The Felines Immortal Prologue

PROLOGUE

Somewhere in Palladium…

          At the edges of the forest a trio of travelers huddled around their campfire, struggling to keep warm in the chill of the night air. One’s jet-black hair sparkled in the firelight as his dark brown eyes scanned the shadows around them. Their canine companions whined uneasily and crouched ever closer to the flames. No one wanted to be here.

          It the depths of the trees pairs of eyes, glowing like dying embers, danced around them. They were being watched. It only made things worse that the travelers accepted the four-footed owners of this land had at least the intelligence they themselves possessed. Then out from the shadows walked a shape dark as the night around them.

          “A cat?” asked Onyx. “Out here?”

          “Stay back!” his father commanded. “That’s a Baluari, not a common house cat. Get out of here!”

          Jonquil threw a branch at the cat; it sidestepped and snarled, unsheathing its claws. Venom dripped like acid onto the ground, where it fell with a hiss. Sagebrush stood and growled. The cat took no notice of the wolf. Its eyes locked furiously on the human intruders.

          “We’re not disturbing you,” said Sagebrush firmly. “We will be gone by morning.”

          “See that you are, wolf,” the Baluari hissed in fury. "This land is ours and ours it shall remain.”

          With those words the black cat vanished into the trees. The wolf turned and lay back beside the fire, his head on his paws. The flames crackled and sizzled. Finally Onyx spoke up.

          “Dad,” he asked. “What is a Baluari?”

          Jonquil looked up and saw the expectant faces of his son and nephew. Sighing, he cleared his throat and replied.

          “The Palladians tell a story about the building upon the hill. They tell of how a priest, called Father Steven, built a church there. Our people tried to tell him that the land was already claimed. He misunderstood, and thought the hill was haunted. He was a brave and pious man, so he expected no danger and built the church anyway. To do so he had to run off several black cats. This did not concern him.

          “One night, not long after the church was built, he settled into an old chair by his fire to read his bible by its light and plan that morning’s sermon. A black cat entered the room through a window and made its way over to the hearth. Father Steven smiled.

          “ ‘Cozy, that is,’ he said, ‘Glad to have a bit of company tonight.’

          “The words were barely out of his mouth before the cat walked straight into the fire and ate a live coal. But before the priest could recover from this turn of events a second black cat strode in and showed the same disregard for the fire as the first. Only, this cat was the size of a hunting dog. Licking its fur, the second cat turned to the first.

          “‘Should we do it now?’

          “‘Wait ‘til Martin comes,’

          “Shifting in his chair, Father Steven tried to remain calm, and started muttering prayers under his breathe. The seat gave way as a third black cat – large as a wolf – entered to share in the fiery feast.

          “Surely this is Martin, thought Father Steven, trying to free himself from the chair. The third cat’s tongue ran around his jaws as his eyes found the priest.

          “‘Should we do it now?’ he asked the others.

          “ ‘Wait ‘til Martin comes,’ they replied.

          “This was too much for the priest. He leapt to his feet – taking the chair with him – and tore from the building.

          “ ‘Mister Cats,’ he called back, ‘When Martin comes, you tell him I was here, but I couldn’t wait for him!’ ”

          “But what is a Baluari?” Onyx repeated.

          “They are a race of felines, that, like certain kinds of snakes, expel venom from their claws and fangs,” replied Sagebrush. “The poison has no know cure.”

          “The Baluari are a cursed race,” Jonquil continued. “Years ago, the leader’s heir apparent wasn’t willing to wait his turn. Now all of his people suffer the consequences. While they can breed and age, they are unable to die save by the poison of their own kind.”

          The two boys stared at him, eyes wide in silence.

          “They are doomed to commit, over and over again, the heir inpatient’s crime until one arrives who can withstand the temptation and lift the curse forever. They’re still waiting. Waiting until Martin comes.”