Read Online The Search For WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi - Free Book Online Page B

The combined charging hum of both weapons rose to a grating pitch.
    “We’ll make it,” Eva said as they reached the behemoth. It knelt low to the ground, and she grabbed on to the armored plating, pulling herself up.
    “Come on! Hurry!” she shouted with her hand held out.
    With an unsteady aim the huntsman pointed the lance at them as the lanky creature climbed up. The humming was so loud now that it vibrated Eva’s entire body. She ignored the noise as she helped her lame companion scramble up onto their mount’s armored back. The lanky creature fired the rifle. It was so charged that it kicked out of the creature’s hands and its blast toppled a stack of cages behind the huntsman.
    Jump. Free. Hurry.
    “Go!” screamed Eva.
    The huntsman released the lever on the sonic lance. The intense sound wave was so loud that it rocked the surrounding forest. The huntsman’s lanterns exploded, and several trees in the line of fire were reduced to heaps of green shredded pulp.
    Eva’s eyes watered, and long tears streaked backward over her cheeks as cool wind buffeted her face. The behemoth descended through the dusky light in a gigantic leap, like a humungous grasshopper. Though Eva was holding on to the animal for dear life, she had a giddy smile on her face.
    Despite its immense size, the armored animal landed gracefully in a clearing and tucked its thick, fanlike tail underneath its body.
    Free. Jump. Again.
    “Hold on!” she said to her lanky companion saddled alongside her on the animal’s back. With a feeble grin he held tightly on to the behemoth’s armored plates.
    With tremendous force the animal snapped down its tail, sending them all soaring up into the sky. Birds and other flying creatures flapped about, screeching from the disturbance. The behemoth arced over a copse of wandering trees and landed more than a hundred meters away. In moments the trio had cleared the woods completely and now found themselves on the rocky plain right at the forest’s edge.
    Safe. Now. Little one.
    “We did it!” Eva threw her arms around her companion.
    “Ewa seetha tadasha,” he replied, patting her on the back. He let out a long sigh of relief, and pulled a bottle out of his rucksack. After uncorking the top, he offered a drink to Eva.
    “Um. No, thanks.” Eva could smell the curdled scent wafting out of the bottle.
    Her companion shrugged and took a swig, and then smacked his lips in delight. “Ta! Feezi!” He held up one finger as an idea dawned on him. “Zuzu, zuzu,” he mumbled as he rummaged around through his rucksack. Eva realized that their armored mount was quiet, grazing on the lichens that grew along the forest edge.
    Thank you, she thought to it, watching twilight soak the landscape. Is it time to join your others?
    Not now. Quiet. Rest.
    “You’ve been through a lot.” Eva slid off the back of the animal. “We all have.”
    “Oeeah!” The lanky creature found what it had been searching for. He dismounted, joined Eva on the mossy ground, and reached for her hand. Into her palm he dropped a heavy metallic ball. “Kip!” he said.
    Eva inspected the object, furrowing her brow. She glanced back up at her companion.
    “Kip! Kip!” he repeated, pointing to his whiskery throat.
    “What? Do you want me to eat this?” Eva weighed the sphere in her hand. “I don’t think I can eat metal.”
    “Dat, dat, dat, feezi,” said the creature, moving Eva’s hand with the ball closer to her mouth. “Doot, doot … ba kip!”
    “Talk?” Eva said. As she spoke, the ball lit up in a pattern of tiny micro-lights. “Wow. What is this?” She watched the illuminated pattern dance across the small device. A miniscule cloud puffed out of a tiny pinhole at the top of it. Eva moved it away from her face. “What’s it doing?”
    “Dat,” whispered her companion. “Peesa tobondi feezi, ta kipli.” He moved Eva’s hand back to her face, the dust cloud drifting toward her. He sat back and inhaled deeply,