Tiny Dragons 2: The Bear and Scepter Read Online Free Page A

all snakes are cold-blooded creatures, so they run out of energy quick. All the cats had to do was jump out of the way a few times, and before long the rattlesnake was too exhausted to move."
    James voice kept droning on about snakes and cats and other things he'd seen online, only stopping long enough to cock his ear toward the kitchen entrance to say, "Does anyone else hear that?"
    Alana turned and looked, and this time she also heard a soft rapping on the front door, so quiet that she'd almost missed it.
    Mrs. O'Neil was bent over one of the cabinets, pulling out pots and pans and setting them on the counter to get ready for dinner. She looked over her shoulder at James and said, "Honey, can you see who that is? If it's one of those survey people, tell them I'm busy."
    James said he would, lowering his voice purposely, eager to be given such an adult assignment. He took off for the front door, and Alana followed behind him, wanting to see who their guest was, and also if James made a spectacle of himself or not.
    The first thing Alana saw was a large black SUV parked on the street in front of their house. The windows were like glass, reflecting the sun on their mirror-polished surfaces. A man was standing in front of the car, staring at the house, and he was the largest human being Alana had ever seen. He was dressed in a black suit and wore a black bowler hat pulled down so tight, it looked like someone had screwed it down on top of his massive head. His shoulders looked too wide to fit through their front door. His eyes fixed on Alana as she looked through the front living room window, but then the front door opened and she heard her brother nervously say, "Hello?"
    She leaned forward to look through the window and had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping aloud. Standing at their front door was a man more unusual than anyone she'd ever seen before. He was old and Asian and dressed in long silk robes that were bright green and decorated with bright flames. His long black mustache hung down over the sides of his chin, all the way to his chest, and was knotted with colorful beads. He smiled widely at James and said, "Good day. Please advise the master of the house that Chi-Sao has come to speak with him."
    James's face scrunched up in confusion and he said, "Whatever it is, you can just tell me. I'm the man of the house."
    Alana rolled her eyes and called out, "Mom! There's somebody at the door." She'd almost said "strange man" but had second thoughts and didn't want to embarrass the man.
    "What do they want?" Mrs. O'Neil called back.
    James reached behind the door and snapped his fingers at his little sister, telling her to be quiet. James held the door firmly in his hand and stood up as tall as he could, nearly equal height with their new guest, and he said, "If you're looking for my father, he isn't here. He left. A while ago."
    The visitor reached up with his long, bony fingers and stroked the right braid of his long mustache in thought. His eyebrows knitted together as he regarded James and his voice suddenly grew low and serious when he said, "You have the eyes of a warrior, boy, but you are not as prepared as you think you are."
    James opened his mouth to speak, unsure of what to say, but his mother's voice erupted from the kitchen, saying, "Oh my goodness! Master Chi-Sao! Come in, come on." She whisked James out of the way and held the door open for the man, taking a moment to bow low at the waist with both her hands pressed together under her chin.
    The visitor bowed back to her and said, "I was just speaking with your son. I did not get the chance to meet your daughter, though. She was hiding behind the corner, trying to avoid being seen."
    Chi-Sao's black eyes fixed on Alana and she felt suddenly afraid, reaching out for her brother's hand and clasping it in her own. James was too busy staring in disbelief at his mother, unable to understand the way she'd greeted this strange new guest, or that she'd even know