King of Storms (Five Kingdoms) by X Sulayman

Author:X, Sulayman [X, Sulayman]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Published: 2012-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-FIVE

MUCH later in the day, he woke, sensing something was wrong. The space on the ground next to him was empty. Yenoh was missing. The sun had left the sky and daylight was quickly fading. He sat, stretched his cramped muscles, and wiped at the sleep in his eyes, spooked by the eerie silence. He thought it most odd that he could see no one about. At least Brother Sanah should be somewhere near, in case Kito needed something.

Uneasy, Kito stood. He could hear the river as it passed, the faintest of murmuring, and nothing else but wind moving through the trees, causing the branches to sway and creak. It reminded him of the time he had been lost in the forest, traveling alone and feeling quite unsure of himself. He was unsure of himself now. Many things had changed but not that. Where was everyone? Hadn’t Brother Yenoh said he wouldn’t let Kito out of his sight for even a moment?

He struck off in the direction of the river, angry that they had left him alone, thinking of all the creatures that could have come upon him during the day—like a bear—and growing angrier with each step. The river bank, wide and rocky, was deserted, heavy with soft snow. He could see no signs of the Bird Riders or their beasts, none of their gear, none of the brothers. It was as if they had simply left him and continued on.

That couldn’t be!

A small worm of fear crawled its way through his belly.

They wouldn’t do that! They had to be somewhere near, perhaps looking for food or tending to some unforeseen problem. They wouldn’t leave him sleeping and just take off without him… unless, of course, that’s precisely why they had brought him along. He bit his lip, thinking this thought, not wanting to believe it, unable not to. He turned to look at the forest from which he had emerged, and it was all darkness and shadow, full of gloom and secrets, like a living thing, waiting to devour anyone who walked into it. The first moon was away in the west, a giant globe of brightness resting just above the horizon. He crouched down at the water’s edge to wash his face and hands, so filled with the certainty he had been left behind, he was blinking back tears he didn’t want to cry but couldn’t help. No doubt the Patriarch had told Tai to do it, seeing in Kito a rival, however insignificant, a burden, a threat to his position and the demands of protocol. Who could tell? Or maybe the Patriarch sensed that Kito would bring danger to them all and wanted to get rid of him and leave him to the Grimmord Emperor.

How could they have done such a thing to him? It was madness. He stood and turned back to the forest, intending to search for them. It was crazy to think he had been left behind. The cruelty of it was too much.

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