KINGDOM OF THE STONE -- a Wattpad featured novel

Chapter Thirty Six

Kaelis blushed, his birthmark turning a deep purple. "We could destroy the rest of these poles."

Amantis brushed aside the suggestion. "That won't make them turn to us for help." He began untying the pouch at his belt. "I will need to consult the High Lords."

"The High Lords?" Charissa wondered.

Amantis put his face to the bag and carefully opened it so that no stray beam of light could possibly find its way inside. He stood that way for several moments staring into the bag, and then began to laugh. He carefully closed the bag and turned to Kaelis who had an uneasy grin on his hopeful face.

"Well, the elders have been complaining that the soreavs have grown too large," Amantis laughed.

"Dra?"

"Are those koria at the edge of the blight still suffering from raids on their food stores?"

"Yes. Ever since we started sending spears out with the collection caravans, the bandits have had to raid the korion stores, usually just before collection. We think they're coming from the koria that refused to send us their excess population in exchange for food."

"Good. I want you to station spears in every korion along the border-at least a "hand," preferably a "hand of hands" -especially in the northeast along the edge of the valley."

"To guard against bandits?"

"No. Monsters."

"Monsters? What monsters?"

"The monsters we'll provide. I want the spears to continue to visit all the koria that are not a part of the collective, invite them to join us, offer them food and protection from the monsters to come."

"Very well," Kaelis turned to leave.

"And send Ctonos to me. I'm going to need the Calbreav to provide the monsters."

Power, she thought. That's all he cares about-not the people he claims to protect and provide for-but power. Power and that stupid stone.

-=====|==

Charissa didn't go back to her room. She went to Apaidia's room and rummaged through it, finding all the jewelry she could, pausing to admire a one-of-a-kind spider-silk scarf imported from the faeyn wilds of the south and worth nearly half her weight in gold. She stared at it in shock, unable to believe Amantis had given her this treasure.

She dumped all the jewelry she could gather on the scarf and tied it into a bundle and stuffed it in her robe. Returning to her room, she dismissed Apaidia and quickly bundled up Garanth's clothes and as many diapers as she could carry. She forced herself to wait until the midday meal, when the household would be occupied, then she gathered up her son and their things and slipped out the door.

A reaver guarding the door blocked her with an outstretched arm. "Whoa, Mahd, it's not safe out there."

"Not safe? What are you talking about?"

"There are a lot of hungry people out there, and not everyone wants to work in the quarry or haul rocks for your husband. They blame him for the food shortages and they might just take their anger out on you."

"Nonsense," Charissa brushed past him and walked away. "I doubt they even know who I am."

"I don't think you should go," the guard called out almost plaintively.

Charissa ignored him and strode off down the street. Hungry faces cast envious looks back at her from doorways and alleys as she passed. She hoisted Garanth higher up on her hip and picked up her pace, dozens of dark eyes following her as she passed. She turned into the market, at the center of town where the main streets all intersected, and broke into a trot. This only seemed to attract the attention of the few merchants and customers who argued bitterly over rotting river eels, shriveled vegetables and other unidentifiable meats. They stopped speaking and examined her fine dress with calculating eyes. Charissa couldn't help but notice a lack of dogs, cats, birds, rats or any other animals anywhere along the streets. A few hard-faced men started walking in her direction. Charissa hurried on past Amantis' granary, parts of it newly built where he had to expand over the foundations of its demolished neighbors' houses.

"Is that the oracle's wife?" one of the reavers asked his partner, who was helping him control the crowds in line outside the granary.

As she passed, people began to call out to her.

"Mahd, Help us please!"

"Tell your husband we need more food!"

"Mahd, my son died yesterday!" one middle-aged woman cried out. "We're all dying. You have to save us."

Those at the end of the line left and followed her, pleading. She turned and ran northwards thinking only of going home and finding Karux.

"Hey! Don't Leave."

"Stop."

"Someone stop her!"

Charissa couldn't exactly run carrying a two-year-old and their bag. She lumbered along in a hurried trot, turning down a side street when the surrounding people contracted into a mob, blocking the market's northern exit. Frantic hands grabbed her, pulled and shoved her, ripped her dress and yanked at her bag. She felt Garanth pried from her arms and she screamed.

Surrounded by a whirlwind of grasping hands and shouting faces, she barely noticed the commotion at the back of the crowd. Violent movements and screams of pain sent a ripple of fear through the crowd which began to break up as people turned to flee.

A dozen large men wearing yellow robes and tattoos on their foreheads waded into the mob, swinging clubs like threshers. The Faithful Sons of the Mountain pounding people in the head, smashing them to the ground. For the first time, Charissa was grateful for the big, dumb, violent men her husband tended to recruit, men she had always despised.

"My son!" Charissa cried. "They've taken the oracle's son!" Reaching her side, the men paused and scanned the fleeing people. Charissa spied a woman clutching Garanth to her chest, edging away. "There!" She pointed. The woman turned and started to run.

A nearby Faithful Son caught up to her in three strides. He grabbed the back of Garanth's shirt and punched the woman in the head. She dropped like a bag of radishes and he carried the crying child back like a mother cat carrying her young by the scruff of the neck.

Charissa snatched up Garanth, sobbing along with her child.

The leader of the Faithful Sons led her away. "Let's get you home."

One of the Sons must have run ahead and told Amantis, for when they got home, Charissa found the scowling Amantis blocking the front door. She returned a defiant gaze, offering no excuses and no explanations.

After a long moment of silent glaring, Amantis addressed a young reaver named Sphal standing next to him, "Please escort my wife and son to their room and stand guard outside. If either one leaves again without my permission I shall cut off your head and stick it on a pole. Is that clear?"

The man swallowed loudly and nodded, gesturing for Charissa to precede him as Amantis stood aside. Charissa clutched Garanth tightly and stepped within. Freedom had been a foolish dream. Why would Karux want her now, with another man's child, anyway?