by Ryan Kirk
Asa was deciding on her next attack when the nightblade leapt at her. With her speed and short sword, she was easily able to deflect the strike, and the battle began in earnest.
She was surprised by his speed. His attacks were strong, but she suspected he could have struck with more strength. Instead, he sacrificed power for quicker cuts. Smart swordplay against Asa’s shorter sword, but unusual. Most of the time when she fought men, they instinctively sought to overpower her. Because of this, they often let themselves get off-balance, providing her openings. Not this man. His skill and technique were excellent, and he didn’t attempt to win by brute force. In doing so, he prevented any openings.
Asa was used to being the faster fighter in a duel. Ever since she had first started training, she knew she wouldn’t win duels based on strength. Speed was her ally. But this nightblade was easily as fast.
After a flurry of attacks, he paused, and Asa leapt into the space. Attacking with a short sword was rarely a good idea against a longer blade, but if he wouldn’t make foolish mistakes, she would have to try to force his hand.
The nightblade responded by holding his blade straight out in front of him, parallel to the ground, the point as far away from his torso as he could comfortably hold it. A very defensive stance, and as Asa moved, the nightblade moved with her, always keeping the point directed right at her chest. She was unable to get anywhere near him.
They broke apart again, and Asa studied her opponent. Though the nightblade was younger than she, he was one of the best swords she’d ever fought, if not the best. She wasn’t surprised someone like Minori could recruit a man like this, but his access to resources made her angry.
The nightblade seemed to study her as well, an unreadable expression on his face. Somehow, Asa felt as though the blade were trying to figure something out, like she was a puzzle he didn’t understand. His face changed, and Asa thought he had come to a decision.
“My turn.”
The blade shifted his stance, bringing his sword down low. Before Asa could take any action, she sensed his intent. She took a step back, trying to give herself more room. Knowing where the attacks were coming from didn’t make any difference if she wasn’t fast enough to block them.
The man sprang forward, his sword coming up in a strike very similar to a sword-drawing technique. Asa knew exactly where the first strike was coming, and she blocked it easily. But within a heartbeat she was surrounded by flashing steel. She did her best to deflect and keep up, but her guard was already uncomfortably close to her body, and she could feel herself falling behind. Even with her short sword, she wasn’t fast enough to make a difference.
Finally, he cut with the perfect strike. She was already off-balance trying to deflect his blade, and he struck at her short sword with power she hadn’t yet seen. Asa was knocked forward and to the side, and he slid behind her easily, rotating around and bringing his sword to her neck.
As soon as she felt the steel, Asa stopped fighting. Her mind raced, wondering what she could do to turn the situation around. Had a normal soldier gotten the better of her, she would have trusted her own speed, but as a nightblade, the stranger would be able to sense forthcoming movement.
Without options, Asa relaxed. The fight was over. Her journey was over. She was surprised to find that a part of her was relieved. Rest sounded appealing.
The young nightblade held the sword against her neck for a few moments, but then he released it. He brought his weapon down, sheathed it, and pushed her gently forward. “I told you already, I’m not here to kill you.”
Asa regained her balance, and despite the warnings screaming in her mind, reciprocated the gesture of the nightblade, sheathing her own sword against her thigh.
The two studied each other again. Asa had to admit he didn’t look impressive, but he had beaten her far more easily than any of her teachers had. She was impressed.
The other nightblade still looked confused. “You are the nightblade who killed the eight guards last night, right?”
The question was perhaps the last Asa had expected. If he worked for Minori, she assumed he would be familiar with the events of last night. And if he was working for Minori, why hadn’t his master just sent him last night? A far more certain kill would be the result of sending a nightblade after a nightblade.
“I am.”
The look of confusion deepened on the other’s face. “You’re not strong enough to take on eight guards. I saw their bodies after. They weren’t typical city guards. If I had to guess, they were specialists. Each of them looked strong and well trained, even in death. You’re good, but not that much better than an average nightblade.”
She could see him working through the problem. Strong as he was, it didn’t seem like he was the smartest man in the world. The answer occurred to him finally. “But a number of them had cuts on their backs! You had help from someone else, didn’t you?”
Asa didn’t know what to think. Either this young man really didn’t understand what was going on, or this was the strangest way of getting around to killing her.
“Why would you care what happened last night?”
The look of innocence on the nightblade’s face almost made Asa believe him. She felt as though she was seeing a boy full of power, but lacking wisdom. “I’ve been walking the streets a lot lately for my master. Everyone is talking about how one nightblade killed eight of the king’s guards. I know pretty much every nightblade in the city, and none of them would try something like that, so I figured it must be you. I wanted to come and see how strong you were. I thought maybe you’d be strong enough to be a challenge for me.”
The boy didn’t seem to realize how many veiled insults were contained in his reasoning. Asa realized she was dealing with someone honest and unguarded.
She looked around. The street was no place to be talking about the previous evening. She stepped closer to him, arms out to her side so as not to present a threat. “I’ll tell you what happened last night. But not here. Care to join me for a drink?”
The young man looked like she had just given him the entire treasury of the Kingdom.
The nightblade, whose name was Koji, sat across from Asa as she told her story. He was already deep into his third cup, but he didn’t seem to suffer from any ill effects. Asa had no idea how Koji managed that much drink. She was finishing up her first cup, and she could already feel her thoughts and tension loosening.
Asa had just gotten to the point in her story where she had been attacked. Until this point, there hadn’t been any danger in telling Koji everything. But now she had to decide. Should she trust the young nightblade? Everything in his attitude and bearing indicated she had nothing to fear, but trust didn’t come easily, especially not now.
She looked in his eyes and made a judgment.
“I believe the attackers were sent by Minori.”
Koji’s entire expression changed. While before, he had been listening with rapt attention, now he looked angry. Asa had assumed Minori was simply Koji’s employer, but she realized now that assumption was wrong. There was something more there, a deeper relationship than she had expected. But she had already made her decision, and now she had to ride out the consequences.
“I don’t believe you,” he said. “Minori saved me from certain death.”
There was a tale there, and with a little coaxing, Asa convinced Koji to tell her his own story. Slowly, he told her how he had been sent on one of his first missions as a blade and what had happened. He told about how he had been sentenced to death by Kiyoshi’s own hand and how Minori had broken into the prison and released him.
It was Asa’s turn to listen with rapt attention. Koji was undoubtedly telling the story as he believed it, but Asa was having a hard time accepting his words as truth. Kiyoshi didn’t seem like the type of person who would order another blade’s death.
But then she thought more about Kiyoshi. She turned her image of him just a little, and suddenly, the pieces fit. Kiyoshi would sacr
ifice a nightblade. He wouldn’t like it, but if he felt like such an act furthered the Kingdom, he wouldn’t hesitate. She thought back to the wedding and realized Kiyoshi wasn’t making idle commentary. The happiness of the people of the Kingdom was paramount for him, and if that meant tremendous sacrifice, so be it.
Asa decided to test Koji. She told the rest of her story, including how she had been saved from death by Kiyoshi and how she suspected that Minori was Osamu under a different name.
To Koji’s credit, he listened to her story and theory without interrupting. She couldn’t tell whether he believed her, but he was at least willing to listen, something more indicative of his character than anything she had seen so far.
When she finished, Koji sat back and ordered another drink. They sat across from each other in silence, and Asa saw that Koji was turning all the facts over in his head. Her first impression of him had been wrong. He wasn’t a fool, but a very slow, logical thinker, a refreshing change of pace after Asa’s interactions with people adept at politics and quick thinking.
The silence felt long, and Koji had finished his fourth drink by the time he spoke. “I do not know what the truth is. I believe you are telling the truth as you see it, but my story is true as well. At least one of us is misguided. Perhaps both of us. But there is no way of telling who.”
Asa wanted to claim it was him, but as she thought more carefully, she realized he was speaking accurately. Her accusations, so far, carried no proof. She acknowledged his point.
Koji continued, “Because of this, I suggest that both of us continue to walk our respective paths. However, I would like to make a pact with you. I believe Minori is a good man, but I have crossed blades with you, and because of this, I know you better than I know him. I know you are a good woman. Let us meet regularly, so we can sort this problem out.”
Asa was curious. “To what end?”
Koji looked at her as though she’d asked a dumb question. “Lies got me imprisoned. As I was brought back to Haven, I had much time to reflect, and I realized that nothing is more important than the truth. At least one of us is ensnared in a lie, and we owe it to ourselves to discover the truth.”
Asa felt a weight lifted off her chest, a weight she had only recently realized she was carrying. She felt a sudden kinship with this young blade, a companionship she wasn’t sure she had experienced before.
“Thank you.”
On an impulse, Asa ordered another drink, as did her companion. She was excited to see that for the first time, she was seeing some of the effects of the drink on Koji. Business was forgotten as the two nightblades talked about their lives and their training.
Later that evening, Koji escorted her back to the bunkhouse. Asa wondered if maybe he would come inside with her and was surprised to realize she wouldn’t mind at all. However, if the thought crossed Koji’s mind, he managed to suppress it completely, even as tipsy as he was. He escorted her all the way to the entrance, and she felt safer than she had in a long time. Once there, he bowed deeply. She returned the gesture, slightly less deep so as not to offend him, and then turned around and walked to her room, feeling a peace she hadn’t felt in many cycles.
Chapter 17
Minori’s head still hurt whenever he stepped outside. After a restless night of sleep, he had hoped the fresh morning air would ease his pain, but the sunlight had caused his head to explode in agony, and he retreated to the more comfortable shelter of his home.
Minori’s head hurt for more reasons than one. His attacker had left a deep bruise across his cheek and forehead, and every time he moved too quickly, his head reminded him just how injured he was.
Beyond that, Minori’s head swam with possibilities. He knew the endgame was about to start. All the pieces were slipping into place, and he had only to figure out the final moves.
He sensed Koji return to the house. The boy had been out all night, and even though Minori hadn’t given him any instructions or expectations, it was unlike the blade. Most days, it took every persuasive technique Minori knew to get Koji to leave his side. Minori wasn’t upset the young nightblade had left for the evening. He was just curious. Had Koji found pleasure in a woman’s arms? Minori realized he knew very little about the warrior he had rescued.
Koji made a line straight toward him, and Minori knew something important had happened last night.
He came in and bowed deeply. Minori noted the gesture. It looked as though Koji didn’t consider their relationship to be any different. If he had, he would have changed the depth of his bow.
Minori got right to the problem. “I can see that something troubles you.”
Koji needed no further encouragement. “Last night I sought out Asa.”
Minori’s eyes narrowed, and he wondered at Koji. Despite the nightblade’s youth, he had an important role to play in Minori’s game. In his mind, the pieces on the board continued to move, and he wondered where Koji would end up. Before he could catch himself, he said, “To what end?”
Koji didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with the question. “Yesterday, when I was walking the streets, I heard stories of a nightblade who killed eight city guards. I was curious, so I investigated. I’ll admit, when I started, I thought perhaps if there was a nightblade with that strength here in town, they would be a worthy ally, or at least a worthy challenge. It took the entire day, but eventually I found her. We dueled.”
Minori’s heart skipped a beat. Had Koji unintentionally done exactly what Minori needed? Of all the players on the board, Asa was the one he understood the least, and as such, she was the most dangerous to his plans. If she was removed, Minori’s path was much clearer.
“I was disappointed in the result. I was able to beat her easily.”
“You killed her?”
Koji shook his head. “No. There was no reason. Instead, she and I spoke at length.”
“And what are your impressions of her?”
It wasn’t a line of questioning Koji wanted to pursue, and Minori already saw how the conversation would likely go.
Koji spoke with care, choosing his words exactly. “At first, I thought she was strong. Her personality, even when she came here to visit you, was powerful. But I don’t think she is strong. She is driven. But if her purpose is taken away or even completed, I don’t know what she would do. I suspect she would shatter like poorly made steel. Her purpose lends her power, but it is also her greatest weakness.”
Minori was surprised. Koji’s analysis was deep, and probably correct. The young blade was far more astute than Minori had believed.
As Minori had expected, Koji wasn’t distracted from his true purpose. His eyes met Minori’s. Like any nightblade Minori had ever met, he charged straight into battle. “Is it true?”
Minori took a deep breath. He hated to lie, and he couldn’t think of a denial that would dissuade Koji. The young man was clearly torn. He didn’t want to believe what he had heard, but at the same time, he thought there might be a hint of truth. In his mind’s eye, Minori rearranged the board, adapting to new information.
First, he had to deal with Koji. He saw the nightblade had unconsciously taken an offensive posture, ready to attack as needed.
“Tell me, Koji. If you were a commander of men, and one of your soldiers was only a few heartbeats away from giving away your position, dooming hundreds of your men, what would you do? And let’s assume you’ve already tried all other forms of persuasion.”
Koji’s face changed rapidly as he understood what Minori was saying.
“You’re saying that sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice one to save many?”
Minori didn’t respond. He could see his answer had gotten under Koji’s skin. Sometimes the true mark of wisdom was knowing when not to say anything at all. Minori fingered a poison blade he had started carrying after his little incident with Kiyoshi.
“I think Kiyoshi made a similar argument about the necessity of my death,” mused Koji. “You two are more similar than y
ou’re willing to admit.”
The comment stung, but Minori recognized the truth. He didn’t want to be compared to Kiyoshi, but it was deserved. “In our determination perhaps. May I tell you a story? One that very few people have ever heard, and one you may never repeat.”
Koji looked at Minori with suspicion in his eyes. “What good will a story do?”
“All the good in the world. When I’m done, I will release you from any obligation you have given. At that time, you have a choice to make, whether to continue serving me or not. Either way, your honor will be intact.”
Koji appeared to debate with himself for a moment, but Minori knew his offer would be too tempting to the young nightblade. At his age, honor was an all-important concept, and if he could leave his sworn service for the price of listening to a story, he certainly would.
Minori loosened his grip on the poisoned dart. He motioned for Koji to sit, and he served tea. He had never spoken this story out loud, and he wanted to make sure he got every detail just right.
“Many, many cycles ago, there was a group of blades. Both nightblades and dayblades. It was mostly nightblades, but that won’t come as any surprise to you. You know just how outnumbered the dayblades are. It was a pretty large group as far as our people go. Maybe thirty or forty total. I forget the exact number now.
“These blades decided that they weren’t happy with the way their lives were going. They had all passed the trials and been wanderers for some time. All had seen much of the world, and in those days, things were different. The blades had far more authority than they do now. A nightblade could cut down the elder of a village in the middle of the day, and no one would question it, at least not out loud.”
Minori noticed the surprised look on Koji’s face. Such an action would be unheard of today. “Remember, these were very different days. It was assumed that if a blade cut down a civilian, there was good reason. And for the most part, there was. The blades rarely overstepped the bounds of good judgment.