Jaguar Cubs (A Xaro Leitz Story)

This story details how Xaro's met his pet jaguars: Trystan and Liana.

Jaguar Cubs
I strolled down the hall towards Phillip's office. Despite the Dark Circle's headquarters massive size and me only being here for a few month's I knew my way to the office. I had been called there dozens of time by Phillip for things like, overly-excessive destruction, breaking ancient laws, and the one time my spell had backfired and switched everyone's bodies.

But as far as I knew I wasn't in any trouble. I was positive Phil hadn't found out about the six million in gold and jewels I'd "recovered" from the Mediterranean. As I turned the corner to the hallway where the office was, I ran into three other members of the Circle: Maximus Carbine, Aubrey Katmin, and Julian Spiros.

"Hey guys." I said casually placing his hands behind my head. They turned from their conversation and stared at me, each with their own expression. Aubrey looked shocked and a little nervous, Julian was suddenly on guard, cautiously searching for a weapon, and Maximus had a smile on his face but not exactly a friendly one. My just heart fell. After the war my Father and half-brother had started last year no one at the Circle seemed to trust me... except Maximus, and the only reason for that was because we were both telepathic. Unfortunately Maximus wasn't my first choice for an ally.

"So..." I asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Phil called you guys for a meeting too?"

"Yep." Maximus said with unusual cheerfulness. "Come on we were waiting for you." He wrapped his arms around the three of us and herded us to the office... or tried to. Aubrey grabbed him by the wrist and judo flipped him hard, onto his back. Max landed with a loud "Thud!" and laid there trying to catch his breath. Aubrey straightened, brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and continued towards the Office.

Julian and I looked down at Maximus. "Shoulda warned ya." Julian said before hurrying after Aubrey like a lost puppy.

"You should've know that would happen." I chided as I helped him to his feet. "I mean you could hear her mind screaming 'Don't touch me!' a mile away."

"Shut up." Max groaned cracking his neck. "Let's go, Phil's gonna wonder where we wandered off to."

"After you." I gestured to the double doors. The doors were made of dark wood, and depicted different scenes from the Golden age of the Protogenoi. Maximus pushed open the doors and stalked into the room where Julian and Aubrey were sitting in front of Phillip's desk. The office was slightly underwhelming. The walls were lined with cluttered shelves, cabinets and tables. Papers were stacked to the ceiling and maps were spread across one wall. A fine layer of dust covered everything and spiderwebs collected in the corners. The only light came from an old iron chandelier, and the large floor to ceiling windows.

Maximus scowled at Aubrey as he took the last remaining seat in front of the desk. Phillip looked down at him from behind his desk and shook his head.

"Sorry Xaro, I don't have any other chairs." Phil apologized, turning his palms up.

"It's okay Phillip." I smiled slyly and I waved my hand. A large black, leather recliner rose from the shadows. I sat down and leaned back.

"Thank you for coming everyone." Phil said pushing a small statue of Phanes aside. "Now I have been contacted by several different emissaries each offering a mission with a high level of danger involved. They also provide a high pay, which the Circle needs to continue operating. As usual you will get a certain percentage depending on the mission. Since you four are our senior members you have the privilege of choosing your own missions."

"So what've you got for us Phillip?" Aubrey asked. I suddenly noticed she was already dressed for battle. She wore and black, tight fitting body suit, with light padding around her shoulders, shins, and forearms.

Phillip tapped a large stack of manila folders. There were about a dozen folders varying in thickness. I quickly glanced into Phil's mind and retracted two words: "Temple" and "Jaguar".

"You guys can take these to the War Room and review them your selves. I have some work to finish up on then I'll join if you need me." Each of us grabbed three folders and turned to exit the Office.

"Xaro!" Phil called as I was about to walk through the doors.

"Yo!" I said turning on my heel. Phil was staring at me from across the room. "That six million in gold, it either goes back to back to the bottom of the Mediterranean or in the Circle's treasury by tomorrow. Do I make my self clear?"

I willed my self not to show surprise or anger. How in the name of Tartarus had Phil found out? I simply tilted my head and tried to look innocent. "What six million in gold?"

Phil narrowed his eyes. I groaned and snapped my fingers, the room shook and jewels and gold coins started raining down from the ceiling. In seconds the room began filling with treasure and valuables. Phil, panicked, jumped onto his desk as the pile of treasure began to get higher and higher. The coins stopped raining and Phil and I were separated by a mountain of gold and jewels.

"Don't spend it all in one place." I said turning to leave.

"Xaro!" Phillip called as I closed the door behind me. There was a loud crash and the sound of coins being scattered.

***

For the next our the four of us locked our selves in the war room going through the files we had been given. "Unusual underwater activity off the coast of Australia. Stymphian Birds terrorizing northern California. Mad genius planning on world domination through time travel? These are a " Aubrey mumbled, listing off the reports she had gone through.

I only half heard her. I had given her the other files and was engrossed in the file I had seen in Phil's mind. According to the file, a gang of rouge cyclopes had been terrorizing a small town in Latin America and taken over an ancient Mayan temple: The Temple of the Jaguar. The file gave me no information as to why they had decided to take over. But I had fought and killed enough cyclopes to know what they might be after.

WIP