04 Surrounded

CHAPTER 4 SURROUNDED The friends followed Grey, keeping low. "The shield is breaking!" Blaze cried. Tag looked up at the dome of light. Dark spots appeared where the tiger bats had attacked. One by one, the tiger bats darted through these holes into Valor Wood. Grey, Blaze, and Tag flew faster.

Suddenly, a black-and-orange blur swooped down, knocking Tag to the ground. "Tag!" Skyla yelled. A second tiger bat flew out of the trees. Its sharp beak snapped at Skyla's tail. Grey flew high up into the sky. Then he zoomed toward Thorn's spies, knocking three of them over. He pulled a golden sword from his armor. The tips of Grey's wings sparkled with magic. "You are not welcome in Valor Wood!" Grey yelled. The tiger bats scattered.

Grey landed and turned to Tag. "Are you okay?" Tag nodded as he dusted off his feathers. "I could have fought them," he said. "I know," Grey replied with a smile. Blaze stamped her feet, throwing Skyla off her back. "Something bit me!" Blaze cried. "Blaze!" Skyla said. "What... Ouch! That stings!" Tag felt something bite his foot, too. "More prickle ants!" The friends turned to run the other way but came face-to-face with a gigantic mega beetle. It was made from hundreds of crag beetles. This mega beetle was even bigger than the ones they had met near the Whispering Oak.

"Time to fight!" Tag said, pulling out his dagger. He attacked the mega beetle. The beetles' shells were so hard that Tag couldn't hurt them. But wherever he hit the mega beetle, small crag beetles fell to the ground. Skyla shot acorns, while Grey and Blaze attacked with their beaks and talons.

Suddenly, the beetles scurried away as though something had scared them. Why are they running away? Tag wondered. GRRRRRRRRR! There was a loud growl behind him, and Tag knew the answer. He had heard the same sound when they had been captured in The Shadowlands. "Wolves!" Skyla squeaked.