The Dragon Saga Box Set

by Nicolette Andrews

  They pulled apart a little breathless and a little disheveled.

  "I better let you go before things get out of hand." She smoothed down his hair and straightened his hoari for him.

  "Come with me," he said, prolonging the inevitable.

  "You know I would join you but the wards are too strong. Yokai cannot enter the temple grounds."

  "Then use your fox-fire and burn the arches to ashes. We'll storm in there and demand answers." He grinned.

  Rin pulled on his ear gently. "Don't do anything reckless. You're not Suzume."

  "I suppose I'm not." He cupped her cheek, and Rin leaned into it. Neither of them wanted to go, but he was wasting time. The sooner he finished this, the sooner they could start their lives over again.

  "Please don't do anything foolish. Whatever you might learn, it's not worth your life."

  "You know me. I'm always cautious. What about you, have you settled in?"

  Rin smiled. "Yes, we're staying at a human inn for now."

  "It won't take long. It will be a few days at most, and then we will be together again." Hikaru kissed her lips and shared one last lingering embrace before she pushed him away gently.

  "Go before I change my mind." She slapped him gently on the arm.

  Hikaru walked backward a few steps, and Rin watched him with a half-smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Eventually he was forced to turn around and focus on the path ahead.

  Questions had been burning in the back of his mind ever since he had regained his memories. Well, most of his memories. How did I become like this? It was why they had traveled to the shrine. Why Suzume had left Kaito behind. They had to know why Kazue's soul was inside them. Perhaps finding that out could help them better understand how they could defeat Hisato. As they were, they couldn't harm him without hurting themselves.

  At the end of the tunnel of arches, Hikaru was greeted with a barren courtyard. It was late in the day and the priests of the temple would likely be in meditation. The courtyard was a sparse open space, swept free of even a single leaf. The only decoration was a giant gingko tree in the courtyard center. A string of ofuda was strung around the center of the massive trunk.

  As always, Hikaru found himself drawn to the tree. He walked over it and pressed his hand against the rough bark. He could feel the pulse of the tree, the slow ancient thoughts, the energy force that ran through it. If he wished it, he could bend it to his will. For the past twenty years he had thought he could feel the tree, but he had convinced himself that it was all in his head. No human had that sort of ability. That was what the head priest had told him, but he wasn't human. Not really. And his attachment to this tree was due to his imbalance of earth in his soul.

  He rested his head against the tree, letting its energy flow into him, rejuvenating him, bringing him back to life and giving him the motivation he needed to see this task through. Thank you, my friend, Hikaru said, and a tingling sensation brushed down his spine as if an invisible hand had caressed down his back. He had no doubt it was the tree's way of acknowledging him.

  "You've returned at last," said a raspy voice behind him.

  At first Hikaru thought it was the voice of the tree, but when he turned he saw it was the ancient head priest who smiled at him.

  Without thinking, Hikaru fell into a deep bow. Twenty years living in the shrine had ingrained in him a need for ceremony. In some ways being here brought him closer to the man he was when he was just Makato and not Hikaru—the man he had been before Kazue's soul was put into him. It felt almost as if there were two versions of him. Two sides with independent memories warring for dominance within him.

  The head priest gave a dusty chuckle. "Have you come back to pay penitence?"

  "I came for answers, master."

  He laughed again. "I'm sure you have." He gestured for Hikaru to follow him, and with his hands folded in the small of his back, he walked slowly toward the nearby shrine building.

  Hikaru followed just behind him, head bowed, as was fitting someone of his rank. They passed by the main shrine building, an ornate structure. The eves and support beams were painted a brilliant red, and a complicated series of carvings decorated it. Just in front of it was an offering box, and deeper within the recesses of the building was the shrine proper, where the kami dwelled. Hikaru found his gaze lingering on that space. If Kazue had sealed the kami, then that space was nothing but an empty sham.

  "Strange rumors have been going around since you left," the Head Priest said.

  "Many strange things have happened since I left," Hikaru replied, turning his attention back to the priest.

  The old man nodded his head in reply, but said nothing more. He led Hikaru past the shrine building to the dormitories of the higher-ranking priests and then to the Head Priest’s office. The Head Priest’s personal assistant was waiting for them and he opened the door while kneeling on the ground. Hikaru waited outside until the Head Priest had made himself comfortable. The assistant closed the door after them.

  The Head Priest sat on a thick pillow covered in red fabric. When Hikaru had first arrived at the shrine, the head priest had been the second-in-command to the then Head Priest. He'd been quick to smile, and loved to spar. He'd always been more militant than the wise and deep-thinking Head Priest back then. Time had ravaged his body, and the once spry man had difficulty moving. Pain in his joints limited his ability to do much of anything at all other than to meditate and contemplate the world’s mysteries. Perhaps that was the cycle of man.

  Hikaru knelt down in front of the desk. The priest leaned forward and steepled his fingers as he regarded him.

  "You left your post," he said, not as an accusation, but more of a question. The Head Priest trusted him. They trusted each other.

  "It was the emperor's orders."

  "Ah."

  The question he needed to ask was lodged in the back of his throat. Not because he was afraid to ask it but because his desire to adhere to tradition forced him to remain silent.

  "You had a question?" the Head Priest prompted after a few painful minutes of silence.

  "How did I come to this shrine?"

  The Head Priest’s expression was wistful. "How long has it been now?"

  "Twenty years."

  His sharp gaze turned to Hikaru, and he appraised him. "And you have not aged at all since then." He laughed to himself.

  Hikaru continued to stare without response. He was avoiding the question.

  "You were the second then, so you must remember who brought me here." He left off his more pertinent question—'And why.' He doubted the head priest would know their motives.

  The Head Priest sighed heavily. "They all come for different reasons. Their families cannot feed them, exceptional ability is discovered at a young age, or other tragedies..." He stared down at his desk, which was cleared of any clutter or paper.

  "But I'm different."

  The Head Priest nodded his head. "You are not like the others. Your ability has always far exceeded that of even myself." He smiled at Hikaru, attempting to draw a smile out of him as well.

  But Hikaru could not return the gesture. The priest was avoiding the question. Hisato had returned all Hikaru's memories of the past, of Rin, who he had been. All of them calculated to manipulate Hikaru into doing his bidding. But he had not returned to him why he was this way. According to Suzume, Hisato had not been free from Kazue's spell until Suzume was born. Which would have been after Hikaru had been brought to this shrine, and that meant someone else had done this to him.

  When Hikaru did not return the friendly gesture the Head Priest offered he shook his head. "I was the second at the time, and the emperor was always calling me away." He waved his liver-spotted hand in dismissal. "You still cannot remember your past?" He raised a single white brow in question.

  Hikaru shook his head. "Perhaps you could consult the records? Each acolyte’s history is recorded there."

  "Those years are in the hall of records." He rubbed his
chin, pulling at the loose skin there, something Hikaru knew he did when he was nervous. "I would have to request it brought here. And the records are incomplete since the fire. We may not even find what you are searching for."

  "It means enough to me that you would try." Hikaru bowed his head to show his gratitude even though the Head Priest had not agreed to do this favor.

  The Head Priest stopped tugging at his chin. "Why are you curious about this now?"

  "Is it wrong to wonder who I am?"

  "All men who come here give up who they were before. It is better for you that you cannot remember."

  "But our pasts shape our future."

  The Head Priest stared off into the distance as if he was contemplating the weight of Hikaru's words.

  Without looking at Hikaru he said, "There are rumors going about, dangerous rumors, that you've left the emperor's side."

  "I would never betray the emperor," Hikaru replied, perhaps a little too quickly.

  The old man turned to meet his eye. "Be careful. You do not want to make enemies here."

  Hikaru nodded. "Let me know when you have the records."

  The Head Priest bowed his head in acknowledgment, and Hikaru saw himself out. The assistant was still in the hall when he exited and he too bowed his head as he passed by.

  If only he could go to the inn where Rin and the others were staying, but with the Head Priest already on alert and rumors flying he could not risk it. All it would take would be for the Head Priest to inquire with the emperor about Hikaru's mission and then he would be exposed. Hikaru headed to his chamber. Over the past twenty years it had been his sanctuary, a place where he could escape from the horrors of his day to day.

  Though his simple futon would not be the same as the embrace of his wife, it would be satisfactory enough. He was weary from weeks on the road. Even though he was not human, he still fatigued. They'd tried to move quickly to the White Palace, especially after Suzume's dangerous run-in with the yokai, they thought it best they get to a human place.

  He turned the corner in the dormitories approaching his chamber, and saw that there was a gap in his door, as if someone had entered and not closed it all the way. He may well have left the door open himself the last time he was here. But his intuition told him otherwise. Hikaru crept closer toward the door, drawing a dagger that he hid on his calf.

  As he got closer, he heard thumping sounds from inside and the low murmuring conversation of two men. He peeked through the crack in the door to see two palace guards turning over his futon and digging through the drawer where he kept all his letters.

  Hikaru stepped back slowly. If the palace guards were searching his room, it was already too late. Before he could get two steps away however, the door was slammed open and the guards came out into the hall.

  "Stop right there!" they shouted.

  He ran for the opposite direction, taking a sharp turn around the corner. But what he had not anticipated was more palace guards waiting to intercept him. Hikaru skidded to halt and turned around to see two more guards had joined the first two. He was surrounded. Though he did not want to use his spiritual power against humans, he had no choice.

  The song rose up in his throat, but before the first notes could even leave the tip of his tongue a competing chant bound his power, tying his tongue to the roof of his mouth.

  Without his song to protect him, he was powerless. The men swarmed him, but he did not put up a fight as they bound his hands behind his back.

  "Makato, you are under arrest for treason against the emperor."

  9

  Normally Suzume was the one being kidnapped, and being on the other side of the rescue plan was a surreal experience.

  "They were waiting for him," Rin said. Her voice shook only for a moment, then she straightened her back. "I had a bad feeling as soon as we arrived, so I waited and hid just outside the temple grounds. Not long after Hikaru entered, I saw him being dragged out by guards. I followed as closely as I could. They took him to the palace prison."

  "We have to go and save him," Suzume said, ready to jump into action.

  Rin shook her head. "He wouldn't want us to put you in danger."

  "I don't care what he wants." Suzume threw her arms out to make her point. "If the emperor has him it must mean we're on the right track."

  "I'm going alone to save him," Rin said.

  "What are you going to do against the emperor's army? Or the warrior priests? You can't face them on your own."

  "He's my husband."

  "Let us help."

  "What are you going to do, Suzume? You can't even control your fire." Rin's words were like a slap across the face and Suzume took a step back. It was true, she couldn't control it and more than that, she was terrified to use it. But her pride wouldn't let her admit it. How many times had the others come to her rescue? It was her turn to do the same.

  "You don't know what I am capable of," Suzume countered.

  "I know exactly what you're capable of. You almost killed Kaito with your selfish actions and if I left you to your own devices you'd probably get the rest of us killed," Rin shouted, her chest heaving with each breath.

  Suzume glared at her. She couldn't find the right words to express how she felt, but she didn't have to because Rin was the first to storm out of the room, slamming the door after her.

  Suzume stood in the center of the room, her hands balled into fists.

  Noaki came up behind her, but did not touch her. She knew that the fire was coursing over her body, turning her into a flame, proving to Rin that she had no control over her body. She'd come here with Hikaru in search of answers, to find out why she was this way. To figure how to better control it. But nothing had changed. Rin, Hikaru, all of them saw her as nothing but an incompetent fool.

  But Suzume would show her. She knew the palace better than any of them. She knew how to get Hikaru out.

  Suzume headed toward the door.

  "Where are you going?" Akira asked.

  Suzume didn't even bother to look at her, and instead she grabbed her staff from where it was propped against the wall. "I'm going to rescue Hikaru," she said as she strapped her staff to her back.

  "You heard Rin. It's better if you stay behind."

  "No one knows the palace like I do," Suzume countered and proceeded out the door.

  Instead of trying to stop her like she thought they would, Akira and Tsuki joined her.

  "I was getting bored waiting around in this place anyway," Tsuki said with a mischievous grin.

  Suzume glanced over her shoulder at Noaki, who was following behind as well. It was good to know they had her back at least. Whether they thought she could do it was another story. They might be following her just to make sure she didn't get herself killed.

  Getting through the city was the easy part. No one paid any mind to a priestess and two armed men. She was feeling confident, having mapped out the beginnings of a plan in her head. But it wasn't until she was faced with the palace guards and two armed guards that her conviction wavered.

  The common folk did not enter the palace for any reason. And with her clothes, and lack of proper conveyance, the guards were not going to just let her walk in. These weren't your typical guards either, but warrior priests. She could feel their spiritual energy as she got closer. Her palms were sweaty with nerves. It was through sheer will that she didn't burst into flames.

  "I don't know if I can persuade a priest," Akira said as they paused just out of earshot of the warriors.

  "There's no other way in. Unless you think we can scale the walls." They were several feet high and guards patrolled along the top. Even if she could somehow scramble to the top, she would be shot before she ever reached it.

  Akira nodded and they approached the guards. As soon as they got close, she saw the guards come to attention. They would sense their spiritual energy, surely.

  Akira approached first and the guard held out his weapon. "Stop right there."

  Suzume’
s heart leaped into her throat. Maybe this had been a reckless plan after all.

  "Who are you? What business do you have at the White Palace?" the guard asked.

  "I am Lady Kana," Akira said smoothly. "I am here to visit the princess by her request."

  The guard glanced over their group. He didn't seem to believe a word of it.

  "Give him my letters," Akira said, gesturing for Suzume to hand the man a blank piece of parchment she had scrounged up. As she handed the priest the fake document their hands brushed against one another and Suzume felt a spark run down her spine. The priest yanked his hand away. His brows furrowed as he examined the blank paper and then looked up at Suzume once more.

  "What is this?" he asked.

  "Something the matter?" Akira asked, pulling in closer. She touched the man's arm, an intimate gesture any real lady would never have done. He looked down where she had touched him. His suspicious gaze darted from Suzume to Akira.

  "Is this some sort of joke?" But he didn't shake Akira's hand away. Instead he was staring into her eyes.

  "The princess is in desperate need of my company. Won't you let us enter?"

  His eyes didn't glaze over as she'd seen others do who'd fallen prey to Akira's power. This wasn't going to work. Suzume reached for her staff, hidden beneath the cloth on her back. The man continued to stare into Akira's eyes. The rest of them may as well have disappeared. But Noaki clutched his sword, ready to draw, just in case.

  "Go ahead." The guard stood aside, allowing them in.

  Suzume let go of the breath she'd been holding, while Akira bowed her head to the man and gave him a smile as they headed into the courtyard beyond.

  Once they were away from the guard, Tsuki took over control of the body he shared with his sister.

  "That was a close one, wasn't it?" he said.

  "Too close," Akira agreed.

  "At least we got inside."

  "I'm just worried about how we get out," Akira said.

  As soon as they entered the palace grounds, Suzume's head was swiveling back and forth, taking in all the things she thought she'd never lay eyes on again—a cherry tree which had beautiful blossoms in spring, the courtyard where festival celebrations were held, and in the distance, the palace dwellings where she had grown up. It was the place where she and her mother had resided before her exile. Focus, now is not the time. We have to save Hikaru first.