by Ryan Kirk
Hajimi countered. “There is every danger in being counted. Removing the census requirements would indicate to me that you trust the blades and aren’t simply seeking to use us for our strength.”
Hiromi’s answer was weak. “It’s not about trust. It’s about planning and knowing what resources are available and what resources need to be available.”
Mari winced. Hajimi wouldn’t take kindly to being thought of as a resource. Everyone in the room knew the census was an issue of trust.
Hajimi spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. “As it stands, you don’t make a compelling argument. If you truly wish to ally yourselves with us, I would ask one last question. All the houses have come to us. In truth, you are the last. Why you instead of them?”
The question clearly rattled Hiromi. He hadn’t even considered the possibility the other houses had been there. Mari saw a different side. If the blades still hadn’t allied themselves with a house, it was because they had found the other lords wanting. Hiromi saw a threat, but Mari knew that Hajimi had given her brother one last opportunity.
Her brother’s answer surprised and impressed her. “I do not believe in comparing one house against another. Like any ruler, I have my weaknesses and my strengths. Yes, I am asking you to help my house, but I am not asking you to help me. I am asking you to fulfill the duty you once had to the Kingdom.”
Hajimi nodded. “That is a good answer. Many would follow a leader who truly believed thus.” He shot a pointed glance at Mari. “Are you certain about the census?” he asked Hiromi.
Hiromi was about to speak but thought better of it. Mari could see his mind was racing, but it was not her place to tell him what to do, not here, not now.
“Perhaps some agreement can be reached. I would, for example, be willing to consider a self-reported census, or perhaps even a census of blades only in active service. I am willing to bend but not break.”
Hajimi stroked his beard, considering the lord’s answer. He glanced from council member to council member. “I believe, at least, Lord Hiromi, you have given us something to discuss. You understand, of course, that a decision cannot be made today.”
Hiromi looked as though he had just found out a loved one had died. “With all due respect, Hajimi, enemies will be at your gates soon. Haste is necessary.”
Hajimi’s smile said that he was well aware of the situation and that he was well aware that it was Hiromi himself who had allowed Katashi’s forces to advance.
“Yes, but haste must be balanced by consideration. I assure you, you will be summoned as soon as a decision is reached.”
The response wasn’t enough for Hiromi but would have to be. Mari sympathized with her brother. But the blades would not be moved by more argument. They needed enough time to decide.
Mari took the lead, hoping her brother wouldn’t be too greatly angered. “Your consideration is all we could ask for. You have our gratitude.”
Hajimi gave Mari a knowing smile, and the two siblings left to await their fate.
In her brother’s tent two days later, Mari couldn’t help but laugh at Hiromi. After everything they had been through, he was still acting like a young child.
A memory came to Mari, as distinct as though it had happened a few heartbeats ago. The three siblings were much younger, and Juro was still alive, proud as always. The memory caused her heart to ache, but she breathed into the discomfort, allowing the sorrow to wash over her and disappear like a wave.
She didn’t remember what the event had been for. The wedding of a noble, perhaps? A feast for a general leaving the army? No matter. Juro was walking around, as stiff as a sword, waiting for his sister and brother to hurry. Mari was also ready, her pure white robes beautiful, making her happy.
Hiromi had been the problem. Their father had a small uniform made for his youngest son, and the silk fabric fit too tightly over the growing boy. Hiromi wasn’t pleased, but he couldn’t make a fuss because their father was in the next room. None of them envied a punishment for displeasing their father on such an important day.
So Hiromi had launched a silent rebellion, stomping all over the floor and crossing his arms as tightly to his chest as he could. Not too much unlike today, Mari thought with a sad smile.
Hiromi didn’t manifest anger today. Instead, he was nervous and worried, exhibiting the same behaviors he had so long ago.
So much had already gone their way. One more hurdle, and Mari knew her mission would be over. Hajimi and the council had accepted the terms set by Hiromi. The agreement had taken another day of bargaining, but the document had been signed and sealed. Mari carried a copy with her for their next meeting.
Sister and brother were back, outside the walls of Starfall, camped to the east of the city with their army. On the other side of Starfall, to the west, sat Katashi and his army, newly arrived.
The other lord had agreed to meet with Hiromi and Mari prior to launching his attack. Hiromi faced the last and most daunting task he had yet undertaken. He was going to announce to Katashi that his people had made an alliance with the blades and that the blades backed him as the new king.
Katashi could take one of two paths. The siblings hoped he would capitulate and realize he had been beaten. Any lord backed by the blades had far more strength than the other two. Fighting on would be hopeless. The terms of peace would no doubt be difficult, but Mari was confident they could negotiate something that worked for all.
Katashi could also, of course, refuse. If so, Hiromi and Hajimi had agreed to attack his army, destroying it between them. That prospect was certainly less than ideal but, if required, a sacrifice they were willing to make.
Either way, after the negotiations, Hiromi would make news of the alliance with the blades public. There would be pushback, but Mari hoped the Lady in White had created enough goodwill among the people for the agreement to be accepted.
She didn’t delude herself. Cycles of work were still left to be done, but if she and Hiromi could prevent full-scale war, the sacrifice was more than worth it. They just needed to get Katashi to agree. The siblings assumed he would at least require to be second in line to the throne, a concession they were willing to make.
Finally, Mari convinced Hiromi he was ready. They mounted their horses with General Kyo and their honor guard and left. They’d struggled to find an ideal place to hold the meeting. They weren’t foolish enough to wander into Katashi’s camp, and he didn’t trust House Kita, either. Starfall had been proposed, but Mari had never thought that would be accepted, either.
Instead, they rode to a location within sight of both armies and Starfall, a grassy area about half a league from the main gates to the south of the city. Both lords approached with nothing more than their honor guards traveling under a flag of peace.
Mari, like her brother, was nervous. It wasn’t that warm yet, but she could see the beads of sweat on his forehead.
They rode slowly, each lost in thought. The late spring day was promising to be a hot one. All the clouds had burned away, and Mari was looking forward to the shade of the tent they were to meet under.
The two rode until they were about fifty paces away from the tent, and then they dismounted, their honor guard protecting them. Hiromi looked like he was about to adjust his uniform one last time but then thought better of it and walked toward the meeting place. Mari followed a few paces behind her brother.
Katashi was already there, sprawled comfortably on the grass. His posture was decidedly informal, and Mari wondered what message he was trying to send. Either way, the lord didn’t look like he had a care in the world. He might as well have been out for a picnic for all the worry he displayed. The difference between him and Hiromi, who stood so stiffly it looked as though his uniform was frozen solid, couldn’t have been more clear.
Mari hadn’t seen Katashi since they had been children at court, but his presence made her nervous. He was immaculately groomed, not a single long hair out of place, all of it tied tightly back. His silk
robes, the same deep red as the color of his house, were pristine, as though dust itself was afraid of the man. Even though the day was hot, not a single bead of sweat could be seen anywhere on him. His face was thin and beardless, and although there wasn’t a single aspect of his appearance that lent credence to Mari’s emotion, she was disgusted by him.
The lord of House Amari had sharp eyes that moved slowly, doubtless taking in every tiny detail of the scene before him. A smile crept onto his face, but Mari trusted the smile even less than she had trusted him before. He was nothing but lies.
“Welcome, welcome. It is good to see you here, Hiromi. Mari, I haven’t seen you for several cycles. Your beauty makes even this afternoon seem dull by comparison.”
Mari couldn’t help herself. His words said one thing, but she heard something entirely different. She had a sudden urge to bathe, shaking her head slightly. She needed to push away such thoughts. They did Hiromi no good, and he might very well need her help.
Hiromi bowed and sat, trying to look as comfortable as Katashi and failing miserably. Mari clenched her fists. Her brother should be in control of this situation, but he wasn’t.
Katashi continued. “I wanted to thank you, Hiromi, for allowing me to attack Starfall. It will not be an easy task, but my best generals have been trying to solve the problem of the city for many cycles, and I think we have a plan guaranteed to succeed.”
Mari considered the statement, the first thing he said that had the ring of truth to it. Katashi was as manipulative as his late brother, but he was no fool. If he intended to attack Starfall, he had to have a plan. But Mari had no idea what it could be.
Katashi stopped as though he’d just realized he had forgotten something. “Where are my manners? You must be as parched as I am. We must have some food and drink!” He clapped his hands, and two chests were brought forward. Several of Katashi’s honor guard pulled out light refreshments, wine, and water.
Mari was caught off guard. What was Katashi planning? On the surface, everything seemed so genuine, so kind, but she couldn’t bring herself to trust him.
When they didn’t partake of the food offered, Katashi snorted. “I’m not going to poison you on the eve of our victory. You’ve let my army into your land. We’re allies!” To prove his point, he grabbed some food and ate and drank the wine. It wasn’t a guarantee against poison, but it was a start. Hiromi, not the fool, called one of his guards and had him test the victuals and drink. When the guard didn’t die, Hiromi dug in hungrily.
Mari was less eager to eat, but nevertheless picked at a small plate while Katashi continued, his voice lower and more serious.
“I’ve noticed, of course, that you haven’t come alone.” With a hand filled with a small rice ball, he gestured out toward the gathered army of House Kita. “This concerns me. Do you seek to aid me?”
With that, they had come to the heart of the matter. Hiromi couldn’t lie but was awkward and unprepared. Mari wondered how he would handle the situation.
She had never been more proud of her brother than she was in that moment. Hiromi sat up straight and acted every bit the lord he was. “I come today to demand your surrender. The blades have allied themselves with me, and I will sit on the throne.”
Katashi didn’t look nearly as surprised as Mari thought he should be. He continued eating his food, his eyes studying everything.
He sighed. A strange panic filled her being.
“I am sorry to hear that. I truly had hoped that together we might rid ourselves of the blades that plague our land. Instead, you’ve befriended them. What did you offer them?”
Hiromi shook his head. What he had offered was no part of this conversation. “Nothing more than is their right. Do you yield?”
Katashi laughed, and Mari knew, deep in her bones, that something was dreadfully wrong. Perhaps Katashi wasn’t surprised. She could understand that. She could understand most of his act. But they were supposed to have him at an advantage, and he was every bit as comfortable as he had been before. She looked around, wondering what the source of his confidence could be. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and she thought that perhaps he was the best performer she had ever met.
His next answer surprised her even more. “Very well. I suppose there is nothing to be done then. I don’t agree with what you’re doing, Hiromi, but I can’t fault your ambition. What terms are you prepared to offer?”
Even Mari didn’t know what to make of what was happening. Hiromi, seemingly oblivious to how wrong the situation was, launched right into his terms as though he accepted Katashi’s surrender. Mari forced herself not to spin around but to look carefully. It was difficult to see beyond the rows of guards surrounding them, but Mari didn’t see any additional troops approaching.
To all appearances, Katashi would indeed surrender to Hiromi. Part of her heard them arguing over terms, but the entire event was surreal. Katashi was smiling, as though he was part of a joke no one else understood. Mari looked around again, but still nothing was happening out of the ordinary.
Her brother’s voice broke through her trance. “We are agreed, then?”
Katashi nodded, and the scribe who was present furiously wrote out the terms and presented them for both lords to examine. Mari felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. This was supposed to be their shining moment, the completion of all her dreams. Her brother was going to take the throne. But all she wanted to do was grab Hiromi and run away with him to someplace where all of this was nothing but a nightmare.
Both lords agreed to the terms, and Katashi insisted Hiromi sign them first. He did, turning the paper toward Katashi to make the peace official. Katashi looked at it, laughed again, and ripped it to shreds.
Mari was stunned, even though this was what she had expected all along. Katashi’s behavior was so rude as to almost be unimaginable. Hiromi looked up at the other lord, confusion all over his face.
It was the last expression he ever used.
In the blink of an eye, Katashi drew his sword and slashed Hiromi’s throat. Blood spilled everywhere as Mari’s brother’s body, its life pumping from him, collapsed in front of her.
Mari needed a few heartbeats to process what was happening. They had come under a flag of peace. Katashi still wore the same lazy grin.
Nothing had changed, except that his red silks were covered in blood, and her brother was dead.
Mari opened her mouth to wail, noticing the presence at her side too late.
An arm wrapped around her throat and pulled tight, cutting off her scream and her breath.
Confused, Mari thrashed about. She had been trained for this but hadn’t been expecting an attack. Her assailant pulled harder, lifting her off the ground as her feet kicked helplessly.
Black dots swarmed the edges of her vision, darkening her sight with amazing rapidity.
She looked at Katashi but didn’t want her last sight to be of him. She looked down at her brother, that look of surprise now permanently on his face. A movement from Katashi caught her eye, and the pressure on her throat was abruptly eased.
Mari collapsed to the grass, noticing part of her body had landed in her brother’s blood, spreading throughout the tent. She gasped for air, hoping a scream would bring attention. What had happened to their honor guard?
Movement caught her eye again. Katashi stood up and disrobed, displaying a body that had clearly been through cycles of hard training. She had never known his skill with a sword. He reached to one of his guards, who handed him a clean robe.
Just as her reason began to return, he gave an order. “Bind and gag her before she screams.”
Panicked, Mari tried to scream before it was too late. But a wad of cloth was stuffed in her mouth before she could let out a sound, and a thin rope was wrapped around her head several times to ensure it stayed in.
Before she knew what had happened, her arms were bound tightly behind her, and her ankles were lashed together. Everything was happening too fast.
She focused
on her surroundings, trying to breathe through her nose, trying to understand. What about their honor guard? She looked behind the tent, where all her guards were standing still as if the treaty had been signed. Kyo was far closer than she had expected and was right behind her. When had he broken ranks with the guard? Was he coming to rescue her?
As she was being picked up, Mari saw Kyo bowing to Katashi.
“Well done, Lord Kyo. With your help, we will rid the world of blades and begin again, the right way.”
Kyo bowed again, and Mari was tossed in one of the chests, her world going black as they slammed the lid shut.
Chapter 22
Nothing had been the same since the battle for the hilltop. Ikko’s blades had continued on, choosing a few smaller supply caches to remind the army they were still a threat, but the task had become much harder. Armies were slow to react, but when they did, life became far more challenging. Supply chains were well guarded now, and although Koji lacked a complete picture of troop movements, forces seemed to be consolidating for a big push. That meant even more people guarding the supplies.
Koji still traveled with more than twenty blades, but the hilltop had changed them. A cadre of well-prepared soldiers had reminded them that they weren’t immortal, that they died just the same as anyone else. In battle, confidence was everything, and their confidence had been shaken.
Even Koji, normally sure in his abilities, experienced doubt. No matter how magnificent he was with a sword, there wasn’t much he could do against a falling boulder. He had experienced, for one of the few times in his life, the limits of his abilities. He wasn’t pleased.
Not only had the battle shaken the blades’ confidence in themselves; it had shaken their confidence in their entire mission. They had lost almost a third of their companions in one attack, and they weren’t being replaced. All knew they were holding back the surge of war, but they were just beginning to realize that simple attrition would eventually cause them to fail.