Note from the author: : Hey everyone. This is next part of the SKT series, Pillar of power. Please enjoy and don’t forget to R&R.

Prologue

It was a beautiful spring day in the ancient city of Bombay. The sun shined brightly over the city and its citizens as they celebrated. The reason for this merriment was because today was the Day of Ascension, the holy day when their god gilded the first king to the land of his future kingdom. Shops sold fresh festival treats and sweets to the masses of people. Music played in the town square as the citizens danced and mingled happily. In the center of the town square stood the Havanna Pillar, a white obelisk that represented the kingdom and its holy ties to the beyond.

As the townspeople celebrated, a grey kat raced through the crowds, searching for someone. He pushed through the toga-wearing citizens till he found who he was looking for. Before him stood a kat of grand stature and a heavy build. He wore golden armor with rubies beset around the collar and a large one on his chest. His fur was that of a lion, golden with a great mane. On his back was a large axe, strong enough to crack stone. The kat knew how important this person was, because he was king Falis Suleon Bombayose.

“My lord! My lord!” the grey kat shouted, pushing his way to the king, interrupting his talk.

The great lion turned to this stranger and smiled. “My boy, do not call me by such titles today,” King Falis stated in his deep voice. “For today is a day of equality, as you know.”

“Sorry, my king,” the grey kat replied. “But, I come with the most urgent news.”

The king looked at the kat with curious eyes. “What news? Has something happened?” the lion asked.

“My lord, it is the queen!” the grey kat answered. “She is giving birth!”

Falis stepped back at this, then grabbed the grey kat by the wrist and ran, dragging the messenger across the ground as he pushed through the crowd.

“Where is it happening!?” the lion asked, bearing his teeth.

“At the castle, in the throne room,” the grey kat answered. “But, I fear she may not be there for long.”

“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, I don’t know how to say it,” the grey kat answered, trying his best to run beside the great king. “The queen began to bleed as she started. The nurses are tending to her, but they told me to fetch you in case she doesn’t survive.”

The great king roared at this and ran faster, finally making it to his castle. The king rushed through the courtyard garden into the palace and followed the red-carpeted path to the throne room. He bashed through the doors and stopped. In front of the thrones, lying on a mound of sheets and quilts was his wife. The queen was slender and beautiful, with a dark brown color fur and brilliant blue eyes. She was stripped of her royal robes during labor, so all she wore was a thin white gown that stretched to her waist. But at its base and on the sheets was vats of blood. A crowd of nurses and nuns circled her, one departing from them and going to the king.

“My lord,” she said, curtsying. “I have news both wonderful and grave.”

“Speak, is she alright?” Falis responded.

The nun looked to the ground, then back to the lion’s eyes. “She began so suddenly. She wanted to go to the festival and came here to find you when it started. We came here quick, made a place for her to lay, and followed the normal procedure,” the nun explained. “But, she began to bleed so violently. We tried all the treatments we knew, but nothing stopped it. It was only after the birth that it stopped.”

“The baby, what of it?”

“The child is a girl,” the she-kat answered. “She made it through perfectly. But, I fear the queen will not sur…”

“WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!!” the queen cried.

Falis immediately left the nun and rushed to his wife. In her arms, wrapped in quilt, was their newborn. The kitten was a tiny thing, but the most beautiful creature the lion ever saw. Her fur was a tan-yellow with a patch of brown at the top of her head. The kitten looked at the great king to show her eyes were a bright emerald green, but with a thin white ring just above the pupil.

The queen looked to her husband and smiled weakly, her chest filling with air slowly. “My love. Isn’t she.. The most wondrous…sight?” the queen asked.

“She is,” Falis answered, crouching down beside his mate. “We must get you healed. You are …”

“What shall we name her?” the queen asked, interrupting the king. “We should name her well, for she is born on a holy day.”

The king thought for a moment, when it hit him. “Her name should be that which marks this day,” he said. “Her name should be.. Havanna.”

“Ah yes. The name of the gift Haru Kantose gave our first king,” the queen responded. “Havanna, such a beautiful name.” The she-kat looked to her husband and smiled, feeling herself growing weaker and weaker by the second. “My love, I will not last long. My time in this world has come to its end,” she said in despair.

“No! I will not let you die,” Falis replied, gripping the she-kat’s hand gently. “You must live, so we may both see this child grow.”

The queen shook her head and took her hand away from his. The she-kat reached up to her neck and undid the clasp of her necklace, taking it off and handing it to Falis. The king looked down to the charm, examining the queen’s most precious possession. The necklace was pure silver and had the form of a winged sun with a crescent moon within.

“When she…comes of age, please…give this to her,” the queen stated, feeling her life slip away.

The king nodded to his wife’s request and gently took the child from her arms. The she kat closed her eyes and, with a slight smile, fell into her eternal rest.

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As she years passed, the infant had grown to a beautiful woman. She was slender and graceful, with long flowing hair that reached to her waist. She ruled with her father fairly, always believing that they should solve their problems peacefully and with mercy. The maiden had lived a good life, until she had reached her 25th birthday. Since that day, the king had been trying to get her to find a suitable husband. He would invite royalty from other kingdoms, so his daughter might find one she liked. But, every time, she would gracefully resist the charms of her suitors’. This night was another one of those days. Havanna sat in front of the mirror in her room, brushing her hair while humming a soft tune, when a knock on the door interrupted her.

“My priestess, are you suitable?” a kindly voice asked from behind the door.

“Yes, please come in,” Havanna answered.

The door opened to reveal an old she-kat. She was dressed in nuns outfit and had chocolate brown fur. Havanna smiled when she saw the nun, for she was her oldest and dearest friend.

“Tonight is a special night, my priestess,” the nun said, walking into the room.

“Chantilly, why must you tease me with that name?” Havanna asked with a playful tone.

“Why, you are known through out the kingdom by that name,” Chantilly answered, walking up to the princess. “Even other kingdoms address you as such, and for good reason. Not only were you born on the most holy day and given a holy name, but your knowledge of the heavens rival that of the church.”

Havanna smirked at this. It was true that she knew much about the holy arts. She looked around her room, seeing bookcase after bookcase of sacred scriptures and writings.

“I suppose what they wish to call me is of little consequence,” the princess replied. “As long as I can fulfill my duties and make this city happy, I care not what I’m called.”

“Speaking of duties, my lady,” Chantilly said. “The Royal family of the Lynx kingdom should be here very soon. It would be wise to hasten your preparation.”

Havanna turned back to the mirror at this, a saddened look on her eyes. “I do not wish to go through with this,” Havanna returned.

“But, why?”

“Because, I do not wish to be married,” the she-kat answered. “All the tomes I have read depict love as… as something wondrous. Yet, I have never felt that way about anyone in my life.”

“Milady, you must put that aside,” Chantilly said, placing her hand on Havanna’s shoulder. “It is written that you must wed after your 25th birthday. You cannot go against this tradition. Now, I have something for you.” The nun moved back into the hall, only to return with a beautiful gown. It was a pure white dress with large diamonds decorating the bottom.

“Please, put it on and hurry down,” Chantilly pleaded, handing Havanna the dress and leaving the room.

Havanna quickly put it on and looked at herself. Though they make me look like I haven’t a care in the world, it makes little difference with what I feel inside, Havanna thought.

She turned her head away from the mirror, deciding it was time she did something. The she-kat moved to her closet on the right wall and opened it. She rummaged through the dresses and gowns, finally finding the garb she was searching for. A large black cloak hung down from her arm. It was long sleeved and hooded, so as to hide her face and hands. The princess quickly put it on, seeing it covered her completely.

Havanna then moved to the window just right of her mirror and opened it. She looked down, seeing how long a fall it would be if she jumped from the third story. However, a vine covered terrace ended at her window, traveling all the way down to the courtyard. Havanna took a deep breath and climbed out, making sure she had a secure hold on the wooden wall. Father, forgive me, she thought as she carefully moved down the terrace, making sure not to fall as he made her way to the ground. She crept through the courtyard garden, making sure not be seen by any of the patrolling knights. She finally made it to the castle gates, running as fast as her feet could take her into the city. When she got a good distance away, Havanna finally slowed her speed and relaxed.

“I made it out,” she said to herself, panting from her run. The cloaked she-kat slowly moved across the nighttime streets of her city. It was late, so most of the shops were closed and the people were asleep in their homes. It has been quite sometime since I have been out of the castle, Havanna thought as she quietly moved through the streets, looking up to the bright stars and brilliant full moon. In fact, I don’t think I have ever been outside the palace on my own.

As the she-kat moved to the end of the street, she saw that she had arrived in the town square. The rounded section of the city always kept clean houses, because of the Havanna pillar that stood before her. The white marble pillar glistened as the moon’s light reflected on it, giving it a majestic glow. On the ground, underneath the obelisk, was the famous symbol of Bombay. A large winged sun with a crescent moon in the center, just like the necklace Havanna wore.

The princess moved into the square, entranced by the obelisk, when two voices stopped her. Next to the structure stood two kats, deep in conversation. Havanna crept back along the outside of the square, hiding in a small alleyway nest to the conversing strangers. Keeping her breathing quiet and her body still, Havanna carefully listened to what they said.

“So, are we clear on the deal?” one of the kats asked, a black robe hiding his form.

“Yes. I take the pillar, and you take the kingdom,” the other kat answered.

Havanna stared at the kat that just spoken, a glint of fear in her eyes. The figure looked like a kat well enough, but he seemed like he had ether been starved or had returned from the grave. The kat had orange fur that clung to his skeletal body. A purple robe covered his form, with four strings of spikes coming from all four diagonal directions and linking to a blue gem on his chest. His face was skeletal as well, with only one eye in his right socket. Finally, in his hands, was a golden pocket watch on a chain.

“But, don’t forget, you must also deal with my enemies, the SWAT Kats,” the deformed kat stated.

“Of course, they will be taken care of,” the other kat responded.

SWAT Kats? Havanna thought with curiosity.

“Good. This time, their time will end, and I will plunge Megakat City back into the dark ages,” the skeletal kat said with a cackle. He turned to the pillar and held his watch towards it. Purple electricity sparked to life around the watch, jumping and crackling as it collected. With a cry of insanity, the orange skeleton fired the energy over the pillar. It pierced the air and flattened into a purple vortex. Havanna covered her eyes from the flash, but watched what happened next in horror.

The vortex began to inhale, pulling all air and matter into it. The section of ground under the pillar began to crack and snap under the might of the vortex. Finally, with a forceful yank, the pillar was ripped from the ground and devoured. The vortex let out a flash of light that blinded the princess, forcing her to rub her eyes. When the spots went away, she looked to see nothing in the square. No kats, no portal, and no pillar.

Note from the Author: When I wrote this, I didn’t actually know there was a city of Bombay. I actually found the name on a list of cat breeds and saw it sounded like Pompeii, the ancient Roman city. So, just to make sure there’s no confusion.