Trail of Bones: A Young Adult Fantasy Novel

by Chris Salisbury

  “My thoughts exactly. A whole troop of Ghast could march by, and we’d never see or smell them if we keep moving so fast,” added Magnus as he joined the group.

  The two younger wolves panted as they caught their breath while Dain peered down at the river rushing along below. “I told you, we have a lot of ground to cover. Next time you can stay home and clean yourselves. Or have mother do it for you,” said Dain.

  “Very funny,” said Asher as he plopped down, his tongue still hanging from the side of his mouth. “I’m hungry too. A wolf needs more than a couple of bark squirrels to satisfy him.”

  Dain looked over at his lazy brother. “Father once went many days without food during the Great War. He could barely walk, or run, yet he fought. Then he feasted on his defeated enemy. If the Ghast dare trespass into our lands on my patrol, I’ll feed on them just as father did.”

  Asher looked unimpressed.

  Dain couldn’t resist one last jibe. “And you can have the entrails when I’m done. How’s that?”

  The younger wolf just snorted, not wanting to continue the argument or to give his arrogant brother more ammunition for insults.

  “What about you, Magnus, aren’t you going to whine about your stomach, or how your fur smells of waste?” taunted Dain, but Magnus was not paying attention.

  The youngest of the wolves was sniffing the air. He had caught the scent of something out of place.

  As much as Dain hated to admit it, Magnus’s sense of smell surpassed his own. He had questioned his brother’s deductions multiple times, only to be proven wrong by his Magnus’s keen instincts.

  “What is it?” asked Dain.

  Magnus sniffed again. “I’m not sure just yet. It’s down by the river,” he answered. He lowered his head and sniffed the ground, comparing various scents.

  The oldest of the siblings grew impatient. “Is it the Ghast? Are they here, across the river?”

  “Yes, they were on this side of the river. But I don’t know when,” Magnus said as he followed a trail to track the new odor.

  “I knew it. The Ghast want our lands. They want war with the Shade Wolves again.” The young leader seemed almost happy about the news.

  Even Asher was getting excited, hopping up to follow Magnus as the trio descended the ridge.

  “I didn’t say that. The Ghast were here, but I’m not sure they are now. And… there’s something else,” Magnus said. Then he raised his snout and inhaled a deep breath. In one quick moment, Magnus finally recognized the elusive smell.

  “What? It can’t be!” he exclaimed and then ran down the hill.

  Asher and Dain were puzzled. “Wait! Magnus! What is it?” shouted Dain as the two wolves dashed after their brother.

  “Magnus!” shouted Adolphus as he saw his friend running toward him. He gave the wolf a big hug as the grown pup almost knocked the boy down. “What are you doing here?”

  “What are you doing here?” Magnus shot back as his bushy tail wagged. “Are you alone?”

  The boy patted the wolf and rubbed his furry neck. “I was looking for you! Where have you been? It’s been many nights since I saw you last. I had to find you. I had to know you were okay.”

  Dain and Asher approached, running at full speed until they saw Magnus and then the boy. “A barbarian boy?” asked Dain. Ugh, he thought. More whelps to care for. My first real assignment, my first real patrol, and this is what I get.

  “You shouldn’t be here, boy. These lands are not safe,” said Dain.

  Adolphus forgot how much Dain looked like Magnus. The eyes were different though; brown instead of green, and not as bright or trusting. “Uh… I know, I’m sorry. I was just trying to find Magnus… and got lost.” Adolphus’ head drooped.

  “Does your pack know where you are?” asked Asher.

  The boy shook his head. “No, no one does.”

  The oldest wolf was not happy. “Any other pleasant tidings to share? You didn’t happen to see any Ghast Gorillas during your wanderings, did you boy?” said Dain sarcastically.

  Again, the boy shook his head.

  “They’ll be looking for him,” stated Magnus.

  “I know, I know,” Dain shot back, irritated.

  “What should we do?” asked Asher as all eyes shifted to Dain.

  Dain did not want to answer, especially to provide the response he knew he had to give. There really was no other choice. “We take him back,” he confirmed. “This is no place for a boy.”

  “And the Ghast?” Magnus questioned.

  “We’ll report what we know, but this patrol is over. We’ll have to hunt for them on another time”.

  Magnus was proud of his older brother. Not an easy decision, he thought, but the right one. Glory will come to you soon enough, Brother. There is no rush to find it. You’ll lead our pack one day, and I will follow. He wanted to tell his brother, but now was not the time. Dain’s quest to prove himself would have to wait, and anything Magnus would say right now would fall on disappointed and deaf ears.

  “Follow us, Barbarian, we will take you back to your village,” said Dain as he led the way. The rest followed.

  Adolphus looked over at Magnus, trotting by his side. “I’m sorry, Magnus, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, I swear it.”

  “I know. I’m just glad you are safe,” said the wolf.

  Adolphus knew he was running into a heap of trouble. His mother would not be able to soften his father’s anger this time. A good scolding and probably a few lashes were waiting for him when he got home. But for the moment, running with the wolves was one of the greatest thrills of his young life. This is worth a hundred lashes, he thought at the irony.

  The small group followed the banks of the river. Dain, as usual, was some fifty paces in the lead. The river snaked through the terrain. As they approached a larger clearing near one of the banks, Dain froze. His head hunched low and still, his tail rigid and pointed straight back, and his ears flattened against his head… signals of danger.

  “Say nothing,” Magnus whispered to Adolphus as they approached the clearing. The barbarian boy knelt next to the wolves as they stared through a small opening in the foliage leading to the clearing ahead.

  The awful sounds of cracking bones and tearing flesh filled the crisp air. An adult male Ghast Gorilla sat in the middle of the clearing devouring the carcass of a grey timber elk. With huge hands, it tore apart its prey, snapping bones and ripping through tough hide. Crimson blood stained the white fur around its mouth and its beefy forearms.

  Without a word, Dain, along with Adolphus and the other wolves backed away, careful to keep the gorilla in their field of vision. Once they retreated far enough away and out of the enemy’s sight, they huddled together.

  “Did you see that? Sitting there eating, as if he dined in his own lands,” whispered Dain. “They have no fear of us. The Ghast poach in our territory without hesitation.”

  Magnus nodded. “Yes, and they will pay for this offense. But we must tell Father first.”

  “That beast will be on the other side of the river by then, and this crime will go unpunished. No, I say we act now.”

  Asher jumped into the conversation. “Dain, are you sure? He’s big, even for a Ghast.”

  Dain bared his teeth. “This is how it starts. First one, then another, and if we do nothing, an entire troop will run through our territory. Our territory!” he snarled.

  “What about the boy?” asked Magnus.

  “Yeah, what about the boy?” added Asher.

  The grunts and snorts of the gorilla echoed from the clearing, as if reminding the wolves he was still there and unworried about attracting attention.

  “What’s the matter with you two? Are you afraid?” the older brother asked. He looked at Magnus. “Magnus, are you a Shade Wolf or not?”

  “Yes, Dain, I am. But I fear for the boy and for you. We are on our own here. Father said there is strength in numbers, remember?” Magnus pleaded with his brother, hoping he would recon
sider.

  “Yes, strength in numbers. There are three of us and only one of him,” Dain answered.

  “Don’t do this, Dain. Let’s report back. We need the strength of the pack against the Ghast.”

  Dain refused to back down. “I would rather die than let one Ghast take a kill from our lands.”

  “And if there is more than one, then what?” Magnus said, unwilling to back away from his position.

  “If that’s what you want, fine! Run away…runt. And take the barbarian child with you.” Dain snarled. “I am a Shade Wolf, son of Ataris, and today I claim my birthright.” The older brother glared at Magnus as his brother backed away, lowering his gaze in an act of submission.

  The younger wolf shook his head. “Good luck, brother. I’ll see you back at the lair.”

  “You’ll cheer with the others when we return in triumph. That’s what you’ll do… coward.”

  The words stung, but Magnus was not about to risk the life of his friend. He loved his brother, but this was not right. This was foolish, and there was nothing Magnus could say or do to change his sibling’s mind.

  “Come, Adolphus, you must run as fast as you can,” the wolf said to the boy.

  “But… won’t they need your help? I can fight too,” said the barbarian boy as he drew his dagger and held it up to show Magnus.

  “No. On this day we run. We run with purpose,” answered Magnus.

  The wolf looked at the boy. I admire your courage, Barbarian, but you do not know what the Ghast can do, he thought. Nor do I, or Dain.

  “What purpose, Magnus? We’re running away… so we don’t get hurt?” asked the boy, partly from confusion and partly from barbarian pride.

  “We run to warn the pack, to warn your village. We’re not running away, we’re running to save the lives of many. The Ghast are coming.”

  Magnus and Adolphus took one last look at Dain and Asher.

  The duo was already sneaking back toward the clearing and the unsuspecting Ghast.

  The boy and the wolf ran as fast as they could, keeping a pace they could sustain without stopping. As they ran they heard in the distance the sickening roar of the Ghast Gorilla followed by the barks and howls of Shade Wolves, Dain and Asher.

  CHAPTER 12

  Kelor couldn’t keep his eyes off Dox. He gnawed at the meager piece of meat tossed down to him. His stomach ached for more food, but as was typical, he received only enough to maintain his strength, nothing more.

  Dox, on the other hand, had to rummage through the scraps and garbage the servants dumped into the pit at the end of every day. The Warden had instructed them not to feed Dox his regular meals, but the master had said nothing about disposing of the trash after feeding the animals and camp staff.

  The Minotaur grunted as he nosed through the trash heap; meanwhile Kelor just chewed on a bone, picked clean of any protein. The panther was not about to ‘lower’ himself and eat the camp’s waste, no matter how hungry he was.

  “Do you have to make so much noise when you eat?” asked Kelor.

  The beast-man swallowed another bite before answering. “Oh, like you are any different,” he said, belching, not because of a satisfying meal but to irritate the panther.

  Kelor grimaced. Maybe I should have ended you; do us both a favor. The cat changed the subject for fear of vomiting what little food he had consumed.

  “How did you lose your horn?”

  Surprised, the Minotaur looked up, irritated. “None of your business, cat.”

  “Did it hurt?” Kelor pressed. “I mean, could you feel it?”

  Dox sat back on his rump, wiped his mouth with his forearm, and looked at Kelor. “Why do you care?”

  The panther said nothing. Perplexed, he tilted his head.

  Dox exhaled. “Yes, it hurt. A lot. And it hurt every time you tried to end my life. Satisfied?”

  Kelor thought a moment before responding. He looked at the bone in his paws and then back to Dox’s remaining horn, and then finally to the stump on the other side of the Minotaur’s head.

  “I heard the Warden say he could give you the horn back. Is he the one that took it?”

  “No.”

  “Will it grow back?”

  “No.”

  “How can you get it back? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  The beast-man’s patience was gone. “What? What do you want, Kelor? What game are we playing now? Do you want to know about my pain; do you want to make me suffer? Is that it? Losing a horn is the worst thing that can happen to a Minotaur. It is better to lose your life source than become a Spike.

  “A Spike?” asked Kelor.

  “One horn!” Dox snapped as he pointed to his remaining horn.

  “Oh,” answered Kelor, realizing the obvious.

  But Dox’s answers created more questions. “Why didn’t you give up? If being a Spike is that bad, why eat food, why try?”

  “You just won’t leave it alone, will you?” answered Dox, his frustration boiling. His wounds, however, were still significant, and he was not capable of holding his own against Kelor.

  “Seriously, Dox, why try?”

  The Minotaur had asked himself the same question many times but always came to the same conclusion. He sighed again. “Because I hope to earn it back, my horn, in time. That’s why. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Earn it back? Why not just take one or make a new one? I mean…” Kelor said.

  “It’s not like that!” shouted Dox. “I lost it in battle. To earn it back, I have to do something, something worthy of song. A great feat, a great victory, a great sacrifice. Something even the gods can’t ignore. Then I can have my horn back. Then I can rejoin my herd. Get it?”

  Kelor nodded. Now that actually makes sense. “Can I help you?”

  “What? You… help me?” the beast-man said, then chuckled, wincing from the soreness of his broken ribs.

  “Why not?” said Kelor.

  “Ha. That would defeat the purpose don’t you think? A great feat? Oh, I had help from a panther, but yes, it was great, can I retake my horn now? The herd would rip the other horn from my head. No thanks, cat, besides, even if you tried, you would fail.”

  “Fail? What? How do you know that?” Kelor felt a little indignant.

  Dox leaned back against the wall of the pit. He had the cat’s attention. “You want to know how I know? It’s the same reason you’re still down in this pit. That’s how.”

  Kelor sat up. He said nothing but stared at Dox and waited for the answer.

  The Minotaur looked away. You owe me one, cat. This is a lesson you should have learned from your mother. But she’s gone… and that’s not all your fault. Very well, here goes, he thought.

  “You need to unleash the beast.”

  “Unleash the beast?”

  “You heard me. We call it the Blood Dream, when anger, hate, rage, hunger, all rush together. At that moment, when your heart slows, when your mind is void of thought, you must unleash the beast. Then you unlock all your power, all your strength and your enemy will fall.”

  I’ve never thought of it that way before. Every time he had previously attacked Dox, he had felt a strange sensation. Perhaps it was the Blood Dream, like the Minotaur called it. Whatever it was, I am pretty sure I was stronger. But he never wanted to kill Dox. Not really; the caretaker was just an obstacle between him and his family’s freedom. Kelor only wanted to escape.

  Dox could see the cat was processing the information. Of all creatures, I never thought you, a panther, would ever understand. Perhaps there’s more to you than a set of sharp claws, teeth, and a mouth to feed.

  ****

  Dain was the first to attack. He had circled behind the Ghast’s back while the beast continued to consume its kill. Asher was to approach from the front and offer a momentary distraction that would provide his brother the opportunity to strike. The plan worked to perfection.

  The Ghast rose up on his haunches as he saw Asher approach and was about to re
lease a deafening roar at his enemy. Dain’s fangs, however, pierced deep into the thick muscles of the gorilla’s neck. Even though Dain was not a full grown Shade Wolf, his jaws still had the power and strength to deliver a severe wound.

  Blood gushed from the gash as the Ghast swung wildly at his unseen attacker. He struck near his own shoulder, but the wolf released his prey in time for the gorilla to club his own wounded shoulder.

  Now Asher closed in as the gorilla whirled. He lunged and hit his target on the beast’s meaty thigh. Like his brother, his bite created several deep lacerations that awakened moans of agony in the beast. Because of Asher’s frontal attack, the gorilla grabbed the wolf with its massive hands and flung him across the clearing.

  Dain watched as his brother flew some fifteen paces in the air before landing with a thud and a yelp. The young leader growled as he dashed in for another assault. This time his bites were only glancing blows as the Ghast kept its head swiveling, careful not to leave one side exposed for another decisive bite.

  The two wolves closed in, barking, yelping and howling. As they had practiced with their father many times before, they circled the Ghast and grew closer each time. They kept up the noise, tendering both sound and motion to confuse the wounded ape.

  The beast roared back, pounded the ground with its heavy fists, and then beat its chest in defiance. The Ghast never went down without fighting.

  The older wolf leapt first, but the gorilla ducked and Dain only snatched a mouthful of hair. As Asher crouched in preparation for his attack, a loud sound swooshed through the air. A thick tree trunk slammed into the wolf. The awful sound of air rushing from Asher’s lungs and the snapping of bones followed the thud of a direct blow from the makeshift weapon.

  “Asher!” yelled Dain as he watched his brother’s broken body slide across the ground.

  Another Ghast Gorilla had joined the attack with the tree trunk it had ripped from its roots to use as a club. It bellowed as Asher crawled for the safety of the forest.

  The gorilla turned to follow the wounded wolf, but Dain raced in front of the Ghast, barking and howling as loud as his lungs would allow. Two Ghast Gorillas against one Shade Wolf, but Dain would not give up, and he did the only thing he could think of. He ran in between the two Ghast, darting and dashing to avoid contact.