Darkening Skies (Path of the Thunderbird Book 1) by eden Hudson

Author:eden Hudson [Hudson, eden]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shadow Alley Press
Published: 2019-05-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

6 YEARS AGO

A misty drizzle began to fall as Raijin made his way down the mountainside. With the thick scrim of clouds covering the moon, the night was dark and lonely. Once he passed outside of the area that could be reached in a thirty-minute run, the well-worn paths around the school disappeared. Grass and small shrubs carpeted the earth between massive, moss-covered boulders, their odd shapes casting strange shadows by the light of the lantern Raijin had taken on his way out of the school.

Though Master Chugi had insisted he leave without packing, Raijin had little besides spare uniforms to take with him. The only personal possessions students of the Path of Darkening Skies kept were the sashes denoting their rank and the sturdy martial meditation uniforms given to them by the school. With the addition of the lantern and the pill Master Chugi had pressed into his hands, Raijin now had more possessions than he’d ever had in his life.

Closer inspection told Raijin the capsule was a Breath of the Underwater Panther pill. It would mimic the protective properties of the water demon’s exhalation, shielding him for a full day from anything malicious that might try to harm him.

As he reached the tree line of the forest, his lantern light reflected back at him from the eyes of unseen creatures. It was well known at the school that these woods were filled with deadly guai. Raijin considered taking the pill then, but told himself it would be better to wait. The journey down the mountain was long. It could take days. If he wasted the protection now when there was no immediate threat, he might find himself in peril and empty-handed later.

The undergrowth and trees seemed to close in behind him, the canopy overhead easing the drizzle slightly. Rain pattered against the leaves overhead. The loam squished beneath his feet like a springy wet cushion. No night animals called to one another in the darkness, but he heard them scamper through the brush now and again.

The sun would rise in a few hours, he realized. His daily tasks would go undone for the first time since he was six years old. Once that agreement was broken, he would never be allowed back in the school. That part of his life would be over. Sixteen years of training and work done. What would he do with the next sixteen?

Raijin pulled his robes tighter against the cold. He wished he could have woken Yong Lei to say goodbye. Would Master Chugi tell his friend where he had gone? Would they ever meet again?

As he traveled deeper into the woods, the eyeshine and movement sounds of the smaller forest animals disappeared. The hairs on the back of Raijin’s neck prickled. It felt as if he were being watched. When he turned to look, however, he found nothing. Perhaps it was only his imagination. Thoughts of the demon beasts frightened him out of his wits. He swallowed and continued walking, one hand on the blue-and-gold pill in his robe’s pocket.

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