Moon and Star: Book One

by Mike Bergonzi

  Kaito felt his cheeks grow warm as he tried to go back and hide in the bush. A warrior standing next to him blocked his path, arms folded. He shook his head.

  “Seems like this boy needs to learn to respect his elders.”

  “Who are you?” Kaito asked. “What are you doing here?”

  He didn’t know where the sudden bout of courage came from. To some extent neither did the bushi-ama warriors. The man standing next to him blinked a few times before hitting him on the back. Kaito fell down on his hands, scraping his knees against the jagged stones which littered the ground. He winced in pain. He couldn’t show any fear to these guys. They’d eat him alive.

  “Who we are is not important,” the man said. “Who you are is of great importance to us, however.”

  “Knowing who you people are is important to me, too.”

  The man frowned. “You got guts, kid, but I’d say we have the odds in our favor.”

  He pointed out towards the band of bushi-ama warriors. They all chuckled. Some sitting next to the fire. Others leaned against trees, flexing their muscles. Kaito looked away, trying to remain calm and think of a way out of the mess. He perked up, realizing something. Was this another test from Mayumi?

  The head bushi-ama warrior poked his chest. “It’s rude to ignore someone when they’re talking to you.”

  “Apologies. My name is … Go-zhuk Hatake.”

  The man’s eyes widened. “Well now, the heir to the Hatake clan. Didn’t know we were being treated by royalty?”

  Kaito smirked. It seemed the men believed his lie. Mayumi was right. It would’ve been a mistake if he revealed himself. He’d have to walk this line carefully, now. There was no telling how many more lies he’d have to tell before finding a chance to leave in safety.

  “Here that boys? This feast is all thanks to this man.” He pointed to the cooked rabbit and then at Kaito. He leaned in close. “If you’re really Go-zhuk, tell us where Kaito Minamoto is. If you do that, we’ll let you go.”

  Kaito acted innocent, praying to the spirits that these people would believe him. He frowned. “Sorry, haven’t seen him for days. I hear he’s off to Yoshino. Something about his grandfather wanting him dead.”

  The man raised an eyebrow, looking over Kaito with suspicion and disbelief.

  Great. I went too far. They know who I am now. It’s all over. It’s …

  The man barked a laugh. “Calm down, No need to get all nervous. Where’s your father, if I may ask? I heard you were accompanying him to Yoshino.”

  “My father?” Kaito asked. “Unfortunately he died before we left. He was quite ill.”

  The bushi-ama warrior frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. I had much respect for your father. Well, you must be off to Reikutaun, no?”

  He nodded.

  “You certainly are taking the long way. May I ask what made you choose this path?”

  Kaito took a while respond. He didn’t know what to say. Could he get away with another lie? The man looked at him, waiting for him to speak. He tapped a finger on his folded arms.

  “Figure he wouldn’t see me coming,” Kaito said.

  The man rubbed his chin, nodding slowly as if in deep thought.

  “How long have you been searching for the Minamoto brat?” Kaito asked.

  “Not long,” the bushi-ama warrior said. “Less than a day. We received a contract from an unknown Shugo to bring his head on a spear. There’s a big reward.”

  “Reward?” Kaito asked. “Why do they want m … him dead?”

  The bushi-ama warrior shrugged. This was a matter of money for him and his men, but what kind of bushi-ama warrior needed to find work as an assassin? They were the wealthiest and most privileged class. One didn’t become a bushi-ama warrior, you were born into it most of the time. Suddenly it dawned on Kaito.

  These were ronin — rogue bushi-ama warrior, warriors without a master and loyal only to those with wealth and power.

  I have to get out of here. It’s not safe. These men will kill me if I give them a reason to suspect me.

  One of the other bushi-ama warrior walked over and whispered in the leader’s ear. He wore a mask over his face along with a silver kabuto on his head. The head ronin nodded thoughtfully.

  “Okay,” he said. “Let me know if anything changes.”

  The man bowed, armor rattling against his muscular frame. He was much smaller than the other ronin. Kaito looked closer at the man. He was carrying a single tachi like all the others, but somehow it made more noise. As if … he’s carrying two swords, Kaito thought. There was no mistaking the shape of the blade, now. That ronin was Mayumi. What was she doing with them? It was probably a rescue mission, but where had she gone before? This never would’ve happened if she hadn't left in the first place.

  Kaito followed Mayumi with his eyes, nodding to show her he knew about the disguise. She didn’t make any motions, which suggested she received the message. He hoped they’d be able to survive the night.

  “Go-zhuk!” the head ronin said. “Come here.”

  Kaito perked up. He’d forgotten he said he was Go-zhuk. How long had he been zoning out?

  “Yes?”

  The ronin looked him over. “I have a proposition for you. One of my men tell me Kaito’s nearby. They found a recently used fire down near the heart of the woods. I want you to confirm it’s him.”

  Kaito nodded. It didn’t make sense to him. He’d been with Mayumi most of their journey. When did she get the chance to build a fire so far westward? Whoever was out there, were they friend or foe?

  He made his way west, wondering who else was out here.

  Chapter Seven

  I give up, Kaito thought. There's no one here. He’d searched for hours. There was no trail of smoke, no fire, nothing. He was beginning to question if this was a fool's errand: a way to lose him for a few hours. If it were true, they'd known Kaito was lying about being Go-zhuk. Why hadn't they attacked him yet? He tensed, wishing he had something to defend himself as nightfall settled onto the sky overhead. He'd settle for a stick at this point. Kaito picked up his pace, trying to outrun the sunset. The problem was he didn't know where the ronin's were or where he himself was.

  Something rustled in some nearby bushes. He swallowed and asked who was there. A snake appeared before him. Kaito took several steps back as slow as he could, not wanting to intimidate the beast. He knew what kind this was from his studies with Yuri. One bite and he'd be dead within the hour. Where was Mayumi? Shouldn't she have handled the other ronin by now? He assumed the purpose of her disguise was to distract their leader and get Kaito to safety. Maybe she died. No, he couldn't afford to think like that. He needed to stay positive.

  The snake slithered towards him, its head rising as if to strike at any moment. Kaito flinched, closing his eyes. He didn't feel anything. He opened his eyes. The snake was gone, replaced with a boy about Kaito's age. He was perhaps a little younger than Kaito, but he couldn't know for sure. Aside from their age, they looked eerily similar. The boy looked at Kaito. They had the same eyes. The one noticeable difference was their clothing. Kaito wore farmhand clothing, while the boy had southern garb on him. Royal southern garb.

  "Who are you?" the boy asked.

  "My name's Kaito," he said.

  He cursed himself for giving away his real name. Something about the boy seemed familiar, however, as if they'd met somewhere before, long ago. The boy looked at him and bowed. It was the kind of bow a sensei received from a student. Kaito was taken aback by the sudden act of subservience. The bow continued to stay bowed.

  "You can rise?" Kaito said, though it sounded like a question.

  The boy rose with a smile on his face. He giggled. "I'm Sora. I didn't know you came out this far into the wilderness. Is the fact that you're here mean you've succeeded?"

  Kaito blinked. Succeeded? Succeeded at what?

  “Well?” Sora asked. “Did you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “Kill Jin?”
/>
  Kaito didn’t say another word. He didn’t know what to say. Kill his adopted father? Why would he do that?

  “Who are you?” Kaito asked.

  “I’m your younger brother.”

  I have a brother? Why would father keep that a secret from me? Unless he himself didn't know. Of course, Sora was his actual brother. Someone from the southern capital of Yoshino.

  Kaito wanted answers, but didn’t know where to start. He had so many questions and each one probably opened even bigger ones to be answered.

  “You don’t remember, do you,” Sora said. He sighed. “Well I guess what they said about you is true. You aren’t one of us.”

  Kaito stared down at his feet, feeling unwanted. He was a bastard child of both clans, belonging to neither one.

  Sora frowned and rubbed his back. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Just because you didn’t kill Jin, doesn’t mean father will hate you. The job got done that’s all that matters.”

  Kaito blinked, shaking his head in a rapid motion. “The Shogun's dead?”

  “Yeah? I assume that’s why you were able to leave, right?”

  What happened after I left, he thought. Is father dead? Who could’ve killed him? Kaito gasped. Go-zhuk and his father. That’s why they wanted him dead. They must have been planning to take the title from Jin. Had they succeeded, and where did his grandfather fit into all of this?

  There was a conspiracy against his adopted father, but how deep and wide did it go? Who could he trust at this point?

  He sighed, though inside he wanted to scream. This was so confusing. He didn’t know who to believe.

  “There you are,” Mayumi said. She stood atop a tree branch and jumped down, landing silently on the dirt.

  “What took you so long?” Kaito asked. “I could’ve died.”

  “You try taking down a group of ronins by yourself. It wasn’t easy.”

  “Who is this … beauty?” Sora asked, looking Mayumi over

  She shook her head and sighed. “You’re half my age, kid."

  The three of them stood, forming the points of a triangle. Smoke rose from behind Sora’s back. It was distant, but still close enough to see.A nearby village?

  Kaito wasn’t aware of any settlements this deep in the woods. Kaito pointed to the rising smoke as it increased in visibility.

  “Any idea what that’s about?” he asked.

  “That’s the group I told father to send after you," Sora said. "He'd given up on you, but I still had faith you were alive. The mission—"

  “Mission?” Mayumi asked.

  “I was supposed to kill Jin,” Kaito said. “I’m not sure if he’s dead. I mean, I didn’t do it, but Go-zhuk and his father were after me, so they might have killed him beforehand.”

  Mayumi took a few steps back, a look of horror and realization on her face. She placed her hand against her mouth. Seeing her this troubled made Kaito nervous. Curious, but nervous.

  Something didn’t sit right with him about his father's death. He remembered seeing him practice with a sword when he was becoming the Shogun, but he hadn’t touched one since …

  Kaito couldn’t remember the last time he'd seen his father hold a blade. All he knew was Jin couldn’t be killed by someone like Go-zhuk. Right?

  It dawned on him. Jin wasn’t murdered.

  "He killed himself."

  ***

  Kaito ran back towards Kyotomo. He wasn’t going to stop for anyone. Why did you do it, father? He sprinted through thick patches of fallen leaves, bodhi trees, and a small creak. Water splashed up on his legs. He heard wood snap beneath his feet as he crossed the sliver of water. He looked behind him. A fallen tree branch split in two. There was no way to cross it now.

  The density of the trees grew thicker. His fastest speed slowed too a crawl as he had to maneuver through them, turning his body in every direction to get him home faster.

  The question “why?” still raced inside Kaito’s mind. It didn’t make sense. Had the thought of war gotten to him? No, his father wasn’t a coward. He was a war hero. The stories about his father? They had to be true.

  He didn’t know what to think. All he wanted was to see his father—to pay his respects.

  He wasn’t sure if Jin killed himself. This could be a trap laid out by his grandfather. After all what Sora said certainly made sense. If he was telling the truth, then Kaito was …

  Someone hit him hard, knocking him down. He struggled to get up. The pain was intense.

  “What are you thinking?” Mayumi asked. “You could’ve died. What would your father have said, if he were alive?”

  “Maybe if you were there instead of with me, he’d still be alive.”

  Mayumi stepped back, as if surprised to hear those words come out of Kaito’s mouth. He was surprised himself. The words leapt out of him, like another part of him took over. A much darker side.

  “I’m sorry,” Katio said. “I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t your fault. Even if you did know, you needed to make a choice. One of use would’ve died regardless. You couldn’t be at two places at once.”

  Mayumi shook her head. “That’s not … entirely true. You're right, I didn’t know about Jin’s death, but I had my suspicions. I chose to go after you, knowing full well he might die. That’s why you can’t go back to Kyotomo. The suicide is probably just a ruse to lure you inside the city. Your father was murdered and now they want to finish you off, too.”

  Sora crawled out from underneath a bush, his chest heaving in and out. The boy could barely manage his breath. Kaito turned his attention to his own breathing. He was now starting to feel the effects of sprinting for a long period without rest. He must’ve been so upset he didn’t have time to notice.

  “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Sora asked.

  Kaito glanced down at his feet, then back up at Sora. “I’m a fugitive. Someone in Kyotomo wants me dead.”

  “If you're a fugitive there, why are you going back?”

  Kaito looked over at Mayumi, who merely shook her head with an angered frown. He didn’t blame her for not trusting Sora. They’d just met and for all Kaito knew, Sora wasn’t his brother.

  “Because my father is dead," Kaito said. "I need to protect his honor and Kyotomo's. If I don’t, who will? I’m next in line to rule Jakai."

  “Out of the question," Mayumi said. "It’s no longer safe there. We need to keep moving to Yoshino."

  Kaito sighed. They were right. Even if he become shogun, there was no telling how long he’d have the title and its authority before someone more powerful took it by force. Clearly his grandfather wanted him dead and was willing to use the death of his son to achieve whatever sick and twisted goal he strived for.

  “Kaito, catch.”

  Mayumi threw him a dagger. Kaito caught the thing, half his hand covered the blade while the rest clutched the hilt. He felt the warm trickle of blood dribble past his wrist and onto the dirt.

  “In case we get separated,” she said.

  Kaito looked at her, eyebrows raised. She did know he had no idea how to use a weapon, let alone a bladed one.

  “Just trust me,” she said.

  He shrugged and place the dagger in his robe.

  “You ready?”

  Kaito nodded. "I'm ready."

  ***

  Sora would not stay quiet for more than a few minutes. It was like silence was an abstract concept to him. Kaito wanted peace and quiet for at least a few minutes. He'd told him, but after a few seconds Sora opened his mouth again and continued to speak.

  "… You're going to love it in Yoshino. A lot has … Well, you probably don't know what it was like before …"

  Kaito turned around, unable to take the noise anymore. Leaves crunched underneath his feat as he spun himself around. Sora stopped, his eyes widening.

  "Can we just stay quiet for a few moments," he said. "At least until Mayumi gets back. It's not like I don't like knowing about my home, but I'd rather experience i
t myself."

  "Right," Sora said, swallowing whatever information he was about to say. "I understand."

  "Thank you."

  The silence lasted longer than expected. Even without Sora's voice to interrupt his peace and quiet, Kaito felt jumpy. The anticipation of when he'd talk was more stressful than the actual words spoken.

  Where was Mayumi? She'd said she was going to scout ahead. See if there were anymore bandits or ronin blocking their path to Reikutaun.

  The sun began to set, which meant Mayumi had been gone for over a day. What if something happened to her, he thought. She could need our help.

  He looked over Sora. He twiddled his thumbs, whistling to himself. The sound was quiet enough that Kaito wasn't sure if he'd been making noise the whole time or he'd never heard it until now.

  Kaito shushed him after hearing something nearby. The boy hid his lips inside his mouth. Unsure of what it was, and whether or not it was friend or foe, Kaito grabbed Sora by the arm and bolted behind a fallen tree. They stayed as low to the ground as possible, keeping quiet and still. At least, Kaito was trying to be quiet. Sora found it an appropriate time to giggle. He glared at him, but he wouldn't stop.

  "Something's tickling me," he said, holding back a laugh.

  Kaito crawled through the bushes to get behind him. A large spider crawled on his left foot. The creature fidgeted its legs as if trying to spin a web, but Sora's foot wouldn't keep still. He screamed. Katio covered his mouth and smashed the spider, praying no one heard the scream.

  The crickets began their nightly song and the two of them remained in the bushes.

  Sora coughed. At first it was only once—but as the night went on, Kaito grew worried. He looked over at him. The boy was shivering and his face was bright red.

  "Mom?" he asked. His eyelid fluttered. He groaned, body shaking despite the warm weather outside. "No! Don't do it!” he shouted. “It’s my fault. My fault she’s … dead.”