Reentry

The obese panther worked the control panel of his spaceship with speed, agility and aggravation. "Demons take those serpents," Ba'sir howled! "They promised this spontaneous warp drive would work on a vessel of this size. The ship's descent would be controlled. Yet here we are careening into the atmosphere because of its mass, just as I predicted!"

The female sitting in the chair beside him said calmly, "Never trust promises." The fact that the spacecraft rocked as they continued falling to Third Earth did not bother the slender pantheress in the least.

Her blood has far more ice than mine, the merchant-mage thought with admiration. A good quality in a jan'nirri mate. Another jolt forced his mind back to the crisis at hand. His vessel carried individuals in the cargo bay who did not have the pleasure of seat straps. All they had to hold on to was each other and their possessions. Gods help those serpents if even one cub is hurt! he vowed. The return trip to the planet of the Four-Forms would give him plenty of opportunity to register his complaints. Would he have the courage to challenge the omnipotent beings? That question he preferred to answer later, recalling the chilling experience he had endured when last he had objected.

Myr'an'dra, who watched the terrain map, gave him the final coordinates. "If you take some time and slow the ship a little more, you should be able to land close to Cats' Lair."

"Patience is not one of my virtues, Myr!" he snarled as the craft protested with a lurch. "We land first, assess the damage, and then worry about the location of the Lair."

Space crashed into sky. Ba'sir prayed the ship would hold as he prepared for a rough landing.

*****

In order to avoid catastrophe, he had landed the ship far to the west of the Lair. The stares of the mountain tigers gathered before him spoke of the violence they would commit had he not had the foresight to secure their weapons. The leader growled, "Give us what is ours." Battered though they had been on the descent, the tigers kept to their goal. Their resolve had not crumbled.

"Belongings, yes," Ba'sir said smoothly.

"Our swords!" snarled a female who bared her pointed teeth.

"After you pledge your allegiance to Lord Lion-o." He was not surprised by the laughter his comment generated. He had known that once on the new world the mountain tigers would go their own way. That is why King Lir had sent them away first. He was a sly one, Ba'sir thought. Let the new king deal with this menace. Lir had done his part on the world of the Four-Forms.

"We outnumber you, fat one. We will torture you, then kill you. We will take your mate for our own pleasures," the leader pledged.

A mistake, Ba'sir thought calmly. "Gather your possessions, and be on your way if you must, but the weapons remain." He waited for the wave of emotion that would push them into action. Moving as one, the adults charged.

To reveal his power was not an option he would have chosen, but one he had expected. Working together, he and Myr'an'dra spoke softly. Two hundred of Sartren's people froze in the red-blue glow that surrounded them. "That was unwise," Ba'sir remarked. He walked up to the leader and held his gaze. He locked his hands on his wrists and murmured an incantation. He delighted in the fear and hatred that he observed. "You will gather your possessions and your people, and you will follow the sun into the west. You and your people will remember this as your own decision, and will forget what you have seen of our power," Ba'sir coaxed with gentleness. The mage waved his hands, and the barrier of light vanished. He watched with amusement as the bedazzled clan followed his decree.

*****

The mountain tigers had disappeared into the forest that bordered the plain. The comfort of his bed seemed an excellent place to retire after the stress of landing. He could take stock of the ship later, and his female had agreed readily.

The mage ran his fingers down Myr'an'dra's back, stopping at the root of her long tail. The jan'nirri sprawled across his wide abdomen. No matter what form he took, the sex was always good. He watched her eyelids twitch lightly, and wondered what she dreamt.

A gentle tone sounded. "Finally," Ba'sir muttered to himself, wondering why it had taken so long for the Thunderans from Cats' Lair to arrive. He tickled the pointed tip of Myr'an'dra's ear. She grabbed his wrist, and before he could react, had flung him from the bed. She stopped herself from inflicting more damage on her companion when he called, "I surrender," which broke the spell of sleep.

The pantheress sat back on her legs. "You court danger."

"Because I like it," Ba'sir admitted, sheepishly aware of his aroused state.

"Perhaps I can work some bindings," Myr'an'dra offered mildly, which only served to inflame him more.

"Only after our company has gone," he said with regret.

"Lion-o?"

"Shall we find out," he remarked, hauling himself to his feet.

*****

A robe and turban of red were his attire of choice. The color and cut favored his immenseness, and gave Ba'sir an air of authority that he hoped would match his guests. Myr'an'dra favored black leather accented by two silver daggers strapped to her slender arms. The mage tried to banish thoughts of a steamy chase with the alluring warrior from his mind. "Ready?" he asked nonchalantly.

Myr'an'dra narrowed her long green eyes, and gave a soft growl of assent. Her tail twitched with anticipation.

The spaceship's door opened. Bowing his head slightly, Ba'sir walked forward in greeting. Myr'an'dra, a cool, protective shadow remained discreetly at the opening.

"Welcome to Third Earth," the young lion, who stood before a land vehicle, remarked. The king had chosen not to wear armor or symbols of his office. He appeared as calm as a priest in his robe and cloak of umber.

Ba'sir shifted his gaze, and marked the tiger who stood beside the youth. He wore leather armor and a long sword strapped to his back, far more sensible attire. However, the ridiculous looking helmet that poorly fit his head was a strange addition.

"I am Ba'sir. My companion is Myr'an'dra. We have been charged by the asira'savi to ferry your people to this new world." He paused as he considered how to phrase the unpleasant news. With a deep bow, he added, "Unfortunately, Sartren's kin have chosen to leave."

"And you let them!" the tiger howled as he lurched forward, fists clenched.

The youth raised his hand for silence. "They are but two people, Tygra. Would you have them fight a clan?"

The tiger eyed them with suspicion. "Why did the clan permit them to live, Lion-o?"

"They had no choice," Ba'sir answered mildly. "The asira'savi provided us with some...protection," he lied. "They, like Lir, anticipated this move."

"Magic?" Lion-o asked.

"Of a sort," the mage replied.

Tygra pulled back, rubbing his chin in vexation. "We have little knowledge of the west, Lion-o. We need to talk to starborn Xerxes, and consult his maps. If there are people in that region, they will be in danger from Sartren's kin."

"Unlikely, for now," Ba'sir added.

"How can you be so certain!" Tygra hissed.

"We have their weapons," the mage remarked, dissolving into laughter which deepened with the growing twilight.