The Initiate Brother Duology

by Russell, Sean

  Jaku Katta and the diminutive Butto Joda rode at Hojo’s side. All three were covered in dust and appeared very grim. They rode at the head of a substantial force of armed men, Imperial Guards and Shonto men and a few wearing purple. They stopped before the gate and silence fell in the square as ten thousand held their breath, listening.

  Hojo looked up at the guard over the gate. “Open the gate,” he called out. “We will speak with the Emperor.”

  The guard stood frozen in place and then disappeared. There was silence and then Hojo rode up to the gate, drew his sword, and pounded on the wood and bronze with his pommel. The square rang with the sound of his anger.

  “Open this gate!” Hojo roared, “or we will have it down and the palace will be open to all.”

  A guard officer appeared above the gate. “We do not open the gate to rebels,” he shouted.

  Jaku Katta spurred his horse forward, pulling off his helmet as he did so. “Brother,” he called out. “You must open the gate. The barbarians march toward the capital and the Emperor does nothing. The Yamaku have betrayed Wa. Open the gates! We have an Empire to defend.”

  There was hesitation above the gates. Other black-uniformed men appeared and there was a hasty council. Suddenly a sword flashed above the gate and then others. The crowd surged forward at this and the Shonto guards pushed them back. The black-uniformed men disappeared and a moment later the gates creaked open and Jaku Yasata appeared.

  The crowd surged forward again, shouting, “Bring forth the Emperor.” A chant began. “Bring forth the Emperor.”

  The Shonto men and Imperial Guards pushed the crowd back, but even so Nishima felt herself thrust forward and she struggled to keep her grip on Shuyun and Kitsura.

  They were close to a Shonto guard now and Shuyun called out and was recognized. Nishima was squeezed through the wall of guards and found herself face to face with Hojo Masakado.

  “Lady Nishima! May Botahara be praised.” He almost forgot to bow.

  The crowd took this up then and Nishima heard the syllables of her name pass around the square like a chanted prayer, a sound she found deeply disturbing.

  “You should not be here, Lady Nishima,” Hojo started but then stopped. “Come, we must go in while we may.”

  Dismounting his horse, Jaku Katta bowed to Lady Nishima, a standing bow but low. “The north wind has brought us together, Lady Nishima, I am grateful.”

  Nodding Nishima stepped away, looking for Hojo. What of my father? she thought, what has happened to him?

  The general had turned toward the gate and Nishima fell into step between him and Butto Joda who performed an awkward bow.

  “My father, General, I have had no word of him.”

  Hojo shook his head. “We were separated on the field. The main force has not reached the city though I do not doubt Lord Shonto has managed an organized retreat. Do not fear, Lady Nishima, your father is wise in the ways of the battlefield.”

  “And Lord Komawara—what of him?” Kitsura asked.

  “Lord Komawara,” Hojo said with great warmth. “He is out on the plain yet, harrying the enemy in the dark. Lord Butto tells us that, lost in the fog, Komawara encountered the Great Khan and his guard and engaged them, felling a chieftain and sending the Khan running. Lord Komawara and General Jaku,” he nodded at the guardsman, “have become the great warriors of our time, Lady Nishima. Their deeds will make a thousand songs.”

  Lady Nishima looked away. What a terrible thing, she thought. Behind her, she heard the whispers of the Komawara guard repeating Hojo’s words.

  War will destroy all of our souls, Nishima thought.

  * * *

  The Emperor paced the length of his chamber and back again. “Hopeless fools,” he muttered, “they will fall into argument over the correct color robes to wear at the surrender of the Empire.”

  A knock rattled the door to his chamber and made the Son of Heaven start. “Enter,” he called out.

  The face of a kneeling guard appeared. “We have a boat, Emperor. It is being readied as we speak.

  “The palace is completely surrounded, Sire. The people…” he hesitated, “appear unruly, Emperor.”

  “They are calling for my head, is that what you mean?”

  The guard said nothing but stared down at the floor before him.

  “Knock when the boat is ready.”

  Before the door closed, the Emperor had returned to his pacing. Venturing onto the balcony, he looked out over the city. Little could be seen, but the open fires in the squares said much. They will have someone’s head before the night is over, the Emperor thought. Anyone’s will do—nothing less will satisfy them. Well, he almost smiled, let them have any number of ministers and palace officials.

  He paced back into the room and looked down at the armor of an unranked guardsman: the disguise for his escape. It went with the uniform he wore. He crossed the room and knelt on a cushion, staying only a second before morbid curiosity drew him back to the balcony, like a man fascinated by his own fear of heights.

  Where was Osha? He had sent for her an hour ago. Were the servants afraid to say that she was gone? Run off like his wife and sons the minute he left the palace to go to war. He shook his head.

  From the Gate of Serenity he could hear shouting and what sounded like a crowd chanting. The words were unclear, but he found the sound unsettling all the same.

  * * *

  A knock sounded at the door again and it opened without the Emperor’s command. Osha slipped into the room, looking around, her face like a frightened bird’s.

  “On the balcony, Osha-sum,” came the Emperor’s voice. “I am basking in the affection of my loyal subjects—who call out for my death.”

  Osha moved slowly toward the sound of the Emperor’s voice and finally saw him, dressed in the black robes of an Imperial Guard, his dark form blotting out the stars.

  “Do not be afraid, it is not your name they chant,” the Emperor said.

  She did not like the tone of his voice.

  The Emperor stood on the balcony, his back to the rail, his arms crossed.

  “It warms my heart to see that not everyone has abandoned me, Osha-sum. Loyalty has not fled the palace entirely.”

  She nodded.

  “Here is what you must do,” the Emperor said matter-of-factly. “There is no one else I would trust. I will make my escape in moments. You must bar the door to this chamber when I leave and open it to no one. Force them to break it down. I should be out of their reach by then. I had the robes of a servant brought for you. A servant will be safe enough.”

  I am a mistress, Osha thought. She knew what happened to the pampered mistresses of fallen Emperors.

  The Emperor pointed at neatly folded cotton robes lying on a small stand. “Quickly. We will throw your robes off the balcony.”

  Osha nodded. She began unwinding the yards of brocade sash. Looking up, she saw the Emperor watching. I am about to die at the hands of the people he has betrayed and he stares at me as though I am a hired woman. She closed her eyes and continued.

  Steeling her nerve as she finished unwinding her sash, Osha asked the question that haunted her. “I hope your officers survived, Sire, so that they may assist you in the future. Colonel Jaku, for one, would be a great loss.” She turned her back to the Emperor and removed her outer robe.

  “The Colonel has acted as a loyal subject should— putting himself in the path of the barbarian army so that his Emperor might escape. As for the rest, they turned and ran, trying to save their miserable lives, may they be damned for eternity.”

  Osha steadied herself as she felt the room spin.

  “Osha-sum, shyness does not become a dancer. Do not hide your beauty.”

  * * *

  Nishima fell in behind General Hojo as Jaku Katta led the way to the Great Hall. The tramp of soldiers behind her was disquieting and so out of place. She had been in these halls many times, but they had been filled with laughter and music and poetry on those
occasions. She felt Kitsura take her sleeve, like a shy child not wanting to be left behind.

  “General Hojo, what is it you intend here?” Nishima asked nervously.

  Hojo did not slow his pace. “We intend to force this fool Emperor to perform his duties. He cannot leave his throne, as much as it would gladden me if he did,” the general said, casting a glance at Jaku. “We cannot fight the barbarians and a civil war as well,” Hojo said, pointedly.

  Nishima saw Jaku shake his head. “This Emperor, in an attempt to bring down your lord’s House, sold our Empire to the barbarian Khan, General Hojo,” Jaku said with force. “I have not changed my opinion—the Emperor is a threat to all.”

  Nishima looked back at Hojo, wondering how he would respond. The two officers had obviously been arguing the point.

  “We will let Lord Shonto decide the fate of Emperors, General Jaku. Soldiers will always make decisions with a sword. It is our way, but there are other ways.” He said this with finality.

  They reached the doors to the Great Hall and the guards stationed there drew their swords. Jaku did the same, followed by the men around him.

  “Stand aside,” Jaku commanded as he pulled open his face-mask. “The Emperor you serve has fallen. You cannot be loyal to a ghost. Stand aside.”

  The men hesitated, exchanging glances, and then gave a half bow and laid down their swords. The doors were thrown open and the members of the council turned, their eyes wide. Immediately the officials leapt to their feet and fled in every possible direction, ornate robes flapping, like a flurry of escaping moths. The Dragon Throne was empty.

  Hojo stormed into the room while his guard chased down several running officials and dragged them back to him. Nishima remained outside the door, trying to hear what was said. A commotion to her right drew her attention, and she saw Jaku Katta disappearing down the hall with Lord Butto on his heels.

  General Hojo came out the door then, an official in tow. “This man has kindly offered to lead us to the Emperor,” Hojo said, pushing the man in front of him. Something drew his attention. “Where do they go?” Hojo waved his sword down the hall at the backs of retreating Komawara guards.

  “They follow General Jaku and Lord Butto,” Nishima said.

  Hojo looked around as though sure he would find Jaku beside him.

  Nishima pointed. “That is the way to the Imperial apartments, General.”

  “May the gods take them!” Hojo swore and set off at a run, followed by the entire company.

  Shuyun paced the general. “Those Komawara guards wear the green lacings on their sleeve—they were Hajiwara men, General.”

  Hojo nodded, saving his breath. They came to stairs and the armored men lagged behind. Shuyun looked over his shoulder once and then sprinted ahead. Seeing this, Nishima pushed past General Hojo and the other men exhausted from battle. She ignored the calls of her cousin and the guard, focusing on the sound of Shuyun’s running feet just ahead of her.

  * * *

  Tadamoto reached the head of the stairs leading to the Emperor’s apartments. From the guards before the Great Hall he had learned that the Emperor was in the Imperial apartments and, though less than certain he would be allowed through the halls, Tadamoto had set out. To his surprise, he had not been challenged once. The Imperial Guard, their commander realized, had broken and run just like the army in the field.

  Down the long hallway he saw lamps and the black of guards before a door, indicating the Emperor was not unprotected. Akantsu is a fine swordsman, Tadamoto reminded himself, he is never entirely unprotected. Loosening his blade in his scabbard, Tadamoto started down the hall.

  As he approached the guards before the Emperor’s chambers, Tadamoto heard the pounding of boots on the stairs behind. Turning, he saw a single black-clad guard crest the stairs with a leap and come running down the hall toward him. Drawing his sword, Tadamoto signaled the guards, who rose and drew their weapons as well.

  Jaku Katta slid to a stop on the polished floor, facing his brother. He reached up and removed his helmet and stood regarding Tadamoto.

  “It is my hope the gods have brought us here with the same purpose, brother.”

  Tadamoto did not lower his sword. “Do not do this, Katta-sum.” He swallowed with difficulty. “Do not stain our name with this crime.”

  “He is a traitor, brother. You know this is the truth. Wa deserves a sovereign who understands honor. Let me pass.”

  The sound of running feet in the stairwell.

  Jaku did not look back.

  “They are my men, Tadamoto-sum. You can do nothing. Stand aside.”

  The colonel shook his head. “I cannot, brother.”

  Jaku nodded. Very slowly he tossed his helmet aside and it rattled on the floor, sliding to a stop against the wall.

  * * *

  Turning toward the Emperor, Osha removed a second robe, the sheer silk wafting to the floor like a falling banner. She could not stop the tears, but she did not sob. Forcing her feet to move forward, she stepped out into the cool night.

  The Emperor watched her with some interest. He reached out to her as she approached and she took his hands and pressed them to her, his touch fueling her resolve.

  She stood looking at the confusion in the Emperor’s face for a second, realizing she could not let the instant pass. “Tadamoto-sum,” she whispered, “was my lover.”

  Saying this, Osha pushed the Emperor, her Sonsa training giving her surprising strength. As he fell back, the Emperor’s grip tightened on one of her hands and she grabbed the rail with the other, pulling against his great weight. Groping with one hand, he grasped at the balustrade, cursing her, but Osha let go of the rail and caught this hand before he could save himself. And then, without hesitation, she followed him over the railing, her motion graceful as though she took flight.

  * * *

  Jaku drew his sword and faced his brother who stepped back immediately, his guard faltering. Men were in the hall behind, running. Butto Joda came to a position off to Jaku Katta’s right, stepping into the Tiger’s line of vision but staying out of reach of his sword.

  “General Katta?” the youth said. “General Hojo is correct. This is a decision for Lord Shonto or the Great Council. I beg you reconsider.”

  Jaku did not appear to hear. Lunging forward, he took the sword from Tadamoto’s hands so that it bounced off a post and fell to the floor.

  Tadamoto faced the point of his brother’s blade, but his attention was drawn back over Katta’s shoulder. “Brother…” he said, lifting a hand to point.

  That second’s warning saved Jaku’s life. The first Hajiwara guard’s blow missed Jaku’s neck, the blade cutting through armor and deep into the guardsman’s right arm. He raised the sword again as the Black Tiger stumbled aside. Tadamoto leapt in between and took the second blow on the side of his helmet, which drove him to the floor.

  Jaku spun and landed a blow one-handed, accounting for one as the other Hajiwara men fell on him. The guardsman retreated, using a post to protect his injured right side. Lord Butto reached for his sword but, unexpectedly, a Hajiwara guard sprang at the young lord and drove the pommel of his sword into Butto’s face-mask, leaving him limp on the floor.

  The two guards before the Emperor’s door held their places, swords at the ready. Jaku circled away from these men, unsure who they would side with. Someone else reached the stairhead and started down the hall.

  “We will avenge Lord Hajiwara, General,” Narihira Chisato hissed, “for it was you who placed him in the path of Lord Shonto with lies and false promises.”

  The injured Hajiwara man leapt at Jaku. As the guardsman cut him down, Narihira stepped in coolly, sword raised. The Black Tiger fell heavily to the floor and did not move. Narihira raised his sword for the final stroke but found himself propelled across the room, hitting the floor and sliding to the feet of the guards at the Emperor’s door. One held the tip of his sword to Narihira’s throat, and the Hajiwara guard lay still.

 
* * *

  Nishima arrived to see Shuyun literally toss the Hajiwara guard aside and then bend over Jaku Katta, who lay in a growing pool of blood. The monk made a sign to Botahara and rose, looking around.

  “Is there no hope, Brother?” Nishima asked. She stood across the room, frozen in place.

  Shuyun shook his head. “His spirit has fled, my lady. Jaku Katta is in the hands of the Perfect Master. May Botahara protect him.”

  Shuyun crossed to Lord Butto who lay unmoving. Removing the youth’s helmet, the monk found his eyes open, only whites showing. Coming to stand beside him, Nishima laid her hand on Shuyun’s shoulder.

  Katta is dead, she thought, trying to make it seem possible. But why do I feel so little now when I believed I felt so strongly before?

  “He breathes,” Shuyun said. “His life force is strong.”

  “He was knocked down with a pommel, Brother,” one of the Imperial Guards said. “He cannot be badly hurt, I’m certain.”

  “Please, Lady Nishima….” Shuyun took her hand and drew her down. “Watch Lord Butto.”

  The monk then rose and went to the other fallen men as Hojo and the others came into the hall.

  The other Hajiwara guards were dead, but Tadamoto had raised himself to one elbow, and propped himself there with visible effort.

  “My brother?” Tadamoto said in a near whisper.

  “Who is your brother, Colonel?” Shuyun asked.

  “Katta,” he said with effort.

  “Lie back, Colonel Jaku, you are injured,” Shuyun said. Softly he removed the ruin of the guardsman’s helmet.

  Tadamoto shook him off when the monk reached out to probe the wound.

  “My brother…” Tadamoto turned and saw the great, still form of Jaku Katta lying against the wall in a dark pool. Sobs racked him and he would let no one near.

  Hojo stood looking on. He made a sign to Botahara.

  “He intended to kill the Emperor, General Hojo,” Shuyun said. The monk motioned at Narihira still lying at the feet of the two Imperial Guards. “It was Jaku Katta the Hajiwara men had vowed revenge against, not Butto Joda.”

  “The Emperor is inside?” Hojo panted, motioning to the door with his sword.