Feathered Dragon - Douglas Niles [84]
“You have made us a good plan,” said Zochimaloc, appearing out of the darkness to walk softly beside Gultec. “The high route must be the safest.”
The Jaguar Knight sighed. “I wish it were true. But I fear no place is safe from the kind of enemy that pursues us.”
“You must know that your attack was successful,” countered the old man, stepping nimbly over a low vine. “They have fallen behind us now, and this gives us time to escape.”
“Time? Can it be enough time?” Gultec wondered. “Is there enough time in the world?”
Zochimaloc chuckled, a patronizing, grandfatherly sound that somehow made Gultec feel more confident. “There is time, now, for the old people, the children, and the mothers ° go through the pass and over the mountains. Perhaps there is time, too, to have faith.”
The warrior looked up at the pass, still outlined against the stars. Perhaps Zochimaloc was right. Indeed, many of the Itza must have already reached the far side of the mountains. By morning, the warriors would reach the summit of the pass. Once there, they would have to turn and face the inevitably pursuing enemy. There they would make their stand.
NIGHT OF THE CAT-GOD
From the chronicles of Coton:
In wander at the mysterious ways of the One True God.
Around me the dwarves pace and grunt in agitation over our missing companions. Lotil, too, fears for his daughter. He tries to work, but his fingers cannot perform their pluma-weaving. Instead, they tremble in a way I have never seen before.
And in truth, the disappearance of Halloran and Erixitl is sudden and mysterious.
Yet I find it difficult to express fear for them. There is too much of destiny about the woman for her to suffer a random mishap in the jungles, this short of our goal. She may not triumph, J know, but her ultimate resolution will be countered at Twin Visages. Of this, I am certain.
Wherever she has gone, it is good to know that she has Halloran’s strength with her. Whatever her lot on this dark and impenetrable night, I feel certain that it has a purpose in the pursuit of our goal.
The dwarves will seek them in the morning, and I will wish them well. Perhaps my optimism is but the senile dodderings of an old man. My companions may be correct in their assessment of danger.
In any event, we must wait for the morning to know.
Halloran placed one arm around Erixitl’s shoulders and moved himself between her and the source of the rumbling growl. He felt very conscious of the baby within her and terribly vulnerable in his own unarmed state. He was determined to die before allowing harm to reach Erix.
The couple stared across the darkened pit, and slowly their eyes adjusted to the dim light. The stoutly barred door remained closed, but again they saw shadowy movement beyond it.
Then that resonant growl rolled through the pit again.
“It’s opening!” Erix gasped. They saw the barred door rise slowly, and then the black shape beyond it crept forward with an oily smooth motion. Ft crept toward them, slowly moving away from the shadows around the wall of the pit. As it reached the center of the enclosure, they saw its sleek black pelt, its ears laid back along a broad, flat skull.
“A black jaguar!” Hal hissed, shocked at the horribly menacing visage of the great cat. Its yellow eyes burned through the darkness like glowing spots of hellfire, while its jaws gaped open just enough to reveal long, wickedly curved fangs. The animal’s shoulders equaled Hal’s waist in height, even as the creature crouched. It stared unblinking, the dark tail flicking hack and forth in excitement.
“Its too huge. It can’t be a jaguar!” Erix objected, though she couldn’t imagine what else menaced them in this night-mare pit.
“There are other great cats in the world-tigers, lions, even more horrible things like displacer beasts,” Hal whispered, desperately seeking a plan of action. “Maybe it’s something like that.”
“I am the Lord of the Jaguars.”
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