The Mystical Knights: The Sword of Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page B

and her lips trembled; she gasped, nearly stumbling backwards over a large rock that was at her feet.
                 
     

Chapter 4: The Meeting Grounds
     
                  The monster looked like a cross between a crocodile and a serpent.  Its scales were like metallic ebony, gleaming in the sun’s weak light and Nia could see bright green ichor dripping from its mouth like drool.  It slithered towards Nia and Rowan, snapping its jagged-toothed jaws menacingly.  The monster didn’t hiss like a snake, nor did it growl like a crocodile.  The sound that rippled from its throat was more like the edgy shriek of a raptor.  Its ruby red eyes flashed between Rowan and Nia, it's forked tongue flitting wildly, as if it were deciding which entrée to go after first before dessert.
                  Nia tried to scream, in hopes that someone from the road would hear her, but her voice hitched deep within her throat and her tongue was frozen in fear.  She gripped Rowan’s arm tightly, urging him to stay with her, but he easily pulled from her grasp and moved towards the monster, squaring his shoulders.
                  “No!” Nia managed to choke out.  “ Don’t !”
                  Rowan ignored her.  Nia’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched him inch closer, eyeing it down with deadly precision.  Rowan slowly raised his right fist into the air.
                  Two things happened.
                  First, the serpent sprang from its place and shot at Nia like an arrow, jaws open wide and its eyes dancing like wild fire.  Before Nia could force her legs to run, the second thing happened; Rowan, fist still raised high in the air, shouted, “SAPPHIRE WARRIOR!”  Noise like thunder cracked as a jet of royal blue light shot down from the heavens, showering Rowan with its rays.  And when Rowan turned around, he wasn’t Rowan anymore.  Instead, a steel-plated warrior stood before her, holding a sapphire and diamond encrusted great-sword at the ready.  He lunged forward—catching the serpent around the middle, but the creature shrieked and thrashed its spiny tail, sending the warrior through the air.  The warrior landed to the ground and bounced back to his feet instantly, unaffected.
                  The warrior slashed his sword at the serpent as it advanced on him.  The scene played out in front of Nia like a fantasy battle scene—the knight in shining armor, slaying the dragon to save the damsel in distress.  Her eyes narrowed, watching as the serpent used its tail, wielding it like a blade.  She didn’t stop to wonder if she was dreaming, or even to doubt that what she was seeing was real.  Instead, her feet stayed rooted to the ground, frozen in shock.
                  The warrior thrust the sword forward, but the monster inched out of the way and the sword’s tip just missed its flesh.  Caught off guard, the warrior was knocked off balance by the monster’s scaly tail; he grunted as he stumbled frontward, dropping his sword so that he could brace his fall.  The serpent laughed (or at least that’s what it sounded like) and arched its neck to strike the warrior in the back of the head.
                  Nia’s arms moved mechanically as she watched the horrific fight. Grabbing a baseball sized rock from the forest floor, she hurled it at the serpent’s head.  It connected with a loud thunk , leaving the serpent stunned and slightly crossed eyed.
                  “Rowan?” Nia whispered shrilly, creeping towards breathless warrior while the serpent blinked rapidly, growling dully in its throat.  “Are you okay?”
                  The warrior—Rowan—didn’t answer.  Nia could hear her blood pulsing loudly in her ears like rushing water splashing through a river.  She stopped just inches away from Rowan, arm outstretched while shooting the monster