his outrage turned to cruel amusement. "You?" he said. "Really? I'll answer to you? Are you kidding me?"
James didn't say anything, he just held his ground, keeping his hands up like a boxer , ready to fight.
"I mean, maybe in a few years, but right now? Wow, that's funny." The sorcerer's face turned dark and he said, "Get out of my way boy , before I decide to add you as an ingredient to my cauldron."
Mister Six sprang forward, landing on the sorcerer's bony ankle beneath his dirty robe and sank his fangs and claws into the exposed skin. Prospero threw his head back and howled in pain as James ran up and kicked him as hard as he could right between the legs. The sorcerer's eyes crossed momentarily as he dropped to his kne es like a sack of heavy grain and let out a quiet, high-pitched noise that sounded like, "Eeep."
Alana nearly had the last cord cut and it was enough for Star to kick himself free. The dragon slowly got to his feet, his legs wobbling from being tied up for so long. He stumbled around the porch and said, "Thank you. Both of you."
"We have to run!" James shouted.
Mister Six came barreling out of the cabin at full speed, taking off toward the edge of the woods where he stopped and spun in circles to urge the other three to hurry after him. Star stumbled off of the porch and tried to keep up, but when Alana tried to pull him along, he said, "Just keep running. I'll catch up."
Alana looked back and saw both the sorcerer and Herman come out of the cabin, turning to see where they went. Prospero pointed a crooked finger at her and shouted, "There they are! Get them!"
James forced Alana and Star to run as fast as they could, pushing them through the woods to catch up with Mister Six until they came to a clearing with nothing but a few bushes and tall, swaying grass. The moon was bright and full overhead, covering the forest in a kind of silvery, dim blue light. There was nowhere to hide. "Oh, great job, Mister Six," James muttered. "You led us right out into the open."
The cat looked up at James with mild annoyance, but his tail did not move.
Star staggered sideways in the grass and collapsed, unable to keep running. "My legs are too stiff to run and I can't feel my wings," he moaned. "You guys keep going. I'll be fine. Just leave me."
"No way," James said.
Alana bent down over the dragon and covered him with her arms, "We're not letting them get you again, no matter what."
The sorcerer and Herman emerged from the trees and stopped at the sight of the group. They began to walk slowly toward them, with Prospero folding his long fingers together in the center of his long robe as he said, "Well, well. Play time is over now, kiddies. You've all interfered with my plans enough for one evening."
Alana, James, and Mister Six all stood in front of Star, refusing to get out of the way. The sorcerer stopped just a few feet away from them with Herman at his side and said, "Hand the dragon over and I'll let all three of you walk away."
"Actually, I was thinking if the two of you turn around and go back home, the three of us will let you walk away," James said.
Prospero smiled thinly, showing them the full range of his stained , greenish brown teeth. "Do you honestly think a little girl, a muddy cat, a puny dragon, and a scrawny little punk such as yourself have a chance against me, Prospero the Sorcerer?"
His voice was loud and clear in the night, and as if to answer, a cool wind blew against the children's backs, followed by the sound of something large touching down on the grass behind them. "Perhaps," a loud, regal-sounding voice said over their heads, "I might help them even the odds."
Alana turned around and gasped at the sight of Lady Moon, standing tall above them. Her elegant, sparkling blue face was dark with anger as she looked at the sorcerer and Herman. "The two of you have bothered my kind for long enough," she said. She
James didn't say anything, he just held his ground, keeping his hands up like a boxer , ready to fight.
"I mean, maybe in a few years, but right now? Wow, that's funny." The sorcerer's face turned dark and he said, "Get out of my way boy , before I decide to add you as an ingredient to my cauldron."
Mister Six sprang forward, landing on the sorcerer's bony ankle beneath his dirty robe and sank his fangs and claws into the exposed skin. Prospero threw his head back and howled in pain as James ran up and kicked him as hard as he could right between the legs. The sorcerer's eyes crossed momentarily as he dropped to his kne es like a sack of heavy grain and let out a quiet, high-pitched noise that sounded like, "Eeep."
Alana nearly had the last cord cut and it was enough for Star to kick himself free. The dragon slowly got to his feet, his legs wobbling from being tied up for so long. He stumbled around the porch and said, "Thank you. Both of you."
"We have to run!" James shouted.
Mister Six came barreling out of the cabin at full speed, taking off toward the edge of the woods where he stopped and spun in circles to urge the other three to hurry after him. Star stumbled off of the porch and tried to keep up, but when Alana tried to pull him along, he said, "Just keep running. I'll catch up."
Alana looked back and saw both the sorcerer and Herman come out of the cabin, turning to see where they went. Prospero pointed a crooked finger at her and shouted, "There they are! Get them!"
James forced Alana and Star to run as fast as they could, pushing them through the woods to catch up with Mister Six until they came to a clearing with nothing but a few bushes and tall, swaying grass. The moon was bright and full overhead, covering the forest in a kind of silvery, dim blue light. There was nowhere to hide. "Oh, great job, Mister Six," James muttered. "You led us right out into the open."
The cat looked up at James with mild annoyance, but his tail did not move.
Star staggered sideways in the grass and collapsed, unable to keep running. "My legs are too stiff to run and I can't feel my wings," he moaned. "You guys keep going. I'll be fine. Just leave me."
"No way," James said.
Alana bent down over the dragon and covered him with her arms, "We're not letting them get you again, no matter what."
The sorcerer and Herman emerged from the trees and stopped at the sight of the group. They began to walk slowly toward them, with Prospero folding his long fingers together in the center of his long robe as he said, "Well, well. Play time is over now, kiddies. You've all interfered with my plans enough for one evening."
Alana, James, and Mister Six all stood in front of Star, refusing to get out of the way. The sorcerer stopped just a few feet away from them with Herman at his side and said, "Hand the dragon over and I'll let all three of you walk away."
"Actually, I was thinking if the two of you turn around and go back home, the three of us will let you walk away," James said.
Prospero smiled thinly, showing them the full range of his stained , greenish brown teeth. "Do you honestly think a little girl, a muddy cat, a puny dragon, and a scrawny little punk such as yourself have a chance against me, Prospero the Sorcerer?"
His voice was loud and clear in the night, and as if to answer, a cool wind blew against the children's backs, followed by the sound of something large touching down on the grass behind them. "Perhaps," a loud, regal-sounding voice said over their heads, "I might help them even the odds."
Alana turned around and gasped at the sight of Lady Moon, standing tall above them. Her elegant, sparkling blue face was dark with anger as she looked at the sorcerer and Herman. "The two of you have bothered my kind for long enough," she said. She
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