The Mantle of the Past: A Scattering of Leaves Series Book One by Lewis A D'Ambra

Author:Lewis A D'Ambra [D'Ambra, Lewis A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The World of Kolgennon
Published: 2024-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

Zenukola

Supo of the Dolozolaz was a decade or more younger than Zenukola. The two old comrades had fought many times together, their partnership first formed decades ago during the civil war which plagued the kingdom under Kenkathoaz. The Dolozolaz were one of the few clans to have stayed loyal to the king throughout his reign. The Dolozolaz and the Zelrsaloz had provided the horsemen to add mobility to the formidable infantry force Kenkathoaz created. Supo had played an important role in that, leading the men of his kin from the outset. After those times, the pair had vowed never to let the kingdom fall so far again. With the stakes higher than ever, Zenukola was feeling the pressure to fulfil that vow.

Supo was in his fifth decade but fitter than many men half his age. Zenu had seen more than sixty summers and no longer had the strength of a warrior. His mind was still sharp though and he was determined to wield it to keep the empire whole. It is a partnership that reflects the kingdom as it should be, Zenu thought to himself. The clans providing the muscle and the manpower and the Deltathelon the leadership.

The two men strode through the governor’s palace in Yorixori. Zenu in a Xosu style toga as befitted an old and wise councillor, despite the difficulty he had wearing the garment with one arm, and Supo in his riding leathers, ready for the road and the battle with the Rilrpitu which lay ahead.

Although Kelbal and the other Companions had proved more stubborn than Zenu had hoped for, he had managed to convince Kelbal of the need to send Supo and Kalu with reinforcements to Dolzalo. Better still, the introduction of the Xortogun had been as effective as Supo had claimed it would be. The army was refusing to obey orders and that meant Kelbal had no choice but agree to send Kalu with Supo and Zenu’s guards alone. The White Shields would stay behind. Persuading Kalu and Kelbal of the importance of sending the column despite the munity had been the easy bit of that manoeuvring.

Kalu’s dispatch north would mean Kelbal would be isolated and Zenu would have the space he needed to initiate the actions to save the empire. With the army in revolt, the Companions would soon begin to feel the need to choose which loyalty mattered more, to Kelbal or to each other and the empire. The time to act had come.

Breaking the silence, Zenu said to his old comrade,

“Leave Dolzalo and Palmash to deal with the Rilrpitu. They are no more than a band of savages and should not be too much trouble once cornered. You must focus on Kalu, make sure he is not able to return and aid Kelbal.”

Supo nodded and replied. He had been quieter than usual, but Zenu put that down to an anxiousness towards the tasks he would soon face, an anxiety that Zenu himself was not immune to.

“The battlefield is a dangerous place, our fate there is in the hands of the gods.

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