Zola Chronicles: Will of Fire- prologue pt 3

Saiga jumped backwards dodging the slice of Fang's wooden sword. Quickly he brought his own sword up to block the return strike, shoving Fang's sword out of the way he lunged forwards and halted the sword tip resting at Fang's throat.

"I win!" He crowed even though he didn't move an inch.

"You really think?" Fang shot back, gasping as he caught his breath, his sword resting on Saiga's side.

"Fine, tie. Again." Saiga laughed rubbing his sweat soaked silver hair out of his face.

The pair straightened, and began walking through the village. "So Saiga, do you think you're going to enter the festival tournament tomorrow after all?"

Saiga looked over at Fang, the two of them had been best friends since they were little. "Are you kidding Fang? We may be able to enter, but only people over thirteen ever do.

"So what." Fang complained as the pair walked down the shaded alley between housed. "People under thirteen only enter 'cause real swords are used in the fight. You're turning thirteen in a few months, and you're as good as any adults in this village. If you make the finals you're a Hunter.

Rolling his eyes Saiga stopped and glared at Fang. "If it's like that then why don't you enter? You're just as good as I am, and we're the same age."

"Yeah but..."

"Great, so if I enter, you have to enter too."

"I didn't say that."

"Okay it's decided. Tomorrow we both enter the fighting tournament."

Resigned, Fang sighed as he ran to catch up with Saiga. Once he caught up the two of them walked through the town talking quietly.

The pair stopped when they heard someone calling, they turned to see Brent, Fang's six-year-old brother running towards them.

"What's up Brent?" Fang asked when the other boy caught uup with them. "Did something happen at Saiga's house?"

"No. But Dad and Mr. Lucas, want Saiga and you to go to the stables, brother."

Fang and Saiga looked at each other, shrugging they turned and followed Brent to the stables. Whispering the two fell behind a little. "I can't believe you and Brent are actually related. You two look nothing alike."

Fang looked at his brother's red hair and pale skin, mentally comparing it to his own blue-black hair and tanned skin. Raisin an eyebrow sarcastically he looked over at Saiga. "Oh, and with your height and hair you look exactly like your sisters."

Saiga rolled his eyes, grinning. "Okay. I get the point, but i'm not related by blood to Feather and Correl.

Laughing Fang pointed at the two girls waiting outside the stable. "Speak of the devil."

Correl and Feather, Saiga's little sisters were golden haired angels, about the only resemblance they had with Saiga were the gold-brown eyes that everyone in the Desvetta region had.

Saiga stopped in front of the girls. "What are you two doing here? You're not coming with us." Brent glared at the girls as he talked to them.

"Stupid Brent, you're not going either so don't be so stuck up. Besides we only came to give Saiga his dagger." Correl held up the sheathed knife, and leather belt.

They shoved the weapon into Saiga's hands before grabbing Brent and dragging him away.

The boys glanced at each other before shrugging and walking into the stable. Their fathers were waiting by the mounting blocks with the boys horses already saddled.

As Saiga and Fang mounted, Vessex explained what the had to do. "A pack of feral dogs was spotted near the canyons leading edge. We want you boys to scout them out and drive them away from the herds. Don't, try to fight them."

"We know already, sheesh. It's just the same drill as usual." The two of them set their horses to a trot and headed for the village gate.

When they got there they heard a commotion just outside the gate. The guards were pointing spears at something just beyond the gate. One of them looked behind him and saw the boys approaching. "Ahh... Saiga can you get that monster of yours under control? It's trying to enter the village again."

Scowling Saiga spurred his horse forward. "Cypher is not, a monster."

The guard glared right back, jabbing at Cypher with his spear. "If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's..."

"Not, a monster." Saiga cut the guard off as he rode past them and out the gate with Fang. Cypher turned and followed them. Easily as big as a lion, Cypher was built like a wolf with large, fox like ears. The animal easily kept up with horses, often running ahead of them.

The boys took turns racing across the desert wasteland, as they road south following the canyon. Just as the sun passed it's peak the boys crested a hill, and scent of death hit them. The horses shied away from the field, at least five cattle corpses were strewn across the field, the scent of rotting dead was overpowering.

Saiga covered his mouth as he reined his horse in. Carefully he dismounted, tossing the reins to Fang, who was watching the horizon warily, bow ready, arrow nocked.

Picking his way down the hill, Saiga crouched beside the first corpse, studying the pattern of wounds. The hair on the back of his neck rose and he placed his hand on the ground.

In a flash he drew his dagger and was running back up the hill to Fang. Quickly he bent down and his hand over the saddle checking the stirrups and cinch.

"What's the rush Saiga? This kill is days old, the dogs are long gone." Fang sounded like he was trying to convince himself more then Saiga.

"Crek." The old insult slipped out, which proved just how nervous Saiga was. "Look at Cypher, he's only like this when monsters are around." Saiga jerked his chin at Cypher. The animal was completely different, his thick black fur had turned diamond hard, like armor. His hackles were up and he was snarling his normally light blue eyes were flashing red.

Vaulting into the saddle, Saiga twisted around to look behind him. In the distance you could hear wild howling that was fast approaching. He looked back at Fang.

"This is a spiral wolves nesting ground, if we don't get out of hear now, we're dead."

Fang felt his mouth go dry as they turned the horses back towards the village. Spiral wolves were monsters that ran in packs, easily mistaken for wild dogs, they had a whip like tail tipped with a spiral shaped cone that secreted a lethal poison.

Fang licked his lips before he argued. "But spiral wolves are forest monster, they never leave the canyon woods."

At the same time the boys glanced behind them to see the large pack, easily twenty, come boiling over the hill side. As one they set the horses to a gallop Cypher easily keeping stride. Saiga shouted to Fang, his voice whipped away on the wind. "Well apparently someone forgot to tell the monsters."

***

"What do you mean by that Dad? Come on, stop joking around." Shock tore through Saiga as he stared at his father. The two of them stood in the yard behind the house. The sun had set and stars were beginning to come out.

Lucas' voice was thick with grief and frustration. "I'm not kidding Saiga. While you were out scouting Aizea made a surprise inspection of the village and they took Correl and Feather away."

"Then why didn't you stop them!?" Saiga shouted.

The punch came out of nowhere, Saiga stumbled backwards, rubbing his cheek, where Lucas had punched him. He didn't stop glaring at his dad.

"That is enough!" Lucas yelled back. "For nearly 10,000 years Aizea has ruled this world with an iron fist."

"You saved me, why not your own flesh and blood. You still could have done something!"

"And the entire village would have suffered for it. They were entirely different circumstances."

At last Saiga looked away, staring down at the ground his silver hair covered gold-brown eyes that shone with all the rage, fury, and grief of an aching heart. "I know that, but still. I hate it... that kind of thinking."

Lucas sighed, suddenly he felt tired and old. "Saiga, you are an idealist. But you need to remember that this isn't the Age of Heroes anymore. It hasn't been since the Zola vanished. Turning Lucas walked back to the house, he paused in the door frame and looked back at Saiga. "Feather and Correl are slaves of Aizea. From this day forward they, are as good as dead."

When Saiga was alone in the yard he stood there, for what felt like the longest time. Before turning and walking over to the practice shed that held their weapons. Saiga reached up and pulled the sheathed sword off the walls hook. Holding the blade away from himself Saiga though about the old village custom that said children under thirteen couldn't wield a real sword.

Gritting his teeth, Saiga drew the sword and threw the sheath in the dirt. The blades steel shone silver in the light of the rising moon. Without thought Saiga swung the blade down, moving into the first pattern dance. He swung that blade from dusk 'till dawn. Until his hands were bloody and all that time he never once realised he was crying.