Unseen (First of the Blade Book 2)

by D. K. Holmberg

  Imogen brought her weapon up and blocked his.

  “What are you doing?” he snapped.

  She ignored him and used one of the sacred techniques he claimed he knew, Waterfall down the Stream. Imogen swung her blade, and he managed to parry, but he stumbled. She flowed back into Petals on the Wind and raised her sword, sweeping it toward his head. As she did, she pushed out with an open palm to catch him in the chest.

  The combination of the pattern and her palm sent him staggering back.

  She darted forward with Lightning Strikes in a Storm, then struck with her blade. She stopped a hair’s breadth from his chest.

  Everything had happened faster than she could have imagined possible against someone with his skill.

  “Do you yield?” she said.

  He swept his blade up, and she reacted by carving hers in the Axe Falling technique.

  His blade shattered. He stared at the broken fragments of the weapon in his hand.

  “Do you yield?” she repeated.

  He took a step back, still holding the remains of his sword. Then he spun and stormed away.

  Imogen breathed out slowly.

  “I would have that blade,” a voice said out of the darkness.

  She turned to see General Derashen approaching. He had something in hand that she didn’t recognize—a long, slender metal object.

  “I didn’t have a choice but to challenge him. He was going to slaughter the Koral.”

  The general looked past her, and he nodded. “I know.”

  “You approve of this?”

  He scoffed. “I do not approve, but I needed you to find reason to prove yourself.”

  “You needed what?”

  He ignored her and held out his hand. “I would have that blade.”

  Imogen handed him her sword, too stunned to say anything. The general used the master notch to scrawl along the blade, each one pressing into the metal. He made five notches with steady hands, then added a sixth.

  General Derashen looked up at her. “I suspect that you would be able to defeat a much higher-level opponent, but as we don’t have one here other than me, I cannot make another notch. If you are willing to return to the homeland, then you can prove yourself there. Otherwise, you can challenge me.”

  Imogen was too startled to say anything as he handed the blade back to her. She traced her finger along the hilt, then felt the notches now scored into the flat of the blade, and swallowed.

  “I don’t think I could challenge you.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I counted six sacred patterns that you have mastered. Perhaps that is enough.”

  She looked at the sword. There was a time when she thought that mastery of the sacred patterns was what gained rank, but she had learned it was not all tied to that. There was a difference between the mastery of the sacred patterns that granted a notch, and true mastery of them. Imogen started to question how many people actually had true mastery.

  “All of this was for my benefit?” she asked.

  He snorted. “I have heard the rumors. I knew you were unbonded before you even returned. I knew you had demonstrated skill beyond a First of the Blade. And then when I saw how you handled yourself against those stone golems, I knew that you needed to prove your rank.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you will be needed, Imogen Inaratha. The Leier need you.”

  It was a comment that once would have elicited excitement. The Leier needed her. For so long, that was what she’d wanted, to serve the people. It was how she had believed she would spend her days. Now she no longer knew if that was what she needed to do.

  “First we defeat these creatures.”

  “Only if we find them,” he said.

  He turned and walked away, leaving her speechless. Suddenly, she was the second-highest-ranking person in the camp. And it seemed that General Derashen had anticipated all of this. More than that, he had planned for this.

  She glanced toward the gathered Koral before leaving. At least she was able to offer her protection to them.

  Now she needed to find the branox , stop their queen, and uncover who was responsible for releasing them. If it was Timo, then it meant she was going to have to face her brother. If it was someone else…

  Imogen would have to be ready either way.

  The First of the Blade who had wanted to practice with her ran up while carrying wooden reeds. His eyes widened as he stared at her blade. “It’s true.”

  She suppressed a surge of irritation that word would spread quickly. How much of that was General Derashen’s doing?

  “I will still work with you,” she said.

  He bowed deeply. “Thank you.”

  As she bowed back, she did not do so quite as deep as she had before.

  Now she outranked him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Interlude

  The temple was quieter today than it usually was. Imogen paused in front of one of the sculptures as she often did, her gaze lingering on the stone tiger. Over the two years she had been at the temple, she had grown increasingly confident that there was more to the sculptures. She had observed Master Liu crouching down and studying them, almost seeming to whisper to them from time to time. She couldn’t tell what he was saying when he did, or if the tigers ever spoke back to him.

  The stone was warm, the way it often felt to her, and the incredible detail of the sculpture looked as though the sculptor had been sitting next to a sleeping tiger while working on the design. Every tiger situated here had a slightly different appearance, and she marveled at this one like she did each time she was here.

  Imogen ran her fingers along the fur as if it were real. She could practically imagine herself petting this tiger, feeling the energy from within it. But then she stood and shook her head at her own foolishness.

  So much of what she did within the sacred temple was foolish. Any attempt to try to learn the sacred patterns had failed her. She used the exact technique Master Liu demonstrated, and he claimed she was wrong. Imogen had mastery of the precision of the patterns, and she knew she did them correctly, but Master Liu always said otherwise.

  “I find them relaxing.”

  She spun, then bowed politely to Master Liu, who had his hands tucked into the sleeves of his robe. “They are impressive,” she said.

  He stepped forward, his gaze lingering on the nearest tiger, then glanced up at her. “Have you discovered anything from him?”

  “This is a him?” she asked, and immediately regretted it. Doing so felt like she was challenging Master Liu.

  He gave a small smile, suggesting there was no shame in what she had said. “Of course this is. Can you not hear him?”

  She tipped her head to the side, politely attempting to listen, though knowing that she would hear nothing. “I don’t hear anything.”

  He shrugged. “Then perhaps you aren’t listening well enough.”

  What exactly was she supposed to hear?

  “I try,” she said, wanting to placate him in any way possible.

  He glanced over briefly. “You still struggle. Many who come to one of the sacred temples find that it is not what they expect. Most think they are already sword masters, and they believe that if they learn a pattern or two, they will be granted a notch on their blade and sent away to serve the people.”

  It was almost as if he knew her thoughts.

  “And there are some who come with more confidence in their abilities. They believe they can master all of the sacred patterns.” He smiled tightly. “They find that what they have learned does not necessarily apply the same way they thought it would.”

  Now she knew he was talking to her. She had been confident, cocky, and arrogant—but for good reason.

  Still, her failings seemed impossible. How could she not have demonstrated even a single sacred pattern in her time here? Imogen knew the patterns, had seen the way Master Liu had done them. She understood the moves, counted the steps, imitated the position of his hands
on the blade and how his feet slid across the stone. She knew all of it. It remained buried in her mind, but it had not been enough.

  He tipped his head, regarding her for a long moment. “What have you learned, Disciple Imogen?”

  She turned to him, bowing again. He had shifted from a casual conversation about stone tigers to a more formal one, and she wasn’t prepared for that sudden transition. She should have been, though. If there was one thing she’d learned in her time in the temple, it was that Master Liu could change the topic of conversation quickly and would often do so in jarring ways.

  “I have learned that I have much to learn,” she said.

  He frowned at her. “A simple answer, but not incorrect. What do you think you have learned about the sacred patterns?”

  She watched him for a long time, trying to come up with the right answer. The problem for her was that she didn’t have one. She had tried. She had done everything he had asked.

  Still he pushed her. Still he told her she was sloppy.

  The criticism stung.

  “I’ve learned that I don’t have the knowledge or experience to fully understand the sacred patterns.”

  Master Liu smiled at her, and she couldn’t tell if he was mocking her or if he was truly offering a genuine smile. At this point, and given who he was, she no longer knew.

  “There is wisdom in a comment like that,” he said.

  “I have been searching for wisdom,” she said, bowing her head quickly. “But it is difficult to find. I have wanted nothing more than to be a master sword fighter so I can serve the Leier my entire life.”

  He regarded her, his hands clasped together, and he tipped his head forward ever so slightly. “Do you believe that learning the sacred patterns will allow you to serve your people?”

  She pursed her lips and blinked, then leaned away. “Would it not?”

  “There is much you can do to serve your people. You do not need to come to one of the sacred temples to be given that opportunity, do you?”

  She shook her head. “I…”

  Maybe she did not. And perhaps that was his point. He was offering her an opportunity to leave. Wasn’t that what she wanted? An opportunity to return home—not dishonorably the way others had returned from the sacred temple, but to do so with honor.

  “I will never become a true master without learning what I must here,” she replied.

  Master Liu flicked his gaze down the hallway, and she looked up to see Jorend making his way toward them, his eyes narrowed more than usual. “What do you think of Disciple Jorend?” Master Liu asked.

  She regarded him for a moment. “I have sparred with him.”

  Truth be told, Imogen had sparred with most of the disciples in the sacred temple. Outside the temple, that was how they progressed. By forcing themselves to better each other against someone of greater skill, they could move forward.

  In a place like the sacred temple, everyone was at least a First of the Blade. Some even had their first notch, though they had been here for years. A notch was rare, signifying a greater level of talent than anyone in her village.

  And it meant mastery of a single sacred pattern.

  She began to question whether she would ever receive a notch. She would leave the temple a failure.

  “You’ve sparred with him,” Master Liu said. “But you’ve sparred with most here, if I am correct.”

  Imogen nodded slowly. “I have.”

  “And what have you learned?”

  “I am at least everyone’s equal.”

  It was not boasting. Imogen had pushed herself, testing herself against everybody—including those with a notch. They might be a higher rank, but all were given the same opportunities here. And Imogen had taken the opportunity to test herself, to push herself. She might be defeated, but it was always a close contest, which gave her confidence in her skill.

  “Everyone?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then shook her head. “Not everyone,” she said, nodding to him. “I am not your equal.”

  “My entire life, I have studied to understand the sacred patterns.”

  “Must one stay here in order to study them and understand them?”

  He smiled and shrugged. “There is a benefit to remaining at the temple. Time here gives you an opportunity to focus your mind on how you are connected to your people and how the patterns are connected to your people. That is the purpose.”

  She didn’t know what to say, so she held off on saying anything.

  “I can tell from your expression that this was not what you were hoping to hear.”

  “I don’t feel as if I could, or should, stay here indefinitely,” she said.

  “And what would you prefer, Disciple Imogen?”

  “As I have said, I would prefer to serve my people.”

  “And in what way would you do that?”

  Imogen recognized the challenge within his question. It was the same question she had started to ask herself.

  Before coming to the sacred temple, she had never asked that of herself. She thought she knew. But now…

  Now she no longer did. Now she questioned whether she could.

  And as Master Liu looked at her, she realized he knew the truth. He wanted to know what she had considered her bond quest. Once a person reached the status of First of the Blade, they were given the opportunity to take a bond quest. Not all chose to, but those who did were considered sacred warriors, regardless of whether they knew the sacred patterns. It was believed that taking a bond quest would bring you closer to the sacred power that connected the world, and would help you understand the sacred patterns in ways you would not otherwise.

  Imogen had given considerable thought to whether she would pursue a bond quest, but she had not come up with an answer as to what she would do or how she would serve—only that she was not sure if she should take one. She wanted to be the most skilled sword master, but she also wanted to serve her people.

  “I’m not sure,” she finally said.

  Master Liu watched her, almost as if he knew the direction of her thoughts. Given what she’d seen from him and the way he often regarded her, she couldn’t help but feel as though he did.

  “My own journey has held me here,” he said. “It has been one of trial and tribulation, but it has been rewarding.”

  She blinked. “This is your bond quest?”

  He smiled tightly, and Imogen wished she could take the words back. Typically, you did not ask about another’s bond quest. It was something the person was free to share, but to ask was considered uncouth.

  “This was my bond quest,” he said, tipping his head in a slight bow. “And it has kept me here. I have taken it upon myself to study the sacred patterns. Unfortunately, my quest means I will likely never finish. How can one finish when there are always more sacred patterns to uncover?”

  “I didn’t realize more are being discovered.”

  “We know of thirteen of them,” he said. “They are each incredibly difficult to demonstrate, and each is increasingly difficult to master.”

  She didn’t argue. She had trained for two years, but she had not learned anything more than when she had first come here.

  Though she had been shown all of the sacred patterns, she had not yet proven a true mastery of any. She had worked on it, though, and felt as if she should have those answers. It was as if the understanding was within her, she just had to find it. The only problem was that she didn’t know what it was going to take and whether there was anything more that she might be able to uncover.

  She’d immediately memorized the steps to the patterns. That was easy. It was something she had trained her mind to do from her earliest days, was how she had advanced as quickly as she had. Imogen could see a pattern, count the steps and the rhythm within it, and memorize them. Once memorized, it was a simple matter of replicating the pattern, convincing her body how to move through it.

  But the sacred patterns were different.<
br />
  Master Liu changed them each time, subtly, but enough that she started to question the simplicity that he claimed was found within the patterns. They weren’t simple at all. They were complex, and far more so than she had ever imagined. The complexity came not only from how he modified them but from how she felt the patterns work against her.

  Despite that, she recognized the similarities. They weren’t different—they were altered. And she couldn’t figure out how he altered them, nor could she figure out what it would take for her to master them.

  At this point, she no longer believed it was possible for her to do so.

  She looked at Master Liu.

  He smiled at her, and then he looked down the hallway. “Perhaps you should keep working. There are others, such as Disciple Jorend, who would provide you with the opportunity to learn even more.”

  She nodded. She didn’t want to work with Disciple Jorend, but if Master Liu told her to, then she was going to have to.

  This was his indirect way of trying to help her, though Imogen didn’t think she needed any help. What she needed was to continue to practice. She had memorized the patterns and was doing everything she believed she was supposed to, but she had not found anything useful within them.

  “Thank you for your instruction,” she said, bowing to Master Liu.

  He smiled. “There are many paths to serving the Leier. It need not be the path you thought. It need not be the journey you thought you were going to take. Perhaps your path is one you cannot yet see.”

  “How can anyone know their path before it stretches in front of them?”

  Master Liu tipped his head to the side, and he frowned at her. “It is because you ask this question that I realize you have much to learn about the sacred patterns. Eventually, it will reveal itself to you. Keep studying, Disciple Imogen.”

  He strode off, and she turned her attention back to the stone tiger. She tilted her head to the side, wondering if she might be able to hear anything from it the way Master Liu claimed.

  She stood alone in the hall for a long while until Jorend appeared by her side. He looked over to her, frowning, but he seemed less irritable with her this time. Had Master Liu spoken to him?