Favored (Among the Favored Book 1)

by Stone, C. L.

  “You have an uncle,” I said.

  “He didn’t want me, until I showed him I could control the oxen,” he said. “So I worked his small farm with the oxen for food and to sleep in the old hut in the back of his property. And he only agreed to let me drive them to the city when I gave him everything Ryuu gave me.”

  “So why help us? If you didn’t profit...”

  “My name isn’t on the list,” he said. “My ancestors were always poor farmers, except for one distant cousin who was a bannerman. It’s a long shot, but I want to see if that would qualify at all.”

  I pressed my lips tight again, looking down at him as he stared back up at me. “We’re both long shots,” I said.

  “Not you,” he said. “Your face... that’d qualify for anything.” He sat back on his blanket, the leaves beneath rustling below him. “I’ve never forgotten your face.”

  “How did I forget you?”

  He stared blankly up at the sky. “I was the one who told you your parents were gone. You probably blocked me out of your memories.”

  I couldn’t recall that moment. I settled back into the seat, my lips unable to form any more questions. Instead I dove into my memory for the moment I’d learned my parents had disappeared.

  I had forgotten it. The only thing I remembered was the grave, and then trying to survive. Like how I avoided the outside world, I’d also forgotten a lot of things about that time.

  But I’d had a farm and a house left to me. I hadn’t even thought about anyone else. Could I have done something for him, or the others who might have been left behind at that time?

  Regret consumed my thoughts for hours as I waited in the dark as the others slept. Even as Sota got up and I was able to lie down in the cart, my back to Ryuu, I listened to Ryuu snore, to the oxen occasionally rattling the reins, to crickets and a crackling fire nearby.

  I could have invited Shima to my home, at least as a place of warmth to live in.

  I could have used his help. I felt I’d been alone for so long, but I hadn’t been alone. I had just never known I could do anything for anyone else.

  I couldn’t change the past, but I wallowed in my own doubt about my existence.

  Would going to the Immortal City change everything for us? Would the emperor accept someone who was selfish and excluded herself from the world?

  ARRIVAL

  WHEN SHIMA WAS READY, we split some of my vegetables and some bits of dried fish Sota had. We’d found a stream while on the road to fill up containers.

  The Taka banged his beak on his cage the moment the morning sun rose over the tree line. I let him out, and he took flight, far enough that I thought he’d get lost. But before Shima started out on the road with the oxen, the Taka reappeared, with a dead snake in his beak. He ate at it while hanging on to the edge of the cart.

  The ghost oxen seemed to go on forever, and I marveled at how they could exist in such a state, wanting to constantly move. I didn’t know how Shima and his uncle had managed to keep them a secret from the village. They seemed invaluable. With oxen that were able to work endlessly without requiring much in return except guidance on where to go, I’d have assumed Shima and his uncle to be wealthy with such treasures.

  The oxen could go longer and faster than any team of horses or any other creature we encountered on the road. The closer we got to the city, the wider the road became, which made it easier for the cart to fly past miles of farms.

  Not long into that second day, we were close to the Immortal City. We had no doubt beat the boat by at least a day.

  We stopped at a stable just outside the city. Ryuu was familiar with the stable master and traded with him to let the ghost oxen stay. Shima wasn’t thrilled, but Ryuu convinced him it was better.

  “You want them protected and not stolen in the city. This stable master is trustworthy,” Ryuu told him.

  Shima left instructions with the stable master. “Let them run circles around your fence line,” he said. “Don’t worry about them getting tired. Make sure you run them at least twice a day. If you don’t, they’ll disappear. If they give you trouble, come get me.”

  While the stable master seemed intimidated, he didn’t seem surprised, and he agreed.

  From the stable, we walked over hills, past farms and homes. Merchants and travelers and others looking to register joined us. When we had been traveling in the cart, most people had avoided us out of fear of the oxen, but now we blended in.

  Along the way, Sota had managed to strap leather with fur to his feet as makeshift shoes, although not as fine as the boots he’d given me. I should have been the one to wear the makeshift shoes. I’d argued this point with him, but he pretended not to hear me.

  His shoes were the most comfortable, though. I was walking on rabbit fur the entire time, and I loved the softness.

  It took us a full afternoon to get even close to the edge of the city. Sota wouldn’t allow us to take a break since we were so close.

  “The faster, the better,” he said. “Let’s get in and settled.”

  My limbs were sore after an hour, and I suspected it was from sitting so long in the cart. This made my muscles tight as we walked. Just when I thought I couldn’t walk anymore and would need a break, the land around us changed from farmland into the outer neighborhoods of the bigger city.

  And before us, over a hill, I caught sight of the wall for the first time.

  The Immortal City was actually a walled city where the emperor and his court resided. The surrounding districts consisted of homes and businesses, creating a semicircle around it. The sea was to the east, where many ships were docked. From the top of the hill, I could see for miles, but the center of the city, beyond the wall, could not be seen from anywhere. The emperor and his many palaces beyond the wall was secluded from view.

  Seeing this immense city and the people who lived and worked there, along with the countless coming in to register, made me feel so small and unimportant. Again, the feeling of fruitlessness invaded me. Why were we making this effort when thousands would be registering who were much more experienced, more cultured and from better families? I was a nobody, a fisherman’s daughter. Who was I to anyone?

  Under the sun, the wall seemed to move. From what I knew from Dr. Aoi’s books, it had been carved out of solid rock and depicted thousands of dragons, each representing an imperial family over all the known prior generations.

  Only the dragons never sat still. They slithered like snakes, weaving and creating the illusion the wall was alive.

  The closer we got to the wall, I heard the constant sound of rock grinding against rock, like a whisper, as the dragons slithered against each other. It could be heard like waves of the ocean, continual and easy to forget, but still always there. I wondered if the sound of the dragons ever bothered His Majesty.

  The road toward the wall’s main gates was wide, leaving plenty of room for market stalls on either side of the road. Other streets sprouted off the main road like limbs of a tree. Soon it became harder to notice the wall with the buildings and bustling activity around us.

  The air smelled of sweet, sizzling meats and jasmine rice. I watched with envy as children shared rice balls with each other, wanting to stop to eat. Food makers fanned their delicacies, spreading the smell to attract the hungry. I couldn’t help desiring the sweet, sugared fruits and exotic spices that made my mouth water with just their aroma.

  We huddled together as the density of people increased. I stayed arm to arm between Sota and Ryuu, unable to help feeling small and like everyone around us was moving too fast. Shima stayed behind us, looking over his shoulder, his eyes as wide as mine. Sota held on to the cage with the Taka, who often barked like a dog if anyone besides them got close.

  Rickshaws took to the outer edges of the streets to run passengers back and forth. Shop owners cried out their specials. A pale man in a thin robe stood on a barrel and called for peace and harmony amid a time of such confusion.

  Sota did not stop f
or any of it. He walked fast, turning off the main road away from the wall. We came upon rows and rows of buildings for trade houses, tea shops, courier homes, exotic trade shops and more. A few blocks later, we came across established neighborhoods, with homes of bamboo frames covered in hard clay. The roofs were made of either curved clapboard wood or thatch. One house blended in with another, until it was hard for me to distinguish where one ended and another started.

  The Taka whistled a morbid, low song as we walked. I knew he was unhappy and wanted to fly, but I worried he’d get lost or stolen if we let him out. Sota insisted on carrying the cage, and I imagined it was heavy with the Taka sitting inside.

  After passing endless rows of houses, Ryuu stopped walking to catch his breath, putting his palm against his ribs and rubbing through his kimono. “Where are we going, anyway? Please tell me we’re not walking into a rough part of town. I may need a few minutes to stretch out this cramp in my side if we have to deal with any beggars or thieves.”

  Sota stopped, the cage shaking and Taka squawking in protest. When he quieted, Sota spoke. “I shouldn’t be bringing you. And you should be heading to the registration office, shouldn’t you?” He eyeballed Shima as well.

  “I’m too curious for my own good,” Ryuu said and winked at me. “Besides, you both owe me for helping you get here so quickly.”

  Shima said nothing but looked at me, an eyebrow raised. “Where are you going that’s so secret? I don’t understand. Aren’t we all going to register?”

  Ryuu shrugged. “I don’t know, but I don’t like that he keeps trying to drag her off alone.” He looked at me. “What’s going on here?”

  Sota chuffed. “We all gave up something to get here, but now we’re here. I call us even, and we can part ways now.”

  “I gave more than either of you,” Ryuu said. “And I just want a peek. You’re both up to something, and I can’t help but want to make sure you’re not taking her to be sold as a slave, or something else horrible.”

  Shima stood with Ryuu, his arms going over his chest, covering the scars. “I didn’t know this was the case, or I wouldn’t have agreed to bring you with him. What’s this about taking her off alone?”

  “Can’t we take them?” I asked Sota. I did feel guilty sending Ryuu and Shima away after their help in getting us here, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was abandoning them in this immense city. I didn’t want to see them go. I put a hand gently on Sota’s arm. “Can...she...?” I wanted to suggest that Mrs. Satsu could look at them like she had at me and see if they might be what she wanted, only the way Sota was so protective, I felt I wasn’t allowed even to talk about her. Would I never be allowed to tell anyone about Mrs. Satsu? And why did it have to be so secret?

  He gazed at me calmly. “You do realize they are your competition,” he said. “You’ll be fighting for the same opportunities, and there are limited seats.”

  “I am one of thousands who have come to this city to register,” I said. “Two more won’t matter. Besides, they were registering anyway. I still don’t know how what we’re doing makes my chances any better. How does them ensuring my safety and asking questions hinder my chances?”

  Sota relaxed his posture, his movements languid. “You can do what you want, but inviting people you don’t know along means you’re risking your own possible future. I can’t advise it.”

  “Isn’t she taking the same risk with you?” Ryuu asked.

  “I’m not competition,” Sota said. “I don’t qualify. I’m only an escort.” He pointed to me but kept his focus on Ryuu and Shima. “I’m her escort. Not yours. My loyalty is to her. So I can’t advise anything that may risk her future.”

  His passionate words embarrassed me in front of the others. How could he so vehemently proclaim loyalty to me when he didn’t know anything about me? “Perhaps it’s good to make alliances,” I said quietly. “Maybe we could work together. This is why you’re here, right? You want to work with someone who has a chance of getting accepted?”

  Sota stood quietly, staring at my face. After a moment of quiet reflection, he finally spoke. “If you feel you can trust them,” he said. He motioned to Ryuu and Shima. “I am careful. I will watch her back. And know I won’t hesitate if there’s any indication you’ll hinder or harm her. Also, in this registration, you should be careful, too. Not everyone has good intentions.”

  His words made me uncomfortable for all of us. Competition was one thing, but he spoke of sabotage of someone else’s chances. Would that happen here?

  Would we turn on each other just for a chance?

  Sota allowed Ryuu and Shima to follow us. We continued through the city, taking winding roads through rows of homes. Sota eventually stopped in front of a large wood-paneled house and turned on Ryuu, Shima and myself, mouth open to say something.

  The door to the home slid open with a snap. From the home’s formal entryway came the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life. She wore an ivory-and-pink silk kimono. The obi around her waist was blue, the color matching Sota’s eyes. Silver birds flew across the kimono, their delicately painted wings seeming to glisten as if freshly rising from the water. Her face was painted a pale, soft white, with her lips and cheeks colored red. The color was striking against the pale skin. Her dark hair was piled up on her head like an orb and crowned with a blue-jeweled comb. She had bracelets on her wrists, adorned with ornaments, and a red ribbon around her neck.

  We fell silent at the sight and backed away from the door to give her room to leave the house.

  She looked at us with a smile that never reached her eyes. “The main road is that way,” she said in a soft voice, pointing in the direction we had come from.

  Did we look like we didn’t belong here? I hadn’t noticed that the houses had become opulent. While they were plain-looking, modest on the outside, the inside might have contained wealthy families. I had simply been too dazzled by how numerous they were to think about who lived in them. We were peasants among the wealthy with our dirty clothes and faces.

  She turned away. With the way the woman walked away from us, she seemed to glide as if on ice. She disappeared around a corner, taking an alleyway between homes.

  There was a commotion in the house the woman had come from. A young man appeared, dressed simply in a dark kimono tied off with a leather belt and leather pants similar to Sota’s. From the belt hung a short sword. He looked at us, up the road, and then back to us. “Which way did she go?” he asked Sota.

  Sota pointed to the corner the woman had disappeared behind. “If you hurry, you’ll catch her.”

  The young man nodded a thank-you and hurried off. I stared after him, wondering if he was an escort.

  And who was she? She’d seemed too beautiful to be a real person.

  Sota went to the open door and peered inside before stepping into the entryway. I was about to warn him that he was being rude, entering a house without permission, when Mrs. Satsu materialized at the entryway. She wore a woman’s house kimono now, but plain, in a dark indigo. She nodded at Sota, and at me, and then stopped and gave a disapproving curl of her lip when she spotted Ryuu and Shima.

  “Who are they?” she said to us and then barked directly at him. “This isn’t an inn. Go away.”

  “This is Ryuu,” I said quickly, stepping slightly in front of him in a small effort to guard him. “And this is Shima. They assisted us in getting here so quickly.” I wondered how she had managed to get here so soon, but if she was on an earlier boat, and the boat was swift, she should have gotten here yesterday. “I thought you might want to check them to see if they might qualify for...for whatever you were wanting to do.”

  She frowned at me. “You’d let them come here? You’re more naïve than I thought. Didn’t I tell you not to trust anyone?”

  “Without them, we would have never gotten here so soon. The boat had filled up, and we would still be waiting for the next one if it wasn’t for them.” I stood taller, unconvinced I stood any better ch
ance than the others. “And if you were not going to take them in, I’d still trust them enough to stick together, as I’d like to assure their safety in this city.”

  “I’d rather stay with her,” Ryuu said.

  “Me too,” Shima said.

  Sota said nothing, simply stood by.

  When Mrs. Satsu still hesitated, I continued. “I trusted you to come here. I trusted Sota to follow him. Yet I know less of both of you than I know of Ryuu and Shima. If I doubt them, I doubt you. I have to give some trust initially, yes? That’s what the emperor is doing, isn’t it?” I don’t know why I felt so strongly about this. Maybe I was afraid.

  Mrs. Satsu groaned. “Girl, you have no idea what you’re asking, bringing them here.” She continued her frown but paused and then slowly beckoned Ryuu to her. “Come here.”

  He went quickly, lifting his head. “I won’t get in the way,” he said. “I’m not really that interested in getting into the court. It’s not good for trading if you’re stuck in the Immortal City.”

  “Stuck?” I asked. Would we get stuck inside the city?

  “Shh,” the woman snapped at me and then addressed him. “Then why are you here?”

  “Curiosity. I like to learn things. It’s helpful in trading.”

  Her frown softened and she wrinkled her nose. “What do you trade? What’s in your bag?”

  “Lots of things,” he said, reaching around to clutch the leather pack to his body. “I might show you if you tell me what you know.”

  Mrs. Satsu broke into a sly grin. “Clever.” She continued to examine him, to ask him questions about his background, a lot of the same things she’d asked me or learned about me from Dr. Aoi.

  Eventually she turned to Shima. “You don’t look like much,” she said.

  He stood taller, putting his arms down by his sides, baring his scarred chest to her. “I’ve nothing to lose being here. My name isn’t even on the register. I’m little risk. But...now that I’m here, I didn’t know an escort was an option.” He looked at Sota and then at me. “I’ll be her escort.”