Moon and Star Episode Two: Book Two of the Moon and Star Saga (The Jakai Chronicles 1)

by Mike Bergonzi

  She was about to hit her again when Kaito intervened.

  "That's enough," he said. "Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to solve anything. We need to be productive and smart if we have any chance of surviving."

  "It's hopeless," Yuri said. "Don't you get it? The entire world as we know it is going to be shrouded in eternal darkness."

  "What does she mean, Mayumi?" Kaito asked.

  "It means he has the ability to combine the moon and star blades into one, thus negating the limitations of each one."

  "So the blades can be used during both night and day."

  Mayumi shook her head. "So the two blades can become one. The light of the moon draws its power from the reflection of the sun's rays. Meaning, if the sun is destroyed ..."

  "Tsuki no ha-ken will have no power."

  "And I'm afraid that weapon was the best chance we had of defeating Eiji. Now that he has it, he could stop all of us easily. Tonight the moon reaches the pinnacle of its illumination. I suspect that was part of his plan as well."

  Yuri perked her head as if realizing something. "What about the solar and lunar spells?"

  "The what?" Mayumi asked.

  "The spells for people who've mastered one of the two mystical tachis."

  She looked at her, confused. "He never told you about them. Did he?"

  Mayumi remained silent. It seemed Eiji had been planning this for a long time. Kaito couldn't believe the amount of thought put into this takeover of Jakai. What made him so bitter towards them?

  Losing a colony shouldn't make someone this upset, Kaito thought. What happened to him?

  "Kaito, I think it's time you learn the truth about your birthright and role in all this ... madness."

  Kaito turned his neck and blinked, then moved himself to face Yuri without standing up. What did she mean "his role?" What more was there? He already knew he wasn't meant to be Shogun.

  "You aren't just a Yoritomo, or a Minamoto, for that matter. You have both Kachaku and Jakai blood in you. Your father is Chaiku while your mother was Jakai."

  "How do you know all this?" Kaito asked.

  "Because I was tasked to watch over you long before you were born.”

  It hit him. Why did Eiji wait this long to put the final stage of his plan into action? Better yet, why give Mayumi tsuki no ha-ken at all if he was simply going to take it away from her when the time was right?

  Kaito stared at Naomi's lifeless body. He hadn't felt this way since he found his brother, knocking on death's door from a spider's bite.

  His eyes widened. That's it, he thought. He took off his sandal and removed the karanasu leaf from between the bottom of his foot. If anything could bring her back from the dead, it was this. Kaito crushed the leaf into a mixture of flakes and pasty sap with his fingers. The sap from the inside the stem made his finger's stick together as he continued to mash the green sludge between his fingers, eventually using his entire hand to mix the leaf and the sap inside the stem together.

  He placed his middle and pointer finger in Naomi's mouth. The moment the stuff touched her tongue, she woke up and started coughing. She panted, gasping for breath.

  "Help me hold her down," Kaito said.

  Yuri rushed over and held down her shoulders. Mayumi's eyes were wide. Seeing someone come back to the dead was a rare phenomenon, but surely she knew about the karanasu leaf's special healing properties.

  "What are you doing? Grab her legs."

  Mayumi snapped out of her stupor and held Naomi's legs in place. Eventually, her body stopped spasming and her breathing steadied.

  She awoke.

  "What's going on?" Naomi asked, rubbing her head. "Where am I?"

  Mayumi hugged her. Her niece's face was still a little pale, but most of the toxins were out of her body at this point. She'd still need bed rest, however. He couldn't believe his luck.

  "Naomi," he said. "I need you to do me a favor."

  ***

  Mayumi couldn't believe how much Kaito had changed these past few months. His confidence was abundant and strong. His resolve firm and unshifted, despite the predicament they all found themselves in. What surprised her the most was how much he reminded her of Jin. It's like looking at a younger version of him. Strange how the mind played tricks on someone. Jin wasn't Kaito's actual father, and yet, his teachings did not go to waste.

  He continued to explain the rest of his plan to Naomi. She asked questions when she didn't understand something. Even if the plan was simple in theory, one wrong move in its execution would mean the death of everyone in this room; perhaps all of Jakai too.

  Mayumi wiped a tear from her eye. How long had it been since she'd seen Naomi this happy? She loved him. She could see it, plain as day. She was willing to die for him, but at the same time knew exactly what she was getting herself into and wouldn't do anything too blind or stupid in order to win his affection.

  "You got all that?" he asked.

  Naomi nodded. Mayumi continued to watch the two of them with a smile on her face. It seems this generation is becoming wiser than even our own, Jin. She pushed herself off the wall with her elbows and walked towards the two children.

  "Naomi, before you go I want you to have this." Mayumi undid the string on her cloth bag and handed her a karanasu leaf. "It'll come in handy for what you're about to do."

  Kaito looked at her, confused and with anger in his eyes. "I thought we were trying to kill the man who's threatening us, not save his life."

  "In order to save his life, he must first be wounded. But that's not why I'm giving her this leaf. In my ... line of work, this leaf can be used to mask many poisonous odors. Including the one in your bag. I assume that was meant for me."

  Naomi blushed, then finally nodded.

  Mayumi pulled her towards her and hugged her as tight as she could. "I love you. And I'm sorry about your mother. Know that the pain I go through is more of a punishment than death itself would ever be."

  She let her go and took a few steps back. It took all the willpower she had to not hold on to her again, and never let go. Yuri placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump.

  "What's wrong," she asked.

  "It's nothing," Mayumi said. "Just worried about those two is all."

  "If there's one thing I know about Kaito, it's that he never gives up."

  Mayumi nodded. "Even though I only knew him for a short while, I understand what you mean. He's just like Jin was as a boy."

  Yuri glanced down at her feet and blushed. Mayumi raised an eyebrow and looked at her, worried.

  "What is it?" she asked.

  "I'm ... sorry, I couldn't save him."

  The room got cold. Evening was upon them. The chilled night air blew through the bars of the window, causing the two candles to flicker out. The darkness, which surrounded them, was a sign of the changing times. What those changes were depended on their success tonight.

  "You better get a move on," Kaito said. "Good luck."

  Naomi hugged him. Her face bore a smile. The first one Mayumi had seen on her niece for a long while. It was nice to see it after such a long time. She couldn't help but smile herself.

  Yuri's face showed signs of guilt as she watched Kaito and Naomi out of the corner of her eyes. She's not the only one, Mayumi thought. I've done my fair share of misdeeds.

  The next time the guards made their rounds was when Kaito's plan would come into action. If his assumption was correct, and there were still supporters of the Yoritomo clan, leaving one of their own in confinement would be unacceptable. If there was one thing, the Yoritomo understood it was honor among kinsfolk. It was a big if, but what other choice did they have?

  Footsteps approached the room. Everyone tensed, including Mayumi herself. Normally things like this didn't phase her. Eiji taught her better than to let her emotions dictate her train of thought or actions. This time was different. The man she once called master was the one who had set this all in motion.

  How could he lie straight to
her face all these years? What else hadn't he told her? After hearing the secret he kept from her, she couldn't help but wonder if everything he said back then was a lie. There was no way to know.

  Mayumi shook her head and regained her concentration and resolve. A ninjobi must deal in absolutes, even if it came down to knowing little and not knowing anything at all—the latter was preferred.

  The gears on the door's lock tumbled around as the people on the opposite side opened a window, small enough to slide a plate of food underneath. The portions were large, but the food itself looked like someone had already gone through and eaten their share and thought the prisoner's deserved a last meal of some sort. Eiji was toying with them at this point.

  Mayumi clenched her fists until the blood flow to her hands stopped altogether. He wouldn't get away with this. She had to make sure he failed. Otherwise, his death will have been for nothing.

  The footsteps kept going. Naomi looked over at Kaito. He nodded. It was time.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hours passed and still no sign of Naomi. Had she been compromised? If so, was she already dead?

  Kaito shook his head, dismissing the thought. Naomi was resourceful. Ever since they were children, he knew she could handle herself. Now that she was older, there was no telling how well trained her survival instincts were. He needed to remain hopeful. It was the one thing Eiji could not take away from him.

  He sat down and sighed. Waiting for something to happen was worse than dying. He felt so helpless, but this plan was the best way out and he had to live with the consequences of his decision: good or bad.

  Yuri walked over and took a seat next to him. "I see you've finally met the woman your father always talked about."

  "Father never spoke of Mayumi?" he said. "But she did save my life, so I'm thankful for that. Still, I feel she's keeping something from me. I wish I knew what it was. Maybe I could help?"

  "You're a good boy, Kaito. It's a shame the rest of the world isn't as compassionate as you."

  Mayumi scoffed. "The world is a better place, not having people like that. It's in our nature to want more than what is given to us. There are no nice people in the world. Everything comes with a price."

  "Simple, yes," Yuri said. "Better? No, I'd argue the world is a worse place because of people like Emperor Eiji and Lord Kasaju."

  "Why do you call them by their titles?" Mayumi asked. "Especially Eiji, after all he's done to us."

  "I do it because it is the right thing to do. If Jin did something despicable, would you turn your back on him?"

  Mayumi looked at the floor. "You know that's different."

  "Because you loved him?" Yuri asked.

  She paused, then nodded.

  Kaito frowned. The amount she must've loved him ... it was the opposite of his own relationship with Naomi but at the same time the exact same.

  Footsteps approached the opposite side of the door. All three of them leaped to their feet. It was the first time they'd heard anything come from outside the room since Naomi was taken away.

  Kaito's hunch was correct and one of the guards was a supporter of the Yoritomo. The next part of their escape was all up to Naomi. She knew the risks when she accepted, he thought. Saying the words in his head didn't make him feel any better. In fact, they made him feel worse.

  His attention focused back on the door as someone fumbled with the lock on the other side. He looked over at Mayumi, who smiled, then at Yuri who looked worried for some reason.

  The door slid open and Naomi stood in front of them, looking over her shoulder. "Come on, we don't have much time."

  Mayumi nodded and the three of them followed Naomi out of the room, down a corridor and straight out the front gate. When enough distance passed between them and the castle, they stopped and rested. Nobody had followed them. It was almost too good to be true.

  Kaito scratched his head. Everyone but Mayumi and himself were out of breath. If they started running again, they'd be captured for sure and have no strength left to fight.

  "We make camp here," he said.

  "You can't be serious," Yuri said. "We're completely exposed."

  "No, he's right," Mayumi said. "This is the perfect opportunity to gather information and rest. I'll take the first watch."

  Mayumi started to leave when Naomi stopped her, arms spread out. "You're not going anywhere. Why didn't you tell me about him? Kaito deserves to know. They both do."

  The expression on Mayumi's face changed from sorrow to anger. She hit her. Just when I think I'm starting to understand her. Kaito glanced at Yuri. She looked confused as well.

  "So what do we do now?" Katio asked. "Anyone have any ideas for a plan. How about ..."

  Yuri placed a hand on his mouth and shushed him. He blinked a few times, unsure of why they needed to remain quiet. There was nobody around for miles.

  "Eiji's spies are everywhere," Yuri said. "If we're going to stop him we can't give him anything to go on."

  "But how are we supposed to beat him if we can't talk to each other? Writing isn't much safer. It can be easily dropped or intercepted."

  "Not if you know the art of yabumi," Mayumi said.

  Yuri and Kaito looked at her. She appeared to be contemplating something.

  "It will be hard to teach in such a short time, but it's our only way of safely communicating with each other should we need to split up."

  "Are you saying we should split up?" Kaito asked

  Mayumi nodded. "At least for a time. We need to learn anything we can about Eiji. I have some contacts I've worked with in the past. I'm sure they'll know something." She sighed. "I just hope it's useful this time."

  "You can't be serious," Kaito said. "Our best chance is to fight in unison. If we split up, we'll just be taken out one at a time."

  "No, she's right," Yuri said. "He has both the sun saber and lunar blade, and even if he didn't have both, there's still the army we'd have to deal with. He controls the entire Yoritomo clan and the areas they once held governance over. If we want to win, we have to outthink him."

  "Well, if we can't talk here, where do you suggest we go?" Kaito asked. "It's not like we have a whole lot of options."

  "We're going back to Kyotomo," Mayumi said.

  Yuri turned, stomping her foot on the ground as she spun slightly to face Mayumi. Her eyes went wide. "They'll kill Kaito the moment he shows himself."

  "Which is why Kaito won't be the one returning."

  Kaito and Yuri looked at one another, confused. What did she mean Kaito wouldn't be returning?

  "Is this supposed to be part of my training, because if it is ..."

  Mayumi shook her head. "We'll get to that later. Besides, I'll need to teach you, at least, the basics of ninjutsu before sending you off on your own."

  "You still haven't explained how Kaito is supposed to enter the city. With Lord Kasaju gone and the other noble house heads off trying to forge alliances, the city will be overrun with spies and traitors. We're probably already too late."

  "Which is why you two aren't going back as you are now," Mayumi said. "From this moment on, you are no longer Yuri Yoritomo and Kaito Minamoto. We'll pick names later, but we need to get moving."

  "Why?" Kaito asked.

  "Because someone's found us."

  A cloud of smoke appeared in the middle of them. Kaito coughed, as did Yuri and Mayumi. When the air cleared, Eiji stood in between all three of them, tsuki no ha-ken in one hand and in its true form. Kaito noticed his other hand held another blade. That must be nitsu seiba, he thought.

  Yuri and Mayumi jumped away from him, but Kaito was too slow and found himself in Eiji's grip. His father laughed.

  "Put him down!" Mayumi said.

  "Oh, don't worry. I just want to tell him something before you go." He leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

  "Mayumi killed Jin." He let go and pushed him towards her.

  Kaito turned around, but he was already gone.

  Chapter Twelve
>
  How did he know about his mother? Sora had never met him before, yet he could see it in his eyes: he knew the truth about his mother. How? He hadn't told anyone what happened that night.

  If father ever finds out … Sora wrung his hands together as he paced the rough stone floor. The sun shone through his window, creating a sliver of light on the floor surrounded by an ocean of shadows. Footsteps walked past his door every so often, most likely the guards doing their daily routine.

  He left his room when the footsteps passed a fourth time and made his way to the castle's entrance. He didn't know why he wanted to take a stroll. After all, father forbid him from setting foot outside the castle grounds.

  It was nice to get a little fresh air. Sora took in a deep breath and exhaled, feeling refreshed. He'd been cooped up in his room, studying for hours about the most boring thing in the world: history.

  He sat down on the stone steps leading up to the main door and sighed. Two guards were chatting nearby. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but eventually one of them pointed at him. The second guard nodded and stroked his chin.

  By the looks of it, these men were Yoritomo. The rebellious kind. An obedient population always had the potential for acting counter to everyone else. Most people feared his father. Some, however, foolishly thought they could take back their land with force.

  The guards were approaching his location. Sora slowly got up, careful not to alert them. The last thing he wanted was a chase around the city. Father wouldn't be pleased with me if that happened.

  He glanced behind him. The guards were gaining on him. Sora could tell these men weren't ninjobi like his father. They wouldn't be this sloppy if they were. He quickly turned the corner and blended himself into the main street population. If there was one thing his father had taught him, it was that being invisible wasn't so much a skill of silence and stealth. Rather it was more a factor of blending in and not drawing attention to one's self. The center of town provided a great opportunity for him to see how the poor lived.