“Bran-sama?”
“Yes, who else!” Ine coughed. “He tore through the walls and when he had found nothing, he—he leapt through the window.”
He will go to my house next, Satō thought.
“Will you be all right here? I must see if my house is safe.”
“Yes, I’ll be fine. You’d better run to your father!”
The guards at the gates of the Takashima residence house had already been gruesomely disposed of by the time she arrived. They were not slain by a sword or spear, rather their throats seemed to have been torn apart by a wild animal. One of them—Satō recognised young Kaiten—was sprawled across the threshold, slain in a brave, but futile, attempt to defend the residence.
Foolish boy, Satō thought briefly. I told you—keep people in, not out.
The gate had been crashed open. Satō dashed across the courtyard to the main hall and up the stairs straight for her father’s study. She could hear the sounds of a fierce battle inside. Her father fought against the invader with all his power.
She entered the room, stepping over a discarded lightning trap, its deadly energies spent. The study was ravaged by flame, ice, wind and lightning thrown from Shūhan’s sword and other focus artefacts scattered all over the floor, as the energies within the room soared to a point of oversaturation. All the hair on Satō’s body stood on end, electrified, and the air smelled of ozone and burnt plums.
This magical onslaught was not enough to stop the enemy, who slowly inched towards the Rangakusha holding a long bronze knife. Another blade of the same kind was lying at Shūhan’s feet, its tip bloodied. A great two-handed sword was slung over the stranger’s back. A loose flowing robe of crimson fluttered in the hurricane of energies.
Satō shuddered, recognising a demonic presence in the room. Having trained partially in the arts of the onmyōji magic she was sensitive to evil Spirits, and could tell that whoever stood before her was no mere human. The smell of blood and death filled her nostrils. She drew her sword and released the most powerful enchantments she knew, adding to the already magically permeated atmosphere. A cascade of energy enveloped the assailant, vapour in the air crystallising into chains and shards of ice. Icy spikes and icicles threatened to pierce and crush the crimson-clad man.
The mysterious enemy simply shrugged off the chains of frost, dispelled the icicles and turned towards the girl with deliberate slowness. There was a strange hypnotising beauty in his long gaunt face, pale like the moon. The almond-shaped, predacious eyes gleamed pure gold and when he opened his mouth in a scowl, sharp blackened fangs glistened behind bloodless lips. Transfixed, Satō observed how in one smooth, dance-like move, the man threw his bronze dagger towards her. She moved, but not fast enough. The long bronze blade dug deep into her left shoulder up to the hilt.
At that moment, Shūhan yelled and leaped at the enemy, pinning him to the floor.
“Satō, run! Hide yourself!” he screamed as the creature held him in a lethal embrace.
Their bodies became enveloped in the crackling black and purple energy of fierce raw magic, overcoming each other’s defences.
Satō felt her strength seeping out of the wound. She tried to launch another barrage of spells, but the enchantments fizzled out and all the ice melted. The creature’s willpower was too strong.
“On your mother’s name, girl,” Shūhan cried again, “save yourself.”
Satō swore through gritted teeth. She could not disobey this command, and she could do nothing else to help Shūhan. The mysterious blade seemed to be sapping all her magic away. The black and purple vortices swelled, filling the room, threatening to envelop the wizardess. She was well aware of the dangers of finding herself within uncontrolled currents of raw magic.
“Be brave, Father,” she said, her voice shaking, “I’m going to get help.”
She ran away, tears rolling down her cheeks, her father’s dying screams ringing in her ears, the bronze dagger tearing through her skin and muscle with every step. At last she pulled it out and threw it away, screaming with pain. Leaving a trail of blood on the dirt of the street, she ran north towards the Suwa Shrine, the only place she knew was safe in this time of darkness. The last thing she saw were people running towards her to assist, their hands stretched out helpfully as she fell down.
“Suwa Shrine… Help—my father…” she managed to whisper before the world around her was enveloped in a thick, black impenetrable shadow.
CHAPTER XVII
Jōtarō passed under a stone torii gate, over a bridge spanning the moat and onto the artificial island in the middle of a large pond. He moved slowly, bent, supporting himself on a sturdy bamboo stick, holding a long bundle of black silk under his arm.
Struggling through the overgrown beech grove, he located a low earthen wall and, hidden under a massive tangle of wisteria, a large round boulder. With strength defying his fragile form he ripped away the thick dense mass of purple-blooming vine, grabbed the massive rock and rolled it away, revealing a dark round entrance. He picked up a bronze lantern from a niche in the wall, cleaned it up, filled with fuel and lit it with a Qin firestick.
He descended down the corridor leading deep into the earthen mound. As he walked the light flickered, reflecting on lime-plastered slabs of fine granite, dancing on immeasurably old frescoes, paintings of zodiacal beasts, phoenixes, turtles, tigers and dragons. Jōtarō passed under fading images of courtiers and court ladies whose names and titles had long been forgotten, of princes and emperors never mentioned in the chronicles. He moved on, paying no attention to any of these wonders. He had seen them so many times…
The passage narrowed slightly and ended with a large bronze door. Jōtarō grabbed the round handle, turned it and—this time with considerable effort—pushed the great bronze slab in. It moved with a dreadful creak, disrupting the age-long silence of the vast cavern beyond. A plume of dust whirled from the floor as fresh air whooshed inside.
The walls of the perfectly round chamber were painted with pleasant scenes of courtly life—hunting, playing, lovemaking. Once it had been filled with treasure, bronze mirrors, spearheads, swords, clay figurines of Gods and ancestors, pots of coins and rice. All that had been long gone, save a few broken potsherds and unrecognisable bits of metal scattered in the thick layer of dust, unworthy of the attention of generations of grave robbers.
In the very centre of the chamber, on a square pedestal, stood a large richly carved chair made of cryptomeria wood. Sitting on it was a statue of a tall samurai clad in a purple cloak thrown over rich, extravagant, garishly coloured clothes. A shallow saké cup rested in the samurai’s hand.
The statue wore an unmarked black helmet and a moustached face mask with fierce demonic eye slits. The helmet and the mask were the only pieces of clothing on the sculpture that seemed truly ancient. They were cracked and stained in places, the pigments faded.
Jōtarō hung the lantern on a hook on the wall, climbed the two steps of the pedestal and started dusting the sculpture, removing cobwebs and stains of moisture that seeped through cracks in the ceiling. He was in no hurry. Nearly an hour passed before he was satisfied with the outcome. The statue shined like new in the flickering light of the lantern.
The old man then drew a sharp dagger from a sheath hidden in the folds of his robe. Without flinching, he cut a long deep wound into his forearm. Blood dripped into the saké cup in the statue’s hand. When it was full, Jōtarō put the cup to the open lips of the demonic mask.
As the liquid dripped into the opening he spoke in a trembling, but loud, voice.
“Bennosuke-sama! I call upon you with the name your father chose for you on the day you were born. It is time!”
This had no effect, so Jōtarō spoke again, louder.
“Shinmen-sama! I call upon you with the name you chose for yourself on the day you killed your first man. It is time!”
Still nothing happened, so the old man straightened himself an
d cried at the top of his lungs.
“Niten-sama! I call upon you with the name the Great Butsu-sama himself chose for you on the day you started your new life. It is time! The Shard has returned!”
There was a cracking sound. The statue stirred, its arms moved. A grunt came from beneath the demonic mask. Eyes flickered opened in the slits. The statue’s hand reached for the helmet and cast it away.
The face that appeared from beneath the mask was that of a man in his early thirties. The top of his head was shaven bald, with fringes on the sides and a thick, straight shaggy ponytail sticking out at the back. His lower face sported a thin whisker and the pointed beard of Vasconian fashion.
The man grimaced and stretched his jaw, trying out muscles he had not used for a very long time. He flexed the fingers of his right hand then the left and wiped the blood stain from his lips. The skin on his hands, and on his face, was yellowy pale and paper-thin. His almond-shaped eyes, slightly bulging from under bushy eyebrows, glistened with cunning, intelligence and cruelty. They were the colour of pure gold.
When the man spoke, his voice was hoarse and broken.
“Is this true, Jōtarō? Has the Shard really returned?”
“Yes, tono, just as had been foretold.”
On hearing these words, the samurai slowly stood up to full height and stepped forwards from the pedestal.
“How long has it been?”
“Almost fifty years.”
“And what of the Seven?”
“They have already made their first move, tono. I am ashamed. I was unable to stop the Crimson One.”
“No, you wouldn’t have been. I never gave you enough power. Very well, give me my swords.”
Jōtarō untied the silk bundle and unwrapped two swords of nearly equal length, sheathed in plain, featureless black scabbards. His master stuck them both into his sash then pulled out one of the blades and examined it carefully.
“You have taken good care of them, Jōtarō. There is not a spot or blemish.”
The old man only bowed, but said nothing.
“Is everything ready for my return?”
“Just as you have ordered, tono.”
“Excellent. This makes me very glad. What reward do you wish for your efforts?”
Jōtarō raised his head, and his sad wrinkled eyes met those of his master.
“My tono knows my desire.”
“You have not changed your mind then?”
“Never.”
“Very well, you have served me faithfully, and the time has come. You deserve nothing less. Assist me outside, please.”
Jōtarō raised the lantern and lit their way out of the mound. Once outside, his master stopped, gently touched the light pink flowers covering the tomb’s entrance and looked at the sun. He breathed in the fresh crisp air of the morning and grinned. His eyes turned plain brown.
“On ceaseless breeze,” he improvised, “sweetly lingers the scent of wisteria flowers.”
“Tono,” Jōtarō reminded patiently.
“Oh, forgive me. It’s been so long…”
The samurai approached him and put a hand on the old man’s shoulder.
“I release you from my service. You are free to join your ancestors.”
A shudder came through Jōtarō and he felt his body start to painlessly scatter into ash. He raised his eyes up, tears streaming down his ancient, cracking face.
“Thank you, tono,” he managed to speak one last time.
“Farewell, friend,” the samurai said solemnly.
THE END
APPENDIX: GLOSSARY
(Bat.) – Bataavian
(Yam.) – Yamato
(Pryd.) – Prydain
(Seax.) – Seaxe
aardse nor (Bat.) spell word, "Earth Tomb"
amazake (Yam.) a traditional sweet drink from fermented rice
ardian (Seax.) the Commander of a Regiment in the Royal Marines
banneret (Seax.) the Commander of a Banner in the Royal Marines
bento (Yam.) a boxed lunch, usually made of rice, fish and pickled vegetables
bevries (Bat.) spell word, "Freeze"
biwa (Yam.) fruit of loquat tree
blodeuyn (Pryd.) spell word, "Flowers"
bugyo (Yam.) chief magistrate of an autonomous city
bwcler (Pryd.) magical shield covering a fighter's arm, a buckler
cha (Yam.) green tea
chwalu (Pryd.) spell word, "Unravel"
Corianiaid (Pryd.) a race of red-haired dwarves from Rheged
cwrw (Pryd.) beer
dab (Pryd.) creature, thing or a person
daimyo (Yam.) feudal lord of a province
daisen (Yam.) chief wizard
dap (Pryd.) the same size and shape as something
dengaku (Yam.) a meal of grilled tofu or vegetables topped with sauce
denka, -denka (Yam.) honorific, referring to the member of the royal family
derwydd (Pryd.) druid
dōjō (Yam.) school of martial arts or fencing
dono, -dono (Yam.) honorific, referring to a noble man of a higher level
doraco (Yam.) Western dragon
doshin (Yam.) chief of Police
dōtanuki (Yam.) a type of katana, longer and heavier than usual
draca hiw (Seax.) spell word, "Dragon Form"
draigg (Pryd.) a dragon
duw (Pryd.) a swearword
dwt (Pryd.) a young child
egungun (Yoruba) a holy spirit, also a shaman dancer representing Egungun
enenra (Yam.) a spirit born of smoke
faeder (Seax.) father
fudai (Yam.) an "inner circle" clan; one of the vassals of the Tokugawa Taikun before the battle of Sekigahara
futon (Yam.) a roll-out mattress filled with rice husks
gaikokujin (Yam.) a foreigner, non-Yamato person
genoeg (Bat.) spell word, "Enough" (to mark the end of a continuous spell)
gornestau (Pryd.) magical duel
graddio (Pryd.) school graduation ceremony
gwrthyrru (Pryd.) spell word, "Repel"
hakama (Yam.) split trousers
hamon (Yam.) visual effect created on the blade through hardening process
haori (Yam.) a type of outer jacket
hatamoto (Yam.) the Taikun's retainer, samurai in direct service to the Taikun
hime, -hime (Yam.) honorific, referring to women of high position
igo (Yam.) a board game for two players, using identical black and white tokens
ijslaag (Bat.) spell word, "Ice Layer"
inro (Yam.) a wooden container for holding small objects, hanging from a sash
inugami (Yam.) a dog spirit
jawch (Pryd.) a swearword
jutte (Yam.) police truncheon
kabuki (Yam.) a form of classical dance theater
kagura (Yam.) a type of theatrical dance with religious themes
kakka (Yam.) honorific, referring to lords of the province or heads of the clans
kambe (Yam.) a shrine servant taken from an adjacent village
kami (Yam.) God or Spirit in Yamato mythology
kanpai (Yam.) Cheers!
kappa (Yam.) a water sprite, reptilian humanoid
katana (Yam.) the main Yamato sword, over 60cm in length
kaya (Yam.) a bright yellow wood used for making igo boards
kekkai (Yam.) a magical shield, similar to tarian
kimono (Yam.) official layered robe of the noble class
kirin (Yam.) a chimerical creature of Qin, body of a deer and the head of a dragon with a large single horn
kodachi (Yam.) a short Yamato sword, less than 60cm in length
koenig (Seax.) the monarch of the Varyaga Khaganate
kosode (Yam.) basic, loose fitting robe for both men and women
kun, -kun (Yam.) honorific, referring to young persons of the same social status
kunoichi (Yam.) a female shinobi assassin
kuso (Yam.) a swearword
/> lloegr (Pryd.) Dracaland east of the Dyke
llwch (Pryd.) spell word, "Dust"
long (Qin) Qin dragon
mam (Pryd.) mother
mamgu (Pryd.) grandmother
Matsubara (Yam.) the family of katana swordsmiths
metsuke (Yam.) inspector representative of the Taikun
mikado (Yam.) the divine Emperor of Yamato
mikan (Yam.) fruit of tangerine tree
mithraeum (Latin) temple of Mithras
mitorashita (Yam.) worshippers of Mithras
mochi (Yam.) a sweet made of rice gluten
mogelijkheid (Bat.) magical potential
monpe (Yam.) workman's trousers
naginata (Yam.) a polearm formed of a katana blade set in a bamboo shaft
nodachi (Yam.) a large, two-handed sword, over 120cm in length
noren (Yam.) a curtain hanging over the shop entrance, with the logo of the establishment
oba (Yoruba) chieftain
obi (Yam.) a silk sash wrapped around the waist
obidame (Yam.) a buckle for tying the obi sash
oden (Yam.) a type of stew
omikuji (Yam.) fortunes written on a strip of paper
onmyōji (Yam.) a practitioner of traditional Yamato magic
onmyōdō (Yam.) traditional Yamato magic
oppertovenaar (Bat.) overwizard of Dejima
pilipala (Pryd.) spell word, "butterfly"
proost (Bat.) Cheers!
rangaku (Yam.) "Western Sciences", study of Western magic and technology
rangakusha (Yam.) a practitioner of Western magic
reeve (Seax.) the Staff Sergeant in the Royal Marines
rhew (Pryd.) spell word, "frost"
ri (Yam.) measure of distance, approx. 4 km
rōnin (Yam.) a masterless samurai
ryū (Yam.) a Yamato dragon
Saesneg (Pryd.) (slur) Seaxe
sakaki (Yam.) a flowering evergreen tree, used to produce sacred paraphernalia
sama, -sama (Yam.) honorific, referring to peers of the same social status
sencha (Yam.) popular kind of tea
sensei, -sensei (Yam.) honorific, referring to teachers and doctors
shamisen (Yam.) a three-stringed musical instrument
The Shadow of Black Wings (The Year of the Dragon, Book 1) Page 23