retreat.
But Leiria and Jooli launched their surprise attack with such speed and ferocity that the lionman and his forces were caught flat-footed.
If he'd had his wits about him, the king would've drawn Leiria and Jooli in by falling back so that his bullmen could fan out on either side, then slam the trap shut in a pincer action. Instead, they wasted precious moments gaping at the two warrior women charging down on them, allowing Leiria and Jooli come to within reach of their goal-the king himself.
Leiria was even thinking of throwing the last dregs of caution to the winds to launch herself and her sword at the lion-headed enemy.
Belatedly, the king realized what was happening. He jerked back, roaring orders. The two bullmen closest to him clumsily lumbered forward to close the breach, mighty clubs swinging up.
Leiria's sharp blade slashed out at her opponent, taking his weapon hand off at the wrist. The bullman bellowed in pain, lifting up his stump to stare at the red life spurting out of him, then toppled to the ground and died.
Jooli made similar short work of the horned warrior she faced, running him through with her blade, then spinning around in mid-stride to free it and continue her charge.
Leiria struck out at the exposed Felino, who barely parried her sword with an iron claw, then roared in outrage as her blindingly fast return stroke nicked his side, drawing blood.
Jooli was only one pace behind and saw her chance. She hurled her knife over Leiria's shoulder. It spun once in mid-flight and she had a momentary thrill when she saw the heavy blade slamming toward the lionman's chest.
But at the last possible moment one of the king's guards threw his big body in front of Felino and took the blade himself.
Then the three remaining bullmen charged in and Leiria and Jooli were forced to retreat to keep from being overwhelmed. But as they backpedaled they made two of the bullmen pay for their crimes by dealing out shallow wounds to them both.
Despite their retreat, the women were in an excellent position for a counter-attack. With three of the six bullmen dead, two others wounded and the uninjured one reluctant to press the advantage regardless of Felino's roars, they only needed to regroup, then charge again.
Dripping blood from his side and his back, Felino drove his dispirited army of three after the women with roared insults and threats. The crowd had once again fallen into a strange silence-as if the sight of their king's humiliation had robbed them of their voices.
Acting as a single unit Leiria and Jooli skidded to a halt. Shouting war cries, they pretended to charge again and their attackers hastily scrambled back, nearly overrunning Felino.
The two women took advantage of the moment to catch their breath and check their weapons. Leiria gave Jooli her spare knife to replace the one she'd lost in the bullman's back.
She grinned at Jooli, eyes savage with bloodlust. 'It's good to fight with you, sister,' she said-the ultimate compliment from Leiria.
'My pleasure,' Jooli said, equally as charged by the battle.
'One question, though,' Leiria said. She pointed at the bullmen who were being harangued by Felino.
'After we've killed them, how in the hells do we get out of here?'
'I've been thinking about that,' Jooli said. She chuckled. 'Maybe we can use the lionman's ears for a spell.'
Leiria laughed. 'Consider it done,' she said as she stropped her blade on her leather harness.
Then she gave the signal and they both sprang forward to renew the battle.
King Felino immediately turned and fled, leaving his bullmen to face the warrior women without his help.
Leiria and Jooli tried to go after him, but the three bullmen blocked their path.
'Coward!' Jooli shouted after the king, trying to wound his pride enough to make him return.
Leiria joined in, shouting, 'What's that bulge in your loin cloth, your highness? Cotton wadding?'
But he paid them no mind and only sprinted harder for the safety of the big gates.
The two women had no choice but to kill the three remaining bullmen first before pursuing their master. It was a short, ugly fight. Trapped between fear of their master and fear of the women, the bullmen were overwhelmed by fatalism. It was as if they could already see their own ghosts wailing and moaning in a miserable afterlife.
They wept while they fought. Bloody mucus spewed from their nostrils. White foam rimmed their mouths.
And they bellowed to whatever gods they held dear to spare them. Leiria and Jooli killed them without pity, spilling their innards onto the floor of the arena. And cursing their souls to the hells as they bounded over the still- twitching corpses to confront the king.
Felino was gone, but they knew he couldn't have gotten very far, so they attacked the gates.
Leiria hacking at the rough wood with her sword, chipping away big chunks. Jooli hammering at the raw depression with a club she'd retrieved from one of the fallen bullmen. They were almost through when they heard a rumble. The gates began to move outward and they leaped back, ready to take on whatever Felino had to throw at them.
As the gates parted a foul animal smell poured out. They heard strange noises, as if a ferocious menagerie of carnivores had been unleashed: a blood-chilling chorus of jackal laughter, mixed with hisses and howls and hoots.
'Swords and knives,' Leiria cried, backing away.
Jooli dropped the club and drew her main weapons. 'Swords and knives it is, then, sister,' she said. 'By the way,' she added, 'I like my sweetbreads with a spicy sauce, how about you?'
Leiria barked laughter. 'I like them plain, with maybe a little salt. We'll quarrel over the recipe after we've cut off their balls.'
'Agreed,' Jooli said.
Bloodlust in check from this exchange-but barely-the two warrior women slowly withdrew, coming together to make a buttress of sharp steel and hard female muscle and will.
Then they heard King Felino's lion roar and six barking creatures marched through the gates in formation and took up position to the left of the opening. From toe to neck they were hunched-over men with black-striped yellow fur. Jackal heads sprouted from their shoulders, soul-chilling laughter spouting from their crooked snouts. Each toe and finger bore iron rings tipped with curling iron hooks. And as they laughed each jackal jaw exposed long curving yellow teeth, stained partly green with poison.
Six more enormous human devils followed. These were men with the heavy jowled heads of great apes, hooting and chattering obscene threats to the women as they fanned out to the right. They carried short spears and wore thick leather vests reinforced with iron mesh.
Then, spearing out like an engorged serpent, came the final six. Tall men-taller even than the giant Felino- with long, big-boned limbs. They were armed with swords and protected by small circular shields made of iron- studded leather mounted on wood. They had the broad-snouted heads of huge lizards with forked tongues that flickered out to taste the air.
'Sixes again,' Jooli muttered absently.
Leiria, who was eyeing this considerable force with growing dismay, was startled by this remark.
'What in the hells are you talking about?' she asked, nearly snapping.
'Apparently the number six has some significance in this place,' Jooli said. 'The first group contained six warriors. And this bunch is also in sixes. I don't think it's coincidental.'
'In the military, squads are traditionally composed of six soldiers,' Leiria pointed out. 'But I won't quibble. If you're right, how does it help us?'
Before Jooli could answer there was an ear-splitting roar and Felino came bounding out, leaping over the lizard-headed center group to take command. He seemed re-energized. His wounds were freshly bound.
'Kill!' he roared. 'Kill, kill, kill!'
Immediately, the savage audience that ringed the arena exploded into life. Screaming, 'Kill, kill, kill!'
'It was nice knowing you, sister,' Leiria said, bracing for the coming assault.
