The First Kaiaru

by David Alastair Hayden

  “Fighting bad guys,” he said in a hurt voice. “Lady Shoma, Zaiporo was…killed…before we even knew the enemy was there. We can’t be ready for everything. We had no idea.”

  “And your master, was he watching out for everyone, or only protecting Kurine and Iniru?”

  “Shoma!” Turesobei said. “You’re way out of line. I know you're upset, but this isn't fair.”

  “You want to know what's not fair? While you see other realms and fight battles, I'm stuck here, with a collar around my neck like a dog…waiting to see if you all come back alive…waiting in fear of a day like today, when one of you doesn't. And even if Zai is brought back whole, you know he'll have to go back out as soon as he’s able. And he won’t get another chance at being reborn.”

  She fell to her knees and broke down crying. Turesobei moved in to comfort her, but Kurine threw an arm out to block him.

  “Let me talk to her alone, okay?”

  Turesobei cast healing spells on the rest of them, while Kurine and Lu Bei tried to comfort Enashoma.

  Finally, Lord Gyoroe came down the steps. “I have restored Zaiporo. You can take him to his room. He should wake tomorrow. I do not foresee any complications.” Gyoroe took the cylinder from Turesobei's hands. “Apprentice, first thing tomorrow morning, I expect to see you in the Workshop. We have much to do.”

  “Are we going to wait until Zaiporo is fully healed and ready to fight before—”

  “In one week, you will go to the Winter Realm and retrieve the next heart stone, whether Zaiporo is available or not. You can manage without him. He is the least significant part of your team.”

  “To you,” Turesobei muttered.

  “I will not debate a mind clouded by emotion.”

  The Winter Realm….

  Turesobei looked at the others. They were all apprehensive, even though they had known this day would be coming soon. They had fought so hard to escape the Ancient Cold and Deep. And the yomon might be still be waiting for them, just beyond the gate.

  No one wanted to return there…except, perhaps, Kurine.

  He knew that he should talk to her about it, but he didn't know what to say. He would completely understand it if she wanted to leave them and return to her people. After all, look at everything he was willing to do to get back to his home.

  Yet, he didn’t want to lose her. It was selfish, but he wanted her to stay with him.

  * * *

  Turesobei was halfway undressed, when Awasa stepped into his room.

  “Can we talk a minute?” she asked.

  “Of course.” He shelved his breastplate. “Is it about going back to the Ancient Cold and Deep?”

  She shook her head. “Actually, it’s about the last battle.”

  “Oh. Have you come to scold me for my decisions?”

  “Me? No.” She leaned against the shelves. “It’s the others. They won’t say it, but they think you took an unnecessary risk. They think we should’ve returned to the Nexus immediately to save Zaiporo.”

  “I know, and honestly, it upsets me that I took that risk.”

  “I have no problem with it,” Awasa said. “You made a tough choice.”

  He sighed. “But it was probably the wrong one.”

  “Don’t second guess yourself.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  “Look, there was no guarantee that without the dragon we could hold them off long enough for you to do the teleport spell. What if the wizard had blasted you while you were casting? We all would have been screwed.”

  “I guess so.”

  “It’s the choice I would have made.”

  That was exactly what worried him. “Are you going to be okay going back to the Winter Realm?”

  A frightened look flickered across her face, then she nodded. “I’ll be fine. It’s Kurine I’m worried about.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Turesobei studied the energy signatures of the heart stone cylinders and the interactions between the corresponding pairs. He had learned to block out the time stream outside the dome of the Inner Sanctum.

  The amount of power that Lord Gyoroe could call on was almost unbelievable.

  “How did the Shogakami manage to defeat you?” Turesobei blurted out.

  Lord Gyoroe smiled. “Treachery. And do remember, your nine Shogakami were amongst the only ten Kaiaru who remained out of the twenty-seven who fought me, not counting Hannya and the massive army they brought against me.”

  “Ten? Who was the other one?”

  “There were nine realms and ten Kaiaru. Someone was going to get left out. According to Hannya, Zyraga murdered Anerei in her sleep and tossed her kavaru into a volcano. Anerei had been wounded during the battle, and she wanted the Summer Realm just as he did. Perhaps that was the beginning of his corruption.”

  Zyraga, Lord of Beasts, had eventually become Nazyraga, Lord of Monsters.

  “I’m guessing you can’t call on all this energy at once, or no one could ever defeat you, treachery or not.”

  “Very astute, my apprentice. Accessing all of it at once would consume even me. Now, try connecting with a heart stone. Do it exactly as I instructed.”

  It was one thing to study the energies pulsing between the stones, but it was yet another thing to connect his mind with one. Turesobei took a deep breath and focused on the active cylinder from the Autumn Realm. The active stones were the ones he was acquiring from the realms, while the passive stones were the ones that had always resided within the Nexus.

  He performed the bonding ritual as instructed, and his mind touched an entity or essence that was primal…alien…almost sinister. He tried to stay with it, to complete the bonding, but the essence rejected him. And he couldn’t force a connection to an essence that was so inherently alien and repugnant to him.

  He fell back gasping. “I can’t do it.”

  “You are Chonda Lu's heir and my apprentice. You can do this.”

  Turesobei sighed. “It's not my lack of ability. There's something about the stones—something primal, something terrible—that I can’t bring my mind to accept.”

  Lord Gyoroe turned and stared outside the dome. “Sacrifice is one of the most primal forces in the universe. I built everything you see here through sacrifice. You must understand that to understand the stones.”

  “I understand sacrifice,” Turesobei said with irritation. “I chose to sacrifice myself for the ones I love on multiple occasions. I’m lucky to still be alive.”

  “You understand selflessness. But it is not the same. The complete nature of sacrifice still eludes you.” Lord Gyoroe rubbed his temples. “That is all for now, apprentice. Go and meditate long and hard about the true nature of sacrifice.”

  “Master, the Winter Realm…can we please save it for last? Every week we wait increases the odds that the yomon have given up and have moved on from the gate.”

  “Once you started with the Spring Realm, the sequence was set. It is the Winter heart stone I need next.”

  “But, master—”

  “Apprentice, I do not fear the yomon. Neither should you.” He crossed his hands behind his back and continued to observe the time stream. “Leave me now.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  By the morning of the mission to the Winter Realm, Zaiporo was up and walking around. He vowed to be ready for their trip into the Summer Realm, but Turesobei doubted it. Not because Zaiporo might not be well enough, but because he had that haunted look in his eyes, just like Iniru had when she'd first came back to life. He stared off into space frequently. And all his brave talk was definitely a cover.

  Turesobei wasn’t sure how much the others had told Zaiporo about the rest of the mission. He hoped they had begun to feel the way Awasa did, that he was right to take such a risk with Zaiporo’s life hanging in the balance. He didn't know for sure, though, because no one had said anything one way or the other. And he certainly hadn't brought it up. Regardless of whether he knew, Zaiporo wasn't acting any diffe
rently towards Turesobei.

  Lord Gyoroe met with Turesobei on the gate platform before the others arrived. He held out a silver rod about a foot in length. Grooves were carved into the metal on one end, forming a grip.

  Turesobei took the rod. “This is one of the Keepers’ weapons.”

  Lord Gyoroe nodded. “The yomon cannot become immune to energy blasts from these rods. Unfortunately, not much energy remains within this one, and even I do not know how to recharge it, so use it wisely. Ten short bursts or one continuous burst for about five seconds is the most you will likely get from it. Also, I trust you understand that if the yomon can become immune to a type of magic from an individual source, the best way to employ spells against them—”

  “Is to use the varying kenja subtypes you taught me, one at a time, and never blend them. By using the notes instead of the chords, so to speak, I could successfully hit them with three fire spells instead of one.”

  “Indeed.”

  “I don’t think that will be enough, though.”

  “It will have to be.”

  Turesobei sighed and tucked the rod into his belt. It was better than nothing. They did have a risky backup plan in which Awasa would try to command the yomon and deceive them. And if any yomon followed them back through the gate, they would let the mighty Blood King deal with them. Turesobei had warned Enashoma not to wait for them on the platform this time, just in case. Of course, she would probably ignore him.

  “Master,” Turesobei said, “we are returning to the realm Kurine is from.”

  “I am well aware of that.”

  “What if she doesn't want to return here? What if she wants to go back home to her people? Will you allow it?”

  “I will not, but it does not matter. Only an idiot, such as yourself, would think that she would not follow you anywhere or that she would ever leave you.”

  Strangely enough, hearing that from the Blood King actually made him feel better. His worries about Kurine wanting to stay in the Winter Realm faded away.

  “I do have one request of you, master. Would it be okay if—”

  “Hannya has already discussed your request with me. If you are certain the yomon are nowhere nearby, and if Hannya thinks it is safe, then I give you my approval.”

  Turesobei felt certain Lord Gyoroe would not have granted the request for anyone other than Kurine. For some reason, he clearly favored her.

  The others arrived dressed, as Turesobei was, with cold weather gear layered over their armor. Unlike normal, everyone drew their weapons and prepared themselves for an immediate fight.

  “Are you sure you can't invoke the Storm Dragon now, master?” Lu Bei asked, wringing his hands. The fetch was rarely afraid of anything, but the yomon were nearly unstoppable.

  “I am certain.” He held a spell strip in his hand. “I am ready to do it as soon as we get there, though.”

  With Motekeru leading the way, followed by Awasa, they all stepped quickly through the gate.

  They arrived in the Ancient Cold and Deep, and…there was no sign of the yomon. Turesobei suppressed the chill that ran deep into his bones, despite the layers of fur and armor protecting him. He opened his kenja-sight and scanned. The fiery kenja signatures of the yomon always stood out clearly against the air kenja backdrop of this land.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “I'm not picking up any trace of them.”

  “I don't see anything,” Iniru said. “The tracks here are old. I think they probably left here less than a week after we went through the gate.”

  Awasa had her eyes closed and was holding mudras with both hands. “I cannot sense them.”

  “I do not detect them either,” Hannya said.

  “I spent a lot of time with them,” Awasa said, “and if I had to guess, I’d say they probably waited here for a few days, until they got frustrated and left. There is no food or sport anywhere in sight, and they would have no reason to believe that anyone would choose to return here.”

  Kurine shivered. “I never really realized how cold it was here until I went somewhere truly warm. Is this what it feels like to you?”

  “Ten times worse,” Turesobei said.

  With the exception of Awasa, who was still immune to the cold, they were all wearing a sparser version of the clothes Kurine's mother had made for them. They didn't expect to be exposed to the elements for more than a few hours. And if they were, Turesobei had plenty of warming spells prepared for it this time.

  Kurine sighed. “It’s so beautiful here. I never really appreciated it before.”

  Turesobei scanned the landscape. The red sun, the violet sky, the expanse of white tinged with gray and blue: it was all majestic and striking. “It’s a stark beauty.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing like the other realms,” Kurine said. “But it does feel like home. Is it strange to miss a place this miserably cold?”

  “The rainforest is hot, sticky, and filled with insects and deadly predators,” Iniru said. “Yet, I often find myself missing it as well.”

  They teleported into the bottom of a deep, dry canyon. The cave was visible fifty feet up a steep cliff face. There wasn’t a river or a waterfall, not even a frozen one. There were no signs of life within sight. Turesobei began casting the evocation spell.

  “I'm not sensing any enemies,” Awasa said.

  Lu Bei did a flyover, as he shifted into his dragon form. “Nothing in sight, yet. I don’t think anyone has been here in a long time.”

  Iniru shrugged. “So what now?”

  After the Storm Dragon formed above them, Turesobei scanned with his kenja-sight and didn’t see anything unusual. “I guess I will cast levitation spells on us.”

  “Save your energy, master.” Motekeru grabbed a pack and went to the cliff face. “I will climb up and send down lines.” He dug his claws into the ice-covered rock and began to climb.

  When Motekeru was nearly at the top, Turesobei scanned again, but there was still no sign of any guardians.

  “I’m thinking this is another trap,” Turesobei said.

  The ends of the climbing ropes fell down to the bottom of the cliff.

  “The cave is secure!” Motekeru called out, his metallic voice echoing out through the canyon.

  They each grasped a rope and climbed slowly up the sheer cliff face. As he clung to the slippery rope, buffeted by icy winds, Turesobei regretted that he hadn’t insisted on casting a levitation spell.

  The cave they entered was more or less the same as the others, except the pedestal and the cylinder were already visible.

  “A trap it is,” Awasa said.

  “There are a lot of tracks in here,” Iniru said, pointing to some large footprints.

  Awasa knelt down to examine them. “Yomon.”

  Iniru studied the footprints and agreed. “I think these are very old. They don’t appear near the mouth of the cave, where the winds can blow in new snowfall.”

  “If it's a trap,” Motekeru said, “then the only thing to do now is to set it off. Shall I do the honors, master?”

  Everyone took up defensive positions, and the Storm Dragon hovered outside the mouth of the cave.

  “Go for it.”

  Motekeru reached out, and his hand struck the force field. They waited, but nothing else happened.

  “This is too easy,” Iniru said.

  “Let’s break in and see what happens,” Turesobei said.

  Together, they shattered the barrier and again waited…silent…expectant…. But still nothing happened.

  Turesobei picked up the cylinder, and power rushed into him. “Why wouldn’t Amasan use guardians to protect her heart stone?”

  “I’m sure she did,” Awasa said. “But I bet the yomon found this place ages ago, while exploring the land and looking for a way home. They could've easily defeated the guardians and then destroyed their generators.”

  “But why not take the heart stone?” Kurine asked.

  “The yomon are strong and incredibly tough, but they don�
�t have any sort of special powers,” Turesobei replied. “They wouldn’t have a way to get past the barrier to the cylinder.”

  “Well, this is the first time I've ever liked anything about those monsters,” Iniru said.

  “Poor Zaiporo, he missed out on the easy one,” Turesobei joked.

  “I don't think he’ll be upset about missing this cold,” Iniru said.

  Awasa leaned against the mouth of the cave, staring out into the canyon. Turesobei walked over and stood beside her. “Something bothering you?”

  “I deserve to be left here, on account of what I did.”

  Turesobei put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t let the past define you. You're a different person now. We can only go forward. Looking to the past is the Blood King's business, and I don't think any good can come from it.”

  While Kurine searched for her souvenir stone, Turesobei caught them up on everything he'd learned about the heart stones from Lord Gyoroe so far.

  “So you still don't have a plan?” Iniru asked.

  “Maybe I’ll have one once I understand sacrifice and can bond with the stones, but I'm not sure if that will help. The heart stones range from frightening to repulsive. They’re alien at best.”

  “Found it,” Kurine said, palming a pebble.

  Iniru rolled her eyes. “Good,” she said sarcastically. “Let's get out of this cold.”

  Turesobei recalled the Storm Dragon and teleported them back.

  “No sign of the yomon?” Turesobei asked Hannya.

  “None,” Hannya replied.

  She chanted the spell, the gate opened, and they all stepped through.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  In the Nexus, Turesobei handed over the cylinder. “Master, can I go back with Kurine now?”

  His eyes shifted to violet tinged with yellow. “I have changed my mind and decided against it.”

  “But the yomon aren’t anywhere in sight,” Kurine argued.

  “It won’t take long,” Turesobei said. “I will teleport us to the heart stone location, then we will ride the Storm Dragon the rest of the way to Aikora. We will only be gone for thirty-six hours.”