by Rick Scott
The dojo appeared empty as well and he shuffled across the canvas-topped floor to reach the long corridor in the back that led to Olja’s cell. He stopped at the corner and ducked his head around it, expecting to see the upperclassmen still on guard duty.
But what he did see caused his heart to sink.
There at the end of the corridor, guarding Olja, was the lieutenant.
Curse my fate…
This was going to be more difficult than he had thought. Distracting or tricking people his own age seemed doable, but a high-Dan mystic warrior who was also a military officer? He released a sigh of frustration as his hopes sank even further. He truly would need a more comprehensive plan to deal with this. As he turned about to leave he came suddenly face to face with Master Hu Dong.
Hells be damned!
“Kenji?” Hu Dong said, as Kenji’s heart pounded against his chest.
“Master Hu Dong!” Kenji gave the most convincing smile he could manage. His heart raced as he quickly chose his next words. “I was just looking for you.”
“Yes?”
Kenji couldn’t tell if he suspected anything or not, but he’d need to answer quickly to prevent any suspicion from setting in, or dispel any that already had.
“I wish to use your office to begin the rope now.”
“Ah,” he said. “You may do so, but lower the shade…I would rather not too many people know of our arrangement.”
Kenji smiled. That suited him even better. “I will, Master.”
Perhaps the fates were karmically balanced after all. The lieutenant being here was a loss in one aspect, but having complete privacy while he crafted the rope was a win in another.
“Thank you, Master Hu Dong.” Kenji gave him a short bow. “I’ll head downstairs and begin now.”
* * *
A close one, Kenji thought. But he appeared to have come through unscathed.
As he entered Hu Dong’s office and lowered the bamboo shade over the doorway, a rush of excitement coursed through him. This was finally it—the moment to at last test his ability to imbue. He opened the small cabinet containing his belongings and quickly verified the most important item first. He breathed a sigh of relief when he opened the pages of his father’s journal. Thank the heavens…
Taking count of the ropes however, he was aghast to see that some of them were missing, lost on the boat perhaps. Curse the fates. He had only yellow, orange, red, and black left, but his faith was restored when he saw he still had the most valuable rope of all—the mysterious gold.
At least that was there.
He checked the three Han art tomes next and placed the first one aside, as he would likely need to refresh his memory on the techniques contained within shortly. He saw the book of spirit beasts was present, but not the book on the Tsu War history. Had it been lost on the boat as well?
No matter. His reason for taking it was to try and learn more about the Bloody Duke. But he’d already met the man in person and if he wanted to learn more all he had to do was reach 1st Dan apparently. Not that he was looking forward to seeing his former self again. The Duke had made it abundantly clear what his intentions were. That thought caused Kenji to pause. The Tsu warriors were after the exact same thing. And they were the Duke’s former followers, according to Waru.
Could they have been sent by him somehow?
That thought made him all the more eager to get underway. The sooner he freed Olja the better. Kenji started by re-reading a portion of the Han arts manual. He had only studied the imbuing portion in theory, but in a few moments he would finally be putting it into practice. Or attempt to, at least.
Like the ropes, the glyphs themselves required varying degrees of energy at the right level and intensity to imbue. The more complex the combination, the higher tier or density one’s Qi had to be to overcome the natural forces of the universe.
That was the way his father had always described it.
The Han techniques were about displacing energy, to shift the natural order… defying the heavens themselves by storing that shift in nature to be released at another time. It was like bending a bow. And the stronger the bow, the more force was required to both string it and draw it. But along with the strength of one’s Qi, the Han arts also required a great quantity of endurance.
The changing of physical things was beyond what most practitioners did. Mystic artists, as powerful as they were, affected the world in but brief moments of time, high impacts and effect. But to change things permanently required the energy of true creation. That was perhaps why Qi density was so important to their clan and why rebirthing might have been sought after in the first place. As his father had once put it, even if one were able to draw the bow, they would then need the endurance to hold it fast, for ages, until its shape conformed to its new state of being.
Kenji hoped that his Qi density would take care of that.
Withdrawing his writing implements from his sack, Kenji sat at Hu Dong’s desk and began scripting. Memories of working alongside his father played on his mind, lifting his spirits as he touched ink to parchment with the soft brush. He would finally become a true practitioner today.
A rebirther just like his father.
Although in this case it was to do something a bit different than making fruit.
He scribed a simple glyph as a test. A 1st-tier difficulty.
He held the red parchment between his thumb and index finger and within his mind’s eye focused on the exact pattern of meridians to open. It was like clearing channels within a dry riverbed. But now it was time to break the dam and allow his Qi to flow.
Please work…
He focused on his doma and released his Qi.
Sharp pain lanced through his stomach as the glyph flashed. It burst into bright-white flames and then immediately crumbled into ash.
“Fates be damned!” he cursed, clutching his stomach.
The pain continued as the iron taste of blood filled his mouth. That didn’t go well. It was as Mei Ling had said. His Qi had rushed forth like a tidal wave and destroyed whatever channels he had laid. He couldn’t control it at all. His Qi had been too strong. But that was only a 1st-tier glyph. The ones he needed to imbue for the rope would take far stronger Qi than that.
Perhaps it could still work.
Kenji ignored the pain in his stomach and set about to scripting again, this time with a far more complex glyph. He readied himself, clearing the pathways of his meridians, and then held the parchment aloft.
He closed his eyes. Imbue…
The glyph flashed like before, but this time it exploded with a sharp pop. Blood erupted from his mouth as his vision tunneled. Dear gods! Pieces of flaming parchment scattered across the office, but thankfully burned out before falling to the wooden floor. His stomach felt like someone had driven a spear through him by the wrong end.
He lay on the floor breathing heavily, trying to recover from the ordeal.
Curse the fates… This wasn’t going to work. He couldn’t do this with his doma in this condition. As he sat back upright, he considered his options, the pain still seeping through his gut. Trying to push his doma any further was futile and would probably kill him in the end.
He would need someone else’s help after all. But who?
He thought of tricking Hu Dong again, or even asking Mei Ling—but she’d done enough for him already and he couldn’t involve her with what he was about to do. There was really only one person left to consider whom he could trust, but it was the one person he was trying to avoid asking the most.
Curse me.
Shinoto had the chance for a new life here. And asking her would be asking her to not just to help him, but to risk throwing all of that away. He was perhaps foolish to try and keep avoiding the most obvious solution. But he had no choice now. He could have simply asked her for her help from the beginning, but he had tried everything not to have to.
Because just like asking her to the festival...
He kne
w she’d say yes.
Chapter 33 - True Intentions
Flames from the funeral pyre burned hot against Kenji’s face, but they did little to dry his tears. Even after having seen Waru pass over into the beyond, the finality of his separation caused Kenji’s heart to grieve. Perhaps it was not only Waru he grieved for, but his father as well. For everyone who had died in Han Village that day.
He prayed that they too, had crossed over that black gulf safely.
The few that had gathered to pay their last respects consisted of Mei Ling and the men Kenji had worked with to build the pyre, Master Hu Dong, and of course Shinoto and Chet Fai. The two youngsters wept as he did, Shinoto by his side. They knelt before a small altar in front of the funeral pyre and sent their prayers to the heavens with the sweet-smelling aroma of burnt incense.
Waru, if you can hear me, Kenji prayed. Please tell me I’m making the right decision this time.
He glanced over at Shinoto, her face damp with tears.
Heavens forgive me.
Kenji thought back to the moment right after his failed attempt to imbue, when he’d made the decisions to sacrifice Shinoto’s future for his own. Perhaps it was out of shame or guilt, but he’d thrown himself into work with an abandon, determined to finish the rope before the funeral began.
He’d started by studying both the Han arts books and his father’s notes before embarking on creating a rebirthing rope that would instead do the opposite. It would work on the same principle but would accelerate time in lieu of reversing. He was unsure how long it would take to rust iron, but he’d selected a length of orange twenty-year rope to use. Combining that with the element of water, he hoped that would be enough.
That was all contingent on if he could get the glyphs imbued, of course. He still wasn’t certain if Shinoto could perform the needed techniques with proficiency, but he was willing to coach her all night if need be—once he shared with her his plan, that was.
The ceremony ended and everyone made ready to return to the mystic school. Mei Ling and her staff bid them farewell as they prepared to return to their respective homes as well.
“Thank you again, Master Mei Ling.” Kenji bowed to her before she left. “Once again I’m in your debt.”
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
He smiled. “I am well.”
She squinted at him and he wondered if she could perhaps somehow discern that he had tried to use his doma. Eventually though she smiled. “Please don’t push yourself. If you feel anything untoward, come see me right away.”
He bowed to her again in thanks and bid her farewell.
As he followed along with Master Hu Dong towards the mystic school, Kenji tried to find the right opportunity to speak with Shinoto privately, but Chet Fai was clinging close to her side. As they neared the steps, Master Hu Dong bounded ahead using Qinggong, climbing the steps with ease. He knew Chet Fai and Shinoto were about to follow suit. If he wanted a chance to speak with her alone, now was the time.
“Shinoto,” he said, just before she was about to bound up the steps. “Would you mind walking with me?”
She stopped and so did Chet Fai.
“Why?” her brother asked, narrowing his eyes at him. “What for?”
Defiance stirred in his gut. He might not have full use of his doma, but his body was full of Qi now. Qi far denser than that of a rebirthed blue tier. Still, he was on the cusp of something that would require both stealth and subterfuge and stirring up Chet Fai would only add further complication to that.
He laid on a practiced smile. “Well… it’s dark and the lanterns are spaced far apart. I can’t climb the steps as easily as the both of you. It would perhaps be safer if one of you travelled with me, but it would mean a much longer trip.”
“Yes, of course,” Shinoto said and then reddened a bit. “I’m so sorry, Kenji, I should have considered that. I’ll walk with you.”
Kenji smiled sheepishly. “It’s a bit embarrassing. These steps were not constructed for dullards, it seems.”
“Exactly why you shouldn’t be climbing them,” Chet Fai said smugly. “This school wasn’t meant for the likes of you.”
“Chet Fai!” Shinoto said with a glare. “That was uncalled for!”
The adolescent scowled with disgust, shaking his head before continuing up the stairs and leaving them both behind.
Kenji smiled in victory. Chet Fai was indeed easy to manipulate. No way was he going to lower himself to the standard of a dullard and endure climbing the steps using his physical strength alone, much less to help him. He was perhaps lucky Chet Fai wasn’t quick-thinking enough to volunteer himself and use it as an opportunity to push him off the steps. Although hopefully something like that was beyond even him.
“I’m sorry,” Shinoto said. “I honestly don’t know why he acts like an idiot most of the time.”
“It’s fine,” Kenji said, ensuring Chet Fai was far enough ahead before starting his climb. “I’m sure it’s not an act.”
Shinoto burst out laughing and clung to his arm as they climbed the stairs together.
* * *
They reached about halfway when Kenji finally stopped. “Shinoto, I’d like to ask you something…”
She looked up at him quizzically. “Sure.”
He ignored the sickness in his stomach as he prepared to ask her for a favor far beyond what was reasonable. “I need your help imbuing something.”
“Imbuing?” she said, intrigued. “What?”
“A rope...I plan on freeing Olja and leaving the village with her tonight.”
Her mouth hung open. “What?”
“I know this sounds sudden but it’s a bit hard to explain,” he said. The last thing he needed was her learning about who he actually was on top of all this. “She needs me to go north with her.”
“North? Why?”
Kenji swallowed. “I don’t actually know...yet.”
Shinoto’s face suddenly curled into a scowl. “Absolutely not!”
Kenji blinked. “What?”
“I’m not helping you do something as foolish as that! You don’t even know her. What did she even say to you?”
Her face was flushed and heated. He certainly didn’t expect a reaction like this.
“We just went through the worst ordeal of our lives, Kenji, but at least we’re safe here now. Why would you want to leave?”
“It’s not that I want to…” he started, but she immediately cut him off.
“Are you still worried about that demon or something? About it coming after you?”
His face was now the one to flush red.
“Waru gave his life to ensure we got here. Why would you leave and throw that all away?” Her eyes glistened and her tone became pleading. “We have the chance for a future here, Kenji. Please don’t go.”
The way she looked at him when she said it, seemed like she was referring to more than just the three of them who had survived Han Village. His heart stirred and he wondered once again what he would be giving up by leaving her behind. But then again, Shinoto was still rebirthed as a child…what future could they possibly share together?
Despite that, he tried to put himself in her place. Without understanding everything, this would perhaps seem like more than a simply unreasonable request. It would seem like abandonment, like suicide even. But he still needed her help. He thought back to what Waru had said, about keeping his secret. But if he couldn’t tell Shinoto, then how else would she understand?
The guilt crept back in as he prepared to burden her with far more than he had originally planned. “All right, Shinoto… I suppose I owe you at least an explanation for why I’m asking this of you. But you may not like what you hear. And please, you can’t tell anyone else. Especially not your brother.”
Her throat flexed in a swallow. “All right…”
He sat down on the steps and Shinoto nervously joined him, her tiny legs trembling.
“I’m not who you think I am,” he said.
“I’m not even sure exactly what I am…”
She looked at him with even more concern. “You’re scaring me now, Kenji.”
“Perhaps you should be scared of me,” he said. “Because apparently…I’m the Bloody Duke.”
* * *
Kenji went into the details of his own self-discovery, starting with his father and then what he’d learned from Waru. Shinoto remained quiet the entire time, staring at him in perpetual shock and disbelief—or what he assumed had to be so. Her eyes shimmered as if with tears and her lips trembled.
“Is all of this real?” she finally said. “You’re some kind of legendary warrior?”
“I think so,” he said. “I even met him, I believe.”
“Met him? How?”
Kenji described that encounter next, the black beach and the celestial city. Those towering demons and the people fleeing for their lives.
“It sounds like a vision,” Shinoto said. “Like the kind you’re supposed to have when you ascend.”
“Maybe it was. Or something like it anyway. I saw Waru, you know?”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
“He was on that beach. I saw him make it across to the city though. He’s safe.”
“Did you see anyone else?”
“No one I recognized… except for the Duke… He looked just like me, Shinoto, only older and he had the markings of the Tsu. Like the ones that attacked our village.”
“And you think they came for you now?” she asked. “Those warriors?”
“Yes,” he said. “And the demon too. It’s what they were using to find me.”
Shinoto looked down, staring into nothing. “This is all too much to take in.”
Kenji exhaled deeply. “I’m sorry, Shinoto…I know it is.” Tightness caught in his throat as he prepared to speak further. “Everything I had feared turned out to be true. I’m the reason all of this happened. I’m the reason our parents are dead…that everyone is dead.”
Sickness filled his stomach. Saying it aloud was perhaps even worse than just thinking it inside his head. He paused to see how Shinoto would react, but she just kept staring at the ground.