Although the dominant element in the room was, of course, the Earth, there was also a small Koi pond behind one of the couches, standing braziers holding flickering flames at the far end of the room, and a fresh breeze circulating through the room. When Bradley looked to the ceiling, he saw patches of puffy mist that looked exactly like miniature clouds floating near the room’s ceiling.
“Please enter, Bradley,” the Queen said. “You may leave us, guard.”
The door closed behind the guard as he left them alone. Bradley walked in and took the hand the Queen was offering. He held it lightly and bowed on one knee.
“I bring urgent news, my Queen,” he said. “Cara just received a message that Merrick will be arriving tomorrow from the Cloud City. With one of the Rune Corp cubes in hand.”
“You have done well, my darling,” she said. “And what is Cara doing in preparation for his arrival?”
“That’s the other thing, my Queen,” Bradley said. “Cara was taken by four Keepers about twenty minutes ago. They popped up out of the ground and vanished with her.”
“They did not say what they wanted?” the Queen said.
“No, Your Majesty. They only said that their master wanted to speak with Cara. I have no other information for you than that, but I knew you would want to know.”
The Queen stared at a tree planted in one corner of the room—her eyes taking on a glazed look.
“Oh, what are you up to, Terrada?” she said. “I know the Keepers, and they would do nothing so bold without direction from you. I do not know what you hope to learn from Ohman’s child, but the half-blood Cara is of no consequence to me, and I am sure you will find her to be of little use, either.
“What are your orders for me, my Queen?” Bradley said.
The Queen blinked her eyes, as if she had just remembered that Bradley was even in the room with her.
“You must go back and wait for Cara, my dear. The Keepers will return her, and when she tells you what they had to say, then you may come to me again.”
The Queen stood up from the couch and motioned for Bradley to stand. She moved in close to him, her face within an inch of his as she whispered into his ear.
“Learn of and tell me what the Keepers are planning, and I will reward you greatly. Go and show me that you are deserving of a place by my side in the Earth Clan.”
CHAPTER 54
MERRICK WOKE UP more tired than he’d been in a very long while—even more exhausted than he would have been if he had spent all night working with the divinium cubes.
Tamami had left only half an hour before the dawn, and Merrick had barely accumulated three hours of restless sleep since then.
And yet, despite the fact that he knew he would be seeing Mona in a short while, and that he would have to face her at some time about his mental, emotional, and now physical infidelity, he couldn’t help but feel, not happy, but peaceful after spending the night with Tamami.
His mind told him that he should be filled with guilt and that it would be difficult to look in Mona’s eyes, but as he searched inside himself, he could only find the barest hint of these emotions, as if they had been muted.
It had been far from a case of charity, but during their talks he had learned that Tamami had never had a relationship with a man before. It was not that her monk status prevented such an occurrence, but rather the fact that she had been waiting, as she had said, for the right one.
In Merrick’s previous life when he thought himself a human, he would have run away from any woman who said something like that to him, but since he’d entered the world of magic, Merrick had grown more comfortable with such statements. Compared to worrying about prophecies and the fate of the world, what Tamami had said did not frighten him at all.
As best as he could tell, Tamami had simply been waiting for someone who understood her—someone who could relate to her.
Merrick understood that very well.
In many ways, he felt as if he had been waiting for her as well. It didn’t change how much he loved Mona, but his affection for Tamami made him doubt whether Mona and he really were right for each other.
Mona was wonderful, but even she had admitted that she was only a human, unable to truly understand and relate to him fully. Tamami, on the other hand, saw into Merrick’s inner core as easily as she walked among the clouds.
On the surface, Tamami was scarred, but Merrick could see nothing but beauty when he looked at her.
Merrick pivoted himself out of bed, quickly got ready for the day, and stepped out into the hallway to meet Jonathan, Master Banzo, and Mona, as had become their tradition before sharing breakfast in the palace courtyard.
Mr. Kawagishi was there as well and told them that today was the day of the Wind Festival—a time for much celebration and joy in the city. This was the day they celebrated Araki’s own birth. There was, of course, no way for Merrick to know if the Wind Dragon actually had a birthday or not, but this was still the one day every year when Araki’s followers came together, no matter their location, no matter their social status, to honor their sovereign dragon.
“You will see many wonderful things today, Ard Righ,” Mr. Kawagishi said. “Dances and spectacles the likes of which you have never before experienced. And cuisine from all around the globe, all inspired by Araki, of course. You will see. You are very lucky indeed to be with us at this time of year!”
As they followed behind Mr. Kawagishi, Mona leaned over to Merrick to give him a kiss on the cheek.
“What happened to you last night?” she said quietly into his ear in a serious tone. “I waited up almost all night for you. I hope you found what you were looking for at least.”
“I found it,” Merrick said quietly back to her, “but it’s not going to be easy to get. I have a plan, and if things go as I’m hoping, we’ll be leaving before nightfall. Tell the others to stay ready.”
Mona looked up at Merrick and searched his eyes, then nodded.
“I’ll tell them,” she said, “but can you tell me anything more right now?”
“The Prince will have the cube with him later, in public,” he said, leaning in closer to Mona. “I’ll take it away from him then.”
Mr. Kawagishi took them down the airlift to the ground floor of the palace, past the courtyard where they normally ate breakfast, and toward the palace gates.
“I have someplace else in mind this morning for your morning meal,” Mr. Kawagishi said.
Merrick could tell that Mona was irritated with him and wanted to speak in private—to say more than she was able to in Mr. Kawagishi’s presence. But as they walked, she appeared more and more relaxed, and soon, she seemed quite content to simply take in the surroundings of the billowy, white city. It was as if she had forgotten her qualms with Merrick, for the time being at least.
Merrick watched Mr. Kawagishi closely, but his instinct as well as his eyes told him that the diplomat literally oozed the soothing magic from his creation name without even trying to affect those around him.
Even Merrick felt calmer from walking so close to Mr. Kawagishi.
“Today we venture into the streets of our fine city,” Mr. Kawagishi said. “First, we go to watch the dance of the dragons. I think you will enjoy this very much.”
“This city is beautiful,” Jonathan said to Merrick. “Its architecture. Just like I’ve studied, but seeing it in person is a completely different experience. The fact that they’ve constructed an entire city using divinium-laced clouds as magical building blocks is amazing.”
“Your appreciation for our culture honors us,” Mr. Kawagishi said. “Not many strangers are allowed to see our city, and the ones who do never seem to...appreciate the nuances of what we have created here. Do you know how many nails, fasteners, and dovetail joints were used in the construction of our home in the clouds? Not a single one. It took our finest architects and engineers over two years to build what you see before you—to create a suitable place for our family to live among the winds w
ith Araki. It was a beautiful day when our family moved here, after the split between the families, or so the legend has it.”
Merrick spotted a crowd of Wind citizens gathered up in front of them on the left.
“What is that?” Merrick said.
“This will be of great interest to you,” Mr. Kawagishi said as he stopped their group and pointed out to the center of the street. “This is a symbolic dance celebrating Araki’s movement across the skies of the world. It is more for entertainment’s sake and is not nearly as serious as the one you witnessed on your first night at dinner with the Emperor.”
A line of dancers stood in the middle of the street, cloaked from their thighs to their heads under a thirty-foot silk representation of Araki. Just like a dance in Chinatown that Merrick had seen several years ago, the dancers began their movements, instantly causing the giant silk body to undulate and sway as if it were an actual dragon.
The Drayoom dancers had a leg up on their human counterparts he had seen perform back in D.C., of course. These dancers were able to fly into the air, sending their dragon up at an unbelievable angle before diving at a speed that was so alarming, the audience gasped as the dancers pulled the dragon out of its nosedive only inches from the street’s surface.
Merrick and his crew looked on in awe.
The silk dragon moved so fast that Merrick could feel a breeze blowing across his cheeks as it danced past.
“Come,” Mr. Kawagishi said. “There is more of this sort of spectacle throughout our city today. You must be hungry. Let us enjoy our morning meal at one of our traditional establishments.”
Merrick had to pull Jonathan away from the dancing dragon as they made their way through the crowds to a restaurant where people were sitting outside at round tables, eating breakfast.
After escorting the group to one of the larger tables, Mr. Kawagishi shouted something to the restaurant owner in the common language of the city that Merrick had gotten used to hearing during his nighttime adventures with Tamami.
“Was that Japanese?” Jonathan said.
“Pardon my rudeness,” Mr. Kawagishi said. “We speak a language that shares some tonal qualities and some historical origins with your Japanese, but our people speak their own language, entirely different from any human analog at this point, I assure you.”
“I didn’t know your people spoke anything other than English,” Jonathan said. “Everyone here speaks it so well...”
“Yes, in our family, it is considered a courtesy to speak other people’s languages whenever possible. Once again, I apologize for using our common tongue, but the restaurant owner is very old and does not speak English.”
“We take no disrespect at that,” Jonathan said. “I was just surprised.”
Merrick laughed lightly. Even in the world of the Drayoom, the American assumption that everyone spoke English was still present. Even though he certainly knew more words in the Wind language than most members of Rune Corp or the Earth Clan, Merrick made a note to study the common tongue of the Wind Family after he returned home.
Even as Merrick, Jonathan, and Mr. Kawagishi were talking with one another, three serving women in dark kimonos appeared, their heads bowed as they glided up to the table. They placed small bowls of rice and various side dishes including small, rolled-up omelets and something that Merrick was sure was broiled fish.
Mona and Master Banzo looked a little taken aback by the breakfast that probably reminded them more of lunch than anything else.
Jonathan, as expected, was not surprised at all by the morning meal.
Once again, some of his group were faced with another misconception—that every culture started the day with a sugar-based meal. Over the last three mornings, they had been fed a more standard Western breakfast comprised of cereals and breads along with eggs, but out here, among the people of the Wind, they were eating the way the real citizenry dined.
The group’s hunger soon took over as they ate their small meals along with some invigorating hot tea brought out shortly by the same serving women.
As the food entered his belly, Merrick felt warmed and refreshed, the sudden influx of fuel overriding his lingering stupor from the night before and from the lack of sleep.
Before discussing their plans for the day, they enjoyed some light conversation about the beauty of the city and how gracious the Emperor was for being their host.
“I thought it would be fitting to simply walk around the city and to enjoy the different events our people enjoy on this holy day, if that suits your desire,” Mr. Kawagishi said as he cast a sideways glance at Merrick. “After that, we will return to the palace in the afternoon for rest and then meet again for a more official ceremony of Araki’s birth this evening.”
Merrick and the others nodded and gave verbal agreements. One thing Merrick had to say about the Emperor—he certainly kept his guests busy. Merrick wondered if this was the way he treated all guests or if the idea was to keep Merrick as distracted as possible for some other reason.
Either way, Tamami had told Merrick where the cube would be this evening, and Merrick was perfectly fine playing along with the Emperor’s itinerary for one more day. Even though he had memorized much of the city from his outings with Tamami, the more he saw of the city in the daytime, the better equipped he would be to escape when the time was right.
As their group continued on, Merrick heard loud shouting in an area up ahead where several streets converged at a large circle. Mr. Kawagishi seemed excited as he urged their group forward, letting their guards clear the way for them through the mass of commoners, leading them to the front of the crowd.
In the center of the circle, two shirtless men, each in loose-fitting pants and sandals, were fighting as the crowd screamed and cheered. Each of the men was a skilled fighter and displayed his own unique fighting moves and counter attacks. As Merrick would expect from a fight in the Wind City, the men combined fighting on the ground with flying through the air, performing complex aerial somersaults and attacks as each launched an intricate dance of strikes and counter-strikes.
At one point, their fists connected with each other, and the sound was like that of thunder, sending both fighters reeling through the air in opposite directions. One stopped by landing on the street, while the other one ended his flight by hitting the roof of a nearby house before launching himself back into the fray.
Although Jonathan would usually be the most interested in such a cultural phenomenon, this kind of display was Master Banzo’s territory, and the fighting master looked over at Merrick and then back to the action as if he were a young boy who very much wanted to join in the games with the other boys in the school yard.
“Mr. Kawagishi,” Master Banzo said. “Are these contests open to outsiders, by any chance? Do entrants fight the winner or are the matches separate from one another?”
Mr. Kawagishi smiled.
“I thought you might enjoy something like this, Master Banzo. If you wish, I will inquire for you.”
Master Banzo enthusiastically agreed as Mr. Kawagishi made his way along the edge of the crowd to a large man who seemed to be running the show. Mr. Kawagishi pointed back at Master Banzo, and the large man simply grinned and nodded.
Merrick had felt bad that Master Banzo hadn’t had much to do during their trip so far, and he was happy that his Sensei would have a chance to enjoy himself and to show off his skills as well. Merrick had fought many Drayoom since he had entered the world of dragons and magic just under a year ago, but he had never seen anyone fight with Master Banzo’s skill and power.
Merrick crossed his arms and waited, eager to watch his teacher in action.
Mr. Kawagishi made his way through the crowd, back to Merrick and the group and told Master Banzo that he could fight in the next match if he so desired—as a special honor to the Emperor’s guests.
“These fights are not only for display, however. I must warn you,” Mr. Kawagishi said. “There are rules of combat that will not be bro
ken, and although lives are not normally lost, the fights are for status and honor in our family. The participants take them very seriously. Do you still wish to take part?”
“I would be honored,” Master Banzo said, “to represent Rune Corp and the Ard Righ.”
“Very well,” Mr. Kawagishi said as he raised his hand and swirled it in the air several times. The large man saw the signal and nodded.
Meanwhile, the fight in the circle was winding down, as one of the warriors struggled to catch his breath. He was letting his guard drop, and his opponent was taking full advantage of his opponent’s weakness. It was clear to Merrick that this was a case of the better-conditioned fighter coming out on top.
Most people who had never fought before severely underestimated how much aerobic capacity and energy it took to fight for even thirty seconds, much less for several minutes at a time.
When Merrick looked again at the fight that was winding down, the weaker opponent was on the ground, making a gesture with the palm of his hand that must have signaled his surrender. The crowd applauded wildly as the victor bowed deeply to his opponent and then to the surrounded masses.
By the time Merrick looked away from the spectacle, Master Banzo had already taken off the top part of his battle suit and handed it to Jonathan, who received it with a worried look on his face.
“Master,” Jonathan said, “please remember that they take these fights very seriously here, and we need you in one piece for the next part of our mission. Promise me that you will give them the sign of surrender if it gets to be too much. None of us doubt your fighting prowess.”
Master Banzo looked at Jonathan and grinned.
“Boy, this is not about what any of you think of me. This is about what I think of myself. If you want someone to worry about, worry for my opponent.”
And with that, Master Banzo made his way to the large man who was motioning him over. As the crowd noticed that an outsider was about to fight, their volume rose to such a level that it hurt Merrick’s ears.
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