An Army of Good Read Free Page B

reassure you. Come with me,” he said, pulling Christian off the log he was sitting on and dragging him over to a clearing in the sand.
    Zavier picked up a large rock and hurled it to Aaron. The large black man caught the beach-ball-sized rock with ease, as if it really were a ball that was filled with air. Zavier then grabbed Christian and pulled him close before turning him to face Aaron. “Be brave and trust me,” he whispered.
    â€œWhat are they going to do?” Grace asked Ice.
    â€œJust watch, Grace, you’ll see,” Ice replied.
    â€œOkay Aaron, when you’re ready. Hard as you can,” Zavier ordered.
    Aaron leaned back, getting himself ready to launch the rock at Christian. Christian went to cover his face with his hands again, but Zavier pulled them away and firmly held them against Christian’s side.
    â€œTrust me,” he whispered.
    Aaron took a powerful run up, kicking the sand out from under his feet as he propelled himself forward. Then, with all his might and gritting his teeth, he threw the rock at Christian.
    Christian screwed his face up in fear as the massive rock hurtled toward him, but the rock didn’t hit. It collided with Zavier’s invisible barrier, falling to the ground and hitting the sand with a thump.
    â€œWhoa, how’d you do that?” Chris gawped in amazement.
    â€œThat’s not all. Francis, show them what you can do,” Zavier ordered.
    Grace and Ice were seated on a log in front of the unlit beach fire. Francis flapped his tawny wings and perched himself atop Grace’s head, then he bobbed himself up and down, up and down. The ground shuddered as if there were a mini earthquake, and Grace, Ice and Francis disappeared.
    â€œWhere’d they go, where’d they go?” Chris asked, astonished.
    â€œWe didn’t go anywhere,” Francis hooted, and then what appeared to be a log and a pile of firewood transformed back into Grace and the two owls.
    â€œWere we invisible?” Grace squealed excitedly.
    â€œErr, yeahh!” Chris responded.
    â€œThat’s so cool. Show us what you can do, Ice,” Grace asked eagerly, looking into the snowy owl’s yellow eyes in wonderment.
    â€œWell now, as you know I am an enchantress, and there are many enchantments that I can perform. Too many to be able to show you all of them; you will get to see a few while you are here though, of that I’m sure.”
    â€œWell, what about you, Chester, what can you do? Show us.”
    â€œI’m just Chester, there’s nothing extraordinary about me,” the little robin uttered from within the fire-mound where he was perched.
    â€œNow that’s where you are wrong, Chester,” Zavier interrupted, “there is plenty that is special about you. You are loyal, brave and kind, and I wouldn’t be the Halfse that I am today without you.”
    Chester puffed out his chest with pride, “Aww, stop it, you’re making me blush,” he said, as the redness of his feathers glowed richer than ever.
    â€œNow, do you both feel safer knowing that you have us to look after you?” Zavier asked.
    â€œYeahhh… definitely.” Grace beamed.
    â€œWell yeah, I suppose, but those Nomeds seem mighty powerful too,” Christian said, still feeling very wary of the whole situation.
    â€œYes Christian, they certainly are, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise, but you must believe me when I say that we will do everything within our power to protect you, and by we, I don’t just mean us here, we aren’t the only ones that will be looking after you.”
    â€œWho else will be looking after us then?” Christian asked.
    â€œYeah, who else?” Grace echoed.
    Zavier walked back over to the partly-drawn map and picked up the stick.
    â€œLike I said, we are here at Serenity Sunrise Beach, and out there is Serenity Sunrise Ocean.” Zavier lifted the stick and pointed it