[Kitsumi]

Timing his jump was going to be the hardest part. Roman didn't want to end up jumping straight into a tree and injuring himself. But once he let go of the animal beneath him, he would have to move quickly before being bucked off. At the speed that the creature was moving, it was incredibly difficult for him to keep track of his surroundings. But finally, they broke into a small clearing - the perfect place for him to jump.

He stood on shaky legs, moving in time with the beast beneath him to avoid falling. Once he was sure that he was ready, he released his hold on the long hair. Jumping to the side, he attempted to land in a roll that would hopefully avoid injury.

[31]

[Kitsumi]

Malcolm may not have been the best father, but at least there was one thing that he had done correctly. He had trained both of his sons in the art of survival. It came in handy pretty often considering their line of work. And it came in handy again today, as Roman managed to flawlessly land in a tucked roll, swiftly moving out of the way of the stampede.

Once the thunderous sound began to fade away, he sat up and looked around. The herd was gone, along with the danger he had been in. But now there was a new problem to face: he had to find his brother.

[32]

[Kitsumi]

While his bother was having the ride of his life, Rylan was stuck in a tree, helpless to do anything but watch as Roman disappeared with the herd of wild animals. He had clutched the crystal and device close to his chest, as if it would somehow help him. Of course it did nothing, except for pulse with a slight glowing light. It certainly didn't do anything useful.

Once the danger had passed, the young man grabbed onto the tree limb with one hand, allowing his body to hang closer to the ground. Then he dropped, landing in a crouch to absorb most of the impact. He stood, looking around nervously.

[33]

[Kitsumi]

The tension that he was currently feeling left him jittery, unable to remain still. So Rylan started to pace, back and forth in front of the tent that had somehow remained untouched by the herd. "We could have just stayed in there," he grumbled. Still, there had been no way of knowing how large the stampede was or where exactly it would go. They had simply acted in the way that they believed would be safest in that moment.

And now the two brothers had been separated. Rylan didn't even know if Roman was okay, and it was eating at him. What if the last thought his brother had was about their fight?

[34]

[Kitsumi]

Should he go out and look for the older man? He knew the age old rule that parents always told their children: if you get lost, stay where you are until someone comes and finds you. But in this case, wasn't his brother the one who was lost? Or because he was older, was he automatically the one who was responsible for ensuring that the two were able to meet up once more?

It was confusing, and Rylan had no idea what he was supposed to do. In the end, he decided to stay put. As Roman had said earlier, the elder brother was much better at navigating. Hopefully this would help him return to camp safely... assuming he wasn't already injured. Or worse.

[35]

[Crystal Synthesis Complete]