by Jekka Jones
Landon twisted the jerky in his hands until it broke with a snap. “Of course they would. They don’t care about us so why would they care about our land?” He stuck the jerky in his mouth and chewed it angrily.
They didn’t speak much after that, just small talk that did little to lighten their spirits. The longer they sat, however, the more Landon realized that if he was going to tell Myra about the Seal, now was the time. He was guaranteed her full attention for the rest of the day, and there wasn’t any rush to leave the cave.
“Well I’m full,” Myra announced, licking her fingers. She stood and stretched. “We should get going.”
Landon reached out to stop her, but she was already shouldering one of the packs and grabbing a bow and quiver that had been left behind. She turned to him, an expectant smile on her face. Vowing to tell her at the next hideout, Landon smiled in return and got to his feet. He put on the samurai armor and his sword, and hoisted his heavy pack onto his shoulder. They wound strips of cloth around their nose and mouth before exiting the cave.
The sight of the burned forest was still painful as they walked south, erasing their tracks as they went. It wasn’t as large as Landon had thought. They had walked a quarter of a mile before they reached the end of the burnt area. It was like a line had been drawn through the forest; one side was charcoal, and the other was healthy foliage. Many trunks and bushes were half scorched, but the trees were full of birds. They bounced and fluttered among the branches, shrieking and chirping in alarm to each other.
“That’s better,” said Myra, removing the cloth and sucking in a deep breath.
Landon did the same. It was like he had walked out of a hot and stuffy room into a cooler one. The fresh air stabbed at his lungs, painful yet refreshing. “That feels glorious.”
“Do you think we need to take anything for the poison?” Myra asked, resuming the pace.
Landon fell into step beside her. “Dunno.” He glanced over his shoulder for any tracks that needed erasing. Without thinking he added, “Sam just made sure I stayed hydrated and fed.”
The words were no sooner out of his mouth that he wanted to wrench them back. Myra whirled on him, eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
“That was the best way to fight against the poison,” Landon said, his thoughts racing. “You know, from when I was addicted to Nakasen. My parents said it contained dragon ash, remember?”
Myra narrowed her eyes. “For some reason, Landon Durn-Dayn, I don’t believe you. Spit it out. What did you mean by that?”
“Myra—”
“No!” Myra grabbed his arm and dragged him to a stop. “Don’t you dare lie to me, Landon Durn-Dayn! You owe me the truth! I know we’re in a hurry,” she said as Landon opened his mouth to argue, “so if you want to keep walking then you tell me what happened. And don’t sweet-coat it, Landon. I am your best friend, and in case you forgot, I rescued you from the Menrian hell pits.”
Myra’s blue eyes bored into his, her cheeks blotched with anger and her feet planted shoulder-width apart. He gazed back, trying to match her stubbornness with his own, and failed. She was right. She had seen him at his weakest, most vulnerable moment.
“When the Dagnorians captured me, they drugged and interrogated me,” he said at last. “They burned herbs mixed with dragon ash. Because Sam didn’t know what plants the Dagnorians used, he gave me nothing but food, water, and moonclovers. It took three days before the drugs wore off.”
Myra’s mouth fell open, her eyes widening in horror. “Why do they keep doing this to you?” she asked. A tear broke loose and slid down her cheek. She quickly wiped it with her sleeve. “First Angen, then the treaty, and now this. What is the point of it?”
Landon took both her hands in his. “They want to break me, Myra. If they can break me, then they can use me. They can use the Seal.” He gazed into her eyes, drinking in her beauty. She was upset, but she wasn’t as scared as she should be. If the kings and advisors hadn’t known he loved her before, then they knew now. She was now as valuable as him. It was another reason why he shouldn’t marry her.
He kissed her knuckles. “I’m sorry I got you into this mess. I’m sorry I love you.”
Myra stared at him as if he had drawn his sword on her. “Why would you say that?” she asked, almost a sob.
Landon resumed walking, keeping one of her hands in his. “Because it’s true.” Before he could stop himself, he found himself saying, “Myra, I’ve been trying to tell you for a long time, but—”
A horn blasted through the woods, loud and insistent. It was joined by the screams of men, neighing horses, and the metallic ring of weapons being drawn. Landon and Myra whirled towards the commotion and glimpsed horses and riders coming their way. Another horn sounded from behind them, high and shrill, followed by more shouts of men and horses. The ground shook from hundreds of hooves, and the air seemed to reverberate as more and more weapons were drawn.
They were caught between two armies. Worse, Landon recognized the parties as samurai and Menrian Borikans. He cried this fact to Myra, and they scanned the area for shelter.
“Landon, in here!” cried Myra, darting for a hycamore tree. She slipped into a crack, shedding her pack from her shoulders to get inside easier. The opening was so warped and twisted that it looked like she was being swallowed by the tree. Landon followed her, slipping his own pack from his shoulders. The samurai armor caught on the bark, almost wedging him in the opening, but he twisted free and stumbled into Myra. He turned and dragged the packs into the tree, nearly ripping them in his haste.
No sooner had he gotten Myra’s pack inside that the woods filled with war cries. Screams of men and horses joined the fray of steel clashing on steel. Landon and Myra stood in terrified silence, listening to the sound of battle. Through the crack, they caught flashes of Borikans chasing samurai and samurai chasing Borikans. Landon saw Darrin several times, as well as Niklas and Kennin. He heard Issachar and Katsunaka shouting instructions, but he never saw them. At one point, Darrin and Kennin were fighting in front of their tree. Their swords sliced through the air, scraping over armor, but neither found a mark on the other’s body.
Landon took Myra’s hand and drew her close, pressing himself and her into the protective darkness. The tree reverberated as swords bit and hacked at the trunk. Sometimes chips of wood sprayed into the crack, or it was blocked as a body was backed into the tree. Landon expected a person to be run through, the sword skewering the body and protruding into the trunk to expose the hidden cavity, but it never happened.
A young man wearing the red uniform of a Samurai Master fell in front of the tree. A dagger protruded from the chink in his breastplate, and blood spurted from a cut in his throat. He thrashed and fell still. The man’s head flopped to the side, staring directly at them.
Horror shot through Landon as the dark eyes of Taichi Koyoshi locked onto his. They widened and Taichi’s lips moved, but words were lost to incoherent gurgles. Far faster than Landon expected, the light in Taichi’s eyes dulled, faded, and left entirely, leaving a pale corpse gazing at him.
Myra sobbed in horror, her nails digging into his skin. Landon tried to look away, but he couldn’t. The sounds of other men dying increased. He saw more samurai and Borikans cut down by violent blows, and every blade that flashed into view was splattered with blood. It felt like hours that the two groups brawled around the tree, while Taichi’s dead eyes stared at the two Nircanians. Then Kennin began to shout.
“Retreat! Retreat! Borikans, retreat!”
“Sairen, Kawagane, Satou, take your men and pursue them!” shouted Katsunaka. “The rest of you, stay with me.”
The named men and their groups screamed, “Banzei!” It sounded like thunder as the riders sped after the Borikans, shouting their fury.
Landon tore his eyes from Taichi’s corpse, and he sank to the ground, drawing his knees to his chest. He started shaking, trying to control the shuddering gasps. It felt good that he was not in immediate dange
r and Kennin was, but Taichi . . . Taichi was dead.
Myra sat beside him, her face white and her lip trembling. They locked eyes, conveying without words the shock and welling grief of losing a friend, even if that person was on the opposite side.
“No!” gasped a voice, and Landon jolted with fear.
Darrin was kneeling beside Taichi, lifting the body so he could hold it against his own. His eyes were bright, but no tears fell. “I am sorry, Taichi,” he said. “I am so, so sorry.” He pulled the dagger from Taichi’s chest and threw it aside.
Horse legs appeared in view and Katsunaka spoke. “We need to leave, Darrin,” he said gently. “The Borikans may not understand why we are in this area, but I’d rather get to that burned forest before they stumble across it.”
Landon blinked. Why were they heading to the burnt forest?
“I refuse to leave his body lying here like a common soldier,” Darrin replied, his voice trembling with the effort to be polite. “Taichi was a good man, the best Samurai Master I ever trained. He deserves a proper funeral.”
“And he will get one,” Katsunaka said. “Yoshinoya is preparing the funeral pyres as we speak. He will see to Taichi and the others, but we cannot forget our goal, Darrin.”
“I have not forgotten our goal, Hiro,” Darrin snapped. He glared at Katsunaka, who was still out of Landon’s sight. “As soon as I lay my hands on that boy, Menrye will pay. It is time they are put in their place, just like Nircana.” Darrin dropped his head to stare at Taichi, his eyes burning.
Landon’s mouth was dry, and his breath rasped in his throat. He had seen Darrin mad before, but not like this. It was like Angen’s wrath, but with more control. Darrin did not raise his voice, did not make violent gestures, but spoke as a man swearing an oath to his god.
Katsunaka hissed through his teeth. “The longer I am here, the more I despise this land. Nircana is nothing but a hideout for criminals and vagabonds.” The king fell silent for a moment. “Darrin,” he said tentatively, “can you give us any more details than a burned forest?”
Landon frowned and looked at Myra. She returned his gaze with a perplexed expression of her own. Details? That was an odd question. Why was Katsunaka asking Darrin for details as if he had been there, as if he had seen the forest?
“No, your majesty,” said Darrin. He lowered Taichi’s body to the ground and closed the fallen samurai’s eyelids. Darrin arranged Taichi’s limbs, and if it weren’t for the blood staining his neck and face, he would have looked asleep. Darrin remained kneeling, staring at Taichi’s face with his head bowed. It was picturesque, with Darrin fully clad in his armor kneeling over his fallen comrade, and the king standing over them.
Then a change came over Darrin. It was as though he fell into a trance. His eyes became distant, focusing on something beyond the corpse, and his body tensed. He became stiff and rigid as a statue. Katsunaka’s horse snorted, but the Tsuregan king said nothing. He just waited. A man jogged into view and stopped, his expression changing from concern to eagerness. Another joined him and opened his mouth to speak but the first shushed him.
“Quiet! Master Foran is Seeing.”
Landon’s heart began to beat faster, and a cold sweat broke out over his body. He had witnessed this twice before. He had seen it with Niklas right before he had been captured, and had sensed it when Sayre had gloated over him, relishing his suffering at Angen’s hands. Landon felt like he was watching a dream he could not escape. He thought his heart would stop with fear as his brain grudgingly, reluctantly acknowledged what he was witnessing.
Darrin was a Seer.
And right now, he was having a vision.
The world stood still for an eternity. Nothing made a move or a sound. Myra nudged him but Landon didn’t dare look away. He flattened himself against the wood, trying to put as much distance between himself and Darrin as he could. He could feel the sword at his side, the hilt guard burning as if the Seal were calling out to the samurai Seer. Landon wanted to scream, but even if it was safe he wouldn’t have been able to.
Darrin is a Seer!
Seconds became minutes, and at last Darrin frowned.
“It changed,” Darrin said, confused. “I saw Landon standing in a room that was burning.”
“Landon was burning?” Katsunaka asked, worried.
Darrin shook his head. “No. He was fine, but the room was on fire. I could not tell if he was using the Seal or not, but he did not have the sword.”
“How big was the room?”
“Small, like a closet. There were objects on the walls but the flames distorted them. I could not make them out.” He stood, and Landon bent his head lower to keep Darrin’s face in view. Myra did the same, her breath hot and ragged on his cheek. “I cannot say if the vision was a present or future event, but I would suggest we note any houses, barns, or sheds we find within the dragon-scorched regions.”
“I agree,” said Kastunaka. He heaved a loud sigh. “That will continue to confuse the Menrians as to what we are doing.”
“Sayre still does not know I am a Seer?” Darrin asked, surprised.
“According to our spies, yes. She is too absorbed in her and her son’s visions to even suspect you.”
Darrin snorted and smiled. “For a woman so clever, she is very blind. Yes, Nobuta?”
One of the two watching soldiers bowed. “If you please, my lords. Master Koyoshi’s pyre is ready. All of us felt that he should be put to rest first.”
“Thank you,” said Darrin. He lifted Taichi, cradling his body like a child, and carried him from view. Katsunaka’s horse followed, leaving the area clear.
Landon and Myra sat in tensed silence, listening as the dead were gathered and the wounded seen to. A few minutes passed and he heard the gentle roar of fire, and a strange, pungent smell tinted the air. He gagged yet managed not to throw up. Myra’s breathing became shallower, and her face looked green in the feeble light.
Let’s go, she mouthed. Landon nodded, and they slipped from the tree, pulling their packs with them. He glanced towards the fires, startled that they were so close. Five bonfires burned, bellowing black smoke into the canopy. All the Tsuregans were watching the fires with their heads bowed, their backs to Landon and Myra. Landon couldn’t see Darrin, but he saw Kastunaka astride his horse.
Myra squeezed his hand. They shouldered their packs and left. The battle had been as fierce as it had sounded from the tree. A few corpses were scattered around, and there were many bloodstained patches of grass. He noticed an equal number of Tsuregan and Borikan bodies, all unfamiliar to him. Crows began to gather, forcing Landon and Myra to slow down so they would not disturb the birds and attract attention.
Once they passed the last bloodstained patch, Landon and Myra broke into a jog and then a run. The backpack bounced on his back, straining his shoulders until he thought they would rip off. The armor was heavier than before and dragged at his body, but he kept running. They didn’t bother covering their tracks, agreeing without words that the most important thing was to get as far away from Darrin as possible.
Darrin is a Seer. That thought sent icy shards of terror through him. He had no idea what Darrin’s vision meant, and he didn’t care. Landon felt betrayed and violated. His stomach twisted into knots until he thought he would throw up. He had been with a wizard’s descendant for weeks without knowing. Angels, he had been alone with the man far too many times to count! Darrin had trained him, had taught him how to use the very sword that contained the Wizard’s Seal. It frightened him that Darrin hid his gift not only from Landon, but from his parents and the other rulers. Even from the Drakshus!
They ran until exhaustion forced them to slow down. They both walked, staggering into each other, their chests heaving for air. Landon’s legs were weak and his body screamed for rest. He shoved those feelings aside and focused on walking. They were almost to the prairie, and he could rest there while they waited for nightfall.
“What are we going to do, Lan?” Myra a
sked, keeping her voice low. She twined her fingers through his and gripped them like a vice. “There’s a Seer on both sides.”
“Keep running and avoid any kind of small room,” Landon replied.
“Avoid the future? Is that even possible?”
“I don’t know, but by Jeshua’s throne I’m going to try.”
Myra let out a hysterical laugh. “Skies, Lan! This is beyond insane. And I bet he had a vision of your dad, Eli,” she added.
Landon shot her a confused look and she continued. “When Morgan and I met them last summer, Darrin asked about Eli right off the hitch. Sierra made herself untraceable before you were born, remember? But Darrin asked for your father, Eli Durn. He hadn’t been in Town long enough to poke around.”
Landon’s mouth felt sour. “I think you’re right, Myra. He probably got the name Durn or something from his vision, then asked around the other settlements until he could pinpoint my dad.” He thought about the treaty. He knew it had something about discovered Seers, but he couldn’t remember. Whatever it was, it had been Darrin’s loophole. Darrin kept his lineage a secret with Katsunaka’s help so they could have access to the Seal. Hypocrites.
“So besides Sayre and Niklas, we have to avoid Darrin as well.” Myra’s voice was on the verge of hysteria.
“And anyone else that might be a Seer,” Landon added, feeling weaker and more scared than he thought possible. “But I’d rather not think about that. We have enough to worry about.”
Myra snorted. “I think three Seers, six armies bent on capturing you, and a blood-thirsty dragon kind of surpasses that expression.”
Landon burst out laughing, crazed and hysterical from stress. He clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle it. Myra started giggling too, and they stumbled through the forest—two youths pushed to the breaking point.
They stayed to the thicker areas of the woods as they went south. Landon kept his ears peeled for dragon wings. Every time he heard one approach, he and Myra ducked into a bush or under a log until the dragon disappeared. As much as Landon strained his eyes, the dragons were nothing more than large, black pinpricks. None of them flew low enough for Landon to make out individuals.