by Ryan Kirk
She sounded as though she’d continue, but she gathered herself. “I’m sorry, Asa. I know you have plenty to deal with now, but I’m not sure if I can do this.”
Asa liked Mari. She wasn’t sure the two of them would ever see eye to eye on much, but she respected the woman. The lady’s strength and courage were unquestioned, and that counted for a lot in Asa’s eyes.
Together they stared into the dying fire. Something about the flames entranced them both, and even Asa felt the effects of the flickering flame. She relaxed and spoke her mind. “I don’t know the answers to the questions you have. But I do know this: when a sword is drawn, there is no room for doubt. The warrior who doubts their purpose dies. You face difficult decisions, but you can’t turn back, even for a moment.” She wondered if she was talking for Mari’s benefit or her own. What was the point of fighting a losing battle?
“I am no warrior,” Mari replied.
Asa stopped her. “You are as much as Koji or I. Your weapons may not be steel, but you grant death or life all the same. You drew your sword the moment you set us on this path.”
They turned back to the fire, its warmth seeping through Asa’s robes. Suddenly, she was hit by a wave of exhaustion. She stood up, preparing to leave. She gave a short bow and turned to their tent.
“Asa?”
The nightblade could hear the change in Mari’s voice. Mari spoke her name with an air of command. “Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Asa gave Mari a short bow and headed back to her tent, wishing she could feel the same confidence those around her did.
Asa watched as Jun healed Koji. Given Koji’s status among the other blades, he merited visits every day from at least one dayblade. His body would have healed itself with time and rest, but there was an overwhelming feeling among the blades that their strength would be needed again soon. The strongest of them deserved the most healing.
The process was exhausting, both for the dayblades who healed and those whose bodies were being knit back together. After each healing, Koji sat and ate at least two bowls of rice and vegetables. Compared to what most people in the camp consumed, the meal was a feast fit for a king.
Asa had seen plenty of healings, but they never ceased to fascinate her. The powers of the dayblades were derived from the same source as the nightblades, and yet their skills were completely different. Only Kiyoshi, as far as she knew, had figured out how to tap into both sets of skills. Was that a worthy goal to chase? Or was it as pointless as so much else was?
Observing the healing, she knew she wasn’t nearly skilled enough to try. She watched both with her eyes and her sense. To her vision, there was little to see. Koji lay on his bed, a light sweat on his forehead the only sign of his discomfort. Jun, the dayblade who had once saved Asa’s own life, knelt next to him with his hand on Koji’s chest. Except for the rising and falling of Koji’s breath, the two of them were almost perfectly still.
Her sense painted a different scene, though. The energy around Koji was dancing in the peculiar pattern that it had since his last fight. The difference between Koji’s aura and anyone else’s was subtle, but Asa had spent enough time around him in the last few days to be certain that something about it was different.
Interlaced with that energy was Jun’s. Dayblades manipulated the energy of others to hasten the healing process. Jun’s work was intricate and fast, and Asa could only catch the faintest outlines of what he did. Her sense was trained to detect the swing of a sword, not the twitch of a finger.
Jun finished the healing. To Asa’s sense, it was as though the older dayblade’s energy slowly separated from Koji’s, almost like two lovers stepping apart after a dance was over. Jun checked Koji over one last time to ensure he was well, then stood up. Even though the dayblade had seen over forty cycles, he moved with an easy and powerful grace. Asa wondered if Jun, too, had once been a nightblade. Kiyoshi couldn’t be the only one to make the switch.
Jun’s eyes met hers. Koji was sitting up and already reaching for his first bowl of rice. Jun looked towards the door, and Asa understood his meaning well enough. She bowed towards Jun. “Thank you for your time, master. Allow me to escort you out.”
The deception, slim as it was, wasn’t needed. Koji was attacking the bowl of rice with the same energy he fought opponents with.
Asa led the way out of the tent, then let Jun take the lead as he walked to a place where they wouldn’t be overheard.
Jun didn’t bother with formalities. His eyes looked sunken and hollow. As part of the cooperation with Mari’s forces, the dayblades had been kept busy, healing not just other blades but regular soldiers who would accept their help. Asa didn’t envy the burden the man was carrying.
“You’ve been with him since the battle?” he asked.
Asa nodded.
“Is it apparent to your sense that his energy has changed?”
“Barely, but yes. I lack the words to describe it, but he is different, even from other blades.”
“Did you notice it before the battle?”
She shook her head. “It is difficult to say. As it is, I barely notice it unless we’re very close, and only if I focus. It would have been easy to overlook before.”
Jun sighed. “From my perspective, it is as obvious as the changing of the seasons. The other dayblades who have healed him have noted it also. It makes them uncomfortable, which is why I’ve visited the last three mornings.”
Asa had wondered about that. Directly after the battle, Koji had been seen by whatever dayblade seemed available, but Jun had been the only one recently. Still, Asa didn’t understand. “Why?”
Jun glanced at her, a momentary look of confusion on his face, quickly replaced by realization. “You can’t feel it, can you?”
Asa didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Asa, his energy isn’t just different. The way he’s interacting with it is different. He’s manipulating the flow of energy around him.”
Asa still didn’t understand. She shook her head. “Isn’t that what dayblades do?”
“Not like this. If I could do what he’s doing, I would become a healer of legend. I can’t manipulate energy that isn’t mine or the person’s I’m touching. This would be the equivalent of being able to heal someone while sitting on the other side of a city. What he’s doing is subtle, and I suspect he isn’t even aware of it, but he’s pulling in the energy around him all the time.”
“What does that even mean?” Asa said, worried. Was Jun saying Koji was sick?
Jun looked off into the distance, as though his answers might be found there. “I don’t know. As far as I’m aware, nothing like this has ever happened. If there were any answers, they would have been in the library at Starfall, but that’s gone now, too.”
“Is he healthy?”
“Without doubt. Perhaps what we’ve noticed is the reason he’s recovering so quickly. Perhaps it seems slow to you, but I can’t overemphasize how close to death he came. The fact he’s ready to fight again is remarkable. I don’t mean to worry you, but I would ask that you be aware. If this ability is the source of his strength, perhaps it can be taught to others. If it’s something else, well, close observation is the best we can ask for.”
Asa agreed, and Jun went on his way. There were too many healings to perform in too little time.
She returned to the tent, where Koji had already started on his second bowl of rice. “What did Jun have to say?”
“That I’m to watch you, very closely,” Asa replied.
A mischievous grin crossed Koji’s face, and he looked even younger than he was. “No matter what?” With that, he started slipping out of his robe.
Tempted as she was, Asa was hoping to meet with the Council of the Blades today. If she was going to have any chance of catching them, she needed to leave earlier rather than later. She turned to leave, but Koji leaped toward her, mischief on his mind. Despite everything, he still had moments when he acted as though he was no older
than a child.
Asa blocked one of his arms as he came to embrace her, twisted, and threw him down. He fell easily, but with a simple twist, he swept her legs out from under her, and she too fell toward the bed.
Frustrated that her plans were being delayed, Asa drove an elbow toward his face. Injured or not, she didn’t like people interfering with her plans. She sensed his block coming and redirected her elbow. He deflected it with another hand, and before she knew what happened, they were trading blows.
The strikes ran the edge between playful and angry. She would attempt a strike, sense his block, then adjust her aim. He tried to stay in front of her attacks using his own sense. Four strikes passed in only a couple of heartbeats.
Then Asa sensed a block for a punch she hadn’t even thrown yet. Instinctively, she switched limbs, driving her knee into his stomach. He flexed with the blow, absorbing it without difficulty, but she still saw she had hurt him. She pushed herself off, and the world seemed still for a moment.
Asa frowned, worried about what had just transpired.
Koji’s grin slowly fell as he realized Asa wasn’t playing anymore. “What?”
“I’ve never sensed anything that far in advance before. I hadn’t even started to move when I sensed your block.”
He didn’t seem to think much of her problem. “It sounds like when I’m fighting at my best.”
She shook her head, replaying the memory. “Koji, I’m not as strong as you.”
“Nonsense.” He tried to reach towards her, to give her some sort of comforting embrace.
Asa slapped his arm away and knelt down next to him. “This isn’t about my pride. I’m serious. You’re a much stronger swordsman, and what just happened was far beyond what I’ve ever been capable of.”
Now his confusion was evident, too. “Have you been training?”
“No.”
Lost in thought, she didn’t sense the messenger until she was almost at the tent. It was a young nightblade Asa had seen around but didn’t know firsthand.
Both of them turned as the blade entered without knocking. When she saw the state of the tent and Koji’s loosely-hanging robes, she blushed and bowed deeply. “Apologies.”
“Never mind,” Asa growled. “What is it?”
“A bird has just arrived from our scouts. There’s a significant force approaching, and Lady Mari summons both of you to prepare for battle.”
2
The rest of the morning became a battle of order against chaos. Messenger birds flew back and forth between scouts, Mari’s forces, and the approaching force. After no small amount of confusion, Mari and her commanders learned that the unit approaching the ruins of Starfall was loyal to House Kita. Scouts reported they wore blue uniforms and carried banners emblazoned with the hammer and the sword, the ancient symbols of Mari’s house.
Koji waited in a state of nervous agitation, pacing back and forth in his tent. Despite the arguments of the dayblades, he was certain he was ready to fight. He felt stronger than before, though he couldn’t say why. His body ached, as though covered with bruises that he couldn’t see, but he was confident that once he resumed training his strength and grace would return. If not for Asa’s watchful eye, he’d probably have attempted regular training already.
The sun was high in the sky when Mari came to their tent. Koji recognized her energy without problem. It marked the first time she had visited since Koji offered her his sword to take his life. They hadn’t spoken since, but his gaze rarely left her. He knew the purpose he intended to bend his life toward.
Koji bowed deeply to her. “My lady.”
She returned the bow, less deep, as befitted nobility to their warriors. “Koji. It is good to see you well.”
The simple statement lifted his spirits, his heart racing. “Thank you.”
Asa, standing next to him, was less impressed. He wished that Asa saw Mari the way he did. Perhaps someday. She asked, “What do you need?”
The request wasn’t out of place, and her tone was friendly, but the rudeness still grated against his sensibilities. Mari deserved the utmost respect.
Mari didn’t seem to take any offense. “The leader of the approaching force is named General Fumio. According to his own hand, he is the leader of the First Expeditionary Force of House Kita. I know nothing of this, but he possesses my brother’s seal and they fly our flag. I am inclined to believe him, and we are meeting under the flag of truce in the foothills. I’d like the two of you to assemble a team of trustworthy nightblades to escort me.”
Koji almost jumped at Mari’s bidding, but Asa’s voice interrupted his automatic acceptance. “Are you certain that’s wise? Our position is tenuous already.”
“I have little choice. The blades are a part of my army, and there’s no point hiding the fact. The blades and House Kita are tied together now. I’m wary of meetings, and without Takahiro near, you two are among the few I trust.”
Mari left much unsaid. When she had last met under the flag of truce, she’d been betrayed by one of her generals and locked in a chest. Though her voice was calm, her eyes, darting furtively around the tent, betrayed her unease at the upcoming parley.
Koji focused on her last statement, though. Mari still trusted him, even after he’d confessed to killing her eldest brother. It wasn’t quite forgiveness, but at that moment, he would have followed her through a hundred burning Starfalls.
Asa gave a small bow, acknowledging the task, and Mari left them to it.
Soon after, they gathered to approach the site of the meeting. Koji looked around, impressed by the variety of people Mari had assembled. Mari and two advisers were present, surrounded by a combination of soldiers wearing the blue uniforms of House Kita and nightblades wearing their traditional black robes. Jun, the sole dayblade, also acted as an adviser to Mari, and he wore the white clothing of a dayblade, matching Mari’s own formal robes.
At present they held the advantage of the high ground, but they would soon sacrifice it. A warm western wind blew into their faces as they made their way down. The wind benefited the archers below, and Koji and the others shouldered shields in preparation for the worst. The weight was awkward and unfamiliar on his back, but the blades had recently experienced firsthand just how devastating the coordinated use of archers could be. They would never make the same mistake again. Strong as they were, they weren’t invincible.
As they approached, Koji’s senses were honed to a point. He felt honored to lead this guard, and if he needed to give his life to protect Mari’s, he would without hesitation. Any fate was better than being dishonored in front of her.
His precautions turned out to be unnecessary. They approached without difficulty, and after a short time they were all seated under a small poled tent. Mari sipped some tea Jun had prepared as the general approached.
Koji took the measure of the man in an instant. General Fumio wasn’t a nightblade, but he still carried himself as a warrior ought to. His posture and balance were nearly perfect, and as he walked Koji could see the scars that were evidence of a warrior’s service. The general took in the varied assembly before him, his thoughts betrayed by only the smallest flicker of annoyance. “Lady Mari, your messages gave me some hint of what to expect, but it was not this. While it is good to see you, I have more questions than answers. Starfall is burned, nightblades form your honor guard, and your brother, whom I was supposed to meet, is not present.”
Mari took another sip of her tea before speaking. Koji could guess how important this moment was to her. Her grip on the army above Starfall was solid for now, but they would vote on her within the next quarter-moon. If Fumio elected not to support her, she’d likely lose the soldiers above. But if she could win Fumio over, her grip on the army and her house would be greatly solidified. Koji wished he had some political skill he could lend Mari, but this challenge was hers alone.
Mari gave a brief account of the past moon, sticking only to the bare facts. She spoke of the siege of Starfall by Katas
hi’s forces, her decision to rescue the blades, and her temporary control over the army. She didn’t speak of the betrayals their house had suffered. “I am sorry, General Fumio. I sent birds to the other armies and to Stonekeep, but I wasn’t aware your force even existed. If I had been, I would have notified you immediately. Which brings me to another question. What are you doing with your force?”
Fumio looked uncertain. “I’m afraid that is between your brother and me, my lady. My mission was secret.”
“Hiromi is dead, general.”
The shock on Fumio’s face was genuine. Koji was no expert in people, but that much was plain. His teacup shook in his hand, which he steadied with a conscious effort. “What happened?”
“He was murdered, the victim of a conspiracy between Lord Katashi and General Kyo.”
Mari’s gaze was steely as she considered the general. Koji felt the tension in the air, picked up on by all the guards under the tent. No hand reached for a sword, they were all too disciplined for that, but he could sense the preparedness.
“I do not believe Kyo would be capable of such an act, my lady.” There was an edge to Fumio’s voice.
“Regardless, it is true. You have my word.”
Fumio’s eyes narrowed as he set down his teacup. “I’ve served side by side with General Kyo for over twenty cycles. Where is he? I will speak to him and get to the bottom of this. I will find the truth.”
Mari’s answer was direct. “I killed him in combat.”
Koji leaped into motion almost before he realized what he was doing. He sensed Fumio going for his sword, trying to draw on Mari. The guards around the room shifted in response to the change in the general’s balance. Koji acted without thought, darting towards the general, drawing his own blade, his sense giving him an edge on everyone in the tent.
The nightblade’s sword was at Fumio’s neck before his hand even got to his sword. Koji’s voice was low. “Touch your weapon and sacrifice your life.”
