AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m Ava and I’d like to meet your leader. Which way is it to your pride?” she asked, sauntering off by swaying her hips. I found the movement mesmerizing, and I only took my eyes off her for a moment to offer Mika a withering look. He might have been a prince here, but he was not worthy of her at all, and he should not dare to speak to her with disrespect. I fell in line with my Lioness, wary of what the lions of Orestes might have in store for us. I was annoyed at myself for not being stronger. The last thing I wanted was for us to be attacked and to be unable to defend my Lioness. Perhaps in this land though I could be stronger. There was more food here, more beasts. In this land I could be as lions should be.
Chapter Ten
Mika
I stared at her as she walked away. She was maddening. The sheer arrogance with which she spoke was, I suppose, justified by the way she conducted herself in battle. She was clearly a skilled warrior and I should not take her lightly. Anyone who could fell Gargann like that was worthy of respect, but she had stolen the kill from me and I would not forget this. I had been there to take what was rightfully mine, and she had come from nowhere and stolen it. If I had not had to warn them then I would have been able to attack Gargann in my own time and with my own strategy, instead of having to distract him from them. I had saved their lives, forfeiting my chance to take the trophy from Gargann. And then she had the audacity to suggest that I should take the trophy anyway, claiming the kill as my own. I had no idea where she came from, but if these were the morals she had then perhaps it was better that she returned there.
And now she declared that she wanted an audience with Naaro, as though she deserved the right. She called herself Lioness, but of what, and what was she doing here?
I trudged after them, looking at her companion carefully. I wasn’t sure what purpose he served. Ava could acquit herself well in battle so why did she need someone who was less capable than she was? His body was lean in a way that did not seem on purpose. He was clearly loyal to her, ready to protect her, but he did not pose a threat. His presence was most puzzling.
We walked up the slope of the forest and they paused for a moment, drinking in the scenery.
“This is wonderful,” Ava said. There was awe in her voice. It was almost as though they had never seen a world like this before.
“There’s plenty more where this comes from, but if you want to get back to the tower then we have to go this way. We can either run as lions or walk like this,” I said.
“Let us walk for the time being. I want to enjoy these moments for as long as I can, and I have many questions for you, Mika of Orestes. Is this true? Is this really the place of legend?” she asked.
I held my head high, proud of my heritage. “Yes, it is. Here you will find the lions of Orestes, as strong as they have ever been.”
Ava nodded as she brushed her hands against the thick bark of trees. Lanas noticed an apple hanging from a tree. He reached up and plucked it from the branch. The red skin was bright.
“Can I eat this?” he asked.
“Of course,” I said, wondering why he would ever believe that he could not. He raised the apple to his mouth and sniffed it, then he took a bite. The skin crunched and juice ran down his chin. He made a soft groan and then devoured the apple, gorging himself on it as though he had never tasted anything like it before. “Do you not have apples where you come from?”
“We don’t have much of anything,” Ava said, and continued to walk away.
I had to increase my speed to keep up with her. Lanas hung back a little, distracted by the plentiful foods that were offered by the forest, all the berries and nuts and apples that hung from the branches. He sampled them all and enjoyed everything he tasted. Meanwhile, I wanted to speak to Ava some more.
“Where have you come from?” I asked.
As it turned out, she had questions of her own. “I noticed that you have not asked how I arrived. Does this mean you are familiar with my ability?”
My throat tightened as I quelled the flare of jealousy that was inflamed inside me. She could do something that I would never be able to do, something that should have been my birthright, but instead was a void within me. And here this stranger was, able to traverse worlds easily without a hint of difficulty.
“I know of it, yes,” I said.
She nodded. “Well, then you know I come from another world. A world that is… different to this.”
“How is it different?”
“It’s barren. Where you have lush grass, we have dust and dirt. Where you have animals scurrying through the forest, we have insects and lizards crawling across stone. It is not a good life.”
“Is that why you’re here then? Are you looking for something better?”
“Something like that,” she replied. “I will explain all when we reach the tower. For now, I would like to hunt. It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a place such as this, with so much prey in abundance. We must feast. I would like to see what this world has to offer.”
When she finished speaking, she shifted into a lion, before I could dissuade her. There was plenty of food back at the tower after all, and if we made haste then we could make it back before nightfall. She was already slinking through the undergrowth though. Lanas witnessed this and shifted as well, running to her side. I thought that this time I would watch and wait for them to return. I found a small clearing where I gathered some kindling and made a fire, just as my father had taught me a long time ago. Naaro would sit me under the stars and tell me that no matter where I ended up there were some skills that were applicable in every world. This was back when he thought I might end up with the same ability as my other father. He also said that the only stars that mattered were the ones here, for the other stars were not the stars of my home.
They were hiding now, behind the gentle sky. Divad had taken me to many different worlds and I had seen many different stars, as well as different things. I had seen monsters and storms and purple skies, and other countless things that would always remain in my memory, but despite all of these things it still felt as though there was plenty more for me to learn.
I gazed into the distance as the fire burst into life. It sparked and hissed and then the flames began to dance before me, glowing orange and white, the two colors blurring and melting in with each other. I warmed my hands as I thought about these strangers. Were they intruders? Were they enemies? If they were then I’m sure their intentions would be made known before too long, and the lions of Orestes would soon put them in their place, or help them if they were in need of aid. The land they came from sounded like a harsh land. It was no wonder they looked upon this world with awe.
Chapter Eleven
Ava
