17
her hand around the blade and lowered it. “You waste ti,” the witch said, growing frustrated.
Desperately, Mulan tugged at her sword. To her surprise, the blade ca back, slicing the witch’s pal As blood blood on her hand, Xianniang’s eyes filled with anger. “Why do you not listen?” she shouted.
Mulan scraled backward. She used all her strength to keep the sword steady in front of her. Xianniang shrugged and then, pulling a dagger fronbsp; her belt, threw it at her. Mulan tried to block it, but the force of the dagger was great, and when it contacted her sword, the dagger sent the blade flying fronbsp; her hand. The sword twirled through the air, end over end, before landing on the ground, where it skittered across a thin crust of cooled lava that covered a nearby lake like ice.
Panic washed over Mulan. Her father’s sword! She couldn’t lose it. Not caring that she had turned her back to the witch, Mulan raced onto the lava crust. Like ice, it was slipperier than it appeared, and Mulan instantly fell, the iact causing the surface to crack around her. She knew there was no way it would hold. Not for long. But she had to get the sword. On her hands and knees, she inched farther out onto the crust as all around her re cracks began to appear.
Behind her, Xianniang stepped onto the cracking lava, her own steps so light that they left no iression on the thin layer of ash that covered the ground. Blood dripped fronbsp; the wound Mulan had inflicted, dotting the black with red.
Mulan reached her sword. With a triuhant cry, her fingers closed around the handle and she got to her feet. Turning, she saw the witch watching her. “I anbsp; Hua Jun. Soldier in the Eeror’s I—”
Xianniang had heard enough. “I warned you, Hua Jun,” Xianniang sneered. “You will die pretending to be sothing you’re not.” In a flash of silver, Xianniang threw another dagger. It flew through the air, striking Mulan square in the chest.
Mulan was lifted off her feet and sent flying backward. As she ca down hard, the layer of crust beneath her broke open. Mulan fell through the hole—and into the lake below.
Mulan’s chest burned as she sank deeper and deeper beneath the lake’s surface. Her hand, still clutching her father’s sword, was frozen and she felt powerless. All she could do was sink, weighted down by the arr she wore.
She saw a flash of color, and then sothing dove into the water above her. At first, Mulan feared it was the witch, ing to finish her off. But as she watched, the sha
Desperately, Mulan tugged at her sword. To her surprise, the blade ca back, slicing the witch’s pal As blood blood on her hand, Xianniang’s eyes filled with anger. “Why do you not listen?” she shouted.
Mulan scraled backward. She used all her strength to keep the sword steady in front of her. Xianniang shrugged and then, pulling a dagger fronbsp; her belt, threw it at her. Mulan tried to block it, but the force of the dagger was great, and when it contacted her sword, the dagger sent the blade flying fronbsp; her hand. The sword twirled through the air, end over end, before landing on the ground, where it skittered across a thin crust of cooled lava that covered a nearby lake like ice.
Panic washed over Mulan. Her father’s sword! She couldn’t lose it. Not caring that she had turned her back to the witch, Mulan raced onto the lava crust. Like ice, it was slipperier than it appeared, and Mulan instantly fell, the iact causing the surface to crack around her. She knew there was no way it would hold. Not for long. But she had to get the sword. On her hands and knees, she inched farther out onto the crust as all around her re cracks began to appear.
Behind her, Xianniang stepped onto the cracking lava, her own steps so light that they left no iression on the thin layer of ash that covered the ground. Blood dripped fronbsp; the wound Mulan had inflicted, dotting the black with red.
Mulan reached her sword. With a triuhant cry, her fingers closed around the handle and she got to her feet. Turning, she saw the witch watching her. “I anbsp; Hua Jun. Soldier in the Eeror’s I—”
Xianniang had heard enough. “I warned you, Hua Jun,” Xianniang sneered. “You will die pretending to be sothing you’re not.” In a flash of silver, Xianniang threw another dagger. It flew through the air, striking Mulan square in the chest.
Mulan was lifted off her feet and sent flying backward. As she ca down hard, the layer of crust beneath her broke open. Mulan fell through the hole—and into the lake below.
Mulan’s chest burned as she sank deeper and deeper beneath the lake’s surface. Her hand, still clutching her father’s sword, was frozen and she felt powerless. All she could do was sink, weighted down by the arr she wore.
She saw a flash of color, and then sothing dove into the water above her. At first, Mulan feared it was the witch, ing to finish her off. But as she watched, the sha