“End the war,” Saito said. “I’ll negotiate a Maantec surrender with Rondel and Otunë.”
“They’ll attack you as soon as you go down there. I saw the traitor fighting earlier. Even weakened she’s a whirlwind. No one can stand against her.”
“She won’t be able to hurt me, nor I her. I’ll use my biological magic and create shields around everyone in Serona, both Maantec and Kodama. That should stop the fighting long enough for Otunë and I to arrange a truce before real negotiations start.”
Belias bowed to his emperor once more, then leapt into the sky. Supported on a wind current, he flew southeast toward the Eregos Mountains.
“I never did find out if Belias survived,” the older Saito said as the Sky Dragon Knight disappeared into Serona’s smoky haze. “I like to think that he did.”
Rondel recalled the man’s blonde hair, and the way he’d fallen in love with a human. Something told her he had made it to Lodia.
She focused her attention back on the younger Saito. So his older self had spoken the truth; he hadn’t intended to curse the Kodamas.
But that was irrelevant. Intentions didn’t matter. Actions did.
The younger Saito returned to the tower’s edge. He focused, and white light swirled around him.
This was it. Saito was readying his final spell. Even though nothing that happened would change her mind, Rondel had to admit her ex-husband had peaked her interest. As twisted as Saito had become, he was never the type to lie to people, especially not a faithful servant like Belias. Saito had come to regret the war and his belief in Maantec superiority.
With that mindset, there was no way his spell should have become a curse on the Kodamas. What had gone wrong?
“When I first awoke, I believed my spell had gone awry,” Saito said as he watched his younger self summon more magic. “Over time though, I rejected that possibility. I intended to create shields for both Kodamas and Maantecs, yet the final spell only affected Kodamas. Had I made a mistake and turned the shield magic into attack magic, I would have cursed the Maantecs too.”
Rondel scowled, but it wasn’t because she was angry. It was because, despite her hatred of Saito, she had to agree with him. She had made the same observation.
“If your spell didn’t go wrong, what happened, Father?” Iren asked.
“I’ve had a thousand years to think on it. I’ve watched this memory over and over, searching for a clue. It took me hundreds of repetitions, but I finally saw it.”
“Saw what?”
“Wait a few more seconds. My younger self is almost finished drawing his power. It will happen right before he releases it.”
They all watched the younger Saito. The light around him stopped spinning and formed a glowing white ball in front of him. Rondel triggered Lightning Sight. Whatever was about to happen, whatever signal Saito claimed existed, she wanted to see it.
Just before the younger Saito cast his spell, he dropped to the floor, unconscious. The memory went black. As it did, Rondel gasped.
“Well?” Saito asked.
“Well, what?” Iren replied. “You lost consciousness. What are we supposed to be seeing?”
“A shadow,” Rondel whispered.
Iren regarded her. “A shadow?”
Rondel looked at Saito. However much he had changed, he still had those same beautiful sky blue eyes, the ones that had rescued her from her loneliness so long ago. “The ball of light was in front of you, and it cast a shadow behind you,” she said. “But right before you released the spell, that shadow grew and expanded partially in front of you.”
“I should have known Lightning Sight would notice it,” Saito said. “I wish I could have seen it that quickly. You’re right.”
“What does a shadow have to do with anything?” Iren asked.
“There’s only one light source on top of this tower: Saito’s spell,” Rondel said. “The sun is obscured thanks to the storm the Water Dragon Knight and I created. Any shadows should be behind Saito, because his spell is in front of him. How could there be a shadow on the ground that extends a few inches in front of his feet?”
“I can come up with only one explanation,” Saito said. “Someone else was up here with me. That person used shadow magic to come up through the tower roof. That’s why the shadow is an unnatural shape.”
Rondel folded her arms. She didn’t want to believe it, but the facts staring her in the face wouldn’t let her do otherwise. Saito hadn’t cursed the Kodamas. Someone else had taken his magic and manipulated it.
“I suspect I know who that person was,” Saito said, “but I’ve never been able to prove it until today. Rondel, let’s return to your memory.”
The scene switched back to the ground. Rondel and Otunë fought alongside each other, carving through the Maantec forces on their way to Edasuko Tower.
“You focused on your opponents,” Saito said, “but I’m sure you also kept looking at me. You knew I was up there, and that I was planning something. You wanted to reach me and kill me.”
Rondel nodded. She saw where he was going. “We can use Lightning Sight to see who was behind you,” she said, “and what they did after you lost consciousness.”
At the top of Edasuko Tower, the ball of light the younger Saito was creating grew larger and brighter. Rondel activated Lightning Sight, knowing Okthora’s memory would have recorded every detail. Whatever had happened up there, now they would see the truth of it.
The ball reached its apex. Rondel couldn’t see the shadow on the floor, but she knew it would appear soon.
Then she saw a man appear behind Saito. Rondel gritted her teeth. She knew the face the instant she gazed upon it.
Katashi Melwar swung a metal pipe and struck his emperor in the back of the head. Saito collapsed, but his magic floated in midair. Melwar fed his own energy into it. The ball twisted and darkened. Melwar must have used some biological magic too, because he aged ten years as he cast his spell.
Then he released it. The black energy leapt across the battlefield and struck the Kodamas. It shot past Serona and into Ziorsecth Forest. Some even went south, heading for the Kodamas in Aokigahara.
A bolt landed next to where all of them stood. It blanketed Rondel’s former self and Otunë in shadow. When the darkness faded, Otunë’s hair changed from green to white. He aged and died in Rondel’s arms.
The Rondel watching the memory turned away. “End it,” she said. “I don’t need to see any more.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Parting Words
The vision of Serona vanished. Rondel, Saito, Iren, and Divinion were back in the white space inside the Muryozaki.
“What did you see?” Iren asked.
“Melwar,” Rondel replied. “Katashi Melwar cast the Kodamas’ curse. He knocked out Saito and took over his magic.”
Saito dropped his gaze. “I didn’t want to believe my friend would betray me, but it makes sense. Katashi believes in Maantec dominance. He knew I was having doubts about the war, and that if the Kodamas took the advantage, I would surrender rather than do whatever necessary to wipe them out.”
Rondel knew Saito was right. She knew it, but it didn’t change anything. She glared at her former husband. Lightning Sight burned in her eyes. “So Melwar cursed the Kodamas. Who cares? You led the war effort. You’re still responsible for all the dead out there.”
“I know,” Saito said. “Akio, that’s why I wanted you to see all this. It wasn’t just so I could show Rondel that I didn’t curse the Kodamas. It was also so I could convince you that she was right to kill me. I need no one to avenge me, least of all you.”
Iren frowned. “Even if I can forgive Rondel for killing you, what about Mother? She had no part in the Kodama-Maantec War.”
Saito blinked back tears. “I never wanted Carita to become involved in my struggle with Rondel, but your mother had the strongest will and the most giving heart of any person I’ve ever met. I should have known she would never abandon me, that
she would never stay in the house and away from danger while I faced an enemy outside.”
The emperor paused and cleared his eyes. “Let me tell you a story, Akio. A year after I settled outside Tropos, the villagers came to attack me in a mob. They didn’t want a Left living near them. I stood alone against them, and I would have left Tropos had a young woman not stepped forward and shielded me with her own body. She said I had done nothing wrong, and if the townsfolk wanted to kill me, they would have to kill her too. The people backed down, but they told the woman that since she had defended a Left, she was no longer welcome in their village. Her decision to help me made her homeless. I couldn’t let her be cast aside like that, so I took her in. We were never officially married, but I like to think Divinion would have consecrated it had he been able.”
The Holy Dragon smiled. He hadn’t spoken in so long that Rondel had almost forgotten he was there. But then, this was a Maantec matter. It wasn’t the dragon’s place to force any of them into a decision, and he knew it.
“You two loved each other as much as any pair I’ve seen,” Divinion said. “You were bound together.”
“So, Akio, if you need someone to blame for Carita’s death, then let your anger be with me,” Saito said. “I knew Rondel stalked me, and I knew that living with me would put Carita in danger. I avoided personal ties for a thousand years for that very reason. Every time Rondel caught up to me, I ran from her. But I couldn’t do that with you and Carita, because for the first time I had people who cared for me, and whom I cared for in return.”
“But I can’t just let it go,” Iren said. “ How can I turn my back on what Rondel did?”
“If you won’t accept my reason, then know this: Carita would not have wanted you to burn your life away seeking revenge. What she would wish for is your happiness. If you want to honor her, don’t do it through vengeance. Do it through joy. Do it by living the happiest, most fulfilling life you can.”
Iren exhaled. He looked at Rondel a second. Then his gaze turned away.
Saito faced Rondel. “You’ve both heard what I had to say. That was the secret to escaping this prison, to listen.”
Rondel’s mouth fell open. “What?” she exclaimed. “I thought there was some deep meaning behind all this, like Iren and I had to reconcile and sing songs of praise to one another.”
Saito laughed. “That’s like you. I haven’t laughed in so many years; I miss it. No, Rondel, I’m through being emperor. I’m through forcing people to do what I want. I’ve given you two my side of the story. You decide what to do with that information. If you still want to kill each other, then I can’t stop you. The shield spell only works once.”
Rondel looked at Iren. She wondered what passed through his head. What would happen when they returned to the real world?
She would find out soon enough.
* * *
Iren Saitosan stared across the white expanse at his father. He didn’t know what to make of all this. He had seen the truth of the past. His father was innocent of the crime Rondel had slain him for, yet the man himself didn’t hold his murder against Rondel.
It didn’t matter. His father could forgive Rondel, but Iren never would.
Saito spread his arms. “Before you leave, I have a few final words I’d like to share with each of you individually. Once I finish, you’ll disappear from this place and return to the spot where you were fighting.”
Rondel stepped forward. “Let’s get this over with.”
Saito walked over to her, and their mouths started moving. No sound came from them. Iren frowned. They were at most ten feet away, yet he couldn’t hear a word of what they said.
They’d spoken about five minutes when Rondel reached up a hand and slapped Saito across the face. Iren expected her hand to pass through Saito the way it had earlier, but this time the impact rang out.
Saito didn’t get upset. On the contrary, he smiled at her. In that instant, Rondel disappeared.
As though nothing had happened, Saito walked over to Iren. “Your turn, Akio,” he said.
“What did you tell her?” Iren asked.
“If it was meant for you to hear, I would have let you hear it.”
Iren scowled, then grinned despite himself. “Fine. In that case, what would you like me to hear?”
“Exactly what I said to you earlier. Don’t judge Rondel. I don’t want vengeance, and your mother doesn’t either.”
“How do you know that?” Iren asked. “How do you know she wouldn’t want me to avenge her?”
“That’s the first thing I wanted to share with you. There’s a memory you should see. Not here, but later, when you’re in the real world. I can’t watch it again. Tell Divinion you want to see the memory from sunset on the summer solstice the year you were born. He’ll know what you mean. He always does.”
Iren cocked an eyebrow. “What happens in that memory? Some kind of fight?”
Saito shook his head. “Just watch it. If afterward you still want to kill Rondel, then I’ll have done everything I can to dissuade you.”
Iren didn’t see how watching a sunset would change his mind, but his father had said stranger things during this time inside the Muryozaki. “All right,” Iren replied. “I’ll ask Divinion to let me view the memory.”
Saito nodded. “Good. Then before you go, there’s one last thing I want to tell you.” He loosed a deep breath as though steeling himself. “It’s the secret to perfecting Muryoka.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Greater Evil
The last Iren saw of that white space was his father’s smile. In a blink, his landscape changed. He was at the bottom of a crater a thousand feet across and nearly three hundred feet deep. It surpassed even the devastation where the Heart of Ziorsecth had uprooted itself. Iren gulped as he realized what the place was: the aftermath of his failed Muryoka.
He glanced around and started. Rondel was behind him. Iren ducked, grabbed the Muryozaki at his feet, and came up in a defensive stance. Rondel raised her dagger. Lightning Sight flashed in her eyes.
Iren cursed silently. He couldn’t sense his magic. The time spent inside the Muryozaki hadn’t restored it. Rondel, though, had some energy left. If they fought, she would win.
She would win . . . unless Iren used the new knowledge his father had given him. He could defeat her with Muryoka’s perfect form.
He switched the Muryozaki to his right hand.
Rondel saw the shift and must have known what Iren intended. She stepped forward to counter.
Then she stopped. The ground shook beneath them. Iren frowned. Hana should be miles away with Melwar. She couldn’t be causing this.
The rocks beneath Iren and Rondel split open. A tangle of vines ripped from the earth and snarled around both their bodies up to their shoulders. The plants tugged on Iren’s wrist, and in pain he dropped the Muryozaki. The same happened to Rondel, and her Liryometa fell to the ground as well.
“What the—” Iren began, but then a spike grew from the vine closest to his neck. It stopped less than an inch from his windpipe. A similar thorn sprouted in front of Rondel’s throat.
Minawë stepped between them. Her emerald eyes bored first into Rondel, then Iren.
Iren gulped again. He’d never seen Minawë like this. She looked crazed. Her fists worked. Her right hand clenched the Forest Dragon Bow with such fervor that Iren wondered if she would crack the weapon in half.
“What . . .” Minawë seethed, “on Raa . . . do you think . . . you’re . . . doing!?”
Her last word screamed across the crater. It echoed again and again as it bounced off the steep walls.
Minawë’s baleful stare gave equal time to Iren and Rondel. “Which of you is going to Lodia with thousands of soldiers?” she demanded. “Which of you intends to conquer Raa and commit genocide?”
“Minawë . . .” Rondel’s tone was placating.
“Shut up!” Minawë roared. The thorn pointing at Rondel’s throat edged a hair closer. “I s
wear I’ll kill you if I have to.”
Minawë stormed up to her mother and slapped her across the face. Then she marched over to Iren and did the same to him. The blow sent shocks through his jaw; Minawë hadn’t held back at all.
“Can’t you see we have bigger problems than your stupid feud?” Minawë asked. “This was our one chance to stop Melwar before he launched his war. But no, you two decided the time was better spent blowing each other up.”
Iren’s eyes dropped to the ground. He’d left Goro and Chiyo’s farm to stop Melwar. Instead he’d let the fleet escape.
They were beyond reach now. Even if he left right away, he would need months to get to Lodia over land, and that assumed he could survive the wilds of Aokigahara Rainforest. Melwar had won.
“What would you have us do?” Rondel dared to ask.
Minawë whipped to face her mother, and as she did Iren saw a few tears fly from her face. Minawë was furious, but she was also on the edge of breaking down.
Rondel’s direct question, though, seemed to force Minawë back to reality. “We need to go after Melwar,” the Kodama said. Her voice still hummed with anger, but its manic pitch was gone. “Put your fight aside until we stop him. After that, you can do what you want. I won’t stop you.”
Iren met Rondel’s eyes across the crater’s expanse. “Melwar framed my father and set you on the path to killing him and my mother,” he said. “He’s at least as much to blame for their deaths as you are. I’ll still take my revenge on you, but I’ll agree to Minawë’s terms.”
Rondel glanced from Iren to her daughter and then back to Iren again. Iren wondered what the old hag was thinking. She’d seen firsthand that she’d been wrong about Saito, but she hadn’t changed. She would hold true to Okthora’s Law for all her days. If she saw Iren as evil, she would slay him. That was her duty.
“Evil must be annihilated,” Rondel said at length, “but some evils are worse than others. If I have to work with a lesser evil to defeat a greater one, then so be it. I won’t kill Iren until we defeat Melwar.”
The Flames of Dragons Page 19