Legacy

Chapter 7 - The End of Innocence

The next day passed in similar silence. A quiet tension had descended on the farm and although work needed to be done it was neglected. Only the appearance of chores was undertaken. Kane was sure to never strain himself or perform tasks that would tire him out, moving about the farm slowly and deliberately. Old patterns were forgotten and tossed aside. He made sure that he could always see to the horizon despite whatever job he undertook and he never remained in one place long enough to give an attacker a chance to get close.

The young prince was content at first to remain cooped up but, as the days wore on, he longed for freedom and to feel the wind in his hair and set the world to his heels. Even the new books he'd acquired in town offered him little comfort. By the morning of the fifth day the high tension had begun to take its toll and was turning to weariness. Barabus sent a runner a couple of times but there had been no news or developments. Things had remained basically unchanged since the night at the pub.

With the last remaining field of golden grain already past its peak, Kane was forced to head out at dawn that day to begin the final harvest or let the whole field rot. The sun beat down on him mercilessly – the wind had stopped blowing and the humidity had climbed to the highest it had been in months.

Curls of heat twisted in the air and the cry of a lone hawk could be heard in the distance as it circled high above. Wiping the sweat from his brow Kane watched the black speck, trying to determine what the bird of prey was hunting from such a height, its eyes sharper than it claws.

The golden stalks that stretched across the southern field rustled gently as if blown by a light breeze. Kane froze and listened. The rustling came again. He lowered his gaze to the field in front of him and shifted his grip on the scythe. There was no stalk out of place, no rustle of movement; it was moment of perfect calmness. There came a rush of wind and a violent caw rung out as the bird dove at Kane, its talons outstretched as it prepared to strike with deadly accuracy at his eyes. In one fluid motion Kane swung the scythe upwards in a perfect Hou and split the bird in half; leading into Gen as he lashed out towards his blind spot catching an assassin in the side as he leapt, sending him tumbling like a rag doll. The bloody scythe returning to the ready stance before the remaining assassin could strike.

With deadly accuracy two daggers flew from the field. With a single motion Kane swung the blade into the Dou – the great circle – the spinning scythe parrying the daggers and sending them clattering to the ground. He shifted his stance and charged into the field, the scythe swinging back and forth in Gen as it cut a deadly swathe through the field towards the unseen attacker. Another dagger flew out low to the ground which Kane blocked effortlessly never taking his eyes from the concealed thrower. He shifted sideways striking downwards with a Reverse Hou that clashed down hard against the assassin's upturned blades.

The killer leapt backwards from his hiding place trying to escape Kane's next assault, his face concealed beneath a low round straw hat. The assassin was the faster of the two and tried to turn it to his advantage, ducking and weaving before lashing out with his two wicked blades. He moved quickly, dodging and blocking the deadly fluidic swings of the scythe as he tried to penetrate Kane's circle of death and strike a killing blow. He flung a dagger. Kane switched to Dou reflecting it away as the assassin dove to the right out of reach and sprang forwards from the side, his blade outstretched. With deadly accuracy Kane switched from Dou to a one-handed reverse Hou impaling the assassin in the back, straight through his heart. The victim hit the ground hard and barely managed to cry out in pain before the blade was wrenched out of him.

With slow and practiced caution Kane swept the field, looking for other signs of hidden dangers. Only once he was satisfied that all was safe did he return to the two lifeless corpses. They were dressed in camouflage jackets and straw hats that covered their faces, all designed to let them approach unseen through the field. Carefully he uncovered their faces but even without doing so he knew that two assassins – one tall and the other short and squat – could be none other than Keffa and Zolo. They bore no badges or anything that identified them but they had come to kill, and that meant they had to be Hunters from Praxis. Kane dragged the bodies to the side of the house and threw them on the wood pile along with the scythe.

When Kane opened the door to the house the matron was already busy filling their bags with supplies. Kingslayer lay on the table wrapped in purple cloth, and the prince sat, bag in hand, anxious and doing his best to stay out of the way. Kane gave a brief nod as she briefly tried to decide between packing a loaf of bread or a package of dried meat. He walked over and removed a set of heavy stones from the top of the fireplace.

At first glance they appeared to be mortared in place like the others but they came away easily, revealing a hidden compartment protected from the heat below. Within was an old metal box still sealed as it had been when taken from the palace all those years ago. Beside it there was a small glass bottle stuffed with cloth protecting twelve carefully cultivated Keid seeds, each one worth more than most people earned in a lifetime.

"Young prince, we have to go," Kane said. This box is your inheritance. It has been passed down by your family since its founding. Your father, the emperor, called it the eternity chest. I believe that tradition dictated that each emperor or empress contributed their most treasured keepsake to the chest. I had intended to give it to you on your naming day but it is best if you take it now. Guard it well." Nothing else was said as Archon and the matron finished their work, gathering up anything of value or necessity that could be taken.

"Take the Keid plant; it doesn't travel well and you have earned it," Kane said as he handed her a glass bell jar containing a small plant with a single gossamer blue flower.

"Who were they?" she asked.

"Keffa and Zolo."

"Young prince, have you got everything?" the matron asked. The prince sat staring at the box in his hands and just nodded. He was desperate to open his legacy but knew that it must wait.

Two short shrill whistles came from the distance followed by a third long one. They made one last sweep before Kane lifted the pack and Kingslayer, concealed in the wrap, tied to its base. The elderly matron carried only a small bag with those few irreplaceable essentials from a lifetime of service and devotion, cradling the bell jar carefully. The young prince left the old house without a second glance and Archon took one last long look at the home he'd built over the past twelve years before setting several carefully prepared tinder blocks alight with a torch and then tossing it towards a sack of cloth.

Barabus's son was standing outside, still out of breath and wheezing frantically having run all the way from the village. He stared in shock as the flickering flames began to grow in the house in front of him. When the roof caught fire it started to let out a thick heavy blue smoke that reached towards the world shell.

"The blue smoke."

"Yes, I'm afraid so, young one. What's happened with Falstis?"

"How did you know? He's gone; him and his missus vanished in the night. The watchers were blinded by a burning yellow gas that exploded in front of them. By the time they recovered, the family was gone without a trace. We think they headed for Three Lakes."

"I see. We must hurry, his sons attacked this morning. They were Hunters from Praxis. It's only a matter of time before the Iron Army arrives. Escort Sofia back to the village and thank your father for all his help. But the time for the blue smoke has arrived and we must all scatter to the four winds. When the Iron Army arrives they must find nothing but a ghost town."

"I can't believe it's really come to this. I'd always heard the stories and been prepared, but it doesn't seem real."

"It never does, but this is what must be. Go now, time is of the essence and we must be far away from here when they arrive," Kane said.

"All glory to the prince in hiding." The young boy took a look at his friend as if seeing him for the first time, before turning to take the old woman's bag and leading her along the path back to the village. Kane and the prince stood in silence watching as their home burned. Only once they were sure the flames has taken and that all would be consumed by their heat did they at last turn, heading across the hill, towards the distant forest and away from the village.