Trail of Bones: A Young Adult Fantasy Novel (20 page)

Ataris’ first strike resulted in a mouthful of flesh, ripped from Gork’s meaty forearm. The wolf spit it out as if tasted like a rancid piece of meat. “I will rip your flesh from your bones one bite at a time, if I must,” the wolf threatened.

“I bite you, wolf. Break your bones.”

This time Gork took the offensive. He grabbed the dead body of a barbarian warrior and slung it around like a whip. It was a ghastly sight as the limbs of the lifeless body flailed through the air.

The gorilla’s first two swings struck nothing but air, the makeshift weapon hitting the ground with a sickening pop and thud. The third, however, hit its target and bludgeoned Ataris with a direct blow.

The wolf tumbled into a nearby rack of pottery. Clay containers shattered and splintered from the force of the impact, slicing Ataris’ coat.

“Ha!” screamed the Ghast.

Ataris shook his whole body, as canines do. Dust, flour, and fur sprayed from his coat.
It will take more than that to fell me, beast!
he thought as he regrouped and prepared for another attack.

More and more Shade Wolves arrived on the scene. Gork and the other Ghast Gorillas each battled a number of enemies at once. One by one, the gorillas fell victim to the fangs of the pack.

One Ghast dropped to his belly, reaching out for Gork as a dozen wolves pounced. Within a few quick moments, they finished him in a flurry or fangs, barks, and howls. The ape’s assault on the village, once organized and efficient, fell to chaos as the ranks of the Ghast broke and scattered. The beasts fled in all directions to avoid another attack of sharp fangs.

Some leapt to the trees. Others scaled some of the village buildings, only to be exposed to a rain of arrows from the remaining barbarian archers.

As the death cries of the Ghast echoed through the trees, only a few of the gorillas remained. Gork was among them.

The Ghast leader retreated, attempting to keep some distance between himself and Ataris while he sought an escape route. His path took him to a far corner of the village, but the tall and spiked poles of the barrier fence stood in his way. There were also no trees because of several long stretches of rock surface. Before he realized his tactical error, Ataris and over a dozen wolves converged on his position.

Gork was cornered. Trapped. Panicked, he jerked his head from side to side as he searched for an opening. He could barrel through the wolves, hopefully taking out a few along the way. But there were hundreds of razor-sharp teeth waiting to welcome such a brash maneuver.

The wolves backed up a pace or two and gave the ground to Ataris. This was his kill, his right, and they stood by his side, ready to advance if their leader signaled them to do so.

Ataris seized the moment and raced in for another attack. He leapt up as Gork’s arms swung… and missed. The wolf’s ivory fangs did not. The alpha male clamped down and his teeth carved into the base of the gorilla’s neck.

The screech escaping the Ghast’s mouth could be heard for leagues. Part growl, part cry, the frightening sound communicated one message as clear as speech. The Ghast were defeated, and their leader was at the threshold of death.

Gork scratched and clawed to pull the wolf from his wounded neck, but the canine’s jaws locked down, refusing to release even a fraction. This was a death grip, and only the demise of one or both of them would end the struggle.

The gorilla’s sight started to fade as blood moving to his head spilled out of his neck and down his back and chest. With every squirm or twist from his foe, the wolf bit down harder… and deeper. Gork only had a few more moments of consciousness until his mortal sojourn abruptly ended.

The Ghast leader looked to the sturdy wooden fence and did the only thing his frantic mind could think of… he headed for the barrier. In a game of tug-of-war, the indomitable wolf and the desperate gorilla slowly inched nearer the fence.

Adolphus and Magnus heard the screams of the Ghast coming from within the village compound, but continued anyway.

The wolf attempted several more times to persuade the young barbarian to choose another course, but the arguments were ignored. The boy was determined to do something, but they had to find a way back into the village first.

They had not walked along the perimeter of the fence for long when Adolphus spotted a gate opening on the far side of the barrier. The boy was the closest to the wooden poles when a section of palisades ruptured in a ball of dust, dirt, and black and gray fur.

Gork had charged the barrier, stumbling on all fours with Ataris still firmly affixed to his neck. At the last moment, the ape lowered his shoulder and rotated just enough to angle his torso in a way that the brunt of the blow smashed into the wolf, and the two creatures burst through the fence.

The force of the blow snapped some poles in half and disintegrated others into shards of broken wood. One wooden projectile glanced off Adolphus, knocking the wind of out of the boy and sending him spiraling to the ground. Blood ran from his right ear and his lip was split. He gasped for breath, clutching his chest and stomach, and fought back the urge to scream or cry.

Magnus was just quick enough to avoid the pole. He ducked under it, his whiskers brushing the bark of the wood, as it spun overhead and impaled the ground only a few paces away. The wolf skidded to a stop and quickly circled Adolphus.

The young Shade Wolf froze. Behind him, at the center of the cloud of dust, he heard two distinct sounds. One was the quiet whimper of a wolf whose sound he recognized. The other was not a wolf. He turned and watched as Gork stumbled from the haze, shaking his head. One of his huge hands, pressed against the jagged gash in his neck.

Magnus growled as his fur on his body stood on end. He bared his teeth as his lips curled up.

Still dazed from the collision, Gork could barely focus, but the wolf’s warning snapped him back into a moment of clarity. The gorilla’s rage overflowed, but he was in no condition to fight. He thought only to escape and to exact his revenge on the Shade Wolves on some other occasion.

But Magnus was in his way.

As the Ghast stumbled towards Magnus, the wolf held his ground. He barked and howled for the beast to alter course, but it kept advancing, staggering with every step.

Magnus snapped at anything close, missing until he finally grabbed hold of the ape’s leg.

Weakened, Gork still found enough strength to keep moving, even with the young wolf at his leg. Magnus did not have the same size or strength as his father and could not keep his grip on the enemy.

As the wolf released to get a better angle for another bite, the Ghast tripped on one of the fence poles.

Magnus’s head slammed into the ground as the gorilla’s weight pressed against him as they fell. The image of Gork’s ugly face faded. The young wolf blacked out.

The Ghast could hear the barks of the rest of the wolves as they charged through the destroyed section of the barrier. Gork could not see Ataris, but then noticed the motionless Shade Wolf lying at his side. He grabbed a fistful of fur and hoisted Magnus up, the wolf’s legs and head swinging in the air.

The gorilla leader only had a moment before the rest of the pack would be at his heels, but he wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

“Wolf, I end you,” he said as he balled his other hand into a fist and raised it.

“No!” screamed Adolphus as he ran towards the wounded gorilla. Catching the animal by surprise, the young barbarian drove his knife into the back of its leg.

Gork flinched and dropped the wolf as he wheeled around to confront this new threat.

Adolphus stood toe to toe with Gork, looking up at the beast as the ape looked down at him.

“He’s my…” Adolphus started to shout, but the gorilla’s giant hand snagged him.

Gork raised the boy so they could see each eye to eye. He roared, and flashed his fierce fangs, but the child showed no fear.

Instead, Adolphus roared back, just like he had heard the wolves do many times. He still held his dagger, and then he raised the weapon and then swung down to jab it into the Ghast’s chest.

Gork ignored the superficial wound and instead, squeezed the boy. He crushed the barbarian until blood started to seep from the corners of Adolphus’ mouth. The gorilla leaned in and watched as life left the child’s body. As the boy let out one last breath, the ape flung his victim aside.

Adolphus slammed against the fence and slid to the ground. His head drooped to the side, but not before his eyes looked at Magnus… the wolf’s chest still rising and falling in labored breathing.
Magnus, my friend,
he thought and then closed his eyes.

CHAPTER 16

Kelor growled as he stretched, extending his front paws, arching his back and contorting his neck. A long yawn followed and then he dropped back down to his belly and licked his chops.
Why do they never feed me?
he asked himself.

The young panther had little choice but to lay there in his new cage. The Warden’s men had hastily built the enclosure with the limited resources they could scavenge on short notice. Kelor seemed to be growing a foot every day, and that made the steel container practically unusable by the time it was finished. The cat had just enough room to turn around, but it was so narrow he could only lie lengthwise.

The tent city had converted to a mobile caravan overnight. Kelor had been fast asleep and when he awoke the group was well underway. The cat wasn’t sure what the reason was, but there was urgency among the slaves and staff. Wherever they were going, they were going in a hurry.
Perhaps the Warden has caught the scent of a new beast to hunt
.

A deep, raspy cough from behind him caught the panther’s attention. He looked back over his shoulder and watched as Dox stumbled to keep up with the cart transporting Kelor’s cage.

“You’re still here?” the cat asked. “I saw a rotting carcass on the side of the road a while back; thought that was you, Dox.” Kelor then started licking his front paw.

“Yes, and you’re still in a cage,” the Minotaur shot back. His two large hands were cuffed together with steel bracers, and a long, thick chain fastened to one of the steel bars of Kelor’s cage. Oddly enough, the two were connected again, this time literally.

Kelor rolled to his side, his eyes and head still facing in Dox’s direction so he could continue the insults. “I mean really, what’s the point? To get your horn back? There must be a thousand other paths to take. Why endure this?” he asked.

Dox, still aching from his wounds, managed to keep pace with the caravan. His strength was gradually returning as was his angst. “You wouldn’t understand. How could you? Your whole world, your whole life has been looking out from that cage. You know nothing of risk, reward, honor… or sacrifice. You care for nothing other than yourself and your next meal,” he answered. The man-beast realized his response didn’t really answer Kelor’s question. But the cat didn’t seem to notice.

“Good point. When will we eat?” asked the panther.

“See, you know nothing of the creed of the herd. The blessings of family, the duties of one Minotaur to another. You think of only yourself. I pity you, giant cat.”

Kelor sat up and looked over to Dox in smoldering anger. “I had a family! They were taken from me! Stolen by the fire monster. You did nothing. You let them burn!”

It wasn’t I who let them burn, Kelor,
thought Dox. He wanted to disclose more but resisted.
He’s not ready for such painful truths. This is not the time for that, nor the place to share that information.

The Minotaur had blanked out memories of the fire at the camp, the panther’s mother and siblings, and especially the dark secrets of that terrible event. He did not mean to provoke the cat with such a jab. It was a foolish and ignorant comment. One mistake among many he had made recently.

“I wish the Warden would have ended your life then. He was going to set them free,” Kelor continued.

“Why didn’t you bring my life to an end? How many nights were we together in the pit, and you did nothing? If you truly wanted vengeance, you had your chance. I guarantee the Warden wagered you’d take it. Why didn’t you?”

“Shut your muzzle, beast. Perhaps I wanted to see you suffer. Or perhaps… I wanted you to be strong enough so I could… end you the right way. I don’t have to tell you.” Kelor tried to sound full of loathing and menace.

“I doubt that. You want to hate me… and I don’t blame you, but I don’t think that’s who you are. No. I’m certain of it. There’s more to you than fangs and claws,” said the Minotaur.

It was a compliment, but to Kelor it didn’t feel like one.

“What do you know?” said the cat. “You’re a slave, like me. There is no future for us beyond steel and pain.”

Dox quickened his pace so he could walk alongside Kelor’s cage so they could speak clearly… and privately. “I know this. Do not make the same mistake I made, Kelor.”