Shadow of the Moon, a Sea of Shadows ttk-1

by Fuyumi Ono

  She hesitated for any number of reasons, but handed over the sword. He lightly gripped the hilt and drew the sword from the sheath. It came free without difficulty. Ignoring Youko's exclamation of surprise, he examined the scabbard and blade.

  "The scabbard is dead."

  "The scabbard is dead?"

  "Have you seen strange visions in it?"

  Youko raised her eyebrows. "Have I seen what?"

  The man smiled at her skittish reaction. He sheathed the blade and reverently handed the sword back to her. Youko wrapped her hand around the hilt.

  "So, what is it?" she asked, meaning her question to be taken literally. "I mean, what kind of thing is it?"

  The man nonchalantly picked up a pitcher and poured himself a glass of something. The action betrayed not the slightest bit of defensiveness or agitation.

  "That is the Suiguu-tou, the Water Monkey sword. The blade was smelted from water, the scabbard formed from a monkey. Hence, the Water Monkey sword. The champion who wields it possesses far more than a sword. When you see the glowing light and hear the sound of falling water, the sword shows you visions. If done properly, it will show you the past and the future, and what is far away from you. If you are inattentive to it, it will chatter on incessantly. The scabbard is there to bind its spirit."

  Looking at Youko, he drained the glass. "The scabbard can change and turn into a monkey. The monkey can see into the hearts of people, and if care is not taken, it will confuse and bewilder the mind of its owner. Hence it is said that the sword seals the scabbard. It is the Imperial Regalia of the Kingdom of Kei."

  Without thinking, Youko jumped to her feet.

  "However, this scabbard is dead. Without the seal of the scabbard, the visions would certainly run wild."

  "Who are you?"

  "You sent a letter via the local ward office. So, tell me, what's this about?"

  "You've got to be kidding. You're the Taiho of En?"

  The man scowled. "The Taiho is unavailable at the moment. But I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

  Youko felt a profound disappointment. So he wasn't the Taiho after all. "I wrote it down in the letter."

  "So you did. Something about the Royal Kei."

  "I am a kaikyaku. I don't know much about this world. That's what it comes down to." Youko looked at Rakushun. "This is Rakushun. He says I'm the Royal Kei."

  "Well," the man readily agreed, "he would be right, then."

  "You believe him?"

  "Believing has nothing to do with it. The Suiguu sword is the Imperial Regalia of Kei. Long ago, instead of destroying the most powerful and magical of the youma, they were subjugated and turned into this sword and scabbard, which became the crown jewels. Consequently, only their rightful owner can use them. Namely, the Royal Kei. That's because the one who first sealed them in the sword and scabbard was the King of Kei."

  "But … . "

  "As the both of them were sealed together, by its very nature, only the true king could draw the sword. But because the scabbard is now dead, I can draw the sword. But even in my hands, the blade would not cut through one blade of grass. Nor would I see any of its visions."

  Youko looked straight at him. "Who the hell are you?"

  He wasn't any kind of normal guy, knowing what he knew about the Kingdom of Kei.

  "Why don't you tell me your name first?"

  "Youko Nakajima."

  The man's gaze fell on Rakushun. "And the one named Chou Sei who sent the letter, that was you?"

  "Yes," said Rakushun, quickly correcting his posture and coming to attention. Chou Sei was his formal, given name.

  "And your azana?"

  "Rakushun."

  "Yeah, and you are?" Youko glared at him.

  The man wasn't intimidated. He gazed back at Youko without the slightest bit of defensiveness. "Naotaka Komatsu."

  Youko gave him a long, hard look. "A kaikyaku?"

  "A taika. The Chinese reading for my name is Shouryuu, which is more common. Though I'm afraid not common enough to be of much use to you."

  "And … ?"

  "And what?"

  "Who exactly are you? Are you the Taiho's bodyguard, or something?"

  "Ah," the man chuckled. "If my title is what you're after, then I am known as the Royal En. The King of the Kingdom of En."

  7-5

  Youko stood frozen on the spot. Rakushun's tail and whiskers shot straight up. Youko stared at the man. He laughed. He was clearly enjoying himself.

  "The Royal En … ?"

  "I am. I'm sorry the Taiho couldn't meet with you, but I thought I'd make myself useful. Will only the Taiho do?"

  "No, no, that's okay," said Youko, too taken aback to think of what to say.

  He smiled and dipped his finger in the wine glass. "Well, let's start from the beginning. One year ago, the Empress of Kei passed away. Posthumously, she is now known as the Late Empress Yo. Were you aware of this?"

  "No."

  The En nodded. "Her given name was Jokaku. She had a younger sister named Joei. You could say that Joei usurped the throne."

  "Usurped?"

  "The king has a kirin. The kirin chooses the king. You know this?"

  "Yes."

  "The Late Empress Yo left her kirin behind, Keiki. What do you know of him?"

  "We've met. He's the one who brought me here."

  The En nodded again. "When the Late Empress Yo died, the throne was vacated. Keiki immediately began the search for a new king. Yet the announcement of the accession of the new king of Kei came only two months after the death of the Late Empress. I couldn't help thinking this was in fact a giou."

  "A giou."

  The En took his finger from the wine glass and painted the characters on the tabletop. "A fake king, a pretender. The kirin chooses the king. A king who ascends the throne without the blessing of the kirin is a pretender. Felicitous omens should attend the accession of a new king. None accompanied Joei. Quite to the contrary, youma are on the rampage and locusts are swarming. Everything tells me this king is no king."

  "I don't … . "

  . . . get it, she was going to say, but the En held up his hand and stopped her.

  "There was no doubt in my mind that we were dealing with a pretender. When I investigated further, I discovered it was in fact the sister of the Late Empress Yo who had claimed the throne. The sister of the Empress is an ordinary woman. She cannot enter the Imperial Palace, and consequently, cannot govern the country. I knew this was a serious matter."

  She didn't follow well what he was telling her, but Youko opened her ears and listened.

  "Regardless, she set herself up within the fortress of one of the province lords and from there proclaimed her enthronement. The ordinary citizens had no way of judging the truth for themselves. They had no reason to question her authenticity, rather, they were ready to believe. She declared that the province lords had conspired together to prevent her--the rightful Empress--from entering the Imperial Palace. The people believed her and blamed them. Joei even dared to declare war on her 'treasonous and disloyal subjects,' and solicited new officials and soldiers. She was met with a flood of enlistees."

  The En continued with a sullen expression. "The enthronement of the previous Empress took a long time and her reign was short. The kingdom had not yet been able to recover and the resentment of the peasants against the province lords was deep. Of the nine provinces, already two are ruled by pretenders, and three more have been toppled by their armies."

  "Has no one been able to refute her claims?"

  "Some have tried. When the province lords pointed out the absence of the kirin, Joei insisted that they were hiding him. But then he was produced by Joei, making their position untenable. She claimed Keiki had been rescued from her enemies who had kidnapped him. The presentation of the kirin in its creature form made it hard for anyone to question her or rescue Keiki. And with that, of the four remaining provinces, two more switched sides."

  "They produced
Keiki. Then Keiki … . "

  "It seems he was captured."

  That's why he hadn't come to rescue her. It wasn't the worst thing that could have happened, but it was damned near close.

  Rakushun said, "So this Joei has been sending assassins after Youko."

  "It's not possible. You're talking about youma attacking people. That does happen. But singling out, pursuing and attacking a specific person, that does not. Were they shirei, though, then it becomes another matter, entirely."

  "Shirei?"

  "The king employs the special powers of the Imperial Regalia, and the kirin commands the shirei. If someone were commanding the youma to attack a specific person, it could only be a kirin."

  So the youma that surrounded Keiki were under his command. That's what Youko took from the explanation, but Rakushun's reaction was one of extreme agitation.

  "It can't be!"

  The En nodded, a grave look upon his countenance. "No, it should not be. But I can think of no other explanation. It was by means of the kirin's shirei that the wild youma were sent to attack the Royal Kei."

  "It's just … . "

  "When I think this through logically, I conclude that Joei has neither the resolve nor the resources to raise and maintain an army. There must be someone behind the scenes pulling the strings. If that someone is also sending forth the shirei, then turn that rock over and you should find a king there."

  Youko looked back and forth between Rakushun and the En. "Meaning?"

  The En asked, "Do you know what kind of a being a kirin is?"

  "The sacred beast that chooses the king … . "

  "Yes, it is. But a kirin is no you-creature like the youma. Closer to a god. It has the heart of a beast, but can take upon a human appearance. Its whole being is suffused with charity and compassion. It is aloof and detached, but it cannot abide conflict. In particular, it has a horror of blood. The stain of blood makes it ill. It will never take up the sword and fight. It has the shirei to protect itself. The shirei are youma, though youma that have covenanted with the kirin and become what you might call its servants. In no wise would they ever take it upon themselves to attack a human being. To do so would be contrary to the kirin's will."

  "And yet?"

  And yet, the king is the kirin's lord. Though the kirin bears no malice toward any person, if the king commands it, that changes everything. The shirei attacked you because the king ordered the kirin to do so. Nothing else is possible."

  "Could this Joei have tamed a kirin?"

  "No. There is but one kirin in a kingdom. The king is its lord, and searches out the king, but nothing beyond that."

  So that meant a king had put a price on her head. Then she remembered, the woman on the mountain road. She had watched her mourn the death of the youma. Was it because those youma had been her shirei? The parrot had commanded her to kill Youko. Weeping, unable to defy him, she had brandished the sword. If that parrot was the king, and that woman a kirin … the pieces of the puzzle began to fall together.

  "But whose kirin?" And what king of what kingdom?

  The En stared off into the distance. "The answer will become apparent soon."

  "But … . "

  "As long as you are within our custody, no one will lay a finger upon you. The problem for your enemies is that Keiki is a kirin, and not so easily disposed of. Were the kirin murdered, the king who ordered your assassination would be quickly revealed. Heaven could not overlook such an injustice."

  "I don't understand what you mean."

  "Better to leave it alone for now. That kingdom will decline, and who is giving the orders will become clear. However," the En said with a broad smile, "that Keiki is being held prisoner in Kei alone justifies a rescue mission. In order to do so, and in order to protect your Highness, we must get you to a safe place. Shall we be going?"

  "Right now?"

  "As soon as possible. If you have belongings at the inn, there's just enough time to go fetch them. I'd like to take you to my place."

  Youko look at Rakushun. Rakushun nodded. "You'd better get going, Youko. That is the safest way."

  "But … . "

  "Don't worry about me. Go."

  The En smiled at Rakushun's admonition. "Another guest is hardly going to complicate things any further. It's kind of a dilapidated old place, but I've got rooms to spare."

  "You--you can't be serious!"

  "Keep in mind that I'm an utter incompetent when it comes to housekeeping, but it you don't mind, then you're welcome. I think the Royal Kei would be more at ease with you there as well."

  His home was none other than Gen'ei Palace. Privately shocked that the En would refer to it like some broken-down hut, Youko said to Rakushun, "C'mon, let's go. I wouldn't feel good about leaving you behind."

  Rakushun nodded stiffly.

  7-6

  When the En arrived at the outskirts of the city, he put his fingers to his mouth and sounded a high whistle.

  Walking all the way to Kankyuu would take another month. Moreover, at night, there was no getting in or out of the city. Youko was trying to figure out how in the world he was planning to get to Kankyuu when, seemingly in response to the whistle, a shadow appeared above the wall. She could make out the glowing forms of two tigers. The play of light on their coats turned their black stripes an iridescent white, not as pale as pearl, not as impenetrable as a slick of oil. Their impressive eyes were like black opals, their tails magnificently long.

  As on that very first night when she had crossed the Kyokai, she climbed onto the tiger. They flew into the night sky, a half moon rising, and turned toward Kankyuu.

  She felt a deep nostalgia. Looking back at it now, how much time had passed since then? She had ridden on one of Keiki's shirei, by the name of Hyouki. When they had headed out over the ocean, it was still cold. The Youko then didn't understand a thing, not about Keiki, not about herself.

  Now it was summer. The heat rested like a blanket on the night, the air around them so still as to seem melancholy.

  Just as on the night she had crossed the Kyokai, as the beast galloped through the sky, the nightscape opened up below them. The nights in En were bright, the villages and hamlets twinkling like small constellations of stars. It reminded her of the Kyokai.

  "Youko, there is Kankyuu."

  Seated behind her, clinging to her back, Rakushun pointed with his small forefoot off into the distance ahead of them. At that point, two hours had passed since the journey began. She saw nothing in the direction Rakushun had indicated. There wasn't a city there, only the deep blackness. Where? she was going to ask, when she understood what it was she was looking at. Rakushun wasn't pointing out something within the darkness, he was pointing at the darkness itself.

  "I don't believe it … . "

  Bathed in the light of the half moon, the world below was the dark color of the ocean. The contours of the forests had a faint white glow, like waves, dotted with a countless number of lights.

  Within the nightscape was a deep, black hole.

  No, not a hole. It was a silhouette, the moon rising up behind it. What had gouged a hole in the nightscape below looked like a hole, but was in fact the rising shape of a . . .

  " … a mountain."

  Could such a mountain exist?

  They were so high already that the villages appeared as no more than dots. Even so, she found herself looking up and up.

  A mountain that reaches to heaven, Rakushun had said.

  But can a mountain really reach to heaven? For a moment, she had the feeling of being a very small, insignificant speck of life.

  A soaring mountain like the pillars penetrating heaven and earth. The shape of the mountain, rising abruptly from the hilly countryside and projecting upwards toward the sky, looked like a bundle of calligraphy brushes of different lengths stood on end. The narrow, steep summit of the mountain was shrouded with clouds that hid it from view.

  The sheer rock face creating such a silhouette was more like
an enormous wall.

  "That's Kankyuu? That mountain?"

  Comparing the tiger's legs against the mountain, they were still an unbelievably long way off. That's how big this mountain was.

  "That is Kankyuu Mountain. Such a mountain is home to the royal palaces in all the kingdoms. The palace is at the very summit."

  The light of the moon gleamed faintly on the outlines of the rising cliffs, so pointed as to come close to the vertical. She searched for the familiar shape of a castle, but with the summit hidden in the clouds, she could be sure of nothing. At the base of the mountain she saw one or two points of light.

  "Those lights are the city of Kankyuu."

  If it was the capital, it must be bigger than Ugou. They must be so far away that the lights were all she could see of the city.

  Youko was momentarily overcome with surprise. Even at the rate the beast was flying, Kankyuu was not close enough to seem to be moving. Slowly, the mountain drew nearer, such that she could not take the entire mountain into view without turning her head, nor could she clearly see its summit. At last, she could see the outlines of the city of Kankyuu.

  The city rose up around the base of this absurdly high mountain, spreading out in an arc over the gently rolling terrain. Lying in the shadow of a mountain so gigantic, the nights must be very long indeed.

  When she asked Rakushun, he confirmed that it was so. "I went once to the capital of Kou, Gousou, and that's what it was like. Because Gousou is to the east of the mountain, the twilight lasts a long time."

  "Huh."

  Seen from above, Kankyuu was a large city. A sea of light spread out beneath them. And before them, as far as the eye could see, the cliffs. The bare, treeless layers of stone that made up the narrow, vertical mountain looked chalky in the dark.

  Up ahead, the En had alighted on a rocky ledge projecting from the side of the cliff

  The landing area was about the size of a tennis court. The level area had apparently been hewn from a larger mass of rock. Following the En, the tiger Youko and Rakushun were riding set down on the ledge.