KINGDOM OF THE STONE -- a Wattpad featured novel

Chapter Three

A group of youth had gathered about the village well one late afternoon. Their mothers had sent the girls to fetch water for the evening meal, but they stood around the well laughing at Amantis' scene while a group of older boys drew the water for them, or at least for the more attractive girls.

Macander joined them as Nyrana picked up a small stone and held it near her head. "Hi, I'm a talking rock!" she squeaked in a silly voice, waggling the rock as if it were speaking. "Do you want to hear a secret?"

"Oh yes! Yes!" squealed Sjaiwa, laughing.

"Amantis wets his bed."

Everyone burst into laughter except for Macander who merely smiled. Though Amantis seemed to go out of his way to annoy people, Macander knew Amantis' behavior would not improve if he were to hear this.

Bazma's older brother Garick, who had been hanging around Sjaiwa a lot lately, joined in. "Of course I wet the bed!" He lifted his nose and imitated Amantis' voice. "All the lowland tribes wet their beds. Everyone knows that. They're very moist people. It keeps them healthy and young looking unlike all you old dried up goat turds you!"

More laughter followed until Bazma came running up.

"Garick! Have you seen Trago?" He asked, referring to his prized goat.

Garick, who only had eyes for Sjaiwa, didn't look at him. "No. Why?"

"He's missing."

"So, why are you asking me?"

Bazma grabbed his arm and wrenched him around. "You brought your animals into the paddock last. Did you close the gate?"

Garick shrugged Bazma off and turned back to Sjaiwa who filled her jug from the well's bucket. "Of course I did."

"Then how did he get out?"

Garick squared off against his brother as if ready to fight. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"You said you closed the gate. He was there when I left."

"So just what are you saying?"

"Perhaps you should have Amantis find it with his seeker stone," Macander suggested.

The girls burst into shrieks of laughter.

"Good one," Garick laughed.

"Don't be stupid," Bazma scowled.

"I think it's a great idea," Sjaiwa said.

"Me too," Garick abruptly added, "We should challenge Amantis to find it after the evening meal."

The girls took the water back and the boys hung around until the food was ready. In the spring and summer evenings, the families often ate their meals together on long trestle tables set up in the common area. Amantis usually sat with the adults or at the end of an isolated table. This time, however he found himself surrounded by all the peers that normally rejected him.

"My brother could use some help here," Garick said setting his trencher down next to Amantis. Bazma looked up at his brother from the opposite side of the table with a guarded expression. "He needs you to use your special... thing to find a missing buck."

"That's funny." Theris sitting at a nearby table, muttered around a mouthful of roasted tuber covered in goat cheese. "He usually goes after the does with his special thing." He smiled and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Amantis scowled at Theris.

"Ignore him." Garick gave a dismissive wave toward Theris. "He has no idea what we're talking about—as usual."