Chad sat on the enormous precipice of clay and did his best not to think of how high he was. He heard the grunts and moans of the minions far down below, and could only imagine how the mindless lumps were systematically demolishing the heroes, bit by bit. He was all out of options now. The rain pelted him, and the lightning flashed around him, but Ferristral still held him, watching him, waiting for him to give in. Chad saw the tiny bit of crystal in the center of the giant figurine's chest, and dimly recalled how much larger it had seemed when Ferristral had only been seven inches tall.
Voxx? He thought despondently, hoping for at least some assurance that the situation was not as dire as it could be—but he received no answer. The heroes were finished—and soon he would be finished, as well. Whatever Ferristral was planning, Chad was in no position to stop him.
His mind wandered back to that day in the park, when Justice and the others had squashed the figurines andChad thought there was the end of it. The heroes had recovered then, and proved to him how resilient they could be. There was also the way Zandor had been speaking to him that sounded so outlandish that Chad couldn't possibly believe him. What had he said? "It is not the size of the person that matters, but the size of his courage." Well, size certainly seemed to matter now. Chad couldn't even standup without Ferristral noticing and tilting his hand ever so slightly so that Chad would tumble right back onto his seat. Would Ferristral try destroying his house next? Chad's hands were falling numb in the cold. He shivered and shoved them into his pockets to keep them warm. His fingers touched something smooth and squishy. Chad pulled it out. Ferristral was busy watching the demise of the heroes and had ceased paying any attention to Chad, as long as he didn't move.
Chad looked at the object from his pocket: the last lump of clay that remained after he had formed Ferristral. Zandor's words flashed through his mind again: "Your imagination is your greatest defense and your best weapon against the bullies. The very thing that makes them tease you is the one thing that makes you better than they are. Your true heart and your creative mind allow you to see possibilities that those bullies and their narrow minds cannot begin to fathom."
Chad gave a sad smile as he absently folded the clay between his fingers. "How else could I believe that clay figurines could come to life?" he mused to himself.
The spark of belief in his mind had not died out completely. It lingered, waiting for something to happen that would fan it back to flame again—and just such a thing was happening within Chad right now.
"My greatest weapon," he mused as his fingers worked the tiny bit of clay in his hand. "I can be better than the bullies..." More importantly, he knew, he had to figure out a way to outsmart Ferristral, the biggest bully of the moment. Chad closed his eyes and tried to fix in his mind the one thing he needed to defeat the giant. He worked the clay into a distinct shape, making it long and pointed at one end, with a small grip at the other.
When he opened his eyes, Chad found exactly what he needed. He shifted his grip on the weapon he had made and looked up at Ferristral, heedless of the rain that stung his eyes.
"Hey!" Chad yelled up to him.
Ferristral looked down, and the shock registered before the figurine had a chance to conceal it. Somehow, the puny human had gotten his hands on a bright, sharp sword! The Maker had crafted a weapon!
"You want a fight?" Chad hollered, feeling his confidence grow with each syllable. He held up the shining blade that had once been a small wad of clay. "Ferristral, I will fight you! I am not afraid!" And to prove that it was not mere words anymore, Chad swung the sword in a wide arc and brought it down squarely upon the place where Ferristral's hand connected to his arm. The blade bit deep like metal into butter, and Ferristral roared in pain as the appendage separated. Chad finished slicing before his rational mind kicked in to remind him why this may not have been such a good idea. The hand, without an arm to support it, immediately plummeted toward the rooftop below. Chad stabbed the blade all the way through the hand and held on for dear life, cringing and yelling all the way down.
YOU ARE READING
Clay Heroes
ActionChad Stevenson is very good at being invisible. Not literally, but in a class full of rowdy, mischievous third-graders, it's easy for him to keep his head down and blend in. Adding to that the fact that his parents are busy with another sibling on t...
