pop\u00a0<\/em>reported a fraction of a second before the fake stone imploded on itself.\u00a0 At once, it was gone, and Leah fell backward onto her rump.<\/p>\nThough several children in the audience giggled at the queer sight, that mirth was only a precursor to terror, they soon realized.\u00a0 The elephants darted from their established routes, charging wherever their intuition bade them.\u00a0 Bumping and stumbling into each other, there was no hope for a clean break.\u00a0 A cacophonous crack was the only warning in the chaos that something had gone terribly wrong.<\/p>\n
The audience watched in horror as one of the masts teetered from its upright position.\u00a0 It had been rammed by the broad shoulder of one of the fleeing giants and was ready to fall to pieces.\u00a0 Beyond the entrances, more screams and shouts could be heard as the elephants fled to safety.<\/p>\n
In short time, many of the other performers scattered on the arena floor, trying to bring order to the unraveling event.\u00a0 Minerva held her hand out to charm one elephant but was caught unaware by another that charged out at her.\u00a0 Barbas was there in an instant, scooping her up into safety.<\/p>\n
Other acts which had not yet had a chance to appear rushed to help as well.\u00a0 A woman with black, mottled skin and green spots took to the floor and cast out her arm, and a gob of sticky yellow slime formed in the air before her.\u00a0 She flung it out at the dilapidated mast, stabilizing it in place.<\/p>\n
Among all the carnage, no one saw the frightened little kobold.\u00a0 As one scattering elephant charged in her direction, Leah could think of nothing else to do but hold out her hands and pray it would all end swiftly.\u00a0 Grasped by the collar and tugged to safety, she looked up, once released, and saw her savior.\u00a0 George was there, panting and working to steady himself.<\/p>\n
Even as everything unfurled, Faroon stomped out into the arena.\u00a0 \u201cYou stupid imbecile,\u201d he boomed.\u00a0 His voice reached such a register that George and Leah both brought their hands to their ears.\u00a0 \u201cI should have let you drown in that lake in Raleigh, you dumb mutt kobold.\u201d<\/p>\n
George stepped forward and bared his teeth for her.\u00a0 \u201cYou know this isn\u2019t her fault,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n
\u201cStep aside, you\u2026 beast,\u201d Faroon snarled.<\/p>\n
Standing taller, his son squared his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cThe damage is done, Father.\u00a0 Do you want to make it worse?\u201d<\/p>\n
With gnashed teeth and a furled brow, Faroon spun on his heel.\u00a0 \u201cTake her to her room,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 As he proceeded back toward the east entrance, he sensed a gaze from the crowd.\u00a0 He looked up, seeing Camille in the crowd, scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes.\u00a0 \u201cPah,\u201d he said, continuing on his way.<\/p>\n
While the young lady watched him leave, Nika collected her small clan.\u00a0 A gentle grasp snagged Camille by the wrist.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, my little loves.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she was drawn away, Camille ventured one last glance down below.\u00a0 Leah still shivered from Faroon\u2019s threats, and her eyes were wide.\u00a0 She looked up then and locked eyes with the girl from Raleigh.\u00a0 The littlest kobold blinked away her shame and turned to venture to her room.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Citizens of Daltain and distant travelers alike poured out of the canvas tent.\u00a0 Boisterous voices were raised nearby the ticket booths, decrying that half a show did not earn a full price.\u00a0 Elsewhere, people scrambled out beneath the tightly staked tent, unwilling to wait in line while the chaos continued to unfurl within.<\/p>\n
The Destrites walked cautiously around the fairgrounds, careful to stick together.\u00a0 Nika had a firm grasp on Kira, holding the crying infant to her chest.\u00a0 The onrush finally seemed to slow, and the quiet pall over the area was eerie in place of the constant brass that had led the folk to the Cirque de Malorum.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it, Papa,\u201d the family heard.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve had enough of this place.\u00a0 Surely your debt to him is paid by now.\u201d\u00a0 They cast their gaze to the northwest, to one of the performer entrances.\u00a0 There, they saw Minerva stomping from the area, Barbas close behind her.<\/p>\n
Rion turned about and glanced at his elder sister.\u00a0 With only a second of hesitation, he sprang forth, heading in the direction of the girl and her father.<\/p>\n
Stepping forward, Camille reached out in a futile effort to stay her youngest brother.\u00a0 \u201cRion!\u201d she called out in unison with her mother.\u00a0 He was already ahead of them, reaching the canvas tent once more, hiding just out of sight of the squabbling performers.\u00a0 Barbas grasped his daughter and pleaded with her until she woefully followed him back into their massive, travelling home.<\/p>\n
\u201cVirgil, it\u2019s too much,\u201d Nika said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s too much commotion.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to take Kira back to the campsite.\u00a0 Please make sure our other children get home safely.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a telling grin, the Destrite patriarch leaned forward and kissed his bride on the cheek.\u00a0 At once, he and his three eldest children raced after Rion.<\/p>\n
The boy looked over his shoulder, bearing witness to his family\u2019s fast approach.\u00a0 He sucked in a deep, powerful breath and slipped inside the circus tent.\u00a0 Jerrick was the fastest of his siblings and turned into that entrance without any hesitation.<\/p>\n
\u201cRion!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 The inside of the tent was dark, and there was no sign of his brother.\u00a0 With a quiet growl, he made his way inside.<\/p>\n
In the shadows of the place, the performers walking this way and that looked strange indeed.\u00a0 Jerrick had to hop back when one of the haudrons stomped across the dark dirt path, his shoulder bouncing against one of the lanterns hanging from the canvas above.\u00a0 The boy blew out a shallow sigh, thankful to be upright instead of a blemish beneath the half-giant\u2019s boot.\u00a0 He jumped, though, when he felt a firm grasp on his shoulder.\u00a0 When he spun about, he saw the look of desperation on his father\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s your brother?\u201d Virgil asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t find him,\u201d Jerrick said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Destrite patriarch locked his jaw and furled his brow.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that\u2019s just fine,\u201d he mockingly conceded.\u00a0 \u201cI always thought there were too many of you anyway.\u00a0 Maybe we can sell him to the circus and at least make some money out of the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbraham found him,\u201d Camille whispered.\u00a0 Her father and her brother followed her gaze down one of the darkened stretches of the place.\u00a0 There, far down one of the dirt paths, they could see Abraham, barely illuminated by the hanging lanterns.\u00a0 Hunched over, he pointed down an adjoining lane.<\/p>\n
The rest of his family arrived there soon after, where they were able to see little Rion, sprawled out on the ground upon his belly.\u00a0 His nose nearly poked beneath a canvas flap.<\/p>\n
Virgil stomped forward and reached out for his youngest son.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you think you are doing?\u201d a loud voice boomed.<\/p>\n
The man stayed his hand and looked up, spotting silhouettes on the other side of the fabric wall.\u00a0 Rion hadn\u2019t budged, witnessing as the events unfolded in the small room.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you blame Leah for what happened out there?\u201d George asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, the Hare has a name now, does she?\u201d Faroon spat.\u00a0 He stomped forward and would have reached the tiny kobold were it not for George extending his arm to block his father.\u00a0 \u201cOut of my way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was an unfortunate accident, nothing more.\u00a0 For you to be angry with her alone\u2026 It\u2019s ludicrous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has been nothing but bad luck since we brought her into the family,\u201d Faroon contested.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been one accident or another every step of the way for three years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen let her go,\u201d George bade.\u00a0 His voice was quiet as a whisper, and his often youthful face was lined with wrinkles.<\/p>\n
For a moment, the ringmaster\u2019s features seemed to soften, and he stepped forward.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll bring you home, Hare,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Her eyes widened, but a mischievous smile crept to Faroon\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cBrighton Beach, was it?\u00a0 I\u2019ll look forward to watching you sink to the bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tension in the room was palpable.\u00a0 Everything and everyone seemed frozen in time, except for the flickering lantern light that danced upon the ceiling.\u00a0 Tears welled up in the tiny kobold\u2019s eyes, matting down the fur just beneath them.<\/p>\n
Without warning, George lunged forward, delivering a stunning hook.\u00a0 Faroon spilled to the floor like a thrown rag doll.\u00a0 The sounds of the punch and the fall resonated in the tent, an uncomfortable echo that lingered far too long for comfort.\u00a0 The ringmaster shook the stars from his vision and brought the back of his hand to his face.\u00a0 He pressed his lip out with his jaw and felt the sting of the air on the wound.\u00a0 When he drew back his hand, a smeared line of blood was upon it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a mistake you\u2019ll learn to regret, boy,\u201d Faroon promised as he climbed to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cEnjoy your brief respite.\u00a0 The next few weeks will be your undoing.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the leader of the Cirque de Malorum stomped away, George\u2019s body deflated.\u00a0 His shoulders slumped, and his stomach puffed out farther than his chest.\u00a0 His rosy cheeks went pale in moments, and he found he could only stare at the exit.\u00a0 \u201cI have to go after him,\u201d the young man said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Leah asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to appeal to him.\u00a0 I have to beg his forgiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t be serious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am,\u201d he said, casting his gaze to the kobold.\u00a0 \u201cHe will ruin both of our lives if I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t leave me alone,\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cWhat if he comes back while you\u2019re out looking for him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Leah,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Wasting no more time, he raced from her room and followed the path Faroon\u2019s angry steps had left.<\/p>\n
The littlest kobold stood there for a time, considering her terrible luck and worse treatment.\u00a0 Dejected, she turned, a sniffle already attempting to draw back the emotions running rampant.\u00a0 As she swept her gaze about, she caught the curious sight off to the side of her meager room.<\/p>\n
Rion was sure he had been caught.\u00a0 Leah seemed to pay him no heed, glaring just beside him.\u00a0 He ventured a glance to his side, where his father mimicked his position.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d the kobold groaned.<\/p>\n
With his lips tightly closed, Virgil allowed his jaw to drop.\u00a0 He said nothing, though, scanning her abode as if there was some answer among the mess.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis position is very good for the back,\u201d Rion offered.<\/p>\n
Leah stared at the boy for a moment and, in spite of herself, let a smile stretch the corners of her mouth.\u00a0 She stepped forward and tugged on the canvas wall, pulling it down.\u00a0 She hopped back when she saw the trio of other children there.\u00a0 They froze while their father and youngest brother rose to their feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re so sorry to eavesdrop,\u201d Camille said.\u00a0 \u201cIt wasn\u2019t our intention.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat old man isn\u2019t anything but a bully,\u201d Rion added.<\/p>\n
Leah was already shaking her head.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s getting worse every day.\u00a0 He really believes I am the cause for his misfortune.\u00a0 If it wasn\u2019t for George, I\u2019d be\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s never hurt you, has he?\u201d Abraham asked.<\/p>\n
The kobold looked down at her feet and swallowed nervously.\u00a0 \u201cNot physically,\u201d she admitted.\u00a0 \u201cBut we\u2019re quickly arriving there.\u00a0 He\u2019s roared at me like that in front of the other performers before but never in front of the audience.\u00a0 He sees me as useless clutter \u2013 as a nuisance and nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why not leave?\u201d Virgil asked.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s got to be plenty of places out there that are better suited to you than this horrid place.\u201d<\/p>\n
A narrow smile stretched her furry lips.\u00a0 \u201cBrighton Beach sounded like such a wonderful place.\u00a0 But if he knows that\u2019s where I\u2019d go, I can never see that place again.\u00a0 Besides, even though he\u2019d love to see me gone, he\u2019d never let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a brief silence, Camille stepped forward.\u00a0 \u201cWhose choice is that to make?\u201d\u00a0 She fell to one knee before the kobold.\u00a0 \u201cHe doesn\u2019t own you.\u00a0 No matter what he\u2019s done to bring you here, that doesn\u2019t mean anyone should condone his torture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leah looked up at the girl and offered a weary grin, but she shook her head only a moment later.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve tried to leave before,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWhy would this time be any different?\u201d<\/p>\n
Glancing at her father with a plea in her eyes, Camille held out her hand.\u00a0 Virgil sighed but nodded.\u00a0 \u201cBecause before today,\u201d the young lady spoke, \u201cyou didn\u2019t have us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Standing as tall as her miniscule body would allow, the littlest kobold let her vision bounce from one member of the Destrite family to the next.\u00a0 Finally her eyes settled on Camille, smiling all the brighter with her arm outstretched, her palm still awaiting a return of the gesture.\u00a0 Blinking away the last of her tears and taking a deep breath, Leah gave the young lady her hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hey there folks. \u00a0You know the drill by now. \u00a0Cristina is looking for advice on her audio for the purposes of narrating. \u00a0Give this a listen while you read along, and if you find anything worth noting, shoot us a comment! \u00a0Thank you much! The Littlest Kobold A Story by Michael DeAngelo -Part Three- […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[1544,784,1123,1543,149,767],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/The-Littlest-Kobold-Read-Along.png","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-1q8","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5464"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5464"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5467,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5464\/revisions\/5467"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}