by Claire Luana
“If I married at all, I was resigned to a marriage that would only serve Kita’s political needs. I thought I’d be fortunate to end up with a wife who didn’t despise me.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to suffer through a marriage with a wife who adores you,” she said.
Hiro kissed the smooth indent at the side of Kai’s neck, and she shivered lightly under his touch, turning in his arms for another kiss. Her lips tasted of honey. When she pulled back, he drank in the sight of her: the sprinkling of freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose and cheeks, her warm hazel eyes that revealed such intelligence and wit. He felt like they could see to the heart of him, and for once, the exposure didn’t frighten him.
“I wish I could stay here forever,” Kai murmured, pulling back slightly.
“But…”
“But I have a meeting with the dockmaster to walk through the granaries,” Kai said. “I shouldn’t miss it.”
“Duty calls,” he said, unable to keep from smiling. He thought he might never stop smiling.
They mounted once again and made their way down the hill to the maze of warehouses, docks, and ships that made up Kyuden’s port.
Hiro had never been to this part of the city, and he took it all in with interest. A spiderweb of rickety wooden docks splayed over the meandering Nozuchi River, creating a bustling city all its own. They passed a floating market full of merchants in long wooden boats hawking their wares—spices, cloth, dried meat, little black shellfish that cracked open to reveal gooey flesh inside. There were human wares too, women with high hemlines and low necklines, watching him hungrily as they passed. Young girls and boys who should be in school peering around corners with haunted eyes. Kai saw all of these things, her mouth set in disapproval. He could see her mind working, whirling through strategies and initiatives that might help these people.
They rode through many docks and stalls before they arrived at the first of four identical warehouses. The warehouses were huge, set on large platforms built half on the riverbank and half over the river. It didn’t seem like the best location for a granary, but it was close to where the flat barges of grain came into port from farms upriver. Perhaps it was just a temporary storage area. Armed guards patrolled the fenced perimeter of the warehouses. With no crops this year, the grain in these buildings was more precious than gold. It was a wise precaution.
A tall older man strode out of the granary to greet them. His salt and pepper hair curled about his head in a wild fashion, bobbing as he walked. His angular face was framed by pronounced cheekbones and held discerning blue eyes that seemed too fine for the rest of him.
“Gooday,” the man said with a drawl, shaking Hiro’s hand with a surprisingly firm grip after he’d dismounted. The man’s other hand grasped a tall wooden staff smoothed by years of handling. The man was Hiro’s equal in height and build, well-muscled under his suede trousers and faded linen shirt.
The man turned to Kai, taking her in with an appraising look before bowing low before her and kissing her hand. “I am at your service, Your Majesty,” he murmured.
Hiro furrowed his brow. What kind of merchant was this man?
“I am a trader, a merchant, and an entrepreneur,” the man said to Hiro, as if reading his mind. “If you can name it, I’ve done a bit of it in my time.”
“What kind of entrepreneur?” Hiro asked.
“Antiquities, mostly,” he said unabashedly.
“Antiquities,” Kai said with suspicion, retrieving her hand like a handkerchief someone had sneezed into.
There were many who smuggled artifacts out of historic sites in Kita or Miina to sell on the black market. The rich adored displaying trinkets from long-lost dynasties in their sitting rooms. But it was a dangerous business. There was more to this man than met the eye.
“Merchant Silvie, as an…entrepreneur who trades in antiquities, how did you come to serve as my dockmaster?” Kai asked.
“I’m not your dockmaster,” the man said airily. “He’s a snivley little man with a ledger twice his size. Somewhere in the back.” He pointed a thumb back at the warehouse.
“What?” Kai exclaimed.
Hiro drew his sword.
“Who are you then?” Kai asked.
“Why, I’m Colum, at your service.” He twirled his staff before slapping the end to the dock. “I wanted to get a look at you. I heard you’d be visiting this part of town.”
Before Hiro could respond, a great rumble sounded. It echoed across the docks and the river, drawing little ripples on the water.
“What was that?” Kai asked, her eyes widening in alarm.
Ryu yowled and Quitsu cried out with a screech, their voices blending in an animal cacophony that stood Hiro’s hair on end.
As their voices died out, the world hung perfectly still for a moment, as if taking a deep breath. A sense of overwhelming wrongness flooded through his bond with Ryu.
“That, I suspect, is what Tsuki has planned for you next,” Colum said.
And then the wrongness exploded, seeming to rip the very fabric of the world itself. The dock bucked beneath them in great galloping strides, the ground shuddering in an earthquake. Hiro’s feet lost contact with the dock as the ground lurched up to meet him. He hit the dock hard, pain exploding up his tailbone and spine. He clung to the boards, forcing his fingers between the tightly-packed wood, seeking desperately for purchase. It did little good—the rolling of the dock flung him into the air like a leaf on the autumn wind.
Kai and the others were doing no better. Kai was flattened on her stomach clinging to one of Quitsu’s legs as the dock heaved beneath her. Ryu had dug his claws into the wood of the dock and appeared to be holding firm. The weathered man was on his backside, bouncing about like he was breaking in a yearling in the stableyard. He had a mad smile on his face and…was he laughing?
As suddenly as it had begun, the shaking ended.
People poured out of the granaries and warehouses down the length of the docks. Guards and merchants, laborers and nobles all scrambled over each other in headlong flight towards the shore. The mass of humanity seemed united in one goal: get to safety.
Hiro pulled Kai to her feet. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she said, drawing in a shaky breath. Blood dribbled from a split in her lip. “But I’m getting awfully tired of the gods playing dirty.”
“They haven’t played all their cards,” Colum said. “Let’s get out of here.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the earth let out another ominous groan.
“More?” Kai said, the dismay plain in her voice.
They joined the crowd of people fleeing the warehouses and docks running towards land. There were people all around them—a woman carrying her baby in a sling, a huge burly warehouse guard who overtook them easily, an old bookkeeper who was falling behind.
The shaking grew more violent as the earth not only undulated in waves, but also tossed them side to side like rag dolls. The mass of docks began to list to the side, leaning precariously towards the river.
“The docks are collapsing!” Hiro said, grabbing Kai’s hand. “Run!” He knew Ryu and Quitsu followed somewhere behind, but he only had eyes for Kai. He had to keep her safe.
The world lurched beneath him in the most violent jolt yet. Kai’s hand was ripped from his as the dock let out a colossal boom and the boards snapped in two. Hiro was tossed towards the land, while Kai was thrown towards the raging middle of the river.
Hiro hit the surface of the river like a ton of bricks, taking in a mouthful of cold dirty water. He flailed about in blind panic for a moment before orienting himself and kicking to the surface, spluttering and coughing. The dark water around him roiled with people, wood and waves.
Hiro scanned the churning surface of the river, trying to locate Kai. Where was she? His fear for her pulled at him like an anchor. He caught a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye and spun to see Quitsu pressed beneath the waves by two men
barreling towards the shore.
Adrenaline exploded through Hiro’s body and he crossed the choppy water with all the speed he could muster, quickly closing the distance between himself and Quitsu. Ryu could swim, but he didn’t know about Quitsu.
About halfway to Quitsu, he crossed paths with a panicked woman flailing and moaning in the dark water. Without encouragement, she clung to him, pushing him under the surface with her desperate efforts. Hiro kicked with his legs, freeing himself from the pull of her grasping hands and heavy skirts.
As he surfaced, he threw an arm around her waist, pulling her hard against himself. “Stop struggling,” he managed to gasp, taking in a mouthful of foul water. He kicked towards a large piece of wood and heaved her on top of it. “Hold on,” he gasped.
The spot where he had seen Quitsu struggling was now empty. He swam towards it with powerful strokes, praying that he wasn’t too late. He reached it and peered through the water for Quitsu. Nothing.
He took a deep breath and dove, searching the blackness with his hands. There. He felt fur brushing softly against his skin under the water. He grabbed Quitsu’s tail and heaved the seishen towards him, struggling against the river’s greedy pull. Quitsu would never let him hear the end of this.
Hiro grabbed under Quitsu’s chest as he surfaced and swam towards the shore, pushing beams and debris out of his way. The river was a mess of people and wood, a layer of grain floating over the surface of it all. Kyuden’s faint hope for surviving the winter was quickly becoming a drowned memory.
His feet struck the muddy bottom of the river and he scrambled onto the riverbank. Quitsu’s body was limp and heavy in his arms and blood poured from a gash over the seishen’s eye. Hiro resolutely ignored the worry that was seeping through his mind like a poison. It wasn’t too late for Quitsu. He wouldn’t allow it.
Once on dry land, Hiro fell to his knees on shaky legs and gently laid Quitsu down. Quitsu wasn’t breathing. Hiro, remembering his medical training, began rhythmically pounding on Quitsu’s chest, willing the seishen to breathe.
It wasn’t working. He knew the other piece of the medical treatment, but had been hoping it wouldn’t be necessary. He lifted Quitsu’s snout, cupping it so none of the air could escape. He blew into Quitsu’s mouth and then returned to his pounding. He did this again, and again. The third time, Quitsu shuddered and with a lurching cough, water exploded out of Quitsu’s mouth right into Hiro’s own.
Hiro spluttered and spit, wiping the regurgitated water off his lips.
Quitsu opened his eyes. “Sorry, Prince,” he rasped, “but you’re not my type.”
Hiro blinked with surprise and then started laughing. He swept Quitsu up into his arms, giving him a backbreaking hug. “Thank Taiyo you are all right.”
“Where’s Kai?”
Hiro looked over the dark river full of people who still struggled and cried for help. “I don’t know,” he admitted, his worry like a dark storm in the pit of his stomach. “I haven’t seen Ryu either, though I know he’s a strong swimmer. He’ll be all right. I guess we should help these people and see if we can find her.”
It was the right thing to do, and he couldn’t go back to the citadel without Kai.
Hiro heaved himself up and waded back into the river.
CHAPTER 11
The collapsing dock flung Kai high into the air. She enjoyed a feeling of strange lightness before she hit the water with a teeth-rattling crash. The river spun her around until she didn’t know which way was up or down. She tried to draw in moonlight to burn, but she didn’t know what to do, how to help herself. It felt raw and strange to her. She was in a foreign world that she couldn’t translate.
As she contemplated her predicament in a strangely detached way, a strong hand gripped her wrist and pulled. Hiro, she thought with relief.
She breached the surface with a gasping cough, forcing the water from her lungs. She treaded water, taking several shuddering breaths that burned her raw throat.
She looked around for her rescuer. It was not Hiro. Even in the darkness and sliver of a moon, she knew every outline of Hiro’s profile. Her rescuer had curly hair, illuminated like an eerie halo by the moon.
“Colum?” she rasped.
“Aye, Queenie,” he said. “Let’s get to the shore and get dry before we exchange pleasantries.” He set off towards the far shore with a determined stroke.
She looked back towards the port with its roiling mass of flotsam and debris. From the far side, they could follow along the river and cross over one of the bridges back to the other side.
She swam after him.
By the time they reached the riverbank, Kai’s muscles were burning with fatigue. She collapsed onto the sticky mud, catching her breath. The high stone of the riverwall loomed behind her.
“Looks like you need a bit more adventuring and a bit less cushy palace life, ‘eh, Queenie?” Colum said, sitting next to her with his elbows resting on his knees. He didn’t even seem winded from the swim.
“Don’t call me ‘Queenie,’” Kai said, glaring at the man.
“As you wish,” he said. “Queenie,” he added under his breath.
She growled softly but dropped it, climbing shakily to her feet. She had bigger problems.
“The citadel is this way,” she said, setting off along the riverbank.
He paused for a moment and then followed, his staff making sucking noises in the mud. Somehow he had managed to hold on to it through the whole ideal.
“Your name sounds familiar,” she remarked. It was on the tip of her brain. Where had she heard it before?
“I used to work at the citadel. Maybe you’ve heard stories of my impressive…deeds from some of the moonburners.” He raised an eyebrow in a lascivious manner.
She snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. No legends of that type around the citadel. But maybe it is from someone you worked with…Would anyone you knew still be there?”
“Mariko was the headmistress of the citadel…”
Kai shook her head.
“Gypsil was chief servant…”
Another head shake.
“Master Vita was the head of the libraries.”
“Yes!” Kai cried. “Master Vita! That’s where I remember your name. You built the dirty song into the floor of the treasury!”
He laughed. “You bet your balls I did. I forgot about that. Though how could I? The late queen ran me out on my heel when she found out.”
Kai smiled despite herself. His wide grin and square white teeth reminded her of her father. She found herself relaxing slightly in his presence, despite his sudden appearance on the docks. “So why were you looking for me? Why are you in Kyuden?”
“I want to help you.”
Kai glanced sideways at him. “Help me?”
“Do so few people offer help that you aren’t familiar with the term?”
She chuckled ruefully. “I’ll admit, I haven’t had a lot of turns of luck lately.”
“Then you’re due for some good news.”
“And you’re here to help me, what, out of the kindness of your heart? Your sense of patriotism?”
“No, Queenie. For money. I’ll help you for money.” He whipped a great golden coin out of his pocket and twirled it expertly through his fingers before it disappeared again.
“What makes you think that I have need of you? Or that there’s money in it for you?”
“I’m a bettin’ man, you see. No one wants to bet on the lame horse. But if you do…and win…” He rubbed his hands together. “That’s quite a jackpot indeed.”
Kai furrowed her brow. “Am I the lame horse in this analogy?”
“You are,” he said cheerfully.
Kai knew she should feel offended, but somehow she felt more heartened by the fact that he thought she had a chance of winning the race.
He went on. “I pulled you out of a river after your entire granary collapsed in an earthquake. And I have a feeling that’s not the worst disaster th
at’ll happen this month. You can’t afford not to hire me.”
Kai gritted her teeth. She wished he wasn’t right. That it wasn’t so obvious. But she couldn’t let her pride get in her way. She did need help. But could she trust this man? Who knew what ulterior motives he might have. She would have to talk to Master Vita, get his read on the man, before making any decisions.
Kai’s heart twisted as they summited a set of stairs that deposited them back in the city streets. Her city looked as if a spoiled boy had upturned his toybox onto the floor, scattering building blocks and miniature figures. Fires raged in the distance, and the sounds of wailing and crying mingled with the dust and smoke.
Tears pricked her eyes as she turned from the chaos and began walking towards the citadel. She could do more good with the moonburners and citadel resources at her disposal than by pulling people out of buildings singlehandedly. And she had learned days ago, there was risk that came from blindly rushing into an unknown situation.
Colum paced her silently, his unassailable good mood temporarily dampened.
When they reached the main courtyard of the citadel, Kai’s heart sank further. Several of the buildings had crumbled. Tsuki’s temple, which had been burned in last year’s sunburner attack, had totally collapsed. One half of the koumori rookery had given way, and rubble littered the ground. Koumori swooped through the sky, clicking with upset.
“Nanase!” Kai called as she saw the woman across the courtyard directing moonburners and servants.
Nanase turned and her face sagged with relief when she saw Kai. “Thank the goddess. We feared for what happened in town.”
“We were on the docks; they collapsed. The granaries are destroyed.”
Nanase’s mouth thinned to a tight-lipped line at this news.
“I might not have made it if not for Colum.”
“Who?” Nanase blinked.
Colum stepped from behind Kai and waved, his curly hair bobbing.
“I’ll explain later,” Kai said. “If we can spare one, send a koumori to the docks in town to retrieve Hiro, Ryu and Quitsu. We were separated.” Kai had been shoving down her trepidation over what had happened to Hiro and their seishen when the dock collapsed. At least she knew Quitsu was all right. She would have felt it if something had happened to him.
