*This takes place in slightly altered continuity from the series, sometime after Mumm-Ra Lives! but before Thundercubs!. In this story the Thundercats do have the Book of Omens and the Key of Thundera, which were kept with the Sword of Omens when the Thundercats fled Thundera. All of the rest of the Treasure of Thundera was believed lost in Thundera's destruction. It also takes place after the story Strangers In The Knight, and assumes all events happening in that story happened in this universe.
Bengali sighed and leaned out the observation deck of the Tower of Omens, feeling the gentle summer evening breeze on his face and staring over the landscape, now filled with the sounds of a locusts and the occasional cry of a wild animal. The half moon shone brightly above, casting light on the dark land outstretched below, but to the Night-Cat, it appeared as bright as he remembered some days being. It had been almost a year now, a year since he had last seen a sunrise or felt the warm glow of the sun on his face. It didn't seem like it was really that long since he had his last unfortunate exposure to the sun, when the warrior maidens and Mumm-Ra had staked him, Pumyra, Alluro, Janette, LaCroix, and Nick out to be burned to death in the desert sun. Since the terrible day that Nick's countless centuries of life as an immortal had been ended in that horrible explosion of Baron Karnor's Tower of Traps, where the warrior maiden huntress Eliza had soaked its interior in fermented grain juice and set fire to it, while LaCroix had taken Nick and Janette to hide there from the sun after they had been freed from the desert trap. Bengali thought about Nick sometimes, about his vampire friend who had saved him from certain death by turning him into one of the immortal vampires, the friend who he in turn had been unable to save from death when the time came. He and Nick, with their shared bond of being vampires, had grown close in their time together. He had quickly become one of Bengali's closest friends, and he always felt a pang of regret when he remembered Nick, that he hadn't been able to save his life that day. Aside from losing a friend, he and Pumyra were now alone as vampires on Third Earth, except for Alluro, but he would never be one of their kind in their eyes anyway.
Unlike Bengali and Pumyra, Alluro had fallen into his role as stalker, hunter, and killer with frightening ease. Janette had chosen carefully to make her fledgling someone as ruthless as she was, and she had chosen well. Despite the fact that he had become even more ruthless and deadly than before, he had at least learned to have a healthy respect for the warrior maidens, after nearly meeting his end at Eliza and Kanra's hands, so he avoided killing them as his prey. Occasionally a lone wollo or bulkan would turn up dead with fang marks, but even that didn't happen too often. Bengali supposed Alluro just did what he and Pumyra did-- hunt for game. After all, the other lunatacs, like Thunderians and Plundarrian mutants, were omnivorous creatures. He wouldn't be surprised if Luna had used his new condition to make him become their butcher. That thought made Bengali chuckle lightly. He remembered that Luna was now suspected to be among the immortals as well. Nobody had seen her or Amok in daylight for months, and Panthro had said something about Amok being even stronger and much faster than he last recalled in their last battle a few weeks ago. Spending eternity with Luna, now there's Hell on Third Earth, Bengali thought, and laughed out loud this time.
Snarfer waddled out onto the deck eating some mexican takeout. "What's so funny Bengali?" he asked.
"Nothing, just random thoughts." Bengali answered with a smile.
"Neat! I used to have to think up lots of those for papers in Snarf College, yep, snarfer snarfer." Snarfer said cheerfully, and took a large bite of his burrito.
Bengali winced as a definite hint of garlic wafted up toward his nose, and he fought an urge to vomit. "Rowr, in the name of Thundera, do you have to eat that stuff near me?" he growled.
Snarfer looked at the burrito, then at Bengali, and offered a sheepish grin. "Gee Bengali, I'm sorry. I like how garlic tastes on these. I forgot that it gets to you." Snarfer took a few steps back so the smell wouldn't be intense.
Bengali sighed. "Don't worry about it, Snarfer. You'd think I would be starting to get used to it by now." He looked over the ground below again, and relived a memory of last summer. It had been a night much like this when the lunatacs, Mumm-Ra, LaCroix, and Janette had nearly destroyed the Tower of Omens. LaCroix would have killed Pumyra if he and Nick hadn't arrived in time. Of course, LaCroix had later destroyed Pumyra anyway. She had been foolish and traded in her mortality for love, and LaCroix had been eager to make the deal. As he searched the landscape with his immortal eyes, Bengali knew Pumyra was down there somewhere, probably out hunting again. Even as a vampire though, she had remained a kind and gentle soul. She only killed for sustenance, and always mercifully. It was really no different than the food the mortal Thundercats hunted for their own sustenance, except Pumyra's need was the blood instead of meat. Nonetheless, he still hated what he and Pumyra had become. They were what LaCroix referred to unflatteringly as "moral vampires", he would give just about anything to go back to being just plain old mortal Bengali and Pumyra again. Though it had only been a year, he understood Nick's centuries-long struggle. He could at least feel a bit of satisfaction that Nick was at peace now, though he hated the fact the he had died. "Nick would have wanted me to find a cure." Bengali murmured softly.
"What?" Snarfer asked, puzzled. "A cure? I thought vampires couldn't get sick..."
Bengali met Snarfer's eyes. "I mean a cure for being a vampire. Nick spent most of his life looking for a cure, for how to go back to being mortal. He never got that chance, but I still have it. I just have to find it. I miss a lot of things about my old life. The taste of food, the sensation of being outside on a sunny day, even garlic." Bengali laughed. "I used to actually like it. And your uncle Snarf's candy fruit pies. I used to love those. Now anything other than blood makes my stomach turn." Bengali was silent for a moment, then spoke again. "I also wonder, I mean, Pumyra and I planned on having children someday. Now that won't ever happen, unless we do it the vampire way... find someone, bite them, and turn them into one of us." He sighed. "I wouldn't ever do that to anyone anyway, unless they really wanted it. Maybe not even then. I wouldn't do it for Pumyra, after all, she ended up going to that bastard LaCroix to do it. Damn him. Why did he have to do that to her? To me? To Nick, even?" Bengali asked. He fought back the tears that were threatening to escape and clenched his jaw.
"That guy gives parenting a bad name, yup, sure does." Snarfer remarked, and stuffed the last of his burrito into his mouth. He swallowed the majority of it, then got an idea. "Hey, did you ever think of having Lion-O use the Eye of Thundera to find out how to heal you?"
Bengali let out a small growl. "You know we tried that shortly after Nick died. The Eye had no power to restore me or Pumyra."
"Maybe we didn't ask the right questions, snarfer snarfer. Maybe we missed something. I bet if you asked Lion-O he would try again."
Bengali considered this, then shrugged. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to try."
***
Mumm-Ra stepped to the edge of his cauldron and met the eyes of his visitors. He saw a small pair and a large pair, the smaller a few feet above the larger pair. Both sets were glowing a supernatural shade of green and yellow, in contrast to his blazing red ones. As he drew closer he could clearly see their forms, and wrinkled in distaste as soon as he recognized them. "What do you want, Luna?" he grumbled at the petite lunatac and her bodyguard, Amok.
"I need something from you, Mumm-Ra." she said simply.
He cringed at her abrasive voice. How the others could stand to actually live with her and hear that day in and day out was beyond him. "Don't you always." he muttered. "What is it, then?" he asked her. "Don't waste my time."
Luna frowned. She hated how Mumm-Ra always took such a condescending attitude towards her. He was no better at fighting the Thundercats than she was, but he thought he was so much better, mostly because he was ever-living. Well she was ever-living now, too, at least for the moment, and she didn't want to hear any more crap from him. "You've been around long enough that you must know the answer to this. Is there a cure for vampirism? Is there any way to return to being a mortal again?"
Mumm-Ra let out a guffaw of surprised laughter. "You want to be a mortal again?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"The power is good, and near invincibility is good, but all in all I think it was a hasty decision. I don't like the weakness of having to avoid daylight. I don't believe I want to live for all eternity. It could get old." Luna stated.
"So could you, if you were to regain mortality. Older anyway." Mumm-Ra remarked.
Luna frowned again. "I know I'm not young, and that if I were to become mortal again I would only get older. However I don't like being a vampire all that much. I find drinking blood, while as a vampire, necessary, but on the whole rather distasteful--" Mumm-Ra snickered again and mentioned something about bloodsucking coming naturally to her, but she ignored it and continued, after glaring at him for a moment "and a bit inconvenient. Do you know how many kills we have to make to satisfy Amok's appetite? And with those cursed do-gooding Thundercats and tree-swinging warrior bitches, it's nearly impossible to make enough satisfying kills. But all that aside, I don't even want to be on this miserable planet forever. I may be evil, but I don't care to spend eternity watching all that's around me wither and die. I don't want to stand here a thousand years from now, trying to figure out what to do next because I have had it all, seen it all, done it all. I don't ever want to end up like you." Luna's voice held a lot of emotion and bitterness.
Mumm-Ra let her jab at him slide. "If being a vampire is not what you wanted, then why did you have LaCroix choose it for you?" he asked.
"Because I didn't see another way."
"Another way to what? Handle Alluro? Frankly Luna I am surprised he would mean that much to you."
Luna clenched her jaw. "No one leaves me. NO ONE!" she hollered. "And the way LaCroix showed me, it was the only way to keep him where he belongs."
An amused smile crossed Mumm-Ra's lips. "In other words, LaCroix used you. He twisted your own fears and insecurities to trick you into thinking you needed him to make you and Amok his next meal. Heh heh, your lack of vision truly surprises me, Luna. I didn't think even you could be that easily manipulated."
"HOW DARE YOU?!" she screeched. She clenched her riding crop so hard her knuckles turned white, and used all her restraint to calm her voice. "I acted foolishly, Mumm-Ra, and I mean to correct my error. That's why I am here to ask a favor from you, to find out if I can have my old life back. Just think," she added "you will be rid of me when the time for my mortal death comes, then. And Alluro as well. I am going to restore him to his old self if possible, whether he likes it or not. He was not meant to be what he has become any more than Amok or I are."
Mumm-Ra thought about it. "If I needed to be rid of you, Luna, I could kill you. Subjecting you to your vampire weaknesses would be little challenge for Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living. Unlike LaCroix, you are a young vampire, and much less powerful. However, since you are technically my ally, I will grant you your request, simply because I agree with you. You and Alluro make better lunatacs than vampires, and Alluro is far too full of himself with his new power to suit either your or my needs."
"You will help me then?" Luna asked.
"Yes." he replied, then motioned for her to join him at the side of the cauldron. "There are few things in this universe that have the power to grant what you ask. One is the legendary Totem of Dera, part of the Treasure of Thundera, which was lost in Thundera's explosion. There is a second, though, one more accessible than that, one that lies on this very planet. The Chalice of Riyl-Inth."
Luna raised an eyebrow. "What is it? I have never heard of it."
"I shall show you. Come." Mumm-Ra motioned for Luna to join him at the edge of his cauldron. He raised one of his bandaged arms to point at the murky waters, which began to bubble and glow with a sinister lavender light. Luna and Amok leaned over to look in as well as a vision took form. A vision of a stone temple ruin, covered with thick tropical vines and surrounded by myriad other forms lush plantlife, appeared. The vision grew clearer and closer, and focused on a long forgotten stone altar in the heart of the ruin, buried under a coating of vegetation. The image grew hazy for a moment, and then somewhere inside the ancient altar was shown an equally old artifact. It was a large goblet made of pure gold, with an interior of smooth, beautiful green stone, inlaid with precious stones and intricate carvings, with a thick golden ring around the base that looked as though it could detach. A trace of the green stone could be found on the inner rim of the ring as well.
Luna's eyes grew wide. "What can it do? Where can I find it?"
"It lies in the southern jungles of Third Earth, in an even more primitive and magical land cut off from much of the rest of Third Earth due to its dangerous barriers. One is a high mountain range, unclimbable to most mortals, even more treacherous than the ones that isolate Dark Side. A second is a vast ocean that even the mighty Berzerkers fear to sail in because of the vicious sea beasts and unpredictable storms. And the third is one you are familiar with. The desert of lava geysers, the one in which Mumm-Rana's White Pyramid rests in a forest oasis. Countless miles beyond there, lie the primitive jungles of Riyl-Miren. When this planet was still Second Earth, and Riyl-Miren was less wild, there lived the Riyl tribe, for whom the land was named after, and they lived in a city called Riyl-Inth. They were a magical race, beloved to their gods, and many gifts of healing, power, and magic were bestowed upon them. One of their gods' gifts was the magical Chalice of Riyl-Inth, stored in their temple, which could heal those with any condition and restore them to their vital and natural state. After many ages, the Riyl-Inth grew weak and died out as they became more greedy and took advantage of their magic and resources, and their gods no longer smiled upon them, like the countless other civilizations of mortals that have existed on this planet. There were great natural disasters, and most of their ways were lost as their weakened people died out. Their few survivors bred into the lesser race of the Riylien that live as little more than primitive hunters and raiders in the wild land there. The Chalice of Riyl-Inth, however, still lies in the heart of the sacred temple that was built to house it those centuries ago. Venture to Riyl-Miren and find this chalice. Detach the ring on its base and wear it as a bracelet while filling the cup with water from the sacred well, also in a ruin near the temple, and drink it it. Any unnatural or unhealthy condition in your body will be banished, and you will be restored to mortality."
Luna leaned down and talked directly to Amok. "Do you hear that? There is a cure for us. We can take Skytomb there, force the others to find us this Chalice of Riyl-Inth, trick Alluro into drinking from it while wearing the bracelet, and then we can do it ourselves." Amok grunted and nodded in response. She then turned to Mumm-Ra. "Thank you, Mumm-Ra. We are in your debt."
"Yes, you are." he replied in a voice that sent chills even down her spine.
Luna nodded. "When we get back from taking Skytomb to go after--"
"One thing, Luna." Mumm-Ra interrupted her. "You will not find it from Skytomb. You cannot land it in the jungles of Riyl-Miren, they will destroy Skytomb. You must land near the border and venture in on foot. No vehicles will endure the journey."
Luna snarled angrily. "Amok and I cannot travel during the day! How can we do this?"
Mumm-Ra laughed. "That is not my problem Luna." He turned to walk back towards his sarcophagus. "I have given you the information you requested. Go now, and leave me to rest."
The lunatac commander was most unhappy. "Let's get out of here and go home, Amok! I will have to find out how to use this information there." Amok obeyed, and took Luna home to Skytomb.
***
Lion-O brushed a strand of his long red hair aside and turned the page in the Book of Omens. Bengali and Pumyra sat with him at the council table, and Snarfer stood nearby. "I'm sorry, but I'm just not finding anything that can help us." he said, and bit his lip. He knew how high Bengali had gotten his hopes up at Snarfer's suggestion, but there was nothing he could do.
Tygra sipped at a glass of lemonade that Snarf had prepared earlier, hoping to take the edge of the humid summer evening. "What about the legendary Totem of Dera? I remember that had great healing powers, to the point of being able to bring inanimate objects to life."
Lion-O sighed. "Like most of the Treasure of Thundera, it was lost when Thundera was lost. Jaga was only able to bring a few items of the treasure, the most important of it, with him to the flagship when we escaped. The Totem of Dera was not among what he was able to bring. I'm sorry, but that's not an option." he told them sadly.
Pumyra laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, Lion-O, don't beat yourself up over it. I know you're doing your best."
"Yeah, and we've got all eternity to find it." Bengali muttered with a low growl.
"There is one last thing I can do." Lion-O said, and cast a nervous glance at the book. "I can enter the Book of Omens and ask the Guardian if he knows the answer."
Tygra walked over, his brow wrinkled in thought. "But Lion-O, didn't we decide not to bother with this earlier? The book, even with the key, can be unpredictable and dangerous, not to mention the fact that there probably is no answer in there anyway. Vampires are an anomoly unique to Third Earth. There were none on Thundera, and as far as I know, none on Plundarr or its moons either. No known civilization from anywhere but here even has legends about such creatures."
Lion-O looked at Bengali, and felt his friend's struggle. He also remembered how badly Nick had wanted to find the cure, how he had wanted to be saved. Lion-O felt a pang of shame that he wasn't honoring his friend's memory by not searching for the cure to Bengali and Pumyra's condition. He made the decision. "I know the risks, Tygra, but I have no choice. I am going to go in and find out for certain. I owe it to my fellow Thundercats to do whatever I can to save them, and to Nick's memory, that I honor what he would have wanted. We did make him an honorary Thundercat for all his help he offered us, after all."
Pumyra gave Lion-O an impulsive hug. "Thank you."
Snarfer hopped onto the table next to the book. "Brrr, be careful Lion-O. Uncle Snarf said that guardian is nas-ty!"
"Only if you don't have the key." Lion-O replied with a confident grin, and took the key in one hand and the Sword of Omens in the other. He lifted the Sword of Omens and held it above the Book of Omens so the Eye of Thundera and the book's Thundercat Insignia aligned. Like magic, the ancient book flipped open, and a great void was visible on its pages. The sword growled and grew, and a brilliant light enveloped Lion-O. His form became transparent and hazy, and eventually vanished as it was pulled through the crossbars, passing through the Eye, and vanishing into the book. Once he was inside, the Book of Omens slammed shut, and the now inert Sword of Omens clattered to the floor.
Tygra bent down and picked up the sword, holding it reverently in his hand. "May Jaga be with you, my friend." he whispered.
***
After what felt like an endless fall through time and space, Lion-O landed on the platform inside the book of omens. Atop a great stairway there was a burning portal. A booming voice sounded all around him. "Do you have the key?"
Lion-O held the legendary Key of Thundera up high. "I do!"
"Who is it that seeks the secrets of the Book of Omens?" the voice demanded.
Lion-O took a deep breath and faced the guardian's portal. "I, Lion-O, Lord of Thundercats, come to seek your knowledge." The voice remained silent, and the fires burned brightly. Lion-O knew he had the guardian's attention. "I have come to find a cure for my friends. Bengali and Pumyra have been turned into vampires, immortal blooddrinking creatures of the night." he started to explain.
The fire burned a brighter yellow as the guardian spoke again. "I am aware of the condition of Thundercats Bengali and Pumyra, and what they have become, more fully than they themselves even know. There are few things in this universe that can restore them to a mortal state. There was a piece of the Treasure of Thundera, the mighty Totem of Dera, that once could have done it, but like the rest of Thundera it remains lost in space. Fortunately its healing power was not unique. There is a magical treasure, hidden in the lost temple of Riyl-Inth, the mystical Chalice of Riyl-Inth, that when being held and worn while drinking the sacred waters, one can be restored to their natural state."
"Held and worn? Sacred waters? I don't understand." Lion-O said. His lips were drawn into a frown of confusion as he tried to make sense of the guardian's cryptic words.
"Seek the Chalice of Riyl-Inth, for it is your best chance at saving your vampire Thundercats." When the guardian finished speaking, the flames died and the plane around him started to vanish. Before he understood what was happening, he was hurtling through space and time again, and was back in the council room, sitting on the chair.
Lion-O reopened his eyes to see his fellow Thundercats Tygra, Bengali, Pumyra, and Snarfer around him. "Lion-O?" Tygra asked. "Are you all right? What did you find out?"
Lion-O nodded and repeated the vague information that was given him.
"That's great!" Bengali exclaimed. "Then there is a cure! There's a way Pumyra and I can be mortal again!"
Tygra seemed puzzled. "Where is this Riyl-Inth place? Is that the same as Riyl-Miren, those isolated jungles in the south?"
Lion-O shrugged. "I can't say. I suppose it is, given the similarities in the names. Do you think we should maybe ask one of our friends about it? Roberbill, perhaps, or maybe Willa?"
Bengali growled when Willa was mentioned. Though Willa tried to make amends for Eliza and Kanra's behavior in trying to kill them a year ago, Bengali still resented the warrior maidens. He would never trust Willa completely again. Tygra heard Bengali's displeasure and offered another alternative. "Why don't we ask the wollos? They live farther south than the Tree Top Kingdom, and they may know a bit more about Riyl-Miren and what is there."
Lion-O was about to agree when Cheetara burst in. "A call from Lynx-O just came through! He said Skytomb is mobile, and headed southward. He's keeping an eye on it from the Tower, but thinks it might be a good idea if we sent a party to follow them in the Thunderstrike. Just to make sure they're not up to anything."
Pumyra frowned. "When are they not up to something?"
"Where were they headed?" Tygra asked.
"That's the odd part." Cheetara said with a frown. "Lynx-O said that Skytomb was seen going over the desert of lava geysers, past Mumm-Rana's pyramid, toward the jungles of Riyl-Miren." The others all exchanged looks as she mentioned the primitive land. Cheetara noticed, and looked to each of them for a moment, then added "but what could they possibly want there?"
"The cure for vampirism." Bengali said softly. "We just sent Lion-O into the Book of Omens, and an ancient artifact there can heal us, and restore us to normal Thundercats."
"What?" Cheetara asked, surprised. "But I thought Alluro wanted to be a vampire!"
"Perhaps he changed his mind." Tygra suggested. "Or our suspicions about Luna and Amok being vampires are true, and they seek a cure."
Lion-O stood and replaced the Sword of Omens in the claw shield. "Either way, we cannot have them getting to the chalice of Riyl-Inth first. Once they have it, and if it can indeed cure Bengali and Pumyra, they will certainly never let them use it. In fact, Alluro may even destroy it if he doesn't want to be turned back into a mortal with it. That may be why they're headed there. We can't risk it. We have to send a party after them."
"Who will go?" Tygra asked.
"I will go." Lion-O volunteered. "Tygra, since you are head of the council, you should remain here." Tygra nodded. Lion-O turned to Bengali and Pumyra. "I guess it's a given that you two are coming?" Bengali and Pumyra both agreed. "I don't think the kittens should go, I don't feel right sending them into wild, unexplored territory. How about you, Cheetara? We could use you, too."
Cheetara joined them. "Certainly."
"Very well then. Tygra, the kittens, and Panthro can stay here, and Lynx-O and Snarfer can take care of the Tower. The four of us will pack our necessary supplies for a long trip into the jungle. I know the Thunderstrike can't go through too much of the wild land, so we'll have to go on foot for a lot of it." Lion-O said.
Tygra gave them all a concerned look. "Be careful. It's a jungle out there." A slight smirk crossed his face.
A groan escaped Snarfer's lips. "Brrr, bad joke, Tygra, yep, sure was!" After a laugh and some goodbyes, the group of them disbursed and collected their supplies. Thirty minutes later, they were in the Thunderstrike, hot on the lunatacs' trail, bound for the southern jungles of Riyl-Miren.
***
"Initiating landing sequence now, Luna." TugMug called out as he punched some buttons on a control panel.
Luna and Amok joined his side and looked out the monitor. "Excellent. So... these are the wild jungles that are too dangerous for Skytomb to land in... they don't look so bad."
"That's because it's nighttime, Luna. The scanners are telling me otherwise. I think we should listen to Mumm-Ra and not land in there. We can remain at a hover and send a party down after this treasure you want." RedEye told her.
Alluro gave Luna an unimpressed look and tossed down one of the backpacks of supplies he and Chilla had packed for the expedition party. "Why are we going in to these jungles again, Luna? What is there that could possibly be of use to us?"
"This artifact has a magical effect on all beings. When you detach the braclet from its base and wear it, then fill the chalice with the sacred water from the temple of its city of origin, it multiplies your powers and abilities tenfold." she lied. She knew it was a lie that would make it worth obtaining to Alluro, too. She had known him long enough to know exactly how to manipulate him. She predicted that telling him that would make him willing to go with Chilla and RedEye into the jungles on the expedition, even though he'd have to dodge the sun during the day, and once he did find the chalice, he would probably perform the ceremony to multiply his own power, thinking he could come back and overthrow her. Unfortunately all it would do is make him mortal, and then she could easily get the chalice back from him, turn herself mortal again, and all would be back to normal. As a bonus, she wouldn't even have to go hiking through the wild and dirty rainforest either. She figured she couldn't lose. "Now, are you three ready to go? I estimate you'll have about three hours before the sun comes up."
Chilla grumbled to herself, set down a pack of supplies, and faced the others. "I still don't see why I have to go. Unlike him" she gestured to Alluro "I am not nocturnal, and I'm adapted to cold, not the sweltering heat of this damned jungle."
"I've already thought this out." Luna told her.
"Like all your other plans, right?" TugMug said snidely.
Luna glared at him. "Shut up and monitor the controls like you're supposed to!" she screeched at him, then turned to the others. "TugMug can't go because of the four of you, he's least adapted to a long trek through a jungle. Because of Alluro's condition, you have to travel at night, which is actually an advantage. RedEye's enhanced vision works well in the darkness, and the temperature is a good five to ten degrees cooler at night, so it is more an ideal time for you to travel there as well, Chilla. Now, are you ready to go?"
"I suppose." Alluro said with a shrug. Anything to get away from you, you irritating little troll, he thought.
RedEye headed for the transport chamber, with his supply pack on. "Let's get this over with then."
Chilla and Alluro followed. "And make sure you teleport us into the damned jungle, so we can get a head start." Chilla added.
TugMug nodded. "Have fun guys." he sneered. He was glad he was not going on that expedition. Even staying with Luna was better than that in his opinion. He entered the code and coordinates to where he was teleporting them, and within seconds they were gone, transported into the wild rainforest beneath.
***
Bengali looked at the readout on the Thunderstrike's control panel. "I see Skytomb six miles to the west. If we get any closer we'll be in range of their short-distance scanners and risk being attacked. I suggest we go into the jungle and land now."
"Right." Lion-O agreed. "Let's land then."
The Thunderstrike descended and landed beneath the thick trees below. Lion-O, Cheetara, Bengali, and Pumyra climbed out and gathered their supplies. Within a few minutes they had gotten all that was necessary for their trip and secured the Thunderstrike so it would be safe while they were on what would likely be a several day-length trip through the tropical jungles. The four Thundercats faced each other for a few moments before they set out.
"Are you ready?" Lion-O asked.
Pumyra nodded. "Yes. By Jaga, I hope it really does exist. I hope we can find this Chalice of Riyl-Inth and become mortal again."
"If it exists, we'll find it." Cheetara said determinedly.
Bengali put an arm around her. "Me too. Nick would want us to find it, to find the cure that he spent most of his life searching for."
Lion-O took a deep breath. "Well, as Panthro would say, if we're going to do it, let's do it! Thundercats--"
"HO!" all four of them echoed in unison.
With that, they were off, making a trail towards the south. In all their excitement, they failed to notice one thing that their keen Thundercat senses might have been able to detect. A shadow, that of what could be mistaken for a human, leaned against a nearby tree, watching them intently. "Nick would have wanted them to find it." the man, known to them as LaCroix, said to himself with a sneer. "The cure. Well... we'll see if you find it, won't we, Thundercats?"
Return to Crossovers