Moon and Star: Book One

by Mike Bergonzi

  “It's Sesshu. He's in there if you want to talk to him.”

  “Sesshu?” Yuri asked.

  The girl nodded. “He’s been staying with us since Lord Jin’s death.”

  Yuri rubbed her chin. The timing was convenient, but why would Sesshu want to kill his former student? What did he have to gain from it? She shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. Jin committed seppuku. The question on her mind should be why, not who? But what if Shinobu is right? That would make Sesshu Tomo a suspect now.

  She approached the door, waiting a few seconds before tapping on the wood.

  “Come in,” a voice said from the other side.

  Yuri entered the room. Sesshu’s candlelight made her eyes narrow. So much light came from the room she had to avert her gaze. The brightness fell after a few seconds and Yuri saw Sesshu Tomo sitting cross-legged and in front of a scroll wet with ink. The painting was of a short-winged thrush. Or at least, that’s what she thought it looked like.

  The technique he used was a mystery to Yuri. The ink splotches were applied without rhyme or reason to create a mess which could be interpreted as anything.

  Sesshu turned and smiled. “What can I do for you, Lady Kanrei?”

  “Do you know anything about Jin’s death? Something which might hint that …”

  “He was murdered?”

  “Yes,” Yuri said, nodding. “Do you know anything?”

  “I was wondering when you’d be coming here? You are lucky. This was my last day in town. Now then, what do you want to know?”

  “I guess … well, do you think Jin was murdered?”

  “Yes, but by who I do not know. His beliefs make him a target for anyone with a grudge against the Tsenzu. But you must already know this. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here, asking for my help.”

  Yuri paused, thinking. Jin was a Tsenzu? No, that couldn’t be right. Lord Kasaju was strict when it came to religious practice inside the city walls. How did Sesshu know about Jin’s supposed affiliation with the Tsenzu? What did he mean by her already knowing about Jin’s religious practices? She’d never seen him practice once. Not even the mandatory one implemented by his father.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

  “Don’t play coy, Lady Kanrei. I know he told you about his … nightly endeavors.”

  Yuri shook her head. “No, really, he hadn’t told me anything about … well, you know.”

  She looked around the room to see if any eyes were watching them. Even uttering the name of the banned religion was punishable by death. Sesshu raised his hand and flicked it down, laughing. Ink from his brush splattered on the ground, turning the wood paneling into a signature Sesshu work of art.

  “Don’t worry. You’re among friends. Nobody is going to sell you out.” He leaned in closer. “Underneath the inn is a secret meeting room for the people of the Tsenzu faith. There’s one going on in a few minutes. I can see if they’ll let you in. Any friend of Jin’s is a friend of mine, and I’m sure the other’s will feel the same.”

  Yuri felt her cheeks grow warm. To think such a gathering of believers could be right under Lord Kasaju’s nose the entire time. She didn’t mind one way or another whether or not they practiced their religion openly or in secret. The people of Kyotomo were blinded by their proximity to the shogun. They felt as though nothing could harm them. The Yoritomo, however, worked for most of their lives, having achieved the dream through effort and the sweat on one’s brow.

  “Come,” Sesshu said. “The meeting is about to start.”

  Yuri followed him to the basement of the inn. Her friend was present as well as several other people she knew by reputation to be avid supporters of Lord Kasaju’s ban on Tsenzu religion. Either they never supported the law or they changed their minds for whatever reason. Then again, it could’ve been both.

  The people in the room were giving her strange looks as if she were a spy. They didn’t know the half of it.

  Yuri wasn’t simply Kaito’s guardian. She was a Yoritomo; by blood only. She rid herself of the clan since Kaito was sent over as a political prisoner. Only a few people still knew about her lineage. As it happened, everybody in the room knew about it. There were six people in the room with no sign of anyone else showing up. The light from the candles was dim, but she could still make out faces. Each one of them knew about her heritage. At that moment, Yuri wanted to escape. Whatever was about to take place here, something told her it would involve herself in some way.

  The door closed behind her. The light from upstairs vanished. Two candles illuminated the room. Then, hundreds more lit up brightening the whole room. The walls were decorated with paintings of both short-winged thrushes. Each one with different sizes and bordered on pure imagination. Some didn’t even look like birds, rather they appeared like feathered dragons.

  The rest of the group’s dark expressions seemed to lower the light of the candles as they began to whistle. Sesshu cleared his throat and spoke.

  “Members of the Tsenzu, as you are all well aware, our leader is dead. The person responsible remains out there. For those new here, this may come as a shock. But know one thing for certain. Lord Jin Minamoto was murdered for his beliefs. Beliefs that everyone in this room share.”

  He looked over at Yuri as if waiting for her to pledge her allegiance to them. All that came out of her mouth was breath. What could she say? While she didn’t mind their religious beliefs, she didn’t exactly want to stick her neck out for people who would probably get her killed. If Lord Kasaju found out about this meeting, she’d be dead within the week.

  Sesshu looked away and spoke to the rest of the group once more. His voice no longer filled with peace. Instead replaced by hostility and anger. Yuri’s comfortability took a hit, sinking down into a never ending abyss inside her. What was she doing here? She wasn’t some rebel. She was the Kanrei: the shogunal deputy. When the shogun was out of commission with no heir, she was supposed to take the forefront. She couldn’t be dwelling on the past like this. It wasn’t healthy.

  “… Will you help us, Lady Kanrei?” Sesshu asked.

  Yuri blinked, not hearing what he’d said before. She had a pretty good idea of what they wanted her to do. Something illegal and against the wishes of Lord Kasaju. She hated being caught in the middle of two opposing forces, but she’d already made it this far. There was no sense in turning back now. Not after learning the truth about Jin.

  She nodded. The rest of the group beamed in excitement. For what she did not know, but something told her she was about to find out. She swallowed the stickiness of fear in her throat and waited for some clarification.

  “See, I told you she could be trusted,” Sesshu said with a smile. “Our leader is still with us. Yuri will lead our troops against the city and take over Kyotomo. A new age for the Tsenzu is coming and we will no longer have to live in fear. It is time to come out of hiding and show the world what we’re capable of as a group. No, as a force of nature.”

  The group cheered and whistled. Yuri slouched down on her pillow, feeling awkward, foolish and stupid for agreeing to something she couldn’t possibly bring to life. What these men wanted was impossible. She opened her mouth to speak, but refrained herself. She still needed to know more about Jin’s involvement with these people. If his death was in some way related to the Tsenzu, then she needed to inform someone. Shinobu, she thought. If anyone would want to hear about this recent development it would be him.

  She only hoped he wouldn't tell Lord Kasaju, because of their history together.

  ***

  The next morning, Yuri received word from Jin’s father. At first it seemed like he wanted to ask her about last night. But how did he know about the… Don’t be ridiculous, she thought. He probably just wants an update on his son’s death. Still, it was curious that he wanted her to investigate at all. Did he know about the Tsenzu hiding underneath his nose the whole time? At the very least he must know that it wasn’t sui
cide. Otherwise why have her investigate an already known fact?

  Yuri made her way to Lord Kasaju’s chambers. Again she felt whatever confidence she had draining as she approached the tall metal door. She knocked. The sound of which reverberated throughout her body like a tuning fork. Her very being felt as if the tiniest push might send her bones crumbling to the ground.

  When no one responded, Yuri took it as a sign to enter. She crept inside, waiting for Lord Kasaju to make his presence known, but he never did. In fact, she started to doubt he was even in the room. She’d gotten his message to come see him less than an hour ago. Did the messenger take his time delivering Lord Kasaju’s request or was this a misunderstanding? Whatever the reason, she felt relieved. She sighed and backed away. She’d come back another …

  Her back hit something; not solid like a wall, but still very much sturdy. Her heart skipped two beats. She dare not to turn around for fear of having her head cut off where she stood. A drop of sweat trickled down her neck, causing her the need to itch. When she could manage no more, she gave in and scratched.

  “Are you trying to insult me?” Lord Kasaju asked.

  Yuri’s knees trembled as she felt Kasaju’s hand touch her neck—his fingers wrapping around it and applying pressure on and off in a soothing, yet hostile way. Her instincts told her to run, but no man had ever escaped the Lord’s blade. She’d be dead before she even took a step, before she even considered taking one. Perhaps she was already dead?

  “No, my lord,” Yuri said. She swallowed. “You … wanted to see me?”

  “Yes, have you uncovered anything about my son’s death?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing at the moment.”

  “Are you sure? Anything that might connect even a little bit to his death may prove useful in finding those responsible.”

  His words were like ice against her skin, causing it to tingle and making her sweat heat over and stick. How she wanted to get out of here. She couldn’t deal with this right now, not after learning about Jin’s connection with the Tsenzu. She bit her tongue to withhold herself from spilling the secrets she had learned yesterday. If she was to succeed in her investigation, she needed to keep on both party’s good sides.

  “Well, if you’re certain … I suppose you can go.”

  Yuri bowed and walked as fast as she could out Lord Kasaju’s chamber, being careful not to bump into him on the way out.

  She wanted to commit seppuku on the spot if she had to spend another minute in his presence. She looked down at her hand. It grasped her dagger and was inches away from leaving a nasty gash in her stomach. The knife still cut her, but not enough for her to notice right away. Now, however, she felt the stinging pain in abundance. She inhaled. Her breath sounding like the hiss of a snake. Once the pain subsided, Yuri regained her composure and sighed. She was too old for this. So what if she was Yoritomo. Being one of the Tsenzu was worse. They were anarchists, willing to destroy civilization for a simple reason of one thing not working the way they want it to work.

  Most people in Kyotomo assumed the Tsenzu and Yoritomo to be one and the same, but they were as different as the northern and southern courts. One could argue they were a third entity in their own right.

  Thinking back to her conversation with Lord Kasaju moments before, she couldn’t shake the feeling the Lord was insinuating something. Did he know more about Jin’s death than he was letting on? If that were true, why ask her to investigate? Could it be he wanted to learn more about the Tsenzu and was using her to get to them? It was a cutthroat tactic, but certainly not beneath him. The man was regarded as both ruthless on the battlefield and cunning off of it. No man dared cross him.

  Except for Yuri, apparently. By withholding information about an uprising wasn’t she going against Lord Kasaju’s will. Yuri swallowed, trying removing the images of torture from her mind.

  All she managed to do was think about it even more.

  Chapter Thirteen

  All through the night, Yuri’s body kept waking up in a fit of terror and sweat. There was no use trying go back to sleep. She was already awake.

  Yuri rubbed her temples and groaned. Tomorrow she promised the Tsenzu she’d participate in one of their ceremonies. What it would involve, she could only guess at, but the prospect still frightened her.

  Of course, disobeying Lord Kasaju was on the top of her priorities of things not to do as well. If he’d asked her to spy on the meetings, that would’ve been one thing, but he made no mention of such motives.

  She wondered whether he was using her, and knew about the Tsenzu inside the city in order to bide some time for … what? It's not like he had many friends outside the city. His closest friend was Shinobu.

  Yuri walked the halls at what she assumed could only be close to sunrise. The horizon was a golden red color and growing darker in brightness and contrast. Jin would’ve loved this, she thought with a sigh.

  Over a month with no evidence of foul play–like Sesshu and the other Tsenzu believed—had been found. The rumors themselves were beginning to die down. Whoever committed the deed—assuming it wasn’t Jin himself—covered their tracks well. A perfect assassination by any stretch of the imagination.

  The morning staff stirred as the sun’s light penetrated the insides of their rooms, forcing them to awake. Most were surprised to see Yuri up and about. As Kanrei she would’ve been the one being waited on by the servants. She still was, but now things were different. She was the servant, rather than a high ranking official in the bakufu.

  Things weren’t the same now that Kaito was gone. What was Mayumi thinking? He was much safer here. Yuri didn’t want to delve into that particular rabbit hole of “what ifs” and speculation, so she dismissed it.

  There were many other things to worry about, however. She’d barely begun searching for nitsu seiba and the thief who now possessed it.

  If things continued to drag on in this way, Lord Kasaju would find out and she'd be dead. Assuming he didn’t kill her for becoming a member of the Tsenzu first. Both were crimes more than permissible for the punishment of death. One was subjective: Lord Kasaju himself hated the Tsenzu, but for what reason she did not know. The other crime affected Jakai itself. If someone were to activate nitsu seiba’s ability, the entire world would be shrouded in darkness. Even the brightest candlelight stood no chance against the lack of illumination it produced when used for ill intent.

  She slid the door open and entered Jin’s study. Lord Kasaju stood in the middle of the floor, as if looking for something. Yuri closed the door, hoping he didn’t know she was outside. What is he doing here?

  Yuri was the one person allowed here after the place was scrubbed clean. Those orders came from Lord Kasaju himself. Why would he be visiting his son’s room? Did he not trust Yuri to perform her duties?

  At this point Yuri didn’t trust herself. What she did bordered on treason. Helping the Tsenzu find out about Jin’s murderer while backstabbing the Shogun’s own father? It was despicable. Sooner or later she needed to make a decision on who to confide in and trust.

  She was getting ahead of herself. There wasn’t anything to report and she doubted the possibility of murder every day gone by since meeting Sesshu.

  That was before today. Lord Kasaju was looking for something, but what? No, that doesn't make any sense. Why ask her to investigate if he were the killer. His sense of superiority couldn’t be that bloated, could it?

  Yuri walked away from the room, her pace getting faster until she was out of immediate danger. She heard the door to Jin’s room slide closed and latch as Lord Kasaju locked it behind him. His footsteps sounded away from her position.

  She’d check on the room at a later date. Right now her intuition told her to follow the Lord. He knew more than he was letting on, and he did ask her to investigate. This was a part of it.

  She followed Kasaju to the garden. Two guards got up and left upon seeing him enter. No one was allowed in the gardens after sunset. It was an unspoke
n truth about the palace. No one knew why, not even Yuri. The decree was issued before Jin was even born, during the time Lord Kasaju’s wife went missing. They never did find a body, did they?

  Yuri kept several paces behind him, only moving when other noises occurred to mask her own. She wasn’t as good as Mayumi, but she knew a thing or two about stealth. She never thought she’d have to use it and on a man she feared.

  She blocked the fear from her mind, staying focused on her task. Lord Kasaju stopped in front of a tree. The largest one in the garden, if she wasn’t mistaken. He knelt down on both knees and muttered a few words; too quiet and muffled for Yuri to listen. She’d have to wait for him to leave.

  The Lord spent a good time kneeling by the tree, speaking to it as if it were a person.

  When Lord Kasaju left, she approached the tree. She looked down at the base where the Lord had stared for what seemed like hours. It looked like any other tree. What was special about this particular one, other than its size? Someone must have died in his past.

  It wasn’t Jin. His body was buried shortly after his death. Besides, they were never that close. When Kasaju found out his son had died, he acted calm. She didn’t think a man like Kasaju had attachments to anyone. It was what made him ruthless and … alone.

  For the first time, Yuri no longer felt afraid of the man. In fact she pitied him. For what reason she did not know, but she was certain her hunch was right about Lord Kasaju, someone did die in his past.

  His wife?

  It was the most logical conclusion, based on what little facts she knew. Of course, she had never met Lord Kasaju’s wife. Yuri was sent with Kaito after the ladies' disappearance. The suspects of her kidnapping were the Yoritomo. At the time, they were at war. Kaito’s delivery to the young Jin was what prevented more bloodshed on both sides. Seemed whoever was behind these attacks wanted that war to resume. Lord Kasaju was certainly an advocate for continuing the war. Everyone knew he thought the negotiation to be dishonorable. Would he have his own son killed just to prove a point? There was no way to be certain, but Yuri decided it best to err on the side of caution.