Chapter Two
"He's lying!"Axel yelled. I hadn't noticed him join us. Confusion over took my mind. First I had been fallowing Jarza, then attacked by a crazy blind man the fight, once I caught my breath Sylong showed up and started demanding who I serve, now Axel's also playing pop up. I felt like I was in the middle of a Childs game. Only I had never been told the rules or played before.
"Kenzur?" asked Jarza. He was looking at me with one eyebrow raised, as if I had said something wrong.
"What?" I demanded, my breathing was heavy, my mind suddenly wasn't there. I wasn't thinking or was I? Where these thoughts or actions or nothing.
"Who do you serve?" Sylong asked again.
"I told you he was lying the first time." Axel cut in. I couldn't answer I couldn't decide. Did I run? Did I answer? Did I cry? What would he do. What would Heruk do?
"Answer me!" Sylong demanded.
"The king! I serve the king!" I said, or shouted, or did I even answer?
"Stop lying!" Axel demanded. He was fast, I had expected him to have speed, but I hadn't expected this reaction. His sword was in his hand and swinging toward my face. He was beyond my experience and knowledge with a weapon and battle. I didn't know what to do when the sword came to my throat.
Someone stepped back forgetting they were on a ledge. I felt them fall back into the air. I felt their pain as they slammed into the side of the mountain and rocks dig into the back of their scalp. Their body was jerked up by a sudden strength that wasn't their own. As their body was pulled up the rock face everything went black.
"You promised me!" Yursi screamed. I looked at her through the soft mist. Tears fell to the ground and shattered like glass.
"Yursi, it's only been a day. Of course I'm coming back, as soon as I find Heruk." I walked closer to her. I wanted to take her hands and bring them to my face. I wanted her to understand how I felt, that I was scared to death for her. I never wanted to leave her, I had never wanted that.
"You still are coming back right, and with my daddy!" Yusri's face faded into shadow.
"Yes." I whispered as I stood in the white clouds alone.
"Kenzur." A soft voice whispered. I blinked my eyes quickly, but I only made out a shadow of a face. "Good blessings, you're awake." The voice said. I wasn't sure if I agreed with them. My head was so dizzy it felt detached I wasn't sure if it was on my body. A damp cloth was pressed to my forehead, and patted lightly over my face. "Kenzur."
"Yeah?" I gasped. My throat was dry and swollen. "water?" I asked, my voice sounded weak and scratchy. I wanted to plead and cry like a child for the water. It was important, it was needed, it was…life.
"Suck on this." A cloth was pressed to my mouth. The cloth was wet. Gladly I pulled the water into my mouth, the life giving water. For hours the cloth was switched between my forehead and mouth, until I had enough strength to see my life giver.
"Sal." I said, my voice still sounded weak but it didn't hurt to talk. Sal was the innkeeper in the Critical village. I guess calling it a village was wrong, because all it is, is a bar and rooms. More of a simple resting place for traders, and a check point for small villages like mine. Sal and her husband where the only two that lived full-time in the mountain, their children where all married and had moved on.
"Hello Kenzur, welcome to the world of the living. You had me worried there." Sal said, as she wiped the wet rag over my face again. I gave Sal a half hearted smile.
"Is the boy awake?" a ruff voice asked behind Sal. We both looked to see the blind man, Riza.
"Yes, but he's still weak." Sal said, in my defense. I should've stood and proven her wrong, I should have shown Riza I wasn't weak, but I didn't. I sat there like a young child, waiting for my mother to feed me. Riza crossed the room to the bed, avoiding everything. I doubted that he was blind.
"Move Miss." Riza said, standing in front of Sal. Sal didn't move, she stood firmly in front of me like a mother protecting her child.
"You may leave, this is my Inn, and I will not have you disturbing my guests." Sal puffed herself up. Sal had been a mother to three children, and had never really lost all the weight from carrying them she also never lost an argument her whole life. I really didn't think Riza knew that, but he was about to find out.
"Yes, Miss." Riza said, he turned and left. I blinked; I hadn't expected him to just give up.
"There, now we won't have those men bothering us. I don't understand why they keep coming in here. I know that they caught you, but still… they act like they own you." Sal sighed, as she fussed over the bedding and wrappings. I looked up at Sal and saw frustration on her face.
"Sal." I whispered. I had to tell her. "I joined the Kings army." I admitted. Sal stopped moving and looked back at me. Dropping the wrappings and cloths she had been holding she left the room. I sunk back into the bed. I knew I was going to upset her when I told her, but I hadn't thought she would just walk out.
The candle Sal had left was short and only growing shorter. I hurried and dressed and took what little of the candle was left to find my way around the dark caves of the village. I ran my hand along the smooth carved tunnels not being able rely on the candle very much. I walked into the normally busy dining hall, and stopped. Sylong, Axel, Jarza, and Riza all sat at a table their heads together. Axel lifted his head and looked at me. I lifted my hand to wave, he only grunted.
"Decided to come out from behind Sal's apron?" Riza asked, loud enough for me to hear. Axel gave me a half smile at the comment.
"I wasn't hiding." I scoffed. They didn't understand, I wasn't meant for the army. I didn't have a choice, I had to join, I only fallowed Jarza because I thought he was a friend. I thought it was alright for me to fallow.
"We don't have time for a little farm boy." Sylong said, as he moved. I saw a map out on the table. "Hike back down the mountain and join the army."
"What's going on?" I asked. None of them answered me. They had all turned back to their map. I moved closer to hear the conversation.
"The trade root pass is the only way." Sylong said.
"No, it's too open. We have to cross on foot, over the mountain, on the far side, away from the pass." Axel said, tracing his finger over the lines marking the mountain.
"Why don't we go around?" Riza said.
"Doesn't matter, once we leave this mountain we're in the open. If we're spotted before we reach the base of Trade Root Mountain, we're dead, no matter which way we go." Jarza sighed.
"I can get you to the other side of the mountain." I said. They all turned and looked at me.
"I'll bite." Jarza said.
"You first." I said. No one moved for a while.
"What do you want?" Sylong asked.
"No." Axel warned.
"I just want questions answered." I said. Riza and Axel both shook their heads no.
"If it means help, then we'll answer your questions."
"Sylong we can't." Axel said, he pounded his fists on the table, and stood.
"We have no other choice." Sylong said, keeping his voice level.
"I trust him." A soft voice said, from behind me. I turned to see three cloaked figures. Two of them where very small, only children it looked like. The third one stood taller, and from height looked older than the other too. However, telling from the distance I was at was almost impossible. Whoever the three where they where clearly respected; the three cloaked figures walked forward to join the ones at the table.
"Why Myra?" Sylong asked one of the smaller figures. The figure being addressed removed her hood. I had been expecting a girl, because of the name, but not this girl.
Rumors of mages where echoed far and wide, virgin girls born on the first day of the season and born dead. When the mother see's her own child dead of course she morns. The first spirits take pity on the morning mothers and come down and touch the baby giving them life and power. The power is random and the girl may have more than one. The girl's hair, no matter the prior color, turns snow white; her eyes also change to silver and skin to pale. The girl remains that way until she is no longer a virgin.
Myra was a mage, and a powerful one at that. From across the room I could feel her power vibrating around. Her silver eyes priced straight into my soul.
"I know who you are Kenzur Mytuse." Myra said, I was sure she had spoken aloud.
"What! How did you know—"
"Hush, Kenzur only think your thoughts. I will hear them." Myra's voice said again.
"What are you talking about?" Axel asked aloud. I was still trying to understand what she meant by thinking my thoughts. I had to think to talk to her?
"Yes that's right." Myra's voice said.
"Okay." I thought.
"You'll get the hang of it. Now I have a question for you."
"Go ahead, if you'll answer one of mine in return."
"Agreed. What will you do when you find Heruk?"
"I…I… honestly don't know. Wait how do you know that name?"
"He's your brother. Married to your sister, your sister is dead and Yursi is all alone. If you don't come back with Heruk then you've failed haven't you." I didn't know who Myra really was, I knew what she was, but not what.
"Get out of my head!" I screamed. I stormed to her side and placed my hand on her tiny shoulder. My intention had been to strike her face, and make her sorry for ever intruding into my mind. However, before my hand could strike I was blasted backwards by an unseen force. My body had been lifted into the air than thrown back toward the rock wall near the entrance to the dining room. My body hit the wall first then forced my head and legs to slam against the wall. I expected to fall to the ground, but I didn't I stayed pinned in mid air against the wall.
"Don't be so reckless. You've heard stories of the mage's and yet you still attack one head on." Myra spoke openly this time. "You will need more training I'm afraid." With her last comment Myra let me drop to the ground. "I will respect your request." She added, sitting at the table.
"Uh…Myra are you going to tell us why we should trust him?" Axel asked, strumming his fingers on the table.
"I had a dream." Myra said, as if that was enough explanation. Everyone kept looking at her, as if she should explain more. I didn't care if she answered or not, I didn't want to fallow them anymore. With a mage in the group I wished I hadn't fallowed Jarza last night. Whatever they were hiding they could keep. I picked myself up and walked back toward my room.
"Kenzur!" Sylong called, just before I entered the hallway. "Come back here. We need to plan our root." I didn't answer, I just kept walking. I rounded the corner and would've kept going, but I something big was in my way.
"Kenzur, we need you." Jarza said.
"JARZA!" I gasped. "How did you!" He was in front of me! But how did he get in front of me? He had been at the table I know he had been there, sitting next to Sylong.
"Myra transported me. She does that. Sometimes I wonder how such a tiny girl could move someone so big." Jarza placed his hand on my shoulder. "But that little girl amazes everyone around here."
"I'm not going with you guys. I'm going to fallow the army and join them." I stated, that was the safer choice, and I was looking for Heruk. I didn't need to get mixed up in some trouble other then my own.
"Trust me." Jarza said. "If Myra says that you are to come than it is your destiny to come. Then we are all depending on you." I looked at him blankly. "I wasn't going to do this either. Myra talked some sense into me. I could have been selfish and walked away, but by staying I've saved many lives." I scoffed at him. Of course Jarza saved lives, he was big with an even bigger sword; One swing from the bulk of metal on his back and he could take out twenty men.
"I won't be able to save lives." I said flatly. Jarza let out a long sigh and stood there for a moment. "I've never been able save anyone's life." I admitted. Jarza clapped a hand on my shoulder and laughed, a loud deep throated laugh.
"If you walk away you will never know." He said. His words struck me. He was right if I gave up right here and now I wouldn't know if I could save a life. I had no idea if I would find Heruk even. At least Myra knew Heruk, she was a mage after all. Maybe she would help me find Heruk.
"Fine." I yielded. Jarza laughed again, as we walked back to the dining room. We walked straight over to the table and joined the others.
"Now." Myra said to the table. "I think we best properly introduce ourselves." She spoke with a smile and to the whole table. "I'm Myra." She said, she nodded her head toward me.
"I'm Kenzur." I said quietly, and around the table we went one by one until we all went accept the last two cloaked figures.
"This is Hun." Myra said, pointing to the taller of the two. "And he is Talen, the crowned prince of Kesh. The reason we are all here." I looked at the other Talen. I couldn't see anything of him, because his hood was still raised, but I knew who he was.
"What do you mean, the crowned prince?" I asked. "Why would the crowned prince be here, and not in the palace?"
"I told you the outer villages where not yet affected." Myra said to Axel. He scoffed and took a small swing at her, but he missed. "Riza, why don't you fill him in?" Everyone looked at Riza and waited. The blind man took his time before starting the story.
"This foolish war began between the moon miners and the settlers." His voice was deep and memorizing. "Slowly, over nearly a hundred year, the small battles became more and more until a full on war involving all of Kesh began. One side was with the Moon miners, the other sided with Settlers. It was that simple. Nothing more, nothing less. Than another group started to appear. First they sided with the Moon miners, then with the Settlers. Over fifty years they played the two groups, until both would do anything the group asked. The group came to call themselves the Ring. And with the announcement of their name they told the two groups that it wasn't the Moon miners, or the Settlers that were to blame but the king. The people were quick to believe the Ring, and respond. Rebellions popped up all over the world, in the big cities. Their attacks where little and simple and nothing that really brought major attention to them, until about three years ago." RIza paused and looked over at Sylong.
"Some royal guards got mixed up in the fight. They started to quest their king, and seeds got planted in their minds. Seeds of evil." Sylong whispered.
"No." Riza said quietly. "It was much more than that. The family guards, the personal ones where killed before the palace was attacked, and replaced with traitors. All but two." Riza paused again, but he looked at no one. "We where to protect the prince, and we did a good job." Riza let out something that might have been a laugh. "No, he did a good job. Anyway, there was a ball the night of the attack. It was the princesses birthday, and the best celebration in the land every nobleman and women in the land where attending. The perfect chance to attack."
"The battle was bloody and… well it was a battle. If you haven't seen one yet trust me you will soon. It's…" Riza's voice faded out. "Everyone who wasn't part of the ring was killed. They killed the king first, and the queen next. Their next target had been the prince, but we had already caught on to what was going on. I took charge of moving the prince, while he took care of the ring. We ran into woods, and we where fallowed. I managed to protect the prince and get away safely. However he, my partner wasn't. He gave his life to protect us." RIza spoke with a reverence and peace that I hadn't expected to see.
"We've been running ever since." Talen said.