Once We Were Kings (Young Adult Fantasy) (The Sojourner Saga) by Ian Alexander, Joshua Graham Read Free Book Online Page B

and forth, shaking her head.
    No amount of sobbing could dislodge the pain in her chest, her knotted innards. 
     "Ah-Ma!"  The words caught.  "Ah-Ma.  I'm so sorry."
    And finally, the sight of poor little Shao-Bao, clutching a toy bird, would have overcome her utterly.  But she noticed that Ah-Ba was not present.
    "Ah-Ba!" she cried, abandoning any care or reason.  Where was he?  Again she cried out, "AH-BA!" 
    If only she could just lie down and die there, with her mother and brother.  She would have spent the rest of the day, on her knees, sobbing.
    If not for the feral snarls of a wild animal, approaching from behind.
     
     

 
    CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
     
     
    The low-pitched growl vibrated in the ground through Ahndien's sandals.  From the depth of the sound, it must have been that of a very large predator.  Slow and steady, she reached for the handle of the sword, slipped her hand through its lanyard and grasped it.
    All at once, the creature's furious roar flew above her, just as she spun around and swung the long, straight blade of Ah-Ba’s sword.  A wash of tawny brown flashed before her and she let out a shout.  Before she could even complete the stroke, a deep and dull pain caught her forearm.  Ahndien cried out in pain.  Her eyes felt as if they'd bulge out of her head when she saw it.
    Her arm, now about to be crushed or torn off, lay in the cruel grip of a mountain lion's jaw.  Its glassy brown eyes fixed hard upon Ahndien's, not blinking, almost daring her to move.
    Then, as if the shock were not complete, something even more freakish happened.  With its jaws still clamped, the mountain lion gazed straight at Ahndien, as if it would speak to her.  And that is exactly what happened.
    // LITTLE GIRLS SHOULD NOT PLAY WITH SWORDS //
    "What?" she cried out.  The beast's fangs bore down harder, increasing the pain.  Though she was aware of this pain, she was too confused to care.  "What manner of evil is this?"
     // YOU HAD BEST DROP IT...//
    The mountain lion snarled, his otherworldly voice both aristocratic and sinister.
    //...SOMEONE MIGHT GET HURT //
    Two more mountain lions leapt over the burning ruins of Ahndien's neighbor's house and into the courtyard.  Her blood went cold.
    I must be going mad, she thought. How can this creature speak? 
    With her arm in the beast's jaw, neither its mouth nor tongue moved.  Nevertheless, she would not relinquish Ah-Ba's sword.
    The other two mountain lions stalked closer.  The one biting down on her arm yanked and shook her arm.  
    // THE SWORD OR YOUR ARM?  DECIDE! //
    Ahndien shuddered.  It was clear now.  The creature did not speak aloud.  Somehow, she could hear its thoughts.  Whether or not the massive feline knew this, she couldn't be certain.
    The beast clamped down harder still.  Ahndien let out a sharp gasp.
    Just then, a large shadow passed over them.  What followed happened so quickly it was near impossible to recall the details.
    A shrill cry from above.
    With glassy eyes, the beast gazed into the sky, alerted with apprehension.
    The two other mountain lions stepped back.
    Ahndien's arm was free.  Just as a swooping wind and flapping sound rushed down.  A wash of brown and white surged past her eyes.  She fell back and hit the ground.
    When the dust cleared, she turned her gaze upwards.  Well into the distance she discerned what appeared to be an eagle, the eagle, soaring high into the air and clutching a kitten in its talons.
    Only, it was no kitten.
    For on the ground, the mountain lion who had attacked her stared with its mouth agape.  In the grasp of the bird's talons was one of the two mountain lions that had come to assist him.
    Ahndien squeezed her eyes and blinked twice.  How could this be?  The eagle was enormous!  Then screaming in terror, the mountain lion fell from the massive eagle's clutches and hit the rocky ground with a bone cracking thud.
    Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Ahndien bolted to her