KINGDOM OF THE STONE -- a Wattpad featured novel

Chapter Five

They embarrassed her.

The realization stunned him.  He briefly forgot the mocking children.  He had thought she loved him, but how could she love him if she didn’t respect him?  He gripped the staff feeling hurt and betrayed, ready to lash out at first opportunity when much to his surprise, he heard Amantis shout out.

“Stop!”

The children paused, staring dumbfounded as Amantis charged over.  He appeared to be genuinely angry and Karux couldn’t guess why.

“Are you goat turds so stupid you’d laugh at your own destruction?  I swear your goats are smarter than you are.  They at least have enough sense to run away when danger nears!” Amantis glared at each of them and flung a hand toward Karux.  “The Lord of the Mountain has even sent you a herdsman to watch over you, but you are too stupid to follow him to safety.”

Somek rose to his feet frowning. 

“You’re not saying he—” Pronos stood pointing at Karux.

“He’s not the only one with a stone that tells him things, is he?” Amantis glared at them, hands on hips.

“Then you also had a vision?” Garick blurted out.

“I did.  What’s more my stone told me that the first attack will come this winter.  It will be a long freeze and the drwg, the great dire wolves, will come over the northern mountains looking for food.”

Pronos and the others traded questioning looks.  “What should we do then?” he finally asked.

Amantis smiled slowly, as if he’d been expecting this.  “We must all take up spears and train ourselves to use them.  We must become the fiercest and strongest hunters that have ever been seen in the Pelahi Mountains!”

A gleam sparked in the boys’ eyes.

Garick stood first.  “Yes.”

Pronos and Somek joined him, “Yeah!”

The other boys cheered and some of the girls as well.

“Meet me in the pastures on the other side of the stream tomorrow and bring a spear.”  Amantis chose that moment to make his exit, giving Karux a conspiratorial nod as he passed.

The older boys were already talking about how many wolves they would kill and some of the small game hunts they had been on in the past.  Karux had largely been forgotten.  Even the young children, who had mocked him mere moments before, took up sticks and brandished them as they hopped around and struck dramatic poses.

Karux caught Theris’ eye who shrugged with an “Eh, who knows?” expression.  Macander frowned thoughtfully next to him.  He looked back at the tables and saw Sjaiwa hovering near Garick while Nyrana orbited nearby.  Charissa had already left.

-=====|==

 Karux felt a little foolish leaving the house with his spear as if he were going on some sort of hunting trip, but when he got to the pastures on the far side of the stream, he saw the other boys already there awaiting Amantis’ appearance.  Most had grown bored and were experimenting to see what tricks they could do with their spears.  Young Jaemin balanced his on one end while Tareuk spun his.  Torval threw his into the air, seeing how high he could toss it and still catch it when it came down.  The spinning things fell, bounced and struck several bystanders. Fortunately, they only suffered a few scratches. 

Wondering why everyone seemed to be waiting for Amantis, Karux was about to suggest they try to use their spears as weapons when Amantis appeared carrying a length of rope and a pile of sacking.