TERMS tinton - 2 1/2 seconds specton - 2 1/2 minutes Toton - 2 1/2 hours minton - 2 1/2 days daycon - 2 1/2 weeks Malant - 2 1/2 months quant - 2 1/2 years galant - 2 1/2 centuries Metson - 2 1/2 inches maclon - 2 1/2 feet heckson - 2 1/2 miles tetson - 2 1/2 acres unit - 2 1/2 ccs Characters Bill Axor (AKA Ambrose) - Lion clan, Cit-Chac-Coh King Tomco Traxor - Bill's dead father, Lion clan King Tobias Traxor - Bill's dead brother, Lion clan Queen Trianna Axor - Bill's dead mother, Lion clan of Mandria Queen Niaco Traxor - Tiger clan, Tobias mate, now Bill's Twitty Glax - Grey Tabby clan, bill's body guard and mate Glenna Nox - Bengal clan, Bill's body guard and mate Mikos Glac - Chartreux clan Skylos - Commander of star cruiser - Wire hair clan Henna Glac - Chartreux clan, Mikos mate, Xendran Doctor Theta Panadon - Cheetah clan Cornelius Glax - one of Bill's Uncles, Grey Tabby clan Conrad Nox - Bill's other Uncle Bengal clan Assassin group - Jaguar clan second assassin group - Ocicat clan Typree Maxor - Sub King of Mandria, Lion clan Adina Maxor - Paladin Princess of Xendra, Sub-princess of Mandria, Lion clan Timora - The great mother of the feline people, mate of first tribal leader Hippacamp - Timora's father, father of modern Xendran doctors Knights General Roth - Leopard clan Gregor - Cougar clan Gwayne - Panther clan Thomas - Lynx clan Paladins - Female Knights Wrena - Leopard clan, Roth's mate Cetana - Cougar clan, Gregor's mate Dawney - Panther clan, Gwayne's mate Mileen - Lynx clan, Thomas' mate Ambrose shook his head at the declaration from Timora's father. He started to open his mouth to refute the man then shrugged he'd be at it all day. Thinking a moment an idea came to mind. "I do not wish to be called by that name. I have given you a cure that will allow you to live. I am sorry at the moment I only have enough for thirty three other people." Timora's father's eyes went wide then he nodded. "The more we can save the better it will be. Though I am afraid it is too late for many," came the weak man's voice. "I should have enough for almost forty more later today. I think I can have enough for seventy eight each day, though I need a way to get to the people that need it. Fighting off hundreds or thousands would lead to the death of many." Ambrose told the man. "So you need me and my daughter so you can give this to all?" The man's head was nodding. "For what you have given and done for my family I would be honored to help you great Cit-Chac..." The man was suddenly quiet when Ambrose held up his hand. "I'd rather you call me Ambrose, at least 'til more of your people are safe. At the moment only you and Timora are immune." Ambrose told the man. Nodding again Timora's father lay back as the machines continued to monitor him. A mere specton later they all heard Timora as she started to stir. Trying to sit up and go to her father she soon found out that it was best to sit still a bit. Swallowing hard they heard her ask, "Lord? Is father going to be ok? He is all I have now." Ambrose walked to her, "Yes he should be fine now. He was just starting to come down with the malady." Sighing Timora nodded, "Can you really help all those that are sick? Many of the young children are sick, plus most of those that are of advanced years are also sick." "Yes, you father has told me all of this. I..." There was a sudden rapid beeping of the machines that were hooked to Timora. Going to them Ambrose's eyes got large at the readings he saw there. Going to look at her father's readings he saw almost identical readings. Turning back to Timora, Ambrose looked closely at her. Sure enough her fingernails were longer almost claw like. Shaking his head a wide smile lit up his features. Weakly Timora lifted her hand to stare at the claw like extinctions of her nails. "Lord?" Almost panicking she turned to Ambrose with a frightened, terrified look. "Lord what is happening to me?" Sighing now, Ambrose had to somehow explain to the young woman. "I am afraid that the only way to save all of you is this cure. It has changed you; you will be faster, stronger and highly more sensitive to everything around you. I'm sorry but it was the only way to save you." Timora was nodding still staring at her clawed hand. Ambrose remained quiet as her eyes got wide when the claws retreated into her hand. Ambrose's smile started as he nodded to her. "Do you know how far I will change my lord," she asked. Ambrose shook his head, "Not at this moment though I might soon. I'd have to have you here for a great amount of time. As we both know others would grow suspicious." "Yes, that goes for the both of us." They heard from behind them. Timora's father was on his feet looking at the claws on his own hand. It was at that moment that Timora started to weakly giggle. Ambrose turned then a wide smile lit up his human face. Both of her father's ears had fur on them! Both were more cat like giving him a cat/human look. "Sire!" Roth whispered to Ambrose. "Are we seeing the birth of our race?" Ambrose nodded as he leaned to Roth. "I believe we are. Though I am afraid we are going to have to teach them how to..." Ambrose started. "It's not hard," they heard Timora saying. "Just think of what your regular hand looked like." Her still shocked father nodded then with a smile watched the claws retract his hands then his ears appearing human again. "I am glad that you have learned how to change my daughter." Turning to Ambrose the man bowed, "as soon as she is better we need to go. I can see that it takes a bit of strength to survive. Our people are strong I think even the sickest could survive. We will have to see Cit... I'm sorry Ambrose. I will try to remember. As for you being accepted I think that will be easy, though after they start to change that might change. We will just tell all that you are a medicine man from a tribe far to the north that heard of our troubles." Ambrose scratched his chin a moment then nodded, "I see what you are saying. Let me get the rest of the cure for today then we can proceed." It was almost a half minton later when six figures slipped into the village. They were met a few times by guards that regarded them with suspicious looks, especially when they saw the weapons that four of them had strapped to their backs. They all quickly made their way to a huge isolated conical building. Once inside the four with weapons mouths dropped open at the sheer number of people within. An older man beckoning to them had them moving to another section. Within they saw hundreds that were mostly children. Ambrose remembered the outbreak when he was a child, but this was by far worse than even his nightmares. Rapidly moving around the room Timora's father stopped at one bed. "Here this is the worst of them. If it can help him then I think that we have a chance." Ambrose nodded as he adjusted for the youth of the child, and then with the older man blocking the view injected the plasma in the boy’s arm. They all sat beside the bed for almost two spectons, when the boy’s body started to convulse. They had to place something over the boy’s mouth as he started to scream. Then another three spectons later the boy’s body went limp. Ambrose pulled a small scanner from within his clothes. Looking up he nodded to Timora's father, a wide smile broke out on his face. Sighing he stated, "We have a chance then, he was the worst of all of them." Nodding Ambrose took more readings seeing the plasma racing through his body. "How many have you lost?" "He was the worst of the third set we moved into here. The first set had about a hundred, the last died two weeks ago. The second set had well over two hundred, the last of them died a few days ago. Will he survive?" Ambrose looked at the rapidly climbing readings, nodding he said, "Yes, I believe he will. What did you mean if it can heal him we have a chance?" "Oh! This is the chief's son. If we can help him then the chief might allow you almost anything you want." Timora's father said. Ambrose looked at the older man a moment then pointed to his ears. Closing his eyes the older man's features shifted back to human. "I'll have to get as much ready as I can. I forgot in all this to ask you your name." Ambrose said. The older man bowed to Ambrose, "I am called Hippacamp, Lord." Hippacamp said the last in a whisper. Ambrose was nodding when something clicked in his mind. Hippacamp!!? Almost betraying his surprise Ambrose had to turn away. [By the great Feline! Hippacamp! One of the greatest doctors the father of all doctors! He was amongst those that landed that on Xendra! Cousin, be careful AND respectful!] Came Adina's thoughts. [I thought I told you to stay out of my thoughts Adina!] Ambrose's angry reply said. [Sorry, with you as far away as you are, I had to make sure you are safe. Also I wanted to tell you Skylos has the ship almost ready to go.] Came her reply. Breaking out in a huge smile Ambrose thought, [finally something is going the right way. Though I am afraid it might be a while before we can attempt to go home.] He heard a sigh then Adina thought to him, [I know cousin. This is the start of our people if we don't help them then we won't be. Like you said this is a major headache to think about!] Ambrose was nodding as they moved to more of the sick that were there. For half a minton they worked through the seventy that were the worst. Then Ambrose was moving back to the first young boy as he finally started to stir. "How are you feeling?" With a crackling voice the boy whispered, "Thirsty, so thirsty." Ambrose smiled as he held a cup of water to the boy's lips which he drank greedily. "There that should help." The boy nodded then his mouth fell open. "Who are you? I am feeling something strange from you. It’s almost like I have a cat in front of me." "You have been sick for a while I am sure that is why you are feeling strange things." Ambrose told the boy. The boy nodded staring at Ambrose then laid back down closing his eyes. Ambrose pulled the small scanner out again going over the boy. Nodding Ambrose started to go to the others nodding when he saw ALL their readings growing steadily stronger. Ambrose finished then pulled Hippacamp aside. "As with you and Timora they also will start to notice changes. You have to keep all of them here 'til we are ready to move them." Timora nodded then a thought hit him, "What of the chief's son? Surely he will try to gain access to him at some time or another. He, I am afraid we won't be able to keep out." Ambrose nodded as his mind was racing to devise a plan and a cover for the changes her knew were coming. Sighing he turned to Hippacamp, “I'm afraid that I'm going to have to reveal who I am sooner than I want to. Though I might only have to, to the chief." "Yes Lord Ambrose," Hippacamp was whispering. "That might be for the best, he might be able to help with this more than any other." "Alright I have to go back where we met. I have to make more of the serum before we can really move on. The problem is everyone may be infected. If that is true I might not have enough fast enough to heal them all." A worried Ambrose told Hippacamp. "Lord," Hippacamp whispered. "The fact that you have saved this many children gives me hope that we will survive." "I'd feel better if we had far more, believe me." Ambrose told the man before he and his knights started out for the ship. One quarter of a toton they were all reunited on the ship. Ambrose immediately went to the med bay running a myriad of tests. Finally two totons later he emerged with a half smile. "Sire?" Niaco asked when she saw him. “I take it you have good news?" "I believe so. After all of you were cured of this new disease, it appears that your blood plasma is also viable. A drop of my plasma into each container of your plasma will make it twice as effective. I estimate that if I take the units from all of you we could have enough for four hundred ninety four. Though I am afraid it will take longer to process it." "So you can cure the worst then start to rid the others before they become seriously sick?" Niaco asked. "If we can do this I think we can stay ahead of it. Skylos, what is the maximum we can carry to Xendra?" Ambrose asked. Skylos thought for a few moments. "Safely still having room and air, probably no more than a hundred. The trip is twenty three spectons there then the same back. With the ship at almost a hundred percent I might be able to shorten it." Ambrose smiled he was glad now he'd decided against killing the commander. The wire hair clan member surprised him at each turn. "Good if you can increase the number do it. I want to get as many to Xendra as fast as I can" "Yes sire I'll do all I can, though we could push it to a hundred ten it will be cramped but we should make it alright." Skylos told him. "We have a great number to move hundreds possibly thousands, they have lost hundreds already. I just want them out of here safe on Xendra." Ambrose replied. "Yes sire I'll do all I can. I want them safe also." With that Skylos went to prepare for the mass of people that were going to be traveling on the ship. Ambrose turned back to his mates, knights and their mates. "I need to start drawing the units from all of you so we can get started." Everyone's eyes went wide when Ambrose mentioned this. "So I take it you are going to remain here while Skylos transports them?" Niaco asked. A moment later, Glenna and Twitty were beside Niaco growling at Ambrose. "Mate, don't think you can get away from us that easily again!" Glenna hissed. "Last time we understood because of the disease, no longer will we be separated from you!" Twitty said as she drew her sword. "I will die before I allow you to put yourself in danger like that again," a low growl issuing from her throat. Ambrose swallowed hard a moment then an idea struck him. "I agree, though you both will need to be in human form if we are to travel back to where the sick are." Even as he watched both Twitty and Glenna grimaced an almost look of disgust on their faces. "Really mate if this is some ploy then..." Twitty started. "No mate it isn't. They far outnumber us I don't want them to become afraid attacking you or I. It's either that, or stay here." Ambrose thought that would be the last of it 'til he saw both of them turn to each other. Then both turned back toward Ambrose nodding their heads. Ambrose's mouth dropped open as first Twitty then Glenna started to gain a more human appearance. Glenna's hair was a golden color where as Twitty's grew darker 'til it was almost jet black. Turning back toward each other Ambrose heard them both gasp at the sight of each other. Smirking both females looked at the shocked face that Ambrose was showing. "As we have both said we will do anything to protect you sire. Even to wearing these... ugly outward appearances. Now then shall we get started? We are sure you wish to return home just as much as we desire to." Twitty said. Ambrose was nodding still a little in shock as he began to draw blood from first his mates, then the others. "So how much do you have to take? A slightly worried Glenna said as she watched Ambrose take the blood. "I think that sixty two and a half units twice today should allow us to heal over five hundred. A thousand should help get almost those that are the sickest." Ambrose replied. "I hope that we can get enough back on their feet. As I remember they have a fierce enemy not far away." "You think we might be in for a fight?" An excited Roth said as a broad smile broke out on his face. "As weak as these people are, it should be easy to defeat them!" "I'm afraid their enemy has a large number. It might even be more than we can handle." A smiling Ambrose said, though the thought of another good battle had his heart racing. Almost a whole toton later, Ambrose, Twitty, Glenna plus three of his knights were back in the huge building. Ambrose nodded as he saw that the thirty or so he'd treated were already on their feet. Moving through them as fast as possible Ambrose and his mates soon had all the worst done, starting on the newer cases that had come in. A commotion at the entrance drew all their attention as a tall, imposing, authoritative man entered going straight to the youngster that they had treated first. Talking to the young boy the man nodded then moved to Hippacamp. "This is good healer, his fever is gone he is almost as strong as he was. You shall be well rewarded for this." The man stated. Hippacamp bowed then shook his head. "No my chief it was not me. This is Ambrose a visitor to our land from far away. HE is the one that has managed to heal the people. Therefore it is he you should reward." The chief nodded with a smile as he turned toward Ambrose. "We of the people wish to thank you sir. Ambrose you say? Strange that name brings to mind memories of another healer though he was also a great magic user." Ambrose bowed to the chief watching as the chief sent his guards outside the building. "I am glad that I was able to help. Your people and mine share a great many things. It was in ours as well as your interests that we..." Suddenly one of the guards came running back in a worried look on his face. "Chief! Those of the other city have been spotted coming this way! Our spies say that they are planning to attack having heard that many are ill." Nodding the chief sent the guard to worn the others. Ambrose growled deeply in his throat causing the chief to turn toward him. Then with a gasp the chief's eyes went wide his mouth falling open. Falling to his knees the chief started to whisper. "Please spare my people great Cit-Chac-Coh!" Ambrose's eyes also went wide as he looked at his hands, damn it! His paws were showing! "As you can see chief I am here to help not hurt the people. I have to tell you chief. As soon as we get all well we are ALL leaving this place. Though for now it appears that we have a battle to plan. Come tell me of this enemy so that we can destroy them!" The trembling chief nodded still unable to look directly at Ambrose. Then his eyes went wide as not only the men changed but the females did also! Shaking his head he thought, ‘with this many gods on our side how can we lose?’