Sky Child Read Online Free PDF Page B

talk to me.
    I do the only thing I can think to do, and hope that the others will listen to me. I yell out orders to the hunters.
    "Everyone, I need you ready to face what comes. We have no choice but to fight. You need to move away from each other, and set down your kill bags. Those that throw rocks, as soon as you see our enemy, I want you to try and hit it. Do not stop throwing rocks. Those with sky spears, as soon as you think you can hit the enemy, throw your spear. Pick it back up then throw it again. Do not hit your fellow hunters. Those of you with big spears, I want you to form a circle outside of the rock throwers and spear throwers. Make sure that no other predators break the circle while we fight our enemy."
    "What is our enemy?" yells one of Lagan's protectors.
    "A dragon," I growl.
    Most of the hunters follow my orders. A few panic, and stay exactly where they are.
    "Now, hunters; you must move now!" I bark.
    The hunters that were frozen now move, as does Lagan. He realizes that he's a soldier now, and not a leader. He turns and looks at me with tears in his eyes, asking for forgiveness for his weakness. I have to turn away, because he was the person I looked up to most. He is still a good man, but he let his fear overwhelm him.
    I look at our circle, and I see that both Jet and Flot have their spears ready. I did not send the hunters that carry big spears to the edges of our group to protect us. I spread them out so that the dragon won't kill them as easily. They will be useless in the fight, for the dragon moves swiftly, and will rain fire down on us from above. The hunters with big spears will not be able to throw them high enough to hit the dragon.
    Those of us that carry stones will not do much better. We will be able to hit the dragon, but its skin will protect it from our rocks. The only chance we have is with the sky spears. I have to hope that some of the hunters that Lagan gave sky spears to can hurt the dragon.
    The decision that Lagan made, to give the sky spears to people who are dangerous, was done to protect me. I pray to the Sky Gods that Lagan's good deed does not cost us.

 

    8
    The ground shakes beneath us as the dragon approaches, as if it were living sky fire. I can make out its glowing eyes, casting light through the thinning fog. My breath catches, and my knees weaken. The rock I have resting in my sling falls out, and I hurry to put it back in place.
    "When the dragon gets close enough to breathe its fire, I want everyone to run away from the path it's flying in. Dragons move fast, but cannot turn well," I shout.
    As the dragon draws nearer, one of the rock throwers launches a stone from their sling. The rock flies straight at our enemy, but misses because it's still too far away. Thankfully, there are many good stones under foot that can be used to battle the dragon.
    Its eyes grow bigger, searching the ground for something to kill. That's when it sees us. I spin my sling, while a few more hunters fire rocks at the dragon. One rock flies way below it, another strikes it in the chin and bounces off. Knowing that it's now close enough to hit, the other rock throwers launch their stones at the dragon.
    It is breath-stealing to watch; seeing so many rocks flying together. The rocks land against the face of the dragon and bounce off. Now I fire, hoping that my shot will count. I aim, and it hits one of the dragon's eyes, blinding it. The eye no longer glows, but more fear enters me as I realize that the dragon seems unhurt by it.
    I start to move out of the path of the dragon, as do the other rock throwers, and the hunters that carry big spears. The hunters that carry sky spears throw them at the dragon, and I hold my breath, hoping that one of them is lucky and finds a weakness. I watch in disappointment as they just bounce off the dragon's tough skin.
    The dragon flies upward, avoiding the few sky spears that haven't been thrown. As it passes overhead, I can feel the heat pouring from its