The Path of Giants by B.T. Narro (best novels to read .txt) 📕

my own sanity. But I could now start to feel my heart strings becoming undone, a feeling of longing strong in my chest. However, it wasn’t Kataleya who I longed for.

I focused my mind away from these thoughts, tightening the bow a bit more.

“Of course I forgive you,” I told Kataleya. “We will always be friends, no matter what happens.”

“A friend I can trust with my life is what I need more than anything else,” she said as she wiped her eyes.

“You can with me.”

“Thank you. And you with me as well. I just had to get those words out. And I think I know what to do about the king. It’s best to tell him what I’m feeling about my father. I trust him to do what’s best. As soon as we get back, I will.”

“I take that to mean you won’t be leaving anytime soon?”

“Certainly not.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It didn’t take long for Eden to figure out that she was not going to make it out of this forest alive unless she did something she absolutely didn’t want to do. She put it off for a while as she continued through the forest, trying to think of an alternative, but eventually she came around to her original thought. It had to be done, so there was no point in delaying.

She swallowed a lump in her dry throat and started toward the next howl she heard. She had been moving away from the sounds of every living creature until then. Her instinct for survival screamed at her to turn away and run, but she plodded forward. Nervously holding the Induct stone of dteria in front of her, she pushed through large bushes that blocked her view.

The beast in front of her was a large cat of sorts. Its brown fur didn’t look natural, shaggy like a dog. Two large fangs protruded out of its closed mouth as it came toward Eden with a curious gait. With Eden’s chest heaving with every breath she drew, she held her ground and kept the stone up.

The cat made her feel insignificantly small as it came up to her face and sniffed around the stone. Its breath was hot and powerful, blowing her dark hair back as it moved up even closer. She closed her eyes and turned away with a bit of a whimper, the fear too much. It was all she could do to keep from screaming.

Then she suddenly felt nothing. She peeked one eye open to find the creature walking away as if disinterested in her and her Induct stone.

“Wait,” she said.

The cat looked back at her again.

She approached cautiously, her instincts continuously telling her to run. “God below,” she muttered frightfully as she came up close enough to touch the animal. She very cautiously put her hand out and, whimpering, stroked the back of the beast.

It showed its massive teeth in a growl. She quickly took her hand back and let out a little yelp.

“Please don’t bite me,” she said as she extended her hand again.

The creature didn’t move as it regarded her. At least it had its mouth shut now.

She slowly ran her shaky hand down its shaggy fur again.

This time the creature didn’t growl but sat down.

Eden formed a smile as she put the stone in her pocket and used both hands to rub the side of the animal. She was really delighted when it turned over for a belly rub.

She petted the cat for a while, but eventually it seemed to tire of the belly rubs. It got up and started to walk away from her.

“All right,” she told herself. “It’s now or never.”

She came up beside the cat. As she stood with her hip against its side, it was nearly taller than her, even on all fours. The creature didn’t seem to mind her proximity, looking over at her curiously.

She didn’t know how best to do this. After a moment of thought, she came to the realization that there was no other method than just going for it.

She put her hands flat on the cat’s back and jumped as she pushed. Eden had just gotten her leg over when the animal darted forward, rolling her off it. She fell hard on her back.

Hissing, she sat up and held her sore back. The cat stopped a few yards away from her and looked over. It was similar to the cantar that had attacked Jon in the forest, with catlike features that didn’t always appear aggressive. It was the brown shaggy fur and size of this behemoth cat that was different than the aggressive black one. Eden was no longer afraid that this cat would attack her but that it would run off.

She forced herself up and approached the animal with her palms open, showing she meant no harm. It let her come to its side again and put her hands on its back. She jumped up once more.

The animal took off, but she was ready for it this time, clutching its shaggy fur tightly. Next thing she knew, she was holding on for her life as it darted through the forest with incredible speed.

She kept her body low, flat across the cat’s back, but its rippling shoulders battered her face until she sat up a bit. Then the animal slowed. She worried it might become aggressive as it looked back at her.

She was quick to pet it. “Please don’t throw me off.”

The cat seemed to sense something ahead as it froze and stared at some lush shrubbery. Then it took off. Eden held on tight and lowered her head as the cat crashed through the foliage.

There was a creature on the other side that resembled a large rabbit, but it had overgrown fangs that looked as sharp as a knife. The rabbit was clearly startled for a moment, but then it jumped at the cat’s head. The cat ducked, but Eden didn’t. The rabbit knocked her off, landed on her chest, then jumped off her to