiful each time I see you.”
The lioness laughed and arched an eyebrow at him. “You had better not let your wife hear you say that, she might get jealous.”
Oro smiled. “I speak only the truth, my Lady, but Pumyra knows that I only have eyes for her, so I’m safe.”
Linda had stayed back during this exchange not wanting to interrupt. She was worried about how she was to greet this obviously special woman. The lioness was definitely important to these people, maybe their queen. She became even more nervous when the woman moved in her direction.
“Hello my dear, I am Lady Kylynne. My husband Lion-o has told me of your situation and I welcome you to our home. It is my greatest hope that we will be able to help you in your endevor.”
“Th, thank you Ma’am.” Linda said nervously, her cheeks reddening. “Please forgive me, I’m not sure if I should bow or curtesy or something.”
Lady Kylynne smiled and offered her hand. “Let’s start with just a handshake, we can work from there.”
Quietly she sized up the human woman, letting her own intuition tell her what she needed to know. The woman looked to be about Kylynne's own age of 23. Perhaps just a bit older, but not by much. She also seemed a bit jumpy, but under the circumstances, that was forgiveable. One thing the Thundarian woman could not detect was an obvious streak of guile or deviousness. In fact she felt nothing but good vibes from the young human, but she decided to reserve judgement until later.
Linda timidly returned Kylynne’s smile and clasped her hand. Linda was no fool, she knew she was being observed by the Thundarian lady and could only hope that she passed inspection. She had a feeling that if Kylynne took a disliking to her, she would be in a very tight spot. The tension was broken when Kylynne's husband walked up behind her and placed his hands lovingly on her shoulders.
“I see you have met our guest of honor, my dear.” said Lion-o, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek.
“Yes, we were just getting to know each other,” she told her husband then returned her attention to the human visitor. From the look in Linda's eyes she knew that the two ladies understood each other, even though no words had been said. “So how are you liking Third Earth?”
Linda took in a deep breath before answering. “It's beautiful, but honestly, I’m finding it difficult to understand it all. Things are so much different here then when I am from that I’m still trying to tell myself that this isn’t all a dream. But most of the people I’ve met are nice.”
Kylynne frowned a bit, remembering the incident that Linda had told her husband about. “It is unfortunate that the first person for you to encounter here on Third Earth would be one of our most hated enemies.The Mutants are the scourge of not only us Thundercats, but of all Third Earth and New Thundera as well. You will find however, that the good people of this world far outnumber those who are evil.”
"So that was what a mutant was!" she thought, thinking back to the white beast that had attacked her.
She then said “You know, that’s probably the best thing I’ve heard today.”
Kylynne smiled at her once more then moved to stand by her husband as they all began to take there seats. Everyone had quieted down and were ready to begin when Bengali noticed that the lovely human woman was still standing. It took him a moment to realize that there were no available seats for her. This was not lost on any of the other Thundercats and many of the men began to stand to offer her their chair, but Bengali literally jumped up and offer her his chair with a dramatic sweep of his hands and a goofy grin on his face.
Linda stiffled a laugh as she moved forward to take the proffered seat and felt a bit at ease as he leaned slightly against the backing of the chair.
“The first thing that should be done,” Lion-o began, “Is to determine if the portal which brought Ms. Hurst here is still open." He then turned to his second in command and resident scientist. "Tygra, do you have any information on this?”
Tygra stood up. “I’ve been studying the satellite photos and energy scans of the area where Ms. Hurst was found from the last 24 hours. Because we are unable to pinpoint the exact location of where Ms. Hurst entered, I included a 20 mile radius in the scans. There appears to be no abnormal reading.”
Linda was just a bit confused by his speech and raised her hand. “I’m sorry, but I’m a bit lacking in technical jargon. What does that mean in laymen’s terms?”
Tygra looked at her, an eyebrow arched. “Laymen’s terms? What is a layman?”
“I mean, could you perhaps simplify what you just said, as if you were explaining it to a child?”
“Ahh, I see.” said Tygra, understanding her better and explaine,. “What it means is that we can’t find any kind of unordinary readings which could indicate this vortex. In fact, there are no readings here to show when or where you entered Third Earth.”
“Ok, I understand that, thank you for explaining it better for me. But what if this vortex can’t be scanned by your technology? No offense.”
The tiger smiled and waved his hand in dismissal. “None taken, in fact that is a good question. Lion-o, do you think the Sword of Omens would be able to see the portal?”
The red haired lord shrugged, “It’s worth a try.” He then pulled a jeweled dagger with a cat’s eye in the center of it from a golden claw at his side and held it up to his eyes. “Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!”
The cat eye shone reddish and amber and a growl came from the dagger while the cross bars curled before the Lion's eyes, which had taken on a yellow glow. After a few minutes, he replaced the dagger and reported what he had seen.
“First of all, the Sword has confirmed Ms. Hurst’s accounting of what happened to her.” He looked in the direction of the panther and twins, making Linda think that perhaps not everyone had believed her story.
He continued, “I saw her in a strange land, a land with buildings and mobile vehicles that I have never seen here on Third Earth. She was being dragged into the portal and falling into the Tree Top Kingdom. I also witnessed her attack and how she escaped.”
A low growl came from behind the human woman, interrupting Lion-o visual account. Several people near by heard this and glanced at Bengali curiously, but he ignored them. He was still upset over that part and couldn't keep his disdain and anger too himself. Linda too had looked up at him, wondering what that was all about, but felt it wasn't her place to ask.
Lion-o glared at the white tiger for a moment then looked directly at Linda. “I also saw the portal from which you entered.” A sinking feeling entered her heart as she just knew what his next words would be.
“I’m sorry Ms. Hurst, the portal has closed.”
Linda looked down in her lap and took a deep breath, fighting the tears of frustration that she just knew were forming. “I was afraid of that.” She looked into the lord’s eyes. “So what now? Should I be looking for a job and an apartment?”
She tried to smile, but the hopelessness she felt failed to let her and a single tear escaped its confinement and rolled down her cheek before she brushed it away. Unable to help himself, Bengali reached down and clasped her hand in his.
Lion-o knew what she was feeling and moved around the table to place a hand on her shoulder. “Linda, the portal may have closed, but we are far from giving up. We will find a way to get you home, but it will take time.”
“How?” asked Cheetara. “Man made time travel is impossible.”
“Not necessarily Cheetara. When I was caught in the beam of the Time Capsule’s opti-crystal, I was transported back through time and space to Thundera. It might be possible to recreate that incident."
He then looked at his two best friends. "Tygra, Panthro? What do you think?”
Tygra began to rub his chin as mathmatecal equations and physical dimensions darted around. “Making an opti-crystal is complicated enough, but to make one which can actually transport someone back 20,000 years…it will be a challenge. If I can create such a crystal, do you think you can build a transportation device, Panthro?”
“Like you said, Tygra,” the panther replied, “It will be a challenge, but I don’t think it will be impossible.”
“We can only ask you to do your very best.” said Lion-o then he turned to Linda. “Until we are able to build this thing, I offer you the hospitality of the Cats Lair, Ms. Hurst.”
Linda looked up at Bengali, a slight smile on her face, then addressed the Thundarian leader. “I want to thank you for your offer, Lord Lion-o, but I was wondering if it would be possible for me to stay at the Tower. I’ve become good friends with Pumyra and I have a feeling she doesn’t get out and socialize very much.”
“Are you sure about this?” Lion-o asked. Beside him Kylynne sat up a bit straighter and gently squeezed her husband's hand to get his attention. He squeezed back to let her know that he was busy but would listen to her later.
“Yes, very sure.”
"Very, well. But what do you say?” he asked, indicating Lynx-o, Bengali, and Oro.” Would you agree to allowing Ms. Hurst live at the Tower?”
“I have no problems with her living there, in fact, I know that Pumyra would love the company of another woman around” said Oro.
“It would be an honor to have you as our guest Ms. Hurst.” Lynx-o bowed in her direction.
“What about you Bengali, do you agree with Oro and Lynx-o?"
Bengali nodded solemnly, but inside he could barely contain his joy. When Lion-o had offered to let Linda stay here, his heart had dropped just abit, but now he felt as if a precious wish was being granted to him. He never saw his friend Kylynne's fearful eyes, but Linda did and wondered about this.
Lion-o smiled and said, “Then I would like to welcome the newest resident of the Tower of Omens; Ms. Hurst.” A round of cheers greeted this announcement.
“I want to thank you all for your help, your hospitality, and your warm friendship. I just have one more request. Could you please stop calling me ‘Ms. Hurst?’ Just call me Linda. Ms Hurst makes me sound so old.” It also reminded her of Greg and she didn't want to think about him right now. That way only caused pain. Everyone laughed at this and agreed to the name Linda.
“Snarf, snarf, dinner is ready!” said Snarf from the doorway.
Many miles away in the Black Pyramid, a decrepit old wizard named Mumm-Ra watched through the murky waters of his reflecting pool as the assembly filed out of the Council Chamber and headed to the Dining room.
“So,” he said to the darkness, “The Thundercats are looking for a way to time travel? If they succeed, this could be of use to me. It is most fortunate that this woman stumbled into Third Earth, otherwise, those wretched Cats would have never even thought of the concept. Most fortunate indeed.”
An eerie mixture of voices cried out from the darkness, emanating from the four statues towering over the decaying mummy, “Beware of the woman Mumm-Ra! She holds a power which could destroy you!”
“Bah! She is human, frail, and weak. What power could a mere woman have?”
“She carries a power born of the Israeli slaves.”
Mumm-Ra cackled. “Those pathetic people had no power, nor does their god, at least, not any more!”
“Beware Mumm-Ra,” warned the voices again, “Beware!” But Mumm-ra did not heed their warning, and this would cost him greatly in the near furture.
Author: Lindacat aka Azmom
Status: Not complete
Summary: New friends and a possible budding romance are on the horizon for Linda, but there is also darkness before the dawn.
Rating: Level 4
Genre(s): Drama, Romance, AU
Warnings: Adult Situations, Mild Cursing.
Disclaimer: This is just a story that came out of my head due to my love of Thundercats. All rights to Thundercats belong to WB and associates.
Doorway of the Gods
Chapter 3
Linda’s first view of the Cats Lair made a definite impression on her. It was a massive building in the shape of a cat, it's back and sides protected by the natural cliffside. Most of the Lair was white, including its “paws”, but the head was a black recreation of a cougar with red, glassy eyes. With its mouth fixed in an eternal primal scream, it was a sight she would never forget. Between the paws could be seen a sort of court yard where could be seen the entrance to this monterous edifice and the human woman sensed that this was their intended destination.
Linda turned to Bengali and asked him, "Is this the Cats Den?"
"Cat's Lair." he gently corrected her. "Yes, this is where the highest Thundercats reside."
"And, forgive me for asking, but what is a Thundercat?"
The white tiger had to think a bit before answering. "You know, I've never stopped to think about that." he paused to think, wanting to give her a decent and understandable answer. "I guess a Thundercat is a noble man or woman who has sworn to protect the people of their realm or world."
"A noble? So you all are royalty then."
Bengali chuckled. "Not exactly. The original Thundercats are royalty, in fact Lion-o is our King, but I was born common.Lynx-o, Pumyra, and I were annointed Thundercats after Lion-o rescued us from the Mutants and Mumm-ra many years ago."
"And Oro?"
"He became a Thundercat soon after his marrige to Pumyra. Lion-o would have made him a Thundercat just on principle, but Oro wanted to prove himself worthy so he underwent the Trials." He then chuckled again. "Poor Pumyra, she nearly went into early labor when she saw Oro fighting the Living Ooze."
Living Ooze? Mutants? And what was a 'Mumm-ra' Linda thought, but she was not allowed to ask as Lynx-o's voice rang through the comm system.
“Feliner to Cats Lair on final approach, permission to land.”
Lion-o answered the hail. “Cats Lair to Feliner, permission to land granted. Looks like you made good time Lynx-o.”
“We had a good tailwind,” joked the pilot. “Beginning our descent now.”
Linda wasn't sure what the joke was, but as Bengali smiled broadly at the light banter, she assumed that it must be an inside joke.
The Feliner landed with a gentle thud in the center of the courtyard where the Thundercat called Panthro waited to greet them. When the hatches opened, Oro and Lynx-o jumped out and went to greet the panther immediately. Linda, on the other hand, looked around and realized that she had a problem again, but this time Bengali was ready to assist her.
“Unfortunately, there is only one way down. Are you ready?”
“Do I have a choice?” she looked down again and sighed, “Let’s get this over with.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“‘Said the man who’s done this all his life’” replied Linda a bit sarcasticly.
Bengali laughed at her comment, noticing that it seemed that when she was scared or nervous, she tried to make a joke of it.
“Put your arms around my neck again.” he instructed her. After she had done this he once again placed his arm behind her, then whispered in her ear, “Now we have to do this a bit differently.”
He felt her shiver just a bit and heard her ask, “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
“Trust me.”
And saying this, he bent down and swooped her into his arms. Before she could even catch her breath, they were launched into the air and on the ground safely. To her credit, Linda never screamed. There just hadn't been time for it, but she had closed her eyes tightly and readied herself for a painful experience, an experience that never came. The Thundarian landed lightly on his feet, bending just a bit to lessen the momentum of his 'passenger'.
Still holding her, Bengali asked, “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
She looked at him, a bit dazed from the jump. “Next time, can we take the bus?”
He started laughing so hard that soon even Linda was laughing with him. He didn't understand why, but her frank honesty and odd humor were endearing to him. He wasn't sure if he had ever known another woman like her before. Oro’s voice broke into the pair’s hilarity.
“If you two are done, could we maybe get to the Council Chamber?”
Bengali looked at his friend, not really hearing him. "What was that?”
“Put her down Ben.” said Panthro, “I think she knows how to walk.”
The tiger looked back down at Linda and realized that he was still holding her.
“Oh!” He immedately set her on her feet and they let go of each other, both of them a bit red in the face from embarrassment.
Linda had been silently wishing that the others had entered the Lair already so that Bengali could hold her a bit longer, but reality set in. It was time to see if there was any way to get home. Bengali had also been wishing he could have held her a bit more. He had liked the feel of her in his arms and he’d been mesmerized by her soft hazel eyes. He couldn’t ever remember seeing eyes like hers before. They reminded him of pale jade inlaid with gold.
As they followed the other Thundercats inside, Bengali studied the human woman’s frame. She wasn’t what some would call slender; in fact, some would probably call her a bit plump, but he had no problem with that. She had a generous backside and full hips which Bengali found attractive. He’d always like healthy women. No offense, but skinny women who thought that eating anything but salad was taboo just wasn't his thing. Her skin was lightly tanned, leading him to believe that she liked being outdoors. Her shoulder length medium brown hair framed an oval face where could be found full lips and delicate eyebrows over her beautiful hazel eyes. She had a gentle beauty that captured his attention and a sway in her hips that suggested that she was no gentle maiden.
As if she could hear him, Linda glanced back over her shoulder at the tiger and Bengali looked off to the side, trying to hide his embarrassment. He felt that somehow, she knew that he’s been thinking about her. In fact, she didn’t have a clue as to what Bengali was thinking as she was lost in thoughts of her own about the tiger man. The strength and ease when he held her had astounded her, she had felt his rippling muscles when he had swooped her up and as he held her. These Thundercats must either workout everyday or their genetic make up made them naturally strong people. When he had held her, she has noticed that his eyes were different from the others. They were a slate grey, like sculpture stone, but unlike cold stone, Bengali’s eyes held warmth and laughter.
When he touched her, she felt electricity racing through her veins, something she hadn’t felt since before her husband had died. Thoughts of her husband brought on pangs of guilt and a bit of longing, but she knew that Greg would never have wanted her to remain alone. In fact, they had talked about what would happen if one of them should die. They had both agreed that if the worse should happen, the other one would of course be allowed to grieve, but that they should try and find love again.
It was then that Linda realized that over the past two years, she had not been keeping her promise to Greg. After he had died, she had cut all ties with his family because the sight of them and the memories associated with them had caused her pain. She had in fact run away to Iowa, finding one of the most isolated houses out in the countryside. She’d made very few friends and had never had a best friend. In short, she’d become a hermit, separating herself from the world, fearing to be hurt again. She had become a coward.
Looking back at Bengali, she decided that maybe it was time to stop hiding.
High above them an oval window framed the beautiful and delicate face of a lioness. From that window of the library, Lady Kylynne had been watching the young tiger's antics with the human woman and smiled. This wasn’t the first time she had seen her childhood friend make a fool of himself to impress a lady. Then she frowned, remembering all the times that a woman had caught Ben’s interest only to rejected him out right or dally with him when they had done with him, then moving on to more powerful men. The one from last year had been the worst.
Lynxa had been a refugee of Thundera who had found her way with others here to Third Earth. The woman had been an exceptional beauty and she knew it. She had wanted to be the Lady of a Thundercat noble and had decided to use her beauty and desirability to get it. At first she had tried to seduce Panthro, but when he had wanted nothing to do with her, she went after Bengali, believing that he would be more “manageable”.
For a while, her plan had worked; Bengali had done everything she asked of him, believing that this woman loved him, even proposing to her. But that had all changed when he had found her in the bed of another man. By this time, New Thundera had formed and refugees were returning to their home planet. Bengali had sent Lynxa on the first available transport to New Thundera, ordering her to never come near him again.
“Lady Kylynne, Lynx-o and the others have arrived, snarf, snarf. Would you like for me to make them something to eat?”
Kylynne didn't even turn around as she addressed the small yet fiercely loyal creature behind her. “Yes Snarf, I think they would appreciate some refreshment. Perhaps drinks and a few hor'derves would tide them over until the evening meal. Will you have enough help in the kitchen?”
“No problem my Lady. Snarf Oswald and Snarf Olena are helping me today.”
“That’s good. Will you be able to have dinner ready in say, an hour?” asked Kylynne.
“If I can’t then you’d better retire me today, snarf, snarf.” And with that, Snarf left to take care of the evening meal.
Kylynne smiled at the lovable creature's words then thought about her friend again.
“I hope this one will be gentle with him.” she thought, then went to greet her guest.
If the outside of the Lair was impressive, the inside was mesmerizing. It was huge, a person could easily get lost in here.The first room they had entered was immensely large and round, leaving the human woman to guess that it must be a ball room. It was a shock to her to learn that it was instead the foyer. The room was astounding, but the others acted like it was of no importance. Deciding not to make an ass of herself, Linda kept quiet and followed the men towards a grand stair case where they were met by their red haired leader, Lord Lion-o. The young lord smiled at her and nodded slightly to her in a silent bow.
“Welcome to Cats Lair, Ms. Hurst. If you will follow me to the Council Chamber, we can see if we can find a way to get you home.”
Linda smiled nervously at the cat Lord. The impressive height and build of him was just a bit distressing to her, but she hid it, not wanting to seem ungrateful. “Sounds good to me.”
She and the other Thundercats were led to the Chamber, yet another massive room and Linda couldn't help but gawk at the grandeur of it.
"These guys don't do anything small, do they?" she thought to herself, then after glancing the tall powerful men, she shrugged, thinking that to them this might be average.
In the middle of the room was a round table which could seat at least 10 people. Already inside were Tygra, Cheetara, the twins WilyKat and WilyKit, and a Lioness that Linda hadn’t met yet. Oro, Lynx-o, and Bengali walked over to the Lioness and made slight bows to her.
“My Lady,” said Oro, just a hint of a grin on his face, “You look more beautiful each time I see you.”
The lioness laughed and arched an eyebrow at him. “You had better not let your wife hear you say that, she might get jealous.”
Oro smiled. “I speak only the truth, my Lady, but Pumyra knows that I only have eyes for her, so I’m safe.”
Linda had stayed back during this exchange not wanting to interrupt. She was worried about how she was to greet this obviously special woman. The lioness was definitely important to these people, maybe their queen. She became even more nervous when the woman moved in her direction.
“Hello my dear, I am Lady Kylynne. My husband Lion-o has told me of your situation and I welcome you to our home. It is my greatest hope that we will be able to help you in your endevor.”
“Th, thank you Ma’am.” Linda said nervously, her cheeks reddening. “Please forgive me, I’m not sure if I should bow or curtesy or something.”
Lady Kylynne smiled and offered her hand. “Let’s start with just a handshake, we can work from there.”
Quietly she sized up the human woman, letting her own intuition tell her what she needed to know. The woman looked to be about Kylynne's own age of 23. Perhaps just a bit older, but not by much. She also seemed a bit jumpy, but under the circumstances, that was forgiveable. One thing the Thundarian woman could not detect was an obvious streak of guile or deviousness. In fact she felt nothing but good vibes from the young human, but she decided to reserve judgement until later.
Linda timidly returned Kylynne’s smile and clasped her hand. Linda was no fool, she knew she was being observed by the Thundarian lady and could only hope that she passed inspection. She had a feeling that if Kylynne took a disliking to her, she would be in a very tight spot. The tension was broken when Kylynne's husband walked up behind her and placed his hands lovingly on her shoulders.
“I see you have met our guest of honor, my dear.” said Lion-o, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek.
“Yes, we were just getting to know each other,” she told her husband then returned her attention to the human visitor. From the look in Linda's eyes she knew that the two ladies understood each other, even though no words had been said. “So how are you liking Third Earth?”
Linda took in a deep breath before answering. “It's beautiful, but honestly, I’m finding it difficult to understand it all. Things are so much different here then when I am from that I’m still trying to tell myself that this isn’t all a dream. But most of the people I’ve met are nice.”
Kylynne frowned a bit, remembering the incident that Linda had told her husband about. “It is unfortunate that the first person for you to encounter here on Third Earth would be one of our most hated enemies.The Mutants are the scourge of not only us Thundercats, but of all Third Earth and New Thundera as well. You will find however, that the good people of this world far outnumber those who are evil.”
"So that was what a mutant was!" she thought, thinking back to the white beast that had attacked her.
She then said “You know, that’s probably the best thing I’ve heard today.”
Kylynne smiled at her once more then moved to stand by her husband as they all began to take there seats. Everyone had quieted down and were ready to begin when Bengali noticed that the lovely human woman was still standing. It took him a moment to realize that there were no available seats for her. This was not lost on any of the other Thundercats and many of the men began to stand to offer her their chair, but Bengali literally jumped up and offer her his chair with a dramatic sweep of his hands and a goofy grin on his face.
Linda stiffled a laugh as she moved forward to take the proffered seat and felt a bit at ease as he leaned slightly against the backing of the chair.
“The first thing that should be done,” Lion-o began, “Is to determine if the portal which brought Ms. Hurst here is still open." He then turned to his second in command and resident scientist. "Tygra, do you have any information on this?”
Tygra stood up. “I’ve been studying the satellite photos and energy scans of the area where Ms. Hurst was found from the last 24 hours. Because we are unable to pinpoint the exact location of where Ms. Hurst entered, I included a 20 mile radius in the scans. There appears to be no abnormal reading.”
Linda was just a bit confused by his speech and raised her hand. “I’m sorry, but I’m a bit lacking in technical jargon. What does that mean in laymen’s terms?”
Tygra looked at her, an eyebrow arched. “Laymen’s terms? What is a layman?”
“I mean, could you perhaps simplify what you just said, as if you were explaining it to a child?”
“Ahh, I see.” said Tygra, understanding her better and explaine,. “What it means is that we can’t find any kind of unordinary readings which could indicate this vortex. In fact, there are no readings here to show when or where you entered Third Earth.”
“Ok, I understand that, thank you for explaining it better for me. But what if this vortex can’t be scanned by your technology? No offense.”
The tiger smiled and waved his hand in dismissal. “None taken, in fact that is a good question. Lion-o, do you think the Sword of Omens would be able to see the portal?”
The red haired lord shrugged, “It’s worth a try.” He then pulled a jeweled dagger with a cat’s eye in the center of it from a golden claw at his side and held it up to his eyes. “Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!”
The cat eye shone reddish and amber and a growl came from the dagger while the cross bars curled before the Lion's eyes, which had taken on a yellow glow. After a few minutes, he replaced the dagger and reported what he had seen.
“First of all, the Sword has confirmed Ms. Hurst’s accounting of what happened to her.” He looked in the direction of the panther and twins, making Linda think that perhaps not everyone had believed her story.
He continued, “I saw her in a strange land, a land with buildings and mobile vehicles that I have never seen here on Third Earth. She was being dragged into the portal and falling into the Tree Top Kingdom. I also witnessed her attack and how she escaped.”
A low growl came from behind the human woman, interrupting Lion-o visual account. Several people near by heard this and glanced at Bengali curiously, but he ignored them. He was still upset over that part and couldn't keep his disdain and anger too himself. Linda too had looked up at him, wondering what that was all about, but felt it wasn't her place to ask.
Lion-o glared at the white tiger for a moment then looked directly at Linda. “I also saw the portal from which you entered.” A sinking feeling entered her heart as she just knew what his next words would be.
“I’m sorry Ms. Hurst, the portal has closed.”
Linda looked down in her lap and took a deep breath, fighting the tears of frustration that she just knew were forming. “I was afraid of that.” She looked into the lord’s eyes. “So what now? Should I be looking for a job and an apartment?”
She tried to smile, but the hopelessness she felt failed to let her and a single tear escaped its confinement and rolled down her cheek before she brushed it away. Unable to help himself, Bengali reached down and clasped her hand in his.
Lion-o knew what she was feeling and moved around the table to place a hand on her shoulder. “Linda, the portal may have closed, but we are far from giving up. We will find a way to get you home, but it will take time.”
“How?” asked Cheetara. “Man made time travel is impossible.”
“Not necessarily Cheetara. When I was caught in the beam of the Time Capsule’s opti-crystal, I was transported back through time and space to Thundera. It might be possible to recreate that incident."
He then looked at his two best friends. "Tygra, Panthro? What do you think?”
Tygra began to rub his chin as mathmatecal equations and physical dimensions darted around. “Making an opti-crystal is complicated enough, but to make one which can actually transport someone back 20,000 years…it will be a challenge. If I can create such a crystal, do you think you can build a transportation device, Panthro?”
“Like you said, Tygra,” the panther replied, “It will be a challenge, but I don’t think it will be impossible.”
“We can only ask you to do your very best.” said Lion-o then he turned to Linda. “Until we are able to build this thing, I offer you the hospitality of the Cats Lair, Ms. Hurst.”
Linda looked up at Bengali, a slight smile on her face, then addressed the Thundarian leader. “I want to thank you for your offer, Lord Lion-o, but I was wondering if it would be possible for me to stay at the Tower. I’ve become good friends with Pumyra and I have a feeling she doesn’t get out and socialize very much.”
“Are you sure about this?” Lion-o asked. Beside him Kylynne sat up a bit straighter and gently squeezed her husband's hand to get his attention. He squeezed back to let her know that he was busy but would listen to her later.
“Yes, very sure.”
"Very, well. But what do you say?” he asked, indicating Lynx-o, Bengali, and Oro.” Would you agree to allowing Ms. Hurst live at the Tower?”
“I have no problems with her living there, in fact, I know that Pumyra would love the company of another woman around” said Oro.
“It would be an honor to have you as our guest Ms. Hurst.” Lynx-o bowed in her direction.
“What about you Bengali, do you agree with Oro and Lynx-o?"
Bengali nodded solemnly, but inside he could barely contain his joy. When Lion-o had offered to let Linda stay here, his heart had dropped just abit, but now he felt as if a precious wish was being granted to him. He never saw his friend Kylynne's fearful eyes, but Linda did and wondered about this.
Lion-o smiled and said, “Then I would like to welcome the newest resident of the Tower of Omens; Ms. Hurst.” A round of cheers greeted this announcement.
“I want to thank you all for your help, your hospitality, and your warm friendship. I just have one more request. Could you please stop calling me ‘Ms. Hurst?’ Just call me Linda. Ms Hurst makes me sound so old.” It also reminded her of Greg and she didn't want to think about him right now. That way only caused pain. Everyone laughed at this and agreed to the name Linda.
“Snarf, snarf, dinner is ready!” said Snarf from the doorway.
Many miles away in the Black Pyramid, a decrepit old wizard named Mumm-Ra watched through the murky waters of his reflecting pool as the assembly filed out of the Council Chamber and headed to the Dining room.
“So,” he said to the darkness, “The Thundercats are looking for a way to time travel? If they succeed, this could be of use to me. It is most fortunate that this woman stumbled into Third Earth, otherwise, those wretched Cats would have never even thought of the concept. Most fortunate indeed.”
An eerie mixture of voices cried out from the darkness, emanating from the four statues towering over the decaying mummy, “Beware of the woman Mumm-Ra! She holds a power which could destroy you!”
“Bah! She is human, frail, and weak. What power could a mere woman have?”
“She carries a power born of the Israeli slaves.”
Mumm-Ra cackled. “Those pathetic people had no power, nor does their god, at least, not any more!”
“Beware Mumm-Ra,” warned the voices again, “Beware!” But Mumm-ra did not heed their warning, and this would cost him greatly in the near furture.
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