Feathered Dragon - Douglas Niles [86]
Halloran saw that the jaguar blinked and shook its head, all the while growling and snarling. But now there was an element in those cries that had not been there before-an element of fear.
Above him, he heard the excited jabbering of the Little People. None of them ventured forward to look into the pit, but he plainly heard their cries of alarm and confusion.
“Good!” he hissed to himself. “Maybe that’ll shake up their confidence a bit.”
Erixitl moaned again, still on the ground behind him Keeping a wary eye on the cat, Halloran crouched down and helped her to lean against the wall of the pit.
Then the cat growled, and once again the creature’s voice throbbed with anger and power. Its fear had become tension, and it crouched and stared, its black tail swishing back and forth in agitation. Hal sensed it working up the nerve to attack.
“You seek to defeat me with simple tricks?” The Lord of the Jaguars shrilled his rage, a snarl of bestial fury. “For this you will die slowly. You will watch me devour your woman before you perish!”
“You’re an old hornless goat, not fit to be lord of anything!” Hal snarled back. “You’re not fit to be a servant of toads!” Too weak to hunt for your own food! You seek to defeat us with magic because you are the one who is afraid! Your fangs rot! Flee back to your hole, craven one!”
For a moment, he wondered if he might be right. Indeed the monstrous feline still crouched, staring. He saw long, wickedly curved claws extend from its forefeet. Desperately he wished for a weapon. His mind raced through the few other spells he knew. None of them, he realized, had
any hope of halting a creature of this size and power. Still, in his desperation, he sought any tactic, any thing that might help him against the nightmarish beast. Then the monster pounced.
* * * * *
“They have moved into Helmsport. Your men, the ones you left there, have been imprisoned in one of the huts.” Chical explained the results of his reconnaissance to Cordell as the two men rested beside a quiet pool. Around them, the horses eagerly lapped at the water while the legionnaires and other eagles prepared for an evenings rest.
“What about the commander? Did you see their leader?” Cordell asked, angry and perplexed by the news.
Chical shrugged. “I do not know how to tell your leaders. You do not wear the feathers of rank such as does a general of the True World.”
Beside them, Kardann looked up anxiously. “They come from Amn, I tell you!” he warned. “Because we sent no messages back-no tribute! If you had listened to me-“
“Be silent!” Cordell barked, and the pudgy assessor quickly obeyed. “I need to think!”
“It would seem that they do not come to aid you,” observed the Eagle Warrior, with no trace of irony in his tone.
“At least, their captain does not. I am certain that there is someone behind this behavior. It is not typical of soldiers from my country to thus turn on those who offer them no harm and no threat.
“There is more,” noted Chical, and the captain-general sighed.
“What?” Cordell asked, fearing the answer.
“The beasts of the Viperhand have mustered in Nexal. They begin to march from the city. Now they are led by a monstrous colossus of stone. It is a figure that walks like a man but towers as high as once did the Great Pyramid.”
Cordell cursed. “Can you tell where they’re going?”
“They march eastward, toward Kultaka-back along the route you yourself took when you marched to Nexal”
“They could be going all the way to Payit, then-to Ulatos and Helmsport?”
“Yes, naturally,” replied the Eagle Knight.
“One more question,” said the captain-general. “If we maintain our present pace, will we get there before them?”
Chical thought for a moment. “Yes, by several days at the very least-perhaps a week or more. We are already closer than they are, and I believe we move faster.”
Cordell looked frankly at the warrior who had once fought so savagely against him. “Your information is very valuable to me-more valuable than I can explain, lb have