She suddenly looked up and gasped, crimson in the face.
Blast! He'd forgotten she could read his thoughts. How awkward. “I'm sorry, Talina. I mean no disrespect.”
“I know that.” She chuckled and offered a strained smile.
“Why so sad?” He couldn't stand to see her cry.
“My brother is responsible for the shark attack.” Her gaze hardened and her hands clasped tightly around her knees.
“Good to know.” Kahuel shuddered at the confirmation he had an enemy willing to kill his men. But he struggled with Talina's reason for being here. “Obviously, you do not agree with him.”
She shook her head. “The Star People decided you all must die, and my clan will carry out the sentence.”
“When? How?” Kahuel's warrior instincts took over. “Are they going to fight us face to face? Or use animals, like the sharks?”
“Animals. My people never learned to fight.” Talina nodded. “And I think I figured out which animals they intend to influence.”
“By the Great Engineer, thank you for warning us.” Kahuel scanned the ferns and underbrush for signs of hostile wild life. Another sinister thought surged into his mind. “Does your brother know you are here, talking to me?”
“I don't think so.” She looked so sad. “I haven't felt his mind touch since he banished me. I am dead to him.”
“You can't stay in the forest. It's too dangerous.” Kahuel couldn't leave her at the whim of her people. “Come to our camp. We'll protect you.”
“You don't understand. Your camp is doomed. You are all going to die.”
The comment piqued Kahuel's pride. He straightened stiffly. “Don't underestimate us because we cannot read minds. We will defend ourselves.”
She glanced at the sword hanging from his hip. “That's right. You are a warrior. You fight and kill...”
Kahuel resented the disapproval in her tone. “Better fight and kill than being killed ourselves. And we won't let anything happen to you. Besides, we have someone among us who would love to ask you a few questions.”
Talina broke into a radiant smile. “The Lost Daughter. I would very much like to meet her, too.”
Kahuel supported Talina's arm as she stood up. “Diablo. Come with us.”
The jaguar, who rubbed heads with the panther nearby, grunted in protest.
Kahuel shook his head. “All right. Bring your friend.”
Diablo and the panther followed Kahuel and Talina as they hurried through the dense undergrowth of ferns and foliage toward the beach camp.
“How do you know what Diablo thinks if you don't read his mind?” Talina's wide eyes gazed at him in wonder.
Kahuel held a branch so it wouldn't scratch her face. “I observe what he does, how he behaves.”
Talina nodded shyly in thanks. “Maybe on some level you do read his mind.”
“I don't know about that.” Kahuel chuckled. “So, what kind of animals is your clan going to launch upon us?”
“The caimans floating on the river like dead logs told me my brother asked them to forgo all food until he orders them to kill for him. So did several species of large venomous snakes.”
“Reptiles?” Kahuel watched where he set his booted feet on the path, shuddering at the idea of hostile snakes. “When?”
“Reptiles are most active in late afternoon, after a long sunny day, when they had time to warm. They get sluggish when the temperature drops, so I would guess very soon.”
“Blast!” Kahuel hurried his pace. “I need to warn everybody at the camp.”
As they reached the perimeter, Kahuel motioned for the sentries, who quickly formed a circle around him. “We expect an attack from large snakes and black caimans.”
“Caimans?” The man's voice trailed and his eyes unfocused into confusion.
“Large crocodilians, fast on their feet, with sharp teeth and a big appetite.” Kahuel had no time to elaborate. “Get all the felines on alert and protect the horses and the other livestock.”
Felines and beastmasters approached and Talina ran toward the cats. Leopards, lions, tigers, jaguars, panthers and cheetahs gathered around her and sat still as if listening, although she did not speak.
Kahuel gazed at her with wonder. “What are you doing?”
“Preparing them.” Talina smiled sadly. “They love you very much. They understand the danger and know what to expect. The jaguars will be on the front line. They are the only felines whose fangs can pierce a crocodilian's hard carapace. The other felines will take care of the snakes. They are very brave and loyal.”
“That they are.” Kahuel was amazed at her ability but could not tell his warriors about it. Not even the beastmasters. He hated himself for keeping secrets. Were secrets a necessity of leadership? He'd always believed it to be a Mutant trait.
“These animals are willing to die to defend your lives.” Talina looked so sad. “I don't know how much death I can withstand.”
Kahuel squeezed her shoulder. “Thanks. I do appreciate your help.” He stopped one of his warriors on his way to the tree line. “Where is Princess Esperana?”
The big bearded man saluted. “She left with the Mutants a short while ago.”
“She left?” Blasted Mutants! Kahuel couldn't believe such irresponsible behavior. “Where did they go?”
“She didn't say. Mutants don't speak much to lowly Humans.” The warrior grimaced then pointed toward a rocky outcrop far inland along the black cliff. “They went that way.”
Kahuel couldn't see anyone on the slopes. It was early afternoon, the warmest part of the day, when the twin suns arced toward the mountains in the western sky. He sighed in frustration. “How can we protect her if she disappears without notice?”
The warrior shrugged. “The Grays are with her.”
Kahuel snorted. “Deprived of their precious phasers and shields, the Grays are just big wimps.”
The warrior chuckled, a glint of mirth in his dark brown eyes. “I didn't say it. You did.”
“Right.” Kahuel enjoyed the companionship of his warriors. “I'll bet my silver on any well trained Zerker against a Gray in unarmed combat anytime.”
“I'll be the first to volunteer.” The warrior laughed.
A dozen men and women joined in the laughter. They knew Kahuel told the truth, but no one would dare denigrate the Grays in front of a Mutant. Luckily, the Mutants were away.
“Get everyone on alert for snakes and caimans. Distribute all the weapons we have. We need to lengthen our striking distance. Tie the knives to bamboo shafts to make javelins and spears. Make sure you have plenty of arrows. Even without a metal point, a sharpened bamboo stick can kill.”
The warriors scurried to make preparations. Kahuel walked the ground and spotted several warriors walking barefoot. “Wear whatever protective leg gear you can find, boots, bamboo greaves. No one fights sharp-toothed creepy crawlers barefoot, understood?” Kahuel glanced down at Talina's lovely bare feet. “This won't do.”
“I don't need protection. The animals know me.” She looked so serene in the face of impending danger. “I will speak to the reptiles and try to dissuade them. But my gift is not as strong as my brother's.”
“Thank you for any help you can give.” Kahuel worried about her safety. If her brother banished her, he might very well want to kill her for betraying her clan. “Can you do that from a distance?”
Talina's clear turquoise eyes stared straight into his. “I can.”
“Then go sit on the black rocks that jut into the ocean. You will be safer there.” He pointed to the natural jetty. “Caimans and snakes won't venture into salt water.”
“If it makes you feel better, I'll go there.” A hesitant smile strained her lovely face. “But you should worry about yourself, Black Jaguar. Not about me.”
“I can take care of myself. Go.” Kahuel watched Talina walk, leaving tracks in the wet sand, toward the long, jagged spine that reached into the ocean. The receding tide already uncovere
d the starboard railing of the Galleon that peeked through glittery waters.
Blast the Mutants for disappearing in times of danger. How was he supposed to protect the princess when they left without warning?
A horse whinnied, and Kahuel hailed its rider. “No horses in this battle. They panic at the sight of reptiles. Keep them at the edge of the water, as far away from the forest as possible.”
“As you order, Black Jaguar.” The rider prompted his mount and rode toward other riders, barking the new orders.
But Kahuel worried about the safety of the Mutant princess. Did the Grays even have blades to protect her? He'd never seen any on them, but they were so secretive, they could have hidden knives in their boots. He doubted they could use a sword or a dagger efficiently, though. He pictured them as too lazy for any kind of primitive training. If they wanted to be part of this group, they would have to train with Human weapons and learn from Humans, no matter how distasteful they found the idea.
A feline roared a warning, and Kahuel turned toward the edge of the forest.
“Here they come,” a sentry shouted.
“Form the line, don't let any pass through!” Drawing his sword, Kahuel rushed to lead his company to battle. A familiar sensation took hold of him, the thrill he called battle fever.
As one, Humans and felines yelled a war cry and charged.
Chapter Seven
The battle still raged as the twin suns crept toward the mountains. Felines roared, warriors yelled, and the cries of the wounded filled the once serene cove. Chickens flew up into the trees, goats bleated at the water's edge, ducks found refuge on the choppy waters, and even the pigs ventured into the small waves, seeking safety.
But the line of warriors had spread too thin along the length of the cove. “Tighten the line!” Kahuel's men fought too close to the thick foliage. “Do not enter the forest! Snakes are dropping from trees. Stay on the sand, where they have to crawl.”
The stench of battle, a mix of sweat, fear, blood and entrails, filled Kahuel's nostrils.
At his side, Diablo had pierced a caiman's skull with his fangs and threw aside the dead carcass. Then the feline pounced upon a large rattler, biting the nape and shaking the snake violently until it went limp.
A few felines prowled the fringe near the tree line. “Beastmasters! Keep your cats on the beach!”
A crocodilian streaked upon the sand to the right. Kahuel lunged with the sword, but the quick caiman deflected the blade with a toss of its snout. Although nicked on the front leg, the beast barely acknowledged the hit and opened its serrated maw as it spun around to face Kahuel.
Kahuel backed toward the tail, wary of its swing, keeping the caiman twisting upon itself to fight him. “Archer!”
A female warrior with a bow rushed to his side.
“Aim inside the mouth!” Kahuel ran a tight circle around the creature, until the open jaw faced the archer. “Now!”
The archer let fly, the bolt hit the throat with a thud and the startled caiman shook then closed its maw, choking on the arrow lodged inside. Attempting to expel the projectile, the reptilian contorted and rolled on its back, exposing its underbelly. Dodging the snapping jaw, Kahuel leapt and thrust his sword hard and deep through the softer belly scales.
The animal emitted a guttural sound and thrashed. Kahuel twisted his blade deeper into the beast, aware of Diablo fighting a rattler. More archers shot at the snakes closing upon them. The caiman's tail swished wildly, swiping Kahuel off his feet. Tossed by a powerful slap, he landed next to a hooded cobra. He reached for his sword, but it was still in the caiman's belly. Blast!
He threw a short blade in the direction of the cobra, piercing the hood. Then Kahuel scrambled back to grab the protruding hilt from the squirming caiman. He wrenched the sword free, eliciting a flow of red blood that seeped into the thirsty sand in a stench of steamy offal. Then he whirled and sliced off the head of another cobra. Blood spurted and the snake writhed, while its severed head on the sand still inched toward his booted feet, as if eager to bite him even in death.
“Blast!” Kahuel kicked the ghastly head and wiped his sweaty brow with one forearm. “Archers! Keep using this technique on the caimans! Aim inside the mouth!”
The archers nodded. The woman pulled another arrow out of her quiver and scanned the beach for the black caimans, easy to spot on the light sand. Upon sighting a crocodilian with an open maw, she ran after it.
Unlike the caimans, the light earth-tone snakes blended with drift wood and the ripples in the sand. All around Kahuel, the beach writhed with rattling tails, squirming coils, and raised heads that hissed. Forked tongues flicked between long, venomous fangs. Kahuel slashed right and left, wondering how many reptiles the natives could have conjured. Hundreds? Thousands?
It seemed he had been killing for hours. His sword arm ached with the strain, and his frustration grew as more scaly beasts crept upon the sand.
Diablo coughed a warning. A tiger answered with a guttural roar.
“Watch out!” The cry surged from the tree line.
Kahuel hacked his way toward the warning cry. Something big slithered out of the underbrush, rustling the forest floor. A giant anaconda meandered out of the thick foliage and onto the warm sand, followed by another, and another... “By the Great Engineer, will it ever end?”
At Kahuel's side, Diablo stared at the shady bushes and ferns, deep under the canopy. His ears rotated to catch the approaching sounds. What else could be coming?
The warriors glanced wearily at the tree line.
A beastmaster yelled a command and a cheetah came running. Diablo joined the rallying cry. A dozen large cats pounced on one anaconda at once. Then other felines repeated the maneuver on other large snakes. The cats seemed better coordinated than usual. Could Talina be directing them? But if she could do that, could the other natives turn the felines against their beastmasters?
Stomping small snakes and slashing the raised heads of larger ones, Kahuel progressed toward the anacondas where Diablo already inflicted damage with claws and fangs.
Snorts and short howls told Kahuel the felines had killed one of the giant snakes. But more anacondas slithered out of the underbrush.
* * *
Eyes closed, sitting on a boulder surrounded by gentle waves, Talina heard the sounds of battle carried on the breeze. She couldn't watch anymore. Hot tears streaked down her cheeks, and her chest squeezed her heart with each sob. So many deaths, so many minds crying in pain, asking for relief. She couldn't stand any more grief.
Her renewed efforts at breaking her brother's hold on the reptiles had failed, but she had to try again. She had to help the innocent foreigners against the horrifying attacks of her own clan. How ashamed she was of the Chosen.
Clearing her mind, she pushed through the suffering that ripped her body and soul. She took a deep, painful breath and released it slowly as she refocused her efforts.
“Reptile friends, I beseech you again, do not yield to Vanaru's call. He is leading you to death and misery. The foreigners mean you no harm. Retreat, and you will live happily in the great green paradise.”
A jolt in her chest shook Talina out of her trance.
“Get out of my way, Sister. The foreigners must die.”
“Vanaru!” The pain in her chest increased. “Please, stop this madness.”
The contact snapped shut, striking her like a whip. But Talina would not let her brother destroy so many Human lives. And even if she had to sacrifice his precious reptiles, she would keep fighting for what she knew to be right.
“Felines of the forest, please hurry. Stop these mad reptiles from reaching the cove.”
She felt the touch of the large cats answering her call. Abandoning their hunt, interrupting their naps, they made their way toward the shore and the sounds of fighting. She sent fierce images of pouncing on snakes and caimans. “Brave cats. Today, you are eating reptiles.”
In her trance, Talina saw the wild felines hunting sn
akes and caimans under the jungle canopy. She sent them promises of warm embraces. She wanted Black Jaguar and his people to win this battle. Most of all, she wanted him to live
As she opened her eyes and gazed upon the cove that had become a battlefield, she couldn't help but wonder what Vanaru might do next. It horrified her to think that her own brother had caused such death and despair. Until they'd summoned the Star People, he'd always been kind and compassionate. What had happened to him?
But Talina had an important task to perform. She refocused her mind on the feline fighters in the jungle.
* * *
As the evening shadows lengthened to engulf the beach, the sounds of fighting slowly waned. Diablo emitted a short coughing roar. Other felines, deep inside the forest answered him. What was happening?
Then Kahuel saw wild felines leap out of the forest, pouncing upon emerging reptiles with unbridled fury. The cooling breeze and the evening shade drove the surviving reptiles back to the undergrowth. Large cats relished hunting at dusk, and the cold-blooded snakes would be too sluggish to fight.
In the growing quiet, Diablo glanced toward the tree line, the head of a dead boa still clutched in his mouth. The jaguar's fangs had pierced clear through the reptile's skull. Diablo dropped his prey and strode leisurely to meet his native counterparts. Tamed felines and wild cats sniffed each other's noses and exchanged happy roars and grunts of satisfaction.
When beastmasters and warriors realized the last reptiles had fled, a loud cheer rose. Kahuel joined his bellow to the victory cry. But he suspected they owed their success to Talina.
Gazing out toward the natural rock jetty, Kahuel searched for her. There, against the dark stones, she lay prostrate like a white castaway. Spent? Or lifeless? “Talina!”
Blood rushed through Kahuel's veins. Despite his weariness, he raced toward the black boulders protruding higher as the tide ebbed. His heart pounded. Had a snake gotten to her? Had this victory cost her life?
Black Jaquar Page 8
