The Gods Awaken

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

In their first charge Leiria and Jooli came within inches of killing King Felino.

The lionman and his bellowing cohorts had clearly believed the two women would be so terrified when confronted with such an overwhelming force that they'd squeal in feminine dismay and beat a panicked retreat.

But Leiria and Jooli launched their surprise attack with such speed and ferocity that the lionman and his forces were caught flat-footed.

If he'd had his wits about him, the king would've drawn Leiria and Jooli in by falling back so that his bullmen could fan out on either side, then slam the trap shut in a pincer action. Instead, they wasted precious moments gaping at the two warrior women charging down on them, allowing Leiria and Jooli come to within reach of their goal-the king himself.

Leiria was even thinking of throwing the last dregs of caution to the winds to launch herself and her sword at the lion-headed enemy.

Belatedly, the king realized what was happening. He jerked back, roaring orders. The two bullmen closest to him clumsily lumbered forward to close the breach, mighty clubs swinging up.

Leiria's sharp blade slashed out at her opponent, taking his weapon hand off at the wrist. The bullman bellowed in pain, lifting up his stump to stare at the red life spurting out of him, then toppled to the ground and died.

Jooli made similar short work of the horned warrior she faced, running him through with her blade, then spinning around in mid-stride to free it and continue her charge.

Leiria struck out at the exposed Felino, who barely parried her sword with an iron claw, then roared in outrage as her blindingly fast return stroke nicked his side, drawing blood.

Jooli was only one pace behind and saw her chance. She hurled her knife over Leiria's shoulder. It spun once in mid-flight and she had a momentary thrill when she saw the heavy blade slamming toward the lionman's chest.

But at the last possible moment one of the king's guards threw his big body in front of Felino and took the blade himself.

Then the three remaining bullmen charged in and Leiria and Jooli were forced to retreat to keep from being overwhelmed. But as they backpedaled they made two of the bullmen pay for their crimes by dealing out shallow wounds to them both.

Despite their retreat, the women were in an excellent position for a counter-attack. With three of the six bullmen dead, two others wounded and the uninjured one reluctant to press the advantage regardless of Felino's roars, they only needed to regroup, then charge again.

Dripping blood from his side and his back, Felino drove his dispirited army of three after the women with roared insults and threats. The crowd had once again fallen into a strange silence-as if the sight of their king's humiliation had robbed them of their voices.

Acting as a single unit Leiria and Jooli skidded to a halt. Shouting war cries, they pretended to charge again and their attackers hastily scrambled back, nearly overrunning Felino.

The two women took advantage of the moment to catch their breath and check their weapons. Leiria gave Jooli her spare knife to replace the one she'd lost in the bullman's back.

She grinned at Jooli, eyes savage with bloodlust. "It's good to fight with you, sister," she said-the ultimate compliment from Leiria.

"My pleasure," Jooli said, equally as charged by the battle.

"One question, though," Leiria said. She pointed at the bullmen who were being harangued by Felino.

"After we've killed them, how in the hells do we get out of here?"

"I've been thinking about that," Jooli said. She chuckled. "Maybe we can use the lionman's ears for a spell."

Leiria laughed. "Consider it done," she said as she stropped her blade on her leather harness.

Then she gave the signal and they both sprang forward to renew the battle.

King Felino immediately turned and fled, leaving his bullmen to face the warrior women without his help.

Leiria and Jooli tried to go after him, but the three bullmen blocked their path.

"Coward!" Jooli shouted after the king, trying to wound his pride enough to make him return.

Leiria joined in, shouting, "What's that bulge in your loin cloth, your highness? Cotton wadding?"

But he paid them no mind and only sprinted harder for the safety of the big gates.

The two women had no choice but to kill the three remaining bullmen first before pursuing their master. It was a short, ugly fight. Trapped between fear of their master and fear of the women, the bullmen were overwhelmed by fatalism. It was as if they could already see their own ghosts wailing and moaning in a miserable afterlife.

They wept while they fought. Bloody mucus spewed from their nostrils. White foam rimmed their mouths.

And they bellowed to whatever gods they held dear to spare them. Leiria and Jooli killed them without pity, spilling their innards onto the floor of the arena. And cursing their souls to the hells as they bounded over the still-twitching corpses to confront the king.

Felino was gone, but they knew he couldn't have gotten very far, so they attacked the gates.

Leiria hacking at the rough wood with her sword, chipping away big chunks. Jooli hammering at the raw depression with a club she'd retrieved from one of the fallen bullmen. They were almost through when they heard a rumble. The gates began to move outward and they leaped back, ready to take on whatever Felino had to throw at them.

As the gates parted a foul animal smell poured out. They heard strange noises, as if a ferocious menagerie of carnivores had been unleashed: a blood-chilling chorus of jackal laughter, mixed with hisses and howls and hoots.

"Swords and knives," Leiria cried, backing away.

Jooli dropped the club and drew her main weapons. "Swords and knives it is, then, sister," she said. "By the way," she added, "I like my sweetbreads with a spicy sauce, how about you?"

Leiria barked laughter. "I like them plain, with maybe a little salt. We'll quarrel over the recipe after we've cut off their balls."

"Agreed," Jooli said.

Bloodlust in check from this exchange-but barely-the two warrior women slowly withdrew, coming together to make a buttress of sharp steel and hard female muscle and will.

Then they heard King Felino's lion roar and six barking creatures marched through the gates in formation and took up position to the left of the opening. From toe to neck they were hunched-over men with black-striped yellow fur. Jackal heads sprouted from their shoulders, soul-chilling laughter spouting from their crooked snouts. Each toe and finger bore iron rings tipped with curling iron hooks. And as they laughed each jackal jaw exposed long curving yellow teeth, stained partly green with poison.

Six more enormous human devils followed. These were men with the heavy jowled heads of great apes, hooting and chattering obscene threats to the women as they fanned out to the right. They carried short spears and wore thick leather vests reinforced with iron mesh.

Then, spearing out like an engorged serpent, came the final six. Tall men-taller even than the giant Felino-with long, big-boned limbs. They were armed with swords and protected by small circular shields made of iron-studded leather mounted on wood. They had the broad-snouted heads of huge lizards with forked tongues that flickered out to taste the air.

"Sixes again," Jooli muttered absently.

Leiria, who was eyeing this considerable force with growing dismay, was startled by this remark.

"What in the hells are you talking about?" she asked, nearly snapping.

"Apparently the number six has some significance in this place," Jooli said. "The first group contained six warriors. And this bunch is also in sixes. I don't think it's coincidental."

"In the military, squads are traditionally composed of six soldiers," Leiria pointed out. "But I won't quibble. If you're right, how does it help us?"

Before Jooli could answer there was an ear-splitting roar and Felino came bounding out, leaping over the lizard-headed center group to take command. He seemed re-energized. His wounds were freshly bound.

"Kill!" he roared. "Kill, kill, kill!"

Immediately, the savage audience that ringed the arena exploded into life. Screaming, "Kill, kill, kill!"

"It was nice knowing you, sister," Leiria said, bracing for the coming assault.

Then King Felino gave the signal and exploded forward-leading his warrior menagerie down the field against the women.

It took Safar only an instant to size up the situation. Some fifty yards away a ring of howling monsters had Leiria and Jooli surrounded. The two were fighting valiantly, but were being slowly ground down. The lionman, King Felino, raced around the outer ring, exhorting his soldiers to "Kill, kill, kill!"

And scattered around the battling mass were many dead or dying animal-headed soldiers-bloody evidence of Leiria's and Jooli's stubborn resistance.

Safar cracked an amplification pellet against the hard red ground. And when he shouted the war cry of his people it thundered across the arena, drowning out the shouts of the crowd.

"FOR KYRANIA!" he bellowed as he raced forward.

"FOR KYRANIA!" came the echoed chorus from Palimak and the other men as they charged after him.

Stunned by the magically amplified cries, King Felino whirled about to stare at this new threat. His lion's jaw gaped wide when he saw his vanished enemies, Safar and Palimak, sprinting toward him backed by the small but heavily armed cohort of Kyranian soldiers.

Some of his soldiers also turned to gape and were punished for their lack of attention when Leiria and Jooli leaped forward to cut them to ribbons.

Felino recovered from his shock and shouted orders. Half his force whipped about to confront the new enemy, while the others pressed in on the two warrior women.

As the Kyranians waded into the melee, Safar leading the way, Palimak held back a little, waiting for his chance to cast Gundara's and Gundaree's spell. He parried blows but didn't press the fight-slowly circling the massed group to get close to King Felino.

A strange sensation of unreality fell over him. While everyone else was fighting for their lives, filling the air with shouted oaths, war cries and screams of pain, he felt quite cool, his mind acutely sharp; soaking up every detail of the battle.

He thought it quite interesting to note that Sergeant Hamyr's face wore a wicked grin that never changed, no matter what fortune might bring him. Whether he dodged a potentially killing blow, dealt one of his own or was hard-pressed by a skilled adversary, the grin remained the same.

It was also interesting, he thought, that although Leiria and Jooli had only met recently they fought like a smooth, single unit-as if they had been soldiering together their entire adult lives.

Most interesting of all was the way his father fought. Safar had always been a skilled warrior. Taller and more muscular than most Kyranians, he was also quite strong and fast. Today, however, it seemed to Palimak that his father fought on a higher level than ever before.

His swordplay was a thing of agile beauty. Far better than it had ever been before. Quite possibly nearly as good as Leiria's swordsmanship, which was so superior to that everyone else that most warriors considered her to be in a class consisting of one. Although Leiria always said there was one man-Iraj Protarus-who was her equal, everyone thought she was only being modest.

But now it seemed that another had entered that rarefied realm. Incredibly, that man was Palimak's father. He wondered how Safar had made such an improvement. Was magic involved? Or was it something else? Palimak thought the whole thing was very strange and added it to the other oddities he'd noticed about his father since his return.

Just then, Gundara whispered, "There's that stupid old king!"

Palimak looked up and saw Felino backing toward the gates, two enormous lizardmen guarding his retreat.

Suddenly, Palimak heard a familiar war cry and Leiria broke through, Jooli protecting her back as she charged the king.

"Leiria's going to kill him, Little Master!" Gundaree cried.

Sure enough, without missing a step, Leiria cut down one of the lizardmen, leaving Jooli to deal with the other as she raced toward Felino. The king raised an iron-clawed fist to defend himself, but Palimak could see it was too little and too late. The lionman was doomed.

"Stop her, Little Master!" Gundara cried, reminding him that Safar wanted to capture the king alive.

Palimak shouted, "Leiria, don't!"

She heard him and hesitated, breaking her stride and sword blow. To Palimak's horror, that moment's pause gave Felino just enough time. He smashed her sword aside and leaped toward her-great iron claws outstretched to slash her life away.

Palimak cast the spell, fearing the distance was too great and that he'd be responsible for the death of the person he loved above all others-except for his father. Leiria had practically been his mother, caring for him since he was a babe in arms. Carrying him in a sling across her back while she alternately fled and fought the soldiers that Iraj had sent after them.

Perhaps it was that love, combined with the fear of loss, that gave the spell enough strength to collapse the distance. Or maybe it was because he was in a magical arena carved out by Felino's sorcery that gave his own sorcery added power. Or possibly it was only blind luck.

Whatever the reason, the instant Palimak hurled the spell he knew the rightness and power of it. Like most of the Favoritesa€™ magic, the spell was dead simple. On their instructions, he'd scooped up a handful of the ashes left over from Jooli's casting. They'd spat in it and had directed him to mold the ashes into a grimy little ball.

It was this insignificant piece of dirt that he threw at the snarling lionman. At the same time he chanted in unison with the Favorites:

"Butterfly wings,

Where have you gone?

Butterfly wings,

Who did you wrong?

Promised honey

And that's not funny!

Sting, sting, sting,

Butterfly wings.

Sting,

And sting,

And sting!"

Palimak's aim was more accurate than he could ever have hoped. The ash pellet struck Felino in the eye and instead of smashing Leiria down, he roared with pain, throwing his iron claws aside to rub his wounded eye.

At the same time there was an explosion of colorful light and thousands of butterflies popped out of nowhere.

They circled the injured lionman, buzzing like angry bees. Palimak saw long, barbed stingers emerge from their abdomens as they were magically armed by the Favoritesa€™ spell. Then they attacked, swarming all over Felino, thrusting their stingers into him by the hundreds.

The lionman ran about, flailing the air hysterically. Begging the now-silent audience to help him. Then he fell to his knees, covering his head in a futile effort to protect himself from the painful stings.

Palimak strolled casually over to him, an amazed Leiria several steps behind. He stood over the lionman, repeating the spell chant:

"Butterfly wings,

Where have you gone?

Butterfly wings,

Who did you wrong?

Promised honey

And that's not funny!

Sting, sting, sting,

Butterfly wings.

Sting,

And sting,

And sting!"

Now Felino was completely covered with the beautiful but deadly butterflies. Thrusting their abdomens forward to deliver their poison. Then fluttering away to let another take their place. Felino collapsed to the ground, moaning and barely able to move.

When he was certain the lionman was completely helpless, Palimak waved his hand and the butterflies vanished.

"I don't know what just happened," Leiria said "Except I think you saved my life."

Ashamed, Palimak blushed. "I'm sorry, Aunt Leiria," he said. "Actually, I almost got you killed. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that."

Leiria clapped him on the shoulders and said, "Never mind." Then she directed him to the main battle, where Safar was dealing the last blow to the last opponent. His sword cut through a jackalman's throat, sending the barking head flying across the arena. The rest of the beastmen were either all dead or dying.

"I've never seen Safar fight like that before," Leiria said in her cool professional manner. "If he practices a bit more he'll be good enough to give me trouble."

"I was thinking the same thing," Palimak said. "Maybe he's got some new kind of magic."

Leiria frowned. "I don't know," she said. She started to say more, but then broke off as Safar approached them, wiping blood from his blade and returning it to its sheath. He looked down at King Felino, eyes hard and blue as newly-forged steel.

"Now let's see what this fellow has to say for himself," he said.

Safar plucked out his silver dagger and gestured. Flames burst out all around them. And the blood-stained arena, along with its silent audience, vanished. And they were suddenly back on the jungle trail again. The softly moaning lionman shivering on the path before them.

There came a series of soft popping sounds, like a child making bubbles in his cup of goat's milk, and Palimak saw Hamyr and the other Kyranian soldiers appear.

They all breathed sighs of relief and collapsed on the ground. But they only stayed like that for a few moments. After the men caught their breaths they started rummaging through their packs to dig out rations and wine to stoke up their energies in case danger should once again rear its head.

Palimak didn't see where Jooli came from. She was just suddenly there, walking up to the stricken lionman.

"If it's of any help to you," she said to Safar, "he seems to favor the number six. Maybe it has something to do with his magic. Maybe it's coincidental. Either way, I thought I'd better mention it."

Safar nodded, stroking his chin. With some surprise, Palimak noted the stubble of a golden beard sprouting from his face. Their ordeal had gone on so long Safar hadn't had a chance to shave.

And once again Palimak wondered about the changed color of his father's hair. Previously, he'd attributed it to bleaching by the sun. Now he wondered why a normally dark-haired person would grow a light-colored beard. It didn't make sense. He glanced at Safar's head and saw that what had once been dark hair, albeit streaked with gold, was now entirely blond.

Like the sudden improvement in Safar's fighting ability, something seemed wrong here. On the other hand, maybe it was only his imagination.

Then his father spoke and the doubts were forgotten. "Let's get His Highness aboard the airship," Safar said. "And we can question him at our leisure."

Everyone agreed with his thinking and so he sent up a green flare to signal Biner.

A half-hour passed and there was no sign of the airship. Frowning, Safar shot off another magical flare.

Again, there was a long, fruitless wait.

Finally, Leiria said, "We'd better get back to the beach the best way we can. Biner's either asleep or in big trouble."

"Biner never sleeps when he's on watch," Safar said. "And neither does Arlain."

"I know," Leiria replied grimly.

A few minutes later they had the barely conscious King Felino tied to a litter and were dragging him along the trail as they retraced their steps through the jungle.