A Legend Falls

by Travis Bughi

  “Let’s first examine the situation,” Takeo said. “Our resources are thin here. The Nguyens have burned or poisoned everything they could, leaving us nothing to work with. That tower is large, too large to be taken down by anything less than siege engines for which we have no material. With only a few small windows to protect, a ladder assault won’t work either. A couple of defenders could hold off an endless horde of enemies. Our chances of starving them out are nothing short of a dice roll, but we can rest assured that Seiji was well prepared for our arrival and thus will have stocked himself with lots of provisions. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could sit in that tower for a year. Add to this our army’s low morale and recent death toll—more than a few of our soldiers will be hesitant to re-enter any battle for some time. Some are liable to run.”

  “My lord paints a bleak portrait,” Anagarika said. “What would you have me do? Strike at the base with battering rams?”

  “No, no,” Takeo replied. “Seiji has already shown me that he brought archery equipment with him. He’d pick off our men while they uselessly flung themselves against a wall designed to withstand boulders flung from catapults. I need you to do something perhaps even more mundane. I want you to tunnel under the building.”

  Gavin and Anagarika perked up.

  “My lord?” the daimyo said. “Tunnel? But this ground is more rock than dirt.”

  “And it’s my hope that Qadir came to the same conclusion,” Takeo pressed on. “Find a building close to the tower that survived the carnage and start digging. Once you are under Seiji’s tower, begin searching around. In all likelihood, there is a storeroom or basement of some sort beneath the tower, and at least one of those walls will be thin. Something down there will be non-structural, so to speak—find it, break in, and lay waste to all inside.

  “This also presents some solutions to our current problems, if I may continue. The soldiers, so recently shaken, will not want to rush headlong into another battle. You can work the entire army in rotating shifts, day and night, completing the work faster while simultaneously assuaging any feelings of unease through exhaustion. Better still, you’ll give them purpose, entrusting that their lord has a plan to snatch victory from the maws of defeat once again.

  “I’ll have timbers shipped up with the rest of the supplies from the main camp. These you can use to support the tunnel’s interior. If, at the end of this, the tunneling proves ineffective, we can pull the timbers out and re-purpose them into at least one siege engine. We’ll see.”

  “My lord is tenacious,” she answered, bowing. “I’ll put your plan into action immediately.”

  A quiet sigh escaped Anagarika’s lips as Takeo dismissed her, and the tension in her shoulders eased. If Takeo didn’t know any better, he’d have said she was terrified during that entire meeting. But then he thought no more of that and commanded his servants to pack a single bag. He, Gavin, and Emy would make the journey to the Ngo city alone.

  Chapter 9

  The journey from the Phan to the Ngo city was not a short one. Normally, Takeo wouldn't risk traveling alone through enemy territory, but Qadir had made it clear that he didn’t intend to fight the ronin by normal means. The fire proved that Qadir had much more elaborate plans at work, and a simple ninja ambush in the woods was beneath him.

  Or at least, that’s how Takeo interpreted it. Gavin wasn’t of a similar mind.

  “I can’t help but feel like this is a show of power,” the knight said as they traveled on the backs of komainu at a leisurely pace. “You were trying to demonstrate to the troops that despite the loss and you leaving, you don’t fear the enemy, so confidently that you’d strike out yet again with only a few people at your side. Only this time, we’re not traveling a short way to some daimyo’s home; now we’re going leagues from one major city to another. You know, Takeo, for someone who claims not to care what others think about him, you put a lot effort into manifesting that image.”

  “Yes, yes,” Takeo answered. “Your philosophical ponderings are as surgical as always, Gavin, but you’re completely forgetting the tactical necessity of leaving with as few as possible. Our main defense is our speed while mounted, and that’s the case with or without an armed escort. If we encounter any force too large, we’ll run, and that would have been our strategy regardless.”

  “Yada, yada, yada,” Gavin replied. “Your tactical summations are as impeccable as always, Lord Takeo. It’s almost as if you’ve thought of everything, and you’re incapable of making a mistake. Surely you wouldn’t be so foolish as to play right into Qadir’s paws.”

  “Would you feel better if we rode faster?”

  “And then run the risk of losing my grip and falling and breaking my neck? Don’t be ridiculous. I’d rather get ambushed and say that I told you so.”

  Takeo smiled.

  It was good to have the old Gavin back, especially as the ride otherwise would have been dreadfully boring. Emy’s mouth was a steel trap, indistinguishable from a mute. Not that she was rude about it, though, as she still responded well enough when Takeo or Gavin asked her a direct question, though Takeo did this rarely.

  Deep down, the ronin understood that he was biased against the rakshasa race. However, he felt justified in that bias, just as he felt justified in the way he viewed the oni and akki. Creatures, like cultures, had a nature to them that ran into one’s blood. A rakshasa couldn’t be human any more than a hydra could, and Takeo didn’t even trust most humans for that matter. The longer Emy kept silent, the greater Takeo’s suspicion grew. He’d always suspected that once Krunk was gone, Emy’s independent and self-serving nature would surface. Her complete passivity appeared to Takeo as another disguise, her attempt to hide the thoughts that lingered just behind that orange and black-striped fur. In short, he became convinced she intended to kill him—or at least she was thinking about it.

  And why not? He had stabbed Krunk, after all, as inevitable as that situation had been. It was plain as day that for some strange reason, Emy had revered Krunk as a father figure. How would anyone feel watching someone kill their only parent? It was natural for her to plot revenge, as natural as it was for Takeo to take precautions against this.

  And so, Takeo decided that Emy shouldn’t get to hide undisturbed behind her new mask of silence. After a couple of days, he began to probe her.

  “You’re probably wondering why I had you sit out that assault on the Phan fortress,” Takeo said to her one evening as they laid out their meager campsite. “Or perhaps not, as you are a clever girl.”

  It took a few moments for the other two to catch on that he was addressing Emy, even with the gender-specific word. Emy glanced uncertainly at Gavin, just to be sure he had heard the same thing as her. The knight frowned and shrugged.

  “Of course, I know,” Emy said. “Or at least I suspect. To you, I’m a potential bargaining chip with Qadir. You know that he wants me alive, and you feared that whatever he had planned for you on the other side of those walls would involve snatching me away. Better to leave me in the safety of the camp, especially as my particular talents were not needed.”

  “And what if I was concerned for your safety?”

  Emy paused and rolled her eyes.

  “Please, Takeo,” she said. “As you told Anagarika, let’s not play games with each other.”

  “Then why the endless silence?” Takeo bit back. “It seems to me you’re the one playing a game.”

  “It’s no game. You know exactly why I’m silent, and to that I say, am I not allowed to be angry? I’m following your orders to the letter, so what more do you want? Me to smile and beam while I do it? Since when has that interested you?”

  “Look me in the eyes and say you aren’t contemplating more. I’ve promised to release you, unharmed. Your silence isn’t the only thing troubling me, as any idiot can see the shift in your entire demeanor towards me. I’m no less a predator than you, and I can tell when a killer is lying in wait.”

  “So, we’re back to th
is again?” Emy snarled, a low growl escaping her throat. “You believing I’m out to kill you? Why is that always your assumption? It’s like you’ve been hoping for this moment ever since you laid eyes on me. Did it never occur to you that I could kill you in your sleep if I wanted to?”

  Emy bared her teeth, and Takeo’s hand itched for his sword. A half second passed before Gavin burst in between them, cutting line of sight.

  “Alright, that’s enough,” the knight shouted. “Emy, back off.”

  Through glimpses around Gavin, Takeo saw Emy’s ears flatten before she reluctantly reeled back her menacing snarl. With tail twitching, she turned back to her mount and continued to unpack. The tension had grown such to the point that even the komainu could feel it, and the beasts whined and clawed the ground. Takeo looked to Gavin.

  “And since when did you—”

  “You shut your mouth, too, Takeo,” Gavin cut in. “Are you happy now? You pissed her off and confirmed your suspicions that—like you always wanted—no one likes you. You made a tough decision, and now everyone wants you dead. Is that what you were hoping to hear at the end of this little squabble? Can you sleep easier now, knowing the knives are out?”

  Takeo balked.

  “Oh, don’t give me that look,” Gavin went on, dropping his arms. “Be honest. This entire ensemble of ours is ready to burst at the seams. Nicholas has already made it clear he’s ready to board the next ship off this chunk of land, and we all knew that Emy would be ready to cut free when Krunk died. I mean, even you and I are coming to a close. I have a family; you have a war. Everyone’s happy. Takeo, if Emy wants to be a silent, brooding recluse, then let her be. It’s not like she’s hurting you. Don’t you think you’ve got bigger problems at the moment? Let’s just get through this last battle in one piece, and then we can all go our separate ways. Agreed?”

  Takeo stumbled over his next choice of words, and before he could formulate a response, the moment passed. Gavin had turned away, drifting back to his mount and shaking his head, while Emy was back to diligently ignoring everything not in immediate physical contact with her.

  So many questions died on Takeo’s lips. What if she was working with Qadir? What if that’s how Qadir knew to set the Phan fortress up for an assault? What if she really did intend on strangling him in the night while he was sleeping?

  No more conversations were had that night, and Takeo slept with his sword unsheathed and just beneath the thin blanket he slept on. He couldn’t keep direct contact with it, as it would keep him awake all night, but he might as well have. He didn’t sleep much anyway.

  Maybe Gavin was right. Maybe it would be best for him just to cut Emy loose. Just one more battle and, at bare minimum, four more heads to send rolling: three brothers and a rakshasa. How hard could it be? His argument had been . . . childish. Perhaps sending her away was for the best.

  And then he laid eyes on the Ngo city.

  In many ways, the whole of Juatwa was one unified landscape of humid, pleasant weather with semi-frequent rains, lush landscapes, and short yet cold winters. However, there was some variation, from the open plains of the southeast, to the western forests, canyons, and swamps, and to the northern part, which was mountainous and hilly, as the entire land shifted upwards towards the Khaz Mal mountains. It was no accident or stroke of luck that the Nguyen fortress was built on a massive mountain, as there were plenty to choose from.

  As luck would have it, the Ngo family had chosen another high place to call home: a plateau.

  But not just any plateau, no. They’d chosen a tableland, a mesa, a large swath of flat ground risen up from the level plain with sharp, steep cliffs on all sides. Not as tall as an outright mountain, but this plateau still soared high in the air, tall as the Phan tower Takeo had just left behind. The plateau was large enough to support a full city, effectively raising the entire population up towards the heavens and severing contact with the surrounding Hanu army below.

  Worse, the Ngo family had not been content to stop their defenses there.

  They’d built a massive stone wall along the plateau’s edge, effectively nullifying any possibility of a ladder attack, for the flimsy wooden structures could never reach that height. The only entrance to the city was a single yet wide path, where the plateau stooped low and an army of workers in the past had carved down the rock to form a steep ramp up to the massive gates. Worse, the gates were partly recessed into the city, so any assault up the steep ramp would be bombarded from the sides.

  Adding to this, trebuchets covered the walls. Stationary but mechanically superior to catapults, their raised-up elevation would grant them absurd range compared to anything an attacking army could build. And as if that weren’t enough, the walls were so raised up on the plateau that it was impossible to see inside, even on a nearby mountaintop. For all Takeo knew, there was a second set of walls beyond the first. Takeo could only guess at the number of defenders, but he assumed that number wasn’t pretty. It could easily rival his own forces, judging by the plateau’s size.

  “I don’t think you’ll be digging under this one,” Gavin quibbled.

  Qing and Lord Oiu, who’d linked up with them, offered more useful input.

  “In my art lessons, my teachers said every culture is a product of its landscape,” Oiu began, attempting to answer Takeo’s unspoken questions. “The Katsus, in their open plains, drove down and crushed their opponents with sheer might and maneuverability. The Hanu, closer to prime trading locations, grew a tad more egalitarian and multicultural. The Nguyen, though, are said to be as close to dwarves as any human can be. Nestled in the natural protection of mountains, the people here learned to be patient and stubborn. My family did not conquer this land by might or trade, but by building a series of long-standing alliances and marriages. Now you see why. This is the reason that neither the Hanu nor the Katsu have ever conquered this land, despite their superior numbers. The fortresses in this land are nigh impregnable. The Ngo fortress is no exception, and I have no doubts my brother, In-Su, is inside.”

  “And how could you know that?” Takeo asked. “Did you defy my orders?”

  “Never, my lord,” Oiu answered swiftly and added a deep bow for good measure. “However, I know my brothers well. In-Su holds the title of ‘least ambitious’ in our family, even after me. At least, that’s the polite version. If Xianliang sent In-Su away from the Nguyen fortress, In-Su would have fled here even if expressly told otherwise. With three older brothers and two younger brothers, he’s always enjoyed a place of relative neutrality in the familial brawl that was our household. He took advantage of being too young to be a threat and too old to be weak by devoting his time to books, plays, and the beauty of servants—male, female, or otherwise. Honestly, I always felt he would have been better suited to the treatment my mother forced upon me, but that’s all in the past now. In-Su is holed up in there, I promise you, my lord, along with a harem of beautiful men and women and several barrels of fine wine. The fact that he hasn’t tried to make contact with me at all only adds evidence to my intuition.”

  Takeo strained his neck to look up at the vast blocks of stone sitting on harder, more natural stone, and squinted as the sun blinded him. He looked down and shook his head.

  “Lucky us,” he muttered, then stared up again.

  Silence stretched out as he continued to take in the monumental structure before him. The immensity of its construction alone would have been staggering without the added nagging in the back of his mind that he had to surmount this architectural wonder. He tried again and again to wrap his head around what he was seeing, but over and over, he was thrown back into a semi-stunned state, just trying to reconcile any available options besides insane laughter.

  “My lord, it gets worse,” Qing pipped up, shoulders narrowed.

  “Let me guess,” Takeo said. “The wells around the area have been poisoned and the food stores burned? Strange, because the area looks otherwise pristine.”

  Like most major cit
ies, the Ngo fortress had a surrounding township. Also, like most major cities under siege, that township was currently abandoned. It was otherwise untouched, though, with all the buildings standing upright and open, as if lying in wait for travelers and shopkeepers to fill their rooms once again.

  Takeo was not a fan of occupying these towns as an invading army because he saw them as easy places for the enemy to lay traps. He’d had the ones outside the Katsu and Nguyen fortresses burned to the ground, and he’d assumed that Lord Oiu and Qing would follow his example when they reached the Ngo lands.

  Unfortunately, that’s not what had happened.

  “My lord will understand that I was only thinking ahead,” Oiu jumped in before Qing could say anything else. “I thought it would be prudent to search the buildings first, with just a small team, and then burn them.”

  “But?”

  Oiu clammed up, going more pale than usual. Qing continued the report.

  “Some of the soldiers—conscripts far from home, not our more seasoned samurai—found a baker’s shop, still filled with sweets,” the ninja explained. “They helped themselves and fell ill.”

  “Only a handful?” Takeo cocked an eyebrow, looking away from the fortress to Qing. “After the poison kills them, bury them in the open as an example to the others. Why are you telling me this?”

  “My lord, I don’t think it was poison,” she pressed. “I think the food was infected with a disease, and those soldiers became carriers. Whatever illness this is, it’s now spreading throughout the camp.”

  Takeo raised a hand to bury his face into an open palm. His head throbbed.

  “Did you ask a doctor?” he said.

  “They say they don’t know what it is either, at least not without studying it further. They suggest it could be a type of plague.”

  Takeo’s fingers clenched, digging his nails into his skin. The pain was just sharp enough to make the throbbing subside.