Young Adult, Fantasy
“You sure you want to do this, Kiralii?” asks Corai.
His question annoys me, and I turn to look at the desert below. The river stretches unending, shimmering beneath the evening sky. It doesn’t seem to fit in this world. The way it shines makes me think of something… ancient. Molten silver from a place of mystery, spilling out into the coming night.
My brother stares out into the distance, his eyes reflecting the water.
“Where does it go?” I ask.
“I’m not sure. But I’ll find out.”
“Will it be dangerous?”
He pulls at the jasmine bracelet wrapped around his wrist. He hasn’t been fussing with it as much as the others. Some of them have several around each arm. Others wear floral wreaths around their necks in circling spans. They want everyone to see. Their symbol of becoming a worldling.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he says. “After all, I’m the best flyer here.”
He flashes me a grin, the feathers around his face crinkling up.
“Maybe second best,” he says quickly, with the same crooked smile he used to make to get out of trouble.
Paul Alex Gray 