by Rick Scott
And many more would surely come.
Soldiers posted atop the city wall came to attention as he vaulted over its red-tiled roof, issuing him a salute. He bounded from rooftop to rooftop of the buildings behind the wall, evidence of the council’s influence rampant in the streets below him. Even at this early hour, the city swelled with the chaos and revelry of a festival day. Drunken dancing, open harlotry, even the city guard who fell directly under the council’s control choose to turn a blind eye to the antics instead of enforcing law and order.
The citizens patterned the example of their great leader, rejecting work for play. Meanwhile the gray robes walked the streets like dignitaries, adding to the chaos by soliciting bribes to fatten their own pockets and those of their patrons.
The entirety of it sickened him.
The empire was crumbling from within.
Amikazu touched down at the gate of the imperial palace. Several more of his soldiers saluted as he passed through the towering paifang and into the grand courtyard of the palace gardens. The palace itself lay straight ahead a fair distance away, but to his right was the home of the mystic schools, where the grand masters of all five sects both resided and trained their foremost students.
Amikazu slowed as he took in the towering multi-tiered building that looked more like a shrine than a school. At least a hundred 10th-Dan mystic artists dwelled inside, training endlessly to reach 15th. He himself had dwelled there many years ago—a peasant boy from the fields who showed enough talent to gain a place in one of the satellite schools across the province. Then enough more to attain 15th Dan at thirty years old and finally one of the highest of ranks within the Zhou military thirty years after that.
A lifetime of service, he thought nostalgically, gazing at the school where his career began. But even the mystic schools were not immune to the sickness spreading throughout the empire. Petty nobles and merchants bought their way inside the schools now, supplying their children—too undisciplined to reach mastery on their own—with the potent materia that would see them transcending entire Dans with ease. With the loss of Han Village, at least, now such practices would come to an end.
The empire needed strong mystic warriors who could fight—not pampered nobles who could only swallow pills. Still, the loss of the Han arts would be a loss to the empire in many ways, but a necessary one.
A sick tree requires swift pruning.
“General Amikazu!” a voice called from behind him. “A word, please!”
Amikazu halted and glanced over his shoulder. A fat council member made a sad attempt to run after him. More of a stumbling walk, than a run.
Amikazu hid his disdain as he smiled broadly at the man and bowed. “Ah, Interior Minister Yee, how may I be of service?”
Yee slowed to a waddle before resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. “You move so swiftly, General. I feared I wouldn’t catch you. Are you on your way to the emperor?”
“I am.”
Yee was bald and round-faced, completely shaven, or more likely, had no hair to shave. Like many within the emperor’s imperial cabinet, Minister Yee was a eunuch, a man Jin Yu had known and trusted since birth as an imperial retainer. When the late emperor passed, Jin Yu was still but a boy. And naturally the boy-emperor made men such as Yee part of his council cabinet, the majority even.
And now decades later, they were still in place.
The council of manhood, Amikazu mocked inwardly. A true farce.
Eunuchs were often trusted as retainers for their perceived lack of avarice, presumably due to their inability to sire an heir while also being immune to the temptations of women. But Amikazu often found the opposite to be true. Men like Yee, if he truly was a man, had no stake in the future, no reason to build and save for the generations to come.
Men like Yee sought glory only for themselves…and in the present.
“A council meeting has been called concerning Han Village,” Yee said. “I was hoping to receive an update from you upon your return. Is all well?”
Technically Amikazu—as General of the Interior Forces—reported directly to Minister Yee, but his station also allowed him free access to the emperor in matters of military importance. “I’ll offer a full report once I’ve briefed the emperor directly.”
Yee paled. “Are things that bad?”
A sly attempt to pry more information, but perhaps such an opportunity could serve his purposes as well. The fires were being stoked and it would soon be time to set the blaze alight.
“You may wish to urge the foreign minister to reconsider his plans for peace talks with the Tsu,” Amikazu said.
As expected, the vague reference caused Yee to furrow his brow in confusion and concern. “What was that?”
“When I arrived in Han Village, I found a small group of Tsu warriors burning it to the ground.”
Yee’s mouth fell open.
“The Han clan is…unfortunately… no more.”
“What under heaven…” Yee’s words came out in a stammer. “H-how could this happen?”
Amikazu cocked his head contemplatively. “The Tsu are perhaps more crafty than we give them credit. And more powerful, as well. I was lucky to survive the encounter… my lieutenants were not so fortunate.”
Yee’s eyes dashed wildly to and fro. “So the fruit…? The orchards?”
Typical…an entire village destroyed and the crop is his only concern.
“Gone…” Amikazu said with disdain. “All gone.”
The minister stared at the ground, still in shock.
Amikazu didn’t wait for him to recover to ask further questions.
He turned on his heel and left to find the emperor.
* * *
Amikazu entered the throne room to find both it and Jin Yu in much the same condition as when he’d left—the room a stinking mess and the emperor half-drunk and in the arms of one of his concubines. Thankfully, however, he seemed in a much greater state of consciousness and ushered him inside once Amikazu prostrated himself.
“Your excellency…”
“Rise,” Jin Yu said, waving his arm and throwing the woman aside. “What news, General?”
Amikazu glanced at the guards and the concubines. “Perhaps this matter is better discussed in complete privacy, your excellency.”
Jin Yu pushed back his hair as he stared at him a moment. “Very well… guards, leave us. Take them with you.”
When the entourage finally departed, Amikazu recounted the events for the emperor much the same as he had for Yee. “It was as I had feared… a Tsu attack in center of our heartland.”
The emperor fell back into his throne. “And everyone is dead?”
Amikazu considered his answer to that carefully. Had things gone as planned it would have been a simple yes. But now… “The boy is unaccounted for.”
“The boy?”
“Yes…a portion of the sundered soul, your excellency.”
Jin Yu gulped his wine, but didn’t say anything for a moment, his eyes flashing back and forth in contemplation. Amikazu could only guess what his thoughts might be, but they were no doubt headed in the direction he had planned.
Now was the time. The moment of truth.
“I mentioned the bloodskull demon,” Amikazu said. “When summoned, they can seek prey over thousands of miles. I had only suspected before, but now it’s confirmed. The body of Li Wan Fu is what they were after.”
“No,” Jin Yu said, shaking his head. “This is impossible! Why would they even seek it? All of his followers were destroyed!”
“True,” Amikazu said. “And yet his legend still lives on.”
A dark shadow passed over the emperor’s face. It was the outcome Amikazu had predicted. For all the power Jin Yu had usurped from the Bloody Duke’s shattered soul, the one thing he could never claim was his fame and notoriety. Instead he wallowed in a shadow of obscurity and insignificance—strong by measure of Qi rather than merit of spirit.
Emperor Jin Yu was i
mmortal…but he was no legend.
“I saw the Tsu practitioners myself,” Amikazu continued, pushing the narrative further. “They killed two of my best men while escaping and nearly myself as well. They used that demon to find his body. There’s no doubt now…”
Jin Yu shook his head. “This can’t be…”
“But even with that demon, I do not think they could have achieved this alone,” Amikazu said, layering another web. “I believe the Tsu might have planted a spy within our ranks to achieve this.”
Jin Yu looked at him. “A spy?”
“Yes and one of very high station.”
“Are you certain of this?”
“I am positive now. Troop movements over the last few weeks show a pattern that would have allowed a small force through our internal defenses. Past the Great Wall.”
Jin Yu wrinkled his brow. “But don’t those forces fall under your command?”
“Indeed. And I allowed the breach to occur.”
The emperor’s eyes widened, his brows diving in a scowl. Even from where he stood, Amikazu could feel Jin Yu’s anger surge in a wave of powerful Qi.
“You what?”
His heartbeat sped. The emperor could crush him like an insect, but he forced his next words with a confident and collected calm. “I had to be certain if it was simply the incompetence of one of my subordinates or something more. With what’s now occurred … the conclusion is obvious.”
The emperor slumped back in his throne again. “How could this be happening?”
“If your excellency would allow, I will personally launch an investigation to find out who is responsible. Clandestinely of course.”
“Of course. Who is it you suspect?”
Amikazu frowned. “At this point… anyone.”
The emperor cradled his chin and nodded. “Do so… and inform only me.”
There it was… a blank execution letter signed by the emperor himself. Now all he required was a list. But the true purpose of his meeting still lay ahead. Amikazu prayed he had spun his tales well enough. That the lies and murders he was responsible for would all be worth it in the end.
One final request.
“Emperor… now that this has occurred, I have one more matter for your consideration.”
“Yes?”
Amikazu steeled himself. He would have to trust in the emperor’s sloth and paranoia to achieve his next aim. Luckily, both were qualities that Jin Yu held in great measure. He was, after all, a 37th Dan who had risen through the ingestion of materia, not true skill or talent.
“The Tsu discovered the location of one portion of the sundered soul and are still within the province…with the possibility of a spy being involved, we must consider that they may also know the location of the final portion as well.”
Jin Yu’s eyes widened with alarm. “The mind stone…?”
“Indeed,” Amikazu said, careful to contain his eagerness. “Li Wan Fu’s memories are still trapped within it. Think, emperor…the martial knowledge of an 80th-Dan mystic warrior within one’s grasp. We knew well enough to leave it buried…but if the Tsu were ever to possess it…along with what they were seeking already…”
Jin Yu stared upwards as his mind put together the carefully laid puzzle pieces.
“By the heavens…” he said absently. “They seek to resurrect him!”
Amikazu smiled inwardly. Well done, Jin Yu…well done.
“Your excellency.” Amikazu bowed, quick to seal the deal. “If what you say is true, then until I locate the spy, as a precaution, I would advise relocating the Mind Stone to the capital for safety.”
“From Fort Dohma?” Jin Yu raised a brow. “But it’s impenetrable, is it not? It’s the reason we sealed it there.”
“That may very well be, but we don’t yet know how far this Tsu infiltration may run. If even General Ho’s men are compromised…”
Amikazu left the sentence unfinished, allowing the emperor to fill in the thought for himself. A silence fell as Jin Yu contemplated it in earnest. He was on the cusp. Perhaps one final nudge.
“Your excellency, even you were only powerful enough to contain but one portion of the Sundered Soul.” Amikazu paused long enough for the emperor to look at him. “…imagine if the Tsu were able to possess two?”
The seed was planted. It did not take long for it to germinate.
“Guards!” Jin Yu shouted to outside the room. “Fetch me writing implements and my imperial seal!” He then looked back to Amikazu. “I shall send you to Fort Dohma with an imperial order. Return with the stone immediately.”
Amikazu used every ounce of his discipline to conceal the smile of victory tugging at his lips. Sloth and paranoia indeed. “A very wise decision, your excellency. I believe it far better protected here at the palace. I shall travel at once to Fort Dohma and secure the stone.”
“Good,” Jin Yu said. “And what of the boy?”
Ah yes…what was supposed to have been the easier portion of this plan.
“I believe him to have fled before the Tsu attacked. He is perhaps in hiding in the wild. I have trusted men searching for him as we speak.”
Not a complete lie. Although the word trusted was a bit of an embellishment.
“Good…report when you’ve recovered him.”
“I shall, your excellency.” Amikazu bowed deeply. Everything was finally in motion, his goal nearly within his grasp. “Fear not, emperor. I will not cease my efforts until every last portion of the Sundered Soul is accounted for and back within good hands…including the boy.”
Chapter 24 – Nowhere
Kenji awoke in darkness.
Cold sand, coarse like broken shale, shifted underneath him as he raised his head. A beach, black as night, stretched as far as he could see, dark water lapping at its shore.
Where am I…?
Kenji stood shakily. Above him, the completely black sky held no stars at all.
A terrible thought shook him… Am I dead?
Fear rose up in his chest as he spun about to gain his bearings. No, this had to be some kind of dream. As he turned to face the water, an enormous glowing city came into view. It seemed several miles off in the distance, across the gap of dark liquid. Brilliant spires of silver and jade towered into the sky, illuminating it with a golden hue. Small figures floated and sparkled in the air above the towers. Small like gnats to his eye from this distance, but they had to be people Windwalking perhaps. And then something large and slow-moving, twisted like a snake through and around the spires, golden and radiant.
A dragon? No, it seemed more regal and powerful than that even. An ascended dragon perhaps…a celestial serpent!
Kenji’s heart nearly stopped.
Was that the celestial heaven?
Perhaps he was truly dead.
A bell tolled, resonating across the waters. From the shores of the sparkling city, streams of colorful lights flew into the dark sky like fireworks. They crossed the vast distance in but a fraction of time, flying over his head. They disappeared into the darkness, well past the black beach he was standing upon. Moments later, flashes of lightning lit the darkened sky with booms of thunder.
The sound resonated deep in his chest and the bell tolled louder with more urgency. Lighted ferries could be seen crossing the gap and reaching the shore. A new sound then emerged—the muted rumble of swift footfalls accompanied by distant screams.
His blood chilled at the sound. Kenji turned back towards the darkness as the screams grew louder. An old man with silver hair emerged wide-eyed, running and screaming with abandon. Kenji jerked back in fright as the man passed straight through him and immediately leapt into the water.
He cried out as his body began to sizzle and dissolve as if by acid. A few moments more and his cries and body disappeared altogether. What in the heavens…?
More people emerged: men, women, and children. Some, seeing the dissolving man, stopped short at the edge of the beach, while others flew over their heads using Qinggon
g, soaring through the sky. None of them seemed to notice Kenji. The voices rose up in a confused panic. Then, as one of the boats touched ashore, a new voice cried out.
“Enter quickly while there is time! Windwalk across the gap if you are able!”
The herd of people around him rushed towards the boat, again passing straight through him as if he were a ghost. More people emerged from the darkness as another barrage of fireworks spewed from the celestial city, lighting up the darkness with thunder.
This time something large and moving was caught by the flash, and the mere sight of it caused Kenji’s heart to jump. A red glow emerged some hundred feet in the air, bobbing slowly up and down as the ground shook with the stomp of heavy footfalls.
“It comes!” someone yelled. “Run!”
Fear seized Kenji’s chest as a massive cry pierced the air, so loud he feared his ears might bleed. The terrifying wail was accompanied by a bright light that lit up the sky, giving form to a towering figure, tall like a century-old tree. It had the shape of a man, but its body was black and shifted as if made of smoke. Where its head would be was a skull and as it screamed, roaring flames of heat spewed forth from its mouth like a furnace.
By the heavens…a demon!
The massive being swooped its arms low to the ground, scooping up several people still trying to flee from between its legs. They cried out in terror as it delivered them to its gaping jaw, but their voices weren’t silenced immediately. The screams continued even while the beast chewed them alive.
Kenji’s skin grew numb, his stomach sick—the horror of it paralyzing him.
Kenji finally backed away from the monstrosity as it stepped forward and he soon found himself standing within the water. His heart leapt again as he tried to jump out, but then he realized that his feet were not burning. They didn’t feel wet either.
He wasn’t in the water…he was standing on top of it.
Kenji stared about, perplexed. Perhaps this was only some kind of dream.
Or vision.
Kenji struggled to make sense of it all as more people emerged onto the beach, running for their lives. A second giant demon appeared as more ferries arrived on the shore. Suddenly across the beach, Kenji spotted a wiry old man with a beard and tattered robes.
