Before I begin, I would like to thank one of my good friends Melissa DeHaan, for the use of one of her characters. I hope I wrote him right.

Knave sat cross-legged in his bedroom staring into the little crystal that Mumm-Ra had given him. He watched the man named Jesse Kenyon, otherwise known as Tenebrous. He seemed like an ordinary man of native ancestry. He had brownish-red skin, with a hint of grey, long black hair and strange red eyes. Knave rubbed his eyes. This man was incredibly boring. He seemed to live by himself and did little but read and eat the occasional wild animal. Where was the challenge in killing a man like him?

"What are you looking at?" Chilla asked, entering the room.

"Absolutely nothing," Knave replied, placing the crystal on his bed stand. Chilla walked over and looked into it herself.

"Spying on someone? Hmm. He’s not anyone I recognize," she commented.

"You wouldn’t. I don’t know him myself. Mumm-Ra’s got me on some crazy quest to kill this guy," Knave replied, as he explained what had been happening the past few days.

"And you’re sure he’ll send us home?" Chilla asked.

"He will. Especially now that I’ve grown in power, he wouldn’t dare to cross me," Knave replied.

Chilla arched her eyebrows. "It would appear that your friend has decided to get changed," she said, hastily putting the crystal back on the bed stand.

"Could be worse, I suppose. I could have been assigned to a much more out of shape vampire, he’d be much worse to look at changing," Knave said.

Some distance away, standing above a pool of normally black water, Vampi-Ra watched the two siblings with keen interest. "So, Mumm-Ra has enlisted some help in disposing of me, has he? A rather foolish move perhaps. While I could destroy the brat with but a thought, I too will enlist some help, my own champions as it were. But who? Another Lunatak? Alluro’s the only one who might help, and after I tried to control him he won’t be willing. The Thundercats then? No, even if Knave posed a threat I wouldn’t ask for their help. That leaves the Mutants. Ah well, they’ll have to do. A little magic goes a long way into making a fighting force. Away to Castle Plundarr I go!" Vampi-Ra said, vanishing from sight.

"Knave! Come here now!" Luna shrieked as the crossbreed sat in the control room. He turned in his chair and strode over to the leader of the Lunataks. "Yes my queen? You bellowed?" Knave asked. Amok grabbed him around the throat and was startled to find that a second Knave was approaching from another chair, then a third.

"Amok confused," he said, dropping one of the Knaves to the ground. The other two moved to comfort the first.

"I demand explanations!" Luna said.

"It’s quite simple," Knave 1 began.

"We’ve been practicing with Mumm-Ra," Knave 2 continued.

"And he has granted us magical powers," Knave 3 finished.

"As you can see. One of those powers is to create illusions, some of them even have substance, as Amok just found out," A fourth Knave said, dispelling the other three.

"If Mumm-Ra is doing this for you, what is the price?" Luna asked.

"He wants Vampi-Ra dead, at all costs, but says that he cannot harm her in any way due to the Ancient Spirits of Evil," Knave replied.

"And what will happen to your powers once this is done?" Luna asked.

"Once this is done, Mumm-Ra is sending me back to Plundarr. I expect I’ll still have full use of my powers there," Knave said.

"Ah good. Once we’re back on Plundarr I will be able to rule however I choose and finally be rid of you cretins," Luna said.

"Of course my queen. Everything will go according to your will, as it should be," Knave said, intentionally deciding not to tell her that it would only be himself and Chilla that would be making the voyage home.

Knave tossed his crystal up in the air and caught it neatly in the palm of his hand. "I should probably bring this with me," he thought, "it might make tracking this Tenebrous guy a little easier." Knave then hopped onto the Ice Runner, which Chilla was letting him borrow for the time being, and made across the endless sands for Mumm-Ra’s black pyramid.

"Who goes there?" Jackalman asked, seeing a patch of mist with glowing eyes drifting toward him.

"I have come to speak with your leader, take me to him at once," Vampi-Ra said, transforming into her voluptuous human form. Jackalman’s mouth dropped an inch or two and he stammered a "Follow me."

Peregrine and Slythe were drawing up battle plans for their next attack on the Thundercats. "They’ll be unprepared for usss, yesss?" Slythe asked.

"They think of you as a cowardly, clumsy bunch. They’ll be surprised. Especially when they taste the new weapons we’ve got," Peregrine replied.

"How would you like to be able to throw magic at the Thundercats? Wouldn’t that surprise them?" Vampi-Ra said, entering.

"You intrigue us, tell us more," Peregrine began.

"Excellent. You are ready for your next test before dealing with Vampi-Ra?" Mumm-Ra asked.

"I am. Once this Tenebrous dies I will deal with Vampi-Ra," Knave replied.

"Good. I hope so," Mumm-Ra said.

"And when she is, you will send Chilla and I back to Plundarr, correct?" Knave asked.

"Of course," Mumm-Ra said, reassuringly, "Now, let the portal be opened and your test of combat begin!" The demon priest gestured in the air with his arms and drew open a portal to another realm, the Adisokan universe.

Knave felt disoriented, teleporting from one dimension to another seemed to be having that effect on him. It didn’t really matter. Soon he would be home again. Once there he might return to his position of patrolling the space ways between the moons, or just one particular moon if that’s what he was asked to do.

The scenery was peaceful. A quiet forest near a lake. Knave knew little of the geography, but did recognize a few items from his look into Tenebrous’ life. It was relatively easy for the Lunatak to find the little cottage in which the vampire lived. The cottage itself was plain. It was constructed of wood and was mostly one story, though there was a second story over part of the house. There was one door and no windows at all around the bedroom. This made sense to Knave, a vampire wouldn’t want any sunshine hitting him inadvertently. He decided to wait until nightfall before knocking.

Tenebrous, for his part, was sitting in an old chair reading a copy of his favorite book: Nightcloak. An epic tale of one family in a medieval/fantasy setting.

"Timothy wiped his blade off on the edge of his cloak and said, ‘We're on the right trail. They're about a day or so ahead of us. We can camp the night here though. Bury Samson if you want. Or we can just give him a burial at sea and have done with it.’ Crystal straightened her shoulders and remembered Samson urging her onward, but also wanted to honour him. ‘Let's just bury him and then go on. We must get those bastards, before they kill Andrew,’ she said, as she removed anything off Samson that they might need. The others had already started digging when she had finished, and she turned to help. Timothy fed and watered the horses while he waited."

He put down the book at the sharp rap on his door. "Who could this be?" he wondered. Everyone nearby thought him dead. "It must be some poor person who’s stumbled across this place in the middle of the night, looking for a place to stay. As much as I’d like to let them stay here, I can’t," he said, walking slowly to the door.

"I’m sorry. There’s no room," Tenebrous was about to say, when he realized that his visitor was pale blue and had black spots.

"You’re Jesse Kenyon, right? The one known as Tenebrous?" Knave asked.

"I am. And you are?" Tenebrous replied.

"My name is Knave Iespyk, Vampire Bane, and I’ve come for your soul," Knave said.

"Sorry, intriguing offer, but I’m uncertain as to whether or not I have one," Tenebrous said, flicking his wrist.

Knave suddenly found himself over a lake the locals called Killaha. He dropped in and waded to shore. He was annoyed more than anything else. He pressed a button on his remote and the Ice Runner picked him up and carried him back to the cabin.

Tenebrous shook his head. Why did people try and kill one another? It never made sense. He was just settling back into his chair when he heard an incessant knock on his door, yet again. He got back up to his feet and opened the door, mildly surprised to see a very damp Lunatak on his door step. "The matter is not up for discussion. You will die, here, and now!" Knave said, stepping forward.

"If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to know why you are trying to do this," Tenebrous said. Knave was a little startled at the question but reasoned that it didn’t hurt for the man to know why he was going to die.

"My master, the great Mumm-Ra, has decreed that I must slay vampires. You’re next on the list to be slain," Knave replied.

"Terribly sorry to hear that," Tenebrous said.

"And now, the time for talking is done. It’s time you tasted icepick!" Knave said swinging his weapon at the vampire’s head.

If Knave had anticipated a quick combat, one that would end as quickly as his battle with Count Jean DeTraville, he was sorely mistaken. The next thing he knew Tenebrous’ hand had shot out and grabbed the icepick, pulling it away. He jammed it into the floor some distance away. "There. Now that your weapon is out of the way, I trust you’ll be leaving?" Tenebrous asked.

"If you think that all I have is that icepick, you are sadly mistaken," Knave replied, covering the vampire in ice. He then stalked over to where his icepick stood and began trying to remove it from the floor.

Tenebrous sighed. He hated fighting, tried to avoid it at all costs. The ice that he was surrounded with proved merely an inconvenience. Heat spread from his body and melted the ice away with ease. Knave had just pulled the pick from the ground when Tenebrous teleported them into the middle of the forest. "I’m sorry it has to be this way, but you’re the one who insisted we fight," Tenebrous said, grabbing Knave’s shoulder. As soon as the Lunatak turned, he found a fist striking his face, leveling him and sending his weapon flying across the ground.

Knave’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits, as his fists clenched tightly. His main weapon was out of reach and his ice breath seemed to have little to no effect. Two copies of himself appeared at his side and began to run at Tenebrous. Knave didn’t have the patience to mentally assign them different strategies or give them any substance, instead he relied on them to baffle his prey long enough for him to move in.

Tenebrous was less confused than Knave had hoped. He kept his eyes focused on Knave and treated the illusions as though they weren’t there, although they blocked his vision momentarily. What proved the most successful for the Ice Lunatak/Cheetah hybrid was his super speed. He rocked the vampire back several paces with well placed punches and kicks. This forced Tenebrous to back away. It was time to show Knave that he was more than an ordinary vampire, that he possessed magic as well. "Break off this attack," he said, his voice rising slightly as a burst of purplish energy slammed into Knave’s chest, throwing him into a tree.

The fury was building up, and Knave could feel it. Pain always made him feel this way. Coupled with the fact that he was fighting for his honor and for Chilla’s trip home, made his breath of lethal ice all the more deadly, though it did not improve his aim.

Tenebrous looked at the tree he had been standing next to. It had been hit by something from the Lunatak’s mouth. Gently he touched it and was startled as it shattered into millions of pieces. The thought occurred to him. "That was meant for me. If his breath can destroy a tree like that, what will it do to me?"

But Knave was in no condition to attempt another such blast. He needed snow or ice, quickly. It was the only thing that could recharge his energy. "The icepick," he thought, "it’s got energy stored in it for just such an occasion." Knave began sprinting for his weapon, lying in the fallen leaves.

Tenebrous could easily determine what Knave was doing. It was obvious, even to one unversed in the art of combat. He placed a force field around the weapon, preventing Knave from reaching it, then aimed a second blast at his feet, taking them out from under him.

"I hope you like lightning, because you’re going to be eating some!" Knave growled, calling lightning down from the sky. Tenebrous felt the bolts run through him as he desperately threw up a second shield to protect himself.

Knave lay on the ground, unable to feel his legs. He cursed his rotten luck. The vampire would likely regenerate before he did, and by then he could be breakfast for Tenebrous. He pulled himself forward, closer and closer to his icepick. Once he reached it he might be able to pour enough energy back into himself to mend the wounds in his legs.

Several agonizing minutes passed as Knave gained ground on his weapon. During one of his frequent breaks he had cast a spell to destroy the shielding around it. The spell had succeeded, all he needed to do now was grab it. Across the way he could hear Tenebrous sitting up and shaking his head clear of the cobwebs.

"Give up, vampire. You can’t win here. It is your destiny to die at my hands," Knave said, a foot away now.

"I hope you’ll forgive me for refusing," Tenebrous said, feeling the strength returning to him, slowly.

"You fight well for someone who isn’t a Lunatak," Knave remarked.

"I’ll take that as a compliment," Tenebrous said, now able to stand, with the help of a tree.

"Granted, the only other vampire I’ve faced was a pushover," Knave said, finally grabbing the icepick. In one big rush the energy flowed through the weapon into Knave’s body, empowering him.

"Glad to hear I’ve proven a little more difficult. I hope Mumm-Ra appreciates this," Tenebrous said.

"He will. Look, this has to end here, now," Knave said.

"I’m sorry to hear that," Tenebrous said.

"If things were different you and I might have become friends," Knave said.

"I’d be more honored if you weren’t trying to kill me," Tenebrous said.

Then Knave did an odd thing, he covered his mouth with his hand, feigning a yawn and said quickly. "It doesn’t have to end like this. I have an idea. Just follow my lead and get ready to grab the branch above your head." The vampire nodded slightly and gauged the distance between himself and the branch in question, curious as to what Knave had in mind.

"You die, now!" Knave shouted, hoping that Tenebrous would catch his keyword.

Tenebrous swung up to the branch he’d been instructed to grab and looked down in time to see his body with an icepick through the heart. It was gruesome, it reminded him of his own mortality, such as it was.

Knave walked over to the body and pulled out his icepick, it had pinned Tenebrous to the tree. With nothing holding it up any more the corpse fell to the ground. Knave fingered the icepick and had it burn the vampire as though the sun were shining on it. He looked once into the tree, a look of admiration on his face, and returned to the Ice Runner.

As soon as Knave was out of sight Tenebrous deemed it safe to climb out of his hiding spot. Even as he watched, the pile of ash vanished. Illusions. He realized, for the first time, that Knave had at the same time made him invisible and now this too wore off. He wondered briefly who the man had been and what would become of him, before returning to his cottage, and his book.

Knave soared through the portal and landed in front of Mumm-Ra. "You nearly lost," the demon priest snickered.

"I won, in the end, didn’t I?" Knave asked.

"That you did, and I congratulate you. Return to Skytomb. I shall alert you when it is time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain," Mumm-Ra said.

"Why not now? Why can I not face Vampi-Ra now?" Knave asked.

"Because she is not here. You must get her when it is light out and when she is sleeping, to gain the element of surprise," Mumm-Ra said. Knave bowed once and returned home.

Some time later Vampi-Ra arrived with five people. "When the moment is right, you will strike at the boy. If you fail, I will not take any responsibility for what happens to you when all is said and done," she said softly.

"Hoo, hoo, we won’t fail you, Vampi-Ra," Monkian said, speaking for the group.

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