Trail of Bones: A Young Adult Fantasy Novel (An Epic Fantasy Adventure For Any Family)

by Chris Salisbury

  “Stop!” shouted Kelor. “I don’t need advice from the likes of you.”

  Dox sat up. “You may want to listen to him, Kelor. The Blood River was named after the many wars between the Ghast Gorilla and the Shade Wolves.”

  “He’s right,” said the musician. “I’ve even heard a few songs about that. Good ones too.”

  “I don’t need help from you, Dox. Or you, human. And certainly not from the mutt. I don’t need any of you. I win because I’m the best. I win because I’m the strongest. That’s it!” the cat roared.

  An entourage of servants entered the tent and approached Kelor’s cage. Most had long metal poles, ready to attach them to the panther’s collar. A few others stood guard with spears and halberds. They opened the cage as Kelor hissed.

  The cat took a few jabs from the poles before submitting. Once secured, they led him out of the tent.

  “Movement. Noise. Kelor, you must distract him…” shouted the wolf after the cat, but Kelor was gone.

  “It’s ok, Magnus; he’ll be fine,” said Navarro. “He can take care of himself. He always has.”

  Magnus was searching for something to free himself from his restraints. “No he won’t. He’s never fought anything like this before. The Ghast is too much for him!” said the wolf in a panic.

  “Magnus, Navarro is right. There’s nothing you can do,” said Dox as he rubbed a bruise on his shoulder. “Kelor is strong too.”

  “He’ll perish!” shouted Magnus as he panted. “The Ghast killed my brother. They destroyed the village. They murdered Adolphus!”

  The wolf tugged and pulled on his collar as hard as he could. The leather and metal choker rubbed his flesh raw and tore the fur from his skin. The wolf would not stop. Magnus kicked at the crate, slammed his shoulder into it, and pushed the box to dislodge the fastened loop – without success.

  Finally, the Shade Wolf then resorted to the only thing he could think to do. He bit down on the chain with all his strength.

  “Magnus! Stop! It’s useless!” argued Navarro. “What’s the point? Do you think Kelor would do anything for you? Not a chance!”

  Love until your heart stops… run with your pack once more… fight until you win your enemy’s throat… run… fight… love…, thought Magnus as he continued to gnaw on the chain.

  Blood ran from cuts on the wolf’s tongue and lips, lacerated by his teeth grinding against the leash.

  “Please, Magnus, you must stop!” pleaded Navarro.

  The wolf let go of the chain and Navarro sighed with relief. Magnus then tilted his head back and howled. The wolf’s call was long and powerful. The cry echoed throughout the tent and then penetrated the canvas as it rippled far into the reaches of the night sky.

  Dox and Navarro watched as Magnus snatched the chain back in his jaws and with one decisive bite, severed the leash into pieces.

  ****

  Unleash the beast, thought Kelor as he watched the Ghast Gorilla enter the arena. The panther had never seen such a creature, let alone fight one. It didn’t matter, not to Kelor. The ape was just another obstacle, another recipient of his festering anger.

  The Warden had matched Kelor with opponents of approximately the same size, strength, and ability. On occasion, this tactic meant sending in multiple enemies, like the bears, or using younger fighters like the Ogre. This foe was different.

  The Ghast was a full size and fully mature male. His body was tattooed with scars, testaments to his past battles… and victories. Kelor had continued to grow in size and strength, but this beast was more than twice the cat’s weight at nearly 1900 pounds. The gorilla was the ugliest, nastiest thing the panther had ever seen. But none of that mattered to Kelor.

  The arena was an old amphitheater that once featured a number of cultural events for the local mountain town of Kragsfoot. The pit, nestled along the hillside with reinforced barriers and walls, offered excellent vantage points to watch the bloodbath of the tournament.

  The surface floor of the arena was littered with crumbled pieces of the old stone slab seats as well as rocks and boulders that had fallen from the mountain tops. Erosion from the rains and winds had created mudslides, too, which created mounds of hardened dirt throughout the pit.

  End him, Kelor! End him! thought the panther as he prepared his first attack. Then he was struck on his right hind quarter by a large chunk of stone.

  The Ghast Gorilla was using the ample supply of rocks and stones as projectiles against the cat, putting Kelor on the defensive. Instead of charging in and dictating the terms of the engagement, the ape was controlling the initiative. The gorilla also controlled the high ground, which he had claimed upon entering the arena.

  Kelor, on the other hand, had been so consumed with his anger he had neglected to observe the Ghast’s maneuvers, assess weaknesses, and deduce a strategy for an attack. The overconfidence of the cat had blinded and prevented him from any possible advantage.

  Another stone struck Kelor in the side as the feline tried to move closer to his enemy. As soon as he would dodge one rock, another was already on a trajectory for another direct hit. It was as if the gorilla anticipated his moves and tossed more stones to keep Kelor at bay and to maintain the high ground.

  “Kelor!” shouted the Ghast Gorilla. “No match for me! Run, kitty, run!”

  The ape laughed, scoffed, and mocked the panther as he continued to hurl stone bullets and bombs. He was baiting the cat, teasing him to come closer, but on his terms… and it was working.

  Kelor’s rage amplified with each taunt, each impact, and with each moment he was on the defensive.

  Enough! You’re mine! he thought as he growled and charged in.

  Several more chunks of stone blasted Kelor’s side as the cat raced in. He leaped up, his front legs extended with his claws ready to strike.

  The gorilla was waiting. The ape pivoted, grabbed Kelor out of the air with both of his club-like arms, and using the cat’s momentum, slammed the feline into the ground with tremendous force. He followed up the move with several punishing punches.

  The cat screeched in pain and the crowd loved it. Lucky to avoid several more bashes, Kelor vaulted at the last moment. The cat landed on his feet, but then tumbled down the hillside as the gorilla laughed.

  “That all?” shouted the Ghast.

  Kelor stood back up and shook the dirt from his fur. His ears flattened against his head and he hissed before charging back up the hill. The result was the same. The gorilla had the advantage and continued to pound the panther, landing blow after blow. The ape grabbed Kelor with both hands and flung him down the hill yet again.

  The crowd was in uproar of sadist delight. While Kelor was beaten badly, he hadn’t even made a scratch on the gorilla.

  Even the Warden took notice. Standing from his seat, he watched the cat charge up the hill again. Imbecile, he thought. Pride. Arrogance and pride will be his downfall. The General of Cordale may be denied her prize after all…oh well.

  The Ghast pounded his chest as Kelor made his way back up the hill. The panther came in low on this attempt, swiping at the ape’s forearms and feet. But the slashes struck nothing but air as the gorilla hopped and eluded each attack with ease. And then the ape leaped high into the air and came crashing down on Kelor. The sudden change in tactics pushed the cat onto his back.

  The panther was fighting for his life, kicking, slashing, biting, trying to thwart the onslaught any way he could. There was no escape as the ape pressed the attack, dominating his opponent with more punishing swats and punches.

  The throng of spectators all rose to their feet in anticipation of the killer blow. They froze instead, as the howl of a wolf pierced the commotion and halted everything. The cry was so loud and strong that it seemed to penetrate stone, rock, and flesh.

  There was complete stillness, as if all life paused. The elements obeyed, the torchlight dimmed, and the clouds above stopped and nothing in or around the arena moved.

  The ape swung his head aro
und, looking for the source of the call, searching for his mortal and hated enemy.

  The crowd stared breathlessly as a dark blur rushed by. They gasped as the unmistakable silhouette of a wolf jumped, cleared the arena fence, and landed into the pit.

  Spotting the young Shade Wolf, the gorilla growled and for a moment forgot the enemy directly before him.

  It was only a moment, but it was the opportunity Kelor needed, and he didn’t wait. The panther slashed, and his claws sliced across the Ghast Gorilla’s unprotected chest.

  The ape lurched back, clutching the lacerations on his torso as Kelor scrambled away.

  “Magnus!” shouted Kelor as the wolf ran to his side. “What are you doing here?”

  “Trying to save your life, you stupid cat!” Magnus shouted back.

  The Ghast Gorilla belted out a deafening roar.

  Magnus looked up at the beast, and for the first moment, he got a good close look at the ape. He saw the Ghast’s scars, the face, and the cold stare of its eyes. It was Gork - the leader of the Ghast Gorillas that had attacked Thornmount village! The very one that had murdered the chief’s son Adolphus.

  “You!” shouted the Ghast, recognizing Magnus.

  Magnus’s lips curled back as he growled. The fur on his neck stood on end, his nose wrinkled, and his ears lay back.

  The war was about to begin.

  CHAPTER 28

  “What was that?” asked Navarro.

  The bard strained forward, as if he could somehow see through the wall of the tent to view the commotion outside. Ever so often they could hear the muffled roar of the arena crowd as it cheered, but on this occasion their response came through loud and clear. Applause.

  Dox did not look up. He was in deep thought, transfixed on some idea or memory that shielded him from any outside distraction.

  “Magnus did it. That crazy wolf did it,” said Navarro. The comment was meant for the Minotaur, but with no response the bard realized he was talking to himself.

  “Dox? Dox? What’s wrong with you?”

  The beast-man did not answer but persisted in his dreamlike stare. After a long pause he finally spoke. “Unleash the beast.”

  “Ya, ya I know. Magnus got it, Dox. You were right; he just needed to unleash the beast, like you’ve always said.”

  The Minotaur looked up at Navarro and into his eyes. “No. I was wrong.”

  Navarro was confused. “It’s alright, big man. Magnus’s going to fight.”

  “No!” shouted Dox at the top of his lungs. “He does not go to fight. He goes to save another. He will fight if he must, but that is not his purpose!”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy. I didn’t mean to get a rise out of ya. I was just saying… .” Navarro tried to explain, but Dox cut in.

  “Every mistake, every great loss, every moment of sadness in my life is because of that… the Blood Dream… because I lost control.” He looked up towards his missing horn.

  Navarro’s eyes followed the Minotaur’s. He sat and listened.

  “Do you know how this happened?” asked the Minotaur, gesturing to his missing horn.

  The musician shook his head.

  “After the great battle with the serpents of the West, after my herd’s victory, we did not celebrate. We fought over the spoils. We fought over a snake’s tail, over a broken fang, over a worthless, meaningless scale of viper skin. I lost my horn because I lacked the strength,” explained Dox.

  “I don’t get it. You lacked the strength?” asked Navarro.

  The Minotaur took a deep breath before answering. “You see. I killed many serpents on that day. But I killed twice as many of my own herd after the battle. I could not control my anger, my greed, my lust. I lacked the strength to… to know when to fight and when to run. I lacked the strength to do what was right. I always have.”

  Navarro nodded his head as he thought about his own missteps and misdeeds.

  “I’ve been telling Kelor the only way to win is to unleash the beast. I was wrong. It is easy to lose control. No remorse, no excuses, no guilt. But that’s a lie. If he follows my path there is nothing along that road but sorrow…and regret.”

  “You don’t know that,” said the bard. “Ok, perhaps it’s not the best advice, but it’s not your fault what happens to him. Kelor has to make his own decisions.”

  Dox shook his head. “No… sooner or later it will consume him… as it did me. His hate and anger will be the beast that always hungers. A beast with no conscience, a beast with no love in his heart. I cannot allow that to happen. We will all perish if we stay here… one way or another. Our hearts, our souls, our lives. We will perish.”

  Navarro watched as Dox turned his head away. The Minotaur reached up and tore the metal spike from his nose. The beast-man grunted and groaned as he pried it loose.

  “What are you doing?” shouted Navarro.

  The Minotaur wiped the blood from the spike and took a long look at it. “I lacked the strength before, but not now. Take this…” he tossed the spike to Navarro. “Get out of here. Help Kelor and Magnus. They don’t belong here.”

  The bard grabbed the spike, reached out and around the bars, and inserted the tip into the lock. He jiggled the metal pin until the mechanism gave way and the lock opened and fell to the floor. He kicked the cage door open, hopped down and then knelt at Dox’s side.

  “You don’t belong here either,” said Navarro as he worked on unlocking each of the Minotaur’s shackles.

  “Get to the arena. You must rid Kelor of his collar. It contains a poison that could end him,” said the Minotaur.

  “What are you going to do?” Navarro asked.

  “I cannot walk among the crowds. I will remain here. The Warden’s guards must be eliminated if we are to make our escape,” answered Dox.

  “Ok. Don’t go far. We need you, Dox; we all do. Remember that,” said Navarro as he grabbed a servant’s cloak from a nearby table.

  “I will,” answered the beast-man.

  ****

  “I’ll go high, you go low,” said Magnus as the two moved up the hill towards Gork.

  “Great. That won’t hurt at all,” griped Kelor as he scrambled forward.

  The Ghast Gorilla had to track two targets at once. He started with the wolf, hurling a number of stones and boulders in Magnus’s direction. The wolf, however, was far too quick and avoided the incoming attacks with minimal effort.

  The distraction worked, providing Kelor the seconds necessary to advance without resistance from Gork. When the gorilla finally looked in the cat’s direction, Kelor was within striking distance.

  “Kelor, wait for my signal,” ordered Magnus as he circled the top side of the arena.

  Gork’s confidence changed to frustration and confusion. The wolf was up and over his right shoulder and coming on quick while the panther was low and to his left, creeping up for an obvious attack. The gorilla’s head snapped back and forth as he tried to keep his eyes on both potential threats.

  “He’s mine!” shouted Kelor.

  “No, wait!” yelled Magnus, but to no avail.

  The panther lunged forward and swung at the gorilla. The Ghast ignored the wolf, turned to face the cat, and was more than ready to defend himself. Gork dodged the slash of Kelor’s claws, and countered with a blow from above, his fist landing squarely across the feline’s back.

  The ape rose up again for another swing until Magnus’s fangs pierced the flesh of his calf muscles. Gork jerked his leg free and kicked in the direction of the assault but Magnus had already let go and retreated, a lesson he had learned from the battle of Thornmount. It would take far more than a bite to the leg to defeat the Ghast. He had to wait for the right moment.

  Kelor stumbled backward and away from the gorilla. He had taken a pounding and his reflexes were slowing due to stiff and wounded muscles.

  I can’t believe I’m going to say this… I can’t believe it’s come to this, thought Kelor. “Now what, Magnus?” asked Kelor.

  T
he wolf moved back to his original position, high and above the ape and opposite of Kelor.

  “Make as much noise as you can!” instructed the young Shade Wolf.

  This time the panther obeyed. He screeched and yowled, followed by hisses and growls. As Gork turned to find Magnus, the cat created more noise, louder and louder to keep the ape’s attention. The wolf crept closer as Kelor continued his verbal assault. Combined with the noise of the crowd, the panther’s roars and snarls panicked and confused the Ghast.

  Magnus dashed in, aiming for the gorilla’s back, and attacked. The wolf’s claws dug into the ape’s backside, and then Magnus bit down hard. His teeth knifed into the gorilla’s shoulder and bicep. And then the Shade Wolf shook his head from side to side, like a shark tearing its prey into pieces.

  Gork screamed in pain as he reached back and grabbed the wolf. The ape could only get one hand on Magnus, as his other arm was contorted and disabled by the wolf’s vice-like bite.

  The gorilla finally gripped the wolf and forced the attacker from his limb. Gork cocked his wounded arm and punched Magnus’s ribs. The wolf yelped in agony as the crowd cheered with excitement.

  The Ghast cocked his arm again but the panther attacked before the ape could deliver the blow.

  Kelor was right on target. His jaws clamped down on Gork’s forearms, snapping one of the bones in the ape’s wrist. The panther’s claws sliced the gorilla’s thigh and mid-section as Kelor struggled to maintain his bite.

  Magnus was able to escape as the ape diverted all his attention to the cat.

  When the Ghast finally shook Kelor loose, his arm was a useless mess. It hung at his side, oozing with blood. Strips of flesh dangled in huge chunks, hanging by a thread of skin or ligaments. But Gork would not fall.

  The gorilla roared, pounded his chest and barked at Kelor and Magnus as they started circling again.

  ****

  “Aren’t you going to do something?” asked Korwin, standing in his usual spot next to he Warden. They were both high in the arena stands, removed from the immediate action.