Trail of Bones: A Young Adult Fantasy Novel (25 page)

No one in the tent said a word as tension hung in the air like a thick cloud of smoke.

Magnus said nothing while he ate, but soon the wolf looked at Kelor and watched the cat pace inside its small cage. The panther was trying to suppress his anger and contempt, but it was obvious that the verbal sparring had an effect on him.

“That was not wise. You shouldn’t provoke him like that,” said Dox after a long pause.

“I can take care of myself. I don’t need an oversized corgan telling me what to do,” argued Kelor.

“I’ve warned you on several occasions, the human is capable of almost anything,” said the Minotaur.

“I’m not worried.”

“You should be,” warned Dox yet again.

After swallowing one chunk of meat, Magnus still had several more pieces left. He selected one, took the flesh in his mouth, trotted to the side of the cage and tossed the meat into Kelor’s cage.

Kelor snapped his head around and glared at the wolf. “I don’t want your pity, mutt!” he scowled as he swatted the piece of meat with his paw. The chunk sailed out of his cage, struck one of the bars of Magnus’s enclosure, and landed in the dirt. “Keep it in your cage, where it belongs. Don’t send it my way.”

Dox shook his head.
Foolish pride. He won’t heed my warnings, won’t accept a gift from the wolf. We’re trying to help you, Kelor, but you’re too stubborn to see it. The path you are choosing is a harsh one and does not need to be so,
thought the beast-man.
But the choice is yours… as are the consequences.

The sun was setting when the Warden finally reentered the tent. He walked past Dox, Magnus, and the other captives and went straight to Kelor’s cage. “What’s it gonna be?” he asked with his arms folded.

“What do you want?” asked the cat without rancor.

The Warden’s posture changed upon hearing Kelor’s reply. He unfolded his arms and placed his hands on his hips. “That’s better. Now listen closely,” he said as he took a few steps closer to cage. “This is simple; I think even you can handle it. There’s a compound on the south end of town. Break in, slay as many as you can and get out,” the Warden explained.

“That’s it?” asked Kelor.

“That’s it. Easy. I don’t care whose life you end, but it needs to be loud and messy. The more witnesses the better. Got it?”

The human has gone mad! Is this some kind of sick test? Witnesses? What is this nonsense?
thought Kelor.

“What have these people done to earn such an end? To earn the honor of succumbing to my claws?” asked the panther.

The Warden rolled his eyes. “Don’t pretend to have a conscience, Kelor. Remember, I know your kind. I know how you all think. That’s how I caught your mother in the first place. Your race is selfish, brutal, and remorseless. So don’t play that game with me!”

The cat’s answer was unexpected. The Warden wasn’t planning on an argument of morals. “If you must know, they’re a family of criminals. Powerful and corrupt,” said the human in exasperation. “Feel better?”

“Are there young ones? What about human females?” asked Kelor.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Just end them all. How hard is that?” the Warden shouted back.

The human’s comment about Kelor’s family was still ringing in the cat’s ears.
Selfish, brutal, remorseless,
thought the panther.
I’ll show him how selfish I can be!

“Last chance, Kelor,” said the Warden, sensing the cat’s hesitation. “Think about it. You sure you really want to go the rounds with me? I’m holding everything, you’ve got nothing.”

“That’s what you want? That’s your plan? End them all?” asked Kelor one last time.

The Warden simply nodded.

“Then do it yourself!” roared Kelor. “I’m not yours to command!”

The Master of the Hunt was fuming. He leaned in and whispered to Kelor, “Very well. You asked for it.” He nodded to a servant standing nearby and stormed from the tent.

The servant walked over and dumped a large basket of meat chunks into Kelor’s cage.

“See!” said Kelor to Dox and Magnus as he gulped down a piece of flesh. “Told you I could take care of myself. I’m not gonna end up like you two. I choose my own way.”

The panther devoured the meal in front of him, a wave of satisfaction… and sudden fatigue washed over him by the time he was finished.

****

The heat from the afternoon sun seared into Kelor’s flesh, cooking his fur coat. His eyelids were still heavy as he tried to get his bearings. Sounds from all directions rang in his ears as he struggled back to consciousness. He tried to open his mouth and stretch the muscles in his jaws, but something prevented him. Then he felt a new series of sensations.

The giant panther tugged his right front leg, but a wood, metal, and leather cuff snapped the limb back to its original position. The cuff was connected to some kind of contraption, a machine of chains, weights, and counterweights all designed to immobilize the large feline.

Kelor tried again, this time extending his other front leg. The cuff moved a short distance and the attached chain drew taunt, but the heavy boulder connected at the end of the pulley system prevented any further movement. The cat released and the large rock slammed back to the ground.

Then the panther heard the crowd. His eyes focused, adjusting to bright sunlight. There was a sizeable mob gathered at what appeared to be the center of the town square. Humans of all ages gawked and pointed at the ensnared beast.

“People of Dravenclaw, have no fear, I’ve trapped the beast - that vile creature responsible for the demise of so many a few days ago,” declared the Warden as he stood in front of Kelor and addressed the crowd.

What is he talking about? A few days ago? Where am I, and how did I get here?
thought Kelor as the muzzle prevented him from speaking.

“Behold, a giant panther from the plains of the North. One can only guess how he came to Dravenclaw. Perhaps to satisfy his appetite for blood and flesh. We do not know how this tale began, but we all have a say in how it will end,” said the Warden.

The mob cheered. A few threw tomatoes, lettuce and other food stuffs at the panther.

Kelor was completely helpless. He could do nothing other than take the mockery and the punishment.

“Their murders are no reason for celebration, but we should consider ourselves fortunate on this day,” continued the captor. “Fortunate he did not slay more. Fortunate we caught him so quickly. And fortunate to capture such a rare and legendary beast!”

Another boisterous cheer from the crowd and the Warden was enjoying every moment.

“Do you want justice?” he asked.

In unison, the crowd answered, “Yes!”

“Do you want entertainment?”

“Yes,” the mob affirmed in one loud voice.

The Warden grinned. They were almost frothing at their mouths, eager to see more blood. “Then I give you both. In three days you will all witness this horror of the plains; this slayer of souls will fight for his life. And he will receive the justice he so rightly deserves!”

The crowd cheered again. Shouts of praise for the Warden, shouts for the destruction of the beast, and shouts of a fight to the death all rang out.

As the group started to disperse, the Warden made one last statement. “Come close, see the beast. Touch him, feel his strength and power. I swear to you, he can do you no harm now. Remember this moment, for you will never get another chance to be so close to such a creature again.”

Kelor could not believe this. A large number of onlookers accepted the Warden’s proposal and swarmed the giant cat. They pulled on his fur and whiskers. Children tugged on his tail, and one foolish teen tried to jump on top of the cat’s back and ride him like a horse.

The panther tried to recoil and avoid the fingers reaching for him, but he could only contort and move his torso the span of a hand or two at most. He tried to roar, tried to yell, but his attempts were foiled by his shackles and restraints.

Some of the crowd pulled as hard as they could, ripping away fistfuls of Kelor’s fur. Other’s cut pieces of his dark coat for keepsakes. A few even spit in his face or punched and kicked his sides.

It was the longest series of moments in Kelor’s life. He looked over and watched as the Warden stood to the side, his arms folded, as he grinned at the spectacle. The panther closed his eyes and thought of his mother and his brothers. As always, it served as his only sliver of solace.

After a while the novelty of pestering the large cat waned, and the crowd dispersed. They each had their fill of tempting a beast who could not retaliate. The real show would be watching the panther in action, fighting for survival. That was the real spectacle the entire town buzzed about.

When the last few stragglers walked away, leaving Kelor alone, the Warden motioned for the servants to take the panther back to the camp. He had designed the confining contraption to rest on a wheeled platform, thus capable of transporting the helpless predator to anywhere he wished.

The crew of nearly a dozen servants prepped the platform and hooked it to a team of horses. As they performed their tasks, the Warden walked to one of the nearby buildings where a hooded figure stood in the shadows.

“What do you think?” asked the Warden.

Korwin removed his hood, exposing his elfin face and pointed ears. “You certainly know how to handle a crowd. I can see why King Draghone chose you. But will the cat fight? It would be a shame to lose him in the first contest. A beast like that must be hard to come by,” said Korwin as he watched the servants work on Kelor’s device.

“Oh, he’ll fight. You wait and see. He’s a predator, a hunter, a killer, down to his bones… he just doesn’t know it yet,” said the Warden.

“A hunter? He was born in a cage, was he not? Fed by your hand his whole life. He’s had no reason to hunt… or kill for that matter.”

“Right, you are, Elf. That’s why I have to help him remember. I have to unlock ages of instinct, power and rage.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” asked Korwin.

“Hate,” said the human with a smile. “The beast just needs some motivation and the rest will come. The more he hates me, the harder he’ll fight. Trust me, I know his kind. He just needs a push.”

The Storm Elf looked over at his companion. “Then for your sake I hope you can keep him in his cage. Should he escape, your days are numbered,” said Korwin with a smile of his own.

“Not to worry, wizard, in the off chance that does occur, I have a few safeguards in place. I don’t lose… ever,” he said as he patted Korwin on the back and then walked over to the contraption.

Korwin chuckled under his breath.
The arrogance of this human is without equal
, thought the elf.
One day he will lose, and I’ll be there when it happens. For some reason, I think the panther will be, too. I can’t wait to see the look on his face then!

****

The sun was setting when Kelor arrived back at the camp. As he entered the holding tent, all eyes were fixated on the cat. Magnus, Dox and the human captives all watched as the panther walked by.

He looked awful. His fur was a tangled, shredded mess. Stains from blood, rotten food, and other unidentifiable garbage blanketed his dark, spotted coat. Even his unblemished and perfect tail looked mangled and abused.

Kelor walked by with his head hanging low, his ears drooping, and his tail almost tucked between his legs. He could feel the stares, like cactus spines piercing through him, adding more pain to the humiliation already drowning him. If losing his family had been the worst emotional moment of his life, then this was a close second.

When the cage door slammed shut, it was painful. A loud clank and scrapping of metal from the padlock screamed the finality of his captivity throughout the tent. He was a caged beast, at mercy to the whims and taunts of his captor, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Kelor felt helpless.

Dox wanted to say something. Some words of comfort or advice. Anything to help lessen the sting he knew the cat was feeling. The same sting he felt when the Warden had made him slurp up his dinner from the dirt of the tent floor. The same sting he had felt when he was tossed down into the pit like a barrel full of garbage. He had tried to warn Kelor, but the stubborn panther would not listen.

I’m sorry, Kelor,
thought the Minotaur.
I wish you could have learned this lesson from my mistakes. I hope at some point, you can learn from others… or this will only be the start of your misery.

The beast-man watched as Kelor fought the urge to clean his fur.

After a few moments, the panther curled up to shield his face from the eyes of the others and licked the filth from his front paws and legs. The taste was so foul, so bitter, that he licked a cut to taste blood and mask the unpleasant contaminants.

Magnus watched too. He wanted to look away, but he couldn’t. Like the Minotaur, he, too, knew how Kelor was feeling.
I’ve been there,
he thought as looked at the cat in the adjacent cage.
There is no shame… only pain.

The wolf’s mouth opened, but he couldn’t find the words. What could he possibly say to make this any better? Nothing. Magnus had felt alone from the moment he was taken from his pack. Even here in the Warden’s camp with other captives, he still felt alone. Initially, he thought he had nothing in common with any of them. But that changed when he realized they all shared in at least one thing in common… pain.

None of them slept much that night.