The Leopard Stratagem (Leopard King Saga Book 2) Read online

  T.A. UNER

  THE LEOPARD STRATAGEM

  Tome Two of the Leopard King Saga

  Copyright ©2014 by T.A. Uner

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or an other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Cover by Damonza.Com

  Formatting by Polgarus Studio

  www.Leopardkingsaga.com

  Also by T.A. Uner

  The Leopard Vanguard: Tome One of the Leopard King Saga

  Kill Zombies

  The Bloody Ripper

  Stone Ram

  Doctor Mars

  I, Mars (Coming Soon)

  This Tome is dedicated to Hakan Konaç, one of the finest Leopard Masters alive today

  Centuries ago, during the time of The Roman Empire…

  Prologue: The Blood Toll

  {December 17th to 18th, 37 AD}

  “Auri sacra fames.”

  “The accursed hunger for gold.”-Virgil

  One/Unus

  A fierce gust of wind stung Tullus' face while Celestra fought to keep up with him.

  The cold had announced itself hours ago, imposing its arrival like an unwanted guest on the two dauntless travelers. Tullus' Leopard-print breeches had frozen to his legs and he wondered how much more of this cold he could endure.

  Thin, powder-white mist surrounded Tullus and Celestra. Around them a frozen wasteland devoid of life. Celestra growled her disdain: no doubt the Leopardess hadn’t encountered weather this cold during her lifetime.

  “I think we’re lost, Girl,” Tullus said. He pulled Vulcan’s map from his backpack and eyed it confusedly. Tullus squinted at the map’s handwriting, but could make nothing from it. The frozen haze made the map almost illegible. He summoned the Lucis spell and glanced at the map under the illumination of the yellow Lucis orb. After reading it for a few moments, he looked up and cursed; Celestra had disappeared. Now he could add her absence to his list of grievances.

  He called out to the Incantra but she did not respond. Tullus drew his cloak tighter across his chest. His boots were stiff and his feet were so cold he could barely move his toes, while his body felt like a stiff slab of meat that had been left out in the cold overnight. Celestra appeared in front of him, her spotted coat emerging from beneath the invisibility cloak of the Furtim spell. She growled.

  “What is it, Girl?”

  Celestra pointed her right front paw towards a dim outline of a cylindrical object in the distance. Tullus cast the Oculus spell and noticed it was a tower of some sort. It looked old, but still intact. He smiled for the first time in days–finally, a stroke of good luck had come their way. “Lead on, Girl.”

  They trudged on towards the tower as the fierce wind fought to claim them in its frozen grip.

  As the tower grew closer, Tullus eyed its oblong shape that twisted upwards toward the glacial sky, its exterior webbed in ice. They found a wooden door crusted in ice. Tullus tried opening the door but it was frozen. He summoned what Vigor he had left and threw his shoulder into it. After two attempts, and with Celestra’s added might, the door slammed open.

  Inside was dark. Tullus again cast the Lucis spell, and the glowing orb reappeared above his head, offering much needed light in addition to warmth. Tullus pulled the door back in and the howling winds deceased. It was still chilly inside; but for now they were safe from frozen death.

  A stone staircase spiraled upwards to a second level. Tullus and Celestra followed it. It ended in a stone landing which opened up into a large, shuttered, stone room containing a long, dusty table surrounded by wooden chairs. Tullus removed his backpack and slumped down in one of the chairs. Despite its careworn condition it supported his weight.

  Tullus surveyed the room. A pantry stood against one of the walls; next to it was an alcove where an old wooden sign was posted. The following words inscribed on it in gold Latin print:

  Outpost III: Home of the 14th Air Wing known as The Star Falcons

  Commanded by Metux the Younger

  Strangely, the room started to warm around him. Tullus wondered how this could be, since there was no visible source of fire. He thought back to the fables of the Paladins before, walking toward the stone wall, and pressed his hands against the surface. Warmth coursed through his icy fingertips, flooding his arms and he smiled. There was some sorcery at work here; something beyond his level of knowledge—at least for now. He would be sure to ask Hradack, if he ever managed to find the Leopard Master.

  Inside his backpack, Tullus unwrapped his provisions while Celestra looked on. The dried beef was frozen and inedible and he didn’t feel like wasting his Vigor trying to heat them. He scowled and threw the frozen strips against the wall where they shattered like ice. Celestra growled her disdain and disappeared down the steps.

  Tullus grumbled and tried to drink some water but it had frozen inside his waterskin. He licked the icy surface of the hardened water and fought back a surge of anger that was boiling in his chest. He hated skipping a meal, especially after such a treacherous day, so he looked for a place to curl up to sleep and found a room filled with abandoned pallets. Probably the sleeping quarters for the Air Paladins who had once lived here, years ago. He found one situated in the form of a bunk beneath another pallet, pulled out his blanket and settled down to sleep.

  He heard footsteps from the landing outside the door.

  Grasping LeopardTooth, he rose from his pallet before the door creaked open. There stood Celestra with a dead hare in her mouth. Tullus smiled as she brought the creature to him before depositing it at his feet. He hugged Celestra. “Ohh, Celestra what would I do without you?” The Leopardess purred affectionately and licked Tullus' face; a warm, soggy treat.

  After skinning the hare with LeopardTooth, Tullus found a brazier and managed to get a fire started after assembling a spit from a small, spoked wood set he carried inside his pack. He added some of Masego’s pepper seasoning before he and Celestra relished their meal, afterwards, they settled down for a good night’s rest.

  The next morning they awoke with renewed Vigor. As Tullus prepared to leave the outpost, he heard a loud grating noise coming from behind the shuttered window. Celestra growled before they both approached it; grey shafts of light filtered through the shutter. After raising the shutters the sound stopped. Tullus looked out of the window. The snowfall had stopped, burying the landscape in snow. The tops of the trees surrounding the outpost were specked in white while their drooping branches cradled mounds of snow.

  Tullus opened the window and poked his head outside. His face was stung by a rush of freezing air and he retracted his head inside for warmth. Then he heard a flapping sound. A large mass of muscles, talons and feathers flew through the window. It entered the room so quickly that Tullus only saw a brown blur before it landed on the table.

  It was an eagle. It expanded its broad chest laden with golden feathers, while its eyes sparkled. Tullus eyed the bird and wondered where it had come from.

  The great eagle stretched out its large golden wings and emitted a piercing cry. Its shrill noise echoing throughout the room. It extended its talon and Tullus noticed a rolled parchment tied to the eagle’s leg. Tullus removed it and noticed it was embossed with a wax seal in the shape of a Leopard head.

  His curiosity roused, Tullus broke open the seal and read the message:

  Dear Tullus,

  How are you? I trust your journey is almost over. First, let me express my deepest apology for not attending
Paullus’s funeral. I have been ill for quite some time and feel the disease’s effects intensify as the years go by. Still, this is a poor excuse as Paullus was one of my beloved friends. I have sent my friend, Aurumax (the Golden Eagle) to guide you to my home as I fear you may have accidentally wandered off course. Perhaps you may recall meeting Aurumax earlier. I apologize for having him spy on you but I feared for your safety and sent him to watch over you. I wish you safe passage during the final stage of your journey and I look forward to meeting you.

  All my hopes and prayers,

  Hradack

  Tullus stuffed the roll into his backpack and looked at Aurumax. He had met this creature before; the same bird who had stared at him down from the tree branches when he and the other troupe members were eating Anna’s soup. And it had been circling above him in Rome right before his confrontation with Decimus in Yeshiva’s warehouse. Despite Hradack’s curiosity Tullus didn’t feel any hostility towards the Leopard Master, quite the opposite: It felt good knowing someone wanted him safe.

  “So…you’re an Incantra too Aurumax?”

  Aurumax cocked his head back and shrieked his reply. Tullus took this for an affirmative answer and slipped on his backpack before the golden eagle swooped out of the room to guide them on the last leg of their journey.

  {II}

  Outside the air was crisp and cool. The blizzard that had threatened to engulf the wilderness had moved out of the area. Tullus cast one final look at the old outpost before resuming his journey.

  Aurumax was sitting in a tree branch, waiting for him, the faint wind blowing snow dust round the protective sphere surrounding the Incantra. When Tullus and Celestra passed under the branch, Aurumax shrieked and took off toward the sky like an arrow.

  Tullus focused his thoughts and cast the Oculus spell. With it he would be able to track Aurumax’s movements easier. The great eagle rose higher and higher in the ashen sky. Tullus took a deep breath and trudged on toward Hradack’s stead.

  An hour later, Tullus and Celestra stopped to rest. Tullus had saved some of the hare from their meal last night. He offered a tender piece to Celestra and they both chewed heartily. The meat, despite being cold, was edible.

  Tullus looked up at the sky and saw Aurumax circling above them. He hoped Aurumax would land for a rest soon. Tullus wanted to offer the bird some food.

  Celestra growled.

  “What is it?”

  Tullus heard rustling noises. He looked up at the sky and Aurumax was gone. Perhaps the great bird had landed near them?

  Two shapes emerged from the snow-coated boscage surrounding Tullus and Celestra. Both were long-haired men, with waxen faces, who wore black, leather mail and thick, grey animal skins over their shoulders. They both wore swords. One of the men was taller than the other; they both stared callously at Tullus and Celestra.

  “You are trespassing through the domain of Jarkos Wolfsbane, stranger,” said the taller of the two.

  Tullus began slowing his breath, to conserve Vigor, the way his Chinese friend, Gansu, had taught him. He would try to avoid a confrontation with these two, but his military instinct indicated otherwise.

  “Apologies,” Tullus called out, “I was not aware this domain was under your control.”

  Both men sniggered at Tullus' apology; Celestra snarled at them.

  “Be still, Girl.” Tullus patted her back. “Let’s not give them a reason to attack us.”

  The taller one whispered into the other man’s ear and they laughed. Tullus noticed a thick layer of hair coating the dorsal part of his hand. He noticed the other man also possessed the same physical trait.

  “I would say that is unfortunate for you, stranger,” said the taller of the two, “and now it will cost you…we prefer gold, from those who encroach upon our territory, so you must pay a toll.”

  Tullus sighed, reached into his money purse and pulled out a small, drawstring bag filled with a few remaining aurei from the bonus Norbanus had awarded him during his service in the Praetorian Guard. He hated to part with what little money he had but was in no mood to fight, even though he was not in the wrong.

  Tullus tossed the small drawstring bag towards the shorter of the two, who caught it in mid air, and inspected its contents.

  “My, my look at what we have here,” the shorter one said as his eyes stared greedily at the gold coins, “looks like we’ve found ourselves a wealthy traveler, Tiranus.”

  Tiranus grabbed the bag from his companion’s hands. “Let me see that, Tijanus.”

  Tiranus looked into the bag and smiled. “Brother, today is a good day, indeed.”

  “I’ve paid your toll,” Tullus said. “Now let us pass.”

  Tiranus laughed before stuffing the coins into his pocket; then he let out a shrill whistle. Tullus watched as a stout man emerged from the snowy underbrush behind Tiranus and Tijanus. He had a scarred, bald head and wore an eye patch over his right eye. Under his thick, fur coat he wore a black-leather jerkin studded with a large, bronze wolf’s head in the center. A sword and hatchet flanked his belly above thick breeches. In his gloved hands, attached to muscular arms, were chain leashes, at the end of each were four blood wolves with pulsing eyes, red, like rubies. They snarled fearsomely at Tullus and Celestra. Soon more men appeared. They carried swords, axes, and maces; wore helms that concealed their faces atop plated armor; they wore breeches and thick boots and carried shields with the sigil of a snarling black wolf’s head painted on them.

  “Wolfguard, kill the stranger and his pet,” Tiranus ordered. “Then we’ll take the rest of the gold.”

  Tullus pulled Leopardhide off his back and dropped his backpack in the snow while Celestra growled at the approaching guards.

  “So you wish to die today? Is that it?” he said, drawing LeopardClaw.

  “It is not us who shall be doing the dying,” Tiranus said as he drew his long dirk and smiled.

  The first two armored guards grunted and sprung towards Tullus like frogs before swinging their blades at him. The first sword met the Leopard-headed boss on Leopardhide while Tullus parried the other guard’s sword with LeopardClaw. He slashed at the first guard’s helm with Leopardhide. The great shield tore off the face plate of the guard’s helm, which revealed this guard's secret. Tullus remembered the fables his father had once told him when he was a child. Of cursed beings roaming the earth who could transform into undead beasts, skin-shifters they were called, told to scare misbehaving children to sleep. But these creatures were no fables. They were as real as the cold air nipping at his face. The eye-patched man unchained his four leashed blood wolves and they ran toward Celestra, howling as they closed in on the Leopardess. But she was ready, and cast the Furtim spell before disappearing. The blood wolves stopped in their tracks, confused by her sudden disappearance before she reappeared, three paces from the lead wolf, and sunk her teeth into its ribcage. The wolf yelped in pain as Celestra ripped off a piece of the wolf’s fur, revealing its ribs and bloody innards. She then sliced her paw across the face of another wolf, causing blood to spurt from the wound and stain the virgin snow.

  Tullus found an opening in one of the Wolfguard’s sword thrusts and sunk LeopardClaw into the exposed armpit of his closest attacker before slicing his opponent’s sword arm off. Black blood spurted out of the Wolfguard’s torso while the arm continued to wiggle on the ground. Then, right before Tullus' eye’s, the arm flew up and reattached itself to the Wolfguard’s torso. The Wolfguard snarled before head butting Tullus, who fell backwards, dazed, as the side of his face impacted with the hard snow.

  “Regular weapons cannot harm me, fool,” his opponent growled before bringing his sword down on Tullus. Tullus barely had time to roll out of the way before the Wolfguard’s sword sliced through the surface of the snow.

  Celestra fared no better in her battle. Her two attacks had wounded her opponents, but moments later the wounds on both wolves began to heal as the skin regenerated, sealing them.

  Celestra watched
as Tullus struggled to keep his two Wolfguard opponents at bay, while behind them the bald man drew his sword and advanced to join the fracas.

  Two wide green beams of sliced through the frigid air above Celestra and struck one of the wolves in front of her, causing its head to explode into bits of hair, bone and gristle. The Leopardess looked up into the overcast sky and saw the source of the beams.

  Aurumax.

  The golden eagle swooped down and fired another salvo of energy beams at another wolf. The blue beams launched from Aurumax’s eyes and sliced through the wolf’s back before exploding through its chest. The snow-covered earth beneath the wolf’s corpse was charred black, as tendrils of thick smoke rose from the impacted area.

  Tullus noticed Tiranus nocking an arrow as he aimed at Aurumax before releasing it. The shot was true, but disintegrated against the shield protecting the Golden Eagle. Tullus felt a calming presence enter his mind, almost as if another’s thoughts were attempting to merge with his own. A tranquil voice spoke to him inside his head: “Do not be alarmed Tullus, this is Hradack,” it said, “The only way to effectively kill Wolfmen without blessed weapons is by using Elemence, or, by stabbing their hearts with a conventional weapon. But your aim must be true.”

  Tullus felt the presence leave his mind before he hacked at the closest Wolfguard’s shield. He was now trying to fend off two, armed opponents at once. He turned his head quickly to see Celestra still trying to hold her two remaining opponents at bay.