Flamecaller

by Caitlin Ricci

  "What are you doing?" Shiro asked him.

  Kiyoshi stepped forward, leaving Taka behind. Haruo went to stand beside her. She wasn't hiding the fact that she was wearing her tanto knife very well, and he hoped that by being closer to her, he could help her hide her knife. His own was strapped under his shirt. Easy to get to but not as easily seen. Haruo wished they could have used their katanas for this, but that would have been too obvious.

  "I brought my wife to meet you. See, father, this is Taka."

  "Is she untouched?" Shiro demanded after giving her a quick glance.

  "Yes," Taka spoke up. It was a lie, but really, no one needed to know the truth here. They only needed to get close enough to kill Shiro, and Taka couldn't simply run up to him like Haruo knew she was desperate to do.

  Shiro nodded and waved them away. Kiyoshi stepped back and Haruo came forward. It was now or never.

  "I'm going to go make us some more tea," Kiyoshi said as he moved toward the door. "Taka, Haruo, why don't you stay and get to know my father?"

  "Did you really think it would be that easy?" Shiro's question ended on a mirthless laugh, and Haruo froze as he rose from the chair. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't recognize these two on sight? That I didn't know who this boy was the moment he entered the tournament? Kiyoshi, leave us. Bring my executioner."

  Kiyoshi stumbled and Haruo ran to him, taking him in his arms as Kiyoshi fell to his knees. "Kill him now," Kiyoshi hissed through his teeth. "Before the executioner takes me over. Once I'm him, you won't have a chance."

  "We barely have one now," Haruo mumbled as he let Kiyoshi go, letting him fall to the floor.

  Taka advanced on Shiro, taking the lead. There were no guards in the room with them, for now at least, but Haruo wasn't worried about them. He was far more afraid of the executioner than any dragon around. While Taka attacked Shiro with her tanto, Haruo took the time to shift. As a dragon he would do more damage, though he'd be slower to get into the fight. Taka only had to hang on until he could shift, then they could take on Shiro together, as long as Kiyoshi wasn't the executioner by then.

  As soon as he'd shifted and spread his wings, Haruo knew he'd taken too long. Kiyoshi was on his feet again and his hands glowed bright red. Taka was still fighting Shiro, and she looked like she was doing well. Since the executioner hadn't acted, Haruo had time to kill him. He knew he only had a chance for one of them, so he went for the executioner and tried not to think of him as Kiyoshi as he lunged for him and brought him down.

  With his dragon claws, he was able to get the poison out of the executioner's pocket, but he was unable to open the vial. The executioner stared up at him. There might have even been some of Kiyoshi left in him, but Haruo couldn't take that chance. He didn't want to fight the executioner; he didn't want to kill Kiyoshi either. But they had no chance and no choice unless he did this.

  He pried the executioner's mouth open and took the vial between his own teeth. Haruo crushed it, hating the taste of the poison and the sudden, sickening pain of the glass as it sliced through his lips and tongue. He held his mouth over the executioner's, dropping the poison onto his lips as he struggled beneath him.

  Something hard and heavy slammed into his side, and Haruo toppled off the executioner to skid along the floor. He righted himself in time to see Shiro come at him again. But this time Haruo was ready for him and Haruo sank his teeth into Shiro's arm, pushing as much poison into him as possible.

  Taka lay nearby, breathing but unconscious. Haruo released Shiro only to bite him again, this time on his shoulder. Shiro's movements slowed, even as Haruo found himself struggling as well. He let Shiro go, dropping him to the floor as he stumbled along, his wings laying heavily over his sides. He should go to Taka, but he knew Taka was fine. She hadn't been poisoned, and she was still breathing. Shiro's breaths were raspy gulps of air, much like his own, and Haruo wanted to be with Kiyoshi. He owed him that.

  Haruo shifted back and pulled Kiyoshi onto his lap. "You did your best," he mumbled through his pain and the blood in his mouth. "Thank you."

  Kiyoshi shuddered in his arms. Haruo took his hand, threading his fingers with Kiyoshi's and hoping he could still feel that much at least.

  The guards rushed in, but it didn't matter now. Shiro lay dead behind him, and Kiyoshi didn't have much longer either. The guards were too late to save their emperor or his son.

  Haruo stayed with him as long as he could. As long as the guards would let him before pulling him away.

  *~*~*

  Kiyoshi woke with blood in his mouth and a shroud around his body. It took him all of a minute to realize he wasn't dead, and also to remember what had happened to him. Within minutes he was sitting up and then walking toward his bedroom door. He hadn't woken up in his childhood bedroom in years. Judging by all the candles that had been left around the room, someone clearly thought he was dead.

  He hugged the wall, needing the support as he stumbled along. The first guard he saw simply stared at him. "Where are Haruo and Taka?" he demanded.

  "Sire, they-they—"

  The guard's stuttering didn't help, and neither did him losing consciousness.

  When Kiyoshi woke up again, he was in his father's study. Or rather, it would be his study now, he realized. The guard had called him sire, so presumably his father was dead and he was now the emperor. A healer stood over him, and he quickly waved her away. "I'm fine," he grumbled. "Where are Taka and Haruo?" Surely someone there knew.

  "Sire, they're in the cells. They murdered the emperor. They tried to kill you as well," one of the guards filled in for him.

  "Bring them to me." When no one jumped to do as he'd said, Kiyoshi glared at them all. "Now, please. I did not stutter."

  They were quick to obey him this time, and Kiyoshi had just enough time to compose himself before Haruo and Taka were led into the room. They were filthy, and they were in chains, but at least they were alive.

  "You're alive," Haruo said. He sounded happy and relieved.

  Kiyoshi smiled at him and wished he had the strength to go to his friend. He was relieved that Haruo was alive, and glad that he was there as well to join him. But with an audience around them, he wouldn’t say anything to Haruo to risk giving away how much the other man meant to him. "I was just thinking the same thing about you. Taka, how are you holding up? And, guards, get these chains off of them. They are my guests. Once they are free, you will leave us alone."

  "But they killed your father," one guard protested.

  "And you're still weak," the healer added.

  Kiyoshi wished he were back in his apartment in Tokyo and free of all of this already. "I know they did, and I know I am. I still told you all to leave."

  Thankfully they obeyed his orders without any further fuss, and soon the three of them were left alone. Kiyoshi waved them both forward. He didn't have the strength to go to them. "Taka?" he asked her again, once they were sitting in nearby chairs.

  "I'm unharmed. It seemed like they didn't know what to do with us. Now I know they must have been waiting for orders from you. Kiyoshi, I'm sorry I judged you so poorly." She took a deep breath. "You really did help us. Will you forgive me?"

  As far as he was concerned, there was nothing to forgive, but he only answered, "Of course." He turned his attention to Haruo. "Have you heard them screaming since my father died?"

  "You died as well, though only for a moment. You didn't know?"

  Kiyoshi had no idea. "Who told you that?"

  Haruo stood up and came to sit closer to him, invading the chair he was in so that they could sit together. "The spirits did. You died and apparently I killed you. Everything will be okay now."

  It was a nice thought, but Kiyoshi didn't want to be the emperor. There never should have been an emperor on the island. Before they'd been conquered, Haruo's people had been doing just fine on their own. "I'm going to go back to Tokyo. You'll all live the lives you should have had from the beginning. I don’t want to leave you, but the island
will be better here without me on it, and you will be as well." Though he would miss Haruo.

  Haruo took his hand and Kiyoshi stared down at their entwined fingers for longer than he meant to. "I'd like you to stay here. With me," Haruo said.

  "I won't be the emperor," Kiyoshi protested.

  "No one is asking you to be," Taka quietly spoke up. "Be a villager. Hunt and fish with us. Share in the harvest. Will teach you how to live in harmony with this island instead of trying to rule her."

  Kiyoshi slowly nodded. A life of harmony with the island, and with Haruo, sounded like just what he needed. He welcomed his second chance to put his past mistakes and sins behind him, and he embraced his life with Haruo at his side.

  FIN

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Caitlin is the author of many books including some Rainbow Award winners. While most of her books include shifters, she does write a little of everything. She was first published in 2012 and since then hasn’t stopped writing. When she’s not writing she enjoys gardening, hanging out with her dogs, and watching movies with her husband. She lives on a small farm in Missouri.

  Website: www.CaitlinRicci.com