to steady his hand. His breath ceased as the beast
landed on all fours and sped toward him. At the moment of release, the beast
darted to one side, and the arrow glanced off its fur. As he pulled another
arrow from the quiver, a hot pain seared through his shoulder and pinned him
against the cave wall. His bow flew from his hands, out of his reach.
He turned his head from side to side, desperately
searching for Vind. His twin stood a few feet away with his bow at his side and
a wicked smile on his face.
Had this been his plan all along, or had the
situation just presented itself? As if the animal
wouldn’t attack on its own, he had injured it, just to make sure it finished
him off. The smile on Vind’s face made one thing perfectly clear; he would
enjoy watching the animal kill Cy.
The Nyrubi moved back, pulling its horn from Cy’s
shoulder. The pain was excruciating. His head spun and he grasped his sword as
he fell forward. He pulled the sword from its sheath, but a large paw with four
inch claws came at him with lightning speed, and knocked it from his hand.
Fresh gashes on his forearm poured blood.
“Boys!” His father’s voice bounced off the cavernous
walls.
Vind’s head jerked toward the cave entrance, anger flashing
across his face. He slowly raised his bow and aimed it at the Nyrubi, but
didn’t shoot. He waited until the sound of footsteps drew closer before
releasing the arrow. The animal was poised to launch on top of Cy for the kill,
as the arrow entered its side. It staggered to the side but remained upright.
Oz and his father stopped just inside the room, taking
in the scene.
“Vind,” Father shouted. “Finish him off!”
A thought flicked through Cy’s addled mind.
Was Vind going to pretend to miss the animal and
finish him off, instead?
Cy held his breath as Vind released an arrow into the
Nyrubi’s heart, and the animal dropped to the ground.
He let his breath out in a whoosh, and stared at his
brother. Since last year, when Father announced that Cy was first born and
would one day rule in his stead, Vind’s attitude had steadily become worse.
Although he had never been close to his brother, today’s events made one thing
perfectly clear. Vind intended to end his life, in order to become the Sivadian
King.
Chapter 2
“What the hell are you two doing, trying to get
yourselves killed?” The king’s voice was so loud, Cy expected the walls to
crumble around them. He must have lost enough blood to be delirious, because
now wasn’t the time to laugh. But as his headlamp lit his father’s face, the
hard muscular tick in his jaws reminded him of someone trying to chew through
nails.
He picked Cy up and transported them back to camp. Once
they materialized, his Father laid him on a cot before removing his shirt to
inspect the wound.
“Turn on your side, son.”
Cy did as he was asked. “It went all the way through. I
heard the horn scrape against the rock wall behind me.”
Father wiped the blood away and applied some
anti-coagulant powder to both sides of his shoulder. Then he cleaned the gashes
on his arm and did the same. “It’s time to go home. You need to rest and
replenish your fluids. We have enough nourishment to last the rest of the week,
but you’ll need extra blood to replace what you’ve lost.”
Oz’s telecom sounded and he stepped away to answer.
Cy swallowed hard as anger flashed in his father’s
deep-set, blue eyes. His gaze bounced between him and Vind. “You boys want to
explain how you ended up in a cave with a Nyrubi. Both of you know how
dangerous those things are.”
Neither of them said anything for a moment, but Cy knew
not giving their father an answer would only make matters worse. He ruled an
entire planet, and would not put up with unanswered questions or foolish
actions…especially from his sons.
Cy looked at Vind to back him up, but his twin remained
silent…his gaze glued to the ground.
“We’re sorry, Father. We only
landed on all fours and sped toward him. At the moment of release, the beast
darted to one side, and the arrow glanced off its fur. As he pulled another
arrow from the quiver, a hot pain seared through his shoulder and pinned him
against the cave wall. His bow flew from his hands, out of his reach.
He turned his head from side to side, desperately
searching for Vind. His twin stood a few feet away with his bow at his side and
a wicked smile on his face.
Had this been his plan all along, or had the
situation just presented itself? As if the animal
wouldn’t attack on its own, he had injured it, just to make sure it finished
him off. The smile on Vind’s face made one thing perfectly clear; he would
enjoy watching the animal kill Cy.
The Nyrubi moved back, pulling its horn from Cy’s
shoulder. The pain was excruciating. His head spun and he grasped his sword as
he fell forward. He pulled the sword from its sheath, but a large paw with four
inch claws came at him with lightning speed, and knocked it from his hand.
Fresh gashes on his forearm poured blood.
“Boys!” His father’s voice bounced off the cavernous
walls.
Vind’s head jerked toward the cave entrance, anger flashing
across his face. He slowly raised his bow and aimed it at the Nyrubi, but
didn’t shoot. He waited until the sound of footsteps drew closer before
releasing the arrow. The animal was poised to launch on top of Cy for the kill,
as the arrow entered its side. It staggered to the side but remained upright.
Oz and his father stopped just inside the room, taking
in the scene.
“Vind,” Father shouted. “Finish him off!”
A thought flicked through Cy’s addled mind.
Was Vind going to pretend to miss the animal and
finish him off, instead?
Cy held his breath as Vind released an arrow into the
Nyrubi’s heart, and the animal dropped to the ground.
He let his breath out in a whoosh, and stared at his
brother. Since last year, when Father announced that Cy was first born and
would one day rule in his stead, Vind’s attitude had steadily become worse.
Although he had never been close to his brother, today’s events made one thing
perfectly clear. Vind intended to end his life, in order to become the Sivadian
King.
Chapter 2
“What the hell are you two doing, trying to get
yourselves killed?” The king’s voice was so loud, Cy expected the walls to
crumble around them. He must have lost enough blood to be delirious, because
now wasn’t the time to laugh. But as his headlamp lit his father’s face, the
hard muscular tick in his jaws reminded him of someone trying to chew through
nails.
He picked Cy up and transported them back to camp. Once
they materialized, his Father laid him on a cot before removing his shirt to
inspect the wound.
“Turn on your side, son.”
Cy did as he was asked. “It went all the way through. I
heard the horn scrape against the rock wall behind me.”
Father wiped the blood away and applied some
anti-coagulant powder to both sides of his shoulder. Then he cleaned the gashes
on his arm and did the same. “It’s time to go home. You need to rest and
replenish your fluids. We have enough nourishment to last the rest of the week,
but you’ll need extra blood to replace what you’ve lost.”
Oz’s telecom sounded and he stepped away to answer.
Cy swallowed hard as anger flashed in his father’s
deep-set, blue eyes. His gaze bounced between him and Vind. “You boys want to
explain how you ended up in a cave with a Nyrubi. Both of you know how
dangerous those things are.”
Neither of them said anything for a moment, but Cy knew
not giving their father an answer would only make matters worse. He ruled an
entire planet, and would not put up with unanswered questions or foolish
actions…especially from his sons.
Cy looked at Vind to back him up, but his twin remained
silent…his gaze glued to the ground.
“We’re sorry, Father. We only
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