Kenzur

Prologue

Morut walked out of the thatched hut and wiped her face. She hadn't realized she still had a little blood on her hands until was too late. Letting out a low stream of curses she headed to the water bowl, sitting on the ground. The bowl was already filled with bloody water, but Morut didn't care. Everything had gone well, and that was all that mattered.

"Morut?" a soft voice asked. Morut turned her head slowly to see young Yursi. Yursi was covered in dirt, and her auburn hair held twigs and leaves.

"You've been on the mountain again haven't you?" Morut chuckled, as she washed the blood off her face. "What did your mother tell you about that? Oh well… I won't tell her if you don't."

"Is… My mother… is she… alive?" Morut studied the young girls face. In a way Morut knew this was the cruelest thing a child could ever be put through.

"She is alive." Morut whispered. Yursi's eyes filled with tears, as she rubbed her hands together.

"Good blessings." Yursi whispered, before she walked away.

Morut just stood there, not knowing what to do.

KENZUR

Chapter One

I glided the blade expertly over the grain. Thousands of stocks of grain fell to the ground, as I grabbed my next bunch. I glanced up at the mountains as I cut through it. I could see off in the distance a cloud of dust building up. My heart started to race, the cloud of dust could only mean one thing.

The army was near.

The normal travels on the road where small caravans of traders heading to the Trade Mountain pass. Every now and then their load was heavy enough to cause a dust cloud, but nothing that big. It was always the army that caused the sky and air to turn brown.

The first time I had seen the dust build over a mile high had been ten years ago. At first I had been excited, now I felt a mix of rage and fear. It was that cloud that first took the older men from our village, and after three years more men. The cloud just kept taking men –never giving any back –every two to three years until I was the last young man left. Yes, there were those younger, but this time I would be the only one to go. The rest of the boys had not yet reached their tenth summer.

If the war did not end soon our village would suffer greatly.

"Kenzur!" Morut called. I could see her frame standing at the edge of the village. "Come." She ordered. I handed my blade to a nearby gather.

"Good blessings." She whispered, before I left. I didn't have the voice to say anything, fear constricted my throat. I started to jog back to the village but not with my normal excitement. I was going to be leaving this place, my home.

I knew as I ran that I wasn't ready. Not for this, for war. I had trained, and trained myself to my limits. I had no teacher, no one to refer to. Even the men in Critical village where gone. I had tracked large game, as well as small all over the Critical and Trade mountains. I even ran the fields every morning and night to prepare myself. I had gutted, cooked, and tanned. Everything had been self taught and practiced and practiced until use able.

As I passed the first mud building I had to force myself to keep moving. It felt almost impossible to look at the worn and sunken faces of the women coming out of their houses. It wasn't that they where old, or starved, or even worked hard. There were enough women in the village that the work was shared evenly and easily. It was that they were alone and heartbroken. They wanted their men back, their son and husbands –those who still believed their son's and husbands where alive .

"Good blessings." Echoed all around me, who ever said it first was unclear. I slowed my pace and walked to my hut. Again I didn't have the voice to answer any of the "Good blessings." Morut was waiting inside with an angry Yursi.

"Good blessings." Yursi spat. I wasn't offended or angered by her resent of me, it made perfect sense. I forced myself to find my voice and form the words.

"Good blessings." I whispered. Yursi held up a small bundle of food. She didn't look me in the eyes as I took it and wrapped her in a hug. "I love you." I said into her ear. Yursi didn't move. When I released her Yursi walked around me and out of the hut. Tears weld up in my eyes, but I wiped them away before they could spill over.

"Kenzur, give her time. You have to understand you're the only family she has left, and you're leaving her. After the loss of her father and mother, she feels like you're glad to get rid of her." Morut tried to explain, but I already knew.

"I've betrayed her worse than any parent ever could. I am a failure." I whispered, more to myself then to Morut.

"You've given up your life for that child, and more than once. Remember the first day you brought her here? If it had b–."

"Enough." I cut off Morut before she could continue, not even she understood that story. There was only one person, other than me, who knew. Morut's faced showed she was offended, but she said nothing. I had nothing more to say, and neither did she. I picked up my pack and left the hut.

Most likely for the last time.

I stood at the well worn path, just at the edge of the village. I was apart from the others, they stood about twenty paces behind me. I wanted someone to run up and grab my hand and tell me I wouldn't have to do this. I want the dust cloud to just suddenly vanish and everyone to laugh; as if it was only a joke.

"Halt!" A man blared. The women started to creep forward, hoping to see their husbands or sons. Silently I wished there would be one man to quickly step forward and kiss his wife, hold his children. No one moved. Then a pair Genki birds came running up the front.

My father had bred Genki birds until he died. I knew how to recognize a good Genki from a bad one. The ones the two men were riding where bad. Their feathers where ruffled and out of place, the saddle belt was too tight –causing the air way to be constricted–, their giant, mystic eyes were filled with puss and they needed food. Their bony legs missed a rhythm when they ran, making the ride jerky and uncomfortable.

"Is this all village has to offer? A gaunter?" One of the men said, pulling his Genki to a halt. The speaker was big. Not in height, but weight. I could not see him walking himself a mile without being out of breath. His chest folded over his belly like a young bear cub that has eaten too much of its mother's milk. "Can he even lift his own pack?"

"Your birds need water and food." I said, ignoring his words. The man just laughed.

"You think you know Genki birds? You can ride them seven days with no food or water, and on a full run." The man informed me. I knew you could, but that wasn't a good idea. The stress on the bird tended to kill it two to three days later.

"I can feed them good grain and water them." I offered. The big man paid no attention to me.

"Join ranks." He instructed me. I gridded my teeth together as I walked to join the other men. Before I got far I heard tiny footsteps come running toward me. As I went to take another step I was hit by a tiny body.

"Come home, promise!" Said Yursi. Her voice carried in silent. "Promise me you'll come to me. I want you to come home!" I could feel Yursi tears through my tunic. I turned and scooped her up in my arms.

"I promise. I'll come home. Just for you." I said, barring my head in her auburn hair.

"Really?"

"I promise I am coming back for you. Remember I will always be there to save you." I engraved that promise in my heart. Morut came up and took Yursi out of my arms. I turned back to the large group of men, and I couldn't see one dry eye. I gulped down my own tears as I looked for a place to join ranks of dust covered, and heartbroken men.

"Here" A large man said, waving to empty space next to him. I walked over and stood next to him. I felt very small next to him. I was completely blocked from the sun in his shadow. I noticed that his sword itself was the size of me. "Cute little girl you have."

"She's my sister. Our parents are dead." I explained in a clipped voice.

"Move out!" The shout came from the fat man on the Genki bird. The men began to march.

"Good blessings! Good blessings! Good blessings!" The children started to shout. Some started to run after the men waving to them as they passed. My tears finally spilled over as I saw Yursi running after me waving and shouting at the top of her voice.

"Good blessings Kenzur!"

We marched straight for Critical Mountain. The sun was already over half spent in the sky, the march wouldn't last long past sundown. As we walked I tried not to step in the wagon ruts in the road. I now understood why the space next to the big man had been empty. He took up the room! I was being pushed out of line by his size; there was just nowhere to walk. I kept my eyes on the ground, trying to find a good place to put my foot that wouldn't get it stuck in the rut and twist it.

"Aren't you going to enjoy the view?" The man asked. I didn't look up from the path. Part because I didn't want to lose my footing, other part because I didn't want to talk. "Boy?" The man nudged me. I don't think he realized I was much smaller than he is. The nudge –most likely meant as a friendly gesture –sent me flying into the man in front of me.

"Walk straight!" The man in front of me barked, turning on me.

"Hush Axel, he's fine." The man defended me.

"Stay out of this Jarza." Axel barked. I was surprised the man—my size—was commanding the much larger man with such authority. There were no marks to show he was high in rank, or more valued. He didn't appear to be stronger, or faster than Jarza either.

"What's going on here?" A man on a Genki bird demanded, riding up to us. It was the second man, not the first who had talked to me at the village.

"Axel's just a grump." Jarza said, nudging Axel. Axel turned and glared at Jarza with such anger that I was sure Jarza was going to burst into flame. "But you know that Captain Sylong."

"Jarza, for the dragons sake can you keep your voice down?" The captain seemed strained as if he had had this conversation many times.

"Honestly, I have been trying captain! I was quite an entire seven miles." Jarza quieted his voice and lowered his head, as if he was being scolded. I almost couldn't believe the sight before my eyes, the older, bigger man humbling himself to this much younger and much smaller man.

"I guess seven miles is an improvement from seven feet." Sylong sighed, rubbing his face.

"Thank you, captain." Jarza brightened right up. Sylong shook his head and looked down at me.

"And you are?" He asked looking straight into my soul. His blue eyes saw more than my own green ones, they saw the truth. They memorized and copied everything I knew and transferred it to his own mind. I had never seen anyone with eyes like that.

"I'm… Ke…nz…ur." I stuttered.

"Key-Nuz?" Sylong asked, looking confused.

"Kenzur!" Jarza pronounced for me.

"Kenzur… Odd name." Sylong said. My pulse was pounding in my ears. I expected him to say it, to tell everyone. I was waiting for his smile to grow like Jarza's, just before he spoke loudly. He looked me right in the eyes again. "Are you alright boy?" He asked. My mind didn't understand, that wasn't what he was meant to say. He should be telling them the truth, my secret. "Kenzur?"

"Yes." I whispered quickly, as I turned away. I felt the sweat move down my face in one solid stream.

"Relax boy, you're in good hands. Jarza may be loud, and give our position away; but, he's one of the best loud mouthed fighters I've ever seen." Captain Sylong said, before his head snapped up as he noticed another problem. As quickly as he had come, he left.

"I'll tell you the tale of one so strong!" Jarza suddenly belted out. I hadn't expected him to burst into so song at all or so loudly or so off key. Before he finished the first verse I was cursing him greatly and holding my hands to my head tightly.

My good blessing was when we finally reached the west base pass of Critical Mountain. By then Jarza had sung three very long songs at the top of his voice. I hadn't been the only one holding my ears, or the only one annoyed. The curses I had been chanting in my head over his singing had been shouted by many other soldiers.

I didn't know any other of the men yet, so I chose to stick with Jarza. I quietly fallowed behind him as he started to walk toward a path leading up toward Critical Village, the town hidden inside the mountain. It had been built around the same time as the trade pass, but unlike the trade pass Critical Village was common knowledge.

We where half way to the village when someone wrapped their hands around my neck and pulled me back. The movement was so quiet and quick I had no time to call for help or think. Reacting on my own I brought my fists back, but it was no good. I had forgot about the pack I was caring that was severing as a shield to my attacker. Instead I brought my hands to my throat and grabbed hold of the other man. I forced all my weight forward, leaning toward the ground. I fallowed the arm of my attacker up as far as I could. Grabbing hold of his elbow I forced him over my head, and on to the dirt. The loud thud alerted Jarza of the struggle.

"Hey!" The large man barked, moving quickly to my side. Before he reached it I was already on the ground ripping away the man's cloak that had fallen over his face. The man face was filled with scars both old and new. Over his eyes was a black blinder, but his was what caught my attention. The man was not mold, for he had no elderly lines. He had to be around my age or younger, but his hair was whiter than snow. What was left of the sun light reflected off his hair making it sparkle. I was so memorized with his hair that I didn't pay attention to his body.

The man quickly sprang back onto his feat, knocking my head when he did so. I was to surprised and confused to react this time. I fell backwards onto the rocky path. The man was on top of me before I could blink, a sliver edged dagger to my throat.

"Riza!" Jarza yelled, placing his massive hand on the blind assassin. "This boy is with me." Riza did not raise his blade. Thoughts and memories washed across my mind, mostly of young Yursi. I wasn't about to die at the hand of some crazy, blind person with a knife, and break my promise to my Yursi.

Heruk had taught my well before he left, and I was about to prove that. I snapped my wrist up onto his hands, my second hand flew to crouch. I moved the knife up off my throat, as my punch distracted him for a moment.

"Enough!" Jarza yelled. I was getting ready to pull out my own dagger and force the man off my mind section when he was lifted off. With one hand Jarza lifted the man into the air, and with one foot he pinned me to the ground. "I said enough!" He looked at the man and then back to me. "Kenzur meet Riza, Riza meet Kenzur. Now you two can play nicely or I'll play with both of you as my rag dolls. Understand?" This was the first time that day I had seen Jarza loose his cool. In that moment I wondered if he had every really killed anyone or just threatened them all into not fighting.

"Understood." I whispered, not taking my eyes off Jarza. Riza said nothing, he only nodded.

"Alright. Now Kenzur where are you going?" Jarza asked, as he put Riza down and took his foot off of me.

"I was fallowing you. I don't really know anyone else to camp near. I thought I could camp near you…" I suddenly realized Jarza hadn't realized I had been fallowing him. The thought must have never crossed his mind that someone might be fallowing him, just like I never thought Riza was behind me. "I thought that would be okay." Jarza sighed loudly.

"It is Kenzur." A voice said behind Jarza. The big man turned to revile Sylong standing behind him. "Riza I believe we can trust this boy." Riza shook his head no. "Yes, come Kenzur there is something I want to ask you." Sylong started to walk back up the mountain path. Jarza waved for me to fallow him.

I walked right behind Sylong for many miles. I wondered what was going on. It had been clear to me, earlier, that the captain and Jarza where friends, but they both just left camp. What I thought had been a small side trip to the village was more. Four miles ago we had passed the path to the village and now we were a few feet away from the summit. I was so lost in thought I didn't realize Sylong had stopped. I ran straight into him.

"Sorry." I whispered, angry and embarrassed with myself. I looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet Sylong's all knowing eyes.

"Kenzur, may I ask you a question?" Sylong asked, still facing forward.

"Yes, sir." Slowly Sylong turned so I could see his face.

"Who do you serve?" He asked. For a moment I was confused.

"My people." I said. Sylong shook his head.

"Yes, I know your serve for your village. I meant who… or why is the reason you are serving them?" He knows! Was all I could think. He knew the my secret, the reason I was here. But he had not told earlier, would he tell now? "Kenzur?"

"The King." I answered. Sweat was racing down my face in streams, and my heart was pounding louder than the marching drums. "I serve King Shung. Ruler of Kesh."

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