Quintessential Tales: A Magic of Solendrea Anthology Read Free Page B

driftwood splints to the far wall. Though he'd like to have kept one as a weapon, no matter how primitive, it wouldn't do him any good to provoke the feline beasts. Even with his power returning, their claws were far better weapons. If only he'd had more time.
    Royce grabbed the bars of his prison and pulled himself up onto protesting legs. He ground his teeth against the pain, and despite his best efforts, a little groan whooshed out of him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Black-and-yellow's whiskers twitch. He mewled something softly to White-and-gray, who turned with graceful fluidity and disappeared into the jungle.
    Though one-to-one were odds that Royce much preferred, he had no delusions about being able to escape the muscular beast just outside his cage. He hated being at a disadvantage, but he couldn't see any way to turn the tables. Nor could he think of a way to keep stalling, to keep the bars of the cage between himself and those deadly claws.
    With a sigh of resignation, Royce took a step sideways, toward the door. He put his weight down gingerly at first, feeling for the telltale buckle of a limb that wouldn't support his weight. Though there was a considerable amount of pain, it didn't feel as if he was in danger of collapsing. One hurdle down. How many to go?
    Royce's progress was slow, both due to his injury and to the fact that he really didn't want to be standing face to face with Black-and-yellow, who made Torus look tiny in comparison. At over six feet tall and almost three hundred pounds, Torus was a mountain of a man who left most cowering in his shadow. By comparison, Black-and-yellow stood about a foot taller and was graced with another fifty pounds of muscle, at least.
    Standing outside the cage filled Royce with a feeling of vulnerability that both repulsed and fascinated him. As the Captain of the Great Army of the Imperium, he'd faced countless foes, leading his men into battle against them with the singular purpose of preserving the realm and protecting the One True King. In each of those battles, he'd been surrounded by men he knew and trusted. Men who, he knew, would sacrifice themselves to save him if the need arose. The same as he would sacrifice himself for them. It was a different feeling now, standing across from this impressive predator, to know that he was utterly alone.
    Torus, of course, was still in his cage, swinging slowly above the fire, but even if he were awake, what could he do to prevent whatever was about to happen? Even with his best friend and most trusted adviser no more than thirty feet away, he felt abandoned, adrift and isolated in a way that he'd never felt before. He faced Black-and-yellow, tilting his head back slightly so he could look the taller beast in the eyes.
    "Ish ash beeen lawng sime since shuumans shas sheffiled Shyraan lansh."
    It took Royce a moment to realize that the hissing, spitting sound he was hearing was Black-and-yellow's speech. Longer still to realize that it was a badly slurred form of the common tongue. He guessed that with fangs that large dominating most of the oral real estate, things got lost in the translation. Now that he knew what he was listening for, it would be easier to understand.
    "Our arrival wasn't intentional, I assure you. Our ship broke up out to sea. When my friend and I woke up, we were on your beach. We had no intention of trespassing. I am Royce MacDungren, Captain of..."
    He trailed off. Royce wasn't sure that identifying himself as the commanding officer of a foreign army was the smartest thing he could do, considering the circumstances.
    "Captain of the sailing ship Warhorse," he finished quickly, filling in the gap he'd left.
    "You may call me Shreth. Of the Shyraan. My mate is Faarsh. My brother, Hsaan."
    Shreth's speech was much easier to understand now that Royce knew what he was listening for.
    White-and-gray was a female. That explained her slighter stature and the grace with which she moved. The female of any