Nightblade Boxed Set

by Ryan Kirk

  That night he didn’t sleep well. He spent much of the evening attempting to sense anything else that would give him some clue as to what had happened. Whatever it was, it seemed important that Ryuu figure out what had caused it. The past few moons had made it obvious there was still too much he didn’t know. If he was going to live he needed more knowledge. He would have to get closer to find out more.

  He debated his course of action through the night, but when the sun rose he had a plan. When Takako awoke he had already made breakfast for her, and as she ate he broke the news of his plan.

  “I need to leave for a few days.”

  She looked at him, shock on her face.

  “You’re leaving?”

  “Just for a few days, but I need to find out what happened yesterday. If I don’t know what it is, someday it may be dangerous to us. I’d like to leave you here, where it’s safe, and come back in a few days.”

  Takako had some strong objections.

  “Why would I be safe here? Orochi can sense me. It doesn’t much matter if I’m in a tree.”

  Ryuu shook his head. “Not here. This forest can hide people even from the sense.”

  Takako didn’t have to ask for clarification. Her expression was obvious enough.

  “I don’t know if you can tell, but this forest is alive with energy. I’m very strong in the sense and I know your aura well. I could recognize it in a city hundreds of paces away. But here, in the forest, there is so much life I would have to be almost on top of you to notice you. I promise you, hiding here is going to be much safer than coming with me. It could be dangerous."

  Takako did not want to be left alone. Ryuu insisted. He didn’t want the responsibility of watching Takako. She slowed him down. He gave her instructions in case he wasn’t back in a few days, but he wasn’t worried. She could take care of herself.

  He packed light, bringing just enough dried food for a couple of days on the road. He did everything he could to reassure Takako, but he recognized in the end he'd just have to move forward.

  With a tight embrace he was off. He didn't look back.

  Ryuu moved towards the source of the disturbance. He kept up a trot that lasted throughout the day, eating up the leagues between him and his destination.

  As he drew closer, Ryuu sensed he was approaching a small village. He drew a cloak over himself to hide his sword and entered the village as a wandering traveler. He traded some of his skins for food, and the friendly street merchant was happy to tell him more about the area. The piece of information that Ryuu found most interesting was the piece about the monastery nearby.

  Although Ryuu didn't dare press the merchant with direct questions, it seemed as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred in the village. People were going about their business as they would any other day. No one seemed nervous or fearful. Whatever had happened hadn't happened here. His stomach dropped a bit. The event had to have come from the monastery.

  Ryuu went to another merchant to purchase more goods and acquire more information. He found what he was looking for in an elderly gentleman selling trinkets of the Faith.

  "Good morning, sir."

  "Morning, lad. Come to see some of my relics?"

  Ryuu tried to give him a genuine smile, as he hoped a believer would. The old man had as many relics as Ryuu had wives, but it didn't hurt to humor him. "Yes, actually, I was hoping to visit the monastery."

  The old man furrowed his eyebrows. "What would a young man like you want up at Perseverance?"

  "Well, sir. I'm the son of a scribe, and my father asked me to travel this way to copy some of the sacred texts they keep there."

  The old man's suspicions dissipated. "I see. Well, be careful. The abbot up there is hungry for power and has the strength to match."

  Ryuu digested all of this information. Perhaps the abbot was the source of the event he had sensed. He thanked the man for his information and directions, traded a few of his remaining skins for a trinket and went on his way.

  He didn't have to follow the old man's directions for very long. Soon after he left the village he began to sense a power unlike anything he had come across before. Someone in the monastery was giving off an incredible energy.

  Shigeru had always cautioned him about going anywhere near monasteries. Their purpose was to seek out those who might be sense-gifted. Shigeru also told him they were often above-average warriors as well. It was about the worst place for a nightblade to be.

  Ryuu also knew the monks had trouble sensing he was a nightblade. Shigeru had held on to a theory that the sense manifested itself in different ways and the monks were only trained in recognizing and working with one manifestation of the sense. Ryuu wasn't sure about the why, but he hoped his luck around monks would hold.

  He stopped in his journey and got off the path. There was a small copse of trees a couple of hundred paces off to the side where it looked like he could remain hidden. If he was going to approach a monastery, it seemed much more sensible to do it at night.

  Ryuu worked himself into the trees and laid down. The best course was to get some rest. Entering a monastery seemed like it would take all his energy.

  He awoke in darkness, and as he looked around and took in the moon he determined that he had slept into the early evening. The moon would have to go much further across the sky before most people would be asleep. The night was crisp and clear. He approached the monastery with caution and sensed the two guards long before he got to the walls.

  They both seemed to be located close to the center of the compound. Ryuu smiled to himself. Of course they wouldn't need to walk the perimeter, or be anywhere near it. They could sense anyone coming without having to expose themselves at all. It also meant they would be hard to sneak up on.

  Ryuu considered the problem. They hadn't noticed him yet. There was no activity in the compound. He didn't trust that he would be able to sneak up right to the walls though. They might not be able to detect him from here, but they certainly would notice anyone right next door.

  Finally he decided there was nothing for it. If he was going to get into the monastery, he'd have to do it the old-fashioned way. He gathered his cloak around himself and pictured himself as a weary traveler. He did his best to allow his sense to settle, to rely only on his eyes and ears.

  He shuffled up to the gate. Ryuu reached up and gave a timid knock, but he sensed the two guards were already coming to the gate. He relaxed. They didn’t approach expecting trouble. They walked casually, talking between themselves. It was clear monasteries were not used to being infiltrated. They unlatched the gate, not even bothering to see who it was.

  Ryuu didn't give them time to ask him a question. The very breath that the gate was open and he could see both of them he struck out with his hands. Within moments they were both on the ground unconscious. He wasn’t interested in killing them if he could help it.

  Ryuu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let his sense expand and fill up the small compound. One building was younger monks, all sound asleep in their beds. Training to kill him someday, Ryuu reflected. The thought caused his heart to sink. Another building was full of older monks, more seasoned experts. They too were asleep.

  But the building in front of him was the source of the energy. Ryuu forced himself to finish scanning the monastery. There was a small stable with a few horses and another building whose purpose Ryuu couldn't discern. There was nobody in it though.

  Ryuu's interest was the building in the center. He walked straight towards it and entered through the front door, unprepared for what he was about to encounter.

  His first shock was that there was a girl in the room, about as old as he was. She was gazing at him curiously, and Ryuu returned the gaze. She was gorgeous, but not just because of her looks. Even bound on the floor, Ryuu could see the poise and power she possessed, the willpower and the energy. But the most interesting fact about her was that he hadn’t sensed her there.

  It put Ryuu immediately
on his guard. He thought the only person who could do that was Orochi. An accomplice perhaps? If so, he should be grateful. A closer inspection revealed she was in pretty bad shape. She had been beaten and was covered almost from head to toe in bloody welts and cuts.

  Although Ryuu did not step any closer, he spoke to the girl, his tone cautiously neutral.

  "Who are you?"

  "My name is Moriko."

  "What happened to you?"

  "I disobeyed the laws of the monastery," She paused, but then saw Ryuu was waiting for more. "I killed a monk who was abusing a young girl."

  Her answers stoked Ryuu’s ever-present curiosity. A girl who was strong enough to kill a monk, whom he couldn't sense, but killed for good reasons? She seemed interesting.

  "Do you know Orochi?"

  The girl's reaction was subtle, but unmistakable. She knew the name. She didn't lie. "Yes, he was my master."

  Some pieces fell into place for Ryuu. His revenge started tonight. He drew his blade and stepped towards her. He had already sealed her fate in his mind.

  "A student of Orochi's does not deserve to live. Be at peace." He rose the sword to strike when two events happened simultaneously.

  The first was Moriko's reaction. She looked at him, smiled gently, and said, "Thank you."

  The second was that the great power source began moving in the building. Ryuu had pushed his thoughts of it aside while the girl was the focus of his attention. Now that it was on the move it came back to the forefront of his awareness.

  He lowered his sword into a defensive stance and turned to look on the source of the energy. It was another monk, but dressed in different robes than the others. If the information of the villagers was to be believed, Ryuu supposed this was the abbot.

  The energy radiating off his body was incredible, and if what Ryuu had sensed a couple of days ago was any indication, the man was showing only a portion of his strength. Just his normal presence was debilitating. It was so bright it blinded the sense. Ryuu realized even untrained people would recognize the power in front of them.

  Ryuu relaxed the same way Shigeru had taught him when they first went into a city. It was the same lesson. If your sense is about to be overpowered the best thing to do is let it go. It was a tool and nothing more. If it isn't working, you drop it, and focus on all your other training.

  Relaxed, his sense suppressed, Ryuu was surprised to note the Abbot no longer had any strong effect on him. His other senses were sharp and clear. He silently thanked Shigeru for training him well.

  The Abbot didn't seem to pay Ryuu any mind, like having a stranger with a sword in your receiving room was as common as the rising and setting of the sun. His only reaction seemed to be disappointment Ryuu hadn't killed Moriko yet.

  "Please, don't stop on my account. I just wanted to watch the end of her life, as well as to observe you, my friend. I can only imagine you are the young one Lord Akira wants dead so much."

  Ryuu didn’t respond as he processed the new information. It was Lord Akira that wanted him dead then. It was logical, given he had killed Akira’s top general's only son. Orochi was just a sword for hire then, albeit one with a personal score to settle.

  The Abbot continued. "Please continue. If you kill her, you’d be doing me a great favor. She’ll be dead and you’ll be my present to Lord Akira."

  The Abbot's self-confidence grated on Ryuu. He had come too far in his training and had fought too many strong opponents to be intimidated by a man who only knew one trick. He wouldn't be captured here. Ryuu turned to face him.

  The Abbot laughed. “Really? I dare you, boy. I'm very curious to see what has Lord Akira and Orochi so worked up."

  Ryuu moved in to strike. He could feel the Abbot's energy flare, the same way it had when he had first sensed it. But with his sense pushed down, it was nothing but an uncomfortable gut-twisting moment, disconcerting but little else.

  Ryuu made his cut. The Abbot, caught in his moment of pride, was much too slow in drawing his own blade to block. Ryuu's cut passed through the Abbot unopposed. In an instant, all his energy vanished into oblivion, the Abbot died before he even had time to be surprised by what had happened.

  Ryuu turned to Moriko and let his sense open up again. She was surprised as well, but managed to control her reactions. She looked at him calmly as he turned to face her. He knew he didn't have long before the entire monastery was up in arms, but he had to know more about Orochi.

  "Who is Orochi to you, and where is he?"

  Moriko examined him. He could tell she was weighing her options, deciding what course to take. To his relief, he saw her shoulders relax, and knew she would tell the truth.

  "Orochi was my master. He taught me how to be a nightblade, but since he left to hunt you and your friends, I do not know where he has gone.”

  Ryuu took a moment to weigh her words. Although she did not have all the information he desired, she was telling the truth.

  "Why are you bound?"

  "I killed a monk."

  Ryuu raised an eyebrow to invite further explanation.

  "He had no honor and was abusing a young girl new to the monastery."

  Despite himself, Ryuu was beginning to like Moriko. She was strong and honest, qualities he found himself attracted to.

  “Who is Orochi to you?” He had to know more.

  “My way out.”

  Ryuu could sense the monastery waking up. After living for cycles upon cycles in the presence of the power of the Abbot, waking up without that presence would be disconcerting, like waking up to discover your right arm had detached itself while you slept. It would take them some time to orient themselves and decide on a course of action, but it wouldn't be long.

  He studied Moriko carefully. She had been beaten severely, close to the edge of her life, but she lay there, open to whatever happened next. Despite Ryuu’s opinion of Orochi, he seemed to have trained her well. Ryuu decided to trust her, hopefully not just because he found her attractive, he thought to himself.

  "What would you have me do?"

  The question clearly surprised her. She must have been expecting death. "Well, cutting these bonds would be a good start."

  "Will you continue the mission your master started, to kill me and those close to me?"

  She looked at him venomously. "Orochi may have trained me, but I am my own. I am not his lapdog."

  Ryuu shrugged. It was good enough for him. With a quick flick of the wrist, he cut through her bonds. She took a moment to rub her wrists and ankles and then slowly moved to her feet. She was strong, but just as clearly injured. Ryuu wasn't sure how well she would fare on her own.

  "Come with me. I can take you to where I am hiding. You can recuperate and decide what you wish to do."

  Moriko didn't appear to be in a place to say no to a gift. "Thank you."

  The words had barely escaped her lips when the first of the monks came rushing in. Moriko seemed to surprise them, but Ryuu had to remind himself they couldn't sense her either.

  As Ryuu stepped forward to meet them, he was surprised to be joined by Moriko. She grabbed the Abbot's sword and stood next to him. He glanced at her dubiously, but her return glance stifled any warnings he may have given.

  The monks were strong. They were fast and well trained, but they weren’t nightblades. The sense provided just the smallest of openings which made them stronger and faster. The monks did not fall easily, but they did fall, either by his blade or by Moriko's.

  Ryuu glanced over at Moriko again. Many of her scars had opened and blood was oozing from old wounds, but it didn't look like she had been cut. She was exhausted though, rocking back and forth on her feet in her efforts to remain standing. Ryuu felt a wave of admiration for the girl, fighting despite the suffering she had experienced.

  The second wave of monks came in, this group less experienced than the ones before them. They halted when they saw their comrades on the ground. Then they saw Moriko, covered in blood, looking like a demon set fort
h on the monastery. They were ready to bolt.

  Ryuu seized the moment. "I do not wish to kill you all. I only wish to leave in peace."

  One of the younger monks pointed at Moriko. "With her?"

  "Yes."

  "She has killed one of our leaders! She must pay with her life."

  Ryuu tried to think of a diplomatic solution and failed. He was too tired from travel and from combat. "She is under my protection. If you wish to fight her and kill her, you must come through me first." He tilted his blade so all could see the blood along its edge.

  The monks scampered back a step or two, looking around the room and seeing the bodies of their elders scattered over the floor. They looked at Ryuu, who still hadn't been cut, and none of them stepped forward to challenge him, but they didn't get out of the way either.

  Ryuu decided to keep moving forward. He wasn’t going to be able to talk his way out of this. He watched the monks. None of them stepped forward to challenge him, and almost all of them moved back in response to his movement. He held his sense out, focused on them, finding though one or two were hesitant, none intended to move forward to strike them.

  Ryuu and Moriko stepped out of the Abbot's quarters. He was worried about her. Although an outside observer might think she was fine he could see her steps were uncertain. She wasn't going to last long before she passed out from her injuries. He looked to the stables.

  Decision made, he led them there and started saddling two horses. Not being experienced, it took him longer than he would have liked, and in the time it took to saddle them the entire monastery came out to watch. He did not sense an attack from any of them. Their emotions ran from angry to confused to upset and sad.

  They mounted in silence and moved to ride off, but despite the crowd's uncertainty about attacking, there seemed to be an unspoken consensus not to let them through. Ryuu drew his sword and spoke in a low voice that carried in the winter's night.

  "I came here because the power of your abbot drew me here. But when I arrived I found dishonor and threats. I am not proud of the violence done here tonight, nor do I regret it. Those who seek to do harm will be duly rewarded. Your abbot was killed in one cut, and your elders’ blades never even kissed my skin. Despite your training, those who draw their blades against me will die."