by Ryan Kirk
Every night Ryuu put his hands to the ground and threw out his sense, hoping he would gather some small piece of information that would make his path clear, make it so there was only one rational choice.
But every night the story was the same. The battle for the Southern Kingdom was coming to its inevitable conclusion. All of Akira’s armies were retreating to the same point, and all of Tanak’s armies were pursuing them. It would come down to a final battle in the eastern foothills. Terrain would be an advantage for the Southern Army, but the Western Army had more numbers. It would be a difficult victory for either side.
At the same time, Moriko was being hunted. He could sense her alone on the prairie, men circling around her, trying to find her. She was on the move, but it seemed like a small miracle she wasn’t caught every evening when Ryuu threw out his sense. He kept expecting to sense her captured or dead. Every evening he breathed a deep sigh of relief when neither was true.
Ryuu had kept all his worries secret, but Rei wasn’t fooled. There was no way for him to hide the complete distraction he was suffering from. She pestered him with questions until he broke down and told her the debate running through his mind.
She sat and listened to him explain both sides of his reasoning. She let him prattle on for longer than she should have, allowing him to reiterate several of his points. He concluded by shaking his head in misery. “I just don’t know.”
Rei laughed, her attitude reminding him a little of Tenchi. “Ryuu, you are a fool. If what you say is true, if what you’ve sensed is accurate, Moriko doesn’t need rescuing. If anything, the men who are chasing her need the help.”
“They’re very dangerous.” Ryuu was about to warn her not to underestimate them, but she interrupted.
“And you can’t seem to see she is just as dangerous. If training against her allowed you to defeat me in the dark, I would bet she’s one of the most dangerous nightblades in her own right. Don’t let your own strength deceive you. Men,” she scoffed. “Always thinking they need to rescue us. It’s women who are always rescuing the men.”
Rei could see he was still disturbed, so she didn’t say anything more on the subject, letting Ryuu ponder her words and their wisdom.
Ryuu still hadn’t reached a decision, but either way, they kept moving south, making good time. Rei had never seen any geography other than that of the island, so the jagged and broken terrain of the Northern Kingdom was a delight to her, even though it slowed them down. They were riding through a crack in the ground, one of many that seemed to tear apart the landscape of the Northern Kingdom. It was as though the earth itself was splitting in half, sheer rock on either side of them, the path in front of them only wide enough for a single horse at a time. Ryuu rode in the lead, Rei behind.
He sensed the presence above them, tracking them ten paces above their path along the western ridge of rock. Ryuu brought his horse to a halt, Rei following suit behind him. They exchanged a glance and Rei shrugged her shoulders. Ryuu dismounted. He suspected an ambush, and he fought better off his horse than on. He could only sense one person. If a bandit was hoping to take them by surprise, he would be receiving his own soon enough. They waited. Then Ryuu felt the tendrils of the sense emanating from the person above. If he hadn’t been so distracted by thoughts of Moriko, he would have noticed a long time ago. The warrior was strong.
The day was bright and sunny, one of the glory days near the end of summer. A shadow detached itself from the rocks above and dropped down in front of Ryuu, about ten paces away. Ryuu noted the grace with which the shadow moved. The landing was soft and controlled, indicating considerable strength and skill. He had a suspicion about who he was about to meet.
Rei confirmed it. "Renzo." She dismounted and stepped to Ryuu's side.
Renzo bowed. "It's been a long time, Rei."
Ryuu could sense Rei tense. "What are you doing here?"
"It's none of your concern. I'm here to kill the boy. Stay out of my way. We'll talk when I'm done."
Rei stepped forward, blocking Ryuu with her body. "I can't let you kill him."
Renzo stood up straighter, staring at Rei. "You would fight me for him?"
Rei nodded.
Renzo considered for a moment, then lowered his center of gravity, preparing to strike. Ryuu held his blade, prepared to draw. Rei's shoulders slumped, as though she had hoped to stop him without a fight. For a moment they stood there, a tableau on the edge of violence.
"I'll give you one last warning, Rei. You know your tricks won't work on me. I don't want to hurt you, but I will to get to him. He has to die."
Renzo twitched, and Ryuu fell into his combat trance, finding the energy surrounding him and dropping into it. He could sense Renzo's attack coming. Renzo's speed was unbelievable, but Rei was there, drawing her blade and in his way.
Ryuu watched, horrified at being unable to do anything fast enough to change the outcome. Rei flashed her energy, trying to blind Renzo's sense, but it was no use. She didn't have the power to surpass Renzo's will and skill with the sense. Renzo ducked underneath her weak cut and drove his fist into her stomach. She collapsed and Renzo drew against Ryuu.
Steel met steel in the precarious confines of the crevice. The crack was narrow, and both Renzo and Ryuu had to be careful not to have their strikes blocked by the rock walls surrounding them. They cut and spun around one another, their movements forced close to their bodies by the tight space.
It was Renzo who took to the walls. He used the walls as vertical ground for a moment at a time, adding an extra dimension to the fight. He would push off and strike from above, then bounce off the other wall and strike from the other direction. Ryuu had never fought in a crevice like this, never seen anyone use walls to plant and kick off of. His sense and his reflexes kept him alive, but Renzo had the upper hand as steel flashed closer and closer to him.
Rei struggled back to her feet. Ryuu wanted to shout at her, tell her to stay down, but he didn't have the time to give a warning. He couldn't tear his attention from Renzo, not even for a moment. Renzo’s strikes were coming from all different directions, directions no fighter on flat ground would have to consider.
Ryuu took to the walls. He wasn't as experienced as Renzo, but he was young and agile, and the dance of swords was bright in the light of the sun.
Ryuu could sense Rei looking for an opening, but she didn't have the power and speed of the two nightblades in combat. Ryuu could sense it wasn’t going to stop her though. She was determined to stop their fight.
She thought she saw an opening and leapt for it. Both Ryuu and Renzo sensed the approach. Ryuu stepped back, giving ground in the hope she'd have space to pass through their battle safely. Renzo tried to cut at Ryuu as he retreated, coming just a hair's width away from cutting Rei's neck. He stepped back as well, torn between his desire to kill Ryuu and his desire to leave Rei unharmed.
Rei attacked Renzo, but she was too slow. Renzo struck her twice with the flat part of his blade, but she kept on coming. Finally, his fist landed against her cheek in a blow that sent her reeling backwards.
Renzo shouted a curse. Ryuu held his stance, waiting to see what would happen. Renzo wasn’t faster than him, but his experience was greater. Ryuu wasn’t sure he’d win in a straight fight, but in this tiny space, Rei would continue to get between them, and Renzo clearly didn’t want to kill her. Renzo seemed torn between attacking and walking away. Suddenly he stood up and sheathed his sword.
"It's not over, Ryuu. Your days, and Lord Akira's, are numbered." He bent over Rei, ignoring her feeble attempts to slap him away. "If you get in my way again, I will kill you."
With a final glance, Renzo turned and walked away, leaving a confused Ryuu to care for Rei's injuries.
That evening, Ryuu came to a decision. He wouldn’t go after Moriko, as much as he wanted to. She was getting closer to the Southern Kingdom, but Ryuu also felt the hunters coming down out of the mountains to intercept her. Either way, he was still a half-moon of trav
el away, no matter how fast he rode. As he looked on Rei sleeping, her words ran through his mind. He knew Moriko had gotten stronger, could sense she had somehow changed, somehow grown.
He could do more good if he stayed in the Southern Kingdom, helping Akira decide what was next. He needed to protect Akira. If he didn’t, Renzo would kill him and the Three Kingdoms would descend into chaos. Ryuu could still sense the Azarians moving north, although he wasn’t sure they’d get to the pass before it snowed. He wasn’t sure they were an invasion force either, but he couldn’t imagine what else they would be.
Akira’s need was greater, and the odds of Ryuu getting to Moriko in time were slim. His decision angered him, but it was right. He held back his tears of frustration, hoping Moriko would survive.
His decision made, the rest of the journey passed quickly. Ryuu appreciated not being torn apart by indecision. He liked having a path laid out in front of him, a straight way forward.
His letter from Akira opened many doors. At the border between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms they were given fresh horses, and they pushed them as hard as the beasts could go. Ryuu wasn’t familiar with the eastern side of the Southern Kingdom, but the paths were worn and well marked. Ryuu worried they might run into some western troops, but none had made it that far yet.
When they reached the main encampment they were directed to a supply tent near Akira’s command tent. Ryuu was becoming familiar with the routine. Akira would see them at night. He was the ruler of an entire kingdom at war. Ryuu had to remind himself he was fortunate to see Akira with the ease he did.
Ryuu took the time to relax. Rei was fascinated by everything around her, and he could feel her throwing out her sense in an effort to learn more of what was happening. There were more people here in this camp than on the whole of the island. He smiled to himself and laid his head down on the ground, intending only to rest his eyes. Instead, he fell asleep.
He awoke to Rei moving towards him. Despite his time of relative safety on the island, Ryuu never lost his ability to use the sense while he was sleeping. It wasn’t foolproof, but it was much better than sleeping without knowing what was happening around him. Rei startled at how quickly he came awake.
“I’m sorry. The sun has gone down, and I figured you would want to be awake to go meet the lord of the Southern Kingdom.”
Ryuu shook the sleep from his eyes. “You’re probably right. I should clean up.” His eyes took in Rei, her dirty hair and face and clothes. It was remarkable you could still see her beauty through all the grime. “You probably should too, although we’ll have to have water brought here. Akira won’t want us wandering around camp.”
Rei raised an eyebrow. “I’m not shy.”
Ryuu poked his head outside the tent and asked the guard to bring them water. Ryuu could never fault the efficiency of Akira’s troops. Water was in their tent almost as soon as Ryuu stepped back in. There wasn’t any doubt Akira had some of the best-trained troops in the Three Kingdoms.
Rei shed her clothes without hesitation, and Ryuu couldn’t help but let his eyes be drawn to her. Like Moriko, she was lithe and strong, but unlike Moriko, her body wasn’t covered in scars. It was a work of flawless perfection. It didn’t help that Rei seemed to be flaunting it at him. A fierce desire awoke in him, and it occurred to him that Moriko was a very long way away. He knew Rei liked him, but he believed she liked the power he represented more than she liked him.
He pushed the thoughts out of his mind and splashed water over his face, scrubbing away the dirt that he could. He soaked his hair and wiped every nook and cranny he could find. It was cold, but he felt better than he had in almost half a moon. Being clean made the rest of life much more bearable.
The summons came just as they were finishing. They both dried themselves, changed into cleaner clothes, and followed their escort to Akira’s tent. It wasn’t hard to find, being the largest tent in the center of the ring.
The first thing Ryuu noticed in the tent was Akira. When he had left the lord, Akira had looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Now, Akira stood tall and straight, determined. His kingdom was on the brink of annihilation, but he stood firm. Akira looked noble. Ryuu felt a surge of respect for the man. Akira was a leader, a man who would inspire others. Ryuu might defeat him in combat, but Ryuu wasn’t sure that made him the stronger person.
Rei drew up short in a deep bow, catching the eye of Akira. Ryuu stifled the urge to laugh. He had been deliberate about not showing Akira too much respect, no matter how he felt. He wanted his position to be clear.
A hint of a grin broke out on Akira’s face. “Ryuu, every time I see you, you seem to be in the company of some new beautiful woman. My father warned me I would be cursed with beautiful women as the lord of the kingdom, but I think your gifts have brought you better women than I ever dreamed of.”
Rei blushed, and Ryuu could see she was pleased by the compliment.
A quick thought passed through Ryuu’s mind. He hadn’t ever heard of Akira with any women, or any men for that matter. His life seemed dedicated to the kingdom. Ryuu glanced over at Rei and extended his sense. It only took him a moment to understand. She liked him.
“Akira.”
Rei looked shocked at the cavalier attitude with which Ryuu dealt with the lord.
Akira saw her discomfort and waved it away. “You can stop bowing. Do not worry. Ryuu and I have a unique relationship, and I don’t hold to titles with him, though I don’t think I’m bold enough to call him my friend yet.”
Ryuu provided the introductions. “Akira, this is Rei. Rei, Akira.”
Rei jaw almost dropped. It was obvious she didn’t believe either of them.
Akira couldn’t help but poke more fun at her. “Didn’t he tell you that the first time we met he held my own blade to my throat and threatened to kill me?”
Rei’s eyes seemed to roll back in her head, and Akira just laughed.
“Thank you, Ryuu, for if nothing else, you have brought me a little joy today.”
Ryuu nodded. “How goes the campaign?”
Akira looked down at the maps spread below him. Ryuu could see the figurines representing troops scattered across the maps, but they did nothing but confirm what he already knew through his sense. The final battle would be upon them soon. Probably within a quarter moon, depending on how fast the troops reached their position.
“Tanak’s forces move in for the kill. We have the high ground and much better position, but they outnumber us almost two to one at this point. It will be a bloody battle.”
Akira looked up. “I have many questions for you, Ryuu. I suspect from the way Rei holds herself, she is every bit as dangerous as she is gorgeous. Someday I would like to hear your story, but for now my only question is why you are here.”
“I’ve come to help.”
Akira almost leapt with excitement. “Does that mean you’ll fight for us?”
Ryuu shook his head. “Not in the way you hope. If I were to enter the battle, dozens, if not hundreds, would fall to my blade. I don’t know if I could live with that decision, and I won’t do it.”
“Then how will you help, if not to lend me your steel?”
Ryuu held up two fingers. “I’ll do two things for you. The first is that I can use the sense to tell where people are.” He pointed at Akira’s map. “Between your intelligence and my sense, I can give you the most accurate information about enemy troop movements. It will give you a distinct advantage. Second, there is a nightblade in Tanak’s camp. His name is Renzo.”
Akira laughed, and Ryuu stopped, surprised.
“Renzo is not a nightblade. Trust me on that one. The monks tested him right in front of me.”
Ryuu glanced at Rei quizzically. Rei spoke up. “We grew up together, my lord, and I can assure you, he is a nightblade.”
Ryuu and Akira both paused as they considered the implications. Either Renzo had fooled the monks somehow, or the monks were involved. It opened up doors t
hat Ryuu was afraid to look behind, worried he’d find nightmares on the other side. He pushed the thoughts aside. Whatever had happened, it didn’t change Ryuu’s attitude.
Ryuu spoke into the silence. “Don’t worry, Akira. I’ll kill him for you.”
28
When Moriko woke up she was tied to a horse, so tight there was no chance of her moving, much less falling off. It was enough to rekindle Moriko’s dislike of the beasts. She tested her movement, and the results were disappointing. Her bindings had no slack at all. The final hunter wasn’t taking any chances.
Moriko hurt. The cuts she’d received from the battle had crusted over. She’d hoped to clean them. Her head throbbed where she’d been struck. She’d seen the hunter’s fist, but it felt like she’d been hit by a tree. Every jostle of the horse made her want to both throw up and kill someone.
They were traveling east, much to Moriko’s surprise. By her reckoning, they were actually getting closer to the Three Sisters. All she had to do was escape, but that was going to be impossible. Even after she awoke, the hunter didn’t untie her. He’d stop every couple of watches to give her some water and check that her bindings were still tight. The one evening they camped, he staked her to the ground so she still couldn’t move a muscle. He had watched her kill his brethren and wasn’t going to give her a chance to move.
She sensed him before she could see him, tied to the horse as she was. There were several of them, but he stood out among them all. Nameless. His power was beyond belief. There wasn’t any mistaking him. She went limp as they got closer.
When they entered camp, the hunter who had captured Moriko cut her bindings. She didn’t entertain any thoughts of escaping. She counted ten hunters in the circle around them, plus Nameless.