CRYBABY CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: BROTHERS

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©Copyright 2024 by Mark Watson

CHAPTER 22: BROTHERS

Rahul was no longer the leader of a notorious bandit gang; that part of his life had ended in blood and fire. Now, he was simply the mayor of a small, insignificant village. He smiled to himself — a very rich mayor. The gold he had recently stolen from a shipment meant for jewellers was safely hidden, some in pouches strapped tightly around his waist and the rest stacked neatly in a sturdy backpack lying beside him. The weight of it was comforting, a tangible reminder of his survival and success amidst the chaos that had claimed everyone else.

He lounged in a newly strung hammock in the Onion House, swaying gently as he kept to a quiet corner away from the noise of the rangers preparing their kumki elephants for the hunt. Outside, the rhythmic sound of ropes being tightened and commands being barked filtered in, but Rahul barely paid it any attention. The villagers and the rangers had their task: capture Crybaby, the rogue elephant terrorizing the region. And though they thought him an ally in the fight, Rahul’s mind was already leagues ahead of them. He wasn’t interested in…