Prologue

The fire raged around the small child.

She coughed, the smoke entering her small lungs. It was hard to breathe. Everything was foggy and shrouded in a cloud of smoke.

“Is that everyone?” a voice hollered from somewhere in the flames.

“I don’t know,” another voice yelled. “We should double-check.” Please, the small child thought. Please help me. Everything was crashing around her. Flaming logs from her orphanage rammed through the building she was in.

“H-he-,” She tried. Her voice barely made a dent in the screaming and flames. Her throat felt awful, every part of her hurt. Tears tried to stream down her face but quickly dried up.

This was it.

She was going to die under the flames of her burning village. She wrapped her arms around her head and curled into a ball. Maybe she could survive if she were small. That had worked in the past.

A stray ember caught her on the leg. She curled tighter into a ball. Suddenly, her shirt felt a light tug. She looked around and saw a little puppy trying to pull her somewhere.

“Rocky?” She asked hoarsely. Even through the smoke, she saw his odd blue eyes staring at her. He yapped frantically.

“What is it?” She noticed movement. Rocky grabbed her sleeve and tugged on it. A faint breeze touched her arm.

“An exit?!” she yelled. “Is that where you’re trying to take me?” She stood up and broke out in a coughing fit. Rocky grabbed her hand with his mouth and pulled her through the burning building.

The fresh air had never felt so good.

Coughs and sputters erupted from the child’s mouth. In the distance, under the only tree not burning, was a small group of animals. The small tree loomed protectively over them.

Rocky and the small child ran up to the animals. They all began to curl around the bruised and burned child. She looked at the village. Everything was burning. The orange flames drowned out the white light of the moon.

“Don’t worry,” The child spoke up, pausing to cough. “There’s a ravine not too far from here! Maybe we could get over it to stay safe?” She tried standing. Her legs ached.

“Yep,” a voice said in the distance. The child froze. She didn’t know this voice. This was not a villager.

“Village burned,” the voice continued. “Villagers killed, and no witnesses. I would say a job well done.”

What. The child thought. WHAT.

“Alright,” another strange voice said. “I give you credit, little man. You are skilled. I mean, a kid your age shouldn’t even know how to throw a knife, let alone bomb a village.”

“Well,” the voice from earlier replied smugly. “I am not an ordinary kid. Just watch. I’m going to be the most dangerous person the land has ever seen!”

“I don’t doubt it,” the other voice sighed.

The child had heard enough. She motioned for all the animals to follow her. Quietly, she and the animals made their way to a large crack in the Earth.

“Okay,” the child cautioned. “We can’t jump across. But, I set up a log to get over a few days ago.” She pointed at a narrow log stretching across the split.

“Be careful when crossing,” she warned. “I don’t know how stable it is.” She waited until all the animals had crossed before she went.

She kicked down the small bridge when they were all on the other side. The animals all looked at her with hopeful, desperate eyes.

“Don’t worry,” she reminded them. “With me, you’ll be safe. I’ll build a house for you and give you the treatment the farmers never gave you.” She smiled and looked at the odd group of animals before her.

A pig, a puppy, a kitten, a lamb, two sheep, a horse, and a calf. Animals are not seen together naturally. All these animals depended on her to save them.

“Remember,” She said, smiling. “You’re with Aishi.”