Echoes of a Shattered Age

by R. J. Terrell

  The demon lurched, and Kita curled his body inward, then thrust his feet down, then repeated the motion, creating enough momentum to cut through its abdomen and dislodge the weapon again. This time he faced the monster, and once again drove the weapon home into its torso. Each stab should have dealt the creature grievous injury, but the staff had done no real damage.

  From his previous encounters with the shadow demons, Kita suspected as much, and was able to land on the ground and retreat a safe distance without being burned to ash by the already recovered Ren.

  * * *

  Kenyatta saw the fight from the corner of his eye, but had his own problems. Though this shadow demon was a lot stronger and quicker, it was still no match for him. It didn’t matter, Kenyatta knew. He was not equipped with the proper weapon to deal with the demon and would eventually tire. He had severed its arms and legs several times, but it simply regenerated. Sooner or later it would get lucky.

  After avoiding another swipe and coming around to sever the demon’s head, the islander realized something. It took longer to reattach their heads than any other part of the body. He also noticed that the range and type of movement of their sword-arms was limited.

  Kenyatta blocked two parries, knocking one sword-arm low. He then stepped on the weapon, causing the demon to bend over and expose its neck. Kenyatta shook his head, then delivered the stroke. Before the angry demon began to reattach itself, he hurried off to help his friend against the fiery monster.

  * * *

  Kita dodged just in time to avoid the huge fiery fist that crashed through the ground where he’d been standing. It ripped its arm free and swung left, then right, knocking trees over and leaving a heat vapor in its wake. Kita knew that if he caught one blow from that flaming arm, the fight would be over.

  The beast lurched forward, then tried to reach over its shoulder with both arms, not in pain, but in annoyance. As it spun this way and that, Kita saw his friend hanging from its back by one of his swords.

  Kenyatta drove the second blade through its back and then used his feet to push away from it. He landed in a roll, cursing as he hopped and stamped his smoking feet.

  Swallowing a snicker, Kita waited as the fiend turned toward his smoking friend, then stabbed it multiple times in the back and slipped his staff between its legs. It snarled and rounded on him, but as it did, its legs tangled in the staff and it crashed to the ground.

  Kita slipped the staff free as the enraged demon climbed back to its feet and released a flare of heat energy that blasted both warriors away.

  Smoking and lying on the ground, Kita waited for his sight to return, then groaned as he saw that yet again, the demon was standing over him, poised to strike. He rolled backward, ending in a crouching position, his staff in front of him. The demon reared back, opened its mouth and spat another stream of liquid fire that was as big around as Kita’s body.

  He lunged toward the demon, just beneath the fiery stream, and whipped his staff around. The blade severed part of its leg, and as it started to fall, it went into convulsions. From behind, Kenyatta slashed at its back with blinding speed, driving home blow after blow all the way to the ground.

  Kita spun his staff vertically and leaped at the beast, slicing across its chest to its face. While in the air, he swung the staff down onto the top of its head with all his strength. As he started to fall, Kita brought the staff around in a two-handed vertical chop to the side of its face, using the force to propel himself away.

  Kenyatta had severed one of its arms by then and continually hacked at the slithering appendages as they tried to reattach the limb. The demon tried to climb to its feet, but the lack of a complete right leg made its efforts clumsy. Still, it managed to swing its remaining arm at the troublesome warrior.

  Kenyatta jumped above the arm, as Kita thrust his staff into the demon’s face. At the same time Kenyatta spun in midair and brought both his swords down on its neck, severing its head.

  They watched, chests heaving, as the fiery body regenerated itself right in front of them. They gripped their weapons firmly, slowly backing away from the thing and readying themselves. The large beast of fire rose once more while continuing to reform its lost limbs. Kita stood in front of it, trying to devise some strategy. Kenyatta stood at its back, waiting to see whether he or his friend should initiate the first move.

  The whipping sound of a handful of shurikens caught Kenyatta’s ear just before they found their mark in the demon’s back. It stumbled forward, then spun a circle, grabbing at its back. That was the first time it appeared to be in any real pain as far as the two warriors could see.

  From behind the islander, the samurai sprinted past the howling fiend and cut a deep slice across its thigh. Its roar shook the ground.

  The ninja descended from above with Sekimaru in a two-handed grip. She sheathed the sword to the hilt in the top of its head, holding on with her hands, and her feet firmly pressed against both sides of the hilt. “Hurry!” she called to her brother.

  The samurai was there, cutting deep gashes into its arms and midsection as it lunged at him, while also trying to grab at the ninja whose sword was feeding on its very essence. It dropped to one knee, and Kenjiro plunged his sword deep into the demon’s chest.

  There was a flash of red light, and the monster emitted even more heat, then howled in agony. It grabbed at the samurai’s sword, only to have its hand seemingly stung by the power of the weapon. In moments, it was over, and the hellish creature was overcome by the power of the two swords. It began to dissipate into a red mist, and then to nothing.

  Akemi stood for a minute, holding her sword in her right hand. She could feel power radiating from Sekimaru. Finally, the sword calmed and went still. The ninja replaced it in its scabbard as the others did the same.

  Kenyatta waved a hand over the last of the dissipating carcass. “So was that the Ren-thing you’ve been talking about?”

  * * *

  It was not fear that drove the warriors on, but the urgency. Their horses had run off during the fight with the Ren, and they needed to avoid any more delays on their way to Kyokoza. Obviously someone or something didn’t want them to reach their destination.

  “You fight well,” Kenjiro remarked. “Your skills complement each other effectively.”

  “As do the two of you,” Kita replied. He nodded at the path farther ahead. “Do you think the horses made it?”

  “Ours did,” Akemi answered, a bit smugly. “Yours may have if they followed ours.”

  “I have a question,” Kenyatta said. “That thing scorched everything it touched but nothing burned.”

  The ninja looked at Kenyatta evenly. “The fire of a demon scorches and chars and burns, but it creates fire only where it wishes. The reason it didn’t revel in burning the forest down was because it was more concerned with us.”

  “Nice,” Kenyatta replied.

  Once they reached the end of the forest, they stopped short and examined the surroundings from behind the tree line. The landscape was open and clear, with brown rolling hills with patches of green grass. They climbed one of the hills for a better view.

  “The horses are there,” Kenjiro pointed west of their position.

  Kita was surprised. “It’s as if they know where Kyokoza is and are taking the path in anticipation of us catching up to them.”

  “They are,” Kenjiro replied. “The stable where we purchased our horses assured us that they have seen the road to Kyokoza many times and could find their way to the city without us. Your horses simply followed ours. Come, we will follow them and when the wind is right, they will catch our scent and wait.” The samurai’s words proved true, as the horses had indeed caught their scent and waited safely atop one of the hills, grazing in two pairs, head to back.

  If horses could look relieved, Kita and Kenyatta’s mounts looked just that. When the four companions reached the animals, Akemi’s horse came straight to her and nuzzled her with its nose, to which the ninja responded with a
gentle rub on the flat of the animal’s forehead.

  Once mounted, the four companions set out once again, only stopping to allow the horses to graze and drink. The hilly brown and green landscape seemed so peaceful on horseback, as they cantered along the winding trails between and over the smooth and rocky mounds of earth. They slowed the horses to a walk and Akemi let her head fall back and closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle breeze that sighed across the fields.

  “We should reach our goal before night,” Kenjiro announced, pulling the ninja from her reverie. The samurai pointed to a high patch of hills in the distance that looked to be about another ten miles away. “Just beyond those hills is Kyokoza,” he said.

  “It’s been some time since I’ve been there,” Kenyatta said. “It’ll be interesting to see what changes have taken place since my last visit.”

  Akemi glanced at him. “What brought you this deep into our land, Shikata?”

  “A brief mission,” Kenyatta answered, though he suspected she already had guessed at the answer before he spoke it. “The city is large as you know, and a guild of assassins had decided to make a base out of an area close to the main building where the governing body convened. It was suspected that they planned on eliminating the local government in order to establish themselves within this building. It was not a power move, but the structure was a prime location for any organization, and the local government was simply in the way.”

  “And why were you invited to take on this ‘simple’ mission?” Akemi inquired.

  “The assassins knew of every form of protection the government employed,” Kita answered, “and where they were located. No one from their organization could get within five blocks of the base without risk of being cut down. We, on the other hand, were foreigners. The last thing the assassins expected was ‘imported’ help. And they expected even less, that Shikata would have done so.”

  Akemi scrutinized the two friends before speaking again. “What was the name of the assassins?”

  Kenyatta glanced at Kita before answering. “Kenzuro Clan,” he answered. Akemi said no more, and returned her attention to the road ahead. Kita and Kenyatta glanced at each other and let the subject drop.

  As they rode on, Akemi silently reflected on what she had learned. The Kenzuro clan was indeed a guild of assassins, but unlike any other. This guild had a specially trained elite faction called Shadow Dancers, who were undisputedly the most deadly assassins in Japan. No one would think of challenging them unless they were tired of living. Even those that lived outside the city and in the countryside knew of the Kenzuro and their Shadow Dancers.

  Akemi knew them well. At one time the Shadow Dancers had tried to recruit her before she became a ninja. Refusal meant death, but she was one of the few to survive the invitation.

  News had spread swiftly across the country of an unknown ally of the local government that had defeated the Kenzuro with remarkable efficiency. She had always wondered who could have been able to do this, and now the answer was riding next to her. She couldn’t imagine how they had survived the wrath of the Shadow Dancers—who endured to this day—after the fall of the Kenzuro. Regardless of the answer, the fact that her new traveling companions were still alive to tell the tale was proof enough that they were formidable allies. Assuming these foreigners were telling the truth, she had a newfound respect for them.

  ***

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The four travelers reached the lands just outside Kyokoza just as the sun began its descent toward the western horizon. Their journey had been uneventful since the attack in the woods, yet an uneasiness had taken hold of the group.

  “What is it?” Akemi asked when Kenjiro pulled his horse to a stop at the base of a hill.

  “Do you smell that?” he asked, staring in the direction of the sprawling city. “It smells like fire.”

  “Is that unusual?” Akemi frowned. “Yes, it does smell like fire, but …” She prodded her horse up the hill to get a better view.

  The city below was littered with billowing smoke and dancing flames. Tall buildings had been knocked over or simply burned to the ground, while smaller structures were completely leveled.

  “What’s happened?” Kita asked, moving his mount beside hers.

  “Fire,” Akemi answered. “The city is scorched by unnatural fire.” A sense of foreboding fell over the group as they looked at each other. “Whoever or whatever is trying to stop us knew that we were coming here.”

  The ninja dismounted and snatched a shuriken out of a pouch on her waist. “I had a feeling we were being watched, but I was unsure until now.” She held the shuriken close to her face and closed her eyes.

  Several heartbeats passed when she drew back and loosed the shuriken high into the air.

  “Did I miss something?” Kita asked, watching the tiny weapon’s ascent.

  “That,” the ninja answered, pointing. A screech rent the air as the shuriken imbedded itself in an unseen object above. A winged blue creature suddenly appeared in the sky, fluttering as it struggled to maintain control. “Bachattta,” she spat.

  “So we’ve been spied on,” Kita said watching the wounded creature.

  “Had we guessed this sooner, the city might have been spared,” the samurai said.

  “You can’t know everything,” Kenyatta replied.

  Akemi readied another shuriken while the bachattta flopped toward the ground, then let fly, hitting the creature again.

  “They can bend light around their bodies to appear invisible,” she said, “but only for a short time. That one probably flew higher into the sky when not invisible, so we didn’t notice it.” She watched as black tendrils of the demons essence leaked from its body until it hit the ground and broke apart. She turned away as the creature dissipated back to the abyss.

  “They may not be very tough compared to some of the stronger demons, but that one trait makes them useful. I should have known that was the reason the Ren and Kalistyi knew exactly where to find us!” The turned back to look at the smoldering city.

  “A whole city,” Kenyatta said lamented. “Destroyed to stop the four of us.”

  “There may be some people alive down there,” Kita said.

  “This will sound heartless,” Akemi replied, “but we have not the time. We need to find cover somewhere long enough to think about what we do now.”

  Kita didn’t like it, but Akemi’s words were true. “Fine,” he said. “Let’s just go, then. I’ll feel better away from here.”

  Kenyatta sighed. “We’d better get moving now. With things like that on our trail,” he pointed at what was left of the dissolving bachattta, “we don’t want to endanger anyone else nearby.”

  Kita waved a hand toward the broken city. “What’s left to endanger? Everything is destroyed!”

  “He’s right,” Kenjiro said. “If there are any survivors, we would give them a better chance if we leave. We will figure out a course of action once we’ve put some distance between us and Kyokoza.”

  And so they left, each of the four warriors gazing one last time upon the ruined city as they turned their mounts west.

  * * *

  The scrying mirror showed only black smoke now as the Bachattta dissipated into nothing. Brit stood for a while, absorbing the last images he saw of the four humans. They had been brought together by forces more direct than just fate alone. Szhegaza was right in her suspicions about them. Kalistyi are one thing, but no human should be able to bring a Ren down, not even twenty humans. He had never seen a one of the fragile creatures move that fast. The female seemed unusually adept at battling dark world creatures and this made the Drek even more curious. These humans had definitely earned his attention.

  “Should I have another Bachattta sent to retrieve their trail, master?” Zreal asked from behind. Brit never turned to face him.

  “No. They would be aware if we sent another. We must stop them now, before they reach the tower, although I am unsure if they even know what they’re
looking for. I believe that many of the answers they sought were in that city, but there is no way to know exactly what.”

  “Perhaps we could completely level the city and any chance of them finding whatever it is they seek there,” Zreal suggested.

  “No,” Brit answered again. “I doubt they will enter, not now that they realize the possibility that they could bring danger inside its walls. If they were able to discover their invisible pursuer, then they are aware that someone is against them. They will move on, and there is no need in wasting valuable resources. I’m sure they know that something is happening, but I don’t think they have figured out what. What does concern me is that the female is somehow able to sense demonic energy. The presence of these unique humans is not coincidence. I am sure they are involved in the defense of Takashaniel, even if they do not yet realize it.”

  “They do not know or they would have made straight for the tower,” Zreal offered.”

  “Yes, that’s true,” Brit responded. “Unless they do not know where it is.”

  Now he did turn to face Zreal. “Inform Kabriza that there will be a change. I wish for the Kalistyi to observe these warriors instead of ambushing them. I believe that further ambush would result only in further diminished numbers. I don’t think there are enough of them in this world yet to defeat these four, and I don’t want to waste time or resources. What I do want, however, is to know where they are going and what their plans are.”

  A worried look crossed Zreal’s green, ridged face. “It will be done as you order, Master.” He gave a deep bow and turned to exit.

  “Do not worry, my friend,” Brit said at length. “Kabriza will not bother you, not now anyway, for I have wards that protect those that I favor. Do keep in mind, however, that the wards I have set over you and Szhegaza will only hold within the walls of this fortress.”