//------------------------------//
// Chapter one: Free Falling 
// Story: Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone 
// by Lightning Splash 
//------------------------------//

Chapter one: Free Falling
Daring do stared at her map, she would find this temple and she would find this artifact. She hoped that the Ahuizotl she had heard of in the stories wasn’t real. Daring looked up from her map, she needed to see where she was, she needed to get up high. Suddenly she heard a growl behind her. Of course! How could she be so stupid? Her predators were still after her! She tried to fly up as fast as she could, but the Black Panther caught her hoof, she needed to get free! She flapped harder wiggling her hoof. Success! Finally out of the trees and up in the clear sky Daring Do took a deep breath. Oh it was so good to be up in the clouds again, suddenly pain shot through her right wing like fire. She looked at her hurt wing, it was bent and crooked with the tip of bone poking right through her skin, Daring let out a strangled cry of pain. It took her only a second to realize she was falling. A branch whipped her face, then another; she tumbled down to the unforgiving earth down below. Dust and dirt hung in the air and Daring coughed it away. She rolled over in pain, moaning. She looked over at her wing once again, there was no way she could fly now.