Part 17 (1/2)

He contemplated jumping to get a closer look, but the wound on his leg felt as if it might make the jump impossible. After thinking it through, he tossed his pack beyond the cat's haunches.

Holding the torch high, he studied the area. Once he had his spot, he rocked back and lunged forward. As he landed, the wound caused his leg to give. He stumbled forward and came to a tumbling end on the broken body of the beast. The cat thrashed as the torch sizzled against its fur, and its wicked cries filled the night.

George scrambled to a small, secluded spot on the stone. The pain in his leg was excruciating, and he needed to pull himself together. By the light of the torch, he took what was left of his s.h.i.+rt and let one end drop into the water of the pool. Once the cool, damp material had been applied to his wound, he felt a little better.

He stood and stared at the cat. He moved the flame around to get a better look. Amazing! The snare scroll actually worked! he thought. He could not believe it was only a few short moments ago when he read the words of power from the parchment. The sight of the creature was impressive. The power the magic possessed to stop such a beast had to be tremendous. I can't believe this magic c.r.a.p works. This is awesome. Abbie would be scared to death right now.

As he held the flame up, he could see the beast had different shades of brown fur. Its broken leg was bent beneath its body in a horrific position. This thing must weigh a ton.

The cat continued to moan as George limped around it, wincing with each step of his right foot. The beast's lower jaw was mutilated. It looked fake and hung awkwardly to one side. Both of its fanged teeth had broken, and they were laying on the stone not far from its head.

George's mind was beginning to fight the reality of what had happened. He thought he was ready for anything the world had to offer, but this was the first series of moments in which anyone or anything had wanted to end him.

He remembered seeing this sort of beast in a children's movie he had watched with Abbie not long ago. He remembered the cat having similar teeth. ”I thought you were extinct!” he shouted, hovering over the animal. ”What else does this place have to offer?” I don't think anything here is normal! Mages! Magic staffs! Treasure maps ... and now, extinct beasts! He shook his head. It doesn't matter! It doesn't freaking matter! Bring it on!

He kicked the saber in the gut as payback for his wound. The pain of the impact caused the cat to cry out and sent George back to the edge of the rock to dip his s.h.i.+rt into the water to help soothe the throbbing in his calf.

The human had never felt more out of touch with reality than he did now, and he was losing control of his emotions. As he shouted a new set of fresh curses into the night, his exploits were being observed by yet another set of hidden eyes.

Again, George moved in close. During this series of moments, he would take a new approach. He tortured the beast with his torch.

The cat tried to defend himself, but he could not.

George watched as the beast's fur sizzled, and its flesh fried. The saber went from an angry growl to agonizing cries. George's heart was growing colder with every moan the beast made. He resented the attack on his life, and lowered the torch onto its body again, feeling no remorse.

Soon, the torture of the flame was not enough to soothe George's need for vengeance. Reaching toward his hip, he drew his sword. He whacked the flat of the blade against the fractured bone that protruded from the cat's leg.

The beast wailed.

Smiling, he whacked it twice more. He reached down and twisted the lower portion of the saber's broken jaw. He tugged and enjoyed the beast's suffering. George had never experienced this kind of demented pleasure.

”Here, kitty, kitty!” he taunted, poking the point of the blade into different parts of the cat's anatomy while savoring its cries. He was careful to make sure the point entered deep enough to draw blood, but not deep enough to puncture a major organ. He did not want to kill his enemy yet. The torture he was administering was far too enjoyable to stop.

”Payback's a b.i.t.c.h!” he shouted. ”You tried to kill the wrong guy!”

He limped over to pick up the b.l.o.o.d.y teeth from the rock and then mounted the beast in a straddled position, groaning from the pain in his leg. He then lowered the teeth in front of the cat's pain-filled eyes and jeered, ”I'm going to make a necklace with these. I'll tell my baby girl how delicious you tasted tonight.” After pus.h.i.+ng the points of the cat's teeth into its neck, George leaned back and shouted, ”Here kitty, kitty!” A wicked laugh followed, chased by another pain-filled groan.

He slid off his furry chair and circled the beast again, poking it some more with the point of his blade. With each step, he continued to scream, ”Here, kitty, kitty! Oh, here, kitty, kitty! My pain is your pain!”

Becoming bored, George raised his sword above his head and plunged it through the cat's neck, ending the saber's life.

Leaving the sword buried in the beast's throat, George released the handle and leaned against the cat's body. He opened his pack and removed his old pair of pants and used them to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He took a moment to breathe, allowing his heartbeat to slow down and the rush of adrenaline to stop before he stood.

He studied the b.l.o.o.d.y scene. ”d.a.m.n! Good thing the animal rights people aren't here.”

Methodically, he severed all four of the beast's legs to release the creature from its unseen bonds. Amazed at the beast's weight, despite its missing legs, George had to cut the saber into 12 smaller pieces before tossing them from the rock to the ground.

Gathering some wood from the forest, he built a fire near an old tree trunk that had been pulled close to the sh.o.r.eline. The piece of deadwood provided the perfect place to sit, and it was evident it had been placed there some seasons ago. A fire pit had been dug close to the log, and most of the ash inside the hole had blown away.

As he removed the rag from his wound and dipped it into the Pool of Sorrow, his senses were triggered. Something was not right. His gut feeling was telling him to be aware. He realized he was not alone and needed a plan.

George returned to the pile of meat and cut the large chunks of b.l.o.o.d.y flesh into smaller pieces. He put them into a pile, saved a few choice cuts to cook for dinner and then sat on the log. The now-experienced slayer of giant cats figured the flesh would serve as a distraction for any aggressive beast that might come along.

The night carried with it a slight chill, but the fire provided warmth, and it kept the area dimly lit. He had collected enough wood to keep it burning hot, tall, and strong until morning. His brief period of Boy Scout experience told him the flames would act as a deterrent for most animals, and with this knowledge, he smiled with satisfaction.

It took a bit of tugging, but George was able to remove the meat he had cooked from the end of his skewer. He had selected a cut from the beast's haunch and was eager to enjoy the experience. He marveled at the tenderness, despite the fact he had held it a bit too close to the flame. All-in-all, his first helping of saber-tooth was a pleasure. His stomach was full, and he was satisfied with his success.

From the darkness, the demon-cat, Kepler, watched as George pulled the meat off the stick to eat it. He was nervous, not wanting to startle the man when he approached. This human was strong, just as the G.o.ddess had foretold. He did not want to end up like the Sabertooth Lord. Being eaten did not make for good conversation. Being cut up like his subject was not his idea of a good first encounter. He would approach with caution and avoid giving the impression that he was a threat.

The demon-jaguar moved forward, creating just enough noise to make his presence known. He had watched from the shadows of the forest as everything transpired, and caution was the proper course of action.

Kepler had been appalled as he watched the human strike his blade against the tiger's broken leg, only to cause it further pain. He saw the look of pleasure on the man's face as he twisted the saber's broken jaw. The countless number of pokes with his weapon was humiliating to all cats. He could even smell his subject's flesh as the heat of the flame scorched it. In his existence, Kepler had never made one of his victims suffer the way this human had. The demon-cat had always killed his victims in an instant-which made the sight of today's events troubling to his undead heart.

He had a newfound fear of this human. Kepler thought back to his conversation with the G.o.ddess. ”I warn you, Kepler, this is a strong-willed, hot-tempered human. I would not make him angry if I were you. I would hate to see you end up on a skewer, cooked for supper.”

The demon had now seen firsthand what Celestria meant. George seemed to have no problem cooking anything he killed, and he was not about to end up as another catch of the day.

Kepler feared no man prior to this night. The G.o.ddess foresaw this human to be a powerful ruler. He would send this world and others into darkness. The cat now believed this to be true. He hated admitting it, but he was afraid to approach after seeing how easy it was for the human to kill.

The jaguar crept toward the fire, but to his surprise, George did not stop eating. Did the human not notice him? Or worse, perhaps he did not care about his presence. Whatever the truth, the demon remained cautious, a.s.suming the man was indifferent to his company. He thought, This human must be able to summon the power to stop any confrontation.

Kepler turned his nose up as he walked by the b.l.o.o.d.y pile of pieces. His mind was calculating as he circled the flames. How could this human ignore me? He fails to acknowledge my presence. This is my territory. My land. Has he not heard of me? Has my reputation not reached his lair?

George knew the jaguar was approaching. The fire cast enough light to see the beast out of the corner of his eye. Holy c.r.a.p! He's huge! He could bite me in half. The top of his back has got to be taller than I am. He's gonna kill me. What to do? What to do? Think George. Think, d.a.m.n it!

George decided not to lift his head for fear of making any movement other than what he was already doing and continued to eat. Terrified, every hair on his body stood at attention. This black cat was much larger than the saber, maybe another ton, which made his heart beat violently against his ribs, creating a wicked pulse in his neck. The throbbing pounded in his ears, and it was strong enough to drown out the creature's heavy footsteps as it drew closer.

George watched as the powerful movements of the cat dwarfed the pile of b.l.o.o.d.y parts. He wanted to jump up from the log and run, but he knew the wound on his leg would get him nowhere fast.

The jaguar stopped. It was all George could do to keep the fear from his face. The sight of the solid-black cat, with burgundy-red, glowing eyes, amplified his desire to flee, but he held firm. He continued to eat, but struggled to swallow, not wanting to change anything in hopes the cat would move on. The saber's remains had to smell appetizing. He could only hope they would provide him the chance to escape certain death.

George thought, If I live, I'll never camp again. I'm helpless. I knew I should've used another scroll. My d.a.m.n gun won't kill it. I'm sure of that. I'm so dead. I'm so dead. d.a.m.n, how could I have been so stupid? I should've used another scroll. d.a.m.n those Boy Scout books. This thing isn't scared of fire. He's ignoring it. I'm so dead. Think, George. Just sit here and play it cool. Keep eating. Keep calm and show no fear. Ignore it. Maybe it'll just go away. Oh, my freaking h.e.l.l! Please ... please go away!

Kepler stood near the fire, motionless. Now, not more than 15 feet separated the two of them, and the cat's mind was also racing.

This human doesn't care about my dominance of this territory. He must be truly powerful. He doesn't appear to be nervous. I've never been ignored. I cannot let him live to tell about it. This is humiliating. Every cat on Grayham would laugh if they knew. But if I try to kill him, he'll use his power. I'd be no better than the Saber Lord. What should I do? Perhaps I should lie down and see how he reacts. I should move carefully and maintain a regal posture.

George was relieved to see the jaguar lower to the ground, but the stare of those burgundy-red eyes continued to burrow a hole through his soul. He kept reminding himself that he did not want to do anything the animal would perceive as an aggressive action. From everything he had read, he knew no movement was the best movement. He kept eating.

Kepler and George continued their mental stand-off for a long, long series of moments, each believing the other could pounce at any moment. Finally, Kepler's anxiety broke the silence. ”Are you not frightened, human?” the demon-cat questioned, careful not to sound too intimidating.

After hearing the beast speak, George started to laugh. This was just one more crazy thing this place had to offer. The thought of the cat speaking sent George closer to the edge of insanity. He could not fathom that a giant cat could talk. He laughed so hard it hurt, and tears flowed from his eyes as he lost sight of the fact his life was in danger.

Kepler was now more convinced than ever of the human's power. The man's hysteria added to the feeling that this human cared nothing about his presence. He watched the man roll around and act like a fool.

”You don't have to be rude. It was only a question. I don't see what's so funny,” Kepler said, his pride taking a beating.

Through all his laughter, George heard the beast. Taking a few moments to gain his composure, he noticed the cat s.h.i.+ft, almost as if nervous.

On the far side of the fire, Kepler was worried the man might be toying with him. He figured it was a good idea to say as much as he could before the human calmed down since he might not have the chance later. ”I had no idea you humans could be so rude and show so little respect. I don't cross the boundaries of your territories to insult you.”