The Blood King’s Apprentice

by David Alastair Hayden

  Unlike them, he brought work with him. He stared at the teleportation scroll until it was all a blur. Then he took a short nap until someone tapped on his door.

  Kurine waved. “Hi-ya!”

  “Come in.”

  She frowned and glanced up and down the hall. She started to take a step, then stopped. “Why don’t we have a snack out in the Courtyard?”

  “Okay, sure.”

  They spent a few hours together chatting, and kissing a little. Her usual verve had been replaced by fatigue. She was excited about finding out what the location of her kenja heart would mean, though. They were all stirred up about that now.

  She practically bounced into his room the next morning.

  “I’m going to go ahead and apologize for throwing up on you.”

  “You won’t.” He winked. “I hold everyone from behind.”

  She patted him on the cheek. “Clever boy.”

  “I’m only holding everyone the first time through, just to be sure. It’s not really necessary.”

  “You can always hold me if you like.”

  Turesobei scanned her slowly, enjoying the experience.

  “The milky eyes thing still creeps me out.”

  “You’ll get used to it.”

  He finished his scan and blushed. “Ahem. Well…your placement means you are filled with love and devotion.”

  She smiled. “That’s me!”

  “First I…I have to touch the spot to bond with your signature. And then I’ll need to hold you there during the transport.”

  “Okay.”

  “It’s…it’s above your heart, which is just under….”

  She blushed. “Oh.”

  “There’s no other way….”

  “Do I need to take off my—”

  “No!” He gulped. His face was burning. “You’re fine.”

  Turesobei reached out, hesitated, then placed his palm flat against her left breast. He went fuzzy inside and would’ve sworn the temperature of the room had increased by one blazing bonfire. He was trembling…unfocused. He couldn’t even read the signature.

  “This takes a while, huh?” she asked.

  “Well…er…it’s not supposed to…but I’m, you know…a little distracted.”

  She giggled. “Oh.”

  I can do this. It’s just spell work. It’s all business.

  By repeating that mantra, he finally regained his focus and completed the bond. Then he stepped around behind her.

  “I usually keep my hand on the spot during transport…but obviously I won’t always, so this could be the first time I try it without doing that….”

  “Is it safer if you do?”

  “Maybe.”

  She tittered. “I don’t mind if you play it safe.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and placed his palm against the spot. She snuggled into him. Eventually he focused enough to cast the spell. They were jerked through space and reappeared in the Workshop.

  Kurine didn’t throw up. She spun around and clapped.

  “Let’s do it again! Can we go back to your room from here?”

  “I don’t know how to reverse this spell.”

  “Let’s run back to your room then.”

  “Are you serious?” Turesobei shook his head and laughed. “You’ll get another chance soon, I promise.”

  She pouted a moment then smiled. “Hey, while we’re here I want to see the dragon. I’m the only one who’s never seen it.”

  “Oh, I hadn’t realized that.” He took a deep breath. “Now don’t let it scare you. I’m in full control.”

  Turesobei cast the spell of evoking the Storm Dragon. The beast billowed painfully out from his chest as normal and Kurine clapped as it soared overhead. It growled and plunged angrily down, perhaps summoned by her clapping. It landed in front of her, bared its fangs and tilted its head forward so the sparks from its antlers could fall near her feet.

  “She’s a friend,” Turesobei said in a commanding voice.

  Unafraid, Kurine stepped toward it. “You are a beautiful girl, aren’t you?”

  The dragon’s eyes relaxed and the sparks stopped falling from its antlers.

  Kurine reached out and touched its snout. “Oh! You’re so full of energy.” She rubbed her hands along the head and neck, avoiding the still-fiery antlers. “All rain and cloud yet solid to the touch. You’re amazing. Can I ride on your back?”

  “I don’t think the Storm Dragon will let—”

  The dragon settled its belly onto the ground, tucked its wings in and dipped its head.

  “Yay!” Kurine clambered up onto its back. “Are you coming, Sobei?”

  Turesobei stepped forward, but the Storm Dragon beat a wing at him and huffed. “Er…maybe you should ride on your own.”

  The dragon rose into the air and lazily soared through the room, careful not to go too high and crush her against the rafters.

  “Quite an amazing girl.”

  Turesobei nearly jumped. He hadn’t heard Lord Gyoroe enter the Workshop behind them. Gyoroe had emerald eyes. Turesobei relaxed.

  “In less than a minute, she tamed the dragon you have been struggling against for over a year.”

  “She’s definitely one of a kind.”

  “To survive the Shadowland like she did, she would have to be. And while she may not have the power of a Kaiaru, she has the spirit of one.” He half-chuckled. “For all that has happened to her, she should be filled with anger and hate. Most would be. But when I healed her, she thanked me. Not out of fear or obligation or guilt. It was an honest thank you, knowing my reputation.”

  “That’s Kurine.”

  The dragon landed. Kurine hopped down and petted it on the snout. Turesobei ended the spell. The energy streamed into him. He staggered back and fell. Kurine gave Gyoroe a wan smile and a nod.

  “That was incredible,” Turesobei said. “Truly incredible. I can’t believe it let you onto its back.”

  “It’s a she, you know,” Kurine said. “Maybe if you stopped referring to her as an it you’d have an easier time managing her. Especially since girls always seem to like you.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Just don’t try to marry her.”

  Turesobei shook his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a hint of genuine smile on Lord Gyoroe’s face as he restrained a laugh. Kurine’s personality was so infectious that Turesobei was certain that if she spent a century here, Gyoroe might be a decent guy by the end.

  As they headed to the first training session, Gyoroe said, “I expect perfection today.”

  “Yes, master.”

  “I also expect you to activate the Summer Gate.”

  Chapter Sixty-One

  During the morning session, no one got hurt on the obstacle course, but their times were getting slower, not faster. Each time they ran the maze, their muscles got stiffer. Falls into the abyss, slips in the mud and stumbles became common.

  Turesobei did achieve perfection with his spell work, though. And he activated both the Summer and Winter gates for the first time. Gyoroe was so pleased that he gave him the rest of the afternoon off from magic practice. So he took a nap, because sadly, that was what he wanted to do more than anything else.

  The second training session was a complete disaster. Turesobei lost his footing while pushing the boulder up through the tunnel and it rolled back onto him. He blocked it with his forearm to keep it from hitting him in the head and ended up with another fracture. Completing the course after that seemed to take forever.

  Zaiporo tripped over an obstacle and broke his left shoulder so badly he couldn’t finish. Enashoma and Kurine fell into every abyss they had to cross. A swinging sandbag struck Awasa in the back and she got so angry that she drew Fangthorn and spent several minutes cutting down all of them. That indiscretion led to five minutes of torture once she finished the course. Even Iniru struggled. Her time got worse. Twice she nearly slipped off one of the floating stones. And one of the straw warriors actually scored a hit on her
ribs.

  After that, dinner was a quiet and depressed meal. They barely talked as they ate and immediately disappeared into their rooms to rest as soon as they finished. Their first mock battle would be later that night, and it loomed over them like a threatening storm cloud.

  When they returned to the Canvas, the bridge and the viewing platform were the only features that remained in the room. The obstacle course below was gone and in its place was an open floor. It mirrored that of the Training Hall, only much larger.

  They lined up across the room from a group of thirty straw warriors and prepared themselves. These warriors were identical to the ones they fought at then end of the maze, and not particularly strong or fast. And they only had bamboo clubs, whereas Turesobei and his companions had actual weapons. Turesobei assumed that it wouldn’t be difficult to beat them.

  He was wrong. The mock battle was an utter disaster.

  While they did defeat the warriors without anyone getting hurt, it took far longer than it should have. And only he and Zaiporo stuck to the battle plan. Both Iniru and Kurine tried to prove themselves by protecting him, despite Zaiporo giving very clear orders for them not to. Turesobei wasn’t allowed to cast spells in the battle, so he didn't even need shielding. And he was more than capable of defending himself.

  Awasa, on the other hand, went berserk and wildly assaulted the straw men. When they all lay broken on the floor, she leaned panting against Fangthorn and glared around the room. She’d been angry ever since that sandbag had struck her. The stress and fatigue of these intense training sessions made it hard for her to maintain control. Turesobei figured it was probably better that she learned to deal with the pressure here than have her lose it in the middle of a mission. But they really needed to figure out a way to calm her down.

  Hannya frowned with disappointment while Gyoroe simmered with anger. He didn’t punish them, though. Perhaps because they had won after all, or maybe because it was their first attempt.

  As soon as Hannya and Gyoroe left, Iniru and Kurine started arguing.

  He couldn’t deal with it. He was exhausted and had a splitting headache. So he hurried off to his room, had Lu Bei fetch him a snack and went to sleep.

  * * *

  Early the next morning, Iniru sauntered into his room with a smile. “I’m ready!”

  He yawned. “How can you be so energetic after all that training?”

  “I’m excited about teleporting. And I had a long night of sleep after last night’s disaster. About that…I’m sorry I…misbehaved. During the battle and after.”

  “S’okay. It wasn’t just you.”

  “Got that right!”

  “Tea, madam?” Lu Bei asked.

  “Nah, I’m fine. Sobei, your robe’s untied.”

  His cheeks went hot and he looked down, only to laugh.

  “Gotcha.”

  He had missed playful Iniru. It was good to have her back.

  “So is tonight your night to spend with me?” Turesobei asked. “Or is it Kurine’s? Because I didn’t see anyone last night.”

  She patted his cheek. “I knew you’d figure the system out.”

  “It didn’t take me long. So?”

  “Last night was supposed to be mine, but we didn’t have a chance to be together, so that makes tonight mine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “There was some…debate…about it after you went to bed, but today’s my day.”

  “Debate?”

  “Kurine argued that it’s the day itself that matters. I argued that a day doesn’t count if no one claims it.”

  “And you won out?”

  “Awasa sided with Kurine. Enashoma sided with me. Zaiporo said he didn’t have an opinion.”

  He was probably too afraid to have one after Iniru had accused him of favoring Kurine before. “So how did you decide?”

  “We flipped a coin.”

  “I doubt Kurine’s happy about the result.”

  Iniru shrugged. “Who cares?”

  “You two didn’t get into a fight, did you? A physical one, I mean.”

  She shook her head. “We swore we wouldn’t fight like that again.”

  He could tell by the fierce look in her eyes that they must’ve come close to one. He downed his tiny bowl of nasty-tasting tea. He doubted the argument of how a day was determined was settled once and for all.

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought all that up,” she said. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

  “I guess my schedule has made things awkward for you two sharing me.”

  Saying they had a system for sharing him made him feel like the biggest jerk in the world, as well as the luckiest guy to ever have lived.

  She eyed him suspiciously. He frowned, not wanting to seem as if he liked the situation. She didn’t appear to buy it.

  “Your schedule had already made deciding whose day is whose awkward, since some days you have more free time than others.”

  “Oh, I hadn’t thought about that.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Naturally. And now with all this training messing things up….”

  He scratched his head. “I could try to adjust my evening and afternoon studies to make sure I have the same amount of free time each day.”

  “That would help.” She rubbed the back of a hand along his cheek and batted her eyes. “If you find a little extra time on my days, I will make it worth your while.”

  He blushed. “Er…so how…how are you feeling? Are you sore?”

  Iniru laughed. “Of course I am. Everyone is.”

  “Sorry, dumb question.”

  “So, teleporting?”

  “Right. Let’s get to it.” He activated his kenja-sight. “After all the time we’ve spent together, I have a good idea where your kenja heart is.” His cheeks warmed and his blood pumped harder. “But I have to search to be sure.”

  He scanned her and found it was lower than he had expected, lower even than Enashoma’s. This was going to be very inappropriate, but also—he shook his head. He couldn’t think about that right now.

  “You look like you just fell into a pool of awkwardness,” Iniru said. “You’ve got it all over you. So where’s my spot?”

  “The location is a little…unseemly.”

  “How so, my sweet baojendari prude?”

  “Well it’s low, you see, and I have to touch the spot and hold my hand there for a short while.”

  She bit her lip and grinned. “That’s certainly okay with me.”

  He placed a shaking palm a hand’s length below her belly button. Any lower and he would have had to make her his first no-touching signature bond and teleport experience. Not that he would mind touching any lower, but he wasn’t ready for that, and he certainly couldn’t manage the teleport if he did.

  She shifted and giggled. “Oh.”

  “Sorry.”

  “I really don’t mind. You’re the prude, remember?”

  After a few moments, he managed to focus and bonded with her kenja heart. He stepped around behind her. “It means you’re very passionate but can be a little…er….”

  “Demanding,” Lu Bei said.

  “Or focused,” Turesobei said. “We’re not experts. Some locations are easier to figure out. Like Kurine, hers was all—”

  Crap.

  Iniru’s eyes narrowed. “All what?”

  “Heart,” he whispered.

  She tensed. “Oh, I see.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You say that a lot.”

  “I mean it a lot.”

  “I’m sure you do.” She sighed dramatically. “Let’s get on with it, then.”

  Turesobei wrapped his arms around her, and after a moment of tense hesitation, she relaxed back into him. She smelled musky and familiar—comforting and alluring—a smell he thought of as love. It was easy to hold her in his arms. They were so comfortable together. They had done this many times before—only without his hand there.

  At the moment he couldn’t figur
e out why he couldn’t definitively choose Iniru over Kurine. It seemed such an easy choice. But he knew that if Kurine were here, his feelings wouldn’t be so certain.

  He forced thoughts of Iniru out of his mind and performed the spell.

  They popped into the Workshop.

  Iniru staggered then caught herself. “That was awesome.”

  She hugged him tight, pulled away and looked deeply into his eyes. She brushed one hand through his hair and dug the fingertips of the other into his back. She was breathing hard. So was he. He ran his hands down her back. Their lips made the barest touch, then they melted into one another.

  Gyoroe coughed loudly and they separated. Yellow eyes glared at them. “Play with your girlfriend later, during your free time.”

  Iniru kissed his ear and whispered, “See you later.”

  She raced up the steps past the Blood King and out of the Workshop.

  Gyoroe’s eyes shifted to pale blue. “I am sure you do not care about my opinion, but if I were you, I would stick with the goronku girl.”

  “Why?”

  Gyoroe shrugged. “I like her better.”

  * * *

  The rest of the day went by in a blur. By the time they stumbled their way through the mock battle and defeated the straw warriors in an unimpressive manner, he could hardly remember anything except the morning teleport. They had all improved upon their first recorded times, only barely, so no additional training days were added. And no one had gotten injured for a change, which was good.

  He immediately staggered off to his room, realizing he was probably throwing off the boyfriend-sharing schedule. But surely they wouldn’t care since they were exhausted too….

  His door opened. Light streamed in from outside. He sat up and blinked the sleep from his eyes. It was morning already? How had that happened? When had he fallen asleep?

  “Oh hey, Wasa. I didn’t hear you knock.”

  “Cause I didn’t bother.”

  “Oh, okay….” He yawned and started to tell her to come in, but she had already done that.

  “Spent the night alone, huh?”

  “Iniru and Kurine have a deal about not spending the night with me.”