Chapter 17

The morning broke with the two suns beating upon the three travelers. Cade was running at his usual ground eating pace. Magus slapped rhythmically on his strong back as he ran.

Razar ran between Cade and the shifter who forsook the guise of beautiful woman for something far faster and sleeker, a pure white panther. Razar did not like the panther, nor did he like the shifter. He wanted to rip the Shifter’s throat from her body. Only his loyalty to Cade kept his fangs in place.

For most of the morning the trio skirted a deep forest. Shortly before the suns reached their zenith Cade stopped. The Shifter immediately changed back into the beautiful red haired woman of the night before.

“Why do we stop?” She asked.

Cade held up his hand for silence. Razar began to silently scout behind the nearest trees. Cade closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and looked at the shifter. “We eat.”

He pulled two pieces of hard crusty bread and dry meat from the leather pouch around his waist. He sat down with his back against a tree and watched Razar scouting the area.

“We will not rest long shifter,” Cade said. “We have a long way to go.”

The woman shrugged and made a dismissing motion with her hand. “Tis nothing Wardex. You can not set a pace I am unable to keep. Were you able to shift, we could fly to your homeland.”

Cade’s eyes narrowed. “I do not shift.”

The Shifter laughed. “I don’t imagine you do, on much of anything.”

Cade frowned and bit hard into his dry meat.

Razar slowly walked over and sat beside Cade his deep golden eyes never leaving the shifter.

“Your hound wants to kill me,” she said between bites.

Cade raised an eyebrow. “If my clan finds you false, he may yet.”

“I grow weary of your threats Wardex,” she said softly.

Cade shrugged and wiped the crumbs from his breeches. “I do not concern myself with what a Shifter grows weary of.” He stood.

“Were you not so important to my kind Wardex, I would kill you.” The woman said without looking up.

Razar growled low in his throat baring his sharp teeth.

The Shifter took the form of an identical war hound, though smaller than Razar and growled in return. Razar would have leaped if not for the strong hand of his master.

“Enough!” Cade bellowed. Immediately, the red haired woman was before him. “You will not threaten Razar.”

“I’ve killed fiercer beasts than a mere war hound Wardex. If it continues stalking me I will see it dead.” She glared at Razar.

Cade laughed. “Better you save your vim for the travel ahead. We make a three day journey in half that time.”

The Shifter sighed. “This side trip vexes me.” She shimmered resuming the white panther form.

Cade cocked a dark eyebrow. “Then better we finish it quickly.”

Cade turned toward the wood and set off at a trot.

Razar waited for the Shifter to follow, then took up the rear.


Chapter 18

Hundreds of unblinking black eyes silently watched the trio from high atop the trees of the dark wood. Not a leaf moved, nor did the wind dare stir the fierce black feathers on the flock of Gargon.

Each beast watched in anticipation as the three travelers moved further into the wood. There would be warm fresh human flesh this night. The first since crossing the gray mountains and each gargon was anxious for the feast. The large sharp boney tusks were dulled by the stale blackened blood of previous kills. The discoloration kept tusks from reflecting shafts of sunlight penetrating the upper canopy. Large three pronged talons gripped the scented wood branches leaving long white scars where bark once slept.

The wood was silent, sensing the dangerous predators in its midst.

Cade ran hard. He was determined to reach his clan before suns set the following day. If anyone could find logic in this madness the Shifter spoke it was the Alai. Cade would be glad to lay the responsibility at the feet of the wise men. He wanted done with this Shifter and her odd prophecy. He was so focused on the idea he almost ignored the subtle warning coming from his gut.

Cade shook thoughts of the shifter from his mind and focused on the unusual silent wood. Razar gave a loud snarl. Magus vibrated with such violence Cade’s voice shook. “Halt,” he whispered to the Shifter.

The white panther put its nose in the air. Its gold eyes narrowed. “Gargon!”

Cade looked up toward the dense over growth. He saw nothing but darkness. He pulled Magus from its sheath and the vibration slowed to a hard pulse.

“Keep running,” he breathed. “We must seek defendable shelter. There are small caves up ahead.”

The trio began their sprint. Razar’s eyes never leaving the top of the trees.

The first gargon swooped from its perch. Cade saw the man sized black bird with sharp talons and deadly tusks. It’s leathery wings were no less than six feet across as it dipped toward his head talons extended.

Magus bit through bone and tendon severing a leathery wing. The gargon’s scream of agony seemed a catalyst for the rest of the flock. They descended toward the trio, talons extended high pitched shrieks filling the air.

“To the caves!” Cade roared making a wild rush toward the dark opening of the nearest stone wall.

A gargon swooped at his back. Razar jumped and locked his sharp teeth onto a wing. The beast screamed and attempted to gain elevation. It shook Razar like a rag doll in an effort to free itself.

Cade jumped high and brought Magus to bear on the creatures other wing, severing it at the body. The gargon fell dropping Razar hard. Razar undazed, hopped up and took up Cade’s rear. Cade sliced and stabbed with little effect on the almost armor like feathers of the gargon. Each slice in one direction brought talons puncturing into his flesh from the other. It was all he could do to continue moving toward the cave.

A few steps from the cave, he saw his error. There standing just inside the opening was a gargon twice the size of the others. Its head was human with tusks on each side of its very human mouth.

Cade shook his head and Magus almost vibrated out of his hand. The large gargon approached Cade slowly, its talons digging into the soft green moss of the forest floor. The other gargon took to the tree tops to watch. Razar ran toward the gargon flinging the full fury of his weight and snapping incisors. The gargon deflected the hound with a massive leathery wing. Razar crunched into the rock wall and fell to the ground unmoving.

The gargon continued its approach.

Cade watched the large creature for any other weakness besides its wings. This creature wore some sort of metal protection from one wing tip across the span of its shoulders to the other wing tip. Magus might bite that steel but it looked sturdy and would take all of Cade’s strength. He knew, without ever seeing its like, the metal was enchanted.

There had to be something else. He concentrated and waited.

Nothing.

The Gargon quickly lifted its wings into the air. Eight razor sharp talons ripped the air toward Cade’s heart. The iron like talons rang against Magus’s steel. Again the Gargon came, at speeds Cade never believed possible. Again and again Magus repelled the sharp talons filling the forest with the echo of talons on steel.

Every thrust was parried. Every block of talons cost him a layer of skin from his palms. The creature seemed invincible.
The Gargon continued its assault. Deep cuts covered Cade’s arms and back. Blood soaked his clothing. The puncture wounds in his back and chest were burning and his lungs were filling with blood.

The Gargon swooped toward Cade as if to stab at him with talons. But when Cade lifted his sword to parry, the Gargon lifted in the air and came down behind him. Before Cade could turn and raise Magus, the Gargon lifted its wings and enveloped Cade’s entire body.

Cade struggled against the tight darkness. He could do nothing with his sword effectively pinned against his chest. He used all his strength but could not budge the Gargon even a little. He stopped struggling and waited. The force of the wings increased. Cade was no longer using his massive strength to break free but to keep from being crushed. Magus bit deep into his arm, Cade growled and pushed harder. The Gargon did not budge but slowly kept at its deadly crush.

Every bone in Cade’s body screamed at the force being brought to bare. His muscles shook from the strain and sweat and blood mingled in his tight dark coffin. He closed his eyes at the pressure against his skull. His ribcage would no longer expand to allow him breath. His mind became distant, but he stubbornly forced his attention back to the struggle.

Cade heard a loud screeching. No doubt the other Gargon come to beg bites from the obvious leader. He concentrated all his effort on pushing the wings away from his body so he might suck in much needed air.

Slowly, the tightening eased and the dark leathery wings fell away. Cade blinked as cool air rushed over his blood and sweat soaked body. He gasped at the fresh air as he fell forward and at the talons of a duplicate Gargon.

He tried to stand but could not make his legs obey. He propped himself up on his knees using Magus as a crutch. He was determined to face his death standing, Magus in hand.

He looked into the face of this newest Gargon and froze. The human head was much the same as the first one, but this human head smiled and gave him a slow wink.

Cade fell forward and into oblivious darkness.