by Ryan Kirk
Shigeru bowed his head in understanding. “I know she is spoken for. If nothing else, trust I would not cross Nori.”
Madame inclined her head. Something in his inflection had caught her attention. “That’s the first time you’ve ever lied to me. I don’t know what kind of man you are to be so bold, but I accept your offer. Perhaps it will benefit both of us.”
Shigeru nodded and addressed Ryuu for the first time since entering the room. “I’m going to leave you for a while. I’d prefer it if you don’t try to go looking for me and instead spend your time focusing on your education here.”
Ryuu understood. Shigeru didn’t want Ryuu trying to sense him although that might be difficult. Ryuu was so sensitive, so used to Shigeru’s presence he couldn’t help but sense him. But he’d try, at least. He was very interested to see what his “education” would look like in the next few hours.
Madame struck a small gong softly and a young woman, probably five to ten cycles older than Ryuu, came gracefully into the room. She was without doubt the most beautiful woman Ryuu had ever seen. The village they lived near didn’t have anyone that compared to her. She was tall and slender, but her gown only masked her lithe strength. Her hair shone and her almond eyes looked calm and peaceful, like you could look into them and lose your concerns forever. She bowed to Madame and to the guests, and Shigeru nodded one last time at Ryuu and left the room
Ryuu had to stifle his laughter. Shigeru’s energy had spiked to incredible levels when the woman had walked in. He had initially thought Shigeru didn’t want him sensing him because he was going to do something secret. Ryuu supposed what happened in a bedroom should be secret, but he had expected something different. If Shigeru didn’t get himself under control, there wasn’t going to be anything Ryuu could do about it though. His mentor was throwing off enough energy to heat a block of this city in the winter.
Ryuu’s musings were interrupted when Madame struck the small gong again. Ryuu’s world closed in on itself as Takako entered the room. A couple of moments ago Ryuu would have claimed the woman with Shigeru was the most beautiful person he had ever met. He couldn’t believe he had been so wrong. Takako was a slender beauty and Ryuu couldn’t imagine her equal.
She looked to be a little older than Ryuu, maybe by two or three cycles. She was tall with long dark hair that put the night to shame. Her physical beauty was incredible, but it was her eyes that drew Ryuu to her. For no concrete reason he could explain, he knew she had seen much sadness. But despite the sorrow her eyes were lively and excited and nervous. She seemed vulnerable but strong, someone who could use his protection but wasn’t helpless. A reason for him to be strong.
Madame introduced the two of them and nodded slightly to Takako. She offered her hand to Ryuu, which he took after a moment’s hesitation. Her touch was softer than anyone, her fingers delicate yet strong. She led him to a small room with a bed, some mats to sit on and a low table. The room had a slight sweet scent and was warm although not uncomfortable. In short, it seemed like the perfect place to enjoy Madame’s ladies’ company.
They knelt by the table. Ryuu didn’t have the slightest clue how to proceed but was determined not to look like a fool in front of this girl. He knew she was a prostitute and was paid for her services, but he still wanted to prove himself to her. It was irrational, but he wanted to impress her. He tried to shake himself out of the train of thought, but rationality did not rule his actions as long as her eyes were on him.
Takako prepared the tea and Ryuu noticed a slight tremble in her fingers. He frowned and tenderly extended his sense. Shigeru seemed to think he shouldn’t, but Shigeru was distracted and there was no harm. He was surprised. She was more afraid and more nervous than he was. She lacked clear intention. Her actions were muddled because of her fear. Given what he was sensing he was surprised she was able to serve him at all.
His boyhood curiosity crashed through his facade. He dropped any pretense of knowing what he was doing. “Why are you so afraid?”
Takako’s eyes shot up, fearful. “How do you know?” She stopped herself as she realized she had just confirmed his question and lost control of the situation. Ryuu could see her berating herself.
Ryuu laughed at the awkwardness of the situation. Everything fell into place in his mind. The sense was a tool, but it didn’t give the answers. Shigeru and he trained often on interpreting what the sense was telling him.
“Let’s just say I’m pretty observant. Let’s have some tea and you can tell me what’s going on here.”
Takako gave him a look which he couldn’t decipher, but Ryuu knew that behind that face her mind was churning, considering alternatives, figuring out how to act next. But then her mask dropped and Ryuu knew he was looking at Takako as she was, not as she was expected to be. Her trembling stopped, and she poured the tea, speaking as she did so. “This is my first time with a man alone, but Madame told me I am not to sleep with you. The agreement was only for us to spend time together.”
Ryuu nodded. He suspected something similar although he was disappointed sex wasn’t going to be a part of his afternoon.
Takako pulled a small slip of paper out of her kimono. “She gave me this packet to put in your tea.”
Ryuu sniffed at the packet. He recognized the smell as part of his training with Shigeru. It was a mixture that wouldn’t leave a taste when mixed with tea. He would have felt fine for long enough to have a decent conversation, but then he would have been fast asleep with no ill effects when he awoke. Shigeru had taught him how to use it to put a target to sleep for a time without the target suspecting anything was amiss. The time it took the powder to take effect usually masked your own guilt.
“So you were to converse with me for a while but make sure I was asleep before the evening became sexual?”
Takako turned a little red. Ryuu had thought she couldn’t have gotten any more attractive, but he had been wrong. “Yes.”
Ryuu sighed. But it was hard to be upset with a girl so beautiful. “Well, I can do better. We can talk for as long as you like and I won’t try anything untoward.”
Takako giggled, then immediately tried to stifle it. “I don’t think you’d have a chance. It’s cute you have a sword, but I am promised to another man. If you try anything I’m supposed to give a signal and the guard outside will be here in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I’m afraid you’d be cut to little pieces.”
Ryuu restrained himself. Being so consistently underestimated was frustrating. But his training held. Shigeru had drilled it into his head that his abilities were not for bragging even if it meant sacrificing the chance to impress this girl.
Ryuu began asking questions, curious about this new person in his life. He hadn’t realized how desperate he was for company besides Shigeru. How old was she? Where did she originally come from? How did she get here? Ryuu had always assumed prostitution was something one wanted to do, or something lower castes did as a way to advance their social standing. He had never really thought there might be other stories, stories where people didn’t have the chance to choose their path. The reality tugged at him in a way he couldn’t understand.
It was because Shigeru had always given him choices. When they were training Shigeru would give him orders, but in day to day life he never did. Ryuu knew he always had a choice. Even the training was a choice he had made. It got under his skin as he listened to a story where choice wasn’t an option.
It was when Takako got to the part where she was promised to Nori’s son that he couldn’t take anymore. He stood up and paced the room. He was agitated and found he wanted something better for this girl. He tried to remind himself she was a prostitute, but she was also a person, and Ryuu couldn’t process it. The warmth of the room grew constricting. He wanted to draw his sword and cut something, just to act. But he knew better and stayed his hand.
He sat back down, angry. “It isn’t fair! You’ve never done anything wrong and yet you are promised to a man who doesn’t even know you. You should have a choic
e! There is always a choice!”
Takako held up her hand to calm him as she shook her head. “You may be right, but that is the way of the world. We don’t all have the options to choose. I have no choice and there is no escape for me. If I left the house, I would be killed, and my family also for not paying their debts. This is the only thing left, so my only choice is to act honorably and attempt to make the best of it.”
“No! You have to fight!”
“I have nothing to fight with.”
“There has to be another option. Can’t you buy yourself back or something?”
Takako laughed. “You really shouldn’t worry about this. Thank you for caring, but my fate is as inevitable as all fate, simply just a bit more apparent than most people’s. It is not yours to be worried about me.”
Ryuu couldn’t leave the subject alone, and in time it managed to irritate Takako. Ryuu could see his anger grated against her acceptance, but he couldn’t stop. He was too angry.
In frustration, she leaned forward and kissed him quickly on the lips. It was so fast he couldn’t process it, but it shut him up as he tried.
“Look, I’m thankful that you care so much. It says a lot about you, but you need to be able to let it go. It’s an important lesson I’m still learning. You need to be able to understand what you can change and what you can’t. You shouldn’t even care for someone like me. You’re rich and have the world in your hands. I don’t know exactly what your father intended from this exchange, but I suspect this isn’t going to be a meeting that will be repeated. Let’s not worry about what the future will hold and instead spend some good time together. I enjoy your company very much – it’s been the most refreshing experience I’ve had in many cycles.”
Ryuu capitulated and allowed himself to be entertained by Takako. He found that like Shigeru, she had a strength in listening to what other people said. It made her easy to talk to and Ryuu began to wish he could talk to her day after day, pouring out his one big secret.
Their time ended too soon as Shigeru knocked on the door. Ryuu bowed all the way to the floor when he left, and he felt both Shigeru’s and Takako’s shock at his gesture. He left with his head held high even though he was torn up inside and realized his outlook on life wouldn’t ever be the same.
After leaving Madame’s they loaded up on supplies in haste and with a minimal of conversation. Ryuu found he wanted nothing more than to be at home with his thoughts. As they left New Haven Shigeru allowed Ryuu to spill out his story. When he was finished Shigeru continued walking without saying a word. Ryuu followed him for a ways but then stopped. “It’s not supposed to be this way.”
Shigeru turned. “It never is. The world doesn’t listen to us and it doesn’t follow any order. To believe this world cares, to believe that nature will somehow protect us, is utter foolishness. Nature is not good or evil. It just is. Takako is trapped by circumstance, and as it stands, I believe her attitude is noble.”
Ryuu was ready to explode on his master. How could Shigeru argue the world didn’t care? He could feel the pulse of the land through his sense just as well as Ryuu. Ryuu couldn’t believe in a world without purpose. It meant his parents had died for no reason, a meaningless death.
“But what is our strength for if we don’t help those who are need helping?”
Shigeru didn’t respond right away and Ryuu realized he was arguing a very personal topic. He saw Shigeru’s shoulders tense. Not for the first time he wished he knew more about his master’s history.
Shigeru spoke, his soft voice barely carrying to Ryuu’s well-honed ears. “I don’t have a good answer for you. Ever since I took you in I’ve been asking myself what I’m doing. When we return home, I believe it’s time for me to tell you my story and how I came to be here. It’s not a good story, but I continue to hope it will turn out well. Perhaps that’s an empty hope. I don’t know how to fix the world, or even the problems of one young girl in New Haven. Perhaps I’m a coward for not trying, but maybe my purpose was to set you on the path. I don’t know. Ryuu.”
Shigeru paused, trying to find the next words, the perfect next words. Nothing came.
“I just don’t know. I don’t know what to do any better than the next person, and I hope you are old enough to understand.”
Ryuu was silent. Shigeru had never seemed so human to Ryuu. He had never displayed any weakness in almost ten cycles. Ryuu was thrown off balance. The world seemed to be spinning around him even though it stood still.
They continued their walk in silence. Ryuu was having trouble thinking straight. It was difficult to hold on to thoughts for more than a few breaths at a time. He had never really thought about his future, not with any seriousness. He already possessed enough strength to best almost anyone who might challenge him, but he didn’t know what he would do with his strength. A part of him dreamed about being a hero, saving people in distress. But who could he save, who was in distress? Was Takako?
Ryuu asked Shigeru if they could take a break for a little while. Shigeru studied him for a moment and assented, although with a warning.
“There’s a storm coming in. We should find shelter sooner rather than later.”
Ryuu looked into the sky and felt the wind against his skin. He agreed with Shigeru. There was a storm coming in, and it felt like it might be strong. But he needed to get his head on straight first.
They sat and Ryuu began by focusing on his breath the way Shigeru had taught him so many cycles ago. From there he pushed his sense outwards until he felt connected with the world again. Allowing his sense to roam was like being released from the tight confines of a cage. He felt like he could breathe again.
Ryuu’s meditation also revealed other interesting information. There were four men following them, in a depression out of sight. They intended violence. Ryuu stood up and informed Shigeru. He nodded. He had already known. Ryuu berated himself for becoming so distracted he didn’t notice bandits.
“They are waiting for the storm to set in and then attack. It’s common for bandits. It makes it more difficult for survivors to reach safety and makes them almost impossible to track after.”
A wave of fear washed over Ryuu which he fought to control with rationality. Memories of his mother and the blood threatened to overwhelm him. It was just like when he was five. But this was what he had trained for. Shigeru had assured him over and over again he was strong. But doubt and fear assailed him. Not even Shigeru’s presence calmed him as the storm came in.
Ryuu thought of Takako, unjustly held in a house of prostitution. His fear dissipated. If he couldn’t protect her, what good was he? It was time to know. He collected his gear and continued on his way as the snow came blowing in.
Shigeru followed, pleased with this decision. Ryuu asked if Shigeru could find their way home even through a storm, and Shigeru replied in the affirmative. Ryuu tried to draw strength from Shigeru’s calm. If nothing else, he had Shigeru here to protect him.
The snow and wind reduced visibility to a few dozen paces. Ryuu found the lack of sight didn’t bother him much. He could feel the bandits starting to approach closer, preparing to make their move. When they finally appeared in front of Shigeru and Ryuu, Ryuu was glad the wait was over.
As the four shadows materialized Ryuu noticed that Shigeru made no attempt to get his sword ready. The message was clear. This fight was Ryuu’s. Ryuu focused and sensed it wasn’t entirely true. Shigeru was ready to spring, but was trying to create the impression it was Ryuu’s fight.
Fair enough. As he surveyed his enemies a flicker of fear sparked to life. There were four, all much larger than Ryuu. They looked like they had killed before. There was no joy, just the grim determination of survival on their faces. He tried to focus, but he couldn’t quite push away the thought of his mother dying in a storm much like this. It threatened to overwhelm his thoughts and focus.
No words were exchanged, and the conflict was decided in an instant. Ryuu sensed the movement of the bandit on his far l
eft and the near simultaneous response of his partner far to the right. There was no honor or fairness in this fight. All four were moving for Ryuu, planning to kill him and move to Shigeru, four versus one as often as they could.
The movements snapped Ryuu back in sync with his sense. Without thought he knew where each cut would come from and where it was aimed. He knew where to strike and saw the entire battle unravel even before his sword was drawn. All that was left to do was act, and Shigeru’s training had been comprehensive in that regard.
The next conscious thought Ryuu had was that he was unharmed. No blade had come close to him and the four bandits were dying or dead on the ground around him. Ryuu slowly looked around, taking it all in and realizing what had happened. He looked down at his hands and saw them holding a bloody sword.
His power sickened him. The bandits never had a chance against the skills he had developed. He had believed on the day he actually had to use his skills it would be a noble contest, but instead it just seemed unfair. It was too easy to take a human life. It had taken just a couple of movements and four men no longer walked the cycle on this planet. These men probably had families, people that cared for them, and they had been killed by a boy without a thought. Ryuu clutched his sword as he knelt to the ground and threw up.
When he was done, he noticed Shigeru hadn’t moved at all. He hadn’t said anything. The only hint he wasn’t a statue was he was no longer close to drawing his own sword. Ryuu looked desperately at Shigeru, pleading for some form of absolution, some comfort that would make the world make sense again.
Shigeru returned his look without flinching. “If I were to tell you it was self-defense, it would be true. They attacked us first and made a choice with consequences. But this is also a lesson I cannot teach. At the setting of the sun you are one of the most powerful warriors in the Three Kingdoms. I know only a handful who are your equal. The power I’ve helped you develop is yours to use. It can be a force for good, where you protect those who need protecting from evil men, or it can be evil when you use your power for selfish reasons. That power, your strength, is only a tool. How you decide to wield it will determine the type of man you will become. The only person who can make that decision is you.”
