by C. J. Anaya
Where was Saigo?
Musubi glanced backward and noted Kenji’s presence. I hoped he also noticed the weapon the guard concealed at Kenji’s back. I saw Katsu shift his feet, his confusion unmistakable. He had no idea that my father used Kenji as leverage against me, but there was no denying the charged emotions permeating the atmosphere.
Musubi’s calculating assessment indicated a readiness to fight if necessary. He moved forward and cleared his throat.
“Well, it is an honor to participate in this most anticipated of events. The prophecy long ago foretold of a union between a savior of this world and the guardian of the veil.” He paused, swallowing down a ball of emotion as his angry eyes met mine. Aiko’s vigilant attentions assessed my every move and facial expression, making it impossible to give any warnings. My eyes remained my only mode of communication, but how to divulge my growing desperation?
Musubi scrutinized me for a few moments and then held his right hand out, palm down. I lifted my left palm up to his and we clasped hands as he began the traditional Japanese blessing of health, longevity, and prosperity. As my palm rested under his I dared to use my pointer finger to tap against his skin using the code Akane taught me. I spelled out the word nekomata and then Aiko, grateful for the first time in my life that these traditional prayers were so elaborate. I pulled my hand away as Musubi did. He then extended his hand to Katsu, offering the same blessings he had offered me. The look he gave Katsu appeared almost murderous. His outrage for offenses I failed to fathom ate at him with each passing moment he spent in the warrior god’s presence.
They released hands and Musubi stepped back.
“As it has been prophesied so shall it come to pass: the princess will soon take her place alongside the honorable Masaru Katsu, god of warriors and keeper of The Grass Cutter Sword.”
The sarcastic emphasis he placed upon the word honorable did not go unnoticed as Katsu stiffened at my side.
“As a god ordained by our First Parents to give approval and blessings for unions such as these, I bestow upon this particular union a blessing of the highest order and seal it with this cherry blossom.”
My right palm lifted to meet that of Katsu’s. As our skin made contact I felt a warm tingle of something otherworldly spread through my palm. A bright white cherry blossom grew from the tips of our fingers. My heart fractured at this pronouncement. With the white cherry blossom binding us, Katsu and I were as good as married, whether we truly belonged together or not. I could feel the bonding slowly strengthen, as if an invisible cord tethered my body to Katsu’s and an acute awareness of his emotional state increased in a way that I felt as if I were the one experiencing it. I was slowly becoming one with him while the powerful pull of Musubi’s ki became a dull ache in the background. It felt so wrong, I nearly vomited on the spot.
Musubi’s next words were laced with frustration and barely suppressed anger.
“The engagement is official, and your union secure. Soon Princess Mikomi will forever belong to you, Masaru.” He glared at Katsu with unconcealed rage. “Protect what is rightfully yours, old friend, or someone else will.”
My father clapped his hands together in delight.
“Marvelous. I must thank you, Musubi, for your attendance here tonight and would ask that you might remain for a time as we celebrate the happy couple’s union—”
A small commotion and then panicked shouting could be heard from without the room. I swiveled around just in time to see a familiar face.
“Father, stop,” Saigo yelled as the door to the room burst open. Behind him were the wounded bodies of three guards. Saigo’s blade dripped with a shiny, red substance, and my need to vomit increased tenfold.
The unexpected and disturbing sight of my younger brother surrounded by dying guards froze my reaction time. It was fortunate that Musubi suffered no such hesitation. Strong arms grabbed me from behind, and I recognized his touch immediately. He dashed forward with me in his arms and deposited me next to Saigo. I saw movement from the corner of my eye and turned to observe Aiko stepping forward and throwing something made of shiny steel toward the man I loved.
“Musubi, look out,” I screamed as I dove for him, sending us both sprawling to the floor. The sharp thunk of a weapon embedding itself into the wall behind us reverberated throughout the room.
Akane, Yao, and Chan were already in motion, cutting down human soldiers while my father shouted orders to his kami followers. Mass chaos ensued. Musubi sprang up and pulled me to my feet. Katsu was engaged with Aiko, no doubt taking issue with the weapon she’d launched in our direction. My stomach knotted with every swipe of the nekomata’s sword. A single scratch would seal Katsu’s fate.
“Musubi, get Mikomi out of here now!” Akane yelled. She cut down another soldier crowding in from a side entrance and then somersaulted over some downed men. She moved like lightening, and her intent wasn’t clear until she grasped the back of Katsu’s clothing and wrenched him backward as two kami from either side tried boxing him in. They thrust their swords toward his unprotected sides, but Akane’s interference on his behalf removed him in time as the two kami impaled one another instead.
“Katsu,” Akane shouted, “I need your help getting Hachiman out of here.”
He shot to his feet and moved to her side.
I stepped forward to assist in whatever capacity I could manage, but Musubi grabbed my shoulder.
He turned to my brother as he spoke. “Grab Kenji and meet us at the Shinto temple as quickly as you can. You three may find refuge within its sacred walls.”
“No, we can’t leave them here. What about Akane?” I protested.
“You are the only person in this room that anyone is interested in. If I’m going to protect you with so many kami against us, you need to be in a location the nekomata don’t have access to.” He scooped me up and soon we were streaking through the palace walls, through the garden, and toward the ruins.
A loud commotion rose from the surrounding area. The rebels had joined the fight.
Our motion abruptly stopped, making my head feel as if it were still several hundred yards behind me, fighting desperately to catch up. Musubi lowered me to the ground and gently pushed my head between my knees.
“Take deep breaths, Mikomi. I rushed us out of there much faster than your body is capable of handling.” Though his instructions were kind enough there was a dark tenor to his words. His anger at my deceit ate at him. There was much to account for, and very little time afforded us.
“I know how this looks,” I began.
“How this looks?” His eyes held a stormy rage thinly restrained by his need to understand the extent of my subterfuge. “You’re The Healer, Mikomi. The Healer! It would appear as if you’ve been lying to me from day one. Using Akane and myself as a source to scout out the rebels and foil any and all plans we made to gain ground against your father.”
“No.” I shook my head in earnest. “I was never a spy. Akane recruited me because she knew I was sympathetic to the cause. I could work to heal your men, prevent my father from thinning out your ranks.”
The disbelief and disdain painted across his face stung more than any words he might have uttered. I deserved his distrust and censure. I knew I did, but I couldn’t lose the ground we had gained. Our relationship couldn’t disintegrate due to my lies.
“I don’t believe a word of this,” he spat out.
I tried to gather my thoughts and summon the words that could clear up this tangled mess, when figures burst from the shadows and suddenly Akane was by my side. She knelt before me with worry and concern etched upon her face.
“What the hell happened to you?” She looked up at Musubi. “Was she injured? Why are you not within the walls of the temple? The battle is almost here.”
“How did you get here so quickly?” I asked.
“The same as you. We have kami fighting on our side, remember?”
Saigo and Kenji arrived with Yao and Chan, all of them bearing v
arious injuries of one form or another.
“I need to heal them,” I croaked. I moved to stand, but Akane was already helping me to my feet.
“Their wounds are superficial, Mikomi. You can heal them as soon as we are safely inside. It is imperative that we keep the nekomata and your father from reaching you.”
“You knew she was The Healer, Akane?” Musubi asked, though his question resembled more of an accusation.
Akane rolled her eyes in impatience. “Of course I knew, you idiot! We don’t have time for confessions or explanations. I’ll apologize for misleading you later. We need to move, people.”
Two figures sped from the shadow of the ruins, planting themselves directly before our group. Yao and Chan moved to my side with Saigo and Kenji following.
“Get her inside, Musubi,” Akane growled as she pushed me back and into his arms. I could still sense his reeling emotions. It was going to take quite a bit of time to regain his trust.
The two kami before us looked formidable. As if reading my thoughts, their forms blurred like rippling waves caused by the undulating movement of a sea serpent and soon they were all black hair and fangs, nekomata in the flesh.
“You’re not taking the princess anywhere,” the taller one on the left said. He appeared more muscular in stature, though comparing one to the other was like trying to distinguish between a deadly threat and the awful certainty your life would end in seconds.
Akane bent low to the ground with her sword drawn, hovering before me in a defensive gesture. I ached to draw a sword myself, but had only a small dagger at my hip.
“I’m afraid Amatsu’s desire to reform his minions will have to be postponed. You won’t be using her blood anytime soon,” Akane said in an impressively casual tone.
“If we cannot force her ascension with Katsu, then we will take The Healer now.”
“Why on earth would you want The Healer to join with her soul mate? It goes against everything the demon god stands for,” Musubi said.
The nekomata shared a wicked look and let out maniacally evil laughs.
“Can it be that the god of love and marriage remains ignorant on this score?” The one on the right addressed his next comment to me. “It is surprising you did not tell him of Katsu’s incompatibility, Healer.”
“Tell me what?” Musubi shouted.
My response was lost when six more kami approached, two on either side of us and then two behind. We were completely boxed in.
By the gods, the odds had become even worse.
“Where is Katsu?” I whispered to the back of Akane’s head. Musubi stiffened, but said nothing.
“He and Hachiman, along with two other gods of fortune, have stayed behind to try and hold off as many nekomata as possible and lead the rebels to our location.”
“Well, they let six get past them. Not doing a very good job, are they?” Musubi spit out.
I motioned for Saigo to move toward the temple, but he shifted his eyes from me and stubbornly refused to acknowledge my gesture. My blasted brother was going to get himself killed if he stayed here. A sickening panic engulfed me when I thought of the many people who might not survive the outcome of this battle. I decided to take matters into my own hands and put our enemies on the defensive.
“Front to back, Akane,” I whispered, hoping she would catch the reference to some of the drills we had practiced together.
Her subtle nod confirmed her comprehension, and without pausing to second guess myself I broke from Musubi’s grasp, grabbed the hilt of the sword Akane proffered me, and sprang to the front, charging the two nekomata with my weapon raised at the ready. I heard commotion from behind and imagined Akane did the same toward the back where other nekomata waited. Musubi called out my name, his tone laced with fear and panic, but I ignored him and focused on my two targets.
Just inches before their weapons could cut me down, I slid to the ground on my side, bringing my sword down and up, plunging the wickedly sharp blade into the chest of the monster to the right. I swung him left and used him as a shield while I regained my footing. The other nekomata thrust his sword into his companion’s back, though his aim was meant for me. With my sword still impaling the first abomination and the other monster frantically attempting to reclaim his, I reached across, grabbed his wrist, and instructed his heart to explode.
And it did.
The nekomata jerked, chest up and then dropped to the ground. I wasted no time in pulling both swords out of the other nekomata.
Now I had three swords, and two more nekomata to add to my list of kills.
List of kills? Am I keeping score now?
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the happiness I experienced at the death and carnage my actions had caused. The self-satisfaction was misplaced, a completely inappropriate and foreign emotion, but one that cropped up every time I used my powers to defend myself.
That was two. Six more to go, providing we didn’t have any other visitors. I prayed Katsu and the rebels arrived before any more of our enemies did.
When I turned to confront the madness behind me, it was to see that everyone was in the melee with sword thrusts perfectly timed by warriors skilled in the art of battle. Yao and Chan were each engaged with a black haired monster. Musubi was holding off one more and Akane, Saigo, and Kenji were dealing with one other. Which left one more nekomata unaccounted for. Where was it? I scanned the area as I ran over to aid Akane.
I didn’t like her odds. She was skilled, but held only an earthly weapon. Saigo and Kenji would be as helpful as I might have been before my memory transfer with Akane. One of these swords from the underworld needed to be in her capable hands.
I thrust one of my newly acquired weapons forward and dropped the other two as that missing nekomata came to head me off. Though it remained in human form, its intentions were clear and there was murder in its eyes. Fine by me. I could handle murder. His thrust glanced off my sword as I moved defensively, and then I spun, gaining momentum quickly and aiming for the back of its neck, slicing cleanly through. I paused only long enough to retrieve the two other swords, not even taking in my handiwork as I ran forward, desperate to aid Akane before the nekomata injured her.
I reached her side and was forced to drop two weapons, using one sword from the underworld to block a blow from her attacker, sending the monster off balance. I capitalized on its moment of weakness and plunged my sword into the assailant’s abdomen. There was a sucking noise as I pulled my weapon back, and it gave me a brief moment of nausea, an instant for me to recognize that I was no longer saving lives but taking them, even if it was in self-defense. I brushed the thoughts away and turned to Akane, who appeared tired, worried, and relieved.
“I knew you could handle yourself, but that didn’t prevent me from wondering if two nekomata would be too much for you.” She gave me a tight hug and pulled back. ““You, Kenji, and your brother need to get inside the walls of the temple. You’ll be safest in there.”
I handed her two of the swords I possessed. “You’ll need one of these weapons if you hope to kill them rather than just wound them. Musubi will need the other. I’ll take this nekomata’s weapon and lead Saigo and Kenji to the temple.”
She nodded.
I moved forward with my two charges behind me, and we rushed the temple gates, easily flinging them open, but halting in our progress as a new threat blocked our path. Three hulking soldiers stood within the temple grounds. They didn’t wear normal Imperial attire, but they also didn’t look like rebels, and no nekomata could set foot on sacred soil.
“Let us pass,” I demanded, testing the waters.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” the soldier in the middle said. “Our master demands that you willingly join him in the underworld. If you’ll come quietly, we will allow your friends to go free.”
Not my father’s soldiers then and not rebels, but also not nekomata. The only master they could have been referring to was Amatsu. A sudden revelation hit me with sick
ening dismay. They had been nekomata, but my blood had brought them back to their original forms. The darkness was now rooted from their beings, though their intentions were of the purest evil. Still, they were living beings again, and as such had full access to the temple and its grounds.
We just lost our sanctuary.
I brandished my sword and crouched low, one leg extended to the side, left hand to the ground, sword pointed high in the air.
“Make no mistake,” I shouted, “if you attempt to touch me or my loved ones you will lose your hands not to mention your heads.”
They heartily laughed at what they assumed was an empty threat.
“Kenji. Saigo,” I said through clenched teeth. “Stay back, and don’t even think about helping me.”
“You can’t take on three kami at one time,” Saigo said. “This is suicide.”
“I will not be able to focus if I am worried about you.”
“The prince will remain with me,” Kenji promised. “We will give aid if you need it. I may not have fought much in my youth, but I know how to wield this cane.”
I reluctantly nodded and then focused my attention on the three kami a few yards ahead of us. The sounds of battle created a ghastly cacophony of noise behind me. I prayed that Musubi and Akane had dispensed with the rest of the nekomata and given aid to Yao and Chan.
The kami in the middle of the trio took a step forward. “We have no desire to kill you, Princess. These are not our orders, but we will kill your friends if you do not cooperate.”
I tired of listening to his threats. I reached for the small dagger at my hip and with a flick of my wrist flung it in his direction, embedding it into his chest. It wasn’t a weapon made from the underworld, but I hoped it might catch the kami off-guard.
The kami’s surprised intake of breath and wide-eyed look spoke of pain and then sheer terror as he fell to his knees and clumsily fumbled with shaking hands to pull the dagger from his chest.
“You’re not quite so invincible if you can experience pain,” I shouted. My voice carried sharply across the space between us. It sounded abnormally loud for some reason. Then I noticed my voice was the only sound in the stillness of the moonlit night. “Kenji, what has happened to our friends?” I whispered, not daring to turn my back on the three kami.