Read Blaze (The High-Born Epic) for Free Online

ham-flavored turnips, cornbread, and ham slices.  The succulent smell made Harold’s mouth water.  It had been so long since he’d had a meal like this.
                  Aunt Nean held up her hand, “Remember-”
                  Cooper, Ollie, and Harold all answered at the same time, “Eat slow.”
                  Aunt Nean smiled and nodded.  Harold noticed that she seemed really happy because they all answered in unison.
                  “Since we got that deal from Phil we don’t have to ration so much now,” Aunt Nean smiled.
                  Harold, Cooper, and Ollie all returned her grin.
                  Though he was famished, Harold did take his time eating and savored the flavor of the ham.  And the turnips, ohhh... the turnips .  Harold thought .  Harold chewed slowly, experiencing the ham-marinade to the utmost.  Then he followed it with a bite of cornbread. 
                  Harold just didn’t know how it could get much better than this.
                  “This must’ve been what it was like before the AIR War,” Harold said, letting the turnips soak on his tongue.  “Man, those folks sure had it good.”
                  “If they ate like this all the time,” Cooper’s brown eyes closed as he smiled and slowly chewed a piece of ham.  “They sure did.”
                  “And they even got seconds at every meal,” Ollie’s blue eyes beamed as she leaned her head back, chewing her corn bread much more than necessary.
                  Harold expected Aunt Nean to say something about them talking with their mouths full, but Aunt Nean just smiled.  It almost looked like she was ready to cry.
                  “And we can have seconds today,” Aunt Nean replied.
                  Cooper, Ollie, and Harold all looked at her, jaws dropping.
                  “Ohhh,” she said, wiping her eye.  “The meat won’t keep anyways.  Eat up.”
                  Though Aunt Nean didn’t eat another plate herself, she talked and laughed while she watched Harold, Cooper, and Ollie eat for more than an hour.  There was even enough for thirds, but only Harold took another small piece of ham.  He didn’t think he could stomach more.  Aunt Nean just watched them chew every bite like it was their last, and never once chastised them for talking with their mouths full.
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
                  “Okay, Cooper,” a blond boy about ten years old said.  “We can be on the same team this time.”
                  “Okay, Scott,” Cooper said.  “You can be Tiger-Man this time.  I’ll be Wolf-Man.”
                  “Harold,” Scott said.  “You get to be a Mid-Night Stalker!”
                  “Okay,” Harold replied.  “Surrender or die, Wolf-Man!”
                  “No,” Scott answered with a pout.  “I’m Tiger-Man this time!”
                  “Surrender or die, Tiger-Man!” Harold said, looking at Scott.  Then he turned to Cooper  “You can do nothing to stop me, Wolf-Man!”
                  “You can’t catch us!  Come on, Tiger-Man, to the secret base!” Scott said and ran off.  Cooper stood for a moment before he ran after him.
                  As Cooper and Scott ran farther down the trail, they punched and kicked the air with Scape just behind them barking and yowling.
                  “Your little brother is a complete weirdo, Sarah,” Harold said, chuckling.  “I think the young ‘un is loose-headed.”
                  Sarah smiled, holding back a laugh.  She tried to speak, and then just started laughing.  After a few moments, she composed herself, but was still amused.
                  “My father always tells us the story of