Hours earlier before the attack on the Baros camps, Kael had just arrived at the Ninji outpost days before. Now a headstone displaying the Zuli lightning bolt and twin swords crossed in front of it, his family seal, marked his father's grave. The grief almost immediately struck him, why did he let this happen to his father? Why could he not have been quicker, or an even better warrior? He dismounted his horse and kneeled at the grave. Then breaking the silence with a familiar voice. "Damn these outlanders. They took a good man." Zaron placed his hand on Kael's shoulder.
"That they did, and damn me for not saving him." Kael replied, still kneeling. His eyes were welled, and he didn't want the others to see him. "Zaron, I am glad you are still alive and well. My father would have been glad to know this as well. Why had you not sent back a scout?"
"No reason to, nephew. We killed another slew of a dozen Baros that came early the next morning. Well, eleven. One of them is still alive, unconscious but alive. We threw him into a wagon. We could take him back to the Gold Palace to get some answers. Anyways, enough of all that. We will get them back for what they did, they will not even see it coming."
"We cannot attack, Zubotu has requested we sit and wait. See what else they have planned." Kael said, standing up and moving back to his horse saddles. "I would love nothing more than to rid all of Suffering from these wretched animals. But my family's name means a lot to me. I cannot disobey the King."
"Disobey the King? Sounds just like your father. No wonder you outrank me. I would just be sure enough to go and kill them. Why don't we try to wake up that big one? Maybe he will talk, especially if we say we already sacked his village." Zaron said, chuckling at the thought.
"Enough, let me get my tent pitched, and ready myself to question him first. Who is the Captain now?" Kael said, looking around to the other thirty or fourty Zuli scattered around the Ninji outpost.
"Me." Zaron laughed. "The remaining are all rookies, this is their first battle. They haven't done too bad, but they gave me all the new guys." Kael was not that amused with the thought. How was he supposed to hold off the main Baros village or camps with inexperienced soldiers?
"You can use your father's old tent. No reason for him to use it now." Zaron chuckled, pointing toward the empty tent that had been cleaned out and ready for someone new.
"Very well." Kael said, unamused by his uncle's comments. He could smell the ale on his breath. They had all probably been drinking since they arrived. Probably the only reason the Baros prisoner was still alive, too drunk to walk up the hill to where he was being kept. "Have you fed or gave the prisoner water?"
"Aye, I had done that just before you arrived." Zaron answered. "I sent Zayen up there to feed him."
"Okay, give me just a few more moments and I should be ready to meet with this prisoner." Kael said. Kael had not seen Zayen for a few years. Zaron was keen on keeping him experienced. Zayen was the same age as Kael, maybe just a few months apart, but he didn't grow up in the Gold Palace, he grew up closer to Fulgur, the birthplace of the Zuli. "Zayen has been proving himself to you Zaron?" Kael said, trying to get an idea of how experienced his cousin was.
"The boy is getting good with the long sword that is for sure. His casting has gotten stronger as well, I don't know a man who could take him on at his age. Maybe you, but we would have to let you two spar it out after all this." Zaron said, grabbing another one of the ale bottles he had hidden under the cot of Tharos' tent.
"You really should cut back on that. Especially since we have no idea if another Baros hunting party will come this way." Kael said, motioning toward the bottle.
"Nonsense, this calms the nerves. Hell it might even help–," Zaron was cut off by a large flash of lightning that struck the hill where the prisoner was held. "Damn it boy, do not kill the prisoner!" Zaron shouted, grabbing his sword and dashing toward the location. Kael followed behind.
"I thought you said the prison was unconscious?" Kael said, sprinting toward the cast. "Still, impressive that Zayen can call on the lightning without a storm overhead. Not many of us can do that."
Zaron ignored Kael. They ran up the hill, when they arrived Kael instantly retched, charred hair, and burned flesh. Only one body laid on the ground face down. The Baros prisoner was gone. It was clear what had happened. Zayen had leaned in, likely to set the food down. That's when the Baros had struck. In the heat, Zayen had removed his armor, leaving only the uniform pants and his exposed chest. The prisoner must have ripped the shard from his chest in an instant.. Zayen reacted by casting the lightning, but because the shard, which limits the amount of lightning to the casters body, caused his heart to explode. Zayen apparently thought he could regulate it, but that was not the case. He now had not only the small hole from the shard missing, but where his heart should have been was just a hole, every bit of his upper body was scorched by the overwhelming power of the lightning.
"My son!" Zaron screamed, voice cracking. He stumbled forward, dropping his sword, eyes locked on the scorched remains. He fell to his knees beside the body, his hands trembling as if trying to piece it back together. "How… how could this happen, boy?" he whispered. "You were stronger than this…Damn you outlanders!" His voice echoed across the ridge. He pressed his forehead to the earth, the smell of charred flesh thick in the air. "Damn you all…"
Kael sent Zaron back to the camp while he and a few others buried Zayen. They could not move the body much as the charred body began to break a part. The had to dig a hole beside his body, and turn him into it. "This is not the best of burials, especially for you. I will miss you, Zayen. Until we meet again, with Azusa's blessing. May your storm never die." Kael said, shoveling more of the dirt over Zayen's body. He could not help thinking about missing his own father's burial. Probably would have been best if he wasn't there. He too, would have been stuck to a bottle too? Kael shook his head to himself, "No. I will get revenge on these outlanders. Tomorrow, I will come up with a plan."
Before Kael moved from the hill where Zayen laid freshly buried, rain began to fall lightly. The cool breeze pushed against his back. He closed his eyes to think, listening to the storm. Slow rumbles of thunder in the distance. Another of his family dead.
A huge clash of lightning broke the silence. From the hillside, he could see gold armor pushing to the west. Toward the Baros camp. "Zaron." He said.