The Black Panther

By E.S. Hines

A divided land. A shaky truce. An unforgettable adventure.
Cimaris history is rife with magic; the verdant land exists because
of the sacrifices of its first settlers. For centuries memory of that
sacrifice, and respect for it, kept peace in Aeirs western half.


But the power hungry, as they always do, must rise. Under words of
peace, and finally admissions of war, the Tigers swept across Cimari
and conquered the other prides one by one. Only the island of Ayari,
and the Leopards who guarded its ancient relic, stood against them
in their march south.


Generations later a leopard princess, Kaia, was born with the rare
all-black coloration that has marked great members of their line
for eons. She, at the will of her father, is chosen to invade the
Tiger fortress in a way she would never have forseen - a way that
would change her life irrevocably, and the outcome of which will
determine the fate of her people and all Cimari.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477139653

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Long ago, when we first came to Aier, we were rich in magic. So rich that our first ancestors each chose an animal and granted all their descendants the ability of our kind to Change, to assume the animal form that is truest to their heart. From the fiercest of Eagles to the meekest of Doves, we all value the Change above any of our other abilities — for it alone is the most essential to our lives.

In those early years we divided; the birds of prey went to the north, the great cats west, and the rest of the creatures, who were more peaceful, remained in the first valley, the land now called Enira.

The hunting cats, our own ancestors, traveled in great masses; Lion, Leopard, Tiger, and more. Up the Akai river and into the western land of Cimari they traveled, in search of a land where they could hunt and roam as our kind must. But rather than being a land they could settle in and live off of, Cimari was barren. No prey existed, and though they were not farmers, our ancestors tried to plant the ground with seeds — only to have the crops die barely after breaking the soil’s surface. The only source of food was the fish in the rivers, but even that resource was scarce and would not last long.

For months the cats wandered Cimari, hoping that they wouldn’t have to return to Enira defeated by the land itself. But just as they were about to give up, something happened.

They found an island which they later named Ayari, and on it stood the Thulani. It was an ancient stone with a cave behind it; the rock was black as jet and seemed, somehow, important. Following their instincts, our ancestors camped on the island for a sennight — but they could not determine the purpose or even the origin of the stone, which stood alone and untouchable. But just as the time was coming that they would have to return to Enira, a miracle occurred.

A young girl, a princess of the Leopard tribe with fur as night black as the Thulani itself, had a dream. It told them that the state of the land was reflected in the Thulani; if they wanted the land to be filled with magic, all they had to do was fill the stone with it. But there was only one way to do that.

This was in the days when magic was abundant, but it was still highly treasured and valued above almost all else. Still, the cats knew what had to be done. People stepped forward from every clan to give their family and friends a home, and gave up their ability to Change. It was in this way that the humans were born; the noblest and most selfless from every clan stepped forward to sacrifice for the good of all. Though the loss of their essence nearly killed scores of them and did claim the lives of many, including that brave, ebony Leopard princess who led them, they continued to come forward until they were needed no more. The humans are still honored today for their ancestors’ sacrifices, in the city of Cirul. Not all of them are our humans anymore; the Eniran races have weakened their clans to the point that they breed humans rather than shape shifters. But any human is welcome in Cirul, no matter their background.

The sacrifice of the newly-human people caused a transformation. As magic flowed from them into the Thulani, they lost their ability to Change, and the animal that had been their other half became a living carving on the inside of the cave, silver with the magic that had once allowed it to take living form. When the cave was crowded and the stone would take no more magic, Cimari awakened.

Cimari was soon the most fertile land in all of Aeir; prey abounded, and a jungle grew almost overnight. The Leopard clan was tasked with protecting the Thulani and stayed on Ayari even as the Lions, Tigers, Cheetahs, Jaguars, and other cats separated and spread over Cimari, each group staking claim to their own fertile territory. To this day none of the clans forget the sacrifices made for their land, and all are ready for the day when such measures may need to be taken again.

— Story of the beginning of Cimari

CHAPTER 1

I crept low, my belly close to the branch as I stared intently at my prey. It was a brightly colored bird, with long red tail feathers that stood out against the dark green backdrop of the forest. I slowly placed one ink-black paw in front of me, easing farther out towards it. Quickly glancing down, I affirmed that the branch I was on was thick enough not to break under my weight — at least not until it thinned at the end — and then refocused on my prey.

It was preening its wings and facing away from me. I bared my teeth in certain victory; I knew I was now close enough that it couldn’t escape me, even if it did somehow see me. I coiled all six feet of my night-black body and leapt.

Just as I jumped, something roared. The bird flew off, startled and cawing loudly. As surprised as the bird, I lost my balance, twisting mid-leap in an attempt to regain it but nevertheless going farther than I had intended and falling to the branch where the bird had been sitting. It was more than thick enough to hold the little red-plumaged tempter, but under nearly ninety pounds of writhing black feline, it collapsed. I swiped desperately with my paws, trying to catch the tree branch, but ended up yowling in helplessness as I fell backwards.

*     *     *

I had been out on one of my solitary hunting missions across the island, a days-long journey that I undertook every couple of months when life got too restrictive at the castle. After my customary visit to the Thulani, I had headed north to retrace the edge of the Borai River. A week into my journey, when I was almost at the northern edge of Ayari, the island I lived on with my family and the rest of the leopards, Kaz had intercepted me.

He claimed that father needed me home immediately, saying he had something important to tell me, but I had replied that I would finish my hunting trip before heading home, and he could return and tell father so. He had ignored me, of course, following me and camping with me that night. This morning I had snuck off before he woke, knowing he would track me easily and be along soon.

I’d been walking the edge of the river, staring across at the land on the other side and wishing things were different with the Tigers. Once, I actually saw a big deer, a species that didn’t live on Ayari, just waiting around and practically begging to be stalked, even if not actually hunted. He stared me right in the eyes too, as if he knew I couldn’t cross the river to get at him. Vindictively, I had roared at him and laughed to myself when he ran off immediately through the underbrush.

Eventually, my wandering brought me to the deepest part of the Borai, where it was narrow and appeared almost calm on the surface. In reality, it was swiftest and most dangerous in this area; there were rocks along the bank that the water had hollowed out and now ran under, and if you fell in you could get trapped under such a boulder and drown.

That was when I had seen the bird. It was sitting on the end of a thick branch that was hanging out over the water; the tree was twisted and had thick leaves. It was a perfect setup, an easy catch. I was already in panther form, and all I had to do was climb the tree and get out to the bird without alerting it to my presence. I had nearly gotten the thing, too — but having the luck that I do, it had gotten away and I was falling into the Borai.

I twisted, flipping to face the water just in time to plunge into its icy depths. Immediately the current caught me, pulling me down the river and towards the sea. I fought against it, but my fur was soaked now and I had never actually gone swimming before; memories of watching Kaz and other Leopards swim were the only experiences I had with water, other than baths.

Desperately, I Changed back into a human — I weighed more now, but hopefully I would also float more. I did pop to the surface for a second, just long enough to choke out some water and take a deep gasping breath before being pulled under again. Fervently I swore to myself that if I got out of this, I would always be more careful around rivers — no, around any water — in the future.

I was starting to run out of air, the endless seconds in the water’s grasp exhausting me, when I felt the current abate somewhat as I rose to the surface. I eagerly pushed down against the water as I had seen others do when swimming, trying to get higher faster. Suddenly, my head bumped hard against something. Reaching up to push it out of my way, I felt only smooth, unmoving, coolness above me.

The banks! I had somehow gotten into one of the spots where the river had worn away a cavern underneath seemingly solid rock. Frantically, I felt around myself, searching for a wall or free water — anything that would let me know which way was out. Lungs burning, I turned around frantically, finally spotting water dimly lit by the sunshine above.

But I had been under for too long without air. Though I propelled myself towards the free river as fast as I could, my vision was starting to fade. I drifted to a stop, unable to attempt even the mangled imitation of a swimmer’s stroke that I had just developed. As my eyes started to close, the lit water turned almost orangey, and I smiled at the color as I drifted into unconsciousness.

CHAPTER 2

Coughing and choking, I hacked up copious amounts of water — more than I could possibly have swallowed, I’m sure — as I returned to consciousness. Distantly, I heard someone comforting me, shushing me as they held my hair out of the way. Somehow it had come undone, the usually neat braid falling apart into heavy curls of pale, honey-blond hair that were now soaking wet.

I finished retching, collapsing onto my back as someone hastily gathered me up and took me away from where I had woken. Blearily I looked up to see, to my surprise, someone completely unknown to me. On waking, I had thought that it must have been Kaz who had seen me go under and come in after me, but it was a stranger who held me in his arms. If my sense of smell weren’t so killed by river water, I would have known it earlier.

He was a handsome stranger, with tawny gold-streaked-brown hair, and emerald eyes flecked with gold. They were as green as the forest I so loved, and somewhat deliriously I wondered if he was tall. I was tall, nearly six feet, and I liked guys who were taller than me.

Snap out of it! I told myself at the inappropriate thought. I should not be thinking about the attractiveness of my rescuer; I should be figuring out who he is and where, exactly, I am. The inappropriate corner of my mind silenced itself, but only after noticing that whoever he was, the stranger was certainly strong, carrying me easily through the forest.

Wait — carrying me easily through the forest? Where were we going? I was brought abruptly out of my dizzy, somewhat weak state at the thought, and I twisted upright in his arms. He almost lost his grip on me, surprised at the sudden movement, but then held me tighter, saying reassuringly, Don’t worry, I’m taking you to a nice, safe place where you can rest.

That annoyingly inappropriate corner of my mind, apparently not quite as completely banished as I had thought, noted that he had a very nice voice — not high, but not too deep. The rest of me, however, heard and rebelled at his words, trying to get out of his arms as I said forcefully, No! Confused, he stopped and spoke again.

What?

No! Put me down, I have to get back! My voice was annoyingly quiet, almost raspy after swallowing all the water. But I had to make sure that I could get back to the river — I knew most of the people on the island, and I would remember this guy if I had ever met him before. That meant only one thing; I had left Ayari. Whoever my rescuer was, he must have been on the other side of the Borai River and seen me go in.

Why? I promise, you’ll be safe with me. We can take you back home as soon as you’ve recovered. Where do you live, anyway? In Halysi? You shouldn’t be this far away from it, especially alone. We are three days from any kind of city, you know.

His words only confirmed my fears; I had definitely crossed the river, and now I was on Aeir true. Off the island of Ayari, the Tigers ruled. While this man might be helpful right now, I had to get back home before a Tiger found us. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if they found me, a stray Leopard in their territory. I had been told since birth about the atrocities of the Tigers to other races, and in addition to worry about myself, I didn’t want this man to get in trouble for helping me. He was probably a Lion or Cheetah, with his blonde-streaked hair. Either way, he didn’t deserve to die for helping me.

I struggled a bit — resorting to having to ask him to put me down was not something my pride would take easily. Thankfully, he understood the message and gently set my feet on the ground, keeping an arm around my waist as I tilted unsteadily.

Which way is the river? I asked. The more time passed, the clearer my head was becoming, but I was still weak, and out of my element off of Ayari. At the last second, I remembered to will away my tail; hopefully he hadn’t seen it yet, but if he had, the glossy black coloration would tell him little about my identity unless he knew a lot about Leopard history.

That way, but are you sure — When he pointed off in the direction we had come, I turned immediately, cutting off the rest of his sentence, and started to work my way through the forest. The trees seemed determined to trip me with bulbous roots, but my pride wouldn’t allow me to ask him to carry me. Despite that, he came with me, keeping a steadying arm around my waist as we worked out way through the woods.

It took me almost five minutes to get all the way back to the river, but I managed to stumble through the trees, mysterious helper in tow, without sustaining any worse injury than I had already. I would get better fast, I just needed sleep. Which I would get as soon as I had crossed to my side of the river and found Kaz.

Regarding the water, I realized that might be harder than I had thought it would be. The current had gotten the best of me when I was at full strength; already half-drowned, I would be even less able to fight it. Next to me, my rescuer looked uncertainly from me to the river and back again.

I’ve taken you back here, but if you don’t mind me asking, what could you possibly want to do? I saw you come up out of the water like some half-drowned cat, and I pulled you out. Were you on a boat, or just exploring? My rescuer was becoming ever-so-slightly impatient, and I hastily replied, I was climbing, and a branch broke.

Ah. He nodded in understanding, and then completely changed the topic. So, do I get to know your name, or did I get soaking wet for nothing? Smiling at his flippant tone, I replied, Kaia. And do I get to know who my rescuer is?

Lucarn. He said the name with a wry smile that implied he didn’t like it; I smiled again and said jokingly, I think I’ll call you Luc, then. He shook his head but didn’t protest, and I returned my attention to the problem of how to cross the river until he spoke out and drew my attention.

So, Kaia. Why did you want to come back here? Does your family live near here?

I was trying to come up with an answer when an enraged roar from across the river surprised me, so much so that I lost my usually impeccable balance and Luc had to catch me tighter to keep me from falling. As someone who is nearly six feet tall and pretty much one lean rope of muscle, I am not generally a damsel in distress and the situation was more than a little unnerving. After all, I’ve trained with Kaz since I was little to be able to fight and I can take on anyone who dares fight the heir to the Leopard throne, although I have never actually been in combat because of my overprotective father.

The point is that usually I am a pretty independent person, and I was not happy to suddenly find my rescuer going all macho-man on me and trying to haul me back amongst the trees again. I struggled out of his grasp and stumbled to the edge of the river. Or at least so I told myself, because my already-wounded pride doesn’t want me to admit that he let me go and then maybe helped me a little bit not to fall over.

Looking across the river, I was glad to see Kaz, finally arrived and angry at me. He was a beautiful leopard, deep golden with pitch-black rosettes. His face was contorted in fury at the sight of me, though — I wasn’t surprised, since what he saw was a soaking-wet me, standing on the wrong side of the river and in the arms of a stranger (never mind that said stranger was helping me support my own weight). He probably thought I had been kidnapped.

Next to me, Luc’s face darkened as he gazed at Kaz, who I shot a reassuring look, hoping to prevent any aggression.

I think we’d better get away from here. That Leopard looks mad as a hornet, and it’s never safe to be this close to their island. I could take him if he crosses, but I don’t want to start up another war, especially now.

I shook my head at his comment, refusing to leave. For a second, his mouth tightened and I thought he might forcibly remove me, but then he visibly relaxed and gave me a tight nod.

Fine, but I’m getting you away from here in five minutes, so do whatever it is you need to do soon.

You can leave, I can find my own way home from here. But thank you for everything. I didn’t want to have him freak out on finding that I was a crazy Leopard trying to return to Ayari, but I didn’t think my words worked to reassure him of my mental capacity.

Luc looked at me like I was crazy, and then said, I just found you half-drowned in the river, and you were too weak to stand until a few minutes ago. You think I’m going to leave you here with some angry Leopard that could take your head off in one swipe?

Um… yes?

At his glare, I hastily added, I’m feeling much stronger now, really. I’ll be fine. I’m just going to head home, which I would prefer to do on my own. I reinforced my point by stepping outside the supportive arm he had around me, and then pointing away into the forest.

I’m sure you have someplace you could go other than here.

Luc wrapped his fingers around my wrist, pulling it down to my side as he opened his mouth to say something. The words never made it out of his mouth, however, as Kaz, having seen Luc grabbing me, made a loud anxious sound from across the river. I knew