Page 21 of The Anointed's Paladin

“Really?” I asked. “You look bitey. And sharp.” I eyed his tail and the barbed part on the end. But the way he was talking sounded very nice.

“I maylookscary, but I’m not. I’m a Paladin. I’m oathsworn to destroy evil.”

“Oh, yay!” I said, clapping my hands. I had read about Paladins in my stories. They were basically magic knights who got their power from an oath. And despite his pointiness, he was being friendly. “I’ll let you down, then.”

I concentrated, sticking out my tongue and spreading my arms out. He crashed unceremoniously to the ground. Oops.

I landed on the ground by his feet and looked up at him, almost falling backwards to see his face.Holy greenmother, he was tall.

“I’m Nidori of the Western Reach,” I announced, projecting my voice, in case he was too high up to hear.

“Talon, Paladin of the Order of Vengeance,” he said, politely crouching down to talk to me, his wings stretching to the side as he lowered himself. His tail swept some moss and twigs off his outfit.

“I like your light,” I said, pointing up at the glowing orb. “That's why I decided to catch you.”

“I’m not sure it’s helping much. I got very lost back there. Made it all the way back to the edge of the wood when I realised I was going the wrong way,” he said with a crooked smile. “But if you like the light, I can make others.” He held his hand up, summoning more. They swirled in the air, dancing around me. I spun, reaching my arms out and touching them. They felt warm and tingly.

“Wow!” I said. “You’re good at that!”

“Light is my specialty,” he said. “Light and fire.”

Fire?My toes curled in excitement. I needed to see that.

“Is that why you came here?” I asked. “Because it’s cold and dark? I think you’d have to make a lot more than that to fix this forest.”

He chuckled, a gruff, rumbly sound that made me smile. “Not exactly. I was sent here.”

“Me too!” I said, waving my hand at him enthusiastically. “Lei Lei picked me!”

He held up his palm, and I saw gold on it as well. I flew up, pressing my hand to his as I had with Kaine. His hand was nice and warm and bigger than me. Wow. He wasbig. I was taller than Kaine’s hand by at least a head length.

“You could come and join me!” I said. “I have to travel at night now, so we could use your lights. And you can help if we run into bad people.” I leaned closer, whispering. “Lei Lei said that I should try and find some big, strong fighters to help me.”

He smiled, the action lighting up his eyes, but then his face fell.

“It would be my honour,” he said. “But I… should do this alone.”

“No, no,no. You come with me, all right?” I said, furrowing my brows. “Do you like strawberries? I can grow strawberries. And nuts. Any plant, really. And I’ll play you music at night. Well, day, because we have to travel at night, but still.”

He hesitated. He was close, I knew it.

“Please?” I asked, my lip trembling. He couldn’t go. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his hand. It was much warmer than Kaine’s. “I need you.”

I knew it. In every tiny bone in my body. This was a good person, just like Kaine, and I needed him to stay with me. And maybe show me some fire.

“All right,” he relented. “But just for a bit. Then we’ll part ways again.”

“Excellent.” I nodded again. “I’m sure Kaine will be delighted to meet you.”

“Who’s Kaine?” he asked, frowning.

“He’s myhero,” I said. “He’ll be waking up soon. Come on, let’s go get him!”

I jumped up, taking off, glancing back to make sure he was following. To my surprise, he didn’t fly after me, choosing to navigate thetangle of roots that covered the ground on foot. I watched, curious. My wings were stiff but light, laced like a butterfly. I could flap them fast or slow and steer with them. They were wings, and that was that, but his seemed to be more like a second set of arms that had grown from his back. They had bones, elbows, joints. He used them deftly, and they even had a talon on the crest of each that he used to help him when climbing. I was very impressed that he managed to keep up with me so well, despite his feet remaining firmly on the ground.

We soon reached the small clearing. I landed by the large shelter I had made and knocked on the top.

“Kaine, the sun’s down. Are you awake?” I sang, shooting Talon a grin. I just knew they were going to get along. They were both so nice.

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