Heir to the throne

Chapter 3

The men surrounded him as the child clung to his clothes, his little fingers leaving wrinkles on the worn fabric. Three against one seemed like terrible odds and Zyaan felt the worry growing. A little peasant from an island who had no experience in battle -the questions began to surface in his mind.

"Zyaan, stand down. If you wish to be in my service, do as I say!" Reiji roared, but Zyaan ignored him. He huffed. "Fine, whatever happens is your fault. I am not here to cause any trouble."

The Aisu prince sat on a bench and leaned back to enjoy the spectacle. Zyaan rolled his eyes at him and concentrated on the three men surrounding him. He needed to focus before these men sent him to the afterlife before he could even make it to Avadata.

"Last chance, Olin, hand over the thief!" the vendor barked through gritted teeth.

Zyaan's silence visibly vexed him, and with a roar, he charged like a madman. Zyaan stepped aside with a simple and graceful movement. The vendor went stumbling to the ground, a plume of dust powdering his shocked face.

Seeing his comrade's attempt fail, the bulky village leader growled like a feral animal and made the second charge. Zyaan hurled his bag toward the stampeding man. He lifted his arms to block his face. The clang of Zyaan's pots and wooden dishes echoed in the street as the sack collided with the man's brawny forearms. The crowd gasped and stepped back. Zyaan could feel their energy changing.

Tossing his sack aside, he let go of the little boy and picked up a bamboo table. As the men regrouped, he prepared a weapon for himself by breaking the table on the ground and securing two sturdy pieces.

The little boy crawled beneath the tray of a cart. Zyaan steadied his nerves and ignored the negative voices resounding in his head that fed his insecurities. Fighting men instead of dummies was different, but he needed the practice if he was ever going to get any better at combat.

The men made their plan as they huddled together, the crowd cheering for them like heroes. The village leader picked up a bamboo plank lying on the ground and gave it a whirl. The vendor reached into his pocket and pulled out a dagger. The third man didn't seem interested in a weapon.

The village leader roared and then charged, swinging the bamboo like a sword. Zyaan understood that to get struck by a man like this would be his undoing. He swerved out of the way. Whipping himself around, he struck quickly at the man's open back. The bamboo bounced as it whacked him. The man howled and Zyaan wasted no time landing a kick that sent the burly man flying to the ground.

Reiji sat up and leaned forward, elbows secured on his knees to prop his body. His eyes were now more focused on the fight.

Swinging wildly in every direction, the swiftness of Zyaan's movements stirred a resounding gasp from the crowd. His worn tunic twirled and snapped around his body. The little boy poked his head out from beneath the cart, his mouth hanging open.

"Zyaan, where did you learn to fight like that?" Reiji asked.

The men charged, cutting through his defense. Zyaan ducked and channeled his body weight to the bamboo sticks before he swung with both hands. The sharp edges caught the vendor on the knee, exploding upon impact. The man howled and fell to the ground in a heap. Zyaan kicked up to his feet and eyed the other two with confidence. This was easy!

"I'm going to kill you, Olin!" the village leader said with a snarl.

Zyaan dodged an incoming punch from the third man. Thinking quickly, he stepped back to break free. They eyed him with angry faces. The village leader charged. Zyaan met him with a thunderous flying kick to the face. The man seemed to fly momentarily before his cumbersome body smacked the ground. His eyes became vacuous circles in his head as he stared at the sky.