Realm of Kong: The Culling Page 16

  Through the celebration, Honsou caught Arikura sulking in the crowd. She was like another puddle in the rain. She was avoided and unnoticed.

  “What Tengi did was very noble,” said Honsou.

  “She does what is best for the world, and sometimes what she feels is right anyway,” said Arikura.

  “What does this mean now?” he asked.

  “It means your people have a heavy burden to carry,” said Arikura. “Raisha is still coming. The world has been culled, but it is up to you to see that we make it through this.”

  “Then tell us what we need to do. We will protect ourselves. It’s what we’ve always asked for.”

  “Be careful,” said Arikura. “Raisha is very dangerous and there will be nobody watching your back. Your champion, Kong, has forsaken you in his quest to fight Lord Tatsumi.

  “Mu has changed the world. Nothing will be settled until Kong is dead. You must keep the balance between the forces if you want to survive.”

  “We do not need Kong,” said Honsou.

  “You need him more than you think,” said Arikura.

  Then she was gone. Honsou let one blink go by and she had disappeared.

  He sat down on the muddy ground. He watched as the others celebrated their survival, but all of sudden Honsou did not have the partying spirit. He could feel the future approaching. He wanted to be ready for whatever came at them.

  Epilogue

  Tol-in-Ar sat on his throne. He had servants tend to him throughout the day. They were new.

  His slave labor had decreased exponentially since the excursion at the canyon. Kong had nearly single handedly dismantled his work force.

  The slaves had made their escape after Kong scared away the soldiers. Their numbers in the thousands disappeared into the Mu country side with the weapons left behind by many of the soldiers.

  But Tol-in-Ar was already bringing in new recruits. Many of them were from the city. Others were wanderers his soldier had found in the nearby area while they were looking for their original slaves.

  He loathed Kong and prayed to Lord Tatsumi that he would see the end of the usurper. Only with Kong’s death could order finally be restored in the world.

  There was too much at stake in his plan for it to all fall apart with Kong’s interference.

  Tol-in-Ar prayed. He prayed that the sacrifices he had made would help quicken the return of his creator. His power was great, but Lord Tatsumi’s was greater.

  Bodies floated in the water at the bottom of the canyon, bodies of the caudatas and the body of Estuar. Their blood mixed in with the water and it seeped into the ground.

  Then Ryugu-jo felt a tremor. Then another. It was almost like footsteps of an oncoming kaiju.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Dane G. Kroll graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Film and Media Studies. He is the writer of the fantasy series Eluan Falls and several other books. Every now and then giant monster movies become his obsession. Realm of Kong was the answer to that problem.

  To show your support for Realm of Kong, or for future updates on the series and others, please check out:

  facebook.com/danegkroll

  @DaneGKroll

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