MDG Calypso carefully navigated his way around the denser patches of the
forest of silence. Despite the precision and logic of his machine half, his
human half was reluctant to entirely give up one of his senses. All in all,
skirting the wood was the safest course...not only could he still rely on
his hearing, more or less, but the other members of his party could also
hear him.

Well, at least Wilycub could hear him...and a good thing as her curiosity
and enthusiasm generally distracted her, allowing her to fall behind or
accidently wander away from the group. She claimed she could take care of
herself, but MDG suspected that despite anyone's skills there was still
safety in numbers. Especially this early in the game.

As to Woodstock...well, Woodstock didn't need to hear. She seemed to be
able to pick up projected thoughts as easily as she could send them. She
also seemed to be possessed of a mothering instinct...and MDG was glad for
it. More often than not it was Woodstock who retrieved the wayward Wilycub
while the cyborg's thoughts were bent toward finding a solution to the
maze-like growth of the woods.

Fortunately, Wilycub didn't seem to mind the clouded leopard's
over-protection. She genuinely liked the cat and only lamented that
Woodstock wasn't big enough to ride like Artemis' Lepraa would be once her
strength levels were increased. When the cat would tug at her shirt to
signal that she was falling behind, the young Thunderian would laugh and
tell her not to be a worry wart before obediantly running to catch up with
MDG.

Fears and anxieties were soon relieved. In the distance, MDG could make out
the shape of Cat's Lair. This news was met with an excited squeal from
Wilycub who wanted to race across the open field toward the structure and a
friendly rubbing up from Woodstock who used her joyous reaction as an
excuse to bump Wilycub back into the shelter of the trees. The cub
retaliated with a strangling hug around the cat's neck, forcing her to
squirm her way out.

"Why can't we just go out there?" complained Wilycub once the celebrations
had died down. "Those are the *good* guys!"

"I'm just making sure there aren't any potential enemies around," explained
MDG. Woodstock too hunkered low...a cat on the prowl. "It's just too open
out there. And besides, just because the Thundercats are the good guys,
that doesn't mean they'll believe *we* are."

"Well, we're going to have to cross it sooner or later," said Wilycub
impatiently, blowing a stray wisp of hair out of her face.

Woodstock cocked her head at MDG. **Good point** she sent, flicking her tail.

"Good point," agreed the cyborg. "Guess I just don't like the idea of being
responsible for someone else's life."

"Well you don't have to be...I can take care of myself," huffed the
Thunderian. Woodstock rolled her eyes...a rather humourous expression for a
cat.

MDG only smiled though the expression was a bit strained. "Maybe so, but
I'd still feel responsible. Still," he added after a moment of thought,
"you're right about one thing: we're going to have to cross the field
eventually so we might as well get going."

With a whoop of joyous laughter, Wilycub raced out across the Plains of
Fertility with Woodstock and MDG close behind her.

*********************

Lion-o and Panthro were in the control room when the Sword of Omens growled
ominously. The young Lord of the Thundercats looked surprised and shrugged
at the panther before pulling the blade from its sheath as his side and
holding it up before his face.

"Sword of Omens," the lion intoned, "give me Sight Beyond Sight!"

There was a muted thrum as the Eye of Thundera opened and the hilt of the
sword adjusted itself to provide for its lord the magical appertures which
would grant him the second sight. Peering through the blue haze, Lion-o
straighted in determination as the mystical blade replayed Snarfer's
attack.

"Well," prompted Panthro as the lion quickly resheathed his weapon.

"Snarfer's in trouble," Lion-o said grimly, "and it looks like we might
have some new Mutants on our hands. Let's move."

*********************

"Hey, Calypso, what's that?" asked Wilycub as she watched the paw of Cat's
Lair rise and a vehicle race from it's hold and off across the plain. It
was quite a ways away, but MDG Calypso knew from sight and sound alone.

"It's the Thundertank," he said simply. "There must be trouble...it took
off in a hurry.

**Give help?** Woodstock looked up at the humanoids, her golden gaze intense.

"Well, we can't follow the tank, but I'm sure we can find out about it at
the Lair," said MDG, "and the faster we get there, the sooner we can find
out what's going on."

The trio redoubled their speed, running across the plains to the great cat
fortress ahead.

*********************

As Shark bore down on the furry creature, he grinned his toothy grin and
decided that things were definitely looking up.

He took great pleasure in the terrified squeak that was the shrieking
Snarf's final utterance as he crunched into the back of its skull. As far
as Shark was concerned, he was doing the world a favour, ridding it of this
particular piece of air pollution. A little tearing and rending, and the
Snarf's identity was a mystery.

A little *more* rending and tearing and the creature's very species was a
mystery.

Fur flew and blood splattered...and then it was over.

The vegetation in the area had been decimated by the struggle. Here and
there, bits of Snarf flesh clung to leave and bark and the occasional clump
of red or yellow hair blew past like a miniature tumbleweed. Shark pulled a
few of the colourful wisps from his teeth and examined them intently.

He really should have asked for dental floss.

Shark flicked the hairs over his shoulder and they drifted away on a
passing breeze, then he continued to pick his way through the forest,
trying as best he could to whistle a satisfied tune.

*********************

Kith marvelled as he reviewed the scenes from the marsh in his crystal
globe. Having been half-buried in the mud, the view was narrow and
partially obscured by drops of dirty water, but otherwise the images were
as sharp and clear. It was though he were watching wim with his very own
eyes...the battle with the tentacles, his near-drowning, the whole thing
was presented to him through this indifferent lense.

"Wow," he said, amazed by the precision of the instrument. "I didn't know
I'd be getting anything this good out of the deal."

"Goody goody goo drops," muttered Demonprist. "I'm so happy for you."

Despite her sarcastic remarks, the Avatar had mellowed somewhat since
leaving the swamp. She was mostly quiet now, walking with determination
toward the black pyramid, stopping only momentarily to shift the position
of her muddied pack. Occasionally she winced at Lady Bast's liquid
laughter. The cat-woman was almost nauseatingly cheerful and continually
badgered Thunderwolf as they walked several steps behind Kith.

"What's so special about being an Avatar," grumbled the lion with annoyance
as Bast spewed vitues and potential powers like a cult leader.

"You're a being of mass-destruction...why wouldn't you appreciate a
pyrotechnic ability strong enough to flash-fry a small town...and singe the
rest of the countryside? Not to mention plagues and pestilence..."

"I thought you built this place so that people could have fun...you'd let
me take it appart like that?" snorted Thunderwolf with incredulity.

"Well, you're not going to be all-powerful all at once, eh, Demon?" the cat
prodded at the current party leader. The question only earned her a
delicate grunt of derision. "Right. So you'll have to work up to it and of
course people are likely to try to stop you. There's also," she admitted
with down-cast eyes, "a matter of healing skills...always good to spread a
few of those around the game. You just *might* stoop to using them on those
you consider allies and save a few necks."

"Right...sure. What else is in it for me?"

"Mmmm...the ability to drink vast, mortally devastating amounts of beer?"
offered Bast slyly.

"Well now you're you're getting somewhere," mused Thunderwolf.

"Don't listen to her," muttered Demonprist. She glanced briefly back at the
lion who raised one bushy eyebrow at her before turning her eyes back to
the landscape before her. "Don't listen to her...she just wants to keep
tabs on you. She likes mythology so she built the game
pantheonically...anyone from the same system of worship can sort of *feel*
each other out. Doesn't do *us* much good, but she has a direct link to the
game. She'll be able to find you wherever you go."

"Spoily-sport," pouted Bast merrily with a twitching smile. "You know
that's not true..."

"Doesn't sound impossible to me," said Thunderwolf suspiciously.
"Otherwise, what would be in it for you? The healing powers just don't
fly."

"Survival," shrugged Bast, more serious now. "I went through a lot of shit
to put this game together as quickly and as safely as possible. I don't
want people dying off in the test run!"

This seemed to mollify the lion somewhat, but Demonprist gave a short bark
of laughter. "Lame, lame, lame. Don't believe her, TW...you can't know what
cats are hiding behind their eyes."

"You're just jealous that someone other than you might be getting powers,"
joked Kith, deciding to join in the fight. "You just don't want to share."

Demonprist was quiet for a few moments as though considering this
statement, then she looked back at the group with a quirky grin. "You bet
your lily-white ass, Elf-boy."

"Look who's talking...your ass is so white it belongs with the Partridge
Family!" countered Thunderwolf, more to irk the Avatar then to defend Kith.

"Now *that* was just vicious," scolded Bast. "I like it." Thunderwolf made
a mock bow in her direction.

Bast opened her mouth to comment on the gentlemanly gesture, but stopped
and cocked her head as though hearing something in the distance. Then she
sighed and rolled her eyes. "Already," she muttered. "You think they'd wait
until some actual action was taking place..."

"Already what," asked Kith, turning his attention from his crystal spere.

"Nothing important...just the death of a main character," replied the
cat-woman, dismissing the matter with a wave her her hand. "I'm not sure
which yet, but someone's missing. I'll be right back..."

Then, without further comment, the Avatar disappeared in a shimmering of
displaced air.

"Huh...I wonder what happened," mused Kith. He looked at the viewer
clutched tightly in his hands. "This thing's supposed to show some of the
present and a little ways into the past...think I can find out what's going
on?"

"Can you find out while we walk," asked Demonprist drily.

"But Bast said she was going to be right back," protested the Elf. "Should
we wait for her?"

"She'll find us," said Demonprist darkly. "Believe me, she'll find us."

*********************