by Damon Glatz
Burning Willow Press, LLC
3724 Cowpens Pacolet Rd. Spartanburg, South Carolina 29307
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors’ rights is appreciated. The persons, places, and events of this novel are works of fiction. Any coincidence with the individual’s past or present is merely that, coincidence.
-1st Edition-
Print ISBN-13: 978-1-947584-55-6
Print ISBN-10: 1-947584-55-3
This edition published by Burning Willow Press, book publisher, Spartanburg, South Carolina 2019
Copyright © Damon Glatz, author, 2019
Edited by Edd Sowder, 2019
Cover art design and Interior design by Mayhem Designs, 2019
"This one is for my dad."
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Epilogue
About the Author
About the Publisher
Prologue
Dawn of Red
The Hall of Tranquility was bigger than Daisuke remembered. Or maybe he was smaller, it was hard to think straight at the moment. The marble pillars towered above him and rowed down the length of the hall. They were thick and emerald in color, with engravings of the Mythic of Air coiling along them, ascending into heaven. The hall faced the large stone stairs that lead to the platform housing the Jade Throne, the seat of the Emperor. This hall was only used for the most important of circumstances. The trial of a Shogun was certainly one of those times.
Daisuke was here only a week ago to request reinforcements to aid in the defense against the impending invasion. The Shogun was usually seated near the throne, beside the Holy Emperor himself.
Today the emperor was seated alone. He sat silently, solemn, deep in thought. His long white beard trailed across his elaborate silk robes. His bony fingers ran through his silver hair as he struggled subconsciously. Usually, a man of swift judgment and respectable composure, Emperor Sunin, the man ruling the Feng Dynasty, was not himself today. Behind his leathery face, his soul was sad and distraught.
The entire room waited with hushed breath as he deliberated. Daimyo, lords of castles, generals, most of the great names of the North, all of them silenced by the presence of the Emperor. No one would dare to speak until the Emperor has passed his judgment. And the crime in question was most severe.
"Shogun Daisuke Yoshimori,” he stated after a long moment of reflection. “You have been a great and trusted leader... and personal friend... for many years.” There was a pain in his eyes. “Your family name has defended us from foreign attack for generations. However, now I find myself placed in a difficult position."
The dishonored Shogun kneeled in front of the Emperor. He had no words to defend himself, not even the Shogun was in a position to argue with the Holy Emperor. Especially someone who has done the horrible things he was accused of.
"We all know that we owe you our lives, you saved our nation from the Ashland invasion."
Daisuke hung his head, ashamed.
"But the manner of which you did... I have heard the reports from your surviving officers. Using the power of the mythic, you obliterated the armies indiscriminately. You burned your own men alive. Once the Ashland army retreated you turned on us and razed your own stronghold to the ground..."
Daisuke tried to hide his emotions from the Emperor. He did not remember what happened after his battle with the dragon. Images of the war flickered through his mind. The entire might of the Ashland army was breaking through the Wall. Then the Dragon appeared over the horizon. All were turned to ash under the horrifying power of the Fire Mythic. The battle was surely lost, the Empire on the precipice of annihilation. The Shogun, the one man who was trusted to lead the Feng Dynasty to victory, did what he must. He made the decision to give his life to defend the Emperor. Without thinking of his own life, he leaped off the edge of the wall and swung his sword at the great monster. Somehow, by the will of the gods, he managed to slice straight through the neck of the Dragon and cut its head off. He fell the rest of the way down and was sure he had died. The next thing he remembered was waking up on the ground of a prison cell the next morning, dressed in the burned remains of his armor. The guards kept their distance from him, unsure of what he would do.
No man had ever killed a Mythic. No one knew what would happen next.
In the prison, he had heard the terrible things he had done. The thousands of men he murdered. What a disgrace to his country. He had saved his Nation, but at what cost?
"Even that aside Daisuke Yoshimori. We only worship one Goddess...” The Emperor held up a single finger into the air as he spoke “One Mythic in this Dynasty. The Mythic of the Wind, the Goddess of the Air.” The Emperor lowered his hand and stared at Daisuke, making his point clear.
“The Fire Mythic has been, and always will be, an enemy of our Empire. If you cannot control your powers or your mind, you cannot be trusted to lead our armies. You can turn on us at any moment."
Daisuke agreed. He is a danger to them all. He cannot be trusted.
The Emperor lowered his head and closed his eyes. There was a silence in the hall. "If you were any other man, I would have you executed for your crimes. If you were simply just the friend I had known my whole life, I would grant you the honor of seppuku.” He took a deep breath and sat up straight. “But you are now the Mythic of Fire, immortal, and unable to take your own life.” The Emperor stood up and raised his voice for all to hear.
“For your crimes, dishonor, and for being a present threat to our great nation. I strip from you the title of Shogun and banish you from this Empire for as long as you may live. May the gods have mercy on your soul."
Daisuke stood up slowly, trying not to let his body start shaking. He gave a deep bow, he had no right to speak to the Emperor. He did all he could and only stared at the marble ground. The last time he should ever see this floor again, be in this palace again. His last moments in his home. He would never see his family again. He wished for an honorable death, but even death was taken from him.
Guards walked over and stripped him of what was left of his armor. He stood in only his red robes. He was now a Ronin, no better than the dishonored samurai he had banished himself as Shogun.
“General Ashikaga, step forward.” The Emperor orde
red. A strong man decorated in his finest ceremonial armor strode forward and gave a bow.
Ashikaga glanced briefly to Daisuke, who was preoccupied staring at the floor. Ashikaga grimaced and returned his attention to the Emperor. The Emperor reached to the right of the throne and pulled up a long curved weapon. It was Daisuke’s katana. The sword of the Shogun. The black blade named Kaminoshi.
The General kept his composure.
"General Ashikaga. For your family history, military excellence, and devout loyalty to your Emperor. I give you this sword, the title, and responsibility, of being the next Shogun."
Ashikaga approached the Jade Throne to receive his new title. Daisuke was grabbed by two samurai and was escorted out of the throne room.
When he looked at his new sword, Ashikaga gripped it hard, his hands shaking. He gave the Emperor a deep bow and thanked him. The doors closed behind Daisuke as he was led out of the palace.
Daisuke walked down the long stone steps of the Immortal Palace, hands bound, being led by armed guards. His pace was slow, he was in no rush to go anywhere, he had no idea where he would even go. The guards would take him all the way to the wall and leave him there, on the outside. Alone. The way the rest of his life would be. Alone. For however long his immortality lasted.
"Guards!" There was a deep voice coming from the top of the stairs that broke Daisuke's concentration. It was Ashikaga, the new Shogun. Daisuke dropped to his knees and bowed, the guards did the same.
"Shh! Stand up." He spoke in a hushed tone. Daisuke, confused, stood up. "Guards, leave us." Without a moment of hesitation, the guards obeyed their new Shogun.
Ashikaga stood before Daisuke and waited for the guards to exit earshot. "What happened in there was wrong. And your men know it." He pulled out the black blade and motioned for Daisuke to take it back. "This is yours. I have not earned this honor."
"No. I cannot take this; this belongs to the Shogun." Daisuke was stunned.
"You are the true Shogun; I do not deserve this. You saved our whole Empire, Daisuke. The Fire God possessed your mind and took control. I will find a way to fix this. I owe you that."
"Please, no, I do not deserve—"
"You need to get out of here. Go to Ashland, stay hidden. I will have my men personally escort you beyond the wall, you can trust them.” He glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "I will always serve you." He bowed.
Daisuke did not know what to say, he was in no position to argue with the current Shogun, but this was treason.
"I am going to talk to the Emperor, get him to change his mind. I will send for you later."
Daisuke said nothing. He looked at the black steel of his sword. His family's sword for countless generations. His heart knew he could not let it go. He reached out and accepted it, gripping it tightly.
"Daisuke, my Shogun, stay hidden. I will find you when the time comes, use a false name for now, something my men will be able to recognize you by. You are the fire Mythic now, let’s go with “Red.” I will have my men search for a man in Ashland called Red…” The new Shogun Ashikaga looked into deep Daisuke’s eyes. “I will always serve you. I swear."
Chapter One
Duel
Daisuke stared down his opponent. Gripping his black katana with his outstretched arm, he dared not take his eyes off the Prince for a second. A cool breeze rolled through, disturbing the stillness of the tension. Lance's blue and silver cape fluttered to his side. The sky was starting to clear, streams of sunlight trickled through the black. There was not a sound to be heard across the whole of the plains. As if every ear was turned to this moment, not even the wind dared to make a sound. Daisuke kept his face solid, gave no sign of weakness. Any expression would surely go noticed by Lance. The Prince's brow was narrow, his eyes sharp and filled with rage. His knuckles turned white from the grip he was holding on his silver sword.
After an eternity of silence, Daisuke broke the seal.
"You still want to do this? After everything?"
Lance said nothing but tightened his grip. His sword and his arm fusing into one and the same.
"After all we had been through, everything you have seen. You still want to fight?"
Lance only continued his glare, unblinking.
"Don't you see? This is bigger than us! The world is changing, Lance! I need your help, your skill, your influence!" Daisuke's voice started to crack as he raised it. It has been a long time since he had spoken this loud.
Lance stayed motionless.
Daisuke collected himself. "How misguided you are Lance. You cannot win this battle. You had a chance to be greater than this, to be a better man. You had a chance to win this fight. You still have that chance; you just need to open your mind to what is really going on."
"Silence!" Lance shouted finally. "You were always the misguided one. I only joined this little quest to take my shot at you. You knew that. I cared nothing for the other Mythics or nations. My goal has never changed from the moment I saw you. If you thought I would suffer some miraculous change of heart, then I am happy to disappoint you. If you thought, you could worm out of this fight by preaching about some way to protect the greater good, you are dead wrong. You murdered our Mythic... A crime that must be paid for. Our power and might will be restored to the once glorious strength of the Ashland Kingdom."
"There has been peace! No war for two hundred years Lance! I have seen the devastation caused by our nation's bitter hatred. We can be better than them. We can unite to create a golden era for mankind. We can use the power of the Mythics to bring balance to the nations of the world. We are not enemies! We are all human, equal to one another! We have been divided and abused by the Gods, by our pride. We can lead the revolution to bring them down for good. Together our five nations could be stronger than the heavens! Together... we can challenge Gods!"
"No Daisuke..." Lance shook his head "I only want to challenge you." Lance raised his sword.
Daisuke lowered his head, the grass blew softly between his feet. The warm sun touched his skin. "So marks the fall of mankind." He lifted his blade.
Nothing but a gentle breeze divided them.
In a single motion, Lance rushed forward to attack. There was a loud clang of metal that shattered the silence. The heirloom of the Shogun’s royal family clashed with the hand forged steel of Ashland. Daisuke shoved his sword forward and launched Lance to his side. Without a moment’s hesitation, Lance struck again. He slashed his sword ferociously, aiming for the heart. Daisuke effortlessly blocked the blows. Lance continued his relentless attack, his swings moving faster with each strike. Daisuke did nothing but guard. Lance jumped away, breathing heavy.
"You're holding back old man. Fight me!"
"You are not worthy of these powers. Your fate is dark and your intentions impure. This is your last chance. I am giving you an opportunity to leave this now Lance, Prince of Ashland. Redeem yourself."
"Who are you to decide who is worthy of what? You are the one in need of redemption Daisuke."
"I will hold back no longer." Daisuke scowled.
"Don't try to bluff me, the more you use your powers, the more you lose control. I am not afraid of you. You are."
Daisuke held out his arm toward Lance, a red flaming orb began to grow and spiral from the palm of his outstretched hand. Threatening to blow him away with a blast of fire. Daisuke stared at Lance dead in the eye. Lance smiled, calling the bluff, refusing to back down.
"So be it."
With an explosion, the Mythic fired the hell column straight at Lance. There was no time to evade an attack of such power. In an instant, the Prince was engulfed in blazing red heat. The attack did not last long. Daisuke lowered his arm and quelled the fire. There was nothing but black smoke where the Prince once proudly stood. Smoke and ash.
Daisuke faced away from the charred earth and waited.
The breeze calmly blew the smoke away. Through the dark curtain being pulled by the wind, there was nothing but a black scar on th
e plains. Nothing but the scar, and the Prince.
Lance stood there boldly, defiant of the inferno that recently engulfed him. Seemingly untouched. Daisuke knew the fire blast would take out any lesser man but this was Lance. He did not know how but he knew beating the Prince of Ashland would not be that simple.
"I'm proud Daisuke, you took the shot." Lance brushed himself off as if being swallowed in flame was little more than a discomfort. Daisuke said nothing, he waited for Lance to explain himself. "When I said I have been training my whole life for this battle, did you think I was joking?" Daisuke stared him down, demanding an answer. Lance nodded. "This cape is made from fire resistant material, it’s the only one of its kind in the world. Crafted from the scientists down from Orbis. If I cover myself with it, your fire is little more than a gust of wind." Lance raised his sword.
"Impressive." Daisuke lifted his katana. Ingenious actually, he's calculated every move so far. Stemming from his hand, a flame crawled up through the steel and swallowed the sword with a steady blaze. "But that will not be enough."
This time Daisuke rushed forward. His movement was accelerated by fire propelling his feet in jets. His speed was a blur to an untrained eye. Lance dug his boots into the earth and blocked the blow with all his strength. The flaming sword grew brighter in intensity, sending sparks and embers all around. Pushing harder with his sword, Daisuke dug Lance deeper into the dirt. Face to face, neither backing down.
The lock was suddenly broken and they exchanged several attacks, none hitting anything other than the opponent’s blade. Daisuke became more and more ferocious, using his speed to attack Lance from multiple directions with his incredible speed. The Prince danced around him, deflecting everything.
The Mythic changed tactics and began to combine fire blasts with sword strikes. When he saw an opening after a slash, he would shoot a burst of flame with his opposite hand directly at Lance. The Prince was forced to evade the strike so his cape could absorb the blow.
