Chapter Nine:
Unforgiving rock bit into Kai’s back. It was a deep pain felt clear to his bones, all from lying in one position. Unfortunately, it was all too familiar. The back streets and hidden alleys of Ra all held stone just as hard. The ache finally roused him from deep oblivion.
Clueless as to his location or what had brought him down, he lay motionless. Long ago, self-preservation taught him to wake without fanfare. On the streets, the slightest sound or sudden movement might prove fatal. Better to make secure the surroundings, no matter the pain his body felt. Relief would feel so much better if he lived long enough to enjoy it. He lay with his eyes closed, searching for the slightest source for clues to his surroundings.
Only a persistent ringing in the ears came back to him. T
