CHAPTER FOUR: A NEW FRIEND

She slowly turned around and saw them. But this time it wasn't goblins. "Oh great, what are those?" Lai said, once again scared for her and Noel's safety. They were up on the green hill top, staring straight down at her. There had to be at least fifteen of them. They weren't as small as goblins. On the contrary, they were much more frightening.

They had huge muscles, and were completely black with black hair as well. They were winged, and very tall. They had blood red eyes and claws as long as nails. They walked on all fours, but as they saw Lai mounting her horse they stood up on two legs and let out a horrible sort of howling noise.

Lai cut off as fast as she could. Noel running as fast as possible and hearing her breathing intensely hard, Lai ran straight into the forest. Even though branches and limbs were cutting her body and probably Noel's, she didn't stop running. They ran for fifteen minutes trying as hard as they could to avoid them, until they came out of the opposite side of the forest. They looked around and saw nothing but open land. No place to hide, no place to run to. They were in the very middle of an open meadow, and the creatures flew straight down and landed circling them, so they had no where to run.

Lai exposed her sword, and spun it around fiercely, as if threatening, daring them to take a hit at her or Noel. She swung her sword and missed the first one. Noel was jumping and kicking her hooves everywhere. They started lunging and trying to bite her. That's when Lai threw her sword once more and sliced two of the creatures' heads right off. The others started screaming and growling. They all looked very menacing and angered now.

She gripped her sword tightly and thrust her sword straight into one of their chests. It hit the ground and burst into flames. One of the monsters raised its hands and scratched her arm causing her to fall off Noel. Still holding on to her weapon, she got up and started swinging it back and forth, back and forth. She cut a few of them and they turned into fire and disappeared as well. There were about nine left and she was becoming very annoyed.

One of the black beasts raised his claws ready to strike her, when a charming man held up with magnificent royal blue wings came down with what looked like, a magic staff. He thrust his body to block Lai and Noel from view.

All Lai saw was his soft blue wings up against her face and an extremely bright light shining over top of them. She closed her eyes and hugged Noel. She heard them screaming and sounding like they were fleeing, or fading away.

"Lai?" She opened her eyes slowly to find the man to actually be very handsome young man, looking around Lai's age. He had dark brown wavy hair that fell in his face, and emerald green eyes. He wore a kind of draping around him like a coat, but without arms. He was quite the built and very tall. Seeing as Lai was only 5'2, anyone seemed tall to her.

"How do you know my name?" Lai asked.

"Are you ok?" the boy asked looking her over. "Yes, I'm fine. But how do you know my name?" she repeated. He grabbed her arm, seeing the scratch she had received from one of those monsters.

"It's nothing. It's just a scratch" Lai said, pulling her arm back.

"Really I'm fine, but how do you--" "I know your name because I was sent from the gods to find you" he said still looking at her as if she was dying. "Now please come with me. We need to heal that, so you don't--" There was a pause.

"So I don't what?" Lai asked. "Just come on please" the young man repeated. He flung his staff towards Lai's horse causing Noel to sprout beautiful white feathery wings out of her strong back. They grew larger and larger. They were at least twice the size of her before they stopped growing. Lai stood there amazed. "How did you--"Lai started, "Never mind that right now. I will explain everything once we are some place safe. Please" as he gestured to Noel, for Lai to mount her.

Lai got on Noel slowly, and squeezed her legs. Noel jumped straight up and took flight. They were flying. Flying higher and higher. Until finally Lai was so high she could no longer see the ground, not even patches of green. They were high into the puffy pearl clouds and it felt so magnificent. It felt as if she was in heaven. Either that, or dreaming. She thought to herself, 'this can't be real'.

The young man was flying right beside them, leading the way. Every so often they would pop in and out of the clouds, and Noel would swoop up and down, and twirl right over. They flew for quite some time until the man gestured to Lai to swoop down for landing. She felt such exhilaration, as her heart and body were left behind, from diving straight down. Finally, Noel landed on a soft patch of green, very gracefully and stopped. Lai waited for the man to land too.

"Can I know your name?" she asked politely. "Oh, sorry. I could have at least told you that. My name is Wu Wang…I'm a sorcerer." Lai nodded "Really?" Wu looked up at her smiling "Yes" Lai was quite impressed. Wu took out a side bag and began to rummage through it. "So what were those things back there? And what's going on? I mean a lot of strange things have been happening. First my parents, then they try to kill me." Lai stopped; Thinking about her parents was painful.

"Ok, ok. Just let me explain everything." He said sitting down on the grass. She looked up at him and noticed his wings were now gone, and so were Noel's. She consented and sat down across from him. He took out some bandages and a type of ointment.

"Ok. Firstly, I am deeply sorry about your parents. I'm sure they meant the world to you." Lai stared at him then looked down and said, "Yes, they did". There was a long pause. As Wu went to put on the ointment he said, "This may sting a little" He applied it and Lai screamed. "I told you it would sting a little. "A little?...that felt like I was being stabbed or something. "Sorry, but it has to heal. Then Lai asked Wu "What's happening to me?"

"The first thing you must understand is you have a journey no one else can fulfill." "What kind of journey?" Lai asked curiously. Wu began bandaging the cut. "It is not a pleasant one, I'll tell you right now." He looked up in the sky as if thinking about how to word it. "Are you aware that you have a unique ability? Fighting that is?" He finished tying the bandage to her arm and started putting his things back inside the bag.

Lai nodded her head, and then said, "But that's only because father taught me so well". "No Lai. It's been inside you all this time. With your father's help or not, you would have been a great fighter." Wu told her modestly. He stared at her for a moment. 'He did have such wonderful eyes' thought Lai.