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Claws of Chaos	By : Collip99 Category: +S through Z > Thundercats Views: 4779 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own the ThunderCats or any character/events associated with it. I do not own or make any money from the ThunderCats or from this fiction.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
The ship was cruising at an altitude of ten kilometres, on its way south.
“So…how did you get this Guardian job then?” Pumyra asked Sveta over a cup of coffee.
“I inherited it from my mother…”
“Are Guardians always females?”
“Of course…cannot trust something like that to males…they would screw it up every single time. Look at Schwenk, had he not been rescued by someone he’d have died too and the Claws would have been safe once again…Instead, this female must make amends for a poor execution…literally…”
“So…what does this have to do with Lavinia and the language of it’s tribe?”
“I do not know all of the details…but they created the Claws….for reason or reasons unknown. But they were stopped by ancient Thunderians in the bad old days. Then there was a war which the Lavinians lost. What is often forgotten, probably deliberately, is that the Lavinians were wiped out…both by the Thunderians and the Claws…”
“How did the Claws wipe them out?”
“History does not recall how…it just happened. Then, with no more Lavinians the language should’ve died and the Claws would never be accessed again.
“Except the language did not die out, did it?”
“No…it did not…But this eventuality was anticipated and hence Guardians were created…”
“We’re still not sure how Schwenk knows Lavinian….he is human and therefore had no contact with Lavinians…”
“Oh…Lavinians had human contact, alright…” Sveta snorted.
“What? How?”
“Before the start of the Claws construction the Lavinians held humans in captivity and slavehood…They worked, they were eaten, but it was accepted that some humans needed to act as an interface…To aid communication in the building of some of the more intricate components of the Claws…So some academics were taught Lavinian and not eaten…It is in the ancestors of those humans that the language survived. The Guardians did their best, but could not suppress everyone…”
“Suppress?”
“Yes…the Guardians have a mission to eliminate all Lavinian speakers…so many generations there was a sort of ‘secret inquisition’…We mopped up about ninety-five percent…”
“Mopped up?? You mean murdered innocent people…”
“Meh…call it what you will, but you do not know what power the Claws have…if you had any idea you’d run a sword through these humans yourself…They create danger by existing…as proven by Schwenk…”
“I’m no cold-blooded murderer!!”
Sveta regarded Pumyra coldly.
“Then why are you here…you serve no purpose on this mission…”
Pumyra bit her lip. “I’m a medic and just because I do not kill people does not mean I am not useful…” she retorted.
“Your coffee is quite good…” Sveta admitted.
“I’m not just a bloody coffee maker!!” Pumyra snapped.
“I didn’t say you were, bunny…I just complimented you for a great cup of coffee…You need to learn to keep calm…”
Pumyra sat and shifted slightly. “Thanks for the compliment…I was just trying to explain I have plenty of talents that do not involve me slitting throats…That is all…”
“I understand…” she sipped her coffee. “I apologise for causing offence…that was unintentional…”
“What will you do with Schwenk when you have him…” Pumyra asked.
Sveta regarded her for a while. “Hunny, why do you have to ask that…I do not want to cause another argument…”
“Hmm…I was just curious…”
“Nothing you would approve of, I dare say…Look, compared to those ‘innocent’ folk you were talking about earlier…Schwenk is not even in the same league…You know he’s killed and he killed my friend. If that wasn’t bad enough it appears he is helping Grune the Destroyer. Tell me…without me, and your Lord Lion-O were to arrest him…what would his fate be then?”
Pumyra shifted in her seat.
“He would get justice. A trial and then sentencing…then off to prison…for the rest of his life…”
“Oh…OK. I apologise…and, just out of interest, how many human prisons are there where you come from??” she asked pointedly.
“Sveta…it’s not as simpl…”
“Who are you kidding, sister? I’m not pointing the finger at you…but we both know what his future is! If I sat Bengali down here…what would he say?”
Pumyra sighed. “He probably hold Schwenk down whilst you cut his head off…” she replied sadly. Sveta reached out and placed her hand on Pumyra’s shoulder.
“You’re a good, kind soul who does a lot of good…the universe needs more people like you…Trust me…I know! I am what I was brought up to be…I cannot apologise for that…but I’m no monster. I own a tavern and only get snoopers every few months….Yes, there are that many people seeking glory in the Claws…”
Pumyra rolled her eyes. “…and we thought we were the first…”
“Far from it…most, however, are fortune hunters and are only seeking monetary value from the Claws…Driven by greed. Nothing more…This is the first time there has been a concerted effort by a force not driven by money, in my lifetime…”
“Hmmm…”
“Yes. I know. I failed!” Sveta looked down at the table.
“I wasn’t saying that…besides, you haven’t failed…yet…We still have a chance and, with all the assistance you given us…You’ve done more than a lot of Guardians would ever have done…”
“Thank you, Pumyra…You’re kind to say…”
“I’m a kind person…remember…” she smiled.
“Yes…I remember…How about another coffee, waitress…” Sveta winked.
“Cheek!” Pumyra winked and stood, grabbing both cups.
“Are you sure that this is the place??” Pertinax growled at Schwenk.
“I am sure that this is the place as indicated by the coordination cube…yes…”
“Are you trying to be smart?” Ayos snarled.
“I’m telling you there is a difference between me knowing exactly where the Claws are and where I’m telling you the cube says they are…”
“I cannot see any Claws!” Grune the Destroyer growled. “Jinx…maybe five minutes with the human can loosen his mind…” the panther smiled at the thought.
“NO!!!” Pertinax shouted. “I need him and if this is where the cube says…then we need to search better…Grune…get your men to look everywhere…Under rocks, under trees…get the metal detectors out!!”
“Very well…but if there is nothing this time around then I will get Jinx to speak with Schwenk…”
“Agreed…”
This time the human did gulp. “My Lord…I am telling you the truth…I swear…”
“I hope you are…Ayos…bring Mr Schwenk to my tent…” Pertinax strode off.
“Move it, monkey…” the jaguar snarled. He then whispered into the human’s ear “I have no idea how you conned Pertinax into keeping you alive…but it will not work…”
“It will work, trust me! Who knows…maybe he’ll make me his second-in-command…” he smirked and, then, he was face down in the soil with Ayos’ boot on his head, pushing it down. “Simply putting my weight on my foot will pop you head like a grape…Whoops…and accident!! No undoing that…I’d take my chances…”
Schwenk squealed from somewhere underneath him as Ayos let that thought sink in. Eventually he moved his boot and picked up the mud encrusted human.
“You need cleaning up…you cannot go into his tent looking like a street urchin…” he then hawked a big gob of spit full into the human’s face and rubbed his with his furry forearm.
“There…much better…shall we go in…” he grinned.
“So, Schwenk what is the…What happened to you?” Pertinax looked at the mud splattered, drool smeared face…”
“He stumbled on a rock, my Lord…” Ayos replied. “I’ve given him quick clean with some warm liquid…”
“Very good, Ayos…you may leave us…please ensure Grune’s men are fully committed to looking for the Claws…”
“My Lord…” he bowed down deeply. He then left the two together.
“Sit…” he indicated a stool. The coordinate cube was on the table under a lamp.
“I didn’t fall…” he stated sourly.
“Do I look stupid??” he replied without looking at the human. “But you’re uninjured…so that suits me OK…”
“He spat in my face…It’ll take me forever to get that smell off of me…”
“Spit? Oh you were lucky…he would usually piss on you!!”
“Disgusting creature!”
“He’s my second in command…speak carefully, human!!” Pertinax growled. “Now…study the cube again…You must have missed something!”
Schwenk sighed and picked up the cube. “I’ve been over every inch if this…it is very clear…we are ‘At the Place of the Claw’…It’s not a riddle, it’s an instruction…We are here…”
“So where are the Claws of Chaos?”
“I do not know!!” he raised his voice slightly. This was immediately met with a throat lift up to Pertinax’s eye level.
“You forget yourself, human…Never raise your voice to me again…Skill or no skill…We’d work it out without you!”
“With total respect…I’m not sure you would…but I do not know for sure…I apologise for my transgression…I’m frustrated, that’s all…fearing the next attack…condoned or otherwise. I’m on edge and do not do my best work when on edge…”
Pertinax placed him back on the floor.
“You are asking me for a great amount…You’d place me at risk…”
Schwenk was confused. “I’m not sure I’ve asked you for anything…Have I?”
Pertinax spoke into his comms unit. “Galen…come to my tent…”
Schwenk gulped. “Who is this Galen? Is he some kind of special unit? Torturer?” Pertinax laughed at the human’s fear. “Oh…he’s a special unit, alright…”
A tall and lean lion walked in. “My Lord?” Pertinax just looked at an increasingly nervous human. Galen walked up to the human and started measuring.
“Oh gods…he’s an undertaker!!” Schwenk squealed.
“He’s my tailor…you idiot!!” he roared with laughter.
“Why do I need a tailor??”
“Because you are going to get a uniform…You are to be my personal aide…”
“Personal aide? What? Really?”
“Yes really…it means if you betray me, or fail the mission only I get to eat you. Nice, huh?”
“Oh…yes…a real honour!” he groaned.
“It shall be completed within the hour…” Galen bowed and left the tent.
“Ayos will be very upset…” Schwenk noted.
“Indeed…but he won’t kill you…Probably won’t even break bones. I admire his passion and industry though…so please don’t go riling him…I know you do it deliberately because you think I shall protect you…My protection may be fleeting if you abuse my trust! Understood?”
“Understood!” he nodded.
“Study the cube, or so help me my hand of friendship with become your worst nightmare!” he curled his fingers and extended his claws.
“I shall, I just need…” he paused, deep in thought. “Do that again!”
“What?? Threaten you?” he raised an eyebrow.
“No...the hand…claw thing…” So Pertinax thrust his curled up, clawed hand in Schwenk’s face.
“I’m a fucking genius!!” he declared loudly. “YES! YES!!” he laughed loudly.
“So when we land…what are we looking for?” Lion-O asked Sveta.
“A landing space I hope…” she replied.
“No, no…where are the Claws of Chaos housed?”
“Housed? I haven’t a clue…I was meant to protect the cube and know the destination. I have no idea what will be there…but I doubt it will be signposted!”
“Oh great…we’re flying blind!” Bengali declared.
“Better than not flying at all!!” Pumyra added.
“Correct…We’ll get there and work it out…We have Sveta…They do not!” Lion-O agreed.
“They have Schwenk, though…he seems to know plenty of what we don’t…” Tygra admitted.
“If I see him first it will not be a problem for long!” Sveta stated and from her bag removed the longsword and attached it to her belt.
“Whoa…nice blade…” Lion-O spoke admiringly.
“Yes, it’s a Guardian Sword…useful for striking down the unworthy!”
“Schwenk is certainly qualified for that!” Bengali smiled.
“This blade is too good for that human! I could strike him down with a spoon!!” Sveta snorted then laughed. Everyone except for Pumyra joined in with the laughter.
“We’ll be landing in about an hour, ten clicks from the coordinates…” Tygra added.
“Ten kilometres? Why don’t we just land amongst them and fight?!” Bengali protested.
“Because we do not know what to expect…At least we can have one advantage…the element of surprise…” Lion-O replied.
“OK, genius…what have you discovered??” Pertinax asked. He had been joined by Grune and Ayos.
“I won’t tell you…but I will show you…come on…follow me!”
“More games? More stalling?” Grune growled.
“No, no…you’ll see…Come on….you’ll be impressed…Even you, Ayos…you may even smile…”
This brought a warning growl from the jaguar, but nothing more. Schwenk rushed out of the tent and strode across the camp. He pushed past tents, Grune’s warriors and headed out into the bowl of the valley. He walked hard for more than ten minutes then stopped abruptly and turned about.
“Well? Impressed??” he held his arms out.
“At what?” Grune grunted.
“This is some kind of joke??” Pertinax growled.
“Let me eat him now…he mocks you and he laughs at us ALL” Ayos was furious.
“Calm down, cats…” he smiled. He now wore a resplendent deep red and black uniform, made to measure. “You should be happy…I’ve brought you to the place…”
“WHAT PLACE?!!” Grune howled in anger.
“To the Claws of Chaos…” and there was silence as all three cats looked around on the floor. They scrabbled in the undergrowth and under rocks. All they saw was a long, massive slab of limestone that was at a thirty degree angle.
“My patience is paper thin, human…make sense now or I will kill you here and now…” Pertinax drew a dagger.
“OK, OK…forgive my indulgence…but the fact is this…We came here and looked for something we’ve never seen. We don’t even know what the Claws of Chaos look like…nobody does, it was never described. So throughout history people assumed they were looking for something like, oh I don’t know…the Sword of Omens, or the Book of Omens…You know? Something tangible, something small…but those clever Lavinians…oh clever, clever...they created something more powerful than the galaxy had ever known before. That’s not a sword, or a book. No, they created something to last and then, then they hid it in fairly plain sight. I was mystified. I was sure I had read everything correctly and yet, nothing was found. No boxes, no trinkets…nothing. Then Pertinax gave me the spark of inspiration. Schwenk grabbed the huge tiger’s right hand, which lead to a growl of warning. He thrust this bloody great paw in my face. The fingers were like this and…and these were unsheathed. Now…what are this sharp, slicey black things called?” he asked the group.
“The death of you!” Pertinax muttered.
“Claws?” Grune ventured.
“YES!! Claws!! We’re not looking for gloves, or armour or anything like that…Look around you…tell me what you see!”
The group slowly spun three-sixty degrees.
“Mountains…” Grune replied.
“Technically, limestone karsts…” Pertinax added.
“How many?” Schwenk prodded.
“Five…” Ayos replied. There was a moment’s silence.
“By the Gods!” Pertinax gasped.
“We won’t find the Claws of Chaos…because…we stand within them!” Schwenk smiled proudly.
- 8
- 9
- 10
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Claws of Chaos