***
Javin heard faint voices, as if coming from a great distance. They didn’t make sense. He couldn’t understand them, yet he knew they referred to him.
Gradually the sounds grew louder and the voices more articulate. He was struggling to come back from the depths of unconsciousness.
With great effort one eye fluttered open; the other was swollen shut. Pain flashed through his right shoulder as he tried to move, experimenting.
Javin bit back a groan. His legs felt weak and sore, his chest hurt even with shallow breaths. His left arm was numb but he could feel his fingers move as he slowly curled them up into a fist. Then a heavy foot stepped on his wrist, pinning his left arm and bringing a new wave of pain.
“Ah, I see you have risen from the dead. Good.” The voice continued. “Now I can find out what sort of creature you are before I have you killed.”
Javin blearily looked up into the cruel face and dark features of a lion-man. He, at least, was of the same race as the princess. His dark, rumbling voice identified him as a male as well as the thick tufts of hair flowing from his head in a dark mane.
“Pull him up so I can have a better look,” the man ordered.
Javin felt the cold touch of two chameleon men pulling him roughly to his feet. His knees buckled and they grasped his arms harder, keeping him upright. Javin nearly blacked out again and struggled to stay erect, facing his enemy.
“Why did you attack?” Javin spat.
The man doubled up his fist, driving it into Javin’s mid-section. Then while Javin was bent over, he swung another cuff at the side of his head. Javin was held on his feet by the chameleon men.
“You will speak when I ask you to speak and not before,” the gruff voice commanded. “Now hold him up so I can see.”
Javin realized as he was painfully stretched upright that he had lain unconscious for some time. The morning light was high overhead. The mist had strained out with the heat and it still obscured the sky along with the canopy of jungle foliage. Several hours had passed since the attack.
With his good eye Javin scanned the camp. Bodies of the Vouloo were piled to one side. Chameleon men were still going through their belongings, confiscating anything that seemed of interest. Then relief washed over Javin as he saw the princess under guard, seated on a rock. Siri’ Bhu sat on the ground next to her. Only those two were alive.
Next, Javin looked at his assailant. His dun-colored pelt was covered with a rough black leather tunic and breeches. A heavy blade, about a forearm’s length long, hung at his side, a dagger fastened at the other hip. On his breast was emblazoned a golden yellow sunburst.
That's odd, Javin thought. How would they know how the sun looks? I've not seen it since I've been here.
Then Javin's eyes were drawn to the man's left arm. A long red gash shown inside his forearm, hastily wrapped to stanch the flow of blood. The lion-man noted Javin’s eyes.
“I got too close to the princess who had a hidden knife we didn’t find. I like a woman with spirit, don’t you?” He raised his eyebrows and moved closer.
Fresh anger burned in Javin's heart. His arms tensed in spite of the pain. The cold grasp tightened on his arms.
The lion-man smiled again. “You have spirit too. Little good it will do. I've got what I came for." He glanced back at the sullen form of the princess. "You are little more than a curiosity. What manner of creature are you? You may answer.”
Javin kept silent for a moment then decided he didn’t have anything to lose. “My name is Javin. I’m a human being.”
“Ah, this animal has a name: Javin. And what, pray tell, is a hhumahn bheing?”
“It’s something you’ll never have talent for,” Javin snarled.
Again the man cuffed him across the head, this time sharp nails raked gashes across his face.
“You don’t seem to learn, Javin. Bring the princess here. Perhaps she can tell us a little more.”
Javin scanned the camp again. The lion-man, it seemed, commanded a troop of 50 or more chameleon men. His commanding these chameleon men seemed odd, unless they were a slave species. Yet they seemed too proud, too dignified for that. Although they obeyed him, he thought he could sense some distaste in some of their attitudes, as if they didn’t like what they were being asked to do.
The princess and Siri' Bhu were brought forward. The princess held her chin high, regal, eyes flashing with defiance. Her manner dripped with scorn. The lion-man chuckled with indifference.
“Tell me Princess, what is this hhuman bheingg you have with you? It's interesting and fought with strength. Is this another race you've found -- like your uncle found these?” The lion-man gestured to his group of soldiers.
Mouhra' Lah looked at the lion-man as if noticing an insect and kept silent. The lion-man didn't seem to notice, and continued to goad her into speaking.
"Your uncle is the savior of your people, you know. In this Time of Trouble, he has located the legendary Pontu' Gi – Protectors; the race who’ll protect our world from certain doom as the legends say."
The princess turned her head slightly from her captor, looking around at the strange soldiers. Javin noticed her eyes seemed to glisten with moisture. She had a look that, almost but not quite, belied a look of hopelessness. Javin felt for her. She was in a tough spot.
The princess then turned back, her face hardening, eyes staring straight ahead, still keeping silent.
“Ah, I see you will not be cooperative.” The lion-man raised a hand to strike . . .
Javin lunged but was held back.
“Saballa!" Siri' Bhu blurted, "I will tell you what you need to know. Just don't harm the princess -- or this man, either.”
“Oh,” said the lion-man, turning to sneer at Siri’ Bhu, “and why not?”
Siri’ Bhu paused. Having saved the princess from a blow, she seemed startled and didn’t know what else to say. The man raised his hand again and Siri’ Bhu shouted. “We found him in the jungle!"
The man lowered his hand as Siri continued. "We don’t know who he is or where he came from . . . and neither does he. That is all we know.”
The man glared at Siri’ Bhu, then the princess, before turning back to Javin. “Well, ‘tis a pity no one seems to be making any sense."
One of the chameleon men came up and whispered in the man's ear. He seemed to anger then drew himself upright. "Well, I wish I could spend more time to learn who and what you really are, but my orders were explicit: find the princess and bring her back. I can ill afford to waste any more time with you, hhumahn bheingg.”
He nodded to the chameleon man who'd come forward. "Kill him," he commanded.
The chameleon man pounded a fist across his breast in salute and stepped toward Javin, drawing his dagger and raised it high, about to plunge it into Javin’s bare breast.
Javin strained, saw a blur of movement. “Noooo!” The blade flashed downward, and the jungle was pierced by a scream of agony Javin realized was his own.