Realm of Ash Series: Soul Bond (Book 1)

CHAPTER 9 - BALMARG

Soil quaked, crumbled and sank into a vastly cavernous sinkhole. Two nearby youngsters playing along the perimeter of their homestead; Bearshade Hollow, heard the rumbling and ran to investigate. Both reaching the edge of the enormous, deep, dark treacherous pit, they paused, before the young girl drew saliva and spat into the void.

"Looks endless!" The girl stated, brushing back a loose hair from her twin braided hair. The boy, half a head shorter than his friend, kicked a wedge of loose soil into the pit.

"It huge! What do you think caused it?"

They both crouched down by the edge of the steep pit. Fray, one of Bearshade Hollows aspiring fledgling hunters, uncovered a tiny crimson gem beneath the loose soil edge.

"Pretty!" Fray's eyes glistened in its penetrating sparkle through the coating soil.

"No fair! I found the hole first!" Poko argued.

Ignoring him, she analysed the curves and cuts of the strange gem.

"I can see you!" She teased, peering through the gem with one eye.

"Think it might be worth something?" Poko pondered, "wanna trade this shell for it?"

"Finders keepers", Fray sussed.

The boy rolled his eyes, succumbing to his desperate transparency, as they both stood up.

"Watch this", Poko threw back his head and spat what he could salivate into the hole.

"That was cool!" Fray praised and they both giggled.

"I wonder how far down it go-...".

Fray was cut off just as a demonic, thundering growl echoed back up towards the youngsters.

They both looked to each other and quickly backed away from the edge, fleeing towards Bearshade Hollow.

The parting iron doors of the Grand Hall penetrated beams of light through the main entrance. Villagers and fellow huntsmen peered up from their strategy meetings and war stories amongst their dim candlelight faces, now bleached with light. They squinted through peering lids to view two large silhouettes enter. Conversations faded and shuffling chairs turned to skid across the tiled floor, lurching over their shoulders. Ambient murmurs from within the pipes of the building and the crackling fire remained isolated disturbances in the fall of silence.

A roaring cheer from the bartender sparked a wave of cheers and applause from the rest of the tavern as Kri and Malik came into view. They were suddenly surrounded by open arms from friends and hands shaken by fellow clansman.

A close family friend of Malik; Laya, who often cared for him when he was a young boy, broke through the crowd of welcoming appreciates.

"The protector of Kri has returned victorious! Come and sit, you must be weary from your hunt", resorting back to her old habits to care for the same young boy she still saw him as.
He nodded and they both smiled. Another young, ambitious hunter from the group chirped louder than the others.

"Come Kri, sit with us and tell us of your journey!"

Another chirped, wrapped his arms around the shoulders of Malik and Kri.

"The child of the forest has become a man!"

Welcoming the young man back, but Kri couldn't help but feel the cheering and congratulating felt shallow and bitter. He hadn't earned this, he felt like nothing but a cheat and a coward. He had not hunted that beast he set out for and this was not what he wanted, not the way he saw it coming, he yearned to feel pride behind his accomplishment, not dishonesty.