Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (33 page)

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 goddess 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 goddess.
“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 goddess 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, assuming 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 bloody 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 crap! 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, damn 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 bloody 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 damn gun won’t kill it. I’m sure of that. I’m so dead. I’m so dead. Damn, how could I have been so stupid? I should’ve used another scroll. Damn 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 hell! 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 shift, 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.”

Now, fellow soul ... I must take a moment to interject. I find it somewhat humorous that George had no idea he was hurting the giant, undead demon-jaguar’s feelings. It also baffles me to this very Peak, as I hang out inside the Book to tell you this story, how a soulless demon could feel this kind of emotion.