Martin Greenberg - Catopolis

He shouts, “Norbu! Do something! Help me!”

The boy, terrified, screams and crouches at the base of the tree, his fingers in front of his face.

Hissing and gurgling with success, Garakk rips through the silver cord.

Horror-stricken, Tai Pan feels the essence of his life withering. A cold, numbing darkness submerges him.

Garakk shrieks in triumph, dropping the body and turning toward the child. Raising its claws, it opens its hideous mouth.

“I will take you one small bite at a time,” the beast exults, stepping forward.

“Stop!”

The imperious command comes from behind it. Lying on the forest’s cold ground, Tai Pan’s Astral body regains some of its brightness. His silver cord reforms, but too slowly for his need. With what little strength he’s managed to reclaim in the last few moments, he staggers to his feet, trying to look undaunted.

“It takes more than one death to kill my kind, Garakk,” Tai Pan announces.

“You can’t save him!” gurgles Garakk. “You are too weak!” It takes another step forward. Norbu screams.

It’s right, I am too weak. Tai Pan closes his eyes. It is time to call for help. To call in a favor.

His facile mind probes the night. A friendly soul answers, “Already cashing in, are you?”

Two other cats show up in their Astral forms, just as Garakk lifts an arm to strike at Norbu.

“Didn’t expect to hear from you so soon, mate!” says Mugs Greyshadow. “And I brought a friend, just in case.”

The other cat, a large brown-striped Maine Coon, takes in the situation with a cool glance, leaps over Mugs, and lands on Garakk’s back.

“Let’s get him!” the Maine coon snarls in a gravely voice, betraying a mind as thick as his fur. With savage fury, he claws away with all fours at Garakk, sending clumps of matted hair flying. The creature flings its spiky appendages backward, trying to reach its assailant.

Mugs turns to Tai Pan. “That’s Shindig Haywhisker. He’s the bouncer at the Fish Eye Cat Club. He’s good.” The gray studies his friend. “Oy! You don’t look right, mate.”

“Thank you, Mugs,” replied Tai Pan, ignoring the reference to his diminished appearance and denying any more talk about it by changing the subject. “Your friend is just right for this situation.”

“So that’s how it is,” Mugs says. Stepping forward, he hunches and begins to circle Garakk, studying the beast.

“Some nasty bugger you’ve got here for us, mate! Seen this before, I have-that’s an Astral killer, that is.”

Dodging Garakk’s claws with an uncanny agility learned from years of street fighting, Mugs hollers, “Better watch its arms, Shin. Wicked, those are. If they catch you, you won’t get loose!”

Mugs feints at Garakk several times, looking for weaknesses. Shindig does his best to avoid the beast’s claws, while delving deeper into its noisome substance. Blackish blood begins to drip from the beast.

Mugs steps back, looking at Tai Pan with an air of glee as huge switch-claws spring from his front paws. “Just got these, mate! If they don’t do the job, nothing will.”

He lunges again, slipping under Garakk’s belly. With a wail of savage joy, Mugs plunges two oversized sets of switch-claws deep into the repugnant flesh.

With a screech born of hurt, rage, and frustration, Garakk brutally kicks Mugs away and finally snags Shindig. The bouncer rebounds off a tree trunk and flops on the cold ground.

Mugs staggers to his feet. “Oy, something’s wrong here! That should have done him in.”

Tai Pan’s mind races. “He’s still feeding on Norbu’s fear!”

Mugs yells, shaking his head, “If it’s that, I don’t think we can stop him, mate.” He looks at his Maine coon friend, just staggering to his feet. “This is the first time Shindig’s ever been down.”

Gathering his strength, Tai Pan frantically cudgels his memory for bits of information that might help.

“I understand now,” he calls to Mugs. “Someone evil summoned Garakk and bound it to kill the boy. Only he can defeat it. Mugs, just keep it at bay a bit longer, will you?”

“Yeah, well, we’ll try.”

Shin and Mugs launch themselves against Garakk in a frenzy of screaming, hissing, and clawing. Tai Pan staggers toward Norbu and places his paws against the sobbing boy’s chest. Bringing his face close to Norbu’s, he purrs and says calmly, “Norbu? Look into my eyes. Look at me, Norbu!”

The terrified boy finally pulls his hands away from his face. His black eyes find Tai Pan’s. He discovers unexpected solace and courage in the steady blue gaze.

Tai Pan concentrates all his will and strength to force Norbu’s mind to stay focused on his words. “Listen, Norbu. Only you can defeat Garakk. That beast’s only weakness is its hunger for your fear. There is nothing for you to fear but fear itself. Snap out of it, boy! Trust me, and trust yourself. It’s time you did.”

Norbu’s eyes widen, betraying a new glimmer of consciousness, a new level of understanding.

“That’s the spirit, Norbu!” encourages Tai Pan. “Stand up. Be strong. Go now, and cast that thing away!”

Slowly, Norbu stands up. He walks toward Garakk, putting one foot in front of the other. His lips are tight and a frown of concentration marks his smooth forehead.

Garakk glares at the boy after pinning Mugs under one thorny foot. It holds Shindig firmly locked in both claws, turning its head to treat him as it had Tai Pan a moment ago.

Norbu walks toward Garakk almost as if the beastly thing were nothing more than a pesky fly. Reaching up, he grabs Garakk’s arms and shakes them until the monster’s body rocks back and forth. Shindig flies from the claws to land hard on the ground.

The youngster stares the monster in its repellent eyes and, full of juvenile anger, hammers each of his words.

“ENOUGH! I-AM-NOT-AFRAID-OF-YOU-ANYMORE! GO-AWAY, AND-NEVER-COME-BACK!”

Garakk snarls at Norbu. It staggers back, dropping Mugs, and tries in vain to free its arms from the boy’s grip. It can’t move. Feeling its strength waning, Garakk voices a deafening shriek. Norbu stands his ground unafraid, seeing now what a pathetic creature Garakk really is. The beast shakes its head and gives Norbu a spiteful grimace before vanishing in a puff of noxious green-yellow smoke.

“Thanks for the help, mate!” Mugs says as he flicks his switch-claws back in. He then scratches his neck with a back foot and steps toward Shindig to help the bouncer up. “Oy, Tai Pan, we done here?”

“This was a favor well returned,” answers Tai Pan. “Your debt is paid, and your account with me settled, old friend. Thank you.”

“Good thing, that is. What of the boy, mate?” Mugs looks closely at Norbu. “What’s between you and him?” Shin also eyes Norbu with curiosity.

Drawing himself up to his full height, Tai Pan says, “As you put it so well, my friend, that is between him and me.”

“Fair enough, mate. Nice doing business with you,” concludes Mugs. “Come on, Shin.” The two cats disappear into the Astral night.

Tai Pan turns back to Norbu. The boy is watching him.

“What happened?” he asks. “I mean, really?”

Tai Pan chooses his words with care, fluffing his fur as he thinks.

“It so happened you fell into someone’s trap. You can’t go bouncing around in your dreams anymore. It’s just too dangerous. From now on you must learn to stay conscious when leaving your physical body. Careless journeys are a thing of the past. I’ll see to teaching you that.”

Norbu nods at Tai Pan’s caution. “I’m so glad you’re here, Titus.” As he looks at the snowy mountains, thinking of all that had happened, the veil of dreams once again clouds his gaze. He’s exhausted.