KINGDOM OF THE STONE -- a Wattpad featured novel

Chapter Two

Naipho took Karux’s body from his grief-stricken father and stretched it out on the stone and laid an ear to the boy’s chest. He listened for a long moment then looked up with a grave expression. “I think I hear a heartbeat, but it’s very weak.”

The two men stared at Karux’s unmoving form for a moment, and then Arrain scooped up the body and rose to his feet. “I’m taking him to his mother.”

Macander watched Arrain cradle Karux’s limp body and remembered Arrain’s wife was buried back in their village of Korion-Garanth. She had died years ago attempting to birth Karux’s sister. Karux, himself, was all that Arrain had left of his wife.

“Uh, it’s at least a three day journey to Korion-Garanth and it’s nearly nightfall now,” Naipho said.

Arrain turned away, one lifeless arm dangling behind him. “I’m taking him home.”

“He’s going to die before you get there. He won’t even last the night.”

Arrain stopped and glared back over his shoulder.

For one horrible moment Macander feared Arrain would say something so angry and hateful that his brother would never forgive him, but he just turned away.

“We’re going home.”

Other boys appeared, responding to Macander’s earlier cries for help. They called to each other, the speaking ban forgotten as they ran up to the knot of grim-faced men, only to fall silent at the sight of the blood splattered rock. Everyone watched Arrain carry Karux to the distant hills, not speaking until he had disappeared into the brush.

“What happened?” Theris whispered, looking at his father and the other men with wide frightened eyes.

“Karux fell,” Naipho said and walked away.

Theris looked at the blood covered rock, then up the wall of stone behind him. “From the sacred mountain?”

The men left for camp. Most of the boys disappeared back into the wilds.

Theris followed Macander. “But how is that even possible?”

“I don’t know.” Macander stopped at the fallen antelope and grabbed its horns. “Help me drag this back to camp.”

Theris looked back and forth between Macander and the antelope in astonishment.

          -=====|==

When Amantis returned to the village with the men and their sons, it buzzed with the news of how Arrain had walked all day and night back to the korion with Karux’s body in his arms. Though he found the idea of Karux impending death mildly interesting, the single-minded focus on Karux’s health and Arrain’s grief irritated him. Learning Karux had not in fact actually died, he felt somehow cheated which only increased his ill temper. Had their positions been reversed and he was the one lying broken in bed, possibly dying, he had no illusions the event would not have largely passed unnoticed.

Amantis prowled around the circle of crude stone huts comprising his adopted tribe’s village. No, he thought. Not adopted. He had no intention of staying there one day longer than he absolutely had to. He only needed a way of escape, some resource he could use to provide for himself in the cities of the plain. Amantis squeezed the stone hidden in a hastily fashioned pouch of rabbit skin hanging from his belt. As he walked, he eyed his neighbors’ animal paddocks and tools, the sum total of what passed for wealth in their backwards korion.

He had no memory of the city from which he’d come. He’d been too young when his father had tossed him out like a deformed animal that needed to be culled from the herd. But he was certain their buildings were bigger, their clothes were better and everyone was wealthier and smarter than in this simple herders’ village.