Storm Phase Series: Books 1-3

by Hayden, David Alastair

  “You’re up and around,” Kemsu said, glancing at Turesobei and then looking back to Iniru.

  “Only just,” he replied.

  “Kurine will be delighted,” Kemsu said, with a tone of … irritation? … resentment? “Iniru, are you ready for that sparring practice?”

  “Not yet,” she said. “I’m still recovering. I was sick and injured for a long time before I came here. I still really need the rest.”

  “No problem. We’ll get to it eventually.” He flashed a smile at her again. “Wish I could stay and chat, but Narbenu is going hunting today.”

  Kemsu strutted away, and Turesobei decided that he didn’t actually like Kemsu much. He also didn’t like the way Iniru had … well, she hadn’t actually flirted with him. But she hadn’t discouraged him, either.

  “Iniru,” he said.

  “Yes?”

  Turesobei realized he was straying into dangerous territory with her, especially given his new betrothal. “Nothing.”

  She raised an eyebrow at him, but let it go, thankfully.

  A goronku man he didn’t know brought him a plate of food. As he ate, everyone fell into a depressed silence.

  “Well, we’re a happy lot,” he said. “Should I be the one to bring it up?”

  “You mean,” said Enashoma, “the fact that we’re never going to get out of here?”

  “We decided not to discuss it while you were recovering,” Zaiporo said.

  “What have you been talking about, then?” Turesobei asked. “I figured you would be talking about that all the time.”

  “We haven’t really spent a lot of time together,” Enashoma said. “We eat together every day, and that’s about it, except when we’re visiting you. You’re not the only one who needed a lot of rest, you know. That’s most of what we’ve done. Sleep, eat, try to recover. We’re all exhausted. We’ve been through a lot.”

  “Even Motekeru is resting,” said Zaiporo. “Or meditating. Hibernating? I don’t know, really. He and the hounds have a room, and they’re resting there away from everyone. He prefers that, but I think the hounds should roam around and enjoy themselves more.”

  “I’ll get them out later,” Turesobei replied.

  “Mostly we didn’t talk about escaping the Ancient Cold and Deep,” said Iniru, “because what hope do we have? And if you hadn’t recovered, we’d all be stuck for certain. So we waited.”

  “You do have some idea about how we can get back, don’t you?” Enashoma asked.

  He shook his head. “I’m … I’m really sorry. I’ve got nothing.”

  “We’re trapped here permanently?” Enashoma asked with tears welling in her eyes. “It’s so cold and so … so far from home.”

  “I thought you’d have some ideas, at least,” Iniru said.

  “The Winter Child was the only way I know of.”

  “There has to be another way, though,” Zaiporo said.

  “The Shogakami used this land as a prison,” Turesobei replied. “Which stinks for the people who live here, by the way. If there was a way to get out of here, the yomon would’ve used it.”

  “Could it be something you could do that the yomon couldn’t?” Zaiporo suggested. “Something wizardly?”

  Turesobei shrugged. “There is a chance to find a way that we could take but the yomon couldn’t. Narbenu mentioned a place called the Forbidden Library. There might be knowledge there that I could use. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up, since it’s forbidden and the goronku don’t know much about it. The odds seem poor at best.”

  “We can’t give up hope,” Zaiporo said.

  “I agree,” Turesobei replied. “But for now, we need rest. And we won’t be able to reach the Forbidden Library if we don’t learn how to survive in this environment first.”

  “Turesobei! You’re up!” Kurine called out, having emerged from the door on the far side of the common area.

  Iniru stood. “I’m taking a nap now.”

  “I’ll join you,” Enashoma said.

  “I’m going to check on Motekeru and the hounds,” Zaiporo chimed in.

  Chapter Seventeen

  While Turesobei’s companions escaped, Kurine wrapped him into a giant … bear … hug and lifted him. “You’re better!” she squealed. “At last!”

  She set him down. Her expression was radiant. He was so screwed.

  He squirmed free. “I still need a lot more rest.”

  “But you’re up walking …”

  “I am.”

  “We haven’t talked in ages.”

  “I know, and we really need to talk about —”

  “About your birthday? I’ve already made all the plans. I know it’s in three days …”

  “It is.”

  “But I’m thinking you’re definitely not well enough for partying yet.”

  “Definitely,” he replied. He took her hand and led her to sit down beside him. “But it’s not about my birthday, Kurine. It’s about us — you and me.”

  Her lips puckered into a frown. “That sounds serious.”

  “Well, it is. I just found out we’re … supposedly … engaged.”

  “Not supposedly. We are engaged.”

  “But I didn’t agree to it, Kurine.”

  She pinched him on the cheek. “Oh, yes you did, silly. You accepted my kiss.”

  “But I didn’t know that’s what it meant.” He wanted to say he’d just done it to be nice, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that. “I kissed you because …”

  “Because you like me. Obviously.”

  “Well … in my world, that’s all accepting a kiss would mean.”

  “I know.”

  “You do?!”

  She sighed. “I didn’t know you didn’t know then, but I do know now. The little demon told me. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you. I promise I didn’t know. I was so excited when you returned. You were a hero, and I really like you. And it’s not like there are any decent men my age around here. I honestly didn’t think you’d accept, especially not so soon. I was being rash, but you did accept — you were as much into me as I was into you.” She smiled. “It was one of the best days of my life.”

  “It was?” Turesobei blurted out.

  “My life’s not as exciting as yours. I make clothes. I do chores. I’ve only once traveled more than a day away from the village.” She stroked his cheek. “I knew you had just lost your betrothed, but I didn’t really understand, and I didn’t know everything you’d been through. You, poor, poor boy. If I’d known, I promise I would have waited longer before asking you.”

  “Well, maybe since we had different ideas about what the kiss meant, we can back up and —”

  She recoiled as if he’d struck her. “You don’t want me?”

  “No, no. It’s not that. It’s just …” What in Torment was he supposed to say? That he didn’t want to marry her, no matter how pretty and perky she was? That he thought she would make a terrific friend? She wouldn’t want to hear that. As he hesitated, tears welled up in her eyes. He had to give her some hope. “I want to get to know you. To get married … we’d need to spend time together first.”

  “We have chemistry. That’s all you need.”

  “It — it is?”

  She cheered up. “Un-huh. We’re really going to get to know each other well once we’re married. We’ll have the rest of our lives to grow close.”

  “Don’t you think it’s best that we get to know each other before we decide to get married? What if after a few days together we don’t like each other?”

  “I can’t imagine that. I know you’re attracted to me. I know you like me enough to marry me.”

  “You — you do?” It was news to him. “How?”

  “I just know. Just like I know you’ll get over your infatuation with the assassin girl.”

  “You know about me and Iniru?”

  “The little demon told me all about your history together.”

  “Then … you must know
how much Iniru means to me.”

  “It was a boyhood crush. You’ll outgrow it.”

  “I risked my life, my sister, my clan … everything for Iniru.”

  “For love. You risked everything for love, not her. There’s a difference.”

  “There is?” He shook his head. “Never mind. The point I’m trying to make is, if we’re to get married —”

  “But Turesobei,” she said with frustration, “we are getting married.”

  “I didn’t know what I was agreeing to.”

  “To accept the kiss is to enter a sacred and binding contract. It is a promise between the two of us and the gods. You honor it, or you risk damnation and shame. Only death can break it.”

  “Maybe we can appeal to … your clergy, the gods, the Council of Aikora … to make an exception, since I’m a foreigner and didn’t know the ways of your people or what I was agreeing to.”

  Kurine stared at him in silent horror, then broke down sobbing. He put his arms around her and tried to hide her tears from the other goronku in the commons.

  “Kurine, I’m not trying to … I really do like you, but …”

  “No, you don’t have to make up a lie. Just tell the truth. You don’t want me. I offered, and now that you know what your acceptance means, you’re backing out. Because you don’t want me. It’s okay. I’ll free you from your promise.”

  “You will? But how? You just said we couldn’t break the agreement.”

  “There’s a convent at a Crimson Sun enclave fifty leagues away. I can become a priestess. Devoting myself to the gods will spare me my shame. I’ll live out my years there. It won’t free you from your part of the promise … but that doesn’t matter to you. You can continue on with your … girlfriend and …” She threw her head into her hands and broke down completely.

  A convent? He couldn’t do that to her. “Kurine, maybe …” He was so completely screwed. “Maybe we could get married.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes red. “You’re just saying that because I’m upset.”

  “Honestly, I think you’re beautiful. And you’re lively and smart and … a challenge.” He thought of Awasa and Iniru. “I like challenges … apparently. That’s a lot to work with.”

  “You need more?” she sobbed.

  “I need to know you first. I mean, I hated Iniru for weeks when I met her.”

  “You did?”

  “Oh yeah. She got on my nerves.”

  “I bet she still does.”

  “Well … yeah,” he said, then added quickly, “but in a good way.”

  “So you will marry me after we get to know one another … or you’ll decide you don’t like me, so I’ll have to go to the convent and …”

  “That’s not going to happen. You are not going to the convent.”

  “Then why should we wait? There are no other options.”

  “Two reasons,” he replied, thinking quickly. “First, I might not still be here. If I find a way to return to my world, I might as well be dead, as far as it would concern you. Then you’d be free to choose another.”

  “I … I guess so.” She wiped away her tears. “Does that mean you’ve figured out a way back?”

  “Not hardly, but I’m not giving up hope. The other reason is that in my world, in my culture, it is wrong to marry before the age of eighteen. I’m too young. But two years, that’s plenty of time for us to get to know one another, and a lot could happen in two years. This is a dangerous world, and I’m going to be searching for a way back. And if there is one, I’m going to take it. I must wait to marry, or else I will dishonor my ancestors and the traditions of my people.”

  It was ironic that he fell upon this excuse. He spent so much of his time angry at the way his society treated him like he was a child, despite all the responsibilities they heaped on him, despite all the sacrifices he’d made and the dangers he’d faced.

  “But if you stay here,” she said, “you will be one of us. Then you should follow our customs.”

  “Despite what I grew up with?”

  Kurine furrowed her brow. “How about a compromise between our two cultures? If you stay here and become one of us, you will marry me on your seventeenth birthday. We are allowed to postpone our engagement for a year, if we so desire.”

  One year. A lot could happen in a year. He could die of cold exposure, be slain by a reitsu, return home, become the Storm Dragon, even possibly fall in love with Kurine. The chances of him living a year seemed slim anyway.

  “Okay,” he answered in defeat. “It’s a deal. One year.”

  It was not going to be fun explaining this to Iniru. Even if … an incredibly large if … Iniru understood his reasoning, she wasn’t going to accept it. Would she break up with him? Were they something that could be broken up? Why did girls complicate his life? Were prophecies and dragons and enemy clans and ancient demonic enemies not enough?

  Smiling again now, she kissed him. “You won’t regret it. And once you get to know me, you’ll fall in love with me. You won’t be able to wait until you’re seventeen.”

  He laughed. “You could rival Shoma for being upbeat.”

  “Shoma … why do you shorten each other’s names?”

  “In our world, to use a short, informal version of someone’s name means you are close to them. It represents a deep bond of friendship or love. You don’t do that here?”

  She shook her head. “Your friends call you Sobei, right? Can I call you that, too?”

  “Of course. Can I call you … I can’t think what I would shorten your name to.”

  “Just stick to Kurine.”

  “I’m going to go rest now. This discussion has tired me out, I’m afraid.”

  She helped him up. “Thank you … Sobei. I know it’s not …”

  He nodded. “It’s all fine,” he lied.

  * * *

  Turesobei returned to the room.

  “How did it go?” Zaiporo asked.

  “Not well.”

  Lu Bei popped out. “You saw Kurine, master?”

  Turesobei nodded. “Thank you for telling her what you did.”

  “Did it help, master?”

  “It helped, but … I’m stuck with my engagement. I couldn’t break her heart. She’d have to become a priestess if I abandoned her. I can’t do that to her. The only other way out is for me to get back home or die.”

  Lu Bei rubbed his hands together as he suppressed a laugh. “I can’t wait till you explain it to Iniru, master.”

  “You sounded way too happy when you said that.”

  “Oh, master, I am sorry,” Lu Bei drawled in an overly sweet voice. “I am so very very apologetic.”

  Sighing, Turesobei rolled his eyes. “If we can’t get back home and have to stay here, she’s agreed to let our marriage wait until I’m seventeen. A compromise between our cultural norms.”

  “Well, that gives you some time to find a way out, master. Clever as you are, I’m certain you will be able to disentangle yourself from her. Or add a couple more betrothals.”

  Turesobei grabbed a washcloth and threw it at Lu Bei, but the fetch dodged it, stuck out his tongue, and turned back into a book.

  “You’ve gotten yourself in over your head for sure,” Zaiporo said.

  “That’s my motto, don’t you think?”

  “We all seem to live by that.”

  “Wish you had stayed back in Ekaran?” Turesobei asked.

  Zaiporo stared off into space for a few moments, then shook his head. “You know, this is going to sound crazy, but I’m still glad I came. Though I wish Shoma had stayed behind where she’d be safe.”

  “You’re glad you came? Seriously?”

  “For years, I thought I’d spend my life guarding Awasa. Then, I thought I’d run away and start a new life, a simple life as a merchant or farmer. But I’ve fought monsters, rode the back of a dragon, and traveled to a new world. How many people can say they did that? I helped you fight off a threat to all Okoro. I saved the wo
rld! My life, even if it ends frozen here, has been extraordinary and surprisingly meaningful.”

  “I could do with a bit ordinary,” Turesobei sighed.

  “You do realize that you will never have an ordinary life, right? I might get to settle down one day if I survive. Not you. You have power and responsibility and some sort of huge, inescapable destiny.”

  “That also, apparently, includes difficult women.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Over the next seven days, Turesobei slept less and less, and spent as much time as he could meditating and stretching. He refused visitors, even on his birthday, and Zaiporo brought him all his food. The only way he could avoid Kurine’s affections, Shoma’s questions, and a confrontation with Iniru was to keep everyone out. Zaiporo would head out first thing after waking up to give Turesobei space. He also delivered messages to the others, which Turesobei thanked him for profusely, because Kurine was insistent on making sure he was well and not mad at her. Iniru didn’t send any messages back, which meant either she was still mad, or had found out the engagement was still on and was even madder.

  On the eighth day, he cast the spell of the moon mirrors three times without pain and was satisfied he would make a full recovery. Knowing he couldn’t avoid confrontations any longer, he went out to eat with the others and found them all in the common room, dressed in full cold weather gear. Kurine was showing them how to tighten all of the garments. She bounced over and kissed him on the cheek. Iniru huffed and scowled. Kemsu scowled, as well. Apparently, he didn’t approve of Turesobei’s engagement to Kurine, either.

  “What’s going on?” Turesobei asked.

  “We’re going outside for sparring practice,” Zaiporo said.

  “I’m going out to watch and test my clothes,” Enashoma said.

  “Iniru has promised to show us some of her moves,” Kemsu said. “She claims to be a deadly assassin.” He tapped her on the arm. “I doubt it, though. She looks too sweet for that.”

  She unveiled a smile of sharp teeth. “Oh, you’ll see. I’m way more than you can handle.”