Chapter 11 #2
“Of course I am!” I said with a wide smile, hopped off the back of the leader, and raced up to get into line with the other pandas.
“You don’t have fur,” Zeke countered as he followed me. His steps were slow due to the cubs that had latched onto his legs like he was a moving tree and refused to let go.
“I’m not going to stick,” I explained. “I’m going to hit it and slide down the net. Father explained it to me.”
Five pandas before me grabbed the rope tied to the catapult’s bucket and pulled on it until the bucket was back on the ground. The one running the lever clicked it into place to lock it while the next panda was loaded into it.
“You’re much lighter than the pandas, you won’t make it that far,” Zeke continued to argue.
“That’s why they did it over the water,” I explained. “So that if you didn’t make it, you just land in the water. However, if you’re so concerned, you can stand by it and fly up to catch me if I don’t hit the net.” No matter what he said, there was absolutely no way I was going to miss out on this.
I watched four more pandas fly through the air, stick to the target, get their scores, and be scooped off by the spatula before it was finally my turn.
Wayne, Gage, and Preston had arrived by then, all looking a bit anxious as I climbed into the catapult’s bowl.
The panda at the lever looked at me and I did my best imitation of a roar.
He grunted in return and hit the lever.
At first, I felt the force of the catapult tossing me, then I was flying through the air. I yelled joyously, eyes focused on the target and net, a huge smile on my face. I hit the target and a collective roar went up.
“Bullseye!” I screamed victoriously, curled forward, and rolled down the net.
At the bottom of the net, Zeke grabbed me before I rolled onto the ground, and set me on my feet. “Are you okay?”
My head was a bit dizzy and my heart was still pounding from the adrenaline, so I rested my hand on his arm to keep steady. “That … was the best and most fun thing I’ve ever done. Again!”
Before he could stop me, I ran around the lake and got back into line for another try.
The panda leader rolled over to me and I couldn’t stop my smile from spreading at how silly these large bear-like creatures were for rolling instead of walking. He stopped before me and chuffed, his snout jerking towards his back.
“You want to take me somewhere?” I asked.
He nodded, so I climbed onto his back and hung on as he cantered through the trees, back towards the village, but the left side of it.
There was another large body of water, definitely a lake this time, with pandas lounging on the beach, floating in the water, and swimming.
Down the center of the lake were six rings floating, each a different color.
To the right, a long ramp was set up and I watched as a panda rolled down in a ball and when he launched off the end of the ramp, he was propelled up into the air and over the water.
He landed in the fourth ring and I realized it was another game.
The leader took me up to the ramp and waited for me to climb from his back.
“I can’t roll, though,” I muttered as I examined it. It was wet, so perhaps I could …
The leader snorted and pushed over an inflated ball that had been resting beside the ramp.
The ball had an opening and he nudged me toward it. “Oh!” I gasped and climbed inside, understanding now that I was meant to go into it. As soon as I was inside of the ball, the leader pushed it down the ramp.
I squealed in surprise and heard someone call my name, but I couldn’t respond as I was rolling head over heels inside of the inflated ball.
The ramp was much steeper than it appeared from below, causing my speed to increase until I couldn’t see.
The next moment, I was flying up from the ramp and air born.
I landed in the fourth ring with a loud splash.
Thankfully, the ball had cushioned the fall.
I laughed and yelled, “Oh, stars! That was awesome!”
Zeke had waded into the water, pulled me from the ball, and carried me to the edge of the lake. “You’re going to give me a heart attack. I thought you would be safe here, but it’s like you’re trying to get hurt.”
“It’s so fun! You guys should try it,” I said as I smoothed my clothes back down, glad I was no longer dizzy.
“Aside from the ship, I don’t fly unless it’s under my own power and with my own wings,” Zeke grumbled.
“Must be nice to have wings,” I mumbled as I watched Wayne and Gage getting the inflated ball out of the water and putting it back in the storage place by the ramp.
I played more panda games and eventually got the guys, including the ever-stoic Preston, to join in.
Preston absolutely destroyed everyone in a dice game, which infuriated the pandas who made him play again and again and again. One panda lost three games in a row and when he lost for a fourth time, he flipped the table over with a roar.
As the sun began to set, I found myself sitting with my back pressed against a rock, with two cubs in my lap asleep. My own eyes began to droop and before I knew it, I was asleep as well.
“Xoe, it’s time to go,” Preston whispered as he removed the heavy weights from my lap. “Can I carry you?”
“Mm,” I agreed, trying to nod, but fairly certainly I just let my chin drop.
His warm arms moved, one beneath my legs and one behind my back, and he lifted me from the ground to rest against his chest. I nuzzled his throat as I curled into him and his glorious warmth.
“I don’t want to go,” I whispered.
“I know, but we can’t overstay our welcome and they don’t allow meat to be eaten here. Plus, Gage said there is another ship approaching and we don’t know if they are friend or one of your many, many, many, many foes.”
He didn’t need to say “many” that much, but I understood what he was trying to say.
“Bye, pandas!” I called sleepily and heard a few roars, chuffs, and mews in response.
“Best. Day. Ever,” I whispered as I fell back asleep in Preston’s arms.