Chapter List
�Him! He�s the one that stole my sword!� He yelled out. My ears perked up and I looked at him, the sword still strapped around my back.
�I want that sword back! Now!� he yelled to the archers around him. There was a twang of a bow and in a reflex I moved to the side. I felt a sharp pain in my arm and twisted to the side. A bow had gone clear through one side of my right arm and strait out the other. Ziara rushed up to me and told me to hold still. The archers started firing their arrows upon the entire group, making everybody scatter in different directions trying to get into the forest. Ziara grabbed hold of the arrow on one side then sharply snapped it. I let out a short yell as she quickly pulled the other half out of my arm. She dropped it down then pulled me up to my feet.
�Lets go!� we started off towards the forest, having to leap over a few animals that had fallen by the archers. I looked to my right. Jewell, Fea, Vincent, and Damien were running parallel to us. Damien had the crying Collin in his arms close to his chest, trying to shield him from the danger. To my left Terrance and Charlie were heading the same way too. I looked back in front of me towards the forest. We got closer but suddenly Ziara pulled me to a stop. She turned me to look at her.
�We can�t let those humans get past us and to the others!� she told me. I looked towards the humans. The archers had abandoned their bows after running out of arrows and had grabbed daggers. The humans started rushing in all at once towards me, Ziara, and the other animals that were armed. I felt Ziara pull the sword from the sheath around my back and hold the handle out to me. I took it then looked at her.
�I don�t know how to use a sword, Ziara.� I told her. She looked back out at the humans.
�You�ll learn. Watch their arms for the direction of their attacks. Try and stay calm. If they thrust forward, block by swinging your sword up. If to the side, then swing your sword sideways and up. Keep an eye on both arms.� I nodded, trying to digest this information. I must have looked nervous. I knew that I would die here and now only at the age of sixteen. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and looked up at Ziara.
�Stick by me and you�ll be fine, Renard.� She said, looking at me. I nodded slowly then looked back as the humans got ever closer. Suddenly Ziara yelled out loudly.
�FOR FREEDOM!!� With that said we all rushed out towards the humans. The battle had begun.