Trail of Bones: A Young Adult Fantasy Novel by Chris Salisbury Read Free Book Online

into the ground, and then pried open the cage door.
    Kelor hissed as he coiled, ready to pounce. His mother did the same until the corgan leg flew into the cage. The instinct to attack quickly succumbed to the need to eat. The female snared the leg with her powerful jaws and drug the food as far away from the cage door as she could. The cubs followed and carefully nibbled at the meat in between their mother’s bites. Dox slammed the cage door shut, but stood ready with his staff just in case.
    “Now, which one would you like?” asked the Warden.
    Kitra, feeling a bit safer since the large cats were occupied, stepped up to the cage and placed her hands on the bars. “They all look the same. What can you tell me about them? Their behaviors; are they all as fierce as I imagine them to be?” she asked.
    The Warden stood beside her as they both watched the panthers devour the meat. “So far. Though the one with the white socks, the last born of the three, seems a bit more…agreeable, I guess you could say.”
    “Very well. May I take a closer look? I want to make sure he’s healthy. I… my superior requires a strong and capable cat to warrant such a substantial investment,” said Kitra, refusing to take her eyes from the captured beasts.
    “But of course,” responded the Warden. He gave Dox a glance but said nothing.
    The Minotaur grunted in dissatisfaction as he reopened the cage. He moved in as silently as he could, making sure his large hooves did not scuff the ground and disturb the panthers. He placed his staff on the ground and then reached over and pulled at Kai’s hind leg. The cub did not notice until it was too late, and Dox held him securely by one leg with one hand and the skin of his neck with the other. The servant lifted the 400 pound cub from the ground with ease and turned to hold it up to Kitra who still stood outside of the cage.
    As the beast-man stepped closer to the war maiden, he was attacked from behind. Not by Kai’s mother, but by Kelor.
    “Do not touch him!” shouted Kelor as he lunged in for an attack.
    Dox let go of Kai’s leg, but still held the cub up with one arm. His free hand shot up as he angled his forearm to shield his face from Kelor’s assault, but the young panther’s jaws clamped down, its fangs sinking deep into the Minotaur’s flesh. The beast-man let out a muffled roar as pain rippled through his arm.
    The Warden pushed Kitra away from the cage as Dox stumbled backward and fell with a thunderous thud.
    As he landed, he lost his grip on Kai, and the cub hurried off. Kelor, however, clamped down harder as he thrashed his head back and forth, trying to rip the Minotaur’s arm from his torso.
    The beast-man first pounded the side of Kelor’s chest, and then grabbed the cat’s snout to pry the panther loose. He bellowed again as the cat’s jaws refused to release his captured limb.
    The Warden ran to a container near the steel cage. He popped open the lid, retrieved a vial of green fluid, removed the cork and slid the tip of his dagger into the liquid.
    Dox scrambled to keep Kelor at bay, holding his wounded arm up and away from his body so the cat’s claws could do no more damage. He searched for his staff, fumbling through the straw until he finally seized it. He pounded on the attacker’s hide with several strong strokes, but the cat still held on.
    Kelor did not wince, whimper, or show any signs of backing down. Leave my family alone! You will not touch him again, thought Kelor as he felt the rush of adrenaline pump through his body. Concentrated on Dox, he barely felt the impact of the staff against his ribs.
    From the corner of his eye, Dox caught the glint of a steel flash. The Warden’s dagger nicked Kelor’s side, drawing blood but also injecting the green fluid that coated the tip of the blade. A couple moments later, the cat’s jaws loosened, and Dox freed himself with the use of his staff.
    Kelor’s eyes glazed over as the Minotaur shoved him away,