by Damon Glatz
Chapter Twenty
Trust
Ohitekah led his friends through the rolling grass of the plains. They found a comfortable pace to ride and rode in single file for what seemed like several hours. The dark storm clouds trailed just behind them, keeping them dry up front.
"What’s your family like?" Sierra asked from behind Ohitekah.
Ohitekah glanced down. "It's just me and my mother... My father passed a long time ago... I never knew him."
"Oh..." She paused. "What’s your mother like?"
Ohitekah smiled. "Oh, she's great. I wish I could spend more time with her. But situations keep happening and I can't stay home."
"Yeah," Sierra added "It must be nice to have someone out there who thinks about you though... A home to go back to."
Ohitekah nodded.
"I think my mother is alright," Darius chimed in from the rear. "I didn't get a chance to go check up on her. I don't think she's dead. It would be nice to be sure though."
Ohitekah closed his eyes. Sierra paused her questions, it seemed as if he was meditating.
Ohitekah opened his eyes and looked around, he gave a smile.
"Your mother is fine. She was happy the Spades sent someone to her house today to check on her. They told her you were fine and to not worry."
Darius nodded. "Thank you. That was nice of Galius to do. He must have been worried too."
Ohitekah glanced behind him to Sierra. She seemed quiet.
"What's your family like?"
"I… uh," She began. "I never knew my family."
"How did you manage to join the Spades?" Ohitekah asked.
She looked down.
"Marcus found me when I was a child living on the streets. I lived in the alleys of Orbis until I was seven. Always on my own. He ran into me after I had just beaten up some boys for their money. He took me in and raised me. Marcus turned me around. I became part of the Order when I was ten. We trained every day. He took me to the library to study when we weren't sparring. That’s when I began to take an interest in military strategy and engineering. I rose through the ranks each year, just me and Marcus. Well, he was already a Queen when I met him. My sword design is what got me to a ten rank. My fighting skills up to the nine. I'm not sure why Galius made me Face." She looked at the Jack of spades in her hand. "I guess he sees more in me."
Ohitekah looked away from her. He wasn’t sure if Sierra's story was happy or sad. What she would have been like if Marcus had not found her?
"How did Marcus join the Order?"
"He doesn't talk about his previous life much," Sierra said softly. "He used to be a servant. That’s what we figured out. When they were younger, Galius bought him and made him a free man. Together, they joined the Spades and rose through the ranks the same time. When Augustus, the old King, died, Galius got the King card. The two of them are really close. Though Galius isn't much of a real fighter, he's just smart. Guess he doesn't need to fight when he can get others to do it for him. Glad I learned from both of them." There was a pause in the conversation, Ohitekah did not know what to add. Sierra broke the tension. "How close are we to your tribe?"
"Well... Not very far at all, from what I can tell. In fact, we're pretty close by now." The tribe had traveled far west from the last he saw them. They must have found the remains of the Thunderbird.
I wonder how Red's meeting with the Ace is going.
Daisuke slid to his left to dodge the next strike. He slashed his sword toward the chest of the Ace who moved back suddenly and the strike missed.
That armor must be very light. He is moving faster than he looks like he should.
The Ace lunged in for another slice. Daisuke blocked it with his sword.
"That's a good sword. Almost feels real." The Ace of Spades spoke to Daisuke. "Only a finely crafted katana can deflect the strength of Dragon Bone. Although the true sword of the Shogun would be able to slice right through it."
Daisuke slid back.
"Your fire is still going. You're one of the better Daisukes I've seen... Most would try to run away by now. That, or their sword breaks and they beg for mercy. You're the first to put up a decent fight." The Samurai sliced down in a chop. Daisuke clashed his blade against his and deflected.
I have to prove who I am without killing him... And yes, my sword would slice through his blade, but only if I wanted to, I am not meeting his blade with a direct hit to my edge. I would rather not destroy such an elegant weapon.
Daisuke stood to the side. "We must be under Ashikaga's castle. The marble and jade match his style of decoration. I would know. I believe he has taken me here before. Of course, it was nothing like this at the time."
"Of course you know how Ashikaga designed his stronghold. You must have spent weeks studying him. You do not impress me."
The Ace ran forward again. Daisuke blocked his strikes. The bone sword felt incredibly light, he must be able to do things with it no other Samurai could. It would be a shame to break the sword.
I could risk using more fire...
Daisuke's blade burned brighter, the flames moved up it faster and harder. The Ace took a step back. Daisuke formed a large aura of fire around him. The flames consumed him, yet he or his clothes did not burn. The heat could be felt from everyone in the room.
The Ace stared through the flames.
"I am Daisuke Yoshimori. The Shogun of the North."
The Ace lowered his sword, he was in awe for the first time in his life.
"And I am Minamoto Hashiman. The Ace of the Blood Red Spades. And if you are the true Shogun Daisuke, It would be my honor to fight such a worthy opponent." He raised his sword once again.
Daisuke extinguished all of his flames.
"It would be my greater honor." Daisuke lowered his guard. "To fight by your side, Minamoto."
The two stood still for a moment. Minamoto glanced up toward his large throne and the men sitting next to it. One of them nodded silently. Minamoto looked back to Daisuke.
"I agree." He gave a bow. Daisuke returned it.
Minamoto turned to the crowd of Samurai.
"Today. After two hundred years. We finally recognize the return of our leader. Shogun Daisuke Yoshimori. The true Shogun of the North!"
The men stood up and gave low bows. Silence filled the room, a sign of the deepest respect. Daisuke had become accustomed to the rowdy cheers of the other nations. He gave a bow as well, to show his respect. The men in the room stood up when Daisuke raised his head.
The ace of spades kept his head low.
"Now, tell me Shogun. What will you have your men do?"
"What... Uhh..." Ohitekah began, he wasn't sure how appropriate his question was. Sierra raised her eyebrow and stared at him as they rode.
"What is death like?"
"Hmm!" Sierra hummed out loud. "Well, it wasn't fun."
Ohitekah nodded. The question has been bugging him for the entire ride.
Sierra thought for a moment.
"Dying. Dying. Felt... Lonely... It felt lonely. Like I was the only person in existence. I was completely by myself. It was like I was being choked on hopelessness. I could feel the poison shutting down my body, and there was nothing I could do but lay on the floor. Trapped in myself. There was nothing but fear and panic. It was far from peaceful, but that’s because I wasn't at peace. I wasn't ready and I was fighting it. All I could think of was..."
She trailed off. Not finishing her sentence.
"Then I heard the door burst open and you guys ran it. That was it. I died knowing you tried to save me. Which I guess was comforting. For a moment."
Ohitekah sat silently and listened. That was one of the worst moments of his life, finding her like that.
"Then, I don't remember much. I guess I'm not supposed to. Now that I'm alive again. It’s like a nightmare you can’t remember, but forget why. I guess because I was out of my body, my physical mind wasn't there to recall what was going on. It was my spirit. Which makes sense I guess, I don
't know... I just remember waking up in the dungeon again, next to you. Like it was all a bad dream. And that’s what it all kind of feels like. Death is just a bad dream. A dream you can't wake up from."
She glanced to Ohitekah who was watching her intently. "Sorry, I'll let you know more next time."
Ohitekah felt himself smile.
"You probably remember more. What was the afterlife like? The Underworld?"
"Pretty damn scary," Darius mentioned from behind them. "It was dark. It messes with your head. I thought my mother died. There’s a giant rock monster that tries to kill everyone. It was not fun."
Ohitekah nodded. "Yeah, he's mostly right. I don't plan on ever going back."
"Well, we all do," Sierra said quietly. "Sooner or later."
Ohitekah looked up, there was a fine scent of something burning in the distance. He sniffed to take more of it in.
That’s when he heard the screams. He glanced around, Sierra and Darius stared at him blankly.
They can't hear them! The screams are in my head!
Horrible, terrible screams. Begging for mercy.
What is going on? Who are these people?
One voice cried out above the others.
Ohitekah! Save us!
"Mother!?"
"You're saying... This ‘Emperor’ Falko... Is planning to collect all the Mythic powers. And conquer the other nations." Minamoto looked up from the large map in the center of the room. The chamber was very reminiscent of the main room of the Spade building in Orbis. Daisuke locked eyes with Minamoto.
"Yes. Falko has already taken control of the Senate, his army, and destroyed the Blood Red Spade headquarters in Orbis. He is clever, forward thinking, and is now a Mythic. He is the greatest threat our nation has ever faced. Galius' plan is to stop him upon his advance from the capital. Strike him when he is vulnerable, defend the plains before his might becomes spread too far. And infiltrate the Capital with a naval force simultaneously. We will end the threat before he goes too far."
Minamoto stroked his beard. "This was Galius' plan?"
Daisuke nodded. "Yes, we worked on it together. With a front against the emperor, we can defend the plains and wipe out his forces in one battle. If he takes the plains, this war could last decades."
Minamoto stood back and gave a bow. "We will do what our Shogun demands."
Daisuke paused. Minamoto was clearly hesitant.
"Is there a problem with the plan?" He asked. "Please, speak freely. This is more important than formalities."
Minamoto stood uncomfortably straight. He glanced back down to the map.
"Why can the plains not defend themselves?"
Daisuke took a moment to answer.
"Falko... Is a military genius and his forces are massive. The tribes of the plains, even if organized, would be no match at all. Without the support of another army—well trained, well organized, and in greater numbers—the tribes of the plains would stand no chance. They would be little more than a bump in the road for him."
Minamoto nodded his head.
Daisuke narrowed his brow. "If the army of Orbis is not stopped. He will press forward. He is the Mythic of Earth. Our walls will crumble like dust under his power. His armies will march straight to the Immortal Palace. This fight cannot be planned defensively. This is not about defending the plains. This is about destroying Falko before he has a chance to strike at us. We must fight alongside the tribes. We simply must."
Minamoto gave another bow. "I understand now, Shogun. Thank you. What must we do?"
Daisuke looked at the map.
"We need to see the Emperor. It's time I came back."
Chapter Twenty-One
The Bear and the Bird
Johanna looked into the sky, no rain today. Ohitekah was still away. She developed a habit of checking the clouds for weather in case he was close to home. She was no longer mocked or looked down on for her practices. She was no longer the mother of a boy who was never coming home. She was the Mother of the Mythic of Thunder. She was treated with an unusual level of respect and admiration.
Mae spent a lot of her time visiting Johanna. She was very lonely recently. Goleih left the tribe after Ohitekah traveled away with the samurai. He was no longer a welcome part of the village. News spread of his abuse with his wife, and his fight and disrespect with Ohitekah. The tribesmen refused to take him on hunting parties and he was sometimes denied food at tribal ceremonies. To no one’s surprise, he finally left. Probably to join another tribe. It happens from time to time.
Mae sat with Johanna outside her tipi and they weaved a new basket together. Mae seemed much happier recently and would often ask questions about Ohitekah. She would share old stories of him from when he was younger. They would laugh and wait for him to return together. Johanna always knew Ohitekah liked Mae, this was finally his chance to talk to her without Goleih.
Mae stopped weaving, her hands were trembling. She was staring out into the distance. Johanna's eyes moved up to match her focus.
Goleih was sitting proudly on a horse, he was bathed in war paint. On his chest was the mark of a bloody red paw-print with claws, the sign of the Bear clan. A horrible war tribe that targeted weaker tribes on the plains for an attack. They would strike and claim whatever resources they could take.
Johanna trembled, she had seen these signs before, and often in her nightmares. They had attacked once before. Many years ago, but they were stopped, defeated by a fierce counter-attack. This was the same tribal signs that took her husband away from her.
But now, the Bear clan has returned and this time, it was led by Goleih.
Goleih drew back on his bow, a single flaming arrow. He released it and sent it soaring into a tipi in the tribe. Followed quickly by the growing war chants of the clan behind him. They charged towards the tribe before the warriors could prepare for battle.
"No one has attacked the Immortal Palace in over five hundred years." Minamoto tightened the straps of his dragon bone armor. "But we have been preparing for this battle since the day Ashikaga created the Order."
Daisuke nodded. "I wish there was a more Diplomatic approach to this but it seems this is the only solution."
"Of course. The people of Feng Dynasty will not follow a Shogun they think is weak. He must show force, and a will to win. This attack is more of a demonstration." Minamoto spoke to Daisuke. He spoke loud enough for all of his men to listen. "The Emperor will have no choice but to install you as the next Shogun. You are the rightful ruler, you carry the black sword, Kaminoshi. You bring news of war and how to stop it. The Emperor, and our country need you, Shogun Daisuke Yoshimori."
Daisuke gave a slight bow. "Indeed. It is time I took control back." He gripped his sword tightly. "This country has hidden behind its walls for far too long. This is the era that mankind shows its true strength. Our nation is no exception to this. We must prepare for war, and I must be the one to lead our armies to victory."
Daisuke looked to Minamoto.
"Prepare your men. We strike today."
The first man was struck off his horse before they knew they were under attack. Ohitekah drew another arrow as he charged down the hillside. This time he hit a warrior in his wooden chest-piece who fell to the ground.
"C’mon!" Sierra shouted behind her. "We need to back him up!"
"On it." Darius kicked his heels into his horse and drew his sword.
Sierra did the same, with a loud ring she slashed her blade from her side. Ohitekah was already in the battle, she had to catch up. She squinted her eyes to see through the dark downpour of rain that had suddenly arrived.
"How do we tell the difference?" Darius shouted.
Sierra hesitated. Much to her dismay, she could not tell the difference between the attacking tribesmen, and the defending ones. They all looked the same to her. Clearly, Ohitekah could tell who was who.
I guess it doesn't matter, just defend Ohitekah.
Ohitekah drew his sword and dismounted. A warrior t
ribesman ran at him with a hatchet. Ohitekah raised his hand in front of him and blasted the man with a bright bolt of energy. Sending him flying into a tipi.
Sierra jumped off her horse and stood beside Ohitekah. With a flick of a switch, her sword slid into a double bladed staff. She spun it in front of her and blocked an oncoming attack with one of her blades. The man froze for a moment in surprise at her mysterious weapon. She spun it again and slit open his stomach.
Hope that was a bad one.
"The red claws," Ohitekah spoke to her. "Fight only the ones marked with a red paw. I need to find my mother."
"Understood." Sierra sprinted into the nearest fight without saying another word. The tribesmen had no understanding of her mech-blade, battling them was easy. They swung wildly, they did not expect a girl to be fighting so expertly.
Their lesson was learned quickly.
Sierra ran from red painted man to red painted man. Blocking with one end of her blade, and striking with the other. Sometimes switching to two separate swords for specific strikes, then attaching them back together as a staff.
Her training paid off as she was able to keep switching forms effortlessly. Always keeping her enemies unsure of her next move. The single sword for a hard strike, as the two blades were heavy together. The staff as quick defense, able to counter and spin into an attack with ease. And the double blades for multiple enemies and speed. No one came close to her.
The only trouble she had was keeping an eye on who the enemies were.
Darius battled as well, keeping an eye on Sierra and Ohitekah as he did. Ohitekah washed away most of the fires with his rain. He was now running from tipi to tipi looking for his family.
The battle would be over already if he just used his powers a bit more, Darius griped.
Darius watched the fighting going on around him. Sierra moved through with a sense of grace and elegance. Her custom blade sliding and switching forms constantly. No one could use that weapon like she could. She made it look easy.
