Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Map of Gensokai copy
Other Works
Glossary of Terms
17日 1月 老中 1102年
1日 1月 新議 1年
17日 2月 新議 1年
18日 2月 新議 1年
20日 2月 新議 1年
27日 2月 新議 1年
28日 2月 新議 1年
30日 2月 新議 1年
1日 3月 新議 1年
2日 3月 新議 1年
3日 3月 新議 1年
4日 3月 新議 1年
7日 3月 新議 1年
8日 3月 新議 1年
10日 3月 新議 1年
11日 3月 新議 1年
13日 3月 新議 1年
14日 3月 新議 1年
15日 3月 新議 1年
17日 3月 新議 1年
18日 3月 新議 1年
19日 3月 新議 1年
20日 3月 新議 1年
1日 4月 新議 1年
2日 4月 新議 1年
12日 4月 新議 1年
22日 4月 新議 1年
1日 6月 新議 1年
5日 6月 新議 1年
19日 9月 新議 3年
A Note to Readers
Acknowledgements
About the Author
TRAITOR’S HOPE
Chronicles of Gensokai Book II
VIRGINIA McCLAIN
Copyright © 2017 Virginia McClain
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Any and all resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental.
To Corey, for being a true partner.
To my parents, for teaching me about all kinds of strength.
To Cedar, for letting me ignore you long enough to write a book.
A Map of Gensokai
Other works by Virginia McClain
Blade’s Edge: Chronicles of Gensokai Book I
Rain on a Summer’s Afternoon: A Collection of Short Stories
Glossary of Terms
Some of the following terms are actual Japanese words, however, most of them are fabricated words made strictly for the purpose of this fictional work. Some are based in Japanese roots, while others are simply English terms made to apply to things in the book. While Gensokai is its own world and is not actually based on Japan, lots of the vocabulary for the book is taken from Japanese to help give it the feel of the feudal Japanese culture that the book was inspired by.
Please note that Japanese plurals are not denoted with an s, so you will see things such as: “three kimono” or “a hundred sanzoku” throughout the book.
cycle - *see seasoncycle
chawan - bowl or cup used to serve tea (an actual Japanese term)
eihei - the elite guard of the Rōjū (an actual Japanese term meaning elite guard)
fuchi - the well of one’s ki (taken from the actual Japanese word for abyss)
Gensokai - the name of the island realm in which our adventure takes place (taken from the Japanese words for element and world)
ha - the actual Japanese word for the sharp edge of a blade
hakama - the pants worn by Kisōshi (actual Japanese term for divided skirts that men wear on formal occasions or for certain martial arts)
hebi-dan - this is a made-up term containing the actual Japanese word for snake (hebi) and the actual Japanese word for level or rank (dan). In the context of the book, Hebi-dan is the lowest rank for a Kisōshi (it is the first rank they achieve through testing) whereas the highest is Ryū-dan.
hishi - the elite assassins used by the Rōjū (taken from the Japanese word for secret history)
izakaya - a tavern-like place where people go for drinks and food, most often consisting of private rooms for friends to meet and talk (taken from the actual Japanese word)
Josankō - the school where all josanpu are trained (taken from the Japanese words for midwifery and school)
josanpu - a woman trained in the arts of birthing and care for women’s health (the actual Japanese word for midwife)
Kami/kami - this word is taken from the actual Japanese for spirit or deity. For the purposes of this book the capitalized Kami means deity and the lowercase kami means spirit.
katana - the long, curved blade used by all Kisōshi (the actual Japanese word for a single edged sword)
ki - a person’s spirit or energy (actual Japanese word for spirit/essence)
kimono - traditional clothing worn by men and women throughout Gensokai (the Japanese word for clothing–especially traditional Japanese clothing)
kisaki - the point of a blade (actual Japanese word for the point of a blade)
kisō - energy manipulation (taken from the Japanese words for energy and manipulation–note that the actual Japanese definition differs from this made up usage)
kisōseki - a rare person who, due to an overlap in elemental powers, is able to track using kisō (word fabricated from a combination of energy manipulation and tracking)
Kisōshi - elite warriors trained in fighting who possess an innate ability to manipulate one element (word taken from Japanese for “energy manipulation person”)
mooncycle (moon) - three tendays in Gensokai. Most common usage is “moon”
mune - the blunt back edge of a blade (actual Japanese word)
obi - the wide decorative belt worn with kimono (actual Japanese word)
oni - demons or bad spirits
raiko - a rare Kisōshi who can call on both water and wind (taken from Japanese roots for storm and caller)
Rōjū - the ruling council of elder Kisōshi in charge of making all decisions for Gensokai (using the actual Japanese word for the Shogun’s council of Elders)
ryokan - a traditional inn (actual Japanese word)
ryū-dan - see “hebi-dan”
sanzoku - a mountain bandit (actual Japanese word for mountain bandit)
saya - a scabbard (actual Japanese word)
seiza - a seating position with legs folded at the knees and one’s seat resting on one’s feet (actual Japanese word)
senkisō - a Kisōshi with elemental ties to fire or air and thus to battle (taken from the Japanese words for energy manipulation and war/battle)
seasoncycle (cycle) - the term for a year in Gensokai, most commonly referred to as a “cycle”
shoji - sliding screen door or window (actual Japanese word)
shinogi - the widest part of a katana, the part between the mune and the hasami (actual Japanese word)
shuriken - a small sharpened disk used as a weapon by the hishi, often coated in poison (actual Japanese word for “throwing star”)
tatami - a mat made of dried woven grass and straw typically used as flooring, also a standard measure of length: approximately one meter by two meters in size (actual Japanese word)
tenday - a period of ten days (taking the place of weeks in this world)
tsuka - the hilt of a katana
uwagi - the jacket worn by all Kisōshi (taken from the Japanese word for a traditional jacket)
wa - harmony (taken from the actual Japanese)
wakizashi - the short sword worn by Kisōshi to accompany a katana.
yukisō - a Kisōshi with elemental ties to earth or water and thus to healing (taken from the Japanese words for energy manipulation and healing/medicine)
Yūwaku - the all-female ruling power in Gensokai before the Rōjū took power
zantō - an ally of the Rōjū after they were deposed (taken from the actual Japanese)
17th Day, 1st Moon, Cycle 1102 of the Rōjū Council
“SHE HAS ENOUGH kisō to be Kisōshi,” Yuki
said, as she wiped the blood from the baby's tiny, mewling face. The wrinkled creature's cries filled the small room, along with the tang of blood and afterbirth.
Suzumi nodded. “And a fire kisō at that.”
“I hate this,” Yuki whispered. “The mother dead from blood loss, no one to mourn her loss, and now this?”
Suzumi slapped the younger josanpu and took the baby from her.
“I'm not risking my life just because you've grown wistful,” she said, as she stepped toward the basin with the newborn.
Yuki grimaced, but didn't move to stop the older woman.
“I wasn't suggesting anything... only... it's so sad.”
Suzumi grunted.
“Sad? Sad would be what anyone will do to us if they hear you talking like that. And in the middle of Rōjū City no less. Now let's get this over with and be gone from here. Ieda-san is likely to give birth at any moment and I want to go check on her. She, at least, is unlikely to spawn anything that I'll be forced to drown. The woman hasn't an ounce of kisō in her body.”
Suzumi paused when she noticed the silence behind her. Yuki normally took any excuse to laugh at Ieda-san. When she turned she felt a hand clamp over her mouth and cold steel press against her throat.
“Careful now. Don't drop her,” the man before her, covered in grey and almost invisible in the dimly lit room, whispered as he carefully uncovered her mouth. “No screaming,” he added, as he moved his hand to support the tiny infant that Suzumi had been about to submerge.
Suzumi was surprised by the care with which he handled the child. It contrasted strangely with the collapsed form of Yuki that she could see behind him. The young woman's throat was slashed, her blood cooling on the floor. That scene instead matched the pressure of the knife held to her own throat and the chilling hatred she could see reflected in the man's eyes.
“The babe's mother lies dead beyond those curtains, and you plan to drown my only child.... Hasn't there been enough death for one night?” he asked, as he cradled the newborn against his chest.
Suzumi whispered, afraid that a full speaking voice might break whatever compulsion had kept the man from killing her until now.
“They won't let her live, Dono,” she whispered. “The Rōjū will never let her live. Death is the only way out.”
“I suppose you are right,” the man said. And Suzumi felt the blade slide across her throat before she felt her life's blood spill out and leave her.
The last thing she heard before blackness took her was the sound of a man's voice over the soft crying of a new babe.
“I will never let them take you, my darling Kusuko-chan.”
1st Day, 1st Moon, Cycle 1 of the New Council
THE BACKHAND CAUGHT Kusuko by surprise and the sting alone brought tears to her eyes. She blinked, and the open, sparsely decorated room regained some of its focus. She wondered if the dizziness was more to do with the slap, or with the injuries she hadn't quite recovered from fully.
She stared at the large wooden beams that spanned the ceiling above Mamushi-san's head, ignoring his sharp features, greying hair, and dark brown eyes, and tried to dismiss the tears before they could raise his ire.
“That,” Mamushi-san said, calmly folding his hands over his midsection so the sleeves of his kimono lay neatly atop one another, “is for drawing a sword against the first Rōjū without orders to do so.”
The second backhand wasn't a surprise, and Kusuko took it stoically.
“And that,” he continued, “is for almost getting yourself killed for your troubles. If that female Kisōshi had not saved you with her incredible display of power, you would be dead along with everyone else caught in that blast of wind. That is unacceptable.”
“I am sorry Mamushi-san,” Kusuko replied, keeping her chestnut eyes downcast. She would have to adjust her face paints after this meeting, but for now it was better not to remind Mamushi-san that he'd been “forced” to hit her. “I did not attack the first Rōjū. It was that hifu. She was drawn to the freedom offered by Kuma-sensei and his allies. She was drawn to their bravery as well.”
“That may be, but if the skins you adopt for your various assignments cannot follow orders then they have lost their usefulness.”
“Is it not useful to you now that the Rōjū are deposed?”
“Hmph... as if you could have known the outcome of that battle.”
“I did not. My hifu at that time seemed to think the outcome was inevitable, however.”
“Luckily for you she was right. I can still make use of you even though the Rōjū no longer trust you.”
“Do you still serve them?” Kusuko asked before she could stop herself. Luckily, Mamushi decided not to hit her again, he merely glared as he answered.
“They still see fit to pay me. They seem to think that they can regain power given enough time and information.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think that you would serve me best by serving your new allies.”
“They are not my allies, Mamushi-san. You are my only ally. They are the allies of my hifu and nothing more.”
“As you say. You will do well to remember that.” Kusuko didn't flinch the next time that Mamushi-san reached for her, but this time it was a light caress of her cheek. Kusuko glowed at the rare show of affection.
“You will be of great use to me still, little one, if you can continue your guise with Tsuku-san and her allies. Though the New Council purports to have no interest in dealing with spies and assassins, I believe Yasuhiko-san and his wife are more practical than that. They may even maintain my former contract.”
“What are my instructions, then?”
“For now, simply learn as much as you can and gain their trust.”
Kusuko nodded and Mamushi-san stood and crossed to the far side of the room.
“In time, depending on what the first Rōjū plans, and the information I receive, I will send along further instructions.”
Kusuko rose to take her leave, sensing her dismissal.
“And Kusuko-san,” Mamushi said, just as she reached for the shoji that would allow her egress into the hallway. “Take care.”
“Yes, father,” Kusuko whispered, as she opened the shoji and left the room.
17th Day, 2nd Moon, Cycle 1 of the New Council
AS THEY ROUNDED the corner that opened onto the view of Rōjū City, Mishi's skin felt as though a thousand snakes were writhing across it. The view was breathtaking, certainly, a hundred tall buildings with intricate roofs joined by dozens of bridges that crossed over gorges, rivers, and canals, all shrouded in mist and nestled in the cradle of two large mountains. But that wasn't why she found it difficult to draw air into her lungs. No, that was caused by the icy claws of memory that grappled with her now, tearing at her body as well as her mind, forcing her to remember the last time that she had been in this place, all the violence done to her and, worst of all, by her.
She closed her eyes against the memories that flooded her, but it did nothing to stop them. The sound of steel ringing against steel was almost drowned out by the cries of men as they were cut down before her. The smell of blood mixed with smoke filled her nostrils, replacing the cool scent of pine that had pervaded only moments before. Mishi reminded herself that it wasn't real, but that didn't stop the visions from coming. It never did.
Suddenly, she was surrounded by the rush of battle, men fought on all sides of her, she could hear the screams of the dying and she held her katana at the ready as yet another Kisōshi allied with the Rōjū Council charged her. She cut the man down, and only as her blade slid through his shoulder did she realize she was on horseback. Why was she on horseback? She dismounted and prepared for the next attacker. Did she have room to use her fire kisō without hurting her friends? Better not to risk it. She kept her hands on her katana, but when she shifted her grip she found her katana was no longer there.
Someone grabbed her shoulders and she shifted and threw him to the ground. She didn't nee
d a weapon to kill a man. She lunged for his throat as he lay on the ground, planning to crush his windpipe and be ready for the next attacker. She had to get back to Taka and the others. They were too far away from her current position. She couldn't protect them from here.
Just as she reached for the man on the ground she thought she heard a voice call her name, and then a hand grabbed her neck and darkness overtook her.
~~~
A gentle hand shook her awake. She saw treetops and mountain peaks behind a familiar face.
“Mishi-san?”
Taka's voice was calm and quiet, but her face was pale and she appeared to be shaking. Mishi looked once more at the trees and mountains. There were no buildings nearby, and it didn't feel like cobblestones beneath her feet. They weren't in Rōjū City.
It had been moons since the battle at Rōjū City.
She tried taking a deep breath, and found the smell of pines and horses filled her nostrils once more. They weren't in battle, they were on their way to Rōjū City to see Tsuku-san and the New Council.
“Mishi-san, what happened?” Taka asked.
Mishi didn't like how pale Taka looked.
“Are you all right, Taka-san?” she asked, though she was almost afraid of the answer. “Where is Mitsu-san?”
Mishi felt her own blood leave her face as she considered what she might have done to Taka or Mitsu.
Mitsu appeared beside Taka. He looked ragged, and battered...as though he'd been fighting.
“Do you remember what happened, Mishi-chan?” Taka asked.
Mishi shook her head.
“I saw Rōjū City in the distance and then...I had another waking nightmare.”
“Another?” Taka asked. “This isn't the first time?”
“No,” Mishi replied. “There have been others. Ever since...”
Her voice trailed off as she looked at Mitsu again and she realized who he must have been fighting.
Traitor's Hope Page 1