Oh gods, something terrible had happened.
He tried to sit up. He knew Iniru was okay, but he hadn't been able to check on Kurine yet. He tried to call out to her. But before he could manage to do anything, a sleep spell drifted across him.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Turesobei awoke, yawned, and rubbed his eyes—just like he normally would—but then he remembered. He shot up out of bed.
Lu Bei fluttered over and grabbed Turesobei by the front of his robe to help stabilize him. “Master, you should sit back down.”
Turesobei fought back a wave of dizziness and rubbed his throbbing temples. “Kurine? Where is she? Is she okay?”
“Kurine’s perfectly fine, master. She’s in her room, sleeping.”
“The others?”
“Everyone is…okay,” Lu Bei said.
“When we got back, I heard Enashoma scream.”
“Ah…that,” Lu Bei said. “Zaiporo suffered a…complication. He’s going to be fine, though. He…well, it’s probably best to see for yourself.”
Turesobei frowned. “Lord Gyoroe did heal him, didn’t he?”
“He healed everyone, though he put a sleep spell on all of you first. It wasn’t just the bangs and bruises that were a problem. That teleportation messed with everyone’s heads. Well, everyone except me and Motekeru. Even the hounds were in a whining fit. It did a big number on Awasa. She’s been awake for two hours, talking nonsense. Sometimes she seems like Ninefold Awasa and sometimes like the original.”
Turesobei drank some water from a bowl beside the bed. “Is she going to recover?”
“Lord Gyoroe says it might take a few days, but her brain should unscramble itself.”
“How long was I asleep?”
“Four hours.”
Turesobei walked toward the door, shakily.
“You really should rest, master.”
“I've got to check on Kurine.”
With leaden steps, staggering and swaying, Turesobei made his way to Kurine's room. He entered quietly and found that she was still in a deep slumber. He knelt and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
She stirred but didn’t wake.
Lu Bei placed a bowl of white tea beside her bed. Then he whispered, “You should let her sleep.”
Turesobei nodded and tiptoed out of the room.
He peeked in on Iniru, but she too was asleep. Next, he stopped at Awasa's door. Even from the hallway, he could hear her raving inside.
“I wouldn't go in there if I were you,” Lu Bei said.
Now that he knew what it was like to be in Awasa’s headspace, he was worried. That wasn’t a pleasant place in the best of times.
“She might need my help.”
“Motekeru and Hannya are with her, master. She’ll be okay.”
“Lu Bei, can you hear what I say when I telepathically communicate with someone?”
The fetch snorted and giggled. “If you mean, do I know everything that happened and was said during that debacle when you and Awasa exchanged bodies, then the answer is: why yes, I can, master.”
“I’m glad you think it’s funny,” Turesobei said.
“Master, you’ll think it’s hilarious, too…someday…maybe.”
“Do not tell anyone what happened or else,” Turesobei said.
“But they already know, master,” Lu Bei said. “You told them so yourself during the battle.”
“I mean, don’t tell them about all the other stuff, the little things they probably missed.”
Lu Bei snickered. “Like the grabbing?”
Turesobei shot him a nasty look. “Yes, like that.”
“I know you’re thinking that because you bonded with her you might be able to help her right now,” Lu Bei said. “But I think it’s just as likely for that experience to make things worse. I wouldn’t try it unless she’s unable to sort herself out on her own.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Oh, I’m always right, master.”
Turesobei went to Zaiporo's room last, having no idea what he would find. As soon as he stepped in, Enashoma charged toward him. He was afraid she was going to slap him or jab a finger into his chest and blame him for everything, but instead she tackled him with a hug.
“I'm so glad these missions are over,” she whispered, clinging to him, “and that you all made it safely back from them.”
“How’s Zaiporo?” Turesobei asked.
“He’s resting,” she whispered. “Keep your voice down.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Lu Bei didn’t tell you?”
“I thought it best for him to see for himself, madam.”
Enashoma walked over and carefully peeled back the blanket covering Zaiporo. Turesobei felt sick. Zaiporo's left hand and part of his forearm were missing.
“Is—is there more?” Turesobei asked fearfully.
Enashoma shook her head. “That’s the only permanent injury.”
“What happened?”
“On the teleport back, he reappeared with his hand stuck in the ground,” Lu Bei answered. “He was still moving, too, so he tumbled over. His shoulder and elbow were both severely dislocated.”
“Why didn’t someone just dig his hand out?”
“We tried, master, but it was fused with the earth. There was nothing we could do, and we only had a few moments. He was going into shock. So Motekeru took Sumada and severed Zaiporo’s hand with one clean blow, then Hannya stopped the bleeding.”
“Lord Gyoroe can't regrow it?”
“I know it is hard to believe,” the Blood King said, as he entered the room, “but I do have limitations. You were fortunate. Very fortunate. The loss of one person's hand was a small price to pay for teleporting out of the Fire Realm like you did. It could have been far worse.”
Turesobei thought about how Iniru had been spinning through the air toward nothingness and how Hannya had barely caught her in time. “I know. It nearly was.”
“Casting the spell silently, on a moment’s notice, under pressure, with you and your friends falling—that was incredibly impressive. Well done.”
“It was just instinct.”
“It was also the result of all the hard work you put into your studies,” the emerald-eyed Gyoroe said. “Take the next seven days off to rest and recover. You have earned it. Though I fear you will have severe migraines for the next several days.”
“I can live with that.”
The Blood King checked on Zaiporo, then nodded with satisfaction and departed. Turesobei noticed the hounds curled up asleep in the corner of the room. They were still slightly larger than normal, and their coats glistened.
“Lu Bei, do you have any idea how the hounds did that?”
The fetch shook his head. “I swear I'm telling the complete truth when I say I knew nothing about the hounds and had only ever seen them before in a painting. Master never discussed them. I have no idea how you summoned them. And I have no idea what their purpose is or what they are capable of.”
“Well, we were lucky they could do what they did. In fact, it’s too bad we can't fight every battle beside a pit of lava.”
“Go get some rest.” Enashoma shoved him gently out of the room. “If anything happens with Zai, I’ll come get you.”
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Turesobei knelt beside Kurine, as Lu Bei served them evening tea. It was jasmine white. Kurine still couldn’t handle the stronger black or red teas that Lu Bei preferred.
“We survive all eight realms,” Turesobei said. “And I really can't believe we did it.”
Kurine kissed him. “You know, these have been the best weeks of my life.”
Shaking his head, Turesobei laughed at her. “I’ve got to take you somewhere interesting…some place where you won’t be attacked by monsters.”
She sipped her tea. “As long as I'm with you, it won’t matter to me.”
“You know, that’s not a normal, healthy attitude.”
Kurine shr
ugged. “I grew up in a dangerous world, and I love you.”
“Well, it’s probably a good thing you’re like this, because I'm afraid that even if we do get back to my world, things are going to be dangerous. My clan will be at war, and I will have to help them. Plus, I don’t know what we might have to go through to get from either the Spring Gate or the Autumn Gate and back to Ekaran.”
The gates leading back to Okoro from the Winter and Summer Realms were locked. And he had no idea where the Spring and Autumn Gates were in Okoro. Their locations were either lost or secret.
“You’ll figure it out and make it home,” Kurine said. “And after you’ve saved your people, you will find a place in the world for our messy, extended family of freaks.”
“I know it seems preposterous, but I've been thinking about that a lot lately.”
“Does thinking about the future give you hope?”
He nodded.
“Then it’s not preposterous. Tell me again about the places you’ve thought of for settling down.”
Turesobei told her all his ideas, from moving to the fabled city of Dogo Daiyen in the West to a farm in a remote valley of Zangaiden. “I'm sure there lots of other good places that I just don't know about yet.”
Lu Bei refilled their bowls. “I know of a picturesque location in Zangaiden, nearby a waterfall that has a cave behind it.”
Turesobei swiped at the fetch, but he dodged away. “I don't ever want to see that place again.”
Kurine shrugged. “I'd actually like to see a pleasant version that doesn’t have monsters guarding it.”
“That's a trip you'd have to take on your own.”
“I would go there with you, mistress, but I'm stuck with him.”
“That's okay,” she said. “I don't want to go anywhere without Sobei.”
Lu Bei rolled his eyes. “Madam, there is something seriously wrong with you.”
Kurine took Turesobei’s hands. “You know you're not going to be content on a farm in a remote valley. You're going to crave adventure and new experiences, especially since you’ve become so used to them. Leading trade expeditions like my dad does or hunting for treasures like your father did, that’s the kind of thing I can see you doing. I just can’t see you settling down.”
Turesobei thoughtfully sipped at his tea. “I daydream about leading a peaceful, boring life…but you're probably right.”
“I definitely am. After a year of rest, you’ll be craving excitement.”
“But you’re going to want to settle down and have kids after four or five years, and I don’t want to be gone all the time like my dad was.”
Kurine laughed. “I’m sure we would work something out.”
“To be honest,” Turesobei said, “I can’t even imagine having kids.”
Kurine laughed so hard she spilled half a bowl of tea, making Lu Bei scowl at her. “Sobei, are you even aware of what’s around you? All this amazing stuff we've seen and done—and for goodness sake, you can even make a dragon made of storm clouds come out of your chest—yet having kids, something nearly everyone does, seems unimaginable to you?”
He laughed with her. “You have a good point, but that really is how I feel, and I have no idea why.”
“I know the answer to this one,” Lu Bei said. “When you've seen so much that's magical and unusual, the most normal things are what become wondrous to you. That's why Master kept getting married and having a family. I once sat with him for hours while he watched a butterfly flitting about. When it finally flew off, Master cried and said it was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen. This was a man who could cast the most powerful of spells, a man who made Motekeru, yet to him a butterfly or a bowl of tea or a nap were truly wondrous things.”
“So what is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, Lu Bei?” Kurine asked.
“Oh, dearest mistress,” Lu Bei said pompously. “You are the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. I am honored to be in your presence.”
Kurine snorted. “Is that so?”
“Indeed it is, mistress.”
“So I’m more beautiful than my sister-in-law, our dear Lady Shoma?”
“Oh…well, you see…uh…there are… certain factors to consider…mistress…like….” Lu Bei frowned and bit his lip.
Kurine raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“There are some recording tasks I forgot about. I really should take care of them.”
And with that, he flew up onto the top shelf, then turned into a diary.
“Coward,” Kurine said.
Turesobei leaned over and kissed Kurine. “Lu Bei, why don't you sort those tasks out and take a break from recording for a few hours.”
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Turesobei spent the next day cataloging his spell strips and checking them for leaks. Then he went to the Workshop to replace the ones he’d used up.
“I gave you time to rest,” Lord Gyoroe said, his eyes shifting between pale green and blue.
“I rested yesterday, master. And I will rest the remainder of this week. But a wizard should always be prepared and maintain his spell strips. I can’t fail myself in that duty.”
Gyoroe nodded appreciably. “That is a good attitude. Carry on, then.”
Truthfully, Turesobei didn’t really know what to do with himself for an entire week, especially with Iniru avoiding him. He was so used to either training or learning magic that he didn’t know what else to do anymore.
That evening, after dinner, he wandered around checking on everyone. Then he spent a while with Zaiporo, who was still deep asleep, so Enashoma could go to her room and take a bath.
After the second time he checked on Awasa, who was still out of sorts, Motekeru said, “Master, I will loan you my book to read.”
“Are you sure?”
“You need something relaxing to do, master.”
Half an hour later, after a bath of his own, Turesobei settled onto his sleeping mat and leaned back against a pile of pillows. Lu Bei dimmed all the lanterns, except the one on the wall behind Turesobei, then brought him a bowl of cinnamon black tea with a hint of cloves.
“It seems quiet and lonely in here, master. Maybe you should invite Mistress Kurine over.”
“It’s Iniru’s night. I’m going to honor that.”
“At some point, master, you’re going to have to let her go.”
“I’m never going to do that.”
“Even if she has given up on you?”
“Even if.”
“As you wish, master. Anything else I can get you?”
“No. I’m good.”
Lu Bei fluttered up to the shelf where he mixed his teas. “I’ll try not to make too much noise.”
Turesobei chuckled. Lu Bei never made any noise when he was mixing teas. Turesobei drew out the book Motekeru had found in the Library. It was one of the few here they could read: Legends of the Vermillion Five. According to Lu Bei, much of the story was true, but Turesobei suspected he was lying.
A smile spread across Turesobei’s face as he read the first chapter of what was a surprisingly engaging tale. For once, he could relax and enjoy some quiet time. There was no pressure on him—for the moment. He decided to enjoy the five days of rest he had left, so every time a thought about figuring out the nature of sacrifice and bonding with the heart stones popped up, he swatted it away.
As he began the third chapter, with his tea bowl half empty, a tap came at his door. Before he could set the book aside, Lu Bei swooped down and slid open the paneled door.
“Can I come in?” Iniru asked quietly.
“I dunno,” Lu Bei replied, then he flew back up to his nest.
“Of course.” Turesobei stood and took a hesitant step toward her. “You’re always welcome. And it is your night.”
“I know.”
“Kurine never stays on your nights.”
“I know. And…I appreciate that.”
“What’s up?”
Her body tense
d, she frowned, then she chewed at her lip. Suddenly, she sprang forward and into his arms. He held her tight and breathed in the scent of her hair. She had washed it with lemon oil, but her musky scent still came through. It was one of his favorite scents in all the world.
“I missed you,” he said.
“You’re an idiot.”
“For missing you?”
She shoved him lightly. “For everything else.”
He slid the door closed. “I thought that was well established.”
“I thought maybe you would change. But you are who you are. I just have to accept that.”
“You know, Kurine is very sorry about—”
“I don’t care,” Iniru snapped.
“Oh.”
“I came here tonight because…because I love you—you big stupid-head. But Kurine…she betrayed me. I haven’t forgiven her. And I may never.”
“I’m just as much at fault as she is.”
“I doubt that.” She rubbed a finger along the branded goshawk on his forearm. “This? This is all her. I know it is. You wouldn’t have done this if she hadn’t pressed you to.”
“I agreed to it.”
“But she cornered you, didn’t she?”
“Well….”
“Admit it. You’re a sucker, and you just can’t say no.”
“To be honest, I cornered myself.”
She shrugged. “Probably, but it’s still her fault.”
“So…you’ve forgiven me?”
“Yeah. Apparently, I'm a sucker too, at least when it comes to you. Oh, wipe that stupid grin off your face.”
“So between you and me, things are back to normal?” he asked.
“We’ll see how it goes but…yes, I’d like that.
“I have to ask, and I probably shouldn’t, but why the change of heart?”
“We barely survived that last mission. And it made me realize how unlikely it is that we’re going to make it out of here alive. Every moment I get to spend with you is precious. There might not be a next one.”
“Don’t say that. The missions are over now.”
“The missions aren’t the biggest challenge we face.” She sighed deeply. “I can feel it, Sobei. I don’t know if it’s from my time in the Shadowland or what, but I can feel death coming. We won’t all make it through this. So I want to take advantage of every moment we have left. You and me, together like we should be.”
The First Kaiaru Page 28