Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (34 page)

“You looked as if you could use company,” Kepler said as he glanced at the pile of food and cringed at the idea of eating one of his own. “Care to share?” He nodded in the direction of the saber’s leftovers and then waited for the human’s response.

George fought to relax, took a few deep breaths, then reached over to grab one of the pieces of meat next to him. He threw it at the giant cat’s front paws and started laughing again. “Eat up. I don’t freaking care,” he said as the insanity swept over him.

Kepler’s ego never felt smaller than it did right now. How to react? This human was not afraid. His power had to be great—great enough to allow him to act without concern. Now, more than ever, his existence might be in danger.

Kepler decided he would say something to command the human’s attention. “I’m here to assist you in your bid to rule this world. Together, we could bring the territories of Grayham under our control. We could hunt freely, without opposition, and dominate.”

This caught George off guard.
‘Rule this world?’
he thought.
What the hell does he mean by that? Where am I?
His cackling covered his confusion. He took a short series of moments to quiet himself and think. He sat up to look at the beast, but his temporary state of insanity was still not allowing him to think straight.

“Why would I want to have a large pussycat following me around? What could you possibly do to help me? Are you going to lick everyone into submission?” George chuckled. His mind was so far gone he was now easily making fun of the beast that only moments earlier had terrified him.

The demon-cat was taken aback by George’s ridicule. He had never been made fun of or allowed anyone to speak down to him. “I have skills,” Kepler retorted, now a little unsure of his own conviction in the statement. “I can do far more than lick your enemies,” he said indignantly.

George stopped laughing and sat up, continuing to hold his belly. “I can’t remember ever laughing this hard. Oh my hell, my stomach hurts.” He reached up to wipe away the tears, feeling as if he was in a dream.

“I’m sure your big ass has many skills. Quick, lick yourself. I’m sure that will send our enemies running. Why don’t we run around and introduce ourselves throughout the land? How do you want to say it to everyone? How about this? ‘My name is George, and this is my loyal sidekick, Captain Ball-licker.’” Again, George started to laugh.

Kepler’s self-esteem was sinking to an all-moments-low, and he was becoming angry. He did not know what to say that would make any difference, so he decided to walk away. He stood. “I’m sorry to have bothered you. My name is Kepler, not Captain Ball-licker. I won’t allow you to mock me. No one speaks to the Master of the Hunt in that manner.” He held his head high and walked away.

Seeing the cat was leaving, George stopped laughing and fought to bring himself back to reality. There might be something he was missing. Why was this beast under the impression that he, of all people, was the one it should form an alliance with? None of this made any sense, but he never passed up an opportunity to manipulate a situation.

“Hey, Kepler!” George called out in a relaxed tone. “Come back, and I’ll stop being such an ass!”

Kepler stopped and turned to look, but after a moment, he continued to walk away.

George had one shot to get the upper hand before there was no hand to play. “Suit yourself, Kep, but I’m disappointed you’re not witty enough to pass my test!”

Kepler stopped.
What is this human talking about? What test? Did he know I was coming? Could he have known and killed the saber as a message? If it was a message, it was received. Garesh! I’ve got to know. I’d love to rip his throat out.

The jaguar turned and headed back to the campfire. “I don’t like tests, human,” the demon growled while lying down.

George did not miss a beat. “Let me ask you something, Kep. Why would I want your company? What do you bring to the table that would help us?”

Kepler did not know what to say, so he stayed quiet.

“Come on, Kep. Talk to me,” the manipulator continued. “You clearly want to travel with me. What makes you think I need a travel buddy? Why would I want someone like you assisting me? Give me a good reason, and I’ll promise never to call you Captain Ball-licker again.”

Until now, George’s only concern had been to retrieve the staff from the Cave of Sorrow. He would have figured something else out from there, but he did like the idea of dominating a world. He wanted to know more.

“I’m undead. I am demon. You’re looking at the Lord of all Cats. They obey my command. I have other talents that may prove useful as we travel. They can be easily demonstrated.” Kepler roared to restore his self-esteem, then snorted his disdain.

What Kepler did not realize, his statement revealed a clue about why the saber-tooth attacked. It also gave George the idea that Kepler may have seen the events of the night and watched the saber die. The demon all but said, at least in George’s way of thinking, Kepler had ordered the attack on his life. In light of this new information, George now believed the beast was just as nervous as he was. Kepler had given George an ace up his sleeve.

George decided to ask a few questions. He hoped his thinking was accurate, and if it was, he could use Kepler’s fear to his advantage. He led the beast down an unsuspecting road of admission. “So you’re undead? Impressive. You’re also the Lord of all Cats, right?”

“I am.”

“So, you’re their ruler? They are under your command, doing whatever you tell them to do, right?”

Kepler nodded. “But of course.”

“Not bad,” George responded. His voice was filled with encouragement.

The demon’s self-esteem was growing as he sat up. “All prides in every territory fear me.”

George crossed his arms as he continued the interrogation. “So, your orders are always followed, and they would never do anything against your wishes. Is that right?”

Again, the jaguar confirmed the statement and pushed his chest out. He was now feeling strong once again. “I told you I had skills. I can do far more than lick myself. Do you see the value of my talents?”

George smiled inside as he now figured the moment was right to bring the jaguar down a notch. “My eyes have been opened, but it seems that I’m missing something.” He changed his expression as he continued, making his statements sound factual to let the beast know he was on to him. “I’m sure you would agree with me that it isn’t a coincidence you’re here after I had a run-in with one of your subjects.”

The jaguar’s delayed reaction confirmed George was right. The demon had ordered the attack. He was now sure the cat had seen his subject butchered. “I’m sure you can see I’m a little annoyed, Kepler.”

The demon’s face showed the guilty verdict, but he tried to cover it up with a lie. “I swear to you, I didn’t order the attack.”

Despite his denial, Kepler knew what was coming next. His pride had led to his downfall, moving down a forked road and taking the wrong path when it mattered most. He dreaded what his ears were going to hear next.

“You’ll never be able to lie to me, Kepler. I also don’t enjoy tests...” He nodded his head in the direction of the bloody pile of meat, “...unless the test becomes my dinner.” He paused for effect and then continued. “You should level with me. Just admit you ordered your friend to attack while you watched.”

Kepler did not respond.

A short series of moments passed before George continued his interrogation. “Why the deception? Just admit it. You’re not here to travel with me, are you? You hoped I would be an easy meal. Be honest. I’m not in the mood for lies.” Switching to a harsher tone, George added, “I won’t travel with you if I can’t believe you.” He watched for the cat’s reaction.

The demon hesitated before speaking. He was unsure what George would do if he lied again. No matter what, he was between a rock and a hard place. It was best to own up to the attack and then try to explain his reasoning.

“I did give the command, and I watched the saber perish. I wanted to see if you were strong enough before pledging my allegiance to someone who couldn’t defend himself. The things I’ve said about coming here to travel with you are true. Together, we could dominate kingdoms.”

After he listened to the demon’s response, George thought a moment. He knew he had a huge advantage over the jaguar. He was unsure what the beast’s perception was of the event, so he asked Kepler to explain what he saw.

The demon felt this to be an odd request, wondering why the human would want to relive the slaughter, but he did not argue. Kepler finished his account by saying, “...I’m not sure what else to say, other than I decided to offer my services to you after bearing witness. It was, after all, what the goddess thought I would enjoy doing.”

The deceiver had no clue what Kepler meant by “the goddess,” but he did not want to lose the upper hand. “What other skills do you offer, Kep, other than being the Lord of all Cats?”

“I can capture the souls of men with dark natures. I trap them inside their bones, and they must do my bidding until I decide to release them.”

George smirked. “That’s sick, man. Tell me more.”

Kepler’s brow furrowed. “I can hide in the smallest of shadows. This allows me to stalk in situations where stealth is required. Simple things … things that affect normal creatures, don’t harm me. I walk the world as undead.”

George nodded. “That’s wicked disgusting. Holy cow, what else?”

Although Kepler was unsure of George’s odd references, he could tell the human was intrigued. “Poison and extreme cold are harmless annoyances. Make no mistake, I am the Master of the Hunt for many reasons.”

George smirked. “Master of the Hunt, eh? Take it easy, stud. You’re head’s going to explode.”

The demon pondered the word “stud” and then dismissed his confusion. “I’m skilled at gathering information, and these claws are unmatched when the moments show no solution other than to pounce. If these traits are not what you consider esteemed, we have nothing further to discuss. I shall hunt on my own.”

George liked a lot of what the jaguar had said. What could it hurt to have the beast travel with him, as long as he could maintain his illusion of power. A cat with this size would definitely offer protection, and all he needed to do was stay in one piece until he could retrieve the Staff of Petrifaction. Once he was able to turn things to stone, he could re-evaluate his need for the demon.

Turning to Kepler, George thought of two questions. He hoped the answers would make the next couple of steps of his journey much easier. “How do you feel about pushing aside heavy boulders, and are you immune to the effects of the beast inside the Cave of Sorrow?”

Kepler’s responses were everything George wanted to hear. They decided to call it a partnership—for now—and since the night was late, George turned to sleep. It was only a few hours until sunrise, and there was a big boulder to find. As George went to sleep, he dreamt of Abbie and Athena. They took his little daughter to an amusement park and ate cotton candy. It was a pleasant dream.

Kepler, on the other hand, was relieved that he was able to accomplish the task Celestria recommended. The loss of the saber lord was regrettable, but as it turned out, it was necessary. At least he knew what he was up against. He yawned as he jumped up on a nearby boulder to lie down and reflect on the Peak’s events. As the fog moved in across the lake, a soothing breeze swept over him.

High above, on a branch in a nearby tree, Lasidious had watched the travel companions’ paths merge. The god lowered his eyes to the rock at the base of the tree. It was this large stone the map rested beneath, and it would soon be discovered. He realized he was right about George’s ability to seize power, and he hoped the Earthling could distract the gods. He needed this diversion to hide Celestria, allowing her to give birth without fear of discovery. He enjoyed the luck involved this evening, but he knew this kind of luck only followed those who were clever enough to find it. Smiling, the God of Mischief’s eyes flashed red, and then he vanished.

Kepler sitting near the Pool of Sorrow

Southern Grayham