Wild Born: Chapters 4–7

Rollan loitered on the corner by the apothecary, keeping his back to the store.

The boy had a gift for pilfering, and life had been much more comfortable with him around. But Hands got greedy and started going after real valuables.

As with many businesses in town, a banner emblazoned with Essix the Falcon, patron beast of Amaya, hung over the entrance.

Plus he had his honor. His own version of it anyway—never to take from the poor, never from the sick or infirm, and always to try other alternatives first.

He knew beneath the grime he was a handsome kid, with his dark tousled hair and tan skin, but there was a lot of grime.

Rollan sidled toward the door, trying not to move too quickly.

One man was sickly and gaunt, another had slept since Rollan arrived, and the third looked like the sort Rollan had learned to avoid.

He was portly with a stubbly jaw.

“...It’s against our town statutes not to drink the Nectar within three months of turning eleven.”
“Good thing I’m already behind bars. Want some advice? You guys should make a law against eleven-year-olds dying because they have no medicine!”

“Your talents are wasted in dank basements. You’re ready to work aboveground.”

“Guess it was my lucky day,” mumbled the seedy prisoner.

He wore high boots, leather gauntlets, a fancy sword, and an embroidered blue cloak that Rollan guessed cost more than a team of horses.

Rollan rolled over the top of the fence and fell into a weedy lot with a shanty in one corner.

A ragged man glared at him unwelcomingly from the shadows of his hovel.

Racing around another corner, Rollan found himself sprinting toward a large man in a forest-green cloak astride a moose.

She could not help wondering whether he would have relinquished Soama so swiftly.

In the rush to heed Zerif’s advice, she had ignored the needs of her community. What if her absence meant the drought would continue? What if she had shirked her destiny?

He was pale, but handsome, with a sturdy build and a relaxed competence that she admired.

Those of us with heavy burdens find family where we can. You have your spirit animal. You’ll learn to find a lot of solace there.

Uraza walked with the sinuous grace of a natural predator, and nobody wanted to get too close.

Crates, bales, and barrels had been shoved aside to form a long open space.

The leopard lounged on the floor, body curled, head up, long tail swishing languidly.

Essix turned in two wide circles, soaring higher than the tallest spire of the Greencloak fortress.

An imposing collection of bulky structures enclosed by tall walls of heavy stone, Sunset Tower was not the main Amayan stronghold of the Greencloaks.

After arrowing down with blinding speed, Essix spread her wings at the last moment to slow her descent and alighted on his forearm.

A panda ambled beside the girl, and a large wolf loped beside the boy.

The late hour meant he might not encounter anyone, but if he did, he knew it would look extra suspicious. The farther he deviated from the path to the kitchen, the more conspicuous he felt.

On her way to the training room, almost every single person Meilin passed stared at her. Some covertly, some unashamedly gawking.

With Zhong under attack, she didn’t want to spend any time worrying about such trivial things—but she couldn’t help it, and that annoyed her.

Rollan scanned the weapons held in racks against the walls: swords, scimitars, knives, spears, polearms, axes, staves, and clubs.

They paid rapt attention to Essix and Briggan.

“We evaluate all new recruits to gauge their abilities.”

Meilin gave a nod and a modest smile.

Following a whim, Meilin extended a finger to the right.

It was hard to respect such a docile, slow animal.

Her father had always told her to keep her abilities private so she could surprise adversaries in times of need.

He reached the bag several steps ahead of Rollan, jumped, and slammed into it with his shoulder. He rebounded roughly, spinning to the floor, and the bag only jounced a little.

“All right,” Tarik told his beast indulgently. “We all know you’re the biggest showoff here..."

“Lumeo deserves the accolades. Without him, I could not have done any of that. We’re a team, just as you are with your animals. Explore that connection, and you will be rewarded.”

“Impressive,” Meilin conceded.