5. HIS JOURNEY

CLOUD

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me.

Branches kept slapping my face.

Leaves scratched my arms.

Every few seconds, my foot hit another root or rock.

I didn’t even know where I was going anymore.

I just kept running.

Behind me, the forest was dark.

Too dark.

The only thing I could still see in my mind was our little hut burning.

I could still hear Uncle Thefar’s voice.

“Run!”

“I love you.”

Those words kept playing inside my head.

“No…” I whispered while running.

“Please don’t die, Uncle.”

My chest felt heavy.

My eyes were full of tears.

Everything had happened so fast.

Yesterday I was just cutting firewood.

Today…

I was running for my life.

I laughed bitterly.

“Cloud…”

“What kind of life is this?”

One day you’re a normal village boy…

The next day you’re apparently a prince.

I shook my head.

“If this is what being a prince feels like…”

“…I want a refund.”

I kept running.

My breathing became harder.

My legs were beginning to hurt.

Then—

CRACK!

One of my feet got caught under a huge tree root.

“Oh no…”

Before I could free myself—

WHOOOOSH!

I rolled down a steep hill.

“AHHHHHHHHHH!”

I hit one rock.

Then another.

Then another.

“Somebody stop this hill!”

BANG!

My head slammed against something hard.

Everything went black

Warm sunlight touched my face.

I slowly opened one eye.

Something soft brushed against my cheek.

Sniff…

Sniff…

Sniff…

“Hmm…”

Whatever it was…

It had a very wet nose.

Then something licked my ear.

“Ewww…”

I slowly lifted my head.

“My head…”

I held it with both hands.

“Arggh…”

“It feels like somebody used my skull to crack coconuts.”

I closed my eyes again.

“Please…”

“Tell me all of yesterday was just a dream.”

Silence.

Then…

Sniff…

Sniff…

I slowly opened my eyes.

A tiny tiger cub was standing right in front of me.

It tilted its head.

Then it pawed my knee.

I blinked.

It blinked back.

I smiled.

“Hello there.”

The little cub purred happily.

“Aww…”

“You’re actually cute.”

I looked around.

“Wait…”

“Where am I?”

The cub rubbed itself against my leg.

I laughed.

“You look lost.”

The little tiger sneezed.

“Don’t worry.”

“I’m lost too.”

“I guess that makes both of us.”

I picked it up carefully.

It immediately started licking my face.

“Hey!”

“I’m not breakfast.”

The cub wagged its tiny tail.

“You know…”

“I think we could actually become friends.”

It looked at me.

I looked at it.

“We’re both homeless.”

“We’re both confused.”

“We’re both walking around without knowing where we’re going.”

The cub meowed softly.

“You understand me already.”

Suddenly…

ROOOOOOOAAARRRRR!!

The entire forest shook.

I looked at the cub.

“Hmm?”

“Was that you?”

“I must admit…”

“You have a very mature voice for such a tiny body.”

The cub blinked.

Then another roar came.

Much louder.

Much angrier.

ROOOOOOOAAARRRRR!!

I slowly turned around.

Very…

Very slowly.

Standing behind me…

Was the biggest tigress I had ever seen.

She stared directly at me.

Then…

She looked at her baby.

Then back at me.

I looked down.

I was still carrying her child.

My heart almost stopped.

Cold sweat covered my face.

I forced an awkward smile.

“Good morning…”

She growled.

“I mean…”

“Lovely weather today.”

Another growl.

I slowly held the cub forward.

“Look…”

“This isn’t what it looks like.”

“I wasn’t stealing your baby.”

“I was just…”

The tigress roared so loudly that birds flew out of nearby trees.

I nodded quickly.

“Fair enough.”

“I think explanations can wait.”

I gently placed the cub on the ground.

The little tiger happily ran back to its mother.

I smiled nervously.

“So…”

“We’re cool now?”

The tigress lowered her body.

Her muscles tightened.

“Oh…”

“That’s a no.”

She charged.

“MUMMYYYYYYYYY!!”

I ran.

I had never run so fast in my entire life.

Trees flew past me.

Branches hit my face.

I jumped over rocks.

I almost tripped twice.

The tigress stayed right behind me.

“This cat has serious anger issues!”

I looked behind.

Big mistake.

BAM!

I ran straight into a tree.

“My nose!”

The tigress was getting closer.

Without thinking…

I jumped.

The next thing I knew…

I was hanging on a tree branch.

I quickly climbed higher.

Higher.

Higher.

Until I reached the top.

I leaned against the trunk.

Panting heavily.

“Hah…”

“I escaped.”

I looked down proudly.

Then my smile disappeared.

The tigress was climbing the tree.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She climbed higher.

I climbed higher.

She climbed faster.

I screamed.

“Who taught cats to climb trees?!”

The branch beneath me bent.

I looked toward another tree.

“No way…”

I took a deep breath.

“If I survive this…”

“I’m never making fun of goats again.”

I jumped.

Somehow…

I landed on another branch.

“Ha!”

The tigress followed.

I jumped again.

Then again.

Then again.

At this point…

I wasn’t even a prince anymore.

I had become a monkey.

After several jumps…

I landed beside a small stream.

The tigress stopped chasing me.

She simply stared from the trees as if to say,

“Don’t touch my child again.”

I bowed respectfully.

“Message received.”

“I promise.”

“No more tiger babysitting.”

She disappeared into the forest.

I collapsed beside the stream.

“I survived.”

I looked at the sky.

“Moon Goddess…”

“Next time…”

“Please send rabbits.”

I crawled toward the water.

“WATER!”

I drank until my stomach felt full.

Cold water had never tasted so good.

I filled my animal-skin water bag.

“This…”

“This is better than royal juice.”

I laughed at my own joke.

Then sighed.

“I guess princes don’t even drink royal juice.”

I picked up my backpack and continued walking.

Hours passed.

The forest seemed endless.

“My legs are tired.”

“My shoulders hurt.”

“My stomach is empty.”

“And people actually want this prince life?”

I shook my head.

“No thank you.”

“I would rather play football.”

“Eat roasted corn.”

“Sleep all afternoon.”

“No assassins.”

“No angry tigers.”

“No prophecy.”

Just peace.

A while later…

My stomach growled loudly.

“There you go again.”

I opened my backpack.

Inside was a small cloth wrapped carefully.

Bread.

I smiled sadly.

“Uncle…”

“You packed this for me.”

My eyes filled with tears.

“You knew…”

“You knew I would need it.”

I sat beneath a tree.

Eating slowly.

Every bite reminded me of home.

“I miss you already.”

“I don’t even know if you’re alive.”

For a long time…

I simply stared into the forest.

Then I remembered the map.

“Oh!”

I quickly opened it.

It was old.

Very old.

I spread it across the ground.

“Okay…”

“If I remember correctly…”

I pointed at one part.

“I think I’m here.”

Then another.

“And Eclipse…”

“…is somewhere over there.”

I scratched my head.

“Unless I’m holding this upside down.”

I turned it around.

“Oh.”

“That actually makes more sense.”

I laughed at myself.

“Cloud…”

“You really are something.”

The sun slowly disappeared.

Night returned.

“I guess I’ll sleep here.”

I found a large fig tree.

The roots formed a small space where I could rest.

“Not exactly a palace…”

“But it’ll do.”

I closed my eyes.

Almost immediately…

The dream returned.

The castle.

Covered in blood.

A crying woman holding a newborn baby.

A wounded man lying on the floor.

A beast…

Wearing a crown.

Then…

Everything disappeared into darkness.

I woke up with a gasp.

“No!”

My breathing was heavy.

Sweat covered my forehead.

“The dream again…”

“Why do I keep seeing it?”

The morning sun was already shining.

Birds sang happily above me.

Then…

DONG!

A loud bell echoed through the mountains.

I quickly stood.

“What was that?”

I climbed onto a large rock overlooking the valley.

My eyes widened.

Far away…

Very far away…

I saw smoke rising into the sky.

Tiny houses.

People walking.

A village.

Hope.

I smiled for the first time since leaving home.

“Finally…”

“Civilization.”

Then I looked again.

“…That’s actually very far.”

I sighed dramatically.

“Looks like my legs are going to resign today.”

I checked my backpack.

Only a little bread remained.

Half a bag of water.

I looked at the village.

Then at my food.

“If I stay here…”

“I’ll probably die from hunger.”

“If I go…”

“I might actually survive.”

I smiled.

“Well…”

“Small village…”

“Here comes one very hungry prince.”

I adjusted my backpack.

Took one deep breath.

And began walking toward the distant village…

Completely unaware…

That someone else had already been watching me from the shadows since sunrise.