by Ryan Kirk
They made camp in the prairie. A fire was lit, and Moriko was grateful for its warmth. She sat with the rest of the men and listened to them tell their stories. Many of them were about the fellow soldiers they had lost that afternoon. The burial had been done before they remounted, but grief wouldn’t be so easily buried. The soldiers took turns telling stories about the men who had died. Most were funny, but some spoke of the men’s courage in battle and kindness to other soldiers.
Moriko listened with half her mind. She was moved by the companionship of Akira’s honor guard. Besides Ryuu, she had never had anyone she could trust, anyone who she knew would fight for her, come to her aid when it was needed. Beside all these men, willing to die for one another, she suddenly felt alone. More than ever she wanted to go to the island, to a place where her secret wouldn’t get her killed, where she could be herself and have others defend her.
The talk went late into the night, and Moriko was surprised to see Akira joining in the stories. He knew the members of his honor guard personally, and he shared a funny story about a night one of the young soldiers had fallen asleep on duty. Akira had caught him, but the soldier, who had always had a quick wit, told Akira he had been guarding Akira’s dreams. The soldiers chuckled, fond memories of their departed brother in their minds.
Moriko fell asleep to the stories, and slept more soundly than she had in several moons. When she woke up, the sun was high in the sky, a blanket was laid over her, and Ryuu sat next to her, his eyes alert and shining. Moriko snuggled up next to him, laying her head on his lap. They lay like that for some time before Moriko started to wonder about their situation. The camp was alive around them, but the day seemed late and they weren’t preparing to leave.
“Akira ordered a day of rest. They’ve been riding fairly hard the past few days. He said it was for mourning, but I think more than anything he just wants to figure out his next steps.”
“How are you?”
He brushed her hair with his hand. “I’m fine. I pushed myself too hard.”
“You were stronger even than when we fought the eight.”
He was silent for a moment. “I think it’s becoming easier for me to draw power in. But it also burns me out. When I let go of it, the recovery is hard. I worry that if I pull too much, I won’t recover from it.”
Moriko grabbed his hand and held it. His gift was a powerful double-edged sword. He could accomplish spectacular feats of skill, but it might kill him. She wanted to escape, to go to a place where he wouldn’t need to draw on his strength.
They rested for a while together before Moriko was ready for the day. They needed to speak with Akira. It was easy enough to find his tent, and the guard let them in after a brief conference with Akira. As they entered, Ryuu spoke softly to Moriko. “Keep your sense open. I don’t want any ears to hear what we are about to say.”
Moriko knew he meant the monk.
Akira greeted them with open arms and served them tea as they sat down. It was the most comfortable Moriko had felt in days, and she relaxed herself. She was as safe here as she could be, at least for a while.
Ryuu wasted no time getting down to the matter at hand. As soon as they were settled he told Akira everything, from Moriko’s encounter in the woods to the translated documents. Ryuu had carried them and laid them before Akira as he spoke. Akira let him go on without interruption, but his frown got deeper and deeper as he learned more about the betrayal of Tanak and the monks. He looked like he was about to explode when Ryuu told him about the monk among them.
“I can’t believe it, but at the same time, everything is falling into place. I had forgotten how Renzo passed the tests at the Conclave. It was because the monks knew what was happening. They all sensed him, they just lied about it.”
Ryuu nodded.
Akira turned to them and gave them a look Moriko knew all too well. She dreaded what would come next. It would tear them apart.
“Ryuu, I can’t believe I need to do this again, but I must. Will you help me stop what the monasteries are planning?”
Ryuu looked at Moriko, and her heart dropped to her stomach. It was just the same as it had been last spring. He wanted to help. She knew he was going to accept, and if he did, she would leave him forever. She wouldn’t allow herself to go on another errand for a lord ever again. But she kept her mouth shut. If that was his decision, so be it.
“I’m sorry, Akira, but I can’t accept. Not this time.”
Akira was surprised, as was Moriko.
“Before you argue, let me explain. One reason I cannot help you is that in my heart, I feel that my direction lies elsewhere. Moriko and I are traveling to where the nightblades live. My hope is to bring them back to the Three Kingdoms.”
Akira corrected him absent-mindedly. “You mean the kingdom.”
Ryuu’s jaw dropped to the floor. “What do you mean?”
Akira looked at both of them and saw the shock on their faces. “You mean you don’t know?” He laughed loud and hard, a sound that Moriko found pleasant. Despite herself, she liked him. As much as she wanted to hate him, she couldn’t. He was a good man.
“You are talking to the king!” Akira kept laughing, mostly at the shock on Ryuu’s face. When his laughter wore off, Akira told his side of the story, how Tanak had been killed and how he had met with Sen, forming the single kingdom once again. Ryuu was speechless, and when he was able to find his words, they came slowly, but were congratulatory.
“I never thought I would live to see the day. Well done!”
“Thank you, but our kingdom is at risk, and it needs your help.”
Ryuu returned to the argument he had been making before Akira’s surprise. “Akira, though you may be able to harass the enemy, you can’t defeat them. You know this. They are too strong. If we are looking at the future, we need to bring the nightblades back to the kingdom.”
Akira thought through Ryuu’s proposal. “I suspect you are right. On our own, I’m sure we don’t have the strength to turn the tide, but to be honest, I’m not sure even the nightblades will. By the time you get to them and back, the Azarians will have swept over most this land.”
“It will be up to you to prepare the way. If I could, I would help you try to solve the problem with the monasteries, but I suspect that is a problem of diplomacy more than a problem of strength. You need to convince them not to undermine you. If the nightblades come back, everything is going to change, and the monasteries are going to need to be part of that. They have too much power not to be included, and if they aren’t on board, you’ll have a civil war and an invasion to deal with. You’ll need to get the land ready for us.”
“Say I believe you, what’s your second reason?”
Ryuu laughed. “Nameless is hunting us. So long as we’re with you, you’ll have one big, mean Azarian hunter after you.”
Akira gave Ryuu a questioning glance. “I’ve seen your skill, and there’s none like it in the kingdom. Surely you can defeat him?”
Ryuu shook his head. “I’m not sure. Moriko was lucky in her fight, and even she barely escaped with her life. He won’t underestimate us again, and I suspect he’s stronger than me.”
“That’s hard news to hear.”
Ryuu raised an eyebrow. “And he’s not even after you. Think about how unhappy I am about it.”
Akira considered his options for a moment, but he hadn’t become king without being decisive. “Very well. I don’t like your plan, but your reasoning is sound, and I agree with it. I will wish you the best. When do you leave?”
“Today, as soon as I’ve dealt with the monk.”
“What do you plan to do?”
Ryuu looked Akira straight in the eye, and Moriko could see how much he had changed. “I’m going to torture him for information and then kill him.”
Akira met Ryuu’s gaze, and it was hard. But Akira was a hard man, used to unpleasant decisions. “I see. Your road will be a tough one, but I wish you well on it, friend.”
Mor
iko started. He had never called them friends before. Ryuu nodded, acknowledging and returning the status in kind. Akira smiled and bowed deeply to the two of them.
After they left the tent, Moriko stopped Ryuu. “Do you want me to come with you?”
There was pain in Ryuu’s eyes, but also determination. “No. You’ll kill him before he talks.”
Their eyes met, and Moriko saw that Ryuu hated what he had to do, but would do it anyway. He was driven forward by his purpose now. And he was right. There was no love lost between her and the monks, and one wrong word from the monk would bring her wrath down on him.
Ryuu went towards where the monk was resting and walked with him off into the distance. He went over a small rise in the land, and then Moriko had to rely on her sense.
The sun was almost touching the horizon when Ryuu came back. Moriko had sensed the entire proceedings, but she asked him anyway.
“I didn’t need to hurt him. He was young, and his anger was quickly replaced by fear. He told me everything. The entire series of events had been preplanned. The attack on the village, the monk getting knocked unconscious. Everything was designed so the monk could lure the hunters to Akira. I need to let him know. The monks can’t be trusted, not at all, not if they are going to go to such lengths.”
Moriko could see the pain in his eyes. He hated every moment of this, but he pushed himself forward. She had felt him kill the monk. He had given the monk a warrior’s death, which was more than she would have granted him. But still it hurt.
That night, Moriko offered what comfort she could. It was under the stars, with no tent to shield their actions from prying eyes, but neither of them cared. Moriko felt him give himself up completely to her, seeking some sort of escape. She returned his desire, and the stars turned overhead. She didn’t know how much it helped, but he slept peacefully after.
In the morning there was a fresh look of determination on Ryuu’s face. Whatever would come, he seemed ready for the day. They bid their farewell to Akira and were off. They had gratefully accepted the horses of the soldiers who had died protecting Akira. Moriko wasn’t pleased, but they needed speed now. Nameless was horsed, and he would gain too fast on them otherwise. The rode north while Akira and his men rode west, into an uncertain future.
18
It took longer for Nameless to find the old man than he expected. It was likely the old man had tried to avoid Nameless’ grasp, but he couldn’t escape that easily. He was too useful. After inquiring around a number of camps, Nameless discovered the old man had left with one of the first clans to leave. That clan had been heading northeast the last time they had been seen. Nameless had no choice but to ride after them. Without the old man’s help, there was no way he’d track down the two nightblades.
His search was further complicated when the first clan he tracked down was the wrong one. Several small clans were traveling in the same direction, and Nameless followed the wrong set of tracks to the northeast. Fortunately, the clan pointed Nameless in the right direction. He followed their directions, surprised at how fast the clans were moving. If they kept this pace, they’d cover the entire land within the summer.
Nameless also noticed he wasn’t welcome among many of the clans. The reactions he received were mixed. They were grateful to be in a new land, but many, many people had been lost. Far more than Nameless expected. The defense the Three Kingdoms had put together surprised him. There was still strength left in this land. Not enough to stop them, but enough to make their advance painful.
Nameless received assistance from the pairs of demon-kind within almost every clan. They were the ones who welcomed him, who realized what the move to the new land truly meant. He was surprised how much the lack of gratitude frustrated him. He had never chosen to lead the People because he wanted praise, respect, or power. But all the same, he had led the clans to a new life, a life which would sustain them for many generations. The price had been steep, but inaction would have cost even more. The People couldn’t look beyond their current suffering. They couldn’t look into the future and see the disaster that had been averted.
He puzzled over this as he rode towards the clan harboring the old man. When he did finally reach them, the old man was waiting for him. Of course he was. The old man would have sensed him coming days ago, and there was only one reason Nameless would come this direction.
The clan the old man had joined was a small one, not much more than three dozen people strong. They had no demon-kind with them besides the old man, and he hardly counted. As Nameless approached the old man, he received many more stares of hate than of respect. He pushed the matter aside. They could say what they wanted to about him, but he had saved them. Hopefully someday the stories would reflect the truth.
When Nameless rode close, the old man grinned. “Can’t blame a man for trying.”
Nameless felt a sudden compulsion to explain himself, to get the old man to understand why he was needed. “I need to track down the nightblades. On my own it would take too long. I need your help.”
Nameless stopped suddenly. He may no longer be in charge of the People, but he wouldn’t fall to begging.
The old man was watching him carefully the entire time, and his eyes seemed to see more than he let on. His face was blank, but he nodded. “I will come with you. I had hoped to get away and live peacefully, but there’s no use escaping fate. Allow me to say my farewells.”
Nameless looked at the old man with confusion. To hear him speak of it, they were heading to some great doom, but in reality they were just hunting two nightblades. Nameless had little doubt he could defeat them. The old man wished the clan well and joined Nameless shortly. They turned their horses around and took off, stares of hatred burning into Nameless’ back.
They made good time. Despite his companion’s old age, he still rode well. In many ways, his skills with a horse were superior to Nameless’. He did not complain, but when the day’s ride was done, it was clear he was exhausted. Despite the physical exertion of riding, he still used his power every night to keep Nameless updated on what was happening in the land. He spoke not just of the nightblades and their actions, but of everything he could sense.
Nameless was grateful for the information. Even though he had relinquished leadership of the People, he still cared for them deeply and wanted to see them succeed. He was pleased they moved so quickly into the new land. The People had been through many trials in the past few seasons, but those who survived were strong, and the people of the kingdom couldn’t resist them.
There was a limit to how much the old man could tell him. Nameless could learn about the movements of groups of people, and with the aid of a rough map, he could see how the People were spreading. Most of the time the old man could tell him which groups were clans and which were not, based on the presence of the demon-kind. But without personally knowing who many people were, the old man couldn’t tell him where all of Nameless’ most important adversaries were.
Nameless knew Akira had taken the crown of the kingdom, and he knew Akira hadn’t been killed at the battle of the Three Sisters. But on his own there was little he could do about it. The old man didn’t know Akira, so he couldn’t pick out his energy from anyone else’s. But the old man could find the boy, the one as fast as the wind, so he was perfect for Nameless’ hunt.
One night, as the old man was using his sense, his eyes opened suddenly. “They are on the move, and fast.”
Nameless fixed him with a stare that doubled as a question. The nightblades had been on the move for days.
“We’ll need to change the way we are heading. Be patient. I’ll find out more.”
The old man closed his eyes and returned to his meditative posture. Nameless quenched his frustration as well as he could. He accepted the old man’s skills were not easy to come by. At one point he had tried to learn them and failed. But patience was not a quality he possessed, especially when the old man teased him with information.
“I see.” The old m
an had opened his eyes again.
“There are two of us heading towards a group, maybe a hundred people or so. It seems the nightblade is trying to intercept them.”
“Can you tell if the girl is with him?”
Nameless’ companion shook his head. “I have not been able to detect her in many seasons. Not since she was in our land. But they were together when the four pairs attacked, and I see no reason why they would have separated.”
Nameless considered the information carefully. Something important was happening. Two demon-kind wouldn’t attack a group of over a hundred, especially if the group was made of soldiers. Victory wasn’t out of the question for those two, but it was highly unlikely. Even with all their strength, there was a limit to what they could accomplish. If they were attacking a group that size, they had a good reason. It would be a very good reason if the nightblades were trying to stop them.
“There is something else.”
Nameless glanced up.
“I believe one of the monks is with the group. He is flashing his power on a regular basis.”
Everything became clear to Nameless. If one of the monks was acting as a beacon for the demon-kind, they would be with someone of importance. Given the location, it was most likely Akira, or maybe one of his top generals. But about a hundred people would be the correct size for an honor guard. It had to be Akira.
“Can we get there in time?”
The old man shook his head. Nameless was going to barrage him with more questions, to ask if they pushed their horses all night, but he knew the old man had already taken it into consideration. If he said there was no chance, there was no chance.
“When will they meet?”
“Tomorrow, late morning to mid-day, perhaps.”
Nameless didn’t rest well that evening, his mind on the conflict about to occur. The next day he called an early halt. “Even if we can’t make it, I need to know what happens.”