***
Life is good when you don’t have to worry about anything and everything is calm and peaceful.
Well that’s not my life.
My life isn’t peaceful by any standards. It involves lots of smart remarks and bad decisions involving life or death. It also involves a bad choice of a place where you roll around pretending like your life could be normal for a second.
Yeah…
Seth sat up quickly and looked around. He must have heard it too. The ground rumbled in the distance and I didn’t know if it was an earthquake or a stampede of elephants.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Seth crawled back to the edge and I joined him. We peered over and I spotted a bunch of monsters stomping their way across the hills. Seriously, do these guys know how to walk?
“Great,” Seth hissed under his breath. “Company for us.”
“Whoo…” I mumbled.
He rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze back to the monsters. “Where are they going?”
“Uh, we follow them,” I said. “I think.”
“Yup, we just follow a bunch of monsters that would like to smash us to pulp and serve us for dinner,” Seth said and started to slide down the side of the hill. “Brilliant idea.”
I followed him down, feeling the grass and dirt scrape the bottom of my leg. My pants started to scrunch up causing this slide to be very annoying. I decided to ignore it because I had my bow in my hands and had more important things to worry about.
We crouched behind a rock and watched the group walk off. Seth started to stand up and signaled me to wait for him. He jumped over and ran out into the open. He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes, probably trying to see the disappearing bunch. He held his hand out, signaling me to wait. Then he beckoned me and I stood up. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder.
I bit back a scream and whipped out my knife. But I dropped it in surprise as I spotted Emily standing over me, rocking back and forth on her heels.
I squealed and hugged her tight. Jason was limping over with a grim expression on his face.
“What I don’t get a hug too?” he asked. “I jumped down a deep hole for you.”
“Uh…” I said, feeling awkward.
Seth walked over and patted Jason on his back. “Tell you what, when we defeat Kojas, I’ll give you a hug.”
“Uh, fine dude,” Jason said and whispered in Seth’s ear. Seth’s eyes widened and he smacked Jason on the head.
“Dude, you’re crazy,” he said as Jason rubbed and smoothed his hair back down.
I shook my head and said, “Anyway, Emily how come you two didn’t destroy each other?”
“Hey you’re right,” she replied and her brow furrowed. “I really don’t know.”
“Jazell, we better move or we’ll lose them,” Seth reminded me and started to walk up the hill.
Emily raised an eyebrow. “Loose who?”
“We’ll explain later!” I said and ran after Seth. “Right now we have to move!”
We dashed up the hill in the direction the monsters were going. When we reached the top, Seth stopped and stared down. Emily and Jason looked confused but joined us. We looked down at the ground and I gasped as I saw all the monsters gather around in a semi-circle, waiting.
“What are they waiting for?” Emily asked in a hushed voice.
Seth squinted down. “I don’t want to know.”
“Do you think it could…?” I asked.
“Let’s hope not,” Seth interrupted me.
Oh course; being ourselves, we don’t have any luck at all.
The sky darkened even more, not that I thought that was possible. The mist swirled and a cold chill that ran shivers down my spine ascended on us. And out of the mist stepped a dark figure.
Kojas.
Again.
This time for real.
Not in a dream/vision.
My heart stopped and my blood froze. Kojas’ red eyes gleamed in the darkness and his cloak snapped at the wind. He looked up and his red eyes stared at me. Me of all people in this horrible world.
He smiled in triumph.
Seth stared stone faced at Kojas as he slowly walked towards us. With every step, Seth’s hand inched closer to his sword.
Emily cracked her knuckles quietly and held them stiff at her sides. Her face was determined, but I saw her eyes flicker.
Jason flicked out his knives and held them so tightly that his knuckles were white. If he gripped any harder, I was afraid he would snap his fingers off.
And, me? I pulled an arrow out faster than you could say oh-my-god-there’s-a-hideous-monster-coming-to-whip-our-butts. And then I launched it.
The arrow shot at Kojas, speeding through the air. But what did Kojas do? He whipped out his sword and slashed the arrow in half right before it hit him. The pieces fell on the ground.
Holy tamale.
I stared at the cracked pieces of my arrow and my flare of determination went out with a poof. Great, now what do I do?
That was a fail, I scolded myself. A FAIL!
“Nice try,” Seth whispered and I think he really meant it. Or maybe he was teasing me. It’s hard to tell in these situations.
Seth brandished his sword. “My turn.”
“Really, warrior?” Kojas said and laughed. His laugh was like a bunch of spiders running down my back. “You think your sword will do any more than the pathetic archer girl’s arrow?”
“Hey,” I shouted, “I’m not a pathetic archer girl!”
Oh course, the two ignored me. I swear the air sizzled with the tension between Kojas and Seth. Seth stood ridged and I was pretty sure that it was taking all of his will power not to jump at Kojas, sword flying.
“I believe it will,” Seth said through gritted teeth.
Kojas laughed again but I don’t think any of us saw what was so funny. Emily leaned towards me. “I think you were right, when you said that I wouldn’t want to meet Kojas.”
“Uh-huh,” I said but didn’t really pay attention.
“I would like to see you try with that sword of yours,” Kojas said and smiled wickedly at Seth. I knew he was baiting him.
Seth narrowed his eyes. “You can’t trick me into fighting you, Kojas.”
“Yeah, we’re not stupid,” I said and stepped next to Seth with my hands on my hips. “I mean, if you’re so smart, than why is your name so stupid.” I giggled. “Kojas sounds like toe jazz, whatever that is.”
I heard Emily laugh and Jason say, “Burn!”
Kojas’ eyes flamed but he formed a tight smile. “Let me inform you, Jazell, that you are outnumbered five to one?”
Man, this guy is good.
“Um, well we…are cooler than you,” I stumbled.
“Really Jazell?” Emily hissed from behind me.
I turned my head to her. “Well, you come up with something to top that and we’ll see how well you do.”
“Nah, I’m good,” she said quickly.
Kojas laughed again. Seriously, was this faery guy crazy or something? “You are mistaken,” he said. “I am cooler than you because I hold all the cards.” Then he turned to the army and yelled, “Attack!”
Chapter 12