Read Online Sword Masters by Selina Rosen - Free Book Online
Authors: Selina Rosen
Tags: Fantasy
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elongated, cat-like pupils stared at him only a minute, and then the beast was on its feet and coming for him.
He jumped up and ran. He could hear it growling and the deep huffing of its breath as it pursued him, then something jumped on his back and he was going down. Going down beneath something that weighed a good twenty pounds more than Tarius.
The creature spun him around, and as he looked into the eyes of the creature, he was sure he was about to meet his brothers.
"What the hell have you done?" the creature cried in agony.
The voice was if possible even more rasping, but it was still Tarius's voice.
The creature shook him like a child might shake a rag doll. "What the hell have you done?" it asked again. Although it was more an accusation than a question.
"I followed you. I wanted to know why you were such a good fighter. I thought that you were coming to do some magic ritual. I had no idea . . ." He trailed off, afraid to speak the words.
"That I was Katabull, or that I was female?"
"Neither." Tragon realized he must sound as scared as he was. He also realized he had wet himself. No sense , he decided, in playing the hero . "Tarius, if you understand me, please, please . . . Don't eat me."
The beast smiled at him then, and he saw his friend in the beast's features. "You should be so lucky." She got off of him and sat on the ground beside him. She made a face, moved and pulled a twig from her seat. "What the hell am I going to do with you?"
He started to crawl away. She let him move about three feet and then grabbed his leg and pulled him back easily.
"You know everything about me. You could get me thrown out of the academy, perhaps even killed."
Tragon sat up beside the beast. "Why . . . why would you want to be in the academy? Wouldn't you rather be with your own people?"
"Don't you think I would be if I could? My people are scattered in every land now. My own pack is mostly gone, killed by the Amalites. That is why I want to join you. To destroy them before they can do to other peoples what they have done to mine. Your people feared us, you made us outcasts, but at least you didn't hunt us and kill us. At least you accepted our right to exist. The Amalites would deny all but their own kind the right to even live. If your rules weren't so stupid, I wouldn't have had to lie to anyone, and maybe Jena would have fallen in love with me for who I am and not who she thinks I am."
"So you really don't like men the way they were teasing you about tonight, you do like girls but you're a girl, so that means your still queer as Arvon," Tragon said in a confused tone.
"Thank you, Tragon, that was very helpful," Tarius said.
"So, are you going to kill me then?" Tragon asked carefully.
Tarius looked at him through animal-like eyes. "Are you going to tell on me?"
Tragon thought about it only a moment. "No. I wanted to learn your secret; it's obvious now that it's not something I can cash in on. However, there is talk that they plan to pair us together when we go out into the field. Since I don't like pain, or even the thought of death, how stupid would I be to turn down the chance of riding with the Katabull? I won't even have to get sweaty unless I just want to."
"Good." Tarius stood up and went to retrieve her clothes and sword.
Tragon followed her, watching her dress.
"Doesn't that hurt?" he asked of the way she was wrapping her breasts.
"Well, it certainly doesn't feel good," Tarius said. "Of course I'll have to tighten it after I change back."
"Couldn't you change back now? You're kind of . . . Well, scary this way."
Tarius smiled at him then, a very scary, toothy smile indeed. "Can't. Once I transform all the way I have to eat raw flesh or blood before I can change back."
"Oh! Isn't that lovely? If you don't mind, I'll just head back now."
He watched as the creature ran off into the night. It was a lot to keep quiet about, but his silence would mean he lived, and if he talked . . .
He jumped up and ran. He could hear it growling and the deep huffing of its breath as it pursued him, then something jumped on his back and he was going down. Going down beneath something that weighed a good twenty pounds more than Tarius.
The creature spun him around, and as he looked into the eyes of the creature, he was sure he was about to meet his brothers.
"What the hell have you done?" the creature cried in agony.
The voice was if possible even more rasping, but it was still Tarius's voice.
The creature shook him like a child might shake a rag doll. "What the hell have you done?" it asked again. Although it was more an accusation than a question.
"I followed you. I wanted to know why you were such a good fighter. I thought that you were coming to do some magic ritual. I had no idea . . ." He trailed off, afraid to speak the words.
"That I was Katabull, or that I was female?"
"Neither." Tragon realized he must sound as scared as he was. He also realized he had wet himself. No sense , he decided, in playing the hero . "Tarius, if you understand me, please, please . . . Don't eat me."
The beast smiled at him then, and he saw his friend in the beast's features. "You should be so lucky." She got off of him and sat on the ground beside him. She made a face, moved and pulled a twig from her seat. "What the hell am I going to do with you?"
He started to crawl away. She let him move about three feet and then grabbed his leg and pulled him back easily.
"You know everything about me. You could get me thrown out of the academy, perhaps even killed."
Tragon sat up beside the beast. "Why . . . why would you want to be in the academy? Wouldn't you rather be with your own people?"
"Don't you think I would be if I could? My people are scattered in every land now. My own pack is mostly gone, killed by the Amalites. That is why I want to join you. To destroy them before they can do to other peoples what they have done to mine. Your people feared us, you made us outcasts, but at least you didn't hunt us and kill us. At least you accepted our right to exist. The Amalites would deny all but their own kind the right to even live. If your rules weren't so stupid, I wouldn't have had to lie to anyone, and maybe Jena would have fallen in love with me for who I am and not who she thinks I am."
"So you really don't like men the way they were teasing you about tonight, you do like girls but you're a girl, so that means your still queer as Arvon," Tragon said in a confused tone.
"Thank you, Tragon, that was very helpful," Tarius said.
"So, are you going to kill me then?" Tragon asked carefully.
Tarius looked at him through animal-like eyes. "Are you going to tell on me?"
Tragon thought about it only a moment. "No. I wanted to learn your secret; it's obvious now that it's not something I can cash in on. However, there is talk that they plan to pair us together when we go out into the field. Since I don't like pain, or even the thought of death, how stupid would I be to turn down the chance of riding with the Katabull? I won't even have to get sweaty unless I just want to."
"Good." Tarius stood up and went to retrieve her clothes and sword.
Tragon followed her, watching her dress.
"Doesn't that hurt?" he asked of the way she was wrapping her breasts.
"Well, it certainly doesn't feel good," Tarius said. "Of course I'll have to tighten it after I change back."
"Couldn't you change back now? You're kind of . . . Well, scary this way."
Tarius smiled at him then, a very scary, toothy smile indeed. "Can't. Once I transform all the way I have to eat raw flesh or blood before I can change back."
"Oh! Isn't that lovely? If you don't mind, I'll just head back now."
He watched as the creature ran off into the night. It was a lot to keep quiet about, but his silence would mean he lived, and if he talked . . .
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