Temple of the Sphere: Chapter 2

Sonya woke up; found a strapping arm of a man tucked around her waist. She glanced at his tan huge hand that held a long leather strap to the saddle.
Soft fur tickled her legs as she wiggled around. His warm breath danced on the back of her neck. The heat of the afternoon made them both sweat. She looked down and the chain was gone. Each of her wrists carefully wrapped in silk as they rode on his beast.1

“You're awake. We’ll be stopping soon and breaking for camp,” he said softly, and then paused. “What’s your name?”2

She stopped wiggling and held her breath. “Sonya.”3

“Throne.”4

He dropped the strap as he reached behind him, grabbing the buckskin pouch. “Here, drink.”5

Her long nimble fingers slowly grabbed the rough pouch. She pulled out the cork and brought it to her cracked and parched lips.6

“Drink slowly, Sonya. Your body is still recovering.”7

She gradually took a few sips of the cool water. He gently placed his hand and held the pouch for her. When she handed him back the pouch, she watched him pick up the strap.8

Sonya glanced down as a huge four-legged beast under her. She wiggled, kicked, and punched anything that she could as the creature roared. She yanked herself away from him and stood up in the saddle.9

He grabbed her long green dress to stop her. The beast ran down the rocky road. Throne tried to grab her arms, but she would swiftly move them out of his reach. The sound of her dress ripping echoed, he dragged her back down into the saddle.10

She punched and kicked, he yanked her back to him. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them to her waist with his left arm tucked around it. Then he used his other hand to cover her mouth, as his strength rising to match hers. He pulled her back into his hard chest for her to relax. She found herself still struggling with him.11

His breathing was slow and begun to relax her, as his chest would rise up and down. Throne removed his hand from her as he caressed her smooth face. Then he picked up his leather strap. 12

Sonya glanced down again at the beast. The tiger’s white fur sparkled in the sunlight and his dark gray stripes made him glow like silver. His movement was slow and smooth as the animal stepped on the hard ground.13

“You’re a Moonrise Warrior,” she whispered.14

He looked straight ahead. “I am.” He looked at the tiger. “You’ve scared my friend.”15

“You both have scared me, and I think that we are even.”16

“Is that anyway to talk to us after we saved you?”17

“You saved me for your own purpose.”18

He smiled. “You’re a smart one, Sonya.”19

“Could you release my hands?”20

“No more fighting?” He laughed.21

She sighed. “No.”22

Throne lifted up his arm and Sonya pulled out her arms. Then he delicately tucked his arm around her.23

She pushed back her loose strands of her hair. “Where are we going?” 24

“There’s a small stream up ahead.”25

Her hand started to pet the beast. “What’s the tiger’s name?”26

“My friend’s name is Hugo. Now get some sleep.”27

Hugo stretched out his neck. Throne tied the strap to the saddle. The tiger raised his head. He leaned over, tightened up the saddle and opened up his bag. Next, he pulled out a long piece of rope. The tiger was still. Her heart was beating faster as he grabbed her hands to bind them together and tied them to his saddle's horn.28

“No!”29

“Quiet!” as his voice was hard and cold.30

She frantically moved her hands but the knot became tighter as she struggled. He pressed his leg on the tiger. Hugo was at a full run through the road.31

Thundering hooves began to echo inside of the woods. Throne gave his tiger another kick and Hugo ran down the road. She stopped struggling and tried to hang on for her life. He put his right arm around her waist.32

“You must trust me,” he whispered in her ear.33

“I’m tied to your saddle like I’m a prisoner.”34

“Young Maiden, you're my prisoner for the moment.”35

Sonya wanted to kick him as his grip tighten around her waist. Out of the forest came a red shadow-like creature standing in the road. Bones turned and swirled as they bubbled up to the surface in the shadow. A horse's head burst through the bubble. It whinnied as red bones came flying to its head.36

She squirmed in the saddle and he pulled her closer to him as the red skeleton of a horse appeared. It stomped its hoof; then another horse skeleton emerged by its side. Together they stomped their hooves. Two more horses skeleton materialized behind them. Then they stomped their hooves and two more appeared behind the others. Then they all vanished!37

Hugo took off running down the rocky road. The wind whipped Sonya's hair. Throne reached in his saddlebag and took a piece of rope, gathered up all her hair to put in a ponytail. He grabbed his long steel sword from his left side.38

“If you want to live, do as I say!” he ordered.39

She shook her head yes, as she tried to stay balanced on the tiger.40

“Now keep your head low and your legs close to Hugo.”41

“Alright,” she said.42

The six red skeleton horses reappeared and now carried riders. Sonya turned her head. The first attacker approached on Throne's left side. The rider wore a long black cape with a hood as it floated on the skeleton. His eye sockets filled with blood. She turned her head away, grasped on the saddle horn.43

Throne used his left leg to kick the rider's horse. His leg disappeared into the horse. The warrior quickly removed his leg as slime oozed out of the creature. The rider moved his horse away from them. He drew out his sword and swung it at the rider. The sword cut off the cape as they melted away.44

“One down and five to go,” Throne said as he put the sword in his other hand. 45

The next rider came up on his right side as Sonya peeked.46

“Keep your head down!”47

He took the sword; cut off the head of the rider. It fell onto the ground and melted. The horse skeleton tried to attack but he took his sword and pierced its side. It dissolved into a huge puddle.48

“Two riders now gone and four are coming. The only question is how they will attack.”49

His tiger kept running down the road. All at once, two more riders appeared on both sides of the tiger. Another rider materialized behind him. Hugo slammed his paws into the dirt to stop. The last attacker emerged in front of him.50

“We're boxed in!” Sonya yelled.51

“We want the girl!” the riders spoke in one voice.52

“She’s mine!”53

“Prepare to die!” they said.54

“Never!” he yelled as Hugo charged at the riders.55

The two foes beside him pulled out their swords. Throne tossed his sword out of his right hand and his left hand caught it. Then he pulled out another sword from his right side. She bent forward closer to the tiger's neck.56

Sonya gripped the saddle horn while steel crushed into each other with a boom that echoed in her ears. Throne blocked each blow from each rider at the same time. Hugo moved his body to fight off the red horses skeleton that tried to bite him. She jolted around as her body shook.57

“He…he…he.” their laughter echoed throughout the forest.58

Sonya closed her eyes; huddled close to the tiger as the impending evil attempted to reach her soul. A tingling sensation began to climb up her spine. She took a deep breath as her body grew in strength. In one exhaled breath, she let all of her feelings go and broke her binds around her wrists and sat up.59

“Stay down!” Throne yelled at her.60

A huge ball of bright light came out of her wrists. It collided with all the riders at once. The riders scream in pain as they melted away; Sonya collapsed. Throne quickly put his swords away and checked her pulse.61

“She’s still alive. What kind of a young maiden do I have here?”62

The tiger continued to race down the road. He raised her up by placing his arm around her waist. He took his left hand to pick up the strap; used his legs to guide his tiger into the huge forest.63

Sonya opened her eyes as she heard the running of the small stream up ahead of them.64

“We're almost there,” he whispered.65

She closed her eyes again.