Warrior Kids 4 - Sample Chapter

Abhaya's name means 'fearless'. Will she live up to it when she's abducted?

Chapter 1 – Taken
 

‘Don’t you think it’s weird that our new pattern is named after an assassin?’ Abhaya asked as the four friends bowed and left the tae kwon-do training hall. ‘All the other patterns we’ve learned so far have been named after wise men, holy men or teachers. Why name a pattern after a criminal?’

‘I think it’s kind of cool,’ Donovan replied.

‘I agree,’ Gurveer said with a grin. ‘Anyone with two bums must be cool.’

‘Two bums?’ Gabriella giggled. ‘What are you talking about, Gurveer? An assassin is someone who kills for money.’

‘I know,’ Gurveer replied. ‘Choon Gun was an ass – ass – in, which gives him two bums by my count.’

Abhaya groaned and covered her face with her hands. The others groaned with her and then laughed.

‘There are times when I really wish I could disown you, Gurveer,’ she sighed.

‘Don’t be silly, Abi,’ Gabriella replied, putting an arm across her shoulders and giving her a quick squeeze. ‘He’s funny. You’re lucky to have a brother like him.’

Abhaya smiled. She knew her friend would love to have a brother or sister, but she suspected that the reality of living with a sibling would have made her change her mind. She tugged at the ends of her new belt, tightening the knot. It kept coming undone at the moment, as it was still stiff and new. The important thing to her, however, was that it was blue. She was now a senior student – they all were.

They had all had some big changes to deal with over the past few months. Abhaya and Gabriella were now in Year 6 at Oxtree Primary school, while the boys had moved on to secondary school. Things were different without the boys. They had walked to school together for over a year, but now the boys wore a different uniform and travelled by bus to a neighbouring town to go to school. The only time the four of them spent together now was in tae kwon-do lessons at the Leisure Centre. It felt wrong somehow, as if they were supposed to be together and while she would never admit it aloud, she missed having her brother and Donovan around.

‘You should take him home with you, if you like him so much, Gee,’ Abi joked, giving her a gentle nudge with her elbow.

‘I might just do that,’ she replied. ‘You would soon miss him, I’m sure.’

The four children had been close friends ever since Donovan had moved into the town about a year and a half ago. Initially he had been bullied by a bigger lad and his gang of friends, but then he had invited Gurveer to a martial arts class in an effort to deter the bullies. Abi and Gee had gone with them and strange things had happened as a result.

First, Kai, their instructor had noticed that the four children had all been named after warriors, which he seemed to believe had special significance. He told them that they were destined to do something very important and had given each of them a ring that was supposed to give them protection. Gabriella claimed that hers had given her almost super-human strength on more than one occasion. Abhaya had not experienced anything like that, but she had noticed that it seemed to change temperature at times – particularly getting hotter if danger was close by.

Almost as if thinking about the ring somehow gave it power, she felt a tingle through her finger. She glanced across at Gabriella to see if her friend had noticed anything, but she simply smiled back.

They were outside now. Donovan waved them goodbye and zoomed off on his bike as usual. Gurveer took up his customary position a few paces behind the girls and they set off for home. The sun was setting. It would not be many more weeks now before it would be dark after class.

Her ring tingled again, this time warming against her finger.

‘Gee, is your ring…’

There was a sudden screech of tires and her ring burned hot as a large white van pulled up alongside them and several masked men leapt out of the back.

‘Run!’ Gabriella screamed, launching into a sprint.

For a moment Abhaya hesitated, and that slight delay proved vital. Before she could move more than a couple of paces she was grabbed from behind. She wriggled and twisted, but her captor was too strong. Her ring burned on her finger and she felt the icy grip of panic squeeze her inside.

‘Phone Kai!’ she yelled. ‘Let go of me!’ she added.

‘Leave her alone!’ she heard Gurveer shout.

There was a thud and the man holding her let out an ‘Oof!’ of surprise, but he didn’t let go. She twisted again just in time to see another man hit Gurveer, sending him reeling across the pavement. Then she was lifted from her feet and a strange-smelling cloth was clamped over her mouth and nose. Almost immediately she felt a weird floating sensation and a wave of dizziness. Even as she was being bundled into the van, Abi caught a blurry glimpse of Gabriella launching herself into a flying kick at another of the men. She hit him like a thunderbolt, sending him sprawling into the gutter. Then the door of the van slammed shut. There was more yelling for a moment, but it sounded distant, almost dreamlike.

The engine revved, more doors slammed and the van lurched forward. Was that banging on the side of the van? She couldn’t think straight. Even as she floated down into darkness, she could still feel the fiery burning sensation emanating from the ring Kai had given her.

*
 

Warrior Kids is a series of books aimed at younger children (7-10 year-olds). The first 3 are in print. This was the first draft of the, as yet, unfinished fourth book. Again, it's about half drafted and I need a bit of inspiration to get back to finishing it.