Magus Star Rising
Chapter Twenty Six

Never underestimate your attacker,

especially the bigger ones.

MERATON OF KAUZIN, “THE KILLER’S CREDO”

A Lapse in Judgment

The Terran male, Kanoshon mused. This hunt begins to get more and more interesting. The Puman left Ifko’s Atomic Bar and Grill through the rear exit, his cloak wrapped around him, its hood covering his head. At first dubious of following the Senitte fem, he had gleaned some useful information from the encounter inside the bar.

The altercation between the male Terran and the Senitte street-scut had convinced Kanoshon the Terran would be the more direct path to his prey. The litha energy had, in fact, refocused on the Terran when he entered the bar.

The Senitte fem had become too suspicious, in any case, too on guard, too wary, to be a possible link. It had been simple enough to eventually dismiss Ladora, to convince her there was nothing to ‘deal’ for (his prey, again, was an ‘old friend’ and he, himself, simply a traveler). Nevertheless, she had whispered a rather graphic invitation to him as she left. One, of course, he would not accept.

But the Terran... well, he was something else entirely.

“’Ey, Pooman!”

Kanoshon turned, already aware of the Voofran, Qua, following him. He had sensed the reptilian’s dislike of him, of all Pumans, as he had joined Kanoshon and the Senitte fem at the table. Historically, Voofrans and Pumans had never gotten along. For reasons long forgotten, a mutual distaste had grown up between both races. Normally, they avoided each other. Kanoshon hoped this could be one such instance.

The mercenary stood behind the building housing the bar in a small, empty courtyard and observed the approaching reptilian. He had studied Qua briefly as the reptilian sat at the table. The Voofran was like all the others of his race Kanoshon had had dealings with. Brusque, ill-mannered, unpleasant smelling.

Kanoshon took notice when Qua had become intensely interested in the Terran male. However, the psi-ether conveyed to Kanoshon that the Voofran’s interest was much more malevolent than his own. Now that the Puman needed to follow the Terran, he couldn’t let anything happen to him.

“You! Pooman!” Qua came within an arm’s length of Kanoshon, his unblinking lizard eyes staring straight through him. Despite his outwardly rough facade, the Voofran spoke decent Puman Standard. “You told me to meet you here. What you want?” he hissed. “I need to be about my own businesssss.”

Yes. Killing the Terran, apparently. “You must stay away from the Terran male,” Kanoshon said. “I saw the way you looked at him but, I assure you, my interest is much more important than yours.” With that, Kanoshon held out a small pouch full of credit discs. “This should make it worth your trouble.”

The Voofran batted the pouch aside and shoved Kanoshon backwards a step. “Ssstroking klau! Who you think you are telling me what to do?”

Kanoshon groaned inwardly. He had no time for this. Bringing his staff out from beneath his cloak, he swung it upward toward the Voofran’s jaw.

But the Voofran blocked the staff with a thick, muscular forearm and slammed into Kanoshon, wrapping his arms around the Puman’s midsection. Qua lifted the Puman off his feet, squeezing Kanoshon’s ribs so hard the man-cat suddenly couldn’t catch his breath.

Opening his mouth, Kanoshon brought his head down toward the Voofran’s shoulder and sank his fangs into the tough, scaled flesh. Qua screeched in pain and loosened his hold. Kanoshon’s feet touched the ground and he brought his arms up to break the Voofran’s already loosened grip.

He still held his staff and used it now, swinging it up and around like a club to smash Qua in the side of the head and then backhanding it across the other side of the Voofran’s face.

As the Voofran swayed dizzily on his powerful legs, Kanoshon executed a high one-legged kick into Qua’s face. The Voofran’s head snapped back and he dropped to the courtyard tiles with a thud.

Kanoshon stood over the now-still body of Qua, spitting out the Voofran’s blood and breathing heavily. Fool! he admonished himself. I underestimated this one! I could have been killed. A younger Kanoshon wouldn’t have made that mistake, respecting his large opponent’s size and possible strength. Perhaps I am getting too old and overconfident for this foul business.

He remembered Sharlen Androsia’s words. “Make this your final hunt, then. It’s a big one. Take it and then get out for good. The Puman Circle and your mate will thank you for it.”

And I will thank myself. With that he turned and strode back out into the main boulevard. He stopped at the corner to see the Terran turn and look directly at him from across the street.

Kanoshon blended into the crowd, hiding from the Terran’s gaze, and once more took up the hunt.