Kai: Taken

Kai sat on a barrel outside the town watch's office. He kicked his feet through the air, while maintaining a calm demeanor. Whistling, his eyes scanned his surroundings. Kai rarely had the opportunity to come to town, and the bustle of it always fascinated him. Unfortunately, the market was on the other side of town, and at this time in the day almost everyone would be there. Regardless of the time, this side had a morose, formal feel as it was home to the government buildings and the road.

In front of Kai was a stone paved road with a light covering of dirt that drifted in the calm breeze. It was the royal highway, and it went to every town in the Empire. Even though it offered easy and safe travel the road was almost always empty out here. This town was far from the populated areas of the Empire, and it was not know for anything other than being far away from interesting events. To his left Kai could see where it ended, pushed up against a worn stone fist holding a hammer. Kai knew that only visitors used that highway. Everyone else lived behind where it ended and used the dirt paths that Kai preferred. The stone highway belonged to the Empire, but the dirt trails were theirs.

Kai heard a thump behind him followed quickly by several conspiratory shushes. Turning Kai's eyes lit up. The butcher's boy, Steve, stared down at the thatcher's boy, Bradford, with outrage. Bradford sat on the ground hugging a freshly scraped knee. They were two were two of the three boys Kai's age that lived in town. Kai immediately ignored them, they were always bickering over some error that Bradford had committed. Instead, Kai's eyes found the third boy while a smile lit up his face.

"Hey there Kai, didn't think that I would see you this soon after you got in trouble." Zachary spoke with a smile, but there was concern in his eyes.

"I didn't think so either. My Mom said that I wasn't going to leave the Baron's farm for a month, but today she brought me on her trip. Kai spoke quickly in a hushed tone, glancing at the door to see if his Mom was peeking out as she had been every few minutes.

"My da said that you would get taken away for what you did to Ben," Bradford proclaimed.

"Shut up, Bradford, they aren't going to take him anywhere. Ben is fine he only got a few bruises. Kai won't be punished beyond a switching." Steve countered Bradford quickly and hit him on the head with an open hand. Bradford yelped, but continued speaking.

"Then why is his mom speaking with the soldiers?"

"They aren't soldiers. They are just town guards to keep the peace. They were born here. Soldiers aren't born here." Steve persisted in his argument with Bradford, but it soon turned into a wrestling match.

Zachary stepped around the two boys tussling in the dirt and leaned in to whisper. "I don't think anything bad will happen to you, but how did you do it? You were never a bad fighter, but Ben is five years older than you. And he's huge!"

Kai let out a loud sigh, "I don't know. He was just bullying me, and I got scared. Then, I was angry. After I stopped being afraid of him I just kind of hit him. I didn't mean to hurt him."

Zachary stared at Kai with intense eyes. "You didn't really hurt him. Despite what his Dad is saying, his leg isn't broken. But, he still needed to get stitched." Zachary took a long pause looking down at his feet. "You moved so fast, and when I looked at you I was scared." Then, Zachary looked up with a smile, "It was cool though."

Kai met Zachary's smile when a door creaking open made him turn. He met his Mom's eyes and they were teary.

"Come here Kai."

Kai looked back at Zachary and gave a small wave. Zachary returned the wave with a nod, and Kai hopped off the barrel.

Kai walked up to his Mom and asked, "where are we going now?"

His Mom didn't answer, just watched him with a helpless expression on her face. A shadow fell over Kai as a second figure emerged from the watch office.

"So this is the boy we spoke of?"

Kai's mom looked at the tall man and replied, "Yes, this is Kai."

The tall man grunted and looked down at Kai. Kai shrunk back. This man frightened him. He was tall and very thin. He had red hair and a pale face that was framed by the long hair that hung down to his neck. Yet, the man's eyes were where Kai's fear came from. Where normal eyes should have been there were two holes filled with a pale blue light that swayed as Kai looked on and made Kai think of a strong wind. Aside from his eyes there was nothing remarkable about the man. His face was not particularly handsome, and there was lack of expression on it. He wore a high-necked coat with a hammer on the left side and a closed fist on the right.

"Guardsman," the tall man barked suddenly.

"Yes inquisitor," a quick voice replied as Jeff, the fat guard that Kai had known his entire life, bustled outside sweating.

"You broke protocol. Any suspicion of Ocular power should result in immediate detention." As he spoke the inquisitor's eyes never left Kai. Jeff shifted uncomfortably.

"Well yes, but where would he go? He is only 12 and I knew that his mother would bring him in when it was time. I thought it would be a kindness to let him have one last week at home before you took him."

"Kindness is not your job. He is property of the Empire and must be held securely until delivered to the Order." The inquisitor responded with apathy. "I will take him now. We leave at once. You will provide a prisoner's cart for him. Ready it now, I do not wish to delay."

Kai's mom chocked back a sob, Kai looked away from the tall man to look at his mom. "What are they talking about? I don't want to leave? I didn't mean to hurt Ben. Mom you have to believe me. I will be good I promise." Kai's mom's composure broke and she began weeping while Kai felt a strong hand take his arm.

"You should feel fortunate to be able to provide such a service to the Empire. You will receive 500 suns for your service. This boy is exactly what the Empire needs in these times of strife." The inquisitor looked at Kai while pleasure seeped into his voice. But, Kai heard the inquisitor's words oddly. He felt as though he were underwater. Everything was slowed and noise was muted. He looked at the inquisitor, and saw the triumph on his face start to shift to concern.

A sense of injustice filled him at the sight of the gloating man, and Kai moved. Everything was trapped in the water. Everything but him. Kai pulled back from the hand, the fingers were not able to hold him. Once he was free Kai launched himself at the inquisitor's face, floating through the air as though the ground had pushed him up and the sky was his comforting friend. His fist shot toward the inquisitor's face, and Kai knew that it would connect. Kai knew that the nose would break. The man with the strange eyes would crumple, and Kai would run. They would not take him anywhere.

Before Kai even moved a glow began in the inquisitor's right hand. The glow built for only the shortest moment before exploding into the boy. It took less than a breath to happen, but Kai had already almost struck the inquisitor. The light met Kai at the apex of his jump, and it slammed him back to the wooden porch of the watch office. Kai felt a flash of pain before fading into unconsciousness.

"That is why you detain them immediately. They are a dangerous breed." The inquisitor spoke with a neutral voice but his eyes were wide and his breath came quickly.

"Oh god, is he dead? He wouldn't have hurt you." Kai's mother cried as she looked at her only child's limp body.

"No, I would not kill an asset of the Empire. But, his strike would absolutely have hurt me. This boy will grow to be more dangerous than I could ever hope to be. That is, if he survives the process. He is not what I thought he was. You will be paid 2000 suns. Also, the Empire will provide you with a husband. You gave birth to a ghost, a living legend. He will be given to the Order and placed under the Raven Knights." Excitement colored the Inquisitor's voice. It gave a cruel life to it.

Jeff rounded the corner of the building, huffing and red in the face. He stared at the inquisitor with shock, "The Raven Knights! But, they are all monsters. They are so dangerous that they are kept bound constantly. How could a boy from this town-"

"The danger they present is why I require your prison cart. Do I need to fetch it?" Cold hatred filled the inquisitor's face as he looked at the overweight guard.

"No, no of course not. The cart is already prepared. I will bring it around."

Kai's mother stood yards away from him in a stunned silence while tears flowed out of her horrified eyes. The rest of the street was empty, as only visitors used the Empire's road. Meanwhile, the inquisitor looked at Kai's crumpled form with a small smile on his face, "I will be well rewarded for bringing you in."

The deep rumbling of a prison wagon moving on stone broke the calm afternoon air in a quiet town. The clanking of chains chased people that were walking in the surrounding streets into their homes. The inquisitor loaded Kai quickly and set off. Only a lonely woman and a worn statue watched the wagon leave.