The Ruby Guardian

trying to surround us.'

'Nine!' Kovrim exclaimed, starting upright. Then the man groaned and sank back down again. 'Waukeen, I hate the sea.' The older priest swallowed loudly a couple of times then took a slow, deep breath. 'What does Za'hure say about it?'

As if in answer to Kovrim's question, the ship shifted to one side, its timbers groaning, and Vambran could feel himself listing against a tight turn. The motion made Kovrim gasp.

'I wish he wouldn't do that,' the man said.

'When we thought there were only six, he was going to try to outrun them by turning with the wind, but three more are ahead of us, now. I didn't wait around to see what he would do next, but I guess he's trying to slip past a couple of them. I ordered the company to assemble on deck. Horial's sounding 'Green Grow the Fields.''

'Probably wise, considering there are nine,' Kovrim said. 'Don't forget to drink up, yourself.'

Suddenly, a horrendous roar deafened the two men, and Lady's Favor lurched to one side, as though she were trying to leap out of the water.

'Gods, what was that?' Kovrim muttered, trying to rise to his feet.

Vambran could barely hear his uncle for the ringing in his ears. He staggered against one wall of the tiny room, nearly bumping his head on the wildly swinging lantern. 'Up top! Now!' he shouted, spun about, and scooted out through the door again as best as he could with the ship listing so sharply to one side.

Back topside, there was a mad scramble in full force. Men were shouting at everyone and no one, and Vambran could see several of the mainsails scorched and dangling free in the wind, with a number of their ropes flapping in the breeze, burning or smoking. Already the ship was slowing, losing its motivation as the sails were consumed. The Crescents seemed to be gathering in a general group, though there was no space or means for them to assemble into any sort of proper order.

In the next instant, Vambran felt the hairs on the back of his neck tingle, and the next thing he knew, he was facedown on the steps leading to the forecastle as a thunderous crack snapped through the air over his head. He didn't need to see the flash of brilliance to know that it was a lightning bolt. With his hands clamped over his ears, Vambran rose to one knee in time to see one of Lady's Favor's three masts listing awkwardly to one side, tipping over toward the sea. Only the tangle of rigging kept it from going all the way over, but already, several ropes had snapped, and the others were unraveling.

Why in the Nine Hells are they attacking the ship? Vambran wondered. It's as if they cared not a wit for what we might be carrying.

Another horrendous blast boomed overhead, and Vambran felt the waves of heat wash over him as the fiery ball of magic burst among the sails. Two men who had been high among the ropes screamed and fell, their bodies singed and black. One hit the deck and bounced along its sloped surface, and the other fell directly into the sea.

At that moment, the lieutenant wished that his newfound sorcerous talents had manifested themselves a bit more strongly, for he would have liked to have slung a magical salvo or two back toward the nearest ship. But his skills were still fledgling in many ways, and he knew that no arcane force he could conjure up would have an appreciable effect against the massed strength of nine pirate ships.

Better to save them for the close-in fighting, he thought.

Lady's Favor pitched sideways with an even more horrendous shudder, knocking Vambran from his feet, and it was followed by two more. When the lieutenant managed to regain his balance and look up, several dark, slimy tentacles, as thick as trees, had snaked up over the side of the ship's rails, holding fast to the doomed craft.

CHAPTER 4

Xaphira watched in horror as a dire-jaguar, half hidden in the limbs of a stout flaming crown tree, leaped from its perch. The woman's warning shout had come too late, and Emriana, oblivious to the danger she was in, barreled directly into the creature's path. Xaphira was certain the girl would be ripped to shreds, but at the last moment, in an awkward tumble, her niece bounced free of Honey's saddle and flipped backward over the horse's rump. The dire-jaguar sailed over her, slashing out with its claws but catching only air.

Xaphira did not waste time watching to see if the girl had intended to dismount in such an undignified manner or not. Digging her heels hard into Dancer's flanks, she pulled her crossbow free of its saddle ties as the horse lunged ahead. The dire-jaguar was already on its feet as Honey whinnied in sudden fright and kicked out before bounding away to the other side of the dry streambed. For her part, Emriana was still half upended, though the speed with which she scrambled to right herself led Xaphira to believe that the girl was aware of her predicament.

Xaphira sighted down the length of the bolt on her crossbow, trying to take true aim despite the jostling of Dancer's gait, but before she could fire at the beast, another blur of motion caught her eye. A second creature had appeared on the scene, slinking through the underbrush. It dashed from its cover, leaping across open ground in great, fluid strides, rushing toward Emriana, who was on her knees, trying to get her bearings. A third one appeared as well, not too far behind. Xaphira jerked the crossbow in that direction and squeezed the trigger in one swift motion.

The shot was not true and merely scratched the lead cat, grazing the great, feral beast. The glancing blow sliced across its spotted golden pelt near the shoulder. It was enough to divert the dire-jaguar's attention, though, and the massive cat leaped and twisted in midair, spinning around to snap at its new perceived threat, the third creature behind it. When it landed, legs splayed and tail twitching, it let out a great, screaming roar, a challenge to its counterpart.

Xaphira never stopped to see what effect her shot had had, though. Discarding the crossbow, she leaped free of Dancer before the horse could follow its frightened mate back up the streambed and landed in a dead run to join her niece. Emriana was struggling to her feet, watching the first of the three dire-jaguars with an ashen face. Xaphira noted that the dire-cat watched the girl warily, waiting its chance to leap in and attack. She moved between the girl and the beast, settling onto the balls of her feet.

'Stay close to me, and keep low,' Xaphira commanded the younger girl, never taking her eyes from the cat, while the other two began to circle to either side, prowling on huge padded paws the size of sun-melons. 'If one gets too close, try to hit it somewhere on the face. But don't let it bite you.'

'You're kidding, right?' Emriana asked, her voice tremulous. 'Look at the size of them!'

Xaphira had to admit that the beasts were beautiful, in a deadly, savage way. They were was as large as mastiffs and just as muscular. Their golden eyes glittered dangerously in the morning sunlight, and the mercenary officer could sense a baleful intelligence there, something primal and dark, old like the land itself. One of them opened its mouth wide and issued an ear-splitting scream, a bold challenge to the two women. Its fangs were as long as Xaphira's fingers.

Beside her, she could feel Emriana shudder.

Suddenly, one of the three opposing Xaphira darted in, rearing up on its haunches and swiping at the woman with thick, black claws extended. Xaphira shifted her weight just enough to avoid the deadly talons, while at the same time flicking one fist out to snap against the cat's nose. As if that were some kind of signal, the other two rushed in simultaneously, and Xaphira dropped low, into a crouch, pushing Emriana down into the dirt as she twisted back to face the two of them.

The second dire-jaguar struck low, lunging at Xaphira's ankle, forcing her to kick at it with her booted heel, while the third came in higher, launching itself at her head. Rather than block that third attack, Xaphira sagged backward, over Emriana's prone form. She landed with her hands outstretched behind her as if she wanted to crabwalk, but as soon as the cat shot past, its raking claws whisking past her nose, she was upright again, jabbing a rapid punch inside at the great beast's ribs.

Almost in the same motion, Xaphira jumped and spun around, snapping another kick at the first feral cat, which had shaken off her punch and was darting in close again. She could not completely stop the dire-jaguar from its lunge, but she used leverage and its own momentum to redirect the beast, causing it to collide with the second cat, which was coming at Xaphira again in a leaping blur, fangs bared. The blocking maneuver was effective and the