A
sound reached his ears: the low growl of a beast of prey. It came from
somewhere off to his right, behind a small stand of rocks a few dozen paces
back from the camp. He sniffed the air and immediately his senses were on full
alert. The scent of predator met his nostrils: raw meat, blood, and the pungent
odor the beast used to mark its territory. It mixed with another aroma, one he
recognized. Scorched hair. Red-hot metal. Sweat-stained leather.
Graden!
The
Hunter reached for his sword and cursed to find it missing. He'd left belt and
blade hanging over the horn of his saddle. Only Soulhunger remained, the blade
strapped in its sheath at the small of his back.
It will have to do.
He
hobbled toward the outcropping of rocks as quickly as his injured knee allowed.
The growling grew in intensity, accompanied a moment later by a loud,
unmistakable grunt.
A
new scent entered the melange, similar to the first, but distinct in its
pungent odor.
Damn it! Two of whatever the accursed
things are.
Ignoring
the ache in his leg, he lurched forward into a run. Soulhunger slipped from its
sheath with a ring of steel on leather. The dagger whispered in his mind, eager
to feed. Man or beast, the blade didn't care; it craved blood, regardless of
its provenance.
The
Hunter raced around the pile of rocks, Soulhunger held at the ready. Graden lay
on the ground, struggling with a massive shape so black it seemed a void in the
evening gloom. Eyes of a horrible yellow burned above long fangs that shone in
the darkness, and the creature's lithe muscles rippled beneath midnight feline
fur. Graden's massive arms bulged as he struggled to keep the beast's raking
claws away from his face. The battle was not going well.
To
make things worse, another pair of amber eyes burned in the darkness beyond.
The form moved like lightning, slipping through the night with all the stealth
of a shadow. The burning orbs latched onto the Hunter and, for one
heart-wrenching moment, stopped him in his tracks. Snarling, the beast crouched
and leapt.
The
Hunter had only a moment to raise Soulhunger before an immense weight slammed
into him, knocking him to the ground. Its warm, fetid breath reeked of blood
and rotting meat. Drool dripped from the massive cat's jaws and soaked his
face. He grunted as the beast's claws carved deep furrows across his chest,
shoulders, and face. Blinded by his own blood, he struck out with Soulhunger
and sliced through fur and flesh.
The
beast howled and swiped at the Hunter with an enormous paw, laying open the arm
he threw up to stop the claws from tearing out his eyes. Acting on instinct, he
thrust Soulhunger upward. Hot blood gushed over his arm as Soulhunger's razor
edge drove through flesh, bone, and cartilage inside the massive creature's
gaping jaws.
The
beast swiped at him, but the attacks grew weak. The Hunter, staring into the
burning yellow eyes, saw primal fear fill its gaze. He forced the blade
further, seeking the soft mass of the beast's brain.
The
greatcat lashed out weakly with its massive paw, almost as if by reflex. With
one final shudder, it slumped atop him and lay still, its immense bulk pinning
him to the ground. Gore soaked through his clothing, assailing his nostrils
with the scent of fresh blood. His face, chest, and arm throbbed where the
raking claws had laid open flesh.
A
stifled grunt of pain met his ears. Graden still wrestled the other beast, and
the raking claws and long, razor-sharp fangs drew closer to ripping out the big
man's throat with every heartbeat.
He can't survive much longer.
The
creature had to weigh nearly as much as a horse, and every muscle in the
Hunter's body strained as he heaved. Slowly, the enormous bulk shifted, lifted,
and fell aside. Ignoring the burning slash marks on his upper body and face, he
rolled to his feet and lurched toward Graden. He raised Soulhunger, its grip
slick with dark blood, and slammed it into the creature's head.
The
midnight cat barked in pain, but the blade's keen edge cut off its cries. The
beast slumped, lifeless, and the Hunter shoved its bulk to the side. The effort
sapped his last reserves of strength. He fell to his knees, panting, gasping
for breath. Graden lay before him, clearly too exhausted to move.
'Kill him,' purred the voice in his head. 'Take his life force and let it fuel you.
You're far away from camp. Everyone will think it was the beasts. Just like
Udell.'
Soulhunger
pulsed in his hands, lusted for blood.
Haven't you taken enough lives today?
These two creatures died…
'Beasts! Insensate animals! We demand
the blood of humans!' The
demon's snarls set his head pounding with such ferocity that he nearly cried
out.
No. The Hunter clenched his jaw and squeezed
his eyes shut. Not this man.
'Why not? What is he…'
Because I say so. He fought to push the voices
back. You will have your prey, soon
enough. But not him.
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